Tuesday, March 31, 2015

5 Charts Which Show That The Next Economic Crash Is Dead Ahead


by Michael Snyder, The Economic Collapse Blog:
When an economic crisis is coming, there are usually certain indicators that appear in advance.  For example, commodity prices usually start to plunge before a recession begins.  And as you can see from the Bloomberg Commodity Index which you can find right here, this has already been happening.  In addition, I have previously written about how the U.S. dollar went on a great run just before the financial collapse of 2008.  This is something that has also been happening over the past few months.  Some people would have you believe that nobody can anticipate the next great economic downturn and that to try to do so is just an exercise in “guesswork”.  But that is not the case at all.  We can look back over history and see patterns that keep repeating.  And a lot of the exact same patterns that happened just before previous stock market crashes are happening again right now.
Read More…



A Fool and his money soon parted...

CNBC's SquawkBox Has Lowest Nielsen Rating In Its History

As the following update of CNBC's perhaps most popular (if least watched, lagging even Mad Money) day breaking segment, SquawkBox, the show that features Joe Kernen, Becky Quick  and Andrew Ross Sorkin just suffered its worst quarterly Nielsen rating in the show's history.




Crowded Trade 2.0: Specs Have Never Been More Short Gold Or The Euro

The Long US Dollar, Short US Treasuries trades were the 'most crowded' earlier this year and while both have derisked modestly from record highs, this week saw the net speculative position in EURUSD futures surge more negative and has never been shorter. Along similar 'strong dollar' lines, as Bloomberg reports, net long positions in Gold have dropped to their lowest since Dec 2013 and outright Gold short positions rose for the seventh week in a row to the highest since data began in 2006.




Bad News For America's Biggest Housing Bubble: San Francisco Home Prices Suffer Biggest Drop In Three Years

It was not only the annual growth rate of only 7.9%, matching the lowest since the European debt bubble burst in 2010, but also the sequential rate of price drops, at -0.9% - the biggest monthly drop in three years, or since January 2012 - that will once again be a subject for concern of housing watchers. Because should the price decline resume its acceleration without any emerging tailwinds to prop up the local housing market, then there will surely be some severe fallout such as this peak housing bubble example, in which as Curbed reported last week, a run down shack which listed for $799,000 sold for 50% more, or $1.2 million a few weeks later!




AIG Lite: Margin Call Claimed First Foreign Casualty Of Austrian "Black Swan"

While we wait to see which “well capitalized” bank will be the next to crumble under the weight of mountainous writedowns occasioned by the sudden souring of “riskless” assets, we get to read the DuesselHyp post-mortem, which shows that the bank was effectively AIG’d by Eurex.
 




Why The Mania Is Getting Scary - Central Bankers Are Running A Doomsday Machine

"The utterances of the Yellen/Zhou duo who kicked off yesterday’s rip make absolutely clear why the central bankers will never stop stimulating. They have embraced a spurious “inflation deficiency” doctrine, and have thereby, in effect, lashed themselves to the wheel of a doomsday machine."
 




Four TBTF Banks Threaten To Withhold Funds To Democrats Over Elizabeth Warren's Wall Street Rants

Having already proven that their institutions are above the law in the aftermath of the financial crisis, executives at the “Too Big to Fail and Jail” banks have decided it’s time to teach Senate Democrats a lesson. Not being content with trillions in taxpayer backed bailouts to protect and further consolidate virtually all wealth within their oligarch fiefdoms, these bankers are irate at the notion that a commoner would dare criticize their unassailable crony privilege. What Wall Street wants is one hundred Chucky Schumers in the Senate.
 




The Iran "Talks" - Just Another US vs Russia (And China) Power Game

Update, and just as expected: IRAN NUCLEAR NEGOTIATORS MAY MISS 3RD DEADLINE: U.S. OFFICIAL
"The United States and Europe reportedly want the UN Security Council (UNSC) sanctions on Iran to be automatically reversible, meaning that if Iran violates the deal at any point, the UNSC sanctions will automatically be re-imposed on Tehran. Russia opposes such a scenario, saying in such a case the UNSC should decide what to do. Moscow says automatic imposition of sanctions goes against the mechanism of the Security Council. China also reportedly shares Russia’s viewpoint and is against the imposition of automatically reversible sanctions on Iran."
 


"Biggest Jump In General Collateral On Record" Leaves Experts Stumped

"The overnight general collateral rate jumped to 0.38% this morning. The GC rate has seen sharp moves at quarter end in the past, although today's jump is the largest we have on record."

