November 07, 2012
Sir, Lionel Barber, from Washington writes “Wanted: a president to put can-do spirit back in the US” November 7. Absolutely, and that I believe is something the whole Europe also needs.
Again, for the umpteenth time, few things can be so anathema to a “can-do spirit” than bank regulations which discriminates in favor of what the nation has got, the past, “The Infallible”, and against what the nation can get, the future, “The Risky”
Currently banks are allowed to obtain much higher risk adjusted returns on equity when engaging with was is officially perceived as “not risky”, because that requires from them to hold much less capital than when lending to what is officially ex ante perceived as risky. That, basically instructs the banks, to stay away from what is risky, no matter what the risky, like small businesses and entrepreneurs can do. And if that is a spirit it can only be the “let’s enjoy what we did”
America, Europe, a “can-do spirit” is not based on dumb risk-avoidance, but on a smart, even audacious, embracement of risk.
First step… Get rid of Fraulein Basel!