Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Disk Drive Sector Discussion Forum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: tom pope who wrote (1697)	12/6/1997 2:25:00 AM
From: Z Analyzer	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9256

<<t doesn't really matter when the IMF imposes its calvinist conditions on Ecuador (or whatever) and causes the country to tank for a decade. It will matter if it causes Southeast Asia plus Korea to fall into credit and asset contraction. Because that will ripple to the rest of the world.>> Let's not forget that Korea, not the IMF is responsible for Korea's problem's. Korea asked for and got help which must mean they believe their prospects under IMF conditions are better than without assistance. Clearly the worst case would be to provide funds and allow the present course to continue. Just like a company that has run itself into bankruptcy, changes are clearly needed. And while not everyone may agree with the required changes, I would prefer to see them mandated by an organization which can be credited with a very successful Mexican bailout and which has never lost money on a loan. If countries have failed under IMF supervision, perhaps it is because not enough change occured. When talking of South America, equitable distribution of income comes to mind first.

To: tom pope who wrote (1697)	12/8/1997 1:34:00 AM
From: Gus	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9256

Good point, Tom. It's going to be interesting to see the capitalist purists at the IMF try to untangle the financial mess created in part by the US which overtly and covertly brokered all sorts of deals with a motley assortment of dictators and centralized governments up and down Asia as part of the cold war. Crony capitalism is really nothing more than a byproduct of the Cold War economics that involved the good ole carrot and stick. The US line: Give us a stable front against the communists and you and your cronies get access to our financial and domestic markets while you can protect yours. Be a tottering domino and start to lose control and you're going to vacation indefinitely in Hawaii just like Marcos. This is not to excuse the obvious structural inefficiencies in place, though, because Lee Kuan Yew, the Singapore dictator, has proven that changes are necessary and possible to implement; but, it should at the very least temper that jingoistic insistence on strictly overlaying a very successful 220 year old American capitalist structure over cultures that have been free-trading for thousands of years. As the late Mao Tse Tung was fond of pointing out to all those US-sponsored dictators and generals whom he routinely invited to the Mainland, " You can't change the map." This was his way of saying, " Get what you can from the big guy, but sooner or later you are going to have to deal with us." Regards, Gus