The Economy is Booming

[Donald]

Despite the non-stop media barrage of doom and gloom about the dollar falling against the Euro, don't believe any of it. The United States economy is booming. Need more evidence? How about this.

The commerce department reported that the U.S. economy grew 3.9% in the third quarter, up from 3.3% growth in the second quarter. Consumer spending rose 5.1% in the third quarter. Even the relatively unimportant trade deficit was down from $598 billion to $588 billion.

And the best part? Inflation was unchanged at 0.7%...the lowest reading since the 1960's. So to recap: growth is up and inflation is low. Home ownership is at record levels. People doing all the whining need to stop and realize that if they would just apply themselves, they will have never had it so good.

Oh..but Wal-Mart reported lower-than-expected sales on the day after Thanksgiving. They're going to be cutting prices to lure shoppers. Would someone please explain to me how lower prices are a bad thing?

[Richard Haut]

Donald, quick - phone this number: (212) 720-5000, and ask to speak to Mr. Greenspan.

You obviously know far more about economics than he does, since everything he says is totally different to your informed economic forecast.

[Architorture]

actually greenspan hasn't said anything bad about the economy... if the economy was so bad he wouldn't be raising interest rates...

greenspan is concerned about the dollar but he even admits that historically a cheap dollar is good for the american economy... but could be disasterous if history doesn't hold true...

i think it would help if you would leave the position of neh-sayer once in a while...

[Richard Haut]

"could be disasterous if history doesn't hold true..."

the falling dollar is not one of the normal ups and downs of markets - Greenspan has said that he will not support the dollar and that the massive US deficit is unsupportable.

as for being a "nay-sayer", appeasement does not work.

[Architorture]

most analysts here seem to be saying although greenspan talks about the weak dollar as a possible danger, he continues to admit that history tells a different story...and many believe he thinks the weak dollar is helping to close the trade deficiet, but that he isn't willing to come out and say he supports a weak dollar, b/c that just isn't what someone in his position is supposed to do...

if you can show me how the weak american dollar has hurt america i would love to see it...b/c right now the weak dollar is only hurting the euro and its members

[Donald]

Agreed, well done and torturous for the Euroweenies isn't it? Yes you have hit it on the head and you barely have graduated into the ranks of starting to support yourself. I don't think RH will show you the evidence you seek.

For RH:
A golfer asked his caddie, "Do you think I can reach the hole with a five-iron?"

"Eventually", replied the caddie.

[Richard Haut]

a lower dollar (as is still the case) does indeed help because it stops people importing (too expensive) and helps exports (cheaper).

so where is the problem ?

normally when a currency falls, there is a rebound - once it is cheap traders start to see it as a good investment. Far Eastern countries have massive holdings in US Government stock, and the traders are starting to talk of the recent and growing trend (dollar-dumping) as being followed by offloading of US government stock. Your debt-levels are just too high.

it is a matter of credibility - and whatever anyone thinks of Bush inside the US, the credibility of his government outside the US is very low. That may be of comparatively little interest to some Americans, but if that credibility declines further, then what is currently seen as a definite, but orderly decline in the dollar's value in the coming year will become a rout.

[Architorture]

i don't too many people in the world truly doubt the economic power and economic reliability of the united states... regardless of those in the US who are complaining about our "horrible" economy... it is still growing and it still outpaces much of the world and just the shear size of the economy is enough to give it credibility...

i think money is far less political than you might like to think

[Richard Haut]

"i think money is far less political than you might like to think"

only so long as you keep paying the bribes - and little Dubya has a habit of ratting on deals that he makes.

there have to be limits - even to dishonesty.

it is not your enemies who are the real risk to your economy, but those whom you pretended were your friends. That is the real measure of how deceitful Bush's America has become.

[Architorture]

bush has done absolutely nothing directly in response to the dollar...

what bribes are you talking about? is bush bribing all the money market analysts and traders?

so once your arguement falls apart do you just go back to the default..."bush is a liar and a cheat" arguement?

there is far more to the issue of the weak dollar than the bush adminstration and its policies

[Richard Haut]

it all comes back to credibility.

if people disagree with Bush and say 'I don't like him so I won't buy a BigMac', well that is up to them. It might have an effect - maybe fairly seriously for some companies, but even on a quite broad scale, its effect on a large economy like America's would not be unmanageable.

however if the very credibility of your nation is on the line, then that is much more serious.

find out for yourself what happened in Fallujah - and really find out. Do it on your own, form your own judgement. Read what the people are saying who have actually been there - soldiers, doctors, reporters.

"Bush is a liar and a cheat" - if that was all he was, who would care ?

[Donald]

RH, if you use this link to visit the USA Today website you will be treated to a flash presentation of several pictures taken during the siege of Fallujah. I would like for you to post one here that compares in content to this so I can actually read about your claims. I hope this now gets some traction with your views about Fallujah: http://www.usatoday.com/news/graphics/phantom_fury/flash.htm

While viewing in there, if you notice, Picture number two in this presentation shows 40 vials in boxes labeled "Sarin." That's Sarin gas, my friend. One drop of this stuff on your skin can kill you. The boxes have Cyrillic and German characters on them, indicating they may have come from our good friends the Russians or the Germans. The caption under the photo reads "Marines discovered 40 vials of suspected Sarin gas while searching a house in Fallujah, Iraq. It was secreted in a briefcase hidden in a truck in the courtyard of the house." Can you imagine? I wonder why we didn't see much press on this in the media?

I'll tell you.... its Weapons of mass destruction. Chemical weapons. This Sarin gas could, with an effective application, kill thousands. And where do they find it? In a briefcase! A briefcase in a car trunk. And you wonder why our troops have had some difficulty finding Saddam's weapons? You still think inspections could have worked? Yeah, sure they would. The inspectors were going to look in every car trunk and every briefcase in Iraq.

What you see in that picture is proof that the only way to even come close to neutralizing the threat that Saddam posed was to remove him from power. Nothing else was going to work. And remember, it was US Troops with Iraqi Troops that made Fallujah fall so quickly.

Meanwhile ... just watch the critics whistle past this one. If you don't mention the vials of Sarin gas, they just don't exist ... do they?

[Richard Haut]

if you are defending what has been done in Fallujah, then it is for decent Americans to deal with you.

[Donald]

The translations are the semtiments of most on this side...again, RH, I would like for you to post a link here that compares in content to this so I can actually read about your claims in Fallujah. We have none to compare from within the source her you see...si vous plait?

Or just as I thought, you have nothing

[Richard Haut]

Architorture is capable of finding his own links.

This is a matter for decent Americans, Donald - leave it alone.