Money and Banks

Ryan and Tho are joined by Doug French to discuss the health of US banks, the specific dangers of commercial real estate debt, and the risks of industry consolidation.

As the US banking system becomes increasingly unstable, the calls proliferate for even more government intervention into banking and finance. People forget that it was government intervention in the first place that caused these crises.

Joe Salerno joins Bob to discuss the mainstream's focus on "rules vs. discretion" in monetary policy.

Congressional Democrats are trying to intervene in a complex and varied market they know little about but that consumers navigate without need of help. This will not end well.

No, Paul Krugman, the economy is not strong. The Fed and its supporters are in the "move along, there's nothing to see" mode when it comes to our troubled banking system.

Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have introduced legislation to create government-owned banks, ostensibly to “increase accountability.” In truth, the banks would exist to fund progressive causes.

Money is far too important to be left in the hands of bankers and of Establishment economists and financiers. To accomplish this goal, money must be returned to the market economy, with all monetary functions performed within the structure of the rights of private property and the market.

Under free competition, and without government support and enforcement, there will only be limited scope for fractional-reserve banking. Banks could form cartels to prop each other up, but generally cartels on the market don’t work well.

The natural tendency of government, once in charge of money, is to inflate and to destroy the value of the currency. To understand this truth, we must examine the nature of government and of the creation of money.

For a long time, banks have sought to keep construction loans “on the books” to collect more interest payments. With a recession looming, these long loans are likely to become delinquent.