美国有线新闻 CNN 2012-09-16（在线收听） |
The effects of that recession obviously still being felt today. And there are fears about the possibility of another recession, if America goes off thing called a fiscal cliff. And that refers to some tax increase and government spending cuts. That scheduled to happen at the end of this year, unless congress agrees on how to stop it. Recessions are usually followed by periods of recovery, this time that recovery has been weak. Maggie Lake explores this mystery. In this off-Broadway production, the race is on to find the cold-blooded killer of W.Harrison Brant who lives in Connecticut with his wife. In real life, another mystery has been unfolding for months. The case of who or what killed the US economic recovery. Just like in this show, there is no shortage of suspects for what's slowing economic growth.
Suspect NO.1, Europe.
"The biggest headwind the American economy is facing right now is uncertainty about Europe."American firms have seen European sales plummet amid fears at Greek default could spark another global banking crisis.
Suspect NO.2, congressional gridlock.
"If congress has passed the proposal the president submitted, there'd be a million more jobs today."New stimulus for Democrats say, could have created jobs has been shut down amid Beltway bickering.
"They believe that government creats and spending creats jobs, we believe business and growth creates jobs."Suspect NO.3, runaway national debt.
" This sixteen trillion dollar with a debt, serves like a wet blanket over our economy, scaring employees of all size."Fiscal uncertainty is the key reason why companies aren't hiring. And the fiscal cliff of automatic spending cuts and tax increase that could hit next year, it's terrifying firms.
Suspect NO.4, energy crisis.
"The ever accelerating gasoline prices, this will break the back of the recovery."High gas and hitting bills act like a direct tax on consumers. Taking away money that would otherwise be spent at restaurants and stores. But one thing is certain, US growth has fallen from over 4% last year to under 2% today, amid one of the weakest post-war recoveries on record. |
| 原文地址：http://www.tingroom.com/lesson/cnn2012/9/227180.html |