Showing posts with label Euro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Euro. Show all posts

Sunday, 25 September 2011

ECONOMIC COLLAPSE, FINANCIAL MANIPULATION AND THE DOLLAR CRISIS

Death of the Euro by Darren Birkin

By Bob Chapman
September 24, 2011

The question plays out on three fronts. England quietly is immersed in its own financial problems, churning out their version of quantitative easing, as the US FOMC meeting rises in the distance for two days this time.

Will we get the twist?

Of course we will.
If we do not the bottom will fall out.

That will signify the issuance of more funds plus what is needed to purchase some 80% of Treasury securities, or about another $850 billion.

It is no secret that the Fed, Bank of England, Bank of Japan and the Swiss national Banks are going to provide dollars to European banks that are the victims of American lenders who have pulled their funds out of Europe for fear of losing their investments. They are phasing out an orderly fashion.

The commitments of these central banks are doing three things putting their citizens at more financial risk;

driving inflation higher;

aiding in the increase in gold prices

and following a path they already know is doomed to failure.

The players did not want a replay of the Lehman Affair of just three years ago, or the ongoing immediate consequences. Everyone wanted to look like they were in motion, that they were doing something about the problem.

The underlying problem is that banks in Europe cannot issue much more debt or they will look like bigger fools than they already are.

Due to the banks’ poor choices in the past, these banks are on the edge of failure and were Greece to default they’d get closer to the edge.

If all insolvent nations were to default these banks would all go under. Thus, we see another bank bailout engineered by the Fed and other central banks.

As this new crisis unfolds the European and world economies are slowing down, which will compound problems.

Under the best of circumstances the European banks and sovereigns will lose half of their investments in Greek bonds and loans. We stated two years ago the 100% default is the only answer for Greece and the other five problem countries. The losses would then be $4 to $6 trillion. Not only are many European banks already insolvent, but also the future portends a bank wipeout.

The banks did everything wrong, expecting as always, a taxpayer bailout. In addition, in this process, these banks assumed leverage of about 30% in an attempt to raise profits.

If these banks do not go under they will be nationalized and again the public will be allowed to assume again the banker’s losses. This crisis already in motion is going to be worse than the one experienced three years ago and it’s mutating into an ongoing crisis, because no one is willing to purge the system.

In the wings we see the ECB, which already has made an illegal foray into the bond market to purchase Italian and Spanish bonds. The big question there is who is going to pay for their purchases?

We will find that out on September 29th when the German Bundestag votes on German participation. If they say “no” the European financial world will go upside down. If they vote “yes” we could see anarchy in Germany.

As we have cited often, European countries are a collection of different tribes that do not like to be forced into anything. At this juncture we are told by our sources that the funding bill will be passed.

If not passed, we could see military action between Greece, Israel and Turkey, as a deliberate diversion to force European countries to fund Greece and other bailouts. When in doubt have another war.

The US Treasury Secretary Mr. Geithner managed to make a fool of himself in Poland, but did find support among other elitists regarding the regulation and full implementation of banking federalization.
This supposedly is needed to mitigate the crisis and prevent future confusion, when in fact it is a move to remove the sovereignty of member states.
The Fed, that endless source of swaps, money and credit, would supply recapitalization. Trillions of dollars can easily be conjured up for just about anything and especially to further a European Federal Reserve.

The upshot of this move would be to give the ECB or another authority the ability to create money and credit at will, which is totally opposed by the Germans. In total they do not want anyone telling them what to do especially after the mess in part created by the ECB.
This is a war the internationalists cannot win, but they will try anyway.

These attempts at centralization and federalization are not what the Germans want. They want something similar to the Bundesbank and they want direct control via representation.

What has transpired is another bailout for Europe via the Fed, BoJ, BoE and the SNB. That certainly spells much more inflation as a consequence of this policy, which is something Germany is dead set against. 
.
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The newest swap facility is for 45 days, so that the ECB would convince US and other money market funds and other large investors to repurchase the banks’, notes and bills of EU banks and government, of course with the aid and pressure of the Fed and the US Treasury.

There were strong reasons for American lenders to pull out of euro zone short-term paper markets. It is called risk-reward.

