This post was originally published at The Deliberate Agrarian.
Paul Krugman is a popular guy these days. The American economist was awarded a Nobel prize in Economics this year. In a recent interview I heard Krugman say that no one person is responsible for America’s current financial crisis. But, he said former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan certainly deserves a lot of the responsibility.
As for Greenspan, he spoke this past week before Congress and said he was “in a state of shocked disbelief” about what has happened to the economy. He further stated: “This crisis, however, has turned out to be much broader than anything I could have imagined.”
Greenspan went on to blame the crisis on “explosive demand by investors around the world” for what were (at one time) very profitable mortgage backed securities. To feed the great demand for these investment vehicles, mortgage lenders started giving mortgages to people who, under normal circumstances, would never have been able to get such loans. As a result, the securities being bought by investors all over the world were tainted with what is now known as “toxic assets.”
Meanwhile (and, incredibly) these risky securities were being rated as relatively safe and sure investments. When it came to light that they were not so safe and sure, the house of cards started to fall, and it is still falling.
How could bad investments be rated as good investments? According to Greenspan: “The whole intellectual edifice… collapsed… because the data inputted into the risk management models generally covered only the past two decades, a period of euphoria.”
So, “Surprise. Surprise. Surprise! Sergeant Carter”…
More @ The Abbeville Institute
Greenspan: "...“The whole intellectual edifice… collapsed… because the data inputted into the risk management models... were 100% bald-faced lies, and we all knew we were going to get away with it."
ReplyDeleteThe Fix is in - nothing changes no matter who is in the WH or Congress or the Courts. When the plug is pulled for real, I have a rope with Greenspan's name on it.
I have a rope with Greenspan's name on it.
DeleteI thought we had decided on throwing them out the window, as that would be cheaper............?:)
It was not Greenspan but the Federal government itself, that was forcing banks to give loans to minorities of face sanctions and large fines. The banks has to give loans to black people even though there were certain the black would never pay the loans back
ReplyDeleteThanks.
DeleteIt was the dept of Justice under Clinton that threatened banks to give loans to blacks or face stiff fines, Not Greenspan.
ReplyDeleteRopes and oak trees are plentiful, and you don't have to drag their sorry asses up the stairs.
ReplyDelete