En (La)Garde Against Deflation

Said Lagarde, of a threat that dismayed 'er:
"There's a danger that prices may crater. 
We're conditioned to fear
That things become dear
But deflation's the risk that is greater."

"With deflation, the instinct is human
To save and cut back on consumin',
But though disciplined ways
Are worthy of praise,
They prevent the economy's boomin'."

"To all of those countries who plan
To avoid the malaise of Japan:
Forget all the rules
Of conventional tools,
And stimulate now, while you can!"

IMF MD to EU

"If the euro would founder and fester
From the wounds that beset and distressed 'er,
Ideology marred
The chance," said Lagarde,
"Of avoiding zees awful deezester."

IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, speaking in Berlin, sounded the euro-alarm as never before: "It is about avoiding a 1930s moment, in which inaction, insularity, and rigid ideology combine to cause a collapse in global demand," she said before the German Council on Foreign Relations; "A moment, ultimately, leading to a downward spiral that could engulf the entire world." The IMF managing director would like Germany, France, the ECB and other key players to strengthen their support of the eurozone's liquidity and financial stability, to avoid an Italian meltdown in particular. As Mme Lagarde expresses so dramatically, such a development would not be confined to Europe.