Im bowing out

[Mountain Man]

Seems to me economics is the most political thing there is. When the economy is good, everyone wants to take credit for it. When the economy is bad, everyone wants to blame someone else.

I agree that politicians jockey over the state of the economy, but that doesn’t mean economics are political. It’s a bit of math versus psychology I suppose. As an engineer my brain works in numbers and logic, which is probably why I find every political outcry (from all sides) difficult to take seriously when they aren’t grounded in common sense and logic.

Maybe this diversion on the topic is akin to an investment thread starting to opine about tax policies?

 

[Deleted member 28227]

It’s interesting to me that housing prices have turned political. You’d think economics was apolitical, but it appears not. I suppose blaming the Boomers is the apolitical path though because they ruin everything…

Exactly....

Cranky old things living in their giant lairs with only their treasures to keep them company.


C

 

[TN_Rifle_Junkie]

Cranky old things living in their giant lairs with only their treasures to keep them company.


View attachment 245502C

I am betting most people will not get this reference. Interesting, you chose Smaug. Another Boomer issue (the environment). LOL

 

[BigHornRam]

All right you millenials. The Clinton era was no doubt for me, the best years to be a builder in. Let's hear your thoughts on the main reasons why the economy was so good during that time.

 

[SAJ-99]

I agree that politicians jockey over the state of the economy, but that doesn’t mean economics are political.

Economics is about the use of resources for societal production. It’s become more about human response to an action than the action itself. Monetary- if we raise interest rates what happens to housing and auto demand and then jobs. Fiscal- if we raise tax rates, what is the effect on tax collections, jobs, growth, etc. we end up like three derivatives in very quickly and no one really knows the answer because the answer can be different from one instance to another. So we debate, and hence it is the most political thing imaginable. Debating the future is probably more valuable than debating the past, which is what we typically end up doing because that is how blame is assigned. There is no place for logic.

 

[BrentD]

It’s interesting to me that housing prices have turned political. You’d think economics was apolitical, but it appears not. I suppose blaming the Boomers is the apolitical path though because they ruin everything…

Was it a house building contractor that said, "It's the economy, Stupid!"?

I think not.

Don't know about you guys, but it's too nice to not be squirrel hunting.

 

[BigHornRam]

I am betting most people will not get this reference. Interesting, you chose Smaug. Another Boomer issue (the environment). LOL

Bet you guy's didn't have cinema excellence like this to shape your world views when you were growing up.

 

[Buffs35]

All right you millenials. The Clinton era was no doubt for me, the best years to be a builder in. Let's hear your thoughts on the main reasons why the economy was so good during that time.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

Low supply in terms of inventory of single family homes on the market.
In 2010 the inventory was about 3.2M, now its about half that.

 

[Irrelevant]

All right you millenials. The Clinton era was no doubt for me, the best years to be a builder in. Let's hear your thoughts on the main reasons why the economy was so good during that time.

We had the corner on the biggest technological revolution in several generations.

 

[BigHornRam]

No war.
Boomers were at the peak of their consumer spending years in the 90's.

 

[BigHornRam]

View attachment 245561

He did keep the engine running smoothly.

 

[brocksw]

Jon Stewart, Tucky C, Rick Santinelli, the list goes on and on.....news isn't news anymore. It's almost all just propaganda filled entertainment with a side of click bait BS to drive up ad revenue and tv ratings. I don't care what side of the isle you're on. There's no such thing as objective news companies reporting objective news.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

There's no such thing as objective news companies reporting objective news.

I think every single person has a bias it's impossible not to we aren't machines. There has never been and will never be, completely objective reporting, even if the bias is just what the reporter chooses what to report on.

Whatever criticism we have of the current milieu I find it specious to insinuate it's novel.

Whatever is right can be achieved through the irresistible power of awakened and informed public opinion. Our object, therefore, is not to inquire whether a thing can be done, but whether it ought to be done, and if it ought to be done, to so exert the forces of publicity that public opinion will compel it to be done.

-William Randolph Hearst


"You furnish the pictures and I’ll furnish the war.”

-William Randolph Hearst


All that being said there are outlets that try to be objective and their are outlets that take the Hearst approach to journalism.