Higher yields are desperately needed by money managers, but not at the risk of losing capital. Just look at the correction in the US commercial paper market, nine-weeks of rising yields and plunging participation.

In fact, such policies are really a QE 3 in motion although concentrated on Europe. The absence of such backdoor financing had to make players realize that funds were needed quickly, because without them there would have been another European banking crisis that would have spread into the UK and US markets.

The European economies are slowing down and in the absence of such a move the downside would have accelerated into a large recession or depression. The only way the Fed can operate such a swap would be with freshly minted money, because if they buy dollars in the Forex market they would drive the dollar higher and the euro lower and they do not want that to happen.

The Fed is well aware that some European banks and sovereigns are insolvent, as is the US system and by using such policies they keep the whole structure functioning and buying valuable time.

Default is on the way and all the players know that. They want to be sure it is an orderly default.

The same is true of currencies. They want a big meeting where all currencies are revalued and devalued simultaneously and where multilateral defaults go smoothly.

From a liquidity viewpoint European banks have bought 45 days to November 5th. We do not think that is enough time and that the swaps, QE 3, will be extended through the end of the year.

While this goes on the twist will take place in the US that is holding short-term rates static and deliberately lowering long-term rates by manipulating the markets.

We are afraid that will cause upward pressure on short-term rates. The resultant lower rates are to encourage economic activity, investment, and revival in the real estate market. 
 .
On the short end it is not going to happen. Rates will rise and bank leverage will be neutralized. All those months of riskless profits will end at least temporarily. Lower mortgage rates are fine, but suppressing long-term yields is a mistake.
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These moves are inflationary and we now see that an official CPI of plus 3.8%. Real inflation is 11.4%. They are the highest in two years and we predicted more than a year ago real inflation will match that of three years ago of 14%.

We find it astounding that people are dumb enough to buy a 10-year note yielding 1.83% in an 11.4% inflationary environment and deliberately lose 9.4%. In 10-years almost all your purchasing power is gone. It is a small wonder that people are resorting to gold and silver coins, bullion and shares.

The bond market continues to reach ridiculous levels as the twist gets underway. During that process the dollar has rallied and the US 10-year note has begun trading at 1.83% yield. It is obvious that the Fed wants the 10 somewhere near 1%. That would put the 30-year fixed rate mortgage at 3% and perhaps lower. This move should boost official inflation from 3.8% to 5.5%, along with other factors to 5.5%. Unofficially that would put real inflation at 14%.

The higher bond levels have the Chinese all excited and they want to liquidate US Treasuries, but not dollars.

That presents quite a problem for the Fed because worse yet they want to use those dollars to gobble up American assets, and securities. This demand has come at a most unfortunate juncture.

There is definitely fear among bankers and central bankers who have no choice but to throw monetary caution to the wind. Leading the pack believe it or not is the Swiss National Bank, that great recent devaluer of currency.

Have they ever opened a can of worms?

We wonder whether the Japanese will get the go ahead from the Fed, as a reward for supplying dollars to Europe, to further devalue its yen? We will just have to wait and see. Will 45 days be enough for Europe? Of course not, and neither will 90 days suffice.

The slide of the European banking system won’t happen overnight. It will still take a year or two.

The elitists will do everything possible to extend the process.

You also have to take note regarding how fast the swap line was set up. Intervention is the name of the game, and everyone in the UK, US and Europe are in on it. All the professionals have to know this is not going to work, but no one is saying anything.
A conspiracy of silence. No one wants to say it but fascist Keynesianism is a failure. This is the foundation for future economic life for the New World Order and it is falling apart at the seams.

You might say it is the end product of centuries of fraud, deceit and the looting of each successive civilization.

The personification of what has been and is the evil within society.

The monstrosity the Illuminists have created is in the process of collapsing and rightly so.
Irrespective of how dollars are created they still make up about 60% of world Forex reserves and oil producers are forced to accept the dollar for oil in exchange for protection from the US and Britain. The dollars only challenge in a sea of fiat currencies is gold, which we believe has become again the world’s only real currency.

