Politics Is Destroying the Economy

[otto105]

Considering how far it fell...still not enough.

It fell 32% in one QTR and recovered 31% the next last year.

United States GDP Growth Rate | 1947-2021 Data | 2022-2023 Forecast | Calendar

 

[JohnDB]

It fell 32% in one QTR and recovered 31% the next last year.

United States GDP Growth Rate | 1947-2021 Data | 2022-2023 Forecast | Calendar

GDP is not the full measure of the economy.

 

[otto105]

GDP is not the full measure of the economy.

It's Gross Domestic Product...which seems to be a pretty good measure of our economy.

 

[JohnDB]

It's Gross Domestic Product...which seems to be a pretty good measure of our economy.

Not the way they are measuring it.
Usually much of the service sector is missing from the calculations number.

And currently a LOT of the service sector is still missing from the economy. Factories still aren't at full production. Daycares are at limited function if functioning at all...many restaurants have yet to reappear after so many closed. Caterers still got nothing going on and commercial construction has nothing in the works after current projects are finished this December. (Most actually start 12-24 months before groundbreaking)

Like I said...there's a lot more to the economy than GDP numbers actually relate. And the easy money policy that the Fed has engaged in actually has artificially inflated GDP. When the money dries up the party is over....sure the liquidity helps with bringing the economy back but only if it truly starts back and we have ¼-½ of our economy still MIA.

 

[DudleySmith]

The economy is running just fine, almost perfectly, doing exactly what it is designed to do, make rich people a lot richer, and big corporations even bigger, and providing lots of money to big gamblers at zero interest rates. Quit whining; it's a win win for both Democrat and Republicans.

 

[DudleySmith]

Now they include 'banking services and stock market sales' in GDP numbers, along with a lot of other fake 'assets', so no, it doesn't reflect the real economy much at all.

 

[JohnDB]

The economy is running just fine, almost perfectly, doing exactly what it is designed to do, make rich people a lot richer, and big corporations even bigger, and providing lots of money to big gamblers at zero interest rates. Quit whining; it's a win win for both Democrat and Republicans.

I'm not saying that the economy is bad... just that it could be doing better for the reasons I outlined.
Currently the Delta Variant is really bad with a much higher R-Naught than the original virus. Before most people caught the virus from super spreader events from a few people...now with the "new and improved" version the R-Naught is much higher so returns to the office should be placed on hold...

But...
I still hold to my original premise that all the political fighting is not going to allow for a speedy economic recovery by making the service sector lag way behind.

 

[Missourian]

Politics have turned into a cult. This goes for both sides and the dumb thing is, they really are the same cult.

Hard to argue with that...people will rationalize a position their guy takes and if the other guy was in office...they'd argue against the same position just as vehemently as they defended there own guy doing the same thing.

Principled positions seem to be a thing of the past.

 

[otto105]

Not the way they are measuring it.
Usually much of the service sector is missing from the calculations number.

And currently a LOT of the service sector is still missing from the economy. Factories still aren't at full production. Daycares are at limited function if functioning at all...many restaurants have yet to reappear after so many closed. Caterers still got nothing going on and commercial construction has nothing in the works after current projects are finished this December. (Most actually start 12-24 months before groundbreaking)

Like I said...there's a lot more to the economy than GDP numbers actually relate. And the easy money policy that the Fed has engaged in actually has artificially inflated GDP. When the money dries up the party is over....sure the liquidity helps with bringing the economy back but only if it truly starts back and we have ¼-½ of our economy still MIA.

Not true GDP is the total output of our nations goods and services. They don't miss sectors.

If factories aren't at full production it's because of supply chain issues caused by very high demand for goods and services post 2020. If some areas are limited is because of the unvaccinated allowing the redneck variant to propagate.

So, GDP is a very good measure of our economy.

 

[JohnDB]

Hard to argue with that...people will rationalize a position their guy takes and if the other guy was in office...they'd argue against the same position just as vehemently as they defended there own guy doing the same thing.

Principled positions seem to be a thing of the past.

Absolutely...
When Bill Clinton was promoting a wall along our southern border...the Democrat's were all for it...
When Trump finally built the wall the Democratic party became against it.

 

[otto105]

Absolutely...
When Bill Clinton was promoting a wall along our southern border...the Democrat's were all for it...
When Trump finally built the wall the Democratic party became against it.

The former president built the wall?

 

[theHawk]

One of the things that is slowing the recovery of our various economies (besides the quarantines and new Variants) is the reluctance to return to the office or workplace.

And this reluctance is very destructive to the economy. (Clothing, vehicles, daycares, and restaurants/catering)

But one of the main reasons is Management's reluctance to bring the people back.... because of the complete political polarization of the various nation's citizenry.

Everyone has made everything a political issue...from healthcare choices to greeting one another "good morning" and as a result it's better for the office staff to work from home than to engage in arguments at work where office politics are already divisive enough.

Hate to say that they are right...but until cooler heads prevail and we can get along with each other and be productive through that collaboration I think that we are better off with a smaller GDP.

Democrat policies are destroying the entire country.

 

[JohnDB]

The former president built the wall?

It isn't completed but significant portions were done by Trump....he had a LOT of opposition the whole time he was trying to get it accomplished.

 

[otto105]

It isn't completed but significant portions were done by Trump....he had a LOT of opposition the whole time he was trying to get it accomplished.

How much new fence was completed?

 

[JohnDB]

How much new fence was completed?

Not important to the discussion.
And I really don't know.

The important part is that Bill Clinton was promoting it (but didn't do it) and Trump finally (after a TON of opposition) started it but it still sits incomplete.

Most Americans are in favor of border security along our Southern border because of the volume of drugs, sex trafficking, and gang violence that happens along it.
But because it has become a political power struggle of "who is more effective" it sits undone and incomplete.