Institutional Investor (October Issue)
Modern economic warfare appears to center on competitive depreciation. The euro, the dollar, the yuan, the yen and other currencies are competing for lower ground as a means to jumpstart their own national economies. Institutional Investor points out “competitive devaluations and/or depreciations can cause the world to slip back into recession…. We need statesmen and stateswomen, not nationalists.”
Tags: Currency, Depreciation, Devaluation
The New York Times (July 6)
Chinese workers need better pay, better working conditions and independent labor unions. In short, “they need China to stop being sweatshop to the world.” The New York Times says “China needs to move on” from its export strategy, which depends on cheap labor and a weak currency. This strategy helped the country develop quickly over the past decade, but it’s now time to pay more attention to the workers.
The Financial Times (June 24)
George Soros writes that if the euro fails, it will be Germany’s fault. Germany used to be the euro’s biggest supporter, but it has turned inward. Germans, however, would do well to consider the consequences of a failed euro. “The restored Deutschemark would soar, the euro would plummet. The rest of Europe would become competitive and could grow its way out of its difficulties but Germany would find out how painful it can be to have an overvalued currency.”
Tags: Currency, euro, George Soros, Germany
The Wall Street Journal (June 20)
China will move toward a more flexible exchange rate, dropping the yuan’s dollar peg. This announcement comes at a good time, ahead of the G-20 meeting. This means the exchange rate won’t overcloud the major issue: “the failures of U.S. and European economic policies.” The WSJ points out the revalued yuan will not be the silver bullet that solves these problems.
China will move toward a more flexible exchange rate, dropping the yuan’s dollar peg. This announcement comes at a good time. Ahead of the G-20 meeting, this means the exchange rate won’t overcloud the major issue: “the failures of U.S. and European economic policies.” The WSJ points out the revalued yuan will not be the silver bullet that solves these problems.
