You're Ben Bernanke.
What do you do now?
August 05, 2007
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A time capsule of the greatest financial mania in the history of mankind, told in real-time by regular folks and patriots. May future generations better understand the madness of crowds, and how power and money corrupt.
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93 comments:
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Oh my, such a choice:
a) cut rates and hope, as the dollar tanks, that this country can avoid Argentina II (you know, a sequel to the epic S. American movie where middle class citizens were denied access to their bank accts and forced to scavenge for scraps in garbage dumps).
b) stand pat and hope for the best as the credit markets sort themselves out, fervently praying that the word Bernanke is not some day uttered as an epithet.
c) raise rates (that's just ridiculous).
d) kill yourself and pass the problem along to someone else.
Ben, good luck. We're all pulling for ya'.
Just what I've thought for some time now... the Fed is like a deer in headlights. Frozen.
My guess is Benny will stand pat for a bit longer...and pray.
Can't raise rates...the market will tank more
Can't lower rates...the dollar will tank more
What to do, what to do? O.K., I'll just do nothing, it's worked so far, hasn't it???
Well, that's my best guess, but I wouldn't want to be in his position today, after inheriting all of TMTGM (the mess that Greenspan made).
There's no way out now, game over.
Raise rates to 10%+. Not sure its the right thing to do at this point, but its the lesser of three evils (Raise, Lower, Stand there with your thumbs up your bum trying to convince people you're serious about protecting something while doing nothing) in my opinion.
Then hire someone to hit Greenspan in the face with a pie at every single public appearance he makes for the rest of his life as a thank you for leaving you this flaming sack of dog doodoo on your doorstep.
Turn around and punch Alan Greengas in the face
There's only one thing he can do:
1) Come out, admitt we're screwed and there's nothing he can do about it.
2) Endorse Ron Paul
3) Resign
people still making money. Houses are expensive , so rent. Health insurance to high, work for a company that provides. Other than that jobs are still abundant,
Quit
About all they can do at this point is make nice cooing sounds like you do to a child before they get a battery of shots at the doctor. They're going to have to sit tight and say "hey, if it was bad we'd do something, so since we're not doing anything it can't be that bad" in the hope that they can prevent a panic.
CNBC.com Econ-Recon Survey
Have fun!!!
Lowering rates will be akin to flushing the USD down the toilet. Raising rates will bring death threats. The smart thing to do is stay put and pretend everything is OK.
Here's some of the fed's current thinking:
http://tinyurl.com/3y58e7
FED GOVERNOR NOMINEE ELIZABETH DUKE, AUG. 2:
"Unfortunately, I do have some experience with troubled debt, and that specific issue will probably get a lot worse before it gets better.
FED CHAIRMAN BEN BERNANKE, JULY 19:
"The credit losses associated with subprime have come to light and they are fairly significant."
"Some estimates are in order of between $50 and $100 billion of losses associated with subprime credit problems."
short everything financial realted.
buy gold.
Hunt down the guy to my right in that picture
Quit, before Dubya (aka Dumbya) puts his arms around you and says "Benny, you're doing great job"
You do not want to be the next Irving Fisher: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Fisher
Pssst: After being embarrassed Mr, Fisher rightfully concluded that rapid debt-deflation was the cause of the Great Depression, just read your own Princeton Press Essays on the topic and then take note of what is happening to all the debt sloshing around, its being devalued, i.e. its value is being deflated!! Wake up and pull out now!!
Quit and move to France.
Clearly he will hyperinflate. Not just yet, but soon, the Fed will again beginning rates to raise liquidity.
Will this kill the dollar? I don't think it's an Argentina-style death (since it's still the world's reserve currency), but it will get ugly.
And most important, mark my words because I've talked to people in the industry, it will be spun to you as a good thing.
