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In reply to the discussion: Audit of the Federal Reserve Reveals $16 Trillion in Secret Bailouts [View all]leveymg
(36,418 posts)31. $16T is equal to the GNP of the US. Nobody who understands this thinks the Fed handed a lump sum
loan that large. But, cumulative flow of funds - paid out in many smaller tranches over a couple years, an exchange of "good money for bad", literally - does impact the systemic risk of the banking system, quite dramatically. It shows up long-term as increased costs for imported commodities, relative currency devaluation, reduced consumer lending, higher risk premiums, etc. - the costs are cumulative, just as was the payout of the QE2 bailouts and incentives to global institutions to remain in US markets.
Some of that $16T was normal Fed operations, but QE2 was essentially a bribe to prevent flight of capital abroad.
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One murder a villain, millions a hero. Numbers sanctify, my good fellow.--M. Verdoux
valerief
Mar 2012
#30
And then if the Pentagon could find their missing 2.3 Trillion$, we'd have a surplus. ~nt
99th_Monkey
Mar 2012
#10
No problem - half of this can be recouped by simply defaulting on Uncle Sam's debt to
Samantha
Mar 2012
#8
If any of the Federal Reserve's loans go bad, the US Treasury is on the hook..
girl gone mad
Mar 2012
#15
How dishonest or misleading? What's the normal flow of Fed Funds to Primary Dealers?
leveymg
Mar 2012
#19
It is dishonest because the total given is the sum of multiple consecutive overnight loans
Taitertots
Mar 2012
#20
$16T is equal to the GNP of the US. Nobody who understands this thinks the Fed handed a lump sum
leveymg
Mar 2012
#31
The $16T figure is a useful figure to show the extent of federal injection of liquidity to banks '08
leveymg
Mar 2012
#36
It doesn't take an act of Congress to redirect Fed liquidity measures from global banks to
leveymg
Mar 2012
#40
This is all to prop up $1 QUADRILLION in VAPOR derivatives. (yes quadrillion)
grahamhgreen
Mar 2012
#27