Chill Dude
Well-Known Member
Ya know that this topic is gettin' me a bit depressed.![]()
I wouldn't get too depressed.. It should make you feel good that a number of candidates are in fact in your age range


Ya know that this topic is gettin' me a bit depressed.![]()
Growth from the middle, out!![]()
Ugg. 5.3% growth? Suuuuuuure... Magic astericks. We have NEVER had that kind of growth, but Bernie can do it with his magic beans. Watch out for the giant, tho...
The Republicans in general contine to cling to trickle down economics (also known as supply side economics ). Sure, that's great for large corporations and the top 1%, but has never led to greater income equality or prosperity for the middle class. In fact, just the opposite has occurred. The rich get richer while the middle and working class get poorer. That's we we now have huge income inequality and the wealth gap continues to grow. That said, Republicans continue to push the same old economics in their attempt to dupe the American people yet again. They are simply whores bought out by corporate America to sell this false economic theory known as trickle down economics. They've been doing this ever since the Reagan era and continue to do it today.. The electorate needs to wise up!!
The pooling of wealth and the collapse of the middle class has continued to occur regardless of who is holding the big stick office. The inability or unwillingness of both parties to directly address the situation is more interesting to me then any one parties spin on the situation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/16/u...s-question-cost-of-bernie-sanderss-plans.htmlAlluding to one progressive analyst’s criticism of the Sanders agenda as “puppies and rainbows,” Mr. Goolsbee said that after his and others’ further study, “they’ve evolved into magic flying puppies with winning Lotto tickets tied to their collars.”
We have heard rumors of Elizabeth Warren but they are just rumors.
I'm sorry. Can you tell me what some of the "extreme positions" the Democrats have "staked out" are? Not that I don't think there are any, I just wish you could point some out so I know what to be defensive about...I find that hard to remember when I look at some of the extreme positions both parties have staked out and refuse to move off of.
The open letter to Sanders and Friedman by former CEA chairs didn’t get into specifics, and I’m already hearing from Bernie supporters accusing them of arrogance, or high-handedness, or something. But here’s what Friedman has said, in what the campaign’s policy director calls “outstanding work”:
– Real growth at 5.3 percent a year, versus a baseline of around 2
– Labor force participation rate back to 1999 level
– 3.8 percent unemployment
OK, progressives have, rightly, mocked Jeb Bush for claiming that he could double growth to 4 percent. Now people close to Sanders say 5.3??? Even those of us who believe that there’s still significant slack in the US labor market are aware that much, probably most, of the decline in labor force participation since 1999 reflects an aging population — prime-working-age LFPR has reclaimed most of the lost ground since the Great Recession, and there’s probably a long-term downward trend even there. It’s possible that we can get unemployment down under 4 percent, but that’s way below any estimates I’ve seen of the level of unemployment consistent with moderate inflation.
The point is not that all of this is impossible, but it’s very unlikely — and these are numbers we would describe as deep voodoo if they came from a tax-cutting Republican.
Sanders needs to disassociate himself from this kind of fantasy economics right now. If his campaign responds instead by lashing out — well, a campaign that treats Alan Krueger, Christy Romer, and Laura Tyson as right-wing enemies is well on its way to making Donald Trump president.
Here is another little blog post from Paul Krugman on Sanders' fantasy econ:
I watched that interview with Friedman. It's worthless. The whole point is that in order to make it work Friedman has to posit 5.3% growth, which is fantasy.How does Bernie Sanders have "fantasy econ"? He never claimed 5.3%. An economist that ran the analysis came up with that. Bernie Sanders didn't. Other economists are free to run the numbers themselves. Even Krugman. I look forward to what they find. As of yet, they haven't. Oddly, Sanders is the only candidate to lay out enough of his policy to actually do an analysis of.
NONE of what he proposes is contingent on any analysis done by any economist. How is he going to pay for his proposals? This is how.
How did a labor economist come up with what he did? Watch an interview with the man in question.