Tuesday 17 November 2009

Bernanke's Rare Intervention Fails to Calm Fears Over Weak Dollar

With the dollar going into steep decline, with the price of gold rising to record levels, with the US’s huge deficit having to be financed through printing money (or ‘quantitative easing’ as they prefer to call it by way of euphemism these days), with Ben Bernanke talking about the dollar “remaining strong” and a “source of global financial stability”, one really has to question the competence, judgment and ability of the head of the Fed – Ben Bernanke! This is, after all, the age of the resurgence of soup kitchens in America, a country in which fifty million Americans are finding it difficult to get adequate nourishment. It is also an age in which bankers continue to pay themselves ginormous bonuses. Surely, this must be the age of ultimate financial mismanagement. Shame on Ben Bernanke! Shame on them all! – © Mark

THE TELEGRAPH: Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke's attempt to shore up support for the US currency failed yesterday as the dollar fell to fresh 15-month lows.

In a rare moment of intervention into the currency markets from America's leading central banker, Mr Bernanke admitted the Fed is watching the dollar "closely" as part of its focus on employment growth and price stability.

Mr Bernanke stressed the dollar will remain "strong" and continue as a "source of global financial stability". >>> James Quinn, US Business Editor | Tuesday, November 17, 2009