Stock holders demanding record profits every quarter are root cause to the economic meltdown. Step 1 was to pay less and less. Now we have hit bottom on that. Step 2 is raise prices, every quarter, until no one can afford anything anymore. Then everything grinds to a halt and you better hope you are on the right side of it. Stock holders need to demand stability for industry and worker if stock holder want their stacks of money to actually buy goods and services, instead of just be kindling for the cave campfire after the global collapse.