German minister lashes out at US economic policy (AFP)

Germany's finance minister has launched a fierce attack on the US Federal Reserve, saying its decision to pump more money into the economy would create extra problems for the rest of the world."I don't think that the Americans are going to solve their problems with this, and I believe that it is going to create extra problems for the world," Wolfgang Schaeuble said on ARD public television late Thursday."We are going to discuss this in a critical fashion with our American friends both in bilateral talks and of course at the G20 summit in South Korea next week," he said.

Oskar Lafontaine, the German finance minister who launched the euro, has called for a break-up of the single currency to let southern Europe recover, warning that the current course is "leading to disaster". "The economic situation is worsening from month to month, and unemployment has reached a level that puts democratic structures ever more in doubt," he said.

Back in December we pointed out the patently obvious: in the absence of an external rebalancing mechanism, i.e., a free-floating currency, the only option for the bulk of the periphery to regain competitiveness was through ongoing wage collapse and persistent localized depression.

Michael T. Snyder submits:

It is possible if not likely we have to suffer through at least 11 more Groundhog days as Greece sets March 8 deadline for investors in bond swap. Greece has set a March 8 deadline for investors to participate in its unprecedented bond swap aimed at sharply reducing its debt burden, according to a document outlining the offer.

Thanks to thinkmoney.com we are glad to present a great and comprehensible article on quantative easying and its effects.