Ask yourself this question: what do you really think caused firms to lay off so many workers that unemployment jumped from 4.4% in May 2007 to 10% in October 2009 (remaining at 8.2% today), a sudden spike in business regulations and taxes, or a collapse in demand?
It is impossible to imagine that anyone truly believes the former to be the case, but I hear republicans including mitt romney saying that on a daily basis, leading me to believe they have ulterior motives.
===== seabass6251: "To answer your question, it was uncertainty about the overall, future economy by consumers and businesses.." =====
LOL! That has to be the #1 republican talking point - uncertainty - but just 'think' for once.....it's all about the BUSINESS CYCLE, and nobody knows what the future holds, so there is always UNCERTAINTY!
Even during the longest economic expansion in our history -- from March 1991 to March 2001 -- nobody was talking about doom and gloom except for republicans like "the newt," but that was early, in 1992/1993, when they said tax increases on the wealthy would stall the recovery and put us back into recession and cause unemployment to rise again. Obviously, they were wrong, and business and the middle class flourished -- actually everyone did very well, even the wealthy that saw their taxes increase. And, 22 million private-sector jobs were created even while outsourcing became prevalent!
So take your UNCERTAINTY republican talking point and shove it, and realize that it certainly was not "a sudden spike in business regulations and taxes" like mitt romney believes, that caused "unemployment jumping from 4.4% in May 2007 to 10% in October 2009".
But....it was a collapse in demand from consumers, and mainly from middle class consumers that no longer have that disposable income!
In reality, the reason we are stuck where we are is because the middle class lacks jobs and incomes -- something that will get markedly worse if we continue to try to cut government spending and balance the budget like paul ryan and other GOP leaders say. That's a fact!
seabass6251: "You would be much better off to study US history....Review the economy after WWI and the action taken by the government. See the immediate results of the federal government cutting the annual budget by half......Compare that to FDR's actions during the 30s when he increased government spending.."
Actually, it's YOU that needs to study history seab_ass, and understand exactly what CAUSED the Great Depression, and that FDR took office 3 & 1/2 years AFTER the 1929 stock market crash! YOU republicans sure have a need to re-write history, since it was republican economic policies that caused both the Great Depression and the bush/cheney Great Recession.
There were many similarities leading up to both catastrophic economic downturns -- with one being the huge income inequality that led to the top 1% owning such a huge amount of our nation's wealth.
The other things you need to understand is that hoover increased government spending by 50% in his own republican stimulus program while unemployment kept increasing, and that republicans passed the smoot-hawley tariff act of 1930, that many economists believe increased the severity and length of the Great Depression through republican protectionism.
Don't just 'cherry-pick' your version of history -- include it all!
Oh, and BTW, it was government spending that did indeed get us out of the Great Depression, as unemployment peaked the same year that FDR took charge (just like President Obama) and continuously got better, except for a slight burp in 1936 when republicans cut funding. The eventual end to the Great Depression was our entrance into WWII, and the huge government SPENDING. And, just like after WWI, government spending and the budget were seriously cut after WWII.
ROMMNEY IS JUST A MISERABLE TAX EVADER, THAT HAS BEEN HIDING HIS WEALTH IN SECRET, UNNAMED, NUMBERED ACCOUNTS IN CAYMAN ISLANDS, SWITZERLAND AND OTHER TAX-EVADER HAVENS IN THE CARIBBEAN AND EUROPE. IS THIS THE KIND OF PRESIDENT WE WANT? TAX EVADERS ARE ROBBING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND SHOULD BE PUT IN JAIL, INSTEAD OF ALLOWING THEM TO RUN FOR OFFICE TO CONTINUE THEIR CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR.
seabass6251: "You would be much better off to study US history"
Ask yourself this question: what do you really think caused firms to lay off so many workers that unemployment jumped from 4.4% in May 2007 to 10% in October 2009 (remaining at 8.2% today), a sudden spike in business regulations and taxes, or a collapse in demand?
It is impossible to imagine that anyone truly believes the former to be the case, but I hear republicans including mitt romney saying that on a daily basis, leading me to believe they have ulterior motives.
