Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis |
- Do These Idiots Realize How Stupid They Sound?
- ECB Seeks to Avert What Has Already Happened; Raspberries and Gold
- S&P Futures Open Down 30 Points, -2.6%; ECB to "Actively Implement" Bond Purchases
- France AAA Rating on the Line; S&P Says 1 in 3 Chance of Further US Downgrades; Contagion in Downgrades? Currency Crisis Escalates; Euro Endgame
- Israel, Dubai, Saudi Arabia Shares Plunge in Wake of S&P Downgrade; Israel Drops 7%, Dubai 3.7%, Saudi 5.5%; Is S&P Downgrade to Blame?
- Decade of Stimulus Yields Nothing But Mountain of Debt; What to Do About It?
Do These Idiots Realize How Stupid They Sound? Posted: 07 Aug 2011 08:36 PM PDT Just how idiotic is it to seek to prevent what has already occurred? I suggest that is blatantly idiotic. Here is a case in point. Earlier this evening, I noted ECB Seeks to Avert What Has Already Happened I cannot help but laugh out loud at some of the headlines this evening. By any rational measure, confidence has collapsed, yet G-7 Seeks to Avert Collapse in ConfidenceThat is ridiculous enough, but the height of absurdity is found in the G-7 Statement on Renewed Strains We reaffirmed our shared interest in a strong and stable international financial system, and our support for market-determined exchange rates.Today the G-7 advocated both currency and and bond-market interventions "whatever it takes" yet sings the praises of "market-determined exchange rates". I really do have to ask "Do These Idiots Realize How Stupid They Sound?" Definition of Idiot The above question is more complicated than it seems at first glance. In typical usage, "idiots" by definition do not realize what they are saying. However, let's throw out a definition as follows: Idiot - Someone devoid of common sense who lives in the shelter of academia or politics, with no real-world experience. Also included in this definition is someone with real-world experiences yet ignores the real world in favor of academics, politics, or desires. Bernanke with a PhD, and Krugman with a Noble Prize both qualify as potential idiots under the above definition. Bear in mind that sometimes (when it suits their goals) both may say things that make perfect sense. I agree with Krugman about 20% of the time. Such is the problem with this definition of idiocy. Common Sense vs. Purposeful Idiocy On grounds of common sense, anyone simultaneously praising free markets and intervention on the exact same issue is an idiot. But Wait! What if the statement was a lie on purpose, hoping that idiots in mainstream media would not catch the lie? Recall that Jean-Claude Juncker, Luxembourg PM and Head Euro-Zone Finance Minister says "When it becomes serious, you have to lie" Is the support for free markets just another purposeful lie? One cannot easily determine the truth in these instances. However, in accordance with Occam's Razor, the simplest explanation is likely the best. One case suggests that potential idiots are telling lies on purpose. The simple case suggests that idiots can be expected to behave like idiots. Thus, I come to the conclusion that "These Idiots Do Not Realize How Stupid They Sound". Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List |
ECB Seeks to Avert What Has Already Happened; Raspberries and Gold Posted: 07 Aug 2011 06:13 PM PDT I cannot help but laugh out loud at some of the headlines this evening. By any rational measure, confidence has collapsed, yet G-7 Seeks to Avert Collapse in Confidence Group of Seven nations sought to head off a collapse in global investor confidence after the U.S. sovereign-rating downgrade and a sell-off in Italian and Spanish debt intensified threats to the world economic recovery.That the ECB needs to take these actions is a 100% sure-fire sign that investors have lost confidence. Raspberries and Gold "The G-7 just gave a raspberry to S&P and basically said its analysis is irrelevant," said Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial Inc. in Chicago. I can top that. The futures so far have given the raspberry to the ECB and the G-7. Moreover, gold has given the raspberry to nearly everything else. Grain, energy, and equity futures are all trading lower. However Gold is up $34 to $1684 and silver is up $1.18 to $39.39. Addendum: The feed on Zero Hedge has been messed up all evening. It has been both duplicated and not working. I am not sure if this is universal or not. However, links are now working (at least for me) but some of them may still be duplicated. Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List |
S&P Futures Open Down 30 Points, -2.6%; ECB to "Actively Implement" Bond Purchases Posted: 07 Aug 2011 03:02 PM PDT What started out as an extremely poor idea has now turned into a bet the bank bond-buying strategy as ECB Signals Purchases of Italian, Spanish Bonds. The European Central Bank said it will "actively implement" its bond-purchase program, signaling it is ready to start buying Italian and Spanish securities to counter the sovereign debt crisis.The initial reaction from the market was swift and severe. S&P futures opened up 30 points in the red, Nasdaq futures 47 points in the red. The night is still young and the intervention in Italian bonds begins tomorrow. Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List |
Posted: 07 Aug 2011 11:58 AM PDT With the US AAA rating gone, how long can France hold its AAA rating? I suspect not long. So where will that leave the ECB attempting to put a circle around Italy? Will Germany have to backstop all of Europe? Those are the new key questions and notice how the key question list keeps growing larger in size and significance. France Vulnerable to Rating Cuts Bloomberg reports AAA France May Be Vulnerable After U.S. Cut The decision by Standard & Poor's to downgrade the U.S. credit rating leaves France as the AAA country most likely to lose its top grade, some investors and economists say.The S&P warned the US, now it has warned France. Notice how the rating agencies want austerity. I asked some tough questions above, here is a cream-puff question: Short-term, what will all these austerity measures do to global growth? Japan Threatens More Yen Intervention Adding to the global tension, Japan Official Warns of More Yen Selling A Japanese Finance Ministry official said the government is ready to sell yen again following last week's move if it sees