Get ready for it: Another economic collapse is coming.

[zipplewrath]

32. Everything does have to go "just right"

That's probably the most reasonable thing you wrote. Yes, we have not "recovered" not by a long shot. And the reality is that we probably won't for more than a decade. Regardless of the specific number associated with unemployment, the lost WAGES of both the unemployed, those who are now re-employed at lower wages, and those who are doing less work, and therefor earning less income, represent a real loss to the economy that hasn't begun to recover.

The flip side is that there are positive indications in areas like manufacturing. And the reality is that there is still alot of "wealth" out there that is not being spent, or invested.

Everything does have to go "just right", but it is also true that there are ALOT of people all around the world with vested interests that are working to accomplish exactly that.

There will be set backs, and some of them major. Some of them are basically "knowable" as well. The price of oil is certainly going to go up, for some period of time, we just don't know exactly when. The european crisis will "happen" in some sense or another. Too many countries in too much trouble with not enough answers. The problem is we don't know what country will do what, and when. Could be anything from a minor default on debt to a civil war. And the foreclosures are going up, alot. "Everyone" knows it's coming and the result on our economy is going to be felt. We just don't know how much it's going to go up.

The flip side is that the magnitude and nature of the problems can be managed. Unfortunately that doesn't mean they WILL be managed. That uncertainty is the real problem. But it is an uncertainty. That's what make these doomsday declarations problematic. It's not that they aren't possible, they are just as uncertain as the economy is. We might be headed towards a total economic collapse, but we might not. It is uncertain, and to some extent it is dependent upon decision to be made in the future.

But the LAST thing we need is for people to presume that the total economic collapse is "certain". Because then it will become a self fulfilling prophecy.