How will the economy affect the 2012 political landscape?

[native]

Unemployment claims were back up last week, and inflation is apparently on the horizon. How will the economy affect the 2012 political landscape?

[native]

http://www.kgw.com/home/Inflation-Conce ... 46859.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[native]

http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/ui/current.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[native]

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_ ... r_from_now" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[kalm]

Interesting how you framed the first option - "unemployment will be the only thing that matters" - while the rest leave some wiggle room.

Inflation and interest rates are symptoms. Manufacturing is the root.

Neither side seems real interested in helping the middle class.

[native]

1. Interesting how you framed the first option - "unemployment will be the only thing that matters" - while the rest leave some wiggle room.

2. Inflation and interest rates are symptoms. Manufacturing is the root.

3. Neither side seems real interested in helping the middle class.

1. Point noted. Correction made.
2. I would love to see more manufacturing in the U.S., but inflation and higher interest rates are not a symptom of lack of manufacturing. Creation of wealth and value are not limited to manufacturing.
3. It is more accurate to say that neither side has articulated a compelling framework for helping the middle class,

[kalm]

1. Interesting how you framed the first option - "unemployment will be the only thing that matters" - while the rest leave some wiggle room.

2. Inflation and interest rates are symptoms. Manufacturing is the root.

3. Neither side seems real interested in helping the middle class.

1. Point noted. Correction made.
2. I would love to see more manufacturing in the U.S., but inflation and higher interest rates are not a symptom of lack of manufacturing. Creation of wealth and value are not limited to manufacturing.
3. It is more accurate to say that neither side has articulated a compelling framework for helping the middle class,

There are four things that create wealth: Manufacturing, inheriting, gambling, or stealing.

And neither side has taken action to help the middle class.

Oh, and thanks for the correction.

[native]

1. Point noted. Correction made.
2. I would love to see more manufacturing in the U.S., but inflation and higher interest rates are not a symptom of lack of manufacturing. Creation of wealth and value are not limited to manufacturing.
3. It is more accurate to say that neither side has articulated a compelling framework for helping the middle class,

There are four things that create wealth: Manufacturing, inheriting, gambling, or stealing.

And neither side has taken action to help the middle class.

Oh, and thanks for the correction.

Manufacturing is not the only productive economic activity that creates wealth. Agriculture cerainly creates wealth, and minerals extraction, whether you like it or not, also creates wealth.

"Taking action" is not necessarily a good thing. Politicians of both sides, but especially of your side, habitually "take action" that creates more harm than good.

[kalm]

There are four things that create wealth: Manufacturing, inheriting, gambling, or stealing.

And neither side has taken action to help the middle class.

Oh, and thanks for the correction.

Manufacturing is not the only productive economic activity that creates wealth. Agriculture cerainly creates wealth, and minerals extraction, whether you like it or not, also creates wealth.

"Taking action" is not necessarily a good thing. Politicians of both sides,but especially of your side, habitually "take action" that creates more harm than good.

You're right, I forgot resource extraction. But it also has a history of reducing wealth through environmental damage and/or stealing. Unless it's precious minerals, it usually requires manufacturing to create value. Agriculuture is also a type of manufacturing.

Face it, our economy is primarily based on stealing, inheriting, and exchanging services. A.K.A. as laissez fair capitalism or Reaganomics.

[native]

... our economy is primarily based on stealing, inheriting, and exchanging services. A.K.A. as laissez fair capitalism or Reaganomics.

I obviously disagree with your sarcastic mischaracterization of our system, but no matter how you describe it, the economc and political freedoms guaranteed by our Constitutional Republic have provided greater liberty, prosperity and genuine social justice than any system yet devised.

[kalm]

... our economy is primarily based on stealing, inheriting, and exchanging services. A.K.A. as laissez fair capitalism or Reaganomics.

I obviously disagree with your sarcastic mischaracterization of our system, but no matter how you describe it, the economc and political freedoms guaranteed by our Constitutional Republic have provided greater liberty, prosperity and genuine social justice than any system yet devised.

On that we can agree. But our lack of domestic manufacturing, consolidation of wealth and power, and the relationship between the two are moving us away from liberty, prosperity, and genuine social justice. That should be the economics that
affects the next election.

BTW, nice use of the term social justice, Glenn. Should I be running like hell from that homily?

[native]

I obviously disagree with your sarcastic mischaracterization of our system, but no matter how you describe it, the economc and political freedoms guaranteed by our Constitutional Republic have provided greater liberty, prosperity and genuine social justice than any system yet devised.

On that we can agree. But our lack of domestic manufacturing, consolidation of wealth and power, and the relationship between the two are moving us away from liberty, prosperity, and genuine social justice. That should be the economics that affects the next election.

BTW, nice use of the term social justice, Glenn. Should I be running like hell from that homily?

We also agree on the need to encourage domestic manufacturing.

We will most likely disagree on whether any donk/socialist/progressive solutions would have a favorable effect of liberty, prosperity, or social justice. I still favor the founders' original concepts of private property (as properly amended) and the checks and balances inherent in the Constitution.

The challenge we should be working on as Americans is how to restore structural checks and balances, which will in return restore the greatest possible prosperity, liberty, and yes, "social justice" for all Americans. What we will do instead is fiddle-fart around debating how to implement or avoid various sadly inappropriate and counter-productive socialist schemes.

Meanwhile, while we fiddle, "Rome" burns.

[native]

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2011/0 ... 48818.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mainejeff]

How come no one mentions the Stock Market? That certainly creates wealth......and I am much wealthier now than when Obama first came into office!

Also, this economy has enabled me to get a GREAT interest rate on a loan to purchase 64 acres in Maine.

[BDKJMU]

1. Point noted. Correction made.
2. I would love to see more manufacturing in the U.S., but inflation and higher interest rates are not a symptom of lack of manufacturing. Creation of wealth and value are not limited to manufacturing.
3. It is more accurate to say that neither side has articulated a compelling framework for helping the middle class,

There are four things that create wealth: Manufacturing, inheriting, gambling, or stealing.

And neither side has taken action to help the middle class.

Oh, and thanks for the correction.

There's others, like high tech, construction

[kalm]

There are four things that create wealth: Manufacturing, inheriting, gambling, or stealing.

And neither side has taken action to help the middle class.

Oh, and thanks for the correction.

There's others, like high tech, construction

Both manufacturing.

[native]

There's others, like high tech, construction

Both manufacturing.

Everything is not manufacturing, k. No need to get stuck on this issue of semantics, as it is not essential to the argument. Better to differentiate between services and non-services, or to choose some other more accurately descriptive word or phrase.

[BlueHen86]

There's others, like high tech, construction

Both manufacturing.

I was going to add counterfeiting, but I guess that is also manufacturing.

[kalm]

Both manufacturing.

I was going to add counterfeiting, but I guess that is also manufacturing.

No, that would fall under stealing.