Economic pressures

[Danny B]

Seems that you just can't escape the yield curve.

Well, the recession has started. The inception seems to have been in December when Powell did a bit of tightening. The whole system just can't survive even a little bit of a drawdown. Couple of vids.
May 7, 89% of stocks traded in the red.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t5CHS25Jm8

Ray Dalio: Prepare For “Helicopter Money” Directly To Americans Hands During Next Crisis!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSsaThJytg4

5/09 Dow drops over 1000 points from highs as yield curve inverts – Zero Hedge
5/09 Weakest U.S. Bond auction in decade validates Dimon’s warning – Bloomberg
5/09 Greek bonds now yield less than Treasurys; as irrational as in 2007 – MW
5/09 Perhaps it’s time to start worrying about global corporate debt, suggests BoE – WS
5/08 Credit card charge-offs hit seven-year high – Houston Chronicle
5/09 Proposal to spend 25% of EU budget on climate change – BBC

[Danny B]

Speedbumps here and there.

Lawyers account for 1.5% of U.S. gdp spent. The only country cursed with more lawyers than America is israel with about double our number. Law schools are closing because nobody wants to be a lawyer any more. A.I. is taking over much of the work.
BUT, there is a new golden goose on the horizon.

https://sputniknews.com/us/201905101074888324-asteroid-impact-doomsday-scenario-court-compensation/

The FED is America's primary instrument of world slavery. If the FED can't successfully plunder at will, then the military comes in. Russia has broken the model because of their advanced weapons. That is why America resorts to sanctions. Invasion is off the table.
Bolton and Pompeo are banging the war drums to try to fence in Russia, China and Iran.

https://www.rt.com/news/458764-pompeo-russia-nord-stream/

Pompeo also warned Russia and china not to exploit the arctic.
America long ago reached peak cheap oil and our economic system just won't work out with expensive oil.
China Hits Back at Pompeo Warning It Against 'Aggressive Behaviour' in Arctic
Aggressive behavior,,, means drilling for oil that rightfully belongs to America.

5/10 First day of U.S.-China trade talks end; Trump’s tariff hike set to take effect – Reuters
5/10 Oakland city finances deteriorate even in strong economy – East Bay Times
Trump can't nuke China so, he does the next best thing.
Oakland is using gas tax money to keep the street lights on.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/05/09/sanctuary-city-oakland-near-broke-will-use-gas-tax-money-to-keep-lights-on/

5/10 Second Fed governor proposes targeting short and long end of yield curve – Mish
The yield curve inversion is a sign of a lack of confidence and the FED is desperate to warp it anyway that they can.
5/10 China’s electric-car mania draws parallels to the dot-com bubble – Bloomberg
5/10 The evidence is strong: air pollution seems to cause dementia – Wired
China loses 15% of GDP to pollution. Coal ash is especially bad at polluting farmland with metals.
5/09 Nine dead gray whales have washed ashore in Bay Area this year – MSN
Perfect,,, feed them to the homeless.
May 10, 2019. "China and the U.S. entered the day with just one day left to agree to a trade deal before the U.S. imposed tariffs on $200 billion dollars’ worth of Chinese goods goes up from 10% to 25%. Chinese Premier Liu is in the U.S. meeting with trade negotiators in an attempt to resolve differences, but as of this publishing no deal or delay on tariffs has been reached."
America has backed China into a corner where they will harm themselves to save face.

[Danny B]

Good article from Orlov,,,, FUSOR

This is a long, informative article that comes to the conclusion that our entire future depends on building LOTS of advanced nuclear reactors.
ClubOrlov: America, You Are Fired!
They don't make mention of the fact that there is plenty of oil in the world. Much of it is in Iran, Russia and Venezuela. Pox Americana is talking up a good battle plan for these areas but, Russian arms make them no-fly zones. The world is very tired of American wars for plunder. They are trying to slip away from our control.
There seem to be a LOT of guests reading this thread. I started a separate thread for the FUSOR. It has almost no reads. I doubt that any of the guests know the history and possibilities of the FUSOR.
I guess that I should explain it here.

"Philo Farnsworth conceived the world's first all-electronic television at the age of 15. By the time he died, he had earned over 300 U.S. and and foreign patents."
He was a BRILLIANT inventor of radio tubes (valves). He came up with a design that appeared to have a tiny "star" inside. He progressed with the design until his work was shut down by his employer. Since that time MANY people have built copies of his (FUSOR) They even sell kits. It is that safe.
It is old technology. $100s of billions have been spent on hot fusion research. Actually, it was weapons research in disguise. But now, as fracking crashes, the West has to come up with something to alleviate the crash caused by expensive domestic oil. The powers that be are willing to let the hot fusion cat out of the bag,,, since oil is on the wan.

