Posted on 07/08/2014 4:20:59 AM PDT by markomalley
When everyone checks out of the labor market the unemployment rate goes down. It’s not unlike the management of “medical populations” we reported on over the weekend. If enough sick people die the overall population becomes healthier.
The truth is many people are scraping by. People are going into debt to buy food. Those who don’t have access to credit at all are often on food stamps, roughly 46 million Americans. Millions of people have pursued disability benefits as a way to make ends meet. Overall wages have been declining in a serious way since 2008 when adjusted for inflation. The average American household brings in 7% less in real terms than it did 6 years ago. Many recent college graduates still can’t find jobs. Those who do are often underemployed. A good number of these former students are also carrying tens of thousands in student debt.
But the stock market is going up. So everything is cool right?
Wrong. Big time wrong.
The markets are a valve for the easy money produced by the Federal Reserve. The perception is that even if all hell were to break loose the Fed wouldn’t let the stock market crash completely (assuming it still has the power to stop a crash). So those who have access to the easy money put their money in equities. It’s a way better bet than putting money into capital equipment for example – which would create real jobs – but which is much more exposed to any economic downturn.
No, much better screw around in the markets. Let the government (funded by taxpayers) throw some crumbs to the peasants and keep all that easy money where it can be protected, the stock market.
The truth is the people who run the show don’t really care about jobs so long as the malcontents can be salved with the welfare state. They, both Republicans and Democrats, just want to see their portfolios expand.
(From Real Clear Markets)
The data suggest a permanent rise in the number of Americans who expect to be supported by either family members or the government. Policy makers probably should put more effort into determining how the nation can afford all these millions of new non-workers. Entitlement reform and personal financial responsibility appear to be high priorities if our future is to be secured.
If you want a simple, clear explanation of why so many people seem to be struggling financially even if they have jobs, these numbers provide a pretty good answer. Each worker has to support more people than they used to: through taxes to fund welfare and entitlement programs or in their families where perhaps only one spouse is working, unemployed grown children have returned home, or elderly parents need financial support.
That's old-style thinking. They borrow and print to fund programs now. All governments do. True, the cycle has to end at some point but it hasn't yet.
Did you do a full workup with chart history, labs and physical? If not, how did you determine he is healthy?
Most medical conditions, even serious ones, do not present so conspicuously that a casual observer would know what was wrong. Being able to walk and talk does not necessarily give one a clean bill of health.
Guess I just assumed he was scamming the system since I know four people in my small circle who received ssa disability even though they were as healthy as me.
Could relate to your list, possibly.
“I’m not saying people are not having a tough time of it but is it really as doom and gloom as some of us are making it out to be? “
People thought everything was great before the crash of 2008 too. Running up credit card bills, refinancing houses, etc. to fund a lifestyle they were not earning.
“Perhaps it would be best if the entire nation decided to NOT PAY ANY taxes and shut the whole damn train wreck down.”
I’m doing exactly that next year! Hubby will retire early, at forty-nine, and we will buy some rural property in liver self-sufficient lifestyle. And I’m keeping my income at $20k, so between personal exemptions and the standard deduction, my taxable will be near zero.
I encourage everyone to figure out a way to join us!
CWII Spark — Lack of work, due to government meddling, combined with confiscatory taxes is a real recipe for civil unrest.
There’s jobs here, folks.
http://www.indeed.com/l-Lewisville,-TX-jobs.html
http://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=&l=76208&rs=1&fromage=last
The media today is shielding us from seeing the "worst of the worst". I've noticed a definite increase in my well to do area of beggers on the corners. They were never there during gwb times..but now they're a fixture. But the media will never focus on them.
The only reason things don’t look horrible today is that the govt is using 40% fake money to fund entitlements.
When that goes away, as it inevitably must, the real trouble will be evident.
Maybe you are seeing such traffic because most people work two jobs so they travel between them. Plus, they take anything they can get so that means travelling when before they weren’t so desperate as to travel so much.
Ping-a-Ling!!!
These are people on unemployment or welfare, driving on gas paid for with an EBT card.
I know little of how EBT cards work but I find it hard to believe people can purchase gas with one. How does that work?
There was an article in Denver media about an ATM in a retail pot shop that accepted EBT cards. Strip clubs have ATM machines that accept EBT cards.
I implied that the card worked in the gas pump. It does not. My bad.
Wonder what the number of restaurants both chain and single ones, that were in business in ‘07 compared to now?
I have never seen the level of fear people have about losing their job as I do now.
My rose colored glasses stopped working a long time ago.
The government and media praised the replacement of 500,000 full time jobs with 700,000 part time jobs.
Don’t you know that working part time gives you the time to let your artistic side bloom? Don’t you listen to Nancy? I have taken up making corn shuck dolls as one of our governors recommended out of work coal miners should do in the Carter years. Wish I could afford to buy corn so I could get the shucks, I just know I am another Grandmaw Moses in the making.
lol.
Thanks for the clarification.
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