IF Americans have any common sense left after enduring decades of continual neoliberalism, then the 2024 election...

will play out like this--- 

1.  Due largely to young voters, women, people of color, Independents (41% of adult Americans are Purple, not Red or Blue), and the wisdom of many senior citizens, Harris will win the race.  Why?  Following are only some of the reasons.

2.  A majority of people are now wary of Trump's blatant lies, never-ending personal attacks on those who oppose him, total lack of statesmanship, ignorance of economic principles, espousal of violence, and his general negative and toxic demeanor.

3.  A majority of voters realize it's utter nonsense to blame a President or Vice President for overall INFLATION.  They know that the policies of the Fed Reserve Honchos affect the inflation rate more than any one person.  Interest rates are not determined by the President or VP.  The amount of "helicopter money" (basically created out of thin air by the Fed) dropped on all of us is not determined by the Pres. or VP.  Voters also know the Fed Reserve does not kowtow to the Oval Office.  [Remember how Trump once (while he was Pres.) denigrated the Fed Chairman for his actions?]

4.  A majority is aware of the rock-solid data showing that immigrants here have a LOWER rate of violent crime than those of us born and raised here.  Thus, Trump's constant claim of rampant criminality by immigrants is just another of his many delusions.

5.  A majority of people now see that Trump, if elected, will be consumed by revenge against his "demonic enemies" (his words), and such would not contribute to working toward unifying the country.  People are sick & tired of his divisiveness.

6.  Bottom Line:  IF (& it's a BIG IF) there's any common sense left in this country, then Trump will be defeated.  HOWEVER, here's one way he could steal the election (he calls it his "little secret")---

https://www.democracynow.org/2024/11/1/donald_trump_mike_johnson_little_secret

7.  End Note---  Trump has been telling Evangelicals that God saved him from assassination so he could be President (thus, it's God's Will).  Most of them appear to believe the same.  I'm a fairly open-minded guy, but I can't buy any of that.  It's narcissistic, manipulative hogwash.

........

Not only my opinion.  Happy Trails

Muted, but STILL another shabby debate performance by a toxic narcissist

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXKSg8KXaQw

He was tragic, pathetic, ridiculous, & laughable in one 90-minute fell swoop.  Trump truly appears to be utterly delusional.  The top-level Repubs supporting him are making a monumental mistake.  A Party which long ago stood for honor, integrity, and the common people now is completely off the rails.

In addition, DJT's tariff increase proposal (which is more of an increase than any other in U.S. history) would increase price INFLATION - which now is declining - beyond the pale.  He's lying when he claims China would be paying for tariffs.  Consumers here would be doing it.

Finally, a reminder:  I'm not for Harris either, but she's orders of magnitude better than Trump.  [I don't care for her Gaza policy, her fossil fuel policy, or her lack of understanding of Sustainability.]  Neither major candidate is what we need to successfully navigate through the Meta-Crisis we're currently facing.  Clearly, though, Trump is the worst choice.  No doubt about it.

.....................

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Corporatocracy doesn't want you to know this about economics & the economy

In general, the Powers-That-Be (both public & private) almost constantly mislead us regarding whether or not the economy is doing well.  That's because they measure such all wrong.

Robert Reich tells it like it is---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFjoDq0HfFw&list=WL&index=71

To have an economics as if all people and the entire ecosphere matter, we must adhere to the parameters described/endorsed by Prof. Reich in the short clip above.  Anything else is mostly propaganda.

.................

Not only my opinion.  Take Care

"A Perfect Storm for Inflation...", and What to do About It

 https://steadystate.org/a-perfect-storm-for-inflation-covid-loose-money-and-putin/

and

https://steadystate.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/CASSE_Brief_TrophicStructureOfTheEconomy.pdf

Failure to recognize the importance of the "trophic structure of the economy" is a shortcoming of many policy makers, and it must be overcome if we are to survive & thrive both individually and as a species.  Without healthy, fertile soil, healthy plants, adequate access to fresh water, and clean air, we will be facing more & more economic, ecological, and societal disasters.

Severe inflation is a symptom, and it's not even the most damaging one.  The underlying cause is the disease (or, one could say, dis-ease) of ignorance of thermodynamic, biophysical, and trophic principles.  In plain language, it's the disease of the pursuit of unlimited growth in a finite habitat and overconsumption of energy & goods.  Negative/destructive results of such a pursuit are multi-faceted.  The damage caused by this disease is multi-pronged, and persistent.  Evidence of that can be seen by examining the current state of the world, a state which is the direct result of "growthism".

The way off our destructive path is to begin a gradual transition to a steady state economy.  Open your mind, and find out all you can about that option.

.................

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

How Energy and Finance Have Enabled Plutocrats and Ruined Western Democracies

 https://www.newstatesman.com/ideas/2022/02/the-age-of-plutocracy?emci=61695df0-c598-ec11-a507-281878b83d8a&emdi=8832a6a1-c898-ec11-a507-281878b83d8a&ceid=6171896

If the link doesn't work (after copying & pasting), do a Search for the first line only up through "...plutocracy?".

It all started about fifty years ago in the early 1970's.  Up through today, it only has gotten worse--- more plutocrats and less truly participatory democracy.  A paradigm shift is needed.

The article is an extract from a book, and it's highly informative.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

This short article speaks for itself...

 and loudly.

https://inequality.org/research/blame-corporate-greed-for-inflation/?emci=f24e5327-b556-ec11-94f6-0050f2e65e9b&emdi=75fbb4b7-c656-ec11-94f6-0050f2e65e9b&ceid=6171896

Trickle-down economics does not work, except of course for the Upper Crust.  Why?  Because there's little to no trickle-down.  This is not rocket science.  It's as clear as a cloudless day.

In general, the neo-aristocrats of Mega Business appear to not care much about their workers, their communities, or overall society.  For the most part, they seem to care only about increasing their wealth.

...................

