“We Are This Far From A Turnkey Totalitarian State" - Big Brother Goes Live September 2013

George Orwell was right. He was just 30 years early.
In its April cover story, Wired has an exclusive report on the NSA's Utah Data Center, which is a must read for anyone who believes any privacy is still a possibility in the United States: "A project of immense secrecy, it is the final piece in a complex puzzle assembled over the past decade. Its purpose: to intercept, decipher, analyze, and store vast swaths of the world’s communications as they zap down from satellites and zip through the underground and undersea cables of international, foreign, and domestic networks.... Flowing through its servers and routers and stored in near-bottomless databases will be all forms of communication, including the complete contents of private emails, cell phone calls, and Google searches, as well as all sorts of personal data trails—parking receipts, travel itineraries, bookstore purchases, and other digital “pocket litter.”... The heavily fortified $2 billion center should be up and running in September 2013." In other words, in just over 1 year, virtually anything one communicates through any traceable medium, or any record of one's existence in the electronic medium, which these days is everything, will unofficially be property of the US government to deal with as it sees fit... As former NSA operative William Binney who was a senior NSA crypto-mathematician, and is the basis for the Wired article (which we guess makes him merely the latest whistleblower to step up: is America suddenly experiencing an ethical revulsion?), and quit his job only after he realized that the NSA is now openly trampling the constitution, says as he holds his thumb and forefinger close together. "We are, like, that far from a turnkey totalitarian state."

MEDIA BLACKOUT: Ron Paul Draws Massive Crowd Of 5,000 In Illinois

Ron Paul Campaign forced to move event to arena as thousands turn up; rivals draw crowds of less than 100
[Ed. Note: The blatant theft of the GOP nomination from Ron Paul and the people of the United States cannot be denied, he has more MASSIVE documented support than ANY other candidate. Sadly, even Matt Drudge is doing his part to tow the mainstream establishment line, as the Ron Paul blackout continues.]
by Steve Watson, InfoWars.com:

GOP presidential contender Ron Paul continues to draw massive crowds as he campaigns across the country. Yesterday saw almost five thousand people turn out in Illinois to see the Congressman, while his rivals can only draw crowds in and below the hundreds.
Paul’s supporters will once again be asking serious questions as to where his rivals are getting their votes from, as another raucous mass of humanity provided the Congressman with a rock star welcome.

The original venue of Foellinger Auditorium, around a 1500 capacity building at The University of Illinois, had to be switched to George Huff Hall, a gymnastics and volleyball arena, following a deluge of early RSVPs.
As he introduced Paul, Illinois Republican Rep. Tim Johnson told the crowd that they were part of the single biggest turnout of Paul’s 2012 campaign to date.
Temperatures reached 80 degrees outside, yet the un-air conditioned Huff Hall was bursting with supporters who boisterously chanted “President Paul” over and over.
Paul spoke for around 45 minutes on a host of issues including The Federal Reserve, the IRS, The Patriot Act, and even the issue of students being able to choose their own mascots.
“The Patriot Act never would have been passed,” Paul urged, “if it had been called ‘Repeal the Fourth Amendment’!”
Read More @ InfoWars.com

On March 17, Here Are 17 Charts Summarizing The US Energy Situation, And Open Thread

Since at this late hour on March 17th, better known as St. Patrick's day, the only type of Oxidation-Reduction reactions our readers are interested in are those involving the conversion of ethanol into carbon dioxide, and any extensive verbalizing would be largely lost, we have decided to commemorate this day with 17 charts pertaining to those other far more valuable combustible products, namely crude, gas, and everything else that powers modern society. Luckily, since the charts are self-explanatory, they will not interfere with whatever other activities are customary for this time of day. Also, please use this post as an open thread for AA rejects.

How America Avoided A Fascist Coup in 1933

more »

Harvard Business Review: Psychopaths on Wall Street

Something too think about...sigh...

Guest Post: We [Don’t] Take Care of Our Own

“Wherever this flag’s flown we [don’t] take care of our own” No, Americans, singularly among people of the so-called First World, don’t take care of their own. Half of America is in poverty, and few among the other half care or much give a damn about the situation, resorting to blaming it all on a lamentably greedy “one-percent.” They prefer not to look in the mirror, naked… knowing full well how ugly they look in their obesity, exhibiting both, layers of fat and lack of cojones.... Sergeant Bales, assuming he is found to be the only soldier involved in the recent massacre in Afghanistan, will not be paying for the horrific incident, whether innocent or guilty of such a crime; such determination in military justice likely to take many years. The Pentagon’s convenient refracting transparency will make sure that such is the case. That brings us to the question of who the criminals are. Well, the criminals can be seen when we look ourselves in the mirror: the criminals are simply us. Not the President, nor Congress, nor the bemedaled pit-bulls staffing the Pentagon… they are simply the hangmen we choose to carry our criminal acts. The criminals are us who allow ourselves to be governed by a warmongering, elitist gang serving special interests and not the people, the commons. If we lack the conscience and compassion to take care of our own, should anyone expect us to take care of others… walk around the world imparting social justice? Yes, Boss, we are, unfortunately, ignoring the words in your song at our own peril.