 


Market Opens On A Weak Note And... Nasdaq Breaks.. And Then NYSE Breaks After Chicago PMI



 







Consumer Confidence Surges Higher As 'Hope' Trumps Reality

Following February's drop from 'recovery' cycle highs (which has now been erased by previous revisions! why are confidence measures seasonally-adjusted anyway?), despite surging gas prices, terrible economic data, and dismal weather, March consumer confidence explodes higher. Printing 101.3, massively beating expectations of 96.4, this is just shy of the cycle highs in January. Of course, it's all hope... the present situation index actually dropped notably from 112.1 to 109.1 as future expectations surged from 90.0 to 96.0, but fewer people plan to buy homes or major applicances in the next 6 months.








Marxist Group Takes Turkish Prosecutor Hostage, Posts Pictures

In the midst of a near-nationwide blackout that grounded planes and froze rail traffic and which officials say could be terror-linked, armed gunman have taken a prosecutor hostage in an Istanbul court house.



Richard Russell – A World On The Edge Of Chaos, The Dangers Of Russian Roulette And What You Must Know Right Now

from KingWorldNews:
Richard Russell: “I spent the weekend as an amateur, reading the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the USA. I was surprised. The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” … I noted that most of the Declaration of Independence is a litany of complaints about Britain. The signers of the Declaration were almost apologizing in case after case for cutting themselves off from Britain.
Then I turned to the Constitution, and to its second amendment. It reads, “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
Richard Russell Continues @ KingWorldNews.com

U.S. & U.K. Troubled By China’s Multilateral Infrastructure Investment Bank, AIIB — Martin Wolf

from BullionStar:


The Next-Generation Weapons That Russia Will Use Against The United States In World War III

by Michael Snyder, End of The American Dream:
The Russian military is in the midst of a sweeping modernization program, and it is currently developing some incredibly impressive offensive and defensive next-generation weapons that are designed to be used in a future war with the United States.  The key to winning World War III will be to strike hard and to strike fast, and the Russians understand this.  Meanwhile, the U.S. military has totally shifted gears from a “Cold War mindset” and is now completely focused on fighting smaller regional wars in the Middle East and elsewhere.  As a result, U.S. strategic forces have suffered.  There has been very little effort to modernize, and many of our nuclear missile silos are using technology that is ridiculously outdated.  For example, CBS News has documented that eight inch floppy disks are still being used in many of our missile silos.  And don’t expect things to change any time soon.  At this point, the U.S. military plans to keep Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles that were originally deployed in the 1960s and 1970s in service until 2030.
Read More…
 

As Civilian Deaths Mount In Yemen, US Pledges Saudi Attackers More Support

from The News Doctors:
Saudi fighter planes continue to attack neighboring Yemen in hopes of re-installing ousted Yemeni president Mansur Hadi and putting down the rebellion that forced him to depart. As usual, civilians bear the brunt of such a foreign attack. Today, the Saudi-led coalition bombed a refugee camp, killing more than 40 and wounding as many as 200.
Hadi’s ouster earlier this year came on the heels of mounting public anger over his cooperation with the US government’s five years of drone attacks on Yemen, which killed scores of civilians. Hadi, who was “elected” by an impressive 99.80% of the vote (on a single-candidate ballot) had previously overthrown long-time Yemeni ruler, Abdullah Saleh, in the “Arab Spring” uprisings of 2011.
Read More @ TheNewsDoctors.com

Fukushima News 3/30/15: A Spent Fuel Pool From HELL-Unit 3 Dam(ned) Gates Damaged

from MissingSky101:



Want Some GMO Easter Candy, Little Girl?

by Daisy Luther, The Organic Prepper:
I’ve always thought those giant Easter bunnies that walk around the mall were sort of creepy. I remember once when my oldest daughter was a toddler her absolute terror when one such mascot bent over her stroller and asked, “Want some candy, little girl?”
Well, it seems that her instincts were right. Now that I know what’s in the “treats” that they push, I’m positive that taking candy from strange rabbits is a terrible idea.
Today, I’m here to “ruin” Easter for you by telling you exactly what’s in that adorable little basket that pretty much everyone in America gives to their kids. Because, you know, nothing says “Happy Easter” like a beautifully decorated basket full of prettily packaged GMO high fructose corn syrup, dye, processed GMO sugar, and chemical flavoring. (Don’t worry, though. I’ll also “save” Easter with some non-toxic treat suggestions too!)
Read More @ TheOrganicPrepper.com


