investmentwatchblog--2020-06-15--Defunding Police – Is This the Right Choice or the Next Step in Revolution?

All of the protests making this a racist issue have distorted the real problem which remains immunity created by the Supreme Court .
We must look at these protests in their historical context for calling them simply racist rather than abuse of power hides them from the view of these events forming part of a revolutionary cycle .
We must step back and look at these events not in the context of simply race or those who have exploited this to simply loot stores .
The central position is one of police brutality and the lack of any accountability .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ than blacks which further illustrates that this is not a racist problem but one of no accountability because of this qualified immunity which is not supported by the constitution .
This should not be Black Lives Matter , but ALL Lives Matter .
The riots have spread worldwide as in Paris over police abuse further illustrating that the core issue is the fact that governments are not accountable to the people .
Why has this one incident cascaded into a global contagion ?
Because of this COVID-19 virus abuse of locking people down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs which has exceeded 300 million on a worldwide basis , this provides the incentive to protest regardless of the incident .
Following the Panic of 1837 , massive unemployment took place and this was the period when the Irish immigrants where fleeing to the United States .
This resulted in actual gun battles on the streets in Philadelphia because the Irish were willing to work for less during a period of significant unemployment .
It is simply human nature to rise up during economic declines .
During the Great Depression , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demanding their promised bonuses .
The Hoover government sent in the troops even with tanks in 1932 to force them to leave .
We saw the same with the Coxley ’ s Army which was the march on Washington following the Panic of 1893 and massive unemployment .
What the governments have done with these lockdowns have set the stage for these protests .
It is only human nature to take that frustration out after losing your job and this issue of the police has simply exposed the corruption within the entire system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We can not attribute this exclusively to racism .
This has been the first global contagion of a mass uprising because governments have suppressed the rights of the people , destroyed their jobs , and have abused their power in destroying the livelihood of so many people .
Many police forces have militarized and this creates the image mentally of an opposing force against the people .
Suddenly , we now see the technology companies who have been so actively assisting governments to go after the public from illegal red-light cameras to creating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognition software to target individuals .
Camera and facial recognition software track who is even walking down the street .
These high tech companies are suddenly realizing perhaps they have been on the wrong side of history and it would not take much for the mob to turn against the companies that have helped create this police state .
IBM disavowed the facial recognition technology entirely and CEO Arvind Krishna condemned its use “ by other vendors , for mass surveillance , racial profiling , violations of basic human rights and freedoms.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moratorium on police use of its Rekognition software , closely followed by Microsoft ’ s promise not to sell the technology to US police .
These companies have had no problem exploiting the public for profit .
These are the same technology companies who jumped at the chance of creating tracking apps for this orchestrated coronavirus all to further erode our basic human rights .
Then there is Bill Gates who wants to track every person on the planet and pushing his ID 2020 and digital vaccine markers claiming he is not destroying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ updates windows downloading everything you look for so they can sell your computer use to companies for advertising .
This entire issue of rioting against the police is historically part of the Revolutionary Cycle .
We have already reached Stage TWO which is a serious warning of what lies ahead .
The FIRST STAGE in a revolution is always the the rise of intellectual whistleblower disagreement which government simply ignores as a passing phase .
This stage is the realization of corruption and and injustice of governmental rule .
Perhaps the symbolization of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the government was violating the constitution and abusing its power against the people constructing a 100 % surveillance state tapping into every phone call and email account of every citizen .
Then there was the British whistleblower Katharine Gun who they charged but could not put on trial without exposing themselves .
They labelled both as a traitors as if the government possessed inherent power of sovereignty and the people were the great unwashed economic slaves .
As Thomas Pain described they confuse themselves as the political embodiment of the nation rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intellectual stage which governments refuse to admit mistakes and simply ignores the cries of injustice .
The SECOND STAGE is where the intellectual debates prove pointless and this is where the initial conflict begins .
This corruption has run its course and governments transform justice into their own self-interest .
This stage is usually accelerated by governments raising taxes in the midst of an economic decline .
The economic hardships may vary per individual but as a whole they will tend to focus upon the prosecutorial arm of government which includes the police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are moral under the pretense of simply following orders .
This is when history will typically produce some leader who can be a moderate that sees the problem and will often try to reason in order to reach a resolution which is ignored by the government .
This further intensifies the feelings of injustice especially in light of the economic decline .
The leadership can also be seized by extremists who demand complete change such a Lenin .
This initial stage results in the first demands change with protests rising .
The mobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reform because they then make demands that they want certain actions which go far beyond what they actually need .
This is where mobs will often turn to revenge rather than justice .
Governments will typically refuse to reform and become often very defensive .
In February 1761 , James Otis , Jr. ( 1725–1783 ) argued brilliantly against the Writs of Assistance that was authorized in 1660 by the King but became an instrument of tyranny in 1758 in the American colonies as a means to raise taxes .
Writs of Assistance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they suspected for any reason .
For nearly five hours , Otis made a brilliant oration in court against the Writs , but he lost the case , for what judge would ever rule against his master ?
John Adams later wrote that “ the child independence was then and there born , [ for ] every man of an immense crowded audience appeared to me to go away as I did , ready to take arms against writs of assistance.
” As Thrasymachus warned about 2600 years ago , justice is only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its form being democratical , aristocratical , or tyrannical .
Shakespeare ’ s famous line “ The first thing we do , let ’ s kill all the lawyers ” ( Henry VI , Part 2 , Act IV , Scene 2 ) reflects the injustice for the people could not hire a lawyer only the king making them prosecutors .
This stage is typically sparked by an economic decline which further breaks the employment and suppresses even harder the poor .
During the American Revolution the slogan was “ No Taxation without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the words of Marie Antoinette : “ Let them eat cake.
” The French Revolution began on Saturday June 7th , 1788 , when merchants closed down their shops as groups of 300 to 400 formed , armed with stones , sticks , axes , bars .
They seized cathedral ’ s bells which became a call to all French peasants which the crowd grew swiftly .
The Royal Navy soldiers injured a 75-year-old man with a bayonet drawing the first sight of blood .
The people became enraged tearing up the streets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down the roof-tiles on the soldiers .
The soldiers took refuge in a building and began to shoot through the windows into the crowd .
By six PM , a crowd estimated at ten thousand people began shouting “ Long live the parliament.
” They finally agreed to to refuse to pay all taxes not voted by the Estates-General and they demanded an end to arbitrary imprisonment – police abuse .
Maximilien Robespierre ( 1754-1794 ) pursued a planned socialist economy and he grew paranoid about any opposition and unleashed the Reign Of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Revolution .
He was overthrown by the moderates who had Robespierre executed on July 28 , 1794 .
His famous quote : “ The secret of freedom lies in educating people , whereas the secret of tyranny is in keeping them ignorant.
” This remains the core of fake news today .
Even Lenin who declared “ All Power to the Soviets ” ( Collected Works , Vol .
25 : June-September 1917 ( Moscow : Progress Publishers , 1964 ) , 155-56 ) presented a lucid strategic indication , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the construction of socialism through the seizure of power by the soviets .
Lenin elaborated : “ The imperialist war was bound , with objective inevitability…to turn into a civil war between the hostile classes ” ( Collected Works , Vol .
23 : August 1916-March 1917 ( Moscow : Progress Publishers , 1964 ) , 299 . )
In Russia , on Sunday , January 9th , 1905 , the people began to march unarmed and locking arms to see the Tsar .
Some carried religious icons and banners , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tsar .
At 2 pm all of the converging processions were scheduled to arrive at the Winter Palace in Russia .
There was no single confrontation with the troops .
The infantry was backed by Cossacks and Hussars .
As reported , the soldiers simply opened fire on the crowd and were not provoked .
The official number of victims was 92 dead and several hundred wounded .
Some leaders vanished and others were seized .
Expelled from the capital , they circulated through the empire telling everyone “ The Tsar will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the uprising , but this would only fuel the discontent in the years ahead .
Niccolò Machiavelli ( 1469-1527 ) explained that because people are “ quick to change their nature when they imagine they can improve their lot , ” he wrote , a leader must also be shrewd .
“ The fact is that a man who wants to act virtuously in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous .
Therefore , if a prince wants to maintain his rule he must be prepared not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use of this or not according to need.
” Machiavelli rejected the philosopher ’ s view of politics being a good leader is one who is humble , moral and honest .
Instead , Machiavelli said quite frankly , “ It is better to be feared than loved , if you can not have both.
” Modern politicians simply lie to our face while rejecting kindness or morality .
They follow Machiavelli who argued that “ Making an example of one or two offenders is kinder than being too compassionate , and allowing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which affects the whole community.
” Indeed , people like Snowden are demonized by politicians as an example not to betray government for the sake of the people , morality , or justice .
Machiavelli also warned that keeping one ’ s word can also be dangerous since “ experience shows that those who do not keep their word get the better of those who do.
” Therefore , the Second Stage is one of rising protests and discontent with initial confrontation against the government who relies upon the police state they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to support the government against the people , this will inevitably lead to the next next Revolutionary stage .
The THIRD STAGE is where it often becomes outright war in the streets as governments seek to retain power and refuse to see the error of their ways .
In some revolutions , such as the Nika Revolt of 532AD , the police side with the people or stand back .
In the case of the Ukrainian Revolution against Yanakovich , once the police saw that the people coming to the aid of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ switched sides and supported the people .
In the case of the Nika Revolt , the government called in the army who then massacred the people and the police .
In the case of the American Revolution , the central power was in England and not local .
This allowed the local authorities to differentiate themselves from the British .
In the case of the Russian Revolution of 1991 , Boris Yeltsin stood on the tank as asked the army not to fire upon their own people .
Once the military power stood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will always depend upon the loyalty of the police and army as to how a revolution will unfold .
The FOURTH STAGE is retribution when in a domestic revolution in direct confrontation with the government and head of state .
In the case of the American Revolution , the head of state was not within reach .
However , they confiscated property and hung those who supported the king .
Of course , in the case of the Russian Revolution , they executed the entire Romanov family .
This is the phase of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and injustice .
The former head of state is often publicly killed and typically all their ministers .
This was the case not just during the Russian Revolution , but the French Revolution with Louis XVI an his wife but the English Revolution where they seized King Charles I and beheaded him in public as well .
There have also been incidents of assassination even after a loss as was the case with Abraham Lincoln in 1865 .
The FIFTH STAGE is typically the recovery stage where a new form of government emerges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moderates take power as was the case in the United States typically on the ideas of some Utopian system .
Once again , this differs insofar as the political power was in England rather than America so there was not a wholesale murder campaign of all former ministers .
In the case of the French Revolution , after the retribution stage where even the moderates were killed by the radicals led by Robespierre who seized control .
As the French Revolution fell into the hands of Robespierre ( 1758-1794 ) he began a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1793-July 27 , 1794 ) that would come to an end with his own death .
This was followed by more uprisings and eventually the French Constitution was drafted ( August 22-September 23 , 1795 ) , and approved with the Directory taking power .
It is during this recovery stage where the radicals are usually overthrown and sometimes a new head of state emerges such as Napoleon or Oliver Cromwell .
In the case of the United States where the former head of state was not local , the bureaucracy begins and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and divisions emerge once again between opposing political views .
There is at this point the restoration of a sense of nationalism but the cycle of corruption slowly begins to take root .