What we see in Europe reminds us that the euro is a failed experiment. Trillions more dollars have been and will be created to keep the current system functioning and each time more dollars are created it strengthens the case for gold.

Under current circumstances the dollar is not going to crash, although it will eventually. It still is the only viable paper world reserve currency, even though foreign central bank holdings have fallen from 72% to 60% in recent years. The closest competitor, the euro, can’t come close to challenging the dollar, only gold can.

In Europe September 29th is a big day.

On that day the Bundestag will decide whether to approve another Greek bailout. Our sources say they will approve it, although anything could happen. If this crisis passes over the next three months there will be a rush to pass legislation to allow the ECB to issue bonds. Once accomplished that would give the ECB the money and credit creating powers of the Fed and that would allow the ECB to stretch the problem out over a number of years.

These moves might solve the current liquidity crisis, but they won’t solve the solvency crisis. It is difficult to tell how long this sort of bailout will go on and how difficult the problems will be.

One thing is for sure inflation will rage and many nations will not want to subsidize others indefinitely. This will be especially true in smaller nations.

The goal by the ruling EU in Brussels will be to totally control the entire 27 nations involved. Can this be accomplished? We do not know, but we do know it will be very difficult to accomplish.
While Mrs. Merkel, German Chancellor, sees nothing suggesting a recession in Germany, the government is maneuvering behind the backs of its citizens to give unlimited power to the EFSF, the European Financial Stability Facility, which is not a legitimate entity, to support the hopelessly bankrupt euro system at the expense of German taxpayers and the common good.
This facility will strip Germany and all other participants of their sovereignty in its process of handling one facet of euro zone finance. The $500 billion in Swaps and the eventual bond issuance will guarantee much higher inflation.

Europe’s present problems are going to make the 2008 Lehman episode look like a walk in the park. The pooling of the debt burden and a further easing of monetary policy threatens to weaken the institutional framework of the EU.

German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble, who resides in the back pocket of the bankers has proposed a doubling of funds to be made available to the bankrupt sovereigns of just over $1 trillion. On September 29th the banker’s idea is to have the Bundestag the EFSF carte blanche to carry out measures to save the euro, the insolvent countries and banks.

If that were passed, all control passes to the EFSF and the ECB.

We believe that most Germans and selective others

are finally realizing that Brussels is the enemy.

The passage of legislation by Germany, which in part has already been passed by the Bundesrat (Senate) would leave Germany with no more say on the use or increase in funding just to save the euro, Greece and the other five countries, which is an impossible task at a cost of $4 to $6 trillion.

What the Bundestag does on 9/29/11 will dictate the future of Germany as an industrial and social nation far into the futures.

Will it be enslavement to the EFSF or freedom to run its own affairs?

This amounts to a coup d'état.

Coming on the heels of abject failure to solve the economic problems of the insolvent six countries.

What is happening in Europe, and particularly in Germany, is beyond belief ~ a plan to prop up the hopelessly bankrupt financial states through deregulation of the financial sector.

If legislation allows all this to happen you could have revolution in Germany and other countries.

It is a frightful situation.

Thursday, 8 September 2011

20 QUOTES FROM EUROPEAN LEADERS

 THAT PROVE THAT THEY KNOW 
THAT THE FINANCIAL SYSTEM IN EUROPE IS DOOMED
 
It looks as if things are going right along as planned as far as the instituting of the NWO goes in Europe. Iceland might just come out a winner after its rebellion against the banking system a few years ago.  

The Economic Collapse
September 8, 2011

The financial crisis in Europe has become so severe that it has put the future of the euro, and indeed the future of the EU itself, in doubt. 

If the financial system in Europe collapses, it is going to plunge the entire globe into chaos. 

The EU has a larger economy and a larger population than the United States does. 

The EU also has more Fortune 500 companies than the United States does. 

If the financial system in Europe breaks down, we are all doomed.  An economic collapse in Europe would unleash a financial tsunami that would sweep across the globe.  As I wrote about yesterday, the nightmarish sovereign debt crisis in Europe could potentially bring about the end of the euro.  

