My concerns about Japan

[Nan]

I am actually more concerned about the economic impact from what is going on in Japan than I am about nuclear fallout. I am concerned about them dumping our debt and triggering more printing of our money. Right now oil demand is down, but when they start the clean up and rebuilding they are going to need a lot of resources. Is anyone else concerned about the economic issues? If so what do you see being a problem? If not, why?

[Songbird]

Nan, See this post by mummy: over in HOTI2 last page:
by Mummy » Tue Mar 15, 2011 10:43 am

[edzachary]

I am actually more concerned about the economic impact from what is going on in Japan than I am about nuclear fallout. I am concerned about them dumping our debt and triggering more printing of our money. Right now oil demand is down, but when they start the clean up and rebuilding they are going to need a lot of resources. Is anyone else concerned about the economic issues? If so what do you see being a problem? If not, why?

I agree. This is one big giant economic domino to fall. In the past, sometimes catastrophic events led somewhat to an economic boom because recovery means reconstruction, which means jobs, which means movement in the economy. But Japan has a monster debt -- worse than our own as I understand it -- and no means to finance what is needed to rebuild. Interestingly, though this disaster will end up far worse than Haiti there is no call to help Japan from the world community because they are the 3rd largest economy in the world.

Complicating matters is the whole energy situation. The nuclear meltdown will be economic in the long term and if 30% of their energy comes from nuclear power they won't have and that the public in Japan and the world opposes they've got big trouble in trying to make their recovery happen on more fronts than just in the rebuild effort. Think of all we get from Japan -- so much technology and electronics -- and cars!

If they cash out huge amounts of American bonds, which they did before with the Kobe event, it could have a cascading event or panic for others that hold our debt as well.

We have very good reason to be concerned on several levels economically.

[Songbird]

EZ - Hmmmmm never thought of it that way......

[edzachary]

This is what I'm talking about:

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/03/15 ... -reactors/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What is going to happen to energy costs and energy policies as reaction and over reaction takes hold?