The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

[Bakunin]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

Cut off the red states.

I think this particular state is purple, and my particular district is red.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

So when's those Bush Tax Rates supposed to kick this economy into hyperdrive? I've only been waiting 8+ years for it to happen.

 

[Priceless]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

Yes, stop thinking selfishly of your own personal financial situation and what is responsible spending for you. Spend irresponsibly so the economy can hum short term.

Nice to see someone gets it!

 

[joecct]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

Yes, stop thinking selfishly of your own personal financial situation and what is responsible spending for you. Spend irresponsibly so the economy can hum short term.

By Jove, I think I got it!

Ask not what your country can spend for you, but what you can spend for your country!!

 

[Bakunin]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

So when's those Bush Tax Rates supposed to kick this economy into hyperdrive? I've only been waiting 8+ years for it to happen.

Rapid growth is unsustainable and carries with it dire consequences (asset bubbles, inflation, and fiscal problems).

If you raise China as a counterpoint to what I just said, I'll point out they have a massive shell game going on over there right now. Yes, they are getting double digit growth in their GDP, but they also have a dangerous asset bubble (real estate), and their lending situation is far from sane. I don't envy the Chinese one bit - particularly since they need gigantic (by our standards) GDP growth to fuel sufficient job creation just to keep pace with their population growth. They also have a ****load invested in our treasuries.

 

[Priceless]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

Rapid growth is unsustainable and carries with it dire consequences (asset bubbles, inflation, and fiscal problems).

So the tax cuts won't actually impact the economy? Color me surprised.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

So the tax cuts won't actually impact the economy? Color me surprised.

So purple monkeys shouldn't put in the dishwasher? Color me surprised.

Wait, what?

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

I think this particular state is purple...

Your not talking about minnesota then which has the longest presidental voting blue streak in the nation.

...my particular district is red.

Too bad other red districts didn't follow suit...we might get closer to fixing our debt problems.

 

[Kepler]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

So purple monkeys shouldn't put in the dishwasher? Color me surprised.

Wait, what?

They are ok in the dishwasher, but don't put them in the washing machine with whites or light colors.

 

[Kepler]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

I don't envy the Chinese one bit - particularly since they need gigantic (by our standards) GDP growth to fuel sufficient job creation just to keep pace with their population growth. They also have a ****load invested in our treasuries.

I don't envy them, either, but to be nit picky it's not population growth that is their problem, it's migration from the agricultural interior to the urban coast. They are going through what the US did from 1870-1920, but they are doing it in half the time and with ten times the population. That's why 30 miles outside every Chinese urban center there are shanty towns the size of Mexico City.

I don't know how they are going to keep their game of three-card Monte going, but the minute it stops -- well, how many tanks do you need to stop three hundred million protesters?

 

[WeWantMore]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

Kent Conrad (D-North Dakota) will announce his retirement today.

 

[Bakunin]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

Your not talking about minnesota then which has the longest presidental voting blue streak in the nation.

That doesn't extend to the other elected representatives. Half the state's districts are now red, the state legislature is republican, and one of the senators + the governor gained office via razor-thin margins. Hence my contention that it is in fact a purple state - very divided.

Kepler - they've managed to keep it up for a number of years. Who knows, perhaps they can keep it going another 15-20 years without major consequences - provided, of course, that the West can manage to climb out of debt to some degree and continue buying their products (which is another point - I don't see how long they will remain an export-driven economy - they have a ****load of domestic demand potential over there).

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

Rapid growth is unsustainable and carries with it dire consequences (asset bubbles, inflation, and fiscal problems).

If you raise China as a counterpoint to what I just said, I'll point out they have a massive shell game going on over there right now. Yes, they are getting double digit growth in their GDP, but they also have a dangerous asset bubble (real estate), and their lending situation is far from sane. I don't envy the Chinese one bit - particularly since they need gigantic (by our standards) GDP growth to fuel sufficient job creation just to keep pace with their population growth. They also have a ****load invested in our treasuries.

We're not growing fast enough to get people employed either.