CIA Secret Experiments (documentary)

from Vigilant Citizen:
This National Geographic documentary looks into the CIA’s secret experiments conducted during the Cold War. It mainly focuses on mind control and the brainwashing techniques attached to it : Hypnosis, electroshock therapy and drugs.
CIA Secret Experiments explores a page of the book History that is often heavily redacted or completely shredded. It is about the troubling experiments conducted by the CIA during the Cold War, especially on mind control. The documentary explains how its techniques can be used to create “Manchurian candidates” (aka MK slaves) that can be used to conduct assassinations and other deeds.
Read More…

$100 Trillion Global Bond Bubble Poses “Systemic Risk” To Financial System

from Gold Core:
The Financial Times warned today about the growing global ‘bond bubble’ and potential severe problems in the bond markets and ‘systemic risk’ which may come to a head in June if the Federal Reserve raises interest rates.
In an article entitled “Time to find out hard way if asset management is systemic risk“, it quotes James Bullard from the Fed warning of “dire consequences” due to developing asset price bubbles if the Fed does not raise rates soon.
It refers to fact that “80 per cent of fund managers surveyed by CFA UK, a financial standards body, signalled worries about the inflated value of bonds.” It discusses how plans have been in the making to manage risks posed by certain funds by “boosting supervision of asset managers.”
Read More @ GoldCore.com

Former Fed Governor Admits Market Controlling The Fed Is A “Very Dangerous Development”

from Zero Hedge:
The constant changes to Fed policy targets and enslavement to the ticker must change, according to former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh. “The markets think they have Yellen’s number,” that she will never allow markets to go down, Warsh warns “that is a very dangerous development.” What worries Warsh the most, however, is “The Fed’s policies changing based on what happens on the ticker… The Fed should be thinking 3 to 4 years ahead.” Investors “think good times can last forever,” he notes ominously, “we tried negative real rates in the mid 70s and the early 2000s and both ended badly.” Someone is not getting invited back on CNBC…
Read More @ ZeroHedge.com

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Monday, March 30, 2015

All Aboard the De-Dollarization Bullet Train!


from The Wealth Watchman:

The US Dollar’s Star Will Soon Flame Out
These days it seems that everywhere you turn, the signs are there that the petro-dollar-juiced system is coming unglued.   The gale-force winds that have been driving the world to de-dollarize have now literally become almost a raging storm.  I’ve always believed that this would indeed be the end game which we’re now witnessing playing out, but currently, even I’m bowled over at how fast the whole deck of cards is being reshuffled.
Speaking of reshuffling, over the weekend, several more prominent countries have all but joined China’s regional bank, the AIIB.  The East’s star continues to rise to the heavens, as the credit lifeline of the West gets nearer to the end of its rope.  We’re not talking about some two-bit players either, these newest nations to sign onto this project are some real doozies! Let’s examine these newest signees together, and discuss the implications.
Read More…


Boston Show Trial: Even marathon footage of suspects was faked (Updated!)

Maret Tsarnaev reveals the stunning truth: the images of her nephews at the Boston marathon were fabrications
by James Fetzer,Veterans Today:
In an explosive interview on “The Real Deal”, Maret Tsarnaev, the aunt of Tamerlan and Dzhokar Tsarnaev, the alleged “Boston bombers”, which has been proven to have been a drill where no one died, explained that even the footage of the two brothers at the Boston Marathon is fake, where Tamerlan, for example, had a beard before and after the Marathon but is clean-shaven in the “official footage”. [NOTE: The interview was initially blocked worldwide!]
We have footage of Tamerlan and Dzhokhar working out at the Wai Kru gym on April 12th, where he has a well-trimmed beard; We have what purport to be photos of him at the Marathon on April 15th, where he is clean shaven. We have photos of him on April 18th, where he again has a beard. Even the photos of his arrest and of his body after he has been killed show that he was still sporting the well-trimmed beard!
Read More…




According To The TSA, You May Be A Terrorist If...

The TSA has issued a set of guidelines that, if interpreted correctly, will assist in the identification of terrorists. Do you fit the description?







Broke? You May Now Be Entitled To a Free Home

"Now a legal quirk could bring a surreal ending to... foreclosure cases around the country: [borrowers] may get to keep their homes without ever having to pay another dime."
 


