Commentaries

By: John E. Charalambakis | On: April 28, 2011 |

A New Cold War? Global Geopolitical Developments

Since our last commentary on the events in the Middle East, turmoil in the region has not slowed down. Libya has captured most of the world’s attention due to the […]

By: John E. Charalambakis | On: April 21, 2011 |

A Parable of Two Trajectories: Chremylos and Plutus Contemplate about the Endgame

In the ancient Greek play “Plutus” (Wealth) by Aristophanes, the unwise master named Chremylos pretends to be a righteous man who deserves wealth and prosperity at a time when his […]

By: John E. Charalambakis | On: April 15, 2011 |

On Euro’s “Strength” and Dollar’s Weakness: The Role of Swaps Among Central Banks

Without a doubt in the last three-four months we live an oxymoron: In the midst of the sovereign debt crisis in Europe, the Euro has been strengthening and the US […]

By: John E. Charalambakis | On: April 8, 2011 |

A Drama in Three Acts: From Credit Extension to the Tragedy of the Commons and the Trajectory of Paper Money

We live in peculiar, maybe schizophrenic days. The drama that started unfolding in August 2007 pertained to Act I – known as the bursting of credit bubbles – that carry […]

By: John E. Charalambakis | On: March 25, 2011 |

On Burning Developments and Economic Prospects: Centrifugal Forces and Countercyclical Strategies

At the time of this drafting the news centers on different fronts: Prime Minister Socrates in Portugal announced his resignation over a lost confidence vote in the parliament that was […]

By: John E. Charalambakis | On: March 17, 2011 |

Market Developments in the Wake of the Japanese Catastrophe: Are we Facing a Rising Global Financial Entropy ?

The global equities market and its bullishness has experienced a shock. By some historical standards such as the P/E ratio and the forward-looking earnings multiple, the markets (at least some […]

By: John E. Charalambakis | On: March 8, 2011 |

On Hotspots, Part IV: The Geopolitics of Pakistan

Since our last post covering global hot spots, the protest movements throughout the Middle East have only continued and picked up in intensity. Oman, Saudi Arabia (BTW for how long […]

By: John E. Charalambakis | On: March 2, 2011 |

A Treacherous Rebalancing Act: A Currency View

Bob Dylan’s song “The times they ‘re a changing”, fits pretty well in today’s global picture. The landscape is changing indeed. Where should we start? In the Arab world? In […]

By: John E. Charalambakis | On: February 21, 2011 |

Birth Pains: Petrostates, Oil Prices, and the Emerging Middle East Landscape

Over the weekend the headline news was about the continuing turmoil in Arab countries. The reports state that over 200 people are dead in Libya, after the “firing on civilians” […]

By: John E. Charalambakis | On: February 14, 2011 |

On Hotspots Part III: Turkey and its Role in the Changing Middle East Landscape

Turkey has become a critical pole in the future hierarchy of global political and economic influence. The recent turmoil in the Middle East seems to be a prime opportunity for […]