hyperinflation said:Contrary to mainstream beliefs, I don't think disasters are good for economies in any way. All a disaster causes is forced spending on repairing existing infrastructure, etc... rather than spending on new and productive things (like new infrastructure). While, yes, it does bring forward a lot of the spending, and creates a few jobs, it means that the future projects (which would have created jobs anyway) have to be canceled. Also all of the jobs in devastated areas are pretty much gone... (cant bake bread in a flooded bakery), and resources that could have been used for productive things are instead used for repairs.
Re Japan's public debt, it is the largest by %GDP in the world (200% i beleive). The Japs really dont have that much more borrowing capacity.
Also, if the nuke plant goes critical (apparently one of the reactors is a plutonium one), then theres gonna be a whole of territory and population taken out of action... leading to unforseen economic consequences (The USSR collapsed shortly after Chernobyl... yes, not the sole cause, but the only comparable event available)
hyperinflation said:Contrary to mainstream beliefs, I don't think disasters are good for economies in any way. All a disaster causes is forced spending on repairing existing infrastructure, etc... rather than spending on new and productive things (like new infrastructure). While, yes, it does bring forward a lot of the spending, and creates a few jobs, it means that the future projects (which would have created jobs anyway) have to be canceled. Also all of the jobs in devastated areas are pretty much gone... (cant bake bread in a flooded bakery), and resources that could have been used for productive things are instead used for repairs.
Re Japan's public debt, it is the largest by %GDP in the world (200% i beleive). The Japs really dont have that much more borrowing capacity.
Also, if the nuke plant goes critical (apparently one of the reactors is a plutonium one), then theres gonna be a whole of territory and population taken out of action... leading to unforseen economic consequences (The USSR collapsed shortly after Chernobyl... yes, not the sole cause, but the only comparable event available)
Blame_Game said:How can Japan have a 200% GDP public debt and hold $800 billion in US treasuries?
And they've been champion savers for many, many years; so they must have plenty of money saved, ready for an occasion like this. They were saving for a rainy day; they got a flood.
But what's that you say? The money was put into Japanese government bonds.
Okay... Well, just sell some of the bonds...
No? That won't work? You say, the money isn't there? You say, the Japanese government spent it? And now they'll have to borrow more in order to pay off bondholders? And so, if the Japanese sell their bonds, it'll make the bonds go down...yields will go up...bond prices will fall...and the higher interest rates will stifle the reconstruction? And that's why they have to put more money into the system! Once you start fixing...it's hard to stop. You've got to add more fixes to keep the past fixes from coming un-fixed.
Blame_Game said:Thanks. I just cant believe what a mighty mess the whole system is in.
I think the answer to the predicament you talk of pmstacker is examined in todays article on the Daily Reckoning. As you suggested...........print money.
http://www.dailyreckoning.com.au/why-japan-feels-the-need-to-print-money/2011/03/17/
And they've been champion savers for many, many years; so they must have plenty of money saved, ready for an occasion like this. They were saving for a rainy day; they got a flood.
But what's that you say? The money was put into Japanese government bonds.
Okay... Well, just sell some of the bonds...
No? That won't work? You say, the money isn't there? You say, the Japanese government spent it? And now they'll have to borrow more in order to pay off bondholders? And so, if the Japanese sell their bonds, it'll make the bonds go down...yields will go up...bond prices will fall...and the higher interest rates will stifle the reconstruction? And that's why they have to put more money into the system! Once you start fixing...it's hard to stop. You've got to add more fixes to keep the past fixes from coming un-fixed.
pmstacker said:You can still have a mortgage of $500,000 (Total debt), hold PM's as investment (Us Treasuries) are are making 70K a year (your ability to service debt)
ie, you have big debt, you hold investments cause you want higher yield from that portion of your money you can afford to invest and you can service your debt (albiet barely), yes your struggling but you get by. Then your house catches on fire and you have no insurance ... this is the point when your stuffed.Thats why i wonder where japan will get its new money from, interest rates at zero already (pretty much) , what will they sell, negotiate or do is really where i think it gets interesting .... (Also In the basic example above you may not want to sell your PM's to pay your house cause you are getting a better return for them at the moment ...)
Japan was barely getting by for many years but they did (cause japanese back then saved a boat load of money)
Government was able to sell its debt to its own people to pay back their debt through citizens savings
Then they could buy US treasuries and invest almost 0% cash rate of their own currency in other currencies such as USD (carry trade)
Problem is now that population of savers (older gen) are now retiring and wanna get rid of their bonds and enjoy life
They get hit with tsunami and need money quick,
Japan is in a long term stagnation yet need money, if they sell their bonds on foreign markets at 0.01% interest no one will buy them
If they sell them at a higher rate (to make it attractive to buyers) it will kill domestic economy (imagine rates in aus going from 7% to 21%)
I think right now they are in a really tight predicament (not sure if i read correctly) but i think japan has a large stockpile of gold also , along with US treasuries , they have also pumped over 200 Billion into economy , first 183 billion and an additional 43 billion just today.....
Cinvalo said:Japan should not have a low interest rate. Interest rate should be high so that that can import resources inexpensively to re-build the infrastructures that had been destroyed during disaster. What Japan should be doing right now, it to use their 800 Billions worth of Treasury holdings to finance their rebuilt in economy and increase the interest rate instead of printing money and further increase the money supply. Money Supply should be contracted together with the economy.
If Natural disaster is any good to our economy, why won't we create more disasters. We can probably do a evacuation to our own citizens and send our air force to bomb cities and rebuilt it later on for the sake of future economy growth.
Blame_Game said:Cinvalo said:Japan should not have a low interest rate. Interest rate should be high so that that can import resources inexpensively to re-build the infrastructures that had been destroyed during disaster. What Japan should be doing right now, it to use their 800 Billions worth of Treasury holdings to finance their rebuilt in economy and increase the interest rate instead of printing money and further increase the money supply. Money Supply should be contracted together with the economy.
If Natural disaster is any good to our economy, why won't we create more disasters. We can probably do a evacuation to our own citizens and send our air force to bomb cities and rebuilt it later on for the sake of future economy growth.
I see that some oooooone has been listening to Peter Schiff![]()