In reality, the reason we are stuck where we are is because the middle class lacks jobs and incomes -- something that will get markedly worse if we continue to try to cut government spending and balance the budget like paul ryan and other GOP leaders say.
Who wants this slimy slimewad to be the President? The Top 1% wants him as their parasitic puppet to finish the job of stealing all the money from the 99%. And some of the American people who are honesly too dumb to know better. Simple.
When mitt romney got brave enough to escape the cocoon of fox news, and appeared on Face the Nation in June, he added his voice to the chorus of those saying that economic recovery would follow if only we relieved the terrible burden that the government has placed on the nation's job creators: business. Were taxes and regulations relaxed, this would reduce costs sufficiently to allow firms to do what they are already dying to do, which is expand operations and hire workers.
If the demand for goods and services stays where it is today and we only cut industry taxes and regulations, there is absolutely no reason to think that firms would expand employment with mitt romney's magic wand. Rather, they would continue to produce at the same level and simply earn higher profits like their record profits in 2010-11.
On the other hand, if we leave taxes and regulations untouched but increase demand, entrepreneurs will happily add workers. And that is the root of the problem today. The bottom line, lost on mitt romney and many others, is that the real job creators are consumers. The direct route to reducing unemployment is boosting demand, not reducing costs.
Ask yourself this question: what do you really think caused firms to lay off so many workers that unemployment jumped from 4.4% in May 2007 to 10% in October 2009 (remaining at 8.2% today), a sudden spike in business regulations and taxes, or a collapse in demand?
It is impossible to imagine that anyone truly believes the former to be the case, but I hear republicans including mitt romney saying that on a daily basis, leading me to believe they have ulterior motives.
In reality, the reason we are stuck where we are is because the middle class lacks jobs and incomes -- something that will get markedly worse if we continue to try to cut government spending and balance the budget like paul ryan and other GOP leaders say.
Let us also not forget the tax cuts have been in place for what 8+ years and what has it done for the economic condition. We have reduced taxes and increase spending (all under the previous administration) and they want to cut taxes more? Been there, done that and it failed, miserably. Also the regulations argument holds no water anyway. There are some arguments that regulations not only create techincal jobs but also tend to be protective of the public welfare (clean environment, financial protections, job safety, etc.). Nothing is more inane then arguments for deregulation alls it allows is for corporations to line their pockets even more usually at the expense of the middle class either directly or indirectly.
seabass6251: "General welfare historically meant roads, bridges, military, etc. that we all benefit from. However, social programs benefit the recipient only at the burden of others. That most definitely is not 'making sure that government works for all'".
Let me begin with the preamble: "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
So now, you're trying to tell me the right-wingers like romney want to expand the military-industrial complex so much more than the quadrupling during bushworld, that they will also lump it into the "general welfare" category like you did, and not leave it by itself as "common defense"?
This is exactly why we are so screwed as a nation full of right-wing extremists as a screaming minority, so vocally against "welfare," without realizing the hundreds of billions we spend on CORPORATE WELFARE in the form of defense contractors and energy companies, especially since our military is the largest user of energy in the world!
"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist."
Sounds like a recent quote concerning recent events ... but said over 50 years ago. Oh Ike how right you were.
Hey occupy ... maybe their interpretation of "general" is not by popultion but by holders of wealth. They have to look after their welfare less the common man get smart and speak up.
Hey seab_ass, YOU don't have to tell me anything, I've already heard it right from the mittster's lying lips -- he wants to cut all government spending except for adding another $200 Billion to the massive military-industrial complex!
It's amazing how ignorant the fox/rush crowd is today!
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It is impossible to imagine that anyone truly believes the former to be the case, but I hear republicans including mitt romney saying that on a daily basis, leading me to believe they have ulterior motives.
=====
seabass6251: "To answer your question, it was uncertainty about the overall, future economy by consumers and businesses.."
=====
LOL! That has to be the #1 republican talking point - uncertainty - but just 'think' for once.....it's all about the BUSINESS CYCLE, and nobody knows what the future holds, so there is always UNCERTAINTY!
