<p>I doubt PH spends as much time as I do watching various economic indicators.
Let’s review: GNP Up, Inflation-low, Job Growth-solid, stocks-up, unemployment-low-moderate, average home value–way up. Hiring of college grads-way up. Looks pretty positive to me. I know somebody is suffering somewhere but the economy overall is solid. In my area it is downright booming and the paper had a headline yesterday that the booming job market was bringing higher wages–funny how that economic thing works.</p>
<p>I kind of have to watch economic indicators also. </p>
<p>GNP up, yes. Inflation-low (bs numbers), job growth—ok sub par for economic expansions, stocks up–depends on your point of reference—we are not much higher than 7 years ago. Unemployment–I agree, average home value–way up-- I agree, personal debt levels at all time high—, budget deficit too high considering demographics, savings rates too low in the US–too high in Asia, interest rates too low which has led to home prices going up too high compared to incomes, speculation in commodities and a country that is leveraged to the gills and has to rely on foreign governments (and maybe unfriendly governments) for money and can not handle any hiccups.</p>
<p>Real income for the masses is falling. </p>
<p>Whenever people borrow, its party time. When the loans have to be paid back…</p>
<p>newmassdad asked:</p>
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<p>If Bush was in any danger flying jets in the Air National Guard it would have been due only to his own ineptitude as a pilot. He was ten thousand miles away from the shooting.</p>
<p>Slight distinction: the polls show that more people are catching on. Some of us have been correct for quite a while.</p>
<p>Job growth–solid? Uh…the rate of job creation isn’t even keeping up with the number of new job seekers coming into the market place. For an economic expansion, the past five years have been remarkably tepid with respect to job creation and real wages. The boon has been mostly to the wealthy. But the economic situation I regard as a subject for ordinary politics, as opposed to Iraq which is a disaster that is damaging my country.</p>
<p>Well maybe some history is being remembered by some:
My congrats to Rep. John Murtha on his remarks today-</p>
<p>It is time for a change in direction, said Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., one of Congress most hawkish Democrats. Our military is suffering; the future of our country is at risk. We cannot continue on the present course. It is evident that continued military action in Iraq is not in the best interests of the United States of America, the Iraqi people or the Persian Gulf region.</p>
<p>In response to Cowboy Dick Cheney’s remarks that those who contend the Bush administration manipulated intelligence on Iraq, Murtha, a decorated Marine intelligence officer in Vietnam, angrily shot back at Cheney: </p>
<p>I like guys whove never been there that criticize us whove been there. I like that. I like guys who got five deferments and never been there and send people to war, and then dont like to hear suggestions about what needs to be done.</p>
<p>Representative Murtha also commended Bush Sr. as a man willing to listen to divergent opinion, willing to assess and reassess a situation. W is not adult enough to do any such things. He is a complete simpleton who is paralyzed by an inferiority complex so massive that he cannot acknowledge a mistake or failing or give credit to any divergent opinion. He is further so obessessed with slaying his oedipus complex that he has placed our nation and the world at risk to prove his worth to and outdo his father.</p>
<p>The Bush administration is falling right into the trap laid by the Democrats. The more Bush and Cheney lash out at their critics, the more entrenched they seem in their policies–the more opposed they appear to troop reductions. As a result, they can either keep the troops at their current levels, with disastrous effects for the GOP in 2006, or they can reduce the troops, appearing to capitulate to the opposition.</p>
<p>spoonyj,</p>
<p>Yea, pretty cool, no?</p>
<p>What a twist: after setting the trap for the dems, vote against the invastion and seem soft on terrorism (sorry about the bad intel…), the bushies now have the opportunity to fall on their own swords.</p>
<p>Dow up about 47% in about two years, Nasdaq up 85%. That’s great growth coming our of a recession.</p>
<p>barrons, here are charts for you </p>
<p><a href=“^DJI Interactive Stock Chart | Dow Jones Industrial Average Stock - Yahoo Finance”>^DJI Interactive Stock Chart | Dow Jones Industrial Average Stock - Yahoo Finance;
<p><a href=“^IXIC Interactive Stock Chart | NASDAQ Composite Stock - Yahoo Finance”>^IXIC Interactive Stock Chart | NASDAQ Composite Stock - Yahoo Finance;
<p>Does this chart remind you of housing prices (years 1985- 2000)?</p>
