Estonia Uses the Euro, and the Economy is Booming

Unemployment is at 17% and you are guys think they know it all. Its amazing how you can somehow turn this into a rallying cry to bash Obama and democrats. We just recently faced the second worst recession in the history of the United States and you guys think that 8% unemployment is bad after that kind of economic collapse? As a nation we dodged 99 bullets but one caught us in the knee. Going to take a while to get back on our feet. Economic cycles are anything but short.

Real unemployement is around 15%, not 8%.

Of course how did I forgot about REAL unemployment. Should I go look up Estonia's REAL unemployment?

Weird, wonder why their government just increased spending then. This is just too confusing. We've already beat this topic into the dirt though, I doubt there is anything new to add.

Our financial market has recapitalized, housing prices are going up as well. Unemployment will always lag behind so I am not too worried about that. We aren't out of the hole but are we better off than 2 years ago? I would say without a doubt yes.

Your false hope in the Obama economic policies is encouraging. But as much as I would like to believe...

I do not agree that we are better off than we were two years ago, i.e., inflation has gone up, personal income has been reduced or at best stayed stagnant, government regulation and oversight is increasingly stifling the average citizen; basically every indicator used to measure the success or failure points to that we are not better off than we were two years ago. If anything, indicators are pointing to another downward trend as long the Obama Administration continues to follow their current path and policies.

I am sorry but using rhetoric to argue a position is pointless. Inflation always goes up, especially when rates are this low, can you explain how this is any worse than in the past? Its not like we are close to hitting the point of super inflation. Personal income is going up not down or stagnant. http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/story/2012-02-09/...

USA Today - Real median household income is still 7% lower than it was in December 2007 and 3.9% lower than in June 2009, when the recession officially ended, the study says. Americans' income continued to fall in the recovery...

Give me some examples of government regulation and oversight stifling the average citizen. The fact that we are were we are with a double dip recession in Europe and one of the worst recessions in the history of the world in the US is admirable.

Here is another article pointing towards the same conclusion I am getting. http://igpa.uillinois.edu/flash-index/2012/april/

The only real what if factors are the European recession and China's housing bubble.

The very article you site plainly states the facts. Facts which more support my statement about dropping/stagnant incomes and increased inflation despite your desire to believe that personal income is on the rise. At best all the article you link attempts to do is paint a rosy picture for a supposed recovery, based on short term data, and from an article written four months ago in Feb 2012. Ironically, here is an article from the same source, USA Today, written only seven months ago in Sept 2011; Typical U.S. family got poorer during the past 10 years. So, do not even try to convince anyone but yourself that Obama's policies have magically changed the entire direction of this economy in the five months from when the Sept 2011 article was written to when the Feb 2012 article was written.

Alright, the article said is inflation is going down, so that some how means higher inflation? Then the article says personal income has been on the rise, you dismiss that by saying that the initial drop was his fault? He inherited an economy in a death spiral and within that short time it skewed all the numbers for the last 10 years. His policies have not been a cure all, that's not what I have been saying at all. They have done some good but until companies start hiring the true recovery won't begin. The Consumer confidence index has been on the rise and employment cannot help but follow if it continues that trend. Not to mention that putting the entire economy on the back of the President is completely wrong. There is only so much an executive branch can do.

Obama was elected because he sold the American people on the notion that he could reverse the mess left by President Bush. He has failed. In Obama's own words, "I will be held accountable...I've got four years...and if I don't have this done is three years, this going to be a one term proposition." So, according to Obama's own words, and based on all indicators, he has failed the American people.

Maybe he was elected to end two wars? Maybe he was elected to help with income inequality? Look up his campaign promises.

Please tell me your kidding! You want examples?!?! HAHAHAHA! How much time do you have? Off the top of my head, let's start with the Health Care law and the individual mandate, how about the EPA determining that CO2 was a dangerous substance and now subject to government control, how about the Obama interpretation of the ADA that now requires public/private pools to be wheelchair accessible (not that the pool area must be wheelchair accessible, but that the disabled person must be able to submerge their wheelchair into the pool water) costing Municipalities (i.e.; tax payers) and private pool owners thousands in remodeling costs and or face tens-of-thousands in fines, how about the infamous story of EPA raiding Gibson Guitars because of supposed illegal wood, I think one of the most egregious policy changes come from the Federal Reserve with Obama and Bernanke given their blessing to change regulations so the Fed could not only purchase short term debt but also buy long term securities, and let's not even get into the regulation laid upon the fossil fuel industry in the name of green energy despite non-existent green energy technologies and despite decades of data showing continuous reduction in green house gases.

