By using an opaque and convoluted idiom, the only outsiders – reporters, politicians, and academics – who would be able to understand what the central bank was saying would be those who had carefully studied the issues and the language. This, in turn, would lead them all (with the rare exception of a maverick critic like William Greider) to understand and approve, and to agree that talking in “Greenspanese” is essential for enabling central banks to ensure price stability.