Friday, December 19, 2008

London Banker: Deflation has become inevitable

London Banker: Deflation has become inevitable Anyone sitting on a pile of cash now is unlikely to want to either (a) place it in a bank, or (b) invest it in the stock market. As a result, the implosion of the financial and real economy must continue no matter how big the central bank’s aspirations for its balance sheet or the treasury’s aspirations for its deficit.

If US, EU and UK had substantial domestic savings to fund their banks (as in Japan in 1990), then perhaps the consequences would not be so imminently disastrous. Lacking sufficient domestic savings, however, their actions will likely make foreign creditors in Japan, China, the Gulf and elsewhere question whether it is worthwhile to keep pumping scarce savings into such flawed and reckless economies.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

John K: You mean things are going to cost less? And this is bad? If the price of a candy bar drops to .5 cents, just like in the good old day, that is bad? Alternate universe here.