Streams

The Education of Ben Bernanke

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

John Cassidy, staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of Dot.Con: How America Lost Its Mind and Money in the Internet Era, explains why Ben Bernanke did what he did during the economic meltdown.

Guests:

John Cassidy

Comments [6]

Student from brooklyn

I'm wondering about Chrtistine Romer's research on the Depression and the possible theoretical differences in her analysis of its causes vs. Friedman's. How might this affect the direction of the plan for recovery?

Dec. 09 2008 11:45 AM
AWM from UWS

How did these guys miss the fact that the housing bubble bursting would be more devastating than the bursting of the internet bubble?

Millions of people didn't live in and pay mortgages, securitized mortgages, for websites...

Dec. 09 2008 11:45 AM
O from Forest Hills

Amen, Anthony!

The auto workers make $18 an hour and cap at $28/hour, not the $71/hour lie perpetuated by corporate media.

Dec. 09 2008 11:40 AM
SmrtAlck

RC -- I can't answer your question -- it's too easy!

Dec. 09 2008 11:09 AM
RC

Are we basically engaging in Keyensisim and Monaterism simultaneously. I understand Milton Freedman believed that the main cause of the Depression was the failure of the banking system. That would explain Bernake's actions.

Also, why hasn't the government guaranteed all mortgages for at least a 5-7 year period. I would think that would have avoided the asset values on the banks balance sheets to decline.

And, allowed the government to work out whatever it needed with individual home owners.

Also, how hard is to track down the ultimate owner of these mortgages since a lot of them were turned into securities?

Dec. 09 2008 11:03 AM
superf88

Is it my imagination or did Paulson gut Bernanke's role after a couple weeks into the so called crisis? (I say so called because I peg the real start date of the crisis w Greenspan's appointment). Anything fly on the wall on this relationship?

Dec. 09 2008 09:51 AM

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