Today in the economy

[killersheep]

3/26/09

USA - GDP

Actual-6.30%|Forecast-6.60%|Previous-6.20%

The gross domestic product measures the total market value of all final goods, thus serving as an indicator for national income and output.

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New Zealand - GDP

Actual-0.90%|Forecast-1.10%|Previous-0.40%

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3/27/09

UK - GDP

Actual-1.60%|Forecast-1.50%|Previous-1.50%

[Kirkland Laing]

3/26/09

USA - GDP

Actual-6.30%|Forecast-6.60%|Previous-6.20%

The gross domestic product measures the total market value of all final goods, thus serving as an indicator for national income and output.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

New Zealand - GDP

Actual-0.90%|Forecast-1.10%|Previous-0.40%

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3/27/09

UK - GDP

Actual-1.60%|Forecast-1.50%|Previous-1.50%

Not good. Consumer spending fell 3% too when you ignore the adjustments. These monthly numbers don't really tell the full story though. The best clue you can get from them is to look for is the direction of the revisions they make to them a month or three after they post these original numbers. Eventually these numbers all get revised when more accurate data can be produced. If they're revised down, as they have been for over a year, then that's a bad sign. When the direction of the revisions is positive and the year-over-year numbers are starting to stabilize, then we will know things are starting to turn around. Look at the year-on-year numbers too.

[killersheep]

3/26/09

USA - GDP

Actual-6.30%|Forecast-6.60%|Previous-6.20%

The gross domestic product measures the total market value of all final goods, thus serving as an indicator for national income and output.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

New Zealand - GDP

Actual-0.90%|Forecast-1.10%|Previous-0.40%

-------------------------------------------------------------------

3/27/09

UK - GDP

Actual-1.60%|Forecast-1.50%|Previous-1.50%

Not good. Consumer spending fell 3% too when you ignore the adjustments. These monthly numbers don't really tell the full story though. The best clue you can get from them is to look for is the direction of the revisions they make to them a month or three after they post these original numbers. Eventually these numbers all get revised when more accurate data can be produced. If they're revised down, as they have been for over a year, then that's a bad sign. When the direction of the revisions is positive and the year-over-year numbers are starting to stabilize, then we will know things are starting to turn around. Look at the year-on-year numbers too.

Can you provide that data, or give me a good source for it?

[Kirkland Laing]

3/26/09

USA - GDP

Actual-6.30%|Forecast-6.60%|Previous-6.20%

The gross domestic product measures the total market value of all final goods, thus serving as an indicator for national income and output.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

New Zealand - GDP

Actual-0.90%|Forecast-1.10%|Previous-0.40%

-------------------------------------------------------------------

3/27/09

UK - GDP

Actual-1.60%|Forecast-1.50%|Previous-1.50%

Not good. Consumer spending fell 3% too when you ignore the adjustments. These monthly numbers don't really tell the full story though. The best clue you can get from them is to look for is the direction of the revisions they make to them a month or three after they post these original numbers. Eventually these numbers all get revised when more accurate data can be produced. If they're revised down, as they have been for over a year, then that's a bad sign. When the direction of the revisions is positive and the year-over-year numbers are starting to stabilize, then we will know things are starting to turn around. Look at the year-on-year numbers too.

Can you provide that data, or give me a good source for it?

Go to the website of whoever produced the numbers, (BLS, Census Bureau etc.) and look up their previous numbers.

[Kirkland Laing]

Do healthcare like social security. There's one single insurance scheme with one payer. Everybody is covered, everybody gets the same coverage they had before and the whole thing works out 30% cheaper. Because you're cutting out so much of the profit for the system healthcare costs remain easily manageable for the government over the next few decades. Remove profit from Medicare too so everybody gets their meds for $10 a scrip instead of two or three hundred a month for some drugs. The Medicare bill that got pased in 2006 had over one billion dollars change hands just in lobying fees. Those fees allowed healthcare corporations to physically write the legislation, guaranteeing them massive increasing ongoing profits. Tear it up and let a single payer buy all meds, then everybody only pays a few dollars a scrip.

So that's the economy, healthcare, pensions, radical Islam and terrorism all solved.

[killersheep]

Do healthcare like social security. There's one single insurance scheme with one payer. Everybody is covered, everybody gets the same coverage they had before and the whole thing works out 30% cheaper. Because you're cutting out so much of the profit for the system healthcare costs remain easily manageable for the government over the next few decades. Remove profit from Medicare too so everybody gets their meds for $10 a scrip instead of two or three hundred a month for some drugs. The Medicare bill that got pased in 2006 had over one billion dollars change hands just in lobying fees. Those fees allowed healthcare corporations to physically write the legislation, guaranteeing them massive increasing ongoing profits. Tear it up and let a single payer buy all meds, then everybody only pays a few dollars a scrip.

So that's the economy, healthcare, pensions, radical Islam and terrorism all solved.

Sounds great, but how the hell you gonna sell that to DC?

[Andre]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY

[Kirkland Laing]

Do healthcare like social security. There's one single insurance scheme with one payer. Everybody is covered, everybody gets the same coverage they had before and the whole thing works out 30% cheaper. Because you're cutting out so much of the profit for the system healthcare costs remain easily manageable for the government over the next few decades. Remove profit from Medicare too so everybody gets their meds for $10 a scrip instead of two or three hundred a month for some drugs. The Medicare bill that got pased in 2006 had over one billion dollars change hands just in lobying fees. Those fees allowed healthcare corporations to physically write the legislation, guaranteeing them massive increasing ongoing profits. Tear it up and let a single payer buy all meds, then everybody only pays a few dollars a scrip.

So that's the economy, healthcare, pensions, radical Islam and terrorism all solved.

Sounds great, but how the hell you gonna sell that to DC?

This is what I would do to fix everything, not what's actually possible. Since the American President and senior lawmakers continue to arrogantly assume that they're capable of running the country properly without first taking then acting on my advice I'm powerless to actually do anything.