Only the Rich Could Love This Economic Recovery
By Karen Petrou
Conventional wisdom has it that the lower a central bank sets interest rates, the faster the economy grows. But the longer rates stay ultra-low, it’s not the economy that grows — it’s inequality.There are signs of worsening inequality across the U.S. economy. But recent surges trace back to a major change after 2008, which transformed how America fights economic recessions. The Fed, which controls America’s monetary policy, is mired in conventional thinking, even though its policy since 2008 has been unconventional in scale, scope and omnipotence. Adhering to its “lower rates are better” axiom, the Fed has kept “real” U.S. short-term interest rates at — or even below — zero, after taking inflation into account. The Fed now plans to keep rates ultra, ultra low until about 2023, even if inflation ticks up.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/07/12/opinion/covid-fed-qe-inequality.html
