EUARTE

Predictions for 2009: Who Will Be the Winners and Losers?

Yes, indeed there was Wall Street greed. They should not get off the hook. Return to the sensible bank restrictions of the 1930's is a must. Thanks to Bill Clinton these were abolished. We see the result of that stupidity (greed again).

There was also moral failure on the part of our Congressional representatives. Barnie Frank and Christofer Dodd come easily to mind. Numnuts like the theologian Nancy Palosi tried to fix our problems with more of the same left wing verbal garbage. She should not get off the hook. As for Harry Reid, he may get away with it because he has kept quite. Nonetheless, his inaction should also be noted.

We should also remember the Republican Congess of only a few years ago who spent like drunken sailors. This should help the present Federal Reserve and the President to understand that mindless spending may not be the answer. They have learned nothing.

No one should forget Alan Greenspan for his low interest rates. College students who take Economic's 101 new better than this successful self promoting hack.

Then there is George W. Bush. He was a true failure of incredible rank. He succeeded at nothing and caused economic chaos on his countrymen.

The main problem today is there is no one out there, in power or about to be in power, who has workable and sound ideas. This, alas, includes "the One".

In the end it is we the voters who are to blame. We idiotically resend the same hacks and morally reprehenseable hacks to Congress. We have our reward.

We will get out of this to be sure. In what condition is impossible to know. But I will bet it will take many years. Those predicting 2009 as turn around time are deluding us.

Happy New Year.

Friday Outlook: Commodities, Emerging Markets

Yes, Soviets. Putin is a Soviet thug.

If Commodities Falter, Export Reliant Currencies Could Follow

It will take longer for the Real to weaken because the country has huge reserves. Nonetheless, reserves don't last forever.

One should also keep in mind that Brasil must pay off overly generous interest rates on it's bonds. In addition, one must remember that Brasil, for all it's recent progress, is mostly a third world country with most the population still in this mode. When commodity sales lessen it has little to fall back on.

Inflation Fears Are Inflated

How do you explain the continued success of the R$? It continues to go up vs. $. Everyone seems to ignore the R$ as if it is not important. I think it is a good barometer of the world economy.