Parham

Re IMF

IMF is one of the culprits in near destruction of many third world and developing nations' economies. Its policies are aimed at unconditional opening of developing countries' economies to the outside influence without the slightest consideration for their domestic consequentialities, while turning a blind eye to the developing countries' protectionism! Michel Chassudovsky's book, 'Globalization of Poverty,' examines in detail the role the international institutions such as IMF and WB play in that regard: //www.globalresearch.ca/globaloutlook/GofP.html

What Ahmadinejad expected by implementing the subsidy reforms, was praise and support from the global institutions like WB and IMF, that normally support politicians with neo-liberal economic policies in post-dictatorial third world societies, while pursuing an avenue of reproachment with the West without actually opening up politically -- a model embraced by the organizations that control the global economy in many despotic countries around us, e.g. Azerbaijan, Uzbakistan, Kazakhstan, UAE and other sheikhdoms...! However, due to the comlexity of Iranian politics, Khameneis' fear of losing control of the situation and political stalemate, Ahmadinejad's plans are not only being unravelled, but on their way to deal a fatal blow to the ailing economy of IRI!

Plunder is good?

The only good thing about plunder is when we recover it. For now the Mollahs are stuffing away billions of Iranian national wealth. At one point Mollahs will be overthrown.

Then nations like Swiss will be pressed to release the stolen wealth. Having no particular loyalty to Mollahs they will give in. Others wealth like real estate in Canada and so on will also be demanded.

American tax payers will not want to fund Iranian project. To support a fledgling regime in Iran America will pressure others to release Mollah stolen wealth. Then we should get a windfall. Remember the money does not disappear; just put away.

A favourable IMF report is not neccesarily something to be porud

of.

It simply means that IMF is happy with how IR and AN have agreed to, and are implementing IMF's Structrual Adjustment policies, making majority of Iranian people more poor and desperate.

A small note on IMF's praise for Iran's economy

The report was made long before all of this, and even then, it surprised everyone. More, it was the only report that ever praised the system! There are many serious publications about Iran's economy --for example The Economist's Intelligence Unit reports, which I personally trust most-- and none went on to "praise" the recovery in inflation Iran experienced at that period.
Thought I'd mention.

تکذیب خبر مربوط به دلار

با درود به بنیانگزار کبیر انقلاب و سلام به نایب برحقش خامنه‏ ای بزرگ و با درود به رزمندگان حق بر باطل و با سلام به رئیس‏ جمهور محبوب، نرخ دلار هزار و هشتصد تومانی که دشمنان اسلام و انقلاب شایع کرده بودند دهشاهی ارزان شده و تیترش را هم زده بودند، خوشبختانه در آخرین لحظه تکذیب شد و آنان که خیال میکنند با این شایعه‏ سازی‏ها میتوانند نرخ آن را به هفت تومان زمان شاه خائن برسانند، با آنها به شدت برخورد خواهد شد.

ضمناً نظر به اینکه در میهن اسلامی اغلب معاملات ریز و درشت فقط با دلار انجام میشود از خواهران و برادرانی که میخواهند نیازشان برآورده شود خواهشمندیم از انداختن ریال به چاه جمکران اکیداً خودداری کرده موجب دلخوری حضرت صاحبزمان نشوند.

امضا: کمیتۀ مرگ بر آمریکا

worst than Greek economy

on the top of what it has been said Iran doesnt even have any debt. the futuer value of the total Greek debts at the currebt rate if interest and whatever the compunding terms are will result an astronomical number.  Country with no natural reserves like Italy, Spain,,,,,,, Turkey(300 bn debts)..... in the near future will have so much money in debts that Iran would not even imagine in next hundred years.

I wear an Omega watch

What is really sad

//investor.apple.com/results.cfm 

//press.ihs.com/press-release/energy-power/ir...

Hear,

Hear.

Dear Ari: Let's All Move Back!

You go, first! Before that let's listen to this guy telling us about Iran under IR!

