Our financial system is crumbling this week.

[cardsfantx]

As far as jobs? Why do Americans think cutting taxes for the top 1% and corporations means job creation? Under 8 years of W we had historically low tax rates, but experienced 22 months of recession. 22 of his 96 months were spent in recession. Source. He ranks last in nearly every measure of job creation since the Labor Dept started recording statistics.

where does obama rank? worse i'm sure...

[Joe Shlabotnik]

My boss even said the company expects 50 hours a week out of us.

That right there is a good chunk of the problem with employment in America. There just aren't enough jobs left in America these days, and employers should be trying to adapt to that fact by going to 30 hour work weeks and using 4 employees instead of 3 when possible. Instead they're going the opposite direction of making fewer employees work longer hours.

France tried this. It didn't work.

Are the French complaining? Is France coming apart? Funny, my sister in law's family just got back from France and everything seemed to be in order.

[Hungary Jack]

My boss even said the company expects 50 hours a week out of us.

That right there is a good chunk of the problem with employment in America. There just aren't enough jobs left in America these days, and employers should be trying to adapt to that fact by going to 30 hour work weeks and using 4 employees instead of 3 when possible. Instead they're going the opposite direction of making fewer employees work longer hours.

France tried this. It didn't work.

Are the French complaining? Is France coming apart? Funny, my sister in law's family just got back from France and everything seemed to be in order.

The French are always complaining. It's part of their heritage and way of life.

And of course your sister in law had a good time vacationing in France. Who wouldn't? But you really don't understand a country by vacationing there.

[lukethedrifter]

I have no idea if the French system works but at this point I'm not sure you can say our system is a whole lot better than Cuba in the 50s.

[cpebbles]

Isn't France's economy doing extraordinarily well at this time? They always have high unemployment figures, but that's because people take advantage of the almost 2 years of unemployment benefits they offer. Our unemployment figures are now basically the same, and we don't exactly have a lot of Americans unemployed by choice.

[vinsanity]

As far as jobs? Why do Americans think cutting taxes for the top 1% and corporations means job creation? Under 8 years of W we had historically low tax rates, but experienced 22 months of recession. 22 of his 96 months were spent in recession. Source. He ranks last in nearly every measure of job creation since the Labor Dept started recording statistics.

where does obama rank? worse i'm sure...

Not exactly sure what Obama has to do with anything. I'm comparing higher estate taxes, higher capital gains taxes, higher income taxes and higher corporate taxes (under Clinton) to lower taxes under Bush. If these record low tax breaks were supposed to create jobs why did we spend nearly 2 years of Bush's term in a recession?

To answer your question, USA Today says that most Economists agree the Stimulus plan added 1 million jobs in 2009. So 2 years >1 Million jobs for Obama to Bush's 8 years and 3 million jobs.

[cpebbles]

So Boehner's idea of compromise is to reject a $4 trillion deficit reduction bill that would have included letting top percentile tax cuts expire and just agree to sign off on the $2 trillion in spending reduction that he was pushing for.

I guess it's refreshing that every time Obama gets me thinking that there are two far-right political parties in place with little difference between them, some Republican politician is quick to remind me that there really are some differences.

[planet planet]

So Boehner's idea of compromise is to reject a $4 trillion deficit reduction bill that would have included letting top percentile tax cuts expire and just agree to sign off on the $2 trillion in spending reduction that he was pushing for.

I guess it's refreshing that every time Obama gets me thinking that there are two far-right political parties in place with little difference between them, some Republican politician is quick to remind me that there really are some differences.

Exactly. When it comes down to priorities for Repubs, no increased taxes trumps deficit reduction all day long, even when the Dems concede entitlement cuts.

[Socnorb11]

So Boehner's idea of compromise is to reject a $4 trillion deficit reduction bill that would have included letting top percentile tax cuts expire and just agree to sign off on the $2 trillion in spending reduction that he was pushing for.

I guess it's refreshing that every time Obama gets me thinking that there are two far-right political parties in place with little difference between them, some Republican politician is quick to remind me that there really are some differences.

Exactly. When it comes down to priorities for Repubs, no increased taxes trumps deficit reduction all day long, even when the Dems concede entitlement cuts.

For sure.

Obama just isn't effective at delivering this message with authority. Which is disappointing, because delivery was one thing that I considered a real strength for him when I voted for him.

[ghostrunner]

I thought he did as well he could do today without coming off badly, though I agree he doesn't communicate well.