Why do not Wall Street Journal’s reporters pose THE QUESTION at WEF in Davos 2016?

I refer to Wall Street’s World Economic Forum “Outlook 2016”, January 20, 2016.

Like for instance when Lingling Wei and John Hilsenrath write “Global Economy Loses Steam” The Wall Street Journal, January 20, 2016.

How on earth could not the Global Economy lose steam with regulators who, in an effort to make banks safer, have decided banks should be allowed to earn much higher risk adjusted returns on equity when lending to what is ex ante perceived or deemed to be safe, like to “infallible sovereigns”, AAArisktocracy or housing, than when lending to “risky” SMEs and entrepreneurs. That is the direct result of the risk weighted capital requirements.

“The future is here. It just needs a big push”, writes Christopher Mims. Indeed but why not start by removing the hurdles? As is, with this regulatory credit risk aversion, banks are no longer financing the riskier future they are only refinancing the safer past.

And all that distortion for no good reason, since major bank crisis never result from excessive exposures to something ex ante perceived as risky, but always from too big exposure to what has turned out to be erroneously perceived as safe.

What a shame that, with so many good journalists present in Davos, no one makes THE QUESTION

PS. Another version of THE QUESTION

@PerKurowski ©