Lockheed Martin is the designated hitter for the Farnsworth technology.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/19652/lockheed-martin-now-has-a-patent-for-its-potentially-world-changing-fusion-reactor

Remember, this tech has been around since the 60s. As fracking sinks into the sunset, the FUSOR has been pulled off the shelf and dusted off.
Somebody should tell O.A.C. and Bernie about it.

[Danny B]

Stabbing China,, panic in the swamp,,, EU meltdown

Friedrich von Hayek first published The Road to Serfdom in 1944. It is a long treatise on economic systems and governing system. This article goes into detail about socialism, capitalism, communism.
The Road to Serfdom was about the cross-over between democracy and dictatorships. Reportedly, we are in a democracy that is morphing into socialism.

https://www.goldmoney.com/research/goldmoney-insights/in-praise-of-hayek-s-masterwork

Unlike Keynes, Hayek never projected the loss of jobs to automation.

As I suggested, we backed China into a corner where they would have to appear the intransigent bad guy.
“Liu last week told Lighthizer and Mnuchin that they needed to trust China to fulfill its pledges through administrative and regulatory changes… Both Mnuchin and Lighthizer considered that unacceptable, given China’s history of failing to fulfil reform pledges.”
"China views U.S. demands to change laws as an infringement of national sovereignty. And I can imagine Chinese officials have utter disdain for a U.S.-dictated “enforcement regime.”
' Ramifications for a breakdown in the Chinese/U.S. trading relationship are so awful markets are convinced it can’t happen. "
Credit Bubble Bulletin : Weekly Commentary: Deal or No Deal
The crash is coming anyway. Trump is going to climb up and over the bodies of dead Chinese.
Chinese companies brace for tariff hike: ‘If the tariffs rise to 25%, then we’re done for’
"The tariffs have devastated many factories in Chinese coastal regions that serve the U.S. market. Industries such as electronics have seen sales to the U.S. plummet up to 40%. Overall Chinese exports to the U.S. dropped 13% in April from a year earlier."
"Trump’s unexpected threat Sunday sent global financial markets into a tailspin. On Thursday, China vowed to defend its interests and retaliate with “necessary countermeasures” if the increases take effect Friday as planned."
"Trump’s unexpected threat "
What do you mean, "unexpected? I told you that Trump would string out the negotiations and then, blow them up. China built up the country by exporting unemployment. Trump is just doing the same thing.

5/11 It’s time for markets to end their illusions about US-China trade deal – CNBC
5/11 China, U.S. to hold more trade talks as Trump ratchets up tariff threat – Reuters
5/11 At the end of the day, it’s all about confidence – Adam Taggart, Peak Prosperity As mentioned by Armstrong for the last 40 years..
5/11 DiGenova: final 3 FISA warrants were illegally obtained – PJ Media
Kunstler writes about generations of swamp creatures who are now looking at a noose.

https://kunstler.com/cluster****-nation/crisis-what-crisis/

"legal imbecile Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), who wants to prosecute the Attorney General, Mr. Barr, for refusing to make public grand jury records in the Mueller report — since the law requires Mr. Barr to not disclose the material."
"The crisis she mis-identifies is the coming indictment of so many supposedly untouchable and hallowed public figures, up to and including the former president, Mr. Obama, and the former head of CIA, Mr. Brennan, and Director of National Security, Mr. Clapper, former Attorney General Loretta Lynch, the sainted Mr. Mueller, a whole posse of former Intel Community subalterns, and an unholy host of creeping, crawling, and flying swamp creatures from Glenn Simpson to the shyster lawyers at DNC law firm Perkins Coie, "

The fact that the would chastise Mr. Barr for complying with the law and NOT releasing the records indicates just how afraid these people really are. MOST of them can do a plea and, sing their little black hearts out. It's desperation time.

For years, I've told everyone to hold some cash at home.
"Cashless" Sweden Suddenly Warns Citizens: Hoard Banknotes & Coins In Case Of Cyber-Attack Or War

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-05-09/cashless-sweden-suddenly-warns-citizens-hoard-banknotes-coins-case-cyber-attack-or

"Student loan debt — which “has grown at a meteoric rate,” says Caleb Eplett, the VP of Product Management at research firm YCharts — hit a record of $1.37 trillion. Auto loan debt also hit an all-time high (of $1.27 trillion)"

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/all-the-disturbing-reasons-behind-the-meteoric-rise-in-americans-debt-2019-05-10?siteid=YAHOOB

It's the American way. MAX out your credit cards and,,,,, split.

