Facts are pesky things

While GDP-per-capita is but one measure of economic success, it's a pretty good one since it normalizes growth and productivity. Well, when you look at GDP-per-capita growth under Presidents over the last 70 years, an interesting pattern emerges. Enjoy the dissonance.

Now, after 70 years of data, after observing what we've observed over all sorts of conditions, it is hard to conclude anything but this: one party advocates policies that produce rapid economic growth, and one part dismisses those policies with epithets like "socialism" and advocates instead policies that produce dismal economic growth. And dismal economic growth has consequences. Poor economic growth makes people worse off, and hits them in their pocketbook. And when people are hurting financially, their health suffers, the rate of divorce goes up, suicides increase, and the abortion rate increases. So those who advocate the policies that bring us lower incomes, poorer health, break up families, increase suicides, and increase the rate of abortions are doing us all a lot of harm. More, in fact, than Osama or Saddam could possibly have done. And yet, the folks who advocates those policies question the patriotism of the rest of us. Its very, very strange.

So what does that Presidential list look like? I thought you'd never ask!

1. FDR
2. LBJ
3. JFK
4. Clinton
5. Reagan
6. Carter
7. Nixon
8. Ike
10. GW (that's 10 so far – don't be surprised if he sinks further into the mire)
11. Ford
12. Bush Sr.
13. Truman
14. Hoover

Like I said. Facts are pesky things. Annoying things. Especially when they directly contradict your long-held mistaken ideas. Too bad about that.