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Deficit Hysteria: Wrongheaded in Times of Depression - by Stephen Lendman
When economic stimulus and productive investment are most needed, public spending cuts are coming, G20 governments agreeing to cut deficits and balance budgets, what economist Michael Hudson calls "fiscal suicide, (months into) a carefully orchestrated financial war against the 'real' economy."
Begun in Washington, Obama, in his first State of the Union address, announced plans to "freeze government spending for three years," starting in 2011, and said he'll establish a bipartisan fiscal commission by executive order, to cut the deficit by imposed austerity - social spending cuts, including Medicare, not defense, banker bailouts, or other handouts to corporate favorites, how Washington works under both parties, anti-populist by any standard, anti-productive when large stimulus is needed to revive the cratering economy.
Yet on February 18, 2010, a White House press release announced the commission's establishment - a "bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform," co-chaired by two deficit hawks, former Republican Senate Whip Alan Simpson and former Clinton administration White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles, heading an 18-member team stacked with like-minded members, Democrat and Republican austerity advocates against Medicare, Social Security, and other social spending.
Deepening Global Depression
In his July 3 commentary, longtime market analyst Bob Chapman sees the US economy cratering, perhaps towards another credit collapse, saying:
-- "the (US) housing market is in serious freefall;" June mortgage applications plunged 15% and pending home sales dropped 30% (after temporary tax credits expired), a record low in May;
-- "US (and world) stock markets (are) hav(ing) a case of indigestion;
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