"Former Greek financial minister Yanis Varoufakis branded the eurozone "a monster" for allegedly taking away financial oversight from European Union member states. Mr Varoufakis, an outspoken opponent of the European monetary union, claimed the creation of the common currency led to an "undemocratic political union". Recounting his first meeting with other eurozone Finance Ministers in 2015, Mr Varoufakis said: "When I was in the Eurogroup, Wolfgang Schauble was very clear. The first time he spoke, in my presence, he said –spectacularly and very honestly – ’democracy cannot be allowed to change economic policies.’
"He added: "The fallacy in 1992 with Helmut Kohl and Francois Mitterrand, is that they believed you start with a monetary union and then you move towards a democratic political union.

"No. If you start with a monetary union, you make sure there will not be a democratic political union."
Armstrong told them back at the beginning.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1125353/EU-news-Yanis-Varoufakis-eurozone-crisis-euro-Germany-France-ECB-European-Union-latest

Here is a confusing article on renewables. Reportedly, Ca. has too much solar power. The article is purposely confusing. If you look at the graph, it shows a shrinkage of the use of oil (thermal) and a shrinkage of imports of power.

https://seekingalpha.com/article/4262588-californias-mid-day-solar-power-glut-become-obvious

[Danny B]

The coming trade grenade

The Smoot-Hawley Act is the Tariff Act of 1930. It increased 900 import tariffs by an average of 40 to 48 percent. This reduced world trade by about 50%. This was before containerized shipping and globalism. Mr. "art of the deal" is going for throat in an effort to bring jobs back to America.
Here are the top 4 steel exporters to America.
China: US$14.9 billion (20% of US iron/steel imports)
Canada: $10.3 billion (13.9%)
Mexico: $7.5 billion (10.1%)
Taiwan: $4.1 billion (5.5%)
.................................................. .................................................. ........................................
U.S. goods and services trade with Canada totalled an estimated $714.1 billion in 2018. Exports were $360.5 billion; imports were $353.6 billion.
.................................................. .................................................. ...........................................
Mexico ranked No. 1 in total trade value through March with a total of $150.58 billion. Exports totalled $63.95 billion and Imports totalled $86.63 billion
.................................................. .................................................. ..........................................
Goods exports totalled $120.3 billion; goods imports totalled $539.5 billion. The U.S. goods trade deficit with China was $419.2 billion in 2018.

So, do you think that U.S. exports will still continue at the previous level after we give our customers a good thrashing?

5/12 Trump warns China to act on U.S. trade deal or face worse terms – Yahoo! This is the best way to make sure that they DON'T agree on a deal. There will NOT be any backtracking. We demand to have external control of their GOV to ensure compliance.
5/12 Washington is flirting with a debt crisis. No one has a plan to stop it – CNN
This has gone well beyond flirting.

Rense.
Trump Vows To Make US-China Trade Deals 'Far Worse' In His Second Term
Trump New Tariff Hikes On China Will Cost $500-$800 Per American Household
So, the question is; will the gain in new American jobs offset the enormous loss of international trade? The deficit of $419.2 billion in 2018 isn't likely to continue. The answer is NO.
Luongo - Will Trump Vanity Destroy Global Economy?
I think that his lack of understanding in respect to global capital flows will destroy it. We have run HUGE trade deficits that will NEVER recover, once they are cut loose.
Creep Biden's Greatest Betrayal - Almost 4 Years Ago He Voted For The Evil Bankruptcy Bill Making Student Loan Debts A Lifetime Sentence Of Agony - Flashback
5/12 More millennials are living at home than at any other point this century – CBS
US Army Colonel - Pentagon's Latest China Report A 'Budget Ploy' To Bleed The Taxpayer
China Car Sales Tank 16.6% In April, Falling For A Record 11 Months In A Row
The Chinese heavy-lift launch vehicle named CONSUMPTION just can't seem to get off the ground.

Here is another link detailing the crash in Fracking.

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/The-Shale-Boom-Is-About-To-Go-Bust.html

177 gigawatts fo clean energy added per year. That has to cut into carbon energy.

https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/21567/20190511/clean-energy-growth-failed-to-increase-for-the-first-time-in-nearly-20-years.htm

"The federal government spent $2,573,708,000,000 in the first seven months of fiscal 2019 (October through April), setting an all-time record for real federal spending in the first seven months of a fiscal year,"
"At the same time that the Treasury was spending the most it has ever spent in the first seven months of a fiscal year, it also ran a deficit of $530,870,000,000."
Good graph.

https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/2573708000000-federal-spending-sets-all-time-record-through-april

All the money is stuck in the upper loop. Bill Gates isn't going to go out and buy a millions slacks. For lack of wages, the consumer abandoned commerce. This shrunk the unshrinkable credit bubble. TARP temporarily reflated it. There have been various attempts to permanently reflate it. Last December, the FED attempted to reduce the reflation. That set off the current recession. That was the snowflake that set off the avalanche. There are various proposals for reinflating the lower loop,,, now that it has become obvious that reinflating the upper loop just makes things worse.
5/12 Labour would trial universal basic income if elected, John Mcdonnell says – Guardian

Socialism is the firewall between Darwinian pressure AND those with few abilities and skills. The State trades benefits and jobs in return for votes. THAT program has become too expensive. The State hopes to get out from under this load by printing fresh money for the lower loop. I don't believe that this can be done in a democracy.

