The Labor Department reported the U.S. economy created 126,000 jobs in March. This was a sharp slowdown from the 290,000 average over the prior three months. This relatively weak jobs report led many economic analysts to comment that the economy may not be as strong as they had believed. This reassessment is welcome, but it really raises the question of …
Paul Buchheit – A Nation’s Shame: Trillions in New Wealth, Millions of Children in Poverty
America’s wealth grew by 60 percent in the past six years, by over $30 trillion. In approximately the same time, the number of homeless children has also grown by 60 percent. Financier and CEO Peter Schiff said, “People don’t go hungry in a capitalist economy.” The 16 million kids on food stamps know what it’s like to go hungry. Perhaps, some in Congress would say, those …
Women are more likely to be physically assaulted in developed countries, study shows
When researchers examine violent assault numbers, historically the data has pointed to higher rates of female victimization in developing countries. But a study by a West Virginia University sociology professor finds that women in developed countries — like the United States — are actually more likely to be physically assaulted than women in developing countries. In “Individual and Structural Opportunities: …
The Myths of US Exceptionalism – Jack Rasmus
One of the elements of cultural ideology in the USA is that the United States is somehow exceptional compared to other countries; that is, it is different in a number of positive ways that distinguish it from all other countries. Exceptional in Health, Education & Retirement? In a perverted way, there is some truth to this. The United States is …
The U.S. Job Market Is Losing Its Dynamism
Part of America’s advantage over other economies historically has been the pace at which it both creates and destroys jobs. As they face slowing prospects or failure, companies, even whole industries, cut workers . The good news is that new businesses keep popping up to supply new jobs. More than 7 million jobs are created, and almost as many are destroyed, every …
Deciphering the Fed’s Actions, “Spoon Feeding the Market”: Whatever they Do, the US Economy is Damned
Wednesday is yet another Fed meeting where we get to hear “policy” from them. So many times in the past, the upcoming meeting has been called “THE” most important meeting ever. This one is being called the same thing. I have mentioned more than a few times in the past six years “what can they really say?” I’ve done this because …
Latest Gallup: Dissatisfaction with U.S. Government Soars. “15 Years of Unmitigated Rotten Government”
The latest Gallup poll shows that even as Americans are more satisfied with the American economy, they are more dissatisfied with the government; and that this government-dissatisfaction is so high that for the first time while Gallup has been following this matter, the ratio of dissatisfaction with government is swamping the ratio of dissatisfaction with both of the other two matters …
New evidence that increasing economic inequality rises out of political partisanship
Political scientists at the University at Buffalo and Pennsylvania State University have published new research investigating how partisan differences in macroeconomic policy have contributed to substantial and rising economic inequality in the United States. The negative consequences of such policy decisions, researchers found, have a greater impact on people at the lower end of the economic spectrum, but are “significantly …
Trade Deficit Drops To Enormous, Humongous Level In January
The U.S. Census Bureau reported Friday that the January goods and services trade deficit was $41.8 billion in January, down $3.8 billion from $45.6 billion in December (which was revised down a billion). This is a drop of 8.3% from the prior month, which was a two-year high. Both imports and exports fell. Imports of goods and services fell 3.9% to $231.2 …
64% of reporters admit former “conspiracy theory” of surveillance now happening to them
The concept of a “free press” is all but dead and buried in America today, it seems. A recent poll conducted by the Pew Research Center revealed that nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of investigative reporters in the United States believe that the government has “probably collected data about their phone calls, emails or online communications, and eight-in-ten believe that being …