This Event In Major Markets Has Only Happened Twice Since World War II

from KingWorldNews:
“Our friend and fellow market veteran, Jim Brown over at Option Investor took a look at some seasonal factors in his market note over the weekend. Here’s a bit:
April has been the best performing month for the Dow since 1950. Over the last 20 years the Dow has posted gains 16 times with an average of +0.56%. Granted that is not much and only equates to about 90 points. The first trading day of April is the worst “post holiday” session of the year. However, the first two weeks of April are normally bullish with an average gain of +1.22%. The average gain for the first two weeks of the other 11 months is only 0.3%.
Art Cashin Continues @ KingWorldNews.com

Why is the Military Planning Drills That Simulate Battles Across the Southwestern United States?

from Off Grid Survival:
The United States Army has announced they will be conducting a simulated training exercise over the summer in which they plan to simulate battles and insurgent attacks throughout Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado. According to recently unclassified documents, the exercise, which categorizes Texas and Utah as “Hostile” States, will run from July 15 through September 15th.
Multiple branches of the military are expected to take part in the massive drill including Navy Seals, Green Berets and the 82nd airborne division.
Read More @ OffGridSurvival.com
 

A Middle East Holocaust

from Paul Craig Roberts:
Nuclear weapons are no longer restrained by the Cold War MAD doctrine. Washington has released them into pre-emptive first strike form.
The targets of these pre-emptive strikes–Russia and China–know it, because Washington proudly proclaims its immorality in public documents describing its war doctrine.
The result is to maximize the chance of nuclear war. If you were Russia and China, and you knew that Washington had a war doctrine that permits a surprise nuclear attack, would you sit there waiting while Washington cranks up its anti-Russian and anti-Chinese propaganda machine, demonizing both countries as a threat to “freedom and democracy”?
Read More @ PaulCraigRoberts.org
 



Summing Up The Total Chaos That Reigns In Greek "Negotiations"

Forget Pyrrhic victories, the more Greek tongues that wag, the clearer it becomes that no one appears to have a clue what is going on. The contradictory tone from various Syriza members has allowed the opposition to sit quietly by (with the odd jab from Samaras) and watch the collapse unfold. The more threats and promises Tsipras makes, the more cornered he becomes as cash outflows accelerate and cash demands loom. It appears all over bar the printing as both sides are now just posturing for who bears the blame for the ultimat exit, as one wit noted, "once you remove walking away from a deal as an option, you are no longer negotiating."
 




How Money Creation Threatens Hyperinflation

Creating even more money will not help the situation, only exacerbate it. Hyperinflation is a cancer that lurks in our monetary structure. Time to surgically remove it before it metastasizes.
 




Wages & Lowflation (Or Why Rick Santelli Is Right)

As Goldman notes, the driver behind the recent modest rise in real weekly earnings: lowflation - is the wrong recipe for wage growth...
 





JP Morgan Has A "Problem" With Emerging Markets

Despite what may look to be "cheap" valuations, JPM calls the EM contrarian approach “tactically challenging” thanks to leverage, a difficult environment for economic growth and Janet Yellen. "Each of these is a problem, in our view. In combination, they could be a serious problem," the bank notes.



Your Pastor Knows When Martial Law Will Be Rolled Out

by Dave Hodges, The Common Sense Show:
Is this roundup taking place in China, Iran or Russia? As many already know, this recently took place in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in which “pretend” dissidents are rounded up as part of the Jade Helm 15 drill. Please note the straight line and the hands on the shoulders of those in front of them, as they were swept away to waiting white vans. We are witnessing the implementation of the Fourth Reich.
I think it is logical to assume that Jade Helm 15 will go live and it is a martial law extraction of dissidents exercise to be followed by full scale martial law. I have received many inquiries about when I believe martial law will be declared. Despite all the documentation and anecdotal evidence, on my own, I am not able to precisely determine the time of the implementation of martial law on the streets of America.
Read More





The Fed's Startling Student Debt Numbers That Every Young Person Should See

Like many of our prevailing social constructs, this education system is on the way out...


Despite Short-Squeeze-Driven Buying-Frenzy, Window-Dressed Stocks Remain Red For March


 





Goldman's "Excel Fat Finger" - Says Earlier GDP Estimate Was A Mistake, Lowers Q1 GDP Tracking To Just 0.8%

"We made an error in our original estimate of the GDP tracking implications of the February PCE report. We have now reduced our Q1 GDP tracking estimate to +0.8%. We regret the mistake."
 


"It's Not Bearish, It's Simply Sane"

In all the annals of investing, few seemingly innocuous phrases incorporate as much by way of grave implication as those four words, “a shift to banknotes”. 2008 was bad. With central bank policy now at the outer reaches of the possible and even of the theoretical, the outlook is certainly uncertain. Not wishing to participate in the terminal stages of a momentum-driven bubble is not bearish so much as simply sane.




