Consumer Mood at 2-Year High Despite Financial, Job Worries

[sabra]

Source: CNBC/Reuters

U.S. consumer confidence rose to a two-year high this month as the economic outlook improved, though most had a grim view of their own personal financial and employment prospects, a private report showed on Friday.

The Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers said its final index of sentiment for January was 74.4, up from December's 72.5 and higher than analysts' expectations for 73.0.

That was the highest since January 2008 — a month after the recent recession started — and it also beat the preliminary reading for this month of 72.8.

The report follows government data showing the U.S. economy grew 5.7 percent in the fourth quarter, which was the fastest in six years but still failed to dispel concerns about sustainability of recovery amid a 10 percent jobless rate.

"Consumers are overwhelmingly convinced that the worst is over but nonetheless expect stagnating income and job prospects rather than solid growth during the year ahead," the University of Michigan report said.

Read more: http://www.cnbc.com/id/35143310

[Robbien]

1. Goes to show propaganda works

Gee, things suck for us but hey the TV says things are rosy so I guess that must be so.

[joedee1969]

3. They are not FOOLING any one !

Do they think if they keep saying the recession is over that people won't notice they have no job or home? Here is a hard hitting link that tells the truth:

http://americaspeaksink.com/2009/12/unemployment-benefit-extensions-are-a-blatant-lie/

[tom_paine]

5. I wish what you just said was true, but in fact, they are fooling almost EVERYONE.

Just as in old Soviet Russia, there will be at least a decades-long lag in peope's realization that damned near anything that comes out of their TVs pretending to be news is 90-100% bullshit an advertising disguised as new.

It took the Russian 50 years or more to figure it out to where it became a meaningful force in society, and the Soviet Propagandists were small children compared to our Corporate Propagandists.

No one can predict the details of the future, but I think it likely that, considering the relative sophistication and "personal tailoring" our our Modern Propaganda, which encompasses nearly everything nowadays, our mass delusion will last far longer than the Russians'.

I hope you are correct, but I see NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING, to indicate that it would be so.

Go ahead, try taking that idea out to the "Real World" (which ironically is more drowned in lies than any paranoid's delusion, thanks to Corporatization and Bushification of all major information streams collectively known as our "National Dialogue") and watch yourself be dismissed as a lunatic.

Let me know how it goes.

I am afraid they are fooling everyone, or to say it better, they continually fool enough people to make it indistinguishable from literally fooling everyone, as stated by the principles and axioms of modern manipulation science (advertising, PR, marketing, etc.)

[hunter]

2. I'm going to rush out and buy a bag of Crunchy Cheetos right now!!!

Party! :party:

[mac56]

4. Perception is reality.

Feelings are facts.

[Dr.Phool]

6. Must have been a sale on crack at Walmart.

[ShortnFiery]

7. Pure, unadulterated BULLSHIT!

They don't even try to be discreet with their VILE disinformation and propaganda any longer. :puke:

[CatholicEdHead]

8. I see it as survival mode for the long term

and starting to come to terms of things that really matter, which this recession (d?) has forced on everyone. You cannot stay in the dumps forever, so there is hope despite the economic despair.

[L0oniX]

9. Bullshit gives you wings.

[Socal31]

10. That's only because of all the anti depressants that big Pharm and the FDA are dealing.

[M155Y_A1CH]

11. Yeah, we're a dancin' and singin'

"Brother Can You Spare A Dime" when we would much prefer "Happy Days Are Here Again"