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

When the Overdue Recession Hits Us

Preface
I don't have an Economics Degree, so I rely on a broad spectrum of economists and monetary theorists for these essays.  Plus, as a wise man once told me, "You don't have to be a Master Carpenter to recognize a shack.".  :)

A few facts---
1.  Worldwide debt is somewhere in the neighborhood of $250 trillion, which is close to three times the world's GDP.
2.  The U.S. public National Debt is now a tad over $22.5 trillion...more than our annual GDP.  We pay $896 million per day in Interest on that debt.  Politicians in DC are increasing our Debt exponentially.
3.  U.S. personal debt is now just shy of $20 trillion.
4.  U.S. unfunded liabilities now stand at a bit more than $125.7 trillion.
5.  U.S. nonfinancial Corporate debt is now at about $15 trillion...the highest it has been in decades.
6.  Total U.S. Debt (not counting unfunded liabilities) is now a tad over $74.1 trillion.  [See:  USdebtclock.org ]  That's more than three times our annual GDP.

Conclusions---
1.  The world is awash in Debt.
2.  The U.S.A. has a significant portion of that Debt.
.......................................................
Meanwhile, the UK, continental Europe, and Japan all have been adhering to the Zimbabwe "School of Economics" by PRINTING MONEY.  Plus, the USA is on the verge of starting QE-4, more printing of money.  This is all being done to prop up the Stock Market.  In addition, Corporations have been buying back their own stock, thus falsely inflating that Market.  At the same time, Bond Markets have been crashing, capital expenditures have been decreasing, and manufacturing has been slowing down...in the Western World.  In Asia (except for Japan), they have been sticking to conventional economic, monetary, and fiscal policies; but in the West, we are in an Era of Weirdness.
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Bottom Line---
When the overdue Recession hits, and there's a succession of bursting Debt Bubbles, the impact on Western World Finance and Economies will be much greater than in 2008-2009.  Businesses, a few investment Banks, perhaps some regular Banks, Insurance companies, and associated firms likely will collapse, then unemployment will jump way up, and price inflation will take hold...thus exacerbating the Recession, possibly driving it into a full-blown Depression.

Central Banks refuse to bite the bullet and raise Interest rates (or better yet, let the Market determine the rate) because that would burst the Stock Market Bubble.  We would have a Recession, but we need to because too much money is chasing too few goods.  Big-time inflation is coming unless we dial back all this monetary craziness.
........................................................
Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Three More Blatant Lies by Our Oval Office Occupier

Note---  The following quotes may or may not be exactly as spoken.  Any error is quite minimal, and does not change the meaning of the precise quote.

1.  "We now have the greatest economy in our history."  Ha!  Not even close to that, Don Corleone.  It's only great for perhaps the upper 15% or so of income earners.  Everyone else is barely keeping even, or falling behind.  The median income in this country is only $33,188; that means half of us make less.  Asset Bubbles (a type of inflation) and the Debt Bubble are larger than just before the 2008 Crash.  Financial derivatives still are a massive problem.  Casino Capitalism and Crony Capitalism still are setting us up for the next Bust... which, by the way, is overdue.  If you don't believe that, simply look at the time intervals between Booms & Busts from the 1973 Recession to present day.  No one, including you, has eliminated the Boom-Bust Cycle.

2.  "We also now have the greatest employment in our history."  Wrong again.  See this post of mine to understand why Gov't employment/unemployment stats are almost always wrong...including those put out by your Crew---
http://individualsovereignty.blogspot.com/2018/02/the-real-state-of-union-rather-than.html
The piece also explains why Gov't inflation stats are extremely misleading.

In both cases above, today's stats are dwarfed by those of the Golden Age of American Capitalism.  During that time, not only was the economy booming, manufacturing growing, and Business thriving, but mega corporations were being taxed at up to 90%.  With its length of twenty-plus years, that economy makes today's look like an unmitigated disaster.

3.  This last quote is in relation to the Mueller Hearing that took place Wednesday.  "Under Article II [of the Constitution], I have the right to do anything I want to."  What planet are you on, Don?  Good grief.  Even a cursory examination of Article II shows that, except during times of declared war, the Presidency actually is a rather modest Office.  Perhaps you were gaslighting when you made that particular statement.  You have a penchant for trying to confuse people with outrageous claims and obvious lies.  Unfortunately for you, most of us see through your dangerous childishness.  Now we just have to convince your cult following that you're a total fraud.

Not only my opinion.  Everyone Be Well
p.s.  For any new visitors here, I'm not a Democrat or a Republican.

896 Million Dollars PER DAY

That's how much our Fed Gov't pays in interest on the National Debt...every day.  And yet, DC politicians of both major Parties say the Debt doesn't matter.

http://fortune.com/2019/04/10/the-deficit-is-growing-far-faster-than-predicted/ 

By the way, the overwhelming bulk of Personal Income Taxes goes to pay that Interest.  That's the main purpose of Personal Income Taxes.  Central Banks, other Mega Banks, and other Mega Corporations are the primary recipients of those monies.  They hold the vast majority of Bonds & Treasury Notes.  ["Bonds" have maturities greater than 10 years, while "Treasury Notes" have maturities from 2-10 years.]

Gov't Services are paid for by Corporate Taxes (such as they are...Amazon paid zero Income Tax in 2018), excise taxes (highway/gas, liquor, tobacco, firearms, etc.), fees, imposts, duties, and more borrowed money...on which you pay the interest...$896 million per day this year.

Alan Greenspan once made these statements (paraphrased): the USA will never default on its Debt because when we need money, we simply print it; we can guarantee no default, but we cannot guarantee the purchasing power of those dollars.  [Right, Alan, and that's the catch or rub, isn't it?]

Every fiat (or debased) currency in history eventually failed.  The "money" became essentially worthless because the issuing government wound up printing too much of it.  That's currency inflation; price inflation is the result of too much currency inflation.  The more dollars there are, the less each dollar is worth.  Prices then go up in order for producers just to keep even, never mind get ahead.  Compared to the 1913 Dollar, today's Dollar is worth about three cents.  That's why the pair of Levi's jeans I bought in 1961 cost me $3.95, and the Levi's jeans I bought a few days ago were $49.95.  The cost of production (per unit produced) didn't go up; that cost has gone down over the years due to automation, essentially flat wages, foreign factories, etc.  Prices on everything have gone up because the Dollar becomes worth less & less every year.  That's how fiat currency operates.

Currently, we're at the tail end of today's world fiat currency system.  The whole thing (worldwide) is based on so much Debt that's it's unsustainable.  All fiat currencies in circulation today are becoming more & more worthless... because each year they are worth less.  Hello.  Global Debt is now close to $250 trillion; the entire world's GDP is about $84 trillion.  Do the math.  Such a system will fail.  DEBT will kill it.  Governments cannot simply "print" currency to get out of horrendous Debt because the result would be hyperinflation of prices; purchasing power would drop to within a micron of zero.  That's the rub.

