Category: Economy

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Operation Choke Point 2.0 Is Underway, And Crypto Is In Its Crosshairs – NicCarter 2/9/23

Source: PirateWires.com

The Biden Administration is quietly trying to ban crypto. Nic Carter explains in an explosive guest post for Pirate Wires.

-Solana

What began as a trickle is now a flood: the US government is using the banking sector to organize a sophisticated, widespread crackdown against the crypto industry. And the administration’s efforts are no secret: they’re expressed plainly in memos, regulatory guidance, and blog posts. However, the breadth of this plan — spanning virtually every financial regulator — as well as its highly coordinated nature, has even the most steely-eyed crypto veterans nervous that crypto businesses might end up completely unbanked, stablecoins may be stranded and unable to manage flows in and out of crypto, and exchanges might be shut off from the banking system entirely. Let’s dig in.

Continue reading “Operation Choke Point 2.0 Is Underway, And Crypto Is In Its Crosshairs – NicCarter 2/9/23”

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Visualizing Tesla’s Unrivaled Profit Margins – ZeroHedge 2/5/23

Source: ZeroHedge.com

In January this year, Tesla made the surprising announcement that it would be cutting prices on its vehicles by as much as 20%.

While price cuts are not new in the automotive world, they are for Tesla. The company, which historically has been unable to keep up with demand, has seen its order backlog shrink from 476,000 units in July 2022, to 74,000 in December 2022.

Continue reading “Visualizing Tesla’s Unrivaled Profit Margins – ZeroHedge 2/5/23”

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If You’re A Warehouse Worker, This Boston Dynamics Video Might Be An Ominous Sign – ZeroHedge 2/3/23

Source: ZeroHedge.com

Warehouse automation continues to accelerate as millions of jobs are at risk of being displaced. The latest automation nightmare for warehouse laborers comes from a new video uploaded on YouTube by Boston Dynamics.

In a press release, the US robotics firm announced that Deutsche Post DHL Group has successfully deployed the Stretch robot for loading and unloading boxes from tractor trailers at warehouse docks.

Continue reading “If You’re A Warehouse Worker, This Boston Dynamics Video Might Be An Ominous Sign – ZeroHedge 2/3/23”

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Tax Dollars Wasted Building EV Charging Stations in Cold Climates – DailySignal 2/2/23

Source: DailySignal.com

It’s winter, with high temperatures well below freezing in Jackson, Wyoming, and barely above freezing in Wyoming’s capital, Cheyenne.

Relying only on battery-powered electric vehicles in a cold climate takes courage because car batteries quickly lose their charge when temperatures are low. Yet the federal government wants to spend billions to build charging stations all across the country—including in cold-weather states where electric vehicles are often impractical.

Continue reading “Tax Dollars Wasted Building EV Charging Stations in Cold Climates – DailySignal 2/2/23”

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Ukraine is Sinking. Are Western Elites Bailing Out? – Mike Whitney 2/1/23

Source: Unz.com

What makes the RAND Corporation’s latest report on Ukraine so significant, is not the quality of the analysis, but the fact that the nation’s most prestigious national security think-tank has taken an opposite position on the war than the Washington political class and their globalist allies. This is a very big deal. Keep in mind, wars don’t end because the public opposes them. That is a myth. Wars end when a critical split emerges between elites that eventually leads to a change in policy. The RAND Corporation’s new report, “Avoiding a long war: US policy and the trajectory of the Russia-Ukraine conflict”, represents just such a split. It indicates that powerful elites have broken with the majority opinion because they think the current policy is hurting the United States. We believe this shift in perspective is going to gain momentum until it triggers a more-assertive demand for negotiations. In other words, the RAND report is the first step towards ending the war.

Continue reading “Ukraine is Sinking. Are Western Elites Bailing Out? – Mike Whitney 2/1/23”

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New FTX Filing Pulls Back the Curtain on Sam Bankman-Fried’s Massive Influence-Peddling Operation – TheIntercept 1/30/23

Source: TheIntercept.com

A filing in FTX’s bankruptcy proceedings is shedding light on the true extent of the crypto-trading powerhouse’s influence-peddling operation. Last week, FTX filed its creditor matrix, a document that lists former vendors and investors to the company.

The list includes nearly a dozen public relations experts — specialists who generate positive spin in the media on behalf of clients — as well as political consultants, think tanks, and trade groups.

