[Graeme]

Fed points to soft landing for economy

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'F')ederal Reserve policymakers are becoming a little more confident about their ability to engineer a soft landing for the US economy, minutes published on Wednesday reveal.

Most expected core inflation to "edge lower" as pressure from past increases in energy prices waned, shelter costs slowed and pressure on overall levels of resource utilisation eased a little.

The committee noted that "recent changes in core prices had declined slightly from earlier in the year."

However, the labour market was "tight" and presented an upside risk to inflation.

There were hints that the patience of some committee members is being stretched.

[NEOPO]

Former World Bank Chief Economist Predicts Global Crash

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'F')ormer World Bank Vice President, Chief Economist and Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz has predicted a global economic crash within 24 months - unless the current downturn is successfully managed. Asked if the situation was being properly handled Stiglitz emphatically responded "no," and also drew ominous parallels to the development of the NAFTA Superhighway and the North American Union.

Stiglitz caused controversy in October 2001 when he exposed rampant corruption within the IMF and blew the whistle on their nefarious methods of inducing countries to fall under their debt before stripping them of sovereignty and hollowing out their economies.

Speaking on the nationally syndicated Alex Jones radio show, Stiglitz defined the process of globalization as a system that was "rigged against the poor countries, rigged for the advanced industrial countries - the result of that is there were an awful lot of losers."

[seldom_seen]

What exactly is a "soft landing"?

Is that where instead of the plane smashing in to the side of a mountain at full speed...it skids down the runway with chunks of the plane shearing off and the fuselage catching on fire?

maybe this is what they mean:

[TT]

You have to be worried when the Fed predicts any sort of landing. Soft, hard, indifferent - whichever, means that the economy is on the way down. Not good for people hoping to continue the feeding frenzy.

[grink1tt3n]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TT', 'Y')ou have to be worried when the Fed predicts any sort of landing. Soft, hard, indifferent - whichever, means that the economy is on the way down. Not good for people hoping to continue the feeding frenzy.

[FoxV]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('seldom_seen', 'W')hat exactly is a "soft landing"?

[mmasters]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('seldom_seen', 'W')hat exactly is a "soft landing"?

[seahorse]

A soft landing is when the rich stay rich, and the poor get poorer

[shortonoil]

A soft landing is when:

in March 07 housing prices have declined 17.8% nationally, but we expect a soft landing.

in Sept 07 housing prices have decline 23.6% nationally, but we have reached the bottom and expect a soft landing

in Dec 07 housing prices have declined 38.4% nationally, but we are taking measures to stabilize the market.

in Mar 08 housing has declined 43.6% nationally, the job market is soft and investors returns are threatened unless remedial action is pursued.

Sept 08 - we don’t hear anything from them!

[Kingcoal]

A soft landing allows the rich to stay rich by slowing down economic corrections. Before the Fed, the markets corrected themselves often suddenly and without mercy. In those days, people went from being rich to poor when TSHTF. Can't have that, can we? These days, little is left to chance.

[seldom_seen]

Ok, I think I'm starting to figure it out. A "soft landing" is when the bankers and financiers are able to strap on parachutes and jump out just before the plane slams in to the mountain.

[mmasters]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Kingcoal', 'A') soft landing allows the rich to stay rich by slowing down economic corrections. Before the Fed, the markets corrected themselves often suddenly and without mercy. In those days, people went from being rich to poor when TSHTF. Can't have that, can we? These days, little is left to chance.