Originally posted by: Red Dawn
Originally posted by: ProfJohn
[Read the whole post and tell me where I was wrong.
The panic of 2008???
What the hell is wrong with these idiots. The economy is a mild slow down right now not even a full blown recession.
The 2000/2001 had three non-consecutive quarters with negative economic growth. We have yet to have one quarter of economic growth.
And the 1981-82 recession makes what we are going throw now look like a mild set back. In December of 1982 unemployment hit 10.8% more than double our current rate. And at the same time we had the S&L crisis and a bank crisis during which the 7th largest bank in the country failed (though it didn't fail until 1984)
Instead of referring to the death of Reaganomics we should be talking about the death of history since no one seems to remember what a real recession is like.
Think about it... 6 months AFTER that post an unemployment is STILL lower than the 1982 recession.
When unemployment hits 9% and stays there for a WHOLE YEAR then talk to me about how bad things are.
You know this is one of the few times where I hope you are right
Who cares if he 'admits' anything? So, things get worse and he says he admits it. Big deal.
We know what we need to know now, as far as that the fundamental economic issues are worse in this situation than the recessions in several decades.
The systemic issues, the ability to recover, is different; 'symptoms so far' isn't the only measure. We have all the top experts basically saying this.
We know PJ is minimizing the issue, out of a knee-jerk desire to 'save face' and not 'lose the debate'.
I've long thought that the Great Depression can easily be treated a lot less severe too - '24% unemployment means over 75% are employed even at the worst period'; 'how many Americans starved to death? Did any?' and so on. But there's another factor involved in comparing this situation with the great depression.
In the great depression, the basics of the US economy were poised for recovery - our lack of internatioal debt, our manufacturing capacity, our natural resources, etc.
Today, the nation is in enormous debt, with increasing global competition, and its economic institutions vulnerable in ways that did not exist in the great depression.
They're two different situations. The comparison is of limited use, mainly in terms of trying to make the point that the current situation is significant.
But J's standard debate tactics to play games are not really of too much use in discussing it.