by Martin Armstrong
All of the protests making this a racist issue have distorted the real problem which remains immunity created by the Supreme Court. We must look at these protests in their historical context for calling them simply racist rather than abuse of power hides them from the view of these events forming part of a revolutionary cycle. We must step back and look at these events not in the context of simply race or those who have exploited this to simply loot stores. The central position is one of police brutality and the lack of any accountability.
There are more whites killed by police than blacks which further illustrates that this is not a racist problem but one of no accountability because of this qualified immunity which is not supported by the constitution. This should not be Black Lives Matter, but ALL Lives Matter. The riots have spread worldwide as in Paris over police abuse further illustrating that the core issue is the fact that governments are not accountable to the people.
Why has this one incident cascaded into a global contagion? Because of this COVID-19 virus abuse of locking people down which has resulted in people losing their jobs which has exceeded 300 million on a worldwide basis, this provides the incentive to protest regardless of the incident. Following the Panic of 1837, massive unemployment took place and this was the period when the Irish immigrants where fleeing to the United States. This resulted in actual gun battles on the streets in Philadelphia because the Irish were willing to work for less during a period of significant unemployment. It is simply human nature to rise up during economic declines.
During the Great Depression, it was the Bonus Army where veterans were demanding their promised bonuses. The Hoover government sent in the troops even with tanks in 1932 to force them to leave. We saw the same with the Coxley’s Army which was the march on Washington following the Panic of 1893 and massive unemployment. What the governments have done with these lockdowns have set the stage for these protests. It is only human nature to take that frustration out after losing your job and this issue of the police has simply exposed the corruption within the entire system which extended from journalists to politicians. We cannot attribute this exclusively to racism. This has been the first global contagion of a mass uprising because governments have suppressed the rights of the people, destroyed their jobs, and have abused their power in destroying the livelihood of so many people.
Many police forces have militarized and this creates the image mentally of an opposing force against the people. Suddenly, we now see the technology companies who have been so actively assisting governments to go after the public from illegal red-light cameras to creating systems for the police to use facial recognition software to target individuals. Camera and facial recognition software track who is even walking down the street.
These high tech companies are suddenly realizing perhaps they have been on the wrong side of history and it would not take much for the mob to turn against the companies that have helped create this police state. IBM disavowed the facial recognition technology entirely and CEO Arvind Krishna condemned its use “by other vendors, for mass surveillance, racial profiling, violations of basic human rights and freedoms.” Amazon responded by putting only a one-year moratorium on police use of its Rekognition software, closely followed by Microsoft’s promise not to sell the technology to US police. These companies have had no problem exploiting the public for profit.
These are the same technology companies who jumped at the chance of creating tracking apps for this orchestrated coronavirus all to further erode our basic human rights. Then there is Bill Gates who wants to track every person on the planet and pushing his ID 2020 and digital vaccine markers claiming he is not destroying people’s privacy. Microsoft constantly updates windows downloading everything you look for so they can sell your computer use to companies for advertising.
This entire issue of rioting against the police is historically part of the Revolutionary Cycle. We have already reached Stage TWO which is a serious warning of what lies ahead.
The FIRST STAGE in a revolution is always the the rise of intellectual whistleblower disagreement which government simply ignores as a passing phase. This stage is the realization of corruption and and injustice of governmental rule. Perhaps the symbolization of this was the revelation of Edward Snowden that the government was violating the constitution and abusing its power against the people constructing a 100% surveillance state tapping into every phone call and email account of every citizen. Then there was the British whistleblower Katharine Gun who they charged but could not put on trial without exposing themselves. They labelled both as a traitors as if the government possessed inherent power of sovereignty and the people were the great unwashed economic slaves.
As Thomas Pain described they confuse themselves as the political embodiment of the nation rather than the people. This is the intellectual stage which governments refuse to admit mistakes and simply ignores the cries of injustice.
The SECOND STAGE is where the intellectual debates prove pointless and this is where the initial conflict begins. This corruption has run its course and governments transform justice into their own self-interest. This stage is usually accelerated by governments raising taxes in the midst of an economic decline. The economic hardships may vary per individual but as a whole they will tend to focus upon the prosecutorial arm of government which includes the police who will far too often claim they are moral under the pretense of simply following orders.
This is when history will typically produce some leader who can be a moderate that sees the problem and will often try to reason in order to reach a resolution which is ignored by the government. This further intensifies the feelings of injustice especially in light of the economic decline. The leadership can also be seized by extremists who demand complete change such a Lenin. This initial stage results in the first demands change with protests rising. The mobs rarely are able to even articulate the reform because they then make demands that they want certain actions which go far beyond what they actually need. This is where mobs will often turn to revenge rather than justice. Governments will typically refuse to reform and become often very defensive.
In February 1761, James Otis, Jr. (1725–1783) argued brilliantly against the Writs of Assistance that was authorized in 1660 by the King but became an instrument of tyranny in 1758 in the American colonies as a means to raise taxes. Writs of Assistance allowed the government to arbitrarily search whatever they suspected for any reason. For nearly five hours, Otis made a brilliant oration in court against the Writs, but he lost the case, for what judge would ever rule against his master? John Adams later wrote that “the child independence was then and there born, [for] every man of an immense crowded audience appeared to me to go away as I did, ready to take arms against writs of assistance.” As Thrasymachus warned about 2600 years ago, justice is only the interest of the state regardless of its form being democratical, aristocratical, or tyrannical.
