Manufacturing sector contracts for the first time in nearly a decade

[maddogesq]

Source: CNBC

U.S. manufacturer growth slowed to the lowest level in almost 10 years in August, the latest sign that the trade war may be exacerbating the economic slowdown.

The U.S. manufacturing PMI (purchasing managers’ index) was 49.9 in August, down from 50.4 in July and below the neutral 50.0 threshold for the first time since September 2009, according to IHS Markit.

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/22/manufacturing-sector-contracts-for-the-first-time-in-nearly-a-decade-according-to-ihs-markit.html

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Hi al, your gloomed-sooner Dawg is back with more signs of something we saw coming, hastened by the Orange Disaster in Chief, tax cuts, and so on.

[BlueIdaho]

1. Whistling Past the Graveyard...

The experts are trying to soft pedal some bad news.

[Recursion]

2. Uh oh (nt)

[Boomer]

3. Taking bets

Trump will blink first in the face-off with China. He's running scared for his prospects in 2020.

[Lonestarblue]

8. You're right.

Trump will accept any deal China offers as the election gets closer, and he’ll then lie about what a great deal it is when in reality it will probably be worse than what we had before he was elected.

WaPo had an interesting opinion piece earlier this week about the power that Xi currently holds over Trump. He can slow walk any agreement or refuse any agreement at all with the probability that Trump will not be reelected and he’ll be able to deal with a more rational person. Contrarily, he could also make Trump look like a winner by agreeing to a deal, thinking that it benefits Trump’s reelection chances and he would rather deal with an ineffective, ignorant Trump for four more years than an administration that is likelier to be tougher on the real issues like technology transfer. Interesting position of power that Trump handed Xi with his stupid policy.

[Boomer]

10. Explain this to the farmers

So many of the farmers who still support Trump have convinced themselves that they are making a sacrifice for country. They're the brave patriots who are holding the line so that Trump can beat China and get us all to a better trading position.

When Trump caves, it will be a lot harder for farmers to hold on to that illusion. On the other hand, they may just double-down since admitting they were conned by a narcissistic idiot is never easy.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. I don't know about anyone else

but I can feel things slowing down. eBay is nearly dead for me, the stores I shop at are trying to push price increases but merchandise is sluggish, and help wanted ads are slow also. A healthy retailer has some empty shelves because they don't want to overstock.

[rurallib]

5. Larry Kudlow says:

'whut shu talken bout? Huh? Besht 'conomy ever.'

[Norbert]

6. I was on Zillow last night

I checked houses in my zip and many of them have been on the market 60 or more days. If this is widespread it looks like the days of putting a house on the market and getting an offer within 72 hours is over for now thanks in part to Donnie Dimwit..

[Wellstone ruled]

7. Wonder when the sheep

will figure out that their Fuhrer has been fleecing them from day one.

Some of us have been predicting this economic slide from day one. You can not take a trillion dollars out of a Economy and expect things to produce growth.

[marble falls]

9. So much winning!