THE International Monetary Fund Thread (merged)

[Chaparral]

This is a most revolting development. How are the economic hit men going to make a living if everyone pays off their debts? This might create job opportunities for the jackals to come in and persuade these nations to take on new debt.

[greenworm]

I think far from a failure, this is a success of IMF policies to get their respective financial houses in order.

With that said, this is against their every intention. Roger's line concerning solvency and bankrupcy was a nice summation.

there has also been debt write-off.

That should be "f*ck-offs", not write-off, but write-off is the polite way of saying it.

[KevO]

Bloomberg Article Here
" Sept. 14 (Bloomberg) -- The International Monetary Fund raised its 2007 oil-price forecast 20 percent to $75.50 a barrel, citing the risk of cuts in supplies from major producers as consumption rises.

The projection was raised from the $63 estimated in April, the Washington-based fund said in its semi-annual World Economic Outlook today in Singapore. The IMF's number tops all but one of the 30 analysts' predictions tracked by Bloomberg.

``With spare capacity remaining at very low levels, supply concerns have played a growing role in pushing up oil prices,'' the IMF said in its World Economic Outlook published today. ``A major disruption in a large producer or a further escalation of security concerns in the Middle East could well lead to another upward oil price spike.'' "

more at link

[KevO]

do they know something we predict?

[shortonoil]

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This could have something to due with the reports that the Middle East is on the verge of exploding. The Europeans are now amassing the greatest navel fleet in the Mid, that has been seen since War II!

DEBKAfile Exclusive Military Report

This expectation has brought together the greatest sea and air armada Europe has ever assembled at any point on earth since World War II: two carriers with 75 fighter-bombers, spy planes and helicopters on their decks; 15 warships of various types – 7 French, 5 Italian, 2-3 Green, 3-5 German, and five American; thousands of Marines – French, Italian and German, as well as 1,800 US Marines.

http://www.debka.com/article.php?aid=1208

Also, it could be that other things are percolating below our radar. J.B. Morgan has, in the last quarter floated $5.5 trillion, (almost one half of the GNP for the US), in derivatives on natural gas. Since natgas is supposedly above inventory levels for this time of year, what do they know that we don’t! $5.5 trillion is not bird seed money; this is mind binding!

http://www.financialsense.com/fsu/edito ... /0913.html

I expect that we are in for a serious wakeup call, and morons of FOX aren’t going to tell us about it until the bell goes off.

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[KevO]

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This could have something to due with the reports that the Middle East is on the verge of exploding. The Europeans are now amassing the greatest navel fleet in the Mid, that has been seen since War II!

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O M G

[rwwff]

I expect that we are in for a serious wakeup call, and morons of FOX aren’t going to tell us about it until the bell goes off.

And when they do, it'll be set to a "March on Victory" music and screaching pictures of F/A 18 Super Hornets.

[Fergus]

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This could have something to due with the reports that the Middle East is on the verge of exploding. The Europeans are now amassing the greatest navel fleet in the Mid, that has been seen since War II!

DEBKAfile Exclusive Military Report

This expectation has brought together the greatest sea and air armada Europe has ever assembled at any point on earth since World War II: two carriers with 75 fighter-bombers, spy planes and helicopters on their decks; 15 warships of various types – 7 French, 5 Italian, 2-3 Green, 3-5 German, and five American; thousands of Marines – French, Italian and German, as well as 1,800 US Marines.

http://www.debka.com/article.php?aid=1208

Also, it could be that other things are percolating below our radar. J.B. Morgan has, in the last quarter floated $5.5 trillion, (almost one half of the GNP for the US), in derivatives on natural gas. Since natgas is supposedly above inventory levels for this time of year, what do they know that we don’t! $5.5 trillion is not bird seed money; this is mind binding!

http://www.financialsense.com/fsu/edito ... /0913.html

I expect that we are in for a serious wakeup call, and morons of FOX aren’t going to tell us about it until the bell goes off.

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Wow. Had no idea about that build up in the med. Thats scary. Especially when you consider they could become a liability in that area. It looks more and more likely a flair up could occur over in the mid east.

[seahorse2]

The massive amout JP Morgan put into natural gas is just astounding. Others have argued it wouldn't be possible to manipulate markets, I don't think so, especially when we see these large traders are exempt from SEC regs for national security reasons.

[ClubOfRomeII]

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This could have something to due with the reports that the Middle East is on the verge of exploding. The Europeans are now amassing the greatest navel fleet in the Mid, that has been seen since War II!

Once there was a Frenchman, who after assembling the best and largest Naval flotilla his, and other European countries could put together, remarked apon running naval exercises with the American Sixth Fleet,

"Our stuff looks like bathtub toys compared to theirs".

Lets not get to excited now when we talk about ANYTHING European, and naval, in the same sentence.

Unless of course we want to relive ancient history, prior to the 21st century, by which time Europeans were mostly irrelevant?

