Monday, May 23, 2016

We're In The Eye Of A Global Financial Hurricane



The global financial system is in the eye of an unprecedented hurricane. While central bankers are congratulating themselves on their god-like mastery of Nature, and secretly praying to the idols of the Keynesian Cargo Cult every night, the inevitable consequence of borrowing from the future, the obsession with "growth" at any cost and financialization /monetary stimulus, a.k.a. the rich get richer thanks to central banks is systemic collapse.


Keynes Must Die

The errors of Keynes have empowered sociopathic political classes all over the world and deprived the world of the economic progress we would otherwise have enjoyed. No amount of stimulus ever seems to be quite enough. And when the stimulus fails, the blinkered Keynesian establishment can only think to double down, never to question the policy itself. The Keynesians are pretending they have everything under control, but we know that’s a fantasy. Simply put, "Keynes must die so the economy may live."


Why One Bank Is Urging Its Clients To Dump. Oil. Now

The US energy sector is now trading at a roughly 7x EBITDA multiple compared to a historical average between 1x and 2x. It only gets worse from there.




Deutsche Bank Slides After Mortgage Probe Unveiled; Admission It Rigged Stocks

A month after admitting to rigging precious metals markets, Deutsche Bank has been hit with a double-whammy of more alleged fraudulent behavior today and the stock is sliding. First, Reuters reports that the bank took a charge of 450 million euros for "equity trading fraud," and then Bloomberg reports that The SEC is looking into Deutsche's post-crisis mortgage positions.



'Father Of Modern Finance' Warns "Central Banking Is Like Pornography - Not The Real Thing"

"Everyday we read headlines on what the central banks are doing. But their policies don’t have any effect. They are just like treading water. All the central banks are doing is substituting one form of debt with another form of debt... I think it means the business of central banks is like pornography: It’s not the real thing."



Baltimore Police Officer Acquitted Of All Charges In Freddie Gray's 2015 Death

Baltimore police officer Edward Nero was acquitted on moments ago of all charges in the 2015 death of black detainee Freddie Gray, an incident that triggered rioting and protests and fueled the Black Lives Matter movement.



Big words from such a tiny wiener...

Anthony Wiener Calls Trump "F**kface Von Clownstick" As Bush Says Trump Supporters "Not A Bunch Of Idiots"

In a one-two punch that will likely only end up boosting Trump's approval rating as has been the case every time a member of the establishment, especially one as disgraced as Anthony Wiener, disparages the presumptive republican presidential nominee, yesterday morning Former Rep. Anthony Weiner also known as Carlos Danger, took a page from comedian Jon Stewart’s joke book, when the husband of Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin lashed out at Donald Trump calling the presumptive Republican presidential nominee "Fuckface Von Clownstick."



Theranos, Facebook, And Unicorns: Why The Real Problems Have Just Begun In Earnest

Many “unicorns” have ceased to be race-worthy a long time ago, but the narrative has been desperately held up reminiscent of a Potemkin village for these last 18 months or more with hopes, prayers, and breathtaking fairy-tales bordering on outright fraud in hopes that maybe, just maybe, they’ll make it to an IPO and shed all that dead weight of having to holdup this house-of-cards pretension any longer. It’s quite possible not only is that race never going to restart.



In Dramatic Outcome, Austria's Right Wing Presidential Candidate Is Defeated Thanks To Postal Votes

After yesterday's presidential run-off round, the leader of Austria's anti-immigration, right-wing party, Norbert Hofer held a comfortable lead based on votes from the ground, with Hofer leading the independent, pro-EU candidate Van der Bellen by 51.9% to 48.1%, according to interior ministry data. However, in the end it all came down to the postal votes, and as BBC reports, the Green Party leader, Alexander Van der Bellen has won Austria's presidential election, preventing Norbert Hofer from becoming the EU's first far-right head of state, the BBC has been told.



Former Head Of Morgan Stanley Energy Group Indicted for Evading $45 Million In Taxes

In the aftermath of the Panama Papers revelations, US authorities including the IRS appear to have begun a crackdown on tax evaders (if staying away from Washington D.C. for the time being for obvious reason), and according to Bloomberg they just landed a juicy target in the face of Morris Zukerman, a former head of Morgan Stanley’s energy group who now runs a private investment firm, who was indicted in Manhattan on charges of evading more than $45 million of federal and New York state taxes.