"Our exports will be move competitive, industries will move back to the states. You don't go to Europe anyway" ;-)
I want to expand on Westparker's comments: At one of the Senate Banking Hearings, he should admit how he and all his central banker buddies have totally robbed this country of it's prosperity and ideals. He should explain the illegal manner in which the Federal Reserve came into power back in 1912 and what a total scam fractional reserve lending is not to mention unconstitutional. He should also explain that big government endorses this illegal behavior because they can spend money that they do not have by stealing it from the American people in the form of reduced purchasing power. He should also endorse going back to a gold standard/commoditity based currency and appologize to Ron Paul. At the end of his speech, just to get the point accross to the American people and ensure that this is the biggest news story of the year on every major network, he should pull a Bud Dwyer and become the greatest martyr in American history. If you do not know who Bud Dwyer is, go to Wikipedia.
Easy, you do nothing.
Raise, housing and credit goes down the toilet even faster.
Consumer driven economy collapses!
Lower, dollar tanks, sheeple can't afford to walk thru the doors at Wal-Mart. Consumer driven economy collapses!
Solution: Do nothing, and PRAY for a miracle!
Probably the world's record for between a rock and a hard place.LMAO!
There are always two Sith Lords, No more no less.
Raise interest rates to defend the dollar. It has gotten too low.
Michael has it right - Bernanke will sacrifice the dollar and let inflation "pay off" these debts. The big houses on Wall Street will be taken care of to maintain "orderly markets". You won't hear any Fed governors talking about price stability because the new spin will be about reducing the trade deficit and how the lower USD makes our exports more competitive.
Plenty of truthiness for everyone! Sorry for you HPers though, the inflation will short-circuit the housing crash and rents are going to the Moon. Better get that second job...
Hmmm Can't cut the rates,even if he did all it would do is give the Dow a short bounce.
The markets are setting the rates,and thay are going up.(for Now)
The dollar will fall ,because the trend seems to be the fed lagging the market.Even if Ben tries to compete,the other currencies will out pace the dollar.
Really,I think Benny cant do Jack.
The MSM will report it all as though it were a strategy of some sort.
So this is what I think BEN B should do. Practice your Deer in the Headlights look,Fudge the CPI into non existence,Inflate a jobs report,blame Gold,and hide the mess as best you can.So no change from the current plan really.
Get ready for a financial crisis on a global scale.
US tanks
China tanks
Europe tanks.
etc
Tanks alot Greenspan!!
Anyone notice in the ABC debate this morning, there was not one question on economics, the stock or housing crash? Does ABC think the people are to dumb to understand or are they worried that talking about it will only make it worse?
The national debt is at $8.93 trillion now. Its ceiling limit is set at $8.95 trillion. All of this comming in at the sametime. The falling dollar is a must as the easiest to pay down on the debt is to inflate that debt. Why do you think the dollar has fallen so far, its telling you inflation is here and growing. Its the american way. Its the american dream.
'Benny' hill should raise rates, but that will bring on responsibilty and pain for the ruling class. Screw that, they want theirs, and they want it now. You know they don't call him 'helicopter ben' for nuthin'?
I hope the world doesn't rush to bail on the their dollars because of this action... This here party is just getting started.
A word to the wise, get gold, get silver, and hang on tight.
Hang tough Bennie! I love you!
He can only do one thing -- raise rates to stop inflation. The inflation is caused by profligate war spending, oil and corn prices.
Grab McVaney's yacht-(Its still for sale), some hookers, and lots of blow--and beat it outta town before the Levees burst.
BUHHH BYEEEE ECONOMY!!--
Bernanke- Thanks for playin....
Part of the feds error here was ignoring asset price inflation. This takes a truth- that it is not the central banks role to set asset values- to a silly extreme, ignoring the tendency of markets and the incentives of the players in the market to create asset bubbles.
If they want to maintain their credibility and consistency, they should ignore declining asset values as they ignored climbing asset values.
I think this equates to no change unless debt/ housing market gets really, really dire.