Some sort of Great Re-Set is coming, and with it, most likely a worldwide Depression.  Can't say exactly when, but it's virtually guaranteed...all because of the massive Debt Bubble caused by fiat currency and reckless Powers-That-Be.

Not only my opinion.  Be prepared.

"The Trump Slump" -Or- The Dollar, The Bust, & The Future

I didn't coin the phrase, "The Trump Slump"; that comes from a group of International Bankers.  It resulted from the fact that the U.S. Dollar fell consistently throughout all of 2017.  2018 is boding no better.

Below is a recent email I sent to family & friends.  The title of it was "The Dollar, The Bust, & The Future".
...........................................

https://qz.com/1164158/the-us-dollar-just-had-its-worst-year-in-more-than-a-decade-and-2018-will-bring-more-of-the-same/

https://internationalbanker.com/brokerage/us-dollar-consistently-falling-throughout-2017/

And so far in 2018, price inflation has increased.

If the economy is "surging" (as stated by NBC), why is the median income here in the USA now only $32,110?  Compare that to the median income in 2000:  $31,514... a bare bones increase in 18 years.  I doubt it even covered the loss of purchasing power due to price inflation.  The economy is "surging" only for the upper 10-15% (or so) of income earners.

Just a reminder...be prepared...I'm guessing the Crash is no more than two years away.  Yes, it's only a guess, but the Stock Market is in a Bubble larger than the one just prior to the 2008 Crash; the same is true of today's Housing Bubble.  The Bond Market Bubble already has peaked & is slowly deflating.  Auto sales are down in 2018.  The PetroDollar is in its death throes.  In less than ten years, the Dollar no longer will be the world's reserve currency; the IMF is seeing to that with a program already underway.  Plus, Fed Gov't spending is increasing more under Trump & the Repub Congress than during the 1st two years of either Bush or Obama.  Our National Debt continues to increase at a phenomenal rate.  [See www.USDebtClock.org] Confidence in the Dollar is decreasing worldwide.

Corporate profits are at an all-time high, but where's the "Trickle-Down"?  Corporations are using those profits to buy back their own Stock, thus falsely inflating that Market.

The primary reason our GDP has increased is:  the Powers-That-Be still count income made by the Financial Sector as adding to the Gross Domestic Product.  In fact, though, the Financiers extract wealth from the economy.  Their income should be subtracted from the GDP.  This has been shown clearly by the economist, Professor Richard Werner.  [His interview clips/lecture clips are on YouTube.]

Finally, in the Boom-Bust Cycle since 1973, we are now overdue for the next Bust.  The only thing in question is:  how large will the next Bust be?

The good news is that it's highly likely that this next Crash finally will bring about meaningful reform in our corrupt, Crony Capitalist system...and very possibly an end to the privatizing of government.  We need to return to a Mixed Economy, like the one that produced the Golden Age of American Capitalism (1946-1972, or some say, '45 through the early '60s).

........................................

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

More Bald-Faced LIES From Trump & Crew

1.  Regarding separating little kids from their parents at the border, and then shipping the kids all across the country---

The Don claims it's all the fault of the Democrats because:  a) they passed a Law requiring that be done; and b) they are obstructing a new, proposed Law to correct the situation.  Usually Pence is in the background nodding his head in agreement. 

Let's see, first of all, there is no such requirement in any immigration Law passed by the Dems.  The requirement was for separation of children from smugglers, not PARENTS.  There is only Trump & Crew's screwy interpretation of the Law.  This is similar to John Yoo's screwy interpretations of Law during the Dubya Admin.  Yoo claimed the Geneva Conventions of treatment of war prisoners did not apply to Afghanistan or Iraq.  He also claimed that despite the Fourth Amendment, warrantless wiretapping of citizens was legal.

As to obstructionism by the Dems regarding a new Law on immigration, exactly how does that happen when Repubs hold majorities in both Houses of Congress?  Seems to me it can happen only if some Repubs join the Dems in opposition to whatever The Don & Crew are proposing.

The fact is:  this cruel practice (in a supposedly Christian nation) is totally the creation of Trump and Sessions.  It's their policy, and no one else's.  Even many/most high-level Repubs abhor it.  Finally, it's State-sponsored child abuse.

2.  Regarding claims that "the economy is doing great"---

Lately, Trump & Crew are claiming exactly that on an almost regular basis.  Let's see, we have a Stock Market Bubble that's worse than the one just prior to the 2008 Crash.  The same is true of the current Housing Market Bubble.  The Derivatives Bubble is alive and rolling on.  The Bond Market Bubble is starting to collapse.  The National Debt is nothing short of astonishing.  All that begs an answer to this question:  are Trump & Crew so ignorant that they believe none of the above are Bubbles?

Answer:  Of course not.  They all know they're Bubbles, and that those Bubbles will burst relatively soon..."They" being the ones who are deceitfully selling: the "good economic times are here".  Shades of 1929, 1973-'75, 1981-'82, 1986-'87, '97-2001, & 2007-'09.

Add to the above the fact that the rising price inflation rate has almost totally wiped out any wage increases of late.  Add to that:  Trump's Trade War will harm both consumers and businesses.  Then add this:  the Fed Government's Jobs Report and Unemployment numbers are almost always wrong.  Unemployment is at least double the number given by the Feds.  Finally, add this:  for the first time in our history, the Middle Class comprises less than 50% of our population.

..............................................

Conclusion:  Mr. President, you are flat-out lying about both numbers 1. & 2. above.  Either that, or you are the most ignorant Oval Office Occupier we've ever had.

..............................................

Suggestion to everyone:  don't take on more debt, pay down what you can, and hang on to every hard asset possible.  The next Crash is overdue.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Largest Amount of Borrowed Money in Any Quarter in USA History

In the 1st Quarter of this year, the Fed borrowed $488 billion...the largest amount for any Quarter in our history.  The Treasury Secretary claims that the Bond Market is "robust", and can handle the borrowing.  In fact, that Market has peaked and is trending down.  It's starting to collapse.  Our Debt is a Bubble sitting on a pin. 

