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View Full Version : IMF admits it was wrong - free markets need


a_unique_person
30th March 2003, 01:12 AM
neo-classical economics have failings. these failings affect countries differently. this has resulted in, for example, free market theory causing problems in economies when they are under stress. Advice forced an asian countries, to allow them to qualify for aid after the Asian economic crises, made things worse for them, rather than better.

Strong economic institutions and controls are necessary to help maintain stability.




It was a typical failing of economists mesmerised by the narrow neo-classical model to be oblivious to the key role played by institutions when urging developing economies to do dangerous things for which they were woefully underequipped.

Guess what? The IMF has discovered the importance of institutions. "The analysis suggests that financial globalisation should be approached cautiously and with good institutions and macro-economic frameworks viewed as preconditions," we are told.

"A growing body of evidence suggests that (the quality of domestic institutions) has a quantitatively important impact on a country's ability to attract foreign direct investment, and on its vulnerability to crises. There is accumulating evidence of the benefits of robust legal and (prudential) supervisory frameworks, low levels of corruption, high degree of transparency and good corporate governance."

And blow me down - the IMF has abandoned its fatwa against the evil of capital controls.

Institutional confessions of error do not come much bigger than this one.



http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/03/28/1048653857384.html

Frank Newgent
30th March 2003, 07:50 AM
Times may have changed now with that new McDonald's down on Jalan Jelek or, especially, the SuperWalMart on Avenida del Chingada. Hard to make any purchase anywhere, what with your savings account reduced in half by the latest devaluation and the banks raising interest rates in a corresponding manner to combat capital flight, thus making borrowing on the consumer level a suicidal act.



But of course




It can't happen here
It can't happen here
I'm telling you, my dear
That it can't happen here
Because I been checkin' it out, baby
I checked it out a couple a times, hmmmmmmmm

And I'm telling you
It can't happen here
Oh darling, it's important that you believe me
(Bop bop bop bop)
That it can't happen here

Who could imagine that they would freak out somewhere in Kansas...
Kansas Kansas tototototodo
Kansas Kansas tototototodo
Kansas Kansas
Who could imagine that they would freak out in Minnesota...
Mimimimimimimi Minnesota, Minnesota, Minnesota
Who could imagine...

Who could imagine
That they would freak out in Washington, D.C.
D.C. D.C. D.C. D.C. D.C.
It can't happen here
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba
It can't happen here
It can't happen here
Everybody's safe and it can't happen here
No freaks for us
It can't happen here
Everybody's clean and it can't happen here
No, no, it won't happen here
I'm telling you it can't
It won't happen here
(Bop bop didi bop didi bop bop bop)
Plastic folks, you know
It won't happen here
You're safe, mama
You're safe, baby
You just cook a TV dinner
And you make it
(Bop bop bop)
No no no no
Oh, we're gonna get a TV dinner and cook it up
Go get a TV dinner and cook it up
Cook it up
Oh, and it won't happen here
(No no no no no no no no no no no
Man you guys are really safe
Everything's cool).
Who could imagine
Who could imagine
That they would freak out in the suburbs
I remember (tu-tu)
I remember (tu-tu)
I remember (tu-tu)
They had a swimming pool
I remember (tu-tu)
I remember (tu-tu)
They had a swimming pool
I remember (tu-tu)
I remember (tu-tu)
They had a swimming pool.

And they thought it couldn't happen here
(duh duh duh duh duh)
They knew it couldn't happen here
They were so sure it couldn't happen here
But...

Suzie...
Yes yes yes--I've always felt that
Yes I agree man, it really makes it...yeah...
It's a real THING, man
And it really makes it
(Makes it)

Suzie, you just got to town,
And we've been, we've been very interested
In your development,
Since you first took the shots.
Forget it!
Hmmmmmmmmm
(It can't happen here)
(Can't happen here)
(Can't happen here)



Frank Zappa

Questioninggeller
30th March 2003, 12:02 PM
It's good to know the IMF public says they were wrong, but they have burned so many bridges in the past that it gets kind of old.