Is the 2009 recession over?
At the heels of one of the worst financial and housing meltdowns in the history of this country, rising unemployment and shrinking GDP the sentiment has surprisingly jumped from doom and gloom to mindless optimism. One does not need to look far to overhear bullish sentiment about the US stock market and little bits of chatter asking hopefully whether this recession is slowing down. Not to be outdone, this irrational exuberance (Greenspan would be proud) goes beyond the local talking heads or financial gurus at the water cooler, our own government hot shots have now proudly announced a reversal in fortune. Both Tim Geithner (tax cheat) and Ben Bernanke ("student" of the Great Depression) have commented on our strong economy and the ability for us to recover. So what is behind this jolly rhetoric and can we deduce any veritas seemingly from the same people who lead us into this debacle in the first place? Regarding pundits, talking heads, 99% of the staff of CNBC and other