Organizations and Markets

Macroeconomic Policy Quote of the Day

30 April 2009 at 10:50 am Peter G. Klein 2 comments

| Peter Klein |

Mike Rozeff makes the Hayekian point that is probably obvious to the O&M community, but virtually absent from public debate:

Bernanke is just a man. He is fallible. We learned this week that he pressured Bank of America into absorbing Merrill Lynch. In doing this, he pressured the leader of Bank of America into withholding critical information from his shareholders about Merrill Lynch losses. Technically, he can be charged with conspiracy to defraud. The loans he had the FED make to AIG look far from wise. A number of his other actions are highly questionable in making various kinds of loans to questionable borrowers.

I am saying that Bernanke doesn’t actually know what he’s doing. But I am using him only as an example. He’s not special. The more important point is that no one knows how to do fiscal and monetary policy, and they never have and never will. No one. For that reason alone, which is a narrowly practical one, no one should have those powers.

Entry filed under: - Klein -, Bailout / Financial Crisis, Classical Liberalism, Financial Markets.