by oswald622 » Thu 09 Oct 2008, 13:20:53
Much of the discussion here has been based around proximate causes (Libor rates, TED spreads, frozen credit, etc.) and forces that can be quantified. While acknowledging the utility of such discussion, I prefer to take a teleological tack and look at where we're ultimately headed.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Falconoffury', 'T')he Financial Crisis will only end in a sense that it will transform into a crisis of currency and global trade. It is like Peter Schiff has said. The Fed will solve the banking crisis, but create an even bigger crisis in the process.
The little fish keep getting eaten by the bigger fish. A crisis results in a merger or buyout (many of which don't make sense, like BofA buying Countrywide), the crisis possibly abates but ultimately intensifies, and then there's a new round of consolidation. Thus we see the US Gov talking about taking ownership stakes in banks, talking about controlling bank lending, and so on. They come out with a new proposal every day, each of which advances in scope - and I'm sure there will be some whoppers when the G7 meets this weekend.
When the US Gov itself finally falters, some new entity will emerge and sweep everything up in one tidy bundle.
The current crisis was brewed to facilitate the transition toward a fascist economy. In this sense we might say that it's still really about Peak Oil after all - it's about the State (or global elite) taking the requisite steps to consolidate control over the use and allocation of resources.
Therefore this crisis won't be over until the transition is complete. And in order to justify a takeover, conditions most likely will have to take a steep turn for the worse.