DISQUS

The Moderate Voice: "Paul Volcker Is Back And He Warns Of Tough Times Ahead"

  • DLS · 1 year ago
    It'll be interesting what these guys do. To what extent are they still conditioned by the earlier inflationary era and concern with inflation versus how they may now view deflation in Japan and how we might face the same thing. (Also what would they think of Europe and Europe's own concerns, including dealing with a number of "sub-economies" some of which have already threatened to be deflationary versus less disciplined economies that to now have still caused concerns about inflation.)

    I'm intrigued at the prospect of change, concerned as others are about the current removal of limits and even inhibitions on governmental intervention of all kinds, with likely more such ambitions to materialize later. (Not only strictly economic goals with a political nature but blatantly political goals like environmentalism, the current darling.)
  • gundagai · 1 year ago
    The bit which is implied but not actually spelt out by Volcker is that in the process of "spending and consuming more than they produce" the people of the USA have borrowed the balance. To make matters worse a great deal of this spending has either gone up in smoke or ended up around their waistline. There is precious little to show for this lifestyle other than a Disneyland landscape of MacDonalds, Golf courses, bowling alleys, big cars and ......the list goes on. The best thing that the USA can do for its people is to announce that after 2030 there will be no social security or Medicare. Everyone will have to make provision for their own health and retirement. Watch the emphasis go from spending to saving in a twinkle. Volcker is right that spending has to come back in line with income. My friends recently came back from a trip in the States and they are still shaking their heads at the largesse they were confronted with.
  • DLS · 1 year ago
    Yes, a lot of borrowing as well as spending that I've been seeing has been for ordinary expenses, often discretionary expenses, with a credit card not out of immediate necessity (in lieu of cash on hand) but out of habit. AT lunch today I actually saw someone with me do this to buy a sandwich.