What “official” unemployment rates actually measure is a matter of debate, but apparently it is people who are on unemployment insurance, and those the states have in their work search data bases as still seeking employment. Supposedly there is no such thing as zero unemployment, since there are always people in between jobs and subject to seasonal shifts. But as Thom has noted, the “unofficial” unemployment rate is considerably higher, with perhaps at least as many as the official rate existing in a economic Twilight Zone, invisible people swept under the rug, out of sight but ever present—like the leavings of a lazy housekeeper or homeowner hiding the evidence from visitors. They are people who don’t hardly bother to wake up in the morning, life is so bleak and pointless. They are the homeless, or people who make their illicit “living” on the streets. They are people who are “professional” students frustrated at not being able to find work to suit their training. And of course there are the people who occupy our prisons.

And yet there are people who insist that despite the evidence that as much as 20 percent of the population have no gainful means of making a useful living (and an additional percentage working as temps or part-time workers who are little better off), things are looking peachy for those who still have full-time jobs, since they are making more money than ever before. But who are those people? No one I know. $10 an hour doesn’t buy you what $2 bought you 30 years ago, or even what $5 bought you 10 years ago, but that’s the kind of pay you’ll find in the industrial parks and most service “industries.” It used to be that you could buy a house that cost as much as what you made in a single year; now, if a house costs five times your yearly wage, that would be considered “cheap.”

Yet somebody is making a lot of money, and we all know who that is. We are told that unconscionable high compensation is required to “motivate” people to maintain businesses that create jobs; the problem with that theory is that most of the people who require such “motivation” have nothing to do with creating those businesses. They are just people who were brought in to manipulate numbers to raise stock prices—and if that requires mass lay-offs rather than creating jobs, then so be it. As has been stated before here, there is no consciousness of public welfare in play in the present economic strategizing. The U.S. merely constitutes one market, and U.S. companies operate with the “bigger” picture in mind, with the health of the domestic economy—and by extension the American people—just one variable, and not a very important one, it would seem.

and it does!

@ReaganRules:

Ron-Dog was the marketing device used sold America the destruction of Public Education and the broken, arse-backwards economic system that has turned America into a third-world country in the name of false deity, corporatism.

In short, he is at the root to Americans being solo dumbed-down that they venerate him for the malevolence that he embodied.

food facist daisaku ikeda is a man you can go to daisaku ikeda .org hes the president of the soka gakkai international which is a buddhist lay org. with 12,000000 member in 192 countries and territory's around the world

my mentor daisaku ikeda stated: Women's voices can powerfully influence society and transform the world.It was the attainment of women's suffrage, particularly, that gave women a voice in society, marking the start of a new era in human history. the first country to grant women the right to vote on a national level was New Zealand,116 years ago in 1893. One of the key campaigners for women's suffrage in New Zealand was Kate Sheppard. Mrs. Sheppard drew up 10 reasons why women should have the right to vote. Among the points she listed are: women are less liable than men to be swayed by mere party loyalty and are inclined to attach great value to uprightness and rectitude of life in a candidate; women are endowed with a more constant solicitude for the welfare of the rising generations.women tend to exercise and to feel a deeper interest in the constant preservation of peace, law and order, and especially in the supremacy of right over might. today, even more than a century later, many are sure to agree with her evaluation.

I am sorry to hear that Dustin is in pain and not currently doing well. However, he mentioned that he has a master's in nutrient cycle. I am looking for people with skills that can be used to fight global warming. If he responds when he is better, please give him my e-mail address.
thanks
Mitch

I volunteer to be the "Official" counter of Reagan mentions on today's left-wing Hartmann show.........what's the over / under?

I say...............15 mentions of the cursed REAGAN name.

Dan Gainor is a waste of human skin.

Thom,

Sadly, Obama is clinging to the status quo because he wants campaign donations for the 2010 and 2012 elections.

To Progressive Mews

Obviously I listen since every day I hear Hartmann spewing nonsense about Reagan EVERY SINGLE SHOW. You don't hear it because you are the typical left-winger who only listens to what they agree with. I don't listen to Rush, Hannity or Beck because they are boring and I know what they will say anyway. I listen to Press, Hartmann, Schultz, Miller and Rhodes and all I hear is them talking about Republicans ??

These left-wingers complain about lack of liberal talk, but then they spend all their "precious" time talking not about Obama and the left wing agenda? I know I'm contributing to the very minimal listenership, but I find it amusing.

Hartmann needs to study up on Ronald Reagan and not read BuzzFlash and Democratic Underground.

Why not spend some time actually talking about your left-wing President and all the great things he's doing ??

Financial Reform in 3 Parts

1) Sen. Chris Dodd discusses specifics in his bill (video):

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31510813/#33855467

Hi Louise, Welcome to Portland:-) There are even Big Foot meetings in St. Johns although we can't attend now because the owner of the cafe is trying to ex Sam Adams. I just needed some sleep...