[Mase]

Which, when the exrement hits the fan, our nation will "truly be hurting" and the side espousing phony Fed numbers will be the reason for the calamity, not the ones who counseled caution.

Trying to pin down just when this 'calamity' might happen is the haystack needle with you doom 'n gloomer, protectionist, isolationist, alarmists. At least you didn't link us to the tipping point unclear article.

My guess is that you've been preaching the end is nigh for as long as you've been on FR. Just when will this all add up to disaster? Can you narrow it down some? Is it six-months? A year? Two years? Sometime between now and 2025?

According to you, GDP calculations are a fraud, wage growth is a myth, inflation is at 5.7% even though the 10-year bond is yielding 4.25%. You think we don't make anything here anymore yet we continue to set records for manufacturing output.

You live in a very grim world which is the polar opposite of most American's. Just because economics is the dismal science doesn't mean you have to be gloomy, Eeyore.

[Paul Ross]

You think we don't make anything here anymore yet we continue to set records for manufacturing output.

Okay. Put up. Right now. Put up, or go run for the tall grass.

Show me, without ANY DOLLAR NUMBERS ...but only UNIT-PRODUCTION NUMBERS that we make more cars in the U.S. More planes. More computers. More widgits.

I, and virtually EVERYBODY HERE AT FREE REPUBLIC knows your side can't do it. Or at least, won't.

You would have done it before now if you could with a corrupt CATO, not to mention John Snow and Robert Zoellick striving mightily to spin national discussion of the issue.

Everything is based on company dollar sales...not actual U.S.-located production activity. The facts show that non-defense U.S.-production is declining...even with DOD procurement included!... not growing:

And while wanting to believe the Executive branch, note what the CBO reports:

The manufacturing sector of the U.S. economy has experienced substantial job losses over the past several years. In January 2004, the number of such jobs stood at 14.3 million, down by 3.0 million jobs, or 17.5 percent, since July 2000 and about 5.2 million since the historical peak in 1979. Employment in manufacturing was its lowest since July 1950 (see Figure 1).

Figure 1.

Manufacturing Employment

(Millions of jobs)

Sources: Congressional Budget Office; Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

And clearly not unrelated, is the predatory pattern of Pacific Rim manufactures exports to the U.S., not to mention China:

The United States' Trade Balance with China, 1989 to 2002 (In billions of dollars)

BTW: I have yet to meet a free trader who was as light-hearted and joyful to be around as the average economic conservative. The dismal science doesn't get me down. Whereas just look at your standard model glass-half-full spin-meister: Alan Greenspan. THERE is a load of laughs and a bundle of joy! LOL!

So, shall we play pin the tail on you again, donkey?