Six months after STATE INDUCED rescue/purchase/breakup of Bear Sterns the US govt wanted, apparently, to make some kind of ‘free market’ example of Lehman Bros, who for entire time, every moment since Bear Sterns, had been rumored to be next ..
We all know what happened. On Sept 15th 2008 Lehman collapsed, and by the 18th the by product was that by the 20th there might be no cash in any ATM in the free world, which shriveled a large enough set of scrotums so that TARP was jammed up everyone’s fundament without a second thought amid a mistakenly halted and suicided John McCain campaign, all of which may well have resulted in the worst president in history being elected, resulting in the immediate economic, military and political decline of the USA, and a worldwide economic crisis which is a long way from not only not being over, but also may yet do a world total el-foldo.
Otherwise it was of little note.
Now comes Ms LaGarde of the IMF, in place because of an apparently false claim of rape. She is unsatisfied with the actions so far of the Greek govt whose cuts have been limited by the actions of her people in the streets, setting fire to things and generally heating up the tar and getting chickens ready for plucking.
She is telling everyone she is getting ready to withhold help and possibly let Greece go into Somalia mode.
Lady, it’s going to be Lehman WRIT LARGE.
I am a free market guy, but the end of the world is not a place to start reform.
From the Financial Times:
Speaking ahead of a highly anticipated meeting of IMF, US and European finance officials in Poland, Ms Lagarde said Athens had to re-ignite “the urge to deliver on commitments” made by its government after a period during which “momentum had slowed down”.“If there has been no implementation, we don’t pay,” she told CNBC, in describing the IMF’s lending practices.
Ms Lagarde’s comments differ from the views of the IMF’s partner in the Greek bail-out negotiations, the European Commission, which EU officials said is largely satisfied with Greece’s recent concessions. These include a property tax that is expected to raise about €2bn this year to fill a €1.7bn gap in the budget.
The eurozone’s finance ministers are expected to decide today whether Greece’s latest concessions are adequate. The move would give political cover to resume negotiations with Athens over the €8bn aid Greece needs to meet government payrolls.
Oh, I get it, THERE WILL BE NO GREEK GOVT?
NONE.
This should help business and banking and employment in the other shaky, and simply RUMORED TO BE SHAKY states like, Italy, Spain, Portugal, etc. Forget Iceland. But while we are at, besides the direct intervention of China (holder of the USA’s debt), what would then save Europe?
Maybe the Greeks will remember the agora and govern themselves that way providing us an example for the future of western mobocracy . If so I have a feeling I know who will be the first person formally ostracized.
Now that I mention this, perhaps we should bring this back here in the USA.