The 50 economic numbers from 2011 that will shock you

[WD-40]

“Even though most Americans have become very frustrated with this economy, the reality is that the vast majority of them still have no idea just how bad our economic decline has been or how much trouble we are going to be in if we don’t make dramatic changes immediately,” writes The Economic Collapse (TEC).

For those unfamiliar with this site, TEC is an economic blog that regularly compiles a comprehensive list of the most startling and unsettling facts about the U.S. economy.

Why? Because Americans need to understand that U.S. economy is precariously balanced on the edge of full-blown collapse.

“If we do not educate the American people about how deathly ill the U.S. economy has become, then they will just keep falling for the same old lies that our politicians keep telling them. Just ‘tweaking’ things here and there is not going to fix this economy,” the site explains.

Indeed, America’s economic situation has become increasingly unstable. However, what’s arguably more disconcerting than the state of the U.S. economy is the fact many Americans are largely–if not completely–unaware of just how serious things have become.

“America is consuming far more wealth than it is producing and our debt is absolutely exploding,” TEC explains. “If we stay on this current path, an economic collapse is inevitable. Hopefully the crazy economic numbers from 2011 that I have included in this article will be shocking enough to wake some people up.”

It might behoove Blaze readers to share the facts listed below with family and friends.

“If we all work together, hopefully we can get millions of people to wake up and realize that ‘business as usual’ will result in a national economic apocalypse,” writes TEC.

Here are the 50 economic numbers from 2011 that will shock you (via The Economic Collapse):

1. A staggering 48 percent of all Americans are either considered to be “low income” or are living in poverty.

2. Approximately 57 percent of all children in the United States are living in homes that are either considered to be “low income” or impoverished.

3. If the number of Americans that “wanted jobs” was the same today as it was back in 2007, the “official” unemployment rate put out by the U.S. government would be up to 11 percent.

4. The average amount of time that a worker stays unemployed in the United States is now over 40 weeks.

5. One recent survey found that 77 percent of all U.S. small businesses do not plan to hire any more workers.

6. There are fewer payroll jobs in the United States today than there were back in 2000 even though we have added 30 million extra people to the population since then.

7. Since December 2007, median household income in the United States has declined by a total of 6.8 percent once you account for inflation.

8. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 16.6 million Americans were self-employed back in December 2006. Today, that number has shrunk to 14.5 million.

9. A Gallup poll from earlier this year found that approximately one out of every five Americans that do have a job consider themselves to be underemployed.

10. According to author Paul Osterman, about 20 percent of all U.S. adults are currently working jobs that pay poverty-level wages.

11. Back in 1980, less than 30 percent of all jobs in the United States were low income jobs. Today, more than 40 percent of all jobs in the United States are low income jobs.

12. Back in 1969, 95 percent of all men between the ages of 25 and 54 had a job. In July, only 81.2 percent of men in that age group had a job.

13. One recent survey found that one out of every three Americans would not be able to make a mortgage or rent payment next month if they suddenly lost their current job.

14. The Federal Reserve recently announced that the total net worth of U.S. households declined by 4.1 percent in the 3rd quarter of 2011 alone.

15. According to a recent study conducted by the BlackRock Investment Institute, the ratio of household debt to personal income in the United States is now 154 percent.

16. As the economy has slowed down, so has the number of marriages. According to a Pew Research Center analysis, only 51 percent of all Americans that are at least 18 years old are currently married. Back in 1960, 72 percent of all U.S. adults were married.

17. The U.S. Postal Service has lost more than 5 billion dollars over the past year.

18. In Stockton, California home prices have declined 64 percent from where they were at when the housing market peaked.

19. Nevada has had the highest foreclosure rate in the nation for 59 months in a row.

20. If you can believe it, the median price of a home in Detroit is now just $6000.

21. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 18 percent of all homes in the state of Florida are sitting vacant. That figure is 63 percent larger than it was just ten years ago.

22. New home construction in the United States is on pace to set a brand new all-time record low in 2011.

23. 19 percent of all American men between the ages of 25 and 34 are now living with their parents.

