investmentwatchblog--2020-12-07--Covid Is Toppling America’s “Points of Failure” Dominoes

Sorry Fed , it ’ s too late .
The dominoes are already toppling , and every point of failure is being exploited by the catalyzing effects of Covid .
America ’ s many points of failure—leverage points where a break brings down the entire system–are falling like dominoes , a process catalyzed by Covid .
These systemic points of failure have been masked for the past 20 years by the widespread distribution of trillions of dollars , either printed or borrowed .
There ’ s no point of failure that can ’ t be glued together or covered up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s the American way of solving problems : just throw more money at it .
Unfortunately for America , substituting borrowed trillions for real problem-solving generates its own set of problems , problems that increase the system ’ s vulnerability to collapse .
Healthcare / sickcare is a leading example of this : as the corruption , pay-to-play and profiteering deepened , the federal government ’ s endless borrowed trillions boosted healthcare / sickcare from 5 % of the nation ’ s economy to roughly 20 % today .
Covid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Healthcare .
As I ’ ve noted for a decade , this has created an enormous fragility : healthcare is now so immense that it will bankrupt the nation all by itself .
( see charts below ) Once the corrupt , pay-to-play , profiteering sectors such as healthcare and banking become “ too big to fail , ” then the Federal Reserve and Treasury are obliged to bail them out or continue funding their spiraling-out-of-control demands .
Speaking of “ too big to fail , ” look at the voracious monster the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incentivized–a financial system addicted to Fed “ free money , ” soaring debt , accelerating leverage and near-infinite speculation .
Given that the Fed has effectively promised to backstop all of Wall Street ’ s bets , bail out every major player and never let the stock market falter for longer than three weeks , the Fed has created this incentive structure : there is no risk at all in borrowing billions , leveraging it into tens of billions and then dumping these multiplying billions into the most speculative bets available .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager , hedge funder , punter , gambler and guru has done , and been richly rewarded for doing so .
There ’ s just one tiny little second-order consequence of the Fed ’ s incentivizing debt , leverage and speculation : wealth and income inequality have reached such extremes that they ’ ve unraveled the social order .
Social cohesion : gone .
The social contract : shredded .
Social disorder : in the first inning of a very long game .
Now the Fed is backtracking while it laughingly claims its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do with America ’ s skyrocketing wealth/income inequality .
That the Fed is well aware of the destructive consequences of its endless quantitative easing is evidenced by their recent proposals ( FedNow ) to start sending “ free money ” directly to households via a new system of household accounts at the Fed .
( Look for an initial rollout by 2022 . )
Sorry Fed , it ’ s too late .
The dominoes are already toppling , and every point of failure is being exploited by the catalyzing effects of Covid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Every weak point–corruption , incompetence , bureaucratic sclerosis , self-serving insiders , counterproductive complexity , regulatory thickets , clinging to the past , and most especially doing more of what ’ s failed spectacularly–will give way , bringing down existing systems with a momentum that will surprise all those who thought every system in America was rock-solid and forever .
Two words will define 2021 : acceleration and amplitude .
The catalyzing effects will accelerate throughout all the interconnected systems like wildfire and the consequences will move rapidly from linear ( predictable ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as each weakness is amplified by the self-reinforcing dynamics unleashed as every point of failure triggers another failure in a connected system .
If you still believe that America ’ s systemic points of failure are endlessly sustainable , please study these four charts and extend the trendlines .

by Charles Hugh-Smith
Sorry Fed, it’s too late. The dominoes are already toppling, and every point of failure is being exploited by the catalyzing effects of Covid.
America’s many points of failure—leverage points where a break brings down the entire system–are falling like dominoes, a process catalyzed by Covid. These systemic points of failure have been masked for the past 20 years by the widespread distribution of trillions of dollars, either printed or borrowed.
There’s no point of failure that can’t be glued together or covered up a bit longer with fountains of cash. That’s the American way of solving problems: just throw more money at it.
Unfortunately for America, substituting borrowed trillions for real problem-solving generates its own set of problems, problems that increase the system’s vulnerability to collapse. Healthcare / sickcare is a leading example of this: as the corruption, pay-to-play and profiteering deepened, the federal government’s endless borrowed trillions boosted healthcare / sickcare from 5% of the nation’s economy to roughly 20% today.
Covid Is Revealing the Cancerous Underbelly of U.S. Healthcare.
As I’ve noted for a decade, this has created an enormous fragility: healthcare is now so immense that it will bankrupt the nation all by itself. (see charts below) Once the corrupt, pay-to-play, profiteering sectors such as healthcare and banking become “too big to fail,” then the Federal Reserve and Treasury are obliged to bail them out or continue funding their spiraling-out-of-control demands.
Speaking of “too big to fail,” look at the voracious monster the Fed’s endless monetary goosing has incentivized–a financial system addicted to Fed “free money,” soaring debt, accelerating leverage and near-infinite speculation.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Given that the Fed has effectively promised to backstop all of Wall Street’s bets, bail out every major player and never let the stock market falter for longer than three weeks, the Fed has created this incentive structure: there is no risk at all in borrowing billions, leveraging it into tens of billions and then dumping these multiplying billions into the most speculative bets available.
And so that’s what every fund manager, hedge funder, punter, gambler and guru has done, and been richly rewarded for doing so.
There’s just one tiny little second-order consequence of the Fed’s incentivizing debt, leverage and speculation: wealth and income inequality have reached such extremes that they’ve unraveled the social order. Social cohesion: gone. The social contract: shredded. Social disorder: in the first inning of a very long game.
Now the Fed is backtracking while it laughingly claims its policies didn’t have anything to do with America’s skyrocketing wealth/income inequality. That the Fed is well aware of the destructive consequences of its endless quantitative easing is evidenced by their recent proposals (FedNow) to start sending “free money” directly to households via a new system of household accounts at the Fed. (Look for an initial rollout by 2022.)
Sorry Fed, it’s too late. The dominoes are already toppling, and every point of failure is being exploited by the catalyzing effects of Covid, either first-order or second-order effects. Every weak point–corruption, incompetence, bureaucratic sclerosis, self-serving insiders, counterproductive complexity, regulatory thickets, clinging to the past, and most especially doing more of what’s failed spectacularly–will give way, bringing down existing systems with a momentum that will surprise all those who thought every system in America was rock-solid and forever.
Two words will define 2021: acceleration and amplitude. The catalyzing effects will accelerate throughout all the interconnected systems like wildfire and the consequences will move rapidly from linear (predictable) to non-linear (geometric, unpredictable) as each weakness is amplified by the self-reinforcing dynamics unleashed as every point of failure triggers another failure in a connected system.
If you still believe that America’s systemic points of failure are endlessly sustainable, please study these four charts and extend the trendlines.


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-07--Biden Already Signals Reckless Abandon On Spending And Debt

Are you ready for this week ’ s absurdity ?
Here ’ s our Friday roll-up of the most ridiculous stories from around the world that are threats to your liberty , risks to your prosperity… and on occasion , inspiring poetic justice .
90 year old nursing home resident chooses assisted suicide over another lockdown A Canadian woman , Nancy Russel , was as healthy as a 90 year old could be .
But she chose to die rather than go through another lockdown at her nursing home , and the isolation which comes with it .
Canada does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to qualify for medically assisted suicide .
But still , the first time Nancy applied she was denied .
But the second time she asked to die , “ more concrete medical health issues ” had developed , and she was approved .
Nancy was allowed to die surrounded by family , singing a song she chose , instead of alone and depressed .
What is wrong with this world that a government would rather assist someone to die rather than allow people to live their lives ?
Click here to read the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Governor of Vermont hopped on Twitter– which is apparently the only platform now for making important announcements .
He started by shaming and guilt tripping anyone who dared to celebrate Thanksgiving with family .
So the Vermont Department of Education instructed schools to interrogate children about what they did over Thanksgiving weekend , so that they can inform on their families .
Click here to read the Twitter stream .
Hypocrisy Roundup : The Latest Politicians Who Broke Their Own Rules You ’ ve probably already heard about Governor Newsom of California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maskless birthday dinner party .
Or Nancy Pelosi demanding a salon open up to do her hair , when it was supposed to be closed according to San Francisco ’ s lockdown rules .
But it ’ s not just these top politicians guilty of COVID hypocrisy .
It seems like everyone from Governors to County Dog Catchers feel like they are above the laws they create and enforce on the peasants .
Last month , the Mayor of Austin appeared on screen , from Mexico , and told Austin residents : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can .
This is not the time to relax.
” The Wednesday before Thanksgiving , the Mayor of Denver Tweeted to “ avoid travel if you can.
” 30 minutes later , he boarded a flight to Houston , and then drove to Mississippi to spend Thanksgiving with his family .
Last week the Los Angeles County Supervisor voted to ban outdoor dining .
And just a few hours later , she was seen dining out at an LA restaurant .
Peasants !
The rules are for thee , not for me .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ against proposed new rules which could see them punished for free speech critical of certain ideas .
The governing body of the University proposed forcing professors to be respectful of all opinions and identities .
But Professors say the wording of the new rules is so vague , that it could neuter their ability to state an opinion .
One Cambridge Professor claims that the “ Stalinist left among the student union who like to “ cancel ” people ” are responsible for trying to restrict any controversial speech .
In turn , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among them , making it harder to ban or disinvite campus speakers because of student protests .
Interesting to see the professors take a stand against mob rule on campus .
They have likely painted targets on themselves for the woke mob .
Click here to read the full story .
Biden already signals reckless abandon on spending and debt The incoming presidential administration wants Neera Tanden to lead the US Office of Budget and Management .
This former Hillary Clinton Aide wrote an article at the beginning of the pandemic titled : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Factor Into Coronavirus Recession Response.
” She argued , “ Deficits and debt pose no comparable risk [ to COVID-19 ] .
Policymakers should set aside their concerns about red ink and deliver the response the crisis demands.
” Sure , let ’ s continue to pretend that massive debts and the devaluing of the dollar will have no impact , ever .
This is just another clear signal that debt and money printing will only accelerate , stealing from future generations .
Click here to read the full story .
On another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ silver could increase by up to 5 TIMES in the next few years .
That ’ s why we published a new , 50-page long Ultimate Guide on Gold & Silver that you can download here .