That amount of borrowing plus the Repub Tax Cuts plus other factors = a big rise in price inflation, probably within a year or so.  Mnuchin (Treas. Sec.) says it's good to have a little inflation..."We want wages to increase."  Better hope inflation doesn't exceed the increase in wages; and sorry, but most likely it will.  It's almost there already...only .5% away from the last wage increase numbers.

So much for fiscal responsibility.  Those in the Congress and the White House who claim to be "Conservatives"...aren't.  NeoConservatives are a horse of an entirely different color.

Try as they may, the Establishment (including Trump & Crew) cannot avoid the metrics of the overdue Economic/Financial Crash on the horizon.  According to a study by Deutsche Bank, countries that don't properly manage their Debt experience a huge increase in Financial shocks, shocks that can severely damage the economy.  That has been our path every 7-12 years since the 1973-1975 Recession.  You can thank the Fed, the Mega Bank Casino Capitalists, and most of our DC politicians.  It should be obvious that the bombastic Trump & Crew are not significantly changing anything for the better.  They aren't draining the swamp; they're draining the country of a decent future.  Take a look at USDebtClock.org ...not just the upper left corner, but the entire table/chart.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

p.s.  Another reminder:  I'm not a Democrat or a Republican.

The BIG Lie

About a month or two ago, Trump & Crew, Big Biz, & the Corporate Media claimed that one of the main reasons our economy is "recovering" was this:  wages have increased 2.9% (I forget over what time span).  Here's what they left out--- price inflation is now at about 2.4%...and rising.  

In addition, the Bond Market is collapsing, the Stock Market is still (despite corrections) overvalued partly or mostly because Corps. are buying back their own stock (thus falsely inflating its value), Debt is increasing (our Public Debt is now well over $21 trillion & rising rapidly, while total public & private USA Debt is a bit over $70 trillion), there are 27 million part-time workers in the USA, half of all the workers here make less than $32K per year, the IMF has launched a 10-year program to replace the Dollar as the world's reserve currency, housing rentals are sky-high, the home-owner Housing Market is in a giant Bubble, and Mega Banks continue to gamble with bizarre financial derivatives...thus continuing the Casino Capitalism that resulted in the 2008 Crash.  Meanwhile, Trump & Crew are busily reducing regulations...especially those on the Financial Sector.

The next Crash---meaning, the next transfer of wealth to the top echelon of the Upper Crust---is both overdue and unavoidable.  Ever since the 1973-1975 Recession, we've had an economic/financial Crash every 7-12 years.  The next one looks to be larger than any since (& including) '73-'75.  There's no reason at all to believe that the Boom-Bust Cycle is suddenly going to stop.  There are many reasons to believe that the next Crash will be the worst in at least the last 45 years. 

Be prepared.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Fake President Blunders On...and Other Disasters

In his search for only "Yes" men/women, Trump has reached a new height in the promotion of warmongering via his replacing of McMaster with the gruesome John Bolton.  Even a casual perusal of Bolton's history is enough to scare the bejesus out of you.  He must be the most uptight, anal-retentive, control freak in the whole country.  The man seems to love the idea of killing people, whether it's most everyone in North Korea...or Chelsea Manning.
....................................................
A few days ago, the Chinese launched their Yuan-denominated oil futures contracts in Shanghai.  China is the world's largest importer of crude oil.  This is the start of the decline of the PetroDollar.  Plus, the whole business will add greatly to the already edging-up, price inflation in the USA.

Add to the above the fact that hundreds of major stores are closing their doors for good here, unemployment is more than double what Trump's Executive Branch and the Corporate Media claim it is, income inequality has reached a record high, worker wages have increased so minimally that they still essentially are "flat", the Bond Market is collapsing, a Trade War is developing with China, and the Stock Market recently has experienced "corrections".  Does all this sound good to anyone?  I think not.

Keep in mind that the Great Depression of the 1930's (which lasted about ten years) was not so named until halfway through it.  For quite awhile, everyone thought it was a temporary, soon-to-end glitch of some sort.
..........................................................
Porter Stansberry, who owns Stansberry Research (a financial analysis publishing company with almost 500 employees), claims that wages are no longer connected to productivity in the USA.  According to him, that's the main reason for the gross "income inequality" in this country.  Stansberry is controversial, and I don't know if he's an expert in the financial field or not; however, on this particular point, I believe he's correct.  Worker productivity has increased quite a bit in the last three to four decades, but wages barely have kept up with price inflation.  People essentially are being forced to work harder, sometimes at two different jobs, but they aren't being properly rewarded for it.  I suspect that's one of the main reasons (perhaps the main reason) for much of the discontent in this great Land.  The upper 10% of The People own 75% of the wealth here.  Go figure.
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Zuckerberg's supposed concern about Facebook users' privacy is laughable.  The whole Facebook set-up is designed to harvest and sell your private information.  At least, that seems to be the case.  Delete Facebook.  Be aware, though, it will take weeks to get yourself off that site...literally, weeks.
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Why is Equifax still in business?  After their unmitigated disaster involving millions & millions of SS numbers, plus the theft of their own employees' tax info, they should have been boycotted by everyone.  Those of you who check people's credit, don't use Equifax.  There's no law that says you must.  Those of you who are subject to credit checks, tell the entity doing the checking that nothing of yours should be sent to that company.  Why should you risk the theft of your identity?  Do you have any idea how long it takes to straighten out a mess such as that?  Never mind the cost.
......................................................
The Second Amendment nowhere guarantees that citizens can possess any type of firearm they so desire with only minimal regulations informing that scenario.  The purpose of the Amendment was to allow citizens to "keep & bear Arms" in order for the country to have a "WELL REGULATED militia".  That's a direct quote:  "...well regulated...".

These slaughters in schools (and elsewhere) have to end.  A citizen not in the military should be banned from possessing a weapon of war...and that includes assault rifles.  You don't need one of those to go deer hunting or target shooting.  Assault rifles are for killing people.

