Essential Economics for Politicians

Make sure you read it all.

Under President Obama’s leadership, and thanks to the hard work and determination of the American people, we have come a long way from the Great Recession and the Republican policies that triggered it. American businesses have now added 14.8 million jobs since private-sector job growth turned positive in early 2010. Twenty million people have gained health insurance coverage. The American auto industry just had its best year ever. And we are getting more of our energy from the sun and wind, and importing less oil from overseas.

But too many Americans have been left out and left behind. They are working longer hours with less security. Wages have barely budged and the racial wealth gap remains wide, while the cost of everything from childcare to a college education has continued to rise. And for too many families, the dream of homeownership is out of reach. As working people struggle, the top one percent accrues more wealth and more power. Republicans in Congress have chosen gridlock and dysfunction over trying to find solutions to the real challenges we face. It’s no wonder that so many feel like the system is rigged against them.

Democrats believe that cooperation is better than conflict, unity is better than division, empowerment is better than resentment, and bridges are better than walls.

It’s a simple but powerful idea: we are stronger together.

Democrats believe we are stronger when we have an economy that works for everyone—an economy that grows incomes for working people, creates good-paying jobs, and puts a middle-class life within reach for more Americans. Democrats believe we can spur more sustainable economic growth, which will create good-paying jobs and raise wages. And we can have more economic fairness, so the rewards are shared broadly, not just with those at the top. We need an economy that prioritizes long-term investment over short-term profit-seeking, rewards the common interest over self-interest, and promotes innovation and entrepreneurship.

We believe that today’s extreme level of income and wealth inequality—where the majority of the economic gains go to the top one percent and the richest 20 people in our country own more wealth than the bottom 150 million—makes our economy weaker, our communities poorer, and our politics poisonous.

And we know that our nation’s long struggle with race is far from over. More than half a century after Rosa Parks sat and Dr. King marched and John Lewis bled, more than half a century after César Chávez, Dolores Huerta, and Larry Itliong organized, race still plays a significant role in determining who gets ahead in America and who gets left behind. We must face that reality and we must fix it.

We believe a good education is a basic right of all Americans, no matter what zip code they live in. We will end the school-to-prison pipeline and build a cradle-to-college pipeline instead, where every child can live up to his or her God-given potential.

We believe in helping Americans balance work and family without fear of punishment or penalty. We believe in at last guaranteeing equal pay for women. And as the party that created Social Security, we believe in protecting every American’s right to retire with dignity.

We firmly believe that the greed, recklessness, and illegal behavior on Wall Street must be brought to an end. Wall Street must never again be allowed to threaten families and businesses on Main Street.

Democrats believe we are stronger when we protect citizens’ right to vote, while stopping corporations’ outsized influence in elections. We will fight to end the broken campaign finance system, overturn the disastrous Citizens United decision, restore the full power of the Voting Rights Act, and return control of our elections to the American people.

Democrats believe that climate change poses a real and urgent threat to our economy, our national security, and our children’s health and futures, and that Americans deserve the jobs and security that come from becoming the clean energy superpower of the 21st century.

Democrats believe we are stronger and safer when America brings the world together and leads with principle and purpose. We believe we should strengthen our alliances, not weaken them. We believe in the power of development and diplomacy. We believe our military should be the best-trained, best-equipped fighting force in the world, and that we must do everything we can to honor and support our veterans. And we know that only the United States can mobilize common action on a truly global scale, to take on the challenges that transcend borders, from international terrorism to climate change to health pandemics.

Above all, Democrats are the party of inclusion. We know that diversity is not our problem—it is our promise. As Democrats, we respect differences of perspective and belief, and pledge to work together to move this country forward, even when we disagree. With this platform, we do not merely seek common ground—we strive to reach higher ground.

We are proud of our heritage as a nation of immigrants. We know that today’s immigrants are tomorrow’s teachers, doctors, lawyers, government leaders, soldiers, entrepreneurs, activists, PTA members, and pillars of our communities.

We believe in protecting civil liberties and guaranteeing civil rights and voting rights, women’s rights and workers’ rights, LGBT rights, and rights for people with disabilities. We believe America is still, as Robert Kennedy said, “a great country, an unselfish country, and a compassionate country.”

