Interesting communique from the FOMC chief, as an OPED in today’s WSJ:
"Over the past year, the Federal Reserve has actively used all its powers and authority to try to help our economy through this difficult time. Central banks around the world have also consulted closely and cooperated in unprecedented ways to reduce strains in financial markets and to bolster our economies. We will continue to do so. However, clearly the time had come for a more comprehensive and broad-based solution.
History teaches us that government engagement in times of severe financial crisis often arrives very late, usually at a point at which most financial institutions are insolvent or nearly so. In these conditions, the consequences and costs of inertia and inaction can be staggering. Fortunately, that is not the situation we face today…
I am not suggesting the way forward will be easy. But the tools are in place to respond effectively and with force. These tools will bolster the capital of our financial institutions, restore confidence in their debt, and offer increased access to funding for businesses. Their application, together with the underlying power and resilience of the American economy, will help to restore confidence to our financial system and place our economy back on a path to vigorous growth."
A recent speech of Bernanke is similar to his piece . . .
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Source:
We’re Laying the Groundwork for Recovery
The necessary policy tools are in place.
BEN S. BERNANKE
WSJ, OCTOBER 14, 2008
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122394360912831019.html
Current Economic and Financial Conditions
Ben Bernanke
NABE, October 7, 2008
http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/bernanke20081007a.htm
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