To be clear, I'm an owner of a firearm...but it's not a weapon of war.
.......................................................
Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Claiming We're in an Economic Recovery is Absurd

Nevertheless, that's what the Corporate Media, the Fed Reserve, DC politicians, and the rest of the Establishment are doing.  It goes back to the last part of the Obama Era, and now includes Trump & Crew.  Let's examine several of the reasons why such a claim is absolutely false...at least, false when it comes to the overwhelming majority of Americans.  Not all, but much of the info below is taken from the U.S. National Debt Clock... usdebtclock.org

[NOTE:  Number 1 below was edited on 2-24-18.  Number 3 was edited 3-14-18...the amount of our National Debt, now just a hair away from $21 trillion.]
.....................................................
1.  The current median income for individual workers is $31,654 per year; in the year 2000, it was $31,229.  Wow, what a booming increase... not.  For those who may have forgotten parts of their old math & statistics courses, "median" gives a better sense of things than does "average".  With "average", the millionaires & billionaires skew the results.  When we use "median income", that means half the workers make less than $31K+change.  HALF.  There was a time when $31K/year was a decent income; that's long gone.

2.  The current number of unemployed is more than double the number claimed by the Feds/Trump.  [See the piece/post immediately prior to this one... and the Debt Clock.]

3.  The National Debt was $2.6 trillion in 1988, and the Debt to GDP ratio was 49%.  Currently, the National Debt is $20.96 trillion (edited 3-14-18), and the Debt to GDP ratio is about 105% (the last number is for 2017).  [In 1980, our National Debt was only $906 billion, not even one trillion.  The Reagan Era more than doubled that number.]  The point being:  these numbers are a major reason for the world losing confidence in the Dollar... with fiat currency having no intrinsic worth, the only reason people value it is because of confidence.  Trump & Crew are well on their way to increasing the National Debt by trillions more.  Don't believe the Propaganda that all will balance out because of increased jobs resulting in more income tax revenue.  Reagan said the same thing, but the Debt almost tripled.

4.  The IMF has launched a ten-year program/plan that will replace the Dollar as the world's reserve currency.  The negative impact on our economy will be significant.

5.  The Establishment touts the claim that wages have risen 2.9%.  [I don't recall over what time span.]  Never mind about half of that is lost to the hidden tax known as price inflation.  With the current median income (see number 1 above), the increase comes to $76 per month... not too exciting.  With the minimum wage, the increase comes to 21 cents per hour... appreciated, I imagine, but not cause for celebration.

6.  Toward the end of March (next month),  several countries will start accepting Chinese Yuan in exchange for oil.  That will be the beginning of the end for the almighty PetroDollar.  Within a very short time, the Bretton Woods international monetary system will be no more.  The Dollar will suffer significantly; because of increased inflation, it will lose even more of its purchasing power than it already has lost.

7.  The overall worldwide Debt Bubble (public & private debt) is at a record high level.  All financial bubbles burst; in all of history, there hasn't been one that didn't.  The Debt Bubble dwarfs all the others; that's true even if only public debt is considered.

8.  The U.S. Bond Market is collapsing.  It's not the only one in the world doing so.  Bond markets collapse because of approaching insolvency... at least, that's one of the major reasons.

9.  Bizarre financial derivatives still are running at full speed.  They have only window dressing restraints from the Feds.

10.  When the Establishment reveals the monthly Jobs Report, it never gives important details:  how many of those jobs are minimum wage, and/or part-time, and/or temporary?  Currently, there are over 27 million part-time workers in the USA.  The Debt Clock doesn't indicate how many of those would prefer a full-time job... but I suspect that most would.

11.  Trump & Crew are making it easier for the Fed and Mega Banks to transfer wealth from the majority of Americans to those in the Upper Crust.

12.  In general, the permanent Tax Cut gift given to the Rich by Trump & Congress will not result in capital expansion of business enterprises.  The Rich and Super-Rich will put those tax break savings elsewhere.  I suspect every one of them knows that a Crash is coming... and that it's unavoidable.  Their primary concern is to protect their families & their wealth.
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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Real "State of the Union" Rather Than the Don's Version

Isn't it incredible how Trump said that the Govt's unemployment, inflation, GDP, etc. numbers were all false just before he took office, but not long after he was sworn in, those numbers were all correct.  Plus, he's now claiming that the supposed "recovery" we're in is all due to his Administration's actions in the past year.  What he expects people to believe never ceases to amaze me.  The Corporate Media are every bit as bad in that respect as is Trump.  Let's take a brief look at how things really are in this great Land.
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1.   Unemployment---

The Feds have six measures of the unemployment rate and they label them U-1 through U-6.  U-3 is the one used as the "official unemployment rate".  Currently, that rate is 4.1%...but, there's a problem.   U-3 tends to underestimate the “true” extent of unemployment because those who have been unemployed and have given up on finding another job, or those who haven’t searched for a job recently, are not included in this category.

U-6 is closer to the truth.  This number measures not just the unemployed, but also those who would like to work full-time but are stuck with part-time and/or temporary work.  They are barely scraping by.  Since the Crash of 2008, U-6 has been (to varying degrees) over 11%...but, again there's a problem.  U-6 also is incomplete.  It excludes the long-term unemployed, those who have been out of the workforce for a year or more, have not searched for work in the most recent year, but would still like a job.  Many (probably most) of those people are so down and depressed that they've given up the search.

The point here is that the "official unemployment rate" is always incomplete.  The real rate is at least double, and usually higher than that.  Currently, if we use U-6 (which is more accurate, but still incomplete) the true rate of unemployment in the USA is somewhere in the double digits.  The Feds and the Corporate Media always promote the lower U-3 number.  If Trump were really a "rebel", he'd tell the truth; but he's a member of The Establishment.  The only difference between him and the rest of them is that he's unimaginably crass...ignorant, boorish, thoughtless, blundering, and tactless. 

2.  Inflation---

For many years, there has been a huge problem with the measurement of price inflation.  The Feds use something called "core inflation", which excludes the price changes in food and energy.  Hello...those are a fair-sized chunk of most peoples' expenses.  Years & years ago, food and energy were included.  Then the Feds decided that those commodities were too "volatile" to give an accurate picture.  Right.  So now we're stuck with an inaccurate measurement... usually a number that is way too low.

In addition, the Gov't does not include asset inflation...over-valued stocks, over-valued houses, etc.  Currently, both the Stock Market and the Housing Market are in giant Bubbles.  Today, stocks are more over-valued than they were in 2008... or even in 1929.

