McCain's 'Econ Brain': America Has 'Become A Nation Of Whiners' And Is Just In A 'Mental Recession'

McCain's 'Econ Brain': America Has 'Become A Nation Of Whiners' And Is Just In A 'Mental Recession'

www.prisonplanet.com

In an interview with the Washington Times today, former senator Phil Gramm, who is Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) “econ brain,” blamed the state of the economy on “the conviction of many Americans that economic conditions are the worst in two or three decades.” “You’ve heard of mental depression; this is a mental recession,” said Gramm.

Gramm decried the “constant whining” of the American people when it comes to the economy because he believes “we’ve never been more dominant”:

“We have sort of become a nation of whiners,” he said. “You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in decline” despite a major export boom that is the primary reason that growth continues in the economy, he said.

“We’ve never been more dominant; we’ve never had more natural advantages than we have today,” he said. “We have benefited greatly” from the globalization of the economy in the last 30 years.

(visit the link for the full news article)

So, is he right?

Have we ALL (both sides of the atlantic) become like spoilt children who whine and complain when things don't go their way?

Or are we truly heading for recession?

On one point, I agree with him, in that he seems to be saying that the current crisis is as much about consumer confidence in the markets as much as anything else - but unlike him, I don't think the psychological aspects can be easily overlooked.

He seems to be telling people off and saying "get a grip, there's nothing wrong other than your own whining" and whilst he may have a point, I think his message is sent out in the wrong way.

www.prisonplanet.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by budski


I believe John McCain's man has it right.

now excuse me while i go wash my mouth out



seriously though - Americans have had it so good for so long. I'll admit, i was spoiled by 99cents a gallon gasoline oh-so-many years ago.

Im spoiled by my big screen TV, my car that gets 30 something a gallon, Wendy's (despite an ugly incident with a grill cook, just can't top a frosty!)

And when things go a little south - we allow the MSM to convince us its apocolypse time....

I say we castrate the MSM so that all they're left with is a high-pitched squeal for a voice - so instead of getting scared *snip*-less when they say something, we laugh our butts off instead.

[edit on 7/10/2008 by Andrew E. Wiggin]

In short, people are whining because people are hurting. Home foreclosures are at an all time high. Gas prices are hitting the roof. The unemployment rate is continuing to go up. Food prices are soaring.

People aren't just getting hit from one angle. They are being barraged from all directions. So for Gramm to suggest that we are experiencing a mental recession, is nothing short of spin.

Nice find Budski!

I can't comment on the correctness of his economic perceptions. I suppose from the point of view of someone who values commercial success over the value of the individual citizens economic circumstances he is correct.

The problem is similar to that of all the politicos, and their advisers. They have no sympathy or empathy for the fact that commercial enterprise does NOT translate into comfort, wealth, and security for the average citizen. There is no 'trickle down' and because of government machinations instituted by corporate interests, there is in fact a 'trickle UP!'

These people travel in circles of millionaires and billionaires. They spend all their time dealing with 'business plans' and 'spreadsheets' and no time considering the Jones family trying to raise three kids on a minimum wage job, while the spouse works 2 and one off the books.

Our society has been effectively split into those who have increasing wealth and those who have decreasing wealth. The speaker represents the former while complaining of the latter.

On a side note, I find it somewhat amusing that McCain has selected an adviser who shares the same propensity for speaking when he should just shut up. Someone should have said, "Oops, you're ideology is showing!"

Wow, Sounds pretty much exactly like what I've been saying around here. I wouldn't mind a cabinet position.

Heh, i see McCain is in the mood to inspire and show a stance of leadership to his fellow americans.

A smart political move, i must say.

It's shame that sooner or later Globalisation will be the American Empire's downfall, just like it was with the Romans and the Mongolians.

Globalisation means that your supply lines get longer and longer...

Regardless of how well people have it there is nothing wrong with wanting a better standard of living and people complaining about anything that is hurting their standard of living in their opinion. It's true we have lots of really cheap consumer items from China these days but there is certainly much we have lost from day gone by. Families are smaller and children more expensive because of increased housing, medical and food costs. Maybe our idea of what is important has just changed but I'm sure globalization and rempart consumerism played a hand in the changed priorities.