[Danny B]

Armstrong,,,, China trade fears growing

Armstrong has a warning about how global cooling / weather volatility is creating a lot of crop loss.

https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/markets-by-sector/agriculture/are-we-heading-into-a-food-shortage/

'I previously wrote about the soaring bankruptcies among farmers and combine this with the flooding that continues, I believe the computer will be on point. I also wrote about how this year, the Russian wheat crop failed has failed because of the bitter cold with even April coming in as the coldest in more than 140 years. To make matters worse, our computer warns that the weather will not improve. The next 4 years will put even more financial pressure farmers. "

Armstrong, "The work ethic is not really derived from religion but from the freedom under capitalism. Both in Russia and China, people retained their religious beliefs but in secret. Chine practised the Tall Poppie Syndrome where they did not care what you thought provided you did not stick your head up above others. Russia under Stalin was one of paranoia. He directed children to report on their parents. This is why China has boomed for it left humanity intact. The Chinese are highly motivated to work more so than in the West. It is part of their culture."
Somebody should point this out to Bernie.

There is great fear in the upper loop of a win by Bernie.

https://mailchi.mp/rickackerman/heres-why-stocks-have-been-churning-17805?e=3cc6b6298b

"The biggest problem is the huge disconnect with what markets have been hoping for and what is transpiring now. Markets had priced the best-case scenario and odds are shifting towards the worst-case scenario”

“China’s response was certainly not what risk markets were hoping for, so I expect huge volatility” at the Asia open

Note: China is planning how to retaliate and has told Washington that it must remove all extra tariffs, set targets for Chinese purchases of goods in line with real demand, and ensure that the text of the deal is “balanced” to ensure the “dignity” of both nations
“China demanding the U.S. drop the tariffs is setting the stage for a serious face-off”
Yep, somebody is going to get their face ripped off.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-05-12/odds-point-worst-case-scenario-shocked-traders-respond-latest-trade-war-twist

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-05-13/what-ultimate-downside-target-if-china-us-cant-reach-agreement

It's hard to say just how much turbulence the markets can take.

The Global Collateral Accounts is a slippery devil like Big Foot. Here is the latest.

http://neilkeenan.com/history-events-timeline/

Greyerz – You must prepare now for the elites’ nightmare endgame – KWN
Game of Thrones: Winter is coming – Real Investment Advice
Both of these articles can be found at dollar collapse.com
Too speculative for me to quote.
5/12 U.S.-China may be initial skirmish in broader economic war – NYT
Globalism has unbalanced world trade TOO MUCH. It will have to die to stave off revolutions.
5/13 Trump sees a China trade deal through a new prism: the 2020 election – NYT
Time just isn't on his side.

[Danny B]

Tradfe war takes center stage,,,, Fulford

First, China trade news.
China Defies Trump Warning Not To Impose Tariffs On US Goods & Does Exactly That As Trade War Worsens

Dow Dives 617 Points After China Retaliates On Trump

Here's What Happens if China DUMPS Its $1 Trillion in US Debt Amid Trump Trade War
Kudlow - Trump Has No Idea How Tariffs Work
That is possible but, Mnuchin and the commerce dept must know.
Trump: Beijing "Will Be Hurt Very Badly" If They Retaliate With More Tariffs

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-05-13/trump-beijing-will-be-hurt-very-badly-if-they-retaliate-more-tariffs

Trump isn't stupid and, he knows the bond market. Why is he backing China into a corner when he knows that there will be a lot of fallout?

Benjamin Fulford may have the answer. He has made some startling predictions and statements. Many of them prove true. ALL of them lie untouched by MSM. Here is an article that goes a long way in explaining many of Trump's actions. There is a following article on the same page that is quite good too.

https://benjaminfulford.net/category/white-dragon-society/weekly-reports/

Here is a good article on how Ponzi schemes tend to drain money from each other. It's a good read.
We're Gonna Need More Bag-holders... | AdventuresInCapitalism | Small Companies--Big Upside

5/13 Seven banks rigging the multi-trillion dollar foreign exchange market – GoldCore

[Danny B]

Bunker-buster bomb to be dropped on the FED

"A failure to appreciate how big this really is explains why investors have been so willing to swallow unrealistic happy talk from both sides. The risk that needs to be discounted in the market isn’t a risk of higher tariffs, but the risk of WW3."
"The U.S. and China were never going to sign a trade deal and blissfully return to the ways things were. That world is over. We now find ourselves in the very early days of a historic struggle to influence the future."
"I’ve noted for months, the “trade war” is just one battle in a much larger, increasingly unstable struggle between the U.S. and China for global power and leverage to shape the next paradigm of world history."

