Nationalizing would basically happen once, and then it would be all over.  The government would be replaced on the next election.  As soon as you nationalize the first company, all investors flee at once.  No one will want to deal with you after that.  The government knows this, only a desperate country does this, and it's usually with something that was a rip off to start with.  Some commodity that was given away for some pittance.   Even then, the backlash is huge.  People will cheer it, until a few months later when the repercussions start showing up.

So if you go into the most ghetto areas, backwater cities of Brazil, you can claim that mercedes just aren't selling in Brazil anywhere, it's a doomed industry.  Going to Spain, and then saying  no one is buying electronics is completely mis leading.  Isn't spain one of the places with some issues right now?  Shouldn't you be looking at the majority, say.. look at Germany and check out their electronics business?   Where you in an area that normally does a lot of electronics?  Where you present during the times they normally do business, and compared with previous years, how busy were they then too?   How about all the other little gadgets China puts out.  The things that fill up many markets, the $1-$25 items.  

Wow, nationalization could mean that when we buy property as foreigners, they might take it all away?

Mantega dá um mês para bancos reduzirem juros em até 40%

O ministro da Fazenda, Guido Mantega, deu um mês para bancos privados reduzirem suas taxas de juros mais altas. A queda esperada, segundo ele, é de 30% a 40%. O ministro prometeu fiscalizar os bancos para que a redução dos juros não seja compensada com aumento das tarifas dos serviços.

Leia a transcrição da entrevista com o ministro Guido Mantega

"Se os bancos privados reduzirem 30%, 40% e aumentarem o volume, 30%, 40%, já estarão prestando um serviço à economia brasileira. A nossa intenção é ter um acompanhamento semanal dessa história. E eu vou cobrar", afirmou o ministro.

Mantega falou sobre o assunto no "Poder e Política", projeto do UOL e da Folha conduzido pelo jornalista. A entrevista foi gravada no Ministério da Fazenda, em Brasília, no dia 24 de maio. Também participou como entrevistador Valdo Cruz, repórter da Folha.

Na entrevista, o ministro disse que o governo está pensando em um modo de ajudar devedores inadimplentes de até R$ 100 mil a quitarem suas dívidas com os bancos. A estratégia envolveria facilitar o pagamento dos impostos que as instituições de crédito devem pagar ao receber as quantias dos devedores.

Mantega afirmou que o PIB (Produto Interno Bruto) do Brasil crescerá de 3,5% a 4% neste ano mesmo com a crise. O número é otimista comparado a algumas projeções que estimam alta de só 3%.

Edited by GreatBallsoFire - 26 May 2012 at 20:09

What do you guys thing about the near term development of real estate prices? I have been scanning the shore line with Google earth looking for nice terrenos hillside with beach views and I noticed a lot of subdivision activity up and down the coastline around Ubatuba. There seem to be lots of streets laid out with small 800 m2 lost, but not yet sold. Have they overdone it?

Originally posted by Squiddie What do you guys thing about the near term development of real estate prices? I have been scanning the shore line with Google earth looking for nice terrenos hillside with beach views and I noticed a lot of subdivision activity up and down the coastline around Ubatuba.

I assume you're talking about Ubatuba-SP and and not Ubatuba-SC, which is near Joinville.  If so, I only know that Itamambuca and Praia Felix are excellent beaches for surfing at UbaSP, but know nothing about the RE market there.  I think it's hard to make a general statement about 'near term' RE prices in Brasil, because we have anomalies like Rio and Sampa, which disproportionately tip the scale for RE values.  Even towns like Florianopolis and Curitiba tip it too.  But there are still bargains to be found elsewhere in the country!

If you scan Google Earth a bit further south to SC, then just south of Floripa, and zoom in on the beaches north and south of a town called Imbituba (mostly the beaches south) then I think you'll find some stretches of coastline that are still very reasonable in price!  There's also some incredibly scenic land (LARGE parcels) with hillside elevations on the other side of Lagoa Mirim (southwest of Imbituba), meaning you have amazing views of both the lagoa, and the ocean in the distance.  As the BR101 nears completion of it's renovation in this region, to reach Floripa is 2hrs, or less.

I've posted in other threads, I believe this area is a sleeping giant, about to awaken....


Now, back on topic....

Bankia's Writedowns Cast Doubt on Spain's Bank Estimates

Spain Considers Injecting Debt Rather Than Cash into Bankia

Switzerland May Set Capital Controls if Euro Collapses

European Firms Plan for Greek Unrest and Euro Exit


I think it's obvious there will be riots in the streets in Greece.  With Summer being just around the corner, it will be more significant how the (vast) unemployed youth in Spain (+/- 50%) respond/react to no jobs.  Riots there could be an indicator of woeful days (deep recession/depression) coming to Europe, and even possibly the Euro....

Meanwhile, the PT has yet to learn the lesson from other countries, that an economy based on spend-spend-spend consumerism is a rua sem saida....