by Simon Black of Sovereign Man
Are you ready for this week’s absurdity? Here’s our Friday roll-up of the most ridiculous stories from around the world that are threats to your liberty, risks to your prosperity… and on occasion, inspiring poetic justice.
90 year old nursing home resident chooses assisted suicide over another lockdown
A Canadian woman, Nancy Russel, was as healthy as a 90 year old could be.
But she chose to die rather than go through another lockdown at her nursing home, and the isolation which comes with it.
Canada does not require a terminal illness in order to qualify for medically assisted suicide. But still, the first time Nancy applied she was denied.
But the second time she asked to die, “more concrete medical health issues” had developed, and she was approved.
Nancy was allowed to die surrounded by family, singing a song she chose, instead of alone and depressed.
What is wrong with this world that a government would rather assist someone to die rather than allow people to live their lives?
Click here to read the full story.
Governor Instructs Schools to Interrogate Children About Thanksgiving Gatherings
Just before Thanksgiving, the Governor of Vermont hopped on Twitter– which is apparently the only platform now for making important announcements.
He started by shaming and guilt tripping anyone who dared to celebrate Thanksgiving with family.
He continued:
“Unfortunately, we know some will still get together and schools have asked for help.
@VTEducation will direct schools to ask students or parents if they were part of multi-family gatherings and if the answer is yes, they’ll need to go remote for 14 days or 7 days and a test.”
So the Vermont Department of Education instructed schools to interrogate children about what they did over Thanksgiving weekend, so that they can inform on their families.
Click here to read the Twitter stream.
Hypocrisy Roundup: The Latest Politicians Who Broke Their Own Rules
You’ve probably already heard about Governor Newsom of California breaking his own rules to attend a maskless birthday dinner party.
Or Nancy Pelosi demanding a salon open up to do her hair, when it was supposed to be closed according to San Francisco’s lockdown rules.
But it’s not just these top politicians guilty of COVID hypocrisy.
It seems like everyone from Governors to County Dog Catchers feel like they are above the laws they create and enforce on the peasants.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Last month, the Mayor of Austin appeared on screen, from Mexico, and told Austin residents: “We need to stay home if you can. This is not the time to relax.”
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, the Mayor of Denver Tweeted to “avoid travel if you can.” 30 minutes later, he boarded a flight to Houston, and then drove to Mississippi to spend Thanksgiving with his family.
Last week the Los Angeles County Supervisor voted to ban outdoor dining. And just a few hours later, she was seen dining out at an LA restaurant.
Peasants! The rules are for thee, not for me.
Cambridge professors fight back against new free speech rules
Cambridge University professors are taking a stand against proposed new rules which could see them punished for free speech critical of certain ideas.
The governing body of the University proposed forcing professors to be respectful of all opinions and identities. But Professors say the wording of the new rules is so vague, that it could neuter their ability to state an opinion.
One Cambridge Professor claims that the “Stalinist left among the student union who like to “cancel” people” are responsible for trying to restrict any controversial speech.
In turn, professors proposed amendments to the rules, among them, making it harder to ban or disinvite campus speakers because of student protests.
Interesting to see the professors take a stand against mob rule on campus. They have likely painted targets on themselves for the woke mob.
Click here to read the full story.
Biden already signals reckless abandon on spending and debt
The incoming presidential administration wants Neera Tanden to lead the US Office of Budget and Management.
This former Hillary Clinton Aide wrote an article at the beginning of the pandemic titled: “Deficit and Debt Shouldn’t Factor Into Coronavirus Recession Response.”
She argued, “Deficits and debt pose no comparable risk [to COVID-19]. Policymakers should set aside their concerns about red ink and deliver the response the crisis demands.”
Sure, let’s continue to pretend that massive debts and the devaluing of the dollar will have no impact, ever.
This is just another clear signal that debt and money printing will only accelerate, stealing from future generations.
Click here to read the full story.
On another note… We think gold could DOUBLE and silver could increase by up to 5 TIMES in the next few years.
That’s why we published a new, 50-page long Ultimate Guide on Gold & Silver that you can download here.


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-07--Here’s Why Goldman Sachs’s Projected Post-COVID “Rally” is Risibly Corrupt

The mainstream narrative is so corrupted by greed , sloth , and groupthink that it has become a caricature of itself .
In plain English , what is held to be true by the powers-that-be is flat-out unreliable , unhinged , and unsustainable .
For instance , the mainstream media is giddy about the new stock market forecast from Goldman ’ s chief equity strategist , David Kostin .
According to this overpaid genius , the silver bullet of a COVID vaccine is now assured , owing to the Pfizer announcement , so we will soon be back to normal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will soar to 4,300 by the end of 2021 .
Then again , it needs to be recalled that , in their wisdom , sell-side analysts now see December 2020 trailing earnings on the S & P 500 coming in at $ 91.80 per share and then leaping upward by 47 % to $ 135.13 per share by December 2021 .
Even if the latter hockey stick should come true , the implied PE multiple at Goldman ’ s new December 2021 price target is 31.8X .
You ’ ve got to believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and her progressive-left comrades , COVID , nor a gridlocked Washington will stand in the way of a booming return to economic normalcy , a 47 % gain in profits , and a PE multiple more than double the historical average .
But , hey , don ’ t snicker .
That ’ s the mighty Goldman Sachs reinforcing the mainstream narrative .
Of course , Goldman doesn ’ t base its stock price forecast on the kind of earnings that CEOs and CFOs must report honestly to the SEC on penalty of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ income .
They want you to believe that multiples are reasonable through the use of ex-items earnings , which are always 10 % –30 % higher than reported earnings .
That ’ s because they eliminate purported one-time gains and losses and non-cash items charged to the P & L in the current period , like goodwill write-downs or restructuring provisions .
But here ’ s the thing .
Anything that hits the income statement was a cash item at some point in either the past ( e.g.
, goodwill ) or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If it carries a negative sign , it represents a dissipation of corporate resources and value .
Likewise , eliminating one-time gains and losses is not a valid earnings-neutral smoothing procedure because in every quarter in history , one-time losses always exceed one-time gains and usually do so vastly .
So you can take the “ reasonable ” PE canard with a grain of salt , but even then , the current Goldman stock price forecast embodies the mother of all hockey sticks .
That is , ex-items earnings for the S @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the street consensus to weigh in at $ 117.36 per share for the December 2020 LTM period , which will push Goldman projections to rise to $ 175 per share by December 2021 .
So you have to believe that ex-items earnings will soar by 50 % in just one year ’ s time and still be willing to pay 24.5X for the said miracle of escape from a COVID lockdown-shattered economy .
“ Unhinged ” does aptly characterize the current mainstream narrative .
That ’ s in part because we think the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bullet are way overdone .
Also , despite the Fed ’ s best verbal flim-flam , we do not think the laws of sound money have been repealed and that the Fed can keep monetizing 100 % of Uncle Sam ’ s $ 2–3 trillion deficits indefinitely .
Yet , if there is no vaccine silver bullet next year , you will have the Virus Patrol reenergized .
Likewise , if the Eccles Building does not keep buying up Uncle Sam ’ s tsunami of debt , the bond market is a cataclysm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ silver bullet , just consider what Pfizer actually reported .
Namely , that from a trial pool of 43,538 participants , they now have results for 94 individuals who tested positive for COVID , of which 86 were in the placebo group and eight among those getting the two-shot vaccinations .
That ’ s how they get their ballyhooed 90 % effectiveness claim .
That conclusion is based on only 0.216 % of the trial universe , yet the company ’ s press release—which enabled the CEO to sell 60 % of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information on whether the 94 cases were representative of the study population with respect to age , medical condition , and so on , and whether the actual COVID cases among the 94 reported to have tested positive were sniffles , mild , moderate , severe or death-threatening .
The truth is , the company ’ s press release amounted to nothing more than an ( apparently ) legal stock touting ad .
Mr. Albert Bourla is now $ 6 million richer , but the most substantive thing contained in the press release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this bit of soap-selling : This gets us to the point that the irrepressible Jon Rappaport keeps rising .
To wit , why would anyone think that a 0.216 % share of the trial universe is meaningful or reliable ?
Moreover , why would the FDA go along with this , or especially the entire study protocol , about which the company ’ s press release conveys the following : Yes , forget about the 43,538 participants and all the efforts to ensure its representative nature because Pfizer is going to quit when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the sample have reported .
A halfway attentive layperson might well wonder what is really going on here .
But having said that , he might , upon modest further investigation , also grasp the entire scam involved in fast-tracking the vaccine .
The reason for shutting down the trial after less than one-half of one percent of the participants have been heard from is that in this day and age , you can ’ t test a vaccine candidate by deliberately infecting a patient with the virus , most especially the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ placebo .
Instead , what you have to do is put your feet up on a stool and wait for participants to contract the disease and become infected in the “ wild ” —that is , in their homes and on the highways and byways of normal life .
But alas , Tony Fauci and his malpracticing doctors , the wannabe Robespierres they have unleashed among blue-state mayors and governors , and the constant chyrons of death running across the cable TV screens have most of the sheeple , including those enrolled in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So they do not leave home without their mask up and without social distancing on the sidewalks , hallways , and grocery store checkout counters .
So , then , how in the hell are study participants supposed to catch the COVID in the wild ?
Under the rules of ethics in these matters , the ones getting the real shot can not even be told to get frisky and drop their mask every now and then in order to help the corporate folks at Pfizer complete their study and harvest their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Needless to say , that ’ s why only 0.216 % of participants ( 94 ) managed to get the plague , which is allegedly running rampant in America , during the first three months of the trial , and why at that rate , it would take 11 years to get a return from even 10 % of the participants .
So there is a reason why it normally takes three to five years to do a vaccine trial : It seems that even the FDA is unwilling to let drug companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speed up the process .
And that gets us to an even more insidious aspect of the silver bullet myth .
Namely , because it takes so ungodly long for mask-up trial participants to get infected in the “ wild ” when the latter is operating effectively under economic martial law , the study protocol assumes that any old case will do—even if it is so mild as to be barely symptomatic and readily cured with bed rest and drinking lots of liquids .
As Jon Rappaport noted regarding the generic case with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What Rappoport is saying is that by the very nature of COVID , the only point of a vaccine is to protect the small minority who develop severe cases owing to age , comorbidities , or otherwise weakened immune systems , and especially those who suffer a life-threatening course of the disease .
But as of the present , the CDC estimates that about 88 million Americans have been infected—the overwhelming bulk of whom were unaware that they were infected because they were asymptomatic or experienced mild courses of the disease and were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to recent CDC data , only 500,000 of these 88 million have been hospitalized .
And according to the CDC ’ s expansive way of counting , the number of COVID deaths stands around 269,000 , the majority of which occurred in hospitals .
So no matter how you slice it , more than 87 million of the 88 million infected persons so far were in no mortal danger , nor would they have been helped much even if Pfizer ’ s vaccine or any other vaccine had been available from day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Among the 94 cases reported , how many required hospitalization or involved even a serious home-cured course of the illness ?
The company ’ s press release didn ’ t say , and when they run the clock to the FDA-approved protocol ’ s 164 positive-cases mark , they still won ’ t say .
That ’ s because , again , due to the any-case-will-do study design , the trial results can not prove that the vaccine is effective in individuals who would otherwise suffer a severe course of the disease .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ national metrics , among any random universe of 164 infected people , exactly 0.9 persons would be hospitalized , and 0.4 persons would die .
Alas , perhaps even the purportedly brilliant Mr. Kostin would agree that you can ’ t prove efficacy by comparing fractions of a person .
Nevertheless , out there in the wild , after the vaccine is broadly distributed by , say , next June , the universe of the vaccinated will not be 88 souls as at present with the Pfizer study , but tens of millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t work on the severe cases and even a few hundred deaths and/or hospitalizations are reported among the vaccinated , there will be panic in the already-frightened streets .
As we said , the mainstream narrative is risibly corrupt .
Editor ’ s Note : The truth is , we ’ re on the cusp of a economic crisis that could eclipse anything we ’ ve seen before .
And most people won ’ t be prepared for what ’ s coming .
That ’ s exactly why bestselling author Doug Casey and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with all the details on how to survive an economic collapse .
Click here to download the PDF now .

