To advertise in
The Boss
please
send a .gif or .jpeg that does not exceed a width of 500 pixels to
globalview@earthlink.net
Cost is $2000. Limit 1 advertisement
per firm, per quarter.
Economic Uncertainty and Conflict Roil the Western World
Uncertainty and Conflict Roil Western World Amid Global Economic Crisis
Washington, DC, USA and London, UK (geuters)- National political leaders in the United States and Europe continue to grapple with the declining economic expectations of their people and the consequences of economic uncertainty and fear. The economic recovery appears to have stalled in the European Union and this perception has led to scattered mass protests over which EU workers and citizens will be first in line to receive any new jobs which may be created in the immediate future and who should receive priority government assistance in these difficult economic times. Protests have broken out in London and several other cities in northern England and Scotland as workers responded to the economic downturn with sporadic violence. Analysts say the riots can be linked to the weakness in the British Pound vis-à-vis other internationally-traded currencies and the fears this sparked among workers of the prospects of even tougher economic times ahead. The Pound is not the only European currency to have suffered recent losses, however. “The Euro, once flying high against the US Dollar, has taken a beating over the last two years,” explained economist Reginald Slish. “While currently pacing itself with the Dollar, it no longer has the international purchasing power it once had. But when the recovery finally gets fully underway, the historically low value of the Euro should stimulate a sharp growth in exports and tourism,” Slish said.
Although the American economy is faring somewhat better than the European economy, US President Barack Obama has found opposition to his latest policy initiatives in the fields of economics, energy independence, the environment, and health care reform stiffer than expected. While still maintaining solid levels of popular support, President Obama’s numbers in public opinion polls have declined as the American people have come to understand that the key elements of the president’s agenda will not be easily or quickly accomplished, especially in the face of renewed resistance from the opposition Republican Party in Congress. The Republicans have begun to mount a major public counteroffensive against the president in advance of the 2010 midterm congressional elections, and the president has found himself asking the American people to give him more time to achieve his goals and not to reward the Republican Party in the elections for their “do-nothing obstructionism.” As the president’s program appears to be bogging down in Congress, Republicans and other political adversaries have become increasingly emboldened and critical of his proposals. Analysts are now wondering aloud whether the US president still has the political capital to carry out his agenda, whether his actions in the past year have worked, whether the US economy has begun to turn around yet, and how long it will take for the economy to fully recover from its current weakened state.
Strange economic news as analyst review 2009. It was a dismal year. Real estate prices fell throughout the year in almost all areas of the EU and NAFTA. Unemployment hit double digits. While not all areas were equally distressed, on average the EU and NAFTA economies did poorly.
What is strange? The equity markets ended on a high note. It seems investors saw the rate of decline slowing throughout 2009 and forecast better times ahead (or at least not worse times). Q4, 2009 data is not yet definitive. Nevertheless, investors feel initial data indicates the bottom has been hit and December holiday sales might prove an upturn is underway.
2010 forecasts are varied with wide ranges in the economic forecasts. The average shows a 1% annual gain in the GDP for both EU and NAFTA trading areas. The range is -3% to + 4%.
****
Prices for Quarter 1, 2010:
P1 = $56 per unit
P2 = $99 per unit
NPV Listing and Stock Quotes:
