Quote from Mvic:
Get a clue for goodness sakes. What I do know is that there are several levels of redundancy, both in server farms and in physical format in tape banks. Maybe, and this is a huge maybe they might be able to cause some very minor temporary disruption at some FI's but that is about it. A major attack on some important oil field, or oil fields would have a far greater impact and for a longer period of time.
Thanks for your concern regarding my own situation but you can sleep easy. I have three access points to the markets, one in another country. Besides I don't whine
Actually...
I would agree with Mvic about Wall Street being extremely vulnerable:
(1) Many Wall Street firms are not nearly as technologically advanced as people think...
In fact, many are still running mainframes with software coded in the 80s.
Everybody here thinks in terms of "internet brokers"...
But IB is 1% the size of Merrill Lynch...
Who make money the old-fashioned way...
By systematically lying to their Customers.
(2) A tiny nuclear device detonated in New York harbor...
Would make lower Manhattan uninhabitable for a generation.
This will happen... WHEN not IF.
Nancy Pelosi, Howard Dean and friends absolutely guarentee it...
And are doing everything in their power to speed this up.
(3) When #2 happens... your brokerage account will not have a high priority.
But would sort of agree with zdreg on Mid-East:
(1) 50% of US military is in Persian Gulf vicinity... and are staying for a while
(2) Saudis (and Jordan) are Sunni... and is a BIG, RICH counterweight to Iran.
(3) By FAR... the most vulnerable country to oil disruption is Iran.
They export everything through Strait of Hormuz...
** And import 40% of their gasoline **.
The US military could shut down the Iranian economy in 2 weeks...
With Strait naval blockade and precision bombing... no need for invasion ever.