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Shakespeare’s famous line “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers” (Henry VI, Part 2, Act IV, Scene 2) reflects the injustice for the people could not hire a lawyer only the king making them prosecutors. This stage is typically sparked by an economic decline which further breaks the employment and suppresses even harder the poor. During the American Revolution the slogan was “No Taxation without Representation” and the French Revolution used the words of Marie Antoinette: “Let them eat cake.” The French Revolution began on Saturday June 7th, 1788, when merchants closed down their shops as groups of 300 to 400 formed, armed with stones, sticks, axes, bars. They seized cathedral’s bells which became a call to all French peasants which the crowd grew swiftly. The Royal Navy soldiers injured a 75-year-old man with a bayonet drawing the first sight of blood. The people became enraged tearing up the streets and they climbed onto the roofs throwing down the roof-tiles on the soldiers. The soldiers took refuge in a building and began to shoot through the windows into the crowd. By six PM, a crowd estimated at ten thousand people began shouting “Long live the parliament.” They finally agreed to to refuse to pay all taxes not voted by the Estates-General and they demanded an end to arbitrary imprisonment – police abuse.
Maximilien Robespierre (1754-1794) pursued a planned socialist economy and he grew paranoid about any opposition and unleashed the Reign Of Terror of 1793–1794 to silence all enemies of the Revolution. He was overthrown by the moderates who had Robespierre executed on July 28, 1794. His famous quote: “The secret of freedom lies in educating people, whereas the secret of tyranny is in keeping them ignorant.” This remains the core of fake news today.
Even Lenin who declared “All Power to the Soviets” (Collected Works, Vol. 25: June-September 1917 (Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1964), 155-56) presented a lucid strategic indication, which projected the course of the revolution and the construction of socialism through the seizure of power by the soviets. Lenin elaborated: “The imperialist war was bound, with objective inevitability…to turn into a civil war between the hostile classes” (Collected Works, Vol. 23: August 1916-March 1917 (Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1964), 299.)
In Russia, on Sunday, January 9th, 1905, the people began to march unarmed and locking arms to see the Tsar. Some carried religious icons and banners, as well as national flags and portraits of the Tsar. At 2 pm all of the converging processions were scheduled to arrive at the Winter Palace in Russia. There was no single confrontation with the troops. The infantry was backed by Cossacks and Hussars. As reported, the soldiers simply opened fire on the crowd and were not provoked. The official number of victims was 92 dead and several hundred wounded. Some leaders vanished and others were seized. Expelled from the capital, they circulated through the empire telling everyone “The Tsar will not help us!” The government suppressed the uprising, but this would only fuel the discontent in the years ahead.
Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) explained that because people are “quick to change their nature when they imagine they can improve their lot,” he wrote, a leader must also be shrewd. “The fact is that a man who wants to act virtuously in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous. Therefore, if a prince wants to maintain his rule he must be prepared not to be virtuous, and to make use of this or not according to need.” Machiavelli rejected the philosopher’s view of politics being a good leader is one who is humble, moral and honest. Instead, Machiavelli said quite frankly, “It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot have both.”
Modern politicians simply lie to our face while rejecting kindness or morality. They follow Machiavelli who argued that “Making an example of one or two offenders is kinder than being too compassionate, and allowing disorders to develop into murder and chaos which affects the whole community.” Indeed, people like Snowden are demonized by politicians as an example not to betray government for the sake of the people, morality, or justice. Machiavelli also warned that keeping one’s word can also be dangerous since “experience shows that those who do not keep their word get the better of those who do.”
Therefore, the Second Stage is one of rising protests and discontent with initial confrontation against the government who relies upon the police state they have created. As long as the police continue to support the government against the people, this will inevitably lead to the next next Revolutionary stage.
The THIRD STAGE is where it often becomes outright war in the streets as governments seek to retain power and refuse to see the error of their ways. In some revolutions, such as the Nika Revolt of 532AD, the police side with the people or stand back. In the case of the Ukrainian Revolution against Yanakovich, once the police saw that the people coming to the aid of the president were Russians, the police switched sides and supported the people. In the case of the Nika Revolt, the government called in the army who then massacred the people and the police. In the case of the American Revolution, the central power was in England and not local. This allowed the local authorities to differentiate themselves from the British.
In the case of the Russian Revolution of 1991, Boris Yeltsin stood on the tank as asked the army not to fire upon their own people. Once the military power stood down, the government fell. It will always depend upon the loyalty of the police and army as to how a revolution will unfold.
The FOURTH STAGE is retribution when in a domestic revolution in direct confrontation with the government and head of state. In the case of the American Revolution, the head of state was not within reach. However, they confiscated property and hung those who supported the king. Of course, in the case of the Russian Revolution, they executed the entire Romanov family. This is the phase of evening the score for years of suppression and injustice.
The former head of state is often publicly killed and typically all their ministers. This was the case not just during the Russian Revolution, but the French Revolution with Louis XVI an his wife but the English Revolution where they seized King Charles I and beheaded him in public as well. There have also been incidents of assassination even after a loss as was the case with Abraham Lincoln in 1865.
The FIFTH STAGE is typically the recovery stage where a new form of government emerges from the ashes. The intelligent political Moderates take power as was the case in the United States typically on the ideas of some Utopian system. Once again, this differs insofar as the political power was in England rather than America so there was not a wholesale murder campaign of all former ministers. In the case of the French Revolution, after the retribution stage where even the moderates were killed by the radicals led by Robespierre who seized control. As the French Revolution fell into the hands of Robespierre (1758-1794) he began a Reign of Terror (September 5, 1793-July 27, 1794) that would come to an end with his own death. This was followed by more uprisings and eventually the French Constitution was drafted (August 22-September 23, 1795), and approved with the Directory taking power.
It is during this recovery stage where the radicals are usually overthrown and sometimes a new head of state emerges such as Napoleon or Oliver Cromwell. In the case of the United States where the former head of state was not local, the bureaucracy begins and we see the rise of political parties and divisions emerge once again between opposing political views. There is at this point the restoration of a sense of nationalism but the cycle of corruption slowly begins to take root.


