Monday, October 8, 2012

Truth About Jobs

Perfesser Krugman on September's jobs report and the wingnut reaction to it:

If anyone had doubts about the madness that has spread through a large part of the American political spectrum, the reaction to Friday’s better-than expected report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics should have settled the issue. For the immediate response of many on the right — and we’re not just talking fringe figures — was to cry conspiracy.

Leading the charge of what were quickly dubbed the “B.L.S. truthers” was none other than Jack Welch, the former chairman of General Electric, who posted an assertion on Twitter that the books had been cooked to help President Obama’s re-election campaign. His claim was quickly picked up by right-wing pundits and media personalities.

It was nonsense, of course. [...]
And that’s the truth that the right can’t handle. The furor over Friday’s report revealed a political movement that is rooting for American failure, so obsessed with taking down Mr. Obama that good news for the nation’s long-suffering workers drives its members into a blind rage. It also revealed a movement that lives in an intellectual bubble, dealing with uncomfortable reality — whether that reality involves polls or economic data — not just by denying the facts, but by spinning wild conspiracy theories.

It is, quite simply, frightening to think that a movement this deranged wields so much political power.
Finally, someone said it out loud besides Left Blogtopia.

6 comments:

montag said...

Neutron Jack must be back on his meds because now he is saying he never attacked the White House. Senility is an ugly thing.

Comrade Misfit said...

The weekend edition of the WSJ had the headline "Unemployment Rate Posts Modest Gain". For the first time since Chimpy left, the U-3 rate is under 8% and the Murdoch Empire calls that "modest".

Gordon said...

Well, it is only three-tenths of one percent. Modest by my lights but it's sure got the Repugs in a tizzy. Heh.

sbgypsy said...

Leading the charge of what were quickly dubbed the “B.L.S. truthers” was none other than Jack Welch, the former chairman of General Electric, who posted an assertion on Twitter that the books had been cooked to help President Obama’s re-election campaign. His claim was quickly picked up by right-wing pundits and media personalities.

...because it's what they'd be doing in that situation, after all.

Anonymous said...

It's also frightening that a guy like Mitt Romney could lie again and again in that debate, knowing he was lying, and knowing that a large number of people knew he was flat-out lying, and STILL he's perceived as having "won" the debate--and is now reaping the benefits of same. This doesn't give me much hope for the American public, if they can't see past the bullshit.

But then, I think that Repubs rely on the fact that most people are "low-information" voters, and are more impressed by form than substance (that's what prolonged TV watching will do for you). The Repubs have also learned--as Romney showed--that they can lie and lie and lie, and get away with it. They've learned something from Joe Goebbels...

But I also can't understand why Obama choked so bad. This seems to be a pattern with him --the guy just won't fight hard in the crunch.

Jazzman said...

Comone.....we all know th ereal truth...the numbers are cooked and fudged....we all know it.