Indeed. The recession is over... and the depression has just begun.
Sure, we might have a quarter or two of positive GDP growth spurred on by
pulling forward demand and government spending, but there is no growth in the real economy. Cash For Clunkers caused a spike in private consumption, but all that did was pull forward demand leaving a vacuum behind, as seen by comparing auto sales numbers from August and September. C4C was nothing more than a ploy to cause a spike in GDP. Moreover, considering the Fed continues to throw money at the system in quantitive easing and buying SDRs, they are debasing our currency. While this may be good for exports and foreign investment, it's bad news for the purchasing power of our consumers, the group that led the recession.
This is all fine and dandy, but the true measure of the economy, just like it was during the 1930's, is unemployment. The unemployment rate the Fed uses, U-3, is rising above 10% as we speak. The real unemployment rate, which actually accounts for those who have given up looking for work, is now 17% and rising. Considering this is a consumer-led and credit-led recession, and unemployment is still rising and consumer credit is still contracting because consumers can't get it, there is no real economic recovery.
So sure, we may have a couple spikes in GDP. But simply, if consumers are losing their jobs and can't find credit, the economy will continue to contract in the long run. Period.
Mish Shedlock, expert in Finance and economics, wrote this about the Fed's gameplan:
1. Reduce nominal interest rate to zero. Check. That didn’t work...
2. Increase the number of dollars in circulation, or credibly threaten to do so. Check. That didn’t work...
3. Expand the scale of asset purchases or, possibly, expand the menu of assets it buys. Check & check. That didn’t work...
4. Make low-interest-rate loans to banks. Check. That didn’t work...
5. Cooperate with fiscal authorities to inject more money. Check. That didn’t work...
6. Lower rates further out along the Treasury term structure. Check. That didn’t work...
7. Commit to holding the overnight rate at zero for some specified period. Check. That didn’t work...
8. Begin announcing explicit ceilings for yields on longer-maturity Treasury debt (bonds maturing within the next two years); enforce interest-rate ceilings by committing to make unlimited purchases of securities at prices consistent with the targeted yields. Check, and check. That didn’t work...
9. If that proves insufficient, cap yields of Treasury securities at still longer maturities, say three to six years. Check (they’re buying out to 7 years right now.) That didn’t work...
10. Use its existing authority to operate in the markets for agency debt. Check (in fact, they “own” the agency debt market!) That didn’t work...
11. Influence yields on privately issued securities. (Note: the Fed used to be restricted in doing that, but not anymore.) Check. That didn’t work...
12. Offer fixed-term loans to banks at low or zero interest, with a wide range of private assets deemed eligible as collateral (…Well, I’m still waiting for them to accept bellybutton lint & Beanie Babies, but I’m sure my patience will be rewarded. Besides their “mark-to-maturity” offers will be more than enticing!) Anyway… Check. That didn’t work...
13. Buy foreign government debt (and although Ben didn’t specifically mention it, let’s not forget those dollar swaps with foreign nations.) Check. That didn’t work..
Absolutely nothing in the economy has changed. Nothing. Except for piling on more job losses, of course. And we haven't even begun to address the massive, unsustainable debts the entire nation owes to its creditors.