speculative trades driving the currency higher.Countries do not care much about losses on treasury holdings. They care about exports. Notice how even amidst the S&P downgrade of US debt Japan's reaction is to buy more. I covered this topic at length on Friday in Reserve Currency Curse: Idea China to Stop Buying Treasuries After S&P Downgrade is Fallacious; US Would Welcome China Not Buying US Treasuries!. Global Currency Wars In spite of its stated "strong dollar" policy, clearly the US wants a lower dollar. It is equally clear (and stated) that Japan wants a lower Yen, Brazil wants a lower Real, Switzerland wants a lower Swiss Franc, and China does not want the Yuan to rise. Yet every month, someone talks about China or Japan or some other country dumping treasuries or dumping the dollar. In case you missed it, please consider Global Currency Wars Enter New Stage; Brazil Calls Off Truce, South Korea Reviews "All Possibilities", Philippines Threatens "Prudential Limits". When does this madness blow sky high in a global currency crisis? I will tell you it is going to happen, I just cannot tell you when. Europe's Structural Problems Structurally the only way to resolve the European mess is
Euro Endgame Would Germany go along with the former? How difficult is the latter? I cannot answer the former but the latter is easier said than done. Greece for example would immediately blow up in hyperinflation if it was forced to immediately go back on the Drachma. No one would want that. Capital and human capital would both flee Greece. The same might apply to Portugal and Spain. Germany could leave. Otherwise, slowly but surely the European Nanny State solution will be forced down the throats of screaming German taxpayers. The endgame is not clear, and both option 1 and 2 involve huge unresolved issues with global consequences. What is clear is the current path is unsustainable. There has never been a successful currency union in history that did not also involve a fiscal union as well. This time will not be different. Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List |
Posted: 07 Aug 2011 10:25 AM PDT The Mideast markets typically run Sunday to Thursday. However, the Saudi Arabia market is open on Saturday. The global selloff hit Saudi on Saturday and spread to Israel and Dubai on Sunday. Israel Drops 7 Percent, 19.9% Since April 21 Israeli Stock Index Tumbles Most Since 2008 Israel's benchmark stock index plunged the most in almost 11 years after Standard & Poor's lowered the U.S. credit rating and amid concern the widening sovereign debt crisis in Europe will stall global growth.Dubai Shares Drop 3.7 Percent Dubai Shares Drop Most Since February Emaar Properties PJSC (EMAAR), developer of the world's tallest tower, slumped 5.3 percent. Arabtec Holding Co. (ARTC) dropped the most since March after it said second-quarter profit fell 74 percent. The DFM General Index (DFMGI) lost 3.7 percent, the most since Feb. 28, to 1,484.31 at the 2 p.m. close in Dubai. The measure has plunged 12 percent from this year's high in April, entering a so-called correction.Saudi Shares Plunge 5.5% Saudi Shares Plunge as U.S. Downgrade Fuels Concern Over Global Economy Saudi Arabian shares tumbled for a third day, sending the benchmark index to its largest intraday drop since March, amid rising concerns about the global economy after Standard & Poor's cut the U.S.'s credit rating for the first time.S&P Downgrade Did Not Cause This Analysts worded all these reports as if the S&P downgrade was to blame or partially to blame. The facts of the matter are these.
The downgrade itself is not the problem. Rather the S&P downgrade (long overdue) is one of many symptom of a much larger global financial crisis. Nonetheless, expect many demagogues to make S&P the scapegoat if the decline escalates this week. Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List |
Decade of Stimulus Yields Nothing But Mountain of Debt; What to Do About It? Posted: 07 Aug 2011 12:13 AM PDT Is there any kind of stimulus the US did not try in the last 10 years?
That is a partial list. Other than bailing out bondholders what exactly do we have to show for any of it? The one-word answer is "debt". Decade of Stimulus Yields Nothing But Debt Caroline Baum wrote an excellent article on this theme. It was so good I asked if I could reproduce it in entirety. With permission please consider Decade of Stimulus Yields Nothing but Debt: Caroline Baum When George W. Bush took up residence in the White House in January 2001, total U.S. debt stood at $5.95 trillion. Last week it was $14.3 trillion, with $2.4 trillion freshly authorized by Congress Tuesday.Keynesians Always Want More Stimulus Baum wrote "Some prominent Keynesians are advocating more spending now for an economy that is sputtering." She is too polite, but to follow suit I will not name-drop either. Keynesians always want more stimulus. They claim they don't, but there is never a time any of them ever wanted to run surpluses or even a balanced budget out of fear of ending a nascent recovery or starting a "recession of choice" as one Keynesian clown put it. More to the point, the idea that government or the Fed can micro-manage the economy stepping in as needed is absurd. Heck the Fed could not even see a housing bubble or a recession and it is supposed to manage the economy? Look at the supporters of Fannie Mae in Congress. Look at Democrats whining about cutbacks in social programs 100% of the time. They are supposed to run a surplus? Lesson of Japan For over 20 years Japan tried Monetarist (various QE and interest rate) stimulus as well as Keynesian (fiscal) stimulus and all it has to show for it is the highest debt-to-GDP ratio of any major country in the word. Rest assured that is going to matter sometime within the next 5 years. Right now we are following their path and it clearly is not working. How About We Try Something Different? I am with Caroline here, how about trying something different like scrapping the tax code? I will add my standard three ideas 100% guaranteed to help cities and states.
If you want to try something really radical (yet perfectly sensible), here is an idea that is also guaranteed to help: get rid of the Fed and its perpetual bubble-blowing, moral-hazard, bail-out-the-bondholder policies. Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List |
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