Well, LTCM and the Russian & Asian crises all came in within the same general period. To dismiss them as "regional" now is sort of hindsight analysis. It could've been very bad.
Same with S&L coupled with junk bond crisis and several other things in the late 80s. Quite similar to today, including a major slowdown in M&A for a little while.
If we make it through sub-prime without any major problems, then people will be saying "oh, that sub-prime sutff..that was well-contained..this new XYZ crisis is for real!" during the next easy credit/bubble scenario. The current crisis always seems the worst...
Same with S&L coupled with junk bond crisis and several other things in the late 80s. Quite similar to today, including a major slowdown in M&A for a little while.
If we make it through sub-prime without any major problems, then people will be saying "oh, that sub-prime sutff..that was well-contained..this new XYZ crisis is for real!" during the next easy credit/bubble scenario. The current crisis always seems the worst...
Quote from austinp:
<i>"After all the minutes stated that if this crisis continues, there will be a "solution" provided to stabilize the markets. Well, let's stabilize it then!"</i>
There is no solution, no easy cure from the Fed. Just bandaids slapped on here & there to staunch arterial bleeds.
The subprime mtg fiasco has barely begun to ripple thru. This fed nor any other govt has the resources to bail out every penny. The LTCM bailout wasn't a global web of banks... it was one intellectually stupid hedgefund. The Asian contagian wasn't global, it was regional. The Russian crisis wasn't global, it was regional.
This time, the problem is global. A U.S. govt solution does not cure a global crisis... that bubble must take its course, sooner or later.
Four long years of a straight-up bull market, one of the longest in recorded market history. Built upon a base of cheap money and flooded liquidity on a world-wide basis. Eventually, repos get called in. Notes come due. Pipers get paid, unless there ain't enough to go around.
All cycles come to an end. This one will, too. Perhaps it already has![]()
