The American Spectator : Lies, Damned Lies, and Job Creation

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Lies, Damned Lies, and Job Creation

By Andrew B. Wilson on 12.11.09 @ 6:08AM

A new presidential metric.

This just in from a careful reading of the economic tea leaves at the Obama White House: There has been a slight miscount in the number of jobs "created or saved" through the heroic action of our nation's president.

The true number is not 650,000, as previously reported by the administration. Rather, it is a far more satisfying 22.9 million jobs, which is more than the entire population of Beijing, the capital of the largest country on earth. Think of all the lives would be saved if you or I, at the last possible moment, were to call off an all-out nuclear attack that would have incinerated the communist capital. Even that, if you can believe it, understates the number of jobs that have been created or saved by Obamanomics!

Looking at these numbers from a slightly more academic perspective, you find that my number is 35.5 times the size of old number cited by the White House. Their number is a city the size of El Paso. Mine is Beijing plus Hangzhou.

Now that's a powerful multiplier. It's a far greater multiplier than even Paul Krugman -- the most popeyed of Keynesian economists -- has dared to imagine. And as he would be first to point out, you cannot exaggerate the importance of a really good multiplier, because the multiplier is the magic wand that allows some people to believe that real jobs can be conjured up by government fiat, like rabbits out of a hat. The bigger the multiplier, the more rabbits you get.

I will now reveal my methodology.

First of all, I forgot -- and I ask you to forget -- that the White House sold last February's $787 billion fiscal stimulus on the idea that it would keep the jobless rate below 8%. As we all know, it rose instead to 10%. But I say let's forget that and allow the administration to move the target closer to where the arrow has fallen.

In his Dec. 8 speech on job creation at the Brookings Institution, Mr. Obama began with a hair-raising account of the "entirely dismal report on the fiscal health of the country" that he received from economic advisers Christy Romer and Larry Summers. It seems, as Mr. Obama put it, that "we were rapidly plummeting towards a second Great Depression."

But guess what? We never got there. The jobless rate may have gone up a couple of points, but it didn't go all the way up to 24.9%, which is where it stood back in Franklin D. Roosevelt's first year in office three quarters of a century ago. Who's to say that Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi…or Donald Duck…is not responsible for history not repeating itself to the last one tenth of a percent?

Subtracting the 10% of people who are unemployed today from the 24.9% who could have been unemployed under this meaningless assumption, I have awarded the president a Plus 14.9% rating on this scale, and that translates to 22.9 million jobs saved out of a labor pool of 153.9 million people.

And here's the real beauty of this argument from a Team Obama perspective. There's still so much untapped downside potential. The unemployment rate can re-double -- to 20% -- and they will still be within the 24.9% bogey which entitles them to say, "Think of how much worse things would be if we didn't add another trillion or more to the national debt." They may carry on -- in President Obama's words -- determined to "spend our way out of this recession." Has anyone ever composed a better economic suicide note?

In closing, let me say that I do not intend to defend myself against any of you who may disagree with the methodology that I have chosen for advancing a specious argument. I don't care if you think it is outrageous. All I ask is that you save your expressions of outrage and send them to the judges in Oslo who sit in judgment on these matters. It's nice to think there might be a Nobel Laureate in Economics in my future.

topics:
Barack Obama, Unemployment, Jobs Saved

About the Author

Andrew B. Wilson is a freelance writer living in St. Louis.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (41) | Leave a comment

Ret. Marine| 12.11.09 @ 7:28AM

Hello common sense. Is anyone awake at the big house on the shining hill of freedom?

Son Of Sam| 12.11.09 @ 11:59AM

Now let me be clear: Rahm Emmanuel stole all the common sense so that Tim Geithner could declare it on his taxes. The financial impact of this event caused not less than 12.4 billion jobs to have been created or saved here on earth, as well as on the mother ship which once picked up Louis Farrakhan, the planet formerly known as Pluto, and indeed, whatever planet the partying hypocrites at Copenhagen originally come from. I saw it on MSNBC, so it must be true.

stand strong until freedom dawns
Son Of Sam
http://www.samadamssos.bravehost.com/

Melvin| 12.11.09 @ 7:41AM

The, "Shining Hill of Freedom" has been turned into a pile of fetid crap. "The Big House," has been turned into a Crack (David Cross: I Snorted Cocaine 40 Feet From Obama.)
The White House is now just like any inner city slum dwelling. Just look at the inner city slums in Chicago, Detroit, Columbus, Buffalo, and San Francisco no difference is there.
The Liberal elite live like pampered princes and princesses in their exclusive gated communities, while their voting electorate get into nightly shootouts over drugs, prostitution, and gang warfare.
So it should come of no surprise that the White House now joins the ranks of all the other failed once great American Cities that the Liberals have destroyed with their ideology of Fascism.

