1. The idea of bankruptcy and limited liability for companies was once condemned, but is now accepted as a way to allow people to start over.
2. Argentina's default in 2001 was due to its inability to service its public debt, and creditors had been compensated for the risk of a default.
3. The US courts have interpreted the pari passu clause as requiring a sovereign debtor to make full payment on a defaulted claim if it makes any payments on restructured bonds, making it difficult for countries to restructure their debt.
The article “Defend Argentina from the Vultures” by Financial Times is an opinion piece that discusses the issue of sovereign debt restructuring in Argentina and how it has been affected by US court rulings. The article presents an argument in favor of allowing countries to restructure their debts, citing examples from history such as the Marshalsea prison where debtors were sent in 18th century London and the introduction of bankruptcy laws in 1869. It also argues that creditors should not be surprised when defaults occur since they are compensated for taking on the risk of a default.
The article does provide some evidence for its claims, such as statistics from Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff’s book This Time is Different about past defaults, and Anne Krueger’s proposal for a sovereign debt restructuring mechanism in 2002. However, there are some potential biases present in this article which could affect its trustworthiness and reliability. For example, while it acknowledges that Argentina suffered from chronic mismanagement before its default in 2001, it does not explore any counterarguments or other possible causes for the country’s financial difficulties. Additionally, while it mentions Paul Singer of Elliott Management as one of the holdouts blocking a clean resolution, it does not provide any information about his motivations or interests which could be influencing his actions. Furthermore, while it suggests several solutions such as eliminating the pari passu clause or introducing stronger collective action clauses, these solutions are presented without any evidence or analysis regarding their effectiveness or feasibility.
In conclusion, while this article provides some useful information about sovereign debt restructuring and offers some potential solutions to address this issue, there are some potential biases present which could affect its trustworthiness and reliability. Therefore readers should take these points into consideration when evaluating this article’s content.