black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

One might as well try to perform brain surgery with a sledgehammer.

Ben Bernanke

In the future, my communications with the public and with the markets will be entirely through regular and formal channels.
BEN BERNANKE

Communication Formal
I assure this committee that, if I am confirmed, I will be strictly independent of all political influences… essential to that institution’s ability to function effectively and achieve its mandated objectives.
BEN BERNANKE

Essentials Independent Political
September and October of 2008 was the worst financial crisis in global history, including the Great Depression.
BEN BERNANKE

Financial October September
I don’t think that Chinese ownership of U.S. assets is so large as to put our country at risk economically.
BEN BERNANKE

Country Risk Thinking
Importantly, in the 1930s, in the Great Depression, the Federal Reserve, despite its mandate, was quite passive and, as a result, financial crisis became very severe, lasted essentially from 1929 to 1933.
BEN BERNANKE

Depression Financial Great Result
Indeed, in general, healthy investment returns cannot be sustained in a weak economy, and of course it is difficult to save for retirement or other goals without the income from a job.
BEN BERNANKE

Goal Job Retirement
We’ve never had a decline in house prices on a nationwide basis. So, what I think what is more likely is that house prices will slow, maybe stabilize, might slow consumption spending a bit. I don’t think it’s going to drive the economy too far from its full employment path, though.
BEN BERNANKE

Employment House Thinking
The central bank needs to be able to make policy without short term political concerns.
BEN BERNANKE

Able Needs Political
A money-financed tax cut is essentially equivalent to Milton Friedman’s famous ‘helicopter drop’ of money.
BEN BERNANKE

Cutting Helicopters Milton
The crisis in Europe has affected the US economy by acting as a drag on our exports, weighing on business and consumer confidence and pressuring US financial markets and institutions.
BEN BERNANKE

Acting Country Financial Lace
The sources of deflation are not a mystery. Deflation is in almost all cases a side effect of a collapse of aggregate demand.. a drop in spending so severe that producers must cut prices on an ongoing basis in order to find buyers.
BEN BERNANKE

Cutting Ongoing Order
Although low inflation is generally good, inflation that is too low can pose risks to the economy – especially when the economy is struggling.
BEN BERNANKE

Economy Risk Struggle
One might as well try to perform brain surgery with a sledgehammer.
BEN BERNANKE

Brain might Trying
I don’t fully understand movements in the gold price.
BEN BERNANKE

Gold Movement Price
If you are not happy with yourself, even the loftiest achievements won’t bring you much satisfaction.
BEN BERNANKE

Achievement Not Happy Satisfaction
A collapse in U.S. stock prices certainly would cause a lot of white knuckles on Wall Street. But what effect would it have on the broader U.S. economy? If Wall Street crashes, does Main Street follow? Not necessarily.
BEN BERNANKE

Country Stock Street Wall White

One might as well try to perform brain surgery with a sledgehammer.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

One might as well try to perform brain surgery with a sledgehammer.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Ben Bernanke Quotes