This NY Times Editorial Board piece is the best summary I’ve seen of where we are and how we got there.

Our comment:

Maybe I missed it, but one thing that isn’t explicitly noted is how much worse this could be than 2008. The major stimulus then came from the US and China, both of whom are far less able today. Also the IMF issued a warning a few months ago about an enormous increase in the global level of debt. What’s particularly galling about the current situation is that the current, hard-won worldwide prosperity IS sustainable if it weren’t being sacrificed to greed.

I was glad to see the article point out the unconscionable cruelty of the Republican party in deliberately prolonging the effects of the downturn so as to sow discontent for the election. We should call things for what they were: the Republicans held the country hostage for six years, so they could deliver massive tax cuts for their ultra-rich donors.