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Obama’s Ersatz Capitalism
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Joseph Stiglitz describes policies and programs of the Obama administration that favor banks and avoid a government takeover of over leveraged and badly managed banks in the U.S. President Obama's policy transfers financial assets to banks on highly favorable terms even though some of the banks made bad decisions and highly overleveraged assets creating the 2008 global financial crisis. The policies avoid a government takeover of banks, policies which the U.S. aggressively pushed for in other countries such as S. Korea during the 1997 financial crisis with Rubin, Summers and Geithner at Treasury. These policies would come under strong criticism because it rewarded risk taking and kept in place an incentive system that led to such behaviours- creating "heads I win, tails you lose" psychology. It also delinks the performance-reward relationship that is the basis of free enterprise in western economies. A problem that would be left from the crisis and the Obama administration's response to it is "Too-Big-To-Fail," with banks larger than before. The FDIC and U.S. Fed's plans for banks to have living wills for an orderly windup under Dodd-Frank legislation only goes a part of the way in tackling this problem. In the U.S., and in Britain, France, Germany, Switzerland, the related problem of high bonuses continues into 2014, with RBS bank in Britain one of the egregious examples and highly unpopular with the British public. The lack of similiar government help to homeowners, advocated by Reagan economic advisor Martin Feldstein and FDIC chairwoman Sheila Bair from the beginnings of the crisis stands in sharp contrast to the response of the Obama administration. See the links for Barr, Feldstein and Hoenig. In an ultimate irony from the crisis handling much of the damage from foreclosures was done to minorities which supported the administration.
Joseph Stiglitz on U.S. president Obama and Treasury Secretary Geithner's policies favoring banks in the 2008 global financial crisis
04/01/2009
Grouped Articles
New York Times 04/01/2009
Geithner's Plan: Loopholes Galore
BusinessWeek 04/01/2009
Book Review: 'Stress Test' by Timothy F. Geithner
Wall Street Journal 05/12/2014
New York Times 05/17/2014
Treasury Chief Says He’s Open to Ousting Heads of Frail Banks
New York Times 04/06/2009
New York Times 05/19/2014
Bank Cleanup Options of bad bank, guaranteeing assets, and nationalization reviewed in the 2008 financial crisis
01/17/2009
Economist, NYT and experts look at the options for cleaning up the bad debt at banks.
Grouped Articles
Irreversible Damage: Why Little Action on Banking Can Do Great Harm.
New York Times 04/30/2010
New York Times 03/06/2009
New York Times 04/01/2009
New York Times 01/19/2009
Wall Street Journal 01/20/2009
New York Times 01/21/2009
Five rules to follow from editors of WSJ for cleaning up the banking system from the experience of 2008-2012
04/01/2009
Five rules from the editors of the WSJ on the mistakes to avoid in cleaning up the banking system after a housing bubble or other problems. The best way to approach the bailout or nationalization of failing banks.
Grouped Articles
Irreversible Damage: Why Little Action on Banking Can Do Great Harm.
New York Times 04/30/2010
New York Times 04/01/2009
Wall Street Journal 06/01/2012
A Citigroup restructuring plan, and bank restructuring plans that were never developed by Treasury Secretary Geithner for President Obama
01/02/2009
Ron Suskind documents the making of key economic decisions in the Obama White House from 700 hours of interviews in his new book released in Sept 2011: "Confidence Men: the Obama White House, Wall Street and the Education of a President." In the book he says Obama asked Geithner to develop a plan for restructuring Citigroup after the bailout of Citi. A month later he followed up in a meeting, and was told by Romer at a meeting Geithner did not atttend, that no plan had been developed. The President's response was "it better be." Geithner says he was asked to do so but "fortunately there was never a need to put them in place."
Grouped Articles
New York Times 05/16/2010
A Conflict in Geithner's New Job- Not Exactly
New York Times 11/18/2013
Charlie Rose Talks to Robert Reich
BusinessWeek 10/21/2010
A Stress Test for the Latest Bailout Plan
New York Times 02/14/2009
Citigroup Hits 'Penny Stock' Realm
Wall Street Journal 03/06/2009
Obama, Geithner Get Low Grades From Economists
Wall Street Journal 03/11/2009
Different approaches to banking crises- South Korea and the U.S.