24. Electricity bills in the United States have risen faster than the overall rate of inflation for five years in a row.

25. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, health care costs accounted for just 9.5 percent of all personal consumption back in 1980. Today they account for approximately 16.3 percent.

26. One study found that approximately 41 percent of all working age Americans either have medical bill problems or are currently paying off medical debt.

27. If you can believe it, one out of every seven Americans has at least 10 credit cards.

28. The United States spends about 4 dollars on goods and services from China for every one dollar that China spends on goods and services from the United States.

29. It is being projected that the U.S. trade deficit for 2011 will be 558.2 billion dollars.

30. The retirement crisis in the United States just continues to get worse. According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, 46 percent of all American workers have less than $10,000 saved for retirement, and 29 percent of all American workers have less than $1,000 saved for retirement.

31. Today, one out of every six elderly Americans lives below the federal poverty line.

32. According to a study that was just released, CEO pay at America’s biggest companies rose by 36.5 percent in just one recent 12 month period.

33. Today, the “too big to fail” banks are larger than ever. The total assets of the six largest U.S. banks increased by 39 percent between September 30, 2006 and September 30, 2011.

34. The six heirs of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton have a net worth that is roughly equal to the bottom 30 percent of all Americans combined.

35. According to an analysis of Census Bureau data done by the Pew Research Center, the median net worth for households led by someone 65 years of age or older is 47 times greater than the median net worth for households led by someone under the age of 35.

36. If you can believe it, 37 percent of all U.S. households that are led by someone under the age of 35 have a net worth of zero or less than zero.

37. A higher percentage of Americans is living in extreme poverty (6.7 percent) than has ever been measured before.

38. Child homelessness in the United States is now 33 percent higher than it was back in 2007.

39. Since 2007, the number of children living in poverty in the state of California has increased by 30 percent.

40. Sadly, child poverty is absolutely exploding all over America. According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, 36.4 percent of all children that live in Philadelphia are living in poverty, 40.1 percent of all children that live in Atlanta are living in poverty, 52.6 percent of all children that live in Cleveland are living in poverty and 53.6 percent of all children that live in Detroit are living in poverty.

41. Today, one out of every seven Americans is on food stamps and one out of every four American children is on food stamps.

42. In 1980, government transfer payments accounted for just 11.7 percent of all income. Today, government transfer payments account for more than 18 percent of all income.

43. A staggering 48.5 percent of all Americans live in a household that receives some form of government benefits. Back in 1983, that number was below 30 percent.

44. Right now, spending by the federal government accounts for about 24 percent of GDP. Back in 2001, it accounted for just 18 percent.

45. For fiscal year 2011, the U.S. federal government had a budget deficit of nearly 1.3 trillion dollars. That was the third year in a row that our budget deficit has topped one trillion dollars.

46. If Bill Gates gave every single penny of his fortune to the U.S. government, it would only cover the U.S. budget deficit for about 15 days.

47. Amazingly, the U.S. government has now accumulated a total debt of 15 trillion dollars. When Barack Obama first took office the national debt was just 10.6 trillion dollars.

48. If the federal government began right at this moment to repay the U.S. national debt at a rate of one dollar per second, it would take over 440,000 years to pay off the national debt.

49. The U.S. national debt has been increasing by an average of more than 4 billion dollars per day since the beginning of the Obama administration.

50. During the Obama administration, the U.S. government has accumulated more debt than it did from the time that George Washington took office to the time that Bill Clinton took office.

Of course, after going through all these numbers, the obvious question is, “how has it come to this?” The Economic Collapse has a simple answer:

. . . the heart of our economic problems is the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve is a perpetual debt machine, it has almost completely destroyed the value of the U.S. dollar and it has an absolutely nightmarish track record of incompetence. If the Federal Reserve system had never been created, the U.S. economy would be in far better shape. The federal government needs to shut down the Federal Reserve and start issuing currency that is not debt-based.

