As posted by the best economics site on the web, Zerohedge:
Saving the banks by dumping trillions into housing is classic
marginal return. Since the mechanism is broken--housing as the "wealth
effect" generator and the source of billions in profits for banks--every $1
trillion in subsidies, give-aways, guarantees and mortgage purchases by the Fed
yield fewer benefits to the real economy. Once again the question
arises: rather than loan $16 trillion to banks at 0%, why doesn't the Fed just
buy all residential mortgages for $10 trillion and charge 0.25% interest on the
lot? That would cut out the banks, and that is the point here: the
Fed's policies are not aimed at "helping housing," they're aimed at protecting
the banks' income streams, assets and political power. Since the banks own $10
trillion in mortgages, housing is a key concern of the Fed's "save and enrich
the banks" campaign.
Here's the Fed's policy in plain English: Debt-serfdom is good
because it enriches the banks. All hail debt-serfdom, our goal and our god!
You can read the entire article here.