The debate has been sequestered by the machos and the wimps.
Sir Samuel Brittan seems to divide us economic debater between the machos, those who hold that this is no time for hesitance, better too much stimulus than to little and that we should forget about how we are going to pay for it all; and the wimps those, who urge more caution. In my case I confess that I often find myself among the latter, though mostly as a reaction to the runaway machismo of the machos. “Economic dominoes are still falling” February 13.
The truth, which as usual lies somewhere in the middle, is that we all should be very careful machos, and by which I imply we should stimulate a lot but make sure that every cent of stimulus counts.
In this respect (once again) I wish to point out that there are other issues that need to be looked at, such as the interest rates charged on credit cards.
To stimulate consumption placing compromises of a trillions of dollar on the shoulder of future generations of tax payers while at the same time allowing credit card companies to charge 17% interest rates in an economy where inflationary expectations are low, has nothing to do with machos or wimps, only with plain stupidity.
I am therefore proposing that the US government and the Congress should limit the interest rates that can be charged on credit cards to something like 5% and perhaps, for a year, as a partial compensation, pay the creditors an additional 3% on any balance financed. That stimulus cost would amount to a meager 30 billion dollars, per each trillion of credit card debt.
Doing it would put real money in the pockets of the real consumers and simultaneous work at solving the next wave of toxic assets soon to hit the markets.
The truth, which as usual lies somewhere in the middle, is that we all should be very careful machos, and by which I imply we should stimulate a lot but make sure that every cent of stimulus counts.
In this respect (once again) I wish to point out that there are other issues that need to be looked at, such as the interest rates charged on credit cards.
To stimulate consumption placing compromises of a trillions of dollar on the shoulder of future generations of tax payers while at the same time allowing credit card companies to charge 17% interest rates in an economy where inflationary expectations are low, has nothing to do with machos or wimps, only with plain stupidity.
I am therefore proposing that the US government and the Congress should limit the interest rates that can be charged on credit cards to something like 5% and perhaps, for a year, as a partial compensation, pay the creditors an additional 3% on any balance financed. That stimulus cost would amount to a meager 30 billion dollars, per each trillion of credit card debt.
Doing it would put real money in the pockets of the real consumers and simultaneous work at solving the next wave of toxic assets soon to hit the markets.
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