Concerning the "take a look at the Fortune 500 companies" to see how sad it all is:
Stock market indices like S&P or big corporations' well-being are no suitable indicator for the state of an economy. First, only 6% - 9% of stocks are actually traded and causing the movements that our superficial society and its "news" stare at, whereas the other 90%+ are kept for strategic reasons, by owner families and so on. Second, large corporations are unfortunately not always subject to normal market mechanisms, as we have seen many times in cases of big mergers or big bail-outs, e.g. for the American car industry or around the globe for the banks and investment funds in 2008. Third, corporations can do very well (if their annual report or stock is used as the indicator) and still not hire employees or build more factories in a particular country. Also, many of the theories that are still taught in economy and macroeconomics are either not understood or simplified by policy makers, if they are not outdated in a globalized world market anyway, that is.
Playing around with bonds, options, futures, stock and other financial instruments, merely based on a technical analysis of the development of these instruments ("the incest of the financial markets"), instead of looking into the technologies and market developments, demography and other factors that affect the respective companies and their products in real life, is what causes speculative bubbles and their burst in the first place. As for the US, there are also the political mistakes of the past, (unbalanced budgets and debt in the trillions both private and public, shoveling of wealth towards the top, lack of infrastructure and sense of priorities, inferior education, lack to save and prepare for age/health/retirement, short term instead of long term orientation due to an obsession with instant gratification, etc.) that cause problems for new investors -- real investors who actually create something, not stock exchange jugglers -- and entrepreneurs.
Nevertheless, those challenges can also mean an opportunity, depending on how the need for clean and renewable energy, care for the ill and elderly, etc. are addressed. There's a lot of jobs and money to be had/made if the right things are done right. Which course that is would lead to a political debate, but either way, if the situation is to become better, it is precisely the entrepreneurial spirit à la "no matter what the obstacle might be" that will be needed to throw the rudder around. New ideas, products and markets emerge every day, and although many who try will fail and get burned, not trying at all will burn many more and mean general failure. The market for private aircraft and the development in pilot numbers are what they are in part due to the mentality and sometimes stupidity of the small owners of small companies as well as their customers and regulators. If a new guy from the Ukraine, Czechia, China or wherever sees an opportunity and wants to give it a shot, being aware of the risks and taking them into consideration with due diligence, let's applaud his initiative, lend him a hand by answering his surveys or other questions and wish him the best.
Many of the most admirable projects, companies, conquests, developments and achievements have been accomplished despite impossible odds. The day that nobody tries any more is the day when there's a reason to give up all hope, not the other way round. Let's cross our fingers that the day may never come and cheer up the guys who have the courage to keep going when the going gets tough.
Good luck with the market research,
KARSTEN
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