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Iceland Erects Middle Finger, Wins
Market-Ticker.org ^ | 2/20/12 | Karl Denninger

Posted on 02/20/2012 8:09:06 AM PST by Kartographer

Banks were closed and reorganized, depositors protected and external creditors told to stuff it. Despite claims at the time of "dire consequences" they never materialized -- oh threats were made, but in the end nobody invaded and nobody did a damn thing about it, because they couldn't.

As for handcuffs, we might get those too....

Iceland’s special prosecutor has said it may indict as many as 90 people, while more than 200, including the former chief executives at the three biggest banks, face criminal charges.

That would be a great thing indeed.

The lesson here is that you don't have to put up with the banksters and the world will not end if you feed them to the sharks. Rather, what will happen is that your economy will recover.

We should all make them eat their own cooking, following Iceland's example.

(Excerpt) Read more at market-ticker.org ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; Society
KEYWORDS: denninger; iceland; ticker
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This is what Should/needs to be done here. Will it hurt? Hell yes it will. Will we get through it HELL YES we will. But there are a lot of people in banking, investing and in the watchdog agencies that need to be given new jobs where they spend their days making like rocks out of big rocks and their nights learning the pleasures of domestic bliss under the gentle tutelage of former crack dealing street thugs.
1 posted on 02/20/2012 8:09:12 AM PST by Kartographer
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To: Kartographer

We need to prosecute thousands ... including many government and political crooks.


2 posted on 02/20/2012 8:14:04 AM PST by FreeAtlanta (Liberty and Justice for ALL)
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To: Kartographer

No need to excerpt:

“Market Ticker content may be reproduced or excerpted online provided full attribution is given and the original article source is linked to. Please contact Karl Denninger for reprint permission in other media. “


3 posted on 02/20/2012 8:14:24 AM PST by An.American.Expatriate (Here's my strategy on the War against Terrorism: We win, they lose. - with apologies to R.R.)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; ...

Thanks Kartographer.
Iceland’s special prosecutor has said it may indict as many as 90 people, while more than 200, including the former chief executives at the three biggest banks, face criminal charges. That would be a great thing indeed. The lesson here is that you don't have to put up with the banksters and the world will not end if you feed them to the sharks. Rather, what will happen is that your economy will recover. We should all make them eat their own cooking, following Iceland's example.
It's true. Private property and earning a living are overrated. Our only hope is the government and federal judiciary.


4 posted on 02/20/2012 8:23:53 AM PST by SunkenCiv (FReep this FReepathon!)
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To: Kartographer

As a country, we can’t default. It’s unconstitutional, which is too bad, because it world be the best outcome, at this point.

No one would lend us any money for a good, long time, effectively forcing government to balance its budget, indefinitely. The economy would take off.


5 posted on 02/20/2012 8:26:52 AM PST by St_Thomas_Aquinas (Viva Christo Rey!)
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To: Kartographer
I'd be happy to just incarcerate them under the Japanese prison model. The link is to a New York Times story nearly 16 years old. Things have not changed a lot, including the ongoing threat of lawsuits, to which the Japanese courts continue to extend their middle finger.

Japanese prisons still turn out a lot of high quality manufactured goods. When I lived there, one of the things we looked forward to was the annual sale of prison made furniture at the local Dai-Ei (Japan's Wal-Mart equivalent). It was beautiful top museum quality craftsmanship, something we couldn't afford, but some people did. Some of our more wealthy Japanese friends told me it was bargain priced for the superb quality.

As you might suppose, people who put in 15 hour work days producing this quality of craftsmanship, do not have any energy left to rape, study law, study Islam or riot. But I repeat myself.

6 posted on 02/20/2012 8:29:38 AM PST by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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To: Kartographer

You can close the banks if, like Iceland, most of the depositors are overseas. What are they going to do, invade? Some of them considered it.

However, if the depositors are located right in your country, then things become considerably more complex. The money that disappears in uninsured accounts belongs to your citizens and companies, and the losses will be felt throughout the economy.


7 posted on 02/20/2012 8:34:01 AM PST by proxy_user
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To: St_Thomas_Aquinas

Please post the relevant part of our Constitution that forbids the US Government from not paying it debts.


8 posted on 02/20/2012 9:00:01 AM PST by FreedomNotSafety
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To: FreeAtlanta

Why are people saying its OK to default? What crime did the banks commit that would permit debtors to default? Iceland’s banking crisis resulted from people borrowing too much plus an overvalued currency plus the fact that Iceland is a small market that it vulnerable to swings in interest rates and lending standards in other countries. None of those things are crimes. The same thing happened in a lot of other countries.

The issue is people living above their means and borrowing too much. At a national level, the issue is government over-spending. None of those things are cured by default. Default is the easy way out of dealing with our private and public over-spending problem. Did some banks commit crimes? Yes. Was criminal activity the cause of the crisis? No. We need to buckle down and stop spending and live within our means. Default is a quick fix for people who don’t want to deal with the real issues. Ultimately, it destroys the credit markets which is not a good thing in the long term.


9 posted on 02/20/2012 9:14:31 AM PST by Opinionated Blowhard ("When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.")
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To: FreeAtlanta

Why are people saying its OK to default? What crime did the banks commit that would permit debtors to default? Iceland’s banking crisis resulted from people borrowing too much plus an overvalued currency plus the fact that Iceland is a small market that it vulnerable to swings in interest rates and lending standards in other countries. None of those things are crimes. The same thing happened in a lot of other countries.