by David Stockman via International Man
The mainstream narrative is so corrupted by greed, sloth, and groupthink that it has become a caricature of itself. In plain English, what is held to be true by the powers-that-be is flat-out unreliable, unhinged, and unsustainable.
For instance, the mainstream media is giddy about the new stock market forecast from Goldman’s chief equity strategist, David Kostin.
According to this overpaid genius, the silver bullet of a COVID vaccine is now assured, owing to the Pfizer announcement, so we will soon be back to normal, and the S&P 500 will soar to 4,300 by the end of 2021.
Back up the trucks!
Then again, it needs to be recalled that, in their wisdom, sell-side analysts now see December 2020 trailing earnings on the S&P 500 coming in at $91.80 per share and then leaping upward by 47% to $135.13 per share by December 2021. Even if the latter hockey stick should come true, the implied PE multiple at Goldman’s new December 2021 price target is 31.8X.
You’ve got to believe that neither Sleepy Joe, Kamala Harris and her progressive-left comrades, COVID, nor a gridlocked Washington will stand in the way of a booming return to economic normalcy, a 47% gain in profits, and a PE multiple more than double the historical average.
But, hey, don’t snicker. That’s the mighty Goldman Sachs reinforcing the mainstream narrative.
Goldman Sachs S&P 500 Price Target
Of course, Goldman doesn’t base its stock price forecast on the kind of earnings that CEOs and CFOs must report honestly to the SEC on penalty of jail time: namely, GAAP net income.
They want you to believe that multiples are reasonable through the use of ex-items earnings, which are always 10%–30% higher than reported earnings. That’s because they eliminate purported one-time gains and losses and non-cash items charged to the P&L in the current period, like goodwill write-downs or restructuring provisions.
But here’s the thing. Anything that hits the income statement was a cash item at some point in either the past (e.g., goodwill) or the future (e.g., restructuring provisions). If it carries a negative sign, it represents a dissipation of corporate resources and value.
Likewise, eliminating one-time gains and losses is not a valid earnings-neutral smoothing procedure because in every quarter in history, one-time losses always exceed one-time gains and usually do so vastly.
So you can take the “reasonable” PE canard with a grain of salt, but even then, the current Goldman stock price forecast embodies the mother of all hockey sticks.
That is, ex-items earnings for the S&P 500 are now forecasted by the street consensus to weigh in at $117.36 per share for the December 2020 LTM period, which will push Goldman projections to rise to $175 per share by December 2021.
So you have to believe that ex-items earnings will soar by 50% in just one year’s time and still be willing to pay 24.5X for the said miracle of escape from a COVID lockdown-shattered economy.
“Unhinged” does aptly characterize the current mainstream narrative. That’s in part because we think the imminence and efficacy of the vaccine silver bullet are way overdone. Also, despite the Fed’s best verbal flim-flam, we do not think the laws of sound money have been repealed and that the Fed can keep monetizing 100% of Uncle Sam’s $2–3 trillion deficits indefinitely.
Yet, if there is no vaccine silver bullet next year, you will have the Virus Patrol reenergized.
Likewise, if the Eccles Building does not keep buying up Uncle Sam’s tsunami of debt, the bond market is a cataclysm waiting to happen.
As to the silver bullet, just consider what Pfizer actually reported. Namely, that from a trial pool of 43,538 participants, they now have results for 94 individuals who tested positive for COVID, of which 86 were in the placebo group and eight among those getting the two-shot vaccinations.
That’s how they get their ballyhooed 90% effectiveness claim. That conclusion is based on only 0.216% of the trial universe, yet the company’s press release—which enabled the CEO to sell 60% of his stock recently at a huge profit—contained zero information on whether the 94 cases were representative of the study population with respect to age, medical condition, and so on, and whether the actual COVID cases among the 94 reported to have tested positive were sniffles, mild, moderate, severe or death-threatening.
The truth is, the company’s press release amounted to nothing more than an (apparently) legal stock touting ad. Mr. Albert Bourla is now $6 million richer, but the most substantive thing contained in the press release not previously known was, well, this bit of soap-selling:
“Today is a great day for science and humanity. The first set of results from our Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial provides the initial evidence of our vaccine’s ability to prevent COVID-19,” said Dr. Albert Bourla, Pfizer Chairman and CEO.
This gets us to the point that the irrepressible Jon Rappaport keeps rising. To wit, why would anyone think that a 0.216% share of the trial universe is meaningful or reliable?
Moreover, why would the FDA go along with this, or especially the entire study protocol, about which the company’s press release conveys the following:
“The trial is continuing to enroll and is expected to continue through the final analysis when a total of 164 confirmed COVID-19 cases have accrued.”
Yes, forget about the 43,538 participants and all the efforts to ensure its representative nature because Pfizer is going to quit when exactly 0.377% (164 participants) of the sample have reported.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
A halfway attentive layperson might well wonder what is really going on here.
But having said that, he might, upon modest further investigation, also grasp the entire scam involved in fast-tracking the vaccine.
The reason for shutting down the trial after less than one-half of one percent of the participants have been heard from is that in this day and age, you can’t test a vaccine candidate by deliberately infecting a patient with the virus, most especially the unlucky folks who get the saltwater tablet placebo.
Instead, what you have to do is put your feet up on a stool and wait for participants to contract the disease and become infected in the “wild”—that is, in their homes and on the highways and byways of normal life.
But alas, Tony Fauci and his malpracticing doctors, the wannabe Robespierres they have unleashed among blue-state mayors and governors, and the constant chyrons of death running across the cable TV screens have most of the sheeple, including those enrolled in the Pfizer study, scared to death. So they do not leave home without their mask up and without social distancing on the sidewalks, hallways, and grocery store checkout counters.
So, then, how in the hell are study participants supposed to catch the COVID in the wild?
Under the rules of ethics in these matters, the ones getting the real shot cannot even be told to get frisky and drop their mask every now and then in order to help the corporate folks at Pfizer complete their study and harvest their tens of billions of vaccine sales.
Needless to say, that’s why only 0.216% of participants (94) managed to get the plague, which is allegedly running rampant in America, during the first three months of the trial, and why at that rate, it would take 11 years to get a return from even 10% of the participants.
So there is a reason why it normally takes three to five years to do a vaccine trial: It seems that even the FDA is unwilling to let drug companies deliberately kill placebo-taking patients in order to speed up the process.
And that gets us to an even more insidious aspect of the silver bullet myth.
Namely, because it takes so ungodly long for mask-up trial participants to get infected in the “wild” when the latter is operating effectively under economic martial law, the study protocol assumes that any old case will do—even if it is so mild as to be barely symptomatic and readily cured with bed rest and drinking lots of liquids.
As Jon Rappaport noted regarding the generic case with all of these COVID vaccine trials:
“You see, the vaccine maker starts out with 30,000 HEALTHY volunteers. So, if they waited for 150 of them to come down with severe pneumonia, a serious case of COVID, how long do you think that would take? Five years? Ten years? The vaccine maker can’t possibly wait that long. These 150 COVID cases the vaccine maker is looking for would be mild. Just a cough. Or chills and fever. That scenario would only take a few months to develop. And face it, chills, cough, and fever aren’t unique to COVID. Anyone can come down with those symptoms. THEREFORE, THE WHOLE CLINICAL TRIAL IS DESIGNED, UP FRONT, TO FIND 150 CASES OF MILD AND MEANINGLESS AND SELF-CURING ‘COVID.’ About which, no one cares. No one should care. But, as we see, Pfizer is trumpeting their clinical trial of the vaccine as a landmark in human history.”
What Rappoport is saying is that by the very nature of COVID, the only point of a vaccine is to protect the small minority who develop severe cases owing to age, comorbidities, or otherwise weakened immune systems, and especially those who suffer a life-threatening course of the disease.
But as of the present, the CDC estimates that about 88 million Americans have been infected—the overwhelming bulk of whom were unaware that they were infected because they were asymptomatic or experienced mild courses of the disease and were cured at home.
In fact, according to recent CDC data, only 500,000 of these 88 million have been hospitalized. And according to the CDC’s expansive way of counting, the number of COVID deaths stands around 269,000, the majority of which occurred in hospitals.
So no matter how you slice it, more than 87 million of the 88 million infected persons so far were in no mortal danger, nor would they have been helped much even if Pfizer’s vaccine or any other vaccine had been available from day one.
So the question recurs. Among the 94 cases reported, how many required hospitalization or involved even a serious home-cured course of the illness?
The company’s press release didn’t say, and when they run the clock to the FDA-approved protocol’s 164 positive-cases mark, they still won’t say.
That’s because, again, due to the any-case-will-do study design, the trial results cannot prove that the vaccine is effective in individuals who would otherwise suffer a severe course of the disease. In fact, according to the current national metrics, among any random universe of 164 infected people, exactly 0.9 persons would be hospitalized, and 0.4 persons would die.
Alas, perhaps even the purportedly brilliant Mr. Kostin would agree that you can’t prove efficacy by comparing fractions of a person.
Nevertheless, out there in the wild, after the vaccine is broadly distributed by, say, next June, the universe of the vaccinated will not be 88 souls as at present with the Pfizer study, but tens of millions. And if the vaccine doesn’t work on the severe cases and even a few hundred deaths and/or hospitalizations are reported among the vaccinated, there will be panic in the already-frightened streets.
As we said, the mainstream narrative is risibly corrupt.
Editor’s Note: The truth is, we’re on the cusp of a economic crisis that could eclipse anything we’ve seen before. And most people won’t be prepared for what’s coming.
That’s exactly why bestselling author Doug Casey and his team just released a free report with all the details on how to survive an economic collapse. Click here to download the PDF now.


