Is Noel Watson really Klaus Schmidt-Hebbel...

[johnfm]

... chief economist at the OECD.

My flimsy evidence:

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/eco...

[DJC]

johnfm said:

... chief economist at the OECD.

My flimsy evidence:

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/eco...

Is the German bloke the world's dullest man?

[Incorrigible]

I think Harry Flasman is really Jon Dokic

[NoelWatson]

DJC said:

johnfm said:

... chief economist at the OECD.

My flimsy evidence:

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/eco...

Is the German bloke the world's dullest man?

I'm sure you mentioned that you drove a diesel. If you can provide evidence that I drive anything that doesn't rev to at least 7000rpm, has six cylinders and has RWD, I will fine myself.


Anyway, I am a ray of sunshine compared to this chap

http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article9196.html

"Chief economist Mark Zandi of Moody's Economy.com forecasts a possible “mild depression” scenario, in which the average price of a home — already down 27 percent from its peak — could fall another 20 percent. What he does not tell us how far home prices could fall in a worst-case, 1930s-type depression scenario. But I will: As much as 80 or even 90 percent from peak to trough. "

[Somewhatfoolish]

NoelWatson said:

DJC said:

johnfm said:

... chief economist at the OECD.

My flimsy evidence:

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/eco...

Is the German bloke the world's dullest man?

I'm sure you mentioned that you drove a diesel. If you can provide evidence that I drive anything that doesn't rev to at least 7000rpm, has six cylinders and has RWD, I will fine myself.

http://pistonheads.com/members/showcar.asp?carId=60159

never, ever, put your cars in your profile, they lead to internet arguments!

Edited by Somewhatfoolish on Tuesday 3rd March 12:15

[NoelWatson]

Somewhatfoolish said:

NoelWatson said:

DJC said:

johnfm said:

... chief economist at the OECD.

My flimsy evidence:

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/eco...

Is the German bloke the world's dullest man?

I'm sure you mentioned that you drove a diesel. If you can provide evidence that I drive anything that doesn't rev to at least 7000rpm, has six cylinders and has RWD, I will fine myself.

http://pistonheads.com/members/showcar.asp?carId=60159

never, ever, put your cars in your profile, they lead to internet arguments!

Edited by Somewhatfoolish on Tuesday 3rd March 12:15

Note drive not drove.

(The 106 was a fantastic car though - if they made one tomorrow I would buy it)

[MaxAndRuby]

NoelWatson said:

Anyway, I am a ray of sunshine compared to this chap

http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article9196.html

Do you agree with him?

[NoelWatson]

MaxAndRuby said:

NoelWatson said:

Anyway, I am a ray of sunshine compared to this chap

http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article9196.html

Do you agree with him?

Not sure TBH. I'm hoping it won't be another Depression, but the economic numbers from around the world keep getting worse and worse. As I said on another thread, I've cancelled my FT subscription because it was too gloomy.

What are your thoughts?

[Somewhatfoolish]

How can it be anything other than a depression? Everyone is st scared and pretty much every country has some of the least flexible, bloated, incompetent and indebted governments in power for generations. We have wool coated popular culture and a total lack of education.

It will be fine in the end but there is so much deterius that needs to be trimmed...

[MaxAndRuby]

NoelWatson said:

MaxAndRuby said:

NoelWatson said:

Anyway, I am a ray of sunshine compared to this chap

http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article9196.html

Do you agree with him?

Not sure TBH. I'm hoping it won't be another Depression, but the economic numbers from around the world keep getting worse and worse. As I said on another thread, I've cancelled my FT subscription because it was too gloomy.

What are your thoughts?

Just hopes and guesses, not really based on a sound knowledge of global economics. Just can't see how it can get better in the near future. What do you think of the IMF's predictions of a UK upturn in 2010?

[NoelWatson]

MaxAndRuby said:

What do you think of the IMF's predictions of a UK upturn in 2010?

Massive and sustained use of mind altering substances.

[bosscerbera]

NoelWatson said:

MaxAndRuby said:

NoelWatson said:

Anyway, I am a ray of sunshine compared to this chap

http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article9196.html

Do you agree with him?

Not sure TBH. I'm hoping it won't be another Depression, but the economic numbers from around the world keep getting worse and worse. As I said on another thread, I've cancelled my FT subscription because it was too gloomy.

What are your thoughts?

I admire your hope Noel.

The "Market Oracle" note about the government assumptions is scary, but true. I've retained my FT subscription, it's the TV news I struggle to watch because it makes me want to throw things at the larger-than-lifesize talking heads.

The Market Oracle (MO) is also somewhat frustrating - it's all very well downgrading Dow forecasts from 7200 to 5000 ....but based on what? All the analysis is based on playing with financial numbers with little reference to the basis of those numbers. What next? Wait till June and then sagely downgrade it from a mid-90s 5000 to an early-90s 3000?

Economics doesn't operate in a vacuum. Maybe what's led people to think it does is the boom of the last few years. Maybe believing in a "numbers game" is why indebting indebted populations makes sense to these idiots? Einstein's definition of insanity is "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

The bigger trends, the scarier trends IMHO, are population growth; falling job numbers in wealth-creating sectors and growing public sector/welfare state expenses. It's not just the financial system that's collapsed, it's the basis of it - and governments, seemingly, have lost touch with that. Keynesian ideas like "let's build some roads and stuff" depends on there being the means to pay for them one day. There isn't, and that's just one of many reasons why I wonder how come Keynes' ideas are even on the agenda. In period most people thought he was barking mad.

[NoelWatson]

bosscerbera said:

I admire your hope Noel.

If I don't show at least some optimism I get torn a new one on here!!

[bosscerbera]

NoelWatson said:

bosscerbera said:

I admire your hope Noel.

If I don't show at least some optimism I get torn a new one on here!!

[900T-R]

bosscerbera said:

Economics doesn't operate in a vacuum. Maybe what's led people to think it does is the boom of the last few years. Maybe believing in a "numbers game" is why indebting indebted populations makes sense to these idiots? Einstein's definition of insanity is "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

The bigger trends, the scarier trends IMHO, are population growth; falling job numbers in wealth-creating sectors and growing public sector/welfare state expenses. It's not just the financial system that's collapsed, it's the basis of it - and governments, seemingly, have lost touch with that.

Well, the 'boom years' certainly had governtments as well as corporate types believing, or at least make it believable to those who matter, that 'wealth creation' could be sustained in a parallel universe to actual, tangible value creation.

[bosscerbera]

900T-R said:

bosscerbera said:

Economics doesn't operate in a vacuum. Maybe what's led people to think it does is the boom of the last few years. Maybe believing in a "numbers game" is why indebting indebted populations makes sense to these idiots? Einstein's definition of insanity is "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

The bigger trends, the scarier trends IMHO, are population growth; falling job numbers in wealth-creating sectors and growing public sector/welfare state expenses. It's not just the financial system that's collapsed, it's the basis of it - and governments, seemingly, have lost touch with that.

Well, the 'boom years' certainly had governtments as well as corporate types believing, or at least make it believable to those who matter, that 'wealth creation' could be sustained in a parallel universe to actual, tangible value creation.

I quite like Einstein:

Einstein said:

No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.

Clearly, this is why Gordon Brown needs to distance himself from anything to do with the cause, otherwise we'd never believe he could fix it (and the world, obviously).

Einstein said:

Nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced.

...like giving an indebted population more debt to pay?