Is there ANYTHING positive in the US economy?

[leftofthedial]

any reason to think positively about the next five or ten years?

I don't see a single positive sign, but then I'm not an economist.

Nor am I a capitalist.

[greenvpi]

1. The election is a positive sign!

Most people I know are putting off big purchases to see if a monster or a human is elected. If it is a monster then we'll all have to save what we can for the coming storm like we did eight years ago. If it is a human, then I know I'll be spending money.

[Adsos Letter]

2. Neither am I...

an economist, although I admit to being a believer in regulated capitalism...

I'm afraid it leaves us at the mercy of the opinions that make the headlines...I'm trying to learn more but, other than buy low/sell high, and "don't spend more than you earn" I'm pretty much at a loss for interpretive models... :shrug:

[Angela Shelley]

10. Here´s another idea, one which many stock investors use,

"do the opposite of what the others are doing" - Anti-Cycle Activity.

For example, alot of people are very afraid to buy a house right now, because they aren´t sure if the prices are still falling or not. The interest rates will be lowered, meaning that if you are looking to buy a house to offer as a rental, you could find low financing. Maybe in a couple of years, when more people will be wanting to invest in rental properties again, you can sell your property at a higher price than what you bought it for. The key is the low interest rate.

That´s just an example, food for thought. :popcorn:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

3. Greenspan thinks so:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2869041

[DFW]

4. It's still true: build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door

As long as inventiveness and initiative are rewarded, and there is a financial
incentive to be such, then there is always a chance to say something positive
the economy. This probably betrays me as one more believer in regulated capitalism,
and so it is. I have visited countries that purported to practice socialism. Initiative
inventiveness were discouraged there, and so incentive for both was removed. Instead,
a dull conformity was the norm, and deviation was discourage (or worse).

Actually, I see a big chance for recovery in the US economy, not that any large
movement will be allowed to let it happen. Should there be a huge, as in earth-
shaking, all encompassing movement for energy conservation, and renewables, then
there is at least the CHANCE that our oil bills will drop, a huge new clean industry
in renewables will grow into mainstream from vanguard, our foreign trade deficit
has a shot at shrinking dramatically, and demand for American technology, if we regain
the forefront in the field, will soar. The same goes for desalinization--find a way to
do that way better than it is being done now, and we will be the main exporter of
agricultural assistance on the planet. It's an industry that isn't even on the map yet,
except in Israel--not exactly a market that will keep a green conglomerate afloat.

Of course, this is necessarily predicated upon a drop in the influence in big oil on
the political scene, which basically means that the Republican Party must lose both
the White House (by whatever margin) and both houses of Congress (by a decisive margin).

Obviously there are a lot of other things, both positive and negative, that can be
influences on our economy, but is there a chance things will get better? Sure. If there
isn't, why the hell are we still here?

[mahina]

5. I see some bright spots.

One thing, with housing deflating, young people will be able to buy homes, assuming they can find work.

Another thing, I disagree with the idea that our current model of growth growth growth measured only by GNP increase, without considering our natural resources in the equation, is a good one.

Things that are made in the USA will be more competetive as the dollar tanks. Except for things made in China, there's that yuan problem...

All around me small businesses are going through major troubles, but knock wood, we are doing fine, a nice change from last year.

Anyway. When other small businesses go down, that hurts us all.

[Afje]

6. Other than the falling dollar - no.

Having a huge trade deficit and the dollar being worth less, works in our favor.

[Warpy]

13. The trade deficit narrowed slightly last month

undoubtedly due to lower orders arising from the housing mess.

[lapfog_1]

7. Sure...

1. deflating dollar makes exports more affordable and imports more expensive, we won't be going to Europe, but Chinese tourists will start coming here.

2. Green energy is going to happen (economics are in favor of it) and most of it will mean more local new jobs.

3. eventually (if not already) we will resemble the third world enough that our labor market will attract foreign investment in new manufacturing facilities. So some of us will see jobs out of this, however the profits will go overseas (but then they were doing that anyway, even with so-called US companies doing the hiring).

4. After the housing bubble is all worked out (1/3rd drop in home prices minimum), housing will be more affordable... should you maintain your credit and employment.

[leftofthedial]

9. some of us will see jobs

at what, 10 cents an hour?

