Go look at these two charts of P&G and MetLife.

The Volume. I challenge anyone to tell me this isn't
wholesale intervention.

P&G:

http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=PG#chart1:symbol=pg;range=5d;indicato...

MetLife:

http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=MET#chart1:symbol=met;range=5d;indica...

The Sequence of Global Insolvency Begins

by GEAB

Global Research, January 17, 2009
GEAB N°31

I have this wierd feeling when I watch the talking heads on tv saying how the credit markets need to be restored and consumer confidence needs to be restored so they start using credit again. How many people get it that what America and the world needs now more than anything are sustainable jobs? If the consumers don't have jobs they are going to default on their loans and the people that used to depend on the consumers to buy their products or services are probably going to default as well.

Heard a clip of Dubya crowing about 52 unbroken months of job growth last night. Yeah but what kind of jobs? Seem to me that the whole American (world?) economy has been one giant ponzi scheme with a lot of wealth being created out of thin air. Here in Jamaica politicians have been proud to trumpet the growth of the financial sector when it was happening. I always thought that that growth was meaningless in the long term but it's very frustrating feeling that you are one of the few people who hold that opinion

Speaking from personal experience, the thing that encourages one to consume most is the assurance of income going into the foreseeable future. Once there is any doubt that ones income can be sustained there will be a tendency to save for that rainy day. Obama's stimulus plan sounds like it has elements that might help, things that will produce renewable energy or permanently reduce energy consumption like making government buildings more energy efficient. I guess this is a good time to quote westaxas' edict "Cut thy spending and get thee to the non-discretionary side of the economy". Lets just hope that somehow the non-discretionary side of the economy can take up the slack!

Alan from the islands

Watch february's Jobs Report.

They're gonna throw in everything and the kitchen sink.

http://ashizashiz.blogspot.com/

Time is running out. If Obama goes through with the Rubin-esque "bad bank" ploy, it will be too late. Vermont(and my Arkansas ;} looks better all the time.

It's difficult to project the future in much detail (specific events,people's responses,etc.). As always a lot of things can happen. I think you can say with certainly that oil production will be lower 10 years from now, but as far as stuff like this goes (and I will include much of JHK's stuff) I consider it to basically be historical fiction is reverse (if you will). Who's to know how people will respond? Maybe they will just act like sheep. I'm not saying that there is no value in speculation about such things, I'm just wondering of how much value they are to this discussion.

I notice more and more of what seems to me to be pretty extraneous material on this board. Sure, everything can be related to oil in some way but can we tighten it up a little? On many occasions I have wanted to talk about oil investing and other such things, but have held back for the most part because I have considered it OT. I guess my point is if someone is allowed to say "get your money out of the banks" etc. then shouldn't I have a right to say Halliburton is a good buy at $12.95? (which it was). It seems sometimes that there is a lot more leeway given if one takes a doomer perspective than there is in the other direction. I think the solution is to just narrow the discussion down a little more in the direction of talking about actual oil-related topics.

Matt