What am I bid on financial sector losses from the US subprime mortgage crisis? Do I have advances on the $100bn (£50bn) suggested by Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, only last July? Yes, I now have $500bn from the gentlemen from Goldman Sachs. Any advances on $500bn? Yes, I have $1,000bn-$2,000bn from Nouriel Roubini of New York University's Stern School of Business. Any advances? Going, going, gone.

It is easy to be cynical about this ascending auction of scary prognoses. But we cannot ignore them.