This short video speaks for itself---
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
The title is:
[It's less than 11 minutes long, but you do have to suffer through the beginning of a few Ads before you hit the "Skip" button.]
Showing posts with label China. Show all posts
Showing posts with label China. Show all posts
Saturday, December 28, 2024
China, Brazil, Argentina, the USA and more in relation to agriculture, tariffs, the economy and POWER
Monday, July 15, 2024
Cowboys in Russia, Food, Water, & Geopolitics
The relatively short clip below (from PBS) should be a wake-up call for The Establishment in the USA and elsewhere. It details much of the content of a new documentary, titled "The Grab". The new doc delves into how some world Leaders are scrambling - in the shadows - to secure adequate future food and water resources for their people. One reviewer called the film "an international thriller".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, Wall Street Hedge Funds, and others are all involved in land (and water) "grabs", and in a fairly surreptitious manner. Many of these resource acquisitions are occurring in North America and Africa. The people doing the "grabbing" recognize that the Meta-Crisis is shrinking the availability of crucial resources, particularly water and food.
We're not talking only about the Eco-Crisis here and the fact that arable, tillable, productive farmland is shrinking and soil is being degraded worldwide. [Such is true even in well-off countries.] In addition, groundwater aquifers on productive land are being depleted at unprecedented rates. It's also multiple-continent supply chain problems, the worldwide financial fragility, social inequity, energy blindness, geopolitical rivalries, sanctions, war, and more which are creating the Food Crisis and the Water Crisis.
In the USA, much of the time it appears that the Powers-That-Be are mostly unconcerned about these matters. For example, our elected officials seem to have this view: The Market will handle any upcoming problems. Human ingenuity will save the day. As a result, our country has no national water policy and not even any sort of national water strategy. China, Russia, and some other countries all do.
Natural resources everywhere are in trouble. Ideology won't save them from disaster, but Science can. What stands in the way? Primarily it's myopic politics and politicians who are not comprehensive thinkers.
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Not only my opinion. Be Well
p.s. Watch the video. Cowboys in Russia, indeed.
Saturday, June 17, 2023
WOW! Jeffrey Sachs: a voice of reason in a sea of outmoded western world hegemony REDUX
The clip at the link below is so crucial to world events of today that I'm (in a sense) reposting it here slightly edited:
https://www.youtube.com/
Equally important is Sachs here:
https://www.democracynow.org/
My primary interest in world affairs for many years has been ecology and sustainability. Nevertheless, it became clear to me a long time ago that without a sane foreign policy in DC and elsewhere, the world would be facing continual eco-catastrophes. Why? Because Earth is one giant ecosystem, and overcoming eco-problems requires global cooperation. Global conflict pretty much destroys any chance for those efforts. If things don't change significantly, there will not be a sustainable planet for our grandkids.
Please listen carefully to Professor Sachs' presentations. His life has been devoted to sustainability economics, mitigating poverty, and helping countries in crisis. He works not only in academia, but also as an advisor to various world leaders. This interview pulls no punches. Plus, his grasp of modern industrial history is superb.
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Not only my opinion. Be Well
Wednesday, April 26, 2023
"Jeffrey Sachs on China's 'Historic' Push for Multipolar World to End U.S. Domination"
If only Biden & Crew had even half the knowledge and experience in diplomacy and history as does Sachs, the world would be much safer. [Trump would need ten times as much:]
If you're pressed for time, fast-forward to the beginning of the Sachs interview at 3:28. In any case, don't miss the last one-third starting at about 15:35. Especially don't miss the hypothetical situation involving Mexico & China described starting at 22:44.
You won't find most of this on the mainstream (corporate) media. Why? Because it runs contrary to the propaganda supporting the concept of USA's hegemony.
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Not only my opinion. Be Well
Monday, April 10, 2023
Part II: ANOTHER BIG reason why the U.S. Empire is nearing the end of that road
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Pay particular attention to the woman who is a former diplomat for the African Union. She pulls no punches.
Like the South and Central American situation in the post immediately before this one, the African dissatisfaction with the U.S. Government's hubris goes way back. It's not only the fault of Biden and Obama. It goes back to at least just shy of JFK's Administration, and for all I know, further back than that.
Whether they mean to or not, our politicians seem to project a "holier-than-thou" image all around the world. Exceptions to that general observation certainly exist, but they are few. I've watched it ever since 1956 (that date is not a typo). Countries put up with it for many decades, but it appears that's over.
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Not only my opinion. Be Well
Saturday, April 8, 2023
A BIG reason why the U.S. Empire is nearing the end of that road
A brilliant analysis---
p.s. Reminder: I love the Land in which I live (the USA), but that doesn't mean I have to support the neoliberal incompetents (or their puppets) in Power here. They continue to ruin my country, and it doesn't matter much at all whether Repubs or Dems are in the Oval Office or in control of Congress. 99% (+/-) of them promulgate a foreign policy which is arrogant, hostile, and generally harmful to the world. They all should be voted out of office ASAP.
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Not only my opinion. Be Well
Friday, March 17, 2023
Warmongers are threatening the safety of you, your family, and
the world. Included are warmongers in our (USA's) Fed Gov't.
Biden is one of the chief promoters of the "false narrative" described in this piece (which was posted in August of last year, & just as relevant today)---
Sachs is a well respected Professor, a promoter of world sustainability, & a negotiator for several countries (at different times during his career). As he points out, our foreign policy for at least the last 30 years has been overflowing with arrogance and danger to the world, and it mattered little whether Republicans or Democrats were in the Executive Branch. In general, such continues on presently. It's rarely opposed because Main Street is propagandized to the hilt, & few (in gov't or not) seem to have a sufficient grasp of modern history. And history matters.
