大象传媒

Dr Irwin Stelzer

Have you or will you ever forgive Jon Sopel ?

Jeanette:

Why, what did Jon Sopel do?

If the recent "first" $100-a-barrel oil was down to one small buyer (who then immediately sold at a loss) - how many shares are sold to depress the market? Is this just all down to a handful of traders with a few sales setting off a world-wide panic?

Of course the BofE should follow suit with interest rate cuts. Our economy is more closely linked with that of the USA than the EU, just look at the way our market reacts to changes in theirs.Years ago I predicted that interest rates had been vastly too high, and that a 'normal' ceiling of around 5% should become the norm. I was right, but the rates have been creeping up under NuLabor, and it is high time we got back to 5% max!

It is about time a limit was applied to the percentage change allowed for a measure, such as the FTSE100 or 250, in a trading day.

Once a change of, say, 0.5% has occured all trading should be suspended for that day.

This will give the 'grown up schoolkids' called traders a chance to sleep on it and act in a more rational way the next day.

The market is so volatile nowadays that it is a wonder small investors want anything to do with it.

It's the "oil consumption" stupid!

The Bush Administration does not get it. Our country needs to embrace a drastic program of austerity in oil consumption beginning with:

1. Immedaite return to a national 55 mile speed limit.

2. Strict all-speed limits enforcement.

3. Heavy surtax on electric consumtion over last year's average per-household, not industry and commerce.

4. Lower the thermostat and pull the sweaters out of the drawers.

5. Tax windfall profits of oil companies and re-distribute it to government agencies and public transportation entities to help cope with expenditures without having to raise taxes and fares.

Appeal to the population as a "national survival" issue not one of convenience.

What is the likely effect of a 0.25% cut in interest rates?

The politicians tell us that higher interest rates are essential to lower inflation but mortgage rates are no longer included in published inflation figures.

Gordon Brown, we are led to believe, made a bold and great step in giving the Bank of England control over interest rates and the UK has survived some major recessionary issues such as the dotcom debacle but are those who make the decisions ever affected by inflation, interest rates or recession?

The laws of supply and demand will always sort themselves out and even if the property market does get inflamed now and then putting up interest rates is unnecessary interference that punishes all those who are on or trying to join the property ladder.

Major players in banking are now declaring obscene losses in the billions but are these real losses or just massive provisions against their mismanagement that will be turned into equally massive profits in future accounts?

We are all suffering from the world property/financial situation and I wonder if the Prime Minister has the same guts that he had 10 years ago when giving the Bank of England such power to now instruct them (yes he can) directly or through the Chancellor to slash interest rates as the Federal Reserve have done today.

Should matters be left to the gentlemen of the BoE then we may well have to wait until their next planned meeting in February to discus a problem that needs attention right now.

If there is a significant downturn in the UK economy to what degree does the Government's large deficit prevent it from acting to ameliorate the situation?

Wouldn't the UK be in a better position to deal with any downturn if Gordon Brown had not been deficit spending during the recent, extended period of economic growth? Won't his lack of prudence when Chancellor cause Gordon Brown economic problems as Prime Minister?

Is there a point in speculating about the economy? I don't mean to be facetious I am being deadly serious. If speculation causes negative things like inflation, does it have any positive value? Would it not be better to let the economists at the B of E decide what they are doing, and simply explain what this means for people, rather than saying what a certain decision 'might' mean in the future, when as Irwin Stelzer said on the last MPC, economic forecasts are about as accurate as weather forecasts?

Dear MPC,

Are you going to tell the truth about this recession?

We are not dummies. It is clear millions of us are going to suffer.

Can you start telling us what you have been hearing and let us in on the picture so that we too can take the necessay steps to save our families too.

Regards

Gaverne

Please explain exactly how a problem caused by excessive debt be cured by a measure which encourages even more debt.

Conventional economic wisdom says share prices fall when investors sell in sufficiently critical numbers - because of lack of confidence, or they need the money, or have better investments for it. But if they are selling, the someone is buying. WHO is doing all the buying at the moment ?

No 3

The "meeja" can be unkind to it's own.
The story went thus:
大象传媒 presenter Jon Sopel had a bit of a bungle at a Policy Exchange debate this week. Opening up to questions from the audience, Sopel invited 'the small man behind the moustache' to speak. Said small man was none other than Irwin Stelzer, Rupert Murdoch's representative on Earth. Stelzer stayed quiet for a moment before his moustache 'developed a curious, maniacal twitch'.

If we have a recession; it could be good for the planet...
How much global cooling would take place if we had 3 months go slow across the world?

After 9/11 didn't the grounding of the aircraft over America actually affect the average temperature for a few days?

Global CO2 reduction without taxation...

Employees on a 4 day week could spend spare time planting trees. Lock up CO2 by growing and cropping trees and building wooden houses similar to a Tudor style rather than concrete...

Hello, the world will never be the same after 2010th year; there will not be any free energy; but some people will live a few centuries life time on this planet;

Bring back Eddie George to the Bank of England, he is the only one with any sense in monetary policy issues. The City misses his expertise and calm handling of situations.