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Open thread Aug. 30, 2019

Dan Crawford | August 30, 2019 7:37 am

hello

Tags: open thread Comments (10) | Digg Facebook Twitter |
10 Comments
  • JimH says:
    August 30, 2019 at 11:20 am

    An article in the 4 August 2019 Washington Post indicates that from August 1966 to 4 August 2019 there was a total of 1,196 people killed in mass shootings. (Where 4 or more people were killed.)
    See: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/national/mass-shootings-in-america/?noredirect=on

    In 2017 about 72,000 people died by drug overdose. A brief google search finds that deaths by drug overdose were reduced in 2018. (about 68,500) I believe that Naloxone is responsible for the reduced number of deaths. There has certainly been a lot of information dispensed about the benefit of using Naloxone to save the life of those who overdose.
    See: https://time.com/5628293/drug-overdose-deaths-2018/

    Why is there so much hype about mass shootings when the total number of people killed by mass shootings since 1966, pales in comparison to deaths caused by drug overdoses every single year?

    Have we become so immune to the deaths of large numbers of people, that the CAUSE of death is more important than the deaths themselves.

    How much misery does it take before an American worker or ex-worker will resort to street drugs to bring on some temporary oblivion?

    Shouldn’t we be focused more on the cause of their misery? Miners took canaries into coal mines because the birds’ deaths would serve as a warning to the miners to get out of the mine. These huge numbers of deaths by drug overdose should be a warning to the rest of us.

    Why are so many of us willing to believe that we recovered from the 2008 recession when the effects of that great recession are still with us.

    The 3.7% or so unemployment rate is always the headline. The 3%+ reduction in the labor participation rate is almost never mentioned. Reduce the labor participation rate a little further and the unemployment rate can be driven to almost 0%!

    Households are now carrying a huge amount of debt. Corporations are now carrying a huge amount of debt. (The stock market bubble is hiding their problems for now but wait until the stock market crashes again and then look at their debt to market value!) And the federal government is also carrying a huge amount of debt. Debt, debt, and more debt is not the answer to our problems.

    The Fed reduced interest rates from 5% to .25% between July 2007 and December 2008 in an attempt to spur some growth in the US economy. Today they can reduce that interest rate from about 2% to 0.25%. If an almost 5% reduction did not stimulate enough growth in 2008 then a less than 2% reduction is just about meaningless. But asking the already excessively indebted to borrow more money is lousy advice anyway.

    The resurgence of our great recession will be covered up and it will receive a new label, but that will not change reality. We never fully recovered from the great recession or the Fed Funds Rate would have returned to 2007 levels and so would the labor participation rate.

    Increasing debt and rising inventories are also a warning. Eleven years and 8 months have past and the powers-that-be are still milling around aimlessly.

  • Denis Drew says:
    August 30, 2019 at 1:04 pm

    As of today, my poll asking people on the job if they would like to see a federal law requiring labor union certification elections at every (private) workplace is scoring 100% yes votes — 2 out of 2 so far. Today I asked an electronic repairman. Previously I asked a young (25 year old) woman Amazon gig driver who was working every bit as hard an any (Teamsters) UPS driver.

    Takes a little explanation of what I’m talking about to get an answer — since nobody ever talks about labor unions — lost culture — and especially nobody ever talks about the easy way to bring them all back and then some.

    Teamsters better wake up before they are all gig drivers.
    * * * * * *

    JimH,
    Don’t forget that shortage of demand from America’s woefully underpaid workers contributes to economic stagnation.

  • Arne says:
    August 31, 2019 at 1:58 am

    JimH,

    The labor force participation rate is within 1 percent of what it was in 2007.

    • run75441 says:
      August 31, 2019 at 5:07 am

      Arne:

      Perhaps you are looking at something else?

      July 2007 66.0
      July 2019 63.0

      “Civilian labor force participation rate, seasonally adjusted” https://www.bls.gov/charts/employment-situation/civilian-labor-force-participation-rate.htm Lots of older people working also.

  • Arne says:
    August 31, 2019 at 12:58 pm

    Oh, I see. I always look at 25-54 year olds. 79.8 in 2007. 79.5 in 2019.

    It may be odd that I do that since I am employed and over 55, but comparing 2007 to 2019 without taking into account that many Boomers retired during that timeframe is also not quite right.

