It is now obvious to me -- the IMF has figured out what Suharto is up to, and is trying to keep him from defaulting on derivatives debts -- which he would do if he sets up the currency board.
I think the more serious matter is that the IMF is apparently scared about non-payment of debt and -- probably derivatives trades play a major part. So -- are the creditors other banks or hedge funds -- who is not getting paid, what sort of derivatives are they and how much money is in default?
SDRer, are you still awake? What are those hedge funds, international banks,etc going to do to get their derivatives 'winnings' paid off?
My guess is that -- if I were Suharto, or the leader of a SEAsian country, the last debt I would worry about would be a debt incurred on the OTC derivatives market. Who will enforce payment?
Hence -- the IMF reaction to Suharto's currency board idea is highly significant, and suggests that a boatload of money is missing somewhere.
IN MY BACK YARD!!!!!
I would provide a little cautionary response to your statement about gold going down first, and then up later as the dollar and other currencies are inflated to compensate. And -- that is that this debt compensation by dollar inflation might not happen immediately. I think there is historical precedent for that -- such as the S&L crisis in the US. I think also that one of G. Soro's books addresses an earlier period when there were major worldwide debt defaults -- I do not recall how long it took for the compensatory inflationary events to take place.
All I can say is that I hope others who wish to share knowledge anonymously witness this moment as I refuse your generous offer to ensure the integrity of our contributors at large. Aside from the fact that it's unlikely that I'd even be able to fulfill your request, how much would you have gone up to, max?
To Bfiler: You said: "Why not hire fulltime conpiracy theorists to post daily ( you'll need imagination like he Penthouse letter writers ) and that way keep a low level hysteria present which might help you in charging fees for this site. Can I go ahead and give you my credit card number right now? "
So you're saying that I've conspired with myself to create an illusion of having extinguished some off-topic postings. Firstly I'm pleased to see, by the nature of your accusation, that you agree that the messages of that sort don't really belong here. Secondly I'm glad that you brought up that point because now those who know that not to be true are the same people who were suggesting that one should be suspicious of what ever they read. Maybe they learned something. Maybe they didn't. I bet some think that you're another alter ego and I'm just having a great time talking to myself. The point is is that the stories that people write in to Penthouse ARE absolutley true, which should tell you that maybe it's time for you to get out more.
About the credit card. To save time I'm asking that everybody simply post their credit card numbers here on the group. Don't forget to include your address because sometimes it's needed to get an authorization.
Ted: For Cape Bretoners only, you'll have to mail me the actual credit card.
SpudMaster: Love your comment on the WallStreet derivatives losses in SEAsia. Kind of doubtful that the South Korean, or Indonesian or other SEAsian courts are going to be sympathetic -- and if so, how will they pay their creditors?
Sounds like the IMF has not come to terms with the fact that the SEAsian countries must address local issues of currency liquidity first to get their respective economies back on line -- to prevent further deflation. Other debt issues such as derivatives defaults will be the last to be addressed.
I would like to buy $20 SAINTS MS63 or better, graded and slabbed need help to find best price. Quantity 100 piece lots. Anyhelp with best price would be appreciated. Isure@ aol.com
Consolidated African Mines ( CAM.Johannesburg Exch ) He said it was trading ( early Feb ) at a 47% discount to its net asset value of 2.91 Rand.
Do you have any kind words for this company?
Thanks in advance!
Tom
There are several problems with this:
First, as far as I know the gold paper derivatives only account for 25% of the total gold market, and do not significantly alter the price of gold -- My reference is the Canarc Gold Teleconference that Frank Veneroso hosted -- Dec 1998 I think. The text is archived on Kitco.
Secondly, I do not see how the gold loans ( 8000tonnes ) can be pyramided with derivatives -- I would think they could only be 'rolled over'
Thirdly, if the LBMA goes 'belly up', it closes down for a few days, and then starts trading again, or another bullion site -- such as Istanbul takes over. The LBMA has been in business for over 200 years, and I doubt this market, which a Rothschild presides over every day would be allowed to shut down. Reagardless, the LBMA is a clearing house -- so the price of gold is irrelevant. Of course, the brokers could still go belly up, and Frank Veneroso, said that several had been 'stiffed' by CB's that promised to deliver, but failed to do so.
I think the following scenario is more likely for a gold bear return: A hidden currency crisis. For example, what is that emergency world banking session all about?
As I have said before ( and others ) gold is being used by the 'powers that be' in a contrarian manner. If it goes down any further, it just shows how desperate someone must be to increase the gold derivative load over 8000 tonnes, or to sell gold outright.
