Recession???

[AA717driver]

Halin--You are right about China. They are developing a consumer class that will equal that of the U.S. Those people will cast off the chains of communism (sorry, Karl M.) and prosper.

But where will China get its cheap goods? Alabama, maybe?TC

P.S.--When I was in Hangzhou last month, the restaurant at the Hyatt was no different that what you would see in a typical upscale U.S. restaurant on a Saturday night. Kind of interesting--and frightening.

 

[FN FAL]

Unless we manage a "Star Trek" leap in energy technology soon we may soon find ourselves living in a pre-industrial revolution world with about 10 times as many people to support.....It won't be pretty folks.

Synthetic oil, nuclear power, electric cars, fuel cells, solar energy, hydro-electric power plants, windmills.

It's not going to be like "Gangs of New York" or "Mad Max", anytime soon...unless there's a magnetic pole reversal, atomic war or a huge volcanic eruption in Yellowstone Park.

And if does swing that way, 10 times as many people means two things...a veritable pleathora of reasonably handy protein and a never ending source of entertainment.

 

[lurker]

The greed of the oil speculators, unbridled growth in China/India, huge trade deficit, little control by the Houses' of Congress on the discretionary portion of the Budget, and the War in Iraq has fueled some analcysts to believe recession is right around the corner. This from a poster on another board:

You've got to look out for those analcysts. They can be painful.

I recommend warm soapy water.

 

[LAZYB]

Reminds me of the old "saw"...

it's a recession if your neighbor loses their job and a depression if you lose your's.

 

[sleepy]

China/India will have the last laugh on the US. The US is the economic engine that churns the world, but by the end of the decade China/India will surplant the US as the straw that stirs the drink. If either one ever develops a currency with the trust of the dollar, the plug will be pulled on the US economic engine without ever firing a shot.

Yeah, all of the experts said the same thing about Japan in the 80's. We sold them a bunch of overpriced skyscrapers, and they went bust.

 

[AA717driver]

I just read in the WSJ today (it was free at the hotel...) that a large number of Chinese investors have lost big bucks on the state run markets (duh!).

They are on the verge of a revolt. Guess that whole liberalization thing isn't working out so well.

I think it's interesting that China is moving toward capitalism while the EU and U.S. are rushing toward socialism.TC

 

[psycho]

Lear Love,

WORD !!! The post made me laugh and was right on the money. Who will buy the Mcmansions when the ARM's push rates to 10% and the keys go back to the banks. And consider yourself a smarter man than I. No condom and 25,000$$$ later, I wish I would have just found a bitter woman and bought her a house.

 

[densoo]

They are on the verge of a revolt. Guess that whole liberalization thing isn't working out so well.

Or maybe it is. They've gotten a taste of what a free market might mean to their pocket books and they don't want to give it up. Time for the proletariat to rise up.