Planetarion Forums

wu_trax · 2 Sep 2004, 11:10

and so capitalist and free-market and all, why does it need such a lot of protection / subsideries and still doesnt manage to export as much as it imports?
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/01/bu...s/01trade.html
http://www.nytimes.com/financialtime...440_66751.html

Rumad · 2 Sep 2004, 11:15

war is a key driver here.

It costing so much to keep the US army machine in Iraq its threatening the countries economic stability.

I find it quite comical that the US may be in as much financial strife as russia soon

roadrunner_0 · 2 Sep 2004, 11:19

i thought that the US economy had been shit for years?

wu_trax · 2 Sep 2004, 11:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rumad

war is a key driver here.

It costing so much to keep the US army machine in Iraq its threatening the countries economic stability.

I find it quite comical that the US may be in as much financial strife as russia soon

i wouldnt count on that. the asian countries will continue to lend them money, they need the market. from my point of view that doesnt make any sence: they lend money to the us so that the people in the us can use it for consumption, why dont these goverments use the money to make their own people consume?

Rumad · 2 Sep 2004, 11:34

ist loosing 2 bn a day at the mnute though and imports are outweighing exports. Its really dire at the mnute. I think US might be in recession very shortly.

Rumad · 2 Sep 2004, 11:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by wu_trax

i wouldnt count on that. the asian countries will continue to lend them money, they need the market. from my point of view that doesnt make any sence: they lend money to the us so that the people in the us can use it for consumption, why dont these goverments use the money to make their own people consume?

Well private finance will lend money to safe bets and lending money to countries as stable as the US means there investment is less likely to go tits up compared to 3rd world countries.

Zar · 2 Sep 2004, 11:40

The US economy survives on an illusion, that the dollar (and by that i mean the backing of the entire US economy) will be sticking around for a long time (without any major currency shifts). This is how it is able to sustain trillion dollar debts withouts having a major impact on the economy. The moment the world loses all confidence in the dollar, is the moment the US economy implodes in the blink of an eye. This is not in the worlds interests though, because the US owes this "illusion" of money to the world. If the US goes down in the fashion described above, the entire market of the world will collapse and countries will have to create a new market system. A new market system would take many years to establish, and many years to earn a reputation.

wu_trax · 2 Sep 2004, 11:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rumad

Well private finance will lend money to safe bets and lending money to countries as stable as the US means there investment is less likely to go tits up compared to 3rd world countries.

there is no way they ever get that money back, or at least the value of it. for that to be even remotly possible us-exports would have to be bigger than us-imports for a very long time.

IncubusGod · 2 Sep 2004, 12:34

It's all just interesting becuase the U.S. can't afford to piss these countries off, else they'll stop lending and call in the debts.
So the U.S. is caught by the short and curlys right now, for all their big talk they are heading up dihorrea drive with no-one at the wheel.

Ever think that you may be witness to a huge historic series of events that will change to world forever? Well the way things are going in the world now....somethings gonna give.

Zar · 2 Sep 2004, 12:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by IncubusGod

It's all just interesting becuase the U.S. can't afford to piss these countries off, else they'll stop lending and call in the debts.
So the U.S. is caught by the short and curlys right now, for all their big talk they are heading up dihorrea drive with no-one at the wheel.

Ever think that you may be witness to a huge historic series of events that will change to world forever? Well the way things are going in the world now....somethings gonna give.

imo the most interesting things that will happen economically in the next 10-20 years is that between the "west" and the "east". Traditionally in the past hundred or so years, the west has always determined market systems, they have dominated the world economically and militarily. However there are two new emerging powers (India and China), both with the potential to outstrip the American economy within the next 20-40 years. It will be interesting from a standpoint to see how the west reacts to an inevitable shift of power to the east (note that India and China aren't the only two fast growing economies in Asia - they just have the biggest potential)

Also the other interesting thing will be the slow demise of "white" dominance on the world. As whites slowly start to become minorities in their own countries, non-whites continue to move up the wealth/social ladder, how will that affect world politics and economics?