If every plumber in the USA disappeared tomorrow, what would happen? We would be in deep shit.

If every intellectual mainstream economist/columnist/thinker/pundit disappeared tomorrow, what would happen?

NOTHING.

The unemployment rate is steady at 10% after a -85,000 jobs number. Of course, there was also another HUGE drop in the labor force which artificially makes the unemployment rate look better than it really is. This has been the real story for the last several months and will continue to be the untold story of 2010.

The Birth/Death model is also a total farce. I will discuss this more in a future post.

For whatever reason, I have good instincts when it comes to the stock market, economy, and investments. I always look at the numbers, but even if the numbers are as good as can be, if my instincts tell me to stay away then that is what I will do.

I often watch TV and see an “expert” on the economy bombard the viewer with data points that back up whatever his or her forecast is. Lets take commercial real estate as an example. The trendy forecast lately seems to be that commercial real estate has bottomed or is in a nascent recovery already. I have seen this forecast made countless times over the last month or two. Had I been on the show when this “expert” gave this forecast I would have replied with this little story.

For the past 12 months I have been driving past a newly constructed strip mall. It looks very nice and has ZERO tenants. For the past 9 months, there has been a huge sign out front saying they will give you 12 months free rent if you sign a lease there. Today, there are ZERO tenants. They are literally giving away free retail space for a year and can’t get one tenant! This is a good neighborhood with good average income and a below average crime rate. Does this square with a commercial real estate recovery?

Inevitably, the “expert” would tell me that while there certainly are still some areas struggling, my ANECDOTE is just that and does not represent the overall commercial real estate market as the “data” clearly shows.

Let me tell ya something…If it ever comes down to my instincts and anecdotes vs. “expert” data or government (BLS) statistics; I’ll take my instincts and anecdotes EVERY SINGLE TIME.

Don’t be afraid to trust your instincts, especially when you have the track record to back it up.

(By the way, be on the lookout for the possibility of a LUDICROUS seasonal adjustment to the unemployment report upcoming. The government can and will make the jobless rate literally ANYTHING IT WANTS.)

I resolved a few years ago to literally never believe government statistics. After years of study, I have come to the conclusion that the government produced unemployment rate should almost always be 50% or so higher than what it is purported to be.

We now sit around 10%, meaning that it should be closer to around 15%. Other statistics minded people think it should be even higher than that, but hey I’m a nice guy. And no, I am not talking about the U6 number which includes underemployed people. The U6 number should also be 50% higher taking it from around 17% to around 25%.

The problem is, the government and their media allies have a virtual stranglehold on the data and information flow. The Internet is breaking their monopoly up, but it remains a tough nut to crack.

“Stranglehold” - Ted Nugent (via YouTube)

In my opinion, the employment data released today is ludicrous. I do not believe it. The BLS reports -11,000 and the unemployment rate dropping from 10.2 to 10. The ADP report shows -169,000. I now believe the BLS numbers are being cooked for political reasons. In the past I wrote that the BLS was removing too many people from the labor force in order to make the numbers look better and that has only continued. November’s real numbers are far closer to what ADP reported.

Here is the updated chart showing the market going up as unemployment also goes up, and stays up.

Here is a very bearish case for the economy being made by Martin Hutchinson at prudentbear. You can read the whole piece here.

Here is the part where he lowers the boom…

At some point, probably before the end of 2010, the bubble will burst. The deflationary effect on the U.S. economy of $150 plus oil will overwhelm the modest forces of genuine economic expansion. The Treasury bond market will collapse, overwhelmed by the weight of deficit financing. Once again, the banking system will be in deep trouble. The industrial sector, beyond the largest and most liquid companies and the extractive industries, will in any case have remained in recession – it is notable that, in spite of the Fed’s frenzy of activity, bank lending has fallen $600 billion in the last year. Unemployment, which will probably enter the second downturn at around current levels, will spike further upwards. The dollar will probably not collapse, but only because it will have been declining inexorably in the intervening year, to give a euro value of $2 and a yen value of 60 to 65 yen to the dollar.

