Rock the Quote
“Europe’s like a man who’s suffering chronic arteriosclerosis and who has also been hit by a truck.” David Frum, speaking about Europe’s economy (the diseased man) and the Euro crisis (truck).
“…financial markets are inherently unstable. They will neither self-correct nor self-regulate. Their instability poses a threat to markets and economies and people across the globe. Therefore, they need to be regulated…and JP’s [Morgan Chase] loss should be taken as a warning that our tendency is to set them too low.” Jared Bernstein
“We’ve had it backward for the last thirty years. Rich businesspeople like me don’t create jobs. Rather, they are a consequence of an ecosystemic feedback loop animated by middle-class consumers.” Nick Hanauer
“Well, growth is still the best antidote for poverty. But one of the things we’ve learned…is growth alone isn’t enough so we try to talk about inclusive growth…[W]hat inclusive growth means to me is that you also need an efficient social safety net, so that when the vicissitudes of economies or world events strike, that people at the bottom aren’t crushed or you don’t lose a generation through…improper nutrition or education…At the same time, there’s still a lot of people just above the poverty line. So there’s a need to sort of create opportunity.” Robert Zoellick, outgoing president of the World Bank
“Conservatives believe in the ties that bind us, that society is stronger when we make vows to each other and we support each other. So I don’t support gay marriage in spite of being a conservative. I support gay marriage because I am a conservative.” British Prime Minister David Cameron
“Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber.” Plato
By the Numbers
2.4—Percent of total employment in the U.S. accounted for by green jobs in 2010. That’s roughly 3.1 million green jobs, 860,000 of which were in the public sector. (U.S. Department of Labor, Washington Post, Indianapolis Star)
15.4—Percent of U.S. GDP made up of tax revenues in 2011. Under President Reagan, tax revenues equaled 18.2% of GDP. To find a pre-financial crisis year where taxes equaled 15.4% of GDP, one would have to go all the way back to 1950 (pre-Medicaid/Medicare. Heck, that’s pre-Hawaii statehood). (Ezra Klein, Washington Post, MSNBC)
50-100—Percent of the increase in death rates for older male workers in the years immediately following a job loss. (Daniel Sullivan, Till von Wachter; Columbia University)
75—Percent of medicines consumed in the U.S. which are generic/off-label. The cost of the 25% of medicines which are not generic equal 90% of the $310 billion spent annually in the U.S. on prescription drugs. (Gardiner Harris, New York Times, NPR, The Diane Rehm Show)
263—Approximate number of organizations the U.S. government has either created or re-configured to tackle aspects of the war on terror since September 11, 2001. 33 new building complexes have been built for the intelligence bureaucracies alone (17 million square feet, which equals 22 U.S. Capitols or 3 Pentagons). (Fareed Zakaria GPS; CNN)
1864—The first year the motto “In God We Trust” appeared on an American coin. It did not appear on paper currency until 1957. (Diarmaid McCullough)
230,000—Number of employees working for the Department of Homeland Security. (Fareed Zakaria GPS; CNN)
