Saturday, October 11, 2008

Financial Hostage, Planned Meltdown?


If fifty big money men in a room can break the credit market seizure, why won't they? Are they holding the U.S. economy hostage, until their list of demands are met? Credit markets are more locked up than three weeks ago, when Hank Paulson rang alarm bells.

The big money men are scared, fleeing to Uncle Sam's safe harbor for protection. What's in the water? Maybe, shark like risk from shoddy lending practices and packaged financial Ginshu knives, two sided and razor sharp.

Uncle Sam didn't do so well saving flooded citizens of New Orleans. It looks like private sector lifeguards will need to rescue failing financial institutions. Private equity underwriters and foreign sovereign wealth funds are flush with billions in cash and trillions in assets. These Supermen expect SuperReturns, 20-25% per year. Their greed sets the foundation for the next round of excesses.

To take down Wall Street's house of cards, one firm had to fail. Hindsight calls Lehman's failure a huge mistake, given the disastrous dominos sent in motion.

Did the feds purposefully tip Lehman? Did they do it to clear the deck for PEU's and SWF's? Did they consider the impact on the political House of Bush? I don't know the answers, but would love to hear them.