Base unemployment in several European countries was above 10 % for quite a while, yet stock markets and other affiliated markets happened to go through the full cycles of recovery and recession.
I think the US of A has to admit that there will be no return to the good, old, golden times.
Be happy if you have a base unemployment rate of 8-10 % ( although the true numbers are probably much worse ).
Ben Bernanke is sending the wrong signals with QE II "light". Officially GDP has grown 3.7 % in Q1 2010, 1.6 % in Q2 2010. What are his achievements ?
At least, US banks have bought some time. They have actually strenghtened their balance sheets, deleveraged and recapitalized.
House prices have stabilzed from FALLING ( at least according to the S&P/Case Shiller House Home Price Index ). I think the perception of real estate gurus is that there is some stabilzation going on. International commercial real estate companies are looking into quality deals - at least that´s what a Bloomberg story is about (
http://noir.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aze.ASffYzIM ).
BUT :
Bernanke is fighting with old methods on the unemployment front and suggests failing available credit flow to businesses is halting economic expansion. This is not the main problem.
The main problem is TRUST into the economic expansion. Media outlets are eager to emphasize HOW BAD, really, really, really bad the overall economy is.
Only thing I see, is how BAD and UNPROFESSIONALLY media outlets ( and yes, I include blogs nowadays, too ) are reporting about the economic situation.
I can´t read and hear anymore the double dip, tripple dip, quadrupple dip bullsh1t !