For the past 40 years, our political leaders have not only allowed, but have deliberately effectuated economic polices that have crammed most of the profits generated by ordinary working people into the pockets of those at the very tippy-top of the income ladder — by conspiring against organized labor, giving preferential tax breaks to the very wealthy, and by allowing bad trade deals to offshore our best jobs.

Want to know how to create up to 5.8 million jobs in three years?  End currency manipulation.  So says a new study released from the Economic Policy Institute.  If currency manipulation was stopped, the U.S. trade deficit would shrink by up to $500 billion in three years, annual GDP would increase up to $720 billion, the federal budget deficit would be reduced by $100 billion each year and 40% of the new jobs created would be in manufacturing.

Have you seen the economic recovery?  I haven’t either.  But it is bound to be around here somewhere, because the National Bureau of Economic Research spotted it in June 2009, four and one-half years ago.

Congress at the midnight hour has passed a deal to re-open the government and raise the debt ceiling, yet this deal is amazingly short lived.  The political theater has been unbelievable and once again the problem with America's economy is completely irresponsible politics versus external events.  Instead of focusing in on the responsible thing, which of course is to not destroy the United States and global economy, the press is now having a field day with who blinked first in this very dangerous game of political chicken.