Comments for a neoconservative, mugged by reality http://cartmanist.wordpress.com Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:15:12 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on Criminal by Cassandra http://cartmanist.wordpress.com/2008/10/29/criminal/#comment-1045 Cassandra Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:15:12 +0000 http://cartmanist.wordpress.com/?p=593#comment-1045 I thought the exchange should have halted trade for the sake of the integrity of the market it was so blatant. The German and the EU need to close the loophole that allows OTC derivative positions to skirt disclosure requirements. I mean, really, cash-settled single-stock options. It was as if Porsche, executed a stocker-corner, an expiration-manipulation, unscrupulous insider-trading and profditing from material non-public information while flipping the bird to regulators on the spirit of disclosure requirements. Yes, if all the investment managers decided en-masse to eschew their Porsches for more pedestrian BMWs, they could give Porsche a dose of their own medicine. I thought the exchange should have halted trade for the sake of the integrity of the market it was so blatant. The German and the EU need to close the loophole that allows OTC derivative positions to skirt disclosure requirements. I mean, really, cash-settled single-stock options.

It was as if Porsche, executed a stocker-corner, an expiration-manipulation, unscrupulous insider-trading and profditing from material non-public information while flipping the bird to regulators on the spirit of disclosure requirements.

Yes, if all the investment managers decided en-masse to eschew their Porsches for more pedestrian BMWs, they could give Porsche a dose of their own medicine.

]]> Comment on Hawks fiddle while al-Mustaqbal collapses by beiruti http://cartmanist.wordpress.com/2008/05/10/hawks-fiddle-while-al-mustaqbal-collapses/#comment-1042 beiruti Sat, 20 Sep 2008 19:17:24 +0000 http://cartmanist.wordpress.com/?p=537#comment-1042 beirutis and future movement which represents them have nthn to do with israel! and we certainly are not their allies! if anything we are their enemies! but so are hizballa, as they also incaded beirut.. beirutis and future movement which represents them have nthn to do with israel! and we certainly are not their allies! if anything we are their enemies! but so are hizballa, as they also incaded beirut..

]]> Comment on The US Treasury bill is no longer the safest asset in the world by lourdes kelly http://cartmanist.wordpress.com/2008/03/11/the-us-treasury-is-no-longer-the-safest-asset-in-the-world/#comment-1041 lourdes kelly Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:17:18 +0000 http://cartmanist.wordpress.com/?p=402#comment-1041 I don't understand what is meant by my comment undergoing moderation. I don’t understand what is meant by my comment undergoing moderation.

]]> Comment on The US Treasury bill is no longer the safest asset in the world by lourdes kelly http://cartmanist.wordpress.com/2008/03/11/the-us-treasury-is-no-longer-the-safest-asset-in-the-world/#comment-1040 lourdes kelly Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:14:45 +0000 http://cartmanist.wordpress.com/?p=402#comment-1040 you do not date your entry although what you wrote seems up-to-date. In the past, have you recommended alternatives to treasuries. I am impressed by your analysis and await your response. you do not date your entry although what you wrote seems up-to-date. In the past, have you recommended alternatives to treasuries.

I am impressed by your analysis and await your response.

]]> Comment on “It depends on what your definition of stagflation is” by Gail http://cartmanist.wordpress.com/2007/12/14/it-depends-on-what-your-definition-of-stagflation-is/#comment-1039 Gail Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:17:55 +0000 http://cartmanist.wordpress.com/2007/12/14/it-depends-on-what-your-definition-of-stagflation-is/#comment-1039 Yes, Mankiw is an idiot. Yes, Mankiw is an idiot.

]]> Comment on The mystery of the Iranian oil tankers by RG http://cartmanist.wordpress.com/2008/05/17/the-mystery-of-the-iranian-oil-tankers/#comment-1026 RG Sun, 22 Jun 2008 23:12:25 +0000 http://cartmanist.wordpress.com/?p=556#comment-1026 Iran would be happy to sell their oil (their economy at home is not so good) but it's a high sulfur oil grade and refineries that can process it are presumably shutdown... From: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aCvsbL.iegY0&refer=home I doubt that if the oil was dumped that it would hamper CBGs that much. And that's assuming we would even sail in there with their silkworm missiles and the narrow confines of the Strait of Hormuz. They are certainly not friendly to us but we don't have to overreact to everything... Iran would be happy to sell their oil (their economy at home is not so good) but it’s a high sulfur oil grade and refineries that can process it are presumably shutdown…

From:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aCvsbL.iegY0&refer=home

I doubt that if the oil was dumped that it would hamper CBGs that much. And that’s assuming we would even sail in there with their silkworm missiles and the narrow confines of the Strait of Hormuz.

