Just How Miserable Are We?
Remember the misery index from the Carter-Reagan years? The US misery index formula is:
unemployment + inflation = misery
In case you were wondering, this is precisely how miserable you are — 11.7 percent's worth:
The misery index is now worse than it’s been in any month since May 1991. We haven’t been this miserable in more than 17 years.
Click here for a month-by-month misery index graphic starting in 1948.
Comments
I do believe I am more than 12 percent miserable m'dear. ;)
Interesting index however.
Posted by: Dusty | September 6, 2008 08:54 PM
This equates to my election prediction formula. Those basic household economic indices are critical.
Bit of a bastard when you realise the country needs to be in deep sh** to drive change; that sometimes you might hope for those negatives to push wider change.
BTW - we ha a landslide win here in Mark Vaile's old seat. My Independent buddy, Rob Oakeshott decalred an hour after the poll closed with somewhere over 65% of primaries with 8 candidates.
Posted by: Dennis Cartledge | September 7, 2008 05:06 AM
Sorry to hear that, Dusty. But I think Obama will make you feel better. ;-)
Good point, Cart. We're pretty big on anticipatory military strikes and anticipatory arrests, but pushing for change in anticipation of disaster - not so much.
Glad to hear your man won, too. Sign of good things to come?
Posted by: abi | September 7, 2008 01:26 PM