欧州中央銀行の資本増強のための融資や、スペイン国債購入の対応に対する過剰な楽観や悲観は、本当の解決から目をそらす
OPINIÓN
La mistificación monetaria
Tanto los temores como la euforia ante la actuación de los bancos centrales son injustificados
Joseph E. Stiglitz 14 OCT 2012 - 00:00 CET
OPINION
The mystification monetary
Both fears as euphoria before the central banks' actions are unjustified
Joseph E. Stiglitz 14 OCT 2012 - 00:00 CET
The fact is that both the fears of critics as the euphoria of the optimists are unjustified. So currently underutilized production capacity and economic prospects as bleak in the short term, the risk of serious inflation is minimal.
However, the actions of the Fed and the ECB sent three messages that should give some respite to markets. First, that previous actions have not worked, in fact, the major central banks are largely responsible for the crisis, but their ability to reverse their mistakes is limited.
Second, the Federal Reserve's decision to keep interest rates at exceptionally low levels until mid 2015 means he does not expect a speedy recovery. This should be a warning signal for Europe, whose economy is now much weaker than the U.S..
Increased liquidity if current austerity policies not revive the Spanish economy
Finally, the Federal Reserve and the ECB indicated that markets alone do not foster a rapid return to full employment. Stimulus is needed. That should serve as a rebuttal to those who demand just the opposite in Europe and in the U.S.: more austerity.
But the stimulus-on both sides of the Atlantic, is of a fiscal nature. Monetary policy has proved ineffective and unlikely to get more of it back into the economy to a sustainable growth path.
In traditional economic models as more credit-liquidity produces mostly for investors and sometimes to consumers-which positively affects demand and employment. But consider a case such as Spanish, where so much money has fled the banking system, and continues while Europe fiddles with the implementation of a common banking system. Merely liquidity while continuing with the current austerity policies not revive the Spanish economy.
Moreover, in the U.S. the smaller banks, which largely financed small and medium enterprises, were stranded. The federal government-both during the presidency of George W. Bush and Barack Obama spent hundreds of billions of dollars to prop up the megabanks, while leaving hundreds of these smaller banks, although fundamental, fail.
The credit would still limited even if the banks will enjoy greater health
But credit would remain limited even if banks enjoyed better health. After all, small businesses rely on loans with collateral, and the value of real estate-the most common collateral-still holds a third of its pre-crisis levels. Moreover, given the magnitude of the stock of unsold homes, low interest rates will not increase the price of the property, let alone another bubble inflating consumer.
Of course, can not be ruled marginal effects: small changes in interest rates in the long term due to QE3 may encourage investment in small increases, some rich seize rising stock price to consume more, and a few owners able to refinance their mortgage and reduce your monthly payments, which will also allow them to consume more.
But most rich know that temporary measures will generate only a transient rise in stock prices, insufficient to allow a significant increase in consumption. Furthermore, reports suggest that few of the benefits of lower interest rates in the long term are leaking to homeowners, the main beneficiaries, it seems, are the banks. Many who wish to refinance their mortgages still can not do, since they have more money than the mortgaged property is worth.
In other circumstances, the U.S. would benefit from the weakening dollar that comes from low interest rates, a sort of competitive devaluation by beggar thy neighbor policies at the expense of U.S. trading partners. But given the low European interest rates and the global slowdown is likely to be small profits even in this case.
Some worry that the new liquidity will lead to worse outcomes-for example, a commodity boom that would work much like a tax on U.S. and European consumers. The elderly, who were cautious and kept their money in Treasuries, will see a decrease in performance, which will further reduce consumption. And low interest rates will invite companies to invest in fixed capital, such as highly automated machines, ensuring that when the recovery will generate relatively few jobs. In summary, the benefits are, at best, small.
In Europe, monetary intervention has the potential to help more, but the risk is similar matters worse. To dispel anxiety about government waste, the conditions included in ECB bond buying program. But if conditions function as austerity measures imposed without meaningful joint measures to boost growth, will be more like a drain: the patient must risk death before receiving genuine medicines. The fear of losing economic sovereignty that governments will be reluctant to seek help from the ECB, and shall apply only if the real effects.
There is an additional risk for Europe: if the ECB is too focused on inflation as the Fed tries to stimulate the U.S. economy, the differential in interest rates will lead to an appreciation of the euro (at least in relative terms to what would be if this were not the case), undermining the competitiveness and growth prospects in Europe.
Both for Europe and for the U.S., the danger is that politicians and the markets believe that monetary policy can revive the economy. Unfortunately, their main impact at this point is to distract attention from measures that truly stimulate growth, including expansionary fiscal policy and financial sector reforms to boost credit.
The current downturn, which has lasted half a decade, will not have a quick solution. That, in a nutshell, is what they are saying the Federal Reserve and the ECB. The sooner we recognize our leaders better.
Joseph E. Stiglitz, Nobel laureate in economics in 2001, is a professor at Columbia University.
欧州中央銀行の資本増強のための融資や、スペイン国債購入の対応に対する過剰な楽観や悲観は、本当の解決から目をそらす
金銭的な神秘
中央銀行のアクションの前に幸福感などの不安の両方が不当なアール
ジョセフ·E·スティグリッツスティグリッツ14 OCT 2012 - 00:00 CET
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