How long before the American Economy completely tanks??

[skooooo]

Place your bets right here.

[skooooo]

1. Got news for you who vote for "it won't tank"

If the dollar continues to slide, it will eventually collapse, and our economy will for certain tank, or go into a depression.

[sendero]

2. The fact is...

.. it is pretty much impossible to tell exactly when it will tank.

But there is no doubt in my mind that it will tank. It's about half-tanked right now, it's just that people who are unaffected by it are blissfully unaware.

[baldguy]

3. Total gov't spending is about 20% of our GDP.

In many areas it's much greater. If you take 20% of the GDP out of the economy, you've got a depression.

Isn't the reduction of gov't spending the cornerstone of the GOP economic platform? Hasn't Bush starved state & local gov'ts to do just that?

Bush WANTS the economy to tank. If young people can't find any other jobs, he won't need a draft to get them in the army.

[philaguy]

4. In the last week...

...I have had two clients overseas ask me if I could switch their accounts to euro-based instead of dollar-based.

[SiouxJ]

5. I was thinking 18 months

that feels about right.

[Spazito]

6. There was a 'wait and see' attitude, globally, with regard to...

the recent election. Now that bush is back at the WH, there is NO doubt in my mind there will be major economic blow-back. The EU will gain great strength, US products will be boycotted, the US dollar will continue it's downward spiral.

[skooooo]

8. Go EU!!!

[DemocracyInaction]

7. I'm watching the climbing of the markets after the great news of the

second coming of Bush and ask "what has changed for the average American"----nothing!! Jobs are still scarce and healtcare costs are draining people, even those with insurance through their companies with more co-pay and out of pocket expenses, etc. Where are they magically going to get all this money to flood out to the malls and shop until they drop and get this economy flying?? Ain't gonna happen. And when interest rates have to go up and kill the housing industry, then a whole pile of blue collar workers will be in a total financial mess. I've been through Papa's depression and saw where builders couldn't get a contract to even build one house in years, etc. Suffering is what is going to be needed, however, for these fools to realize that the repub party is not God and that corporate America is ruling them without mercy.

[DuaneBidoux]

11. The markets would have done the same for Kerry

It was a "thank-god" that's behind us rally, plus, oil is down $3.00 since the election (if ever there was proof that a whole lot of Arab countries were doing everything they could to keep Bush from being reelected I think what has happened in oil shows it).

[Kingshakabobo]

9. With the exception of the last couple day's relief rally

the markets have been forecasting another slow down. I'm in the mortgage business so it means lower rates for the short term(for those who still have some means) and more money in my pocket. Fuck the freepers.

Personal spending has got to give sooner or latter and the the economy is fucked. The bond market has been signaling slowdown.

on edit: out of control govt. spending may spike interest rates long term and fuck everybody.

[DuaneBidoux]

10. We need to help it out....make sure it happens under Shrub.