These principles stand in sharp contrast to the Republicans, who have nominated as the standard-bearer for their party and their candidate for President a man who seeks to appeal to Americans’ basest differences, rather than our better natures.

The stakes have been high in previous elections. But in 2016, the stakes can be measured in human lives—in the number of immigrants who would be torn from their homes; in the number of faithful and peaceful Muslims who would be barred from even visiting our shores; in the number of allies alienated and dictators courted; in the number of Americans who would lose access to health care and see their rights ripped away.

This election is about more than Democrats and Republicans. It is about who we are as a nation, and who we will be in the future.

Two hundred and forty years ago, in Philadelphia, we started a revolution of ideas and of action that continues to this day. Since then, our union has been tested many times, through bondage and civil war, segregation and depression, two world wars and the threat of nuclear annihilation. Generations of Americans fought and marched and organized to widen the circle of opportunity and dignity—and we are fighting still.

Despite what some say, America is and has always been great—but not because it has been perfect. What makes America great is our unerring belief that we can make it better. We can and we will build a more just economy, a more equal society, and a more perfect union—because we are stronger together.
Are these your words or a copy and paste from?

I asked you to expand on your thoughts about "the left maintaining a balance that benefits us all."

Maintaining huh... Does this include illegals getting the full benefits of our Healthcare System? Does this include people who chose not to work even though they are fully capable but would rather receive a government handout? Does this include a balance of benefits for the unborn? Does this include maintaining a balance of freedom of speech at colleges across the country?
 
The funny thing is all that money I made on investments during the Obama years does not have an asterisk on it.

We all know how sad you are that we never had another Great Depression.
I think you lost him with "that money I made on investments." He doesn't comprehend such a concept.
 
Are these your words or a copy and paste from?

I asked you to expand on your thoughts about "the left maintaining a balance that benefits us all."

Maintaining huh... Does this include illegals getting the full benefits of our Healthcare System? Does this include people who chose not to work even though they are fully capable but would rather receive a government handout? Does this include a balance of benefits for the unborn? Does this include maintaining a balance of freedom of speech at colleges across the country?
Cowards arenʻt bothered by such issues.
 
Interest rates are prices. They impart information. They tell a business person whether or not to undertake a certain capital investment. They measure financial risk. They translate the value of future cash flows into present-day dollars. Manipulate those prices — as central banks the world over compulsively do — and you distort information, therefore perception and judgment.

Interest rates ought to be discovered in the market, not administered from on high. They can’t do their essential work if someone, say a central bank, is muscling them around. Let’s get the central banks out of the business of using interest rates — and stock prices and exchange rates, too – as instruments of national policy. Today, investors live in a hall of mirrors: They don’t know which values are real and which are distorted by monetary manipulation. Market-determined rates will help restore clarity.--http://www.nationalreview.com/article/441128/james-grant-monetary-manipulation-must-end

Interventionism. The kinder gentler socialism. What both Americans and Venezuelans miss but for different reasons
 
Six Things to Consider About Inflation

As an economic term, “inflation” is shorthand for “inflation of the money supply.”

The general public, however, usually takes it to mean “rising prices” which is not surprising since one of the common effects of an increase in the money supply is higher prices. However, supporters of government policy often say, “If quantitative easing (QE) and its terrible twin, fractional reserve banking, are so awful, why have we got no inflation?”

To address this conundrum, there are six related factors that are noteworthy:

https://mises.org/blog/six-things-consider-about-inflation
 
Number One: we need to be clear about the terms we are using. Instead of talking about “inflation” in the loose sense, as above, it is more accurate to speak of currency debasement, which is the real impact of fiat money creation by any means. We experience currency debasement as declining purchasing power. Two sides of the same coin: one reflects the other.
 
When somebody sits in judgment of all others on issues of finance and economics and they seem not to have any idea of what they’re talking about other than spouting weirdo theories from pop culture books and articles, you wonder if they have any experience with such matters. It appears he does not.
His views and “judgments” are all backwards and bear no relation to individual or social economic and financial real world situations. Now I know why. He’s had no real world situations. And he has no investments. But he judges like a mofo!

