1.   And that, they added, could lead to a dangerous spiral of move and countermove, much as the superpowers vied for supremacy during the Cold War.

2.   Before hosting the summit, Clinton had warned publicly that failure could send the region into a dangerous downward spiral.

3.   But if it fails, it could cast the alliance into a dangerous downward spiral.

4.   Deflation, or continuous falling prices, can set off a dangerous downward spiral of declining profits and income likely to further damage economic activity.

5.   That means Japanese companies are churning out large numbers of goods for a population less eager to buy them, setting up a dangerous deflationary spiral.