In the next downturn, the Fed will not be able to cut interest rates, because inflation will be spiraling, as in 1980. Instead it will need to raise them while dealing with a profound crisis in the bond markets. Capital in the U.S. will become still more difficult to come by, and unemployment will approach 15%. The U.S.’s only saving graces will be that the inflation will have prevented much further decline in the nominal prices of houses, while the decline in the dollar will have finally swung the payments deficit towards balance. U.S. real wages will be forced downwards by high unemployment, while banks’ relief on the home mortgage front will be balanced by a tsunami of collapsed credit card debt and other consumer debt.

2011 and 2012 will be very unpleasant years, as the Obama administration struggles to get closer to budget balance without pushing up taxes so far as to cause yet a third recession. Stock prices will be at or below their March 2009 lows, and will stay there even as earnings of export-oriented companies will be robust. (Conversely, retailers dealing in cheap imported goods, such as Wal-Mart, will be devastated.)  Wages will be generally declining relative to prices, although may show some growth in nominal terms as inflation will be considerable. Foreign goods and services will be inordinately expensive in dollar terms.

If he is right, and he certainly could be, then this is bad, real bad. Even if he is close, it is still incredibly bad. If true, it will also mean that Obama will be in deep trouble come 2012. Even the media might not be able to save him if this scenario plays out.

At this rate the DOW is going to be at 20,000! Sure, unemployment would be around 20%, but we would be really productive and efficient!

Here is a great chart that a blogger has been updating as the months pass. It illustrates what is happening vs what the White House predicted in light of their massive “stimulus” package.

You can see just how wrong the super geniuses in the White House have been. The problem is that this mistake cost us a trillion dollars in the failed stimulus bill alone.

Today the “official” unemployment rate has risen to 10.2%. It would be alot higher if it was not for the BLS using a smaller number for the labor force. They do this because so many have given up looking for jobs at all.

[mp3_embed blog_plyrs="4" playlst="http://www.solitudeholdings.com/images/Carl_Lewis_Uh_oh.mp3" colors="#900345" id="1"]

When asked whether she was worried about how her resignation as Governor of Alaska might effect her political career, Sarah Palin responded, “Politically speaking, if I die, I die. So be it.”

She is not afraid, which is one of the reasons I like her. She knows everyone in the media is literally out to destroy her both personally and professionally and she is now ready for the onslaught.

Do what is right and if it does not go the right way, at least you can sleep well knowing you did it right. I am willing to go down guns blazing with someone like that.

Remember when the “expert” pundits on TV said a few months ago when she resigned that she is finished and how she has no future? Well, a weird thing happened on the way to obscurity. Within 48 hours of the date announcement, and before there was even a cover, Sarah Palin’s book “Going Rogue” rocketed to number one at both Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

It comes out in a little over 6 weeks and is already number one!

This reminds me of the time when Larry King asked Jerry Seinfeld if “Seinfeld” got cancelled. Jerry humorously reminded Larry that there is a big difference between being cancelled and being number one.

Take it from me, Sarah Palin is far from being cancelled.

Here is a great chart that a blogger has been updating as the months pass. It illustrates what is happening vs what the White House predicted in light of their massive “stimulus” package.

You can see just how wrong the super geniuses in the White House have been. The problem is that this mistake cost us a trillion dollars in the failed stimulus bill alone.

Today the “official” unemployment rate has risen to 9.8%. It would be alot higher if it was not for the BLS using a smaller number for the labor force. They do this because so many have given up looking for jobs at all.

[mp3_embed blog_plyrs="4" playlst="http://www.solitudeholdings.com/images/Carl_Lewis_Uh_oh.mp3" colors="#900345" id="1"]

Expect some good GDP numbers for the next 3-6 months due to an inventory build. The media will then tell you how everything is great now.

