I’m Perplexed

“Sometimes I'm confused by what I think is really obvious. But what I think is really obvious obviously isn't obvious...”
--Michael Stipe


Inundated each day of late with news of economic doom and gloom I find myself in the rather odd position that rather than feel the fear that I am sure some legitimately feel all I find myself experiencing is a sense of confusion.

So rather than wonder if I’m going to have a job next week I find myself asking:

1)If about 20 months ago when the price oil first hit 50 dollars a barrel why no one complained and in fact were more or less jumping for joy but now that it is once again at the same level everyone is complaining?

2)I ask myself that since at least up here (Canada) we have yet to have even a single quarter of negative economic growth how can people be saying we’re in a recession?

3)I ask why is it that the media constantly brays about how bad things are yet in each of the last 2 months at least up here (Canada) they have also had to grudgingly admit that the economy created 10 times more jobs than expected and that retail sales despite all the doom and gloom increased at near record levels with car sales leading the way.

4)Why is it that certain countries so dedicated to “free markets principles” can’t or is it won’t allow those same “free market principles” to do exactly what they should be doing to those companies who in the face of the staggering greed, incompetence, poor management and planning are now facing especially when “free market principles” dictate that what is happening is exactly what should be happening.


Keep in mind that I am not for a moment suggesting that a recession hasn’t happened in some countries or that it can’t or won’t happen up here, I merely observing that at least for the moment it hasn’t up here.

So while it may not be my place to say this, but let’s try to keep the panic to a minimum at least for now.