Brexit Scaremongering Taken To New Level With Threat Of "Year Long Recession"

The last few weeks have seen 'Project Fear' taken to all new levels by the UK establishment as doom-mongering over a possible Brexit conjure images of post-apocalyptic movies. UK PM Cameron and Chanceller Osborne's latest op-ed tirade warns of 800,000 jobs lost and an "immediate year-long recession" if the Brits exercise their democratic right to vote for sovereignty over tyranny. Judging from the polls, which show Brexit odds tumbling, the fear-mongery is working, however, the markets disagree as forward volatility measures near 2016 highs.



The Wildest Predictions For Oil Prices In 2016

One reality in the markets is that despite the best efforts of analysts and traders, no one ever knows with any degree of certainty what will happen to the price of an investment in the future. Oil exemplifies that premise right now. All year there has been a tremendous amount of discrepancy in predictions for oil prices with some commentators looking for prices of $10 a barrel and others expecting prices near $100.



Fed's Williams Says "I Don't Know What We'll Do In June"

Some were concerned earlier today, when SF Fed's John Williams said that he sees about 2-3 rate hikes in 2016, followed by another 3-4 in 2017, suggesting a grand total between 5 and 7 more rate hikes over the next 18 months. However, those fears were promptly dissiptated when as Williams himself admitted during the reporter Q&A, he - like virtually everyone else at the Fed - has no idea what he is talking about.



Panic-Buyers Lift WTI Crude Back Over $48

Because... fundamentals...




US Manufacturing PMI Collapses To 2009 Lows (As Fed Readies Rate Hike?)

So much for the huge China credit impulse spreading around the world. After this morning's extremely disappointing European data, US Manufacturing's flash PMI for May printed a disappointing 50.5 - its lowest since 2009.Under the surface the state of American manufacturing is even more disastrous as Markit notes, output is falling for the first time since the height of the global financial crisis, with factories hit by slowing growth of order books and falling exports.



The "Doom Loop Is Coming Back" - Deutsche Bank Sees "No Further Upside For European Stocks"

"In January, we projected that the Fed rate hike would lead to increased financial stress and falling equity markets; this, we argued, would lead the Fed to turn more dovish, which – in turn – would allow equities to rebound. This has played out. Yet, the Fed relent has been partial – and the latest FOMC minutes point to increasing risks that we will re-enter the “doom loop” from a more hawkish Fed to a stronger dollar, lower oil prices, higher HY credit spreads and lower equity markets."



Never Been Richer - Investors Are Paying Historically High Multiples For Sales

By any measure, DM Americas stocks aren’t cheap, as it seems that lack of global demand has driven up investors risk tolerance when it comes to sales.


Why We’re Ungovernable, Part 14: Austria’s Two (Formerly) Main Political Parties Watch Election From The Sidelines

by John Rubino, Dollar Collapse:
Austrians went to the polls today to elect a new president. But for the first time in living memory the country’s two mainstream parties — Austrian People’s Party and Social Democrats — are out of the running while far-right and far left candidates stage an acrimonious run-off. Early returns (as of Sunday morning US Pacific Standard Time) had them too close to call.
Here’s the BBC’s overview:
Austria votes in run-off between far right and independent
Austrians have begun voting in a presidential run-off poll that could elect the European Union’s first far-right head of state.
Norbert Hofer, of the Freedom Party, faces independent Alexander Van der Bellen, backed by the Greens. In the first round, Mr Hofer, 45, secured 35% of the votes, while Mr Van der Belle polled 21%. The run-off is expected to be close.
Read More

Zombie Economy Soon to Have its Zombie Epocalypse

by David Haggith, The Great Recession:
This past Thursday marked the one-year anniversary of the US stock market’s death when stocks saw their last high. Market bulls have spent a year looking like the walking dead. They’ve tried to push back up to that distant high that means new life several times, but each time the market falls into a pit again.
The market’s inability to rise without falling again is getting to be nerve racking for those who stayed in the market, trying to make it work for themselves. For Dennis Gartman, who writes the very influential Gartman Letter, last Wednesday was, in fact, one of the worst career days of his life:
Having been 150 Dow points higher and then only moments later to have traded down to where the Dow was suddenly 150 lower, the market finished effectively unchanged, with the Bulls and the Bears left scratching their heads and wondering aloud, “What the hell just happened?” …Yesterday was our worst day of the year thus far, as that which we were long of fell and that which we were short of closed unchanged. Long ago we learned that when things go awry and do so as “majestically” as they did yesterday it is best to simplify, simplify and to simplify again. Getting smaller; getting less involved; curtailing positions in numbers and sizes is the only proper way to respond and so we did exactly that…. Yesterday was a disaster which we wish to put behind us, and by getting smaller and less widely involved we are in the process of doing so.
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What Is Donald Trump Doing With Henry Kissinger

from WeAreChange:
In this video Luke Rudkowski breaks down an important meeting that just took place with the republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump and globalist henchman Henry Kissinger. The meeting was a secret one but concluded a series of phones calls that took place between the two in prior weeks. Why is this meeting happening now? right before the 2016 bilderberg meeting which was suppose to happen in the U.S but now in Europe? and what influence it will have on the 2016 presidential race?

