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Which Big Country Will Default First?
PrudentBear ^ | 11/09/09 | Martin Hutchinson

Posted on 11/14/2009 8:22:45 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster

Which Big Country Will Default First?

by Martin Hutchinson November 09, 2009

Of the world's six largest economies, three currently have budget and public debt positions that if allowed to fester will push those nations into bankruptcy (the seventh largest, Italy, also has a budget and debt position that is highly vulnerable, but its problems appear chronic rather than acute). Given the proclivities of modern politicians for delaying pain and avoiding problems, it is likely that festering is just what those positions will do. So which major country, the United States, Japan or Britain, will default first on its foreign debt?

The other three of the six top economies, Germany, China and France, appear to have fewer problems but are not out of the woods entirely. Germany has substantial public debt because of the costs involved in integrating the former East Germany, but those costs are now mostly past and the current government is highly disciplined – thus Germany is now the most stable major economy. France is less disciplined; its debt level is similar to that of Germany but its current budget deficit is much higher, at around 8% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2009, according to the Economist forecasting panel. However, its problems pale in comparison to those of the deficit-ridden trio. China has huge amounts of hidden debt in its banking system, which could well collapse, but its direct public debt is small, as is its budget deficit, so it is unlikely to enter formal default.

(Excerpt) Read more at prudentbear.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: default; sovereigndefault

1 posted on 11/14/2009 8:22:45 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
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To: TigerLikesRooster; PAR35; AndyJackson; Thane_Banquo; nicksaunt; MadLibDisease; happygrl; ...

Ping!


2 posted on 11/14/2009 8:24:38 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster (LUV DIC -- L,U,V-shaped recession, Depression, Inflation, Collapse)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

Regarding default and such matters, here is something Ron Pauls’ site alluded to...and, associated explanative links:

Christopher Story via his website has more information re World Court processing of CHINESE LIEN ON US TREASURY as of Nov. 11, 2009 and 1600 warrants...red- herring or something to it? Much more going on. Rumor is the story covered by Christopher Story will appear next week in major media.

Story’s webisite:

http://worldreports.org/news/246_matters_come_to_an_explosive_head_for_everyone

A Ron Paul site picked up on it:

http://www.dailypaul.com/node/114607

Wikipedia profile on Christopher Story:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Story


3 posted on 11/14/2009 8:30:41 AM PST by givemELL (Does Taiwan Meet the Criteria to Qualify as an "Overseas Territory of the United States"? by Richar)
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To: TigerLikesRooster
Or the author suffers from sever chicken littleism.

The Bears Lair is a weekly column that is intended to appear each Monday, an appropriately gloomy day of the week. Its rationale is that, in the long '90s boom, the proportion of "sell" recommendations put out by Wall Street houses declined from 9 percent of all research reports to 1 percent and has only modestly rebounded since. Accordingly, investors have an excess of positive information and very little negative information. The column thus takes the ursine view of life and the market, in the hope that it may be usefully different from what investors see elsewhere.

4 posted on 11/14/2009 8:33:08 AM PST by MNJohnnie (Note to the GOP: Do not count your votes until they are cast.)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

Er, the US debt is denominated in dollars. The government can create as many dollars as are needed to pay the debt.

The danger is higher interest rates in the future, not default.


5 posted on 11/14/2009 8:36:39 AM PST by proxy_user
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To: TigerLikesRooster

US


6 posted on 11/14/2009 8:40:18 AM PST by NEBO (nObamanation! Vote them ALL out!)
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To: proxy_user

You people just don’t realize that the debt is not a problem. Our illustrious dunderheads in charge (DICs) will use the TARP money to pay down the debt, and then simply print more. We don’t have a problem!


7 posted on 11/14/2009 8:43:04 AM PST by Sodbuster09
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To: TigerLikesRooster

If Ohbummer gets second term with Demonrat majority it’s definitely US.


8 posted on 11/14/2009 8:43:11 AM PST by luvbach1 (Worse than we could have imagined.)
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To: TigerLikesRooster
Spain looks iffy.
9 posted on 11/14/2009 8:57:11 AM PST by Oatka ("A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves." –Bertrand de Jouvenel)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

The United States


10 posted on 11/14/2009 9:00:19 AM PST by bmwcyle (When do they collect and jail the homeless when they don't buy their health care?)
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To: TigerLikesRooster
the funny thing about the national debt is, it is not tied to particular individuals.

So if the country starts to go broke, anyone who wishes can just leave the rest holding the bag.

11 posted on 11/14/2009 9:02:38 AM PST by TexasFreeper2009 (Obama lied, the economy died)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

The United States of America without a doubt. Especially since the federal government is taking over health care and our population (baby boomers) is aging rapidly.


12 posted on 11/14/2009 9:03:14 AM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: TigerLikesRooster

I’ll bet the first is Britain...


13 posted on 11/14/2009 9:16:44 AM PST by GOPJ (ObamaCare - slush fund scam that would make Bernie Madoff blush.)
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To: Sodbuster09

You forgot the sarcasm tag...


14 posted on 11/14/2009 9:17:57 AM PST by GOPJ (ObamaCare - slush fund scam that would make Bernie Madoff blush.)
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To: TexasFreeper2009

In the 1990s, Argentina appeared stable (after decades of dictators, juntas, coups, and inflation beyond control). The IMF convinced the leadership to take private debt and make it public (who paid whom on that, I wonder)... when Argentina defaulted on their debt, and overnight the banks confiscated 2/3 of the deposits. The middle class is disappearing rapidly.


15 posted on 11/14/2009 4:49:52 PM PST by TenthAmendmentChampion (Be prepared for tough times. FReepmail me to learn about our survival thread!)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

The UK.


16 posted on 11/14/2009 4:50:26 PM PST by narses ("These are the days when the Christian is expected to praise every creed except his own.")
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To: TigerLikesRooster

Japan.


17 posted on 11/14/2009 9:20:10 PM PST by Pelham ("Badges?!! We don' need no stinkin' badges!!")
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