[KevO]

Unless of course we want to relive ancient history, prior to the 21st century, by which time Europeans were mostly irrelevant?

Come now. You are a European as it was them pesky Europeans that discovered America, (which pleased the Indians as they hadn't a f****** clue where they were) but that's what you are.

[shortonoil]

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rwwff said:

And when they do, it'll be set to a "March on Victory" music and screaching pictures of F/A 18 Super Hornets.

I hope your WWI combat boots still fit.



Fergus said:

Wow. Had no idea about that build up in the med. Thats scary. Especially when you consider they could become a liability in that area. It looks more and more likely a flair up could occur over in the mid east.

We have, also got the Russians and Chinese to deal with in the area. They both have huge investments in Iran and other Middle Eastern countries, and the Russians, I’m sure, have not forgotten the $32 billion screwing that Bush gave them when he, liberated, Iraq. Small wonder that J.P. Morgan and Citicorp have corned all the natural gas that will be available for the foreseeable future.

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[shortonoil]

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ClubOfRomeII said:

Lets not get to excited now when we talk about ANYTHING European, and naval, in the same sentence.

It is also possible, that a lot of US carriers will be operating in the future, as fish farms on the bottom of the Mediterranean, when they run into a swarm of Russian Sunburn missiles!

Now, that would rapidly and decidedly change the world’s balance of power. Hubris, as Shrub and company are finding out, is a very poor strategy to base ones actions upon!

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[Novus]

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http://www.debka.com/article.php?aid=1208

Also, it could be that other things are percolating below our radar. J.B. Morgan has, in the last quarter floated $5.5 trillion, (almost one half of the GNP for the US), in derivatives on natural gas. Since natgas is supposedly above inventory levels for this time of year, what do they know that we don’t! $5.5 trillion is not bird seed money; this is mind binding!

Iran is the largest producer of natural gas after Russia. So basically one of the largest banks in America has placed a 5 trillion dollar bet that Iran will be attacked and world natural gas supplies will be severely interupted.

[rwwff]

I hope your WWI combat boots still fit.

I'm not that old and creaky. Hopefully by the time they get around to drafting someone as beat up as me, they'll let me bring my own boots along.

Maybe I should pick up a new pair of regulation boots and get'em good and broken in. They're pretty comfy..

It is also possible, that a lot of US carriers will be operating in the future, as fish farms on the bottom of the Mediterranean, when they run into a swarm of Russian Sunburn missiles!

While it would be interesting to see some results from a non asymetric engagement, I don't think the Sunburn's will do the task.

Warhead is just too small. Could do some serious damage I'm sure, but there won't be any carriers sunk via sunburn.

A review of WWII naval footage will provide a good reference to how how damage a ship can take without ceasing combat operations or sinking.

[ipWinston]

I'm visitng the IMF with my college class tomorrow and we're encouraged to ask questions...
any suggestions?

[shortonoil]

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Novus said:

Iran is the largest producer of natural gas after Russia. So basically one of the largest banks in America has placed a 5 trillion dollar bet that Iran will be attacked and world natural gas supplies will be severely interupted..

Makes more sense than any other argument, good insight Novus. We know that Shrub’s pack are attached at the hip with the big investment banks, so tipping off your buddies to a great little investment scam seems quite possible. What happened to military secrecy; National Security an all that crap? Sounds more like Atlas Shrugged every day, the thugs and thieves take over the government and drain the country! Oh well, it’s just money. When these vipers are done it will be ironic that the money they stole at the expense of 100,000s of thousand lives and their nation’s misery, will be absolutely useless. It will serves them right, but how about the future generations that will live in total abject poverty for generations. It sort of defines evil, doesn’t it?

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[rwwff]

When these vipers are done it will be ironic that the money they stole at the expense of 100,000s of thousand lives and their nation’s misery, will be absolutely useless.

Nahh, these guys diversify as soon as they absolutely can. Its like a religion for them. Within weeks of cashing out, they'll have that money in rubels and euros and gold and silver and guns and yen and yuan; they'll be in stocks of a thousand different companies in a dozen different exchanges.

It sort of defines evil, doesn’t it?

Power is evil. It permits men to do what they would only otherwise wistfully dream about. It makes nightmares real.

[Free]

Let's also not forget:
1.) the reason for the European naval build up, namely enforcing peace in Lebanon.

2.) the poor reputation of DEBKA, who repeatedly have proven to report biased and sensational. Namely they spread the meme of "WWIII around the corner because of evil Iran muslim conspiracy only waiting to attack blah blah blah...."

[ClubOfRomeII]

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ClubOfRomeII said:

Lets not get to excited now when we talk about ANYTHING European, and naval, in the same sentence.

It is also possible, that a lot of US carriers will be operating in the future, as fish farms on the bottom of the Mediterranean, when they run into a swarm of Russian Sunburn missiles!

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Could be!! But alot of people have been betting against carrier battle groups for a long time, and I imagine the game will continue until someone finds and builds something better. But it ain't happened yet.