That’s the only conclusion that I can reach.
As Federal Reserve Chairman, he worked meticulously to manage the economy. He poured over government data regarding production, prices, employment, interest rates, growth, money supply, balance of trade, and stock prices. He pulled the levers behind the curtain as best as any central planner could. He carefully crafted statements to give a sense of authority and produce a feeling of confidence in the public.
The problem with his work is that it was in direct opposition to his philosophy. Greenspan was a firm believer in totally free markets. He understood the immorality of government intervention in markets, because all government actions are backed by force. He understood that governments can’t be trusted to create currency, as they will inflate it to pay for programs that the citizens would not otherwise support.
We know this, because he was a member of Ayn Rand’s inner circle. Rand was one of history’s strongest proponents of individual freedom. Rand included a chapter written by Greenspan laying out the argument for a gold standard in a book of hers.
As Ayn Rand was finishing up her novel Atlas Shrugged, she shared a draft with a few of her friends, including Greenspan. In the story, the main character convinces his peers to stop supporting their enemies by simply withdrawing their support. Society then progressively collapses as the producers are no longer around to make up for the practical failings that result from following a statist philosophy.
My guess is that Greenspan wants our society to fail so that his liberty loving colleagues can rebuild it from the ruins.
The great difference between the fictional story and Greenspan’s very real life is that Rand’s character simply withdrew his support. Greenspan put his entire intelligence and every ounce of his energy into enacting the most anti-liberty policies from, perhaps, the most powerful chair in the world.
It seems as if he was trying to topple our civilization by giving it a shove at its most vulnerable point.