 

[brocksw]

@wllm I should add that my comment does not mean I'm the tin foil hat wearing, alex jones supporter when it comes to all things MSM. I believe in the fundamental concept of the free press and the purpose it serves to society...or the purpose it intended to serve society. But, I find it difficult to concede to anyone that the MSM, in it's current state, serves that purpose. I think overall, it makes things worse, not better. Overall, it surrounds the truth in a fog of identity politics and mistruths. It fuels division and hate. It seeks to please political parties and corporate executives, it does not seek the truth.

It's not that I expect every news station to hold the same opinion on everything. I expect disagreement. I expect CNN to hold a different opinion than Fox on a variety of issues. I'm ok with that, in fact I support that. What I'm not okay with is the fact that most times they cannot at least agree on the objective truths that form the basis of these discussions. It's as if they're working with completely different sets of facts, and the "alternative facts" are coincidentally aligned with their political propaganda. We see this across the political spectrum on almost all political issues.

This should not be. I should not be able to find whatever version of the truth that fits me simply by changing the channel because I like what I hear over there versus over here. MSM is broken. Severely broken.

edit for my misunderstanding:
I agree 100% with you on the natural and built in bias we all live with. You're also right in that it's not new. Even Thomas Jefferson has similar quotes to both of the WRH quotes you list. It's been around since the beginning.

 

[BigHornRam]

@wllm I should add that my comment does not mean I'm the tin foil hat wearing, alex jones supporter when it comes to all things MSM. I believe in the fundamental concept of the free press and the purpose it serves to society...or the purpose it intended to serve society. But, I find it difficult to concede to anyone that the MSM, in it's current state, serves that purpose. I think overall, it makes things worse, not better. Overall, it surrounds the truth in a fog of identity politics and mistruths. It fuels division and hate. It seeks to please political parties and corporate executives, it does not seek the truth.

It's not that I expect every news station to hold the same opinion on everything. I expect disagreement. I expect CNN to hold a different opinion than Fox on a variety of issues. I'm ok with that, in fact I support that. What I'm not okay with is the fact that most times they cannot at least agree on the objective truths that form the basis of these discussions. It's as if they're working with completely different sets of facts, and the "alternative facts" are coincidentally aligned with their political propaganda. We see this across the political spectrum on almost all political issues.

This should not be. I should not be able to find whatever version of the truth that fits me simply by changing the channel because I like what I hear over there versus over here. MSM is broken. Severely broken.

Sometimes it's okay just to relax a little, and laugh at how silly society has become.

 

[brocksw]

Sometimes it's okay just to relax a little, and laugh at how silly society has become.

I have no problem having some laughs and making light of issues. I probably cross some lines once in a while with my sense of humor. But, at the same time, I'm sincerely concerned about the world I will leave behind for my kids.

 

[BigHornRam]

I'm sincerely concerned about the world I will leave behind for my kids.

You are the only one in control of this. That's where you should focus then.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

@wllm I should add that my comment does not mean I'm the tin foil hat wearing, alex jones supporter when it comes to all things MSM. I believe in the fundamental concept of the free press and the purpose it serves to society...or the purpose it intended to serve society. But, I find it difficult to concede to anyone that the MSM, in it's current state, serves that purpose. I think overall, it makes things worse, not better. Overall, it surrounds the truth in a fog of identity politics and mistruths. It fuels division and hate. It seeks to please political parties and corporate executives, it does not seek the truth.

It's not that I expect every news station to hold the same opinion on everything. I expect disagreement. I expect CNN to hold a different opinion than Fox on a variety of issues. I'm ok with that, in fact I support that. What I'm not okay with is the fact that most times they cannot at least agree on the objective truths that form the basis of these discussions. It's as if they're working with completely different sets of facts, and the "alternative facts" are coincidentally aligned with their political propaganda. We see this across the political spectrum on almost all political issues.

This should not be. I should not be able to find whatever version of the truth that fits me simply by changing the channel because I like what I hear over there versus over here. MSM is broken. Severely broken.

Not sure if this agreeing or disagreeing.

Reporting versus commentating, I think a lot of people struggle with understanding the difference. The commentating has become dominate in media and most people "get their news" from commentators rather than reporters.

Commentators making up facts isn't new but it's definitely escalated.

 

[brocksw]

You are the only one in control of this. That's where you should focus then.

I disagree. I am not solely in control of global economics, war/foreign affairs, the environment, disease, etc. I could be president of the USA and still not have sole control over these issues. I can do the best I can to raise good humans in my own little world here in ND. I can hope they go on to do great things. I cannot control global variables.