Madison320
Member
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2012
- Messages
- 6,130
It's two lies for the price of one. If the Fed should ever contract the money supply (and it can do this as easily as it can expand it), this would almost certainly trigger another deflationary collapse, ala 1929. So, the threat of deflationary collapse is very real, but the Fed is the only one that can pull that lever.
That's true. They can contract the money supply but since everything will collapse there's enormous political pressure not to. But expanding the money supply makes everybody happy in the short run so it's easier politically.
Most mainstream economists were worried about a deflationary collapse if the Fed didn't keep expanding their balance sheet. But that's just wrong. The only way we get overall deflation is if the Fed contracts.
Another thing is that the Fed can never reduce their balance sheet back to 0. The assets they own are worth way less than their liabilities.