The US Economy Hurting? What? - Nah

Yesterday I wrote a piece on the media influence on the election. Today I find several bloggers of national standing talking about the same thing - maybe it's true - maybe I am on to something that might explain why we lost in such gigantic proportions. Can it be brain washing, media style?

I believe it's the reason people's ignorance on the economy so wide spread. How else could so many people decide that the economy is in such bad shape, or proclaim that social security is just fine in the face of a host of experts pronouncing it dead in twenty five years.

But for now, lets look at the economy for just a minute. How can so many people believe that with unemployment at 4.4 %, anything under 5% is full employment, real sustained growth at nearly 3%, consumer confidence for the year at or over 120, the deficit cut in half four years ahead of schedule, capital expenditures at or above 2004 levels, tax receivables 24% ahead of last year, that's 214 billion more in the treasury and that's in the face of Katrina and the Iraq war, graduate hiring out of collage is at an all time high running 11% ahead of two years ago. There's more good news but this will suffice for now.

So where is the problem? Do you think that the voting public is stupid or just misinformed? I believe a majority of them have no idea what the economy is doing or why. All they know is what the read in the newspapers or watch on television. Any wonder they are convinced the economy is hurting.

It's not just about conservative valves being abandoned, maybe a little, but what it's really about is doing some critical thinking on what you read and hear. Do you think the majority of the voting public believes everything they get in the newspapers or watch on TV?. Apparently.

The real question is then has the general public asked themselves the all important question, " am I better off today then I was six years ago?" Obviously they didn't connect the dots or they don't have the tools mentally to make a decision one way or other. With all the good news that's out there for the taking, all they know is bad news or no news at all.

It apparently is much easier to let some one else do the thinking. This is where the media comes into play. They are always willing to take you down the old garden path and drop into that big dark hole of called ignorance. Misinformation is their stock and trade.