The Latest "Conspiracy Theory" In Iraq: Accusations Emerge That US Is Aiding ISIS

“Everybody knows that the Americans are dropping supplies to Daesh,” said Brig. Gen. Abed al-Maliki, a senior Iraqi army commander based in the city of Samarra, about 80 miles north of Baghdad, using another term for the Islamic State. “It’s just a show,” he said, sitting in the city’s army command headquarters. “If the Americans want to finish something, they will finish it. If they wanted to liberate Iraq, they could.”




SocGen Asks The $4.5 Trillion Question

"Will The Fed Allow Irrational Exuberance, Season 2?"
 

 


Reuters Asks "Who Is More Of A Threat: Obama Or Putin", Surprised By The Answer

People in the United States feel under threat, both from beyond our borders and within them and as Reuters reports, when asked about both U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin, it was a pretty darn close call. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll finds a third of Republicans believe President Barack Obama poses an imminent threat to the United States, outranking concerns about Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Meanwhile, the world is certainly worried about America with about one quarter (of respondents from 65 countries) naming the United States as the greatest threat to world peace.




They Are "Undermining People's Trust In Their Money"

Surely the thinking folk out there must be asking themselves: what is the way out of this Federal Reserve three-card-monte, one-percenter-stuffing, so-called “economy,” and what is the destination of this society when that mendacious model for living fails? There really is no free lunch or get-out-of-jail card. The truth is, when you rig a money system with price interventions, distortions, and perversions, they will eventually express themselves in ways destructive to the system.


GERALD CELENTE: The Republicans & Democrats Are Thieves & Murderers

from SGT Report.com:
Our favorite economic and trends analyst in the world, Gerald Celente from the TRENDS JOURNAL returns to SGT Report to discuss the current state of affairs in the United States and beyond. SGT Report contributor Mark S. Mann also joins in on the conversation.



As for our elected “representatives”, the Republicans and Democrats, Gerald says, “They’re murderers and thieves. They murder millions of people in the name of bringing ‘freedom and democracy’ to a country near you, and steal our money in the name of too big to fail bailouts, loan guarantees, special tax breaks and other dirty deals – and the people KNOW IT.”
As we dive deeper into the interview, Mark asks Gerald about Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent speech in front of the US Congress and the $6 BILLION in “aid” the US government gives to Israel annually, Gerald explains that Israel is a nuclear power and an apartheid state – and sounding a lot like Dr. Ron Paul, Celente explains, “I’m against giving money to Israel as I am against giving it to any other country. This country is rotting in front of us. The infrastructure stinks. The country’s going downhill. I don’t want my money going to Israel, to Italy, to Ireland, I don’t want it going any where. And when you talk about Israel, the people try to attack you with this cheap BS line of ‘anti-Semitism,’. Let’s get this straight: Israel’s a country, it’s not a religion.”
Buckle up as we spend the next half-hour with the number one trend’s forecaster in the world.


5 Reasons Monsanto Will Continue Losing Money in 2015

by Anthony Gucciardi, Natural Society:

The biotech giant known as Monsanto is facing major financial downturn amid the backlash from consumers over their concerning GMO creations and the international rejection of various GMO exports following the confirmation of crop contamination across the United States.
Going further into 2015, it’s clear that this GMO behemoth has many more obstacles to face that will most likely lead to a continued loss. Here are the top 5 reasons Monsanto will continue to lose money (and at the very least, reputation) in 2015 and beyond.
1. 96% Want Their GMOs Labeled
Not 30%. Not 75%. Not even 85%. A powerful 96 plus percent of individuals within the United States are in serious favor of labeling Monsanto’s GMOs. And despite Monsanto’s millions defeating many labeling campaigns within various states like California, public resistance is catching up.
Read More @ NaturalSociety.com


Anti-Gold Terrorism From Bloomberg News

by Dave Kranzler, Inevstment Research Dynamics:
In terms of monetary policy, the Federal Reserve and Treasury became concerned about the inflationary potential of excess reserves in the banking system and large gold inflows, and therefore decided to double reserve requirements and sterilize gold inflows. – Douglass Irwin, Dartmouth College 2011, in reference to the decision in January 1937 byTreasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau to block the use of gold in the monetary system.
As you can see from the quote above, the U.S. Government has been manipulating gold for much longer than anyone understands. In fact, FDR temporarily disconnected the dollar completely from the gold standard in 1933.
Read More @ InevstmentResearchDynamics.com