04/01/2009
The U.S. leaned on S. Korea to make radical changes in its banking system in 1997, with takeover of banks by the government, closing of loss ridden banks, and creation of a new banking sector. The moves were compressed into a short time because of U.S. pressure. The large influence of bank lobbying in the US, in Republican and Democratic administrations, has led to a situation in which the U.S. banking sector is similiar to what it was before the 2008 crisis, with the same too-big-to fail banks- only larger now- and with unresolved bad housing loans.
Grouped Articles
Book portrays dysfunction in Obama White House - The Washington Post
Washington Post 09/17/2011
Seoul Forum Helps Heal IMF Wounds
Wall Street Journal 07/12/2010
New York Times 04/01/2009
Plan to Help Banks Clear Their Books Is Halted
New York Times 06/04/2009
South Korea Makes a Quick Economic Recovery
New York Times 01/06/2011
'Too Big to Fail' Is Simply Too Big
Wall Street Journal 10/19/2011
A detailed account of the unfolding crisis at Bankia bank in Spain during 2011-2014
04/01/2009
An account of the key players and the ufolding of critical events in the IPO offering for Bankia, and the unraveling of the bank in the months that followed, as the Spanish regulators and government failed to get a handle on problems and instead put their hope on an improving economy. On May 3, Mario Draghi warned about the problems at Bankia in Barcelona. On May 4, the heads of Spain's largest banks BBVA, Banco Santander and Caixa, told the government it had to takeover Bankia, setting in process the events leading upto the acceptance of $125 billion in EU aid to recapitalize Spain's banking system. Bankia was put together from seven failing cajas savings banks. The problems related to the housing bubble are seen throughout the cajas savings banks.
Grouped Articles
Spanish Banks More Vulnerable Than Italy's
Wall Street Journal 07/13/2011
Investors in Bankia to Sue Bank of Spain Over Losses
New York Times 05/09/2013
Wall Street Journal 09/28/2011
The Pain in Spain Falls Mainly on the Cajas
BusinessWeek 02/25/2010
Economist 05/29/2010
Spain's Bankia Returns to Profit
Wall Street Journal 02/04/2014
Washington Mutual (WaMu) and toxic mortgages- 2008-2014
04/01/2009
Grouped Articles
J.P. Morgan Reaches $4.5 Billion Settlement With Investors
Wall Street Journal 11/17/2013
New York Times 04/01/2009
Krugman and Stiglitz on Occupy Wall Street and inequality in America
04/01/2009
Grouped Articles
Japan Is a Model Not a Cautionary Tale
New York Times 06/09/2013
New York Times 09/12/2013
New York Times 12/15/2013
Geithner's Plan: Loopholes Galore
BusinessWeek 04/01/2009
New York Times 04/01/2009
Officials Cast Wide Net in Monitoring Occupy Protests
New York Times 05/22/2014
The April 2009 G-20 Docklands, London Summit and the constructive confrontation between American and European positions.
02/15/2009
The positions of both sides. The Europeans credibly calling for global regulations as non-negotiable, and the US credibly calling for larger stimulus spending now when it would have the greatest impact. And the tough negotiations ahead.
Grouped Articles
Fixing a Perception Gap for the Underappreciated G-20
Wall Street Journal 08/27/2013
On a Scale of 1-10, G-20 Scores a 7
New York Times 04/03/2009
New York Times 04/05/2009
The Lines a German Won’t Cross
New York Times 04/05/2009
Big Ideas, Grand Plans, Modest Budgets
New York Times 02/15/2009
What the Chinese Want from Obama
New York Times 02/20/2009
The Federal Reserve and policies favoring banks over homeowners in U.S. foreclosures
04/01/2009
Grouped Articles
A Toxic Subprime Mortgage Bond's Legacy Lives On
Wall Street Journal 09/13/2013
Wall Street Journal 12/31/2013
Fannieâs and Freddieâs Foreclosure Oversight Questioned
New York Times 10/19/2010
New York Times 04/01/2009
Geithner's Plan: Loopholes Galore
BusinessWeek 04/01/2009
The Case Against the Bernanke-Obama Financial Rescue
New York Times 05/16/2014
Nationalization of banks in the U.S. in 2009
01/16/2009
As the crisis deepens and more banks become insolvent, nationalization has become a serious option for the government.
Grouped Articles
Irreversible Damage: Why Little Action on Banking Can Do Great Harm.