Either you are a complete jerk.....
or
You are quite the stupid poster......

What is it " Messy " Financial......

PS: Where is the $ 58 Billion that came up missing in " Just " Afghanistan under the
eight years of Obama's watch there.......
And that is just 1/3 of the total that is unaccounted for there.....
 
Either you are a complete jerk.....
or
You are quite the stupid poster......

What is it " Messy " Financial......

PS: Where is the $ 58 Billion that came up missing in " Just " Afghanistan under the
eight years of Obama's watch there.......
And that is just 1/3 of the total that is unaccounted for there.....
Messy is a bit of am embarassment to himself and doesnʻt know it.
 
Number Two: the above question overlooks the fact that the measures used in this process are inherently unreliable. The decline in purchasing power is most evident when objectively measured by reference to an essential commodity such as oil — rather than against the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The CPI purports to reflect the prices of ingredients selected by government statisticians in what they consider to be a typical, but notional, basket of “consumer goods and services.” This basket, whose contents are varied periodically, results in an index that cannot be trusted as an objective barometer. It supports the wizardry of non-independent Treasurystatisticians, and relates to goods that scarcely feature in your shopping basket or mine.
 
Messy is a bit of am embarassment to himself and doesnʻt know it.
That must be it.
Either that or I’m totally aware (as are others) that you spout a bunch of theoretical macroeconomics and those of us who know better recognize that you really have no idea what you’re talking about.
You have neither academic credentials nor business credentials. You’ve told us!
 
Are these your words or a copy and paste from?

I asked you to expand on your thoughts about "the left maintaining a balance that benefits us all."

Maintaining huh... Does this include illegals getting the full benefits of our Healthcare System? Does this include people who chose not to work even though they are fully capable but would rather receive a government handout? Does this include a balance of benefits for the unborn? Does this include maintaining a balance of freedom of speech at colleges across the country?

Triggered much?
 
That must be it.
Either that or I’m totally aware (as are others) that you spout a bunch of theoretical macroeconomics and those of us who know better recognize that you really have no idea what you’re talking about.
You have neither academic credentials nor business credentials. You’ve told us!
Fries U grads love credentials but hate simple ROE and ROA equations. Too chicken to do the numbers so you have to call a credentialed professional to solidify a bet. You chickens crack me up.
 
Number Four: The European Central Bank (ECB) is no slouch when it comes to money creation out of thin air, and banks within the euro zone have therefore come to rely on it for survival. The solvency of Southern EU countries is dependent on the promise of limitless — thanks to Mario “Whatever it takes” Draghi — fiat money bailouts from the ECB. But, until the next bailout arrives, governments of Europe will do their coercive best to prop up their insolvent banks by any means, fair or foul. In Italy, for example, the government has now “invited” the country’s pension funds to invest 500 million euros in a bank fund called “Atlante,” which has been formally set up as a buyer of last resort to help Italian lenders (whose bad debts equate to a fifth of GDP) reduce their toxic burden. Having run out of other people’s money the Italian government is now trying to raid the nation’s pension funds.
 
Fries U grads love credentials but hate simple ROE and ROA equations. Too chicken to do the numbers so you have to call a credentialed professional to solidify a bet. You chickens crack me up.
Let's be clear. When you say "chickens," is that because we make so much more money than you,. or is it because we offered a bet about financial terms that you would not take. Which one is it?
 
Number Four: The European Central Bank (ECB) is no slouch when it comes to money creation out of thin air, and banks within the euro zone have therefore come to rely on it for survival. The solvency of Southern EU countries is dependent on the promise of limitless — thanks to Mario “Whatever it takes” Draghi — fiat money bailouts from the ECB. But, until the next bailout arrives, governments of Europe will do their coercive best to prop up their insolvent banks by any means, fair or foul. In Italy, for example, the government has now “invited” the country’s pension funds to invest 500 million euros in a bank fund called “Atlante,” which has been formally set up as a buyer of last resort to help Italian lenders (whose bad debts equate to a fifth of GDP) reduce their toxic burden. Having run out of other people’s money the Italian government is now trying to raid the nation’s pension funds.
On my feed, this weirdo post shows up just under an ad for the new Twilight Zone tv show. How perfect is that?
 
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