I guess one thing we should consider is how low could gold go if all the CB gold was loaned in a final desperate act. I will leave that to the gold gurus to figure out.
I will consider gold testing $280/oz as a buying opportunity.
I would guess that the LBMA could offer the 'high-roller' type Big Trader just about any trade a derivatives expert could concoct, with just about any currency he could desire. I am very rusty on this --was discussed before -- I think any currency with an unusually high 'real' return would work well with the gold 'bear' scenario.
All: Does anyone know if gold bullion trading volume on the LBMA has increased again? Is it now above 2000tonnes/day? That might give us a clue of how bad things are getting.
But the U.S. & their brave & staunch ally just bombed the sh!t of a 3rd world defenceless
Country, further pauperizing millions of innocent civilians. A proud moment in U.S.
history...no doubt. Right up there with the bombing of Laos & Cambodia.
I hope that you are not going to argue that Iraq is capaple of defending itself. Even if they do have WMD, the U.S. has acknowledged that they have no delivery systems. The U.S. militarly will fire cruise missiles from hundreds of miles away & drop their bombs from 30,000 ft-
safely above the Iraqi's anti- aircraft defenses, the same as they did the first time. It may not be an honourable way to wage war, but it's definitely effective. You know what Noam Chomsky said about the gulf war.
If you don't maybe you should read him. OTOH it would probably complicate your comfortable lifestyle & rationalizations, since you would'nt be able to call him an anti-semite.
I am beginning to realize that it is human nature to cling without reason to a certain belief system -- such faith in as our paper currencies -- well beyond what logic would tell us we should. In desperation, we cling to what 'is' -- throwing anything we should have saved on the fire in a vain attempt to put it out. And -- the system will eventually be restructured to what was being resisted anyway.
Hence, we may not have seen the end of gold loans by CB's, despite the fact that logic would tell us that these should stop now. The destruction of a 'belief system' is a nonlinear process -- and part of human nature. Hence the reason why we humans are tied to these infernal cycles between 'paper' and 'real' assets, as well as numerous other cycles.
I hope my above scenario does not pan out -- perhaps gold will only test $280/oz.
Thanks
SDRer, Donald: Do you have any new estimates regarding world-wide insolvency?
Possible Indicators of Instability:
i ) Stability of US dollar -- sudden ups or downs -- 5% or more in two or three days.
ii ) Sudden changes in dollar interest rates.
iii ) A continued rise in the gold bullion volume traded on the LBMA. This information is recorded monthly, but is hard to obtain.
iv ) Sudden changes in the dollar volume of OTC market trades around the world ( I defer details to others more expert that myself ) .
v ) Sudden up or down changes in the price of gold.
vi ) Sudden drops in selected equity markets -- US probably last to be affected.
I think the next few weeks to months will be interesting, as the world's financeers begin to realize that the SEAsian currency crisis is not yet over. I wonder - when will we see a spread of the financial 'flu' to Russia, China, and South America?
'The current market situation is compatible with a near-term peak inside the contracting triangle illustrated in the January and February issues. Near-term price relationships allow for another 3% up to cap the rise, but the long-term Fibonacci price relationships in the 8200s-8300s that EWT pointed out six months ago have been achieved. The highest targets at Supercycle, Cycle, and Primary degree were 8336, 8321 and 8327, respectively. Today's close of 8369.60 is just 0.6% away from the ideal target of 8319. The August high was about the same distance below it.
Technical indicators are consistent with a top very near by. Take a look at this series of peak daily advance/decline ratios for the NYSE over the past year: 4.17 ( 5/2 ) , 3.65 ( 11/3 ) , 2.79 ( 12/30 ) , 2.55 ( 1/13 ) , 2.54 ( 1/16 ) , 2.12 ( 2/2 ) , 1.85 ( 2/10 ) . The latter ratio is particularly weak given that it ocurreed on a 115-point up day that scored a 'breakout' to a new all-time high. Today, with the Dow up 55 points, there were as many stocks down as up. Near-term rates of change continue to diverge as well. These two indicators reflect a persistent slowing in upside momentum. In the sentiment area, put/call ratios have been running low for several weeks.'
TED Spread - I still do not fully understand the TED spread -- I think it stems from the fact that Eurodollar investment articles are not backed up by the US government, but US treasuries are. So -- during a crisis -- money suddenly flows from Eurodollars into regular US dollar investments. Am I right? Is there any way for the small investor to get into TED spreads with cheap, long term 'out of the money' type trades? Ie -- 'throwaway' money?
Gold lease rates -- I have no idea how to read these. Do you know?