Even during the longest economic expansion in our history -- from March 1991 to March 2001 -- nobody was talking about doom and gloom except for republicans like "the newt," but that was early, in 1992/1993, when they said tax increases on the wealthy would stall the recovery and put us back into recession and cause unemployment to rise again. Obviously, they were wrong, and business and the middle class flourished -- actually everyone did very well, even the wealthy that saw their taxes increase. And, 22 million private-sector jobs were created even while outsourcing became prevalent!
So take your UNCERTAINTY republican talking point and shove it, and realize that it certainly was not "a sudden spike in business regulations and taxes" like mitt romney believes, that caused "unemployment jumping from 4.4% in May 2007 to 10% in October 2009".
But....it was a collapse in demand from consumers, and mainly from middle class consumers that no longer have that disposable income!
Actually, it's YOU that needs to study history seab_ass, and understand exactly what CAUSED the Great Depression, and that FDR took office 3 & 1/2 years AFTER the 1929 stock market crash! YOU republicans sure have a need to re-write history, since it was republican economic policies that caused both the Great Depression and the bush/cheney Great Recession.
There were many similarities leading up to both catastrophic economic downturns -- with one being the huge income inequality that led to the top 1% owning such a huge amount of our nation's wealth.
The other things you need to understand is that hoover increased government spending by 50% in his own republican stimulus program while unemployment kept increasing, and that republicans passed the smoot-hawley tariff act of 1930, that many economists believe increased the severity and length of the Great Depression through republican protectionism.
Don't just 'cherry-pick' your version of history -- include it all!
Oh, and BTW, it was government spending that did indeed get us out of the Great Depression, as unemployment peaked the same year that FDR took charge (just like President Obama) and continuously got better, except for a slight burp in 1936 when republicans cut funding. The eventual end to the Great Depression was our entrance into WWII, and the huge government SPENDING. And, just like after WWI, government spending and the budget were seriously cut after WWII.
Ask yourself this question: what do you really think caused firms to lay off so many workers that unemployment jumped from 4.4% in May 2007 to 10% in October 2009 (remaining at 8.2% today), a sudden spike in business regulations and taxes, or a collapse in demand?
It is impossible to imagine that anyone truly believes the former to be the case, but I hear republicans including mitt romney saying that on a daily basis, leading me to believe they have ulterior motives.
In reality, the reason we are stuck where we are is because the middle class lacks jobs and incomes -- something that will get markedly worse if we continue to try to cut government spending and balance the budget like paul ryan and other GOP leaders say.
If the demand for goods and services stays where it is today and we only cut industry taxes and regulations, there is absolutely no reason to think that firms would expand employment with mitt romney's magic wand. Rather, they would continue to produce at the same level and simply earn higher profits like their record profits in 2010-11.
On the other hand, if we leave taxes and regulations untouched but increase demand, entrepreneurs will happily add workers. And that is the root of the problem today. The bottom line, lost on mitt romney and many others, is that the real job creators are consumers. The direct route to reducing unemployment is boosting demand, not reducing costs.
Ask yourself this question: what do you really think caused firms to lay off so many workers that unemployment jumped from 4.4% in May 2007 to 10% in October 2009 (remaining at 8.2% today), a sudden spike in business regulations and taxes, or a collapse in demand?
It is impossible to imagine that anyone truly believes the former to be the case, but I hear republicans including mitt romney saying that on a daily basis, leading me to believe they have ulterior motives.
In reality, the reason we are stuck where we are is because the middle class lacks jobs and incomes -- something that will get markedly worse if we continue to try to cut government spending and balance the budget like paul ryan and other GOP leaders say.
Let me begin with the preamble:
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
So now, you're trying to tell me the right-wingers like romney want to expand the military-industrial complex so much more than the quadrupling during bushworld, that they will also lump it into the "general welfare" category like you did, and not leave it by itself as "common defense"?
This is exactly why we are so screwed as a nation full of right-wing extremists as a screaming minority, so vocally against "welfare," without realizing the hundreds of billions we spend on CORPORATE WELFARE in the form of defense contractors and energy companies, especially since our military is the largest user of energy in the world!
Nice try, or maybe it was a Freudian slip, eh?
Sounds like a recent quote concerning recent events ... but said over 50 years ago. Oh Ike how right you were.
It's amazing how ignorant the fox/rush crowd is today!
Peeuuuuuu!