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Strategies & Market Trends : The Epic American Credit and Bond Bubble Laboratory -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: bond_bubble who wrote (68951)	8/28/2006 2:27:43 AM
From: CalculatedRisk	Respond to of 110194

Business Spending May Languish, Raising Risk of U.S. Recession By Matthew Benjamin bloomberg.com Aug. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Like the title character of ``Waiting for Godot,'' the U.S. business spending spree many economists have been expecting just might not show up. Forecasts of a moderate slowdown for the U.S. economy this year assume that businesses will accelerate their spending on equipment, helping compensate for any weakening in consumer demand. Now, some are questioning that scenario. If the business investment binge is a no-show, they say, a contraction in the economy becomes more likely. ``Most of the people forecasting a soft landing are counting on a boost from capital expenditures,'' says Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab & Co. in New York. ``I would be careful about that.'' She puts the odds of a recession at more than 50-50, ``and it could happen relatively quickly.'' Business investment in new equipment and software fell in the second quarter for the first time in more than three years, according to government figures. Along with slower consumer spending, that helped hold U.S. economic growth during the period to an annual rate of 2.5 percent, less than half the pace of the prior three months, the Commerce Department reported on July 28. A revised report this week may show second-quarter growth was 3 percent, according to the median forecast in a Bloomberg survey. Many economists say U.S. executives simply can't ignore the slowdown in spending by American consumers, who account for two- thirds of the U.S. economy. Personal spending in the U.S. rose just 0.4 percent in June, the smallest gain this year, while the University of Michigan's index of consumer confidence dropped in August to its lowest level since October. <MORE IN ARTICLE>

To: bond_bubble who wrote (68951)	8/28/2006 2:40:38 AM
From: shades	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 110194

You are almost saying slavery is better than letting people starve! A starving indian with one good kidney and 20K US dollars is a slave? I was led to believe 20K could greatly improve the life of a starving indian and his family - else why do entire towns beg to sell thier kidneys over there? If I am starving about to die - but could sell a body part and live for many more years - I would think I would want to sell my body part. Would you choose starving death Bond Bubble? Also, if you legalize "kidney donation", then it will become difficult to prevent the "illegal kidney stealing" Legalizing it and regulating it is how you get the CROOKS OUT eh - not in - like prohibition in the USA - we tried legislating morality but we often fail. My father is faced with death now eh? atleast this will be true in India. The minimal fear people should have is that they dont own others - i.e others have the right to walk away from anyone at any time (with mind, heart and kidneys intact). Ah but see those starving indians are owned by thier government - they WANT to sell a piece of thier body - they are BEGGING to sell a piece of thier body so they will not starve to death - the government/doctors say NO - so who owns that body and pieces of it after all? Apparently they are slaves - the government will NOT let them sell an organ. This is a recent trend too - before from my understanding this was not looked down upon like it has been the past few years with the increase in medical tourism. As ties to the west have solidified - so have the west ethics come to permeate the old free market there. Alternatively, it is better to invest in "Organ donation education program" (in US, you can indicate this in drivers license). Since there is no "price" for organs in this "donation" - this is a better solution. I think Mqurice thoroughly covered that donation topic in his previous post - I can donate my kidney to science - but I can't sell my kidney and keep the proceeds or have the proceeds go to my kid - again why not - why can't I OWN my kidney and do what I want with it? Why does the gubbment own my kidney? I thought we lived in the land of the free? hehe Also, we can invest in technologies to make better use of these "donations" and other alternative medical technologies. Yah - soon perhaps we can regrow kidneys - until then you are telling me it is better for the state to own your body than the person to own thier own body? So much for property rights. In a bad procedure the donor could die - but if it is done above board by a well trained medical staff on a healthy donor I don't think many die. I just watched a special on the eunichs of the forbidden city of china - 50% died having thier sex organs chopped off - but it was worth the chance too many because living the forbidden city offered wealth and riches not possible any other way. The proof is in the pudding I guess - a lot of people thought 50/50 was worth it - but in kidney procedure - healthy donor have much better odds than 50/50. This is similar to blood donations. You dont need poor Indians to donate blood do you? Nope - only need a kidney of the right type. Instead of spending the effort in streamlining organ donation from poor countries, US can attempt to "better" medicine in US. Well free markets help spur innovation eh - yet we have too many people that say OH NO - selling kidney is UGLY - poor man cannot sell his kidney for 20K - but rich doctor can charge 200K for doing surgery - who is the crook and who is the slave? Doctor charges 15K a month to do dialysis at his center - if bush allows stem cell funding and we start growing kidneys in labs and putting them in people - how is doctor going to keep making all that profit? New Porsche and 40K a year golf membership cost a lot Jay - not to mention HIGH MAINTENACE trophy wife, sailboat, second and third vacation home - hehe.