investmentwatchblog--2020-06-15--Not Everyone In Hollywood Supports Cancel Culture: Some Harsh Words for the PC Crowd

By now , you ’ ve probably heard of cancel culture .
If you haven ’ t , here ’ s a definition and an example from Urban Dictionary .
A desire to cancel out a person or community from social media platforms .
It is characterised by the response of an evil individual when they are shown to be wrong .
They will call on their followers to report the social media accounts of the person or group that did the criticising rather than discussing the criticism or showing by evidence where the criticism is incorrect .
Narcissists make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engage in cancel culture , and others who do this would include immature individuals .
Example : Johnny was criticised for being vindictive against Janny and instead of discussing the problem , Johnny called on his followers to report the account , cancel culture style , of the person who made the criticism .
( source ) We ’ ve been seeing it more and more , but it only applies when convenient .
As well , you can get canceled for something you did decades ago before it was politically incorrect .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ television show because she even dared to question appearing in blackface , but Governor Ralph Northam , who had photos in his old yearbook of himself in blackface , is still in office , taking away gun rights from Virginians .
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “ can ’ t recall ” how many times he ’ s worn blackface , but he still got re-elected .
Some people get away with it , and others do not .
It seems to depend on which political party you support .
It can happen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being “ canceled ” by the online mob .
In fact , one day you can be part of the online mob , and the next day you can cross some imaginary line and you ’ re the one being canceled .
Anyone can be the subject of an internet witch hunt , but people in the public eye or positions of power tend to have more to lose .
Sometimes it ’ s a matter of getting everyone to “ unfollow ” the victim on social media and other times it goes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ doxing.
” Doxing , if you aren ’ t familiar , is the practice of locating private information about a person and making it public .
It could be their home address , their children ’ s schools , the home of their elderly parents – nothing is off-limits .
One victim of doxing was Dana Loesch , a spokeswoman for the NRA .
She had to do a midnight move to pack up her family and quickly relocate when her home address was revealed publicly and threats against her escalated .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it nearly destroyed her life .
Really , is one “ bad ” action deserving of all this ?
Especially if it ’ s only bad in the politically correct sense of the word ?
Taking away someone ’ s livelihood , threatening their safety , and putting their children at risk ?
It ’ s out of control , like many other things in our country right now .
Some folks have had enough .
In the video below , several famous comedians discuss the ills of politically correct restrictions and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not do much for their careers from the perspective of the PC crowd , but it ’ s a breath of fresh air for those of us who are sick of the ridiculous efforts of celebrities who film condescending videos from their mansions and yachts to let us know “ we ’ re all in this together.
” What do you think about cancel culture ?
Obviously , if you strongly disagree with someone ’ s personal opinions , you are well within your rights to vote with your wallet and stop supporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s reasonable , if you feel that somebody has repeatedly demonstrated that they ’ re a terrible person .
But for a one-time misstep , it seems rather harsh .
But creating virtual gangs with torches and pitchforks is an entirely different matter .
It ’ s lunchroom bullying on a grand scale and it ’ s done by the very people who will tell you in their next breath that bullying is wrong .
What are your thoughts on cancel culture ?
Do you think those being “ canceled ” deserve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of certain people in entertainment ?
Do you try to get others to join you in your boycott ?
For what reasons would you participate in “ canceling ” someone ?
Share your thoughts in the comments below .
Daisy Luther writes about current events , preparedness , frugality , voluntaryism , and the pursuit of liberty on her website , The Organic Prepper .
She is widely republished across alternative media and she curates all the most important news links on her aggregate site , PreppersDailyNews.com .
Daisy is the best-selling author @ @ @ @ @ @ @ digital publishing company .
You can find her on Facebook , Pinterest , and Twitter .

by Daisy Luther
By now, you’ve probably heard of cancel culture. If you haven’t, here’s a definition and an example from Urban Dictionary.
A desire to cancel out a person or community from social media platforms. It is characterised by the response of an evil individual when they are shown to be wrong. They will call on their followers to report the social media accounts of the person or group that did the criticising rather than discussing the criticism or showing by evidence where the criticism is incorrect. Narcissists make up the majority of the people who engage in cancel culture, and others who do this would include immature individuals. Example: Johnny was criticised for being vindictive against Janny and instead of discussing the problem, Johnny called on his followers to report the account, cancel culture style, of the person who made the criticism. (source)
We’ve been seeing it more and more, but it only applies when convenient. As well, you can get canceled for something you did decades ago before it was politically incorrect.
For example, Megyn Kelly lost her television show because she even dared to question appearing in blackface, but Governor Ralph Northam, who had photos in his old yearbook of himself in blackface, is still in office, taking away gun rights from Virginians. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “can’t recall” how many times he’s worn blackface, but he still got re-elected.
Some people get away with it, and others do not. It seems to depend on which political party you support.
It can happen to anyone.
Nobody is safe from being “canceled” by the online mob. In fact, one day you can be part of the online mob, and the next day you can cross some imaginary line and you’re the one being canceled.
Anyone can be the subject of an internet witch hunt, but people in the public eye or positions of power tend to have more to lose. Sometimes it’s a matter of getting everyone to “unfollow” the victim on social media and other times it goes all the way to in-person stalking or “doxing.”
Doxing, if you aren’t familiar, is the practice of locating private information about a person and making it public. It could be their home address, their children’s schools, the home of their elderly parents – nothing is off-limits.
One victim of doxing was Dana Loesch, a spokeswoman for the NRA. She had to do a midnight move to pack up her family and quickly relocate when her home address was revealed publicly and threats against her escalated. Author Natasha Tynes was also canceled, and it nearly destroyed her life.
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Really, is one “bad” action deserving of all this? Especially if it’s only bad in the politically correct sense of the word? Taking away someone’s livelihood, threatening their safety, and putting their children at risk? It’s out of control, like many other things in our country right now.
Some folks have had enough.
In the video below, several famous comedians discuss the ills of politically correct restrictions and cancel culture.
The video above may not do much for their careers from the perspective of the PC crowd, but it’s a breath of fresh air for those of us who are sick of the ridiculous efforts of celebrities who film condescending videos from their mansions and yachts to let us know “we’re all in this together.”
What do you think about cancel culture?
Obviously, if you strongly disagree with someone’s personal opinions, you are well within your rights to vote with your wallet and stop supporting them. To some degree, it’s reasonable, if you feel that somebody has repeatedly demonstrated that they’re a terrible person. But for a one-time misstep, it seems rather harsh.
But creating virtual gangs with torches and pitchforks is an entirely different matter. It’s lunchroom bullying on a grand scale and it’s done by the very people who will tell you in their next breath that bullying is wrong.
What are your thoughts on cancel culture? Do you think those being “canceled” deserve it? Do you participate in boycotts of certain people in entertainment? Do you try to get others to join you in your boycott? For what reasons would you participate in “canceling” someone?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
About Daisy
Daisy Luther writes about current events, preparedness, frugality, voluntaryism, and the pursuit of liberty on her website, The Organic Prepper. She is widely republished across alternative media and she curates all the most important news links on her aggregate site, PreppersDailyNews.com. Daisy is the best-selling author of 4 books and runs a small digital publishing company. You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.


