The public media has picked up on the theme of inflation in the last few months, and they have been haranguing the public about higher food and energy prices.
The economic expansion that began in 2003 was still going strong as the end of 2007 approached. The current banking crisis in the developed world has caused it to slow.
In either case a slight recession or slow growth the current economic climate has been strong in the developed world for 5 years and in the developing world [which is more important]