I fear the economy is far worse than people realize. Thanks to Trump's tax breaks, the super wealthy are saving their money or using it on themselves. In fact, less than 20% of the money the super rich has saved is actually being itilized in the creation of new jobs and/or higher wages for the rest of us.
"Sigh." Trickle down economics. When will Republicans ever learn?
But the economy is not doing as well as people think. Believe me, I know. I work in the legal profession, and we have a little rule that we follow. If the economy is actually doing good, there is a downturn of "indigent" clients (clients who can't afford attorneys). This is true in family law cases (Department of Children Services cases, termination of parental rights cases, etc.), criminal cases (defendants accused of crimes), juvenile in need of a guardian ad litem (aka-friend of the court). Basically, if the economy is doing great, then people are able to afford their own attorneys. If the economy is doing poorly, then many people need attorneys appointed to them because they cannot afford them.
I have been keeping an eye on the statistics in my area since 2008. The worst time period (the years where we have more indigent clients) was 2009 and 2010.
Until now. Our courts are overwhelmed right now in a supposed "good" economy. 2019 is now the third worst year statistically since 2008. Court was actually in session longer, with some courts staying open until December 23 (compared to last year, when most courts were closed by December 20).
So...can someone explain why we have an influx of indigent clients the "best economy ever"?
Now, there are a few factors in play. The opioid/drug epidemic certainly plays as part, and I do live in a rural area. But the fact remains that there is still a huge divide in the haves and the have-nots. In an economy that is supposed to be great, the reality doesn't match the news that we see.
Trump's corruption is not the only thing that is being hidden right now.
In my first job, I worked in a Harvard/MIT think tank where, among other things, we tested so-called Trickle Down economics. Trickle down economics is a favorite Republican hoax of giving tax cuts and "welfare for the rich" to the rich while claiming it will trickle down to everyone else. It was famously promulgated by a conservative economist named Milton Friedman at the University of Chicago. Intelligent progressives roll their eyes at the idea.
Like you said, money passed to the rich does not "trickle down." It's been well researched that tax breaks to the rich are bad for the economy, especially when they make the deficit larger, as happened under all Republican administrations for the last three decades -- Bush #1, Bush #2, and Trump all ran up huge deficits. After Bush #1 ran a deficit, Bill Clinton actually ran a surplus but Bush #2 turned it into a deficit. Republicans are not fiscal conservatives. That's another myth they love to tell. They have a practice of running up deficits from tax breaks to the rich and military spending - all of which passes our tax dollars to the rich on the backs of our children and grandchildren. Then they tell everyone that Medicare for All and any other program that benefits the people will break the bank. I think most people here know all this stuff so I will stop. I am only writing it for those who are getting gas-lit.
When George HW Bush ran against Reagan in the 1980 primaries, he called trickle down "voodoo economics." Sensible republicans (now an extinct species) knew it was nonsense. Yet Reagan sold it, and the GOP has been selling it for 40 years. What I can't figure out for the life of me is why democrats cannot message this issue and explain to people why this is one big scam. FORTY YEARS and no meaningful pushback or messaging that sticks, when doing so would be so easy. My brother has a theory that the reason is dems are as bad as the GOP. They may not take up bad policies but they won't challenge them because it's too inconvenient.
I believe one of the reasons we are where we are in this country is that the opposing party to the GOP has been asleep for 40 years. I hope the rise of young people and women counteracts this incompetence. Otherwise I don't see an end to the GOP selling nonsense that people buy as if they were pearls of wisdom.
Btw, looks like trump's starting a war to avoid impeachment. The holiday calm is over. Cheers everyone!
You can tell your Trump supporter friend that the markets just dipped after Trump attacked Iran's highest military general and then proudly tweeted about it. Nervous investors are transferring their of stocks to safe havens. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-stocks/wall-street-dips-on-middle-east-tensions-weak-manufacturing-data-idUSKBN1Z210Y
I probably won't be talking to him much. I don't go out of my way to talk about trump here in Oklahoma. I was coming back into town last Sunday, after seeing the "Star Wars" movie, and saw a red flag with the trump on it. made me feel a little sick.
"When will Republicans ever learn?" They already know good and well "trickle down" doesn't work, it results in less business investment than there would have been otherwise. (By creating an incentive to take $ out of a business as income rather than reinvesting it. Business investment is pre-tax.)
I think we have far more and worse to worry about than the stock market going bear. Oil prices have also jumped. That means we could see sticker shop at the gas pumps. Crude oil prices are the biggest single component in determining gasoline pump prices.
One of the things that has long bothered me about American policies in the middle east and northern Africa is our long pattern of supporting one group of Islamic terrorists to remove threats from another group of Islamic terrorists. What do we achieve by allying ourselves with Saudi Arabia against Iran? Saudi Arabia trained and financed the 9-11 terrorists as well as those who have committed other terrorist killings in Europe, America, and many other places.
These policies didn't start with Trump. But neither has he crafted a sensible alternative. I really think that greed for money and power has long corrupted American foreign policy. Our foreign policy is too often based on what will enrich the powers that be or give America greater global hegemony.
An unspoken motive for the recent assassination in Iran is Trump's desire to change the subject regarding the crimes that led to his impeachment and a possible trial for removal from office in the senate.
An unspoken motive for the recent assassination in Iran is Trump's desire to change the subject regarding the crimes that led to his impeachment and a possible trial fo
But the spoken motive, was when he accused Pres. Obama of wanting to start a war w Iran, so that he could stay in office. Because every accusation is a confession for the orange bastard
One astrologer says he thinks the Senate will allow the public testimonies of witnesses, and Trump will be in lot of trouble in Senate Trial. The Senate will reach some important milestones or make some important decisions in the Senate Trial on the following dates:Jan 28, 2020 to Jan 31, 2020, Feb 7, 2020 to Feb 12, 2020, Feb 16, 2020, Feb 21, 2020 to Feb 25, 2020.
Does anyone think the Senate will actually convict the Orange nightmare? I'm not so sure. Wondering if anyone has any psychic insight about that.