investmentwatchblog--2020-06-15--DON’T MESS WITH SOUTH PHILLY ITALIANS

DON’T MESS WITH SOUTH PHILLY ITALIANS

Dozens of people from the group that was protecting the Christopher Columbus statue have now moved to a home in @ @ @ @ @ believe @ PhillyMayor is at .
They ’ re telling him to come out @ @ @

by Jim Quinn
Dozens of people from the group that was protecting the Christopher Columbus statue have now moved to a home in #SouthPhilly, where they believe @PhillyMayor is at. They’re telling him to come out @CBSPhilly pic.twitter.com/1LdYyRpTeA
— Matt Petrillo (@MattPetrillo) June 14, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-06-15--The Fate of the World’s Largest ETF Is Tied to 11 Random Millennials

• A wonky structure pegs the fund ’ s future to their mortality • Most of those named in the @ @ @ @ @ not aware The fate of the world ’ s largest exchange-traded fund rests on the @ @ @ @ @ twenty-somethings .
Thanks to a quirk in the legal structure used to set up the @ @ @ @ @ ETF Trust , known as SPY , more than $ 250 billion rests on the @ @ @ @ @ born between May 1990 and January 1993 .
Those children are now carving out careers @ @ @ @ @ and sales , spread around the country from Boston and Philadelphia to Alabama and Utah @ @ @ @ @ eight spoken to by Bloomberg News was aware of their role in investing history .
@ @ @ @ @ I heard about this , ” said Alexander Most , 27 , who ’ s @ @ @ @ @ , studying education , policy and management .
“ Has it made me think about @ @ @ @ @ in terms of projecting when this thing might end .
”

A wonky structure pegs the fund’s future to their mortality
Most of those named in the ETF’s documents were not aware
The fate of the world’s largest exchange-traded fund rests on the health of a group of twenty-somethings.
Thanks to a quirk in the legal structure used to set up the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, known as SPY, more than $250 billion rests on the longevity of 11 ordinary kids born between May 1990 and January 1993.
Those children are now carving out careers in public relations, restaurants and sales, spread around the country from Boston and Philadelphia to Alabama and Utah. But none of the eight spoken to by Bloomberg News was aware of their role in investing history.
“Today was the first I heard about this,” said Alexander Most, 27, who’s about to start graduate school, studying education, policy and management. “Has it made me think about my mortality? Absolutely, in terms of projecting when this thing might end.”


investmentwatchblog--2020-06-15--20yr loses $700k on Robinhood options, takes life

My cousin in law was interested in investing .
He opened a Robinhood account .
And , he seemed to @ @ @ @ @ As many of us do , or have done , he got interested in options @ @ @ @ @ “ no margin ” selected on his account .
So , he began buying and @ @ @ @ @ to sometime this past week and his account showed him owing $ 700k+ .
How @ @ @ @ @ with no income get access to that kind of leverage/exposure ?
!

My cousin in law was interested in investing. He opened a Robinhood account. And, he seemed to be enjoying the markets. As many of us do, or have done, he got interested in options. He believed he had “no margin” selected on his account.
So, he began buying and selling options. Fast forward to sometime this past week and his account showed him owing $700k+. How does a 20 year old with no income get access to that kind of leverage/exposure?!


investmentwatchblog--2020-06-15--The DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION SCHEDULE has been released. July 13, 2020

A comment from a Yahoo article .
I thought it was pretty witty .
“ 11:15 AM Free lunch , medical marijuana , and bus ride to the Convention .
Forms distributed for Food Stamp enrollment .
4:15 PM Address on “ Being the Real You ” Rachel Dolezal , former Head of the Seattle NAACP and Caitlyn Jenner 4:30 PM “ How to Bank $ 200 Million as a Public Servant and Claim to be Broke ” Hillary Clinton 4:45 PM “ How to have a successful career without ever having a job , and still avoid paying taxes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sharpton and Jesse Jackson 5:00 PM Medals of Freedom presentation to Army deserter Bo Berghdal and the Baltimore Looters 5:30 PM Invitation-only Autograph Session Souvenir photographs of Elizabeth Warren dressed in Native American clothing with Pow Wow Chow autograph 5:45 PM Tribute to All of the 57 States Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi 6:00 PM General vote on praising Baltimore rioters , and on using the terminology “ Alternative Shoppers ” instead of “ Looters ” 7:30 PM Announcement of VP Nominee – Stacy Abrams – Popeye ’ s , The Varsity and Hardee ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PM The White House “ Semantics Committee ” Meeting General vote on re-branding “ Muslim Terrorism ” as “ Random Acts of Islamic Over-Exuberance ” 9:00 PM “ Liberal Bias in Media – How we can make it work for you ” Tutorial sponsored by CBS , NBC , ABC , CNN , the Washington Post and the New York Times with Guest Speaker , Don Lemon 9:15 PM Tribute Film to the Brave Freedom Fighters still incarcerated at GITMO by Michael Moore 11:00 PM Short film , “ Setting Up Your Own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cabinet Post and How to Pretend It ’ s No Big Deal ” Hosted by Hillary Clinton 11:30 PM Official Nomination of Kamala Harris Bill Maher and Chris Matthews 12:00 Group apology for being white Is Teddy Kennedy proposing a toast from the Chappaquiddick Bridge ?
”