"Authoritarian boomer politician explicitly states he wants to ban cryptocurrencies because they threaten the USD as global reserve currency. "
'The price soared higher after his comment and I immediately started wondering. Why is he saying this now? Do U.S. banks or the government have indications that sanctioned countries are either buying or using Bitcoin?"
"As I mentioned in last week’s post, The Old World is Dying, Bitcoin is a transformative asset which allows humans to do stuff they could never do before. Is the old guard finally starting to sweat as they see their archaic, centralized tools of power become increasingly irrelevant? This is just more evidence that the old world in in fact dying."
"Since then, global debt has added another $11 trillion to $244 trillion and remains sticky at around 318% of GDP."

"The central bank added that loans to firms with especially high debt now exceed earlier peaks in 2007 and 2014.

“The historically high level of business debt and the recent concentration of debt growth among the riskiest firms could pose a risk to those firms and, potentially, their creditors,” the Fed said."

https://libertyblitzkrieg.com/2019/05/13/macro-update-gold-bitcoin-and-the-gigantic-global-debt-bubble/

The CBs are on a treadmill That is speeding up.

Historically, Whenever gov debt exceeded 80% of GDP, the situation was beyond recovery and, there was a default.
Japanese government debt is about 260% of gdp.
5/13 JGBs gain as intensifying trade war supports safe-haven debt – Reuters
So, Japanese gov debt is seen as a safe haven.
Is Japan the test case to see how and where public debt could be force-fed into an economy? Is Japan the test bed to; try to keep the economy growing at the same time that the population is falling? For all practical purposes, Japan has gone full MMT.

If America goes full MMT and prints what the State needs, there would be no use for the FED. This prospect would induce current bond holders of public debt to trade this debt off for something else. Will the Chinese dump $1 trillion?
Remember, the Chinese hang on EVERY word that Armstrong utters.
"The government should just create the money it needs to cover its expenses"

https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/world-news/sovereign-debt-crisis/trump-taxes/

Japan may very well be the test bed for this exact idea. The MMT naysayers claim that we would have stupendous price inflation. Japan does NOT have appreciable price inflation.

5/14 Yield curve inverts in 28 places: recession warning resumes – Mish
The yield curve inversion is more of a barometer of investor confidence. The inversion doesn't bring recession. The lost confidence brings it.

[Danny B]

No more speedbumps,,, from now on, it's land mines

If you are invested in stocks, this page of charts should give you a good indication of when the markets will top ,out.

https://northmantrader.com/2019/05/13/deal-vu/

Armstrong has plenty to say.
"It is clear QE is dead. However, at the same time it has trapped all central banks. "
yep, the upper loop is stuffed to the gills with liquidity.
"the very reason why the West will collapse and the financial capital of the world will move to China, who has come out and stated publicly that they will not engage in QE."
Yes, of course, we trust the Chinese. The PBOC created more fresh liquidity that the BOJ, FED and ECB all put together. BUT, don't worry, they won't do QE.
"As to how will this play out, I can only say get ready. This is most likely the last straw that will eventually break the back of the monetary system. The general press will not understand that this shift in policy was the last straw. They will not even understand the ramifications for probably two years."

Armstrong, "Socialism has robbed the economic future of millennials. All of the programs have been based upon a Ponzi scheme from Social Security to Obamacare. The entire foundation of socialism is constructed on taking other people’s money. Naturally, they always point the finger at the rich. But the social programs are really based upon one generation paying for the previous. In Europe, they call them the “Lost Generation” because unemployment is running at 50-60% levels among the youth. If we simply add up what we have all paid into these programs with inflation over our lifetimes, whatever we eventually receive back is a fraction of the real wealth we contribute.

The Ponzi scheme of socialism is coming to an end. It has wrongly deprived the lower class of investing, for the money taken from them for their future is restricted to government bonds. The rich get rich, not from wages, but from investments — the very thing governments deny the lower classes."
What a bunch of BS. The lower class wasn't deprived of investing. They were deprived of a living wage.
"During WEC in Rome I came to understand that the issue with QE is that it did not create any inflation in the USA"
The markets went up 250% but, there was not any inflation.
"The primary reason QE fails is because the economy is global. Central banks can no longer manage the economy, for the money does not remain in isolation. Additionally, as I pointed out in Rome, they may have negative interest rates, but that does not pass through. You cannot borrow money from a bank at negative rates."
The primary reason that QE did not bring a recovery is because the liquidity got stuck in the upper loop where it just circulated as instruments, NOT consumption.