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-07--The U.S. Senate Just Gave Nuclear Power A Major Boost

The US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works ( EPW ) has approved a bipartisan bill that , among other provisions , advances the federal initiative to establish a US national strategic uranium reserve .
Under the American Nuclear Infrastructure Act ( ANIA ) , the US Department of Energy will be restricted to only buy uranium recovered from facilities licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission or equivalent agreement state agencies as of the date of enactment .
Uranium from companies owned , controlled , or subject to jurisdictions in Russia or China are excluded from participating in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barrasso said that the ANIA preserves America ’ s nuclear fuel supply chain , prevents more carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere , and protect economic , energy , and national security .
“ The bipartisan Nuclear Infrastructure Act is broad-reaching legislation , important for supporting the US nuclear fuel industry , national security and clean energy .
The legislation will provide a clear path for the implementation of the US uranium reserve and provide a strong platform to revitalise the US uranium industry , ” Uranium Energy Corp CEO Amir Adnani said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the ANIA specifies that not later than 60 days after the date of enactment , the Secretary of Energy , subject to the availability of appropriations , shall establish a program to operate a uranium reserve with the authority outlined in the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 .
The Trump administration released a report in April outlining its plan to revitalize the US nuclear energy industry and support domestic uranium mining amid concerns that the nation has lost its spotlight on the global nuclear technology stage .
Republican lawmakers and uranium producers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US uranium mining and the nuclear energy industry , which the report says was at “ high risk of insolvency.
” Over recent years , US nuclear power producers and uranium miners have suffered from a lack of investment and support .
Last year , Trump rejected a request by the county ’ s top two uranium producers Energy Fuels and Ur-Energy seeking 25 % purchasing quotas for domestic uranium output .

By MINING.com
The US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) has approved a bipartisan bill that, among other provisions, advances the federal initiative to establish a US national strategic uranium reserve.
Under the American Nuclear Infrastructure Act (ANIA), the US Department of Energy will be restricted to only buy uranium recovered from facilities licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission or equivalent agreement state agencies as of the date of enactment.
Uranium from companies owned, controlled, or subject to jurisdictions in Russia or China are excluded from participating in the program.
Senate committee chairperson Senator John Barrasso said that the ANIA preserves America’s nuclear fuel supply chain, prevents more carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere, and protect economic, energy, and national security.
“The bipartisan Nuclear Infrastructure Act is broad-reaching legislation, important for supporting the US nuclear fuel industry, national security and clean energy. The legislation will provide a clear path for the implementation of the US uranium reserve and provide a strong platform to revitalise the US uranium industry,” Uranium Energy Corp CEO Amir Adnani said in a media release.
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Section 402 of the ANIA specifies that not later than 60 days after the date of enactment, the Secretary of Energy, subject to the availability of appropriations, shall establish a program to operate a uranium reserve with the authority outlined in the Atomic Energy Act of 1954.
The Trump administration released a report in April outlining its plan to revitalize the US nuclear energy industry and support domestic uranium mining amid concerns that the nation has lost its spotlight on the global nuclear technology stage.
Republican lawmakers and uranium producers have long called for measures to boost US uranium mining and the nuclear energy industry, which the report says was at “high risk of insolvency.”
Over recent years, US nuclear power producers and uranium miners have suffered from a lack of investment and support. Last year, Trump rejected a request by the county’s top two uranium producers Energy Fuels and Ur-Energy seeking 25% purchasing quotas for domestic uranium output.
By Mining.com


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-07--95% Vaccine Efficacy? Not So Fast

