Discussion: US Adds 142K Jobs, Fewest In 8 Months

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Discussion for article #227278

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Before the political types on all sides pipe in to blame Obama, Bush, Congress or anyone else, I want to say that, since the crisis began in 2008, I have read dozens of books, probably hundreds of articles and probably thousands of blog posts, comments, etc, on this topic. Marxists, Keynesians, Austrians and everything in-between. I remain skeptical that any of them have answers that will make more than a marginal difference.

Much more important than the political cause du jour in Washington are the following:

  1. Europe is in a near Depression. Hard to see how you get a boom here as long as that is the case.
  2. Globalization. A hefty stimulus in 2008 was perfectly reasonable, but endless stimulus will inevitably leak out of the US in a globalized world.
  3. At least half of lower jobs growth is demographic. Not only are boomers retiring, but older people spend less on everything except health care. How many 70 year olds rush out to buy the latest gadget?

So, unless some politician has found the Fountain of Youth, their ability to do much on jobs is limited, their campaign ads not withstanding.

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That’s disappointing. I sure was expecting better,but I also don’t know what it has been in August the past few years either. Is 100-200K/month jobs added the new norm in a non-bubble economy?

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We need a better class of job creators.

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Excellent analysis.

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Try this for “job-killers”

The infrastructure projects that the GOP killed

The savaging of unions and public employment

Letting the banksters get away with murder (literally)

The de-facto Presidency of John “stop government” Boehner

For the sake of my Mom and Dad (who were alive during the Great Depression), the world (which was saved from the AXIS powers) and the overall United States (which was thrust into the 20th Century by the challenge of stopping the AXIS, leading to the greatest period of social equality in U.S. history–1947-1973), I am ecstatic that there were no TeaBaggers, no FOX “news” and no modern Talk Radio during the time that FDR had to apply stern measures to lift the country out of economic ruin.

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“However, we’re not too concerned by what is probably just an isolated blip,” said some rich asshole who will probably soon be going on his second month-long vacation this year.