US Austerity in the Face of a “Fiscal Cliff”

The financial news yesterday was dominated by alarming reports from Europe.

“Backlash,” said The Financial Times…referring to an “anti-austerity wave” that washed over Europe in weekend voting.

If the FT doesn’t mind mixing metaphors, we don’t either. But our metaphors are a bit different. What has happened is not a backlash but a wake-up call. It comes as voters realize that the placebo medicine — phony, half-hearted austerity measures peddled by the Euro elite — don’t work. They want an elixir with more of a kick to it. That’s why the leftists are gaining so much ground.

[Read more...]

US Austerity in the Face of a “Fiscal Cliff”

The financial news yesterday was dominated by alarming reports from Europe.

“Backlash,” said The Financial Times…referring to an “anti-austerity wave” that washed over Europe in weekend voting.

If the FT doesn’t mind mixing metaphors, we don’t either. But our metaphors are a bit different. What has happened is not a backlash but a wake-up call. It comes as voters realize that the placebo medicine — phony, half-hearted austerity measures peddled by the Euro elite — don’t work. They want an elixir with more of a kick to it. That’s why the leftists are gaining so much ground.

[Read more...]

US Austerity in the Face of a “Fiscal Cliff”

The financial news yesterday was dominated by alarming reports from Europe.

“Backlash,” said The Financial Times…referring to an “anti-austerity wave” that washed over Europe in weekend voting.

If the FT doesn’t mind mixing metaphors, we don’t either. But our metaphors are a bit different. What has happened is not a backlash but a wake-up call. It comes as voters realize that the placebo medicine — phony, half-hearted austerity measures peddled by the Euro elite — don’t work. They want an elixir with more of a kick to it. That’s why the leftists are gaining so much ground.

[Read more...]

US Austerity in the Face of a “Fiscal Cliff”

The financial news yesterday was dominated by alarming reports from Europe.

“Backlash,” said The Financial Times…referring to an “anti-austerity wave” that washed over Europe in weekend voting.

If the FT doesn’t mind mixing metaphors, we don’t either. But our metaphors are a bit different. What has happened is not a backlash but a wake-up call. It comes as voters realize that the placebo medicine — phony, half-hearted austerity measures peddled by the Euro elite — don’t work. They want an elixir with more of a kick to it. That’s why the leftists are gaining so much ground.

[Read more...]

Default Therapy

The Greek crisis has been solved…again. Let’s see…that’s probably about 24 “solutions” during the last 24 months.

But since these solutions never seem to solve anything, Europe’s central bankers, technocrats and politicians get to huddle together every few weeks and solve the crisis over and over again. It’s kind of like Disneyland for euro-meddlers. They get to keep going on their favorite ride over and over again.

[Read more...]

Moody’s Downgrades Six Eurozone Nations

Yesterday, Chris told you about how the Greek Parliament had approved the latest round of budget cuts, which should have put the next bailout payment on the greased tracks. Chris also explained how this was causing a reversal of the short positions in the euro, which really had turned the “risk on” campers. Well, that euphoria in the currencies and metals was short-lived, because just as soon as the currencies were ready to tell the “shorts” to move over, the ratings agencies came swooping in to rain on the risk assets parade.

[Read more...]

Greece Forms a New Government

It’s raining on the Eurozone leaders again this morning. To get you caught up, let me go back to what happened since I signed off on Friday morning. First of all Greek Prime Minister (PM) Papandreou, did receive a positive Confidence Vote from his Parliament, regarding the Eurozone Grand Plan… But there was a caveat to the vote… It was approved only on the understanding that Papandreou would step down, and that a new government would be formed to take them into the next election on February 19, 2012.

[Read more...]

Reformed Broker’s True/False on Wall Street After Downgrade

After another 630-plus nosedive of a day for the Dow –  the major market indices’ most negative day since 2008′s financial crisis — it was refreshing to see a dose of levelheadedness over at The Reformed Broker.

[Read more...]

When Lenders Stop Lending

The Dow shot up 152 points yesterday…following an announcement that Greek voters had approved more austerity measures.

So, the Greek crisis has been solved…Dominique Strauss-Kahn may not have raped that hotel maid, after all…and the Chinese are buying euros.

Whew… A close call! But now the Greek crisis is behind us. We can get back to work…and all get rich.

[Read more...]