[Former Proud Canadian]

Your post #3 is correct, but, only $2 Trillion? Aren't we talking about dozens of ghost cities with apartments, roads, schools, sewer and water systems? Scores of empty shopping centers. Underused transportation systems.

Isn't $2 Trillion an extremely conservative estimate?

[allendale]

You are probably right. Just underscores the consequences of the long term detriment when politicians direct the application of capital. In the US it was political coercion on banks to issue “sub prime loans” that was at the core of the crisis.