COMMENTARY
The first of these graphs is probably the most important indicator of the weakening economic situation of the United States. The United States used to be the center of global financial stability, but a chronic trade imbalance year after year has consumed a huge amount of the country's resources.

I grew up in the UK, and as a child listeded to adult conversations about the balance of payments and how this was constraining the British economy ... and all of the Sterling Area. The USA, on the other hand, had immense financial liquidity and could invest anywhere without any constraintes.

The US business community more than the political community have built an economy where profits for the company are optimized and in the process they have created a US economy with chronic balance of payment deficits. The damage to the USA, and to the quality of life of the population is huge, but never talked about, rather there is talk about war on terror which has done little damage compared to the damage that has been done by corporatye decision makers.
Peter Burgess

Reagan Revolution Home To Roost -- In Charts

It seems that you can look at a chart of almost anything and right around 1981 or soon after you'll see the chart make a sharp change in direction, and probably not in a good way. And I really do mean almost anything, from economics to trade to infrastructure to ... well almost anything. I spent some time looking for charts of things, and here are just a few examples. In each of the charts below look for the year 1981, when Reagan took office.

Conservative policies transformed the United States from the largest creditor nation to the largest debtor nation in just a few years, and it has only gotten worse since then:

Working people's share of the benefits from increased productivity took a sudden turn down:

This resulted in intense concentration of wealth at the top:

And forced working people to spend down savings to get by:

Which forced working people to go into debt: (total household debt as percentage of GDP)

None of which has helped economic growth much: (12-quarter rolling average nominal GDP growth.)

Please leave a comment pointing people to a chart with a change after Reagan took office. How about a chart that shows America's investment in maintaining and modernizing our infrastructure over time?

Sometimes it can be so obvious where a problem comes from, but very hard to change it. The anti-government, pro-corporate-rule Reagan Revolution screwed a lot of things up for regular people and for the country. Some of this disaster we saw happening at the time and some of it has taken 30 years to become clear. But for all the damage done these 'conservative' policies greatly enriched a few entrenched interests, who use their wealth and power to keep things the way they are. And the rest of us, hit so hard by the changes, don't have the resources to fight the wealth and power. (Speaking of which, you can donate to CAF here.)

Look at the influence of these entrenched interests on our current deficits, for example. Obviously conservative policies of tax cuts and military spending increases caused the massive deficits. But entrenched interests use their wealth and power to keep us from making needed changes. The facts are here, plain as the noses on our faces. The ability to fight it eludes us. Will we step up and do something to reverse the disaster caused by the