Topic: International Monetary Fund

France faces a potential debt crisis as public debt reaches nearly 120% of its GDP with a 5.4% budget deficit. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned the French government to "get its house in order" as 10-year bond yields approach 5%. Investors are growing nervous that political divisions in the National Assembly will prevent necessary spending cuts, potentially destabilizing the entire Eurozone.

A report from France 24 regarding D-Day serves as a springboard for a discussion on the post-WWII economic order established at Bretton Woods. The summary covers the creation of the IMF and World Bank, the historical pegging of the US dollar to gold, and the 1973 collapse of that system. Speculation is offered that current European tensions may be used as a pretext for a "great financial reset."

The US Supreme Court sided with hedge fund investors against Argentina, demanding the country pay nearly 950 million euros in defaulted debt. President Cristina Kirchner has labeled the situation extortion, refusing to pay the "vulture funds" that did not participate in previous debt restructuring. This legal defeat has significant implications for Argentina's national solvency and its standing with the International Monetary Fund.

The hosts compare the statistical "value" of human beings across different regions, noting a report that values a UK citizen at roughly $700,000 compared to $50,000 paid to Afghan villagers. President Barack Obama's proclamation of March 25th as Greek Independence Day is criticized as hubris given the ongoing economic austerity measures imposed on Greece by the IMF.