The fed is in a pretty good position right now- with strong global growth, we have some lattitude to let the markets punish the US REIC and work through the excesses. Recessions are healthy when they purge the economy of distortions. If we can have a recession focused around US REIC during a period of strong global growth, maybe we can avoid a serious recession/ depression economywide.
Hold rates steady, break the back of inflation, and allow the necessary pain of the housing bubble bursting.
http://mocoprogressive.blogspot.com/2007/08/moco-makes-informed-prediction-about.html
Item from Montgomery County Maryland Blog
SH*T and go blind!
Greenspan looks at Ben and says,
You've been Punk'd!
take a vacation
LIE.
Lie through his teeth until the chimp in the white house is done wrecking the country.
Once Dumbya is safely bunkered in Paraguay, heli Ben will raise rates and stick a fork in the barely started Clinton presidency.
His rich buddie in WS will still be rich. The sheeple will be fleeced. The pigs will get slaughtered... In other words, business as usual.
There is no way around.
You have to go through.
Must hold firm.
It is the only way right now.
And it stinks.
I'd take Cramer's advice and start drinking heavily...
Take the Pipe
Bernanke has already said what he is going to do. He said it in a speech several years ago and wrote about it in his academic papers. How do you think he got his nickname? Why do you think he was hired for the gig in the first place?
Sit tight.
No way he's lowering unless the banks get in serious trouble. The FEDs duty is to ensure banks remain solvent and employment remains strong.
And his duty is NOT to the homeowner but it would be incredibly unpopular to raise rates so his only choice is to stand pat.
If I were ben I would have a stiff drink.
LOL The idiot trolls are still praying that lower rates can stop the tsunami of foreclosures. Wages won't be able to keep up with inflation and the banks kicks your baboon arse out the door either way. Who are you going to flip it to? Us bitter renters are all broke and have been priced out, remember?
Fannie Mae is already selling houses at 60 cents on the dollar on their website. When those teaser rates reset, kiss your flip good-bye. It will be the lender flipping that house for a big loss.
Two possible choices would be:
1) "Checkmate" or
2) Create another asset bubble- by telling Americans to horde one dollar bills because the paper that they're printed on may be of more inherent value.
Personally, I think he will either leave the rates the same or lower by .25. Not because its the right thing to do, but because it will be a gesture of re-assurance to the market. Inject a little stability.
Beyond that, he has very little breathing room. September is coming and with any luck, that so called "deadline" for the troop surge will allow enough members of congress to overturn a presidential veto and we can begin pulling out. That will at least reduce the amount of funding we have to put over there and alleviate some of the liquidity needs of the country. Mind you, those are still just marginal fixes. It won't help housing one iota. Bernake is not looking to solve the situation. He merely has to look at damage control. If he can keep the housing debacle isolated to just the hyper-inflated markets and mitigate the credit crunch, he may be able to ride out this situation. Although I think most of us agree, the odds of that working out is minimal.
So get the popcorn ready. Should be an interesting ride.
Bernanke will do what he's told to do.
On another note, it's going to get so bad it will be like California where the governor was recalled.
I think its a great opportunity for a 3rd party candidate to make a play for the presidency. If Ron Paul ever had a chance, it's now.
I have a brilliant solution.
I proprose a WWE wrestling match between bearnake and greenspan.If bearnake loses we lower rates.
Bearnake might as well go to walmart and buy a lot of lube and invite greenspan over for dinner.
Thank you alan, may I have another?
Easy: wait for the stuff to REALLY hit the fan a bit more, wait for a bit more debt deflation just to the point where people are starting to lose jobs and corps. are starting to go bankrupt and THEN give the "Friggen everything is Greenspan's fault" speech.
Because it is.
Then, drop rates like a stone and drop cash from the heavens in helicopters, per the script.
Easy.
Probably was scripted out last year after his confirmation as Fed Chair.
You people worry too much.
Abolish the Fed and return Dollar to the Gold Standard :)
If it were me I'd raise rates and hire the Jedi to protect me. I've lived in a country that had a currency "devaluation". Banks close so the country can devalue your life savings. some banks closed permanately and some lose everything. Housing is nothing compared to a currency collapse. I haven't been thrilled with gold lately but starting to look good now.
