Tuesday, October 11, 2011

How Bankrupt Governments Will Confiscate Your Gold

It’s always troubling when governments go after firms like GoldMoney. The more signs I see, the more I’m starting to believe that we’re heading down a path where precious metals are once again confiscated, outlawed, or at least severely restricted in many countries. Let’s start with the why. What possible sense would it make to reduce or restrict gold ownership? Simple. The modern financial system is a complete joke. Money is conjured from thin air, backed by false promises from bankrupt governments. Then there’s the fractional reserve swindle, centrally planned interest rates, government-produced inflation, manufactured statistics, insane credit and sovereign debt bubbles, etc. It’s a total fraud… and like any good con, it depends on just that: confidence. In order for a system based on -nothing- to perpetuate, it’s imperative that it commands the confidence of the people within it. And people in rich western countries have been programmed since birth to believe that the colored pieces of paper circulating around in their economies are intrinsically ‘valuable’. It’s funny, because developing countries already know it’s a scam. They don’t trust their governments, and they don’t trust those silly pieces of paper either. Out here in Asia is a great example– most of the region is very gold-oriented. They use paper as a medium of exchange, but it’s a cultural norm to save with gold.





Liveblogging The Slovakian Parliamentary/EFSF-Vote Session

In terms of binary events on today's docket, the most important for the euro and eurozone by a wide margin is the Slovakian EFSF-ratification vote which is set to begin shortly, and where hopes have faded that a favorable resolution can be reached, at least in the immediate horizon. Those who want to follow developments in real time can do so courtesy of the following live blog at sme.sk updated every several minutes.




I Am Bearish On American Education

Admin at Jim Rogers Blog - 52 minutes ago
I'm also bearish on American education, but I haven't figured out how to short Princeton. - *at a commodities conference in Frankfurt* *Jim Rogers is an author, financial commentator and successful international investor. He has been frequently featured in Time, The New York Times, Barron’s, Forbes, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times and is a regular guest on Bloomberg and CNBC.* 
 
 
 
 

CNBC Video Interview: October 11th

Admin at Marc Faber Blog - 1 hour ago
Marc Faber of the Gloom, Doom & Boom Report, shares his outlook on the global economy on CNBC *Marc Faber is an international investor known for his uncanny predictions of the stock market and futures markets around the world.* 
 
 
 

Global Liquidity Is Tightning

Admin at Marc Faber Blog - 1 hour ago
Despite the fact that the European Central Bank and the European governments will flood the market with liquidity to bail themselves out, global liquidity is tightening. Whenever global liquidity is tightening it is bad for asset prices but good for the U.S. dollar, as was the case in 2008. - *in CNBC* *Marc Faber is an international investor known for his uncanny predictions of the stock market and futures markets around the world.* more »
 
 
 
 

Global Liquidity Is Tightening

Eric De Groot at Eric De Groot - 2 hours ago
As Faber suggests, global liquidity is tightening. A breakdown of credit at US commercial banks reveals this disturbing trend. I have often discussed changes in credit conditions as the cycle between liquidity and hemorrhage phases within a broadening, global debt crisis. Yet another hemorrhage phase is underway. Marc Faber Bullish on US Dollar [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] 
 
 
 
 

Stocks Have Been In A Trading Range For 12 Years

Admin at Jim Rogers Blog - 2 hours ago
Stocks have been in a trading range for 12 years, and that will continue. - *in MarketWatch.com* *Related ETFs: SPDR S&P 500 ETF (NYSE:SPY), SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (NYSE:DIA) PowerShares QQQ Trust, Series 1 (ETF);* *Jim Rogers is an author, financial commentator and successful international investor. He has been frequently featured in Time, The New York Times, Barron’s, Forbes, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times and is a regular guest on Bloomberg and CNBC.* 
 
 
 
 

Gold Could Undergo A Significant Correction Similar To What Happened Between 1974-76

Admin at Marc Faber Blog - 4 hours ago
At 1900 dollars per ounce gold was extremely overbought, and a correction was necessary. However, Faber now believes that gold could undergo a significant correction similar to what happened between 1974-1976, when gold fell 40 percent. Faber notes that a large decline in gold is now a distinct possibility. The first support level for gold is at the 200-day moving average around 1500 dollars per ounce. Despite the potential for a pullback, Faber still likes gold and believes it will trade significantly higher. - *in Seeking Alpha* ETFs: SPDR Gold Trust ETF (GLD) *Marc Faber is an i... more » 
 
 
 
 
 

The US Dollar Has Started To Fade As The World`s Reserve Currency

Admin at Jim Rogers Blog - 4 hours ago

The U.S. dollar has started fading as the world's reserve currency. However, the dollar could get a temporary boost if the government allows U.S. companies to repatriate their overseas cash without onerous taxation. - *in MarketWatch.com* *Jim Rogers is an author, financial commentator and successful international investor. He has been frequently featured in Time, The New York Times, Barron’s, Forbes, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times and is a regular guest on Bloomberg and CNBC.* 





Protesters Storm, Occupy Hart Senate Office Building

Looks like #OccupyWallStreet is morphing into #OccupySenate first and #OccupyCongress soon.Next up: #OccupyWhiteHouse? From a reader: "Here is a live feed to Occupy DC which has stormed the Hart Senate Office Building in D.C. – there are several dozen protestors chanting, arrests being made, and a flag that was hung upside down (sign of distress)."





