China and Greece: sound and fury signifying nothing?

Just a couple of weeks ago, you couldn't look at the news without seeing dire predictions about Greece leaving the European Union or China's stock market tanking. Now, it seems like these perils have passed and there's nothing to worry about. That's unlikely the case.

I'm an optimist by nature, and I tend to think things will work out in the long run. That does not, however, make me a Pollyanna. I don't think that problems in Greece or China are the end of the world. But, I also think it's naive to think that such issues were insubstantial and likely to fade with so little hardship.

Greece still can't pay back its loans, and they are still demonstrating little desire to reform. European lenders still want their loans repaid, and seem unlikely to grant Greece forgiveness for large amounts of debt. In other words, the situation hasn't really changed, and therefore still requires careful observation.

China's stock market did not tank because of some bizarre conspiracy. Like all markets that have been artificially pumped up, it must necessarily deflate. Any attempts to defy that natural process are doomed to fail one way or the other. The underlying issue of China's economy slowing down has not changed. The political and economic consequences are non-trivial and demand watching.

Markets have a natural ebb and flow, just like nature. And, just like nature, those ebbs and flows are largely unpredictable over the short term. That doesn't mean you can't see broader themes evolving. It was easy to see that the tech bubble of the late 1990's would pop, but impossible to predict when. It was easy to see that the housing market of the mid 2000's would burst, but impossible to predict precisely when.

Greece and China have real problems that will eventually reverberate throughout the global economy. I don't know precisely when these issues will loom large, but I do know they haven't been resolved. This is not a good time to ignore those risks.

Nothing in this blog should be considered investment, financial, tax, or legal advice. The opinions, estimates and projections contained herein are subject to change without notice. Information throughout this blog has been obtained from sources believed to be accurate and reliable, but such accuracy cannot be guaranteed.