Re: OPEC says FACK YOU-- do they even want to stabalize the world?
[quote=thesightless;690224]i cannot disagree more with certain opinions here
i cant will myself to write a long post, but first and foremost, considering everything going on, we need the supply opened up and cheap. from industrial capacity to basics, we need to get back into creating jobs and making things easier and cheaper in order to put the wheels back on the bus by creating demands than create jobs.
so much more, but willpower isnt here.[/quote]
well, I agree that jobs need to be created - and hopefully Obama will make this a quick top priority when he takes office.
As far as things being cheaper...well, I have some good news and some bad news for you.
Good news: things are getting cheaper and they will probably continue to get cheaper. There is evidence that we may be headed towards an environment of broad, sustained deflation. There will be lots of good deals out there!
Bad news: things are getting cheaper because everyone feels overextended and uncertain about jobs, and they aren't spending. And as prices fall, three things will happen: (1) cash-strapped people will continue to defer spending as they wait for things to get increasingly cheaper, (2) businesses of all kinds will earn less money and will be forced to further downsize their staff, who will then join the ranks of cash-strapped people who defer spending, and (3) businesses will defer investment (assuming they even have access to necessary financing) as various capital projects will now essentially be NPV negative. It's a vicious consumer-led cycle that really tanks an economy.
Moral of the story: certain assets are grossly overvalued and need to come back down to sane levels in order for the economic healing to begin (see: home values), but when prices come down too quickly in certain asset classes, they tend to spread out of control into other areas...and that is a very bad thing.