Irregular Times Diaries: Unfit Discussion

They say that the economic recession has ended. When they say that, they’re talking about the reality of wealthy investors on Wall Street.

In the rest of America, the recession continues. That fact is illustrated by the following graph, recently released by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office:

This graph shows the rate of long term unemployment – people who have been looking for work, but unable to find any, for over 26 weeks. In the last half century, the long term unemployment rate hasn’t been anywhere close to where it is now – not even under the economic disaster America suffered when Ronald Reagan was in the White House.

Detroit could use a drink or two these days, with auto workers being laid off left and right, or downright fired in the tens of thousands. So, I thought I’d create a mixed drink just for the folks who are going through hard times in Mo-less-town these days.

I call it the Michigan chocolate scotch. Mix creme de cacao and scotch, and then add Vernors soda, to taste.

It’s not an especially tasty drink. It’s kind of reminiscent of gasoline. I thought that would be appropriate.

“New jobless claims jump unexpectedly to 667,000″ says the Associated Press.

What about huge unemployment isn’t expected? Who didn’t expect this kind of massive increase in joblessness? Who’s the idiot that still hasn’t gotten the memo that the economy is falling apart?