Why Our ‘Lost Decade’ May Only Last 5 Years

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Cup of "tea" anyone?? The Pledge of allegiance (the duty that was once OWED by a vassal to his feudal lord - per Websters Dictionary)states...to the REPUBLIC for which it stands...not to the "DEMOCRACY". Computers already in place could make us a true democracy (just look at YOUTUBE and the little girl opera singer for an example of how fast it can work)...but the REPUBLIC will never let that happen, because our "representatives" have invested too much time to have their positions of power usurped by technology. Our Constitution provides the right (and responsibility) to replace bad government. If Americans choose not to become a true technocrat democracy, then the time is NOW to CLEAN HOUSE by replacing the deeply polarized "Republican-Democrat", "right-left", "conservative-liberal", "red-blue", "whatever you want to label it" predominantly two party system (created BY the system for ultimate control of the workforce population) with SEVERAL (not three)specific parties (why do they call them "parties" anyway) more aptly: representative affiliations, to truly represent the niche that elected them. The current two party monopoly where both sides have drifted to a flaccid moderate centrist model has severely blurred the original intent of our two party system. It is NOW TIME to END the crippling polarization which has bled into every aspect of our current American dilemma. FDR had it right when he said "There is NOTHING to fear except FEAR itself". Currently America is a flock of lemmings jumping off a cliff, following an outmoded system that is LONG OVERDUE for a MAJOR TUNEUP. Oh, and by the way, it's time to DUMP our current MEDIA sources too, if they don't agree to go back to REPORTING, versus the "pundit & pander" info-tainment model they have now become. THE AGE OF INSTANT INFORMATION IS UPON US, AND THE TIME FOR INSTANT REPLACEMENT IS OUR DUTY AND RESPONSIBILITY.

R.D. CARLE of FL 9:41AM August 31, 2010

You obviously didn't comprehend most of what my post was about. US companies have the cash flow to invest, Japanese companies did not. That is why the US vs. Japan comparisons are apples and oranges. The crux of the matter is that, the government borrowing binge is crowding out commercial lending. The banks are perfectly happy to borrow at near zero and use the money to purchase government backed debt. As to this Administrations' policies, the stimulus didn't stimulate and the bills are piling up. How many people really think it wasn't big enough and think we should do more? Keynes is dead, and so are his economic theories. GM and Chrysler have gone through more than $80 billion tax dollars and the taxpayers will never see more that 25% of it. Do you really think that the Chevy Volt is going to save GM? $41,000 for this exercise in economic suicide. That is the cost after the Administration gave GM the $1 billion battery plant. You are seriously brainwashed if you think that GM and Chrysler will ever come close to paying the money back. That wonderful cash for clunkers program cost every taxpayer $50.00 before interest. There have been how many housing bailout programs, 8? Yet, real estate sales keep declining and property values are still declining in the worst areas. None of this has worked. The government continues pouring taxpayer money down a rat hole with no effect. I remember Rudy Giuliani during the 2008 primary race in Florida pushing a 25% tax cut. Everybody thought the plan was nuts. Well instead, we got a 25% increase in Federal spending. This is crazy. Then there is the Democrats legislative achievements. More expensive credit cards, more expensive health care, more expenses and regulations for the banks, most of whom did not have anything to do with sub-prime mortgages. Don't forget, along the way they nationalized student loans. The Democrats are doing everything that they can to make this the most hostile environment in which to invest. Many people have noted that Obama & Co. "couldn't run a lemonade stand". The more this Administration does, the worse things get. Remember, this is the President who said that we have to "spread the wealth". The last time that I checked, wealth was an accumulation of unspent income. People will not start spending money until they see their personal wealth increasing. This Administration is doing all it can to make sure that doesn't happen.

Chris Mooney of PA 6:52PM August 26, 2010

According to logic mr mooney, the banks are the problem. They are the ones not lending, not the "washington, Obama, socialist" blather you speak of. If the govt were not lending banks money, there would not even be the possibility of banks lending money, because they would not have enough capital and assets to be able to lend. It is not a "govt trough" either, more resembling a mortgage loan, with govt lending money and banks repaying it, just look at the amounts many of the banks, and auto companies have paid back. Btw the US is a "private free enterprise-modified" economy, meaning we have, since the 1950s had "socialist" policies in place. Regardless, the term "socialist" to describe Obamas policies serves only to denigrate the fact that such policies are responsible for propping up this economy, and have been since even the 1930s. Such policies make it possible for you to be able to incorrectly assess this article with fallucious statements using an internet connection that these policies enable you to have, unless, of course, you are simply living off social assistance programs as many, many and a growing number of Americans now are, and still feel compelled to "govt bash"

Stephen of NY 2:55PM August 26, 2010

One major difference between our economy and Japan's is that over there, the banks own the corporations. We don't have that here. Their zombie banks meant that their companies had no money. The situation here is that corporate balance sheets are not bad. What is killing the economy is the Democrats' fiscal policies. Do you want to hire workers in this regulatory and tax environment? There isn't a week that goes by without the Administration proposing some new Socialist policy. All the while, the National debt keeps growing and the banks are happy to feed at the government guaranteed trough. Meanwhile John Q. Storeowner can only get loans at rates that would embarrass a loan shark. But, hey as Joe Biden said,"We need to spend our way out of this." Washington is killing Main St.

Chris Mooney of PA 6:13PM August 25, 2010

Only way I foresee shortening this freefall down a rathole that we are in.

George Soros 9:38PM August 24, 2010

This is all just Hopeful Thinking . . . . The reason the Japanese survived is because the private sector didn't have the debt levels that exist in the U.S.
The banks are only part of the problem . . . . . it's the Economy Stupid.
We are now experiencing another decline in the U.S. Economy. The Bottom line is that we haven’t fixed here in the U.S. or anywhere around the World the basic problems that created the Great Downturn of 2007-2008. Therefore, we still have those problems and we have done absolutely nothing to basically change those root problems in the U.S. Economy which means we are living on borrowed time.
So what are the root problems . . . . . the root problems in the United States are that for the last 35 years the average American wage has gone absolutely nowhere, they have been flat. Americans have continued to have a better and better material standard of living by working more hours, taking less vacations and borrowing like there is NO tomorrow.
And the Big problem Americans have now is that they can no longer borrow that much again, and if Americans don’t borrow and their wages don’t go up and they are not significantly going up then Americans have to buy a lot less of the World’s goods. This becomes an immense problem because 70% of the U.S. GDP is private consumption and America is 22% of the World. This basically means that 15% of the economic activity of the earth is American private consumption.
If that turns down, which it now has and stays down which it likely because of the financial crisis, this means we have basically pushed down the level of economic activity for all of the 6.2 billion people on this earth.
This is not about A RECOVERY . . . . . it is about CHANGE . . . . . The World is not going to Return to the Way things were.
Wake Up and Get used to IT !

Swiss Genome 8:40PM August 24, 2010