[Chapter 753: Diverging Opinions]
Recently, Wall Street had been quite busy. Though the euro hadn't launched yet, the Europeans had already set a timeline, which meant they planned to follow through.
This clearly indicated that the Europeans didn't intend to rush into things. Just a little over five years should be a sufficient amount of time.
Even if there were inner doubts, the outward politeness had to be maintained. If they didn't even bother with the formalities, things could get really messy.
"Sir, our think tank concluded this: with the elimination of tariffs and no more foreign exchange losses, their GDP would grow by at least one percentage point."
"Filson, right now everyone is optimistic about European development, but I see some issues."
"Sir, please, this affects asset allocation for the foreseeable future."
William White rubbed his tired eyes; sifting through all this data was undeniably exhausting.
"Ahem, logically speaking, the Federal Reserve should have enough gold stored by now. You see, with Europe set to create some fissures, let inflation do its thing over the next few years. If I were Greenspan, I'd be selling U.S. dollars and buying precious metals; that would be the best approach."
Filson felt a bit lost; his boss wasn't arguing about the data anymore. William was viewing things through a conspiratorial lens.
"Gold prices shouldn't be behaving like this right now. By the way, there were rumors that Morgan Stanley was keen on taking a long position on gold; they just hadn't acted yet."
"Sure, the Russians are already at a standstill. Look at the gold prices lately; aren't they still around four hundred bucks? Considering this move to unify currency, it should be based on credit. Even so, shouldn't there be some gold reserves?"
William White knew well that the pitfalls for their European counterparts had long been dug.
The biggest problem in Europe was that their consumption was dismal. Europeans tended to be cautious. What subprime mortgage crisis? That had no market here.
Sub-landlords couldn't just randomly raise rents; and as for property speculators? That concept simply didn't exist.
"Sir, there are indeed issues with gold. However, there's also a problem with dollar positions. After all this quantitative easing, liquidity in the market is still lacking."
"I can't explain that, Filson. Perhaps there's a fool out there holding onto U.S. dollars hoping they appreciate?"
Filson forced a smile; inflation was bound to come eventually. Holding onto cash now was pretty foolish.
The two of them debated for ages, with neither able to budge the other. Filson remained optimistic about Europe's economy, while William White held the exact opposite view. He believed this was the golden era for the U.S. economy.
"Let's put it this way, Filson, I'm not saying Europe is bad. You mentioned the Germans don't like to invest in stocks or raise capital through public offerings. As for the French, well, their luxury goods are quite solid."
The conversation seemed to revolve solely around France and Germany; Britain seemed to have vanished from their considerations.
"Sir, are you suggesting we increase investments in these two areas?"
"Well, there are five years left; let's see how they pan out. Of course, German industry is robust. The focus of the automotive industry remains in Hamburg, while the other production bases should primarily concentrate on economy cars."
"Alright, sir, we'll leave it at that for now. The primary concern is that Clinton's healthcare plan is simply outrageous. If the U.S. deficit continues to balloon..."
"Filson, that concern can wait. Haven't you noticed? Ever since Somalia went south, he seems to have calmed down a lot. If you didn't know better, you might think we have a new leader."
"Sir, his actions really remain a mystery. And now, not to mention Somalia, even Saddam and Gaddafi -- those sanctions have taken effect. Is that all?"
"Hahaha, he's simply a military moron; what do you expect him to do? Instead of creating chaos, he should focus on developing the economy. Filson, I'm quite looking forward to that change."
"Well, sir, if he really did that, the economy would improve significantly. But would he even stand a chance to be re-elected? His major donors..."
"Hahaha, that doesn't matter. Arms dealers are wealthy; it's a laugh, since when has Wall Street ever lacked money? Quite frankly, if he utilized those tactics from Arkansas, the economy would absolutely take off."
William White could indeed sound quite full of himself. Clinton's re-election truly held no suspense.
The economy was thriving; everyone's lives were good. Even if arms dealers were displeased, they wouldn't dare oppose everyone.
Therefore, Clinton tripped over a woman, which was undeniably a carefully plotted scheme. Most amusingly, Clinton was quite timid and hadn't made any substantial moves.
In the end, it wasn't just the likes of Gingrich getting anxious; those big players behind the scenes were on edge too.
Come on, just act already; this back-and-forth was exasperating. Don't you know that?
Eventually, one couldn't wait anymore. If this continued, he'd be retiring. Even if impeachment succeeded, it would be pointless.
In the end, Clinton emerged unscathed from the whole ordeal, an important step indeed.
Clearly, the judge believed he had been set up. Of course, on his end, he had certain desires. If he could resist, he's still a good person and could continue being president. It really was that simple.
...
Filson left, and William White's headache continued. The American tactics against Europe were just a series of traps.
The trouble was that knowing didn't help. Without a suitable opportunity, this couldn't be messed with at all.
What happened to Soros?
That guy was different; he was the voice of the Federal Reserve. What could you do about it if you didn't like it? Buffett played the good cop, while this fellow was the bad cop, having a blast over the years.
Alright, in America, they didn't have a good cop-bad cop dynamic. What they played was good guy-bad guy.
"Tanner, let's go home. I can't think about this anymore; it is giving me a headache."
"Master, what's bothering you? There haven't been any major issues lately."
"Oh, how could there not be? Even if it's not front-page news, the EU has been established, and Filson and the others are quite optimistic, but I have my doubts."
"Europe? Master, do the Russians count as Europeans? If they do, it doesn't seem like it would be peaceful."
"Right, this is a mess to deal with. Have they finished fighting?"
"They've finished. Should be a few hundred casualties, but they claim only a bit over a hundred."
"Sigh, the fighting spirit of that nation isn't just talk; to roll tanks right into the city center! That's an order no one in America would dare give."
"Not long ago, that cult group could have stormed in, likely wouldn't have caused that many deaths."
"Indeed, master, they do seem quite direct. Hawkeye has made two moves recently, and those Haitians were absolutely thrashed."
"Even in the neighborhoods of those brothers, if you spoke in Russian, no one would dare mess with you."
"By the way, I really hadn't considered this angle. The Russians love a good face-off; I doubt those around them will be too peaceful either."
Right then, William White remembered. Europe was dealing with more than just African refugees. Geographically, the Russians were very close to them.
"By the way, Tanner, keep an eye on the CIA people, especially in Europe. They've been unusually restrained lately; since they're not causing trouble in Africa, it's about time they turned their focus to Europe."
"Sure thing, master. Those folks are always restless. They might lack other skills, but their ability to wreak havoc is definitely top-notch."
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