Not only King of pop Michael Jackson passed away this week.

The Guardian, Thursday 25 June 2009
Obituary: Karel Van Miert
Highly influential EU competition commissioner. (1)

As Alan Greenspan, former chairman of the US of A central bank, said more than 45 years ago:
The world of antitrust is reminiscent of Alice’s Wonderland: everything seemingly is, yet apparently isn’t, simultaneously. It is a world in which competition is lauded as the basic axiom and guiding principle, yet “too much” competition is condemned as “cutthroat.” It is a world in which actions designed to limit competition are branded as criminal when taken by businessmen, yet praised as “enlightened” when initiated by the government. It is a world in which the law is so vague that businessmen have no way of knowing whether specific actions will be declared illegal until they hear the judge’s verdict — after the fact. (2)

Hence, the road is now open for Gas OPEC

The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) will therefore meet in Qatar on Tuesday. (3)

Ivo Cerckel
honestmoney@maktoob.com

NOTES

(1)
Obituary
Karel Van Miert
Highly influential EU competition commissioner
Leo Cendrowicz
The Guardian, Thursday 25 June 2009
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/25/karel-van-miert-obituary

(2)
ANTITRUST, BY ALAN GREENSPAN, Based on a paper given at the Antitrust Seminar of the National Association of Business Economists, Cleveland, September 25, 1961. Published by Nathaniel Branden Institute, New York, 1962,
reprinted in: Ayn Rand, (ed.) , “Capitalism – the Unknown Ideal”, Signet Books, 1967
http://www.polyconomics.com/ssu/ssu-980612.htm

(3)
Gas meet in Doha to discuss price slide
Publish Date: Friday,26 June, 2009,  at 10:39 PM Doha Time
Reuters/Dubai/London
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=299509&version=1&template_id=48&parent_id=28
SNIPS
The world’s biggest gas powers will discuss an unprecedented slide in global demand and prices when they meet in Qatar on Tuesday but there is little they can do about it – yet, say analysts.
The global economic downturn and its impact on gas consumption will be high on the agenda when ministers from a club of countries holding more than three-quarters of the world’s gas reserves meet on Tuesday in Doha.
“At current prices I don’t know if investment in gas will continue,” said Mohamed Ali Khatibi, Iran’s representative to the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).
+
Previous meetings of the GECF have caused consternation among gas consumers, who fear the group may develop the same influence over gas markets as the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) has over oil.
The GECF may eventually gain sway over prices but gas and crude trade is so different and the forum so immature that there is little chance of members working together for now.