You don't have to be a fan of Russia's Gov't or China's to call out our own egregious, empire-like hubris. We have just under 5% of the world's population, but our politicians (almost all in both Parties) appear to believe our Gov't should rule/police the entire world. Why? Supposedly because it's our duty to protect & spread democracy. What a bad joke! We don't even have democracy in our own country, not even a democratic republic anymore. What the USA has is a plutocracy and/or a corporatocracy and/or an oligarchy.
I challenge anyone to convince me the USA is a genuine, participatory democracy. Please don't say, "Because we get to vote in elections.". For several reasons, and as one of our corporatist Presidents once said (about something else), "That dog don't hunt.". 
Not only my opinion. Be Well
Tuesday, August 30, 2022
WOW! Jeffrey Sachs: a voice of reason in a sea of outmoded western world hegemony
https://www.democracynow.org/2022/8/30/wests_false_narrative_china_russia_ukraine
Kudos to Sachs. For decades, the U.S. Fed Gov't has had a foreign policy which is egregiously filled with hubris, stuck in the past, and just plain dangerous (never mind stupid). It continues to this day, and it makes little to no difference which major political party is in power. I've believed all this for at least twenty years. Sachs confirms it; so do many others.
My primary interest in world affairs for many years has been ecology and sustainability. Nevertheless, it became clear to me a long time ago that without a sane foreign policy in DC and elsewhere, the world would be facing continual eco-catastrophes. Why? Because Earth is one giant ecosystem, and overcoming eco-problems requires global cooperation. Global conflict destroys any chance for those efforts. If things don't change significantly, there will not be a sustainable planet for our grandkids.
Please listen carefully to Professor Sachs' presentation. His life has been devoted to sustainability economics, mitigating poverty, and helping countries in crisis. He works not only in academia, but also as an advisor to various world leaders. This interview pulls no punches. Plus, his grasp of modern industrial history is superb.
..................
Not only my opinion. Be Well
Wednesday, March 23, 2022
The Bigger Picture - A Brilliant Synthesis by Professor Alfred McCoy
Below is an email (slightly edited here) I recently sent to family & a few friends.
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Here's the highly likely Bigger Picture of what's going on with Putin, Ukraine, China, & the USA. Listen carefully to the whole clip. Pay particular attention to the discussion of China's MASSIVE Eurasian infrastructure project (the largest in the history of humans), the Belt and Road Initiative, or BRI. If it's successful (& we should know by the end of this decade), it likely will mean the end of USA's global hegemony.
One might say, so what? That end will mean the end of the Dollar as the world's reserve currency, & that will mean the end of our economy's pursuit of unlimited growth & overconsumption. Ecologically speaking, that's a good thing. But economically speaking, the Powers-That-Be here are not prepared to handle such a paradigm shift. Our economy will collapse unless policy makers start thinking on a smaller scale.
Bottom line: the USA's global influence has been declining for about 50 years, & now our Bully Boy tactics (threats, the backing of coups, invasions, drone wars, sanctions, kidnappings, assassinations, military bases all around the world, etc.) are coming home to roost. Main Street USA is in for some massive changes in our Rat Race lifestyle. Once we get over the initial shock, in many respects that won't be a bad thing.
Wrap your head around it. The probability is high that it's coming.
History matters.
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Not only my opinion. Be Well
Monday, March 2, 2020
COVID-19 - New Developments Indicate It's Rolling On
1. In three cases of infection in the U.S. (2 in N. CA, 1 in NW Oregon), the source of the virus has been designated "community", which means unknown.
2. The first genome study of covid-19 strongly suggests the virus was undetected in the U.S. for six weeks. That alone (if true) means it's far more widespread here than reported.
3. The death toll here from this virus went from two to six overnight.
4. The virus now is known to be in sixteen States. A couple days ago, it was known to be in seven States.
5. In Texas, a person who tested positive for the virus mistakenly was released from quarantine... and then went shopping at a mall.
6. It's now in 65 countries. A couple days ago, it was in 50 countries.
7. The number of new cases of infection in China has slowed, but that number still is increasing the total number of cases.
8. Italy and Iran have been hit hard with new cases.
9. Worldwide, the number of known infected people is well over 90,000.
10. Worldwide, the number of deaths from covid-19 is well over 3,000.
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Bottom Line---
COVID-19 is not anywhere close to being contained.
A vaccine is months away from being available, perhaps even a year or more.
Trump can brag about his Admin's containment efforts all he wants to, but the fact is: covid-19 is nowhere near being "contained" in this Land, it hops around extremely rapidly, and (despite what some people think) an infection can be extremely severe in probably at least half or more of all people.
Speaking of that, I've read some online comments here and there by people who think the disease is no big deal. Why? According to them (paraphrased), it's only bad in kids and old people. [I guess they don't value any kids or old folks.] Whoa! Let's think about that. Currently in the U.S., people 65 or older make up 15% of our population. Children - 22%. Then we have to include a category the poo-pooers left out: people with an underlying medical condition. I have no idea what percentage of our population they constitute, but I'm guessing it's safe to say that number (not counting kids & seniors) is at least 15%...probably higher. So, do the math.
While many infected with covid-19 may experience only mild to moderate symptoms, over half the population are at risk for severe effects, even death. As it becomes more and more obvious in the coming months that the virus is spreading here and is far from being contained, I expect some Powers-That-Be to start spouting the line: "Hey, for the overwhelming majority of people, the symptoms are no worse than a really bad cold. Relax.". If that happens, don't believe it for even a minute.