95% Vaccine Efficacy? Not So Fast

A -short- look at how vaccine makers like Pfizer and Moderna get to claim a 90 % or even 95 % efficacy for their products , with the help of regular Automatic Earth commenter Doc Robinson ( not a medical doctor ) and his quotes from the British Medical Journal ( BMJ ) .
The way the companies report their efficacy may be normal in their circles , but will , in the “ normal ” world , be experienced as confusing if not outright misleading .
What they do -simplified- , let ’ s take the Pfizer report , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a vaccine , in this case 8 are infected , and that gives a result of -well- over 90 % efficacy .
But that is largely meaningless , because it appears to assume that all remaining 19,992 volunteers would have gotten infected if not for the vaccine .
To give this meaning , the world of science has long insisted on control groups ( placebo groups ) , in this case also 20,000 strong , who don ’ t get a vaccine .
If you know how many in that group are infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vaccine is .
Turns out , in the control group 86 out of 20,000 were infected .
More than 8 , but much less than 20,000 .
19,914 unvaccinated people never got infected .
The 90 % -95 % numbers “ measure ” relative risk reduction .
The absolute risk reduction is completely different .
In the Pfizer case , 99.57 % of the unvaccinated people did not become infected , while 99.96 % of the vaccinated people did not become infected .
Therefore , the absolute risk reduction is 99.96 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While there remain many questions swirling around the mid- to long term effects of taking the vaccine .
You would think this is the most relevant information out there for those thinking about being vaccinated or not , and not the 95 % relative risk reduction .
But the latter info is what is reported .
And sure , it sounds much better .
Here are a few excerpts from British Medical Journal pieces as Doc Robinson selected them earlier this week : “ …leading both companies to claim around 95 % efficacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perspective .
First , a relative risk reduction is being reported , not absolute risk reduction , which appears to be less than 1 % .
Second , these results refer to the trials ’ primary endpoint of covid-19 of essentially any severity , and importantly not the vaccine ’ s ability to save lives , nor the ability to prevent infection , nor the efficacy in important subgroups ( e.g .
frail elderly ) .
Those still remain unknown .
Third , these results reflect a time point relatively soon after vaccination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performance at 3 , 6 , or 12 months , so can not compare these efficacy numbers against other vaccines like influenza vaccines ( which are judged over a season ) .
Fourth , children , adolescents , and immunocompromised individuals were largely excluded from the trials , so we still lack any data on these important populations .
I previously argued that the trials are studying the wrong endpoint , and for an urgent need to correct course and study more important endpoints like prevention of severe disease and transmission in high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s phase III trial has shown that , so far , the vaccine is 94.5 % effective .
( Mahase , BMJ 2020 ; 371 : m4471 , November 17 ) As with the Pfizer vaccine news release , few numbers are provided , but we can approximate the absolute risk reduction for a vaccinated individual and the Number Needed To Vaccinate ( NNTV ) : There were 90 cases of Covid-19 illness in a placebo group of 15,000 ( 0.006 ) and 5 cases in a vaccine group of 15,000 ( 0.00033 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduction of 0.00567 and NNTV = 176 ( 1/0.00567 ) .
There were 11 severe illnesses , all in the placebo group , for an absolute risk reduction of 0.00073 and NNTV = 1370 .
So to prevent one severe illness 1370 individuals must be vaccinated .
The other 1369 individuals are not saved from a severe illness , but are subject to vaccine adverse effects , whatever they may be and whenever we learn about them… Shouldn ’ t absolute risk reduction be reported so individuals can make fully informed decisions about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines , from the British Medical Journal BMJ .
The “ absolute risk reduction ” is relatively small and is being downplayed by the vaccine manufacturers .
This is a calculation of how much the vaccine reduces the likelihood that a person would become infected .
For example , if a non-vaccinated person has a 50 % chance of becoming infected with a disease , and a vaccinated person has a 10 % chance , then the “ absolute risk reduction ” would be 40 % .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Pfizer and Moderna are estimated to be less than 1 % .
For the Pfizer vaccine , it ’ s only about 0.4 % reduction .
For the Moderna vaccine , it ’ s only about 0.6 % reduction in the risk of having a detectable infection ( and less than 0.1 % reduction in the risk of getting a “ severe ” infection ) .
Thus , for the Moderna vaccine “ to prevent one severe illness 1370 individuals must be vaccinated .
The other 1369 individuals are not saved from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vaccine adverse effects , whatever they may be and whenever we learn about them.
” 94 cases in a trial that has enrolled about 40,000 subjects : 8 cases in a vaccine group of 20,000 and 86 cases in a placebo group of 20,000 .
This yields a Covid-19 attack rate of 0.0004 in the vaccine group and 0.0043 in the placebo group .
Relative risk ( RR ) for vaccination = 0.093 , which translates into a “ vaccine effectiveness ” of 90.7 % [ 100 ( 1-0.093 ) ] .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk reduction for an individual is only about 0.4 % ( 0.0043-0.0004=0.0039 ) .
The Number Needed To Vaccinate ( NNTV ) = 256 ( 1/0.0039 ) , which means that to prevent just 1 Covid-19 case 256 individuals must get the vaccine ; the other 255 individuals derive no benefit , but are subject to vaccine adverse effects , whatever they may be and whenever we learn about them……We ’ ve already heard that an early effect of the vaccine is “ like a hangover or the flu.
” Will vaccinees who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ severe illness as a result of antibody-dependent enhancement of infection ( ADEI ) , a known hazard of coronavirus vaccines ?
Is there squalene in the Pfizer vaccine ?
If so , will vaccinees be subject to autoimmune diseases , like Gulf War Syndrome and narcolepsy that have been associated with the adjuvant ?
When Pfizer said its vaccine may be “ more than 90 % effective ” this meant that during the vaccine trial , 8 people ( out of 20,000 ) in the vaccinated group became infected , while 86 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ placebo group became infected , giving an effectiveness of 90.7 % ( based on the relative risk reduction , not the absolute risk reduction ) .
If 80 % of these trial participants were already immune prior to this trial , then the non-immune people would be 20 % ( or 4,000 in each group ) , and the “ effectiveness ” based on relative risk reduction to the non-immune people would still be 90.7 % .
Imagine a vaccine trial where the entire population of the United States participates , with half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting a placebo .
If only 86 unvaccinated people ( out of 165 million unvaccinated ) become infected , while 8 vaccinated people ( out of 165 million vaccinated ) become infected , then the trial result would still be “ more than 90 % effective ” even though the infection rates are such a tiny percentage of the population .
To me , these are the more relevant numbers coming out of that Pfizer trial : 99.57 % of the unvaccinated people did not become infected .
99.96 % of the vaccinated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk reduction = 99.96 % – 99.57 % = 0.39 % Ergo , to reduce our risk of getting infected by 0.4 % or 0.6 % , we will now all have to be vaccinated and carry vaccination passports with us if we want to be part of “ regular ” society , even as the Pfizer CEO himself admitted the company has no idea whether being vaccinated provides us with any protection from infecting others .
Excuse me ?
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Thank you for your support .
Support the Automatic Earth in virustime , election time , all the time .
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by Raúl Ilargi Meijer
Giorgio de Chirico Piazza d’Italia 1913
A -short- look at how vaccine makers like Pfizer and Moderna get to claim a 90% or even 95% efficacy for their products, with the help of regular Automatic Earth commenter Doc Robinson (not a medical doctor) and his quotes from the British Medical Journal (BMJ). The way the companies report their efficacy may be normal in their circles, but will, in the “normal” world, be experienced as confusing if not outright misleading.
What they do -simplified-, let’s take the Pfizer report, is they have 20,000 volunteers who get a vaccine, in this case 8 are infected, and that gives a result of -well- over 90% efficacy. But that is largely meaningless, because it appears to assume that all remaining 19,992 volunteers would have gotten infected if not for the vaccine.
To give this meaning, the world of science has long insisted on control groups (placebo groups), in this case also 20,000 strong, who don’t get a vaccine. If you know how many in that group are infected, you know -much better- hoe effective the vaccine is. Turns out, in the control group 86 out of 20,000 were infected. More than 8, but much less than 20,000. 19,914 unvaccinated people never got infected.
The 90%-95% numbers “measure” relative risk reduction. The absolute risk reduction is completely different. In the Pfizer case, 99.57% of the unvaccinated people did not become infected, while 99.96% of the vaccinated people did not become infected. Therefore, the absolute risk reduction is 99.96% – 99.57% = 0.39%. While there remain many questions swirling around the mid- to long term effects of taking the vaccine.
You would think this is the most relevant information out there for those thinking about being vaccinated or not, and not the 95% relative risk reduction. But the latter info is what is reported. And sure, it sounds much better.
Here are a few excerpts from British Medical Journal pieces as Doc Robinson selected them earlier this week:
(Comment Doc Robinson)
(British Medical Journal)
“…leading both companies to claim around 95% efficacy. Let’s put this in perspective. First, a relative risk reduction is being reported, not absolute risk reduction, which appears to be less than 1%. Second, these results refer to the trials’ primary endpoint of covid-19 of essentially any severity, and importantly not the vaccine’s ability to save lives, nor the ability to prevent infection, nor the efficacy in important subgroups (e.g. frail elderly). Those still remain unknown. Third, these results reflect a time point relatively soon after vaccination, and we know nothing about vaccine performance at 3, 6, or 12 months, so cannot compare these efficacy numbers against other vaccines like influenza vaccines (which are judged over a season). Fourth, children, adolescents, and immunocompromised individuals were largely excluded from the trials, so we still lack any data on these important populations. I previously argued that the trials are studying the wrong endpoint, and for an urgent need to correct course and study more important endpoints like prevention of severe disease and transmission in high risk people. Yet…”
(Comment Doc Robinson)
(British Medical Journal)
Moderna’s phase III trial has shown that, so far, the vaccine is 94.5% effective. (Mahase, BMJ 2020;371:m4471, November 17) As with the Pfizer vaccine news release, few numbers are provided, but we can approximate the absolute risk reduction for a vaccinated individual and the Number Needed To Vaccinate (NNTV): There were 90 cases of Covid-19 illness in a placebo group of 15,000 (0.006) and 5 cases in a vaccine group of 15,000 (0.00033). This yields an absolute risk reduction of 0.00567 and NNTV = 176 (1/0.00567).
There were 11 severe illnesses, all in the placebo group, for an absolute risk reduction of 0.00073 and NNTV = 1370. So to prevent one severe illness 1370 individuals must be vaccinated. The other 1369 individuals are not saved from a severe illness, but are subject to vaccine adverse effects, whatever they may be and whenever we learn about them… Shouldn’t absolute risk reduction be reported so individuals can make fully informed decisions about vaccinations?
(Comment Doc Robinson)
Some questions about the effectiveness of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, from the British Medical Journal BMJ. The “absolute risk reduction” is relatively small and is being downplayed by the vaccine manufacturers. This is a calculation of how much the vaccine reduces the likelihood that a person would become infected.
For example, if a non-vaccinated person has a 50% chance of becoming infected with a disease, and a vaccinated person has a 10% chance, then the “absolute risk reduction” would be 40%. The absolute risk reductions for the Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are estimated to be less than 1%.
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For the Pfizer vaccine, it’s only about 0.4% reduction. For the Moderna vaccine, it’s only about 0.6% reduction in the risk of having a detectable infection (and less than 0.1% reduction in the risk of getting a “severe” infection).
Thus, for the Moderna vaccine “to prevent one severe illness 1370 individuals must be vaccinated. The other 1369 individuals are not saved from a severe illness, but are subject to vaccine adverse effects, whatever they may be and whenever we learn about them.”
(British Medical Journal)
94 cases in a trial that has enrolled about 40,000 subjects: 8 cases in a vaccine group of 20,000 and 86 cases in a placebo group of 20,000. This yields a Covid-19 attack rate of 0.0004 in the vaccine group and 0.0043 in the placebo group. Relative risk (RR) for vaccination = 0.093, which translates into a “vaccine effectiveness” of 90.7% [100(1-0.093)]. This sounds impressive, but the absolute risk reduction for an individual is only about 0.4% (0.0043-0.0004=0.0039).
The Number Needed To Vaccinate (NNTV) = 256 (1/0.0039), which means that to prevent just 1 Covid-19 case 256 individuals must get the vaccine; the other 255 individuals derive no benefit, but are subject to vaccine adverse effects, whatever they may be and whenever we learn about them……We’ve already heard that an early effect of the vaccine is “like a hangover or the flu.” Will vaccinees who are later exposed to coronaviruses have more severe illness as a result of antibody-dependent enhancement of infection (ADEI), a known hazard of coronavirus vaccines? Is there squalene in the Pfizer vaccine? If so, will vaccinees be subject to autoimmune diseases, like Gulf War Syndrome and narcolepsy that have been associated with the adjuvant?
(Comment Doc Robinson)
When Pfizer said its vaccine may be “more than 90% effective” this meant that during the vaccine trial, 8 people (out of 20,000) in the vaccinated group became infected, while 86 people (out of 20,000) in the placebo group became infected, giving an effectiveness of 90.7% (based on the relative risk reduction, not the absolute risk reduction). If 80% of these trial participants were already immune prior to this trial, then the non-immune people would be 20% (or 4,000 in each group), and the “effectiveness” based on relative risk reduction to the non-immune people would still be 90.7%.
Imagine a vaccine trial where the entire population of the United States participates, with half the people getting the vaccine and half getting a placebo. If only 86 unvaccinated people (out of 165 million unvaccinated) become infected, while 8 vaccinated people (out of 165 million vaccinated) become infected, then the trial result would still be “more than 90% effective” even though the infection rates are such a tiny percentage of the population.
To me, these are the more relevant numbers coming out of that Pfizer trial:
99.57% of the unvaccinated people did not become infected.
99.96% of the vaccinated people did not become infected.
Absolute risk reduction = 99.96% – 99.57% = 0.39%
Ergo, to reduce our risk of getting infected by 0.4% or 0.6%, we will now all have to be vaccinated and carry vaccination passports with us if we want to be part of “regular” society, even as the Pfizer CEO himself admitted the company has no idea whether being vaccinated provides us with any protection from infecting others. Excuse me?
We try to run the Automatic Earth on donations. Since ad revenue has collapsed, you are now not just a reader, but an integral part of the process that builds this site.
Click at the top of the sidebars for Paypal and Patreon donations. Thank you for your support.
Support the Automatic Earth in virustime, election time, all the time. Click at the top of the sidebars to donate with Paypal and Patreon.