Continue reading “New FTX Filing Pulls Back the Curtain on Sam Bankman-Fried’s Massive Influence-Peddling Operation – TheIntercept 1/30/23”

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The End of Monetary Hedonism – Jeff Deist 1/31/23

Source: Mises.org

Does cheap money and credit make us richer? Does more money and credit create more stuff, or better stuff? Do they make us happier and more productive? Or do these twin forces actually distort the economy, misallocate resources, and degrade us as people?

These are fundamental questions in an age of monetary hedonism. It is time we began to ask and answer them. Millions of people across the West increasingly recognize the limits of monetary policy, understanding that more money and credit in society do not magically create more goods and services. Production precedes consumption. Capital accumulation is made possible only through profit, which is generated by higher productivity, thanks to earlier capital investment. At the heart of all of it is hard work and human ingenuity. We don’t get rich by legislative edict.

Continue reading “The End of Monetary Hedonism – Jeff Deist 1/31/23”

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Mass Exodus: Vast Hordes Of Americans Are Fleeing Blue States With High Crime Rates – MichaelSnyder 2/1/23

Source: TheMostImportantNews.com

As our society continues to deteriorate all around us, rising crime has become one of the primary reasons why so many Americans are choosing to relocate to a different part of the country.  According to the National Association of Realtors, there was a tremendous amount of domestic migration in 2022.  Some people are choosing to relocate for better employment opportunities, some are choosing to relocate to states with lower tax rates, and some are choosing to relocate for health reasons.  But to me, one of the most striking trends is the fact that red states with low crime rates are seeing tremendous population growth, while blue states with high crime rates are losing residents at a staggering pace.

Continue reading “Mass Exodus: Vast Hordes Of Americans Are Fleeing Blue States With High Crime Rates – MichaelSnyder 2/1/23”

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Pfizer Vaccine Bonanza Slows. But Bill Gates Sold Early, Made Huge Profits – Children’sHealthDefense 2/1/23

Source: ChildrensHealthDefense.org

Pfizer on Tuesday announced 2022 profits of $31.4 billion on record sales of $100.3 billion. Sales from its COVID-19 vaccine and Paxlovid, used to treat COVID-19, totaled $56 billion — more than half the vaccine maker’s annual revenue.

However, the company warned investors to expect sales of those two products to plummet up to 58% in 2023, to only about $21.5 billion — $3 billion short of Wall Street projections. Pfizer projected total 2023 revenue of only about $67-$71 billion.

The news followed on the heels of a string of developments calling into question the COVID-19 vaccines — including comments last week by billionaire and vaccine investor Bill Gates, who criticized the efficacy and durability of the vaccines during a talk at Australia’s Lowy Institute.

Bill Gates just admitted mRNA jabs don’t stop infection, don’t block transmission, don’t block mutants, don’t last, don’t work at all — after he sold stock in his vaccine ventures 😂😂😂. Thanks, Suckers!https://t.co/a5ROLmha1O

— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) January 27, 2023

Continue reading “Pfizer Vaccine Bonanza Slows. But Bill Gates Sold Early, Made Huge Profits – Children’sHealthDefense 2/1/23”

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5 Ways the “Inflation Reduction Act” Is Stealing Your Money – PeterReagan 1/6/23

Source: BirchGold.com

Much like the Patriot Act had little to do with making life safer in the U.S., the Biden administration’s “Inflation Reduction Act” has very little to do with reducing inflation.

Thanks to this “Inflation Reduction Act,” our lives are about to get even more expensive for just about everyone. If you’re saving money for retirement, heating your home or driving a car, well, get ready to start paying higher prices.

That’s because of several new taxes that were tucked away in the 274 pages of the Inflation Reduction Act. Those new taxes have become law as of January 1st, 2023.

Continue reading “5 Ways the “Inflation Reduction Act” Is Stealing Your Money – PeterReagan 1/6/23″

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Wholesale Price Inflation Is Slowing as Economy Worsens – RyanMcMaken 1/24/23

Source: Mises.org

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics released new Producer Price Index (PPI) data on Wednesday, and it looks like the rate of increase in price inflation is slowing. Nonetheless, year-over-year price inflation in December remained near 40-year highs, and shows the marketplace is still dealing with the nearly six-trillion-dollar surge in the money supply that took place during 2020 and 2021.

