dimelab dimelab: shrinking the gap between talk and action.

economic problems Topic in The Credit Debacle Catalog

current economic problems (1); large economic problem (1).

billy blog Sat 2010-08-07 20:01 EDT

The government is the last borrower left standing

Remember back last year when the predictions were coming in daily that Japan was heading for insolvency and the thirst for Japanese government bonds would soon disappear as the public debt to GDP ratio headed towards 200 per cent? Remember the likes of David Einhorn...who was predicting that Japan was about to collapse -- having probably gone past the point of no return. This has been a common theme wheeled out by the deficit terrorists intent on bullying governments into cutting net spending in the name of fiscal responsibility. Well once again the empirical world is moving against the deficit terrorists as it does with every macroeconomic data release that comes out each day...On July 22, 2010, Richard Koo appeared before the Committee and presented his testimony...his views have resonance with the main perspectives offered by MMT although he does get some things wrong. His recent testimony is one of the better commentaries on the current economic problems but probably fell on deaf (or dumb) ears at the hearing. Koo told the hearing that there are recessions and then there are depressions. The correct policy response must differentiate correctly between these two economic episodes...

Billy Blog; borrower left standing; government.

Tue 2010-05-18 14:16 EDT

billy blog >> Blog Archive >> The enemies from within

...Unemployment is the major source of poverty whether it be in a advanced or developing country. It is alienating, soul destroying, extends its costs well beyond the individual and the income losses alone dwarf the costs arising from so-called microeconomic inefficiencies. The daily loss of GDP involved in not having all available workers doing something productive is mammoth. It is a no-brainer that it is the large economic problem that should be solved in any country...If the private sector cannot produce enough then there is only one sector left ladies and gentleman who can do the trick!...Given the private sector doesn't want to spend at present -- and you cannot blame them for that given the appalling state of their balance sheets and the very unsteady housing market -- there is a danger that demand will drop further unless the government adds to its stimulus packages...the US is an economy that desperately needs more aggregate demand. The only constraint on employment is the lack of spending and there is no financial constraint that exists in a fiat monetary system that prevents the government from eliminating that demand deficiency...

Billy Blog; blogs Archive; enemies.