Hi Ricardo,



I'm an IMF supporter myself Ricardo and I appreciate your thoughts on that praiseworthy institution.



I also appreciate your paragraph on the UNHCR and the need for Angela Merkel to (again) bully her EU partners into doing the right thing. Perhaps you might consider writing a full essay based on that paragraph and related points.



It's true that the person administering the medicine is often the one that gets the grief, particularly when a person has a self-inflicted wound. (Any ER nurse or doctor can vouch for that!)



And in the Greek debacle, the IMF was unfairly drawn into a drama between some Greek politicians themselves, and was held hostage between some unfriendly parties -- not the normal state of affairs for the IMF which usually does its excellent work quietly and in advance of crises.



Whether rich or poor, all nations have benefited from the IMF, even if they've never received a cent from the IMF.



When dominoes are lined up, if one falls, many fall. Therefore, when the IMF prevents one economy from crashing, it is potentially precluding the possibility of many economies crashing.



Which is why the IMF deserves all of the respect that it gets and a whole lot more respect that it isn't getting now.



As for the CDB, comparing it to the IMF is a bit of a false comparison. There is no apples-to-apples comparison here.



The IMF is an institution of research, development, and finance, while the CDB leans towards being a financier of China's foreign policy goals and a financing option for Chinese business -- which is just fine.



The IMF does what it does; an unbiased research and lending institution -- the CDB furthers China's interests while assisting developing nation economies in the process.



I see no reason why the two can't operate -- even in the same country -- as they bring different qualities to the table and as long as there is open communication between the two institutions, they may even complement each other in the best-case scenario.



Both the IMF and the CDB should create a liaison office to foster better understanding and cooperation between the two institutions.



The relationship between the two will be whatever the IMF head and the CDB head decide that it will be.



Therefore, why not make it the most open, complementary, and productive relationship possible?



I can't think of a reason good enough to not do it.



As always, very best regards, JBS