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Not only my opinion. Be Well
Sunday, October 14, 2018
Reasons Why USA's Fed Government = World's Biggest Bully
In this essay, I'm not claiming these reasons are the only ones or necessarily the most egregious ones. Nor are they equal in magnitude. Nevertheless, taken together they do show a pattern of self-righteous bullying, and sometimes outright illegality. The items in the list below are not in any order of importance.
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1. Not long ago and undoubtedly at the direction of the White House, Nikki Haley (no relation to me) threatened countries with consequences if they didn't go along with the policies of the current anti-Science Administration. Thank heaven she'll be resigning her post, but I imagine she'll be replaced by someone else who, like Trump, thinks the USA is King of the World. Threatening allies and others is bullying; doing it in public is egregious, political claptrap.
2. At the same time that the White House and Congress are braying about Russia, and now China, interfering in our elections, John Bolton is talking about overthrowing the government of Iran. Is not overthrowing a gov't the ultimate example of interference? Not only bullying, but the word "hypocrisy" comes to mind...big-time. [Then there's the fact that the USA's & Britain's governments, back in the 1950's, participated in the coup that overthrew Iran's democratically elected gov't. Why? Because the new leader wanted Iran's oil to be for Iran... what audacity. Then, too, there's the fact that the USA's gov't engineered coups in other countries, such as Guatemala and Chili. More bullying and hypocrisy.]
3. Starting with Obama and continuing with Trump, the Executive Branch is developing so-called tactical (low-yield) nuclear weapons. Some of the Fed policy makers apparently believe that the use of such weapons will not have any serious, long-term, detrimental effects on life on Earth. In other words, they seem to think that nuclear weapons can be used without much harm to the planet and its ecosystems.
No one knows any such thing. That use would be a most dangerous experiment. So far, evidence regarding radiation indicates any such use would be a disaster. The point here is that development of these weapons is bald-faced bullying. Do what we say, or we'll nuke you.
4. The idea of "Preemptive War" probably didn't start with the Dubya Bush Administration, but that Admin claimed that the execution of the concept was legal...hence, the disastrous Iraq War. In the simplest terms, Preemptive War means: we are going to attack you because you might be planning to attack us. Furthermore, we're so special that we're positive you are planning that. We can predict the future.
Preemptive War is not only unconstitutional, it's also immoral, unethical, and in defiance of common sense. It bespeaks a gross distortion and subversion of "American Exceptionalism". As far as I can determine, every fairly recent Administration at the Fed level has believed in it. There's no doubt at all that Trump embraces it. This is bullying to the max.
5. Regarding recent Fed treatment of Native Americans/American Indians---
when it comes to oil pipelines (such as DAPL), the Executive Branch seems to be saying: we don't care about the risk to your water, or the desecration of your burial grounds, or the desecration of other holy sites. We are issuing the permit for this, no matter what you say or do.
Furthermore, we are going to bypass the Fed Law requirement for an Environmental Impact Statement on this project. We can do that because we claim that each section of the pipeline is like a "spur line", which has no such requirement. Plus, we now have an autocrat-wannabe President who thinks he's above the Law. Finally, oil is "National Security". When it comes to that, we can ignore any Law we choose. More bullying.
6. Since the Supreme Court's Kelo v. City of New London decision, Fed Eminent Domain applies to taking land for economic development. That means your land can be (after just compensation) seized and then sold or given to a company for private development. That's now considered "Public Use"... because of the taxes generated. This Court decision was/is outrageous.
Our Fed Gov't doesn't bully only other countries and American Indians. It does so to all of us.
7. The tactics of the IRS sometimes are Gestapo-like. I've experienced something like that personally. They don't mind being bullies at all.
[SIDE NOTE: By the way, the first permanent Income Tax (1913) applied only to about the top 2% of the population, and did not include taxation of wages. Only passive income was taxed under that Law.]
8. Regarding treatment of asylum seekers and other immigrants, separation of 6,000 family members, caging kids, misleading parents, etc.---
This current Administration has acted horribly, immorally, and in an unchristian manner. It's truly incredible, and all just to make a political point. Shabby bullying for political gain. Inexcusable.
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Why We the People enable politicians such as these to "represent" us is beyond my comprehension. As I've said before, massive boycotting could correct the situation and bring down the whole House of Cards. Unfortunately, that probably never will happen. Oligarchs/Plutocrats will continue to rule. The root blame for that is Edward Bernays style Propaganda. C'est la vie.
Not only my opinion. Be Well
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
The End of American Hegemony is Now on the Horizon
It's difficult to predict whether that end still is a long way off or will happen somewhat quickly...too many variables. Nevertheless, it is finally visible. Despite what Oligarchs and those who are propagandized to the hilt may think, the approaching end of the USA's worldwide hegemony is a good thing.
A few years ago the results of either a Gallup or Pew Research Poll (can't recall which) indicated that 80% of the world believed the greatest threat to peace was the USA. I suppose our Bully Boy, Reality Show, Tweety Bird, Ignoramus, Oval Office Occupier would call those results "fake news"; but then, everything he disagrees with is so named by him.
China, the rest of Asia (including India), Russia, Iran, large parts of South America (especially Brazil), South Africa, and now even Saudi Arabia, are so fed up with our Govt's HEGEMONY that they are waging an unprecedented economic/financial war on the USA. They have a good chance of winning it. First came South America's rejection of our Govt's longstanding policy of Neocolonialism relative to them. Next was BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, & S. Africa) and their financial revolt, and just recently, we have the PetroYuan...essentially backed by gold. Finally, beaucoup countries are allowing escape from the "almighty" Dollar via cryptocurrencies. Dollar-dumping is rife in many, many countries.
