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Signs That The Global Economic Turmoil Is Just Beginning

Posted by freedomforall 9 years, 2 months ago to Business
87 comments | Share | Flag

From the article:
1. The number of job cuts in the United States skyrocketed 218 percent during the month of January according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

2. The Baltic Dry Index just hit yet another brand new all-time record low. As I write this article, it is sitting at 303.

3. U.S. factory orders have now dropped for 14 months in a row.

4. In the U.S., the Restaurant Performance Index just fell to the lowest level that we have seen since 2008.

5. In January, orders for class 8 trucks (the big trucks that you see shipping stuff around the country on our highways) declined a whopping 48 percent from a year ago.

6. Rail traffic is also slowing down substantially. In Colorado, there are hundreds of train engines that are just sitting on the tracks with nothing to do.

7. Corporate profit margins peaked during the third quarter of 2014 and have been declining steadily since then. This usually happens when we are heading into a recession.


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  • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    It was Jessica Jones I was referring to. I watched Daredevil because I'm a fan (senior moment) of the actor who played the villain whose name escapes me. He's one of the best character actors around and became an actual three dimensional villain with a backstory that explains his actions and when he falls in love. Excellent writing. After a while, I almost started rooting for him. Remembered! Vincent DeNofrio
    As to classical music, you and I are in agreement that some of the best is being written for movies. Composers of today seem to have forgotten that the whole idea of music is that it is a form of entertainment, not a test that one goes to in order to figure out what the hell is going on. John Williams is a favorite in the kind of music of Berlioz, Elmer Bernstein's music for westerns and of course Marlboro cigarettes.
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  • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Isn't it too bad that the only people who come to mind to run agencies are fictional characters?
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  • Posted by MagicDog 9 years, 2 months ago
    Or catastrophic collapse. You can look at years of seasonal adjustment factors for January (or any other month) and not find any consistent, objective formula. They make it up, as needed.
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  • Posted by 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Yeay, Cap!
    This is also why one comic book hero (who could beat all the depressed demi-gods) in particular is mostly ignored: Superman is just too good. Can't have a main character who "never lies."
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  • Posted by 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    "she's a boozing, slutty, confused person"
    That was only because of her father and her brother and her uncle and her boyfriends. Evil white men who ignored her emotional needs, choosing to make money to pay for her gourmet meals, McMansion, designer clothing, Harvard tuition, and Porsche speedster.
    Tv writing has been sexist since before sexist was a word. Got to keep the viewers hate and fear levels high to distract them from the real dangers.
    The ethical "heros" that tv does give us all seem to work for the NYPD or the FBI, notably Henry Morgan of the cancelled Forever, and Rick Castle of Castle. Only wish the FBI was run by one of those characters.
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  • Posted by $ jlc 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    As a big fan of classical music (listening to it right now), I will point out that the only good classical music currently being written is movie themes. Some of these themes (eg Shore's LOTR) are worthy of Wagner (yes, I like Wagner; this was not tongue in cheek). I have heard symphonic variations on Beatles themes and while I am not fond of the Beatles I found the symphony stunning.

    I totally agree with you, Herb, about the writhing, beat-up, dark, 'heros', notably Daredevil and Jessica Jones. This feels similar to SF in the 1970's, when Analog published story after depressing story about bad people doing sad things. I will stick with Captain America, thank you (and Thor is just not hard to look at...mmm). There was a telling scene in Ultron when Hawkeye's wife tells him that the team needs him (in spite of the fact that he is an archer trying to keep up with demi-gods) because he is the only grown-up on the team. We are idolizing people whose lives are falling apart in spite of the tremendous assets they have - and this is a bad symptom.

