You know what's the problem with all these impending doom senarios? Nobody, ever, EVER seems them coming. No matter what the numbers show, the "analysis" and all that crap, nobody really knows or understands the workings of the economy because underneath those numbers there is a massive network of chaotic transactions that we do not know about. Nobody knows about.
If the economy was so predictable we would be able to divert all the crises, all the crashes. Thing is nobody knows when one cycle begins and when another one ends. It is random. Formulas, algorithms are no different than gambling.
I don't need to know exactly how long the gravity of tens of trillions of dollars worth of debt can be defied to understand that a fat bank account or generous pension plan or the prospect of a viable career after years of expensive education is, at best, a dubious way to prepare for the future.
Yes, the individual transactions are certainly complex and intertwined, but the trends and imbalances are easily identified - for anyone that cares to look. Our problem is regulatory capture. Nobody is minding the shop, while the average saver/investor is being exploited. At the same time, the average saver/investor has misplaced faith in the regulatory regime. No, nobody can predict when the cracks will open up, but we know that they will - and millions will suffer. The "broken clock" / "nobody knows" trope isn't helpful to a thoughtful conversation.
Great analysis @corbettreport