Spoonman| 12.11.09 @ 7:57AM

Melvin, the "liberal elite" do live like pampered princes and princesses and they do that as elected Senators and Representatives on our tax dollars which they can steal at will.. Anyone who pays taxes is paying for pelosi's 757 flights home each week, all the worldwide junkets that these representatives, Senators and their families enjoy, and the incredible retirment benefits they have awarded themselves for the "scrafices" they make while serving and saving "the peions" who vote them in.

Melvin| 12.11.09 @ 8:09AM

Brother, you must have been reading my mind, because this morning as I was driving to work, I was thinking about the, "Wicked Witch of the West" and her damned flying back and forth to San Francisco and then this, "Thing" has the gall to tell us that we need to fly less because of Global Warming.
I sincerely hope on one of her sojourns to San
Francisco that some Seagull gets a really bad case of the diarrhea just as it flies over her.
Bird crap goes really well with those Armani Power Suits she likes to wear.

Sir| 12.11.09 @ 8:45AM

It's 15 degrees F in middle Tennessee this morning, and there are FEET of snow in Arizona, and inches of snow in Sacramento, and fruits and nuts like Paleo-losi and her voters still cling to Spotted Al Gore's gaia religion... while calling themselves Christians or Catholics.

Merry Christmas, and Semper Fi!

Ken (Old Texican)| 12.11.09 @ 9:58AM

Mr. Wilson,
My wry grin is hurting my face.
Thanks.....I needed that.

But be careful. Your article may wind up as talking points out of the whitehouse.

Al Adab| 12.11.09 @ 11:04AM

Our local Congressman was on radio this morning telling us how wonderful the "stimulus" is working. "We created five jobs in repaving ... street". Course that job is finished.
"We created twenty jobs by winterizing homes" but of course that job is finished too. Oh well

"You can fool all of the people some of the time and some..." They are still trying.

Son Of Sam| 12.11.09 @ 11:57AM

stand strong until freedom dawns
Son Of Sam
http://www.samadamssos.bravehost.com/

Philosopher| 12.11.09 @ 12:48PM

As long as the Adminstration uses the weasily language of 'saved' jobs, they will never really say anything believeable about jobs in America. This is philosophic Subjectivism. Create a fuzzy term that means anything you want it to.

Unfortuneately for Obama, the world is an Objective place. Until they stick to a jobs CREATED metric, they are deluding themselves and mis-serving the American public.

More on my post on this topic:
http://pracphilosblog.wordpres.....lion-jobs/

C.K. Amos| 12.12.09 @ 11:43AM

You know, it seems as long as we lack a free press that has the ethics and professionalism to call Obama's hand, we'll continue to get this jobs saved/created jive.

By that metric, though, couldn't Obama could claim that every person who is working is a job saved, given that he keep our economy fall going over into that abyss he keeps mentioning?

That'd make him a shoo-in for next year's Nobel prize for economics.

Dixie Pixie| 12.11.09 @ 1:09PM

Why not go all the way with this madness.
Why not claim if anyone has a job it is because Obama's Stimulus package “saved” that job.

!!!! ALL HAIL OBAMA FROM WHOM ALL JOBS FLOW !!!!!

Len| 12.11.09 @ 2:21PM

Folks...get ready. I'm telling you now, despite what one columnist has said here, things are not going to get better, and there will be upheaval in this country. Call me paranoid, but stock up on food and other essentials, and be prepared to defend yourself, your family and your property when things go down from here, AND THEN be ready to restore this country to a government that truly is established to protect man's rights and a constitutional government that we have not had since Lincoln discarded it.

Margie| 12.11.09 @ 2:29PM

Tsk, tsk. Is there still that little old remnant of Lincoln trashers still around?
Must be one of those "paleo-Con-Artistes!

WilliamInWien| 12.11.09 @ 5:06PM

An accountant friend of mine used to opine that "figures lie and liars figure"; he worked for the DC board of elections. The only "saved job" is one where the organization (government) gets more funds to keep employees on the job, as long as the funding holds out. A small business will not receive such funding and will have to let an employee go due to lack of "business". A "figure" I would like to see would be a truly accurate portrayal of the number of people who are "underemployed" in the US, such as college graduates working part-time jobs with little to no benefits. And these "underemployed" do not have the extra money to spend at a small business, which then forces the business to let someone go. Obama's lack of basic economic understanding was on display when he stated that they have to get small business operations hiring again and not relying on increased productivity of the employed workers. I assume none of this relates to the community organizing "profession".

