U.S. Back At No. 1 Competitiveness Ranking

Full Title of Aticle: U.S. Back At No. 1 Competitiveness Ranking — Will Trump's Critics Ever Admit To Being Wrong?

Investors Business Daily

Have Donald Trump's policies had a big impact on the U.S. economy and its competitiveness? The answer, we think, is an obvious yes. Now comes a new report, based mainly on "hard" data, that confirms that.

The report comes from the IMD Competitiveness Center in Switzerland. Each year it ranks countries by 256 different variables to come up with in global competitiveness rankings.

This is great news and more data, along with the strong jobs report, to support the strong economic recovery we have experienced after the failed policies of the previous eight years. Trump is winning and making America great again.

In my opinion THIS is one of the most important things a POTUS can do along with keeping us out of pointless military conflicts. I have my own empirical evidence to support the strong economy, but now it is backed by strong data from multiple sources.

Will Trumps critics ever admit they were wrong or will they try to spin the data as somehow negative? I am going to guess the latter.

For the rest of us Americans we can simply be content and happy to enjoy a stronger more prosperous America.

The Germans disagree venomously

🇺🇸🔐

a reply to: Metallicus

It is common sense.

If you have higher business taxes than most of the world, most of your big businesses are going to relocate where the tax is lower. The best thing Trump has done so far is lower corporate tax rates. This will create a wave of companies moving functions back to the US.

a reply to: Metallicus

Cutting taxes and regulations will always result in a stronger and more competitive economy. The problem is, he's in favor of tariffs, which will only undermine his own success. On top of that, he's slowly blurring the separation between church and state.

Is he "making America great again"?
No. He's cutting the bottom of the sheet off and sewing it back to the top.

Until we:

1) Ends the war on drugs
2) End the war on guns
3) End the war on the middle class (phase out the welfare programs and tax brackets)

(Those three achievements will eliminate the need for a wall.)

4) Establish a separation between business and state.

5) Adhere to a more pure separation of church and state.

Only then can America reach new heights.

We don't need to marginalize anyone. We don't need to close our borders. We don't need to fear international free trade.

Will these things happen?
No.

Why not?
Because neither the right or the left will allow it to happen.

Why won't they?
Because Americans love to hate their neighbor. This generation refuses to find common ground.

Trump is not making America great again, because he is one man with limited authority (thank God), and because he is an ideologue. Ideology is antithetical to greatness.

There are some interesting aspects in this article.

Just to be clear, we're not citing this one report as a be-all and end-all for competitiveness or even for the fate of the economy. Nor are we in the forecasting business. But others are, and among them have been some of Trump's fiercest critics. To read what they wrote and said, the U.S. returning to No. 1 in competitiveness wouldn't just be unlikely — it would be impossible.

But, lets look at the past actual statements from "experts" in economics:

Similarly, the liberal Brookings Institution opined in March of last year that "Trump's 'America First' budget will leave the economy running behind."

Wrong...

"We are probably looking at a global recession, with no end in sight," said New York Times columnist and Nobelist Paul Krugman, just one day after Trump won the election.

Wrong...

"Under Trump, I would expect a protracted recession to begin within 18 months. The damage would be felt far beyond the United States," said Larry Summers, the former top economist for Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, speaking in the summer of 2016.

Wrong...

"If the unlikely event happens and Trump wins you will see a market crash of historic proportions," agreed MSNBC's Steve Rattner, a former Obama administration official, speaking in October of 2016.

Not just WRONG, but the opposite of what has actually happened to the market. With it growing consistently over the period (with a minor correction in the 1st quarter of the year). This market rise has created/restored wealth into the hands of the 401k holders (i.e. Average workers) as well as the businesses that hire them.

So, to me it seems like these "experts" are allowing their political biases to cloud their assessments and predictions.

a reply to: Metallicus

No one hear is disputing the economy is in good shape right now. To say Obama had nothing to do with it is less than honest.

Trump inherited an economy that was already heading in the right direction. I don't mind giving Trump credit, as long as YOUR SIDE gives Obama the credit he deserves for saving the auto industry and taking Bush's failed economy and turning it around. If not, well, then I say, hypocrite.

From the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
GDPNow June Report

Latest forecast: 4.8 percent — June 1, 2018
The GDPNow model estimate for real GDP growth (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in the second quarter of 2018 is 4.8 percent on June 1, up from 4.7 percent on May 31. The nowcasts for second-quarter real consumer spending growth and second-quarter real private fixed investment growth increased from 3.4 percent and 4.6 percent, respectively, to 3.5 percent and 5.4 percent, respectively, after the employment report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the construction spending report from the U.S. Census Bureau, and the Manufacturing ISM Report On Business from the Institute for Supply Management were released this morning.

Based upon actual data (not political biases), all indicators are green and going in the positive direction.

Why is this a bad thing again?

a reply to: Metallicus

Give this man a pair of bon bons "gimme a T-gimme a R-gimme a..."

Face it-you probably posted that using a Chinese built computer while wearing a Nike T-shirt made in Bangladesh and both may have been imported by a Scandinavian shipping company.

Where I come from Corporate tax cuts have done absolutely.effing.nothing. It's just more money to employ folk from countries that have no minimum wage laws.

So the next time you have a problem with your Chinese built iPhone and get some Indian fellow on tech support, I'll laugh. Then i'll spare a thought for the mom and dad companies who need a break, because those who don't live in a metropolitan area apparently don't exist. So you are a rancher from Montana? screw you. But if you are a CEO for a property insurance company ? let me help you.