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYGCpGzFWh0&feature...

IMF job is to destroy

IMF job is to destroy native economies of other counties and enslave them for their own self-serving projects.

A state of war only serves as an excuse for domestic tyranny.--Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

Dear G.R: az mast ke bar

Dear G.R: az mast ke bar mast. May this cesspool dry up or these thieves grow some conscience soon.

A state of war only serves as an excuse for domestic tyranny.--Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

Hooshang

As you state, there is evidence for what you say about bad IMF policies. If these VOA interviewees were performing up to standard, they would rely less on hearsay and rabble rousing and present exactly what credible economists in opposition to IMF policies describe about the observed effects of such policies. 

This interview gives credence to Iran residents who say they regard VOA in the same class as LA channels. Mehrdad Emadi's thinly veiled attempt to start a bank run in Iran was as crude a gesture as we would expect from any foam-at-the-mouth LA channel. Perhaps this is why VOA had trouble inviting more credible economists to the show; it would go against the ethics of their profession to address the Iranian public so irresponsibly.

IMF praise =Neoliberal policies = austerity measures=poor people

IMF is one of those organizations that who ever has stopped following their advices their economy has grown; Argentina, Mexico,...

IMF, WB, WTO all are enthusiastically in support of sweat shop labor in Iran (already created by IR)  plus a market of 75 millions.

The fact of the matter that IR's elimination of subsidies after one year has turned to its exact opposite should tell us something about all those IMF "structural adjustment" policies.

Thanks for the info on debaters.

VOA can do better!

In the light of the fact that the IMF praised Iran's targeted subsidy measures as a positive step towards a real market economy (with strong cautions about inflation dangers), better analysts were needed to rebut the project. As an example of lack of authoritative presentation in this interview see 13:00 to14:20 in the video where Mr. Kian supports his view by referring to an unknown Iranian powerful person who allegedly said something at an unknown date in reply to a question from an unknown person!

From source:

"...Bijan R. Kian is Member of the Board of Directors of the
Export-Import Bank of the U.S., the official export credit agency of the
U.S.  Mr. Kian was nominated to his current term by President George W.
Bush in July 2007, and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in August 2007,
for a term ending January 2011..."

Dear Viledemous:

Every SOB who grew a beard and joined the ranks of Khomeini's foot soldiers was in it for his own personal gains. I'm not talking about the poor illiterates who were given submachine guns to kill Iranians. I'm talking about the educated and semi-educated who became born-again Muslims overnight! Their thievery began soon after the regime established itself. As if everything had been planned in advance. Many left Iran in the early years with millions of dollars.

Just $30 to $60

Just $30 to $60  billion  the expense of corruption last year....tabrik.

 A state of war only serves as an excuse for domestic tyranny.--Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

And That Is Exactly Why

Iranians should unite and bring down the murderous kleptocracy in Tehran!

A not so well publicized theft of the century....

And let me tell you the reason why we dont seem to see as much publicity about the astonishing sums of moneyy neing stolen by the islamist regime leadership (which would put Pahlavi's alleged theft to shame!). It is like this, you are attacked at your home by a bunch of murdering thieves, busy killing and harming your family, whilst stealing your belongings. Which one would you focus on?

Great blog, thank you. 

"Personal business must yield to collective interest."

Corruption, Favoritism, Cronism, Nepotism, Lobbyism, Etc.

Can be curtailed, but not uprooted forever as long as there are differences in the standards of living and people remain as self-centered as they are the world over. Even in the "best" country in the world, Norway, corruption exists to a certain extent. Why couldn't Obama do any of the things he promised poor Americans, after spending so much money on telling poor Americans, "Yes, we can?" Itcwas all campaign BS, anyways. Japan is one of the worst countries when it comes to corruption and cronyism plus xenophobia. I call Japan, the India of the Far East. No offense to India. China puts corrupt officials up against the wall only to sell their internal organs to hospitals in the US. I personally know someone who used work with the NIOC. He, in fact, put up a "fight" against corruption when he was working with the company. Years ago, I told him he was saving the oil money for the corrupt politicians. He was so "clean" he didn't even get his own son a job. Perhaps trying to avoid gossips. And his son deserved a job more than many people I know working for NIOC. There are conscientious people in Iran. But that's besides the point. With the rule of law and a little bit of auditing you CAN reduce corruption in any organization. Let's not give up easily on Iranians. Let's bring down the regime and get rid of Mullahism and Millitarism in Iran first.

