Louis
and Ryan discuss the impact of the earthquake
and tsunami on the world economy; inflation, interest rates, the Fed
and Bank of Japan
action and the U.S. budget negotiations; the profile of home purchasers today; the paradox of government intervention to make «homes affordable for everyone»; the direction of the rental market, rent vs. buy ratios; the comparison of Fed
action during the Volker years vs the Bernanke era; Charlie Sheen, oil
prices; the direction of the dollar
and other currencies race to the bottom; the status of the dollar as the world's reserve currency; the abandonment of the
gold standard; the fate of fiat currencies; Utah's
gold standard push; the
actions states are taking to cut spending; the
price of
gold and silver and their role as stores of value; real estate vs.
gold and silver as investments; the impact of shadow inventory on general inventory; the impact of the numbers of government workers
and their salaries on the D.C. area housing market.