But who among America’s leaders has the will and determination to do this? Judging by how the Obama administration has conducted itself thus far, it probably won’t consider (let alone implement) any of the suggestions mentioned in the above. Therefore, that leaves only the GOP candidates.

Who among them has the best chance to restore economic stability? Who is the most likely to return the U.S. to prosperity?

“Hopefully next year more Americans than ever will wake up, because 2012 is going to represent a huge turning point for this country,” TEC writes.

Indeed, 2012 may be one of the biggest turning points this country has ever seen.

[Heatmaster78]

*Gets on iTouch, looks at this topic from new posts*
*Reads through the points*
*LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLs at #50*
*Gets on computer, types response*

"During the Obama administration, the U.S. government has accumulated more debt than it did from the time that George Washington took office to the time that Bill Clinton took office."
The only reason for this is because the Republican controlled Congress starts acting like a 5 year old whenever they don't get everything they want. They're Obama haters because Republicans hate Obama and Democrats, and Democrats hate Republicans, etc. Bush screwed up the economy when he was president and you guys didn't seem to point out that flaw. Bush left this hellhole for Obama when he left office and goddamnit, the Republicans ain't gonna do nothin' 'bout it because there's a black guy who's a Democrat in the office of President!

Whenever I listen to Norman Goldman on the radio he came up with a creative name for the Republicans. Since you guys obviously can't give us simple respect by saying "DemocratIC Party" instead of "Democrat Party," Norm called the Republicans the "RepubliCONS." He also brought up the point of him possibly being a hippocrite but he responded with a simple "I'll stop when you stop."

So if the Republicons stop acting like a spoiled 5 year old brat then maybe we can get this country fixed.

[WD-40]

*Gets on iTouch, looks at this topic from new posts*
*Reads through the points*
*LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLs at #50*
*Gets on computer, types response*

"During the Obama administration, the U.S. government has accumulated more debt than it did from the time that George Washington took office to the time that Bill Clinton took office."
The only reason for this is because the Republican controlled Congress starts acting like a 5 year old whenever they don't get everything they want. They're Obama haters because Republicans hate Obama and Democrats, and Democrats hate Republicans, etc. Bush screwed up the economy when he was president and you guys didn't seem to point out that flaw. Bush left this hellhole for Obama when he left office and goddamnit, the Republicans ain't gonna do nothin' 'bout it because there's a black guy who's a Democrat in the office of President!

Whenever I listen to Norman Goldman on the radio he came up with a creative name for the Republicans. Since you guys obviously can't give us simple respect by saying "DemocratIC Party" instead of "Democrat Party," Norm called the Republicans the "RepubliCONS." He also brought up the point of him possibly being a hippocrite but he responded with a simple "I'll stop when you stop."

So if the Republicons stop acting like a spoiled 5 year old brat then maybe we can get this country fixed.

You seem to conveniently forget that Obama and the Democrats (In both the House and the Senate) had 'control' over ALL the spending and political decision making his 1st two years in office, where the absolute WORST spending and political decision making took place in our Nation's history! Pelosi and Reid were ALWAYS carrying the attitude of [m'kay] the Republicans, we'll do what WE want and carry out Obama's agenda! And Obama's only answer was "see a problem, just throw money at it!" "We're outta money? No problem, we'll just print more!" Thereby driving up the U.S. debt, driving DOWN the value of the Dollar, and making the inevitable collapse of the Dollar bubble, Real Estate bubble and Government Debt bubble much worse than it could or should be. Obama is continually printing more money to cover our debt. Printing money is the one major thing keeping the market afloat....for now. When Inflation hits 10%, the [poo] will hit the fan, and the only thing we have to stop it, is Republicans and some Democrats who are saying "ENOUGH!" We have to stop spending like we actually HAVE the money to spend! They're finally getting the message...We don't! And if you are too ignorant to see that this continued out of control spending doesn't stop, this economy will collapse! There are so many talking-head TV pundits cheerleading the economy saying "It's fine!...No problem!" That's simply not true, and totally impossible! Bush may have made some bungled spending decisions, but Obama has crushed Bush's spending record because Obama simple 'never' had 'a plan'. It was simply throw money at a problem and hope it goes away. Tax and spend...tax and spend seems to be the Democrtic way. That will not work. Businesses MUST be given the opportunity to strengthen and hire people. New businesses MUST be given an attractive environment to be created. Spending MUST be put under control. And Barney Frank MUST do an assload of Prison Time for screwing us over regarding Fannie May and Freddie Mac.

the Republicans ain't gonna do nothin' 'bout it because there's a black guy who's a Democrat in the office of President!

