Why Consumers Are Underconfident

To my fellow American.

Don't you really mean. BUY BUY miss American pie?????

of OH @ Jun 13, 2008 17:18:25 PM

I'M NOT A CONSUMER.......I'M AN AMERICAN......

By by miss American pie...............

of @ Jun 13, 2008 17:05:49 PM

Unemployment

Actually, I disagree wityh many others here - I think the way statistics are collected OVER inflates both INflation and unemployment. The CPI DOESN"T include high cost items that get cheaper over time when they are expensive in the mix - say, for example, computers when they first came out. So all you get are the items likely to rise and few of the items likely to fall> And the Unemployment index massively undercounts, for example, the self employed - a survey of big businesses does not tell you as much about the state of employment as you woudl think.

Ryan of @ May 29, 2008 06:57:29 AM

40,000 FOR A FAMILY??

Ok, here's one for you..maybe instead of complaining about the 40k you make as a couple to support a family you should:

1. Go out and get educated so you can make more than 40k between the two of you.

2. Have your spouse work, if he/she isn't...(noone said it was gonna be easy when you make that much and have kids).

3. Plan ahead and don't have kids if you think 40k is too little.

4. Move to another country like Cambodia where people struggle to just eat each day.

5. That's all I can think of for now. Noone owes you a thing in life. I know that the "entitlement' mentality has taken over our spoiled society, but noone owes youa thing!!

Rod of CA @ May 28, 2008 18:04:28 PM

government numbers fraud

so far we get told unemployment is low, but if we did they way we used to, it would be pretty high. The GDP, CPI and almost all of the other numbers would also be radically different, but not for the better. Maybe for those in those not in the top 2%, we see these reflected in our world. And since our last credit card (AKA house) is now also on the decline. and since gas and food are on the way up, and these two get bought almost every week (if not more often). and then there is the decline in wages over the last 7 years. Maybe we start to wonder about those who seem to believe that the world is rosy. Must be missing those glasses. Then again, it seems economists are in that same world with them. Same rosy glasses I am sure . I can at least understand the Republicans, they don't want the blame. And the Democrats want o cast that blame on the Republicans. Rosy glasses not needed

DW of TX @ May 28, 2008 16:37:54 PM

Duplicity of CPI

If the CPI were computed as it was prior to its last revisions, the deflated GNPmight well be negative.

C.H. Davos of MD @ May 28, 2008 14:54:17 PM

You people are pathetic. You all see the world how you want to see it; which is negatively. None of these statistics he quotes are feelings - they are calculations and it's what economists use. What they don't use is their subjective opinion on how the feel about the economy. Seriously, read something that isn't DailyKos. The economy is NEVER perfect for everyone.

Ol' Hickory of IA @ May 28, 2008 14:30:53 PM

Rick,

When was the last time you personally went shopping? When was the last time you went job hunting after your job went to India? When was the last time you pulled into a self service station and pumped your own fuel?

Try living the life of a real person and the try and tell us about how we really shouldn't be in constant fear about this economy.

And while you're at it, think about what's going to happen if the economy really is busted. Fuel and food roits in every major city. How confident does that make you feel?

Mike Dillard of TX @ May 28, 2008 00:54:01 AM