I'll bet he's got popcorn also.
helicopter ben needs to bring back alan greenspan to finish the job of totally impoverishing the usa. yep, he needs the fine steady hand of wall street's maestro.
What would I do if I were Ben? I'd short every stock I could Monday
"You're Ben Bernanke.
What do you do now?"
Start doing his best imitation of Paul "Dirty Harry" Volcker.
Feel lucky Cramer?
Unemployment rate: low
Stock prices: high
home prices: high
bond prices: high
rates: near historic lows
dollar: low and falling
inflation: mostly high
production: on the high end
savings: low
energy prices: high
looks like there is more room to raise then to lower, but i bet they'll stay put for now
Sell all my assets, put the proceeds in a Swiss bank account, and move somewhere without an extradition treaty.
1. return to your seat.
2. fasten your seatbelt.
3. remove any sharp objects from your pockets.
4. put your tray table in the upright position.
5. clasp your hands behind your head and bend over.
6. kiss your ass goodbye.
i say stand pat.........that is what they have done...that is what they will do......they have no choice in the matter now....the situation is out of their control.....
hey dopes, what do you think ben should do?
If I were Bernanke, I would come out and flat out blame everything on Greenspan.
Sir Alan Greenspan was knighted by the Queen of England for a reason!
HE KILLED THE U.S. MIDDLE CLASS's purchasing power, effective 2010.
This will open the door to the implementation of the NAU and the conversion of the dollar to the Amero.
b) stand pat and hope for the best as the credit markets sort themselves out.
As we all know house prices have double or even triple since 1998.
Traditional house price grows with inflation. Since this administration do not want to admit they have weaken the value of the US Dollar thereby eroding the buying power of the US consumers, this administration has covered up the fact that the abnormal jump in house prices were not due to out of control inflation.
Why? The weakening of the dollar was needed to fund the "Nations Building" programs. Something the previous Bush administration wanted to do but did not have a chance to complete. But that is another story.
Right now Mr. Bernanke is left with the task of returning the economy back to normal after this administration fail attempt of Nations Building. The only why he can do that is to hope that house price gradually goes down 3 to 5 percent each year while salaries go up 3 to 5 percent each year.
Until the point of convergences were house price affordability index return back to normal using traditional safe mortgage product, Mr Bernanke has no choice but to stand pat. Mr Bernanke job is not to make investors rich, his job is to ensure price stability.
Remember, the US Dollar like most fiat currency is a piece of paper. The US Dollar only have value of exchange if people believe in the faith of that paper.
If faith is based on coercion instead of persuasion then soon the US Dollar will lose it influence as the reserve currency of the World.
Therefore, it is the Federal Reserve main job to ensure that the US Dollar has an value of exchange. Remember paper money has almost no value of use, but has a very high value of exchange.
Like a mother to her child, the US Federal Reserve governor job is depended upon his/her integrity to the US Dollar. It is not about personal gain of fame, power, or material wealth. It is about protecting th US Dollar.
The one that has lost sight of that job and over confidently sold out that responsibility in order to create a legacy so that his name would have a place in history will go down in history as the biggest speculator.
If the job of US Federal Reserve fell on the investors or speculators then the exchange value of the US Dollar would go into chaos.
Thomas Jefferson once said, “If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their money, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.”
Oh boy, it looks like the last line of defense of US dollar index (80.0) is under fire again at the forex markets.
Be like an ostrich and bury your head in the sand. Otherwise, start a nuclear war with Russia and China, fire up the Tesla HAARP to develop a series of natural disasters including earthquakes and hurricanes, and let loose some ebola like viruses from the secret lab bunker killing 1/3 of humanity. Blame it all on these incidents and how it caused the US to go bankrupt. Keep the sheeple looking the other way with bigger problems. At the end of it, no one is gonna blame u Benny.
anonymous at 10:32: you're a wanker for posting your lengthy drivel as anonymous. next time try keeping it brief or write something original.