Wow!...That's just totally stupid. He's half-white you know. It's his lack of experience, his inability to lead and inability to make good decisions that is the problem. Make a list of the good things Obama has accomplished that have helped our Nation grow and it's economic plight improve....I'd love to see it. Remember...FICTION is not allowed.

[Duel of Fates]

WD, you will have better success trying to herd a bunch of cats. People will read your post and find reasons to blame the GOP or the Dems. We have been brainwashed for years by the media and political elite. Those of us that do see the Big One coming, are drowning in the apathy of the majority. The previous post is a prime example of the ignorance. First reaction: Blame it on the other side. Don't think it through, just tell why your side is correct, and all opposition is at fault.

I would urge heat and the rest of the goofballs that are going to express their "beliefs" on why we are in the current economic condition to do the following:

1. Read the facts without political bias. Understand what you are actually reading.

2. Take your initial response and throw it out. Regurgitating the party lines will not accomplish anything.

3. See the truth. Both parties have taken turns lining their pockets with taxpayer money. Blaming one side or the other is exactly what they want you to do.

4. Understand that the Federal Reserve is a private entity. It is not the government.

5. After reflecting, then post. Keep in mind that falling into the trap of blaming the other guys won't get it done folks.

I have seen this coming a long way off. It is frustrating watching the majority of the public ignore and dismiss. Sad really, but considering the climate we are in and the media we find ourselves stuck with, unsurprising.

[Yanoda]

16. As the economy has slowed down, so has the number of marriages. According to a Pew Research Center analysis, only 51 percent of all Americans that are at least 18 years old are currently married. Back in 1960, 72 percent of all U.S. adults were married.

Times change and people tend to marry less often. Divorce rate has also increased over that time. From what I learned in High-school is that having a marriage is usually quite expensive (if you want to have the party, ceremony etc.), understandable in a slowing economy.

17. The U.S. Postal Service has lost more than 5 billion dollars over the past year.

From what I gather is that the USPS has offered their services at too low a price. Increase their prices (which could annoy a lot of people), they could reduce their debt.

21. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 18 percent of all homes in the state of Florida are sitting vacant. That figure is 63 percent larger than it was just ten years ago.

As I previously lived in FL. I can say it was due to mismanagement in 'housing market'. The previous government (Jeb Bush) had gave the green light to construction companies to buy off property with Government subsidy. Of course, most of those properties were mostly small Hotels/Hotel Owners since they usually had property close to/at the beach and due to drastic increases in Tourist Tax so that Hotels couldn't afford it. The increase in costs deterred tourists from coming due to the increase in costs (demand was not sufficient to justify cost). Hotel owners sold their property to construction companies who then built high rises for people who usually do not live in FL (we called them snow-birds). Once this process started, it caused a feedback effect:
Due to more high rises and fewer tourists, businesses were doing worse. Since the 'snow birds' would only stay at most 2 months (rest of the year the apt. is vacant) less constant income would have come to businesses. High rises reduced the desirability of the locations for Tourists. Hotels had to close/sell since they couldn't keep up with expenses, more high rises built, less constant income due to low purchasing from snow birds, loss of purchasing/merchandising caused more businesses to close which lead to less desirability for tourists etc.

23. 19 percent of all American men between the ages of 25 and 34 are now living with their parents.

I see no major problem with that, lower cost for the children and parents can say they want a small rent from them. Saves money for both.

