mish, I've been reading Mauldin for a long time.
I like him on one hand, get tired of his dribble on the other, but I keep reading. He has been going on about the Muddle Through Economy for a long time. He will not admit he was initially way too optimistic, as were most analysts. I don't see a DOW being cut in half or more in a few years as muddle through, but maybe Mauldin does. Now he is on the deflation band wagon, but he won't take a firm stance. A little over a year ago he seldom mentioned it. In short he rolls with the flow, but does a good job of reporting in layman's terms, and supplying information from other (better) economists.
Per his latest he is obviously a hard-core Republican, and in support of GW's stimulus package, even labeling his dividend exemption as a brilliant move. His political stance is certainly his right, but I fail to see the benefit of the dividend exemption, especially when debt is the primary issue. I can't figure out these guys who are always for tax cuts, but never come up with a valid approach for fiscal responsibility. Their usual comment is we need to control spending - what the f does that mean or accomplish?
I take Bob Bronsen's view, and I believe that his view is that the long wave is going to be very hard on politicians, and that before it is over it will be accompanied by some significant sociological changes, in America and maybe elsewhere. |