The future of the monetary union in Europe is being questioned all over the continent.  Without massive bailouts, there are at least 5 or 6 nations in Europe that will likely soon default.  The political will for continued bailouts is rapidly failing in northern Europe, so something needs to be done quickly to avert disaster.  Unfortunately, as anyone that has ever lived in Europe knows, things tend to move very, very slowly in Europe.

If the bailouts end and Europe is not able to come up with another plan before then, mass chaos is going to unleashed.  Most major European banks are massively exposed to European sovereign debt, and most of them are also very, very highly leveraged

If we see nations such as Greece, Portugal and Italy start to default we could have quite a few major European banks go down in rapid succession.  That could be the “tipping point” that sets off mass financial panic around the globe.

Of course the governments of Europe would probably step in to bail out many of those banks, but when the U.S. did something similar back in 2008 that didn’t prevent the world from plunging into a horrible worldwide recession.

Right now, the way that the monetary union is structured in Europe simply does not work.  Countries that are deep in debt have no flexibility in dealing with those debts, and citizens of wealthy countries such as Germany are becoming deeply resentful that they must keep shoveling money into the financial black holes of southern Europe.

These bailouts cannot go on indefinitely.  Political and financial authorities all over Europe know this and they also know that Europe is rapidly heading toward a day of reckoning.

The quotes that you are about to read are absolutely shocking.  In Europe they openly admit that the financial system is dying, that the euro is in danger of not surviving and that the EU does not work in its present form.


The following are 20 quotes from European leaders that prove that they know that the financial system in Europe is doomed….

“European elites, including German elites, must decide if they want the euro to survive ~ even at a high price ~ or not. If not, we should prepare for a controlled dismantling of the currency zone.”
Under the current structure and with the current membership, the euro does not work. Either the current structure will have to change, or the current membership will have to change.”
“The euro has never had the infrastructure that it requires.”
“I regard the huge buy-up of bonds of individual states by the ECB as legally and politically questionable. Article 123 of the Treaty on the EU’s workings prohibits the ECB from directly purchasing debt instruments, in order to safeguard the central banks independence”
“It is an open secret that numerous European banks would not survive having to revalue sovereign debt held on the banking book at market levels.”
“We are experiencing very demanding times”
“Developments this summer have indicated we are in a dangerous new phase”
“We must consider whether it would not be better for the currency union and for Greece itself to go for debt restructuring and an exit from the euro”
“We believe that we are just about to enter a critical period for the Eurozone and that the threat of some sort of break-up between now and year-end is greater than it has been at any time since the start of the crisis”
“The current crisis makes it relentlessly clear that we cannot have a common currency zone without a common fiscal, economic and social policy”
“Dealing with a banking crisis was difficult enough, but at least there were public-sector balance sheets on to which the problems could be moved. Once you move into sovereign debt, there is no answer; there’s no backstop.”
“We are on the verge of an economic collapse which starts, let’s say, in Greece. The financial system remains extremely vulnerable.”
“The current crisis facing the euro is the biggest test Europe has faced for decades, even since the Treaty of Rome was signed in 1957.”
“Member states would be economically better off if they had never joined. European monetary union was generally mis-sold to the population of the Europe.”
“It’s clear that the euro has virtually failed over the last ten years, even if you are not supposed to say that.”
“We’re in a survival crisis. We all have to work together in order to survive with the euro zone, because if we don’t survive with the euro zone we will not survive with the European Union.”
“If the euro fails, then Europe fails.”
“All this reminds one of the autumn of 2008″
“There has been a clear crisis of confidence that has seriously aggravated the situation. Measures need to be taken to ensure that this vicious circle is broken”
“The euro is in danger … If we don’t deal with this danger, then the consequences for us in Europe are incalculable.”


Most of the individuals quoted above desperately want to save the euro.  They are not going to go down without a fight.  

The overwhelming consensus among the political and financial elite in Europe is that increased European integration in Europe is the answer.

For example, EU President Herman Van Rompuy is very clear about what he believes the final result of this crisis will be….
“This crisis in the euro zone will strengthen European integration. That is my firm belief.”
Many of the elite in Europe are now openly talking about the need for a “United States of Europe”.  

