Dear Doug & Max

[Max Sawicky]

>
> Max Sawicky, the incurable optimist and chicken little-basher, might note
that 4th quarter growth in the U.S. was 5.6% and inflation's reminiscent of
the 50s. I remember after the panic of 98, LTCM's near miss, and after the
stock market bounced back Doug said something like the crisis is over,
refered to '87 and jumped on the
cooler-heads-will-prevail/chicken-little-poo-pooing band wagon.>

For all I know, the U.S. economy could begin to

 stagger along at 1.5% growth at any time, and

 then continue indefinitely.  Likewise for prolonged
decay of every sort.  If this makes me an incurable

 optimist, then go ahead and invent your own
definitions as you like.

The fundamental STABILITY of capitalism in the

 U.S./Europe/Japan, regardless of whatever moral

 atrocities can be attributed to it anywhere in the world,

 is the real issue. At the risk of being called an optimist
again, I will reiterate two simple points:  a) nobody has

 a clue as to whether this can go on forever or not;
b) speculation about collapse is an evasion of the
basic political question of what is to be done
HERE, NOW.

Hence all this cackling about the Brazilian-led apocalypse
is just so much chicken-feed.


> I said to keep an eye on Brazil.

zzzz--zzzzz--zzzzzz


>  . . .
> One Left to Lie To" and Cockburn's - "The Joy of Sex."  If they do tour
> maybe those of you who like to take potshots at the 2 from your keyboard
> will have the balls to confront them directly.

What a waste of time, as if we were all priests
obliged to roam the country-side, correcting
others for their assorted vaults.

mbs