Maturity mismatching, ethics and economics: Rejoinder to Bagus, Howden and Huerta de Soto

Authors

  • Walter E. Block Loyola University New Orleans
  • William Barnett II Loyola University New Orleans

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52195/pm.v14i2.76

Abstract

Is maturity mismatching, borrowing short and lending long, merely risky, or would it be banned in the free society as a rights violation? The pres-ent paper is the latest episode in a debate series on this issue. The present authors take the position it is unethical and should be against the law. Our debating partners subscribe to the opposite point of view.

Keywords: Banking, lending, ethics, law.

JEL Classification: E2, E59, P16.

Resumen: ¿Es el descalce de plazos, es decir, endeudarse a corto y prestar a largo plazo, simplemente arriesgado, o estaría prohibido en una sociedad libre como una violación de derechos? El presente artículo es el último episodio de una serie de debates sobre este tema. Los presentes autores toman la posi-ción de que no es ético y debería estar en contra de la ley. Nuestros compañe-ros en el debate mantienen el punto de vista contrario.

Palabras clave: Banca, préstamos, ética, Derecho.

Clasificación JEL: E2, E59, P16.

References

baGus, Philipp. 2003, ‘The Commons and the Tragedy of Banking’, November 12, http://mises.org/story/1373

— 2010. “Austrian business cycle theory: are 100 percent reserves sufficient to prevent a business cycle?” Libertarian Papers, Vol. 2, No. 2; http://libertarianpapers.org/articles/2010/lp-2-2.doc; https://books.google.com/books?id=DmxaDQAAQBAJ&p-g=PT35&lpg=PT35&dq=%22maybe+the+most+important+con-clusion+of+our+analysis+is+that+not+only+fractional+re-serve+banking+can+lead+to+an+austrian+business+cy-cle.+even+with+100+percent+reserve+requirements%22&-source=bl&ots=nunEG6UUmi&sig=SuJGV-O9pClu3ymht3hJS-DhzEuE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjr3d75ue3SAhVD42M-KHdMwAt4Q6AEIJDAB#v=onepage&q=%22maybe%20the%20most%20important%20conclusion%20of%20our%20analy-sis%20is%20that%20not%20only%20fractional%20reserve%20banking%20can%20lead%20to%20an%20austrian%20busi-ness%20cycle.%20even%20with%20100%20percent%20reserve%20requirements%22&f=false

— and David howden. 2009. “The Legitimacy of Loan Maturity Mismatching: A Risky, but not Fraudulent, Undertaking.” Jour-nal of Business Ethics. Vol. 90: 399-406; http://www.springerlink.com/content/pn81764318674wv0/?p=9881dca0cc1540b4bdf-ca8c126998d16&pi=36; http://www.springerlink.com/content/pn81764318674wv0/

— David howden. 2012. “The continuing continuum problem of deposits and loans” Journal of Business Ethics. Vol. 106, issue 3, pages 295-300; http://econpapers.repec.org/article/kapjbuset/v_3a106_3ay_3a2012_3ai_3a3_3ap_3a295-300.htm; http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s10551-011-0996-5

— David howden and Jesús huerta de soto ballester. 2016. “Entrepreneurial Error Does Not Equal Market Failure.” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 134, No. 1, March; http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10551-016-3123-9; http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/520/art%253A10.1007%252Fs10551-016-3123-9.pdf?originUrl=http%3A%2F%2Flink.springer.com%2Farticle%2F10.1007%2Fs10551-016-3123-9&to-ken2=exp=1466103548~acl=%2Fstatic%2Fpdf%2F520%2Fart%25253A10.1007%25252Fs10551-016-3123-9.pdf%3Forig-inUrl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Flink.springer.com%252Farti-cle%252F10.1007%252Fs10551-016-3123-9*~hmac=8b8838482fd5da01d4333723cf8cc381a5f753a76e5e5aa92cc050133074700d

— David howden and Walter E. bloCk. 2013. “Deposits, Loans and Banking: Clarifying the Debate,” American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Volume 72, Issue 3, pages 627-644, July; http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ajes.12023/abstract; http://bastiat.mises.org/2013/07/fractional-reserve-banking-paper/

barnett, William II and Walter E. bloCk. 2005A. “Money: Capital Good, Consumers’ Good, or (Media of) Exchange Good?” Review of Austrian Economics. 18 (2): 179-194; http://www.gmu.edu/rae/archives/VOL18_2_2005/4_Barnett.pdf; http://www.academia.edu/1359987/Money_Capital_Good_Consumers_Good_or_Media_of_Exchange_Good

— 2005B. “In defense of fiduciary media— a comment; or, what’s wrong with “clown” or play money?” Quarterly Journal of Aus-trian Economics; Vol. 8, No. 2, Summer, pp. 55-69; http://mises.org/journals/qjae/pdf/qjae8_2_4.pdf