[lectrobyte]

11. Could you explain a little more on the green energy part of it? The

falling dollar IMHO would be a good thing except for that pesky foreign energy jones we have.

[sendero]

8. Just as every boom...

.. sows the seeds for the next recession, every recession sows the seeds of the next boom.

That said, I don't see this economy turning around for years. The credit crunch, the liquidity crisis, the tapped out consumer, falling wages, and decimation of jobs isn't going away soon, nor will the effects of same be trivial.

IMHO, we are still suffering the hangover from the 90s. Rather than suffer our hangover and be done with it, we (Greenspan mostly) decided on the "hair of the dog" approach, and the hangover was delayed but not prevented.

The MSM is not doing much of a job explaining what is going on here, for example the monoline hearings yesterday. All of this extraordinary activity is testament to the fact that the people running the show know just how dire our situation is, whether the Average American does or not.

[CrispyQ]

12. Best post of the day!

Wise & truthful.

Hair of the Dog. That is an accurate description of our current economy. The putting off/lessening of repercussions of past behavior.
But, in time, HotDog will still get you. ;)

The MSM is the one of two of the first critical problems with our country!!

See below: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2873662#2873718

[AdHocSolver]

14. Short answer, no! The U.S. economy will not improve until manufacturing jobs return to this country.

The problem is that most of the goods we buy are manufactured abroad and this country goes deeper into debt whenever we buy something. The corporations that import goods make profit and avoid taxes because that is the way the tax laws have been written at corporate request.

Our state and federal governments don't collect income taxes from foreign workers so our government deficits are huge. This very bad economic situation will continue until the tax laws and the trade agreements like NAFTA, WTO, IMF, etc. are rewritten or rescinded so that American companies who want to manufacture goods here with American labor are provided a level playing field to be able to afford to do so.

These trade agreements like NAFTA are NOT "free trade" agreements. "Free trade" does not exist, period. These trade agreements are written by and for the sole profit of the multinational corporations. They are killing the American economy, and converting this country into a banana republic. Moreover, the "consumer" does NOT benefit from the importation of goods because the corporations merely pocket the cheap labor cost savings as profit. They do NOT pass along savings to the consumer.

The debt generated by importing goods rather than manufacturing them locally is eroding the purchasing price of the dollar. This "price" inflation is eating up any savings that might have accrued from cheaper import prices.

Another fraud perpetrated by the corporations is that the U.S. worker will be producing high-tech products here to sell to countries like China. I ask you, what high-tech product that we might make here couldn't the Chinese manufacture there more cheaply, as well?

Wake up, folks! We are being sold a bunch of snake oil by the corporations and our government. This is not rocket science. Again and again posters here cite some article by "economists" and other pundits about "how complex the problems are", "nobody understands the economy", "the people involved with hedge fund deals don't even understand them", "nobody knows what is going to happen or how to deal with it", etc., etc. Blah, blah, blah.

Nonsense! They don't know what is going on like Ken Lay didn't know what was going on with Enron. The American people don't know what is going on. There have been posts here that explain what is happening including some from me. However, it is like screaming into the wind, to overcome the blatherings of the "experts" and pundits who either don't know what they are talking about, or are purposely trying to mislead the people.

For some reason, Americans have the idea that if what they are told is so complex that they can't understand it, it must be true. On the other hand, if you explain something so simply that a ten year old could understand it, it couldn't possibly be correct. This is the illusion people get from growing up in a society with an "expert" complex.

[sergeiAK]

15. Yes.

I'm graduating from college in December. I will have no trouble at all finding a decently well paying job. Heck, I have an offer already, at $54k + benefits. I expect to have my choice of 3-6 jobs in all areas of the nation (and a few internationally). It's not all doom and gloom out there, but you have to put in the work to find and become knowledgeable in the "hot" industries, especially ones that are recession-proof and don't depend on government spending that may be cut at any time. If you have a marketable skill, a modicum of work experience (I found a paid internship that paid for my last two years of college + living expenses), and the willingness to do what it takes to find a job, you can find work as a new graduate.

[abelenkpe]

16. 54k?

Gee, I hope that's not in Los Angeles. Or New York.
Good luck!

[sergeiAK]

17. Raleigh, NC

I expect to get an offer around $70k in DC, but with the COL, I'm not sure that's much better. Either way, certainly enough to live on. And thanks for the luck!