Comex -- Any news on Comex gold and silver stocks? Somebody really pulled the plug on the price of silver today -- a concerted attempt to shake out the weak bulls so that some more long trades could be set up?
Gold lease rates are published daily here at Kitco. I think anything running over 4% and accelerating would be a strong signal on a historical basis.
Last I looked at 'FRED', the St Louis CB site, private and corporate debt was at $15 trillion US, and the most debt reduction was being reduced with the good times we have had was about $250 billion/year. I know we have about $5trillion in 'official' debt, increased by about $200 billion in the last 6 months or so, despite our nearly zero deficit. As far as I can tell, most of that 200 trillion must have gone to bail our SEAsia. There is another 10 trillion or so in unfunded entitlements.
The US debt stuff would take at least one-two years to be a problem if interest rates shot up -- so that is not an immediate problem, and an easy way to sweep debt under the rug for our children to worry about.
I would guess that, in the US, besides derivatives losses, another indicator worth watching is credit card debt -- which was nearly maxed out last I checked.
It really does look like our markets are running on vapor, doesn't it?
Just how much debt are we really in? Just where are all the creditors?
I would bet that most of us on this site are well into positive net worth, and most US corporations, if you believe their balance sheets, are usually in positive territory. And we are supposed to have an average savings rate of about 3-4%.
I was looking at the most recent Economist book on the state of the world's economies, and the US comes out much better than France and Germany when it comes to debt. Surely there must be many other countries in the world with more net assets per person than the US -- other than Switzerland.
Meanwhile, here at home, we all sit and watch ( on TV ) in fascination as to the 'effectiveness' of these weapons systems.
What was Einstein's warning? Something about bouncing rubble...
Now, as to the complacency of the markets! Gold refuses to move, probably because it 'knows' that this is a 'joke'. Unfortunately, it isn't and people will die. Meanwhile, the dollar remains the quintessential 'safe haven'. God help us if something 'unforeseen' happens.
Why am I reminded of LBJ and Vietnam? "Bomb the hell out of them, and don't send in any troops." That didn't work either. Perhaps this solution could work for Bosnia also, let everyone who wants to go at it, do so. The last person left standing wins..........
I wonder -- perhaps the reason we have trouble with all of this debt, is that most of the world's countries are in debt up to their eyeballs. I think one of the problems with our 'credit' approach to pulling the world's varied economies out of recession, is that debt keeps accumulating during each economic cycle. Yes -- we have softened all the recessions, and avoided deflationary action in commodities, but at a terrible price. Eventually the entire system of debt will come crashing down. Sort of like what we learned about preventing forest fires in Yellowstone park -- unfortunately all of that expensive prevention lead to a conflagration from all of that accumulated brush.
But -- it still makes sense to compare one country with another to see who is at greatest risk. And -- it would be nice to see how the US really stands.
If I were born tomorrow in the US, the amount of this debt I would owe -- just by being born -- would be about $140,000. And -- I would not have a job with enough income to seriously start paying it off until I was in my twenties.
Just wait until 2010-2015 when Social Security comes home to roost.
So -- how much is that gold really worth in Fort Knox?
Is a citizen a part of the Rothschild jewish conspiricy if they vote for
socialist legislation only achieved and sustained through government currency credit expansion and deficit spending?
Three other recent items of interest.
The Chinese Premier, in Moscow to meet Mr Yeltsin, has issued a joint communique with Mr Yeltsin DEMANDING a "diplomatic" solution to the Iraq problem
Argentina has announced that the "Mancasur" nations, of which it is one, will meet this northern summer re discussing setting up a mutual "reserve currency".
The Finance Ministers of 22 nations are to meet in Washington - subject as yet not stated.
Gold is slowly but surely losing its grip on the $US 300 level. If the Japanese "Big Bang" does take place, its a good bet that a lot if individual Japanese money will be heading for $US - and they won't be going there to buy Gold, not in the short term.
PS I do not think it is acceptable practice here for me to include The Privateer's URL. If I am mistaken, Bart, please let me know.
All of this hand wringing over Iraq. As usual, it's not about Iraq. I was just listening to a radio program, and a caller said that he was worried about a hand grenade with anthrax in it being used as a terrorist weapon. Geeeez! Stir peoples imaginations and.... O.K. Back to gold.....
"I'm also praying for a spiritual healing throughout this greed-centered planet. Let us hope that peace will win out over war. ....."
--Skip ......... .........................
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Light on the horizon.
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I too find my self worried that in looking for rise in the price of gold at the expense of great suffering an anguish around the world I may awaken and find my middle name is Juda.
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It came from Olivers' post earlier this hour. I would appreciate your comments after you have read the article.