The Geopolitics Behind the War in Yemen: The Start of a New Front against Iran

by Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya, Global Research:
The United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia became very uneasy when the Yemenese or Yemenite movement of the Houthi or Ansarallah (meaning the supporters of God in Arabic) gained control of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa/Sana, in September 2014. The US-supported Yemenite President Abd-Rabbuh Maná¹£our Al-Hadi was humiliatingly forced to share power with the Houthis and the coalition of northern Yemenese tribes that had helped them enter Sana. Al-Hadi declared that negotiations for a Yemeni national unity government would take place and his allies the US and Saudi Arabia tried to use a new national dialogue and mediated talks to co-opt and pacify the Houthis.
Read More @ Globalresearch.com

Gold Manipulation: The “London Bias,” 1970-2014

by Ed Steer, Casey Research:
Below is one of the charts that I used in my presentation at the Casey Research conference in San Antonio, Texas last September—and I thought it time for a revisit.
It’s based on an interesting piece of research by Sam and Bob Kirtly at SK Options Trading in Wellington, New Zealand way back on August 27, 2010.
All data on this chart are from the LBMA—the London Bullion Market Association—and I thank Nick Laird for generating it and adding all the extra data and dialogue boxes.
The chart runs from January 1970 until September 2014—almost 45 years.
Read More @ CaseyResearch.com

This Is What The AIIB Is About

by Koos Jansen, Bullion Star:
Until March 31 countries can submit for membership of the Asian Investment Infrastructure Bank (AIIB), a financial institution proposed by China, which has the purpose of being a multilateral framework to finance infrastructure projects in the wide Eurasian region. In recent weeks many Western countries have submitted for membership, the US rejected application as it fears strong cooperation between Asia and Europe will weaken the US dollar hegemony. On April 15 the final list of the founding members will be disclosed.
In October 2013 the initial idea for the AIIB was first put forward by Chinese President Xi Jingping “on constructing a 21st Century Maritime Silk Road to promote maritime cooperation”. The project has currently developed into the New Silk Road Economic Belt.
Read More

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Sunday, March 29, 2015

JIM WILLIE: King Dollar Dethroned By Emperor Yuan; US Abandoned By Allies

from Paul Sandhu:





Europe Pulls Rug From Under Greece, Says "Nein" To "Vague, Piecemeal" Proposals

Despite all the talk of a "positive climate" Greek talks with their creditors have ended badly for the desperately cash-strapped nation. As WSJ reports, Greek proposals for a revised bailout program don’t have enough detail - are "piecemeal and vague" - to satisfy the government’s international creditors, eurozone officials said. Furthermore, as Dow Jones reports, EU finance ministers are unlikley to meet again until mid-April (and in the meantime, Greece has to pay salaries, pensions, and most critically IMF debts due on April 9th). It appears clear that the EU is prepared to let Greece entirely run out of money in an effort to squeeze Tspiras as much as possible (though that action will likely further force a pivot to Putin).



Central Banks Warn: Liquidity May Evaporate When Investors Finally Remove Blindfolds

from Wolf Street:
Companies are selling bonds like madmen. This year through Tuesday, investment-grade and junk-rated companies have sold $438 billion in new bonds, up 14% from the prior record for this time of the year, set in 2013, according to Dealogic. This quarter is already in second place, nudging up against the all-time quarterly record of $455 billion of Q2 2014.
About $87 billion of these bonds funded takeovers, a record for this time of the year, the Wall Street Journal reported. The four biggest bond sales in that batch were for healthcare takeovers, including the Actavis deal whose $21 billion bond sale was the second largest in history, behind Verizon’s $49 billion bond sale in 2013.
Read More @ Wolfstreet.com




Kyle Bass Warns "The Fed Is Backed Into A Corner... Equities Are My Biggest Liquidity Worry"

"How many rich people do you know today that are poorer than they were at the peak in 06/07 (apart from Dick Fuld), I don't think I know any.. QE has been distributive to the rich... but now that the world has started this policy it is unable to end it... the next recession will be a hard one because the tools in the toolbox are not there to avert a severe downturn... where are the liquidity worries at the moment? Equities would be the toughest to exit.. it's like a 5-lane highway going in and goat trail coming out... Brazil is great example"
 




Both SEC And FINRA Admit That The Market Is Rigged (And They Are Powerless To Fix It)

"When an HFT that is not a member of an association executes an off-exchange trade, the HFT’s identity is usually not reported to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, which is the only association currently in existence. This frustrates FINRA’s surveillance efforts as it cannot quickly link trades to the HFTs responsible for them. This is a serious problem because, according to FINRA’s current Chairman, certain market participants disperse their trading activity across multiple markets in an attempt to hide various forms of market abuse, including layering, spoofing, algorithm gaming, and wash sales."
- SEC Commissioner Luis Aguilar.
 




