[OPE-L:6088] Re: Re: empirical studies on causes of current world economic crisis?

From: Paul Zarembka (zarembka@acsu.buffalo.edu)
Date: Thu Oct 25 2001 - 14:03:18 EDT


On Thu, 25 Oct 2001, Fred B. Moseley wrote:

> On Tue, 23 Oct 2001, Gerald_A_Levy wrote:
> 
> > What does the empirical evidence tell us about the cause or causes of
> > the current world economic crisis?
> 
> Jerry, here is my very brief answer to your very big question.
> 
> I think the main factor that has caused the current crisis in the US
> economy is a very significant decline in the absolute amount of profit
> from 1997 to the present (in spite of corporate reports to the
> contrary).  

Falling profits CAUSE U.S. crisis or are SYMPTOMS of crisis?   

Also, shouldn't we be delighted that capitalist profits decline (maybe s/v
declined)!

Whose CRISIS?  If the 1930s was a CRISIS, is using the big word today
suggesting we are in 1929?  Was using the word in 1973 suggesting then
that we then were in 1929?  Was it correct to have so described?  In sum,
I am questioning when to use CRISIS (certainly not when it subjectively
moves us).

> According to recently revised estimates by the US Bureau of
> Economic Analysis, after-tax profits for the non-financial corporate

BEA made a revision.  Why should we jump on THIS revision?

Paul Z.



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