After you stop laughing, you can expect slow growth to return after the inventory build loses steam. As discussed here for months, slow growth and negligible net job creation is the scenario for the foreseeable future.

Here is Rick Santelli today laying the smack down on Steve “command and control” Liesman. Rick is one of the few reasons to watch CNBC these days. Santelli has always been rightfully upset about all the bailouts. Also, notice how he admonishes the corrupt press for not covering the several hundred thousand (at least) that marched on Washington on Saturday to protest debt, spending, and health care.

Last week the White House claimed their stimulus package has already “saved or created 1 million jobs.”

If you believe that statement, then you are too dumb to read this blog and you should not waste your time here. Saved or created is the new term used since net new jobs are not being created. In fact, we are losing jobs every month. The media should challenge this laughable assertion, but sadly they barely challenge anything coming from the White House these days.

The White House says their plan will “save or create” 3.5 million jobs. Well, even if we believe this saved or created nonsense (which I don’t) then $787 billion divided by 1 million jobs created so far equals $787,000 per job! If we take their big number of 3.5 million jobs then it equals $224,857 per job! Only an imbecile or a liar would think this is a good return on investment.

As you can see, I have no ads or anything on this blog. I do not write here to make money. I do not need money from this blog. I do it because many people ask me what I think about the economy and how to invest and believe it or not, I like to help people. People have emailed me and thanked me for my writing as they have made good money the past few months as well as avoided big losses. So, if people don’t want to read what I have to say, that is fine with me. I couldn’t care less.

Now, back in March I was a mere few days off calling the market bottom when I told you I was getting back in. I also predicted the snap back rally and gave you the range amount of DOW points it would be. I also told you then that unemployment would reach 10% plus when the White House said it would be 8%. I also told you to make some easy money by shorting the long treasury bond until the 10 year hit 4% where it would rally again sending the yield lower. Finally, I told you the White House debt forecast would be way off as they underestimated the debt they are causing.

So, if you do believe the White House and their 1 million jobs saved or created nonsense over me then I must ask why you would believe them when they have been wrong, and I have been right? They said if they passed their $787 billion stimulus (1 trillion with interest) we would peak at 8% unemployment. Now it is 9.7% and rising. They said their debt forecast would be one thing, and then had to admit it was off by $2 trillion.

Why in the world would you believe this “saved or created” jobs nonsense? If you don’t want to believe me that it is nonsense, fine. I don’t care. However, what have they done to make you believe them?

Figures themselves cannot lie as they are mere numbers on a page. However, the people telling you about them lie all the time. I will write more about this in the future on a variety of government numbers, but right now I would like to briefly discuss the unemployment rate.

For example, the current “official” unemployment rate is 9.4%. However, a more broad indication of unemployment or U6 is almost 17% and rising. This U6 rate is higher because it takes more things into account.

Say you were working 40 hours per week but due to the poor economy your hours at work are being cut so now you only work 32 hours per week. In this scenario, you still show up as “employed” and therefore will not impact the 9.6% number, but you could very well impact the 17% more broad definition of underemployed.

Now, as I often like to say, here comes the real problem.

When the economic “recovery” occurs businesses will not hire more workers for some time. They will not because they have tons of workers whose hours they can just increase back to normal levels. The 32 hour worker will become the 40 hour worker again. This will not impact the 9.4% number at all since these underemployed people were never dropped from that rate to begin with. This screams “jobless recovery.”

You should also know that many people have been unemployed for so long that they have fallen off the unemployment rolls and therefore are likely not being counted at all by the government.

That is why the unemployment rate dropped this month. IT IS A SHAM! The only reason it dropped is because 422K people left the labor force! People have been out of work so long that the government is not even counting them anymore. This is not good.

Bottom line, take all these government numbers with a grain of salt since they are filled with holes that you could drive a truck through.