For all those policymakers, "economists," and TV pundits whose thinking has been clouded by the "green shoots" they've been smoking lately, I've got the perfect antidote: Howard Davidowitz.
In fact, if the reality described by this retail industry consultant in the following Yahoo! Finance Tech Ticker column (and accompanying video). "'The Worst Is Yet to Come': If You're Not Petrified, You're Not Paying Attention," doesn't sober these delusiabulls up quickly, I'm afraid nothing will.
The green shoots story took a bit of hit this week between data on April retail sales, weekly jobless claims and foreclosures. But the whole concept of the economy finding its footing was "preposterous" to begin with, says Howard Davidowitz, chairman of Davidowitz & Associates.
"We're in a complete mess and the consumer is smart enough to know it," says Davidowitz, whose firm does consulting for the retail industry. "If the consumer isn't petrified, he or she is a damn fool."
Davidowitz, who is nothing if not opinionated (and colorful), paints a very grim picture: "The worst is yet to come with consumers and banks," he says. "This country is going into a 10-year decline. Living standards will never be the same."
