http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-16/bankia-ipo-leaves-shareholders-2-billion-poorer-after-bailout.html

So it begins.

I am no authority on whether or not the SZ a right-wing rag is or not.

A description of the author of that article can be found here : http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_Bandulet

# 1973 – “Chef vom Dienst” for DIE WELT Newspaper ( a main German newspaper )
# 1975 – Chief Editor of the German QUICK Magazine
# worked for one of THE most well know German Politicians “Franz Josef Strass” ( CSU Party , Bayern )
# traveled the world as a “Special Correspondent” ).
etc. etc. etc.

So his credentials are pretty respectable if you ask me !

Also, Dr. Udo Ulfkotte , who has occasionally written articles for the Schweizerzeit ( e.g. Bundesbank Gold ) can be examined here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udo_Ulfkotte

# a German journalist renowned as a security and intelligence services expert
# an editor for one of Germany’s main dailies, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ).
# Dr. Ulfkotte studied jurisprudence and politics at Freiburg and London.
# He was an advisor to the Kohl government
etc. etc.

So , as I said , I cannot vouch for the Schweizerzeit, but the two people I mentioned look pretty “established” to me !

In fact in 2003 , Dr. Ulfkotte was awarded the “State Citizen’s Prize”

http://www.annette-barthelt-stiftung.de/staatspreis.htm

A picture of him and Dr. Günther Beckstein ( well known CSU Politician ) can be seen at the bottom of the page

See also Russia, Iran, Indonesia, India, China and Venezuela.

Interestingly “in February 2011 Dominique Strauss-Kahn, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), called for a new world currency to challenge the dominance of the US dollar. Three months later a maid at the Sofitel New York Hotel alleged that Strauss-Kahn sexually assaulted her. Strauss-Kahn was forced out of his role at the IMF within weeks; he has since been cleared of any wrongdoing.”

http://www.silverbearcafe.com/private/01.12/petrodollar.html

Stevie – I think when Abete used the word ‘solid’ it was in reference to bankers brains!

I think you are in to something, Anthony. The rating agencies are mostly British and American. The British are allied to the Americans and are both involved in petro dollar recycling. looks like we have a full blown effort to destroy the euro here. Wasn’t Iraq invaded because they switched to selling oil for euros ?

So many enslaved.

Is this not a de facto declaration of war on the Euro as the US is terrified of losing its reserve currency status and thus needs to trash any potential competing currency?

It’s argued in many quarters that both Iraq and Libya were taken out specifically for having the temerity to consider switching from petro-dollars to either euros or a newly proposed gold dinar.

Surely its time to recognise this reality and take whatever measures are deemed necessary to prevent the Eurozone being reduced to perpetual US debt peonage?

PS. Outstanding blog Gollum – keeep up the sterling work.