May 31, 2009
We need to reinstate circuit breaker rules. There is no downside to reinstating the rules since they had stood the test of time of nearly 70 years. We saw what happened with the rules abolished. The very behavior that necessitated the original rule returned only to ruin many good corporations and spread the fear that wrecked this country's economy. Watching large normally stable companies dropping into 'death spirals' at the speed of light caused a contagion of fear in our markets that led to the destruction of tremendous amounts of capital. To critics who say that the rule means nothing and will have no impact on the markets - then why not reinstate the rules if they have no effect, then they wont hurt anyone. Why are we even having a debate about this? You have to seriously question the motives of anyone who is against reinstating the rules.