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What the Fed Hasn't Fixed (and Actually Made Worse)
Of Two Minds ^ | 18 August 2016 | Charles Hugh Smith

Posted on 08/20/2016 2:31:20 PM PDT by Lorianne

The Fed has not only failed to fix what's broken in the U.S. economy--it has actively mad those problems worse.

The Federal Reserve claims its monetary interventions saved America from economic ruin in 2009, and have bolstered growth ever since. Don't hurt yourself patting your own backs, Fed governors past and present: it's bad enough that the Fed can't fix the economy's real problems--its policies actively make them worse.

After seven long years of politicos and the financial media glorifying the Federal Reserve's policies as god-like in their power and efficacy, let's take a quick look at the results of these vaunted policies: ZIRP (zero interest rates), (QE) quantitative easing, both of which are ways of shoving nearly-free money ( a.k.a. liquidity) into the banking sector, where all this free money is supposed to filter into the global economy, working miracles of prosperity.

The stated goal of the Fed's zero-interest rate policy (ZIRP) and quantitative easing (QE) was to make borrowing easier for both corporations and consumers, the idea being that companies would borrow to invest in new productive capacity and consumers would buy the new goods and services being produced with the Fed's cheap credit.

The secondary publicly stated goal was to spark a rally in stocks, bonds and real estate that would spark a wealth effect: as households saw their net worth rise, they would feel wealthier and thus more likely to borrow money to buy more goods and services.

Let's start by stipulating that the Fed's policies are unprecedented. Keeping interest rates near-zero for over seven years and pumping up its balance sheet from $800 billion to over $4 trillion are both completely off the scale of central bank policy in the U.S.

(Excerpt) Read more at charleshughsmith.blogspot.jp ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Politics
KEYWORDS: fed; qe; wallstreet; zirp

1 posted on 08/20/2016 2:31:21 PM PDT by Lorianne
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To: Lorianne
"saved America from economic ruin in 2009"

Ohhhhh REALLY?:


2 posted on 08/20/2016 2:36:14 PM PDT by CivilWarBrewing (Females DESTROYED America.)
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To: CivilWarBrewing

Do we need the Fed? Do we need the CIA?


3 posted on 08/20/2016 2:49:37 PM PDT by DIRTYSECRET (urope. Why do they put up with this.)
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To: CivilWarBrewing

What makes anyone think that this is not all according to plan? Unelected international bankers controlling the world’s governments through money supply, that they make up and then charge interest to governments that they supply money to.


4 posted on 08/20/2016 2:55:35 PM PDT by D Rider
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To: Lorianne

The Fed has done nothing but prop up the 0bama regime for over 7 years. If Trump wins, watch them raise interest rates (to punish the country that voted for him). Bet on it.


5 posted on 08/20/2016 3:49:30 PM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: Lorianne

THE fed IS OUT OF BULLETS


6 posted on 08/20/2016 8:31:03 PM PDT by zzwhale (no way)
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To: CivilWarBrewing

I just realized that stupid chart from the Treasury should be in TRILLIONS of dollars, not MILLIONS as it shows.


7 posted on 08/22/2016 10:20:40 AM PDT by CivilWarBrewing (Females DESTROYED America.)
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