quinta-feira, 20 de outubro de 2011

Compreender a manipulação monetária

Ron Paul, em artigo hoje publicado no Wall Street Jornal, dá uma lição magistral, ainda que muito sintética, sobre a teoria austríaca dos ciclos económicos. Vale bem a pena lê-lo integralmente. Destaco, em qualquer caso, dois parágrafos:
The Federal Reserve has caused every single boom and bust that has occurred in this country since the bank's creation in 1913. It pumps new money into the financial system to lower interest rates and spur the economy. Adding new money increases the supply of money, making the price of money over time—the interest rate—lower than the market would make it. These lower interest rates affect the allocation of resources, causing capital to be malinvested throughout the economy. So certain projects and ventures that appear profitable when funded at artificially low interest rates are not in fact the best use of those resources.

Eventually, the economic boom created by the Fed's actions is found to be unsustainable, and the bust ensues as this malinvested capital manifests itself in a surplus of capital goods, inventory overhangs, etc. Until these misdirected resources are put to a more productive use—the uses the free market actually desires—the economy stagnates.

Sem comentários: