ratsky

The Real Cost of Economic Stimulus

I agree with the basic premise. There is an interesting "test case' going on right now that may in its devolution shed some light on what we could face as a "socialized Obama economy." Look at Japan! It is, demographically, where the US will be in less than a generation. Japan has the longest life spans of all major nations, and one of the earliest full retirement ages: 60. Its overall population has been SHRINKING for quite some time (birth rate is about the lowest of all major nations), and the average age is increasing almost year-for-year! If it wasn't for the high percentage of smokers, Japan would have collapsed 10 or more years ago! The "producer ratio" is less than 2.0 TODAY, and going down quickly. Want a sure bet: sell the Japanese economy SHORT! Another indicator (especially significant in a traditionally static society) is the political turmoil of the past decade, with leadership tenures of only a few months before replacement.

How a Bankrupt GM Should Merge with Chrysler

Your comments MIGHT have a bit more credibility if you didn't refer to "Chrysler" as "DCX": that was the stock symbol of the combined Daimler-Chrysler, which, as everyone else in the world seems to know, ceased to exist about 18 months ago! Chrysler doesn't even have a stock symbol, as it's privately held. Also, there are severe complications regarding severing relationships with overseas branches (you forgot about GM Australia, AKA Holden, and Opel). MOST of GM's new (and likely surviving lines of vehicles) are built on platforms from Saab/Opel, Holden, or Daewoo, INCLUDING the Chinese Buicks. The cost-spreading benefits of this would be largely lost if the design centers were sold off. Otherwise, the analysis is right on.