by Gary Christenson
Deviant Investor
In 1980 Ronald Reagan spoke about the Misery Index. An economist had added the inflation rate to the unemployment rate, called it the Misery Index, and used it to indicate the social costs and economic difficulty for the middle class.
Today the Misery Index is much smaller than in 1980, thanks to … intelligent fiscal management, economically beneficial monetary policy from the Federal Reserve, and wise political policy from the White House. If you believe any of those, read no further.
Most people will agree that the Misery Index is much smaller today because the numbers have been gimmicked. Does anyone believe a few percent for inflation or around 5% unemployment?