OS ALEMÃES TÊM MENOS OURO DO QUE NÓS EM "DÍVIDA"...

Germans Fret about Their Foreign Gold Reserves


AFP
Is there gold in them thar vaults?
A large portion of Germany's massive gold reserves are stored abroad, mainly in the Federal Reserve in New York. But are the bars really where they are supposed to be? A dispute has broken out over whether the central bank needs to check on its gold, or if Germany can trust its international partners.


Germany has gold reserves of just under 3,400 tons, the second-largest reserves in the world after the United States. Much of that is in the safekeeping of central banks outside Germany, especially in the US Federal Reserve in New York. One would think that with such a valuable stash, worth around €133 billion ($170 billion), the German government would want to keep a close eye on its whereabouts. But now a bizarre dispute has broken out between different German institutions over how closely the reserves should be checked.

Germany's federal audit office, the Bundesrechnungshof, which monitors the German government's financial management, is unhappy with how Germany's central bank, the Bundesbank, keeps tabs on its gold. According to media reports, the auditors are dissatisfied with the fact that gold reserves in Frankfurt are more closely monitored than those held abroad.
In Germany, spot checks are carried out to make sure that the gold bars are in the right place. But for the German gold that is stored on the Bundesbank's behalf by the US Federal Reserve in New York, the Bank of England in London and the Banque de France in France, the German central bank relies on the assurances of its foreign counterparts that the gold is where it should be. The three foreign central banks give the Bundesbank annual statements confirming the size of the reserves, but the Germans do not usually carry out physical inspections of the bars.

'No Doubts'

According to German media reports, the Bundesrechnungshof has now recommended in its confidential annual audit of the Bundesbank for 2011 that Germany's central bank check its foreign gold reserves with yearly spot checks.

The Bundesbank has rejected the demand, arguing that central banks do not usually check each others' reserves. "The scope of the checks that the Bundesrechnungshof wants does not correspond to the usual practices among central banks," the Bundesbank said in a statement quoted by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper. "There are no doubts about the integrity and the reputation of these foreign depositories."

Now the finance committee of the German parliament, the Bundestag, has gotten involved. Parliamentarians apparently demanded to see the Bundesrechnungshof's audit report on the Bundesbank after they were alarmed by a report in the influential tabloid daily Bild, which claimed that the central bank had not checked its gold reserves in five years.. The Bundesrechnungshof will now provide the committee with its report, a spokesman for the federal auditors confirmed on Monday.

Germany moved some of its gold reserves abroad during the Cold War to protect them from a possible Soviet attack. Some of the gold was moved back to Frankfurt after the collapse of communism. But the Bundesbank argues that it still makes sense to store some gold in major financial centers so that it can be sold quickly if necessary. Although the Bundesbank does not provide exact details about the distribution, it has revealed that the largest share of Germany's gold is held in New York, followed by Frankfurt, London and Paris.

Skeptical about the Reserves

In times of uncertainty about the future of Europe's common currency, gold is a hot topic, and some Germans take a dim view of the fact that much of the country's gold -- which theoretically belongs to the people -- is held abroad. Some members of parliament have even expressed doubts as to whether the foreign gold reserves really exist. Philipp Missfelder, a member of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), wanted to see the gold for himself and traveled to New York in person to inspect the holdings, according to the newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau. His trip was apparently unsuccessful, though. When he visited the Fed's safes in New York, staff were either unable or unwilling to show him exactly which bars belonged to Germany.

Peter Gauweiler, a Bundestag member with the CDU's Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), is also skeptical about the foreign gold reserves. In recent years he has attempted to gain more information about Germany's gold through parliamentary questions. Last year, he had an economics professor prepare an expert report on the subject, which concluded that the Bundesbank was not fulfilling its inventory regulations by failing to physically inspect the gold.

In July 2011, SPIEGEL reported that Bundesbank employees had physically seen the gold in New York within the previous six months. However, the last time it had been checked before that was in June 2007.

Gauweiler doubts that the Bundesbank would have immediate access to all its gold if necessary, suggesting that part of the gold may have even been lent out -- a claim that the Bundesbank rejects.

Bringing Back Home

Some Germans even want to bring the gold reserves back to Germany. An initiative called "Gold Action" is campaigning under the slogan: "Repatriate Our Gold!" Its petition has been signed by prominent industrialist Hans-Olaf Henkel and Frank Schäffler, a parliamentarian with the business-friendly Free Democrats who is known for his euroskeptic views.
The initiative alleges that there is an "acute" danger that the German gold could be expropriated as a result of the financial and debt crisis. They argue that the German government could soon be forced to sell gold to cover the costs of the crisis.