We live in interesting times--- we are witnessing the beginning of the end of American Hegemony... especially monetary/financial hegemony. Our Gov't and its Mega Bank Cronies will do anything legal or illegal to prevent that end. It all hearkens back to Manifest Destiny and the crimes committed under that "justification". The main difference between then & now is that our Empire is no longer land-based. It's now based on control via threats of force, both monetary/financial/economic force and military force. Most of it is illegal, immoral, unethical, and unconstitutional.
Starting a war won't prevent the end of our hegemony; it only might postpone it.
Starting a war won't prevent the end of our hegemony; it only might postpone it.
The Constitutional Republic of the USA is now in name only. These days, we live in a Fascist State. According to both FDR & Mussolini, Fascism = the Power of the State married to the Power of BIG Business. Undeniably, that's the U.S. Gov't both for quite a number of years and presently.
The days of genuine American Conservatism (a big part of which was non-interventionism abroad and non-speculative banking at home) AND genuine American Progressivism (a big part of which was a safety net for the most vulnerable and fairness for all) are mostly gone...long gone.
And so it goes.
Not only my opinion. Be Well
Thursday, March 29, 2018
The Fake President Blunders On...and Other Disasters
In his search for only "Yes" men/women, Trump has reached a new height in the promotion of warmongering via his replacing of McMaster with the gruesome John Bolton. Even a casual perusal of Bolton's history is enough to scare the bejesus out of you. He must be the most uptight, anal-retentive, control freak in the whole country. The man seems to love the idea of killing people, whether it's most everyone in North Korea...or Chelsea Manning.
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A few days ago, the Chinese launched their Yuan-denominated oil futures contracts in Shanghai. China is the world's largest importer of crude oil. This is the start of the decline of the PetroDollar. Plus, the whole business will add greatly to the already edging-up, price inflation in the USA.
Add to the above the fact that hundreds of major stores are closing their doors for good here, unemployment is more than double what Trump's Executive Branch and the Corporate Media claim it is, income inequality has reached a record high, worker wages have increased so minimally that they still essentially are "flat", the Bond Market is collapsing, a Trade War is developing with China, and the Stock Market recently has experienced "corrections". Does all this sound good to anyone? I think not.
Keep in mind that the Great Depression of the 1930's (which lasted about ten years) was not so named until halfway through it. For quite awhile, everyone thought it was a temporary, soon-to-end glitch of some sort.
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Porter Stansberry, who owns Stansberry Research (a financial analysis publishing company with almost 500 employees), claims that wages are no longer connected to productivity in the USA. According to him, that's the main reason for the gross "income inequality" in this country. Stansberry is controversial, and I don't know if he's an expert in the financial field or not; however, on this particular point, I believe he's correct. Worker productivity has increased quite a bit in the last three to four decades, but wages barely have kept up with price inflation. People essentially are being forced to work harder, sometimes at two different jobs, but they aren't being properly rewarded for it. I suspect that's one of the main reasons (perhaps the main reason) for much of the discontent in this great Land. The upper 10% of The People own 75% of the wealth here. Go figure.
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Zuckerberg's supposed concern about Facebook users' privacy is laughable. The whole Facebook set-up is designed to harvest and sell your private information. At least, that seems to be the case. Delete Facebook. Be aware, though, it will take weeks to get yourself off that site...literally, weeks.
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Why is Equifax still in business? After their unmitigated disaster involving millions & millions of SS numbers, plus the theft of their own employees' tax info, they should have been boycotted by everyone. Those of you who check people's credit, don't use Equifax. There's no law that says you must. Those of you who are subject to credit checks, tell the entity doing the checking that nothing of yours should be sent to that company. Why should you risk the theft of your identity? Do you have any idea how long it takes to straighten out a mess such as that? Never mind the cost.
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The Second Amendment nowhere guarantees that citizens can possess any type of firearm they so desire with only minimal regulations informing that scenario. The purpose of the Amendment was to allow citizens to "keep & bear Arms" in order for the country to have a "WELL REGULATED militia". That's a direct quote: "...well regulated...".
These slaughters in schools (and elsewhere) have to end. A citizen not in the military should be banned from possessing a weapon of war...and that includes assault rifles. You don't need one of those to go deer hunting or target shooting. Assault rifles are for killing people.
To be clear, I'm an owner of a firearm...but it's not a weapon of war.
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Not only my opinion. Be Well
Monday, April 17, 2017
It's NOT About Korea, Syria, Terrorism, or Saving...
civilians from any of that. It amazes me how some Americans, especially some supposedly "Conservative" Americans, ignore facts, the Constitution, & history and immediately wrap themselves in the flag whenever any group of conniving politicians starts beating the war drums. Our history as a nation is replete with examples of that. Here are the real reasons those drums are beating so loudly; this is why private and public Oligarchs now constantly are angling for another major war. The following points are the main reasons why "Republicans" are so loud and "Democrats" are virtually silent (and thus complicit) on the whole war mess---
1. The fiat Dollar's status as the world's reserve currency is being seriously threatened. Countries not only are dumping Dollars, but also are joining together in agreements that bypass the Dollar completely. That's especially true regarding Russia, China, and other countries in Asia...but also elsewhere. [Many countries appear to be fed up with the financial & economic Bully-Boy tactics of the highest levels of our Gov't...and justifiably so.] The PetroDollar is on its last legs everywhere; its collapse is fairly imminent. The USA's military, which essentially is the Fed Reserve's enforcement/intimidation arm, often has been used to keep countries in line relative to the dominance of the Dollar. [That's probably why Saddam was taken out. He was on the verge of selling oil in non-Dollar currency. Libya and Iran were threatening to do the same.] Without that Dollar dominance, our fiat Dollar and debt-based economy would be toast...much more than both are already.
