No Business for You, with Iran
Stuart Levey, an unpopular visitor to Europe and head honcho in anti-terror economics, has been pushing Germany to freeze Euro biz with Iran. Now, Deutsche Bank is the first to follow suit.
So far, the German government has shown more resistance. From an American viewpoint, who have little to no business with Iran, it's understandable. From a German business angle, it's different: jobs and money. And business with Iran has been strong in the past.
War profiteers always make money, that's the game. Yet it's not always the same game, depending on where you're making money, especially if someone else is doing biz you're not.
Take the Taliban or Iraq. Both were previously supported with weapons by the United States government, now they're enemies. Even Iran has been on good terms with the States until 1979, the start of the Revolution and second departure of the Shah. To tame and isolate Iran, the States plans to sell $20 billion to neighbouring countries in the Gulf. Where do you draw the line? Represent your own interests the best you can.
Comments
"Take the Taliban or Iraq"
I don't know how much business the US did with the Taliban, but the US was the poster child for the arms trade with Iraq - or so we have been assured by the French & Germans.
Never mind the facts - which are that Chirac & company sold $5 billion worth and the US sold about $50 million. Or that even the Germans sold $500 million to Saddam.
And torture was never a problem at Abu Ghraib before the US took over.
Of course it was legal then - which makes everything right from certain perspectives found usually if not univerally east of the Atlantic.
Riiiiggghhhhtttttt.
Don S; August 14, 2007 7:42 PM
Oh, BTW - congrats to D-Bank on doing the right thing. Better late than never....
Don S; August 14, 2007 7:43 PM
Let's take a journey down the road of war profiteers. German companies are no less innocent than American. My point is that when it suits America to pressure others to freeze business is when it's awkward. There's no "right" in arms deals, companies doing business with rogue nations are globally connected anyway, the country of origin doesn't matter, especially since Greenspan now works for Deutsche Bank.
Gerd; August 14, 2007 9:53 PM