24. Electricity bills in the United States have risen faster than the overall rate of inflation for five years in a row.

An example from South FL. We only had one energy provider, to which they had the monopoly. They were able to increase their prices knowing nothing much was going to be done. Their argument was that costs were increasing, ironically the company was very slow in repairing/improving power lines. Some power lines were still kept up with wooden poles which were outdated and started to rot. The company took all the time in the world.

27. If you can believe it, one out of every seven Americans has at least 10 credit cards.

Guess they can't manage their money well. I was perfectly able to come by with a Debit Card and a few gift cards.

28. The United States spends about 4 dollars on goods and services from China for every one dollar that China spends on goods and services from the United States.

Due to the demand for cheap products. If consumers would be willing to pay higher prices for american made products, then the ratio would get lower. Unfortunately, I do not see this happening anytime soon. Worked at a beach retail store (small private business) for 3 years and surprised at how unwilling people are in buying a product that costs 5-10% more than at a large store like Macy's. American products cost more (20-40%) then Chinese products, again, they were unwilling to pay for this.

32. According to a study that was just released, CEO pay at America’s biggest companies rose by 36.5 percent in just one recent 12 month period.
33. Today, the “too big to fail” banks are larger than ever. The total assets of the six largest U.S. banks increased by 39 percent between September 30, 2006 and September 30, 2011.

Time for the Gov. to demand the money back (with interest) for saving their asses.

47. Amazingly, the U.S. government has now accumulated a total debt of 15 trillion dollars. When Barack Obama first took office the national debt was just 10.6 trillion dollars.
50. During the Obama administration, the U.S. government has accumulated more debt than it did from the time that George Washington took office to the time that Bill Clinton took office.

Don't forget that G.W. Bush administration had an over 5 trillion deficit (which the article fails to address). Though it was over 8 years of Bush's Presidency compared to ~4.5 trillion in 3 years of Obama's Presidency. Bush also brought a large deficit but much less than Obama per year so far. Bush's Administration would also have increased the debt more than the time of George Washington to Bill Clinton. It seemed those points left out that crucial data to make Obama look in a bad light, but to be fair, he did not do a satisfying job so far either.

Cheers

Yanoda

[Mandalore]

Both parties are composed of imbeciles. Elect me dictat0r 4 life.

[ӺȁȿŧƔ]

Where did you copy and paste these facts from? Or should I say what biased news clown website did you get it from?

. . . the heart of our economic problems is the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve is a perpetual debt machine, it has almost completely destroyed the value of the U.S. dollar and it has an absolutely nightmarish track record of incompetence. If the Federal Reserve system had never been created, the U.S. economy would be in far better shape. The federal government needs to shut down the Federal Reserve and start issuing currency that is not debt-based.

Very well said. Sounds familiar...

[Duel of Fates]

Where did you copy and paste these facts from? Or should I say what biased news clown website did you get it from?

. . . the heart of our economic problems is the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve is a perpetual debt machine, it has almost completely destroyed the value of the U.S. dollar and it has an absolutely nightmarish track record of incompetence. If the Federal Reserve system had never been created, the U.S. economy would be in far better shape. The federal government needs to shut down the Federal Reserve and start issuing currency that is not debt-based.

Very well said. Sounds familiar...

And your argument is . . .?

[Heatmaster78]

Make a list of good things Obama has accomplished

Ok, googled it and found this list on a Facebook page (Umad?):