But the Bundesbank wants to leave the gold where it is. Observers point out that apart from the high cost of transporting the gold back to Frankfurt, the symbolic effect of Germany repatriating its gold reserves might unsettle the nervous financial markets, who could see it as a sign of an impending collapse of the euro.

PORTANTO A "CRISE" É UMA COISA PASSAGEIRA, OS 2 MESES VÃO VOLTAR E O SALVAMENTO DO PLANETA, SEM NADA SER PRECISO FAZER, É GARANTIDO...DENTRO DE MOMENTOS.NÃO TENHAMOS NÓS OS MAIORES INTERNACIONALISTAS DO PLANETA.HERANÇA DA EX-URSS...NÃO SE CUIDEM NÃO QUE AINDA ACABAM POR SER VENDIDOS COMO ESCRAVOS PARA ÁFRICA...

OS COPOS FAZEM SUBIR À SUPERFÍCIE OS VERDADEIROS "AFECTOS".MAS OS SALVADORES DO PLANETA NÃO DESISTEM...

Aluno condenado por matar sem-abrigo a pontapé

"Estragou a sua vida numa noite de copos". Foi esta a reação da família e dos amigos do estudante cabo-verdiano, condenado ontem a cinco anos de prisão efetiva por agredir um homem, de 60 anos, António Lopes Peixoto, conhecido como «Lopinhos». A vítima morreu três dias depois, no hospital.

OS INTERNACIONALISTAS PRIMEIRO "DOUTRINARAM" NA PARTE EM QUE "O QUE TINHA PRETO NÃO ERA NOSSO", DEPOIS DEIXARAM FAZER AS "LIMPEZAS ÉTNICAS" E SEM BENS.AGORA "SALVAM" TODO O PLANETA CÁ DENTRO E LÁ FORA POR NOSSA CONTA.
CLARO QUE NINGUÉM INFORMA OS INDÍGENAS DOS "CUSTOS" DE TAL POLÍTICA.OS CAMPOS DE FUTEBOL, AS ALDEIAS OLÍMPICAS, O VENDER AO DESBARATO A "PESADA HERANÇA" E PRINCIPALMENTE A NOSSA "COLONIZAÇÃO" COM OS POBRES DOS OUTROS RAPIDAMENTE RENACIONALIZADOS PARA QUE TENHAM "TODOS OS DIREITOS".SIM PORQUE "DEVERES" É PARA OS 40% QUE "CONTRIBUEM"...
DEPOIS ESTRANHAM A PALAVRA "TRAIÇÃO" E FALAM EM "EXTREMA-DIREITA"...
QUE BOM É ESTAR A SUSTENTAR QUASE UM MILHÃO, 500000 DOS QUAIS LISTADOS "LEGALMENTE" NO SEF, SUSTENTAR "CASAS DE REFUGIADOS", ORGANIZAR ARMADAS DE SALVAÇÃO EM TODO O PLANETA...
VÃO REPARANDO BEM NA ORIGEM DOS GAJOS QUE PUSERAM NO POLEIRO E DEPOIS "JULGUEM"...

QUANTO TEMPO MAIS PARA LERMOS O MESMO ACERCA DE PORTUGAL?

Time to Admit Defeat
Greece Can No Longer Delay Euro Zone Exit


After Greek voters rejected austerity in last week's election, plunging the country into a political crisis, Europe has been searching for a Plan B for Greece. It's time to admit that the EU/IMF rescue plan has failed. Greece's best hopes now lie in a return to the drachma.By SPIEGEL Staf

VÃO VER COMO A MARAVILHOSA CONSTITUIÇÃO, QUE DÁ PARA TUDO E PARA O SEU CONTRÁRIO,VOS VAI DANDO O "DIREITO" A SEREM ESCRAVOS, DO PLANETA...
ARRANJARAM UNS GAJOS QUE VOS ENGANARAM E ESFOLAM ATÉ AO TUTANO.MAS QUE TRATARAM DA SUA VIDINHA EM GRANDE!É A DEMOCRACIA A 2 VELOCIDADES:A BOA PARA TODOS OS ELEITOS, FAMILIARES, ASSESSORES E RESTANTE FAMÍLIA, AS EMPRESAS DO REGIME E AS SUAS E O "RESTO" QUE É DE BOM TOM QUE AFRICANIZE E SE MISTURE LÁ NO BAIRRO SOCIAL...

SÓ EXISTE UMA MANEIRA DE FAZER "JUSTIÇA":SAIR DA UE E EURO COM AS DÍVIDAS TITULADAS EM "ESCUDOS" E VOLTAR À CONSTITUIÇÃO DE 1933...PARA SE ACERTAREM TODAS AS CONTAS...