Hide
Maybe this administration should have the gumption to support taxing hedge fund billionaires at the same rate as everyone else.
Then Mr. Bernanke can choose b) stand pat and hope for the best as the credit markets sort themselves out.
If the dollar tanks the world will be looking for a new reserve currency, the Euro. What if OPEC refuses to accept payment in $$? Lights out, end of story. On the long run that will be far worse than causing a depression by implementing sound financial policies. My guess is Bernanke will do nothing...maybe resign and make it somebody else's problem.
Flip-off President Bush then head to Disneyland.
Benny-
The dark clouds are gathering!! Quick!! Run like a bunny to the basement and put on your Mommy's red sparkly shoes. Then,click your heels 3 times, repeating--"there is no place like home, there is no place like home"!!
Hurry!! The storm is faaast approaching!!
Come clean and admit to the world that central banking is a fraud and all it does is slowly enslave the world to bankers through debt. Admit that a central bank is the actual cause of inflation, not an entity that attempts to prevent it. Admit that a central bank is not necessary, and is antithetical to a truly free society and a truly free market. Push to have it shut down.
OT:
Option One Tell's Proposed Condo Buyers..Sorry no Mortgage's for you.
Florida Condos: Option One will not accept submissions secured by condos in Florida
We already know that the condo market in Florida is decimated. We know that there are condo ghost-towns in new Florida towers. We know people are upside-down in their condos.
http://tinyurl.com/26vja2
-------------------
Yikes!!!
Bear Stearns Co-President Resigns
http://www.thestreet.com/s/bear-stearns-co-president-resigns/newsanalysis/banking/10372463.html?puc=_tscrss
Adopt a new identity and move on to rape another country. His tribe has done this time and time again...and will do it again and again until either they are STOPPED or the world ENDS.
That's gratitude for ya!!!!
I Cant wait 2 see what the talking heads will tell the sheep on monday
Benny has made it very clear from his prior research on the Great Depression that the fault of the Fed was NOT to burst the bubble but rather to not raise rates FAST enough after the bubble burst. So this is my prediction:
- Fed jawbones about inflation for another couple of months
- Fed sets the stage by cooking the inflation numbers so more and, more importantly, jacking up working productivity. This will lay the foundation for a rate decrease with the excuse that higher worker productivity will work its magic again and tamp down inflation
- Fed drops rates by .25% in Mid October before the bottom falls out
- Dollar and gold anticipate this and rise significantly over the next couple of months
This guy is simply incapable of being a hero like Volker. This is Bush's America were the wealthy and the corporations decide government policy.
Plutocracy == Gov't by Wealthy with Assets => Give me Asset Inflation or give me death
As long as this mortgage fraud are still out of control Bernanke should stand pat.
Seems like Bernanke has a very good understanding of what is going on out there.
http://www.mortgagefraudblog.com/
index.php/weblog/permalink/
10_indicted_in_sophisticated_
mortgage_fraud_scheme
10 Indicted in Sophisticated Mortgage Fraud Scheme
Close the open market desk and let rates float.
Nothing, just leave the rate and wait till it works itself out.
Abolish the Fed!
Poole is calling a Spade a Spade, why should anyone get upset unless they are guilty of the sin.
b) stand pat and bury them. They deserve it.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/
news?pid=20601087&sid=
apltzMBdJDjc
Poole Says Subprime Investors Deserved to Lose Money (Update3)
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President William Poole said investors who lost money buying subprime mortgage-linked securities got what they deserved.
Poole criticized the underwriting standards and interest- rate assessments of Wall Street and endorsed the Fed's steps to strengthen consumer safeguards. His remarks come after Chairman Ben S. Bernanke committed to tougher rules to protect consumers during his semiannual monetary policy testimony this week.
