Okay, I'll admit found the [73] citation the first time I searched, which is hardly indicative of wrongdoing, but I'll repost what I said earlier about the Der

Okay, I'll admit found the [73] citation the first time I searched, which is hardly indicative of wrongdoing, but I'll repost what I said earlier about the Der Spegiel [72] article in a separate thread: > "[That article] I have little comment on, because it provides no useful contextual information. Trying to read this account of financial engineering is like trying to read about a science study in the daily paper. All the details are left out, and a newspaper cannot be trusted to get the big picture right. The phrase "special kind of swap with fictional exchange rates", for example, might be accurate, but it just smells like the writer misunderstood a forward contract or something." I did some more digging and apparently the financial instruments in question are actually currency swaps (which one paper incorrectly calls forex swaps). Currency swaps are a legitimate financial instrument used by governments all over the place, and they come in different flavors. What are these swaps, how precisely are they sinister, and why? I actually kind this find of stuff fascinating and will probably do more digging today, instead of working. I'd be surprised, though, if it turns out to be anything more than just another swap.