Originally posted by Anti-Tyrant

Heh, i see McCain is in the mood to inspire and show a stance of leadership to his fellow americans.

A smart political move, i must say.

Actually, a stupid political move, I must say!!

You think that main street America can't see thru this transparent appeal to
his old white man political base. aka the GOP.

It's going to take a lot more than feel good rhetoric to over come the
pocketbook issues that most Americans are feeling right now.

It's the ECONOMY stupid!! Take a look at the DOW; that's a "mental recession?"

As more and more people bail out of the stock mkt. and banks fail;
I'm sure that we will be called whiners and that it is just a "mental depression"

Then you will hear some real whinning, even by the fat old white men McCain supporters.



[edit on 10-7-2008 by whaaa]

McCain, SHUT UP already!

Every time he opens his mouth some other IGNORANT statement comes out!

People are losing their homes, the dollar is worth almost half of what it used to be worth, grocery prices are rising, gas prices going threw the roof, unemployment is on the rise, .....

And he says WHATTT!

It sounds to me like this guy is on another planet! He's sooo out of touch with the day to day hardships the AVERAGE American is going thru it's down right ridiculous!

He has 5 or 6 homes and is worth multi - millions of dollars, he sure has nothing to whine about. And the scary thing is, is that this is the man who may become president, and all he can do is to call Americans who are in a lower economic bracket, who are struggling, WHINERS!

This is a man who doesn't understand ANYTHING about economics!
(OOOPS!, I forgot his eBay idea to get out of poverty and make a living.)

Who surely doesn't seem to have any GOOD ideas of how to help the economy either, from where he's sitting, everything is going OK and everybody who's complaining is a WHINER!

McCain, SHUT UP already!

Your just imbarassing yourself with your lack of understanding of almost everything about the average American, especially their day to day struggles. By saying this he is also showing how little he cares about average Americans, almost, at least to me, to the point of contempt.

So, just SHUT UP McCain

(I did kind of jump the gun on this one and reacted to the Headline instead of reading the article, but, since Gramm is McCain's "economics brain", I figure McCain has the same views, so I'll leave this post as is)

[edit on 7/10/2008 by Keyhole]

Oh sure, we'll all just sit here worrying about it while he says "It's okay, it's really not that bad!".

Do you even have a single idea about what strategic foresight is all about?

By making us all worry that he's an idiot, he'll completely stun us all if/when he unveils his plan to deal with the problem!

How many times do people have to pull this -ing trick until the masses understand just how it works?

A mental recession my backside .

These statements just show how out of touch McBush err McCain really is . I think most politicians are out of touch also

I Know personally in the last 2 years my quality of financial life has diminished . My paycheck has increased near the inflation rate . By the time utilities food gas bills ect are paid the extra for savings or vacation just isnt there .

People with fixed income are really having it hard .

I live in an area that is booming due to oil and natural gas .Minimum wage earners or slightly above are taking it hard . Some have parked their cars and trucks and walk 5 miles to work . Add rent to utilities to food to gas to car insurance subtract pay check = a negative cash flow . That is NOT JUST in peoples mind .

How did we get people at the top of the political area that has such a delusional view of the rest of the nation .

I would love to see McBush Obama or Bush try to live 1 month on what a minimum wage earner makes or even a middle class wage earner maybe then they wont think its just a mental recession .

May be we just need to drink more of his wifes beverage company product . If we drink enough beer we wont care our house is being repossessed or we cant afford food or utilities . Who care give me another beer !

NOT !!

I'm sure this statement is very comforting to all the people experiencing financial hardship across the nation right now due to unemployment, rising costs of domestic items, subpar healthcare, housing market decline, etc. etc.

Way to stay out of touch with the average American McCain....

He is basically saying to anyone who is struggling: "You aren't struggling..it's all in your head".

Tell that to my hardworking parents who are experiencing hardships beyond belief right in front of my face.

This makes me sick.

Phil Gramm is just taking a pre-emptive swipe at all the criticism coming his way. As one of the alleged principal architects of the legislation that has helped put the crunch on the average American consumer, Gramm has alot of baggage he doesn't want to claim.

