Comments on Market Skeptics: Net Exports By Category For September 2008

Thank you very much for that detailed list. I too...

2008-12-10T21:54:00.000-08:00

Thank you very much for that detailed list. I too was suprised to see that if the import spicket is turned off we at least wont starve to death. But maybe thats a false hope because if farmers can get "real money" at a higher rate then they can get here, they'll do it.

In fact I read a post on Argentina and the financial crisis they had and people there barely had anything to eat (the author actually got scurvy) despite being a very agriculturally orientated country.

The Government tried to impose price controls, but like all price controls they were at a rate below the price of production which led to black markets and scarcity along with protests from the farmers who basically blockaded Buenos Aires.

The list however gives me clues as to what is going to be in acute scarcity (ie. shoes,clothes,oil and seafood) which may be good domestic businesses to eventually allocate capital to.

As far as our oil needs go, this nonsense about alternative energy, mass transit and infrastructure building being a replacement for the current economy is ridiculous and most likely a boondogle of epic proportions leading to hyperinflation and currency collapse.

That capital needs to be conserved to build new factories that either supply is with the goods we NEED and are willing to PAY FOR or that we can export to other countries for the goods they have.

Our economy is saying slow the hell down! Stop with the Caligula consumption. Get more sensible, save money and CONTRACT!

After the contraction then we can sift through the ashes for any pearls left saving. But we need to learn how to save and be more self reliant again.

PS (sorry for rambling)

So is this guy full of it or what? He seems to be...

2008-12-10T11:10:00.000-08:00

So is this guy full of it or what? He seems to be of the opinion that we can just print money into oblivion and get away with it. That "parking" assets in metals is only a temporary measure, but soon one can go back into stocks...

What an interesting list. It dispelled a misconcep...

2008-12-10T06:42:00.000-08:00

What an interesting list. It dispelled a misconception I had, that the U.S. was a net importer of food. From this list, that appears to be false.

Otherwise, it pretty much confirms my previous beliefs, namely that the U.S. exports things that ordinary people don't use: semiconductors, parts, machine tools, earthmoving equipment, aircraft, medical machines, and raw materials; and imports most of the things that ordinary people use.

That being the case, if there is a global slowdown in trade, the U.S. will suffer privations of basic goods.

Dave
http://daveeriqat.wordpress.com/