Nov 28 Watch Obama’s Win Stirs Cautious Optimism in Britain President-elect Barack Obama's election victory has prompted both excitement and reflection among Britons. Margaret Warner reports on the impact of Mr. Obama's win on Britain's relationship with the U.S. and on British expectations for Mr. Obama's leadership. Continue watching
Nov 06 Will we ever pay down or even pay off the national debt? Question/Comment: Given the history of the ever increasing U.S. national debt and our fluctuating economy, how realistic is it that we will ever pay down or even pay off the national debt? We have never managed to maintain the necessary… Continue reading
Oct 27 The government hopes the $700 billion bailout will get banks to lend again. Why not require them to do so? Question/Comment: So the government hopes the $700 billion bailout will get banks to lend again. Why not require them to do so? According to the Wall Street Journal some of the banks are using the money for possible acquisitions, for… Continue reading
Oct 27 Now that governments have to inject billions into world banks, do you think monetary policy should be adjusted to better maintain a balance between currency in circulation and bank funds? Question/Comment: The ratio between commercial bank money and currency in circulation has been widening for decades. While the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy has protected our economy from runaway inflation, it may have been starving the market for currency. Now that… Continue reading
Oct 23 Can temporary total nationalization avoid the doomsday scenario? Question/Comment: Paul, I benefit from your explanations of complicated ideas, especially, the financial woes we’re now encountering. I wonder, however, why the doomsday scenario posed by the author of The Black Swan cannot be avoided by the government nationalizing the… Continue reading
Oct 21 When the Treasury Department is repaid the money it lent, shouldn’t that be used to pay down the national debt? Question/Comment: When the day comes that the banks and other financial institutions start to repay the vast amounts of money that have been borrowed by the Treasury Department, shouldn’t that money be used to pay down the additional national debt… Continue reading
Oct 21 Pakistan Looks to Raise Billions in Foreign Loans By Admin, PBS News Hour Pakistan must raise between $10 billion to $15 billion over the next few weeks in order to keep making debt payments and pay for imports, the country's new economic affairs adviser Shaukat Tarin has said. Continue reading
Oct 20 Watch Libertarian Candidate Bob Barr Discusses Economic Crisis Former Republican Congressman Bob Barr, the Libertarian presidential nominee, sits down with Judy Woodruff to discuss his party's approach to the economic crisis, foreign policy agenda in Iraq and Afghanistan and his goal of offering a third choice to Americans… Continue watching
Oct 11 If the amount of $62 trillion is owed for credit default swaps, who or what entity eventually pays that? Question/Comment: If the amount of 62 trillion dollars is owed for credit default swaps, who or what entity eventually pays that? Not even the U.S. government can make up for an amount which is 13 times our… Continue reading
Oct 11 Isn’t much of the $55 trillion dollar market made up of hedge funds and other institutions betting that bonds and other debt products fail? Question/Comment: I watched your piece on credit default swaps, which was illuminating but I think missed one point. Isn’t much of the $55 trillion dollar market made up of hedge funds and other institutions betting that bonds and other debt… Continue reading