I'd also like to point out the strange phrase that Mike used, "As the economy gets worse".
Are you already forecasting the next recession? Because in the United States where you and I both live, the economy has been getting BETTER for about the last 2.75 years when the 2008-2009 recession ended, and all calls are for continued growth for the immediately foreseeable future.
GDP has gone back to setting all-time records for a good portion of the time since the recession ended. And although unemployment in most sectors is still above the average by US standards, it has remained low by world standards even throught the pit of the recession.
I just like to point this out occasionally, since many of the less intelligent mainstream news sources still like to talk about "the bad economy"... despite the fact that the current economic recovery is much better than most economists feared at the height of the great financial crisis.
http://www.economist.com/node/15911334
Good point, and you caught me.
I am aware that things have been getting better, but you also pointed out the perspective. I know more and more people who are out of work and struggling and who don't see the effects of improved economy. And the mainstream news and even the pundits right now will beat this drum into the next election. Especially concerning DEBT.
My point in that statement was really to say, so long as the national mood (I suppose you could call it) or national attitude is that the economy is bad, then I feel that the potential for these systems to recruit new people remains high.
Education is truly the key to your perspective on the world. And while numbers and graphs might paint one picture, people might not feel the way your picture suggests they feel.
GDP growth may be up, but Debt to GDP is insanely high. GDP for the end of 2011 was $15.087 trillion with total public debt outstanding at a ratio of 101.8% of GDP, and debt held by the public at 70.1% of GDP. Let's not forget our own lovely government just pretends all it's unfunded obligations don't exist when presenting numbers. Total outstanding public debt: $15,391,735,627,010.18
But we could go back and forth here. The average person can't make heads or tails. This is how precious metals only people are able to present half the facts about our currency and make people worry the dollar will collapse "because they print money" while completely ignoring how the base money supply system works and how the government actually loans itself money and uses inflation to keep the debt away from it's own spending.
I like Ron Paul, but he only every brings attention to our debt and every broken thing. And A LOT OF PEOPLE listen to him. And this is pretty much like I said above. The back and forth that happens in national news. And average Joe doesn't read, research or seek answers for himself. So he feels bad and mad at the economy. (Because that's how they told him to feel, so he can vote accordingly)
Sigh, this is why we don't have cable.
My sources:
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/NP/BPDLogin?application=npUS Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis. "National Economic Accounts: Gross Domestic Product: Current-dollar and 'real' GDP". BEA.gov. Jan 27, 2012.
http://www.bea.gov/national/xls/gdplev.xls