The imminenet US/world financial meltdown?

Some oblivious marketmen hiding behind a smokescreen of ill-defined logic say were experiencing a slight slowdown in growth, set to improve next year. Other interest induced optimists say we have a mild recession coming which will last at least a until late next year. Some realists predict a severe recession in the US for years to come which will have epidemic effects on the world economy. Some pessimists are even going as far as predicting nothing less than the complete meltdown of the world monetary system...

I put myself in the realist camp, but unfortunately I see too many sign of the pessimistic arguments holding more weight then they should...

What are the warning signs?


Subprime read "deadbeat"
Loans
SIV's
CDO's
RMBS's
ABCP

Major Corporate leaders ousted

Major leaders retire

Heightened insider stock sales

Little M&A activity

Little IPO activity, many withdrawn

Stock buybacks

Free fall in Equities stopped by unknown, unseen forces

High Libor Spreads

Dollar Devaluation

Huge Drop in ABX index

Govt. Intervention in free market contracts

Large swath purchasing by foreigners of hard assets

Tremendous volatility in markets

Fed cuts despite high inflation

Rush to quality and safe havens

Inverted yield curve

Credit Market Lock-up

Desperate asset sales or stock issues to obtain cash or capital

Loss of confidence

Huge rise in price of commodities

Consumer & Governmental Debt in multiples over GDP

Foreclosures

Runs on Banks and Fund managers

Lack of any meaningful coverage of distresses on major networks

Artificial Rallies in seriously diseased business sectors

Speculation

Expensive overseas wars without exit strategy

Massive deficits without accountability

Political Intrigue

China's ABSOLUTELY NO LENDING UNTIL YEAR END policy

Sudden move from lax lending standards, to super-due diligence standards

Currency Manipulations

Foreigners wishing to reject dollar denominated transactions

Hoarding

Comparisons to Japan in early 90's

Layoffs in employment (40K+ in Citigroup, 1000+ in other investment bankers)

Greater transparency (xtra appearances) in Fed, READ we can announce more often crypt messages in order to make artificial market movements seem less random

Manuevering to have already weak finance entity left holding the bag on investments going bad


It all adds up, don't let them deceive you that these aren't real. There can't be anymore kicking the can down the road. It's time, there has never been a more perfect storm of correlating evils, take your own precautions.