US Economy Not the Best

yustr · 08-28-2006, 08:53 AM

Interesting article in the Christian Science Monitor about how the US economy compares with the economies of the other western industrialized nations. LINK HERE

Bottom line is that for some our economy is doing OK. But for many others its not.

BTW: They quoted me without permission:

Quote:

"Many would argue that it isn't how well off the affluent are in a society that matters most of all," the EPI study says, "but how the most vulnerable fare...." jk

What do you think?

~~Wozer~~ · 08-28-2006, 07:30 PM

the affluent are most always doing 'OK'...so they have to sell some stocks...whoopdy dooo...they still got it made compared to me..and definitely got it all over someone who's making minimum wage...with the rising costs of goods, those ppl (and myself) are hosed...

**Cellus** · 09-03-2006, 09:44 PM

It should be noted that the economic growth of the US has been more or less only a couple percentile per annum for several decades, but it remains a major economic power. Why? Because unlike many other countries, its growth has been slow but steady. While the US has been involved in several wars over the decades, they have all been overseas and not local. Invasion causes severe economic decline as infrastructure is damaged or destroyed.

While it is also true that a large amount of money being spent is directed towards the military, there is some economic growth (albeit minor) to be gained from it. The majority of people who are in-country spend their paychecks in-country, circulating wealth and promoting growth. Again though, that's only to a limited degree.

Zazula · 09-04-2006, 03:30 PM

link: Census shows a widening gap among Americans

Quote:

American households are making more but more people lack health insurance and the poverty rate is roughly unchanged, according to a new government report.

I've been always saying that, and harping upon that:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zazula

This discussion brought on the surface the question of affordability - and how much this has changed over the course of one century.
So, we'd all be surprised to find out that people did NOT use to be poorer in 1906 than in 2006... The Gini Coefficient (or Gini Index), a standard measure of inequality in income distribution, had not changed strikingly between 1096 and 1976 (e.g. US Poverty Studies and Poverty Measurement), staying around 0.400 (still high for a western country).
But see what's been happening in more recent years: 1990 - 0.428, 2000 - 0.462 What does this mean? That the rich are getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer and poorer... So, may be the next time I'm gonna hear about "the good ol' days" I'll have a better understanding of its deeper meaning...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zazula

Who on earth said that the problem lies in the below-the-poverty-line families? The real democracy-threatening problem lies in the impoverished, nouveau-pauvre middle class, who own nothing but a mortgage, an equity loan and a dozen credit-card debts...
[...]
When the society gets broken apart because there are more and more people who can't pass by in a decent way, then very soon thereafter, an awfully totalitarian regime follows, having exploited the people's frustration and their despise for politics, thus steering them away from a healty-operating political system. This is exactly why the lack of money is indeed the root of all evil...

~~Wozer~~ · 09-04-2006, 05:44 PM

you describe me to the T Zazula...I for one thank you for taking the time and effort to so eloquently make your (and my) point

**Fox** · 09-04-2006, 05:49 PM

I just hope that there isn't going to be a huge recession as soon as I get out of college...

bry623 · 09-05-2006, 07:49 AM

Nah, cause once you graduate, it will be up to you to fix it all!!

**Fox** · 09-05-2006, 12:04 PM

Haha, I won't be seeking any government positions just yet...

bry623 · 09-07-2006, 06:57 AM

Who else am I going to get to raise my social security?

**linderman** · 09-10-2006, 04:24 PM

I often wonder if the current economic peril isnt a result of the rampant theivery that occured on clintons watch. After all it wasnt limited to Enron and the other media meat that were over inflating their worth and cooking the books. I was shocked to see GE come clean and admit they were doing it too !!!!! In my opinion I think all most all the big boyz were doing it, so in essence what we are doing now is readjusting all those BS earnings reports and paying for the thievery of yesteryear ?????

The only thing that gauls me to no end is when Bush comes on TV tell me how good the economy is doing, and states economic strength is rising. Yet our company has had the worst two years in our history since 1927 ! We have company after company hitting the skids, a large pharmacutical company recently annocunced they are done in 2008. GP the paper mill is looking like a ghost town as well as most others. Our commercial business is all but dry, i hear the samwe thing over and over from clients, we are struggling hard to "survive" our maintenance budgets are bust!

when I taste a bitter pill, please dont tell me its candy!!

Tumbleweed36 · 09-10-2006, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linderman

I often wonder if the current economic peril isnt a result of the rampant theivery that occured on clintons watch. After all it wasnt limited to Enron and the other media meat that were over inflating their worth and cooking the books. I was shocked to see GE come clean and admit they were doing it too !!!!! In my opinion I think all most all the big boyz were doing it, so in essence what we are doing now is readjusting all those BS earnings reports and paying for the thievery of yesteryear ?????

linderman,

Nice to see your fair assessment of this problem. The only difference is that on the present Bush watch, they got caught up in what they have been doing for years, under both Republican (Sr. Bush) and Democratic (Clinton) presidental terms. That just goes to show as we say in the country "eventually, the chickens will come home to roost." With Enron, etc., they did just that.

The only thing that gauls me to no end is when Bush comes on TV tell me how good the economy is doing, and states economic strength is rising. Yet our company has had the worst two years in our history since 1927 ! We have company after company hitting the skids, a large pharmacutical company recently annocunced they are done in 2008. GP the paper mill is looking like a ghost town as well as most others. Our commercial business is all but dry, i hear the samwe thing over and over from clients, we are struggling hard to "survive" our maintenance budgets are bust!

