Next Downturn or Prolong of Current Downturn

There is something to note where the 'next downturn' could be foreseen. The Baby Boomers!
Baby Boomer generation started in 1946, after WWII.

Each year, more than 4 million babies (now oldies) were borned in America alone. That did not take into account, Japan, Europe, UK, etc. By year 2010, these boomers will start hitting 65 years old, the 'official' retirement age.

With more than 4 million retiring each year, in America alone, we will see 20 million retirees by 2015. Rather often, these older folks are the ones with money power as compared to young aspiring new entrance to the working society.

The younger generations are unlike able to sustain the vacuum left by the older folks, that pulled out of the stock market, sells off their expensive apartments or condos in the cities, etc.
With the current economy downturn, some of these older folks may be forced into retirements (retrenchment) and with the weak economy data and stock market, things can get worst than it is today.

It may take a lot more to ride out of this economy downturn than the governments of many countries had tried to paint to us.