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-07--Nothing to see here…It’s just the Military Court clearing off its docket for the next 10 days (endin

Nothing to see here…It’s just the Military Court clearing off its docket for the next 10 days (ending on the 16th).

so , um , is this a regular occurrence ?
any “ military court ” scholars want to explain how @ @ @ @ @ holiday season or some other explanation ?
Perhaps it ’ s COVID related ?
I @ @ @ @ @ the next couple weeks or so will be among the most interesting in US history @

Nothing to see here. It's just the Military Court clearing off its docket for the next 10 days (ending on the 16th). pic.twitter.com/Be8wNDP96X — AwakenedOutlaw⚒ (@AwakenedOutlaw) December 6, 2020
image.
so, um, is this a regular occurrence? any “military court” scholars want to explain how this is typical for the holiday season or some other explanation? Perhaps it’s COVID related?
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I cannot help but think the next couple weeks or so will be among the most interesting in US history.
h/t axolotl_peyotl


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-07--Jacques Vallee outed the private contractor that holds controls intelligence agencies and the milita

Jacques Vallee outed the private contractor that holds controls intelligence agencies and the military.

It appears to be a 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) company that does n't pay taxes and controls almost every sector of science , technology , metallurgy , biological threats , missile defense , vaccines , aerospace , cyber security , maritime technology , genomics , ecology , chemistry , drug delivery , and more .
pic.twitter.com/UuS8NDnWw4 Jacques Vallee just outed this company on Joe Rogan 's podcast as the Private Contractor that has power over the Intelligence Services and the Military .
Because it is a 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) it is not subject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normal channels of government and business .
In his appearance on the Joe Rogan Podcast , Jacques Vallee said that the entity that controls the Phenomenon in our government and controls the Intelligence Agencies like the CIA is a Private Contractor .
He then goes on to say that a company called the Battelle Memorial Institute is the one that sent the memo cancelling the US government ’ s planned disclosure event to the assembled scientists and academics .
If you look into this company , they are a 501 ( c ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t pay taxes , is not subject to FOIA requests , and has clearance under the Atomic Secrets Classification , not the State or Executive .
This company has been around since the 20 ’ s and is appears to control every sector of science , defense , and society .
They have their hands in : Chemical Demilitarization , High Hazards , Threat Assessment , Cyber tools , Microelectronics , Metallurgy , Advanced Robotics , Missile Defense Systems , Tactical Equipment , AI , Armored Vehicles , Forensic Genomics , Aviation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Materials Science , Drug Delivery , Vaccines , In Vitro Tech , Bioweapons , Neurotechnology , Toxicology , Health , Military Health , Advanced Materials , and much much more .
They own and control the Brookhaven National Laboratory , Idaho National Laboratory , Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory , Los Alamos National Laboratory , National Renewable Energy Laboratory , Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Pacific Northwest National Laboratory , National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center , and the National Ecological Observatory Network .
They developed the first nuclear fuel rods for nuclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ algorithms and coatings used in the space programs , and an endless amount of other seemingly impossible discoveries .
Does anyone know anything about this company ?
I thought that this revelation was the most shocking part of the Podcast and want to look into it .

by Tha_Dude_Abidez
It appears to be a 501(c)(3) company that doesn't pay taxes and controls almost every sector of science, technology, metallurgy, biological threats, missile defense, vaccines, aerospace, cyber security, maritime technology, genomics, ecology, chemistry, drug delivery, and more. pic.twitter.com/UuS8NDnWw4
Jacques Vallee just outed this company on Joe Rogan's podcast as the Private Contractor that has power over the Intelligence Services and the Military. Because it is a 501(c)(3) it is not subject to FOI requests and operates outside the normal channels of government and business.
In his appearance on the Joe Rogan Podcast, Jacques Vallee said that the entity that controls the Phenomenon in our government and controls the Intelligence Agencies like the CIA is a Private Contractor. He then goes on to say that a company called the Battelle Memorial Institute is the one that sent the memo cancelling the US government’s planned disclosure event to the assembled scientists and academics.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battelle_Memorial_Institute
www.battelle.org/
If you look into this company, they are a 501(c)(3) company that doesn’t pay taxes, is not subject to FOIA requests, and has clearance under the Atomic Secrets Classification, not the State or Executive.
This company has been around since the 20’s and is appears to control every sector of science, defense, and society.
They have their hands in:
Chemical Demilitarization, High Hazards, Threat Assessment, Cyber tools, Microelectronics, Metallurgy, Advanced Robotics, Missile Defense Systems, Tactical Equipment, AI, Armored Vehicles, Forensic Genomics, Aviation, Aerospace, Ecology, Chemistry, Energy, Materials Science, Drug Delivery, Vaccines, In Vitro Tech, Bioweapons, Neurotechnology, Toxicology, Health, Military Health, Advanced Materials, and much much more.
They own and control the Brookhaven National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, and the National Ecological Observatory Network.
They developed the first nuclear fuel rods for nuclear reactors, numerous advances in metallurgy, algorithms and coatings used in the space programs, and an endless amount of other seemingly impossible discoveries.
Does anyone know anything about this company? I thought that this revelation was the most shocking part of the Podcast and want to look into it.


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-07--This is Fulton County Director of Elections Richard Barron, who just yesterday said that no one offi

This is Fulton County Director of Elections Richard Barron, who just yesterday said that no one officially told observers to leave and that they just left of their own accord, caught on video contradicting himself.

Here ’ s the tweet with the video : There is seriously some shady shit going down on a multi @ @ @ @ @ think it ’ s not as widespread as the Trump campaign may think .
There @ @ @ @ @ on in NJ but other than that only GA , NV , WI , PA @ @ @ @ @ MN .
The rest of the states have their shit together .

Here’s the tweet with the video:
twitter.com/PatriotChicago/status/1335561522211418113?s=20
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There is seriously some shady shit going down on a multi state scale. I personally think it’s not as widespread as the Trump campaign may think. There may be a smidge going on in NJ but other than that only GA, NV, WI, PA, AZ, MI, MN. The rest of the states have their shit together.
h/t therightisthenewleft


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-07--Worth a dig? Chinese recently purchased over 180K acres of Texas ranch land near runway of the US’s

Worth a dig? Chinese recently purchased over 180K acres of Texas ranch land near runway of the US’s largest pilot training base for the Air Force. On the US/Mex boarder w/ a private air strip/runway.

