An excellent analysis of the issue with banks being bailed out, banks get into trouble and they are rescued (bailed out) or they default and creditors take a hit. However, often times the sovereign gets into trouble as well. Does the Sovereign then privatize assets or default themselves? Assets such as the banks fall into the hands of foreigners at that point – as we have already seen with Bank of Ireland.
Competitive devaluation?
Anybody who follows the well known finance blog Credit Writedowns will know that one of the trends coming about (according to author Ed Harrison) is that we are going to see a competitive devaluation, where USD and Euro purposely look to go lower, the other alternative is that the Chinese opt to float their currency and allow some appreciation. This is happening right now, it is no coincidence that the Yuan is going to see some rule loosening, it is that or face the alternative which is a move by USD as low as it can go to re-establish equilibrium between the surplus/deficit nations.
While competitive devaluation is not the subject, it is touched on by several different facets of the conversation, well worth viewing.