2. The Global Debt Bubble, which is a gazillion times larger than the Stock Market Bubble, is on the verge of bursting. Arguably, it could be said that it's already bursting. I suspect that most Oligarchs (especially those in public office) think another major war will kick the can down the road. Except for the "Defense" (which should be "War") Sector of the Stock Market, investors then would turn to the Bond Market (which should be the DEBT Market)...because they perceive it as less risky.
3. I also believe that, above all else, Oligarchs have a great desire to keep our debt-based economy rolling along. Why? Because it transfers wealth from the Poor and Middle Classes to the Upper Crust better than anything since Feudalism. Adjusting for inflation, in the last thirty years or so the incomes of the Super-Rich have gone up by 700%. In the same period, the incomes of the rest of us have remained relatively flat. Our economy primarily is based on two things: Debt, and War (referred to as "Defense" by the Oligarchy). Since the advent of rampant Financialization, "average" Americans have had to go into fairly massive debt in an attempt to simply stay even in terms of lifestyle. Unfortunately, that debt isn't doing the job in most cases. Close to 50% of us are living in poverty or near-poverty, and the Middle Class basically has been hollowed out. Most Oligarchs don't appear to care, but they have very effective Propaganda techniques to make some people think they do care. Plus, they have tried & tested diversion techniques (such as war, the Two-Party political system, phony "Populist" movements, etc.) to distract us from the greatest transfer of wealth in human history. [As I've stated several times, none of this is a grand "conspiracy". Oligarchs mostly do all this simply because they have mutual interests and objectives; it's merely "good business" practice to them. Sometimes they work together, but most of the time it's done independent of one another. Even if it were a "conspiracy", of what use would that knowledge be?]
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Side Notes: here's a little history---
1. Since the end of the Korean Conflict [that's the official, technical name...because then supposedly our participation in that war doesn't violate the Constitution] in the early 1950's, our Gov't has had nuclear weapons in S. Korea aimed at N. Korea. Is it any surprise then that N. Korea has developed nukes?
2. Not too many years ago, N. Korea offered to freeze its nuke program in exchange for concessions (such as the lifting of economic/financial sanctions) from our Fed Gov't. Our Gov't refused even to have talks about that proposal.
3. Even more recently, N. Korea offered to freeze its weapons-delivery program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. Again, our Gov't refused to have talks about it.
4. China has been trying for years to get our Gov't to just sit down and talk with N. Korea. No luck.
5. The 1950's Korean "War" never officially ended. A "Cease-Fire" Agreement was made between military muckiwups on both sides, but the Gov'ts involved have not yet signed a Peace Treaty. Technically, they're all still at war. Any good or common sense appears to be lacking on both sides.
6. Various reports indicate that most of N. Korea is experiencing famine to one degree or another. The Gov't there is desperate for relief...one way or another. I can't think of one good reason for not sitting down and having talks with them...rather than threatening an unconstitutional First-Strike with a nuclear option.
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More Notes---
It should be obvious by now that Hillary Trump is not: "America First", or "draining the swamp" in DC, or going to favor the little guy over outfits like Goldman Sachs (now, even more so, it's Gov't Sachs), or going to make sure that "everyone has healthcare", etc., etc., etc...ad nauseam. The man is Same-Old, Same- Old, except that he's a much more dangerous version.
Relative to the title of this piece, the bottom line is this--- the war drums are all about maintaining the American Empire, the world fiat Dollar, our debt-based economy, and the tools that make the Super-Rich richer. They have almost nothing to do with saving average people or helping other countries.
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Not only my opinion. Be Well
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Financial/Economic Crash Update
1. The Bond Market already is crashing.
2. That eventually will burst the Stock Market Bubble.
3. The Dollar is temporarily "strong", but only in terms of being the best house in a really horrible neighborhood.
4. We currently have the lowest number in years of people with a full-time permanent job.
5. The current Real Estate Bubble is on the cusp of bursting.
6. Mega Bank fraud continues...especially in terms of gold & silver price manipulation... because that makes the Dollar appear "strong".
7. Many countries (especially emerging markets) continue to bypass the USA by forming their own Trade & Finance agreements.
8. The second largest economy in the world, China, is in deep financial & economic trouble. Their Crash would affect the entire world.
9. Italy's financial system is on the verge of collapse.
10. Though they should bite the bullet, the Fed Reserve most likely will not raise interest rates beyond one time in 2017. That means more QE is coming, which means Bubbles. All financial & economic bubbles burst; there hasn't been a single time in human history when that wasn't true. The longer the Fed waits to bite the bullet, the bigger the Crash will be.
11. Deutsche Bank is in deep trouble. Their derivatives portfolio alone could crash them.
12. Price inflation in the USA already is edging up.
13. USA sovereign Debt as of tonight is just under $20 trillion... and increasing rapidly.
14. US Debt held by foreign countries is a bit over $6 trillion, and decreasing rapidly. Countries are dumping the Dollar. Those Dollars are coming home; that will decrease the value of each dollar, and that will cause an increase in price inflation.
[See the online "US Debt Clock" for the two items immediately above.]
