Depression - up the creek w no paddle

The economy for your civilization can be one of the hardest things to learn how to balance. The spending on planets will often outpace the economic production because of all the structures you have to build to keep people happy as your population spirals out of control. I tend to avoid ANY tech that increases Population Growth that isn't necessary to my future research goals, in an effort to keep my population under control (every little bit helps). I also tend to go for the techs that provide Banking Centers, Stock Markets, Economic Exchanges, etc... and even with those strutures in place, you have to rely on trade routes and selling trade goods or technologies to get your economy in the green (especially if you want to set a high spending rate).

~SDC~

Two points:

Its a recession, not a depression -- altho I realize it's depressing to you. I've been squashed by one of these myself, so I can sympathize.

The text about risky trade route/not profitable is the games way of letting you know their freighter was destroyed by an enemy ship. Try not to be so judgemental in the future, my son. It'll make you a better person.

Three words: (er maybe two)

"Supply side economics": export crap to them on long leases with low low payments... Steadily up you production bar and keep churning out the worthless toasters (scouts, spy satelite thingies, etc...) to sell to them (or techs).

~SDC~