Government run "anything"......

[MrFedEx]

I'm from California, too. Bay Area, as left as it gets. Everybody I know is working, and most everybody I know is working-class.

After racking my brain the one person I can think of on unemployment is my ex-girlfriend's sister, who is a techie with a terrible work ethic.

I actually can't think of one other person I personally know that is hurting for a job. Everybody I know is getting by, even in a ridiculous housing and rent market like this. Hell, I'm even closing on a house in the Bay Area and I haven't even topped out yet.

If jobs are leaving California, it's sure fooling me. Maybe it's different in Nor Cal

I forced myself to listen to Rush the other day, who claimed the real unemployment rate in the US was 42.9%, and that the new, record low unemployment figures were an Obama sham. Where I live, nearly every business has signs looking for workers, and they aren't fast-food jobs. Lots of new cars being sold, homes are being sold in 2-3 days for cash or have multiple offers. Yep. sounds like lots of people are an the public dole, doesn't it?

 

[moreluck]

I forced myself to listen to Rush the other day, who claimed the real unemployment rate in the US was 42.9%, and that the new, record low unemployment figures were an Obama sham. Where I live, nearly every business has signs looking for workers, and they aren't fast-food jobs. Lots of new cars being sold, homes are being sold in 2-3 days for cash or have multiple offers. Yep. sounds like lots of people are an the public dole, doesn't it?

......they aren't fast food jobs but are they FULL TIME jobs?

 

[MrFedEx]

......they aren't fast food jobs but are they FULL TIME jobs?

Yes. Full-time, with benefits.

 

[brownmonster]

Yes. Full-time, with benefits.

Factories here having trouble getting workers.

 

[MrFedEx]

Factories here having trouble getting workers.

Here too. According to Rush, nobody wants to work any more because they're on the dole. You know, free cell phones, Cadillacs, and luxury housing that everyone is getting from Obama.

 

[BrownArmy]

I know there's a narrative about Obama ruining the economy, but the economy is actually doing quite well.

 

[wkmac]

I know there's a narrative about Obama ruining the economy, but the economy is actually doing quite well.

Yes and no but I don't blame Obama exclusively or solely. However he added his share as well, no doubt about it.

There are still real concerns for the economy but more so globally. Greece will bare watching but I am glad they told the IMF to pound sand. I like it when someone sticks their finger into the eye of the global banking cartel but we still will have to wait and see how the banking cartel responds as they do wield a lot of power.

I'm pulling for Greece in the days ahead while realizing it well could have negative reverberations here as well. I understand meetings in Greece are going on about returning to the Drachma but the global press as in one mouthpiece are condemning that decision (as they condemned the No vote on the bailout) which makes me think this is the way forward for the greek people.

Again, the way forward is going to be a bumpy ride so hold on!

 

[BrownArmy]

Yes and no but I don't blame Obama exclusively or solely. However he added his share as well, no doubt about it.

There are still real concerns for the economy but more so globally. Greece will bare watching but I am glad they told the IMF to pound sand. I like it when someone sticks their finger into the eye of the global banking cartel but we still will have to wait and see how the banking cartel responds as they do wield a lot of power.

I'm pulling for Greece in the days ahead while realizing it well could have negative reverberations here as well. I understand meetings in Greece are going on about returning to the Drachma but the global press as in one mouthpiece are condemning that decision (as they condemned the No vote on the bailout) which makes me think this is the way forward for the greek people.

Again, the way forward is going to be a bumpy ride so hold on!

Talking about narratives, there is one about Greece, how they're lazy, etc.

I heard a convincing Scottish economist on the radio basically blast through all the 'truths' about the Greek situation.

Again, the 'party' line about what's correct might not be correct after all.

As well, didn't we already figure out that US Presidents are figureheads anyway, and that we shouldn't ascribe too much power to them in either case?

That was really my original point, that the demise of the economy under President Obama has been greatly exaggerated, whether or not it has anything to do with him at all.

 

[wkmac]

As well, didn't we already figure out that US Presidents are figureheads anyway, and that we shouldn't ascribe too much power to them in either case?

I've always argued they are figureheads and thus why I never "ascribe too much power to them" in the first place.

That was really my original point, that the demise of the economy under President Obama has been greatly exaggerated, whether or not it has anything to do with him at all.

Never blamed Obama solely and when I've blamed other factors that have far greater affect, often beyond any President's pay grade, I'm accused of being lefty, commie, socialist.......so I guess it just comes down to the fact if you call things as they are, you just catch flak from both sides.

Which is what I'm trying to do anyway!


Obama is what Obama is but my biggest beef with him is not being the President he campaigned to be in 2008'. H.L. Mencken once spoke about what the people wanted which is what they voted for and I just wanted to see them get it, as painfully as possible.

Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.

H.L. Mencken

 

[BrownArmy]

...Obama is what Obama is but my biggest beef with him is not being the President he campaigned to be in 2008'...

You and me both, you and me both.

 

[DriveInDriveOut]

Talking about narratives, there is one about Greece, how they're lazy, etc.

I heard a convincing Scottish economist on the radio basically blast through all the 'truths' about the Greek situation.

