Interesting comment posted below the story. It stands in stark contrast to the gloom and doom types, like one who posted in this thread...

APFG

9:37 AM on November 19, 2012

What the economy is currently experiencing is a mid-cycle correction in a prolonged bull market that will no doubt extend to at least 2020. Investors are squeamish about the financial uncertainties that have prevailed in the Euro zone and in the US and their fears have tempered overall economic growth.

The move to urbanisation in China, India, and other developing countries in not over and as the recovery takes hold commodities will be the first to resurge again.

In a macro sense the evolution of the global economy is truly interesting. The next 25-50 years will see countries that have been marked by poverty for centuries catch up and once the playing field has been levelled and there is a reasonable standard of living for the majority of the globe we will undoubtedly start seeing the transfer of manufacturing jobs back to the west from the east. From a common standard of living true competitive forces that will inspire productivity and ingenuity will emerge. That will be a truly remarkable and intersting time in the evolution of humanity; a time when the advantages of emerging from a state of poverty have been replaced by competition by equals.

The entire evolution is one that defines the absolute necessity for a free market economy in order to improve the standard of living of all human beings.