15. Various analysts say to look for a continued expansion of the Wall Street Stock Market Bubble in early 2017, and then a massive correction later in the year. [That massive correction could well become a complete Crash... especially given what's going on in the Bond Market.]
16. The unmitigated Propaganda here in the USA continues: "The Recovery is doing fine..."; "The Fed has it under control..."; "Our economy is improving..."; etc., ad nauseam.
17. 50% of American workers have a yearly income of only $30K or less.
18. The top 1% in America has more wealth than the bottom 95% combined.
19. The 400 wealthiest individuals here have more wealth than the bottom 150 million individuals combined.
Yes, everything is fine... for a few people.
Not only my opinion. Be Well
Monday, October 17, 2016
This & That About the Public and Private Powers-That-Be
1. Notice how the Corporate Media and the Democratic Party Machine have responded to the leaked transcripts/excerpts of Clinton's highly paid speeches to Mega Bankers and other Mega Corporations: "Russian hackers did it; they're trying to influence the election here."...little to no discussion of what Hillary said in those speeches. That's because some of the content of those talks largely contradicts the Propaganda that she's some sort of Populist. If Hillary Clinton is any kind of Populist, then I'm a Chinese astronaut. I can see why most likely she was never going to release those transcripts. The texts/quotes are online; see for yourself.
2. From the leaked Democratic Party Hierarchy emails, it's now obvious that the Sanders campaign was targeted for destruction by the Corporatist Democrats from the very beginning. Of course, it was fairly obvious as it unfolded... well before the leaks. Keep in mind that Party Hierarchies are supposed to be completely neutral regarding Primary candidates.
3. Trump is complaining that the Corporate Media favor Clinton (which is true), but fails to mention that during the Republican Primaries he was given more exposure to the voters than all the other candidates combined. That's because his idiocy was a money-maker for them. The Corporate Head of CBS freely admitted as much. Candidates such as Rand Paul, because he favored a non-militaristic foreign policy, were given such short shrift by the Media that at times I wondered if he had dropped out of the race... before he did drop out.
4. The current Administration continues its unconstitutional War in Syria. Yes, the Assad Regime is brutal and ISIS is brutal---bombing civilians (including children), hospitals, schools, etc. Here's what the Administration here fails to mention: the US Gov't-backed, Saudi-led Coalition is doing the same thing in Yemen. Our Gov't helps by refueling bombers, providing intelligence, and providing weapons. Obama recently approved a $38 billion military aid package for Saudi Arabia. Not long ago, a funeral home was bombed in Yemen; dozens & dozens of civilians were killed. Just before that, a hospital was bombed. Since the beginning of that war, over 900 children have been killed. All that because of the Sunni-Shia conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran... and our Govt's "help". Shame on the highest levels of the US Gov't.
5. Both public and private, the Powers-That-Be continue to use ISIS as an excuse for US Gov't Hegemony throughout the world. At the same time, they criticize other major countries (China, Russia, Iran) for wanting to have a big influence in their respective regions. The US Powers can't stand it when some other country wants to exercise its own hegemony. Imagine that---some country wants to be influential in its own backyard. Well, we can't allow that! [Hypocrisy abounds.]
6. The Corporate Media here are so desperate to support the lie that our economy is "recovering" that they recently reported on thousands of temporary, holiday season jobs opening up. You know, the way those jobs open up every holiday season. This year they're being touted as something really special. According to the major stores with the openings, 90% of those jobs will be converted to full-time, permanent positions after the holidays. I seriously doubt that. It's much more likely that some permanent employees will be laid off after the holiday season. Our economy is worsening, not getting better... unless you're in the upper 10% or so.
Not only my opinion. Be Well
Friday, September 9, 2016
Update: The Demise of the Dollar
The following is by Jim Rickards, an international economist, attorney, consultant to gov'ts, NYT Best-Selling author, and expert on the gold market. It's not the whole piece, and it didn't copy onto this venue properly, but it's readable. The print size is tiny because that's the only way I could get it onto this page. [I'm a No-Tech person.] This is the portion that I felt was most important.
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September 9, 2016 Jim Rickards
Dear Reader,
I’ve been writing about the rise of world money, called the “special drawing
right”(SDR), for years.
I’ve especially been giving it a lot of attention recently because of the recent
G-20 summit that took place in Hangzhou , China
officially accepts the Chinese yuan into its basket of currencies making up its
SDR later this month on Sept. 30.
The SDR is part of the global elite plan to displace the dollar as the global
reserve currency and replace it with a new form of fiat money. This new form of
money is controlled by the IMF and unaccountable to any elected democratic agency.
The purpose of SDRs is to create global inflation after years of failure by
central banks to do the same.
It’s one thing to warn about a development. It’s another thing to see it unfold
before your eyes…
In my 2011 book, Currency Wars, on Page 232, I wrote the following: “The IMF
presented a blueprint for the creation of a liquid SDR bond market, the antecedent
to replacing the dollar as the global reserve currency with SDRs.
“The IMF’s paper identifies both potential issuers of SDR bonds, including the
World Bank and regional development banks, and potential buyers…” (emphasis added).
That was almost five years ago.
The SDR market I predicted five years ago is taking shape before our eyes.
The rise of SDRs is no longer a theoretical experiment; it’s happening in real-
time.
The rise of SDRs is no longer a theoretical experiment; it’s happening in real-
time.
On July 15, 2016 , the IMF issued a playbook calling for more “M-SDRs” (the “M”
stands for “market” and is a reference to privately issued SDR instruments,
as opposed to official SDRs, or “O-SDRs,” issued by the IMF itself).
