The Dow is soaring (it's up over 8,000 once again).
G-20 Summit countries have agreed to pump a trillion dollars into the IMF and other world banks (the agreement is the largest macroeconomic stimulus ever, and a good deal of money will be pumped into developing countries, the countries not represented at this "rich-man's summit", the countries that account for over half the world's population).
France's Nicolas Sarkozy and Germany's Angela Merkel had threatened to walk out of the meeting in the midst of proposed stimulus spending, but everybody emerged from the summit smiling and holding hands (Sarkozy's supermodel wife, Carla Bruni, did not accompany her husband, so all the tabloid and fashion attentions were lavished on Michelle Obama... who appears to be a smashing success, at least in London).
Obama met with Russia's Dmitry Medvedev and will visit Moscow in July (re: a new strategic arms-control treaty that would cut each nation's long-range nuclear arsenal further than previous agreements). Medvedev says he wants a new relationship with the U.S.
British P.M. Brown: "The old Washington consensus is over". Brown calls the meeting "part of a new global consensus". Brown said there were no divisions at summit's finish, only agreements (the nations have all pledged to maintain spending to expand the economy).
Hedge funds will be brought under a "regulatory net".
The chinese are claiming victory for pushing for more IMF stability.
Germany's Merkel is claiming victory for injecting "financial discipline" into the agreement's wording.
Everyone seems to be claiming victory.
And Barack Obama appears to have had a very personal and professional triumph on his first World Stage outing as the american president (and I STILL can't get that damned awesome image out of my mind of Michelle and Queen Elizabeth embracing!).
Cheers all around. If all you LPSG members were here in my neck of the woods, I'd buy everyone a round of drinks. We - and this economy - can use a bit of hope and optimism just about now.
G-20 Summit countries have agreed to pump a trillion dollars into the IMF and other world banks (the agreement is the largest macroeconomic stimulus ever, and a good deal of money will be pumped into developing countries, the countries not represented at this "rich-man's summit", the countries that account for over half the world's population).
France's Nicolas Sarkozy and Germany's Angela Merkel had threatened to walk out of the meeting in the midst of proposed stimulus spending, but everybody emerged from the summit smiling and holding hands (Sarkozy's supermodel wife, Carla Bruni, did not accompany her husband, so all the tabloid and fashion attentions were lavished on Michelle Obama... who appears to be a smashing success, at least in London).
Obama met with Russia's Dmitry Medvedev and will visit Moscow in July (re: a new strategic arms-control treaty that would cut each nation's long-range nuclear arsenal further than previous agreements). Medvedev says he wants a new relationship with the U.S.
British P.M. Brown: "The old Washington consensus is over". Brown calls the meeting "part of a new global consensus". Brown said there were no divisions at summit's finish, only agreements (the nations have all pledged to maintain spending to expand the economy).
Hedge funds will be brought under a "regulatory net".
The chinese are claiming victory for pushing for more IMF stability.
Germany's Merkel is claiming victory for injecting "financial discipline" into the agreement's wording.
Everyone seems to be claiming victory.
And Barack Obama appears to have had a very personal and professional triumph on his first World Stage outing as the american president (and I STILL can't get that damned awesome image out of my mind of Michelle and Queen Elizabeth embracing!).
Cheers all around. If all you LPSG members were here in my neck of the woods, I'd buy everyone a round of drinks. We - and this economy - can use a bit of hope and optimism just about now.