Bobby: I guess we are all in the same boat, trying to understand. For my part, in doing so, I have made some dumb investment decisions because of all the things you have pointed out. It would be so much easier to blindly go along with the rest of the uninterested crowd and invest in "quality stocks" on the NYSE or TSE where the "smart" money is. I would be far ahead instead of far far behind.
Someone mentioned on this thread about a book by DINES which apparently says just that to never mind, turn off and follow the crowd and make money......but I can't halp myself, can't turn off, as I have had the feeling for years that our present economic structure will fail, but for years I have been wrong!!
In my corner of the world, unemployment is increasing due partly to problems in the far east, governments are cutting back on services, and charging more for what they do provide, wages are standing still, even retreating and debt is still climbing (although not as steeply). I believe consumer debt is as high as ever. This scenario has been going on for 3-4 years now, and I don't need to mention gold.
There is no doubt that falling stock markets are disinflationary as would be falling currency. The stock market gains the past few years have been so much greater than any other investment vehicle such as bank interest, bonds and bills, that we all know can't go on. Yet investors seem to be demanding and expecting that kind of performance. Investors have been spoiled for years, not having been disciplined (like us?) by any major correction or reversal. Look at Japan and now Korea, H.K., Indo etc. Imagine the hand wringing if the NYSE corrected like those exchanges have! Imagine the disapointment, when realizing the markets will no longer go up, maybe for years. Where will the money go, what would government do?
Regards
Phil |