3.  Bizarre Derivatives---  

Because of a continuing lack of comprehensive Fed regulations & oversight, bizarre Financial Derivatives (such as credit default swaps, CDOs, synthetic CDOs, bespoke tranches, etc.) still threaten our economy & finances, as well as those of the entire world.  While it's true that the number & value of such derivatives most likely has been reduced, the amount still out in the Market is horrendous.  It's difficult to know the exact number because these are private contracts between Casino Capitalists.  Best estimates of analysts as to the amounts in the Market just before the 2008 Crash and now are:  about $1.4 quadrillion, and about  $700 trillion.  $700 trillion is way above the entire world's GDP...which is about $76 trillion.  Derivatives still have a high potential to crash the world.  And yet, there are no serious regulations to prevent that.

Not only are Crony/Casino Capitalists (not genuine Capitalists) still to some degree or another creating bizarre derivatives related to mortgages, but now they're doing the same with car loans and housing rent receipts.  The whole business is just plain nuts...and extremely dangerous.

4.  Stock Buy-Backs---

One reason the Stock Market is so over-valued is because many Corporations are buying back their own stocks.  That falsely inflates their value.  I suspect that will increase now that Trump & Congress have given the Upper Crust an immense, permanent Tax Cut.  [The rest of America received a much lesser temporary Tax Cut.]

5.  The Dollar---

Jim Rickards holds a degree in International Economics, he's an attorney, a former consultant to the CIA and Pentagon on economic matters, and a NYT best-selling author...twice.  According to him and his contacts, the IMF has launched a ten-year plan to replace the Dollar as the world's reserve currency.  Ultimately, that will be extremely bad news for our economy.  The way Trump alienates allies & trade partners, the situation will be even worse.

6.  Infrastructure---

According to the top Civil Engineers, our infrastructure is in dire need of repair/replacement.  During his election campaign, Trump announced he would get Congress to institute a big Infrastructure Program.  Where is it?  He's been in office over a year, already added (he and Congress) a potential one trillion dollars to our insane National Debt, but there's no Program...not even meetings about it.  Meanwhile, our bridges continue to rust, rot, & crumble, our trains run off the tracks, and our roads & highways continue to fall apart.  Not all of them at once, but still...it's a serious problem, and it's killing people.

7.  War & Nukes---

Sometime during the last ten years or so, and right up through the present day, the Powers-That-Be convinced each other that nuclear weapons actually can be used in warfare.  They justify such thinking by telling each other (and us, indirectly) that the weapons will be smaller, "tactical" nukes.  In their minds, that means it's feasible...with no serious, long-term effects.  This is unmitigated insanity.  What they apparently don't understand is that any such use of nukes would be a dangerous experiment with likely disastrous results.

The Obama Administration launched the ten-year Program designed to create these "tactical" nukes, but Trump is exacerbating the situation with his utter ignorance of science and statesmanship.  Not only the people of the USA, but the entire world as well should be protesting this idea in a massive way.

8.  Climate Change and Other Environmental/Health/Safety (EHS) Issues---

Trump & Crew are bound and determined to tear down Fed Gov't Regulations; they've already started that.  Those Regs are not just in the Business arena, but also in the EHS world.  I worked in the field of EHS regulatory compliance for several years, and I'll be the first to admit that some of those Regs are overlapping and need to be tweaked or even eliminated.  A few are not necessary, but most of them (the overwhelming majority) are necessary.  Without them, we'll have more pollution, sickness, injuries, and premature death.

Regarding Climate Change, there are too many variables in that scenario to say that human activity (mainly the generation of greenhouse gases) is the only cause of what's going on; however, there's plenty of evidence to state with certainty that human activity is contributing to the problem...most likely in a major way.  Given that, it makes sense to address the problem of greenhouse gases.  Because Corporation Powers consider such things to be "negative externalities", the only way to address the problem is through Regulations.

As to the Business world, and using only one example, does anyone seriously believe that the Financial Sector doesn't need to be regulated?  I hope no one believes that.

My point under this subtopic is simple:  things are not good, and getting worse every day.
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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Economic and Financial Crash is Just Around the Corner

Best guess--- The Crash probably will be anytime before the end of next year.  No one can predict exactly when.

Today I saw an ad for blue jeans; the price of the britches---$60.

In 1961, similar jeans were $3.95...I know because I remember buying a pair for that price in Ft. Collins, Colorado while I was a student at Colorado State U.  [You remember the damnedest things when you get old:]  So, about four dollars versus sixty dollars; to me, that's hyperinflation...it's already here.  It may be a bit anomalous for hyperinflation because of the long span of time involved, but nevertheless, it seems to me it IS the beast.

Decades of monetary policy from the Fed Reserve have reduced the value of the Dollar from 100 cents in 1913 to about 3 or 4 cents today.  They've purposely debased/devalued the Dollar in order to be able to afford the interest payment on our massive National Debt (ever since that Debt doubled or tripled---can't remember which---during the Reagan years).  They can pay it with ever cheaper dollars.  That's why the Fed is always shooting for 2% inflation... per year. 

Imagine what an ounce of gold would be worth if all the beaches of the world consisted of grains of gold instead of grains of sand.  Whenever the amount of some item is increased in the Market, the price/value of each unit of that item goes down.  Through institutionalized deficit spending, the Fed being the main purchaser of T-Bills (monetizing the Debt), and the horrendous QE for the last 8-9 years, the Fed has made the Dollar almost worthless...by creating huge amounts of it out of thin air.  That's why some jeans are $60 now.  That's why the Fed Budget is in the trillions instead of millions or the low billions.  The Dollar is worth less...a lot less.  One even might say that it's almost worthless.  Of course, the Propaganda from the Powers-That-Be says the Dollar is strong.  What that really means is:  it's the best of the worst.  It's the cleanest dirty shirt...and even that characterization is questionable.

The Gov't always can get more "money".  All it has to do is type digits in a computer.  That's what it does when the Fed Reserve buys Bonds/T-Bills.  Actual currency isn't printed up and handed to the Treasury by the Fed; the Fed simply types the amount onto its Balance Sheet.  It never will "run out".  The problem is that the world is fast losing faith in the value of the Dollar.  We all should be, too.  Countries are dumping the Dollar and bypassing the Dollar right & left.  Those Dollars then come home, which means more inflation, but this time it will be much faster than that from 1961 to the present.  International players such as the IMF and Bank of International Settlements already are looking into replacing the Dollar as the world's reserve currency.  Can you blame them?  I think not.

