Europe's Real Problem Is Deflation

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Current DateTime: 07:30:59 29 Nov 2011LinksList Documentid: 39085620FacebookTwitterRSSCurrent DateTime: 07:30:59 29 Nov 2011LinksList Documentid: 38852222John Carney

Runs this joint.

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Jeff Cox

A senior writer for CNBC.com, covering the gamut of issues affecting the stock market and the economy.

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Squawk Boxer Rebel.

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A Senior Editor at CNBC, commodity trader in a former life.

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A Senior Talent Producer at CNBC.

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setDefault('cnbc_textbody');Europe's Real Problem? DeflationPublished: Tuesday, 29 Nov 2011 | 10:28 AM ET Text Size By: John CarneySenior Editor, CNBC.com #divButtons .gig-button-container-facebook-like {margin-right:-2px;} #divButtons .gig-button-container-twitter {margin-right:15px;} #divButtons .gig-button-container-google-plusone {margin-right:-16px;} #divButtons .gig-button-container-linkedin {margin-right:17px;} var params ={ userAction:ua, shareButtons: [{provider:'facebook-like',action:'recommend'},{provider:'twitter'},{provider:'google-plusone'},{provider:'linkedin'},{provider:'share',enableCount:false}], containerID: 'divButtons'} gigya.services.socialize.showShareBarUI(conf,params);

European markets experienced a rare moment of respite yesterday, but this was just a pause in the panic. No comprehensive solution to the continent's sovereign debt woes seems to be near at hand.

Why can't policymakers and market participants come to a consensus about what needs to be done? I suspect the problem is a serious misunderstanding about what is actually happening in Europe and why it will have dire economic consequences.

Europe is experiencing a stealth monetary contraction, which is another way of saying it is undergoing massive deflation span#ExplainsLink a, span#ExplainsLink a img, span#ExplainsLink a:visited img, span#ExplainsLink a:visited {border:none;} Read Full Article »



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