In These New Times

A new paradigm for a post-imperial world

Massive bailout for British banks fraudulently presented as nationalisation

Posted by seumasach on October 8, 2008

The text below is the full text of the governments latest rescue scheme. This has been presented via the media and and right across the political spectrum as some kind of nationalisation or partial nationalisation of the banks. Here are the references to the governments role in this arrangement and the conditions attached:

“the Government is establishing a facility, which will make available Tier 1 capital in appropriate form (expected to be preference shares or PIBS) to ‘eligible institutions'”

“If the Government is to provide the capital, the issue will carry terms and conditions that appropriately reflect the financial commitment being made by the taxpayer. In reaching agreement on capital investment the Government will need to take into account dividend policies and executive compensation practices and will require a full commitment to support lending to small businesses and home buyers.”

“The current expectation is that the guarantee would be issued out of a specifically designated Government-backed English incorporated company.”

“In order to facilitate this process the Government is making available £25bn to be drawn on by these institutions if desired to assist in this process as preference share capital or PIBS and is also willing to assist in the raising of ordinary equity if requested to do so.”

“It is being made available immediately to the eight institutions named above in recognition of their commitment to strengthen their aggregate capital position.”

In summary, there are “expectations” that the government will take shares in the banks “if desired”. Apart from that £200 bullion plus is to be made available subject to vague commitments. The banker’s word is his bond: the government bond is the banker’s This statement makes absolutely clear the subordination of His Majesty’s Government to the banking cartel. Britain is now a fully-fledged kleptocracy which  claims entitlement to all available wealth in the country. The process of the fleecing of the population through inflation, taxation and assorted acts of fraud has now been set in motion, in earnest.

Cailean Bochanan

8th October, 2008

Guardian After consultation with the Bank of England and the Financial Services Authority, the Government announces that it is bringing forward specific and comprehensive measures to ensure the stability of the financial system and to protect ordinary savers, depositors, businesses and borrowers. Read the rest of this entry »

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Time’s green hero Dilawar Mohammed fights for the sparrow

Posted by smeddum on October 8, 2008

Time’s green hero Dilawar Mohammed fights for the sparrow

October 7th, 2008 – 5:17 pm ICT by IANS – Thaindian News

Mumbai, Oct 7 (IANS) Dilawar Mohammed, one of the winners of Time magazine’s Heroes of the Environment-2008, is a crusader for the almost ignored bird – the common sparrow.He is almost single-handedly struggling to raise awareness about conserving the common sparrow, which he feels is facing a severe threat from humans. Read the rest of this entry »

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Immediate Reaction to Government Bans Bail Out Proposals. John McDonnell MP

Posted by smeddum on October 8, 2008

Amazingly, McDonnell claims once again in Guardian comment that this is a part nationalisation. And yet what evidence is there in Darling’s statement that this is even partial nationalisation?

Immediate Reaction to Government Bans Bail Out Proposals. john4leader
This is the press release I have put out this morning in response to the Chancellor’s announcement of the Government’s bank bail out proposals.

Government Plan Nationalises Losses

Taxpayers to pay for Bankers Greed

Fear Too Little Too Late Read the rest of this entry »

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Iceland crown falls vs euro after PM fails to reassure

Posted by seumasach on October 8, 2008

Reporting by Carolyn Cohn and Natsuko Waki

Forbes

LONDON, Oct 7 (Reuters) – The Icelandic crown fell against the euro on Tuesday after comments from Icelandic Prime Minister Geir Haarde failed to reassure investors.

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Iceland c.bank says pegs crown to Euro

Posted by seumasach on October 8, 2008

Reuters

STOCKHOLM/REYKJAVIK, Oct 7 (Reuters) – Iceland’s central bank said on Tuesday it would peg the island’s crown to a basket of currencies at a level of 131 per euro effective immediately, confirming earlier reports.

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Iceland unions push government to join EU

Posted by seumasach on October 7, 2008

Can anyone think of another offshore financial speculator economy whose currency has become very vulnerable against the Euro?

