The economy

It's not that economic growth is unsustainable, after all economic growth is really just the byproduct of the expansion of knowledge and invention. It's that growth as the ends rather than the means creates policy that can turn its pursuit into a negative for general welfare, ie "but the gdp" isn't a valid argument on its own, it needs to be transferring into living standards.

 

Nefarious? The US is in a trade battle with China (that could go on for a long time), the less the US shows any impacts from it, the stronger his negotiating position is. Of course he knew, it's why his response amounts to "well we don't really need the deal, it's not like it's hurting us",

And the longer it goes on, the stronger the US position gets, because companies are gradually moving away from China (when i was there not long ago, they were telling me that it's faster than i assumed).

 

No, constant economic growth in and of itself is unsustainable. Resources are finite, human population has limits, and much of what is marketed as ingenuity ends up hurting the human quality of life while adding a level of arrogance to people who think the "load capacity" can keep increasing. My engineering degree ignores all of this and so do economics degrees, but that is pretty much what causes the same human suffering over and over again. Better income distribution is important, but all it does is allow those coming into wealth to make the same mistakes as previous generations (see the new middle class in Asia and Africa and what they demand) without caps on the need for "constant growth".

 

Some resources are finite, but the most relevant and only universally consistent one with growth is energy and we're not even close to tapping energy potential.

Human suffering tends to be similar because humans are the defining factor, it's why the epic of gilgamesh is still relatable, human nature doesn't change. But it sounds like you're talking about the ethical state....umm....

 

Greater use of energy, by whatever means, leads to a greater strain on the natural world. Energy use needs to be more evenly distributed and tapered, not seen as something we need more and more of. Do you think what will prevent Houston flooding is more energy use and more growth? More population? China keeps building more coal plants which is rihtfully condemned,but is creating solar panels a resource free endeavor? One may have a smaller carbon footprint, but the finite resource footprint continues to stay high. More Big Agro pumping chemicals into bodies of water and once healthy soils to facilitate feeding a growing population ... it's delusional to pretend it's all OK until the big crash comes (which we already see in once fertile parts of the 3rd world). Meanwhile the income gap keeps increasing with the advent of all the new technologies meant to make humanity better ,, which only puts a greater strain on the environment that gives us life as well as the have nots. If this was your original point it is one I agree with.

 

Longest expansion eva but that was in July

 

RIP Paul Volker

 

disagree

Maybe you looked over his 'invention' line. Resources aren't really 'finite on the human scale as we are constantly inventing- I mean eventually we will be mining resources off asteroids ffs.

 

The short term unsustainable part of this current growth we are experiencing isn't exactly resources but rather that the boom is being fueled by consumer debt rather than consumers having a discernible increase in disposable income.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/u...d-during-the-2008-financial-crisis-2019-06-19

 

You can't disagree with facts, they are what they are. If you stand on fire, you'll get burnt eventually. You can disagree all you want , but that is the fact. Assuming the resource expenditure to bring in minerals from asteroids will ever outweigh sustainable life on earth is denial. Thinking life in a gas mask on mars is better than it is here is denial. Denial fuels consumer economy's , no doubt, but they also lead to all the problems we see in the world today (which, if we didn't abuse technology and power, could all be solved in the next 5 years). The tools are all there to live a great life in the here and now, but delusional mentalities like yours don't allow it.

 

You're trying to talk facts and your stupid statement about getting burned doesn't deliver as I guarantee through human ingenuity we can come up with something to stand on fire and never get burned. You'll only ever get burned your sucky way of regressionary thinking. There is nothing delusional about progress and there is nothing like a true crisis that takes humans to the next level. Inventions has led humans to the most prosperous of times. You need more optimism and less pessimism in your life dude. Talkin' about a delusional mentality, a delusional mentality is to think humans are suddenly going to stop progressing technologies which require a ton of energy investment. Energy investment is what has propelled the human race to the point where we are now: thriving at 7 billion plus and countless of great minds with great ideas to keep that trend moving in the upwards direction.

 

Tell that to the industries suffering from the trade wars which may never recover as China developed trade partners for their soya, lobster, etc. consumption. Companies might be moving away from China. But the Chinese are also moving away from US goods.

 

obama had built such a strong economy over his 8 yrs in office that even Trump can't screw it up

fyi, as per the report from the Fed Chair last week.

more jobs created and the avg hourly rate has increased, as well as dovish interest rate environment in 2020
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we used to see 60-mo interest free auto loans; within the last 2 yrs, we've been seeing 72-mo interest free auto loans

 

The best thing that happened after the financial collapse was the bail out. I really couldn't tell you why the economy has remained so steady but our economy under normal circumstances isn't subject to wide swings in momentum.

Our economy is diverse, it doesn't rely on one good or a few goods that if something happened to a particular market, everything would collapse.

Obviously The Great Recession happened but that was a direct response of loosening banking regulations put in place after The Great Depression. Greed can wreck the economy and hopefully law makers never forget that.

 

People will lap it up until it hurts their bottom line.

 

I don't think we're at the point to prevent flooding, but eventually we will be.

Having spent a fair bit of time in the developing world this year, the ramifications of any weather event is extreme, what growth and energy does prevent is wide scale death from flooding. Houston had a low death toll (50ish?) and is pretty much back to normal, those places see thousands die, and take years if ever to recover causing further suffering from economic depression.

 

Ok i have a genuine question here, do you just believe people like Pelosi, Schiff, AOC on whatever nonsense they tell?

The reason i ask this is because you think people the often listen to Trump just believe Trump and it seems very much like projection, the only people who do that are the "i don't care, let me get on with my life, whatever Trump says, wake me up for the election" types. No one, at all, that takes notice thinks Trump doesn't spout random BS.

 

Not all the time.

Ofc Pelosi/Schiff/AOC don't tweet easily refutable lies all the time either. I don't follow those three and don't particularly need to agree with them since they don't represent me I can't hold them accountable.

It makes it harder to call them out on accuracy when they aren't brazen with the Sharpie.