• DarkCloud@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    66
    ·
    edit-2
    2 months ago

    When you’re too questionable for the world bank - who regularly offers leveraged loans to dictators they know are going to embezzle the cash and flee, leaving whole countries destitute.

    …even those guys are like - “nah, Elon Musk clearly has a questionable character”.

    • NoIWontPickAName@kbin.earth
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      21
      ·
      2 months ago

      So what?

      What’s the world bank going to do if the countries decide not to pay back the loan?

      It’s just stupid for the countries to even pay it back

      • DarkCloud@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        29
        ·
        edit-2
        2 months ago

        …a “leveraged loan” usually means there’s a contract to sell a natural resource for a very cheap price (far below the market rate) if the loan isn’t paid back. That’s the “leverage” that makes the loan (usually to an otherwise poor country) “good” in the eyes of the world bank.

        So that’s what happens. If they refuse to give up the goods, they’ll get down graded, possibly refused global banking services, or put on an embargo list… And they’ll probably arrange ownership of the mine/refinery/wells and have them secured with private security forces anyways.

      • apt_install_coffee@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        edit-2
        2 months ago

        Did the citizens of that country take the loan? No

        Did they benefit at all from the loan? No

        Did the world bank make any effort to ensure the above were answered ‘yes’? No

        When you make a leveraged loan are you supposed to be guaranteed that the it was risk free? No

        If leveraged loans could be made risk-free ‘breal your legs’ style the way the world bank does to countries, banks would be offering loans to every punter who wanted to bet on the dogs.

      • hydroptic@sopuli.xyz
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        2 months ago

        It’s always great fun when people who have absolutely zero fucking clue how something works declare it “stupid”.

    • DogPeePoo@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      10
      ·
      2 months ago

      ”Probably in a couple of weeks… looking into it… [insert generic platitude…]”