奥巴马和那难缠的经济危机

音频下载[点击右键另存为]
奥巴马上任之前，经济危机已是烫手山芋，新政府接手后，不但迅速推出大胆的救市计划，让国会批准了7870亿美元的经济刺激方案，也对华尔街高管和汽车巨头摆出严厉姿态，显现政府的决心。
不过，乔治华盛顿大学政治系副教授塞德斯表示，明显地，美国失业率还在攀升，经济还未好转，因此要评价奥巴马的经济政策是否生效还言之过早。“但有理由相信，奥巴马目前的努力，在更长一段时间后能见到正面影响。”塞德斯对多维社说：“至于奥巴马的经济政策是否走在对的路上，也还很难说，例如民主党与共和党对经济政策的看法不一，有褒有贬。”

So the banks are making profits, but are they healthy? And why aren't they lending more money? The challenge for this President is to prevent waste and fraud, get the banks healthy and hold back the populist outrage that some say "is overshadowing those efforts".

"…let’s do what’s necessary in order to create jobs, and together..."

Mr. President, your challenge: To heal the banks, fix the economy, keeping it all transparent and accountable. Good luck!

“Never has so much money been pushed out in such a short period of time.” Neil Barofsky is the bailout czar, tracking the billions spent on the banks that made terrible bets.

"We are now charged with overseeing twelve separate programs involving by our calculation up to three trillion dollars."

Billions for bad assets to boost lending for student loans and cars, for small businesses and homeowners. But at the core, a belief held by two administrations, "America can't recover without healthy banks", a belief not shared by many Americans outraged by executive bonuses, lavish corporate jets and retreats and their own mounting bills.

"People are angry that even if they have consistently paid their bills on time and never missed the payment. Their TRAP-assisted banks are unilaterally raising their interest rates or slashing their credit lines."

TARP, of course, is the much-maligned Troubled Asset Relief Program, the bank rescue. But economist John Ryding says that anger against TRAP is holding back the recovery.

much-maligned: 被恶意中伤的;被诽谤的

"That whole populist issue is providing a roadblock to the plan working more effectively."

Now banks are reporting profits, sort of.

"That is the oxymoron out there. They got, they’re making the money because we gave them money. But they also want them to make money to pay us back."

"(It took) us a couple of days because I like to know what I’m talking about before I speak, all right?”

So, Mr. President, is the bank bailout working?

"I'd say it's a modest success. But it's not enough."

Kenneth Rogoff is among those economists who believe, if anything, it may take more tax dollars.

"We may end up spending more. The recession may end up lasting longer."