What would have happened if we didn't join the War on the side of the British? Where would we have been if Alan Greenspan never dropped interest rates down to nothing after 2001? What's the point in asking what if?
usually if ?s don't deserve an answer but this is an exception. using the $700 billion is like giving drugs to an addict. at 1st he feels better but then craves ever larger doses until one days he dies of an overdose or he commits a crime to pay for his habit. he goes to jail where he is more or less on forced withdrawal.
Zero intervention? I'm not quite sure no intervention has a place in damage control. If there is a hole in the boat in the storm, it is prudent to "do something". OTH, looking back on zero intervention re mbs going forward, "Just to see what would happen" with no intervention, we had a small hole in the boat that we knew would only get larger, then we had a storm (interest reset).
zdreg "using the $700 billion is like giving drugs to an addict" The securities they are unloading are the drug and they have some value, just not yet. I watched the Buffett interview and he was chomping at the bit to get a piece of them. What does that tell you? Imo, if the street gets back on its feet, within an appropiate time frame, they won't need the gov't in the same role.
so why Buffet hasn't start buying yet? why to invest into some crap just go and buy Buffet doesn't deserve trust currently. a lot is hidden from us
First lets define We We the government, just fine and dandy either way. We have the guns and gold. We donot take pay cuts and we do not lay off people, well we don't layoff anyone important. We the financiers and bankers, just find and dandy either way we own the government people who have the guns and the gold. But the $700 billion will allow us to keep the hired help. We the people, are fucked either way, we neither have the guns or the gold and now we owe another $700 billion to the government.