How Big is "Too Big to Fail," Exactly?
Like any other international organization, the IMF portrays itself as a technocratic institution instead of a political one. In other words, they would like others to see themselves as economic exper…
Showing posts with the label IMF
IMF's Bad Guys: Quota Reform Without the USA
As any number of blog posts in the IPE Zone will attest, there is no finer pantomime villain than the United States [ insert your favorite villain sound effect here ]. From inventing reasons to invad…
IMF Bails Out Ukraine...and Franklin Templeton?
With some foreign currency savings in the bank, I have been in the market for a better return than a time deposit. I was thus offered some mutual funds that are becoming quite popular with retail cli…
IMF Masochism: Another Ukraine Rescue Package
Ho-hum, here we go again: Ukraine has inked yet another deal with the IMF as one of the IFI's most hard-up of repeat customers. In a press release dated 3/27/2014: The mission has reached a staf…
Bailout Fatigue: Republicans, Ukraine and IMF Funding
During the European financial crisis, the term " bailout fatigue " was coined to mean Germans getting tired of bailing out undisciplined EU members. Now, the term is being bandied about as …
The Semi-Unfixables: Cyprus, Tunisia
Oh, the western world's woes: it has now taken on the incredible financial basket case that is Ukraine while not exactly "fixing" the situations of its other chronic deadbeats. Today, c…
What's Worse, Russian Ruble or Ukranian Hryvnia?
As you can see, it's Ukraine by a country mile which is worse off, but that's not saying much for Russia's economic prospects. In Latin America, the two junk currencies and economies du j…
If I Were the West, I'd Let Russia 'Have' Ukraine
Gazprom-sponsored German star offers opinion on an EU rescue of Ukraine? Ukraine is a poisoned chalice insofar as it resembles Russia: corrupt and inefficient. Yes, there are geopolitical advantages …
After Ukraine: Argentine, Venezuelan or Thai Gov't Falls?
Business as usual in downtown Caracas Which shaky government will fall next? That is the question. The honest truth is that Ukraine's economic situation was hardly improved by either the pro-EU Y…
Economy Sucks, Tunisian Islamists Give Up Power?
Yippee Arab Spring! Tunisia, another economic basket case for the IMF This may be the ultimate application of Bill Clinton's principle of "it's the economy, stupid." It's no big…
Russia's Price for Buying Off Ukraine: $15B
Put 'er there, Vlad, my country's yours for $15 billion Let us update this strange tale of Ukraine. Having told his opponents to in effect get lost since they didn't win any elections or…
IMF Returns; Will Pakistanis Hate US Even More?
I entitled an earlier post about Pakistan, the US and the IMF " When Cash & Hate Collide ." To underline that assertion, here's Exhibit A: In a recent Pew Global Attitudes poll , th…
Is the IMF Beating Colleges at Online Learning?
There is a big debate raging in academia about the relevance of university education as we know it today: First, it is becoming increasingly expensive as salaries remain stagnant or even decline as …
IMF Agrees w/Cheney: Deficits Don't Matter for US
Here we go again: for everyone else--especially the likes of Egypt, Pakistan and so forth, deficits do matter. But for the United States which (they say) has little funding its current account defic…
Too Strategic to Fail? The IMF & Pakistan (Again)
With its forex reserves down to a trifling $6.4 billion, Pakistan is definitely in trouble. You know the drill : the United States will not let Pakistan descend into chaos--make that civil disorder e…
The IMF is Unfair (Duh): Japan v Egypt
That the IMF has special and differential treatment for developed countries over developing countries is an unoriginal criticism of the institution. For whatever reason, rich donor countries do not g…
Mideast Tragicomedy: Iraq's '$4B Bailout' of Egypt
It is no big secret that Egypt has been scrounging around the Middle East for emergency funding insofar as it has been unable to conclude an IMF deal. Famously, mercurial Qatar has stepped into the b…
Island Lovin': Chasing Revenue in Cyprus, Falklands
No pina coladas for you I'm afraid. On today's blogging menu are--can you believe it--tax cheats and squid. In the past I've enumerated the generic ways island nations or protectorates …