Writing in today’s Week in Review, Michael Brick quotes one Daniel J. Levens, a manager at the Labor Ready day-labor center in Brooklyn, who said that “I just don’t see a big difference” in the economy. “It’s not worse. It’s not better. It’s just the same.” Confirming that view, Brick then quotes Dave Rick, 39, who was laid off from his printing job before Thanksgiving. “‘It doesn’t feel good,’ Mr. Rick said.”
I’m sure it doesn’t, and I don’t have any quarrel with Levens or Rick. But it does seem to me that they provide a pretty weak factual foundation for Brick’s immediately following question, which states the theme of his his entire article: “Why this disparity between Wall Street, where the betting is that another boom is beginning, and the experience of the rest of the country?”
With all due respect to the observational powers of Mr. Levens and the personal experience of Mr. Rick, I think Brick takes quite a leap in having them stand in for “the rest of the country.”
The part of the country that I can see up close is doing pretty well, and feeling pretty good about it. But then I’m not in New York.
Why do you question the accuracy of the NY Times? 100% of the people interviewed lost their jobs.
I think propaganda is a better word for what the NY Times does.
My wife and I often take note of all the brand new vehicles on the road. It’s difficult to imagine the economy being THAT bad with every other person on the road driving an SUV that is less than 3 years old.