1. Saved the collapse of the American automotive industry by making GM restructure before bailing them out, and putting incentive money to help the industry
2. Shifted the focus of the war from Iraq to Afghanistan, and putting the emphasis on reducing terrorism where it should have been all along
3. Relaxed Anti-American tensions throughout the world
4. Signed order to close the prisoner “torture camp” at Guantanamo Bay
5. Has made the environment a national priority, and a primary source for job creation
6. Has made education a national priority by putting emphasis and money behind new ideas like charter schools, but speaking directly to school children in telling them they have to do their part.
7. Won the Nobel Peace Prize
8. $789 billion economic stimulus plan
9. Appointment of first Latina to the Supreme Court
10. Attractive tax write-offs for those who buy hybrid automobiles
11. Authorized construction/opening of additional health centers to care for veterans
12. Renewed dialogue with NATO and other allies and partners on strategic issues.
13. Beginning the process of reforming and restructuring the military 20 years after the Cold War to a more modern fighting force… this includes new procurement policies, increasing size of military, new technology and cyber units and operations, etc.
14. Better body armor is now being provided to our troops
15. “Cash for clunkers” program offers vouchers to trade in fuel inefficient, polluting old cars for new cars; stimulates auto sales
16. Changed the failing/status quo military command in Afghanistan
17. Closed offshore tax safe havens
18. Deployed additional troops to Afghanistan
19. Ended media “blackout” on war casualties; reporting full information
20. Ended previous policy of awarding no-bid defense contracts
21. Ended media blackout on war casualties and the return of fallen soldiers to Dover AFB.
22. Ended previous policy of cutting the FDA and circumventing FDA rules
23. Ended previous practice of forbidding Medicare from negotiating with drug manufacturers for cheaper drugs; the federal government is now realizing hundreds of millions in savings
24. Ended previous practice of having White House aides rewrite scientific and environmental rules, regulations, and reports
25. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has created 2.1 million jobs (as of 12/31/09).
26. Ended previous policy of not regulating and labeling carbon dioxide emissions
27. Ended previous policy of offering tax benefits to corporations who outsource American jobs; the new policy is to promote in-sourcing to bring jobs back
28. Ended previous policy on torture; the US now has a no torture policy and is in compliance with the Geneva Convention standards
29. . Launched Recovery.gov to track spending from the Recovery Act, an unprecedented step to provide transparency and accountability through technology.
30. Ended previous practice of protecting credit card companies; in place of it are new consumer protections from credit card industry’s predatory practices
31. Ended previous “stop-loss” policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan longer than their enlistment date
32. Energy producing plants must begin preparing to produce 15% of their energy from renewable sources
33. Established a National Performance Officer charged with saving the federal government money and making federal operations more efficient
34. Established a new cyber security office
35. Expanded the SCHIP program to cover health care for 4 million more children
36. Expanding vaccination programs
37. Families of fallen soldiers have expenses
38. Provided the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with more than $1.4 billion to improve services to America’s Veterans.
39. Federal support for stem-cell and new biomedical research
40. Funds for high-speed, broadband Internet access to K-12 schools
41. Responded with compassion and leadership to the earthquake in Haiti
42. Immediate and efficient response to the floods in North Dakota and other natural disasters
43. Launched Business.gov – enabling conversation and online collaboration between small business owners, government representatives and industry experts in discussion forums relevant to starting and managing a business. Great for the economy.
44. Improved housing for military personnel
45. Improved conditions at Walter Reed Military Hospital and other military hospitals
46. Changed failing war strategy in Afghanistan.
47. Improving benefits for veterans
48. Increased infrastructure spending (roads, bridges, power plants…) after years of neglect
49. Donated his $1.4 million Nobel Prize to nonprofits.
50. Increasing opportunities in AmeriCorps program
51. Provided tax credits to first-time home buyers through the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 to revitalize the U.S. housing market.
52. Increasing pay and benefits for military personnel
53. Increasing student loans
54. Instituted a new policy on Cuba, allowing Cuban families to return “home” to visit loved ones
55. Cracked down on companies that deny sick pay, vacation and health insurance to workers by abusing the employee classification of independent contractor. Such companies also avoid paying Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance taxes for those workers.
56. Limited salaries of senior White House aides; cut to $100,000
57. Limits on lobbyists’ access to the White House
58. Protected 300,000 education jobs, such as teachers, principals, librarians, and counselors through the Recovery Act that would have otherwise been lost.
