Is the US economy in recession?

[kentonio]

Well, considering as you defined the Bush era as a 'recession' with 4 percent unemployment, then yes, we've been in a recession the whole time.

Did I? When did I do that?

[Ben Kenobi]

Again the fiscal multiplier for temporary increase in food stamps is 1.73 according to a recent study. If you want to go on with your fantasy be my guest.

Ah, so when is it enough? How much is too much, Kid?

That's very very good for the US govt and tax payers

So did you just pull that 4 percent number out of your ass?

nonsense.

Spend more - debt goes up, interest goes up. Inevitable.

[Ben Kenobi]

Did I? When did I do that?

So let's hear your definition of a recession, since you and I are in agreement that the Bush year of 2007 wasn't a recession.

[kentonio]

So let's hear your definition of a recession.

Two consecutive quarters of negative growth.

[kentonio]

Just checked the list of US recessions on wiki. They have the dates of the last one as Dec 2007 – June 2009.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._United_States

[EDIT] Found a chart that supports that..



http://www.tradingeconomics.com/unit...tes/gdp-growth

[Kidlicious]

Ah, so when is it enough? How much is too much, Kid?

Let's just say that you became king and you eliminated the food stamp program as you no doubt wish to do in order to balance the budget. That would not have a positive effect on the economy. On the contrary, it would have a drastically negative effect on the economy. It's really irrelevant what size the deficit is, because you will put us in depression if you do those things.

So did you just pull that 4 percent number out of your ass?

http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/l...-national-debt

Spend more - debt goes up, interest goes up. Inevitable.

Is that why the current interest payment on the debt is below the average since 1970?

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=inter...96&tx=90&ty=54

[Kuciwalker]

We won't see our economy improve/recover until Republicans in US Congress stop obstructing every fvckin' jobs bill that is brought forward for vote.

Yes, because clearly jobs bills create jobs - why else would they be called jobs bills? There's no way you could call something that doesn't actually help the economy a "jobs bill".

[Ben Kenobi]

That's just say that you became king and you eliminated the food stamp program as you no doubt wish to do in order to balance the budget. That would not have a positive effect on the economy. On the contrary, it would have a drastically negative effect on the economy. It's really irrelevant what size the deficit is, because you will put us in depression if you do those things.

One, if I were king:

The following departments of the federal government would be all that exist:

State
Treasury
Defense (Homeland Affairs, Veteran's Affairs + BARDA, rolled in with present staffing, no cuts)
Justice
Interior (merged with Agriculture but both cut 50 percent).
Transportation

That alone would balance the budget. It would be a reorg back to what the Federal Government used to be.

[Kidlicious]

One, if I were king:

The following departments of the federal government would be all that exist:

State
Treasury
Defense (Homeland Affairs, Veteran's Affairs + BARDA, rolled in with present staffing, no cuts)
Justice
Interior (merged with Agriculture but both cut 50 percent).
Transportation

That alone would balance the budget. It would be a reorg back to what the Federal Government used to be.

No. That would not balance the budget, but that would be only one of your problems.

[Ben Kenobi]

Two consecutive quarters of negative growth.

If private enterprise drops over those quarters, you do not consider that to be a recession?

[Ben Kenobi]

That would not balance the budget, but that would be only one of your problems.

What are you gonna pull a number out of your ass again? Yes, it would balance the budget.

[kentonio]

If private enterprise drops over those quarters, you do not consider that to be a recession?

No, that would be making up what a recession is as you go along.

[Kidlicious]

What are you gonna pull a number out of your ass again? Yes, it would balance the budget.

I haven't made up any numbers. I posted the sources. You obviously either don't understand the concept of fiscal multiplier or you are simply trying to bull**** people.

[Ben Kenobi]

I haven't made up any numbers. I posted the sources. You obviously either don't understand the concept of fiscal multiplier or you are simply trying to bull**** people.

Uh, looking at the budget, that's a cut of 1.2 trillion dollars, and roughly 60 percent of the federal bureaucracy. Balanced budget. You're wrong.

It's gonna take more than chanting, "bull****" if you want to prove me wrong here.

[Ben Kenobi]

No, that would be making up what a recession is as you go along.

So your definition measures government spending and not actual economic activity.