By: Mike Maharrey
Politicians love to weave narratives. You shouldn’t believe them.
In fact, most of them are utter B.S. And yet, supporters of these politicians eat these narratives up and repeat them ad nauseam, even without any evidence of their veracity.
One of Donald Trump’s favorite narratives is that he’s created the greatest economy in the history of America. He’s literally said this. And his supporters parrot the narrative. He’s just one example from my Facebook page.
You’re so full of sh*t , your breath stinks ? !!!!
Economy’s doing better than is has in 50 years .
You’re just another annoying Trump basher .
Go find something productive to do !
This is demonstrably untrue.
As I’ve pointed out before, Economic growth over the last two years, as measured by GDP, comes in at basically the same rate as it did during the best two years of the Obama administration. Trump is no better than Obama on economic growth.
More recently, we got manufacturing numbers that further shred this “greatest economy ever” narrative. U.S. manufacturing activity contracted in August, according to the latest Institute for Supply Management (ISM) data. It was the fifth straight monthly decline.
The number for August came in at 49.1. Any number under 50 signals a drop in manufacturing activity. This was the first contraction in three years and the first time the index has dropped below 50 since August 2016. Meanwhile, IHS Markit PMI hit 50.3, the lowest number since September 2009 – in the aftermath of the 2008 crash.
In other words, the manufacturing economy is at its weakest point in a decade. Manufacturing right now is as weak as it was during the tail-end of the Great Recession.
So much for the greatest economy ever narrative.
Here’s the lesson: never trust politician narratives.
Sometimes people ask me: why do I “pick on” Trump?
Because he does a lot of things that suck.
But this is not just about Trump. I “pick on” him for the same reasons I picked on Obama for years.
The truth is I’m going to criticize whoever is in the Oval Office. It’s not about personalities. It’s about fidelity to the Constitution. I am going to rip anybody who takes or supports unconstitutional actions. And more generally, anybody who does things that threaten my liberty.
If you ask me, too many people are wrapped up in Donald’s cult of personality and have abandoned their conservative principles. If anybody should be calling out unconstitutional and anti-liberty actions by Republicans, it’s Republicans. Clean your own house, you know?
The common refrain is, “Well, Trump is better than Hillary.” Yes. Yes, he probably is. But is that really your standard? Seriously?
Look, if you wanted me to criticized Hillary, you should have voted for her.
Don’t Believe Politician Narratives
By: Mike Maharrey
Politicians love to weave narratives. You shouldn’t believe them.
In fact, most of them are utter B.S. And yet, supporters of these politicians eat these narratives up and repeat them ad nauseam, even without any evidence of their veracity.
One of Donald Trump’s favorite narratives is that he’s created the greatest economy in the history of America. He’s literally said this. And his supporters parrot the narrative. He’s just one example from my Facebook page.
You’re so full of sh*t , your breath stinks ? !!!!
Economy’s doing better than is has in 50 years .
You’re just another annoying Trump basher .
Go find something productive to do !
This is demonstrably untrue.
As I’ve pointed out before, Economic growth over the last two years, as measured by GDP, comes in at basically the same rate as it did during the best two years of the Obama administration. Trump is no better than Obama on economic growth.
More recently, we got manufacturing numbers that further shred this “greatest economy ever” narrative. U.S. manufacturing activity contracted in August, according to the latest Institute for Supply Management (ISM) data. It was the fifth straight monthly decline.
The number for August came in at 49.1. Any number under 50 signals a drop in manufacturing activity. This was the first contraction in three years and the first time the index has dropped below 50 since August 2016. Meanwhile, IHS Markit PMI hit 50.3, the lowest number since September 2009 – in the aftermath of the 2008 crash.
In other words, the manufacturing economy is at its weakest point in a decade. Manufacturing right now is as weak as it was during the tail-end of the Great Recession.
So much for the greatest economy ever narrative.
Here’s the lesson: never trust politician narratives.
Sometimes people ask me: why do I “pick on” Trump?
Because he does a lot of things that suck.
But this is not just about Trump. I “pick on” him for the same reasons I picked on Obama for years.
The truth is I’m going to criticize whoever is in the Oval Office. It’s not about personalities. It’s about fidelity to the Constitution. I am going to rip anybody who takes or supports unconstitutional actions. And more generally, anybody who does things that threaten my liberty.
If you ask me, too many people are wrapped up in Donald’s cult of personality and have abandoned their conservative principles. If anybody should be calling out unconstitutional and anti-liberty actions by Republicans, it’s Republicans. Clean your own house, you know?
The common refrain is, “Well, Trump is better than Hillary.” Yes. Yes, he probably is. But is that really your standard? Seriously?
Look, if you wanted me to criticized Hillary, you should have voted for her.