The issue is people living above their means and borrowing too much. At a national level, the issue is government over-spending. None of those things are cured by default. Default is the easy way out of dealing with our private and public over-spending problem. Did some banks commit crimes? Yes. Was criminal activity the cause of the crisis? No. We need to buckle down and stop spending and live within our means. Default is a quick fix for people who don’t want to deal with the real issues. Ultimately, it destroys the credit markets which is not a good thing in the long term.


10 posted on 02/20/2012 9:15:24 AM PST by Opinionated Blowhard ("When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.")
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To: Kartographer
Banks were closed and reorganized, depositors protected and external creditors told to stuff it. Despite claims at the time of "dire consequences" they never materialized

Of course they didn't....and they wouldn't have materialized here neither, if they bailouts never happened....now all they've done is to make the inevitable even worse.

11 posted on 02/20/2012 9:16:03 AM PST by dfwgator (Don't wake up in a roadside ditch. Get rid of Romney.)
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To: St_Thomas_Aquinas
As a country, we can’t default. It’s unconstitutional, which is too bad, because it world be the best outcome, at this point.

No one would lend us any money for a good, long time, effectively forcing government to balance its budget, indefinitely. The economy would take off.

Alexander Hamilton would disagree. And our country was much worse off financially after the Revolutionary War.

12 posted on 02/20/2012 9:21:06 AM PST by Moonman62 (The US has become a government with a country, rather than a country with a government.)
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To: proxy_user

There is nothing to stop congress from dropping all of the numerous guarantees it has made. It can drop FDIC, FAN, FRED, Sallie Mae, and the like, anytime it wishes.

It can pass legislation and drop all social welfare programs including Social Security and Medicare tomorrow.

It can flood the world with US dollars and devalue the debt.

Government debt is often referred to as “Sovereign” debt. It sounds all highfalutin but it simply means the King is God and gets to do as he pleases.

“Government debt, especially that held in bonds denominated in foreign currencies. Under the doctrine of sovereign immunity, the repayment of sovereign debt cannot be forced by the creditors and it is thus subject to compulsory rescheduling, interest rate reduction, or even repudiation. The only protection available to the creditors is threat of the loss of credibility and lowering of the international standing (the sovereign debt rating) of a country, which may make it much more difficult to borrow in the future.”

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/sovereign-debt.html#ixzz1mwVOTta7

Pain? Sure there will be pain but it is going to happen. It is a straightforward political calculation as to how we default be we will default. There isn’t enough money to pay for all of the promises.


13 posted on 02/20/2012 9:26:00 AM PST by FreedomNotSafety
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To: FreedomNotSafety

I had read that the 14th did, but I just read it, and it looks to me like we’re good to go. So let’s default. What are we waiting for?


14 posted on 02/20/2012 9:27:44 AM PST by St_Thomas_Aquinas (Viva Christo Rey!)
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To: FreedomNotSafety

How dare you ask a logical question in an emotional argument. bottom line is this, IT’S ALL PART OF THE BIG LIE, and sadly a whole lot of people now believe this falsehood, we could DEFAULT TOMORROW if we wanted. In Fact I believe that We The People could also Grant to Ourselves Complete Sovereign Immunity from All Civil Liability for All Public Debts and Contracts through the initiative process in ANY STATE that allows initiatives, especially since it can be demonstrated using simple Third Grade Math to be IMPOSSIBLE MATHEMATICALLY to Honor these Promises, which makes it FRAUD on it’s Face. Thereby leaving the mess to The People that created it to fix it on their own with their money not ours.


15 posted on 02/20/2012 9:35:49 AM PST by eyeamok
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To: Moonman62

What are the alternatives?

I’m assuming that we’re past the point of no return, so I only see default, austerity, and hyperinflation as possible outcomes.

Austerity won’t work because the bureaucracy won’t be cut, and tax hikes will drive the economy underground, resulting in a permanent depression.

Inflation would reduce everyone’s wealth, create a barter economy, and a lengthy depression.

Austerity punishes those who trusted the govt to pay its debts. And no one would lend us money again. It seems like the best option.


16 posted on 02/20/2012 9:45:07 AM PST by St_Thomas_Aquinas (Viva Christo Rey!)
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“Austerity “ should be “Default” in last paragraph.


17 posted on 02/20/2012 9:51:29 AM PST by St_Thomas_Aquinas (Viva Christo Rey!)
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To: St_Thomas_Aquinas

Won’t happen until the corrupt and greedy politicians and officials are finished raiding the till and stuffing their pockets.

As long as there is anything left to grab... no default. Then you’ll see.


18 posted on 02/20/2012 9:53:22 AM PST by SMARTY ("The man who has no inner-life is a slave to his surroundings. "Henri Frederic Amiel)
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To: SMARTY

I agree. I wish it would come sooner rather than later.

The only good part will be watching the media hand-wringing over the possibility of default.


19 posted on 02/20/2012 10:01:38 AM PST by St_Thomas_Aquinas (Viva Christo Rey!)
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To: Vigilanteman
As you might suppose, people who put in 15 hour work days producing this quality of craftsmanship, do not have any energy left to rape, study law, study Islam or riot. But I repeat myself.

.....and they have a work ethic and a trade skill upon their release.

20 posted on 02/20/2012 10:07:39 AM PST by IDontLikeToPayTaxes
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