5/14 Nasdaq drops 6.3% in 6 days, as Uber & Lyft IPOS turn into colossal flops – WS
5/14 Peter Schiff: the Uber IPO fiasco and the writing on the wall – Schiff Gold
5/14 Trump says if Fed cuts interest rates, US will win trade war – CNBC
5/14 Williams: Fed “must prepare for lower interest rate world” – Reuters
NOBODY is going to win the trade war. Only 6 countries benefited from globalization. Everybody knows that it is time to reverse it.

Bannon cheers trade war, hopes China Govt Falls How very subtle.
Kunstler.
"The be-Muellered, bothered, and bewildered American public may find US-China trade talks about as interesting as a rain delay in an Orioles-Chisox game, but the Friday collapse of negotiations may be marked by historians as the day that the global economy died."
"The “recovery” from that was based on Wall Street’s premier swindle: the shale oil “miracle,” based on high-risk lending to companies that couldn’t make a red cent "
"There is already enough tension in the world as it faces not just the end of a global trade fiesta, but a world-wide synchronized economic depression. This is the one from which there will be no “recovery” but only adaptation to lower standards of living and new arrangements for getting by. In other words, the contraction will be permanent."
" With the economy fizzling, he will fight back Golem-style, like a demon from the underworld. But for all of Mr. Trump’s Teutonic neuroticism, he holds an advantage in that battle: the documented facts appear to show that he was unfairly persecuted for two years by opponents who outsmarted themselves in actually breaking the law,"

https://kunstler.com/cluster****-nation/the-trend-is-not-your-friend/

As the pie shrinks, everybody is fighting harder to get a piece.

[Pot head]

Piffle and hoohaw!!

Can you post anything that is a circuit or a photo of your science project because your posts are only read by you.
Some posts may be read but seriously, who reads this **** and why all the ****ing links?
You need a girlfriend or something?

[Danny B]

Armstrong, the GOV and you

The State seems to always grow regardless of the condition of the underlying economy. To do so, it is usually necessary to lock down dissent.

'Democrat Sen. Charles Schumer of New York declared that “the era of a shrinking federal government is over” and proposed taking advantage of the attacks to create a “‘new’ New Deal” of government security. Schumer said, “For the foreseeable future, the federal government will have to grow.” '
"In order to defeat terrorism, government power must be increased. Historical studies show that government tends to grow both in power and in size during any war. World Wars I and II and the Cold War provided tremendous opportunities for growth in government power and size. They can call virtually anything a threat to national security"
'The confiscation of our property and the elimination of our human rights always takes place rapidly. It is the demands of governments whenever they conjure up a good urgent crisis"

"ANSWER: Governments know there is a massive problem on the horizon. They let Bitcoin trade to familiarize people with cryptocurrency. There is an agenda to eliminate cash, and we may see that hit in Europe and Australia before anywhere else"
'The US used 9/11 to further the power of government. All the constitutional rights we had and the generations who fought and died to preserve our freedom were usurped, not by an invading army, but by our own government."

https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/international-news/rule-of-law/using-events-to-further-power/

"ANSWER: It is hard to say. My concern is what comes after Trump. "
"Maximinus I (235-238 AD) who declared that all wealth simply belonged to the emperor in a communistic fashion. What took place, however, was the complete breakdown of society. Wealth was driven underground and money was hoarded causing VELOCITY to collapse as cash flow in circulation vanished and hoarding prevailed. We certainly have this post-2007 in the FATCA age where the money is the target and governments declare any money outside their borders is to be confiscated as money laundering. '
"Maximinus’ confiscation of wealth caused the economy to implode as commerce ceased fostering an economic depression,'
"Maximinus ordered the wealth of all temples to be confiscated as well. We have states arguing for the confiscation of 401Ks led by California. This is why the smart money is leaving California in a mass migration to the non-taxes states such as Texas and Florida."

"Not even the gods were respected by Maximinus whose view was they never answered prayers because they did not exist. This is not something which is even off the table. The IMF threatened the Vatican to deny it access to the SWIFT system shutting down unless it also agreed to report the origin and destination of all movements of money.'
"There is no hope of returning back to the days when government functioned. It seems that we are cascading toward complete collapse. The danger after Trump is that we may move toward an authoritarian form of government."

https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/history/ancient-history/where-are-we-in-the-roman-timeline/

Cuba imports 2/3 of their food supply,,, much of it chicken. I've been there and, they have plenty of resources. Since they (mostly) don't allow good old capitalism, nobody can get rich. Even Fidel Castro said that their economic system just doesn't work. If they can't even supply enough chicken, they have a serious problem.

