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

 

Landslide-Trump-Zombie-Dreams-Bob Davis Podcast 848

Unicorns and Rainbows For Trump Zombies

They call them ‘Trump Zombies‘. These days, to them, whatever he does is golden. The president’s fanboys are now claiming he will easily win the 2020 election by a landslide. What are the chances? In Landslide-Trump-Zombie-Dreams-Bob Davis Podcast 848.

Pundits Already See 2020’s Outcome

It’s more than a year from the 2020 election. The commentators and pundits are already telling us what will happen. Moreover their predictions are nothing more than wishful thinking.

Landslide. Really?

I’ll start with actual vote totals rather than early polls. Moreover I’ll talk about what a ‘landslide victory‘ is. Finally, what even an electoral landslide victory for the president would be built on.

Pundits On Rich Guy’s Dole

Certainly these pundits and commentators are on a rich political operator’s payroll. They’re voices are not their own.

I Know You’re Lying Cause Your Lips Are Moving

It’s most noteworthy that the things the people on TV and Talk Radio say often end up in the discourse. Especially when they’re telling you what you want to hear, which is when their lips are moving. Especially relevant is, people don’t know how to fact check the steady flow of nonsense that passes for ‘news’ in America. Even the fact checkers.

Independent Voices

As a result it is left to independent voices like me to go through the so called ‘battleground states‘ and examine vote totals from 2016, and review vote totals and turn out for 2018 to get closer to an answer to the question, could Trump achieve a landslide victory in 2020? That’s what I do in Landslide-Trump-Zombie-Dreams-Bob Davis Podcast 848.

It’s Votes Not Passion

In conclusion it depends on votes. Not passion. Not polls. Pundits don’t decide who wins. It’s easy to call a winner when the president is one of the known factors and the other team hasn’t picked a standard bearer.

Trump Zombies In Barcaloungers

Trump’s Zombie Army ought to plan on a lot of door knocking and hard political work if they want to win by a landslide.

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

Landslide-Trump-Zombie-Dreams-Bob Davis Podcast 848

 

 

Suburban-Pledge-Fight-Goes-Viral-Bob Davis Podcast 846

Media Hurricane

These days you never know when you’re going to be in a media storm. That’s what happened when a suburban city council decided to stop saying the Pledge of Allegiance at some of their meetings. We’re going inside a meeting Saint Louis Park held to discuss the decision. Learn more in Suburban-Pledge-Fight-Goes-Viral-Bob Davis Podcast 846.

City Council Votes To Stop Saying Pledge At Some Meetings

Saint Louis Park is a first ring western suburb of Minneapolis. The City Council voted 5-0 on June 17th, 2019 to stop saying the pledge at some meetings. The city’s mayor wasn’t in attendance at the June 17th meeting.

Public Outcry

Even more, after news accounts of the ‘ban’ on the Pledge, the story went viral. Public outcry overwhelmed city staff and the council offices.

Study Group Meeting Disrupted

As a result Saint Louis Park held another meeting to discuss the vote. This was a ‘study group’ meeting. It’s most noteworthy that it wasn’t supposed to include public comments or conclude with a vote.

Many Non Residents

It’s especially relevant for Suburban-Pledge-Fight-Goes-Viral-Bob Davis Podcast 846 that mostly non residents showed up at the July 8th meeting to loudly express their dismay and anger.

Experience The Meeting

This podcast takes you through the meeting without very much comment from me.

Story Told By The People There

First of all I think the story is best told by the voices of the council and the people who were there.

You’re In The Seats In This Podcast

In addition if you wear headphones or turn it up you’ll be in the seats and you’ll hear the meeting as it went down. That includes hard to hear public officials and screaming protesters.

Shouting And Screaming

Finally I conclude the podcast with some historical facts and one short observation. In conclusion I wonder whether this protest flatters Tea Party and other ‘activists’ that showed up. You will hear them shout and scream, forcing council members to plead for a chance to finish statements often in support of restoring the pledge.

Pledge Written By Socialist and Anti Capitalist

Many of the protesters will celebrate President Trump’s vow to ‘restore the pledge in Saint Louis Park’. Emotional and understandable attachments to a pledge rewritten and made famous by an avowed socialist and anti capitalist notwithstanding, they may have done more damage to their movement in this suburb and in the fifth congressional district, than they know.

(Editor’s Note: It has been asserted that a requirement to say the pledge of allegiance is in the Saint Louis Park City Charter. Upon reading it I can find no such requirement. Click here and read for yourself. Maybe I missed it. In addition, it has been asserted again and again that naturalized citizens have to say the Pledge of Allegiance at their citizenship ceremony. On the contrary, they swear an oath to uphold and defend the US Constitution, and to disavow loyalty to any other sovereign. Read for yourself here. That is not the pledge of allegiance!)

Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating Of Saint Paul

Suburban-Pledge-Fight-Goes-Viral-Bob Davis Podcast 846