New York Times 04/30/2010
New York Times 03/06/2009
New York Times 04/01/2009
Rescue of Banks Hints at Nationalization
New York Times 01/16/2009
U.K. Boosts Its Bailout As Bank Losses Rise
Wall Street Journal 01/20/2009
New York Times 01/21/2009
Nationalization of banks in the U.K.
10/13/2008
With the collapse of RBS and other banks nationalization is increasingly being considered as a serious option.
Grouped Articles
Bank Bailout Blues Stall U.K. Recovery
Wall Street Journal 05/14/2013
Wall Street Journal 06/13/2013
New York Times 06/12/2013
Irreversible Damage: Why Little Action on Banking Can Do Great Harm.
New York Times 04/30/2010
New York Times 04/01/2009
New York Times 10/13/2008
Geithner's close contacts with Goldman, Chase, Citigroup and BlackRock.
01/02/2009
Grouped Articles
New York Times 05/16/2010
A Conflict in Geithner's New Job- Not Exactly
New York Times 11/18/2013
Obama, Geithner Get Low Grades From Economists
Wall Street Journal 03/11/2009
New York Times 04/01/2009
Geithner's Plan: Loopholes Galore
BusinessWeek 04/01/2009
Book Review: 'Stress Test' by Timothy F. Geithner
Wall Street Journal 05/12/2014
The Economist magazine and other experts come out in favor of government takeover of banks in 2009 to proceed quickly with restructuring
02/03/2009
The Economist magazine coming out in favor of nationalization for highly overleveraged and badly managed banks in the U.S.
Grouped Articles
The spectre of nationalisation
Economist 02/03/2009
Economist 02/03/2009
A Stress Test for the Latest Bailout Plan
New York Times 02/14/2009
New York Times 03/06/2009
New York Times 04/01/2009
FDIC investigation of Washington Mutual (WaMu)
01/05/2009
A lawsuit is filed by the FDIC against 2 WaMu executives and their wives for their role in the mortgage crisis.
Grouped Articles
A Toxic Subprime Mortgage Bond's Legacy Lives On
Wall Street Journal 09/13/2013
J.P. Morgan Reaches $4.5 Billion Settlement With Investors
Wall Street Journal 11/17/2013
New York Times 04/01/2009
FDIC Sues WaMu Executives, and Wives
Wall Street Journal 03/18/2011
New York Times 08/22/2011
Fannie and Freddie don’t deserve blame for bubble - The Washington Post
Washington Post 01/28/2012
Joseph Stiglitz on the way the Obama administration handled the economy and his vision for the future.
01/23/2008
A squandered opportunity says Stiglitz of Obama's handling of the economy. He presents his vision and solution and action plan.
Grouped Articles
Washington Post 09/06/2011
Japan Is a Model Not a Cautionary Tale
New York Times 06/09/2013
Charlie Rose Talks to Robert Reich
BusinessWeek 10/21/2010
Geithner's Plan: Loopholes Galore
BusinessWeek 04/01/2009
New York Times 04/01/2009
Voters’ Second Thoughts on Hope and Change
New York Times 11/04/2014
Stiglitz and Zandi offer a solution to the housing and foreclosure crisis that has stalled the economy
01/23/2008
The proposal for mass mortgage refinancing by Stiglitz and Zandi in August 2012. Obama administration efforts have failed to tackle the foreclosure crisis. Earlier proposals by Martin Feldstein and by Sheila Bair have largely been ignored by the Obama administration as housing problems continue to affect the economic recovery.
Grouped Articles
Japan Is a Model Not a Cautionary Tale
New York Times 06/09/2013
Wall Street Journal 12/31/2013
New York Times 04/01/2009
The Case Against the Bernanke-Obama Financial Rescue
New York Times 05/16/2014
Wall Street Journal 04/26/2015
The One Housing Solution Left: Mass Mortgage Refinancing
New York Times 08/12/2012
Fighting for Main Street against an Ersatz Capitalism and Bankers
04/01/2009
Stiglitz uses the term "ersatz" to refer to something not genuine, a false substitute for real capitalism, in describing the Obama adminsitration's handling of highly overleveraged and badly managed banks in the 2008 global financial crisis.
Linked Articles
New York Times 04/01/2009
Ex-Regulators Has Harsh Words for Geithner and Bankers
New York Times 09/24/2012
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