Divide and conquer-that's the right wing thing to do.

a reply to: Krakatoa

Who's saying it's a bad thing?

Who or what are you arguing about?

originally posted by: Thecakeisalie
a reply to: Metallicus

Give this man a pair of bon bons "gimme a T-gimme a R-gimme a..."

Face it-you probably posted that using a Chinese built computer while wearing a Nike T-shirt made in Bangladesh and both may have been imported by a Scandinavian shipping company.

Where I come from Corporate tax cuts have done absolutely.effing.nothing. It's just more money to employ folk from countries that have no minimum wage laws.

So the next time you have a problem with your Chinese built iPhone and get some Indian fellow on tech support, I'll laugh. Then i'll spare a thought for the mom and dad companies who need a break, because those who don't live in a metropolitan area apparently don't exist. So you are a rancher from Montana? screw you. But if you are a CEO for a property insurance company ? let me help you.

Divide and conquer-that's the right wing thing to do.

I don't think you know what you're talking about.

originally posted by: BELIEVERpriest
a reply to: Metallicus

Cutting taxes and regulations will always result in a stronger and more competitive economy. The problem is, he's in favor of tariffs, which will only undermine his own success. On top of that, he's slowly blurring the separation between church and state.

Is he "making America great again"?
No. He's cutting the bottom of the sheet off and sewing it back to the top.

Until we:

1) Ends the war on drugs
2) End the war on guns
3) End the war on the middle class (phase out the welfare programs and tax brackets)

(Those three achievements will eliminate the need for a wall.)

4) Establish a separation between business and state.

5) Adhere to a more pure separation of church and state.

Only then can America reach new heights.

We don't need to marginalize anyone. We don't need to close our borders. We don't need to fear international free trade.

Will these things happen?
No.

Why not?
Because neither the right or the left will allow it to happen.

Why won't they?
Because Americans love to hate their neighbor. This generation refuses to find common ground.

Trump is not making America great again, because he is one man with limited authority (thank God), and because he is an ideologue. Ideology is antithetical to greatness.

I won't comment on the separation of church ans state aspect. But stating 'Trump is in favor of tariffs' is flat out wrong. Trump is in favor of negotiated trade deals that are more equitable to the U.S.. Apparently, that is met with restistance. Tariffs are both an alternate and less preferable option/pressure to induce those better deals.

a reply to: Metallicus

originally posted by: MiddleInsite
a reply to: Metallicus

No one hear is disputing the economy is in good shape right now. To say Obama had nothing to do with it is less than honest.

Trump inherited an economy that was already heading in the right direction. I don't mind giving Trump credit, as long as YOUR SIDE gives Obama the credit he deserves for saving the auto industry and taking Bush's failed economy and turning it around. If not, well, then I say, hypocrite.

Obama had nothing to do with it.

originally posted by: MiddleInsite
a reply to: Metallicus

No one hear is disputing the economy is in good shape right now. To say Obama had nothing to do with it is less than honest.

Trump inherited an economy that was already heading in the right direction. I don't mind giving Trump credit, as long as YOUR SIDE gives Obama the credit he deserves for saving the auto industry and taking Bush's failed economy and turning it around. If not, well, then I say, hypocrite.

Obama tried to destroy it to usher in globalist agendas. but he was only one guy and despite his efforts, he failed to hurt America as much as he would have hoped. Trump's policies have saved millions of jobs and inspired new confidence for businesses which is what is now driving our current better economy.

To say that Obama is responsible for the good economy currently is beyond the ridiculous.

ignore all of this

the labor force participation rate dropped as we added 230k jobs

ask yourself

does that make any sense?

debt to income ratio, student loan debt, lowest home buying almost in history, lowest rate of home owneship, sub prime car lending

stop stop stop with the propaganda
www.bls.gov...

ask yourself, how could we be adding millions and millions and millions of jobs over the last 8 years yet the labor force participation rate drops??

doesn't make sense does it??

oh yeah, 250k people retired last month, yeah that's what happened

a reply to: odzeandennz

I don't think you know what you're talking about.

Says the man who tries to dismiss my logic in a single sentence.

Stay a while and listen-not everyone is rich and i'll try to explain it as simply as I can. Corporate tax cuts is like going to McDonalds-the big wigs get a free upsize, but you do not.

a reply to: nwtrucker

That's exactly the problem. Government should not be negotiating business. We should keep international trade free. Lead by example. Tariffs raise prices.

the world we want to exist vs the world that actually exist

^^^

we have to make choices based on the real world not the world we think we want to exist

originally posted by: Krakatoa
From the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
GDPNow June Report

Latest forecast: 4.8 percent — June 1, 2018
The GDPNow model estimate for real GDP growth (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in the second quarter of 2018 is 4.8 percent on June 1, up from 4.7 percent on May 31. The nowcasts for second-quarter real consumer spending growth and second-quarter real private fixed investment growth increased from 3.4 percent and 4.6 percent, respectively, to 3.5 percent and 5.4 percent, respectively, after the employment report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the construction spending report from the U.S. Census Bureau, and the Manufacturing ISM Report On Business from the Institute for Supply Management were released this morning.

Based upon actual data (not political biases), all indicators are green and going in the positive direction.

Why is this a bad thing again?

They also originally forecast over 6% GDP growth in Q1, which ended up at 2.2%. This GDPNow model has historically been way off with its estimates.

a reply to: Metallicus

This is just the beginning.

Strong leadership and focus will continue
to dissolve illusions.

S&F