While Everyone Is Making Fun Of The Slovak Republic....

It seems like the Slovak Republic will agree to the current plan. It seems like some politicians have decided that getting a general election and a chance to be in charge and have power is worth selling out what they believe in. In the meantime, with the current structure the Slovak Republic, as small as it is, has an equal vote on some items. Anything that is unanimous requires them to vote. People are already downplaying any potential "NO" vote as something the other member countries would just step up and assume the Slovak's portion. Sure, but what happened to the integrity of the Euro? Isn't this someone starting the process of leaving the Euro? I wouldn't dismiss the implications too quickly. It certainly makes dreams of Eurobonds look plain silly.





Jim Chanos Mocks Latest Chinese Attempt To Support Its Stock Market, Sees It As Confirmation Of Deterioration

Yesterday we presented our cynical perspective on the latest Chinese intervention in its stock market, whose sole intention was to prop up the stock market, and create the illusion that the economy is stronger (following in the Chairman's footsteps, it appears that now the SHCOMP is the best proxy for economic prosperity) now that bank speculation of a Chinese hard landing has grown significantly louder (see here and here). Today, it is Jim Chanos' turn to jump on the, pardon the pun, cynical bandwagon, who, as Bloomberg reports "said a rally spurred by government purchases of the shares hasn’t changed his bearish outlook. The MSCI China Financials Index surged 6 percent today after state-run Central Huijin Investment Ltd. started buying shares in the four biggest Chinese lenders. The gauge of banks, insurers and developers had tumbled as much as 43 percent in 2011 through Oct. 4, sending its price-to-earnings ratio to a record low of 5.6 on concern that slowing economic growth will spur bad debts after a three-year credit boom. “The fact that people are even talking about the government stepping in to shore up the banks, when two months ago people thought there was nothing wrong with the Chinese banks, should tell you just how seriously this situation is deteriorating,” Chanos, founder of New York-based hedge fund Kynikos Associates, said in a Bloomberg Television interview." Needless to say this is glaringly obvious, which is why it will have no adverse impact and the only thing the markets will care about is how many trillions in additional government liquidity/purchases will come down the line to prop up the illusion that is the global economy.





Goldman: "We Doubt The Current Market Optimism Can Be Sustained Over The Medium Term"

In yet another ironic twist, traditional market cheerleader Goldman Sachs, which discusses the factors for the "strong start to the week for equity markets" in the form of the 100 S&P point surge on nothing but hope and more rumor speculation, concludes with rather ominous: "beyond the headlines, it is only the process of grappling with the details and concrete plans that will force the political leadership in these countries to face the difficult tradeoffs involved. And as such, as long as there is not more clarity around concrete proposals – the distribution of legacy losses and the mechanisms for mutual support in the Euro-area going forward – and the details on implementation, we doubt that the current market optimism can be sustained over the medium term, and beyond the upcoming G20 meetings." In other words, precisely what we have been saying: rumors and "plans of plans of plans" are great for short term squeeze induced, bear market bounces, but in the long, or even medium-term, do nothing to address the fundamental math fail which states, quite factually, that going from point A (where we are now) to point B (where Merkozy wants Europe to be), will be virtually impossible absent massive equity losses. Yet, as also pointed out before, Wall Street career risk is always in the "here and now" never in what may happen a day or even an hour from now, now that markets are no longer a discounting mechanism, but a purely headline reactionary one.





Equity Traders Petition To Create More Bond Market Holidays

Yesterday was one of the strangest days in awhile - and that is from a long list of strange days. The most confusing part is that over the weekend Dexia went through some form of nationalization - the details of which and the need for which remain sketchy. Erste decided to take some big write-downs on CDS positions it had written, and Merkel and Sarkozy yet again held a joint press conference to announce that now they were really serious about saving everything and everyone. European stocks and credit had a relatively muted reaction. Stocks were up small. The Dax for example was drifting from slightly down to up less than 1%. SOVX was a touch wider and MAIN was a few bps tighter. Then the US came along and told Europe that they didn't realize how good they had. Yes, US equity players came along and told Europeans they didn't understand what had happened in their own backyard. The US stock market dragged Europe higher and tighter with it. Investors who were short IG17 or HY17 were hitting bids in MAIN, XOVER, and buying JNK, LQD, and HYG, along with SPX. Today, Europe was basically treading water and tried to do better at 7am as the US opened for business. Since then we have started to drift wider and lower. Part of this is going to be funds getting their positions squared away as they can now sell some IG17 and buy back their other hedges. Credit traders who are left scratching their heads about how things were "fixed" over the weekend are back and fading this rally.





