Tuesday, March 13, 2012

I Spy With My Little Eye

The understandably ugly and detailed chart below does have a disconcerting trend about it. What it is, is the items that have shown the largest growth rates in personal consumption expenditures in the US. It is their long term annualized growth rate. Obviously the internet is #1 because of its relatively recency and booming growth. HOwever, I want you to look at the items and see if you can see what I see ( you will have to click on it). FYI, the average growth rate of all items was only 7.41%

10 comments:

Amateur Strategist said...

May not be what you saw, but I so totally called the lottery growth... without posting any proof that I was thinking that.

When people lose some of their sustaining force (get laid off, etc.) they get more desperate for something that statistically won't happen for them, winning some sort of lottery.

Chris said...

Lottories... meh.

Cost of water. You don't need to gamble. You do need to drink.

Another reason to live in the South Island... we have enough water for hydro and irrigation.

Country lawyer said...

Motorcycle purchases are up!

You're feeling less unique because of it . . . gonna have to share the road dude.

Or could it be all the nursing homes . . .

Pulp Herb said...

Lotteries is #2.

If you wanted better proof the US public thinks economic success and wealth come from unicorn farts I doubt I could ever find it.

I haven't looked further than that because after that is any thing else even worth discussing?

Pulp Herb said...

Crap, and casinos are much further down.

Step right up folk, the good life is either a lucky draw or a student loan away.

Dedicating yourself to learning useful and varied skills whose output is desired by others. That's for sucker and the Chinese/Indians/etc.

Captain Capitalism said...

Duly noted the ones that were increasing, and bonus points about the motorcycles

But what I observed was a bit more macro than that. Specifically the majority of the list is comprised of items that all have something in common.

daniel_ream said...

I'm seeing a $#!7load of "social services" in that list.

Captain Capitalism said...

Mr Ream wins himself a shot of Rumpie!!!!

COrrect, the majority of that stuff is $#@% nobody really wants and doesn't call into the "pursuit of happiness" BS.

Sadly, even the motorcycles can't be included in the small "happiness" category because people are buying those in response to gas prices.

CBMTTek said...

Gambling and nursing homes?

Lrgion said...

Yeah, a civil engineering item makes it to number 3. Yeah.