On Aug. 31, 2016 , just six weeks after the IMF greenlight, its sister institution,
the World Bank, issued SDR500 million (equal to $700 million) of bonds in the new
world currency. Importantly, the new SDR bonds were issued in China
underwriters were four Chinese banks), which has a keen interest in the success of
the SDR market to undermine the dollar.
Why is the World Bank issuing SDR bonds? It’s not because they have trouble
borrowing. The World Bank is one of the best credits in the world. They can
borrow whatever they want, whenever they want, in any currency they want.
The reason is so that China China
if no one issues them? The World Bank is just accommodating Chinese demand. And
the Chinese want to invest in SDRs so they can stop investing in dollars.
There will be many more bond issues like this in the near future. Think of each
SDR bond issue as another shovelful of dirt on the dollar’s grave.
How much longer will investors sit in dollars waiting for the wipeout to come?
It’s important to diversify into 10% physical gold to preserve your wealth before
it’s too late.
.........................
The movement away from the Dollar by various major countries has been
proceeding slowly for a few years now. Based on this info from Rickards,
it seems very likely that movement will accelerate this year. The world
appears to be tiring of our Fed Gov't and its promulgation/promotion of
USA Hegemony. The propagandists here call it "leading the world", but
anyone with any common sense at all knows better.
Once the Dollar no longer is the world's reserve currency, we are in for
some very bad (possibly horrendous) economic times. Be prepared.
Not only my opinion. Be Well
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Financial-Economic Crash Update
Below is an email I just sent to a few family and friends. There's a tiny bit of editing... nothing important.
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Maloney is correct (see link below): this is undeniable evidence that we're in a Recession; there is no "recovery". Since '08-'09, we've had a series of weak "dead cat bounces", not just of the Stock Market, but of the entire economy. They haven't been sustainable. The current Stock Market is a poor indicator anyway--- it's in an artificial Bubble created completely by the Fed... and the chickens are coming home to roost... probably within a year or so... at most, by no later than 2020 or thereabouts. Just a guess. No one knows "when", but there is no more "if". https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Sorry, folks, but now there's little to no doubt that we're in for really bad economic times. Don't believe the Propaganda from the Powers-That-Be. NeoFeudalism is on its way.
Get out of Mega Banks, get out of the Stock Market, stock up on household goods, hang onto and/or acquire as many hard assets as you can, cash in any T-Bills (Fed Bonds) you might have, squirrel away some cash, and watch the Bond Market rather than the Stock Market. The current Housing Bubble is predicted to burst anywhere from very soon to no later than 2024. The Dollar Crash could be anytime... all that's needed is for China, Russia, India, etc. to accumulate a little more gold. Once China launches a (to some degree) gold-backed currency, the sound of the rush from the Dollar will be deafening. That's only one event that could bring down the Dollar; there are several.
Once one Sector goes, the obscene, bizarre Financial Derivatives Market (estimated at $1.5 quadrillion) will bring everything down...probably worldwide. Banks, Mega Hedge Funds, Insurance giants, et. al. are making billions off Derivatives sales (while creating essentially zero jobs in the process), but don't have enough reserves to cover all defaults. It's 2008-09 on steroids...super steroids. Be Prepared.
Don't let the State-Corporate Complex mold your mind anymore. Reject all Edward Bernays style Propaganda Kool Aid. You can't miss it; they don't even try to lie with subtlety anymore. It's blatant lying: "There's no price inflation worth mentioning"; "The unemployment rate is now only 5%"; "The dollar is strong"; "The Fed has it under control...they're doing a great job"; "The recovery is proceeding"; "Some banks are too big to fail [and prosecute]"; and on & on. Please, enough of the lies.
By the way, this is not a Right v. Left issue. Forget that paradigm; this is way above that distraction. To use an educational metaphor: this is at the post-doctorate level; the Right-Left paradigm is at the second grade level.
............................................
Not only my opinion. Be Well
Saturday, April 30, 2016
The Dollar's Days are Numbered - the Crash, Central Banks, Fiat Currency, & Gold
I'm not an economist, monetary theorist, or anything of the sort; however, I can read and I have a fairly good grasp of Logic. Consider the following.
1. The Dollar has been described as the best of the worst houses in a really bad neighborhood. To one degree or another, all fiat currencies in the world are in deep trouble. The great, decades-long Fiat Currency Experiment is on the brink of going down in flames.
2. Supposedly, the USA (& thus the world) ended being on the Gold Standard in 1971. If that's completely true, why are Central Bankers (except for Canada) so concerned about gold...and especially, the price of gold? Why is China buying tons of gold per month? Why are India, Russia, & every other country that can afford it adding to their stockpiles of gold? Why is the Gov't of the USA keeping any gold at all? [Especially given the tremendous public debt we've accumulated; it would appear that we have no intention of ever repaying the principal on that debt.]
3. Deutsche Bank recently confessed to gold (& silver) price-fixing/rigging, and is informing on the other banks in the price-fixing/rigging cartel...including some Mega Banks on Wall Street.
4. Prices of gold (& silver) have been illegally, artificially suppressed for years because the price of gold (in particular) is an indicator of the health of the Dollar...and of the health of any other fiat currency. When the price of gold goes up, that means the Dollar has weakened.
5. Gold is a store of wealth & confidence...confidence in the value of precious metals. Fiat currency is a store of confidence only...confidence in paper and gov'ts.
6. I don't recall the details, but just recently, China pegged the value of the Yuan to gold...some sort of benchmark. It seems obvious that once China has accumulated a sufficient amount of gold, it's going to issue a Gold-Backed Currency...backed to one degree or another. If and when that happens, that's the end of the Dollar as the world's reserve currency. [Of course, that end can occur in other ways, as well.]
