If you are new to this blog, you are invited to read first “The Largest Heist in History” which was accepted as evidence and published by the British Parliament, House of Commons, Treasury Committee.

"It is typically characterised by strong, compelling, logic. I loosely use the term 'pyramid selling' to describe the activities of the City but you explain in crystal clear terms why this is so." commented Dr Vincent Cable MP to the author.

This blog demonstrates that:

- the financial system was turned into a pyramid scheme in a technical, legal sense (not just proverbial);

- the current crisis was easily predictable (without any benefit of hindsight) by any competent financier, i.e. with rudimentary knowledge of mathematics, hence avoidable.

It is up to readers to draw their own conclusions. Whether this crisis is a result of a conspiracy to defraud taxpayers, or a massive negligence, or it is just a misfortune, or maybe a Swedish count, Axel Oxenstierna, was right when he said to his son in the 17th century: "Do you not know, my son, with how little wisdom the world is governed?".

Monday 2 August 2010

"Hier liegt der Hund begraben"


In Britain, the politicians are putting pressure on the banks to start lending. The public pressure and the media are also adding to it. It has been going like that, on and off, for some months, well over a year. Yet the banks whose primary business is to generate income by lending money are not doing so. Why something that was banks "raison d'ĂȘtre" and "modus operandi" for hundreds of years until the outbreak of the current financial crisis in September 2008, became so problematic. Is it not bizarre?

The public perception of the banks is that they are nasty. That it is all down to greedy irresponsible bankers that act against the national interest. Whilst it looks like a reasonable assessment of the state of the banking, it does not explain the root cause. If the banks had had money they would have lent it: this is the business they know very well for centuries and it is very profitable.

The crux of the matter is that by creating a massive pyramid scheme the banks pumped out the massive amounts of cash from mainstream banking to shadow financial institutions, hedge funds, offshore, SIV, etc. The money multiplier (in a simplified way called the leverage) is far too big to allow for further meaningful lending. The money put by taxpayers rescued the system but it was not enough to fill the liquidity hole sufficiently enough so as to reduce money multiplier to manageable level. In fact the government does not know what the size of liquidity hole is. In fact, due to the nature of the OTC market and off balance sheet practices, it appears that it is impossible to assess it but strong indications are (e.g. figures by the Banks of International Settlements in basel) it is massive: globally hundreds of trillions or even quadrillions of dollars. Many times over the world's GDP. Any lending, even very conservative, increases money multiplier still further.

The banks are caught in a "damn if you do, damn if you don't" situation. If they start lending as politicians and the public expect, they will deteriorate still very fragile liquidity situation, with a high risk of another massive credit crunch. If they don't, the economy recovery is very seriously impeded which also has a very serious impact upon the financial markets liquidity. "Hier liegt der Hund begraben."

No politicians' appeals are going to change any of that. They are, in fact, quite populist and rather incompetent. Or maybe bankers are expected impossible, to create a pretext to get them by the throat and sort them out? Politicians becoming more clever than bankers? "Exitus acta probat." Banks do not lend because they cannot. The solution is a reduction of money multiplier: "Prime Minister, sort out this mess, please".

4 comments:

  1. With the announcements of Billions of pounds of profits i was going to ask had the crisis gone away mysteriously. How much profit would they need to make before feeling safe to enlarge the pyramid further - i.e. start lending more again!! Are they still lending at over 100% deposit to loan ratios? How long will their past reckless 175% ratio take to 'self right' if they from hence forth only lend at 86.5%??

    Lol i luv coming to your blog when i see some headliner with news regarding the banking system to see the response and informative insight to what it actually means in reallity.

    Thanks for your blog and best regards

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  2. Below is a comment to the article published on House Price Crash (UK) web site by "Thismustbecorrect"":

    "I was told by a UK bank insider that the only banks actually making any money are HSBC and Barclays. They make money by not lending money, i.e just managing business cash lows, please read between the lines. All other banks in the UK are a busted flush, if they had to write down the TRUE value of there assets. Yes it just extend and pretend.

    If the UK government is trying to inflate us out of trouble then we are in for a hell of a rid before an almighty crash."

    (http://www.housepricecrash.co.uk/newsblog/2010/08/blog-or-why-banks-are-not-lending-29687.php?comment=added#comment)

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  3. I found this informative and interesting blog so i think so its very useful and knowledge able.I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this article.


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