The Fundamentals of our Economy are Strong!

[airgreg]

Think for yourself, read what the expert said, and do some research.... unemployment is still sky high @ 6.1%

The problem with having "MIDN" in your name is that everyone giggles when you start lecturing. This will continue in the Fleet!

Was this sarcasm? 6.1% is not sky high, historically. I believe that in another post you told someone to "do some research".

All I'll grant you is that unemployment is currently on an upward trend.

And past or current performance is no indicator of future returns.

 

[raptor10]

Uh, keep trying... Comparing this to the Great Depression is like comparing our fighting in Bosnia in the '90s to WW2.

The expert is the one that compared the current crisis to the Great Depression - Tell him that. And why do you over look the Q2 growth of this year of 3.2%? Looks like things are looking up for US

http://www.bea.gov/briefrm/gdp.htm

Based on some of your past posts, it seems like you're a Poli Sci guy, not an Econ guy...I suspect you posted this article with the election in mind. Be careful with that, people often draw (very) incorrect conclusions from economic data for political reasons.

No, I'm a Philosophy Major with a concentration in Phenomenology so there your suspectations are wrong:sleep_125

 

[navy09]

The expert is the one that compared the current crisis to the Great Depression - Tell him that.

Yes he compared them. You can compare any two things, doesn't make them the same or even close. Do I agree with him? Not really...

Your error was when you decided that he was comparing the two so they must be similar.

I'm a Philosophy Major...

That's cool. And I'll stay away from making any more assumptions and tell you what I know: I'm an Econ major and I don't know shit about Philosophy...

 

[navy09]

and why do you over look the Q2 growth of this year of 3.2%?

...but economic growth picked up a lot in Q2 after a very low Q1 growth rate.

I'm not overlooking it. Ya, it's at least partly a good thing. But you should also look at CPI figures of late- they're high, too high IMO. I think that the high growth rate is due in large part to a pretty high inflation rate.

As I previously said, the Fed held off on cutting interest rates this week. Why would they not cut interest rates when the lending market is in the crapper? Ya, inflation.

looks like things are looking up for US

Eh...maybe a little, but don't be too optimistic, I don't think we're out of it yet.

 

[Achilles]

Words...

No, I'm a Philosophy Major with a concentration in Phenomenology so there your suspectations are wrong:sleep_125

As a recent graduate with degrees in Philosophy and Economics, why would you punish yourself with Phenomenology? I kept my focus mainly in historical philosophy, esp. Hellenistic philosophy. I took classes in Epistemology and Existentialism and I said never again. I felt like I needed pharmacological assistance to appreciate any of it.

 

[Random8145]

I believe the financial markets are experiencing the worst crises since the Great Depression; but the economy itself is not anything like the Great Depression. Unfortunately, many people don't distinguish between the two.

As for unemployment, I wouldn't call 6.1% sky-high; we Americans are spoiled, in Europe it averages around 7%, in some nations (like Germany), 8% by some measures, 10% by some others!

 

[Cobra Commander]

Umm....huh? Where are you getting this from?

I just pulled it out of my ass.

http://www.briefing.com/Investor/Public/Calendars/EconomicCalendar.htm

 

[navy09]

I believe the financial markets are experiencing the worst crises since the Great Depression; but the economy itself is not anything like the Great Depression. Unfortunately, many people don't distinguish between the two.

I agree 100%, well said. That's why I disagree with what the guy in the article is saying, he's comparing apples to oranges.

As for unemployment, I wouldn't call 6.1% sky-high; we Americans are spoiled, in Europe it averages around 7%, in some nations (like Germany), 8% by some measures, 10% by some others!

True, unemployment is higher in Europe...but 6.1% is very high for our economy, especially considering we were down at 4.5% 18 months ago.

I just pulled it out of my ass.

Ya, that's pretty much what I figured.

 

[voodooqueen]

WRONG!!!!
He does say that (albeit without the exclamation mark because he isn't Tom Wolfe like me)

Tom Wolfe--I thought you were Nietzsche.

(If AIG manages any of your money, you might have been feeling a bit squeamish earlier this week.)

 

[raptor10]

As a recent graduate with degrees in Philosophy and Economics, why would you punish yourself with Phenomenology? I kept my focus mainly in historical philosophy, esp. Hellenistic philosophy. I took classes in Epistemology and Existentialism and I said never again. I felt like I needed pharmacological assistance to appreciate any of it.

And that's the precise reason that I took it! I love phenomenology as an approach to questions brought up in phil of mind - and when you start making ontologic statements about consciousness you really have to be concerned with those epistemic questions (the new problem of induction for example) and to understand the epistemic questions I think phenomenology is the basis.

Plus when I'm hanging out with my phil friends and profs drinking and arguing, the debates are much more civil and interesting when we are talking about semantic holism v. logical positivism than Kantianism v Eudaimonism

 

[navy09]

And that's the precise reason that I took it! I love phenomenology as an approach to questions brought up in phil of mind - and when you start making ontologic statements about consciousness you really have to be concerned with those epistemic questions (the new problem of induction for example) and to understand the epistemic questions I think phenomenology is the basis.

Plus when I'm hanging out with my phil friends and profs drinking and arguing, the debates are much more civil and interesting when we are talking about semantic holism v. logical positivism than Kantianism v Eudaimonism

My head hurts...I understand about three words in that post. :icon_wink

I had no idea what phenomenology was, looked it up, still have almost no idea what it is. Care to break it down Barney style for me (if you'll permit the threadjack)?

 

[raptor10]

Dumbed way down, it is an introspection and Verstehen (interpretation/understanding) of conscious experience... Studing conscious experience.

The easiest way to explain it is to talk about neurophenomenology, (which is antithetical to most traditional phenomenologists) which posits that conscious experience has neurological corrolaries/causation (I don't want to get into that distinction right now) so for example a neurophenomenologist might say that feelings of ecstasy experienced while flying have a neurological correlate in the left anterior dopaminergic system, or that a liberal outlook on life is caused by a dominant seratonergic/noradrenic system. (don't quote me on these).

So phenomenology asks what are the causes of CE, what are it's structures, what is it's importance... etc.

Clear as mud?

 

[Achilles]

And that's the precise reason that I took it! I love phenomenology as an approach to questions brought up in phil of mind - and when you start making ontologic statements about consciousness you really have to be concerned with those epistemic questions (the new problem of induction for example) and to understand the epistemic questions I think phenomenology is the basis.

Plus when I'm hanging out with my phil friends and profs drinking and arguing, the debates are much more civil and interesting when we are talking about semantic holism v. logical positivism than Kantianism v Eudaimonism

Your first paragraph reminds me of why I did historical philosophy. I think part of my problem was when I had epistemology it was 8 in the morning and I was consistently hungover. So when you're barely awake and hungover you get tired of hearing other philosophy majors argue with the professor over semantics. Not to mention the majority of my fellow philosophy majors were "enlightened" yuppies who I quickly grew to dislike.

 

[raptor10]

So when you're barely awake and hungover you get tired of hearing other philosophy majors argue with the professor over semantics.

"That guy" is a good friend of mine...

Not to mention the majority of my fellow philosophy majors were "enlightened" yuppies who I quickly grew to dislike.

I go shooting, snow boarding, and drinking with my philosophy buddies and I go to school in the bay area - I guess I just lucked out