Just consider what former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder recently had to say….
“From the European Commission, we should make a government which would be supervised by the European Parliament. And that means the United States of Europe.”
But as mentioned above, things in Europe tend to move very, very slowly.  The debt crisis in Europe is rapidly coming to a breaking point, and it is very doubtful that Europe will be able to move fast enough to head it off.

What we may actually see is at least a partial collapse of the euro and a massive financial crisis in Europe first, and then much deeper European integration being sold by authorities in Europe as “the solution” to the crisis.

This would be yet another example
of the classic problem/reaction/solution paradigm.

The “problem” would be a horrible financial crisis and economic downturn in Europe.

The “reaction” would be a cry from the European public for someone to “fix” things and return things back to “normal”.
The “solution” would be a “United States of Europe” with much deeper economic and political integration which is something that many among the political and financial elite of Europe have wanted for a long, long time.
Right now, the people of Europe are very much opposed to deeper economic and political integration. 

For example, 76 percent of Germans says that they have little or no faith in the euro and one recent poll found that German voters are against the introduction of “Eurobonds” by about a 5 to 1 margin.

It looks like it may take a major crisis in order to get the people of Europe to change their minds.

Unfortunately, it looks like that may be exactly what is going to happen.

Saturday, 4 June 2011

GREECE IS NWO TEST GROUND, SAYS GREEK READER

BECAUSE YOUR TURN WILL COME IF THEY EAT OUR COUNTRY!


There are several parts to this post. First is a letter written approximately 15 months ago from a Greek man to Henry Makow. In it he confirms what I have thought about the Greek situation with the bankers and the NWO all along. Greece is a testing ground for the implementation and takeover of a nation by the blood sucking bankers/Rothschilds/NWO.

As of this past week, with Greece already in need of yet another bailout, things look poor for the founding nation of the Western world; Greece has a recorded history of 5000 years, whose famous thinkers influence our world even today. I think of Democracy that abused word that once had real value on the planet... First they take the home of democracy, and then they take the world.... To deal with their debt, the bankers through their Hench organizations such as the IMF are offering a bailout IF the Greeks give up their national sovereignty to them so that they, the bankers, could exact taxes from them themselves!

So long Greece, your history is flushed down the toilet and you become slaves to the banks.

Now last year Iceland was faced with a similar proposition and they told the bankers to bug off and leave them alone. They stood firm and, although the first year was a tad tight, they are up and rolling again and doing quite well, thank you very much.

The European Union is only a partial step to what the Rothschilds want in pursuit of their NWO. They wish to destroy cultures (racial integration) so that it is easier to tear down borders and have just one big nation all the easier to handle. Greece is the low man on the EU financial totem pole so the blood suckers are trying to operate from the ground up. Spain and Portugal are in the radar as well. All the PIGS nations are (Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Spain).

The Greek people have been sold out by its leaders as you will read below. Indeed the situation described in the following letter is no different than what we see happening in North America in regards to culture and immigration and media pap. This, as I have said before, is an international movement to kill intelligence and ability to see through the lies. Or to know there are lies to begin with.

Logical thinking is being killed. The people of Greece will, I hope, rebel and rebel hard. Only this way will they stand a chance of survival. The video with Max Kaiser offers a more in-depth analysis of the situation as well as concrete sensible solutions to this problem. Remember folks, what they are trying to do in Greece, they have planned for the globe. Europe and then North America.

We must stand behind the people of Greece... the plans of these nefarious demonic bankers must be halted and only we, the people, can do that. I can think of no more glorious way to die if it comes to such a thing... and it could just come to that.

Also, the choices to be made, as outlined in the final article, should be left up to the Greek people... 

NOT the leaders, 
NOT the banks, 
but the people themselves as was done in Iceland last year. 


"All men of power here, get their power from plundering the Greek people, or having connections with those that do it."

By Christos
(for
www.henrymakow.com)
February 11, 2010 

Posted: June 4, 2011
 
I am 26 years old and live in Greece. I am writing this letter in order to let you know about a new law in Greece announced yesterday.

The financial minister of Greece announced yesterday that from 1/1/2011 all financial transactions of sums above 1500 euros in cash will be banned. For any transaction above 1500 euros, only credit cards and checks will be legal. The formal explanation for this law is it will combat those who do not pay taxes. But we all know this is not the case...

