Is Italy the Next Cyprus? - Mike Shedlock - Townhall Finance ...

Once trust is lost it is very slow to recover. For now, much of Europe is acting as if it believes Cyprus is a "one time" thing? But isn't that what we heard about Greece? Who is next? Italy?

In an article on Handelsblatt the chief economist of Commerzbank says: Italy should bring a unique wealth tax.

It is a myth to talk of crisis-strapped states. Even the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) and the chief economist of Commerzbank, Joerg Kraemer says the numbers suggest a different view.

Kramer relies on surveys of the European Central Bank. Net financial assets of the Italians are 173 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). This is significantly more than the net financial assets of the Germans, which corresponds to 124 percent of GDP, said Kramer for Handelsblatt Online.

"So it would make sense, in Italy for a one-time property tax levy," suggested the Bank economist. "A tax rate of 15 percent on financial assets would probably be enough to push the Italian government debt to below the critical level of 100 percent of gross domestic product."

Reader Bernd suggests Kraemer means a net tax on all assets not just financial ones, but either way the idea is preposterous. Banks always want bailouts to fall on the backs of private citizens not on banks.

Italy's Companies Face Slow 'Death' as Credit Crunch Deepens

While pondering the above confiscation threat, Ambrose Evans-Pritchard the Telegraph reports Italy's Companies Face Slow 'Death' as Credit Crunch Deepens.

Source: http://townhall.com/columnists/mikeshedlock/2013/03/23/is-italy-the-next-cyprus-n1546607

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