A big political event

Last month's $700 billion bailout amounts to more than 5% of U.S.
gross domestic product.

Compare that to Germany's $400 billion to $536 billion rescue package (between 12% and 16% of its GDP),or Britain's $835 billion plan (30%).

The ratio of government debt to GDP in the U.S. runs to
about 62%. For the eurozone, it's 75%; for Japan, 180%.

The U.S. continues to have the world's largest inflows of foreign direct
investment.

Recessions are periodic facts of economic life that tend to last anywhere
between six and 16 months.

Severe recessions or depressions are fundamentally political events that
can last a decade or longer.

Last month's $700 billion bailout was a big political event.