<p><a href=“^IXIC Interactive Stock Chart | NASDAQ Composite Stock - Yahoo Finance”>^IXIC Interactive Stock Chart | NASDAQ Composite Stock - Yahoo Finance;
<p>Or maybe we will get this? Just a flattening out?</p>
<p><a href=“Dow Jones Industrial Average, DJIA Quick Chart - (Dow Jones Global) DJIA, Dow Jones Industrial Average Stock Price - BigCharts.com”>Dow Jones Industrial Average, DJIA Quick Chart - (Dow Jones Global) DJIA, Dow Jones Industrial Average Stock Price - BigCharts.com;
<p>For 90% of the US I am not too worried about home prices. They will dip a bit from the peak–maybe up to 10% even but you still made 50%-100% or so in a few years. Condos might be another story but I never would buy one anyway. It’s just an apartment with a hefty service charge.</p>
<p>Barrons, you don’t buy the argument that the baby boomers are going to sell their homes and move to the cities and buy condos?</p>
<p>Is there really a land or housing shortage in this country?</p>
<p>Not in most of it but in some places lots of people want to live–yes–NY, Boston, LA, SF, Seattle. We are seeing some older folks buying city condos in Seattle but for many it is too noisy, expensive, dengerous, etc. I think we need lots more smaller (1500-1800 sf) one story houses on small easy to maintain lots. They have some of those going up here and they do great.</p>
<p>Someday, I think I might like one of those.</p>
<p>The bush admin response to Representative Murtha’s comments re: troop withdrawal has just been wonderful. In an effort to discredit this decorated Vietnam era Marine, who has served in the house since 1974, their big comeback is to liken him to Michael Moore and label him (Murtha) as now part of the extreme left wing - LOL. the Daily Show couldn’t think of stuff this funny.</p>
<p>W and the crew further liken Murtha’s suggestion to “surrender to the terrorists”. Sorta back to the same Vietnam era rhetoric that if we (withdraw/surrender and) allow South Vietnam to fall then (the domino effect), the rest of Asia and certainly Indo-China will soon all be in the hands of the commies. It is most amazing that W is presently speaking from the very region that was supposedly to have all fallen to those commies if we withdrew from Vietnam (where are those commies now that W needs 'em to back up the theory- ooops instead we are now trade partners with Vietnam, China etc.-those tricky commies).</p>
<p>Now, per the W crowd, anyone dissenting is unpatriotic, is hurting the troops, is undermining freedom- just waiting for those “Love it or leave it” stickers to go on sale at the White House. I think there’s a whole batch leftover in the basement of the Nixon Library, right next to the ones with the peace symbol that say “footprint of the American chicken”.</p>
<p>Hey barrons,</p>
<p>Where are you getting your info from, 47% increase for Dow, 85% increase for Nasdaq. I looked at the charts provided by dstark and I don’t see those gains.</p>
<p>It seems like you are in the financial business. What advice can you give to the rest of us? I am not posting on this thread to discredit you, support or oppose the Iraq war, etc. I am just curious where you are getting your info.</p>
<p>He is taking the low points of a few of years ago (end of 2002) and getting the percentage increases from there. 7000 area in the Dow and sub-1200 in the nasdaq.</p>
<p>Correct, from back when everyone thought doomsday was nigh and longed for Bill C as the topic was essentially the W era. I stayed out of the late 90’s mess because I did the math and most internet companies were blatant losers. I do wish I had bought some Ebay because that made sense but picking out just the winners was too much for me.</p>
<p>Dstark, here’s a nice development for you:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.trilogylife.com/main_frame.cfm[/url]”>http://www.trilogylife.com/main_frame.cfm</a></p>
<p>"W and the crew further liken Murtha’s suggestion to “surrender to the terrorists”.</p>
<p>I don’t think we should “surrender to the terrorists” at all. I think we should declare victory - “Mission Accomplished!” - and bring the troops home - TODAY - to a tickertape parade. Saddam Hussein was overthrown, we found and destroyed all the existing WMD, we protected the Kurds, set up democratic elections, and (with any luck) end up with permanent military basis and control of the oil pipelines. We also end up with Ayatollah Sistani running the country (which we could have had 25 months ago, but that’s another story.)</p>
<p>Every day we stay in Iraq, we produce 4 terrorists for every one we kill. That is not my estimate, that’s the Pentagon’s, which estimated 5,000 terrorists 18 months ago, and upwards of 20,000 today.</p>
<p>Break out the popcorn…the House of Representatives is voting early this evening on whether or not we should pull our troops out of Iraq. This ought to be fun.</p>