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General Category => Off the Record => Topic started by: The Minsky Moment on July 20, 2017, 12:12:21 PM

Title: Fedgames, or Speaking Craven Flattery to Power
Post by: The Minsky Moment on July 20, 2017, 12:12:21 PM
Yellen's term as Fed Chair ends Feb. 2018.  Although the general view is that she has performed well, her reappointment prospects are dim.

She recently expressed some (deserved) skepticism about the Trump admin's long run 3 percent growth projections, saying it would nice to achieve but "challenging"

In response - 3 of the leading candidates to replace her jointly released a letter stating "The policy changes of the kind proposed by the Congress and the Administration, if enacted, would significantly improve the economy's growth prospects . . . Could implementation of such a comprehensive economic plan raise the economic growth rate to 3 percent? We believe it can.  We judge that such a  policy package, in part by encouraging firms to expand by bringing new investment to production, can help raise trend labor productivity growth to around 2.3 percent per year in the nonfarm business economy and perhaps higher."  They go on to posit that the magic Trump fairies will also cause labor force participation to grow 4 percent over a 10 year period.  https://budget.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/on_the_prospects_for_higher_economic_growth.pdf

Put aside the letter's invocation of empirically unsupported and debunked old chestnuts like the linkage of marginal tax rates or deficit spending to labor productivity rates.  We are now half a year into the Trump-GOP dominion and so far the administration has enacted exactly zero economic legislation.  Tax reform has been back burnered.  On spending the US is quietly drifting into another interest default crisis, which may be the most important under-reported story in the country right now.  "If enacted" looks a lot like a flying pig assumption.

As a logical economic argument this is a sad piece of work.  As a pathetic pitch for a job, OTOH it looks like a promising opening to President Sunkist.
Title: Re: Fedgames, or Speaking Craven Flattery to Power
Post by: Jacob on July 20, 2017, 01:35:17 PM
If Trump appoints an incompetent crony to the post, how long is the US stuck with the new chair?
Title: Re: Fedgames, or Speaking Craven Flattery to Power
Post by: Admiral Yi on July 20, 2017, 01:51:26 PM
Quote from: Jacob on July 20, 2017, 01:35:17 PM
If Trump appoints an incompetent crony to the post, how long is the US stuck with the new chair?

Six year term I think, although I believe there is an impeachment mechanism.
Title: Re: Fedgames, or Speaking Craven Flattery to Power
Post by: Jacob on July 20, 2017, 01:57:44 PM
I see. Thanks.
Title: Re: Fedgames, or Speaking Craven Flattery to Power
Post by: Valmy on July 20, 2017, 02:05:30 PM
So...tell me about this interest default crisis. What does that mean?
Title: Re: Fedgames, or Speaking Craven Flattery to Power
Post by: CountDeMoney on July 20, 2017, 04:29:19 PM
Quote from: Valmy on July 20, 2017, 02:05:30 PM
So...tell me about this interest default crisis. What does that mean?

Remember in 2014 when Obama said if the US defaulted on its interest payments as a result of failing to raise the debt ceiling, it would affect not only the credit rating of the government but the national economy as a whole, and he was called a liar by a senator because "nobody knows what would happen"?

The guy that said that is now the director of the OMB.


What does it all mean?  It means hold on to your potatoes, doll.
Title: Re: Fedgames, or Speaking Craven Flattery to Power
Post by: Monoriu on July 20, 2017, 04:43:19 PM
I don't care about any of that.  The Federal Reserve needs to raise interest rates  <_<
Title: Re: Fedgames, or Speaking Craven Flattery to Power
Post by: CountDeMoney on July 20, 2017, 06:56:21 PM
Quote from: Monoriu on July 20, 2017, 04:43:19 PM
I don't care about any of that.  The Federal Reserve needs to raise interest rates  <_<

Fuck you, you fucking PLA plant.  You're not fooling anyone, you know.  I'm on to you, Mao Say Tongue.
Title: Re: Fedgames, or Speaking Craven Flattery to Power
Post by: Ed Anger on July 20, 2017, 07:35:29 PM
Time to stockpile gold and ammo.
Title: Re: Fedgames, or Speaking Craven Flattery to Power
Post by: Razgovory on July 20, 2017, 08:11:46 PM
I thought it was 4% growth per year.
Title: Re: Fedgames, or Speaking Craven Flattery to Power
Post by: jimmy olsen on July 20, 2017, 08:46:30 PM
Quote from: Monoriu on July 20, 2017, 04:43:19 PM
I don't care about any of that.  The Federal Reserve needs to raise interest rates  <_<

The US defaulting would cause a new depression and tank China's economy as well.
Title: Re: Fedgames, or Speaking Craven Flattery to Power
Post by: Monoriu on July 20, 2017, 09:07:49 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on July 20, 2017, 08:46:30 PM
Quote from: Monoriu on July 20, 2017, 04:43:19 PM
I don't care about any of that.  The Federal Reserve needs to raise interest rates  <_<

The US defaulting would cause a new depression and tank China's economy as well.

