Thursday, July 30, 2020

U.S. GDP plunges by 33% in the second quarter, the worst drop in history — Connie Lin


In case you didn't catch this.

The US federal government is  running a fiscal deficit that is also recordbreaking. But it is not targeted and is also doesn't do much for state and muncipal governments that are otherwise constrained by taxing or borrowing in financial markets.

Not looking good at this point, especially now that medical authories are saying that the pandemic is not going to be "over" as was and still is commonly expected, and it is a condition of life that the world will be living with for some timem, so adjust.

The tradeoff between health (publilc safety) and economics (prosperity, standard of living and welfare) is getting more obvious. There are as yet no criteria for dealing with this tradeoff in a way that is satisfactory for a majority, and in any case there will be losers, including fatalities.

Radical uncertainty in a complex adaptive system (world system including global economy) owing to emergence. Not only is this an epistemological issue involving knowledge but also an ontological one involving changing real conditions based on "an act of God" — meaning like really, really exogenous.

Fast Company
U.S. GDP plunges by 33% in the second quarter, the worst drop in history
Connie Lin

12 comments:

Peter Pan said...

The response to the pandemic is a self-inflicted wound, and there needs to be accountability. Trump may receive the brunt of it.

Andrew Anderson said...

"Act of God"?

When clean and un-clean animals are clearly specified in the Old Testament?

(And what ever happened to the secular wisdom of "Lie down with dogs, wake up with fleas"?)

Just a reminder that while Christians are not under the Old Testament per se they'd best take it seriously.

Besides which, if we had a just economic system, it's unlikely that we'd have so much contact with societies that are oblivious to the Old Testament dietary laws.

Matt Franko said...

May not be the food AA...

Chicomms might have made it via combinative techniques... investigation underway...

Matt Franko said...

“ involving changing real conditions based on "an act of God"

It’s not the virus that caused the negative economic results it’s the POLICY response to the virus ...

Virus has done very little damage 150k dead out of >300M population...

You people talk of “the business cycle!” too like it’s an act of God or something... or the “GFC!” like monetary policy didn’t cause that...

It’s always policy...

Matt Franko said...

“ Christians are not under the Old Testament per se they'd best take it seriously.”

Shrimp Scampi... lobster rigatoni.... oysters &stout... baby back ribs.... shrimp & grits... steamed clams... Grilled calamari...

No way in hell im giving any of that up...

Probably why Israel got corrupted...

Andrew Anderson said...

It’s always policy... Matt Franko

If "policy" includes government privileges for private credit/debt creation, aka for "the banks", I agree.

Also, a money supply that contracts or doesn't grow enough makes as much sense as a blood supply that does/doesn't do so.

Andrew Anderson said...

Matt "Forest Gump" Franko.

Bacon I can understand but I've never liked sea bugs. Not Jewish that I know of but it's a possibility

lastgreek said...

Americans woke to 'demon sperm' trending on Twitter

https://mashable.com/article/demon-sperm-trending-why/

Duh, "demon sperm" and human sperm should not be mixed! That should have been obvious, no?



Peter Pan said...

Wouldn't want to corrupt those demons.

Matt Franko said...

“I've never liked sea bugs.“

You don’t know what you are missing...

Matt Franko said...

“ Also, a money supply that contracts or doesn't grow enough”

LOL you are a f.ing monetarist! LOL!!!!!!

Andrew Anderson said...

Not a monetarist since I recognize, for example, that increasing the money supply of the poor has different effects than increasing the money supply of the rich.