by Glock-N-Load a.k.a Donkey
A comment from a Yahoo article. I thought it was pretty witty.
“11:15 AM
Free lunch, medical marijuana, and bus ride to the Convention.
Forms distributed for Food Stamp enrollment.
2:30 PM
Group Voter Registration for Undocumented Immigrants.
4:00 PM
Opening Flag Burning Ceremony
Sponsored by CNN
4:15 PM
Address on “Being the Real You”
Rachel Dolezal, former Head of the Seattle NAACP and
Caitlyn Jenner
4:30 PM
“How to Bank $200 Million as a Public Servant and Claim to be Broke”
Hillary Clinton
4:45 PM
“How to have a successful career without ever having a job, and still avoid paying taxes!”
A Seminar Moderated by Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson
5:00 PM
Medals of Freedom presentation to Army deserter Bo Berghdal and the
Baltimore Looters
5:30 PM
Invitation-only Autograph Session
Souvenir photographs of Elizabeth Warren dressed in Native American clothing with Pow Wow Chow autograph
5:45 PM
Tribute to All of the 57 States
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
6:00 PM
General vote on praising Baltimore rioters, and on using the terminology “Alternative Shoppers” instead of “Looters”
7:30 PM
Announcement of VP Nominee – Stacy Abrams – Popeye’s, The Varsity and Hardee’s in the White House kitchen
8:30 PM
The White House “Semantics Committee” Meeting
General vote on re-branding “Muslim Terrorism” as “Random Acts of Islamic Over-Exuberance”
9:00 PM
“Liberal Bias in Media – How we can make it work for you”
Tutorial sponsored by CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, the Washington Post and the New York Times with Guest Speaker, Don Lemon
9:15 PM
Tribute Film to the Brave Freedom Fighters still incarcerated at GITMO
by Michael Moore
9:45 PM
Personal Finance Seminar – “Businesses Don’t Create Jobs”
Hosted by speaker Barack Obama and Dudechelle
10:00 PM
Group Condemnation of Bitter Gun Owners.
10:30 PM
Ceremonial “We Surrender” Waving of the White Flag
11:00 PM
Short film, “Setting Up Your Own Illegal Email Server While Serving in A Cabinet Post and How to Pretend It’s No Big Deal”
Hosted by Hillary Clinton
11:30 PM
Official Nomination of Kamala Harris
Bill Maher and Chris Matthews
12:00 Group apology for being white
Is Teddy Kennedy proposing a toast from the Chappaquiddick Bridge?”


investmentwatchblog--2020-06-15--Can US house prices bounce?

Can US house prices bounce?

The US housing market is seeing two tsunami style forces at once but in opposite directions .
The first is the economic impact of the Covid-19 virus pandemic on both wages ( down ) and unemployment ( up ) .
Unfortunately the official statistics released only last week are outright misleading as you can see below .
We got a better idea to the unemployment state of play on Thursday as we note the scale of the issue .
The only hopeful bit is the small decline .
Anyway let us advance with our own view is that we will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ although hopefully falling and falling real wages .
The other tsunami is the policy response to the pandemic .
That was the Reuters summary of the policy response which has been added to in the meantime .
In essence it is a response to the job losses and an attempt to resist the fall in wages .
Next comes the US Federal Reserve which has charged in like the US Cavalry .
Here are their words from the report made to Congress last week .
That meant that they have now in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of President Trump .
They also pumped up their balance sheet .
Their explanation is below .
Let me use my updated version of my financial lexicon for these times .
Market function deteriorated means prices fell and yields rose and this happening in the area of government and mortgage borrowing made them panic buy in response .
It seems hard to believe now but the US ten-year opened the year at 1.9 % , Whereas now after the recent fall driven by the words of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it means that it has been another good year for bond market investors .
The thirty-year yield is 1.41 % as we note that there has been a large downwards push as we now look at mortgage rates .
Let me hand you over to CNBC from Thursday .
How many times have I ended up reporting record lows for mortgage rates ?
Anyway we did get some more detail .
CNBC noted some action here too .
According to Realtor.com the party is just getting started although I have helped out with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who still have jobs have been descending on the market en masse , enticed by record-low mortgage interest rates .
Rates fell below 3 % , to hit an all-time low of 2.94 % for 30-year fixed-rate loans on Thursday , according to Mortgage News Daily .
Mortgage demand is back on the rise according to them .
Call me suspicious but I thought it best to check the supply figures as well .
So a decline but still a lot higher than when it was set at 100 in 2012 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year was of the order of 185 and was plainly singing along to the Outhere Brothers .
The housing market is seeing some surprises although I counsel caution .
As I read the pieces about I note that a 4.3 % rise is described as “ shot up ” whereas this gives a better perspective .
But as @ mikealfred reports there is demand out there .
Of course there is the issue as to at what price ?
So there we have it .
The Federal Reserve will be happy as it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The catch is that it is like crack and if they are to keep house prices rising they will have to intervene on an ever larger scale .
For the moment their policy is also being flattered by house supply being low and I doubt that will last .
To me this house price rally feels like trying to levitate over the edge of a cliff .