It seems the new world order wants to make Greece a testing ground for their new laws. For the past months, Greece has been attacked without mercy.

We have been called liars, frauds, cheaters, thieves. They are threatening us constantly with banning from the euro zone and default. [These charges are] not true. ...

The problem is, based on their accusations and (the virtual) bad situation of Greek finances, they will pass their experimental laws of their new world order.

The fairly new Government of the socialist party, elected 4 months ago, forgot all its promises, and is determined to pass laws giving citizenship to illegal immigrants after 5 years, without any trade-off.

We are 10 million Greeks here, and almost 3 million mostly illegal immigrants, who will obtain Greek nationality and will gain the right to bring their families here too...

In Pakistan there are even ads saying
"for 5000 euros we get you to Greece, to study free, work, make families, and obtain EU passports"...
And now this... The previous government created a new ID card, to collect data from people since childbirth. This government will ban transactions in cash over 1500 euros, in order to make all of us have credit cards.

The obvious first step is to ban all cash transactions, then merge this new ID card with the credit system, then, well.... insert this merged ID card into our bodies...

Our peoples' morale is low, society is disorganized because of immigration and propaganda, and we will not fight those laws.

YOU PEOPLE LIVING IN THE WESTERN WORLD,
BE PREPARED
BECAUSE THEY ARE PLANNING
THE SAME FOR YOU!

BACKGROUND

I will try to give you my personal view of the conditions in Greece.

First of all, there is no trust in politicians. Most people distrust them and know they are scum, but continue to vote for the same people in every election. This happens because they promise privileges in order to get votes. Most politicians are members of secret societies, and have close ties to USA and European elites.
Our current prime minister is even an American citizen...
A young man living in Greece and having no connections is hopeless. Without connections, he will have major difficulties if he wants to join a good University (or complete his studies without bribes), if he wants to find a job, or create his own. He will be forced to join the army while privileged young men with connections will illegally avoid it.

And there is no point discussing finding love... Of course pretty women will pick wealthier men, but in Greece even women of moderate appearance prefer men with deep pockets. They prefer sharing the top men than having a man only for themselves.

And the top men in Greece are all frauds. Greece, apart from some natural resources and its tourism industry, produces nothing of value. Corruption is so big, that all productive forces are drowned. All men of power here get their power from plundering the Greek people, or having connections with those that do it. Women (and their families) of course are not concerned about that. As long as someone is wealthy, he is desirable, and value as a person is irrelevant.

Despite poor economic condition (but not so desperate as to warrant dire measures), people in power take pleasure in attacking traditional customs, Orthodox Christianity, and traditional Greek patriots. They protect illegal immigrants, and silence their crimes. They attack Christianity, in the media, at schools etc. They are removing all Christian symbols from public places.

MEDIA

Greek media are a pile of garbage. For the biggest part of the day, most major TV networks will show shows discussing Greek "vips" lifestyle, sexual relations etc. There are few "political" shows and news shows, all trying to cover the truth and turn the attention of the people at matters of trivial importance. Propaganda is blatant. The previous government was literally destroyed by TV networks. They promoted heavily the current government, so strongly that previous prime minister was forced to make new elections despite being only for 2 years in government.

Current prime minister made promises, NONE of which kept after being elected. Only a few days after election, he went on with the plans of New World Order. He created an artificially dire financial situation, in order to be able to pass whatever laws he wanted, plus giving his friends some money...

He "cooked" our budget, by moving payments of 2010 in 2009 and incomes from 2009 to 2010, in order to both make our deficit bigger and be able to claim in 2010 that he "improved" our economy...
This doesn't mean that our previous prime minister wasn't a puppet, just that he wasn't able to fulfill New World Order directions like the new government.
Huge economic scandals are discovered every day, and buried by Greek propaganda media. And most honest people are so concerned with working 2 and 3 jobs in order to feed their families that they cannot fight this corruption.

Greek people work on average many more hours weekly than other EU countries, get much less pay, and pay more for the same products. And because of the traitors in government, EU newspapers and media call our people lazy.

