4salt,

No! those are pre tax earnings and pre write down,and net and gross earnings combined in a way intended to make the profits seem higher than in the past. Numbers and statistics are all about how you present them the truth lies in the ORGANIC anylysis called GAP, "Generally accepted account procedures." Profit is bottom line after all deductions. So profits may very well be up but no one has shown such and the 10 year avg. shows less profit than many retail business' in this country. It's easy for the ill informed to delare victory off of un substantiated facts or truth.
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Liberalism is a mental illness!