This list could go on and on...but I hope you get the point...and in case you wonder what this has to do with government regulation stifling the individual citizen; it is the individual citizen that either directly or indirectly must pay with tax dollars for these policies and regulations. It is the individual citizen who ultimately must bear the burden of government over-reach resulting in an increase in the cost of living, increased taxes, the loss of jobs, the loss of capital, loss of investments, loss of personal savings, and a decrease in the standard of living. Sadly, hundreds-of-thousands of Americans are living the results of Obama's failed policies.

No. Sorry. That Flash Index article and any results it indicates apply only to what it taking place in Illinois and fail to represent anything on a national level. I can site a few articles that show what a great recovery New Jersey is making (due to a Republican Governor, btw) but they would be in no way indicative of a recovery at a national level.

Obama had the opportunity to minimize America's exposure to the instability in the Euro and the European Union, but instead of backing off, Obama and Bernanke doubled down on stupid and continued to trade American Dollars for Euros. The only thing the Obama Administration did right with China was to take steps to reduce the amount of America's debt owned by China.

Healthcare costs were rising almost exponentially, the reform was needed. In the end it will be less of a burden than it would have been without the legislation. Your over reacting on the CO2 ruling as it really doesn't change all that much. New vehicles are running cleaner than ever and it has become a huge issue to health, especially on the east coast. Ever seen the smog or acid rain? I agree the ADA ruling was completely unreasonable, people in wheelchairs should not be in the pool in the first place. The regulation on Fossil fuel is far to vague to respond to but a transition to either natural gas or reliable green energy is going to happen whether you want it to or not.

"It is the individual citizen who ultimately must bear the burden of government over-reach resulting in an increase in the cost of living, increased taxes, the loss of jobs, the loss of capital, loss of investments, loss of personal savings, and a decrease in the standard of living. Sadly, hundreds-of-thousands of Americans are living the results of Obama's failed policies."

Increase in cost of living is going to go up regardless of the government. He raised taxes on cigarettes, tanning and not having healthcare. He also raised the taxes on the $200,000 plus but I could care less. Now he extended the bush era tax cuts as well which I would argue is about breaking even in that department. Is this really an argument that you want to use? As far as job loss take a look at this http://www.propublica.org/article/what-is-obamas-actual...

American companies have already been shielding themselves from the debt crisis in Europe. Our financial markets have been doing the same.

Have you noticed that each one of your counter arguments comes at a cost to the tax payer?
Instead of the market being more free, even more constrictions are taken here, and costing the people more monies, and growing government.
Now, unless you havnt noticed, people want cuts, see San Jose or San Diego or Wisconsin.
Yes, some of what youve mentioned has slowed inflation, but if youd read what chunky wrote, and understood it, youd know those costs come back at the tax payers expense, which when it does, if things arent better, only positions us towards another recession, as Keynesian economics has failed, and the people no longer want to give it a try

The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 raised the individual income tax to 39.6% for the top 1.2%, not the top 2%, as Mr. Rendell states. Not a single Republican in either the House or Senate voted for the bill, as Gov. Rendell also stated. As we pointed out in an earlier fact-check and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a total of 22.7 million jobs were created during the Clinton administration. But the bill didn’t become law til August of 1993, so if we get technical, only 21.4 million jobs were created, from the passage of the bill to the end Of Clinton’s term.

Actually Rey, revenue to the federal government went up from 2002-2007 due to the economic growth created by the tax cuts.

http://www.usgovernmentrevenue.com/revenue_chart_2000_2...

How come none of you told me about this?

http://meetthefacts.com/tag/omnibus-budget-reconciliati...

Good one, the economic growth was created entirely by the tax cuts, not by a housing bubble and all related markets. Not to mention the link that Mingo posted.

Their entire country is the size of one city in the US and a good percentage of them are unemployed. If you really think this is a model for America then you lack perspective.

If our economy was growing at 7% I would be extremely worried.

No I would be worried if the largest economy in the world was growing at an unsustainable rate that could only lead to a collapse worse than the one we are in.

Research it OMG, the American economy cannot sustain a 7% growth rate.