Military Counter-Coup In Egypt? Prime Minister Hands In Resignation Of Government

And in tried and true fashion, the counterrumor arrives:
Egypt cabinet spokesman denies report that PM handed in resignation of whole government
That revolution sure was fun while it lasted.
  • EGYPT PRIME MINISTER HANDS IN RESIGNATION OF GOVT - JAZEERA TV
Now the anticipated "Thermidorian reaction" counterrevolution comes.





Art Cashin Ridicules Europe's "Plan For A Plan"

When a few weeks ago we coined the term "plan to plan to plan" we didn't realize we should have also trademarked it. Royalties and all that... That said, when it comes to the Chairman of the Fermentation Committee, we grant him a lifetime license of usage.





Goldman Previews Today's "Anti-Chinese Currency Manipulation" Bill

Today, at around 5:30 pm, the Senate will pass currency legislation squarely targeting alleged Chinese "currency manipulation" (which as a reminder is pegged to the USD, which begs the question just who is manipulating their currency). And while the PBOC pegged the USDCNY at a new all time low last night in what appears to be an attempt to placate US lawmakers, it may have been premature. As Goldman explains the likelihood of anything real happening as a result of this legislation, which will not pass Congress in its current form, is virtually negligible. That said, here is what the Senate in theory is attempting to achieve: "The bill would impose new penalties on countries whose currencies are found to be "misaligned," including tariffs on goods imported from those countries and an eventual WTO complaint. Like previous legislative efforts on this front, the likelihood of enactment seems low. House passage of the Senate bill seems unlikely, though it is clearly possible that the House could pass its own version of the currency bill instead." Bottom line: much ado about nothing, although China will probably not be too happy either way.





Charting A Perfectly Healthy European Liquidity Freeze


An artist's rendering of what a Merkozy statement on the chart below would be like: "Here you have a chart depicting a perfectly healthy liquidity freeze and a far better than expected interbank bank run. While the amount of money desperately dumped with the ECB is the highest in over 16 months at €269 billion, a very modest increase of €230 billion from the summer lows, we promise promptly, or by December 31, 2099, whichever comes last, to conceive of a plan which will address the subject of how to plan for the public's interpretation of this chart, and in the meantime promise to bend the laws of mathematics, thermodynamics, rhetoric, and money printing, and plug the inverse hole with nothing but even more promises. Please vote for us." Or something like that. To everyone else who likes it non-sugarcoated, there is now open panic in the Eurobank system, where not a single euro left outside the clutches of the ECB is deemed safe. In other news, all is well.





Troika Releases Statement On Greece: Commentary Attached

Summarizing the Troika'a statement, with some gratuitous commentary
  • Sixth tranche depends on Eurogroup, IMF approval: the use of Greece as a passthru vehicle for Eurobank funding will continue until morale and bank CDS improve
  • Troika says Greek recession to be deeper than anticipated, 2011 fiscal target no longer within reach: the 50% negative revision in deficit to GDP in the past month has been duly noted
  • Recovery only expected from 2013 onward: when it will be Bundesrepublik Griechenland
  • Privatization revenue below expectations: must sell more islands to the Chinese, more gold to Qatar
  • Additional Greek measures likely needed; essential more emphasis placed on structural reform - back in the day "freefall bankruptcy preparation" was not called "structural reform"
  • Greece needs additional measures for 2012, 2014 - must be certain future penetration can proceed absent lubrication
  • Greece overall made important progress - riotcam viewership is now PeyPerView and is used to pay for G-Pap's 3rd winter vacation




Greek Deficit Miss To Be Re-Re-Revised Again, 1 Year Greek Bond Hits Record 159%

A week ago our post announcing that the Greek deficit target was going to be revised higher once again, from 7.6% to 8.5%, started with the following sentence: "As the Greek parliament meets to finalize huge public sector job cuts, Reuters is reporting that Greece will miss the deficit targets set in its EU/IMF bailout this year and next... We would say "again" but at this point "as usual" makes far more sense." Guess what: it is time to "as usual" re-re-revise it once again.





Gold Support at 144 Day Moving Average at $1,603; Chinese Gold Demand “Extremely Strong”

Physical demand for gold in Shanghai has been “extremely strong” this week following the week-long Chinese holiday, Mitusi note in their morning report. UBS are more circumspect but note that physical demand in China appeared to be “quite decent” in the first trading day after the Golden Week holiday. They note that combined volumes for the SGE Au9999 and Au9995 contracts surged to the highest since February 14th. Year-to-date volumes are now 11% higher than 2010 levels. UBS “expect demand to remain strong until the Chinese New Year holidays in late January 2012.” A further sign of the significant scale of demand from Asia and from China in particular is seen in the news today that China has installed its first gold vending machine. More importantly, China and Chinese banks are planning to roll out another 2,000 gold ATMs nationwide. Each ATM can hold up to 200 kilograms of gold bullion in varying denominations at once.




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