UK Business Editor, Financial Times
UK Business Editor for the Financial Times
PROFILE
John Willman
Guest
FROM John Willman
To the Point
Wall Street, Main Street and Economic Crisis The finger of blame for the worst economic mess since the Great Depression has been pointed mainly at Wall Street, but what about Main Street, where ordinary Americans were living on credit cards and subprime mortgages, borrowed money might never pay back? The Christmas season was as dismal as had been expected? On this archived discussion of To the Point, it's worth asking, as we did in October, about economic recovery. Does China's high savings rate and few credit cards offer a better model? Will the crisis change America's values?
To the Point
Consumer Complicity in the Credit Crisis The finger of blame for the worst economic mess since the Great Depression has been pointed mainly at Wall Street. But what about Main Street, where ordinary Americans have been living on credit cards and sub-prime mortgages, borrowed money they'll never pay back? Now that the roof's falling in, can consumers afford to continue spending? If they don't, what happens to economic recovery? China's consumer economy is booming, with a high savings rate and very few credit cards. Is that a better model? Will the crisis change America's values? We'll raise these and other questions today.
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The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?