59. Limits on White House aides working for lobbyists after their tenure in the administration
60. Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act on February 4, 2009, provides quality health care to 11 million kids – 4 million who were previously uninsured.
61. Lower drug costs for seniors
62. Making more loans available to small businesses
63. Many more press conferences and town halls and much more media access than previous administration
64. . Signed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, the first piece of comprehensive legislation aimed at improving the lives of Americans living with paralysis
65. New Afghan War policy that limits aerial bombing and prioritizes aid, development of infrastructure, diplomacy, and good government practices by Afghans
66. Announced creation of a Joint Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record for members of the U.S. Armed Forces to improve quality of medical care.
67. New federal funding for science and research labs
68. New funds for school construction
69. Ordered all federal agencies to undertake a study and make recommendations for ways to cut spending
70. Ordered a review of all federal operations to identify and cut wasteful spending and practices
71. Negotiated deal with Swiss banks to permit US government to gain access to records of tax evaders and criminals.
72. Phasing out the expensive F-22 war plane and other outdated weapons systems, which weren’t even used or needed in Iraq/Afghanistan
73. Reengaged in the agreements/talks on global warming and greenhouse gas emissions
74. Provided tax credit to workers thus cutting taxes for 95% of America's working families.
75. Reengaged in the treaties/agreements to protect the Antarctic
76. Removed restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research
77. Helped reverse a downward spiral of the stock market. On January 19, 2009, the last day of President Bush's presidency, the Dow closed at 8,218.22. In February 2010, the Dow closed at 10,309.24
78. Renewed loan guarantees for Israel
79. Restarted the nuclear non-proliferation talks and building back up the nuclear inspection infrastructure/protocols
80. Provided attractive tax write-offs for those who buy hybrid automobiles.
81. Returned money authorized for refurbishment of White House offices and private living quarters
82. Sent envoys to Middle East and other parts of the world that had been neglected for years; reengaging in multilateral and bilateral talks and diplomacy
83. Unveiled a program on Earth Day 2009 to develop the renewable energy projects on the waters of our Outer Continental Shelf that produce electricity from wind, wave, and ocean currents. These regulations will enable, for the first time ever, the nation to tap into our ocean’s vast sustainable resources to generate clean energy in an environmentally sound and safe manner.
84. Signed national service legislation; expanded national youth service program
85. States are permitted to enact federal fuel efficiency standards above federal standards
86. Students struggling to make college loan payments can have their loans refinanced
87. Successful release of US captain held by Somali pirates; authorized the SEALS to do their job
88. The FDA is now regulating tobacco
89. Ended the previous stop-loss policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan longer than their enlistment date.
90. The missile defense program is being cut by $1.4 billion in 2010
91. The public can meet with federal housing insurers to refinance (the new plan can be completed in one day) a mortgage if they are having trouble paying
92. The “secret detention” facilities in Eastern Europe and elsewhere are being closed
93. US financial and banking rescue plan
94. US Navy increasing patrols off Somali coast
95. . Signed the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act to stop fraud and wasteful spending in the defense procurement and contracting system.
96. Visited more countries and met with more world leaders than any president in his first six months in office
97. Improved relations with Iran
98. Improved U.S. policy on climate change
99. Set timetable for exiting Iraq (already started removing troops)
100. Improved relations with Russia
101. Improved relations with the Islamic World
102. Made progress towards greater cooperation on limiting nuclear proliferation
103. Economic stimulus plan has created jobs. (Unemployment rate decreasing)
104. Drastically slowed down the recession
105. Saved Wall Street
106. Passed the Lilly Ledbetter Act (equal work for equal pay) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilly_Ledb ... ct_of_2009
107. HEALTHCARE REFORM
108. Ordered the military operation that killed Osama Bin Laden

Another list: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter ... mise-kept/
Another: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Sa ... allet.aspx

Do you require more lists?

[ӺȁȿŧƔ]

And your argument is . . .?

I'm not making an argument. Just stating that WD is right about the Federal Reserve and how it needs to be shut down.

@Heat I didn't read much of those mostly because they are complete [poo]. I'll just take #97 for example. Improved relations with Iran? Iran wants us to get out of their country and stop occupying them. We brought democracy to Iran and taught them to have voting, but then ignored their decision when we didn't like it. Iran hates us more than ever now.