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Bad economic news is everywhere with very little good news.

"Perhaps not in the sense that economists would define it"

But there is always bad economic news, and it's all about what you make of it.

In 2001 before 9/11, the late 90s boom was over and things were looking a little sour. Some were very pessimistic and predicted recession:

Originally Posted by tw in 2001

But there is the expected recession that always follows 'Tax Cuts to stimulate the economy'. How will he deal with that predictable phenomenon.

In 2002 the economy was sluggish, hurt in many sectors but not in actual recession. Some disagreed and said not only were we IN recession but being pushed deeper:

Originally Posted by tw in 2002

Even with a tax rebate (another idea that only mental midgets would promote), this current president pushes the economy into deeper recession WHILE turning (in one year) budget surpluses into deficits that were only exceed by Reaganomics.

By 2003 everything was about the war, but some were convinced we were in recession (although "perhaps not in the sense that economists would define it" - in fact we were never even in negative growth, never mind two quarters of it) and that it was being "extended".

Originally Posted by tw in 2003

Such a President issues a tax cut that does nothing for the economy and now (two years later as predicted) only extends a recession (tax cuts to solve recessions have always been mythical with real, long term, negative consequences).

The economy was getting pretty good in 2004... "as economists would define it." Yet some claimed the end was around the corner:

Originally Posted by tw in 2004

As I noted back when they were advocating tax cuts, history says you get a short term boom followed by a recession. The boom is over.

By election time in 2004, the media was utterly focused on job losses, except our boy:

Originally Posted by tw in late 2004

Furthermore, price increases from $53 per barrel oil has not yet appeared in the US. Expect gasoline that was selling at $1.79 per gallon to rise to maybe as much as $2.30 per gallon. Then we really start seeing a recession. Those decreases profits don't yet reflect the rising costs of oil.

The economy was in great shape in 2005. Some said the recession was "right on schedule".

Originally Posted by tw in 2005

The upcoming recession appears to be right on schedule - starting with the president's tax cut, his insistence that we consume more energy, and of course that no one expected the levees to be breached.

Things were pretty much booming in 2006.

Originally Posted by tw in 2006

Recession in inevitable due to an administration that spends money on wars, tax cuts, a corporate welfare like the top man was an alcoholic.

2007? The jobs recovery was so strong even *I* got one. But some people thought the end was just around the corner and even thought they could predict the month of, not just recession, but outright panic and crash:

Originally Posted by tw in 2007

Now for caution. Market analysts like to panic in October. October with so many panicked market analysts tends to imply a stock market meltdown.

Did the stock market crash of 1928 create the recession? No. Those problems existed long ago - masked by easy money. If we are in a recession, then market analysts are only just beginning to suspect it - which makes October so dangerous.

Recession is inevitable. The markets go up and the markets go down. It's called the business cycle, and it has happened since the very beginning of measurement of the economy. Predicting recession is a game of fools. Merely playing it means you have already lost. Play it consistently... and you are only a remarkably consistent loser.