Yes. And he’s not the only one I’ve learned that about. (Although there are actually some that I’ve thought that about who have surprised me.)

Wow, Jay Tea, that’s stupid even by your standards. Completely ignoring all points, on the other hand, if you M.O. This is why people insult you. And I’m not the only on who does.

When it comes to Jay Tea, no argument you can make will convince him, because he is too dumb to learn. You have to know that by now.

IOW, you are right, but the argument you make * isn’t going to convince anyone of that.

Add “or the way in which you are making it” at the * and you’ve got the point I’ve tried to make on occasion.

‘When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone,’ it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less.’

‘The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’

‘The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master – that’s all.’

J.

Is the GDP growing due to the rising cost of oil? If GDP growth is below the rate of inflation, then in real dollars it is shrinking. While not technically a recession, it is, in effect, a recession.

I doubt Bryan is an economist, nor are most Americans. While you score points for being technically accurate (the best kind of accurate). However, if you think your argument is going to win political points, guess again.

The economy is in the shitter, and it doesn’t matter what it is called, the people know it isn’t good.

Unless, of course, you’re choosing to redefine “recession” as “periods of slowed but still positive growth” to suit your agenda. But it would be more truthful to simply say that “we’re in a curdlebleen, which I define as two or more quarters of declining but still positive GDP, and it is bad, and I blame Bush for that.”

Nah. Too close to reality. Only room for “reality-based” derivations, not reality itself. It’ll never fly.

J.

Well said. (And I mean that in several ways.)

That was taken into account when they made the prediction that it would rise to 5.1%. It rose five times faster than expect. So you can’t blame this on students, the minimum wage, or any other effect that been known for a while. This is because of a seriously bad economy.

“It sums up the Democrats’ refusal to allow domestic oil drilling and new refineries quite well.
Which, of course, I’m certain has absolutely nothing to do with the current oil prices…”

Nope. It doesn’t. The United states can’t increase global oil supply by enough to change the supply and demand equation. However, the American dollar being in the shitter does have a direct effect on the price of oil. Additionally, the dollar is low because of policy by this administration. They have been trying to artificially inflate a sagging economy with easy borrowing, and now it has come back to bite them on the ass.

“Oliver tried a flat out-and-out denial, with no attempt to explain his statement other than “no” and a cheap phrase,”

That’s all you deserve, Jay Tea. You don’t deserve to be treated with respect, because you have shown too often that when your opponent takes the time to give you a well-researched argument, you will run.

“so I turned his cliche’ back on him with another aspect of the Democrats’ mismanagement of the economy.”

The Democrats? The Republicans are still in the White House and the Democrats don’t have a large enough majority to control the economy, so if this is a problem because of mismanagement, then you have to blame the Republicans.

“Mobius, no, I am not. But logic says that the combined factors of new entrants to the job market and the increased minimum wage mean that the same dollars for new hires will cover fewer people.”

Except the minimum wage increase means an increase in disposable income for a lot more people. This should stimulate the economy and increase the demand for minimum wage jobs.

However, this still doesn’t address the key issue: The Unemployment Rate grew at a rate 5 times greater than experts predicted. They used all the same factors you are trying to pawn this on.

“And all achieved without the government decreeing I needed special assistance or a higher rate of pay, or a union to negotiate on my behalf. However did I manage?”

If there weren’t unions, minimum wage, etc., you wouldn’t be earning what you make now.

Were I hiring people at minimum wage, I’d be looking at hiring one less — and being a bit more selective at who I hire, knowing that I’d be paying them more than before and expecting a bit more out of them for my money. I just ran the numbers, and it works fairly well — what would cover eight minimum-wage workers before will now not quite cover seven.

Spread that around to all the places that hire minimum-wage workers, and you have them all looking at 12.5% fewer new hires — meaning the competition for the good workers willing to take those jobs a bit stiffer, and the better ones will go first.

And those who don’t get hired for those fewer jobs will be counted as “unemployed.” Again, as predicted by the opponents of the minimum-wage increase at the time.

I’ve worked for minimum wage. It sucked. But I don’t make that now — I make significantly more than that. And I do because I’ve made myself worth more than that to my employer. And my employer wants to keep me making money for them, so they’ve given me raises and bonuses and other rewards.

And all achieved without the government decreeing I needed special assistance or a higher rate of pay, or a union to negotiate on my behalf. However did I manage?

J.

Oh, I see. Cuz for a second there it looked like you were just changing the subject.

No one has even applied for a permit to build a new refinery in 7 years. domestic oil production would last about 14 weeks, given our present consumption.

And Oliver is right, it sums up no such thing.

“Remain calm! All is well!”

Hey, I don’t know shit about economics, but I can safely bet that the summer job force is not out yet.

Also, see the recent history:
http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet
Note that previous April / May transitions do not show a bump up, as would be implied by your theory of High School Grads Flooding the Market.

Oliver tried a flat out-and-out denial, with no attempt to explain his statement other than “no” and a cheap phrase, so I turned his cliche’ back on him with another aspect of the Democrats’ mismanagement of the economy.

See also: “piling on.”

And I stand by my original statement: the combination of high school and college graduates hitting the job market alongside a major hike in the minimum wage certainly played a very large factor in the “Republican Recession” — as ably brought to you by “the most ethical Congress in history.”

Is William Jefferson available for comment?

J.