by MrBill » Thu 31 May 2007, 09:23:50
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Doly', 'W')ell, I keep reading occassionally the Financial Times, and from time to time you get one of those "long view" articles saying that the current global imbalances can't go on forever, but they can't give you any decent estimations on when or how it's all going to crash.
I bet that when it happens, it will be like the Great Depression. You will get experts saying it's just a temporary adjustment, even as it's happening.
We will only see the crash on the rear view mirror.
Well, the imbalances obviously cannot continue indefinitely.
As I have already posted here before (many times actually) .
The US consumes 2/3 of the world's current surplus. That is the world's net savings. It is doubtful that they can consume 100%. And it is impossible for them to consume more than 100%. So by definition the US current account deficit is limited by all other countries surpluses, and other countries run deficits as well.
Secondly, one country's trade surplus has to be another country's deficit. So, if the US can no longer pay for its imports then oil producers and Asian exports can no longer sell to them. That reduces those exporters' current account surpluses.
But finally, although many countries feel uncomfortable running large surpluses with the USA, they are also unwilling to cut back exports and grow slower themselves.
And so far no one reached a consenus for unwinding those surpluses, which would include lower, slower growth for those exporters; and higher real interest rates accompanied by higher domestic savings and lower consumption by Americans as they repay debt.
Quite the opposite. Those exporters are keeping their currencies low, not just against the US dollar, but also against the euro, to keep their own exports and headline growth as well as job creation high.
So it is pretty hard to unwind imbalances when no one is willing to bite the bullet and settle for lower, slower growth themselves.
The organized state is a wonderful invention whereby everyone can live at someone else's expense.