If U.S. GOV tries to grow at all costs,,,, and starts confiscating everything they can get hold of, investment will stop and wealth will be hidden away. if food production stops because there is no profit in it, the cities will be in deep trouble.

In 1906, Alfred Henry Lewis stated, “There are only nine meals between mankind and anarchy.” Since then, his observation has been echoed by people as disparate as Robert Heinlein and Leon Trotsky. The key here is that, unlike all other commodities, food is the one essential that cannot be postponed.

So, we are nearing the final meltdown of fracking,,,,, a complete economic collapse from runaway debt,,, crop loss from the solar minimum combined with the pole flip.

China is using the social credit system to lock down ANY dissent. The specter of terrorism is used to justify any and all laws that the State wants here in America.
What could go wrong?

[Pot head]

Exactly My Point

No response just like someone brainwashed.
As always more links to nowhere and more dragging down of the forum.
Let it stop.

[Danny B]

So much writing,,,, so little understanding

"Given the massive intervention and monetary manipulation experiment by central banks over the last decade, the amount of distortions created in the market, as well as the record debt accumulation at all levels of the economy, have given rise to considerable risks for investors."
Yeah, yeah Been there, read that.
"the persistent and aggressive manipulation keeping all interest rates at ultra-low levels since 2008 has led to massive undesirable developments. As the state’s interest burden fell, politicians wasted money that could have been used productively somewhere else. In addition, due to this overly accommodative environment, inefficient companies stayed in the market, reducing the resources and employees available to other more promising companies. "
102 million Americans of working age are not in the labor force. These zombie companies keep that number from going higher. If / when they collapse, the number of unemployed will go much higher.THE CURRENT MONETARY ORDER IS NEARING ITS END | Claudio Grass
Even reading Armstrong, he has a strong slant towards the viewpoint of the investor. AKA, a non-producer who rents out money,,, usually not his. This is a long-standing blind spot of the money renters. They assume that they can survive just fine even when the consumers are flat broke. The corporate mentality is total blindness to anything not directly under the control of the corporation.

5/15 China’s retail sales growth slumps to 16-year low as trade war risks rise – US News
The lower that consumption goes,,, the more that the CB has to pump in to keep the bubble inflated.
5/15 Retail sales fall in April and show broad weakness in key part of the U.S. economy – MW
5/15 More than half of Greeks aged 25-34 live with parents – Ekathimerini
5/15 62% of millennials are living paycheck to paycheck, says study – Zero Hedge
5/15 US birth rate plunges to all-time low as more women choose careers over families – ZH
ALL of this is deflationary at a time that the credit bubble needs to grow.
5/15 Social Security just ran a $9 trillion deficit, and nobody noticed – The Hill
Nobody WANTED to notice.

5/15 Yuan down, gold price up as Trump urges Fed to ‘match China’s money pumping’ – BV
5/15 Trump asks the Fed start a currency war with China – Mish
If the dollar goes up, it attracts outside investment.
if it goes down, it makes more competitive at exporting.

"Neoliberal financialization and Fed goosing of risk assets are why the nation's wealth has become increasingly concentrated in the hands of financial elites.As you can see in the charts below, the gains reaped by the top 10% were concentrated in the top 1%, and the gains of the top 1% have been concentrated in the top .01%."
oftwominds-Charles Hugh Smith: The Economy Has Fundamentally Changed in the 21st Century--and Not for the Better

[Danny B]

Creeping contagion

5/16 The Social Security black hole has arrived – Wall Street Window
So, somebody DID notice.
5/16 The gig economy is breaking capitalism – Medium
The lack of living wages is breaking everything.
5/16 Global trade collapsing to depression levels – Zero Hedge
Powell did his little squeeze in December. That caused a coronary. Trump essentially pushed the world off a cliff with his tariffs. I suspect that both Trump and Powell were taking advice from the FED,,, that has 200 PHDs working for it. Remember that Mnuchin said that A.I. would not take jobs for 50---100 years. The District of corruption is a VERY well paid echo chamber where everybody thinks that they have the answers.
Bernanke bet the farm that he could fix everything. It wasn't his farm that he blew up.

5/16 China has propped up global markets since December – is this about to end? – Birch
The rivers of (non-QE) liquidity flowing out of China have been created to prop up China. They are propping up everything. China can't very well cut them off.
5/16 Corporate debt may be an economic “brush fire” that could burn the economy – Birch
The financialization of everything means that contagion will burn EVERYTHING
5/16 Profits fall at Japan’s top three banks as economy slows – Reuters
Royal Bank of Canada (USA)(NYSE:RY) and two other Canadian banks are being heavily shorted by an investment legend, Steve Eisman
Apparently, the sharks smell blood. Remember the contagion. They can NOT close just a few banks. all or nothing.

