[quote author="PANDA" date=1213682293][quote author="awgee" date=1213680500][quote author="PANDA" date=1213677747]Awgee,
I guess what you are try to tell me is that U.S. government is not our friend and cares less about the U.S. citizens so do not expect a bail out from them. One thing i do know is that Bernanke will prefer inflation over deflation. He will do anything in his power to avoid the 1930 Great Depression. If FED cuts rates to 0%, inflation is going to be sky high and it will be out of Bernanke's control.</blockquote>
Seriously, my questions were real questions. I was not trying to tell you anything with them. I was telling you something with statements.
What exactly can the US government do to bail out homeowners? The US gov is not the Federal Reserve nor does it control the Federal Reserve. Where would the US gov get the money to bail out homeowners and which would they help? Those in debt? Those who more than their house is worth?
Yeah, if the Fed cuts the overnight rate to 0%, every bank in the world would be lined up for free money. I know foreign banks can not borrow from the Fed, but they can borrow from US banks. Where would the Fed get the money to loan at 0%? Would Bernanke just print it? I think he would. He said he would. And that has been his solution to every problem he has faced thus far. How much different is 0% than 2%, effectively speaking? The JCB lowered their rate to 1/2% and literally every bank and hedge fund in the world went to Japan for money.</blockquote>
I am not arguing with you Awgee, I am agreeing with you that I don't think the government can do anything to bail the homeowners out. The scary part is that I don't think that the government can save us from this recession from happening. I think what is happening to the U.S. is similar to what happened to the Japan Real Estate Bust. Man, I think that lasted 15 dark years. I am not an expert in this area, but I believe that Japan had reserves so that their Yen would not crash, but U.S.'s situation is very different from Japan as we are in trillions in debt and very little reserves. Most of the U.S. dollars exist outside of this country.
Awgee, do you think there is a real chance that U.S. Dollar can crash? Euro will replacing the U.S. Dollar as the world currency, breaking a 100 year precedence? U.S. going back to the Gold Standard? I am not 100% sure on the answers myself. I do agree with you that Bernanke will continue to print money eventually making our dollars worthless. Soon we will see 2 U.S. dollars equaling 1 EURO. You see why I don't like the fact that I have 50% of my downpayment (in U.S. Dollars) in Country Wide Bank giving me a pathetic 3.75 APY?
Panda</blockquote>
I did not think you were arguing with me, but feel free to argue with me. I was just trying to be clear that my questions were real questions.
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I think the government can bail out homedebtors. The government can give them money. And you seem to have a good grasp on what the consequences of that action are. What most people do not realize is that if the government does anything to help homedebtors, it will in effect be giving them money or loaning them money, even if the manner in which it is done is convoluted and disguised. And it will have the same effect. The only thing that can be created out of thin air is fiat currency, and inflation is an inevitable result.
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If you look at a chart of the dollar over that last two years, you will see the dollar <strong>IS</strong> crashing and there is no reasonable reason to think it will stop anytime soon.
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I do not think the Euro will replace the USD as the world reserve currency for any length of time. I think the EURO is in the same situation as the USD. Per my previous post, I do not think the US will go back to a gold standard. At some point, the Federal Reserve will come up with some cockamamy peg to fool the US public into thinking that the dollar is pegged to gold, and I think they will be successful at fooling the US public with their psuedo peg. But a real gold standard? Not a chance in ____.
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The dollar is worth less ... and less ... and less. The devaluation of the dollar is not an event, but rather a process. Why measure one's wealth in terms of dollars?