[RSmithOpt]

Consumer spending accounts for 70% of all economic activity in the US. With the falling dollar, soring energy costs, soaring food costs on a similar, but less, slope, retailers like Wally World, Sears, JCPenney, etc., the malls, restaurants, landscapers (lawn service co.'s), US durable goods manufacturers (appliances and autos), etc., etc. are going to a see a mega drop in sales within the next 6 mos.

The Chicaom supplied dollar stores will boom because of the cash and credit crunched as low to middle income people and credit-maxed people scramble just for necessities like soap, TP, canned food, etc. Rent on apartments will stay the same, but will most likely drop 30% on single-family detached homes.

Simple, food, shelter, energy will be what the US consumer tries to pay for for the next 36 months. Wages will not increase though employers will charge more for increased business costs and medical coverage will continue to rise as well as homeowners and auto insurance co.'s will also continue to push up their premiums to recover their investment losses in the sub-prime underwriter categories.

Watch the real trickle-down effect of all of this.

I read yesterday that the net effect of the shrink-back (valuation loss of the dollar) in our economy is going to be in the neighborhood of $7-9 trillion dollars from conservative estimates in the next 12 months. With all this coming down, don't forget, our lovely government at all levels is going to raise taxes and fees as that they will never cut their spending or the size of what they do becaseu"they have to maintain the level of service" (LOL!).

This is not being negative, but, realistic as to the magnitude of our greed and arrogance.

Time to pay the fiddler for the tune.

[jmyrlefuller]

You’ve got an excellent point.

After this Christmas, the bubble bursts.

[mtnwmn]

“This is not being negative, but, realistic as to the magnitude of our greed and arrogance.”

You might want to add ignorance to that list.