This ranch land also sits on the US border with Mexico and boasts a 30,000 sq ft lodge and a @ @ @ @ @ Chinese owners ferry people and cargo in and out of the border region with limited @ @ @ @ @ authorities .
This must STOP 🛑 .
# China # Cartels

This ranch land also sits on the US border with Mexico and boasts a 30,000 sq ft lodge and a private runway which helps the Chinese owners ferry people and cargo in and out of the border region with limited to no oversight by US authorities. This must STOP 🛑. #China #Cartels
— 🇺🇸Kyle Bass🇺🇸 (@Jkylebass) December 5, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-07--America Closes Down — People Get Shafted As Monopolies Take Over!

Comedian Jimmy Dore analyzes the lack of support by Washington to keep small businesses and working families afloat in this @ @ @ @ @ where many are without jobs , going hungry , and unable to pay rent and @ @ @ @ @ other major western countries are paying at least 75 % of their people ’ s @ @ @ @ @ of work but in America we are paying 0 % of their wages so people @ @ @ @ @ COMMITTING SUICIDE as a result .
He also points out that companies like Target and @ @ @ @ @ record profits while small businesses are forced to close permanently .
He calls for 15 @ @ @ @ @ of Representatives to withhold their support for Pelosi as Speaker of the House until she @ @ @ @ @ for All , a policy with widespread and majoritarian support across party lines .

Comedian Jimmy Dore analyzes the lack of support by Washington to keep small businesses and working families afloat in this pandemic and resulting economic depression where many are without jobs, going hungry, and unable to pay rent and mortgages. He shows how other major western countries are paying at least 75% of their people’s wages as they are out of work but in America we are paying 0% of their wages so people are left destitute and even COMMITTING SUICIDE as a result. He also points out that companies like Target and Walmart and Amazon are making record profits while small businesses are forced to close permanently. He calls for 15 progressive members of the House of Representatives to withhold their support for Pelosi as Speaker of the House until she holds a vote on Medicare for All, a policy with widespread and majoritarian support across party lines.
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h/t Progressive007


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-07--LEFTIST RECEIVING PAYCHECK MOCKS THOSE WHO AREN’T:

Related : Protests show two Americas — those who lost their jobs and those still getting paid .
There ’ s a huge Covid class divide .
The economy has not just bounded back for upper income Americans ; it ’ s given them higher housing values and lower interest rates .
Meanwhile , 12 million service industry workers are still out of work .
Small businesses are struggling .
The affluent see Covid as a health problem , while for the working class it ’ s about economic survival .
And liberals are doing the same thing they did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as science and facts and morality .
The politicians are even worse .
Instead of coming up with a clean Covid bill , Democrats are now trying to pressure Biden into student loan forgiveness .
Can you believe it ?
What kind of society thinks it ’ s ok to ask 12 million people who lost their jobs to Covid to foot the bill for the student loans of the top 40 % of earners ?
Sure , maybe it will accidentally help someone in a food line who dropped out of college @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work .
The Covid recession is over for them .
Why are the Democrats designing legislation to help the people who need it least , in the belief that some of the benefits might trickle down to help those who need it most ?

Pete Davidson rips Staten Island’s anti-COVID-19 lockdown ‘babies’ on ‘SNL.’
UPDATE (FROM GLENN):
Related: Protests show two Americas — those who lost their jobs and those still getting paid.
Also, from a lefty source:
There’s a huge Covid class divide. The economy has not just bounded back for upper income Americans; it’s given them higher housing values and lower interest rates. Meanwhile, 12 million service industry workers are still out of work. Small businesses are struggling. The affluent see Covid as a health problem, while for the working class it’s about economic survival. And liberals are doing the same thing they did with Trump: Clothing their class privilege as science and facts and morality.
The politicians are even worse. Instead of coming up with a clean Covid bill, Democrats are now trying to pressure Biden into student loan forgiveness. Can you believe it? What kind of society thinks it’s ok to ask 12 million people who lost their jobs to Covid to foot the bill for the student loans of the top 40% of earners? Sure, maybe it will accidentally help someone in a food line who dropped out of college. But college-educated Americans are back at work. The Covid recession is over for them. Why are the Democrats designing legislation to help the people who need it least, in the belief that some of the benefits might trickle down to help those who need it most?


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-07--US forces send 43 military, logistic vehicles to Syria’s oil-rich Hasakah

Another US convoy consisting of 43 vehicles laden with weapons , military equipment , and logistic reinforcement has arrived in @ @ @ @ @ province of Hasakah from Iraq .
Syria ’ s official news agency , SANA citing @ @ @ @ @ Sunday that the US convoy from northern Iraq arrived in Syria ’ s volatile province @ @ @ @ @ crossing earlier in the day .
It added that the convoy consisted of trucks , @ @ @ @ @ and covered military cars , as well as a number of cars belonging to the @ @ @ @ @ SDF ) , a Washington-backed militant group .
The SDF , which is believed to @ @ @ @ @ oil and mineral resources , is an alliance of Kurdish militants operating against Damascus and @ @ @ @ @ in northern and eastern Syria .

Another US convoy consisting of 43 vehicles laden with weapons, military equipment, and logistic reinforcement has arrived in Syria’s oil-rich northeastern province of Hasakah from Iraq.
Syria’s official news agency, SANA citing local sources, reported on Sunday that the US convoy from northern Iraq arrived in Syria’s volatile province through the illegal al-Walid border crossing earlier in the day.
It added that the convoy consisted of trucks, refrigerators, tankers carrying caravans and covered military cars, as well as a number of cars belonging to the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Washington-backed militant group.
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The SDF, which is believed to be pillaging Syria’s oil and mineral resources, is an alliance of Kurdish militants operating against Damascus and is in control of areas in northern and eastern Syria.
www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/06/640155/Syria-US-convoy-weapons-Hasakah-SDF-oil


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-07--Florida requires labs to report ‘ cycle threshold’ of all covid test results!

The Florida Department of Health is requiring that all labs in the state report the critical “ cycle threshold ” @ @ @ @ @ they perform .
In a press release this week , the department said that , @ @ @ @ @ cycle threshold ( CT ) values and their reference ranges , as applicable , must @ @ @ @ @ FDOH via electronic laboratory reporting or by fax immediately .
”

The Florida Department of Health is requiring that all labs in the state report the critical “cycle threshold” level of every COVID-19 test they perform.
In a press release this week, the department said that, regarding COVID-19 tests, “cycle threshold (CT) values and their reference ranges, as applicable, must be reported by laboratories to FDOH via electronic laboratory reporting or by fax immediately.”
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justthenews.com/politics-policy/coronavirus/florida-requiring-labs-report-critical-cycle-threshold-covid-19-tests


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-07--iRobot – A possible undervalued company in a skyrocketing tech sector

I just went through $ IRBT and I wanted to share with you my findings , any comments , thoughts and critiques are deeply appreciated .
The company is growing : ROIC is high ( 46 % ) , 10y EPS ( 23.4 % ) , BV ( 14 % ) , FCF ( 6 % ) and Revenue ( 12.6 % ) all improving .
A quick ten cap valuation ( owner earnings per share are 9.05 estimated ) suggests a modestly undervalued price so I ran a FCFE valuation ( Damodaran based spreadsheet ) and I have estimated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 43 % Margin of safety ) .
Financial conditions are good : no debt , good cash and profit margin higher than 5 % .
Personally I think they have a moat to rely on : their products are known and they are leader in a market niche like robotic vacuums ( estimated market share is 54 % ) .
The management is experienced and they decided to enter also in the education sector with a programmable robot .
This move in my opinion , will have a positive footprint on next generations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ image for iRobot .
They also act like a Venture Capital firm as they provide funds to startups in the tech sector and eventually they have a return on those investments , both in intellectual property and on a financial point of view .
They have invested in firms alongside Amazon for eg .
in the startup “ labrador ” .
Biggest short term threat are tariffs , as they import their manufactured products from China .
Until Dec. the gvnmt has decided to suspend duties for them but next year with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be charged or not ( personally I think not but if anybody wants to share their thoughts is deeply appreciated ) .
I think it is a short term threat that is affecting the price of the stock , though it could be a good opportunity to go long at this levels for the long run .
Also the current situation with the “ stay-at-home ” , can have a big impact on the company ’ s sales as people start to care more about their houses and the cleaning .
-Positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -Moat : wide as they are leader in a market niche ; -Management : experienced and took good decisions that can improve brand image ; -Market conditions : people understand that taking care of their home is important , it is a possible opportunity for the company .
Disclosure : I have no position in $ IRBT this is only a personal view and I just wanted to share with you my findings .
I ’ m looking for any suggestions and comments , these are deeply appreciated Disclaimer : This information is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make any investment decisions based on the information in this article .
Do you own due diligence or consult your financial professional before making any investment decision .