They say we need to work even more and receive even less... Of course this is not true. The plunder of Greek people has been made with their assistance. But this is a long subject and I won’t go on with it.

CONCLUSION

In a few words... Life in Greece sucks. Since I am a computer programmer, I have many times thought about leaving for a better country and making my living there. But I do not want to abandon my home... yet.

I would be willing to fight this system, but I see no point since the system is so well entrenched it cannot be tackled by a few men alone.

The reason I wrote you my previous letter is because this new law of banning cash transactions above 1500 euros is just another step towards cashless society, and is being implemented in Greece as a testing phase.

I strongly believe it is a matter of time

before most western nations see similar laws.


"GREEK CRISIS IS COMING TO AMERICA"

The information provided to here is absolutely correct. 
 

HIGHLIGHTS-Greek FinMin unveils tax reform, wage policy
Tue Feb 9, 2010 11:37am EST


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Greece eyes 1 bln eur revenue boost from fuel tax
Wed, Feb 3 2010


ATHENS, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Greece outlined on Tuesday its public sector incomes policy and a tax reform bill, as part of an EU-endorsed plan to increase state revenues and reduce its huge deficit.


The following are comments by Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou at a press conference:


IMPACT OF REFORMS

"The total benefit of our incomes policy will be around 800 million euros.


EU

"EU partners and markets will closely monitor the implementation of our fiscal plan; I believe that the response will be positive. The measures that we have announced are becoming action"


TIME FOR CHANGE

"The time has come for major changes; the country can't afford to wait any longer"


TAXATION

"From 1. Jan. 2011, every transaction above 1,500 euros between natural persons and businesses, or between businesses, will not be considered legal if it is done in cash. Transactions will have to be done through debit or credit cards"


"With the new tax scale, there is a shift of the burden from low and middle income to high incomes.


"There's tax relief for incomes up to 40,000 (euros)"


"Taxable income based on the new scales will include capital gains from the short-term trading of stocks" 

MAX KAISER ~ NOT TO BE MISSED!


THE GREEK “ULTIMATUM”: 
BAILOUT (FOR THE BANKERS) 
AND (LOSS OF) SOVEREIGNTY

Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
May 30, 2011

So after one year of beating around the bush, it is finally made clear that, as many were expecting all along, the ultimate goal of the Greek “bailouts” is nothing short of the state’s (partial for now) annexation by Europe.

According to an FT breaking news article,
“European leaders are negotiating a deal that would lead to unprecedented outside intervention in the Greek economy, including international involvement in tax collection and privatization of state assets, in exchange for new bail-out loans for Athens. People involved in the talks said the package would also include incentives for private holders of Greek debt voluntarily to extend Athens’ repayment schedule, as well as another round of austerity measures.”
Thus Greece is faced with the banker win-win choice, of not only abandoning sovereignty, a first in modern “democratic” history, in the pursuit of “Greek” policies that are beneficial for Europe, or not get a bailout, which would only serve to prevent senior bondholder impairments.
How could Greek leaders and its population possibly not accept such an attractive option which either leaves the country as another Olli Rehn protectorate, or forces it to not bailout Europe’s overleveraged banker class.
In essence Europe is now convinced, just like Hank Paulson was on September 14, 2008, that the downstream effects from letting Greece implode are manageable. But the key development is that the Greek bankruptcy, which from the beginning, and as Peter Tchir’s note below demonstrates, was always simply a Greek choice, was just made that much easier.
From the FT:
People involved in the talks said the package would also include incentives for private holders of Greek debt voluntarily to extend Athens’ repayment schedule, as well as another round of austerity measures.
Officials hope that as much as half of the €60bn-€70bn ($86bn-$100bn) in new financing needed by Athens until the end of 2013 could be accounted for without new loans. Under a plan advocated by some, much of that would be covered by the sale of state assets and the change in repayment terms for private debt holders.

Eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund would then need to lend an additional €30bn-€35bn on top of the €110bn already promised as part of the bail-out programme agreed last year.

Officials warned, however, that almost every element of the new package faced significant opposition from at least one of the governments and institutions involved in the current negotiations and a deal could still unravel.

And the latest set of very timely observations from TF Market’s Peter Tchir.

