Monday, January 19, 2009

Economy Was a Lot Worse In the Early 80's

Consider the following comparisons of key economic variables today to the peaks for those variable in the early 1980s (see graph above):

Prime Rate
1981: 20.5%
2009: 4% (Current)

Inflation
1980: 14.8%
2008: 0% (December)

Unemployment Rate
1982: 10.8%
2008: 6.5% (December)

30-Year Mortgage Rate
1981: 18.5%
2009: 6.04% (Current)

Real Gas Price (2008 dollars)
1981:
$3.45 per gallon
2009: $1.82 (Current)

Bottom Line: When it comes to the current state of the economy, it could be a lot worse. It WAS a lot worse in the early 1980s, by the five key economic variables above: prime rate, inflation, jobless rate, 30-year mortgage rate and real gas prices.

WHAT RECESSION? THE $170 MILLION INAUGURATION

EDITORIALS: Sad Hill News

EDITORIALS: American Issues Project

EDITORIALS: American Thinker

EDITORIALS: Conservative Dialysis

EDITORIALS: Defund & Disobey

EDITORIALS: DickMorris.com

EDITORIALS: Firm Foundation

EDITORIALS: Investor's Business Daily - Editorial RSS

EDITORIALS: John Goodman's Health Policy Blog

EDITORIALS: Obama Lies

EDITORIALS: Onenewsnow.com Front Page Stories

EDITORIALS: Power Line

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EDITORIALS: The Front Page

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EDITORIALS: The Patriot Room

EDITORIALS: TownHall Latest columns

EDITORIALS: Vocal Minority

EDITORIALS: Webloggin

ECONOMICS: Agora Financial's The 5 Min. Forecast

ECONOMICS: Capital Commerce

ECONOMICS: Capitalism Magazine (CapMag.com)

ECONOMICS: CARPE DIEM

ECONOMICS: NCPA | Daily Policy Digest

ECONOMICS: RealClearMarkets

ECONOMICS: WSJ.com: Real Time Economics

NEWS: NewsBusters.org - Exposing Liberal Media Bias

NEWS: Newsmax - Inside Cover

NEWS: Resistnet.com

NEWS (SATIRE): ONN Front Page Stories

TRACKING: The Obameter: Tracking Obama's Campaign Promises