Growth Spurts

You glorify the past
When the future dries up
Heard a singer on the radio late last night
He says he's gonna kick the darkness
'til it bleeds daylight
--U2

Tell it like it is, hombre. Better days are ahead...

IMF pegs 2005 global growth at 4.3%

Andrew Balls / Washington October 01, 2004

5% growth in 2004 was the fastest in almost three decades; Fund worried over oil price, praises anti-inflation measures of central banks

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) yesterday cut its 2005 outlook and warned that the high price of oil threatened to curb global economic growth, which it said would be the strongest this year for almost 30 years

Where's.The.Growth.At? At? At? At?

If you have been watching the G7 growth rates, you know that this spurt is not from the industrialized nations. China, Russia, Iceland (Iceland?) and Venezuela and *surprise* Iraq are leading the charge with high economic growth. Japan should start chugging along again in 2006--2005 looks a little dim at only 2.5% or so, but Japan still has the massive 'zombie' companies still around, sucking up good capital from poorly run banks (ahem, UFJ). And its the classic old banking problem. These companies owe so much money, that if they are cut off now, will the banks actually recover any of the money they are owed? Hmmm...probably not. So the banks keep hoping and praying that the money they lend will be used for bettering the business, and getting back on track.

That hasn't happened. UFJ has got to merge with Mitsubishi and get some capital flowing through its veins. Its all about the money, loc.