being an informed liberal, I'm listening to a lot of NPR these days

[ulysses]

and I've been hearing a lot from eminent (perhaps "imminent" is more appropriate) economists in my morning and afternoon drive times. I've heard, in the space of only a few days, that the world economy will be fine, that the world economy is on the verge of deep recession, that $700 billion will calm investors, that only government ownership of banks and several more quarters of cat-food dinners among the wealthy will calm investors, that Europe is now the "sick man" of the economic world, that Europe is only the latest to feel our collective pain, that the market will rebound because it always rebounds, that we damned well hope the market will rebound before we all die, ad nauseum.

Now, I'm no economist, but I have to ask: who hires these motherfuckers?

(The first person to answer "other economists" can bite my ass. :D )

[BrklynLiberal]

1. It shows that they are ALL just guessing and no one really KNOWS what is going on.

[ulysses]

7. hit to confidence. you are charged with 500-point drop in the Dow.

[The Magistrate]

2. "If You Laid All the World's Economists End To End, They Still Would Not Reach A Single Conclusion."

[ulysses]

4. which begs the question of the desirability of laying economists end to end.

Dorothy Parker, a nation turns its lonely eyes to you...

[The Magistrate]

6. Oh, Well Played, Sir....

I got nuthin'.

[ulysses]

10. :)

All kudos to Ms Parker.

[texastoast]

3. I heard something very honest yesterday

Financial advisors were having a town hall meeting of the folks for whom they manage investments. One of the principals said this: "There are two things that drive the market: One is fear, and the other is greed."

When prices get cheap enough, all those folks we bailed out will find a way to buy at the fire sale. I'd bet my last dollar on that.

[ulysses]

9. any more room on that bet?

[texastoast]

11. Not right now!

I'm down 22%, and I don't want the kids to have to care for my old ass when that time comes.

;-)

[Rage for Order]

5. Was it Truman who said he wanted a one-handed economist?

"On one hand, 'X' will happen, but on the other hand..."

[ulysses]

8. I don't want to know what's on the other hand.