— 2005-2006. “Mises, Rothbard and Salerno on Costs.” Corporate Ownership & Control, Winter, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 204-206; http://www.virtusinterpress.org/additional_files/journ_coc/issues/COC_(Volume_3_Issue_2_Winter_2005-2006_Continued).pdf

— 2006. “On Hayekian Triangles.” Procesos De Mercado: Revista Europea De Economia Politica; Vol. III, No. 2, Fall, pp. 39-141; http://mises.org/journals/scholar/block18.pdf; http://www.academia.edu/1359916/On_Hayekian_Triangles; http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1880543

— 2008. “Time deposits, dimensions and fraud,” Journal of Business Ethics; www.WalterBlock.com/publications; http://www.sprin-gerlink.com/content/100281/?k=walter+block&sortorder=as-c&v=condensed&o=20; www.WalterBlock.com/publications

— 2009A. “Financial Intermediaries, the Intertemporal-Carry Trade, and Austrian Business Cycles; or; Crash and Carry: Can Fraudu-lent Time deposits lead to an Austrian Business Cycle? Yes.” Jour-nal Etica e Politica / Ethics & Politics; Vol. XI, No. 1, pp. 455-469; http://www2.units.it/~etica/2009_1/BARNETT_BLOCK.pdf

— 2009B. “Time deposits, dimensions and fraud,” Journal of Busi-ness Ethics; Vol. 88, No. 4, September, pp. 711-716; http://www.walterblock.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/barnett-block_time-deposits-fraud-2009-1.pdf; http://www.springerlink.com/content/a88l166702524r55/; http://blog.mises.org/archives/011398.asp; http://www.springerlink.com/content/a88l166702524r55/fulltext.pdf?page=1; https://www.research-gate.net/publication/225634696_Time_Deposits_Dimensions_and_Fraud?ev=prf_pub; http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10551-008-9976-9

— 2011A. “Rejoinder to Bagus and Howden on Borrowing Short and Lending Long” Journal of Business Ethics. Volume 100, Num-ber 2, pp. 229-238, May; DOI: 10.1007/s10551-010-0677-9; https://springerlink3.metapress.com/content/44x8878431714443/resource-secured/?target=fulltext.pdf&sid=ibnjjd4520x-sog550csa0ey2&sh=www.springerlink.com; http://www.sprin-gerlink.com/openurl.asp?genre=article&id=doi:10.1007/s10551-010-0677-9; https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225476829_Rejoinder_to_Bagus_and_Howden_on_Borrowing_Short_and_Lending_Long?ev=prf_pub

— 2011B. “Loanable Funds, Saving & Investment, and Financial Assets.” Romanian Economic and Business Review. 6(4): 37-54. http://www.rebe.rau.ro/REBE%206%204.pdf

bloCk, Walter E. and William barnett II. 2015. “Maturity Mis-matching and ‘Market Failure.’” Journal of Business Ethics; Vol. 129, June; http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10551-015-2706-1; DOI 10.1007/s10551-015-2706-1; http://www.springer.com/home?SGWID=0-0-1003-0-0&aqId=2857155&down-load=1&checkval=bcf7a55607153e6921342e885ac6bb8f; http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10551-015-2706-1

bloCk, Walter and Bryan Caplan. 2008. “Walter E. Block versus Bryan Caplan on Fractional Reserve Banking.” Nov 1; http://www.lewrockwell.com/block/block110.html

bloCk, Walter and Kenneth M. GarsChina. 1996. “Hayek, Business Cycles and Fractional Reserve Banking: Continuing the De-Ho-moginization Process,” Review of Austrian Economics, Vol. 9, No. 1, 1995, pp. 77-94; http://www.mises.org/journals/rae/pdf/rae9_1_3.pdf.

bloCk, Walter and John huMphries. 2008. “Humphries vs Block on fractional reserve banking.” November 17; http://alsblog.word-press.com/2008/11/17/fractional-reserve-banking/

bloCk, Walter versus Eric posner. 2008. “Posner vs. Block on frac-tional reserve banking.” November, 29; http://www.lewrock-well.com/block/block114.html

bloCk, Walter, Christopher westley and Alex padilla. 2008. “Inter-nal vs. external explanations: a new perspective on the history of economic thought,” Procesos De Mercado: Revista Europea De Economia Politica; issue 2, pp. 35-132; http://www.jsu.edu/depart/ccba/cwestley/Internal.2008.pdf; https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Walter_Block2/publications/?db-w=true; https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228175537_Internal_vs._External_Explanations_A_New_Perspective_on_the_History_of_Economic_Thought?ev=prf_pub

davidson, Laura. 2008. “Fractional Reserve Banking Is Indeed Fraudulent,” November 17; http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig9/davidson-l1.html

— and Walter E. bloCk. 2011. “The Case Against Fiduciary Media: Ethics Is The Key,” The Journal of Business Ethics. Vol. 98, Issue 3, pp. 505-511; http://www.springerlink.com/content/j7632375268720g/; http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0590-2; 10.1007/s10551-010-0590-2

Hoppe, Hans-Hermann. 1994. “How is Fiat Money Possible? or, The Devolution of Money and Credit,” Review of Austrian Eco-nomics, 7(2), pp. 49-74.