That's precisely the aim :contract:
Title: Re: Fedgames, or Speaking Craven Flattery to Power
Post by: Oexmelin on July 20, 2017, 10:03:39 PM
Mono has never have any qualms about wishing misery for millions, curtailing civil liberties, mooching off of whatever and whomever, as long as it can benefit his fucking retirement fund so that he can watch anime he stole.     
Title: Re: Fedgames, or Speaking Craven Flattery to Power
Post by: jimmy olsen on July 20, 2017, 10:09:30 PM
Quote from: Oexmelin on July 20, 2017, 10:03:39 PM
Mono has never have any qualms about wishing misery for millions, curtailing civil liberties, mooching off of whatever and whomever, as long as it can benefit his fucking retirement fund so that he can watch anime he stole.   

But it would wreck his retirement fund.
Title: Re: Fedgames, or Speaking Craven Flattery to Power
Post by: The Minsky Moment on July 20, 2017, 11:08:24 PM
Quote from: Jacob on July 20, 2017, 01:35:17 PM
If Trump appoints an incompetent crony to the post, how long is the US stuck with the new chair?

To be clear none of the three candidates at issue is incompetent or a crony, although in my personal opinion all are less than ideal.  But this letter is a pretty transparent effort to push for Yellen's job and IMO beneath people of their reputation.
Title: Re: Fedgames, or Speaking Craven Flattery to Power
Post by: The Minsky Moment on July 20, 2017, 11:12:10 PM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on July 20, 2017, 04:29:19 PM
Quote from: Valmy on July 20, 2017, 02:05:30 PM
So...tell me about this interest default crisis. What does that mean?

Remember in 2014 when Obama said if the US defaulted on its interest payments as a result of failing to raise the debt ceiling, it would affect not only the credit rating of the government but the national economy as a whole, and he was called a liar by a senator because "nobody knows what would happen"?

The guy that said that is now the director of the OMB.


What does it all mean?  It means hold on to your potatoes, doll.

Treasury has been implementing extraordinary measures for a few months now.  The belief a few months back was that since one party controls the government it shouldn't be that difficult to get a deal to raise the debt ceiling.  Given the current state of intra-party and cross-branch relations however, that no longer seems a very safe bet.  As CDM points out, some of the bomb throwers from the last couple run throughs are now in key positions of leverage.
Title: Re: Fedgames, or Speaking Craven Flattery to Power
Post by: The Minsky Moment on July 20, 2017, 11:19:48 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on July 20, 2017, 08:11:46 PM
I thought it was 4% growth per year.

Yes it was - -it seems that is now acknowledged as a species of Trumpian "exaggeration"

The 3% rate is not outside the range of the conceivable but getting there is a matter of how and whether technological change will impact productivity going forward and how successfully the US is at developing and deploying human capital.   Tinkering around with marginal tax rates, cutting funding to NASA or the Park service, or gutting FDA inspections isn't going to move the needle, even if the GOP gang that can't shoot straight could get any this through.
Title: Re: Fedgames, or Speaking Craven Flattery to Power
Post by: Monoriu on July 20, 2017, 11:20:26 PM
Quote from: Oexmelin on July 20, 2017, 10:03:39 PM
Mono has never have any qualms about wishing misery for millions, curtailing civil liberties, mooching off of whatever and whomever, as long as it can benefit his fucking retirement fund so that he can watch anime he stole.   

I am hardly the only one who wants an interest rate hike  :secret:
Title: Re: Fedgames, or Speaking Craven Flattery to Power
Post by: sbr on July 21, 2017, 01:16:32 AM
Quote from: Monoriu on July 20, 2017, 11:20:26 PM
Quote from: Oexmelin on July 20, 2017, 10:03:39 PM
Mono has never have any qualms about wishing misery for millions, curtailing civil liberties, mooching off of whatever and whomever, as long as it can benefit his fucking retirement fund so that he can watch anime he stole.   

I am hardly the only one who wants an interest rate hike  :secret:

And Oexmelin is hardly the only one who thinks you are a disgusting piece of shit. :secret:
Title: Re: Fedgames, or Speaking Craven Flattery to Power
Post by: garbon on July 21, 2017, 01:24:04 AM
Quote from: sbr on July 21, 2017, 01:16:32 AM
Quote from: Monoriu on July 20, 2017, 11:20:26 PM
Quote from: Oexmelin on July 20, 2017, 10:03:39 PM
Mono has never have any qualms about wishing misery for millions, curtailing civil liberties, mooching off of whatever and whomever, as long as it can benefit his fucking retirement fund so that he can watch anime he stole.   

I am hardly the only one who wants an interest rate hike  :secret:

And Oexmelin is hardly the only one who thinks you are a disgusting piece of shit. :secret:

:thumbsup:
Title: Re: Fedgames, or Speaking Craven Flattery to Power
Post by: Jacob on July 21, 2017, 10:13:32 AM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on July 20, 2017, 10:09:30 PM
Quote from: Oexmelin on July 20, 2017, 10:03:39 PM
Mono has never have any qualms about wishing misery for millions, curtailing civil liberties, mooching off of whatever and whomever, as long as it can benefit his fucking retirement fund so that he can watch anime he stole.   

But it would wreck his retirement fund.

... and that would be a silver lining, albeit a small one, to the situation.