“The Single Greatest Threat to the American Economy Is the American Government,” Says Justin Wolfers

Comments · 52

• PE

  @peterscott7259 · 6 hours ago

  Justin, Warren Buffet has described interest rates like gravity. Young people, born with low interest are like astronauts living in space for years. When astronauts come back to earth, gravity is a huge problem for them.

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• LI

  @LindaCochrane-q5k · 5 hours ago

  Canadian senior here.  I purchased my first home in 1976 and had a mortgage rate of 11-3/4%.  When it came time to renew in a few years, mortgage rates had jumped to 21% and we were required to ration gas.  We had two full time incomes, and the times were rough, but fortunately we managed to survive those tumultuous times.

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• KU

  @kurkoa · 5 hours ago

  Explain one thing to me... how can unemployment rate be 4.1% when i know more people right now unemployed and those who found jobs took 50% paycut. I am 55, and there are no jobs, fyi. Its beyond frustrating to me that someone like you would not talk about people that have left workforce, or when unemployment runs out after 6 months. That no longer is counted as part of the national unemployment.  Correct?

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• 01

  @0101Thomas1 · 7 hours ago

  Trust, there is none left so who would lend the US money

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• PE

  @peterrauth3387 · 6 hours ago

  Everything that is happening in the US today is the precursor to a much larger event. What we are witnessing is death throes of a dying and diseased empire. This has been played out in history numerous times over at least 3 millennia. The end of an empire begins with the rise of a hostile adversary, and subsequently the lack of confidence in that empire&apos;s financial system. Soon the US will struggle to not only finance its deficits, but also refinance its existing debt.<br><br>Rather than accept the inevitability of its demise and join with like-minded nations to preserve its nationhood, the US lashes out at all and sundry, including friends and allies. Give it 30 years and the US will break up into 4 of 5 independent sovereign countries, with some its constituent parts (States) probably joining Canada.

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• UR

  @Urthebestaroundnothi · 4 hours ago

  If people were already living off credit cards and we raise rates, what&apos;s that going to do to spending? Raising rates are not addressing the cause of this inflation. &nbsp;It doesn&apos;t open the 2 straights that have skyrocketed energy prices. It doesn&apos;t take tarrifs off, so what is the goal? All these retailers are saying traffic is down, purchase sizes and name brand purchases are down. Coolimg off the economy by making people suffer more is not the answer. &nbsp;Please explain how this is going to reverse the stag/deflation that&apos;s already in process?

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• HU

  @humeyt · 2 hours ago

  The tricky bit is that Congress ONLY cares about the President&apos;s feelings...

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• BO

  @BornAgainGamer-g1z · 6 hours ago (edited)

  Justin come on, use the U-6, the U-3 is not enough. More and more people are forced in part time or gig work or multiple jobs. And inflation is cutting into any gains. And we have an entire generation of educated young people who can&apos;t find work, even with a post graduate training.

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• CA

  @carolpeterson6756 · 3 hours ago

  KEEP VOTING 💙💙💙💙💙 🇺🇲

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• JI

  @jimschachtschneider7741 · 6 hours ago

  Trump is one thing. A salesman!! He really believes that he knows more than the &quot;so called experts&quot;. He believes in his ability to change facts through force and will. Salesmanship.

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• BE

  @benrnardkerr5642 · 2 hours ago

  The Trump administration lies about the stats- Trump has cooked the books all his life--hence all criminal convictions!!!

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• ET

  @ettaroo · 4 hours ago

  Long term rates are what matters. &nbsp;Those are going up and will kill mortgage lending and corporate borrowing. &nbsp;So much of current economic growth, i.e. consumption, is a function of people spending their stock market wealth. &nbsp;The main stocks going up are from an unsustainable capex investment in AI infra. &nbsp;Unsustainable, because VC capital, Hylerscaler operating cash flows and pure debt are supporting the infra buildout, but cashflow generated from the buildout is piss poor. &nbsp;There is only so mucb dent available for AI buildout and its close to being tapped out.

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