Debt & Deficits

The U.S. owes the most; it is borrowing the most; and its borrowing needs in the future will increase exponentially. This leads to only one possible conclusion. The United States is hopelessly insolvent. Words: 935

Given that governments are reluctant to take their lumps now, what are the odds that they will do the right thing — outright default and debt restructuring — three years hence when the debt bubble is that much larger, the economy is in worse shape, and the pain of default and austerity is much higher than today's? The words "slim" and "none" come to mind. The world is firmly ensconced on the path to an inflationary depression. Words: 1119

It is clearly evident that America's debt picture is truly astronomical and, like the situation with Greece, the debt cannot, and never will, be repaid. Indeed, any way you look at it, the consequences for the United States, let alone the many other haunted economies, are grim, dismal - even disastrous. Words: 1166

Japan is flirting with becoming the Greece of the East. Japan’s legendary household and corporate savings are on a downward trend [and, while current] domestic savers have always been forgiving of the government’s overspending, when [their] savings become inadequate to fund the government’s drain, other investors will be much less sympathetic. Words: 508

It is appropriate that the fiscal crisis of the West has begun in Greece, the birthplace of Western civilization. Soon it will cross the channel to Britain. The key question, however, is when that crisis will reach the last bastion of Western power, on the other side of the Atlantic. Words: 609

In a global crisis sovereign debt fears have the ability to be contagious destroying investor confidence in the capital markets of troubled countries and the overall global economy alike and when confidence wanes, capital flees it is a surefire recipe for falling dominoes. That's especially true today in the wake of a deep global recession that has left many countries with bloated deficits and debt loads. Words: 707

Looking forward, our formula for working out of the current deficit pattern would be to have the Republicans regain control of one house of Congress (but not both houses of Congress plus the White House). The economy fully recovers. I’m not ready to forecast surpluses to come, but I can envision the deficits coming down to reasonable magnitudes. Words: 1438