The world¡¯s leading central bankers are stuck.

In stately succession in the past week, policymakers in Tokyo, Washington, London and Frankfurt decided that despite long-stated intentions to shift short-term interest rates, this was not the time to take action. In each case, they concluded that they had better just leave short-term interest rates alone.

The central banks all face a gigantic and imponderable problem. Inflation is surging, economic growth is slowing, and it¡¯s not clear how long the energy shock set off by the war in Iran or these broader economic effects will last.