>>>Wal-Mart CEO Bill Simon expects inflation:
>>>http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2011-03-30-wal-mart-ceo-expects-inflation_N.htm
>>>
>>>Snippet:
>>>
>>>Along with steep increases in raw material costs, John Long, a retail strategist at Kurt Salmon, says labor costs in China and fuel costs for transportation are weighing heavily on retailers. He predicts prices will start increasing at all retailers in June.
>>>
>>>"Every single retailer has and is paying more for the items they sell, and retailers will be passing some of these costs along," Long says. "Except for fuel costs, U.S. consumers haven't seen much in the way of inflation for almost a decade, so a broad-based increase in prices will be unprecedented in recent memory."
>>
>>Gloom and doom. The inflation bogeyman never seems to go away despite the most prolonged time of low inflation in U.S. history.
>>
>>Here is a cheerier view of the economy. It has been said many times that Obama's reelection prospects depend on the job market. 8.8% is still high but at least it's moving in the right direction.
>>
>>http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/02/business/economy/02jobs.html?_r=1&hp
>
>Cheerier???? Too funny.
>
>"The number of long-term unemployed — that is, those jobless for 27 weeks or more — remained painfully high, at more than six million. That is the highest number in a generation"
>
>and
>
>"The small size of the national labor force remains a pressing concern, reflecting discouragement with the prospects for employment. It has shrunk steadily over the past few years, to a point that just 64.2 percent of adults are either in the work force or looking for a job. That is the lowest labor participation rate in a quarter-century. Many economists had forecast that as Americans grew emboldened by signs of new hiring, they would re-enter the work force in greater numbers. That did not happen in March, as the participation rate was unchanged. "
>
>I realize these snippets are amidst some other SLIGHTLY more positive numbers, but I certainly don't see the overall tone of the article as "cheerier". The last sentence - commonly referrrd to as the conclusion - says "But after that (the spring), and looking toward 2012, the situation is very questionable.”
>
>Then there is this morning's summary that says the governement employs more than manufacturing, retail, agriculture, etc....COMBINED.
>
>This is a classic downward spiral, just like we saw with Carter and just like we are seeing in other European nations. I'm not debating how we got here, nor who is at fault. I just want to see our LEADERS start doing that - leading us out of the oncoming mess. And I am tired of this great nation driving full speed at an oncoming cliff while whistling Kumbaya. Harry Reid says there is no problem with Social Security? Fool.
>
>Approximately 45% of Americans pay ZERO income tax. We call ourselves fair?
>
>And to say that the governement doesn't really control the economy is a truly foolish statement (in your other post). They control taxation, regulation, entitlement programs and government spending (TRILLIONS of dollars), the military, and at this point in our history most of the employment, An economy guided by an invisible hand? Now I remember why I quit posting here.
>
>Fokker out.

Well said.