Economy, heal thyself.
It would be a good slogan if Obamacare, Obama, Obama fans, Obama subjects, Obama’s White House, Obama’s news media and Obama’s comedians—including but not limited to Press Jester Jay Carney-- would just allow anything to heal.
I don’t know what it is with these guys, but their version of “healing” is tearing open old wounds and adding salt thereto. And then rinse, spit, repeat.
Nevertheless, the employment report that was recently released by the Bureau of Labor statistics was, by at least one measure, a surprisingly decent report.
And as I mentioned in an earlier column, it’s a decency that I attribute to the do-nothing Congress.
“The unemployment rate declined from 7.3 percent to 7.0 percent in November,” says the BLS, “and total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 203,000, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment increased in transportation and warehousing, health care, and manufacturing.”
Forget the unemployment number. It's imaginary.
The jobs aren't though.
The jobs are just another indication that the economy is beginning to heal from the first year of Obamacare. Too bad it won't last.
Make no mistake: Obamacare has done more to distort our economy, especially jobs, than anything the government has tried since World War II necessitated conscription.
And despite the talk by liberals and those in the media about just how terrible it is that we don’t have runaway government right now-- but rather gridlock-- divided government certainly seems to be working out better then the progressive majority has.
That’s probably because it’s better to not pass bills you don’t read then pass bills that you don’t read…and worse still, don’t understand.
The bad news however is that 2014 shapes up to be the Year of Obamacare II.
How bad will Obamacare II be?
Let’s put it this way: For the $2 billion it’s going to cost the government to finally get the Obamacare website in perfect "not working" order, I’m wondering, can we get the administration to add some ominous music in the background as we wait for pages to not load?
Here's the thing: I’ve always viewed Obama as essentially a silly man.
But even evil can appear silly when it’s ineffectual.
And as silly as Obama’s ridiculous social theories and economic Know-Nothingisms are, they’re continuing to do great damage to the economy, our society, and, yes, even the world. The damage is evil, even if the man himself is silly.
I certainly don’t think America is better off than it was five years ago. I don’t think anybody in the world would concede that the world is better off than it was five years ago.
To blame all of that on Obama would be unfair. Being an equity-oriented guy, I’ll settle for blaming most of it on him.
Maybe it’s just me, but I figure when you get the Nobel Peace Prize peace should follow in your wake.
In the war at home, however, the permanent consequences of Obamacare have been put off temporarily through highly questionable, possibly illegal executive discretion on enforcing laws.
But come January 1st and onward, all of that will come roaring back.
The job and economic distortions sponsored by Obamacare will be even worse in 2014 than they were in 2013.
And that’s a lot.
Over Thanksgiving I was contemplating how thankful I was for presidential term limits.
It’s too bad that we don’t term limit bad laws as well as bad presidents.
Because coming soon to a paycheck near you is Obamacare II.
And that ominous music in the background?
That’s not in your head, it’s meant for you.