Think I heard the same thing on NPR... he made some good points.
The rhetoric is that they're just lazy and overspending.... when a lot of their problems come down to the age of their population, the 5th oldest of all countries. Makes you wonder what the world will be saying about the US when the baby boomers all start collecting their Social Security at the same time. Could be us next if the economy takes a turn.

 

[rickyb]

Think I heard the same thing on NPR... he made some good points.
The rhetoric is that they're just lazy and overspending.... when a lot of their problems come down to the age of their population, the 5th oldest of all countries. Makes you wonder what the world will be saying about the US when the baby boomers all start collecting their Social Security at the same time. Could be us next if the economy takes a turn.

ive read joe stiglitz who i pretty much trust, and just read dean baker and they both said its poor policy on behalf of the banks themselves. they said they shrank greeces economy with austerity and its made the situation worse.

max keiser is also critical of the austerity and said its to keep the Euro low so germany can continue its exports.

noam chomsky said theres nothing in economic history to show austerity as a solution to a depression, and said its class war and they are destroying the rights europeans have fought for.

tariq ali said teh germans raided greeces gold in wwII and if they were to give it back, which greece has asked for, it would be worth way more than what is owed to the germans. he also said there is a democracy deficit in EU, cant recall but im sure it had something to do with central banks like ECB etc.

and chris hedges has said that the central banks are lending to ukraine no problem even though they know they wont be repaid. so he says its political, and i think it is too. theres no shortage of money for wars or expanding NATO in this case to russias borders.

check out steve keen too.

dont worry about US social security...i mean it will probably be cut just because thats always what happens to successful government programs for everyone. the rich dont like the ideology of "we all in this together / concern for my fellowman" and if the rich cut it, its less taxes for them.
anyways, social security is paid for by a regressive tax which tops out at 120k or something. if you get rid of the 120k cap, its fine for 75 years or something LOL.
it all depends if theres pressure on government to do the right thing or not.

 

[jumpman23]

Hardasczz day today, had 32 stops 290 pieces, 20 pickups 140 pieces. ROUGH DAY DUDE, IM POOPED lmfao

 

[Babagounj]

The letter appeared on July 30; spill was August 5.

 

[bottomups]

These companies/corporations come in and take the minerals and leave the waste byproducts behind for the taxpayers to take care of years or decades later. Had we had an EPA back in the 1930's maybe we could have forced them to clean up the mess they created as a cost of doing business.
The EPA screwed up in the Silverton area but there are many more sites from abondoned wells all over Colorado. This is just the beginning.

 

[MrFedEx]

These companies/corporations come in and take the minerals and leave the waste byproducts behind for the taxpayers to take care of years or decades later. Had we had an EPA back in the 1930's maybe we could have forced them to clean up the mess they created as a cost of doing business.
The EPA screwed up in the Silverton area but there are many more sites from abondoned wells all over Colorado. This is just the beginning.

Hey, Big Business is over-regulated already. We don't need a Communistical, Socialist government agency to oversee industry. They will self-regulate! The free market will make it all OK.
If you ever want to see what unregulated mining can do in terms of environmental destruction, look at the leftovers from gold mining with dredges/hydraulic mining in the Yukon. It looks like another planet. Nothing left but mounds of gravel and waste tailings.

 

[Babagounj]

Before and after the EPA arrived to protect the environment.

 

[Babagounj]

Navajos say EPA should clean its spill rather than trying to swindle Indians

The EPA is trying to cheat Navajo Indians by getting them to sign away their rights to future claims from the agency’s Gold King Mine disaster, tribal officials charged Wednesday, adding more to the administration’s public relations problems over the spill that threatens critical Southwest waterways.

Environmental Protection Agency officials were going door to door asking Navajos, some of whom don’t speak English as their primary language, to sign a form that offers to pay damages incurred so far from the spill, but waiving the right to come back and ask for more if their costs escalate or if they discover bigger problems, Navajo President Russell Begaye told The Washington Times.

The spill has dumped millions of gallons of polluted wastewater into the Animas River, which feeds the San Juan River and eventually the Colorado River, which provide water for grazing and crops in much of the Four Corners area, the quadripoint of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. The Navajo Nation covers much of that territory.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/aug/12/indians-say-epa-trying-swindle-them-mine-spill/

 

[Sportello]

@Baba goung, What happened was a real catastrophe, but why are you blaming the government? Did they leave the waste behind?

 

[MrFedEx]

@Baba goung, What happened was a real catastrophe, but why are you blaming the government? Did they leave the waste behind?

Another conveniently forgotten fact. The mining industry, and many others, basically had carte blanche rights until the environmental concern and subsequent laws began in the 1960s.

The EPA was trying to clean this site up (at taxpayer expense, of course), and there was an accident. Someone made a mistake and breached a dam containing the toxic liquid. Not intentional harm, but well-intentioned in terms of purpose. Baba objects to anything government-run, even if it's a good thing. What we have here is a private company that extracted all the wealth, made a huge mess, and then fled with the profits, leaving the taxpayer to pay the bill to correct the problems.