Perhaps. But much more importantly, your policy of lowering short term interest rates to such ridiculous low levels ( 1%), for such a long period of time, was a very significant factor in the 'speculative asset bubble' ( aka housing bubble) that we now face. Greenspan you are not off the hook.By the late 1990s, it appeared to us that very aggressive action would have been required to counteract the euphoria that developed in the wake of extraordinary gains in productivity growth spawned by technological change. In short, we would have needed to risk precipitating a significant recession, with unknown consequences. The alternative was to wait for the eventual exhaustion of the forces of boom. We concluded that the latter course was by far the safer. Whether that judgment continues to hold up through time has yet to be determined. .....
Relying on policymakers to perceive when speculative asset bubbles have developed and then to implement timely policies to address successfully these misalignments in asset prices is simply not realistic.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Greenspan: Don't blame Me
In Greenspan's speech today to the National Association for Business Economics Annual Meeting in Chicago he basically was covering his rear.
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Sounds like he is acknowledging recognition of the bubble prior to having publically admitted to a bubble.
ReplyDeleteAnd he used the word "bubble" in reference to the housing market. He's never done that before.
ReplyDeleteCole @ The Boy in the Big Housing Bubble
astute comments marinite and skytrekker.
ReplyDeleteGreenspan needs to be held accountable for his policies. He should not be allowed to get off the hook just because he knows 'Greenspeak'
Cole,
ReplyDeleteYes he sort of did. He never used the term 'housing bubble.' Rather he used the term 'asset bubble'
astute comments marinite and skytrekker
ReplyDeleteFor my part, no, just a reasonable memory of what people say.