"We describe in this essay why the gold standard and the euro are extreme forms of fixed exchange rates, and how these policies had their most potent effects in the worst peaceful economic periods in modern times. While we are lucky to have avoided another catastrophe like the Great Depression...

I. Background. 1 Introduction -- 2 A century of capital flows -- II. Capital account liberalization. 3 Capital account liberalization : what do the cross-country studies tell us? -- 4 When does capital account liberalization help more than it hurts? with Carlos Arteta and Charles Wyplosz -- III....