ELIJAH WOOD: ‘HOLLYWOOD IN THE GRIP OF CHILD ABUSE SCANDAL SIMILAR TO JIMMY SAVILE’

from InfoWars:
Hollywood is in the grip of a child sexual abuse scandal similar to that of Jimmy Savile in Britain, Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood has claimed.
The 35-year-old former child actor said paedophiles had been protected by powerful figures in the movie business and that abuse was probably still taking place.
In an interview with the Sunday Times, Wood said he had been protected from abuse as he was growing up, but that other child actors had been regularly “preyed upon” at parties by industry figures.
Read More

The Benefits of Global Warming

by Butler Shaffer, Lew Rockwell:
No one ever heard of the truth being enforced by law.
Whenever the secular arm is called in to sustain an idea,
whether new or old, it is always a bad idea, and not
infrequently it is downright idiotic.
.
~ H.L. Mencken
Those with ambitions for power over their fellow humans continue to speak of the threats of “climate change” and “global warming” as though they were expressing revealed truths. Religious dogmas can find their roots in scientific as well as theological thinking. Questioning either the “intelligent design” or “big bang” explanations for the origins of the universe can evoke angry responses from true-believers on either side of the issue. In the case of the High-Church Warmingists, a verifiable fact (i.e., increased temperature) is merged with an empirically unfounded assertion (i.e., human activity is the causal explanation) to provide true believers the rationale for their rule over mankind. Those who deny this article of faith are targeted for dismissal in academia and even televised weather shows.
Read More

The Latest Massive Assault On The 2nd Amendment!

from Spiro:
The Attacks On Our Inherent Rights And Liberties Continue To Increase. When Will The People Make A Stand?


Still think your vote matters?

KANSAS JUDGE RULES PEOPLE DON’T HAVE TO PROVE THEY ARE US CITIZENS TO VOTE HERE

by Piper McGowin, The Daily Sheeple:
According to US District Judge Julie Robinson (above), Kansas’ proof-of-citizenship voting requirement violates a provision of the National Voter Registration Act requiring only “minimal information” to vote.
Judge Robinson ruled:
“…even if instances of noncitizens voting cause indirect voter disenfranchisement by diluting the votes of citizens, such instances pale in comparison to the number of qualified citizens who have been disenfranchised by this law.”

Read More

Government Secrets: X-37B Plane In Space For A Year Now, Nobody Knows Its Mission

by Amando Flavio, Activist Post:
On May 20th 2015, a special unmanned space plane of the United States Air Force, Boeing X-37B, was deployed to space by the American government.
The Mirror reports that the reusable unmanned spacecraft blasted into orbit from Cape Canaveral in the state of Florida, carrying a brand new type of ion engine called a “Hall thruster,” and a NASA experiment designed to test how 100 types of materials respond to the harsh conditions of space. At a first glance, the vehicle looks just like a mini Space Shuttle, yet it isn’t. X-37B is too small to carry people on-board, but does have a cargo bay similar to that of a pickup truck, which is just large enough to carry a small satellite.
At the time the plane took off, some scientists expressed grave concern. A senior scientist at the Global Security Program, and also a member of the Union of Concerned Scientists, Laura Grego reportedly told Space.com that there was “no compelling reason” why experiments should be carried aboard a top-secret craft.
Read More

40 Volcanoes Are Erupting Right Now As The Crust Of The Earth Becomes Increasingly Unstable

by Michael Snyder, The Economic Collapse Blog:

Have you noticed that our planet has begun to shake, rattle and roll?  Over the past few days we have seen major volcanic eruptions in Costa Rica and Indonesia, and according to Volcano Discovery 40 volcanoes around the planet are erupting right now as you read this article.  Meanwhile, earthquakes continue to shake the globe with alarming regularity.  Just last week, Ecuador was hit by a magnitude 6.7 earthquake and a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in rapid succession.  Overall, there have been more than 3,000 earthquakes of magnitude 1.5 or greater within the past month globally.  So yes, I write constantly about the rapidly accelerating deterioration of our financial system, but the coming “collapse” is not just about money.  I am convinced that we are entering a “perfect storm” in which a confluence of factors will absolutely cripple society and bring about changes that most of us would not even dare to imagine right now. Read More