No politician can stop this...it's too late.  We'll survive, but the cost of that survival & recovery will be high.

Don't believe the Elites' current Propaganda.  They're telling bald-faced lies because they're afraid the truth would result in massive panic...including a monumental exodus of capital from the USA.  [To those who think the public & private Powers-That-Be never would lie about such things---please, are you kidding me?  History says otherwise.]

Be Prepared (see previous posts), and Hang in There
p.s.  Your degree of comfort during the real recovery will depend upon your degree of preparation.  And, no, you don't need a bunker & hand grenades; there won't be a massive Mad Max scenario.  The Powers-That-Be would institute Martial Law on a monumental scale before allowing that to happen.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

A Few More Lies and/or Propaganda From Public and Private Institutions

1.  NBC News recently stated that the Fed interest rate hike (.25%) "...is a sign that the economy is improving.".  Nothing could be further from the truth.  That action is a sign that:  the Fed Reserve is recognizing it is increasingly losing credibility... and it is desperate.  For decades, Fed central planners have been facilitating a massive transfer of wealth from the common people to the Upper Crust.  As a result, the economic situation has been improving overwhelmingly only for the Rich and Powerful.  At the same time, Fed interference in the Money Market has caused the rest of us to struggle mightily simply to keep our heads above water.  The outright falsehoods put out by the Fed Gov't (at the highest levels) and regurgitated by the Corporate Media---regarding the unemployment rate, the price inflation rate, the jobs numbers, etc.---cannot belie the fact that we still are in a deep Recession, and heading for a Depression.  [I've detailed why that's true in several previous posts.]

2.  President Obama claims his ISIS Strategy is working, and that we will eventually "defeat ISIS".  About 9,000 U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria (never mind the airstrikes by other members of the "coalition") seem to have had little effect on ISIS, but plenty of negative effects on others--- the killing of innocent civilians, the creation of both refugees and more terrorists, and the destruction of civilian buildings.  Chaos prevails.  As to attacking ISIS sources of funding, good luck with that.  ISIS is funded primarily by Arab billionaires... billionaires.  If ISIS ever faces imminent "defeat", all they have to do is fade back into the woodwork... and live to fight another day.  Military actions are not the solution to the problem, but they are a great distraction from our imploding economy at home.  That has been done by governments for centuries.  Manipulating a population in this way is nothing new.

3.  A high Gov't official (can't recall who) recently stated that ISIS "has declared war on us".  That may be true, but we should keep this fact in mind:  "we" (i.e., our Gov't) attacked ISIS first, well before they did anything to anyone in the West...and that includes the brutal beheadings of Westerners.  I'm not defending ISIS in any way...but facts are facts.  Our Gov't once again stuck its nose into what basically is a civil war; "we" attacked ISIS in Iraq because they were getting close to some U.S. oil company operations there in the northern part of that country.

4.  Our Gov't is not providing an SS COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) for next year because "according to the Consumer Price Index [CPI], there was no price inflation this year"...so say SSA Officials.  I guess those same officials did no grocery shopping or renting of housing this year...never mind the increase in the cost of OTC meds and various other commodities.  It's true we're in a deflationary period now (e.g., crude oil, most metals, & some other commodities have gone down in price), but that doesn't apply across the board.
A side note regarding Social Security---
Since retirement from wage slavery in 2004, my primary source of income has been SS Retirement.  Unlike some Americans (hopefully not a majority), I don't consider SS to be any type of "welfare".  That money was taken out of every one of my paychecks for over 40 years for the express purpose of helping to provide for my retirement; I want it all back...every penny, and I don't want it stolen from me via inflation of the money supply (which results in commodity price inflation).
Some politicians claim there is no SS Trust Fund.  Not true, there is one...since LBJ first did it, every Administration since then has raided that Fund & used the money for other purposes.  Consequently, the SS Trust Fund is full of U.S. Gov't IOUs.  That's why SS supposedly is in financial difficulty... no other reason.
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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Powers-That-Be are Lying

The Oligarchs don't lie about everything, but there are several crucial subjects about which they do lie often.  Following are some of those.

1.  Price inflation is stagnant.  The State-Corporate Complex can say this with a straight face because when they figure how much prices have increased, here's what's not included:  the costs of food, housing, and energy.  Those items are not part of what's called "core inflation".  To give credit where it's due, the Powers-That-Be are correct regarding energy costs...even though those are not counted.  Oil has tanked, no pun intended; that's good, but a guy like me drives only about 20 miles per week.  "Low" gas prices don't make up for the constant increases in food and sundry grocery store items.  Manufacturers of those goods either are raising prices outwardly or doing it surreptitiously by shrinking the size of product packages.  Plus, rent for housing in the USA (with a few exceptions) is skyrocketing.  An old dog like me cannot believe how high rental costs are nowadays.

2.  Unemployment in the USA is now 5.X%.  This lie is so egregious as to make one physically sick.  Reputable, credible economists and former Fed Gov't officials all across the political spectrum estimate that the true unemployment rate is somewhere between 20% and 43%.

3.  The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement will be good for everyday Americans.  The details of that abomination now are finally public; some were released earlier by WikiLeaks, but now we have the entire disaster available for scrutiny.  The critics (such as Lori Wallach of TradeWatch) are saying, "It's worse than we expected.", and they were harsh critics before the full text was released.  I've written about this before, so I won't repeat myself.  The details of this miserable Treaty can be found in lots of places, not the least of which is Citizen.org/TPP.  Promotion of the TPP by many in Gov't, the Corporate Media, and various other Mega Corporations is proof positive that Oligarchs don't give a damn about us.

4.  We are not at War...it's "counter-terrorism"; therefore, Geneva Conventions, Due Process, the Constitution in general, Ethics, and even Morality do not limit us when dealing with "enemy combatants".  That lie is so outrageous and defies Logic so much that I'm beginning to think that George Orwell was the greatest political prophet in all of History...bar none.  The Powers-That-Be are trying to sell us on the concept that the people we're fighting are neither soldiers nor criminals.  Sorry, Oligarchs, they have to be one or the other.  The term, "enemy combatant" is a fiction.  Due Process applies to everyone, even soldiers or criminals.  If it doesn't, we no longer are civilized, ethical beings.

