Burger-Flipping = Manufacturing? Bush Economic Report Asks "Why Not"?

[hatrack]

"Is cooking a hamburger patty and inserting the meat, lettuce and ketchup inside a bun a manufacturing job, like assembling automobiles? That question is posed in the new Economic Report of the President, a thick annual compendium of observations and statistics on the health of the United States economy.

The latest edition, sent to Congress last week, questions whether fast-food restaurants should continue to be counted as part of the service sector or should be reclassified as manufacturers. No answers were offered.

In a speech to Washington economists Tuesday, N. Gregory Mankiw, chairman of the president's Council of Economic Advisers, said that properly classifying such workers was "an important consideration" in setting economic policy.

EDIT

"When a fast-food restaurant sells a hamburger, for example, is it providing a 'service' or is it combining inputs to 'manufacture' a product?" the report asks."

EDIT

Just when you think these people can't get any more clueless, arrogant and intellectually dishonest, huh, they surprise you yet again.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/20/business/20jobs.html

[wryter2000]

1. Yeah, and...

Ketchup's a vegetable. Why not call fast food restaurants farms?

[mhr]

2. Can There Be Any Doubt That We Are Living In Orwell's 1984?

eom

[tom_paine]

10. No. No doubt at all.

[Options Remain]

3. well perhaps

its not technically "food" anyway.

and would that not give fast food employees access to manufacturing unions?

TearForger

[KharmaTrain]

4. 2 + 2 = 5 Fuzzy Economics

These people aren't clueless, they're purposely deceiving...twisting statistic or outright lying; using the GOOP mantra that if you say the lie long enough people will finally believe it to be true.

The clueless ones are those who are on the outside looking in who are led to believe that their economic condition is purely their own and, in some cases, of their own making. "The economy isn't bad...and it'll be better in 11 months (that was Drier last night)", "The recession was Clinton's fault", if you're not making money now it's your fault.

In the GOOP bizzaro world wealth is the gauge of all things...either you have it or you don't. Those who aren't working as thus not worthy and complaining is unpatriotic...so shut up and don't worry, we'll fix things.

These days I don't know which is more ominous...another four years of this regime pillaging the treasury or all the damage they could do if they see the possibility of losing the election.

[argyl]

5. How many burger flippers make $30 an hour?

xx

[cosmicdot]

6. it's a stretch...maybe if they label their 'food' as an industrial

byproduct ... assembly is involved ... but, so it is, too, in companies who provide satellite up/link access, e.g., the assembly line of 'data' ...

they'd be back-peddling if such effort backfired benifitting union organizers

when just plain making up stuff doesn't work anymore, change the rules to fit the lie


***** the consequences of this may be more than meets the eye of everyday folks on the street making a living *****


a return to the early 1900s

[Warren Stuart]

7. Creative Economics - Hey we can have fun with this!

The guys at the car wash are not just cleaning cars, they are manufacturing a shine, ditto shoe shine engineers.

While we are on the subject of restaurants, how about waiters and watresses who manufacture excellent dining experiences. Or the dishwashers who are building piles of clean dishes.

Lets not forget the guy at the convenience store who manufactures the coffee I drink, and builds the stacks of newspapers I peruse.

[efhmc]

8. In the book "Fast Food Nation" (can't underline), the method for making

fast food is patterned after manufacturing techniques. Too bad they didn't use some of the union ideas for the fast food workers.

[tom_paine]

9. What a disgusting, Orwellian, Soviet disgrace

I really wish our Busheviks would leave us to go and help their "soulmates" in Putin's Russia and Commie China.

Our Emperor and his Imperial Stooges would fit in quite well with those Totalitarian Bastards.

Quite well indeed.

[cosmicdot]

12. The United Soviet States of outsourced America

I don't want to see similarities with the Soviet organization and system ... but, I do.

We are the corporation.

[Richardo]

11. Well that's strike two for Mankiw...

...another embarrassing quote for Scotty to backpedal on - after the "job exports are good" fiasco. :)

In addition, the Council of Economic Advisers "2.6 million jobs in 2004", while not directly attributed to Mankiw, is at least a foul tip.

Pool: When does Mankiw resign to spend more time with his family?

[cosmicdot]

13. highly paid high level messengers for the actual poker players

"2.6 million jobs in 2004" ... maybe they meant that to be the low-end target for new jobs lost?

[JHB]

14. Comrade Bush, American Commisar

Guess what? The soviets won the cold war! Now we have an administration with:

Soviet-style secrecy: All information aggrandizes the Premier and Party. Any accountability is suppressed;
Soviet-style science: "Scientific oversight" is turned over to those with "approved" viewpoints. "Real science" follows the enlightened policies of the Premier and Party. Those dissenting from approved views are subversives and counter-revolutionaries;
Soviet-style press: Pravda and Izvestiya? Meet Fox News and talk radio;

and now, Soviet-style economics! The glorious Premier's brilliant economic plan will bring success and prosperity. By definition. OTHER definitions will be made more...fluid...to compensate.

[rusty charly]

15. hmmm...

By that logic, wouldn't eating a hamburger also qualify as manufacturing? "...the mechanical, physical or chemical transformation of materials, substances or components into new products." Hey, I'm manufacturing right now! Tax cut!

[snippy]

16. The democrats should drop everything and focus on publicizing this.

This kind of dipshit idiocy could wound Bush so deeply that he could never recover. This would really resonate with millions of people. Even Poppy and Bar would consider him a total dipshit for this.

[hatrack]

17. House painters are "manufacturing" a water-tight seal on your home

Nurses are "manufacturing" health.

Lawyers are "manufacturing" briefs and appeals.

Janitors are "manufacturing" clean, shiny floors.

PR firms are "manufacturing" clean, shiny images.

Personal trainers are "manufacturing" firm, muscular bodies.

Call center workers and telemarketers are "manufacturing" verbal communication.

Hell, let's call everything "manufacturing" and call it a day.

[ignatius]

18. Oh brother, now it is official, these people are bona fide nutcases

Manufacturing in this country has been negative for 35 stright months. I don't know how far back you have to go to match that, my guess is 1928ish.

The way these people think is frightening, like a bad episode of the Twilight Zone on steroids.

Vote Bush and Cheney in 04..a Mcjob for every Mcperson

The only thing this band of loonies know how to manufacture is freakin' bullshit.

[soup]

19. My 16 year old son

will no longer be known as a KFC flunkie. He'll be a 'product developer in the manufaturing sector'.

Sounds good.

He should probably ask for a raise. :crazy:

[ignatius]

20. And if he actually gets to put the chicken in the grease he is a

master chemist.

[soup]

23. He does! He does!

Now if his grades in school would just reflect all of the extraordinary accomplishments he's made in the work force, we'd really have something here.

:hi:Thanks for the laugh, ignatius. Sometimes it's all that's left.

[ignatius]

24. You got that right. With this band of thieves and lunatics, it's

either laugh or cry. I try to laugh, but some days the tears win.

regards, ig

[BillZBubb]

21. Manufacturing related employment activities, that's the ticket!

When all else fails, obfuscate and prevaricate--the BushCo mantra.

[opihimoimoi]

22. The Emperor has no clothes and he has no truth, its all built on LIES

The whole Administration is built on LIES

Anything to point out a rosey picture. Damn.

[burythehatchet]

25. I guess spongebob would agree

if it also applies to crabby patties

:)

[hatrack]

26. Blatant self-kick

Because if you haven't read this story, you need to!