They are certainly not friendly to us but we don’t have to overreact to everything…

]]> Comment on US regulators drive more speculation offshore by a Duoist http://cartmanist.wordpress.com/2008/06/18/us-regulators-drive-more-speculation-offshore/#comment-1023 a Duoist Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:39:27 +0000 http://cartmanist.wordpress.com/?p=589#comment-1023 With no proof of market manipulation, and completely ignoring the vital importance of off-setting speculators in a futures market, the regulators beat the drums to scare the politicians into increasing the regulators' budgets. Lost in the bureaucracy's pork pie is the law of supply and demand: If we want lower oil prices, drill for more oil. With no proof of market manipulation, and completely ignoring the vital importance of off-setting speculators in a futures market, the regulators beat the drums to scare the politicians into increasing the regulators’ budgets.

Lost in the bureaucracy’s pork pie is the law of supply and demand: If we want lower oil prices, drill for more oil.

]]> Comment on Same script, different day: the Asian Financial Crisis of 2008? by a Duoist http://cartmanist.wordpress.com/2008/06/14/same-script-different-day-the-asian-financial-crisis-of-2008/#comment-1022 a Duoist Sat, 14 Jun 2008 22:52:58 +0000 http://cartmanist.wordpress.com/?p=588#comment-1022 The causes of inflation have been known for years; the cures are so politically unpalatable that central banks forever stall their implementation until the collapse has begun. It's interesting to see the rising inflation in the booming socialist nations, like Vietnam and China, and the non-boom socialist Zimbabwe. The socialist nations have just as difficult a time in biting the political bullet on fighting inflation as the capitalist countries. Central bank independence appears to be the only viable long-term solution, but it is easy to see that many countries will not allow their money supply to de-link from their politics, especially in the socialist nations which perceive all economics to be a matter of class discrimination. The causes of inflation have been known for years; the cures are so politically unpalatable that central banks forever stall their implementation until the collapse has begun.

It’s interesting to see the rising inflation in the booming socialist nations, like Vietnam and China, and the non-boom socialist Zimbabwe. The socialist nations have just as difficult a time in biting the political bullet on fighting inflation as the capitalist countries.

Central bank independence appears to be the only viable long-term solution, but it is easy to see that many countries will not allow their money supply to de-link from their politics, especially in the socialist nations which perceive all economics to be a matter of class discrimination.

]]> Comment on Huh? by a Duoist http://cartmanist.wordpress.com/2008/06/09/huh/#comment-1016 a Duoist Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:22:48 +0000 http://cartmanist.wordpress.com/?p=584#comment-1016 Holding rates steady is hardly the behavior of an inflation 'hawk.' Who is kidding whom? National elections are in five months, and Congress goes home to campaign for re-election beginning on July 4. The Fed is going to fight inflation in the few months just before a national election? As always, central bank "credibility," or the lack thereof, moves markets. Jawboning to influence markets will work once, maybe twice, but will forever damage the all-important credibility of a central banker. Holding rates steady is hardly the behavior of an inflation ‘hawk.’ Who is kidding whom? National elections are in five months, and Congress goes home to campaign for re-election beginning on July 4. The Fed is going to fight inflation in the few months just before a national election?

As always, central bank “credibility,” or the lack thereof, moves markets. Jawboning to influence markets will work once, maybe twice, but will forever damage the all-important credibility of a central banker.

]]> Comment on Academic malpractice by NYT front page slobbers all over BS Bernanke « a neoconservative, mugged by reality http://cartmanist.wordpress.com/2007/11/26/academic-malpractice/#comment-1001 NYT front page slobbers all over BS Bernanke « a neoconservative, mugged by reality Wed, 28 May 2008 16:03:26 +0000 http://cartmanist.wordpress.com/2007/11/26/academic-malpractice/#comment-1001 [...] yours truly noted back in November, Charles Calomiris wrote a verbose and obtuse article for VoxEU which proclaimed [...] [...] yours truly noted back in November, Charles Calomiris wrote a verbose and obtuse article for VoxEU which proclaimed [...]

]]>