Michael Pento: Soaring Oil, Inflation and Households Soaked in Debt

from King World News:
There has been a great deal of hype in the mainstream media stating the US economy is recovering. Pento, who founded Pento Portfolio Strategies, told King World News the truth is the US economy is not recovering and global readers should expect a surge in inflation. This is what Pento had to say: “Since the US economy is so intertwined with the global economy, I decided to look at claims by the mainstream media that the US economy is strengthening. The conclusion, please don’t believe the hype that the American economy is healing. While it is true that some data is showing improvement, the true fundamentals of the economy continue to erode.”
Michael Pento continues: Read More @ KingWorldNews.com

Japan’s Economy & Global Economic Crisis – On The Edge With Max Keiser – 03-16-2012 (with Chris Martenson)

Ron Paul on FM 93.9 KSSZ Columbia, MO Radio 03/16/12

[Ed. Note: Also listen to Ron Paul on AM 890 WLS Chicago, IL Radio 03/16/12, and Ron Paul on AM 560 WIND Chicago, IL Radio 03/16/12.]

As Retail Sells, Central Banks Wave Gold In With Both Hands

As recent entrants in the gold market watched paralyzed in fear as gold tumbled by over $100 on the last FOMC day, on the idiotic notion that Ben Bernanke will no longer ease (oh we will, only after Iran is glassified, and not before Obama is confident he has the election down pat), resulting in pervasive sell stop orders getting hit, others were buying. Which others? The same ones whose only response to a downtick in the market is to proceed with more CTRL+P: the central banks. FT reports that the recent drop in gold has triggered large purchases of bullion by central banks in recent weeks. "The buying activity highlights the trend among central banks in emerging economies to buy gold, even as some western investors are losing patience with the metal. Gold prices have dropped 13.8 per cent from a nominal record high of $1,920 a troy ounce reached in September, and on Friday were trading at $1,655.60." Well, as we said a few days ago, "In conclusion we wish to say - thank you Chairman for the firesale in physical precious metals. We, and certainly China, thank you from the bottom of our hearts." Once again, we were more or less correct. And since past is prologue, we now expect any day to see a headline from the PBOC informing the world that the bank has quietly added a few hundred tons of the yellow metal since the last such public announcement in 2009: a catalyst which will quickly send it over recent record highs.

KWN Weekly Metals Wrap

March 17, 2012, at 3:01 pm
by Dan Norcini 

Dear CIGAs,

Please click the link below to listen to this week’s metals wrap up from King World News, featuring our very own Trader Dan Norcini.
Click here to listen to the weekly metals wrap up…

 

Jim’s Mailbox

March 17, 2012, at 2:54 pm
by Jim Sinclair 

Liquidity Lift All Boats – Even Bonds CIGA Eric

A sea of liquidity is lifting all boats. Yes, even bonds. A lot of traders/investors misinterpret the cycle between inhale and exhale, or the most recent pause in the trend, as trend inflections.
The jump in rates has the bond bears growling loudly again. Yet, no matter how loud they growl, they can’t change the fact that the invisible hand has and continues to accumulate the dips since 2008. For example, the chart below illustrates how the invisible hand accumulates (up green arrows) as price declines (down red arrows).
Chart: USTBD (TLT) and the Commercial (C) Less Non-reportable (NR) Traders COT Futures And Options Stochastic Weighted Average of Net Long As A % of Open Interest
The unofficial policy of QE to infinity (QE1, QE2, QE3…QE(n)) accumulates the dips until confidence shatters (it doesn’t work).
Headline: UBS: Don’t Worry About Rising Interest Rates, Stocks Are Heading Higher
Recently, there has been a monster surge in Treasury rates.
All things being equal, higher interest rates mean higher interest costs and that’s bad for corporate profits.
But things aren’t that simple.
UBS’s top strategist Jonathan Golub recently raised his year-end S&P 500 target to 1,475. And despite rising rates, he’s sticking to his call.
"We believe that at current levels, a further rise in yields would signal more robust growth prospects, consistent with higher stock prices," wrote Golub in a note to clients.
Source: businessinsider.com
More…




Jim,

Another one illustrating more truth than fiction.
To emphasize the enduring value of gold, I use this metaphor with my children and friends.  Suppose you discovered an envelope jammed behind the drawer of a family heirloom. In it, your great Grandfather had placed $40 in the form of one $20 bill and one St. Gauden’s $20 gold coin. Which preserved its purchasing power?


CIGA Doug

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