[Armageddon]

Starting in March, a million losses will seem like a good month. Why March you ask ? This will give business owners a little time to digest the poor holiday sales and reality will start setting in. You don't want to know my end of 2009 prediction. I will give you a hint. Soup kitchens.

[Sixstrings]

I will give you a hint. Soup kitchens.

It's all so unreal, given the state of our self-obsessed culture. What's poor Generation Y gonna do? Browse for itunes songs on their iphone, in a *soup kitchen line*?

Will conspicuous consumption still exist? It's so much a part of our culture, it's hard to imagine it just disappearing overnight. I mean, a lot of people's very identity is all wrapped up in consumerist fashions.

The few consumers out there not already on Prozac turn to more consumption to fill that empty space inside. What will the gals do when they can't lift their spirits with a shopping spree? For that matter, what happens if the Prozac runs out?

[Snowrunner]

I will give you a hint. Soup kitchens.

It's all so unreal, given the state of our self-obsessed culture. What's poor Generation Y gonna do? Browse for itunes songs on their iphone, in a *soup kitchen line*?

Will conspicuous consumption still exist? It's so much a part of our culture, it's hard to imagine it just disappearing overnight. I mean, a lot of people's very identity is all wrapped up in consumerist fashions.

It's not only Generation Y, it's Generation X as well, not to mention the Baby Boomers.

The markets and the impact they have is slowly creeping into peoples minds, but they are still lacking the "big picture" feel and like to blame a lot of the bad stuff happening on the media reporting the bad stuff (at least that's what I overhear in various places).

I noticed today that Safeway has gone on a bender in selling Campbells soup for cheaper for their members, first time I have seen them do it, not to mention that they are now selling "floats" of the stuff.

[cipi604]

I hope I have a job in March. I'll pray if I have too!!!

[Tyler_JC]

One Million Jobs Per Month.

I have a hard time even imagining what that would look like in this country.

Anyone who thinks we are headed for long term deflation is nuts. The Feds are going to throw everything they have (and then some!) to stop a million job losses a month. We could be looking at helicopter money in the literal sense. Direct printed cash payments to consumers in order to boost the economy.

We couldn't do it in the Depression because the Gold Standard got in the way. Not anymore...

In the words of Jim Cramer, "Damn the Weimar, full speed ahead!"

[smallpoxgirl]

Yeah. It's really weird right now, because theres' this huge storm blowing up on the horizon, and yet, where we're standing, things aren't bad. I don't know anyone who's hurting badly yet. There's this cloud hanging over of what's coming though.

[ReverseEngineer]

Anyone who thinks we are headed for long term deflation is nuts. The Feds are going to throw everything they have (and then some!) to stop a million job losses a month. We could be looking at helicopter money in the literal sense. Direct printed cash payments to consumers in order to boost the economy.

We couldn't do it in the Depression because the Gold Standard got in the way. Not anymore...

It could have been done in GD1, all they would have had to do is print dollars and rely on the Faith in the Goobermint that there was actually some Gold somewhere to back it up. Not a whole lot different than buying Gold Certificates from a company which might or might not have any Gold to sell you. If you actually relied on gold itself and tried distributing it out to 6B people, you would have to look at the coins through a Microscope.

Not a whole lot different either from relying on the Faith in the Goobermint to pay off on its Treasury Bonds. There is actualyl a better chance of that than the Goobermint being able to pay you off in real Gold.

You can't redeem Treasury Bonds for Real Money if the Goobermint doesn't HAVE real money any more than you can redeem Dollars for Gold if the Goobermint doesn't HAVE enough Gold for all the dollars. PMs failed as a standard because there simply isn't enough of them to well represent the economy and because in an of themselves they hold no real value other than the Faith people have that Gold will always hold its Value. I guess you always believe people will value shiny metal even if they are starving?

Anyhow, we should get to see some of the outcome of this soon enough. The stories are moving into the MSM along with the Denials. It won't be long now.

Reverse Engineer

[Snowrunner]

Yeah. It's really weird right now, because theres' this huge storm blowing up on the horizon, and yet, where we're standing, things aren't bad. I don't know anyone who's hurting badly yet. There's this cloud hanging over of what's coming though.

It will hit the majority of people square in the face and the ones that see it coming won't be much better off unless they have a Bunker to hide in and weather the storm being 99% self reliant.