I just can't disagree with you on this one either. It is more than Bush although he is part of the problem. I think we have a very disfunctional House of Representatives and Senate. The congress is irrsponsible, loves spending your money for pet projects that aren't worth anything, exports jobs that should stay here at home, look the other way on illegal immegration, and just are not functional. Bottom line, they are only interested in getting re-elected while enabling actions that cause us to be eroded from within. IMHO, we would be better off if they took about twenty years away from meeting and didn't pass any more laws that are supposed to be for the good of the country, but are actually good only for politicians. To be quite honest, most politicians sicken me.

when I taste a bitter pill, please dont tell me its candy!!

09-03-2006, 09:44 PM	#3 (permalink)
Cellus Moderator Networking Team Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 2,664 OS: Windows Vista Business SP1, Windows XP Professional SP3 My System	It should be noted that the economic growth of the US has been more or less only a couple percentile per annum for several decades, but it remains a major economic power. Why? Because unlike many other countries, its growth has been slow but steady. While the US has been involved in several wars over the decades, they have all been overseas and not local. Invasion causes severe economic decline as infrastructure is damaged or destroyed. While it is also true that a large amount of money being spent is directed towards the military, there is some economic growth (albeit minor) to be gained from it. The majority of people who are in-country spend their paychecks in-country, circulating wealth and promoting growth. Again though, that's only to a limited degree. __________________ TSF Networking Team Virus/Trojan/Spyware Removal Help Donate!

09-04-2006, 05:49 PM	#6 (permalink)
Fox TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: NJ Posts: 7,752 OS: XP Pro, CentOS My System	I just hope that there isn't going to be a huge recession as soon as I get out of college... __________________ Antec Neo Power 500W, ABIT IP35-E, Intel E2180@2.66Ghz, Corsair XMS2 2x1GB DDR2-800, PNY 8800GT, 320GB Seagate * lazy college student alert *- If I've inadvertently ignored a thread, please Let me know about it Have I helped you solve your problem? Donate to Techsupportforums Klart Skepp!

09-05-2006, 07:49 AM	#7 (permalink)
bry623 Manager, The Conversation Pit/Analyst, Security Team Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: NW Territory circa 1787 Posts: 11,717 OS: winxp pro sp2	Nah, cause once you graduate, it will be up to you to fix it all!! __________________ "If you aren't a liberal when you're 20, you have no heart. If you aren't a conservative when you are 50, you have no brain"

09-05-2006, 12:04 PM	#8 (permalink)
Fox TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: NJ Posts: 7,752 OS: XP Pro, CentOS My System	Haha, I won't be seeking any government positions just yet... __________________ Antec Neo Power 500W, ABIT IP35-E, Intel E2180@2.66Ghz, Corsair XMS2 2x1GB DDR2-800, PNY 8800GT, 320GB Seagate * lazy college student alert *- If I've inadvertently ignored a thread, please Let me know about it Have I helped you solve your problem? Donate to Techsupportforums Klart Skepp!

09-07-2006, 06:57 AM	#9 (permalink)
bry623 Manager, The Conversation Pit/Analyst, Security Team Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: NW Territory circa 1787 Posts: 11,717 OS: winxp pro sp2	Who else am I going to get to raise my social security? __________________ "If you aren't a liberal when you're 20, you have no heart. If you aren't a conservative when you are 50, you have no brain"

08-28-2006, 07:30 PM	#2 (permalink)
~~Wozer~~ Troubled Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 1,038 OS: 2kpro/XP pro/MCE	the affluent are most always doing 'OK'...so they have to sell some stocks...whoopdy dooo...they still got it made compared to me..and definitely got it all over someone who's making minimum wage...with the rising costs of goods, those ppl (and myself) are hosed...

09-04-2006, 05:44 PM	#5 (permalink)
~~Wozer~~ Troubled Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 1,038 OS: 2kpro/XP pro/MCE	you describe me to the T Zazula...I for one thank you for taking the time and effort to so eloquently make your (and my) point

09-10-2006, 04:24 PM	#10 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 20,441 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	I often wonder if the current economic peril isnt a result of the rampant theivery that occured on clintons watch. After all it wasnt limited to Enron and the other media meat that were over inflating their worth and cooking the books. I was shocked to see GE come clean and admit they were doing it too !!!!! In my opinion I think all most all the big boyz were doing it, so in essence what we are doing now is readjusting all those BS earnings reports and paying for the thievery of yesteryear ????? The only thing that gauls me to no end is when Bush comes on TV tell me how good the economy is doing, and states economic strength is rising. Yet our company has had the worst two years in our history since 1927 ! We have company after company hitting the skids, a large pharmacutical company recently annocunced they are done in 2008. GP the paper mill is looking like a ghost town as well as most others. Our commercial business is all but dry, i hear the samwe thing over and over from clients, we are struggling hard to "survive" our maintenance budgets are bust! when I taste a bitter pill, please dont tell me its candy!! __________________ I still know nothing and I respect that fact, striving to improve and, along the way, help anyone that comes from the place that I used to be! Power Supply Selection LEARN TO BACK-UP YOUR DATA FREE & EASY YouTube - Runtime Software DriveImage XML tutorial