— with Guido hulsMann and Walter E. bloCk. 1998. “Against Fiduciary Media,” Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 19-50, http://www.mises.org/journals/qjae/pdf/qjae1_1_2.pdf

howden, David. 2013. “A Simple Math Question for Bankers.” December 28; http://mises.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=7e6cc2f6072b7ebfaa847047f&id=b10182ff5e&e=cb339c58df; http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2013/12/the-best-cri-tique-i-have-ever-read.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+economicpolicy-journal%2FKpwH+%28EconomicPolicyJournal.com%29

huerta de soto, Jesús. 1995. “A Critical Analysis of Central Banks and Fractional-Reserve Free Banking from the Austrian Per-spective,” Review of Austrian Economics, 8(2), pp. 25-38.

— 1998, ‘A Critical Note on Fractional-Reserve Free Banking’, The Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics 1(4), 25-49.

— 2001. “A Critical Note on Fractional Reserve Free Banking,” The Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics, Vol. 1, No. 4, Fall, pp. 34-35

— 2006. Money, Bank Credit, and Economic Cycles (Ludwig von Mises Institute, Auburn AL.)

— 2010. “Economic Recessions, Banking Reform, and the Future of Capitalism.” http://mises.org/daily/4817

hülsMann, Jorg Guido. 2008. The Ethics of Money Production Auburn AL: Ludwig von Mises Institute keynes, John Maynard. 1936. General Theory of Money, Interest and Employment, New York: Harcourt, Brace

Mises, Ludwig von. 1953. The Theory of Money and Credit. Yale Uni-versity Press.

Murphy, Robert P. 2011. “The Fractional-Reserve Banking Ques-tion.” June 14; http://mises.org/daily/4499

— and Thomas E. Woods. 2016. “Krugman and Hamilton Sitting in a Tree,” Contra Krugman podcast, April 30, 2016, starting at 17:30, available at: http://contrakrugman.com/ep-33-krugman-and-hamilton-sitting-in-a-tree/

north, Gary. 2009. “What Is Money? Part 5: Fractional Reserve Banking.” October 10; http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north769.html

rothbard, Murray N. [1963] 1975. America’s Great Depression (Sheed and Ward, Kansas City).

— 1982. “Law, Property Rights, and Air Pollution,” Cato Journal, Vol. 2, No. 1, Spring; reprinted in Economics and the Environment: A Reconciliation, Walter E. Block, ed., Vancouver: The Fraser Institute, 1990, pp. 233-279; http://mises.org/story/2120; http://www.mises.org/rothbard/lawproperty.pdf; https://mises.org/library/law-property-rights-and-air-pollution-0

— 1983. “The Mystery of Banking.” Richardson & Snyder.

— 1988. “The Myth of Free Banking in Scotland”, Review of Austrian Economics; http://mises.org/journals/rae/pdf/RAE2_1_15.pdf

— 1990. What Has Government Done to Our Money?, Auburn, AL: Ludwig von Mises Institute; http://www.mises.org/rothbard/rothmoney.pdf

— [1962] 1991. “The Case for a 100 Percent Gold Dollar,” In Search of a Monetary Constitution, Leland B. Yeager, ed., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, pp. 94-136, and Auburn, AL: Ludwig von Mises Institute. See also “The Logic of Action One” pp. 364-384; http://mises.org/story/1829; http://mises.org/rothbard/100percent.pdf

— [1962] 1993. Man, Economy, and State. Ludwig von Mises Insti-tute, Auburn, AL

salerno, Joseph T. 2010A. Money, Sound and Unsound. Auburn, Lud-wig von Mises Institute

— 2010B. “White contra Mises on Fiduciary Media,” May 14; http://mises.org/daily/4389

— 2010C. “Menger’s Causal-Realist Analysis in Modern Econom-ics.” Review of Austrian Economics. 23(1). http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11138-009-0096-2

Downloads

Published

2017-10-07

How to Cite

Block, W. E. ., & Barnett II, W. . (2017). Maturity mismatching, ethics and economics: Rejoinder to Bagus, Howden and Huerta de Soto. REVISTA PROCESOS DE MERCADO, 14(2), 51–81. https://doi.org/10.52195/pm.v14i2.76

Issue

Section

Articles