Echo-No-Mix of Life

דה-מארקר, בהמשך לקו התמיכה במחאה החברתית, קורא להמשך המחאה ולא למעבר למשא-ומתן.  יש הרבה מאוד צדק בקריאה הזו. אסור שהמחאה הזו תסתכם בשניים-שלושה הישגים שיותקפו במשבר הכלכלי הבא, כשאגף התקציבים במשרד האוצר יסביר שאין ברירה, צריך להדק חגורה, וימחק את כל הההישגים, בדיוק כפי שקצץ בשמחה ברוב מרכיבי השירותים הציבוריים במדינת ישראל - חינוך, בריאות, רווחה, דיור - בעודו מסביר שאין ברירה. המחאה צריכה להמשיך עד שיתנהל משא-ומתן על החזון. או עם נציגי המחאה, או בקלפיות . 

כשמתייחסים ל שינוי דירוג האשראי האחרון של ארה"ב על ידי S&P , ול עמדה בה מחזיקה סוכנות הדירוג מודי'ס  , כדאי לזכור שתהליך חיזוי העתיד מבוסס, תמיד, על תפיסות תודעתיות. בלשונו של הנרי קיסינג'ר בהתייחס לכשלונן של סוכנויות המודיעין לחזות את פרוץ מלחמת יום-הכיפורים : "יש תמיד שני היבטים למודיעין, קביעת העובדות ופרשנותן. רוב שירותי המודיעין נוטים להתאים את העובדות לקונצפציות המוקדמות שלהם, כדי שהעובדות תתאמנה לציפיות". 

The way stock markets tumble around the world following S&P's downgrade of the U.S future financial strength , is a clear proof to rating agencies ability to scare investors. But investors, as a scared as they may be, are clearly Not Believing S&P. How else can you explain their choice to drop their stocks and purchase U.S bonds ? You don't but an asset you don't believe in at a time of panic, do you ? Another possible explanation is that investors are hysterical and beyond their senses. They understand they can trust no one. They dropped stocks in an attempt to find some shelter. But after realizing that there is none, they chose to return to the safe old rock, even though the announcement that  this rock may be sinking was the initial cause for their flight for safety. Sadly, this flight for safety which has sent the markets way down, has probably sent many other investors into a plight of their own, and has left everybody in turmoil. I believe it is high time t

Moody's released an explanation for the AAA ratings they still give the U.S.A , in response to S&P's recent rating . It appears that the main difference between the two assessments is the way U.S politics is interpreted by the two agencies, which just goes to show the true value behind ratings.... But in a more serious note: Both agencies, and too many economy experts miss the point: If a government is to intervene in the market when a financial crisis takes place, then room must be made for the necessary resources in that government's budget. Therefore, deficit measuring parameters like the debt/GDP ratio must be different when things are not thriving. The insistence to use the same economic tools when economies flourish and when economies fight to stick together is foolish. When we remember what debt/GDP rations looked like at war times, and when we understand that the current state is a war - the battle for the stability of global and local economies, it is clear tha

S&P has anounced it is reducing the United States long term credit rating  and media is in havoc , just as are investors around the world.  I just don't get the people being excited from this step. Don't get me wrong - I'm sure the ladies and gentlemen of S&P reached their conclusion after an independent, objective, credible and transparent work. Still, I just can't understand how anyone witnessing the crisis of 2008 would hold the opinions of credit agencies in any regard. The problem is that the current Financial and Economic order is well to tied to rating agencies, despite their horrible blunder of the mortgage based securities, which was the basis for the crisis in which we all still live. Instead of learning from past mistake and limit our exposure to the reason and professionalism of rating agencies, the world is still tied to these bodies. Too many financial institutions are forced by law to purchase only AAA class equities and bonds . Furthermore, anoth