Recession-Warning-Media-Confusion-Bob Davis Podcast 855

Recession-Warning-Media-Confusion-Bob Davis Podcast 855

What Is All This Talk About Recession

These days it’s hard to tell who to believe. In many ways it’s the best economy ever. The best time to look for a job. An unprecedented economic boom. Why is everyone suddenly talking about a recession. Learn more in Recession-Warning-Media-Confusion-Bob Davis Podcast 855.

Not Making Predictions

First of all I am not here to tell you the economy is in the tank, or that it is booming.

Recession! Depression! Do I have Your Attention Now?

Truth is if you put the words recession, bust, or depression in an article you’re going to get people’s attention. In addition it doesn’t hurt to have a couple of historic drops in the stock market.

Now that I have your attention…Listen to Recession-Warning-Media-Confusion-Bob Davis Podcast 855.

Market Drops and Yield Curves Mean New Media Story Lines

It doesn’t matter if the markets recover from those drops.

What matters is now the media has a story line that predicts doom and destruction.

Fool’s Errand

Especially relevant is a lesson I learned a long time ago. It doesn’t matter how well informed a commentator might be. Making predictions about a force of nature like the world’s largest economy, is a fool’s errand.

Shallow Expansion, Debt and Slowing Growth

Even more, it is true our economy is growing and we are enjoying the longest economic expansion in memory. It’s also true it’s a shallow expansion and that growth just above the inflation line, isn’t really booming. Moreover, the expansion is getting pretty long in the tooth, as the say.

There Is A Season

In contrast like the seasons, economies operate on a cycle. Truth is anyone who predicts a recession will ultimately be right. Just like fall into winter recessions have a purpose. Economic contractions kill off the weak plants and animals and insects so the strong and grow again in the spring.

So when the yield curve inverts and the market drops it is certainly worth paying attention.

Seems like we’re missing something though. While the politicians and talking heads trade insults about who’s predictions are right, what are we thinking about?

Election Year Economics

In conclusion what plans to we the people have for the future economy of the United States. I sat down to do a podcast on the yield curve, claims about unemployment and recession predictions. I ended up with an essay on the pitfalls of talking economy in an election year, the ballyhoo on the current economy when the real questions aren’t even being asked. Let alone answered.

It’s 1950 In America…Coal Mines and Manufacturing, right?

Where are we going? What are we trying to accomplish? What kind of economy do we expect in the future. Is it really manufacturing jobs in Ohio and Coal Mines in West Virginia?

Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul and Reliafund Payment Processors

Recession-Warning-Media-Confusion-Bob Davis Podcast 855

 

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D-Day's-75th-WW2-Significance-Bob Davis Podcast 838

D-Day’s-75th-WW2-Significance-Bob Davis Podcast 838

Highly Significant

I think World War Two might have been the most significant historic event in more than the last two hundred years. These days people don’t think or talk much about the second world war, but we’re living in the world created by it. Learn more in D-Day’s-75th-WW2-Significance-Bob Davis Podcast 838.

Father’s and Grandfather’s War

Like most kids growing up in the 70’s World War 2 was our father’s war. Our grandfather’s war.

Certainly World War 2 was historic. Almost every American family has stories from that war. Family members who served. Army Air Force, Marines, Army and Navy or Coast Guard. The stories fade a little more every year, as our fathers, grandfathers and great grandfathers, mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers fade too. Inevitably, the significance of that war gets lost in time.

When Everything Changed

What’s most noteworthy is the structure of the world today is the result of World War 2. Especially relevant to this podcast is this. The world that preceded the start of the war in 1939 is gone. The life Americans knew before the war, was obliterated by it. Learn more in D-Day’s-75th-WW2-Significance-Bob Davis Podcast 838.

Governments Run Amok

When I was growing up we’d go to the army surplus store in Hammond, Indiana. We’d pick through the boots, jackets, and tanker goggles. Whenever we could we watched all the black and white movies. ‘The Longest Day‘, ‘The Sands of Iwo Jima‘, ‘They Were Expendable‘ and many others. Those movies miss or gloss over mistakes governments made that got us into that war.

Gold Star Windows Up and Down the Block

I am old enough to remember the faded gold stars in the windows of the old ladies on the block, who’s sons never came home. Some were from the Korean and Vietnam wars, but many were still there from World War 2. They were the most faded.

How Could They Have Survived Omaha Beach?

In addition I am lucky enough to have been to Normandy, and of course, Omaha Beach. I have two takeaways. That hill is close to the water and very steep, and I wonder how anyone could have survived crawling up under fire the morning of June 6th, 1944.

They Didn’t Talk About It…They Did It

In conclusion we don’t think about the war that changed the world. Forever.

These days there’s a lot of talk about making the world a better place.

Those who fought that war, actually did.

Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul

D-Day’s-75th-WW2-Significance-Bob Davis Podcast 838

 

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Kafkaesque-Route 66-Bob Davis Podcast 793

Kafkaesque-Route 66-Bob Davis Podcast 793

What if you’d gone to sleep in 1980 and woke up in 2019? I think Jessie Pinkman’s Breaking Bad “Kafkaesque” line would describe these days pretty well. Learn more in Kafkaesque-Route 66-Bob Davis Podcast 793.

Time Off

I planned to take some time off around the new year. One day stretched into 3, then 5. I came back to bizarre claims from the president, silly questions from reporters, and more talking heads telling us what we already know. You know, Kafkaesque.

Streaming TV Drama

What did I do? Like everyone else I retreated to streaming television drama. Moreover after exhausting the supply of shows to watch, I ended up finding four seasons of the old TV show “Route 66” on Amazon Prime.

1960 Corvette

What’s most noteworthy about this 1960 black and white drama? Two guys driving across the country on backroads in a 1960 Corvette getting into situations.

Route 66 Remake

First of all, while watching the show, I googled all the places the show’s characters drive through. Yes, I have been to many of them. In addition to providing an excellent escape from our current nonsense, I decided someone should remake Route 66. (Editor’s note: If you follow the links you’ll see that someone actually did remake the show, but it was horrible. I am thinking what David Simon, Matt Weiner or Ann Biderman could do with it.)

We All Think It Is Absurd

I don’t think I am out of line to suggest that the current news and political situation is theater of the absurd. Also I think many people feel the same way.

Resolution Please

Certainly this is why I have suggested many times the best way for me to contribute is to be strong enough to wait for a conclusion. Even more a resolution. With some kind of ‘way point’ there is less confusion. Pointing out options and ideas is less likely to trigger listener’s emotional reactions.

Where Are We Headed? Somewhere.

In conclusion, like the guys in Route 66, we’re headed somewhere. We just don’t know where yet.

Sponsored by WhiteTail Builders and Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul

Kafkaesque-Route 66-Bob Davis Podcast 793

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