US economy up by 2.4% in 2014, up by 2.5% in the final quarter

[Tender Branson]

Tables 7 & 8:

http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/gdp/2015/txt/gdp4q14_adv.txt

The growth rate in 2014 was 2.4% for the full year.

In 2013 it was 2.2%

[Tender Branson]

That means the UK beat out the US last year.

The UK had a 2.6% growth rate last year.

[Tender Branson]

Austria's GDP only went up by 0.3% in 2014, the WIFO said yesterday.

In the 2nd half of 2014, the economy even stagnated with 0% "growth" in both quarters.

2015 will probably be not much better, but if the government passes the tax-reform and tax-cut package in March, the economy might be back on a good footing starting in 2016 (the tax reform package would start Jan. 1, 2016).

...

Germany's GDP went up by 1.5% last year and Spain is also back in the growth zone (+1.4%)

[jaichind]

What happen to "Thanks Obama" ?

[Ban my account ffs!]

A big decrease in energy investment has been countered by good retail sales.

[AggregateDemand]

Unemployment is lower in America than nearly every European country.

Our deficit is continuing to shrink & gas prices have plummeted.

The economy's doing pretty well under Obama.  I'd give him a solid B+ on the economy.

If humans lacked the capacity to forecast more than 5 minutes into the future, I'd concur. In reality, Obama is shifting deficits onto his successor, much like Clinton, who started the trend of denying CBO requests for SS and MED reform.

[RFayette]

Unemployment is lower in America than nearly every European country.

Our deficit is continuing to shrink & gas prices have plummeted.

The economy's doing pretty well under Obama.  I'd give him a solid B+ on the economy.

If humans lacked the capacity to forecast more than 5 minutes into the future, I'd concur. In reality, Obama is shifting deficits onto his successor, much like Clinton, who started the trend of denying CBO requests for SS and MED reform.

First, Obama does support SS/MED reform.  GOP intransigence regarding the "No New Taxes" pledge as well as stubbornness in the far left of the Democratic party is blocking proposals like Simpson-Bowles from coming to fruition.

Second, the deficit is declining considerably as a % of GDP and likely will continue to do so.

I think things are going OK as they are.

[AggregateDemand]

First, Obama does support SS/MED reform.  GOP intransigence regarding the "No New Taxes" pledge as well as stubbornness in the far left of the Democratic party is blocking proposals like Simpson-Bowles from coming to fruition.

Second, the deficit is declining considerably as a % of GDP and likely will continue to do so.

I think things are going OK as they are.

Taxes are at 18% of GDP and rising. The last time we hit 20%, the economy took a tumble and manufacturing was annihilated. New taxes are out of the question, unless you're a riverboat-gambling socialist who prefers deadweight loss to economic growth (e.g. Obama).

Obama is known for saying hands off of entitlements. It's true that Republicans aren't much better, but at least they don't champion their underhanded vote-buying of the over-65 demographic. Obama is not interested in reforming anything, only expanding the current problem. See: ACA