Frankly, if the current strategy of massive fiscal stimulation was so easy, Zimbabwe would be a worldwide economic powerhouse.
We should not lose sight that the better-than-expected third-quarter 2009 GDP was created by the government's massive monetary excursion in which consumers were induced, through various government programs with far less than one time multipliers, into spending what precious little savings they had accumulated since the crisis began. Ten years of egregious use of debt does not resolve itself in 12 months, and in the interim, policymakers are encouraging more irresponsible behavior on top of it. The next 12 months are going to be marked by more uncertainty than certainty -- and, to me, the last two important economic releases (GDP and ISM) strengthens the case that the foundation of economic growth is shaky relative to the consensus view of self-sustaining growth.More on the Top 20 Signs of How Bad the Economy Is
Melissa ended the segment by highlighting what the "Fast Money" group thought were my best of the top 20 list in yesterday's opening missive. Here they are:- "The economy is so bad that a picture is now only worth 200 words."
- "The economy is so bad I saw the CEO of Wal-Mart (WMT Quote) shopping at Wal-Mart."
- "The economy is so bad that I bought a toaster oven and my free gift with the purchase was a bank.
- Loading Comments...
- Loading Comments...
Recent Comments
Featured Photo Galleries
| Dow Jones | S&P 500 | NASDAQ | 10-Year Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10,058.64 | 1,070.52 | 2,150.87 | 36.33 |
Oil *
72.02
|
|
UP
150.25
|
UP
13.78
|
UP
24.82
|
UP
0.41
|
10 Yr
3.63%
SPDR Gold
105.45
|
|
+1.52%
|
+1.30%
|
+1.17%
|
+1.14%
|
Data delayed 20 minutes |
More From TheStreet
Latest HeadlinesBrokerage Partners
Sponsored Links