    • run75441 says:
      August 31, 2019 at 2:34 pm

      Arne:

      Not odd. I know where Jim got his number as I recognized it. Many people are looking at Prime PR and believe the falling off of baby boomers distorts PR today. Historically, there are many more 65 and older working today. I have another chart showing such also and breaks it out more. I just stopped working at 70 and I maxed out SS which my wife will do so also. We have a nice stream of income and no credit card debt.

  • Denis Drew says:
    August 31, 2019 at 4:35 pm

    Still going 100% “yes” on my personal poll: would you support a federal labor rule requiring union certification elections at every [non-gov] workplace, every five years?

    A 25-35 year old Fed-X driver on line with me at McDonald’s gave me a literal thumbs up. That’s 3 out of 3 so far.

    I personally would schedule cert/recert/decert elections every one, three or five years — local plurality rules — but you cannot get two far into the dismal science weeds with people you don’t even know.

  • EMichael says:
    September 1, 2019 at 11:53 am

    “Why is there so much hype about mass shootings when the total number of people killed by mass shootings since 1966, pales in comparison to deaths caused by drug overdoses every single year?

    Have we become so immune to the deaths of large numbers of people, that the CAUSE of death is more important than the deaths themselves.”
    JimH

    I have to comment on this. What an incredibly stupid thing to say. I know of no one who is ignoring the deaths caused by drug overdoses. The billions of dollars being poured into research, therapy, prevention, etc. over the course of decades clearly show that as immense concern for the addicted.

    Meanwhile, we do nothing to stop mass shootings.

    • run75441 says:
      September 1, 2019 at 1:14 pm

      EM:

      Good morning

      I do not know of a state which has not filed a lawsuit against d manufacturers due to the lies they have told about addiction, their lack of monitoring suspicious orders, and the efforts to prevent laws from being passed to curtail the abuse of opioids. If you look at a recent post of mine, J & J and It’s Subsidiary Janssen’s Actions “Created a Public Nuisance”, you will see two bar charts. One depicts deaths per 100,000 and the other depicts yearly deaths for drug ODs and Opioid ODs from 1968 to 2015. Oxycontin was released to the public in 1995.

      What is important about these two charts it picks a part the argument of all drug ODs citations by promoters of opioids have used to deflect any and all constraints. It also shows the impact of Purdue opioids from the time of release till 2015. The coding for drug and opioid deaths have changed over that period of time; but, numbers are relevant still.

      It is unfortunate the US Senate Joint Committee does not put the same effort in examining shootings in detail.

  • EMichael says:
    September 2, 2019 at 10:46 am

    Trump voters. Large amount of them are deplorables, and mentally deficient. AOC says it best though.

    “Clashes erupted at a “Straight Pride” parade in Boston on Saturday when counter-protesters turned up in droves to oppose the event.

    Boston Police Department spokesperson James Kenneally told HuffPost three dozen people were arrested on various charges, including disorderly conduct, unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon and assaulting officers.

    According to the Boston Globe, about 600 counter-protesters met an estimated 200 marchers when the parade reached City Hall Plaza, where police barricades prevented protesters from accessing a concert stage where the Straight Pride rally was held.

    The event featured floats and signs expressing messages of support for President Donald Trump such as “2020 Trump” and “Build The Wall.”

    Ostensibly upset that city officials were protecting the marchers and permitting the parade, some protesters reportedly turned their anger towards the police towards end of the rally, prompting scuffles, arrests and the use of pepper spray.

    People at the counter-protest event featured signs with a range of messages for the Straight Pride marchers, including “Oppressor cannot be oppressed,” “A straight pride parade is called TRAFFIC,” and “love is love and straight pride is hate pride.”

    A Facebook event for the counter-protest, titled “Fight Supremacy: Hands Off Our Pride,” called the para group white supremacists ― a claim supported by multiple links between the straight parade’s event organizers and far-right groups.

    Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) derided the event on Twitter, pointing out a clear lack of female representation at an event purported to promote being straight.

    Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
    ✔
    @AOC

    For men who are allegedly so “proud” of being straight, they seem to show real incompetence at attracting women to their event.

    Seems more like a “I-Struggle-With-Masculinity” parade to me. 🤷🏽‍♀️

    https://www.huffpost.com/entry/boston-straight-pride-parade-counter-protests_n_5d6c4cfae4b0cdfe05720ca3

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