The problem is: That's very very VERY few people and they better keep a very low profile, desperation suspends morale :/

[Novus]

You don't want to know my end of 2009 prediction. I will give you a hint. Soup kitchens.

Soup Kitchens. That is what I call a cornucopian these days. I predict wide scale rioting, death camps, and mass suicide cults. Forget mad max read the book of Revelation.

[IslandCrow]

Forget mad max read the book of Revelation.

In several threads in the population forum, people have talked about population reduction down to a high of 2 billion and way down to 1/2 billion. Compare that with Revelation 6:8 "They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts".

PO doomers: 66-90% population die-off
Revelation: 25% population die-off

[Daniel_Plainview]

I predict wide scale rioting, death camps, and mass suicide cults.

... and widespread looting and vandalism ...

[perdition79]

You don't want to know my end of 2009 prediction. I will give you a hint. Soup kitchens.

Soup Kitchens. That is what I call a cornucopian these days. I predict wide scale rioting, death camps, and mass suicide cults. Forget mad max read the book of Revelation.

Revelation is cornucopian at this point.

I agree with everything except the death camps. If we're going third world, all those camps that have been springing up the past few years will be to keep people out, not keep people in.

[Cog]

Thanks for my dose of Uber-Doom for the day. I'm now ready to face the work-place.

[Zardoz]

Thanks for my dose of Uber-Doom for the day. I'm now ready to face the work-place.

Yeah, this thread went right over the top in a hurry, didn't it?

That happens around here now and then.

[Novus]

Forget mad max read the book of Revelation.

In several threads in the population forum, people have talked about population reduction down to a high of 2 billion and way down to 1/2 billion. Compare that with Revelation 6:8 "They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts".

PO doomers: 66-90% population die-off
Revelation: 25% population die-off

So you only read up to chapter 6. I just reference Revelation because it is a good bit of doomer porn.

You can read the whole thing here:

Revelation

[IgnoranceIsBliss]

I think there are many who think Obama will just wave a magic wand in January and make things turn around again.

Sometime well before summer 2009, we will see another direct cash payment stimulus to the public just to maintain food, heat, and some type of public order.

I have to say, I'm getting pretty scared these days. Even if we still have my husband's job, things in town around us are going to start getting very bleak very soon. I don't even want to think about down in Atlanta.

[Heineken]

Dow Chemical just announced it's laying off 11% of its workforce.

The Chicago Tribune is about to go bankrupt---can't make interest payments on its debt.

[ReverseEngineer]

I think there are many who think Obama will just wave a magic wand in January and make things turn around again.

Sometime well before summer 2009, we will see another direct cash payment stimulus to the public just to maintain food, heat, and some type of public order.

The next stimulus will have to be a bit more substantial than the last one. What does $600 buy you? Maybe a month assuming you don't pay your mortgage and there is a moratorium on foreclosures.

The individual stimuli don't do a whole lot more than $25B does for the automakers, it just staves off the inevitable for another month.

Clearly a massive make work project of some type will be undertaken to try to get money to the people without just giving it away, but just how its going to be financed is an open question. Also an open question is how you take out of work Lehman Stock Brokers and turn them into railroad builders overnight. This is a much more difficult transition than taking Okie farmers and setting them to building the Hoover Dam of course.

It will be an interesting year in any event.

Reverse Engineer

[vision-master]

Events will continue to speed up. What took a decade to happen in the 60's will now take place within 20 days. Things will continue to speed up from here. It has been written!

[IgnoranceIsBliss]

Regarding "make work" projects:

Who is going to run the projects? (general contractors and such) These companies are all out of business. Who is going to underwrite their liability insurance and workers' comp insurance?

How are workers going to get to the project areas? Commute hours every day? Live on site? What about their kids and families?

Will we even be able to get parts and supplies from China? (like new HVAC units for buildings/ schools)

These are just a few issues that I can think of right off the bat. My parents owned a construction company for 30+ years and I know a bit about how things work. If payments aren't received quickly (from the feds once this thing gets running), that will also put companies out of business.

Of course, we are all betting the ranch on the fact that someone is going to be willing to lend us billions of dollars to pay for this great new initiative. I think we will soon see that this is wishful thinking.