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Which Way To The Exit? Paul Krugman

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Which Way To The Exit?

Paul Krugman

We’re going very badly in coping with the aftermath of crisis

… which has led to persistent inadequacy of private spending

… and very low rates of return on safe assets

Fiscal profligacy did not cause the crisis

But policy makers have nonetheless insisted that austerity is the solution

Unfortunately, Keynes was right

There are no austerity success stories

Ireland CDS spread

Not even in terms of reassuring lenders

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1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Perc

ent o

f EA

GD

P

European current account imbalances

Germany

GIPSIs

Europe’s fundamental problem isn’t fiscal, it’s balance of payments

And the severe problem of how to restore cost competitiveness

“Internal devaluation” is very slow and painful