How sustainable is global economic growth?

Economist Stephen Roach wonders whether the global economy is more teflon-like than he thought. As yet another asset bubble reaches bursting point, the moment of truth is at hand.

After four years of booming global economic growth, I have argued that the world is due for a rest - not a hard landing but a marked slowdown from the strongest surge since the early 1970s. The verdict in the early days of 2007 is that I could well be wrong. For longer than I care to remember, my base case has argued that ever-mounting imbalances will ultimately crimp vigorous growth in global economy. While there can be no mistaking the imbalances of a US-centric world, there can also be no mistaking the extraordinary resilience of the great global economic growth machine. Is it time for a new approach?

What is the main source of economic growth?

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