7. Some people argue that a Gold Standard nowadays is not feasible because of the greatly expanded (compared to, say, 1930 or 1950) money supply versus a finite amount of gold in existence. As the international economist, Jim Rickards, points out: that's a fallacious argument because what matters is the price of gold, not the amount. At $10,000 per ounce, no problem. As the currency supply expands even more, the price of gold would go up even more.
8. A new Gold Standard would put a clamp on unrestrained spending by gov'ts...that's why some Oligarchs and most of their minions in gov'ts everywhere are against returning to any kind of Gold Standard. It appears that China soon may change all that.
9. Countries already are dumping Dollars, but it's not much more than a trickle compared to what's likely coming.
10. In addition to all the above, world debt is at $225 trillion...the highest it has ever been, the total value of bizarre financial derivatives out in the Market is now estimated to be about $1.5 quadrillion, Stock Markets are giant Bubbles, unemployment is soaring (our Gov't doesn't have a clue as to what the unemployment rate is...their markers for calculating that are grossly incomplete), the real estate market is a Bubble, manufacturing is declining fairly rapidly, part-time and temporary jobs are on the rise, the Dollar continues to be debased by the Fed, the economy is deflating, real wages either are stagnant or declining, the Middle Class continues to shrink, 51% of American households now earn only $30K or less per year, debt (both public & private) is crushing the Dollar and the economy, the incomes of the Super-Rich continue to increase, the world economy is stagnant, the People are pissed off, and Gov'ts continue to placate everyone with Edward Bernays style Propaganda...but that's not working very well anymore.
11. To top it off, we're in the beginning stages of a worldwide Economic Crash. Some analysts say it will be as bad as, or worse than, the 1930's Great Depression.
12. And finally, several high-level politicians in several different countries appear to be attempting to provoke a major war...that includes some high-level politicians in the USA. Historically, that's what the Powers-That-Be do when economies are failing and the monetary system is crashing.
......................................................
The good news is that educated People everywhere are rising up peacefully and rejecting SSDD by protesting, boycotting, shunning, rejecting, and refusing to be silent. The Propaganda Kool Aid is being thrown out. The Sheeple have become the Lions. I suspect that Oligarchs everywhere are beginning to tremble. All across the political spectrum, We the People (many of us, anyway) have had enough. It's past time to peacefully dethrone the CRONY Capitalists, Globalization Gurus, and Financialization Elites. It will be a long haul, but it's do-able.
Not only my opinion. Be Well
Saturday, April 16, 2016
So Where's the Economic Crash?
It's unfolding before our eyes. Despite the Dead Cat Bounce (a horrible term) after the disastrous dip in January, the Crash is proceeding...and worsening...and it's worldwide. Below is a portion of a Reply I sent to my son, his family, and others regarding a piece he sent me from Greg Hunter's "USA Watchdog.com". That clip had Ron Kirby of Kirby Analytics in his very latest guest appearance on "USA Watchdog".
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The dollar reset could be right around the corner. Especially telling was that series of meetings the Fed had, and the meetings with the Pres & VP with the Fed. Add to that the admission of silver & gold price fixing by the Mega Banks, & the new China Gold Exchange, & the IMF SDR situation (especially involving China), & how the highest levels of our Fed Gov't are trying their damnedest to provoke a war, & how Obama has been working for almost 8 yrs having us construct tactical nuclear weapons (as opposed to strategic), & the fact that the Financial Stability Board of the G-20 approved Bail-Ins for 29 Mega Banks (worldwide), & the fact that the TPP will further deregulate the Financial Sector (both high-level Dems & Repubs support that Agreement), & the fact the War on Cash is accelerating, & the fact that the vast majority of the public appears to believe just about anything the Corporate Media tells them... with all that & more, we're ripe for a disaster.
Nevertheless, I still believe the Oligarchy somehow will pull off preventing it from happening until after the election. As Kirby puts it, they've been holding together this criminal, fraudulent financial system with "...paper clips & bungee cords" [:)] for a long time. Maybe they can do it a bit longer.
I see the Oligarchy in America as having 3 main options:
1. Get us into a major, major war. As Kirby accurately points out, historically that's what the Ruling Class does when the Financial System is in really deep trouble. The Bush-Obama Perpetual War has not been enough...it's not big enough. This, of course, is not a wise option, but that doesn't mean they won't do it.
2. QE-4...print even more currency. The Fed buying back the bonds being dumped by China & other Asian countries hasn't been enough. The Fed might even send checks to individual households...to the People, not just make it available to Mega Banks. [If that happens, buy every necessary household commodity you can get your hands on...because if that happens, the culmination of the Crash is imminent.]
3. After the election, bite the bullet & gradually raise interest rates to where they should be. This will burst the Asset Bubbles & put us into a deep Recession and/or Depression.
I'm sure there are more options, but I see the above as the main ones.
Unfortunately, nothing above will stop the worldwide economic mess from worsening. We're in a global Economic Crash. There's been nothing like this since the Great Depression, and prior to that, the Fall of the Roman Empire (which was largely economic). What's sad is that so many Americans seem to be so tied up in the tribalism of the election cycle that they either don't see the Crash unfolding, or they don't think it's very serious.
I hope Kirby is wrong regarding his time frame, but what he said certainly is possible.
Love, Dad p.s. Don't take on any major debt. When all this stuff culminates, your income & purchasing power will go down...but debt payments won't. That's how people in the 1930's were wiped out financially.
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Not only my opinion. Be Well
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