The nation's unemployment rate dropped to a 4 1/2 year low [and] employees' average hourly earnings climbed to $16.41 in January, up 0.4 percent from December.

Are these people on crack? Don’t they read the news?

Ford lays off 25,000,

Kraft cuts 8000 jobs,

Dell hires 5000 in India,

GM trims $4B from budget,

Visteon shifts resources offshore,

OfficeMax closes 110 stores,

Toys R Us closes 75 stores, lays off 3000

And this list is by no means exhaustive!

Either these people are hopelessly stupid, or they think that WE are.

"The economy fired on all cylinders in January," said economist Sung Won Sohn, president of Hanmi Bank.

"There's no question we're getting back to better days for job creation," said Ken Mayland, economist at ClearView Economics.

Payrolls grew by 193,000 in January, up from 140,000 in December.

Yeah, right. Tell that to the 24,175 applicants who were turned down by Wal-Mart last Friday!

So, why are these people lying through their teeth? Cui bono?

Americans have expressed anxiety about the economy, polls indicate. President Bush, coping with relatively low job-approval ratings, is seeking to ease those fears.

"I think keeping taxes low is an important way to make sure this economy continues to grow." The president wants Congress to make his tax cuts permanent.

The President's plan: convince us that his dumb-ass tax cuts for the rich are increasing jobs, just long enough to make the tax cuts permanent.

But who else stands to gain from these made-to-order employment figures?

While wage growth is good for workers, big increases -- if sustained -- would be troubling to investors and economists who fret about inflation.

To fend off inflation, the Federal Reserve on Tuesday boosted a key interest rate to its highest point in nearly five years.

What a crock of shit. These people don't worry about inflation. WE worry about INFLATION. They worry about increased labor costs, which hurt their bottomline.

But, they throw in the word INFLATION to scare the crap out of us and convince us that they're looking out for our best interests.

Sure, they say. We (the Fed and its moneylending cohorts) are increasing interest rates; and that's going to take away your (alleged) gains in wages. But, it's for your own good.

How else are we going to 'fight' inflation? It's your fault! Your wages are inflating the cost of products!

Duh, okay, you say.

Now, how would you like your rate hike, lying down or bending over?