Anonymous Bugger and

Anonymous Bugger and Houshang Tarreh-Gol: One would think you are exaggerating, but the reality is you are not!

اقتصاد رژیم زرتش قمصور شد!

Thank you Parham.

That's about the size of it.

IR remains a hand to mouth Gas satation on its last leg

The monumental economic change that was supposed to save IR from its annual budget deficit and bring stability to Iranian economy, namely elimination of subsidies and replacing it with depositing monies in people's bank account has backfired, as most had predicted.

Not only it hasn't helped the budget deficit, IR still in red, inflation is also at its highest rate, people are still unhappy and discontent,  different factions that were planning to take credit for this economic "miracle," are positioning themselves for the blame game, and pushing the responsibilty to the other side: hence the slapping in Majlis,..

It's  a testimony of a structurealy flawed economy that a mere mention of Emarat not working anymore with IR, or Obama's just signing of a policy which still has six months to go into full effect, sends the entire curency market into choas.

Farnz Neumann a German historian wrote the book "Behemoth," as an analysis of Nazi Germany.

The way Sepah at the moment is in defacto overall control of the economy (from having its xmember as the Oil Minister, having direct or indirect control over other ministries, its industrial conglomerets, total monopoly of illegal imports through its own piers,..) is very close to the Behemoth mataphore of Neumann.

Unlike the industrial based German one,  the Sepah Behemoth remains a hand to mouth Gas station.

P.S. Thanks to Bahram,G. for the Gas station metaphor.

"Iranian economy" is more like a rigged casino

than a system. Forget about the the %19 GDP share of unaccountable  entities run by vali faghih himself but as for the rest ;, you have on one side the ommatie mafia strengthened  by unlimited funds(at par or below gov funds rate), insider info, tax breaks, corporate subsidies, shady take overs/aquisitions/privitizations, lack of  proxy audit  and backed by political will of the all powerfull inner circle  verses an almost non-existant private sector/public as mere audience to this organized chaos & pillage.

This so called system is so broken & corrupt to the bone that even after this regime it will take at minimum 4 or 5 bussines cycles to bring it back to par with the least transparent economies like Russia or emerging markets such as Indonesia or Malaysia. In absence of production focused policies & consumer protection regulations , the so called system is at best a rag tag collection of semi-autonomous economic hubs controlled loosely haji bazari short-return fast profit mentality. In short its an economy based on non-transparancy, fund  & info manipulation, unfair subsidies, non-registered entities, non-existent civil audit/inspection & equal opportunity.

cheers!!! 

kinda like javad's site & who is who behind the scene ;):)

Dear Parham:

Dear Parham: Excellent post. This is indeed, tip of the iceberg. I wish these two economists write about what they know with facts and figures and expose these robber barons. This  kind of pillaging is nothing new; It's been going on for 32 years.

 A state of war only serves as an excuse for domestic tyranny.--Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

Thanks, Parham

'Will watch in a mo, but will ezhare zerzer, tsk tsk, beforehand: one kleptocracy after another....

It's one of the reasons these 'opposition' groups outside are so useless: they have no concrete plans, as to how to get deeply-rooted corruption out of the  psyche of the nation.

Democracy? LOL!!!

My pleasure, Mehrban.

My pleasure, Mehrban.

Sepaas Parham

Thank you, I was going to look for this on the web and was very glad to see it here this morning.  Thank you again.