by Pops » Sat 31 Dec 2011, 09:20:27
I was happy to see the US economy not crash this year on higher oil prices - stumble (last 2 quarters might as well be recession) but no crash. I think it's not going to get much better because of the oil price but since everyone is treading very carefully, I also think big hiccups aren't likely either. Probably the biggest potential downside would be Republican success in firing half the government.
Oil will start to flow to the GOM from Cushing in the second half, not as much as is needed but enough to get the price closer to Brent. So it boils down to whether the EU can muddle through and will China just continue to cool instead of crash... and of course no GlobalThermoNuclearWar in the Strait!
Overall I think everyone is walking on eggshells, economically speaking (except Achmed) so no big moves - we're in the wedge between non-OECD desire on the downside and OECD Ability to Pay on the upside.
High 115
Low 90
close 110
The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves -- in their separate, and individual capacities.
-- Abraham Lincoln, Fragment on Government (July 1, 1854)