The PPI is a measure of prices at the production phase of goods and services. Prior to 1978, the index was known as the Wholesale Price Index….

Read More…

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Massive Fire Destroys Commercial Egg Farm Belonging To Top US Supplier – ZeroHedge 1/29/23

Source: ZeroHedge.com

Dozens of food processing plants were destroyed and/or damaged last year by “accidental fires.” After several months of a lull in mysterious fires rippling through the food industry, the first major one of the new year was reported by NBC Connecticut on Saturday.

Continue reading “Massive Fire Destroys Commercial Egg Farm Belonging To Top US Supplier – ZeroHedge 1/29/23”

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Pentagon to Increase Artillery Ammunition Production by 500% for Ukraine – AntiWar 1/24/23

Source: AntiWar.com

The Pentagon is planning to boost its production of artillery ammunition by 500% over the next two years as the US is depleting its military stockpiles by sending millions of shells to Ukraine, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, the US has pledged to send Ukraine over one million 155mm artillery shells. Before the US Army began efforts to increase production, it produced 14,400 155mm shells a month, but under the new plans, the number could reach over 90,000 each month.

Continue reading “Pentagon to Increase Artillery Ammunition Production by 500% for Ukraine – AntiWar 1/24/23”

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Lexus Chief to Take Over Toyota as Founder’s Grandson Steps Down – LBCGroup 1/26/23

Source: LBCGroup.tv

Lexus chief to take over Toyota as founder’s grandson steps down

The chief executive of Toyota Motor Corp will step down as head of the company his grandfather founded, the Japanese automaker said on Thursday, handing over to the boss of its luxury car unit as it struggles to meet the shift to electric vehicles.

Continue reading “Lexus Chief to Take Over Toyota as Founder’s Grandson Steps Down – LBCGroup 1/26/23”

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A Dollar Collapse Is Now In Motion: Saudi Arabia Signals The End Of Petro Status – BrandonSmith 1/25/23

Source: alt-market.us

The decline of a currency’s world reserve status is often a long process rife with denials. There are numerous economic “experts” out there that have been dismissing any and all warnings of dollar collapse for years. They just don’t get it, or they don’t want to get it. The idea that the US currency could ever be dethroned as the defacto global trade mechanism is impossible in their minds.

One of the key pillars keeping the dollar in place as the world reserve is its petro-status, and this factor is often held up as the reason why the Greenback cannot fail. The other argument is that the dollar is backed by the full force of the US military, and the US military is backed by the US Treasury and the Federal Reserve – In other words, the dollar is backed by…the dollar; it’s a very circular and naive position.

Continue reading “A Dollar Collapse Is Now In Motion: Saudi Arabia Signals The End Of Petro Status – BrandonSmith 1/25/23”

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Global South: Gold-backed Currencies to Replace the US Dollar – PepeEscobar 1/19/23

Source: TheCradle.co

Let’s start with three interconnected multipolar-driven facts.

First: One of the key take aways from the World Economic Forum annual shindig in Davos, Switzerland is when Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan, on a panel on “Saudi Arabia’s Transformation,” made it clear that Riyadh “will consider trading in currencies other than the US dollar.”

Continue reading “Global South: Gold-backed Currencies to Replace the US Dollar – PepeEscobar 1/19/23”

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US Government Scooped up Information on Money Transfers Without a Warrant – ReclaimTheNet 1/19/23

Source: ReclaimTheNet.org

International money transfers are far from private according to findings by The Wall Street Journal and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR).

Regular readers will know Reclaim The Net covered the start of this investigation almost a year ago.

Law enforcement in the US can access international money transfer details without a warrant through a controversial surveillance program the Arizona attorney general’s office approved in 2014.

The program resulted in the creation of a money transfers database managed by the Transaction Record Analysis Center (TRAC).

Continue reading “US Government Scooped up Information on Money Transfers Without a Warrant – ReclaimTheNet 1/19/23”

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Amazon Ends Charity Donation Program AmazonSmile – LBCGroup 1/19/23

Source: LBCGroup.tv

AmazonSmile is a donation program that redirects 0.5 percent of the cost of all eligible products toward charities. It is a separate website that lets you browse and buy items just like on Amazon.com. But Amazon would keep track of your purchases and donate money on your behalf.

The company started sending an email to Amazon customers announcing the change. AmazonSmile will remain open until February 20, 2023….

