Friday, February 16, 2007

The problems with the US economy

The fundamental problem with the US economy is debt, debt and stagnant wages.

The two fundamental problems with the US economy are debt, stagnant wages, and the lack of household savings.

The three fundamental problems with the US economy are debt, stagnant wages, the lack of household savings, and the trade deficit.

The four fundamental problems with the US economy are debt, stagnant wages, the lack of household savings, the trade deficit, and people who say there are five fundamental problems with the US economy.

Bonddad from the Argonist discusses the problems with the US economy. Apart from the missing problem, his post is very insightful, based on hard economic data with nary an anecdote to be found. And lots of easy-to-grasp graphs. What especially stands out is the exponential rise in household debt, and the serious discrepancy between increased productivity and real wages increases. It is becoming more and more obvious that the average Americans aren't working for themselves, they're working for their bosses' profits, and surviving only on ever-increasing levels of debt.

If you've bought $US, think long and hard about whether they are such a good investment.

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