[QUOTE=MikeyCB,Oct 10 2008, 10:09 AM]I hate how everybody attributes Bush's term as president as the cause for the slow down in economy.

 

I think the main point of this thread is that everyone is talking about DisneyLAND. You Californians are missing out on the greatness that is DisneyWORLD

 

I been to Disney world too. It's actually bigger and better, but it ain't the happiest place on earth.

 

Funny you mention that - I recently read that the Great Depression is the specific reason why the time between presidential election and inauguration was reduced from four months to two-and-a-half months. They were trying to reduce that period of uncertainty.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/09/eic...sion/index.html

 

I'm sure all the happiness is being saved for Dubailand.

 

Bad monetary policy set by the federal reserve is the biggest factor, and the root cause that set off the chain reaction which culminated in the cluster **** we have today. It's the same policy that led to the tech boom and bust, S&L debacle, etc. It's been going on for decades, and is finally crashing down completely. Policies enacted by the Bush administration, as well as the Clinton administration added fuel to the fire, but blame doesn't fall squarely on either, and especially not full blame for lighting the fire.

 

or DubyaLand....

 

If I look at my portfolio and/or balance statement, nothing has changed. Honestly if I was frozen before any of this had happened and unfrozen now, I doubt I could tell the difference without hearing the news or people complaining about it.

Its even funnier because I went to my girlfriends friend's apartment last night and was talking about her reasoning for stripping (because she isn't going to school or anything) and she brought up the fact that the economy is bad for models and she cannot find a job either way.

I think that the economy is like our health, and maybe raj can clear this up because I'm a firm believer that if you freak out about your health (not the going to the gym all the time kinda freak out, rather the kind where you are stressed and anxiously afraid of having a heart attack or something) that your chances of having an event go up. So if we all start freaking out and saving ALL of our money we will in-turn destroy the economy.

 

Blame an election year and the media long before Dubya.

Actually a lot of ours was brought on by calls and problems elsewhere in the world reaching here.

Since so much of the rest of the world buys stock, loans, etc. from us if they have trouble and can't buy or need to unload fire sale style it affects us.

That's kinda what started the "B" loan mess and was directly attributable to the AIG mess.

Many people who aren't in trouble and have the money simply aren't spending it because the media has them scared. I have a friend who wants to spend a bunch of money on his car, but he's not because of the media he's not sure if maybe there is a big problem looming on the horizon.

Ditto for a gal friend who isn't decorating her new home.

Ditto for another friend who has a new home but isn't finishing out the yard and landscaping. I'm sure you or your friends are doing the same thing in other areas.

Multiply them times all the other people not doing things because of the media blow up and you get a little picture of why the slow down in all segments of the economy.

Perception is reality. What started as a minor issue has been blown up into a much bigger issue than it deserves and most of this wouldn't have had media coverage except it was an election year. Party out of power always has to do a little muckraking to try to garner votes.

 

i....can't believe i agree with you. ^^