Debunking Second Half-ism Mythologies

It's real nice that Goldman (GS) is now selling it's Limited Edition Silver Lining for 2009, pitched by none less than the infamous @SteveCase (who reportedly, almost single handedly, closed the biggest DOA dead fish corporate deal in history to Time Warner, seemingly without so much as a flinch of conscience). In fairness, I've never met the guy yet, but the harder you sell the Status Quo Mythology, the more likely you are part of the problem, today.

This need not be the case. Those who so choose could become part of the solution in a single moment, but for the sclerosing strain of chronic Aristocratic Oligarch Entitlement Personality Disorder that has catastrophically clotted up the American economic circulation system.

More specific to the mythology at hand, let's see where have we heard, "Trust Us, the Second Half Will be Better" before? Oh yeah, same time, same channel as last year:

• TheStreet: New Year, Same Problem (1 Jan 2008)
• The estimates are certainly coming down for 2008, but they're still higher than this past calendar year," said John Butters, research analyst with Thomson. "Since 2007 estimates have been dropping faster, the growth rate for 2008 is actually increasing."
  
• US growth to recover in 2008 (Feb 2008)
  
• Forbes: Atlanta Fed's Lockhart sees economy improving in second half of 2008 (Feb 2008)
• CNN: Experts: Don't fear the weak dollar (Mar 2008)
• "But two key factors temper economists' fears about the lasting impact of a sunken dollar: a surge in exports and expectations that the economy will begin to show signs of the growth during the second half of the year."
• ROTFLMAO! Trust the Experts!
• CNN: Read the Fed's minutes (Apr 2008)
  
• "The staff projection showed a contraction of real GDP in the first half of 2008 followed by a slow rise in the second half. The recently enacted fiscal stimulus package was expected to boost real GDP in the second half of 2008, but that effect was projected to unwind in 2009."
• Home Sales, Prices to Pick Up in Second Half of 2008 , Says NAR Chief Economist (May 2008)
• Fox Business News (echo chamber for NAR, May 2008)
• "Home sales and prices throughout most of the country are poised for improvement in the second half of 2008."
• Car economist sees limited drop in '08 US sales (Nov 2008)
  • ROTFLMAO!!!
  • I could go on, but it's not worth wasting more time proving what we all already know.

Namely, your 19th century pre-industrial communications model is just a little bit broken when you can't count on the fact that the masses threw away last year's paper and don't have the first recollection of what you said last year.

Today, we not only remember your lies, we can prove them, substantiate, cross-reference, cross-check, and cross-post them globally in minutes. In short, We the People don't believe a single word you say any more. You have stolen or hoarded all of OUR CASH. It's not yours, it's OURS, The Public's. Look at the ownership stamp on every piece of paper:

Federal Reserve Note

And WE own the Federal Reserve. They are OUR NOTES. So Shut Up and Cough 'Em Up. Right Now.

"Devil and the deep blue sea behind me; Vanish in the air youll never find me. I will turn your flesh to alabaster; When you find your servant is your master" (Wrapped Around Your Finger, The Police).