by Shaun Richards
The US housing market is seeing two tsunami style forces at once but in opposite directions. The first is the economic impact of the Covid-19 virus pandemic on both wages (down) and unemployment (up). Unfortunately the official statistics released only last week are outright misleading as you can see below.
Real average hourly earnings increased 6.5 percent, seasonally adjusted, from May 2019 to May 2020.
The change in real average hourly earnings combined with an increase of 0.9 percent in the average
workweek resulted in 7.4-percent increase in real average weekly earnings over this period.
We got a better idea to the unemployment state of play on Thursday as we note the scale of the issue.
The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 18,919,804, a decrease of 178,671 (or -0.9 percent) from the preceding week.
The only hopeful bit is the small decline. Anyway let us advance with our own view is that we will be seeing much higher unemployment in 2020 although hopefully falling and falling real wages.
The Policy Response
The other tsunami is the policy response to the pandemic.
FISCAL STIMULUS (FEDERAL) – The U.S. House of Representatives passed a $2.2 trillion aid package – the largest in history – on March 27 including a $500 billion fund to help hard-hit industries and a comparable amount for direct payments of up to $3,000 to millions of U.S. families.
That was the Reuters summary of the policy response which has been added to in the meantime. In essence it is a response to the job losses and an attempt to resist the fall in wages.
Next comes the US Federal Reserve which has charged in like the US Cavalry. Here are their words from the report made to Congress last week.
Specifically, at two meetings in March, the FOMC lowered the target range for the federal funds rate by a total of 1-1/2 percentage points, bringing it to the current range of 0 to 1/4 percent.
That meant that they have now in this area at least nearly fulfilled the wishes of President Trump. They also pumped up their balance sheet.
The Federal Reserve swiftly took a series of policy actions to address these developments. The FOMC announced it would purchase Treasury securities and agency MBS in the amounts needed to ensure smooth market functioning and the effective transmission of monetary policy to broader financial conditions. The Open Market Desk began offering large-scale overnight and term repurchase agreement operations. The Federal Reserve coordinated with other central banks to enhance the provision of liquidity via the standing U.S. dollar liquidity swap line arrangements and announced the establishment of temporary U.S. dollar liquidity arrangements (swap lines) with additional central banks.
Their explanation is below.
Market functioning deteriorated in many markets in late February and much of March, including the critical Treasury and agency MBS markets.
Let me use my updated version of my financial lexicon for these times. Market function deteriorated means prices fell and yields rose and this happening in the area of government and mortgage borrowing made them panic buy in response.
Mortgage Rates
It seems hard to believe now but the US ten-year opened the year at 1.9%, Whereas now after the recent fall driven by the words of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell it is 0.68%. Quite a move and it means that it has been another good year for bond market investors. The thirty-year yield is 1.41% as we note that there has been a large downwards push as we now look at mortgage rates.
Let me hand you over to CNBC from Thursday.
Mortgage rates set new record low, falling below 3%
How many times have I ended up reporting record lows for mortgage rates? Anyway we did get some more detail.
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The average rate on the popular 30-year fixed mortgage hit 2.97% Thursday, according to Mortgage News Daily……..For top-tier borrowers, some lenders were quoting as low as 2.75%. Lower-tier borrowers would see higher rates.
Mortgage Amounts
CNBC noted some action here too.
Low rates have fueled a sharp and fast recovery in the housing market, especially for homebuilders. Mortgage applications to purchase a home were up 13% annually last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
According to Realtor.com the party is just getting started although I have helped out with a little emphasis.
Meanwhile, buyers who still have jobs have been descending on the market en masse, enticed by record-low mortgage interest rates. Rates fell below 3%, to hit an all-time low of 2.94% for 30-year fixed-rate loans on Thursday, according to Mortgage News Daily.
Mortgage demand is back on the rise according to them.
For the past three weeks, the number of buyers applying for purchase mortgages rose year over year, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Applications shot up 12.7% annually in the week ending June 5. They were also up 15% from the previous week.
Call me suspicious but I thought it best to check the supply figures as well.
Mortgage credit availability decreased in May according to the Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI)………..The MCAI fell by 3.1 percent to 129.3 in May. A decline in the MCAI indicates that lending standards are tightening, while increases in the index are indicative of loosening credit.
So a decline but still a lot higher than when it was set at 100 in 2012. The recent peak at the end of last year was of the order of 185 and was plainly singing along to the Outhere Brothers.
Boom boom boom let me here you say way-ooh (way-ooh)
Me say boom boom boom now everybody say way-ooh (way-ooh)
What about prices?
As the summer home-buying season gets underway, median home prices are surging. They shot up 4.3% year over year as the number of homes for sale continued to dry up in the week ending June 6, according to a recent realtor.com® report. That’s correct: Prices are going up despite this week’s announcement that the U.S. officially entered a recession in February.
Comment
As Todd Terry sang.
Something’s goin’ on in your soul
The housing market is seeing some surprises although I counsel caution. As I read the pieces about I note that a 4.3% rise is described as “shot up” whereas this gives a better perspective.
While that’s below the typical 5% to 6% annual price appreciation this time of year, it’s nearly back to what it was before the coronavirus pandemic. Median prices were rising 4.5% in the first two weeks of March before the COVID-19 lockdowns began. Nationally, the median home list price was $330,000 in May, according to the most recent realtor.com data.
But as @mikealfred reports there is demand out there.
Did someone forget to tell residential real estate buyers about the recession? I’m helping my in-laws buy a house in Las Vegas right now. Nearly every house in their price range coming to market sees 40+ showings and 5+ offers in the first few days. Crazy demand.
Of course there is the issue as to at what price?
So there we have it. The Federal Reserve will be happy as it has created a demand to buy property. The catch is that it is like crack and if they are to keep house prices rising they will have to intervene on an ever larger scale. For the moment their policy is also being flattered by house supply being low and I doubt that will last. To me this house price rally feels like trying to levitate over the edge of a cliff.
Podcast


investmentwatchblog--2020-06-15--Biden Sexual Assault Coverup

Biden Sexual Assault Coverup

Tara Reade , Joe Biden ’ s accuser , went to Time ’ s Up for help in early January @ @ @ @ @ her , citing its nonprofit status and his presidential run Time ’ s Up is @ @ @ @ @ Biden has paid SKD $ 806K since Tara asked Time ’ s Up for help @ @ @ @ @ to cover this up ?

by babyishbrisk
Tara Reade, Joe Biden’s accuser, went to Time’s Up for help in early January.
They refused to help her, citing its nonprofit status and his presidential run
Time’s Up is a project of @SKDKnick
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Biden has paid SKD $806K since Tara asked Time’s Up for help.
Is SKD being paid to cover this up?
Link to original tweet.


investmentwatchblog--2020-06-15--Does it piss anyone else off how the media is trying to make the protests more about race than about

Does it piss anyone else off how the media is trying to make the protests more about race than about police brutality?

• If you kill a black guy — you go to jail for murder .
• If you kill a white guy — you go to jail for murder .
• If you kill an asian guy — you go to jail for murder .
If a cop kills any of the above , he may or may not get suspended with pay .
It was never about race .
It ’ s about police brutality and an out of control police force that basically is a gang of murderous brutal thugs that can commit crimes with impunity .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The MAGAs , the left , the right , the center , everybody .
Making it about race is so they can divide us .
If it becomes all about BLM or just black people , then they stand a chance for NOTHING TO CHANGE .
So they push that narrative .
Many people buy into it .
Making it about police brutality and rights is something most Americans can get behind .
So they are trying super hard to try and muddle it with racial issues , knowing that will turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t be fooled .
They ’ re messing with you .
I ’ m looking at you too Trump people — you and I both know cops can commit crimes and get away with it .
Some of the most violent police forces are in the South too .
And they kill white people too — not just black people .
Don ’ t be fooled .
This is not about race .
They want us to think that so ( some of us ) care about it less .

by NilacTheGrim
If you kill a black guy — you go to jail for murder.
If you kill a white guy — you go to jail for murder.
If you kill an asian guy — you go to jail for murder.
If a cop kills any of the above, he may or may not get suspended with pay.
It was never about race. It’s about police brutality and an out of control police force that basically is a gang of murderous brutal thugs that can commit crimes with impunity.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
We all need to unite against this shit. The MAGAs, the left, the right, the center, everybody. Making it about race is so they can divide us. If it becomes all about BLM or just black people, then they stand a chance for NOTHING TO CHANGE. So they push that narrative. Many people buy into it.
Making it about police brutality and rights is something most Americans can get behind. So they are trying super hard to try and muddle it with racial issues, knowing that will turn off half the population. Don’t be fooled. They’re messing with you.
I’m looking at you too Trump people — you and I both know cops can commit crimes and get away with it. Some of the most violent police forces are in the South too. And they kill white people too — not just black people. Don’t be fooled. This is not about race. They want us to think that so (some of us) care about it less.


investmentwatchblog--2020-06-15--Lawsuit filed for blocking hydroxychloroquine..it was all about money

Why is an effective & inexpensive drug treatment of # COVID19 being suppressed by FDA ?
There is one plausible @ @ @ @ @ of COVID19 patients with hydroxychloroquine threatens the sale of billions of doses of a COVID19 @ @ @ @ @ on…

