There was a short discussion on a non-political board I follow about the following link from Chris Martenson. I had never heard of this guy, but I don't obsess over economics or the market, so I can't vouch for him, but from what I've seen he has some very interesting observations on economics, energy and the environment.
He offers a "Crash Course" on the economy that is well worth the time it takes to view it. It isn't a test, just a review of factors shaping our current economic situation, broke up into about 20 short modules. It is an EASY view with everything spelled out simply and with examples and great detail.
I just went though all of the modules last night, and although he hasn't updated it within the last few weeks apparently (no mention of deflation or the rapid temporary degrease in fuel prices) it's pretty current.
Take a look at this and follow me along with a discussion.
Chris Martenson's Crash Course link
warning: When I first sat down & clicked on the link I thought I'd review it then move on after a bit and answer some emails, but I got hooked after the first 5 minutes and wound up sitting through the entire presentation at one sitting. It is that good, and that easy to digest.
My initial thought after viewing the presentation are:
I always thought getting off the gold standard was a Very Bad Idea!
The baby-boomer graphic really puts the problem into perspective.
I had no idea how fuzzy the fuzzy numbers were from the government. Looks like DGP and inflation rates are straight from out of the twilight zone.
I would like to hear his comments on the sudden drop in oil prices & price deflation.
I think his conclusions are, at the same time, both too pessimistic and too optimistic. His gloom & doom scenario seems a bit far fetched (at least I hope so), and his preparations and how to deal with such a catastrophic situation are too optimistic.
So take a look. He's got some very interesting and some very scary stuff in there.