Aug
08

Are we entering the bizarro world?

So let me get this straight:

  • Standard & Poor’s downgrades the US’s AAA credit rating because they believe Treasuries are riskier.
  • The US stock market crashes. Investors flock to US Treasuries. Because, even at AA+, they’re still perceived as a safe haven compared to equities. 
  • China then criticizes the US for borrowing beyond its means.
  • Yet China continues to be the number one foreign purchaser of US Treasuries. (To the tune of about $8 billion a month)

If China thinks the US is spending beyond its means - making our credit riskier - then it should stop buying our debt. But it won’t. Because US Treasuries are the safest of the safe bets. Which is why investors keep flocking to them. Even after a ratings “agency” decides they’re more risky. A decision that effectively eliminated tens of billions of market value with the power to create jobs and revenues to help improve our country’s finances and draw down our debt. Reducing our need to sell debt to countries like China.  

I think we just crossed over into the bizarro world.