The calm panic of a #BlackMonday oxymoron

Not since the crash of 2008 has there been such certainty about the reasons behind last week’s and Monday’s world economic turmoil and Wall Street upheaval. The difference between now and then is that everyone today seems to be certain about conflicting reasons.

It’s China. It’s the Fed. It’s Europe and Russia colluding to sacrifice the United States to save China. It’s Obama (or what he inherited from Bush, depending on your party affiliation). It’s the Middle East. It’s Apple. It’s Congress. It’s Donald Trump (yes, there were reports about the GOP frontrunner being the root cause for the turmoil). It’s the automotive industry. It’s oil. It’s Israel.

Then, there’s another set of analyses that point beyond the cause towards what it represents. It’s a correction. It’s the beginning of the end. It’s the end of the recession. It’s the start of a new one. It’s a precedent for the Shemitah. It’s the Fed’s way of easing in a rate hike. It’s Wall Street’s way of preventing a rate hike. It’s a blip. It’s a harbinger.

Regardless of what is causing the economic tension and what it all means, the only thing we know for certain is that it’s time to invest in canned goods, whether in their stocks or in their products.