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There is nothing to guarantee the superior judgment, knowledge, and integrity of an inspector or a bureaucrat-and the deadly consequences of entrusting him with arbitrary power are obvious.

Alan Greenspan

I believe that the general growth in large [financial] institutions have occurred in the context of an underlying structure of markets in which many of the larger risks are dramatically — I should say, fully — hedged.
ALAN GREENSPAN

Belief Context Dramatical General Growth Institution Market Occur Risk Structure
Capitalism is based on self-interest and self-esteem; it holds integrity and trustworthiness as cardinal virtues and makes them pay off in the marketplace, thus demanding that men survive by means of virtue, not vices.
ALAN GREENSPAN

Capitalism Cardinal Demand Integrity Interest Market Piece Trustworthy Vice Virtue
They then need to reach a judgment about the probabilities, costs, and benefits of the various possible outcomes under alternative choices for policy.
ALAN GREENSPAN

Alternative Benefit Choice Judgement Policy Probability
I cannot conceive of a politically feasible solution to this problem which will overdo cutting the deficit, where overdoing means harming the economy. It might be technically possible, but it is not realistic.
ALAN GREENSPAN

Cannot Conceive Cut Deficit Economy Harm Overdo Overdue Political Realistic Solution
The number one problem in today’s generation and economy is the lack of financial literacy.
ALAN GREENSPAN

Economy Financial Generation Lack Literacy Number Problem Today
Although the outlook is clouded by a number of uncertainties, the central tendencies of the projections .. imply continued good economic performance in the United States.
ALAN GREENSPAN

Central Cloud Country Number Outlook Projection Tendency Uncertain
The only sustainable way to increase demand for vacant houses is to spur the formation of new households. Admitting more skilled immigrants, who tend to earn enough to buy homes, would accomplish that while paying other dividends to the U.S. economy.
ALAN GREENSPAN

Formation House Household Increase New Only Sustainable
Excessive optimism sows the seeds of its own reversal.
ALAN GREENSPAN

Excessive Optimism Retrospect Something
I must say, I never expected to see the day where I would be talking about anything other than reducing the debt, I’m running into the tyranny of zero, which is where you can’t reduce (the debt) any more
ALAN GREENSPAN

Anything Day Expect Must Reduce Say Talk
I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil.
ALAN GREENSPAN

Acknowledge Country Inconvenient Large Saddened
But how do we know when irrational exuberance has unduly escalated asset values, which then become subject to unexpected and prolonged contractions as they have in Japan over the past decade?
ALAN GREENSPAN

Asset Escalate Exuberance Irrational Unduly Value
Well, you probably will always believe there should be laws against fraud, and I don’t think there is any need for a law against fraud.
ALAN GREENSPAN

Against Always Any Believe Fraud Law Need Probably
The gut-feel of the 55-year old trader is more important than the mathematical elegance of the 25-year old genius.
ALAN GREENSPAN

Elegance Feel Generation Gut Important Mathematical More Old Trader Year
I was a good amateur but only an average professional. I soon realized that there was a limit to how far I could rise in the music business, so I left the band and enrolled at New York University.
ALAN GREENSPAN

Amateur Average Business Country Enroll Good Limit Professional Realize Soon
Improvements in lending practices driven by information technology have enabled lenders to reach out to households with previously unrecognized borrowing capacities.
ALAN GREENSPAN

Capacity Drive Enable Household Improvement Information Lead Out Practice Reach Technology Tender
Protectionism will do little to create jobs and if foreigners retaliate, we will surely lose jobs.
ALAN GREENSPAN

Create Foreigner Job Little Lose Protectionism Retaliate Surely

There is nothing to guarantee the superior judgment, knowledge, and integrity of an inspector or a bureaucrat-and the deadly consequences of entrusting him with arbitrary power are obvious.

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There is nothing to guarantee the superior judgment, knowledge, and integrity of an inspector or a bureaucrat-and the deadly consequences of entrusting him with arbitrary power are obvious.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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