 

[Kepler]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

they've managed to keep it up for a number of years. Who knows, perhaps they can keep it going another 15-20 years without major consequences - provided, of course, that the West can manage to climb out of debt to some degree and continue buying their products (which is another point - I don't see how long they will remain an export-driven economy - they have a ****load of domestic demand potential over there).

At some point they will modernize and educate their population to the point where their lunch will, in turn, be eaten by somebody else. Africa, maybe? Or are they always the bridesmaid?

But when the former Third World all looks like the US in 1950, and when the former Second World all looks like the US now, what will the US look like? Alphaville? And what will we sell anybody? Software for holobands? Perhaps we will be cloud people who eat wisps of mist?

 

[Bakunin]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

At some point they will modernize and educate their population to the point where their lunch will, in turn, be eaten by somebody else.

They've got their **** together when it comes to building high speed rail (chances are some US states will be signing contracts with the Chinese to build at least parts of their rail network and/or the trains themselves). They also happen to possess the bulk of the rare elements needed for things like batteries in electric cars. I suspect they'll take full advantage of that and probably create a company or two to manufacture those if they haven't already.

But when the former Third World all looks like the US in 1950, and when the former Second World all looks like the US now, what will the US look like? Alphaville? And what will we sell anybody? Software for holobands?

Food, software, computers, drugs, and military equipment are just a few things I can think of. We also still manufacture cars apparently, and as these other countries continue to modernize, they will demand those (GM is doing quite well overseas even if they are doing not so hot here in the states these days).

 

[Kepler]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

Food, software, computers, drugs, and military equipment are just a few things I can think of. We also still manufacture cars apparently, and as these other countries continue to modernize, they will demand those (GM is doing quite well overseas even if they are doing not so hot here in the states these days).

Depends on who "we" is. Just as companies moved between states for financial advantages, they already are moving between countries, and will continue to. A country with no labor laws and no environmental laws is a wet dream for any industrial manufacturer. They've outsourced labor and plants. They're a multinational, they aren't "us" in any real way anymore.

We'll always have weapons. I can't think of any systemic reason why we would necessarily keep anything else. The very highest high-end tech maybe (hopefully).

Of course, the economy of a hundred years from now is completely unimaginable to us, so for all we know we are perfectly placed to dominate the future pizza-based economy.

 

[RStarr]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

China owns all our shoes. What about when they take away our shoes? You're gonna kick 'em barefoot? Yeah, that will hurt.



America, you suck dirty balls.

 

[unofan]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

At some point they will modernize and educate their population to the point where their lunch will, in turn, be eaten by somebody else. Africa, maybe? Or are they always the bridesmaid?

But when the former Third World all looks like the US in 1950, and when the former Second World all looks like the US now, what will the US look like? Alphaville? And what will we sell anybody? Software for holobands? Perhaps we will be cloud people who eat wisps of mist?

U.S. manufacturing output continues to grow. Jobs are not primarily lost overseas, they're lost to robots and computers who can work 24/7.

2/3rds of the trade gap is due to 2 things: oil, and the artificially low Yuan. The former will be reduced as supplies diminish and we transition to alternative energy sources (however slowly); the latter likewise cannot be maintained forever.

 

[Bakunin]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

Depends on who "we" is. Just as companies moved between states for financial advantages, they already are moving between countries, and will continue to. A country with no labor laws and no environmental laws is a wet dream for any industrial manufacturer. They've outsourced labor and plants. They're a multinational, they aren't "us" in any real way anymore.

Relocation only works if the destination country has the labor force that can produce whatever it is the company wants. If you're trying to produce things that require a highly skilled and educated workforce, you're not going to relocate to a 2nd or 3rd world country.

 

[Kepler]

Re: The 112th Congress - A Congress divided shall not cry!

Relocation only works if the destination country has the labor force that can produce whatever it is the company wants. If you're trying to produce things that require a highly skilled and educated workforce, you're not going to relocate to a 2nd or 3rd world country.

Hence the pressure to educate workers, which as a byproduct gives them the "consciousness" (and more importantly, the tools) to collectively bargain and demand their rights, which brings up their salaries, which leaves the company looking for the next Capitalist's Paradise.