Ret. Marine| 12.12.09 @ 6:57AM

Mr. William, this would require leadership, compassion and an understanding of the limits of people themselves. Small business makes up to 80% of the productivity in regards to re-hire, hire, and incentives to do so, however this is lacking in this current state of affairs. There intentions are not to create jobs, rather dependency on the gubmint for all necccessay comodities. Show me a community "organizer" who has ever produced a job and it could be safely said that he/she actually works for the people with the people alongside the people with the understanding of working economics models. Since our pretender-n-theifs intentions are to re-distribute the working class wealth there will be no way in hell, or on this green earth he'll, along with the team O participents, ever consider those who depend upon his methodes to even seek work, let alone create incentives to do so. Nay my fellow man, the little o's world is made up of little marxist tyrants all in the same mindset, pattern and disposition. I fear the only way this pretender-n-theif is going to see the way in which our world works, a good bitch slap'n will be required. Question, how long will it take for the populas to raise up their hand for said assignment?

wayneclouties12| 12.12.09 @ 4:22AM

Photography As a Career? How does one go from a hobby photographer to taking photos as a career check out http://bit.ly/6RIBbU
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bayub| 12.12.09 @ 7:13AM

long with the team O participents, ever consider those who depend upon his methodes to even seek work, let alone create incentives to do so. Nay my fellow man, the little o's world is made up of little marxist tyrants all in the same mindset, pattern and disposition. I fear the only way this pretender-n-theif is going to see the way in which our world works, a good bitch slap'n will be required. Question, how long will it take for the populas to raise up their hand for said assignment?

Kerry Marvin| 12.13.09 @ 10:50AM

TO: My State Representatives, and Politicians in Washington.

I Have a Relative Comparison to the Actions of this Outrageous and Unconstitutional Administration's Policy's and Agenda.

Subject: THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER

THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER Two Different Versions…. Two Different Morals

——————————————————————————– OLD VERSION

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be responsible for yourself!

——————————————————————————– MODERN VERSION

The ant works hard in the withering heat and the rain all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while he is cold and starving.

CBS, NBC , PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.

America is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so? Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper and everybody cries when they sing, ‘It’s Not Easy Being Green.’

ACORN stages a demonstration in front of the ant’s house where the news stations film the group singing, We shall overcome. Then Rev. Jeremiah Wright has the group kneel down to pray to God for the grasshopper’s sake.

President Obama condemns the ant and blames President Bush, President Reagan, Christopher Columbus, and the Pope for the grasshopper’s plight.

Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid exclaim in an interview with Larry King that the ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper, and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share.

Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity & Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the summer.

Andy Stern and SEIU, SUE the Ant, and with the support of Eric Holder Set a Court date for The ant and He is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of SEIU UNION GREEN BUGS and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the Government Green Czar and given to the grasshopper.

The story ends as we see the grasshopper and his free-loading friends finishing up the last bits of the ants food while the government house he is in, which, as you recall, just happens to be the ant’s old house, crumbles around them because the grasshopper doesn’t maintain it.

The ant has disappeared in the snow, never to be seen again?

Tune in Next November to Read Results of Search for the Ant.

The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident, and the house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders From MEXIKALIFORNICA who terrorize the ramshackle, once prosperous and once peaceful, neighborhood.

Van Jones Protest’s, Demanding More Reparations for those they just released from Prison as they are the true patriot's and deserve Justice.

President Obama, gives in and Gives them their JUST Redistribution for Reparations of Cruelty to Spiders, and Unlawfull breaking up of thier Web.

Slug’s, Wasp’s and Cockroaches Campaign Committee (SW-CCC) are Putting pressure to Sue for Equal Protection Under the Law on Eric Holder, for "THEIR RIGHTS" and Anyone who Stands up Against them, "Will Be Tried for Hate Crimes against them" with the help of the ACLU!

Scientists Demand that they, along with Al Gore, are the Arbitrators of the Real World, and they Will Stand by the UN and EU for the Treaty to End the "EVIL" - Western Civilization Monopoly on their Foolish Rejection of the King's Rights to Manipulate HIS Sovereignty. HA, HA.....With a Stupid piece of Paper?
They Call the "CONSTITUTION"?

The entire Nation collapses bringing the rest of the free world with it.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be careful how you vote.
"WE THE PEOPLE" Sure as Hell, WILL in 2010.

—————————–
I’ve sent this to you because I believe that you are an ant not a grasshopper!

Make sure that you pass this on to other ants. Don’t bother sending it on to any grasshoppers because they wouldn’t understand it, anyway.

———————
“Democracy” is when two wolves and a lamb discuss dinner plans.
———————-
“Liberty” is when a well armed lamb contests the vote.” Benjamin Franklin – 1759

“All men having power ought to be distrusted to a certain degree.” –James Madison

Emo| 12.14.09 @ 1:17AM

I fully expect the BLS to begin reporting phony job creation numbers if they havent already. Nov 11,000 job loss is suspect. Both ISM employment numbers for Nov were under 50 and while ADP hasnt been very accurate it also showed 175,000 jobs lost in Nov. So three PRIVATE SECTOR employment metrics in Nov were deeply negative, yet the economy lost only 11,000 jobs....sure.

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