Wall Street Discerns Capital Redistribution And Monetary Policy
The tale begins on a town nestled alongside the shores of the Gulf of California in Mexico. The town was going through rough times and everyone was in debt and living on credit with a normal 1 visitor a month influx.
Out of the blue, a wealthy tourist arrives into town and makes his way to the only hotel which also has a bar and restaurant and wants to be shown a room. He put $100 bill on the counter and asks if he could have a meal before he inspects the rooms. Seeing the $100 bill, the owner runs off and uses it to pay off his bill at butcher supply.
The Butcher takes the 100 dollar bill, and runs to pay his debt to the rancher. The rancher takes the hundred dollar bill and runs to pay his debt to the feed supplier. The feed supplier runs off to pay his debt to the gas station for his fuel costs.
Now that the supplier of fuel has some cash, he takes the hundred dollar bill and runs to pay his debt to the town prostitute that, because of hard times, gave her service on credit. The hooker runs to the hotel, and pays off her debt with the hundred dollar bill to the hotel proprietor in order to pay for the rooms that she rented when she brought her clients there.
The hotel proprietor then lays the hundred dollar bill back on the counter so that the rich tourist will not suspect anything. After finishing a great meal and feeling refreshed he pays for the meal with pocket change and foregoes inspecting the rooms. Feeling energized and seeing the storm clouds lift, the rich tourist takes his hundred dollar bill and leaves town.
The moral of the story is that everyone in town was in debt, no one earned any money; they merely paid off debt and everyone feels a lighter burden. No wealth was created. This is analogous to the U.S. government shifting liabilities from one balance sheet to another.
Now the wealthy tourist was impressed by his meal and had nice things to say about the town and it became a news story. Soon after, 8 new tourists make their way to the town hotel. The owner overcome by the bonanza of new customers wants to raise his room charges and menu prices. The butcher, rancher and feed and fuel suppliers are in the throes of raising their prices. And the prostitute needed to raise her prices in order to cover the increased room rates.
As long as everyone is proactive paying off their debts, money circulates. Bailouts haven't done much of anything other than pay off some debts, mostly that of the big folks in a way that liabilities have been transfer from one balance sheet to another. However, when the positive news emerges and "green shoots" of optimism takes hold, gushing new purchases by the little people will surge and lift all boats ... and on off we go to the races we go. In order to remain ahead of the news, get your Wall Street Journal subscription today. - 23221
Out of the blue, a wealthy tourist arrives into town and makes his way to the only hotel which also has a bar and restaurant and wants to be shown a room. He put $100 bill on the counter and asks if he could have a meal before he inspects the rooms. Seeing the $100 bill, the owner runs off and uses it to pay off his bill at butcher supply.
The Butcher takes the 100 dollar bill, and runs to pay his debt to the rancher. The rancher takes the hundred dollar bill and runs to pay his debt to the feed supplier. The feed supplier runs off to pay his debt to the gas station for his fuel costs.
Now that the supplier of fuel has some cash, he takes the hundred dollar bill and runs to pay his debt to the town prostitute that, because of hard times, gave her service on credit. The hooker runs to the hotel, and pays off her debt with the hundred dollar bill to the hotel proprietor in order to pay for the rooms that she rented when she brought her clients there.
The hotel proprietor then lays the hundred dollar bill back on the counter so that the rich tourist will not suspect anything. After finishing a great meal and feeling refreshed he pays for the meal with pocket change and foregoes inspecting the rooms. Feeling energized and seeing the storm clouds lift, the rich tourist takes his hundred dollar bill and leaves town.
The moral of the story is that everyone in town was in debt, no one earned any money; they merely paid off debt and everyone feels a lighter burden. No wealth was created. This is analogous to the U.S. government shifting liabilities from one balance sheet to another.
Now the wealthy tourist was impressed by his meal and had nice things to say about the town and it became a news story. Soon after, 8 new tourists make their way to the town hotel. The owner overcome by the bonanza of new customers wants to raise his room charges and menu prices. The butcher, rancher and feed and fuel suppliers are in the throes of raising their prices. And the prostitute needed to raise her prices in order to cover the increased room rates.
As long as everyone is proactive paying off their debts, money circulates. Bailouts haven't done much of anything other than pay off some debts, mostly that of the big folks in a way that liabilities have been transfer from one balance sheet to another. However, when the positive news emerges and "green shoots" of optimism takes hold, gushing new purchases by the little people will surge and lift all boats ... and on off we go to the races we go. In order to remain ahead of the news, get your Wall Street Journal subscription today. - 23221
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posted by X - Men @ 2:51 AM
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