by HeyImLuca
I just went through $IRBT and I wanted to share with you my findings, any comments, thoughts and critiques are deeply appreciated. The company is growing: ROIC is high (46%), 10y EPS (23.4%), BV (14%), FCF (6%) and Revenue (12.6%) all improving . A quick ten cap valuation (owner earnings per share are 9.05 estimated) suggests a modestly undervalued price so I ran a FCFE valuation (Damodaran based spreadsheet) and I have estimated a fair value of 134$ (43% Margin of safety). Financial conditions are good: no debt, good cash and profit margin higher than 5%. Personally I think they have a moat to rely on: their products are known and they are leader in a market niche like robotic vacuums (estimated market share is 54%). The management is experienced and they decided to enter also in the education sector with a programmable robot. This move in my opinion, will have a positive footprint on next generations and will generate positive returns in brand image for iRobot. They also act like a Venture Capital firm as they provide funds to startups in the tech sector and eventually they have a return on those investments, both in intellectual property and on a financial point of view. They have invested in firms alongside Amazon for eg. in the startup “labrador”. Biggest short term threat are tariffs, as they import their manufactured products from China. Until Dec. the gvnmt has decided to suspend duties for them but next year with the new administration nobody already knows if they will be charged or not (personally I think not but if anybody wants to share their thoughts is deeply appreciated). I think it is a short term threat that is affecting the price of the stock, though it could be a good opportunity to go long at this levels for the long run. Also the current situation with the “stay-at-home”, can have a big impact on the company’s sales as people start to care more about their houses and the cleaning.
TL;DR: $IRBT analysis:
-Positive growth in the last 10 years;
-43% undervalued based on FCFE valuation;
-Outstanding financial conditions: no debt, good margins;
-Moat: wide as they are leader in a market niche;
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-Management: experienced and took good decisions that can improve brand image;
-Short term threat: tariffs;
-Market conditions: people understand that taking care of their home is important, it is a possible opportunity for the company.

Disclosure: I have no position in $IRBT this is only a personal view and I just wanted to share with you my findings. I’m looking for any suggestions and comments, these are deeply appreciated
Disclaimer: This information is only for educational purposes. Do not make any investment decisions based on the information in this article. Do you own due diligence or consult your financial professional before making any investment decision.


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-07--Top Tips to Improve Your Personal Finances

In today ’ s time , if you have money , you have access to everything that you want .
However , with the abundance of marketing campaigns around , it is common for us to splurge and not save .
This is why millions of people struggle with fulfilling their long term goals .
In simple words , you need money to suffice for your basic needs and also to settle for a top-notch lifestyle .
Gone are the days when people would settle for less because everyone is obsessed with living their dreams .
However , for this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saving from now .
Make sure to go through your current finances and identify the loopholes .
People who don ’ t master the art of saving can never be successful in the long term .
This is why experts have emphasized the concept of personal finances to improve your financial health in the future .
In this feature , we will sift you through some of the easiest ways to magnify your personal finance .
Continue reading till the end diligently : The first and easiest way to manage your personal finance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you don ’ t have a perspective on the monthly spending , you won ’ t be able to take the next step .
Secondly , you need to aggregate the value of all of your belongings to arrive at the net worth .
Unless you don ’ t know about your current net worth , it will be hard for you to manage long term goals .
However , the net worth does change with time and can fluctuate .
Please make a list of your monthly expenses and prioritize them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for you to manage everything .
Your expenses should be put in different categories , such as education , food , transport , utilities , savings , etc .
So once you have managed all of this , you are good to go with personal finance .
Go through the palm beach letter if you want to know about the importance of saving for yourself in the long run .
Simply put , when people begin to earn a lot of money , they are inclined towards spending more .
With inflation being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people to save .
If you continue to splurge on lifestyle , you will never be able to save in the long run .
Today , people are obsessed with the desire to keep up with the elite of society .
However , the truth be told , everyone has a different circle in their lives .
If you continue to dine in the most exquisite restaurants in town , it will be hard for you to save in the long run .
Even if you begin to earn a lot of money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take yourself for granted .
Always embrace lifestyle inflation and try ti out a cut on your expenses .
If you don ’ t have hands-on experience managing personal finance , it is in your best interest to consider professional help .
An expert will sift you through the right way to manage your finances in this highly expensive world .
When was the last time you planned for emergency cash ?
Do you have enough money to cater for unforeseen events ?
If not , now is the best time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Although personal finances are made to cater for emergency events , it is best for you to have some money aside .
For instance , if you manage to save even $ 1000 a year , you must put this money aside and despise using it .
Make sure to check your balance every time you make a purchase .
Especially now , with online shopping being a major obsession , all of us end up spending more than what we can afford .
This is why it is best to put a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mind , as soon as you begin to save , you will quickly sift towards your long term financial goals .
If you can not save money , it is best if you can ask someone in your home to make this effort for you .
Disclaimer : This content does not necessarily represent the views of IWB .

In today’s time, if you have money, you have access to everything that you want. However, with the abundance of marketing campaigns around, it is common for us to splurge and not save. This is why millions of people struggle with fulfilling their long term goals. In simple words, you need money to suffice for your basic needs and also to settle for a top-notch lifestyle. Gone are the days when people would settle for less because everyone is obsessed with living their dreams. However, for this to happen, you need to start saving from now. Make sure to go through your current finances and identify the loopholes. People who don’t master the art of saving can never be successful in the long term. This is why experts have emphasized the concept of personal finances to improve your financial health in the future. In this feature, we will sift you through some of the easiest ways to magnify your personal finance. Continue reading till the end diligently:
Create Your Budget
The first and easiest way to manage your personal finance is to carve your budget. Unless you don’t have a perspective on the monthly spending, you won’t be able to take the next step. Secondly, you need to aggregate the value of all of your belongings to arrive at the net worth. Unless you don’t know about your current net worth, it will be hard for you to manage long term goals. However, the net worth does change with time and can fluctuate. Please make a list of your monthly expenses and prioritize them. This way, it will become easier for you to manage everything. Your expenses should be put in different categories, such as education, food, transport, utilities, savings, etc. So once you have managed all of this, you are good to go with personal finance. Go through the palm beach letter if you want to know about the importance of saving for yourself in the long run.
Acknowledge Inflation
Simply put, when people begin to earn a lot of money, they are inclined towards spending more. With inflation being omnipresent, it is hard for such people to save. If you continue to splurge on lifestyle, you will never be able to save in the long run. Today, people are obsessed with the desire to keep up with the elite of society. However, the truth be told, everyone has a different circle in their lives. If you continue to dine in the most exquisite restaurants in town, it will be hard for you to save in the long run. Even if you begin to earn a lot of money, it is best for you not to take yourself for granted. Always embrace lifestyle inflation and try ti out a cut on your expenses. If you don’t have hands-on experience managing personal finance, it is in your best interest to consider professional help. An expert will sift you through the right way to manage your finances in this highly expensive world.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Have Savings
When was the last time you planned for emergency cash? Do you have enough money to cater for unforeseen events? If not, now is the best time to give a thought to this idea. Although personal finances are made to cater for emergency events, it is best for you to have some money aside. For instance, if you manage to save even $1000 a year, you must put this money aside and despise using it. Make sure to check your balance every time you make a purchase. Especially now, with online shopping being a major obsession, all of us end up spending more than what we can afford. This is why it is best to put a cut on the expenses. Keep in mind, as soon as you begin to save, you will quickly sift towards your long term financial goals. If you cannot save money, it is best if you can ask someone in your home to make this effort for you.
Disclaimer: This content does not necessarily represent the views of IWB.


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-08--Inflation Is Back, Big-Time… and it’s just a matter of time before people start to notice and act ac

Inflation Is Back, Big-Time… and it’s just a matter of time before people start to notice and act accordingly.

The conventional view of inflation is that it ’ s not only low , but dangerously low and in need of aggressive encouragement .
But that view is becoming increasingly hard to defend , given all the things that are soaring in price .
Consider : The above charts show the price action in industrial commodities that , while not something individual consumers tend to buy ( and therefore not part of the official “ cost of living ” ) do affect the price of consumer goods .
In other words , when they go up , so eventually do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buildings .
Speaking of buildings , the next chart shows US home prices – which have been rising steadily since the bottom of the last recession – steepening this year .
Note the upward inflection at the right of the chart .
Home prices are now higher than they were during the previous decade ’ s housing bubble , and they ’ re accelerating .
And last but not least , the US dollar – whose rate of decline is the official definition of inflation – has begun to fall versus not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crappy fiat currencies .
Add it all up and today ’ s world has emphatically stopped looking deflationary or even disinflationary .
Price increases have morphed from isolated to wide-spread , and it ’ s just a matter of time before people start to notice and act accordingly .

BY JOHN RUBINO
The conventional view of inflation is that it’s not only low, but dangerously low and in need of aggressive encouragement.
But that view is becoming increasingly hard to defend, given all the things that are soaring in price. Consider:
The above charts show the price action in industrial commodities that, while not something individual consumers tend to buy (and therefore not part of the official “cost of living”) do affect the price of consumer goods. In other words, when they go up, so eventually do the prices of cars, TVs and buildings.
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Speaking of buildings, the next chart shows US home prices – which have been rising steadily since the bottom of the last recession – steepening this year. Note the upward inflection at the right of the chart. Home prices are now higher than they were during the previous decade’s housing bubble, and they’re accelerating.
And last but not least, the US dollar – whose rate of decline is the official definition of inflation – has begun to fall versus not just real things but even against the other crappy fiat currencies.
Add it all up and today’s world has emphatically stopped looking deflationary or even disinflationary. Price increases have morphed from isolated to wide-spread, and it’s just a matter of time before people start to notice and act accordingly.