Wall Street Notes Revenue Redistribution And The White House
There is this story about small town in Honduras nestled on the coast of the Caribbean. With about one visitor a month, the economy wasn't boding well for the town and all its citizens, it seems, were living on credit and in debt.
Suddenly, a rich tourist comes to town. He enters the only hotel, lays a $100 bill on the reception counter, and asks for a meal and later goes to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to pick one. The hotel proprietor takes the hundred dollar bill and runs to pay his debt to the butcher.
The Butcher takes the 100 dollar bill, and runs to pay his debt to the rancher. The rancher takes the hundred dollar bill and runs to pay his debt to the feed supplier. The feed supplier runs off to pay his debt to the gas station for his fuel costs.
Now that the supplier of fuel has some cash, he takes the hundred dollar bill and runs to pay his debt to the town prostitute that, because of hard times, gave her service on credit. The hooker runs to the hotel, and pays off her debt with the hundred dollar bill to the hotel proprietor in order to pay for the rooms that she rented when she brought her clients there.
The hotel proprietor then lays the hundred dollar bill back on the counter so that the rich tourist will not suspect anything. After finishing a great meal and feeling refreshed he pays for the meal with pocket change and foregoes inspecting the rooms. Feeling energized and seeing the storm clouds lift, the rich tourist takes his hundred dollar bill and leaves town.
The moral of the story is that everyone in town was in debt, no one earned any money; they merely paid off debt and everyone feels a lighter burden. No wealth was created. This is analogous to the U.S. government shifting liabilities from one balance sheet to another.
Now the story gets more interesting. The stranger tells others about what a great town he discovered and about the tasty dinner he experienced. The local newspaper picked up the story. Later in the month, when 7 new tourists arrive and take rooms, the hotel proprietor senses a change. He begins planning raising his room rates, perhaps even adding some rooms sensing a future upsurge. The rancher wants to raise his cattle prices because of the increased demand. The feed and fuel supplier is thinking along the same lines. And, let's not forget the prostitute who'll have to charge more because room rates increased.
What has happened is that liabilities transferred from one balance sheet to another. As everyone knows, paying debts keeps money in circulation as long as the debts remain in place. Once they are paid off, new borrowers for loans need to be found. But when "green shoot" optimism begins to reign, everyone wants to raise prices. And the race begins unless monetary policy tightens money supply. If you chose to fly ahead of impending news, get your Wall Street Journal subscription today. - 23196
Suddenly, a rich tourist comes to town. He enters the only hotel, lays a $100 bill on the reception counter, and asks for a meal and later goes to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to pick one. The hotel proprietor takes the hundred dollar bill and runs to pay his debt to the butcher.
The Butcher takes the 100 dollar bill, and runs to pay his debt to the rancher. The rancher takes the hundred dollar bill and runs to pay his debt to the feed supplier. The feed supplier runs off to pay his debt to the gas station for his fuel costs.
Now that the supplier of fuel has some cash, he takes the hundred dollar bill and runs to pay his debt to the town prostitute that, because of hard times, gave her service on credit. The hooker runs to the hotel, and pays off her debt with the hundred dollar bill to the hotel proprietor in order to pay for the rooms that she rented when she brought her clients there.
The hotel proprietor then lays the hundred dollar bill back on the counter so that the rich tourist will not suspect anything. After finishing a great meal and feeling refreshed he pays for the meal with pocket change and foregoes inspecting the rooms. Feeling energized and seeing the storm clouds lift, the rich tourist takes his hundred dollar bill and leaves town.
The moral of the story is that everyone in town was in debt, no one earned any money; they merely paid off debt and everyone feels a lighter burden. No wealth was created. This is analogous to the U.S. government shifting liabilities from one balance sheet to another.
Now the story gets more interesting. The stranger tells others about what a great town he discovered and about the tasty dinner he experienced. The local newspaper picked up the story. Later in the month, when 7 new tourists arrive and take rooms, the hotel proprietor senses a change. He begins planning raising his room rates, perhaps even adding some rooms sensing a future upsurge. The rancher wants to raise his cattle prices because of the increased demand. The feed and fuel supplier is thinking along the same lines. And, let's not forget the prostitute who'll have to charge more because room rates increased.
What has happened is that liabilities transferred from one balance sheet to another. As everyone knows, paying debts keeps money in circulation as long as the debts remain in place. Once they are paid off, new borrowers for loans need to be found. But when "green shoot" optimism begins to reign, everyone wants to raise prices. And the race begins unless monetary policy tightens money supply. If you chose to fly ahead of impending news, get your Wall Street Journal subscription today. - 23196
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posted by X - Men @ 2:50 AM
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