This is his way of trying to head it off, turn the tables, and call it whining in advance. Life has undoubtedly become tremendously more difficult for the rank and file under his party's and his president's watch, and the tab is coming due. I'm sure he doesn't want it laid at his and his candidate's feet in the upcoming election, where it rightly belongs. He is certainly a member of the global fascist elite, and is running his colors up the flagpole for all to see with these comments.

Gramm's relationship to McCain is really souring me on voting for McCain. Gramm is one of the architects of the current financial situation we are in now. He was insturmental in repealing the last vestiges of Glass-Stegal that kept some control over the banking system despite Congressional testimony by the people who did the forensics on the S&L debacle that what we have today is exactly what would happen.

With guys like Gramm advising McCain, maybe I could vote for Obama. .

reply to post by jefwane


Here's another GREAT little tid bit of info on these two!

McCain Defends 'Enron Loophole'

Sen. John McCain says he opposes the $307 billion farm bill because it would dole out wasteful subsidies, but his chief economic adviser Phil Gramm also wants to stop its proposed regulation of energy futures trading, a market that was famously abused when Enron Corp. manipulated California’s electricity prices in 2001.

Clearing the way for that California price gouging, Gramm, as a powerful Texas senator in 2000, slipped an Enron-backed provision into the Commodities Futures Modernization Act that exempted from regulation energy trading on electronic platforms.

Then, over the next year, Enron – with Gramm’s wife Wendy serving on its board of directors – worked to create false electricity shortages in California, bilking consumers out of an estimated $40 billion.

This Gramm is BAD, BAD, BAD, news!

He's obviously as crooked as they come, and now you have sombody who's economic savvy could be compared to that of a 1st graders, McCain, a man running to be the next president, taking advice from this guy!

SCARY!

The US will be doomed if McCain becomes president with this guy Gramm as his economic policy adviser!



[edit on 7/10/2008 by Keyhole]

Originally posted by whaaa

You think that main street America can't see thru this transparent appeal to
his old white man political base. aka the GOP. ... even by the fat old white men McCain supporters.

As a fat old white man I accuse you of Race and Age Bigotry and ignorance.

I am not a GOP or a McBush supporter.
I have been watching the economy and I fully expect it to go completely south towards the end of the year.

The simple reason the price of Petroleum goes through the roof?
-Market Managers that bid the price up looking for profits for their Accounts from organisations such as CALPERS and other retirement funds.

The simple reason the ARM and Credit Crisis is occuring?
-GREED! Greed by the Bankers and Lending institutions that damn well knew what their aggressive profit making fees, interest rates and accounts were doing to people even maintaining "teaser rates" and advertising campaigns to lure in more "suckers" to bite the hook.
Greed by corporations so interested in profit margins that they still pay Professional Athletes millions of dollars a year to promote the products they made huge Profits on when they were manufactured in the United States and now make in CHINA.

Do you want to protest? Boycott Nike, Reebok and other mainstream high profile products manufactured in foreign countries. Buy the "off-brand" ... which is really code for "not our brand" of product.

Originally posted by 2stepsfromtop

Originally posted by whaaa

You think that main street America can't see thru this transparent appeal to
his old white man political base. aka the GOP. ... even by the fat old white men McCain supporters.

As a fat old white man I accuse you of Race and Age Bigotry and ignorance..

findarticles.com...

Accuse me of being a baby eating hound dog for all I care.

Actually you are not even a fat old white man to me, nor am I a brutally handsome, well endowed male model [soon to be a big movie star] to you. Just electrons in cyberspace.



[edit on 10-7-2008 by whaaa]

Originally posted by burdman30ott6
Wow, Sounds pretty much exactly like what I've been saying around here. I wouldn't mind a cabinet position.

Haha! When I heard what Gramm said, I said to myself."He must've been reading ATS!"

Originally posted by jefwane
Gramm is one of the architects of the current financial situation we are in now.

We can blame the democratic congress - which has a LOWER approval rating then even George Bush. (that's pretty damn bad!)

We can blame the Bush administration for it's severe lack of leadership in the area of dealing with the oil producing nations and for NOT DRILLING HERE AT HOME.

We can blame every last stink'n politician and lobbyist who made sure that we couldn't drill oil here at home.

We can blame the flippers and speculators for the housing bubble that NEEDS TO BURST so that average people can afford a home again.

We can pass the blame around to a lot of different places.

But as far as what Gramm said .... :shk: