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JOHN MCCAIN SAYS TIM FERNHOLZ IS WRONG.
Sure, fancypants Tim Fernholz with his education and knowledge of economic policy might think that the term "fundamentals of the economy" refers to markers like GDP or unemployment that economists generally use to understand how the economy is doing, but that's because he's a latte liberal who doesn't shoot moose or anything. John McCain on the other hand, understands that the term "fundamentals of the economy" refers to the strength and dedication of the American worker:
“My opponents may disagree, but those fundamentals of America are strong. ... Our workers have always been the strength of our economy, and they remain the strength of our economy today.”
Of course, by this measure, the fundamentals of the economy have always been strong, and will always be, unless McCain thinks that The Great Depression was caused by American workers simply becoming selfish layabouts. This definition also has the effect of labeling any criticism of how the economy is doing as a criticism of the American worker, much the same way as any critique of our Iraq policy is portrayed as slamming American soldiers.
In short, disagreeing with Republicans is unpatriotic. Disagreeing with John McCain, a former prisoner of war, is even more unpatriotic. Any questions?
UPDATE: Atrios beat me to it.
--A. Serwer
COMMENTS (3)
OK then, we can rephrase it like this: "the American workers are indeed the strength of our economy. Then how come McCain and the Republicans fight tooth and nail to make sure that all the rewards go to the rich, and treat workers like s***?"
Posted by: low-tech cyclist | September 15, 2008 2:47 PM
Is it just me, or does McCain's rhetoric sound kind of Marxist?
Posted by: fostert | September 15, 2008 3:52 PM
Here’s an idea:
Let’s get American workers to increase their productivity even more than they already have in the last twenty years, making sure that none of the resulting windfall goes to anyone but these desperate bankers and CEOs and Paris Hiltons who need it the most. Then let’s give the bankers and CEOs and Paris Hiltons a whopping big tax cut—it’s their due after all and we should show them our gratitude —while we raise Social Security taxes on workers, eliminate overtime pay, and cut pensions and benefits.
Has this been tried this before? I think it’s a winner!
(H/T to sadly,no)
Posted by: The Other Ed | September 15, 2008 4:05 PM