Quote from PAPA ROACH:
Didn't read your article link, but just off your posting topic I would say DUH! Anyone who thinks we are going to go back to an economy of 70% consumer spending being GDP, is riding the short bus.
Many here probably are not fully aware, if aware at all, that what is transpiring before your eyes is the biggest shift in capitalism that the world has ever seen. There are no new rules or design yet, everything is being written as we go along. I can tell you with 100% accuracy, that what passes over the next several years will be written about and studied in history and economics books for the next century. No longer will the great depression be what people study, whatever this quagmire ultimately gets named will be the grand-daddy of them all.
I will venture a prediction and say the low has not been made yet, only time will verify me on that.
I also believe that this flu outbreak will cause a great loss of life globally before we develope any immunity to it through vaccines and exposure.
Many in this country are being very non-chalante about it, and that is a major mistake. I have a feeling,if not by this coming Friday, Monday will be a very bad day for the markets. There is a 2-5 day incubation period, which tells me many people are walking around right now that have no idea they have it, and worse, are infecting others. There will be great loss of life as a motality rate. We are at the end of flu season for the northern hemisphere, if we cannot develope an effective vaccine before the end of summer, the next flu season will be deadly. We can count ourselves lucky in the fact this is not the start of flu season. I do feel for the populace of the southern hemisphere, they are just entering their flu season, and will not have any vaccine to deal with this outbreak.
Read up on the Spanish flu, first appeared in March (at the end of flu season), went away and then came back with a vengeance, killing tens of millions.