Let's play "What's Next?"
Preamble;
- Two of the big three US automakers go belly up.
- The Federal Reserve won't share the make-up of its balance sheet, which probably looks like Zimbabwe's right now.
- FAO Schwartz gets bought out by Toys-R-Us. (for some reason that one really got me)
What's next?
a) Rupert Murdoch buys the New York Times; rebrands it as FoxTimes, rehires Judith Miller and re-formats it to a vertical fold.
b) The Chinese decide that the dollar should be devalued 25%, and makes it happen in 48 hours. As a sign of cooperation the US closes the troubled national mint and outsorces printing currency to Singapore.
c) California is the first state to go bankrupt, moves to impose across the board sin tax, and takes over all head shops and porn parlors to franchise at malls.
d) Troubled luxury retailer Tiffany's is acquired by QVC/Home Shopping Network, and together they roll out a line of exclusive engravable plexiglass decanters, still in those handsome powder blue boxes.
e) George Washington returns from the dead to insist that his image be removed from the dollar bill. Larry Summers has him "dissappeared" as a threat to US economic security.
f) Realizing that it's onshore banking that's the real problem, the nation's sole solvent bank JPMorgan Chase bank moves overnight to the Cayman Islands and acquires Blackwater to stave off regulators. After being briefed by the Pentagon, Tim Geithner insists the move will ultimately be better for the US economy.
any other ideas?