US economy on verge of ‘Great Great Depression’?
Published: 02 June, 2011, 20:24
TAGS: Markets, Crisis, USA, Employment, Economy
World markets fall after the US economy suffered its worst day of the year on June 1 with all signs pointing to more declines over the summer.
“We’re on the verge of a great, great depression,” opined a market strategist Peter Yastrow.
The US market was hit by falls in job growth and manufacturing which in turn abolished quarter of the Dow Jones industrial average's gains for the year thus far. As the markets opened back up on June 2 investors were reluctant to take risks as more bad news regarding the US economy is expected to be released June 3.
The Dow dropped 30 points within the first 15 minutes of open trading as market watchers anxiously await the release of US government job numbers. Thus far reports indicate claims for unemployment benefits did not shrink as much as expected, causing many people to fear a labor market recover simply is not taking place.
“We've been through a couple-week period here where basically every piece of economic data has just been awful,” John Canally of LPL Financial in Boston told the Daily Mail.
Yastrow said he has witnessed “near panic” by investors unwilling to take risks in the volatile markets.
“Interest rates are amazingly low,” he told CNBC. “We’re on the verge of a great, great depression. The [Federal Reserve] knows it.”
“Almost every bit of data about the health of the US economy has disappointed expectations recently,” noted Mike Riddell of M&G Investments.
Home prices are down, foreclosures are up. Commodity prices are rising and many Americans remain unemployed, some have even exasperated their allotted unemployment benefits, leaving them with nearly no options.
A recent report by Capital Economics found drops in first quarter home prices indicated the prices had fallen by more than they did during the Great Depression.
US Treasury Bonds have now fallen to their lowest levels since December 2010. Overall doubts about Americans economic recovery have begun to surface from more analysts as new reports compound one another with dire news.
“It looks like this recovery has hit its second ‘soft patch’, which for a recovery that is less than two years old is troubling,” pointed out Paul Ashworth of Capital Economics.
Meanwhile, Moody’s Investors Service said if America’s two political parties fail to make progress on economic growth and a solution to the debt ceiling debate, it would place the US credit rating under review for a possible downgrade.
“If there is no progress on increasing the statutory debt limit in coming weeks, it expects to place the US government’s rating under review for possible downgrade,” Moody’s said.
This threat follows similar threats by Standards and Poor.
Erica Payne, the founder of The Agenda Project explained the threat may not change the debate however. Republicans are dedicated to their Tea Party agenda of not raising the debt ceiling.
“It’s hard to negotiate with a crazy person,” she said. “They fundamentally don’t understand this.”
The Tea Party has taken over the Republican agenda, they are calling on the Republicans to do the irresponsible and illogical thing, and that is to default on debt. Defaulting is not good for anyone – America or the rest of the world.
“Since the risk of continuing stalemate has grown, if progress in negotiations is not evident by the middle of July, such a rating action is likely,” Moody’s added.
The responsible thing to do is raise the ceiling, Payne argued, failing to do so will damage the economic recovery.
She said she hoped the Moody’s warning pushed for Congress to act more quickly and reach a compromise to raise the ceiling and tackle US debt concerns. Whether they will or not remains unclear.
The US government hit its $14.3 trillion borrowing limit on May 16 and now has until August 1 to solve the problem or risk defaulting on its debts.
02.06.2011, 20:22
4 comments
CNN anchor trashes network’s Casey Anthony coverageForgetting that his microphone was still on, CNN’s Vinnie Politan, commented on the boobs of Casey Anthony as he expressed frustration with the ongoing CNN coverage of the trial many consider not to be newsworthy. |
02.06.2011, 21:13
15 comments
‘Cougar epidemic’ rages as teachers seduce studentsTwo female teachers have become the latest in a string of ‘cougars’ charged with engaging in sexual activities with underage students. |
This lady is really stupid -an obama apologist. And don't get me wrong, I think bush was the worst president ever--ever. Let us default on our debts, rather than increase the limit. If obama was not totally controlled by Wall Street and Internationalist banksters, he would reign in the ruinous trillion dollar military deficits, end the ruinous wars, cut back the ridiculous bloated , wasteful federal spending, reign in Wall Street and the banks which now continue their atrocious policies, placing our country at risk, exporting our jobs overseas for short term profits, all to bankrupt this country and steal trillions from mainstream America. Obama is the War parties man, and Wall street's man -I knew it when he raised $100 million from wall street and goldman sachs and announced his economic team, which included crimoinals like Summers, Geithner and rahm Emmnauel. This lady is supremely stupid -or corrupt -probably both.










I reject your idea of needing to barrow more money to get through this problem. Do like any family would have to do in the same situation and cut the spending. Quit stealing from our children and grandchildren.
The real American answer to your tree scenario is to get out your axe and saw, cut the tree up yourself and use the wood to fix your house. I reject your idea of having to pay someone else to do it.