Stuck in a Rut, Green Shoots, Glimmers - Euphemisms ABOUND!!!
What IS it with all of these euphemisms?!!?
I am trying to explain to my students what is happening in America - the Fed's Beige Book, etc. and I end up having to go into a five minute explanation of what "Stuck in a Rut" and "hints of a leveling off of the decline" mean. Then the President comes out with "Glimmers of Hope" and the Federal Reserve Chairman talks about "Green Shoots!!"
I guess that talking about what is REALLY happening is too scary, eh?!!?
Sheesh - so here's what I tell them, my hands expressing the reality:
Update: Unemployment "Sucks" - in this case, 8.5% in March when the President's team (Economists and Budget analysts) expected 8.9% by December. During the LAST "downturn" (another euphemism for recession), unemployment increased for another YEAR AND A HALF "AFTER" the recession ended (which also happened during the recession before that in 1990-1). Having LIVED those two recessions - meaning being unemployed during those two periods - I can safely say ... it "SUCKS"! (And I can grin on this side of living those two recessions) ... By the way, I also came out of university during the worst recession since the Great Depression (1981-2). I worked for the C&NW railroad for two years until they also laid me off at the end of 1982. I was one of the 10.3% unemployed during THAT recession. Laughing - see my vita for graduation dates - perfect timing as I hit each recession dead on!
I am trying to explain to my students what is happening in America - the Fed's Beige Book, etc. and I end up having to go into a five minute explanation of what "Stuck in a Rut" and "hints of a leveling off of the decline" mean. Then the President comes out with "Glimmers of Hope" and the Federal Reserve Chairman talks about "Green Shoots!!"
I guess that talking about what is REALLY happening is too scary, eh?!!?
Sheesh - so here's what I tell them, my hands expressing the reality:
In the U.S.A. the economy is not falling as fast and may, JUST MAY, be starting to level off (with my hands going flat).All in all - the economies are doing as well or better than we expected so far. However, there's the potential of "MORE SHOES TO DROP" and will it be "over when it's over" (Thanks to Paul Krugman for throwing in a final euphemism!!)~ LAUGHING OUT LOUD!!
In China, on the other hand, there are signs that the economy may be starting to increase - March from the Chinese Real GDP report released on Thursday. The CPI in China and the U.S. are in "Price Stability" mode - which i s AWESOME.
Unemployment - well that SUCKS!
Update: Unemployment "Sucks" - in this case, 8.5% in March when the President's team (Economists and Budget analysts) expected 8.9% by December. During the LAST "downturn" (another euphemism for recession), unemployment increased for another YEAR AND A HALF "AFTER" the recession ended (which also happened during the recession before that in 1990-1). Having LIVED those two recessions - meaning being unemployed during those two periods - I can safely say ... it "SUCKS"! (And I can grin on this side of living those two recessions) ... By the way, I also came out of university during the worst recession since the Great Depression (1981-2). I worked for the C&NW railroad for two years until they also laid me off at the end of 1982. I was one of the 10.3% unemployed during THAT recession. Laughing - see my vita for graduation dates - perfect timing as I hit each recession dead on!
How did you explain "sucks"? and did you explain the derivation of that term?????
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