Is the US economy in recession?

[Kidlicious]

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.

Good Night! Have you ever even taken a course in economics? If you cut all of the spending you are going to affect the economy and therefore tax reciepts.

[Ben Kenobi]

Have you ever even taken a course in economics?

Yes, as a matter of fact I have.

If you cut all of the spending you are going to affect the economy and therefore tax reciepts.

Indeed. It will improve and you'll get more tax receipts from previous.

[kentonio]

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

It's a standard definition of recession, it's not 'my' definition. What you appear to be doing is trying to construct a definition that fits your pre-conceptions about the condition of the economy.

[Ben Kenobi]

It's a standard definition of recession, it's not 'my' definition. What you appear to be doing is trying to construct a definition that fits your pre-conceptions about the condition of the economy.

Pitiful 1 percent growth when inflation is 4-5 with the private sector shedding jobs, and high unemployment, and 5 percent drops in workforce participation hardly strikes me as an economy that is functioning well.

[Kidlicious]

Indeed. It will improve and you'll get more tax receipts from previous.

That, in fact, is wrong. People don't pay taxes when you fire them. They tend to buy less as well. If you can't even understand that, there is very little point in continuing this conversation.

[Ben Kenobi]

That, in fact, is wrong. People don't pay taxes when you fire them.

When they find a job that doesn't involve the government, yes, yes, they do. Or are you arguing that 60 percent of the federal bureaucracy are in fact, unemployable in the private sector?

[kentonio]

Pitiful 1 percent growth when inflation is 4-5 with the private sector shedding jobs, and high unemployment, and 5 percent drops in workforce participation hardly strikes me as an economy that is functioning well.

Please tell me the last month that private sector job numbers went down not up.

[Wezil]

An entire thread of Ben, Kid.... and Kentonio.

[kentonio]

Well, thats me told.

[Wezil]

The company you keep.

I understand the other two belong together.

[kentonio]

I successfully stopped responding to Ben at all for several weeks but seem to have become sucked back into the madness. I think it's a bit like heroin, once you start its really hard to get clean.

[Ben Kenobi]

Please tell me the last month that private sector job numbers went down not up.

Compared to the population growth? Yes, they went up, but the population grew faster than the jobs....

[Wezil]

I successfully stopped responding to Ben at all for several weeks but seem to have become sucked back into the madness. I think it's a bit like heroin, once you start its really hard to get clean.

You're not alone. There are a handful of posters that just can't help themselves when it comes to giving Ben what he's looking for.

Sadly for the rest of us it spoils the forum. When I come here in the morning and find a bunch of Ben polluted threads it doesn't take long to move on to another site.

[kentonio]

Ok in honour of Wezil I'm back on the wagon!

[Ben Kenobi]

Hey, there's always the Panda forum, Wezil.