Blacktober (No) Suprise.
By Jon Nadler
31 October 2008 @ 04:48 pm EDT
Friday's markets and their actions confirmed that which many had already feared: this was the worst month for world stock markets, in decades. It is looking more and more like it is going to be one long, cold economic winter, and the fear is that it could lead to trouble on the social front as the harsh stresses knock people in various countries down like bowling pins. Local currencies from Hungary to Poland, and from Romania to the Ukraine have plunged as eastern Europe bleeds foreign investment money faster than a B-movie gore-fest.