At 11:45 AM 11/29/96, Tom Walker wrote: >O.K., Doug, you win, U.S. workers have never had it so good ;-) It's just us >deluded, apocalytic ignoramuses who are imagining a fundamental and >frightening change for the worse. But there it is, clear as day, in the >selective statistics you present: everything is under control; nothing can >go wrong... go wrong... go wrong... Once more, slowly. Downward mobility has become a fact of life for most U.S. workers, and many others elsewhere in the First World. This is not because employment is disappearing; it's because not-so-good jobs are replacing sorta-good ones. It's hard enough to be taken seriously when you're on the left; making claims with no basis in fact doesn't help the cause at all. There's nothing selective about the stats I presented at all; perhaps you know of a more complete set than that published by the BLS. >Doug Henwood wrote, > >>Well since the business cycle goes up about 3/4 of the time, and down about >>1/4, what happens in the business cycle counts in the long run, no? > >Is this also a bureau of labour statistics fact or is it a basic law of >nature? (...like sun spots ;-)?) Please explain because this strategic >little piece of cracker barrel wisdom provides the _frame_ within which the >bls statistics tell the story you want them to (speaking of social >constructionism). Actually it's a National Bureau of Economic Research "fact," and it's based on the last 50 years of business cycle experience. I don't know whether the Business Cycle Dating Committee meets around a cracker barrel; I never dated a business cycle myself. Doug -- Doug Henwood Left Business Observer 250 W 85 St New York NY 10024-3217 USA +1-212-874-4020 voice +1-212-874-3137 fax email: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> web: <http://www.panix.com/~dhenwood/LBO_home.html>