    Jan
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  • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 2 months ago
    Dear FFA
    You are 100% correct. But not only are the economic signs frightening, predicting as they do a total burst (there isn't any bubble left) but culturally, the future looks bleak. For example: "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies?" Holy moly, gimme a break! The Florida Symphony giving a series of concerts based on movie themes, Beatles tunes, etc. Whatever happened to Peter and the Wolf? Then, there's Netflix. I started watching a series about a woman with super powers. I thought, at last a woman superhero. Turns out she's a boozing, slutty, confused person with only one major virtue, which is she refrains from killing people. Whoopie.
    SO...The country is heading for economic and cultural dissolution. Will we survive? Will we want to survive? I hope so, because I've got grandkids, and a great grandkid. I want them to carry on with the Herbie genes. Maybe they'll be the ones to turn things around.
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  • Posted by wiggys 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I do not believe you completely understand how the government operates. There are no pro-free market presidents. The president is the spokesman for who ever really runs things and they want ALL OF OUR MONEY so it is the presidents job to see how he can effectively make that happen. It is in small segments over time that this happens., Therefore do not expect a reversal from whom ever the next president is or his successors..
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  • Posted by tdechaine 9 years, 2 months ago
    These are not all true statements, and some of these are certainly not indicative of global turmoil.
    Get a more pro-free market President elected and much can be reversed.
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  • Posted by $ allosaur 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Recently, Killary said that was a good idea when one of her adoring zombies suggested it.
    I don't think that's a sure thing but it's scary.
    About a month earlier I read an article that opined that the king wants to move up to an emperor by being the chairman for the United Nations.
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  • Posted by 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    They are just the supreme traitors. Regardless of who appoints them, the senate only confirms statists. If there were men who defended liberty in the senate, there wouldn't be traitors to liberty on the court.
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  • Posted by dbhalling 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    This is the sort of economic thinking that shows just how irrational economics has become. All commodities will fall in price over time in an economy in which creates new technologies. The key is property rights for inventions. These falling prices are good for the economy.

    Short term price swings that are not the result of new technologies may be bad for the economy, but not truly important in the long term in technologically dynamic economy.
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  • Posted by 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Hopefully more entertaining than a GOP "debate."
    Rather re-read Atlas Shrugged, Unintended Consequences, or Pendulum of Justice.
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  • Posted by Bethesda-gal 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Except if a Dem is elected we'll have him around DC till End Times -- on the Supreme Court !!!
    Aaaauuugh !!!
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  • Posted by Bethesda-gal 9 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Like Jimmy Buffett's "Party at the End of the World" that my husband used in an Army War College paper....
    "Roadside bombers and tsunamis
    Oh god How I miss those Commies
    No one really plays fair anymore"
    ;)
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  • Posted by dbhalling 9 years, 2 months ago
    Thanks for cheering me up, now all I need is the Broncos to lose.
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  • Posted by wiggys 9 years, 2 months ago
    freedomforall,

    you must live near grand junction because I have been looking at for over a year now at least one mile or more of engines. I commented about this a while ago.
    The recession started during the bush administration and the new no nothing that moved into the white house has done his best very successfully I might add to the further the decline in the economy. success comes with a price. people write to me all the time enquiring when my sale will end, I tell them when the economy gets better, and they breathe and sigh of relief. do you think they understand that the situation is not good for them if all products are being sold a reductions, no!
    Ayn Rand was an optimist when she ended AS on a positive note. The reality is we will continue to deteriorate for the next 10 to 20 years and more and more industry will come to a halt. This down turn is affecting the whole world and we will ultimately be the last to fall. the primitive cultures will not be affected because they have nothing like we have, but the advanced cultures who have a higher economic life style will. The first to decline are the oil producing countries of the middle east. the warring going on there now is just the beginning, but from there it will spread globally. as g. bush said "welcome to the new world order".
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  • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 2 months ago
    Great Recession Part II
    The bills for Part I are coming due
    The President hasn't a clue
    But sees the chance to raises taxes a few
    Notches up and help him lose
    Those Legacy Losing gone to hell blues

    It's all about him and to hell with us
    Let's kick him out send him home on a bus
    With a one way ticket we don't need the fuss
    And bother from a loser nor hear the wuss
    Sing another verse from the useless cuss
    Of the Legacy losing gone to hell in a hand basket Great Recession...... Oh bah mah blues.

    Dylan does it better.....
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  • Posted by $ CBJ 9 years, 2 months ago
    RE the article's statement, "The global economy desperately needs the price of oil to go back up . . ." Why? My understanding is that lower energy prices are a net benefit to the world economy. (And imagine what John Galt's motor would do to oil prices.)
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