Complacency Reigns Supreme - "Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong", Right

No wonder complacency reigns supreme: any time the stock market tumbles by more than 3%, a Federal Reserve flack runs to a microphone and starts talking about how the Fed stands ready to launch QE4 or "whatever it takes" to push stocks back into rally mode.   For context, recall that both VIX and VXX tend to reach 40 in real moments of panic/fear. That the VXX "soaring" 2 points from 24 to 26 now qualifies as an extreme of fear is absurd. Yet this is the logical result of central banks constantly "saving" equities every time they swoon the slightest bit: traders and punters know that the Fed making reassuring sounds is all that's needed to reverse any decline and restart the Bull advance.
 




Finally The "Very Serious People" Get It: QE Will "Permanently Impair Living Standards For Generations To Come"

"In the long run classical economics would tell us that the pricing distortions created by the current global regimes of QE will lead to a suboptimal allocation of capital and investment, which will result in lower output and lower standards of living over time. In fact, although U.S. equity prices are setting record highs, real median household incomes are 9 percent lower than 1999 highs. The report from Bank of America Merrill Lynch plainly supports the conclusion that QE and the associated currency depreciation is not leading to higher global output. The cost of QE is greater than the income lost to savers and investors. The long-term consequence of the new monetary orthodoxy is likely to permanently impair living standards for generations to come while creating a false illusion of reviving prosperity."
 


US General Recommends ”Shielding” Terrorists In Syria

by Brandon Turbeville, Activist Post:
In what should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed the Syrian crisis, the top US commander in the Middle East, General Lloyd Austin, has apparently recommended that the US military “shield” the new death squad terrorists being trained by the United States who are soon to be deployed across the country.
Gen. Austin told Congress on Thursday that he was currently waiting on the White House’s response to his recommendation.
The US has been supporting terrorists in Syria since the beginning of the crisis in late 2010 by a variety of means, most notably military, political, and financial. However, the US recently announced that it is going to openly train several thousand jihadist fighters to be deployed against the Syrian government.
Read More @ ActivistPost.com

The 'Obama' Warning System























Guest Post: The Only Truly Compliant, Submissive Citizen In A Police State Is A Dead One

This is the death rattle of the American dream, which was built on the idea that no one is above the law, that our rights are inalienable and cannot be taken away, and that our government and its appointed agents exist to serve us.







First Europe, Now The Gulf's Leaders Agree To Form United Arab Military Force

Just a week after Jean-Claude 'I am not a hawkish warmonger' Juncker pressed for the creation of a Unified European Army to combat the 'looming' threat of their massive trade partner Russia; RT reports Arab leaders have agreed to form a joint military force from roughly 40,000 elite troops and backed by warplanes, warships and light armor at a Sharm el-Sheikh summit. Egyptian President Abdel Sisi has announced a high-level panel will work out the structure and mechanism of the future force. The work is expected to take four months. It appears The Endgame of this global game of Risk is fast approaching as one-by-one, geographically proximate nations join forces for whetever comes next.




The American Dream Part 3 - Moonshine, Scam, & The Delusion Of Democracy

When we left you yesterday, we were trying to connect the bloated, cankerous ankles of the US economy (Part 1) to the sugar rush of its post-1971 credit-based money system (Part 2). Today, we look at the face of our government. It is older... with more worry lines and wrinkles. But whence cometh that pale and stupid look? That is also the result of the same advanced diabetic epizootic that has infected American society.


Yes, The War In Gold Is Continuing To Rage But Gold Is Now Winning The War

from KingWorldNews:
Eric King: “The gold market has held up incredibly well (recently). We’ve had the U.S. Dollar Index go from the low 80s to a bit above par. Now it’s pulled back just a bit, but during that whole time frame the anticipated smash on gold to $900 or $1,000 never materialized, and now we’re back to $1,200.”
Rick Rule: “Well, you know, Eric, this discussion marks us as Americans because gold is in a bull market all around the world in every currency except the United States dollar and has been for 14-months….
“If you were a gold-holder in euros, yen, rupees, rubles, or pesos, you’ve done very well. It’s only being a gold-holder in dollars that’s been problematic. And as I said before, gold doesn’t need to win the war against the dollar, it just needs to lose the war less badly, and my suspicion is that’s beginning to be the case.
Rick Rule Continues @ KingWorldNews.com