VIRGEM?SÓ SE FOR NOS OUVIDOS...

Cantora de cabaret quer perder virgindade aos 70 anos

MAS HOJE EM DIA NÃO SE DEVEM ESTRANHAR ESTAS COISAS.AINDA AGORA VI PASSAR UM ELEFANTE A VOAR, UM PRETO RETINTO "PORTUGUÊS" E A REPORTAGEM DO PASSOS A GARANTIR QUE NÃO MEXIA NO 13º E 14º MESES...

A ÁFRICA FOI SALVA.E A EUROPA FICA COM A RIQUEZA GARANTIDA...

Baaba Maal
guardian.co.uk, Friday 11 May 2012 15.49 BST


François Hollande's victory is music to the ears of black French people
Sarkozy was about the past, and old France. Hollande seems to appreciate the role migrants can play in building the future

Throughout the French election campaign, as race and immigration became heated topics, many of my black and African French friends were joking that perhaps they should start packing their bags. These guys are some of France's best artists, they are internationally renowned musicians, award-winning authors, great intellectuals and humanitarians, and even they felt that if Nicolas Sarkozy won, things were going to get very difficult for them. Now, they are all unpacking. They can stay, they are part of France's future, and they can help to make France great again.

I watched the French election results on the television from my home in Dakar, Senegal. I wanted to know what the candidates' views were beyond France. François Hollande was talking in very clear way about France's role and responsibilities on the international scene. The more I heard him speak, the worse Sarkozy sounded.

There was a speech Sarkozy made in Dakar where he said black people didn't get a chance to make history. For him to say that in Africa shows how much he misunderstands our experience. Black people have been creating so much for so long – in science, in literature, in the arts, in technology. It was shocking that Sarkozy said such a thing. Compare this with Hollande, who talks a lot about how to make sure immigrants can work and be a part of society. Hollande appreciates their role in building the future of the country.

Things are different now from when I was a student in Paris in the 80s. Not very long ago, you absolutely had to have your passport with you at all times, because at any moment you could be stopped by the police. If you didn't have it on you, you were in a lot of trouble.

Even so, French fans were always incredibly warm to me. I tour there every summer, from Paris to Marseille, from Le Havre to Strasbourg, and I always have a wonderful time. Now that Hollande is in, let's hope the administration changes its treatment of the black French.

It is important for the second and third generation of children of immigrants who were born in France to be part of the system: to be included, to be able to get work, not excluded for having the "wrong" name or the "wrong" address, which is the case at the moment.

France is not a divided country, but it is often confused. How does France remain French, at the same time as being global? France sometimes doesn't know whether it should be looking to the past or to the future. Sarkozy was about the past, and old France.

Marine le Pen of the National Front got such a strong vote in the first round because of the people who were disappointed by Sarkozy. But all the talk of immigration by both of them was wrong-headed and confused. Immigration and religion are not the same issue.

Many Muslims in France have been living there for 40 years, being model citizens. And in the same way there are many migrants who are not Muslim, who also bring so much to France. Whether they are from Angola, Senegal, Ivory Coast or elsewhere, these people are part of a dynamic Africa, and they bring with them their knowledge, their experience and their passion – and we all speak French. France should see these people as a valuable asset, and I think Hollande does.

The crowds celebrating Hollande's victory were so diverse. The smiling faces were of all colours: are we not one race, the human race? And the really encouraging thing was that so many of them were the younger generation. These kids are open to change, and they know France has to remain modern to get out of the current crisis.

I'm Senegalese and France is very connected to my country. France needs to open its eyes to the potential of its former colonies and to realise that these relationships have changed. People want to collaborate but with mutual respect. Whether that's a respect for our culture, for our governments or for our business potential. It's about sitting around the same table and talking together as equals. Of course our relationship hasn't always been easy but we are in it together.

