And the stock market isn't part of the economy? What are you missing here? Look at unemployment. Every day there are notices of job cuts, but job creation remains at an all time low. Besides that, the level of unemployment is not representative of the whole issue. Household income fell 2.2% in 2001. So people may be working, but they're working crap jobs and not getting paid what they're used to (note the Fortune article that says members of Gen X have already hit their peak income rate). The stock market is on a downward spiral - at this rate, the Dow will be below 7000 by election day. A decreasing stock market naturally leads to a lower level of business investment confidence, and from there, it is a short jump to a decrease in consumer confidence. And then the economy isn't in the shitter; it's flushed down the drain. Even conservative pundits generally don't try to say the economy isn't going bad, they just try to ignore it, avoid it, or change the topic to invading Iraq.

Then again, maybe my understanding of economics is flawed. Maybe my real-life experiences of knowing that 70% of my college graduating class is still unemployed. It's been known to happen before.

(Nodding wildly)

:angel:

I don't think you can ignore the state of the stock market, it'll keep interest rates very low and could lead to a market ripe for poachers. At the same time i don't thik you can say the economcy is in the shitter, but it's not exactly booming either.

And the fact that it isn't booming is what's causing the problem. And low intrest rates are fine with me, I hope they stay that way until I have a job and can afford the down payment on a house.