YOU CAN LEAD A TROJAN HORSE TO WATER
BUT YOU CAN’T MAKE HIM DRINK

Restructuring in one form or another seems imminent rather than years away.

Well, it seems as though this week’s news flow has spurred the mainstream media into action.  Everywhere you look there are stories about the Greek credit crisis.  It is encouraging to see that more of them now agree with my view that a restructuring would occur sooner rather than later. 

Only a month ago, almost every article and every piece of official street research made it clear that a restructuring was at least a year off, if not longer. I demonstrated why I thought that opinion was wrong, and although I haven’t been proven correct yet, I am no longer in a tiny minority. 

Restructuring (reprofiling or default or whatever you want to call it) will not be easy, but I remain convinced that it is the best outcome for Greece and in the long run will be the best outcome for Europe even with the short term pain it will cause.

There is growing scrutiny of the ECB’s actions and motivations

It has also become painfully obvious to everyone that the actions of the ECB are making any resolution more difficult.   Someone, other than me, has now called the ECB ‘pathological’ in their resistance to restructuring. 

The ECB, led by Trichet, made a major mistake in their purchase of Greek bonds in the secondary market.  It is unclear what they intended to gain (other than a short squeeze) as Greece was not tapping the capital markets for new bond deals.  If Trichet worked at a real bank, he would have been fired by now, or allowed ‘to pursue time with his family’.  Someone who was not part of the bad decision would be brought in to oversee the positions.  The ECB needs to change personnel immediately and bring in someone fresh to be part of the negotiations who can focus on what is best going forward and not on how best to cover up previous mistakes.

IT IS GREECE’S DECISION

TO DEFAULT OR NOT,

NOT THE ECB’S OR EU’S

I continue to be confused by the fact that most people talk about the issue from the lender’s perspective. 

“Should Greece be allowed to default?”

“Does it teach Greece a bad lesson if they let them walk away? “

“Won’t Greece just default again if the ECB lets them walk away?”

The reality is the IMF, or ECB, or EU can offer money to Greece, but it is Greece’s decision to borrow more to pay off old debts. 

Only Greece can decide to make payments and not default or demand restructuring.  Other entities or countries can make it easier for Greece to kick the can down the road, but in the end, only Greece can decide whether or not to pay its bills.

The people of Greece seem to prefer default.  It is fairly clear that this is not a short term liquidity problem, but a longer term solvency problem for Greece. 

Greece has some assets it can sell, but as I have said time and again, they will still have those assets to secure new funds after a default/restructuring. 
I continue to believe it is in the best interest of Greece to default and it is their decision, no one else’s. 

It may be bad for the rest of Europe if Greece defaults, but that really should not be the priority of the Greek government.
If Greece defaults, the creditors can then take steps to enforce their rights.  If a person fails to pay on their mortgage, the banks can enact their rights to foreclose.  If a U.S. company fails to pay its debt, creditors will suit, and the company and debtors will typically resolve the issue in the courts under Chapter 11 or Chapter 7. 

There are similar statutes for corporate defaults in other countries.  The real reason that we are hearing so much about this from the lenders perspective, rather than the borrowers, is because it is not very clear what the lenders’ rights are if Greece stops paying.

If Greece stops paying, the lenders cannot ‘foreclose’ on it.  There is no law that dictates how to proceed like chapter 11 does.  The bonds have very few if any covenants.  The lawsuits would have to be won in Greek courts and then enforced by people employed by the Greek government.  Good luck with that.

The reason the lenders have an almost irrational need to avoid a default, is they don’t know what they will get if Greece does default.  There is no good way to analyze it.  Their ultimate recovery will be based on some threats of future lending, rights of set-off, and maybe some threats of trade sanctions, but unlike a mortgage or a corporate bond, there is no good way to analyze the potential outcome.  There is a reason ‘vulture’ funds focus on corporate debt much more than sovereign ~ there is a way to analyze the outcomes; it is not just guess work.
So people can continue to comment on whether Greece should be allowed to default, but that misses the point.  Lenders can make it easy for Greece to make payments, but choosing to default or not remains solely a Greek decision and they should do what is best for them.