TODA A GENTE SABE DO RESPEITO QUE OS AFRICANOS TÊM PELOS BRANCOS, LÁ EM ÁFRICA, PRINCIPALMENTE PELAS SUAS PROPRIEDADES.ENTÃO SOS RACISMO FORMADO POR BRANCOS É AOS MONTES.ISSO E A AJUDA AOS BRANCOS MAIS POBRES...QUE AOS MAIS RICOS QUE PARA LÁ QUEIRAM IR "AVENTURAR-SE A INVESTIR" É LOGO A "DIVIDIR" COM OS IGUAIS AFRICANOS.E ENTÃO O "ESTADO DE DIREITO" DERIVADO DA KULTURA AFRICANA?ALGUÉM TERÁ RAZÕES DE QUEIXA?DISSO E DA DEMOCRACIA, DA SEGURANÇA, PRINCIPALMENTE DESTA.QUE NORMALMENTE BRANCO NÃO FICA VIVO PARA SE PODER QUEIXAR...
PENA O SENEGALÊS NÃO TER FILOSOFADO ACERCA DA "DESCOLONIZAÇÃO", DAS "LIMPEZAS ÉTNICAS" QUE INDIGENIZARAM TÃO BEM ÁFRICA DO "DIABO BRANCO".QUE QUEREM QUE AQUI NA EUROPA SEJA O "SANTO" QUE DÊ A OUTRA FACE, PAGUE SEM PESTANEJAR O "A CADA UM SEGUNDO AS SUAS NECESSIDADES" E DEIXE ENTRAR A CULTURA AFRICANA SEM CONTROLO PARA NOS VIR CIVILIZAR...CÁ EM CASA...
ESTES GAJOS AINDA NÃO ESQUECERAM A DOUTRINA ENSINADA PELOS INTERNACIONALISTAS-MARXISTAS-LENINISTAS...

"ARRISCA" MUITO POUCO.EM PORTUGAL NINGUÉM É "ILEGAL"

Homem de 27 anos detido por agredir mulher


Um homem de 27 anos, estrangeiro, foi detido hoje às 4.00 da madrugada por agentes da PSP de Cascais, em flagrante delito, a agredir a sua mulher. A vítima necessitou de tratamento hospitalar. O agressor foi conduzido ao Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras, onde se verificou que estava ilegal no país. Arrisca expulsão do território nacional

COM AS GARANTIAS TOTAIS SERÁ UM DIA MAIS UM "PORTUGUÊS" POBRE E CHEIO DE DESIGUALDADES E DIFERENÇAS...DE QUE NOS SENTIREMOS CULPADOS...

MÉLENCHON NASCEU EM MARROCOS E COM TANTOS MANOS COMO ELE QUER VENCER COM O VOTO OS DONOS DA TERRA...

Mélenchon, o campeão da esquerda, vai candidatar-se contra Marine Le Pen

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, da Frente de Esquerda, vai disputar um lugar no Parlamento francês com Marine Le Pen, a líder do partido de extrema-direita Frente Nacional?

POR CÁ É A MESMA COISA.OS DITOS ANTI-FASCISTAS E ANTI-COLONIALISTAS,CONSEGUIDA A "ENTREGA" DE TUDO O QUE TINHA PRETO FICARAM COM SAUDADE DOS PRIMOS E ESTÁ DE LANÇAREM AGORA SÓ CÁ DENTRO E POR NOSSA CONTA O RELANÇAMENTO DO IMPÉRIO.ATÉ PORQUE SE SENTIAM UM POUCO ISOLADOS, OS SEUS FILHOS ERAM "AVES RARAS" NAS ESCOLAS.AGORA NÃO.NALGUMAS, CADA VEZ MAIS, ESTÃO EM MAIORIA...UM VERDADEIRO MILAGRE SALVADOR DO PLANETA!POR CONTA DO "ESTADO SOCIAL".COMO AINDA NÃO CONSEGUIRAM COM A SUA PEDRA FILOSOFAL TRANSFORMAR A ÁGUA EM VINHO E A MULTIPLICAÇÃO DOS PÃES SÓ PODEM É IR AFRICANIZANDO TODO O MUNDO...ISTO É NIVELANDO-O POR ÁFRICA...
PORTANTO JÁ SABEM ESTAR CONTRA ATRIBUIR A NACIONALIDADE, ENSINAR, TRATAR E CUIDAR DE QUEM NOS ESCOLHA, COMO SE SEMPRE CÁ TIVESSE VIVIDO, ISTO É, DIVIDIR COM O PLANETA, É SER DE "EXTREMA-DIREITA", FASCISTA, NAZI E CABEÇA RAPADA!PARA ALÉM DE RACISTA!!!
CLARO QUE É INCORRECTO PEDIR EXEMPLOS DE RECIPROCIDADE DOS LOCAIS DE ORIGEM DESSA NOVA FORMA DE RIQUEZA E ANIMAÇÃO ONDE A "LIMPEZA ÉTNICA , A INDIGENAÇÃO E O CONFISCO DA "DIFERENÇA", NESTE CASO , DOS BRANCOS, FORAM REGRA E SEM RECLAMAÇÕES DE NINGUÉM...
DEPOIS NÃO QUEREM SER CHAMADOS DE TRAIDORES...