Can the Rescue Plan Fix the US Economy?

Ludwig von Mises Institute ^ | September 22, 2008 | Frank Shostak

[djsherin]

Given last week's dramatic events — the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, the end of Merrill Lynch's independence, and an $85 billion US-government bailout of insurer AIG — most financial institutions are likely to become more sensitive to the state of their net worth.

For instance, all it takes for a financial institution that has a net worth of $30 billion and assets of $600 billion to go under is for the value of assets to fall by 5%. In the current financial climate, it can easily happen; hence, most financial institutions are not immune from the potential threat of going belly up.

One of the major reasons why the Fed rescued AIG was to prevent a fall in the value of bank assets, a fall that would in turn expose their true net worth and cause (it is generally believed) a run on banks that would decimate the entire banking system. As long as the AIG can keep paying the banks' losses for their suspect (but insured) investments, those banks don't need to reappraise their true values.

But there is always the lingering fear that at some stage banks will be forced to disclose market-related valuations and that this could set in motion a financial tsunami.

[Eagles6]

Sounds about right.

[rolling_stone]

A huge dose of inflation may fix it but will kill savers thrifty people and those who don’t take risks and reward frauds, greedy people and leeches. Don’t forget the cost of our debt wil go up, gas and food and commodity prices go up and the dollar goes dowwn killing the economy for us companies selling overseas. It will also bring in fascism to fix it when we hit bottom.

[Prokopton]

A huge dose of inflation may fix it but will kill savers thrifty people and those who don’t take risks and reward frauds, greedy people and leeches

That's why "fix" was in quotation marks. However, I do remember making a lot of money in interest during the last inflation surge. I don't think "savers" or "thrifty" people need to be hurt by inflation. I do know that, if American's assets keep devaluing, our Country will slide towards third world status. There might be a way out but there is no good way out.

[Tempest]

good link, I signed

[LomanBill]

[Let’s just make sure that the government exits the business as soon as possible.]

When was the last time you saw government voluntarily reduce its size?

[LomanBill]

[A huge dose of inflation may fix it but will kill savers thrifty people and those who don’t take risks and reward frauds, greedy people and leeches. Don’t forget the cost of our debt wil go up, gas and food and commodity prices go up and the dollar goes dowwn killing the economy for us companies selling overseas.]

 

All of which will ensure that the next generation of suck... err  consumers, will be motivated via the tyranny of their own appetites.  

 

 

 

 

Buy more, Bee happy.  Bzzzz.

 

[It will also bring in fascism to fix it when we hit bottom]

 

Worship of the organizational structure?  That's the classic def of fascism.

 

The Corporate Hive has been the object of worship and individual subjugation in this country for a while now; though more so now than ever before.

[djsherin]

Inflating the money supply hurt savers because it lessens the value of their saved money. If interest rates can’t offset the effects of inflation, they’ll actually lose value by saving.

[djsherin]

Never. It won’t unless we force it to. But too many people still want their government handout.

[LomanBill]

>>Never. It won’t unless we force it to.

 

 

 "I see in the near future a crisis approaching that  unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. . . .   Corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor  to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed."

 

 -- President Abraham Lincoln, letter to Col. William F. Elkins,  Nov. 21, 1864 

 

Corporatism == Collectivism == Communism

[LomanBill]

>>Never. It won’t unless we force it to.

 

 

 "I see in the near future a crisis approaching that  unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. . . .   Corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor  to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed."

 

 -- President Abraham Lincoln, letter to Col. William F. Elkins,  Nov. 21, 1864 

 

Corporatism == Collectivism == Communism