Does Anything Add Up Anymore?
Depending on who you read and how you think, you may be in the camp of those of us wondering if anything adds up anymore. For example:
Americans are finally feeling better about the economy.
Fewer and fewer can afford to buy a house.
Credit card delinquencies have spiked to near-record levels.
Around 50% of Americans carry balances on their credit cards. The average % charged is 23%. New credit cards are charging 27%.
This week the S&P began a rise, pressing up towards the all-time high. The financial media touts a resumption of a bull market in stocks. And doesn't the stock market discount the future - implying that all is well in our world?
The stock market is highly overvalued by multiple traditional measures.
The business of building "Armageddon" shelters is booming.
The demand for electric cars is cratering.
The typical indicators that presage a recession have been in place over year.
Billions in government funds already allocated remains unspent, creating a potentially huge, albeit temporary, source of economic activity waiting to take off (and then, it would seem, just stop).
The National Debt has exceeded $37 Trillion - but no need to worry.
The Federal government deficits have reached levels only seen during warfare or deep recessions in the past.
There's no recession - and won't be one.
The U.S. military is the most powerful in the world.
The U.S. military can't seem to figure out how to stop the Houthis (Who are...?) from attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
Just a sampling, of course, a complete list would likely extend from here to eternity (a great movie by the way).
Meanwhile, as we contemplate all this mish-mosh, or possibly bog ourselves down in analyzing all and getting into a dispute with multiple parties over who's right and who's wrong.
Or...
We could spend time with our families, listen to music, read a book, even watch a decent movie (no gratuitous sex scenes please).
You takes your pick. I took mine.
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