Tag Archives: bailout

Expect some kind of bailout for Greece

Word this morning is that there will be some kind of bailout for Greece. I would expect it to take the form of a guarantee of Greek sovereign euro debt, with some degree of explicitness and a time limit. They have to roll over about 23 billion euros over the next few weeks.

To those who have pointed out that the ECB has no fiscal authority: quite right, but that’s not what’s needed here. The ECB and other authorities can guarantee Greek debt just as they did with interbank loans during the financial crisis. I keep thinking there’s a role for currency swaps with the Swiss National Bank, but I haven’t heard talk of that from anyone else.

As I’ve pointed out before, this never felt to me like the kind of crisis that would produce another 2008. The Eurozone people have way too much invested here, on two fronts. First, they can’t afford for anyone to question the viability of the euro, and possibly risk higher interest rates across the zone. Second, they can’t afford to let the IMF rescue Greece, because it would look like they don’t have things under control.

It’s almost comical to hear the French…

Gold For Oil and Son of Cash For Clunkers

Today’s Coffee and Markets podcast focuses on the oft-reported backroom dealings of the Gulf states on oil and the dollar, and the more realistic possibility of a second bailout for the auto industry.

Good Question!

In the event that the Obama Administration moves to bail out newspapers–as many have sought for it to do either through direct aid or through relaxing antitrust restrictions so that newspapers can merge and/or consolidate–will the Administration demand that heads of newspaper companies get fired?

Bailout!

How economic decisions really get made:

Burning Down Detroit

Detroit can come back, and so can the American auto industry that supports it. But the hard choice has to be made. It’s time to bombard the Motor City with urban policy chemo.

Winners & Losers in Obama’s Mortgage Fix

It’s too early to figure out what President Obama actually proposed yesterday in the way of mortgage reforms. It’s not even right to call it a proposal, since we’re not getting full details for another couple of weeks. It seems like Obama is trying to lead by press release.

- March 21, 2010 -

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