SAR #15012

Ever wonder what the real numbers are?

Leaderslip: Over 3.7 million marched across France on Sunday, a million or more in Paris alone, with leaders from all over the world in attendance to show solidarity and support for the French and freedom. The US was represented by its ambassador. The highest ranking administration official in Paris was Attorney General Eric Holder, who did not attend the event. Bet there'll be some editorial cartoons about that.

Another Verse: Once again the BLS reports that unemployment had dropped – this time to 5.6%, down 0.2% from last month. Too bad labor force participation also dropped 0.2% to a record low 62.7% - takes some of the luster of the 5.6% thingy. And wages didn't rise, either, because a large number of the newly employed are working at McJobs. Whoopee,.

A Million To None: On New Year's a million people celebrated in and around Times Square while the NYPD wass sulking in its patrol cars and donut shops. Not a single ticket was written and crime did not rule tha streets. Imagine the lost revenue.

Show Trial: General David Petraeus, US Commander in Iraq and Afghanistan and later CIA director must have pissed someone off – the FBI wants to bring felony charges against him for leaking secrets to his lover. As if this wasn't normal behavior in Washington.

Stop Digging: Republicans, set on getting America out of that hole called Obamacare, want to do away with the employer mandate to provide health care coverage. But that will drive even more people to seek coverage through the health care exchanges, which will lead to most of them getting federal subsidies to pay for their insurance, which will make people far more accepting of Obamacare and less likely to smile on the Republicans who want to take it away from them.

Frugal: Not ones to let a good tragedy go to waste, US and European intelligence and security leaders are urging greater monitoring of internet usage, more extensive surveillance of citizens and much tougher border inspections in order to protect freedom. And that well-known champion of the surveillance state democracy Barack Obama is inviting US allies to a security summit in Washington to devise further controls in the name of peace and brotherhood. 
 
Putting the Crap in Crapification: And the award goes to Mark Thoma,  who claims that “Retail jobs are better than you think.” He notes that “these jobs do not pay as well as jobs in the manufacturing sector”. He argues that “the average hourly wage in retail is approximately 68% of the wage paid in manufacturing. However, retail pays better than service sector jobs” Plus, “growth in retail has been pronounced.” Folding tee shirts and straightening the clearance table beats flipping burgers and you ain't gonna get a better job anyway, so enjoy. "The issue isn't just jobs. Even slaves had jobs. The issue is wages.” Jim Hightower

Now It Can Be Told: "Put simply, the economy is run by the rich for the rich..." most of whom “think poor people have it easy in this country."