``The punishment has been meted out to those who have done misdeeds and made bad judgments,'' Poole told reporters in St. Louis after a speech on the market for mortgages to borrowers with sketchy or weak credit histories. ``We are getting good evidence that the companies and hedge funds that are being hit are the ones who deserve it.''
Fed to weigh hit of credit crunch
The Fed is widely expected to hold overnight interest rates steady at 5.25 percent, where they have been for more than a year. The policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee is expected to release a statement outlining its views on the economy at around 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
The central bank has said turmoil stemming from a wave of adjustable rate mortgage delinquencies, while causing pain for many investors and homeowners, has not shown any signs -- so far -- of dragging down the broader economy.
"At this stage, the economic fundamentals are really unchanged" from how the Fed described the outlook in a report to Congress in mid-July, Fed Governor Randall Kroszner said on Thursday. "We have not seen an effect on the broader real economy. But we are looking very, very carefully at that."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/
20070805/bs_nm/usa_fed_
preview_dc_1
I think the Japanese had an answer for this that involved honor and a sword.
Maybe instead of carpet-bombing us with bundles of freshly-printed bundles of 20's, he'll opt for sending all of us a $20,000 debit card with a 60 day expiration date, no payments/no interest for 5 years. That'll buy him time...
Keith,
In the pic on your post, Bernanke should've back hand bitch slapped Greenscam while he had the chance.
Followed by a, "Thanks alot nimrod!"
Soon 1 ounce of gold will buy a house in a nice area.
Bernanke can get on the phone to his Boss, Mr. Hu Jintao and ask him, "Qing zai yi ci jiu yuan wo men? Wo cheng nuo zhe shi zui hou yi ci."
Which for you barbarian white devils means, "Would you please save us one more time? I promise this will be the last time."
The goal is to keep as many suckers as possible paying their 30 year mortgages whether they be fixed or adjustable.
People who own homes tend to go to work and tend to consume. Thats the name of the game in our culture.
That means they will drop rates as the resets max out in the first peak around January of 2008 and then allow rates to increase again before droping again at the next reset peak of January 2010.
All the while housing prices will continue to slowly deflate back to where the cost of renting will equal the cost of buying at around 7%. For most of California that means a 40% drop.
They will not raise rates until core inflation is on a definite rise.
The only solution I see to this is just to let the markets work it out. You all are right, if he lowers interest rates, the dollar will be fancy toilet paper. Raise, and boom, everything falls.
A few of the smarter hedge funds and financials are secretly doing the smart thing. They are buying the mortgages from the big banks that made poisonous loans for pennies on the dollar, then marking them to market, then working with the homeowners instead of throwing them on the street and yet another REO. The borrowers stay in the house with a mortgage they can afford. The hedgies make money since they bought the garbage for pennies and turned it in to viable paper, and NO government bail out. The debtor pays.
There is a bull market everywhere, sometimes it is just harder to find....
This will become more public once the CNBC trolls and MSM feel that they have droaned on enough about the mess. Also, many investors I know are picking up some nice homes, really cheap from the bank, not the borrowers through short sales, and because the bank is sticking the borrowers with the 1099's the investor is getting a house with a lot of fat in it...
Just my take on what I see now...
Kill self, f--- body, as we used to say on FC.
>> The Fed is widely expected to hold overnight interest rates steady at 5.25 percent, where they have been for more than a year. The policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee is expected to release a statement outlining its views on the economy at around 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
Gee, here's an idea: shut down the Fed! It's illegal and unconstitutional anyway, so no loss, all gain. Every single bank will function entirely on its own, and will only be able to loan what it actually has in its vault ie. no more fractional-reserve trickery.
Ben, admit we are screwed and endorse Ron Paul as president due to his sound economic policies. Oh yeah Ben refresh your resume since Ron Paul will eliminate the Federal Reserve and rightfully so.
Nothing.
If the economy shows extended signs of weakness, then they'll lower rates.
Not much of a chance of them raising rates.
Go back to smoking weed, man.
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