The current crisis has taught us some valuable lessons. At its core, the crisis illustrates the need to disregard age-old principles. Unfortunately, creditors’ dogged adherence to some longstanding doctrines has led to misconceived policies, inflicting unnecessary pain on some without putting an end to the crisis. For some, the question of whether recovery will come soon enough is still up in the air.
Keynes on Pessimism
We all know that we as human beings have a hard time separating ourselves from the present situation. If we are in a crisis, we think the tough times will last for years, and the contrary if we are in an economic boom. The opinions of experts, institutes and others reflect that behavior: most of […]
We don’t understand the Greeks
Everyone is uneasy about the electoral victory of Syriza in Greece and the threat of populism in Europe. The media has been buzzing for days now with comments and analysis, largely talking about what Syriza should do, what should be done by the European Union, Germany, the International Monetary Fund… the consequences of the policies […]
After the Stress Test: Lending in Times of Uncertainty
European banks have just made it through the latest round of stress tests. But now what? Will lending make a come back? Looking toward the future, do these tests really guarantee a clean bill of health? These are just a few of the questions that many people are asking themselves. But really, one question sums […]
On Principles and Taboos
Major financial crises have always left huge amounts of debt in their wake, followed by incidents of nonpayment. Occasionally the reduction of debt has been concealed, as in the case of Germany, which, thanks to an annual inflation that averaged 17% from 1913 to 1950, reduced the value of its domestic debt to almost zero. […]
