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Blind Optimism
I am a generally optomistic person. I'm one of those "glass is half full" types. In fact, sometimes my optimism borders on fantasy. That is why pessimists like to call themselves "realists".
Anyway- the economy in America sucks, has sucked and seems like it will suck for the forseeable future. When called on it after a speech Bush said "I'm optimistic".
Now, maybe this is only me or maybe I am reading too much into those 2 words, but he is the President of the United States- leader of the free / Western world so to speak. I expect him to have a plan or a system- not optimism.
I am allowed to be optimistic. I am sometimes optimistic I will hit the lottery. I am often optimistic that my sports teams will do well this season. But, as the man who is supposed to be fixing **** I want the Prez to be more than optimistic. I want him to tell me how, when and why the economy will improve.
Here is a link to the article: Bush Says U.S. Economy 'Very Strong'
On 60 Miniutes this Sunday former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill will be on. He was fired in 2002 by Bush and he is quoted as saying that Bush in cabinet meetings is like "a blind man in a room full of deaf people" and that opinion and dissent are discouraged.
Here is a link to that article: Former Treasury Sec. Paints Bush as 'Blind Man'
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With the dollar going down day after day (one Euro is worth $1.28USD already), there is no reason to be optimistic. Sure, the unemployment rate may be going down, and the national economy may be going up, but what good is that on the long term?
The OPEC is considering (again) to change to the Euro, and the day that happens, even Bush won't be optimistic anymore.
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We were just talking earlier about how arbitrary the measurement of wealth is in the first place here at work earlier. The whole world bases their wealth on the gold standard. So, we have Fort Knox filled with gold and somehow that validates our wealth.
If we woke up tomorrow and decided that - you know what? gold is just a rock! it does't benefit mankind and serves no actual purpose- wealth as we know it would be meaningless.
Maybe we could adopt an oil standard and make the Mid-east the wealth capital of the world? Or, we could adopt a fresh water standard and make Michigan the epicenter of the globe.
I just think its ridiculous how much value is placed in money and wealth by so many people when the whole thing is just based on an arbitrary standard that has no real value to mankind.
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So you want leaders who look at the half empty glass and perpetually communicate doom and gloom and feed our pessimistic side versus the optimistic side? I would prefer one who looks at the positive end of the scale. I too am optimistic of the economy; it’s not blind optimism it’s based on real hard facts. For the first time in 2 years I am scraping some money for stocks. If you indeed are and optimist, you see the same indicators I do. Or you see the world falling apart.
Back in the early 90s a single British pound cost me 2.50 US, did that indicate a weak US economy? I was optimistic then too. Today a Euro cost $1.2 and last January it was .93. That is 27 cents lost for every dollar. It’s been falling slowly all year (2003). Why is that? Is it a current indicator or does it lag? Not sure. It’s still falling, when will it stop? How does that affect my planned stock buy coming up? Do I see doom, nope. I see opportunities to invest in Asia or Europe. Do I look for the president for help? Nah, he doesn’t know **** as much as all these stock investors and international money traders. In fact you call for action…. Perhaps firing that dude was some of the action you call for?
edit/ As for Oil being a standard. Once it's burned it's gone forever.
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i think the point is not whether these people are optimistic or pessimistic... the point is that when bush says he's optimistic it's just a statement. like "it'll fix itself" he's not doing anything to fix it. actually his new proposal may actually hurt the economy (allowing illegal immigrants to stay in the country and recieve free visa's if they have a job.) and yet bush's respnse to economy problems is "i am optimistic" not "i have a solution or a plan" it's scary... i hope he loses this year...
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wow I thought a lot of you would have liked the Free Visa BS?
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I don't... It costs me over $3,000USD to do it the official way, and now people who didn't do it the official way will get amnesty?
I'm getting off topic here, but maybe this is an interesting side-discussion :)
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OMG we agree Negative. :)
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Don't get your hopes up too high. Heh :)
Must be American influences... first I turn into a corporate ass-licker, now I'm tending to the right in certain discussions... I'm about ready to join the neo-cons.
Yeah right... I wanna be a neo-com(munist) when I grow up!
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Damnit Neg you're turning to the dark side...
I am interested in this situation mainly because of the vasy amount of illegal Irish in the US now getting their green cards, its roughly 30,000 maybe more.