Read More…

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Overlords at the Easel – TedRall 1/18/23

Source: WhoWhatWhy.org

The retail employee who directs you to the self-scanning devices that promise to put him out of work is engaged in economic suicide. But it’s not his choice. He is ordered to do so by his boss.

Human beings who voluntarily develop and perfect artificial intelligence elevate the perverse todestrieb to a nearly incomprehensible scale. A.I. workers could do anything else. They could do nothing at all. They could sabotage the bots and self-driving cars and autonomous armed drones that will drive us to the unemployment line before blowing off our heads. I do not know what the fact that A.I. scientists roll up their sleeves and do their best to render us all redundant and obsolete demonstrates about our psychological wiring, but it cannot be good.

Continue reading “Overlords at the Easel – TedRall 1/18/23”

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5 Reasons Why Gold Is Green – Ronni Stoeferle 1/13/23

Source: GoldSwitzerland.com

In this refreshingly fact-focused report, Matterhorn Asset Management (MAM) advisor, Ronni Stoeferle, takes a deeper look at the false “eco war” on gold.

In a world of ever-growing public narratives completely at odds with transparent reality (from “Putin’s” war to “Transitory Inflation”), it should come as no surprise that the current ESG and “Green Revolution Army” of the woke West has turned its political gun sights toward the one precious metal which serves as the greatest threat to a dying fiat currency system: Gold. With puffed chests and lofty claims, global environmental leadership has conveniently made a disingenuous but full-frontal assault on gold mining (and hence gold) as an environmental threat.

Continue reading “5 Reasons Why Gold Is Green – Ronni Stoeferle 1/13/23”

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A Big Green Mess in Germany With Coal a Stunning 31 Percent of Electricity – Mike”Mish”Shedlock 1/13/23

Source: MishTalk.com

Coal provides a staggering 31% of German electricity production, up from 8% in 2015.

The Greens forced a shutdown of nuclear power under Angela Merkel. Now they are both for and against coal, the dirtiest of all electrical power sources.

Continue reading “A Big Green Mess in Germany With Coal a Stunning 31 Percent of Electricity – Mike”Mish”Shedlock 1/13/23″

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Is There A Way To Stop Inflation Without Crushing The Economy And Killing The Dollar? – Brandon Smith 1/4/23

Source: Alt-Market.us

One of the most dishonest games being played in economics today is the attempt by various groups (political and financial) to deflect blame for the rise of inflation. The Biden White House and Democrats desperately want to blame Russia and the war in Ukraine, even though inflation was spiking long before the war ever started. The Federal Reserve pretended for years that inflation was not a threat at all despite numerous alternative economists warning what would happen. Now they blame supply chain disruptions instead of their own monetary policies. The GOP wants to blame Biden alone for the crisis while ignoring the dominant role of the Fed in the economy (and their unilateral power) over the course of multiple presidencies.

Continue reading “Is There A Way To Stop Inflation Without Crushing The Economy And Killing The Dollar? – Brandon Smith 1/4/23”

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China Extends Aggressive Gold Buying With Another 30 Tons Purchase In December – ZeroHedge 1/8/23

Source: ZeroHedge.com

One week ago, in his latest – and arguably most important note of 2022 – Credit Suisse repo guru Zoltan Pozsar discussed the two key anchors of the Bretton Woods III regime he believes will replace the world in which the dollar is a reserve currency: i) commodity encumbrance (i.e., rehypothecation) and ii) the Petroyuan, and – intertwined inbetween them – China’s aggressive accumulation of gold.

This was hardly a coincidence: just a few weeks earlier, we learned that for the first time in years, China had bought 32 tons of gold in the month of November, its first official purchase since September 2918 (even as it had unofficially been buying up much more gold over the past three years). We added the following:

Continue reading “China Extends Aggressive Gold Buying With Another 30 Tons Purchase In December – ZeroHedge 1/8/23”

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Kentucky Joins Growing Movement to Blacklist ESG Banks – TheEpochTimes 1/4/23

Source: TheEpochTimes.com

State Treasurer: If they boycott fossil fuels, we won’t do business with them.

Kentucky has joined a growing list of conservative states that have begun to boycott banks they charge are discriminating against the fossil fuel industry.

In compliance with a Kentucky law passed in March, State Treasurer Allison Ball yesterday released a list of banks that “are engaged in energy company boycotts.” This list included Wall Street giants BlackRock, Citibank, JPMorgan Chase, BNP Paribas, HSBC, and six other smaller banks.

