Bulls Vs Bears

Wookster

I've been wandering for a while now how people can possibly be optimistic in the face of ever more gloomy news.

The reasons I think we're in for a very serious time over the next 5+ years are:

1. Massively over inflated house prices which are simply far in excess of long term averages
2. Enormously high levels of personal & corporate debt. Repayment/ inflating away this would be extremely destructive.
3. Accelerating levels of public debt
4. Perhaps most worryingly, the enormous global trade imbalances (trade surpluses & deficits) that need to be rebalanced
5. The energy/ climate crisis (end of cheap energy) and the world's unpreparedness

What do you have to be positive about?

Cannon_Fodder

We are best placed.

StevieJ

A great deal of emphasis on debt there, good job Bank Rate is only 1% :beer:

pickles110564

!!!!!!? please come back and ditch this wooster username

lostinrates

I think, over thelong term, one has to remain relatively bullish for one's sanity. But being optimistic, or even just hopeful, about the future doesn't preclude being cautious in the present. Ironically, its when I'm least optimistic I'm most likely to spend more now, because 'what's the point' hits in. Thankfully I'm generally hopeful.

StevieJ

pickles110564 wrote: »

!!!!!!? please come back and ditch this wooster username

He would have to admit that his predictions have changed

Really2

I am positive in life. Some of us have to be or nothing moves forward.

The company I run is doing very well at the moment and did last year.

What is the point of doom and gloom? Does it actually achieve anything?

chucky

Wookster wrote: »

I've been wandering for a while now how people can possibly be optimistic in the face of ever more gloomy news.

The reasons I think we're in for a very serious time over the next 5+ years are:

1. Massively over inflated house prices which are simply far in excess of long term averages
2. Enormously high levels of personal & corporate debt. Repayment/ inflating away this would be extremely destructive.
3. Accelerating levels of public debt
4. Perhaps most worryingly, the enormous global trade imbalances (trade surpluses & deficits) that need to be rebalanced
5. The energy/ climate crisis (end of cheap energy) and the world's unpreparedness

What do you have to be positive about?

in general terms maybe there is no reason to be optimistic, especially if you follow the media too closely or even read this forum - on a personal level many people will be positve.

personally

1. I am repaying debt at an increased amount due to the rate cuts. Which means that when rates do move upwards my disposable income will be higher due to this opportunity to pay down debt.
2. I am currently employed. there is a 94% employement rate so i have very good reason to be positive here.
3. Inflation is very low; my personal inflation rate and also those puilished by the government. The lowest it has been for many, many years.
4. I've also been able to buy properties at knock down prices, sometyhing which I would not have been able to do outside this economic climate.

Comments about being better placed than other countries are very relevant. We in this country do not have widespread disease, famine or even corruption that many countries live with. What I am trying to say is that yes we do have all of these issues but I for one am much more positive than if I lived in any one of these countries.

If it is the case that people are not positive and feel that there is somewhere else that they would feel more comofortable and positve about - they should move there and stop moaning.

stevetodd

All my best buys were in the last recession, yes it's bad right now but there will be 'once in a decade' deals to be had at some point.

ad44downey

Wookster wrote: »

What do you have to be positive about?

Cheaper housing for the masses? Less debt and Buy- to- let has become a byword for sleaze and greed. It all sounds good to me

StevieJ

chucky wrote: »

in general terms maybe there is no reason to be optimistic, especially if you follow the media too closely or even read this forum - on a personal level many people will be positve.

personally

1. I am repaying debt at an increased amount due to the rate cuts. Which means that when rates do move upwards my disposable income will be higher due to this opportunity to pay down debt.
2. I am currently employed. there is a 94% employement rate so i have very good reason to be positive here.
3. Inflation is very low; my personal inflation rate and also those puilished by the government. The lowest it has been for many, many years.

Comments about being better placed than other countries are very relevant. We in this country do not have widespread disease, famine or even corruption that many countries live with. What I am trying to say is that yes we do have all of these issues but I for one am much more positive than if I lived in any one of these countries.

If it is the case that people are not positive and feel that there is somewhere else that they would feel more comofortable and positve about - they should move there and stop moaning.

Very well put, you would think that Wookie would understand other countries real problems more, coming from Zimbabwe :eek: