Tuesday, March 09, 2004
Jobs flatlined under Bush—a touch of the overseer's lash
They try to lie about it, of course, and cook the books. But at this point, they have a track record and we can judge them on it.
Krugman in what, at times, is still the world's greatest newspaper:
Krugman, not surprisingingly, views this from the standpoint of professional integrity: "What you see in this chart is the signature of a corrupted policy process, in which political propaganda takes the place of professional analysis. "
It is all of that, but I'd go one step further: flatlined jobs are exactly what Bush wants. To them, the chart above represents a policy success. (Krugman's outraged that they're lying about it, but we expect that.)
It's all part of keeping people in fear (back). Flatlining jobs, keeping the labor market as awful as it is, with no relief in sight, is the modern day equivalent of the overseer's lash on the slave's back.
Is it any wonder that people are more productive? They work harder because they're in fear! They worker harder when the only benefit of being more productive is not losing their job! Same deal with trashing overtime protection, letting health care costs rise and rise, and gutting any workplace protections. No benefit to people at all. Just a touch of the lash.
But "the economy" (that is, the Bushogarchy) does just fine, thank you very much.
Krugman in what, at times, is still the world's greatest newspaper:
Krugman, not surprisingingly, views this from the standpoint of professional integrity: "What you see in this chart is the signature of a corrupted policy process, in which political propaganda takes the place of professional analysis. "
It is all of that, but I'd go one step further: flatlined jobs are exactly what Bush wants. To them, the chart above represents a policy success. (Krugman's outraged that they're lying about it, but we expect that.)
It's all part of keeping people in fear (back). Flatlining jobs, keeping the labor market as awful as it is, with no relief in sight, is the modern day equivalent of the overseer's lash on the slave's back.
Is it any wonder that people are more productive? They work harder because they're in fear! They worker harder when the only benefit of being more productive is not losing their job! Same deal with trashing overtime protection, letting health care costs rise and rise, and gutting any workplace protections. No benefit to people at all. Just a touch of the lash.
But "the economy" (that is, the Bushogarchy) does just fine, thank you very much.
