Published: 09/11/2009 00:00 -
Updated: 29/01/2010 13:11
I RECENTLY discovered the three most dangerous words in the English language. Next, of course, to "Health and Safety." No word combination has caused more problems than that.
But suffice to say it's the three words that are putting this country in severe danger: "But economists warn".
You hear it a lot at the moment. Whenever the media starts talking about the recession these days you invariably hear the words "green shoots" or "signs of recovery".
But they're also generally followed by "But economists warn" which is, in turn, followed by a disappointing barrage of bad news about economists warning how long it's going to take and how we're "not out of the woods yet".
It's absolutely bonkers. We've talked ourselves in to this recession and the blame lies squarely with the media. They started it by sensationalising the initial collapse that set the ball rolling and they even invented a catchy name for it.
The national press got us in to this mess and now they need to get us out. And the way they can do that - and trust me, they CAN do that - is to stop quoting doom-merchant economists that would rather warn us not to get our hopes up than contribute to the re-growth of the economy.
If the economists stop warning us that we're still in the mire and instead tell us that things are starting to look peachy enough to buy a new telly and get the driveway done everything will be alright again.
This is what will bring us out of recession. Giving people the confidence to loosen their purse strings. Buy a car, take out a loan to get a new conservatory, book a nice holiday.
I've said it all along. If we all start spending again then struggling businesses will recover, new ones will start, jobs will be created, houses will sell and the whole thing will start moving again right up until the next recession in another 20 years or so.
I know this advice is totally pointless to those currently out of a job, but for those of us that can afford it we should all do our bit to get the country back on its feet and create work for all the unemployed.
The media now need to help by not prophecising doom, but telling us how glorious the situation is. By not tinging every positive story with "But economists warn".
It's only fair that the media turn the tables now and get us out of the mess they created. And it will work. Trust me, I'm not an economist.
But suffice to say it's the three words that are putting this country in severe danger: "But economists warn".
You hear it a lot at the moment. Whenever the media starts talking about the recession these days you invariably hear the words "green shoots" or "signs of recovery".
But they're also generally followed by "But economists warn" which is, in turn, followed by a disappointing barrage of bad news about economists warning how long it's going to take and how we're "not out of the woods yet".
It's absolutely bonkers. We've talked ourselves in to this recession and the blame lies squarely with the media. They started it by sensationalising the initial collapse that set the ball rolling and they even invented a catchy name for it.
The national press got us in to this mess and now they need to get us out. And the way they can do that - and trust me, they CAN do that - is to stop quoting doom-merchant economists that would rather warn us not to get our hopes up than contribute to the re-growth of the economy.
If the economists stop warning us that we're still in the mire and instead tell us that things are starting to look peachy enough to buy a new telly and get the driveway done everything will be alright again.
This is what will bring us out of recession. Giving people the confidence to loosen their purse strings. Buy a car, take out a loan to get a new conservatory, book a nice holiday.
I've said it all along. If we all start spending again then struggling businesses will recover, new ones will start, jobs will be created, houses will sell and the whole thing will start moving again right up until the next recession in another 20 years or so.
I know this advice is totally pointless to those currently out of a job, but for those of us that can afford it we should all do our bit to get the country back on its feet and create work for all the unemployed.
The media now need to help by not prophecising doom, but telling us how glorious the situation is. By not tinging every positive story with "But economists warn".
It's only fair that the media turn the tables now and get us out of the mess they created. And it will work. Trust me, I'm not an economist.
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