US Misery Index Reaches 31 Year High

The misery index was initiated by economist Arthur Okun, an adviser to President Lyndon Johnson in the 1960's. The index is the sum of the unemployment rate added to the inflation rate.

Current unemployment at 9.1% and inflation currently at 3.1% produce a misery index of 12.16.

Since Johnson's time, the inflation and unemployment rate calculation methods have changed; Carter was the last president under the old method.  And under Carter the all time record misery index of 21.9 was reached in 1980.  Under the old method, the current jobless rate would be about 13%, and the inflation rate would be about 10%, which would make a misery index of about 23, exceeding the 1980 record.
  

The situation is grim by any measuring standard.  Housing equity loss has surpassed the record set in 1934, along with record poverty, food aid, wage loss, and debt, is it surprising the misery index would also be in record territory?

Obama has chosen, whether he was aware of it or not, to repeat the mistakes of FDR, and to create all new mistakes in spending, and waste.  

The degree to which Obama is failing and the speed with which Obama has failed, is astounding.  Surprising also is the level of ignorance still displayed by Obama, his administration, and many of those still supporting him regarding the depth of this destruction.

No matter what happens in 2012, the USA is on a clear, uncharted path toward economic collapse.