Reflections in a Golden Eye

by Michael J. Kosares, Gold Seek:
Let the seller beware! The German citizen/investor who put away a few rolls of 20 mark gold coins (.2304 tr ozs. shown below) in 1918 would have done so at 119 marks per ounce. By early 1920 the previous rapid inflation had suddenly given way to deflation. Had that gold owner decided to cash in on gold’s significant gains thinking runaway inflation was over, a 100,000 mark investment would have made him or her a millionaire. The glow, however, would have quickly worn off. By late 1921 the runaway inflation had resurfaced but now with a vengeance. Gold shot to 4,000 marks per ounce. By mid-1922 gold reached 10,000 marks per ounce and the wholesale price index went from 13 to 70. By late 1922, the roof caved in. Gold traded at 134,000 marks per ounce. In January, 1923, it cracked 1,000,000 marks per ounce. By midyear, it broke the 100 million marks per ounce barrier and at the peak of the hyperinflationary breakdown, it sold for over 100 billion marks per ounce. The individual who thought he or she had the cat by the tail and cashed-in his or her golden chips during the 1920’s deflation became a millionaire. In short order though, that millionaire became a pauper as wave after wave of hyperinflation washed over the German economy. One moral from this somewhat frightening tale is that becoming a millionaire or even a billionaire on one’s gold holdings was inconsequential. Another is not to give up one’s hedge until there is ample evidence that it is no longer needed. Momentary nominal profits can be illusory.
Read More @ GoldSeek.com


‘You Might Be A Terrorist If…': Leaked Document Reveals Secret TSA Check List

from The News Doctors:
Obtained exclusively by The Intercept and described in a news story on Friday, a leaked Transportation Safety Administration document reveals the “suspicious signs”—including excessive yawning, a cold hard stare, or a rigid posture—that TSA agents have been trained to look for as airline passengers make their way through U.S. airports in the post-9/11 era.
The document details how a 92-point checklist for TSA agent is divided into numerous categories with a point score corresponding to the various kinds of personal traits or behaviors exhibited by unwitting travelers.
Read More @ TheNewsDoctors.com

Stop Smoking the Democrack

from Washington’s Blog:
The U.S. government is toying with a war with nuclear Russia while already waging wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, having done severe damage to Libya, Yemen, Pakistan, and Somalia. Military spending is climbing ever higher. Presidential war powers are ever more extreme. The proliferation of nuclear technology is combining with the ease and secrecy of drone wars to raise the risk of a Dr. Strangelove finish to the human species. And, let’s face it, you had more time to give a damn when the president was a Republican.
The top means by which war kills is the diversion of unfathomable piles of money away from life-saving initiatives. That spending continues without pause. President Obama and most of Congress want it increased even more next year.
Read More @ WashingtonsBlog.com

Obama’s Incompetence Causing Nuclear Arms Race In The Middle East

from Western Journalism:
I wrote well over a year ago about how Obama’s policy in the Middle East and appeasing of Iran could start a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. This is now coming true.
The news coming out of the negotiations is that the Obama administration has caved to Iran on them operating centrifuges to enrich uranium in hardened facilities which will be impervious to attack. This is an obvious effort to allow Iran to go nuclear in order to “get a deal,” which we have spoken about on these pages often.
Today, Saudi Arabia said they are considering building nuclear weapons to counter the capability Obama is giving Iran. The Independent reports:
Read More @ WesternJournalism.com

This is Why You Need Your Money Out of the Bank: Freeze Outs, Glitches and Holds Increasingly Locking Customers Out of Funds

by Mac Slavo, SHTFPlan:

If ever you needed a better motivation to get your funds out of the bank, this is a clear sign that a digital clampdown is coming.
There are increasing examples of technology failures and stricter bank policies that are keep people from getting their money.
And they are happening all across the globe.
Ulster Bank in Ireland just made news after customers were locked out of their accounts by a glitch that disabled access to wage money:
Read More @ SHTFPlan.com

Cell Tower Problems to Know About

by Catherine J. Frompovich, Activist Post:
Something is cropping up all over Los Angeles, California, like poisonous mushrooms, with equally toxic effects, but it’s not poisonous mushrooms.
It’s the standard cell tower, along with RF and EMF public relations pitches that are generated. Let’s hear what’s really happening in everyday, on-the-ground life, especially in ‘cell tower haven’ Los Angeles, California.
Concerned Los Angelinos feel there are several issues regarding all the cell towers being constructed in their area, but the most prominent concerns are health effects from EMFs and Constitutional 4th Amendment privacy matters. Numerous groups around the USA also are working on these very same issues. Maybe readers will become activists after having read this information. Those 4th Amendment Constitutional issues are being considered by a member of Congress on behalf of the LA activists. I hope to report more on that as things develop.
Read More @ ActivistPost.com

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