I suppose it would benefit a lot of people's agendas if we had a nice recession- especially one that lasted until, say, November 5th.

Regrettably, however, a recession is not what happens when that overweight woman on FOX is upside down on her mortgage, or when I abandon more amazon shopping carts, or when you didn't get a raise, or when some politician wants to foment economic unrest in the hopes that it will benefit him or her that month.

There is a bright line that defines a recession: two (2) consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth. And, we haven't even had one of those yet.

But keep that dream alive, Dan!

Be patient, a recession may yet happen! And then you can cheerfully write all sorts of recession class war victim stories.

But until then, you'll have to content yourself with the usual class war victim stories that I so love to see here in the good times.

the economy is definitely receding, and as long as it lasts six months (last quarter of 2007 supposedly grew 0.15%... thanks to the single largest quarter of profits for oil in the history of the world - what we really have is a dual economy; oil is super booming and the rest of the nation is in a depression) it is perfectly correct to say that we are in a recession; because we are. We only have to wait six months to verify it lasted long enough to be called a recession; but when you say we are in a recession it projects that result.... so you don't have to wait to say it; you only have to say we might be in a recession if you aren't sure it will last, but if you are sure it will last, that we are in for a long downturn; which everyone projects... it is the same as saying we are receding and it is going to last at least six months. And no one is projecting that this will end on Nov 5th.

Visit bulliondirect.com and save yourself, moron....

If we don't have figures that show even one quarter of decreased GDP, then how can way say whether we're in a recession or not? Wouldn't it be imprudent to say that we were in a recession with any hard evidence? For the same reason, it would probably be inapposite to say for certain that we were not in a recession -- we just don't know yet.

The word has a definition, and using it in a manner inconsistent with that definition is not leftist or rightist; it's just incorrect.