December 12, 2008

CDS on US public debt is more of a toy gun.

Sir Eric De Keuleneer worries that a Dr. Strangelove could set out to destroy our world with credit default swaps (CDS) on US debt “Tomorrow could bring a new threat” December 12. This is not so these CDS are just toy guns.

Any problem with the US debt will show up as inflationary expectations in the required interest rates since all it currently takes to defuse a CDS on US debt is some paper and ink, printing dollars. As I have written to you earlier, November 21, Dr. Strangelove possesses much real mass destructive power when he rides on the credit ratings, and which is why perhaps a more cautious regulator would request a security clearance for all the individual credit risk raters.

Having said that, in today’s nervous financial climate, even a toy gun could produce panic.