"From madness in its purest form," "a descent into hell", "a second recession" … The decision by S & P to sacrifice the "AAA" America is strong criticism from the investment community, acted unreasonably, and falls to the "worst moment", while financial markets come to wipe the worst week since the 2008 crisis . The U.S. government itself deplores the decision of the agency, marred by a miscalculation.
• John Bellows, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
In a note posted on his blog, John Bellows has detailed the error of 2000 billion, and deplores the fact that S & P has not reconsidered its decision and has not "given an extra day to reassess carefully the analysis. (…).The size of this error, and the speed with which S & P changed its primary justification when he presented this error, raise fundamental questions about the credibility and integrity of the decision by S & P on this note, "he added.
• Warren Buffett, one of the gurus of global finance
"If there was an A + grade four, this is it I would give the United States," launched the famous billionaire 80 years on the air Fox Business News. "I do not think we (the U.S.) live a second recession," said the oracle of Omaha.
• Paul Krugman, Nobel Prize for Economics
"These people are certainly not in a position to make judgments," he was lampooned on Saturday, recalling the "AAA" distributed by S & P and its competitors to "toxic" cause of the crash world of Fall 2008.Same story with Robert Reich, former labor secretary in Bill Clinton: "The intrusion of S & P in American politics (…) is ironic because, as I noted recently, much of our debt today is directly or indirectly due to failures of S & P, "he wrote on a blog.
• Daniel Alpert, Westwood Capital founder
"The size of the economy of the United States, the wealth of their citizens and assets of the federal state itself are certainly more than adequate to repay with interest all of a few billion and 14,000 dollars of debt in the country, "said he.
• Mohamed El-Erian, head of Newport Beach
Degradation will "feed the uncertainties in the functioning of the global economy, since no other" AAA "which is able and wants to supplement or even replace the role of the United States at the center of the system Global Financial "
• Steen Jakobsen, chief economist at Saxo Bank
"Welcome to Crisis 2.0! 1.0 The crisis was the failure of the banking system to wipe the losses stemming from U.S. mortgages at risk (…).This has created a run on banks that have policies determined by moving the debt burden of the private sector to the public sector, "says he."It worked in the short term, but as seen in Europe, the market questions the ability of governments to repay their debt."
• Jean-Hervé Lorenzi, President of the Circle of economists in France
This decision is "madness in its purest form because the Americans are in their ability to repay debt."
• Elie Cohen, an economist and director of research at CNRS
"In the current crisis," the degradation "adds an extra log on the fire that is taking," he laments.
• Paul Dales, analyst at Capital Economics
"The fact that Standard and Poor's has finally pulled the trigger by passing the debt rating of the United States from AAA to AA + will undoubtedly shake the financial markets opening Monday at their (…).If the mess in the markets continues, the risk of recession will increase further, "he warns.
• Ciaran O'Hagan, rates strategist at Societe Generale
"Even if it was half expected, it is a serious decision. The impact will be far reaching, "Ciaran O'Hagan omen, who fears that we have opened a" Pandora's box. " He said the decision will affect somewhat the "risk-free assets (government bonds) but the response will focus on the highest risk assets, including shares and agencies directly guaranteed by the federal government."
• Charles Wyplosz, an economics professor for Advanced Studies in Geneva
The decision by Standard and Poor's "will cause ripple effects on Spain and Italy and France put pressure (…).The euro area falls into the abyss, "he alarmed.
• Thomas Chalumeau, in Terra Nova, close to the PS
In the bond market, "we are moving towards a sustainable price increases in interest rates applied to debts of the States, the United States and Europe (…). There will be an adjustment of public expenditure by raising taxes and charges.The systematic risk of a greater austerity is to maintain unemployment at a high level, "puts it on hold.
The defense of S & P
The unprecedented deterioration of the U.S. sovereign debt "is not a sanction, much less punishment," said his part Jean-Michel Six, chief economist for Europe, Standard & Poor's.
Simply, according to David Beers, head of the department in charge of sovereign debt rating from S & P, "The downgrade reflects our view that the efficiency, stability and predictability with regard to the development policy measures and political institutions of the United States have weakened, in a time of fiscal and economic challenges that continues, even more pronounced than what we envisioned when we assigned a negative outlook to the note on 18 April 2011. "For him, "the bipartisan plan to reduce debt was not strong enough to bring long-term fiscal situation of the United States on a sound.
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