Tag Archives: John Fraher

Issing Says IMF Better Suited Than EU to Greek Rescue

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Except Greece probably doesn’t qualify under normal IMF standards, and the IMF would have to get short euro to make the payment.

And ideologically it means ceding control of EU macro policy to an external international institution with strong US influence.

Nor does the macro work, as the ‘strict enough conditions’ imposed will further weaken demand in Greece and the rest of the EU.

Also, the rapidly expanding deficit of Greece has benefited the entire EU and a sudden reversal will reverse those forces.

Likewise, leaving the EU would be contractionary/deflationary for the EU.

But if they all believe the IMF is the way to go there’s a good chance it happens.

Meanwhile, Greece and the rest of the eurozone is being revealed as necessarily being in a continual state of ponzi that demands institutional resolution
of some sort to be sustainable.

Issing Says IMF Better Suited Than EU to Greek Rescue, NYT Says

By John Fraher

Feb. 8 (Bloomberg) — Former European Central Bank Chief Economist Otmar Issing said the International Monetary Fund may be better suited to rescuing Greece than the European Union, the New York Times said, citing an interview.

“I don’t think that the EU can impose the kind of sanctions that would be needed, and it would make Brussels too unpopular,” the newspaper cited Issing as saying in an article published Feb. 6. “A better way is for Greece to approach the IMF. It is the only institution that can impose strict enough conditions.”

Issing said he doesn’t see support “in Germany or elsewhere” for a bailout that would involve “a more or less disguised transfer of taxpayer money,” the paper said.

Issing said leaving the euro region would be “economic suicide” for Greece, though he dismissed the idea that it would hurt the euro region as “misguided,” the paper said.


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Fed to lend to CBs in unlimited quantities unsecured (Update2)

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Functionally, the Fed seems to have agreed to lend USD to the ECB in unlimited quantities unsecured and non-recourse.

This defies comprehension.

It’s potentially functionally a fiscal transfer.

Interesting they have the authority to do that.

They wouldn’t even do it for the US banks where the Fed demands collateral for loans.

It opens the door to widespread fraud and corruption as the ECB can now lend USD without supervision or regulation and in any quantity.

Somehow this got under Congress’ radar screen.

Watch for the size of the first USD auction.

The ECB and other CBs are going to set a rate and fill all requests at that rate.

Could be over $1 trillion?

Should bring USD LIBOR down to near the Fed Funds rate.

Helps the euro vs the USD at first.

However, the primary way they pay the Fed back is for someone down the line to sell euros and buy USD.

USD debt is external debt for foreign CB’s, so they are in much the same position the emerging market nations used to be in when they were choked with USD debt.

Still trying to comprehend all the ramifications, but they are very large.

This also means no government should default in the eurozone due to bank funding issues.

As long as the Fed lends unsecured and in unlimited quantities to the ECB and they do the same with their banks, the banks will be able to continue operating regardless of how technically insolvent they may be. It’s only when the funding is cut off or regulators step in that the problems surface.

It’s like the Fed is at risk of backing an international ponzi scheme again, watch for the size of the auctions.

They could snowball into the trillions, and be very difficult to shut down.

Which would also mean accelerating inflation.

Fed Releases Flood of Dollars, Market Rates Fall (Update2)

by John Fraher and Simon Kennedy

Oct. 13 (Bloomberg) The Federal Reserve led an unprecedented push by central banks to flood the financial system with dollars, backing up government efforts to restore confidence and helping to drive down money-market rates.

The ECB, the Bank of England and the Swiss central bank will auction unlimited dollar funds with maturities of seven days, 28 days and 84 days at a fixed interest rate, the Washington-based Fed said today. All of the previous dollar swap arrangements between the Fed and other central banks were capped.


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Fed to lend in unlimited quantites to foreign CBs??? (Update1)

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This is hard to believe. Those CBs don’t have unlimited USD.

So, if true, they will be borrowing them from the Fed via an extension of Fed swap lines.

The FOMC has approved lines of $620 billion as last reported.

This is functionally unsecured lending to these CBs.

Repayment can only come from selling their own currencies for the needed USDs.

(or by somehow net exporting to the US or selling assets to the US which are hard to imagine.)

Somehow, this high risk, unsecured, ‘back door’ lending has remained under all radar screens.

And, if true, we will soon see the total USD funding need in the Eurozone.

Fed Says ECB, Others to Offer Unlimited Dollar Funds

by John Fraher and Simone Meier

Oct. 13 (Bloomberg) The U.S. Federal Reserve led an unprecedented push by central banks to flood financial markets with dollars, backing up government efforts to restore confidence in the banking system.

The ECB, the Bank of England and the Swiss central bank will offer unlimited dollar funds in auctions with maturities of seven days, 28 days and 84 days at a fixed interest rate, the Washington-based Fed said today. The Bank of Japan may introduce “similar measures.”


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