Continue reading “Kentucky Joins Growing Movement to Blacklist ESG Banks – TheEpochTimes 1/4/23”

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Japan Crosses the Rubicon: The First of a Two-Part Article on Japan’s Rearmament – TimShorrock 12/23/22

Source: TimShorrock.com

With barely any notice from the US media, Japan’s conservative LDP government has embraced a counter-strike strategy – giving it the ability to strike enemy bases overseas – for the first time since 1945. The announcement has sparked protests in South Korea and Japan and generated outrage in North Korea and China. The first of a two-part article.

Continue reading “Japan Crosses the Rubicon: The First of a Two-Part Article on Japan’s Rearmament – TimShorrock 12/23/22”

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Ukraine: The Big Push To End The War – MoonOfAlabama 1/4/23

Source: MoonOfAlabama.org

Over Christmas I had a short talk with a relative about the war in Ukraine. He asked me who would win and was astonished when I said: “Ukraine has zero chance to win.” That person reads some German mainstream news sites and watches the public TV networks. With those sources of ‘information’ he was made to believe that Ukraine was winning the war.

One may excuse that with him never having been in a military and not being politically engaged. But still there are some basic numbers that let one conclude from the beginning that Russia, the much bigger, richer and more industrialized country, had clearly all advantages. My relative  obviously never had had that thought.

The ‘western’ propaganda is still quite strong. However, as I pointed out in March last year propaganda does not change a war and lies do not win it. Its believability is shrinking.

Continue reading “Ukraine: The Big Push To End The War – MoonOfAlabama 1/4/23”

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Lack Of Good Analyses Contributes To The Decline Of The ‘West’ – MoonOfAlabama 12/30/22

Source: MoonOfAlabama.org

Lack Of Good Analyses Contributes To The Decline Of The ‘West’

What really hit me last year was the dearth of correct analyses in main stream media and in politics with regards to the war in Ukraine. Little if anything is based on facts. More than 90% of the published output is propaganda.

Continue reading “Lack Of Good Analyses Contributes To The Decline Of The ‘West’ – MoonOfAlabama 12/30/22”

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Gold in 2023 – Alasdair Macleod 12/30/22

Source: GoldMoney.com

This article is in two parts. In Part 1 it looks at how prospects for gold should be viewed from a monetary and economic perspective, pointing out that it is gold whose purchasing power is stable, and that of fiat currencies which is not. Consequently, analysts who see gold as an investment producing a return in national currencies have made a fundamental error which will not be repeated in this article.

Continue reading “Gold in 2023 – Alasdair Macleod 12/30/22”

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SBF Was Meeting With Senior White House Officials Shortly Before FTX Collapse – ZeroHedge 12/30/22

Source: ZeroHedge.com

On Sept. 8, SBF met with senior Biden adviser Steve Ricchetti in a previously unreported encounter, White House officials familiar with the matter said. The meeting was “the latest in a handful of sessions,” according to the report.

Continue reading “SBF Was Meeting With Senior White House Officials Shortly Before FTX Collapse – ZeroHedge 12/30/22”

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$1.7 Trillion Spending Bill Requires Platforms to Verify ID of Those Earning $5,000 Revenue per Year – ReclaimTheNet 12/28/22

Source: ReclaimTheNet.org

A massive, $1.7 trillion funding bill was approved in the US Congress last Friday and will become law once signed by President Biden.

And once that happens, it will bring into force proposed legislation introduced last year, INFORM Consumers Act, designed to regulate a sensitive segment of online marketplaces, delving deep into and disclosing sellers’ personal data under some circumstances.

Continue reading “$1.7 Trillion Spending Bill Requires Platforms to Verify ID of Those Earning $5,000 Revenue per Year – ReclaimTheNet 12/28/22”

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An Inconvenient Revolution – CharlesHughSmith 12/27/22

Source: OfTwoMinds.com

It’s inconvenient when those whose sacrifices are essential to the system get fed up and find some other way to live.

Convenience isn’t just about small appliances. It’s also about ruling nations. Let’s start with the semantics of ruling nations. Some labels might be viewed as somewhat inflammatory (Kleptocracy, anyone?), so let’s stick with the neutral Ruling Order.

Continue reading “An Inconvenient Revolution – CharlesHughSmith 12/27/22”