1833 Confibence

It's time we started lying to ourselves more. Or at least be more selective in our beliefs. Did you ever notice how the word belie and belief are similar? That's because they both contain the word lie.
So let's lie to ourselves. End the recession once and for all. Get that consumer confidence back. Or is that con-fib-ence? Ben Bernanke said recently that unemployment would be around 7% if only consumer confidence were up. And what is consumer confidence but the belief that things are better?
The facts actually support that sort of belief. Auto sales are up. Really up. Automakers just had their best August since before the recession, selling 1.3 million cars and trucks. 20% more than a year ago. All three Detroit automakers, including the ones the government helped out, reported double-digit sales growth. Even full-sized pickups picked up 16%. Despite the rise in gas prices.
And home sales have turned around too. A recent news story told how home sales are on track to hit a 5-year high. So maybe folks will have some new garages to put their new cars in.
And to cap it all off, it's not just the little guy that has more money to spend, although he still has very little. The richest 400 Americans net worth jumped 13% to 1.7 Trillion. Yet they believe they could do better with a different administration in Washington. At least those attending meetings where they discuss the "victims" whose net worth didn't.
All I know is, if I had a 13% jump in net worth, I'd be believing things are not only picking up pretty good, but on their way home.
So believe the facts, and lie to yourself just a little.
Let's play the confidence game.
America, ya gotta love it.