Zero Hedge-
The Fed policy’s first-order effect is to issue hundreds of billions in “free money” to banks; the second-order effect is to destroy the rule of law in the U.S.
Let’s start with a few questions about the proper role of the Central State and Central Bank: why should they bail out private banks? The answer boils down to something like this: “If the private banks absorbed the losses that are rightly theirs in a capitalist system, they would implode. Since the State and Central Bank have enabled these private banks to infiltrate and dominate the nation’s financial system, that system is now hostage to these private ‘too big to fail’ banks.”
In other words, “capitalism” in America now means socializing losses and privatizing profits generated by State and Central Bank intervention. Imagine for a moment the “beauty” of this system for owners of private banks: in a truly socialized banking system, the taxpayers would absorb any losses, but the State would also benefit from any future bank-sector profits. In the U.S. system, the losses are socialized but the people draw no benefit; the profits flow to the top 1/10th of 1% private financiers.
This is the perfection of State-financier crony capitalism.
Let’s next ask why the Central State and Central Bank should subsidize and bail out the mortgage industry, a major component of private banking. Once again we find losses are neatly distributed to the citizenry while the profits all flow to private hands. Given that 98% of all mortgages are backed or guaranteed by Federal agencies (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Ginnie Mae, FHA, VA, FmHA, etc.), the mortgage market is already completely socialized: the taxpayers are on the hook for any and all losses, but the profits from originating and servicing the loans are all private.
Oh yes and it goes to mention MERS:
In a nation in which rule of law existed in more than name, here’s what should have happened:
1. The scam known as MERS, the mortgage industry’s placeholder of fictitious mortgage notes, would be summarily shut down.
2. All mortgages in all instruments and portfolios, and all derivatives based on mortgages, would be instantly marked-to-market.
3. All losses would be declared immediately, and any institution that was deemed insolvent would be shuttered and its assets auctioned off in an orderly fashion.
4. Regardless of the cost to owners of mortgages, every deed, lien and note would be painstakingly delineated or reconstructed on every mortgage in the U.S., and the deed and note properly filed in each county as per U.S. law.