Leigh Philips

EU Observer

6th October, 2008

Iceland’s trade unions want the country to join the European Union in return for help in an economic rescue plan, as the island state’s government holds emergency talks to shore up its teetering economy.

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The Wall Street bust

Posted by seumasach on October 7, 2008

Doug Noland

Asia Times

7h October

Click on link above for full article

I still owe readers a thorough analysis of the Q2 2008 flow of funds. For now, I’ll just point out some data relevant to the current state of acute fragility.

Looking back, Total Non-Financial Debt (NFD) expanded US$578 billion during 1994. By 1998, NFD growth for the year had surpassed $1.0 trillion. Non-Financial Credit increased $1.153 trillion in 2001, $1.415 trillion in 2002, and $1.676 trillion in 2003, before reaching the $2.0 trillion milestone in 2004. Incredible as it was, debt expansion then surged over the next fateful three years. Growth rose to $2.319 trillion in 2005, $2.428 trillion in 2006 andthen to last year’s record $2.561 trillion.

Importantly, this historic credit inflation inflated asset prices, incomes, corporate cashflows/earnings, government revenues, and various types of spending throughout the US and global economy. It was a self-sustaining bubble bolstered by ongoing credit excesses, asset inflation and resulting purchasing power gains. But NFD growth slowed sharply to an annualized $1.726 trillion during this year’s first quarter and then sank to $1.127 trillion annualized during the second quarter. Credit growth is now in the process of collapsing.
We are today witnessing the acute stage of bursting credit bubble dynamics. It’s an absolute debacle, and there’s little our well-intentioned policymakers can do about it other than try to slow the collapse. To be sure, there were momentous effects to both the economic and financial structures during the bubble period between 1994’s $578 billion non-financial debt growth and 2007’s $2.561 trillion. It is also worth noting that financial sector debt expanded $462 billion in 1994 compared with $1.753 trillion in 2007. Mortgage debt almost doubled in the six years 2002 through 2007 to $14.0 trillion, while financial sector borrowings rose 75% to $16.0 trillion.
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A fatal flaw in Afghan peace process

Posted by seumasach on October 7, 2008

M.K. Bhadrakumar

Asia Times

8th October, 2008

With the reported intra-Afghan talks under the mediation of Saudi Arabia in Mecca on September 24-27, attention inevitably shifts to the hidden aspects of the “war on terror” in Afghanistan – the geopolitics of the war. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who has committed to pulling out Canadian troops from Afghanistan in 2011, let the cat out of the bag last week when he said that some Western leaders wrongly believed North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) troops could stay there forever.
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Iceland should turn to the IMF, not Russia

Posted by seumasach on October 7, 2008

A E4bn loan from Russia might make financial sense – although Russians might think otherwise given Moscow’s shaky finances. But it would create strategic ructions. Iceland is a NATO member, but Russia would want something in return for a loan equal to almost a third of the tiny state’s GDP. The US would fret this could eventually mean a Russian military presence in the North Atlantic.

These Telegraph fuddie-duddies, like the  ensemble of British punditry, have yet to grasp that the game is up, that support is coming from the East and that it will come with a geopolitical price. Despite British and US pressure, Iceland rejected IMF “help”.

George Hay

Telegraph

7th October, 2008

It has pegged the krona to the euro at 131 – the rate had swooned towards 200 on Monday – and is searching for foreign reserves. That’s a good idea. Less good is the idea to pass the cap to Russia.

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Will Paulson bail out Iceland?

Posted by seumasach on October 7, 2008

7th October, 2008
LONDON (MarketWatch) — It’s hard to imagine a less politically popular move, but the way things are headed the first recipient of the $700 billion bailout money that Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson has to spend could very well be Iceland.

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Iceland Central Bank Receives 4 Billion Euro Loan From Russia

Posted by alfied on October 7, 2008

If it were the USA lending this money I think the phrase “there’s no such thing as a free lunch” would be to the fore. However I’m am sure the Russians are far too discreet to use such a term.

Oct. 7 (Bloomberg) — Russia agreed to lend Iceland’s central bank 4 billion euros ($5.43 billion) to inject liquidity into the financial system, the bank said. Read the rest of this entry »

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