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Economics and Investing:

In what must be one of the the most monumentally bad investments in history, the American taxpayers are now the majority owners of General Motors (GM) [1], which presently has a market capitalization of around $480 million. The cost? We bought our 70% stake in GM for a paltry $50 billion. When I last checked, shares of GM were selling at 64 cents each, and GM (now nicknamed “Government Motors”) has filed for bankruptcy protection [2]. I suppose that they’ll tell us that we can “make up for it, on volume.” Not wanting to miss out on a piece of the action in the deal of the Century, “the Canadian and Ontario governments are putting in $9.5 billion for a 12.5% stake.”

Reader HPD mentioned Mish Shedlock’s most recent missive (or should I say “Mishive’?): More Prime Foreclosures; More Re-Defaults [3]

Also from HPD comes this Wall Street Journal piece: Black Swan Fund Makes a Big Bet on Inflation [4]

Fred The Valmetmeister recommended Chris Laird’s latest commentary on the commodities markets [5] posted at the Kitco site.

L.L. sent this: Geithner tells China its dollar assets are safe [6]. L.L.’s comment: “Yes, perhaps they’ll get their money back, but will the dollar be worth anything in five or ten years?”

From GG: A Pessimistic Assessment, Especially for Europe; Commentary from Niall Ferguson, Transatlantic Author and Academic [7]

Also from GG: Elliott Wave Guru Sees Dark Days Ahead [8]

From Florida Guy, a New York Times article: Industry Fears Americans May Quit New Car Habit [9]