The Ludwig von Mises Institute was founded in 1982 as the research and educational center of classical liberalism, libertarian political theory, and the Austrian School of economics. It serves as the world’s leading provider of educational materials, conferences, media, and literature in support of the tradition of thought represented by Ludwig von Mises and the school of thought he enlivened and carried forward during the 20th century, which has now blossomed into a massive international movement of students, professors, professionals, and people in all walks of life. It seeks a radical shift in the intellectual climate as the foundation for a renewal of the free and prosperous commonwealth.
Special Inspector General Neil Barofsky, is in charge of The Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or SIGTARP.
While announcing the initial $125 billion TARP injection to these nine financial institutions on October 14 of 2008, then Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson declared, “These are healthy institutions, and they have taken this step for the good of the U.S. economy. As these healthy institutions increase their capital base, they will be able to increase their funding to U.S. consumers and businesses.”
SIGTARP’s audit report questions Paulson’s declaration of the financial institutions’ health when it was abundantly apparent that “senior government officials had affirmative concerns about the health of at least some of these institutions.”
This is Congressman Alan Grayson questioning Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on $550B of loans to foreigners (or ‘central liquidity swaps’ in Federal Reserve-ese’).
Which financial institutions received this money? Bernanke’s answer: I don’t know.
As the Fed was lending this money, the dollar increased by 30% in value. Grayson asks, was this a coincidence? Bernanke’s answer: yes.