Offbeat Economic Indicators: Economy is Booming
1. The "RV Indicator": Sales of Recreational Vehicles are rebounding, and are expected to increase by 8.2% in 2011 compared to last year.
2. The "Vanity/Implant Index": Plastic surgery procedures were up by 5% in 2010 (296,000 breast implants last year).
3. The "Divorce Index": "In a grim sign of the economic recovery, the divorce rate, which dipped during the recession, appears to be on the rebound."
13 Comments:
RVs--replacing unaffordable or lost-to-foreclosure houses?
Divorces--broke under the stress?
Restore what was lost (see "divorces")? See also "conspicuous consumption".
I got to wonder if the TSA is now an 'external factor and is in part driving the purchace of RV vehicles?
Personally I think the NPR story is totally bogus...
From the House of Representatives, dated Thursday, July 15, 2010 we have the following: The 2010 Joint Economic Report...
Note the following: Next generation harmed by this generation’s unemployment. Unemployment can also reduce the
earnings of the children of unemployed workers – through reductions in school achievement – and may lead to a higher divorce rate for laid off workers....
I wonder if this report is any more valid than what NPR is repporting...
juandos,
"Note the following: Next generation harmed by this generation’s unemployment. Unemployment can also reduce the
earnings of the children of unemployed workers – through reductions in school achievement – and may lead to a higher divorce rate for laid off workers...
I'm not so sure about that. How were children affected during the Great Depression? I think many learned some valuable lessons in reality. In fact, considering the political bias in schools today, a "reduction in school achievement" might be a good thing.
Am I the only one who sees the direct link between increased breast implant procedures and an increase in the divorce rate?
Che,
"Am I the only one who sees the direct link between increased breast implant procedures and an increase in the divorce rate?"
No, I'm sure there is a link. When women consider dumping their current mate & resuming shopping, they wish to enhance their appeal, preferably while they still have an excellent medical plan.
RV sales are "expected" to be 8.2% higher in 2011 than in 2010. Based on what data? This rah-rah speculation deserves no publicity.
"How were children affected during the Great Depression? I think many learned some valuable lessons in reality"...
Bingo!
Exactly what I was thinking Ron H...
"Am I the only one who sees the direct link between increased breast implant procedures and an increase in the divorce rate?"...
No che you'er not the only one...
BTW have you all noticed that most every common 'body sculpting' procedure not covered by health insurance and not interfered with to much by government has actually decreased in price and increased in both quality and the efficiency?
We may not be able to dazzle with real economic progress but we can bury that failure deep under leading economic indicators.
"BTW have you all noticed that most every common 'body sculpting' procedure not covered by health insurance and not interfered with to much by government has actually decreased in price and increased in both quality and the efficiency?"
Yup. Just what you would expect in a (relatively) free market.
Ron H.
You are missing the point. Obamacare is about government control not affordable medicine. Backers want it regardless of the cost. Pointing out that it will increase costs is water of a duck's back. They do not care. If you check the cost of medical care it began to exceed inflation when Medicare was introduced. When it was being debated one of the groups that opposed it was physicians. The bureaucrats charged with the implantation of the program were very worried that physicians would scuttle the program so they developed a plan to stop them. The plan was to pay them more than market rates. I remember reading a story in a Long Island newspaper about a doctor who entered a nursing home through the front entrance and came out the back entrance 20 minutes later and billed Medicare for 12 nursing home visits. Medicare paid. What Medicare will pay is a big influence on the price of medicine.
Liberals like to think of themselves a being motivated by concern for their fellowman. Nonsense! They want to control their fellowman. Modern liberalism was born in the aftermath of the French Revolution when the princes of Europe got together with their ministers and asked what can we (by which they meant you) do to insure that this French Revolution thing will never happen to us (by which they meant me). What the ministers came up with is a set of policies designed to control the people. In essence minimum levels of what people need will be ensured by government. That makes the people dependant on government and gives government control. Vote for us or those mean people will take your health care, food, pension, etc away from you.
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James,
I understand that Obamacare is about control. My response to juandos' comment had more to do with the fact that we pay for most elective procedures ourselves, and therefore make choices based on price. Not something we often do for treatment paid for by third parties, including government programs such as medicare and medicaid.
The prices of most elective procedures have gone down as techniques and methods have improved. Just what we would expect in a free market. this doesn't happen with most medical treatment, as we never think to ask the price. If the doctor recommends tests, xrays and medicine, we say "Oh, fine. Whatever you think best." If we paid for each item ourselves, we might ask "What does that cost, and why do I need it?" We might choose less treatment.
Your example of the nursing home doctor visit is very apt. If the patients or a family member were paying the bills, they would question the doctor's bill for a short ot non-existent visit.
Monetary base is booming.
Wow, we expecting hyperinflation because after long deflation time its ordinary strating immidiately.
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