http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/business/DailyNews/bankerstrust990520.html

Quote from ABCNews: "A State Department official had warned that opposition to the merger on political grounds could chill the U.S. economy."

The new Deutsche/Banker Trust will be the largest bank in the world. How could opposition chill the economy???

Unless BT is not ready for Y2K????

-- Bill P (porterwn@one.net), May 20, 1999

Answers

What's happening in 1999 is identical to what happened in 1929 -- merger mania. I don't understand it that well either, but it has something to do with companies having to continue to expand, regardless of consequence. In an economic situation such as we are now faced with, a flat growth line is equivalent to a corporate death certificate.

-- a (a@a.a), May 21, 1999.

Please demonstrate to me, point by point, that this has ANYthing at all to do with Y2k.

I have an MBA degree, by the way, so I know a little bit about business; read Investors' Business Daily every weekday, and am an active market trader. And do pretty well.

Your analysis (or lack of it) is severely lacking, on pretty much every front.

Please explain to those of us who don't Get It.

-- Chicken Little (panic@forthebirds.net), May 21, 1999.

Remember history the troops would circle the covered wagons when they knew it was going to get ugly. The big banks are circling the wagon. Were in the new game now and the kid gloves are coming off world wide. New players are going to emerge,clueless players will not be allowed to play. The biggest wealth shift is about to occur. Dont say gary north or I didnt warn you. The big boys are playing hardball with each other now. Lets hope for all of our sakes that they dont pull the plug just yet. I personally need more time for preparation. Big money is positioning big time. Thats why were having all the sabor rattling in kosovo and mega mergers. The Nwo is feeling out who will be team players. Expect the unexpected. Pray it turns out O.K we will know soon. Think peace and hope mfor the best. Y2k aware mike. Keep your cars gas tanks topped off and extra water in your homes,stay watchfull. God bless take care.

-- y2k aware mike (y2k aware mike @ conservation . com), May 21, 1999.

Growth is to a transnational corporation what it is to a malignant cell. It destroys local culture, thwarts local initiative, and destroys individuation. When corporations rule the world, man is reduced to a cipher, a hollow simulacra of humanity. As Wendell Berry has so eloquently aked, "what are people for?"

-- Spidey (in@jam.commie), May 21, 1999.

Do Fuck Off kentucky - the nearest you've got to an MBA is a Mc Donalds give away...

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), May 21, 1999.

The weird thing about the numerous bank mergers is that BIS in Sep 97 specifically asked that all banking mergers cease until post y2k.

My 2 cents. Deutsche is attempting to save its ass because Bankers Trust is considerably further along on the remediation curve.

-- Mitchell Barnes (spanda@inreach.com), May 21, 1999.

Maybe they are going to BE world banking. Maybe everyone figures, well, let's have at least one big, huge bank functioning in Europe and the United States. They probably have branches all over the world...

-- Goombah (goombah@aol.com), May 21, 1999.