Happy Labor Day, You Zeroes!
I’m a bit slow in revving up today; I’ve changed my main Farmer’s Market day from Saturday to Friday (not actually a good crowd-avoidance strategy before a 3-day weekend, as it turns out) and it has thrown my rhythm a bit.
So while I’ve been learning how this year’s big rains make for a bunch of obstinate, undersized lambs, here’s what the rest of the world has learned.
Zero net jobs created last month. Or rather, whatever jobs are being created are being more than offset by government cuts, AKA austerity.
That news came the day after the auto companies reported their sales–showing that American companies, led last month by Chrysler, continue to take at least temporary advantage of Japanese supply problems. Nevertheless, rather than convincing the Administration to shift more money into manufacturing, it is instead pushing another trade deal that would continue to make it harder for American manufacturing to compete.
The Administration also seems to be taking the wrong message from its investments in alternative energy. True, one the companies that received energy investment credits went under this week (largely because it competes with an industry China has already heavily pushed). But backing off of ozone standards doesn’t make it any easier for energy and environmental companies to invest and thrive–it just kills Americans and makes big polluters lazy.
One of the problems with the economy is that workers are working for too little. And one solution Obama will roll out next week asks the unemployed, instead, to work for free (in the name of “training.”
Finally, the original bond vigilante, Bill Gross, called for a focus on growth, not debts, today. Yet even now, SuperCongress is planning out how to cut! cut! cut! by November.
The White House has forecast that unemployment will continue at this level until the election and beyond. Not only is that going to make it very hard for Obama to beat candidate Perry. But it means whole segments of the population–particularly the young–will be losing a key chunk of their career path to the government’s continued inability to do anything about jobs.
So Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone!
In the wake of the Obama speech vs the Republican debate vs the NFL, I’m finally thinking that Obama is not just corrupt but truly stupid, too.
I love the training program, labor for nothing sounds like a real winner.
Corrupt yes, stupid no. Everything is on schedule just the way ronnie ray gunne and uncle milton friedman would like.
Yes happy Labor Day, soon we’ll all be laboring for free in the land of serfs.
I saw a critique of the governor from Texas’ claim of being an employment bolstering person. The analysis described the boom era profits for the petrochemical industry, a sector which in TX actually supplied approximately one fifth of that state’s revenues during Perry’s terms as governor there. Perry’s claim is based more on coincidence than strong management.
I cannot vouch much for grouchiness as a defect in lambs; maybe it is the confinement in the lambing barn because of the prohibitive weather outside that alters juvenile sheep’s development. A few homestead cows who obtain barn privileges seem to enjoy that, in rainy weather; but I think the elements are harsh in Michigan compared to where I met and managed bovines. I can attest to the amazing strength of young bull calves soon to be steers. A calf that takes two strong guys to wrestle tends to leave a lasting impression in the memory.
Herding instinct aside, I think the current times will yield much insight into unusual economic forces. I would expect Republicans to long to protract the coverups and seek to continue the laxity of oversight.
One interesting article I saw cited a recent poll which revealed an amazing proportion of the electorate continues to see Bush in particular and Republicans as an aggregate political class, as the sources of the bulk of the economic disasters Obama’s administration and the split congress have had to address.
I will prescind from comparing a speech before a joint session of both chambers of congress, with the experience of autumn wrestling the bull calf which was too evasive to catch during spring.
I had thought that Obama could synchronize a few pre-taped presidential commercials to coincide with the moments the football broadcasts are airing their own advertising; but perhaps that would appear overproduced, unpresidential, and insincere. My idea was the football viewers might channel hop to the speech only during commercials. There have been plenty results from the lower chamber’s obstinacy with expenditure policy; I hope Obama’s talk highlights those malevolent results, just like coach giving a scathing halftime little chat to bring the team into some shape of cohesion for the last segment of the game.
‘Scuse me a moment; need to climb back on the hauling tractor.
EndNote: a local series of villages have discovered ways to combine farmers market with other activities. Some have music, and there are brandname wine tasting sponsorships of a few concurrent events. Not that I make time to attend these gatherings much, or even hardly ever; except once an Irish cellist called Bonfire Madigan brought her rock group to one farmer’s market. I think lambs, at least the live, braying sort, would be misfits at such an event. Yet, there are lots of tie-ins between local produce markets and the various crunches affecting the way we structure markets of many sorts and labor. Still, I just got to make sure there’s enough diesel fuel in the shed to do the labor day chores. Have a nice Labor Day.
It is going to be a real tough assignment for Obama next Thursday.
President Zero, as coined today, may stick.
As mentioned before, Obama is getting so weak that it is becoming a danger to the country. For the opposition, weakness of an opponent can be helpful, but when the weakness passes a certain point, it becomes a liability for everyone and could spell catastrophe.
Extreme weakness invites panic. And, that isn’t good for anyone.
@Cregan:
I see an impeachment in his future.
Watch out all theorists.
They did correct it, though.
@JohnLopresti:
“EndNote: a local series of villages have discovered ways to combine farmers market with other activities.”
Back in the dayz before banks took over everything, each town had something called a plaza, or town square, which would rapidly become an open-air market with numerous other activities. Before supermarkets, movie theaters and such, shut everything inside, the plaza was a flexible space where all manner of activities could take place.
Bob in AZ
@P J Evans:
I don’t see that. I mean, impeached for incompetence maybe.
But, that is what we don’t need right now. He is weak enough of his own accord.
Maybe Obama has decided he’s not going to get a second term and is trying to make it as hard as possible for the republicans.