We have become drama queens:

"But now, coming off two decades of prosperity and low inflation, Americans have come to treat low unemployment and inflation as givens. We have gotten so used to things being good, in other words, that even when conditions become somewhat bad, it feels terrible."

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By the pre-1983 calculations, our inflation has been running at 11% through the bush years. It's only by eliminating such major factors as energy costs that the numbers are artificially deflated.

And the unemployment stats only reflect people actively receiving unemployment checks. Factor in those who have stopped looking or have run out of checks, and the number is drastically higher.

You also need to look at the dichotomy in our economy. Most of the benefits of the growth of the past 30 years has gone to the very top. The vast majority of Americans have seen skyrocketing costs of living and stagnant wages.

So it's not people being overly dramatic, it's people making rational assessments of their situations.

I love you guys...when the data doesn't work for you, you just spin, spin, spin.

Don't get an attitude with me because your op-ed writer doesn't know this very basic information.

to act as if we haven't been in a massive pro growth moment for the past 20 years is laughable. Let me guess, we have also manipulated the unemployment rate (seen that one before) and increasing the oil supply doesn't effect the price.

I have heard it all before. :)

If you think the current prices are a result of a massive supply decrease, feel free to back it up with numbers. Otherwise, I'll continue to think it's the result of rampant inflation.

um...its because of massive increase of global demand, particularly from Inida and China.

You want to make up something else I believe? You are pretty good at making stuff up.

The problem is most democrats don't understand economics. Why they can't grasp the concept of supply and demand is beyond me.