"2 days ago - Shares in Metro Bank, until recently the UK's fastest growing high street ...rumours on social media, sparking fears that a mini bank run was under way. "
5/16 Median home prices rise to $400,000 in Reno – KTVN
5/15 Stronger home sales boost builder confidence in May – CNBC

As the economy tanks, the hot money flows into housing and drives out the people who actually want to live in a house. Bernanke and Greenspan started up the hot money train to save the banks. Since 2005, there has been no increase in the number of owner-occupied housing.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/187576/housing-units-occupied-by-owner-in-the-us-since-1975/

The builders have been building JUST for the speculators.

[Danny B]

Desperation, yes,,,, war, maybe

Sorry, I have to get more political and less economic. Obviously, the worst of both worlds is WAR.
The president created WW II in the hopes that it would bring an exit from the Great Depression I. He blockaded Japan in the hopes that they would act,,,, an act of war. We all hope that this doesn't come to pass once again.

Trump could win trade battle with China but lose the war
Nobody is going to win this one.
Comey Turns On Brennan - Fired FBI Chief Claims Brennan Pushed Junk Dossier in IC Report
Baker Rats On Comey - FBI Brass “Quite Worried” Comey Would Appear To Be Blackmailing Trump
This is tearing us apart.
DC Police With Battering Ram Raid VZ Embassy And Arrest Anti-Coup Activists
This was VERY bad when the Iranians invaded the American embassy in Teheran,,,, but, it's OK if we do it.
Ted Cruz wants The new 6th branch of the US Military to fight 'Space Pirates’ (ETs)

Half of Americans are just one paycheck away from financial disaster
NOT the ones in D.C.
SAT Tests Will Now Score On The Basis Of Applicant’s Social ‘Adversity’ And Background

IQ deficient College Applicants to Get extra points on their SAT Tests For ’Adversity'
They can't ALL get government jobs. What happens when they apply in the private sector?
Davos Elitist Celebrates 'Discussions' Being 'Quickly Erased From Social Networks’
Ah yes, erase the narrative. BUT, they didn't count on the newest terror that is attacking them. Soph has been on youtube for a couple of years, and she strikes terror into the hearts of the establishment. she is only 14.
https://www.*****ute.com/video/OdaUDeAGIck/
US Continues to Escalate TensionsRaising Fear of Imminent War With Iran
Trump Readies a New War on Iran’s Economy
Trump declares Iran To Be A 'national emergency'

The U.S. military has never loaded a single oil tanker. Like the scorpion that stings itself when it has been attacked by an impossible adversary, Iran can and will take out every bit of oil infrastructure in the M.E.
US military complex is a ‘malignant virus’ that's evolved to defend itself

Why is US always 'stumbling' or 'sliding' into war? How the media misleads with language
French Incomes Are Below America's Poorest States...And The Protesters Know It
5/17 Downward mobility creates “deplorables” – Charles Hugh Smith
UK Cops Fine Pedestrian £90 ($115) For Covering Face From Facial Recognition Camera
There is a lot of desperation creeping in to State actions.
Syria to exhaust all means to retake Israeli-occupied, Stolen Golan
They have said that they are ready for invasion.
EU Fines 5 Major Banks 1 Bln Euros for Cartel Collusion
Evidently, these banks did NOT pay off the right person.
/17 ‘Potentially imminent threat’ from Iran grips Washington – Politico
5/17 “Allies are aghast”: Is John Bolton replaying his Iraq war playbook with Iran? – VF

5/17 Peter Schiff: ‘we have been riding on a Chinese gravy train’ — and it’s over – MM
5/17 The everything bubble – and the asset class that’s still cheap – Claudio Grass
5/17 Only 30% of US corn fields have been planted, 5 year average is 66% – Zero Hedge
5/17 Global air freight volume plunges in a sign of economic stress – Zero Hedge

A note on stocks.
" “The average bear market lasts 1.4 years on average and falls 41% on average.-The average bull market (when the market is rising) lasts 9.1 years on average and rises 476% on average.”
While the statement is not false, it is a false narrative."
"Here are the basics of math.

If the index goes from 100 to 200 it is indeed a 100% gain.
If the index goes from 200 back to 100, it is only a 50% loss.
Mathematically it would seem as if an investor is still 50% ahead, however, the net return is actually ZERO."

https://realinvestmentadvice.com/strike-three-the-next-bear-market-ends-the-game/