The Amount of Influence CIA Can Exercise Over the EU is Bothersome

by Martin Berger, New Eastern Outlook:
As decades go by we witness the change of leaders, governments, and alliances, but US policies remain the same. American leaders grew accustomed to applying pressure on other states, seeking ways to occupy the position of puppeteer that controls capitulating proxies across the globe. Certain politicians that would prefer to yield to the extensive amount of pressure applied on them are to discover relatively soon that the US is only defending its own geopolitical interests, often at the expense of other states.
It’s no wonder that US President Barack Obama has recently declared that America must write the rules while other countries have no other option but to follow them, and it would never be the other way around.
At the beginning of its march towards hegemony, back in 1913, the United States’ share of world industrial production was 35.8%. Just before the World War II it grew to the level of 40%, to then bring it to its peak at around mid 50’s at 54.5%. In the 1960s the US share started shrinking gradually, falling to 46%. To compensate its falling outputs the US started to seek ways of taking advantage of its partners in the European Union. After all, it was Washington that drove European integration in the late 1940s, and funded it covertly under the Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations.
Read More

The Pope Likens the Spread of ISIS to Jesus’ Spreading Christianity

by Dave Hodges, The Common Sense Show:
One religion, says the Pope, and that religion does not worship Jesus as it faces East.
Catholics need to carefully examine the statements and actions of the current Pope. Catholics are commanded to follow the Scriptures, not to follow the misguided teachings of a Pope gone rogue.
Amazingly, the Pope likened the spread of ISIS to the spread of Christianity. Jesus, ISIS the same? I know the pope is on the record for establishing a one-world religion, but ISIS is the same as Jesus?
Read More

ONLY Donald Trump Raises Five “Fundamental and Urgent” Foreign Policy Questions

by John V. Walsh, Washingtons Blog:
Stephen F. Cohen Bemoans MSM’s Dismissal of Trump’s Queries.
Only Donald Trump (among the Presidential candidates) has said anything meaningful and critical of US foreign policy.“ (And that includes Bernie Sanders.) No, that is not Reince Priebus, chair of the RNC, speaking. It is Stephen F. Cohen, Emeritus Professor of Russian History at Princeton and NYU, a contributing editor for The Nation, that most liberal of political journals.
Cohen tells us here that:
Trump’s questions are fundamental and urgent, but instead of engaging them, his opponents (including President Obama) and the media dismiss the issues he raises about foreign policy as ignorant and dangerous. Some even charge that his statements are like “Christmas in the Kremlin” and that he is “the Kremlin’s Candidate”—thereby, further shutting off the debate we so urgently need.
Read More

Share Buybacks Now Bought Out, American Enterprise in Decline

by David Haggith, Wolf Street:
“The practice is even starting to reek of death to market bulls.”
I have pointed out in previous articles how most of the growth in stocks over the past few years has been due to stock share buybacks. Without this hideous (and at one time illegal) practice, there would have been no bull market over the last few years.
That’s right. Research from no other place than Wall Street, itself, indicates that almost all of the returns since 2009 have been due to stock share buybacks!
Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist and perma-bull at Charles Schwab, recently acknowledged that “… there has not been a dollar added to the U.S. stock market since the end of the financial crisis by retail investors and pension funds….” Since every buyer has a seller (and vice versa), what group or groups had enough of a buying presence to push the S&P 500 14.2% off of the February closing lows? Corporations.
Read More

Business Debt Delinquencies Are Now Higher Than When Lehman Brothers Collapsed In 2008

by Michael Snyder, The Economic Collapse Blog:
You are about to see more very clear evidence that a new economic crisis has already begun. During economic recoveries, business debt delinquencies generally fall, and during times of economic recession business debt delinquencies generally rise. In fact, you will see below that business debt delinquencies shot up dramatically just prior to the last two recessions, and the exact same thing is happening again right now. In 2008, business debt delinquencies increased at a very frightening pace just before Lehman Brothers collapsed, and this was a very clear sign that big trouble was ahead. Unfortunately for us, in 2016 business debt delinquencies have already shot up above the level they were sitting at just before the collapse of Lehman Brothers, and every time debt delinquencies have ever gotten this high the U.S. economy has always fallen into recession.
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