Taming Global Financial Flows : Challenges and Alternatives in the Era of Financial Globalization

Contents Preface. 1. Recent Trends in global financial flows. 2. Financial liberalization and financial fragility. 3. Capital account liberalization benefactor or menace. 4. The mysterious world of hedge funds. 5. The global parasites offshore financial centers. 6. Capital controls an idea whose time has returned. 7. Managing capital flows The case of Chile. 8. Whither international financial architecture. 9. Financial globalization new challenges for peoples movements. Bibliography. Index. The global financial system this book argues is in turmoil. Financial liberalization has led to phasing out of regulatory mechanisms over the movement of huge sums involved in currency speculations new financial products offshore financial centers secretive hedge funds and hot money flows to emerging markets. The result is a degree of volatility in financial markets which threatens the orderly running of national economies. This book explains and analyses the constantly changing and complex world of global financial flows and calls for radical reforms in a system that is now more susceptible to the whims of market sentiment than the economic policies of governments. The author enunciates certain guiding principles in order to create a more stable international financial architecture and recommends a series of concrete measures. This most timely and useful follow up to his very successful previous book the globalization of finance a citizen's guide contributes greatly to public understanding of the intricacies of global finance and to the possibilities of effective action by peoples movements campaigning for a more just and sound financial system. 238 pp.…