I’m sorry you find this a “waste of time.” But it seems that this would be because you rebut pieces of an argument, without actually going to the reason why. Yes, I stuck on the network. For a reason. The point that Ramsey is a respected financial analyst is not in question. And fairly as I pointed out, that to say that ALL economist believe we are in a recession would be to turn a blind eye to “prove my point” and that would make me as wrong as those that choose to be blind to this side of the argument. Yes, I am stuck on Fox. Why? Because they are neither fair nor balanced.

You point to articles from MSNBC, Money and even Forbes that questions whether we are in a recession (though Forbes only warns against Doom and Gloomers). But I can point to the opposite arguments from the same sources. Show me one place on Fox where there is any sort of “balance” No instead they claim a “media conspiracy” (which you have conveniently disproved by showing articles to the contrary elsewhere).

And that is really the point that in the initial post bothered me most. Certainly anybody and everybody can draw their own conclusions. Few things are completely cut and dry. But to lay claim that “everybody else” is wrong, and that it is all conspiracy by the “media”… well that is a tired old game that has been being played out for far too long now.

Karen,

As covered earlier, the reason it is still “argued” on this point, is because using the “standard” of 2 declining quarters of GDP is quite antiquated in today’s global marketplace. Our “domestic output” is no longer a true bellwether of how “the people” are doing, because Corporations can now have excellent output and profits from outsourced work while still having rampant unemployment here at home.

Economists are continually debating whether or not we actually are in a recession.

Many financial advisors across the U.S. argue that we are not in recession since it is defined as: “a period of general economic decline; specifically, a decline in GDP for two or more consecutive quarters.”

http://www.smallbusinessnewz.com/topnews/2008/05/23/economic-woes-may-not-be-so-woeful-anymore%E2%80%A6

You’re the one who is stuck on which network said what. I don’t care that Dave Ramsey appeared on Fox News. I wouldn’t care if he appeared on the most liberal news network. I respect his opinions because of his track record, not because of which television network featured him.

Contrary to your statements, if you do some research, you will find that Mr. Ramsey is not the only financial expert saying that we are not truly in a recession. Check out this NY Times article sharing the viewpoints of six experts. Or how about this Boston Globe article stating that even the experts aren’t sure right now? According to Scobleizer, Steve Forbes of Forbes magazine thinks we should ignore doom-and-gloomers who cry recession, and other top business execs agree. A CBS station, WLTX, posted an article which concluded that we may not be in a recession. MSNBC stated that it’s too early to declare a recession. MSN Money thinks we need a recession but says the headlines are more hype than anything. Do you want more examples or sources? Did you notice that not one of these articles was from FOX or quoted Dave Ramsey?

Are things bad? Definitely, and I for one think they will only get worse. My family already feels the pinch, and I think the ripple effect from rising gas prices has only begun.

I really don’t care what they call these hard times -the fact remains that they are hard. I’m just annoyed by the unwarranted hostility elicited by this simple post – particularly when that hostility appears to stem from a disdain for the TV network on which Mr. Ramsey appeared and not from an unbiased review of the facts.

My point (which you conveniently overlooked), is that CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, CBS, NBC, ABC and everybody else also has “well respected financial advisors” so why is it that if it is on Faux, that it must be true and EVERYBODY ELSE is wrong? EVERYBODY ELSE is playing a game?

What about the FED? Ben Bernanke is cutting interest rates in the face of inflation fears because the economy is good? His reasoning that fears of high unemployment is a “Media Game”? No, I don’t think so.

In the past three months (ending in April… may numbers are not out yet), employers have cut 232,000 jobs from their payrolls. The unemployment rate has climbed to 5.1% from 4.7% as recently as November. If you are one of those people, you certainly don’t feel like the recession is “hype” by the media.

Lehman Brothers economist Drew Matus believes that GDP will fall in the second quarter but that the rebates, along with interest rate cuts by the Fed, could lead to modest growth and an end to the recession in the third or fourth quarters. Of course for the recession to end in the third or fourth quarter, that would mean that we would already have to be in a recession. Oh, but I forgot… he is just a stupid economist, and unless he says this on Faux, then it is just “hype”

I won’t even go into the war in Iraq… well because Sonya covered the points fairly well, and Kelly… well you have just memorized the GOP talking points regardless of the truth (I can’t fathom anybody still trying to link Iraq with Al-Qada, except for William Kristol, Sean Hannity, and apparently you).

That’s kind of funny, you just mentioned the USS Cole, the previous bombing of WTC—both of which were also organized and directed by Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda. But there is no link to Saddam and Al Qaeda as the 9/11 commission report declared in 2004. I have no qualms with the US invading Afghanistan, afterall it’s Osama we’re after right? Isn’t it?

Still though, the conversation I started having mid-way through another conversation was about the war in Iraq and what it’s costing us since you brought up the national deficit. Let me just ask point blank, why do you think we invaded Iraq? And what amounts to “terrorism” in your book? Also why haven’t we invaded North Korea (Kim Jong Ill and his long range missiles) or Saudi Arabia (where Bin Laden and the majority of the hijackers from 9/11 were from) if we’re really fighting a “war on terror”?

Wow, we must be fighting this abstract war really badly with huge oversights like those. Let’s just hope the War on “Terror” doesn’t have a track record like the War on “Drugs” did in the 80s.

Iraq and Afghanistan are locations of a symptom. Not a specific ideal or lie. I know everybody thinks that. I deal with your way of thinking every day and I am so glad we live in a country that can discuss it. But remember, we could be in Timbucktoo if that is where extremists decide to take their stand and harbor training camps and support terrorism. The point for me is, since we have to have this fight, let’s keep the fight somewhere besides our soil. I never want another 9-11.

But remember this as well. We have to be right EVERY time, they just have to be right once.

And although I hate knowing that women, children, the mentally handicapped, etc. are blowing themselves up to kill as many of our men as possible, I also understand it. They look at us as invaders and frankly I do not blame them. If there was a hostile takeover the likes of Shock and Awe that happened on our soil, you better believe our citizens would be loading their rifles as well. I can’t bring myself to call them the enemy because I was born in a country where my ancestors were once in a similar situation as they are. Think back to how we won this country from the British during the American Revolution. We didn’t want to give up our land and neither do they. Of course, I’m not trying to justify their actions, I’m just able to step out of my own comfort zone and look at it from their perspective.

Would I rather be fighting on our soil? Of course not. But Iraq never attacked us, nor did they have MWDs. And this information is not lost on the extremists, who are surely ready and planning their next attack on us. If anything, this war has helped them gain more recruits because it is an unjust war and nothing unites people like a common enemy, us.

But here is a thought. We didn’t pick that fight. They did. So you’re telling me that you would rather your brother be serving here on US soil fighting people who put bombs on women and children in order to kill others than over there? If we have to fight this fight, and we do somewhere, then I am selfishly thankful my kids don’t have to worry about playing in their back yard. You should be too.