5.  It is necessary to monitor everyone in the National Surveillance State.  Good grief, that is pure, unadulterated Propaganda...it's bullshit to the Nth Degree.  Why people are buying into that is beyond my comprehension.  Have mercy.

6.  We are in an Economic Recovery.  That statement is so blatantly ridiculous it defies not only Logic, but the imagination as well.  All one has to do to see it's not true is take a little time to do a serious, critical study of our economic condition...utilizing a wide variety of credible sources while ignoring Propaganda from the State-Corporate Complex.  The USA, and most of the world, is in a deep Recession and heading for a Depression that very well may be worse than the one in the 1930's.
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It's important to keep in mind that when it's "crunch time", when Institutions are in a bind, any Institution will protect itself rather than individuals or Individual Rights.  Natural Rights, possessed by all people, will be sacrificed by any Oligarchy upon the altar of expediency.  It is Institutions that constantly must be monitored...by us.  Remember the words of an Eastern philosopher:  we be many; they be few.  That is precisely why we are inundated totally with Propaganda from the State-Corporate Complex.  It's important to us and future generations that we think critically, speak out, deny unwarranted power to Institutions run amok, boycott those entities that trash Natural Rights, and do it all peacefully.  Violent actions beget more violence and complete suppression of the individual.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Signs That the Elites in Our Gov't Have Lost It (Edited 3-25-14)

1. It appears that the Executive Branch is spying on the Legislative Branch because the latter is investigating the former for alleged acts of torture.

2. James Clapper, the Head of Intelligence, lied before Congress...which is a felony in this country.  There are no consequences suffered by Mr. Clapper.

3. President Obama marks terrorist suspects in various countries for death by assassination.  "Collateral damage" (the death and maiming of innocent civilians) continues---about 1400 in Pakistan so far--- despite White House claims of "precision" and "minimal loss of innocent civilians".

4. Various sections of the Constitution (e.g., the First Amendment, the Fourth Amendment, Article II Section 2, in fact---all of Article II, which is the portion dealing with the Executive Branch, and others) now mean pretty much whatever the Gov't desires them to mean.  [This is not unique to the Obama Gang...other White House Gangs have been just as guilty; so too have various Legislative and Judicial Gangs.]

5. Russia is being criticized and punished for violating International Law.  You see, when they do it, it's a crime.  When the US Gov't does it, it's "spreading democracy" or "a humanitarian mission"... or "in the interests of the security of the USA".  The US Elites never commit crimes; everyone knows that.  That's because US Elites are, you know, "exceptional", "special", and beyond question as to morality.  Besides, they have the biggest guns.  Apparently, might makes Right.

6.  It would seem, according to the actions of the US Gov't, that the Pakistani People have no sovereignty.  Their Gov't has asked the US Gov't to stop launching Hellfire missiles onto their territory.  The US essentially has said:  Frack You.  It would seem that the Big Bully US Gov't gets to decide who has sovereignty and who doesn't.  This whole scenario, of course, is not a crime...because US Elites are ordering it.

7. For decades, the US Gov't has done what it can to oppose the peace process in the Middle East.  That continues today.  I say that because the only acceptable proposals (in the Elites' eyes) are those made by the US and Israel.  Even though the overwhelming majority of people in the world believe that Israel is in the Occupied Territories illegally, that doesn't count.  Leaving is not an option.  Israel should be able to continue evicting Palestinians and bulldozing their houses...because, you know, that's how we get peace.
[NOTE:  Some people seem to have forgotten that just before Israel became a nation, when that land still was British Palestine, men like Menachem Begin were bombing hotels there...they were terrorists.  Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones at others.]

8. According to the Elites in our Gov't, inflation is low in this country.  That's because when figuring the rate of inflation, they don't count the rises in the cost of food, energy, and housing.  No wonder inflation is "low".

9. The NSA has plans to infect (using automated systems) millions of computers...and has impersonated the Facebook server...in order to gather more bulk data...on everyone.  It has done so with no probable cause, and no proper warrants.  Obama claims it's all legal, and there's "oversight".  Yes, we've seen some of that oversight---Clapper lied to Congress.  Here's how "oversight" works:  a representative of the appropriate Executive Department appears before the Congressional Oversight Committee...and tells the truth when answering questions, or lies, or both.  No one knows for sure...unless a whistleblower such as Snowden releases documents to the public.

10. Whistleblowers are being smeared and criminalized.

11. Independent journalists are being smeared, and in some cases, criminalized.

12. You now can become a "terrorist suspect" by reading the "wrong" thing on the internet.  Even if you're later cleared of suspicion, you're already in the information system in probably a thousand places.  That system is too unwieldy too manage properly.  There's a definite chance that you're screwed.  Ask Cat Stevens.

13. The Heads of mega corporations can buy their way out of Fed criminal prosecutions by paying a fine amounting to billions of dollars.  A top executive in a mega bank involved in a case recently sent an email to a colleague stating, "Just throw some money at it, it'll go away."  The Feds don't prosecute the top cronies in Big Business...the geese that lay the golden eggs...for campaign financing.

14. A Fed Gov't official recently stated, "I would gladly walk up to Edward Snowden and shoot him in the head."  As far as I know, that official is still on the job.

15. Presumption of innocence apparently no longer exists in the minds of some in our Gov't.  Suspects are being assassinated overseas in the name of We the People.  At least two American citizen suspects have been so assassinated. 

16. Though we're not constitutionally at war, the Elites have propagandized us into believing that we legally are in an actual war.  They've convinced us that the War Powers Act somehow trumps the Constitution, which is impossible.  No Legislative Act trumps the Supreme Law of the Land.  They've also convinced us that the President can do pretty much as he pleases with the American military...because he's Commander-in-Chief.  To the Elites, that means he's not constrained by the constitutionally permitted uses of the military.  Hello...that's false.

17. Thanks to the misnamed PATRIOT Act, FBI Agents can write their own search warrants...a blatant violation of the Fourth Amendment.

18. Thanks to the Supreme Court decision in Kelo v. the City of New London, governments now can seize private property under Eminent Domain and sell or give that property to private developers.  Supposedly, the "public use" in that scenario are the taxes generated by the development.  Essentially that means anyone's property can be seized at any time and sold to private entities.  Incredible.

There is a better way, but first we have to stop drinking the Propaganda Kool Aid.

Be Well