On June 2 2020, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (t.co/44VnnGPFKa) filed a lawsuit against Department of Health & Human Services & FDA for "irrational interference by the FDA with timely access to hydroxychloroquine…": t.co/0mFOMGx2nt pic.twitter.com/Ku1NoZo58y — Ned Nikolov, Ph.D. (@NikolovScience) June 14, 2020
Why is an effective & inexpensive drug treatment of #COVID19 being suppressed by FDA? There is one plausible answer: the successful treatment of COVID19 patients with hydroxychloroquine threatens the sale of billions of doses of a COVID19 vaccine to the World later on…
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h/t charmed1


investmentwatchblog--2020-06-15--Granny Killer Cuomo Threatens “State Action” Against Economic Activity After Refusing State Action A

Granny Killer Cuomo Threatens “State Action” Against Economic Activity After Refusing State Action Against Riots, Looters and Arsonists…

Comrade Cuomo is threatening to take enforcement action on behalf of the New York state Ministry of Coronavirus Compliance .
@ @ @ @ @ Andrew Cuomo is threatening “ state enforcement action ” against the citizens of New York @ @ @ @ @ , violating his social distancing rules , not wearing masks and having “ parties ” @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Enforce the law or there will be state action ” Which is more @ @ @ @ @ the same Andrew Cuomo previously ruled out “ state enforcement action ” against riots , @ @ @ @ @ .
Rioting and looting don ’ t warrant state enforcement , but forget to wear @ @ @ @ @ close to your cousin and there will be hell to pay .
Good luck trying @ @ @ @ @ stupidity .

Comrade Cuomo is threatening to take enforcement action on behalf of the New York state Ministry of Coronavirus Compliance.
Today, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is threatening “state enforcement action” against the citizens of New York for engaging in economic activity, violating his social distancing rules, not wearing masks and having “parties” against his COVID compliance dictates….
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“Enforce the law or there will be state action”
Which is more than a little ironic considering the same Andrew Cuomo previously ruled out “state enforcement action” against riots, violence, looters and arsonists.
Rioting and looting don’t warrant state enforcement, but forget to wear a mask or stand too close to your cousin and there will be hell to pay. Good luck trying to square that circle of stupidity.


investmentwatchblog--2020-06-16--The Fed’s Grand Bargain Has Finally Imploded

The Fed has backed itself not into a corner but to the edge of a precipice .
Though the Federal Reserve never stated its Grand Bargain explicitly , their actions have spoken louder than their predictably self-serving , obfuscatory public pronouncements .
Here ’ s the Grand Bargain they offered institutional investors and speculators alike : We ’ re taking away your low-risk , high-yield investments by slashing interest rates to near-zero , but we ’ re giving you endless asset bubbles as a new way to notch reliable gains .
This trade-off has worked for 20 years as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until they finally inflated everything to precarious extremes : The Everything Bubble of 2019 that started unraveling in September 2019 , long before the pandemic .
The Everything Bubble includes : stocks , housing , commercial real estate , corporate debt , junk bonds , CDOs , CLOs , bankrupt companies , phantom companies , etc .
The Fed inflated all these assets bubbles as a “ can ’ t lose ” proposition for yield-starved institutions that can ’ t survive on low-risk 1 % Treasury yields .
Asset bubbles are not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debt for one reason : risk .
Despite all the extravagant claims about risk being hedged , the reality is that risk can not be made to disappear , it can only be transferred to others .
Asset bubbles are intrinsically unstable and therefore risky .
All bubbles pop , period , and whomever is holding the bag as the bubble pops will suffer catastrophic losses .
The Fed and its countless apologists / lackeys claim the Fed has our back and so bubbles will never pop because the Fed will print as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bubble that ’ s losing air .
After unprecedented asset bubbles popped in 2000 and 2008 , the Fed apologists / lackeys all claimed the bubbles only popped due to a policy error .
If only the Fed had ( insert policy : waved more dead chickens over the bonfire , danced the humba-humba with Paul Krugman , bought bat-guano futures through offshore proxies , etc . )
, then the bubble would have continued expanding to infinity : Dow 100,000 , yee-haw !
This fantasy ignores the dynamics of bubbles : when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of policy tweaks and media appearances .
The Fed lowered rates to bring demand forward and lower the cost of additional borrowing by households , companies and governments , the goal being to stave off recession and encourage speculative gambles in housing and stocks that would generate the wealth effect to further stimulate imprudent borrowing and spending .
Don ’ t put off buying that new pickup , the Fed screamed ; buy it now while rates are near-zero .
( Buying what you would have bought next year right now is bringing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bringing demand forward is eventually there ’ s no demand or credit left to buy more stuff because all the demand was brought into the present and only the most marginal borrowers ( and those who refuse to borrow more no matter how low rates go ) are left .
Goosing stocks to ever-higher valuations even as revenues and earnings stagnate or collapse reaches the same end-game : by the time stock valuations have completely lost touch with reality ( in March 2000 and again now in February – June 2020 ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to loft ever higher because the Fed has our back is only credible to the last few greater fools .
Once the pool of greater fools is drained , stocks crash .
The same can be said of corporate debt , which has reached unprecedented levels around 50 % of GDP .
Once again , greater fools are buying potentially worthless junk bonds because the Fed has our back , even though the Fed ’ s junk-bond buying is a leaky bucket compared to the tsunami of defaults that ’ s about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sand castle .
The Fed ’ s primary job has been to transfer risk from the most ferociously parasitic and predatory speculators to its own balance sheet , which expands as the Fed buys the fetid garbage of a speculative bust through proxies .
Whatever risk can ’ t be buried in the Fed ’ s foul cellar of financial sewage is off-loaded onto the hapless taxpayers via soaring federal deficits .
The Fed ’ s shameless army of apologists/lackeys claim the Fed can always start buying stocks directly as the final measure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highs .
But the apologists/lackeys never follow through to the logical end-game of their folly : eventually the Fed owns most of the assets it has goosed to the moon , leaving nothing for private-sector capital to earn a return on .
If the Fed ends up owning most long-term Treasury bonds , most corporate debt , most of the mortgage backed securities ( MBS ) , most of the stock market , etc.
, then what ’ s left for the tens of trillions in private-sector capital that sold all its risky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s left to invest in that ’ s low-risk and high-yield ?
The answer is : nothing .
Simply put , inflating asset bubbles is not a substitute for low-risk , high-yield investments such as Treasuries , and buying the guaranteed-to-default sewage of corporate junk bonds doesn ’ t make new junk bonds any less risky or any less prone to default .
The Fed has backed itself not into a corner but to the edge of a precipice .
It can not allow interest rates to rise enough to offer institutions low-risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it can ’ t goose the insanely over-valued asset bubbles it ’ s inflated any higher without triggering political blowback as the Fed ’ s asset bubbles are the primary driver of soaring wealth inequality .
Buying stocks directly won ’ t create low-risk , high-yield returns for institutions ; all it will do is bury the risk in the Fed ’ s ballooning balance sheet while stripping insurers and pension funds of the returns they need to remain solvent .
Yields will remain near-zero while all the asset bubbles implode , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phantom capital .
The Fed ’ s grand bargain–offering inherently risky asset bubbles as a substitute for low-risk , high-yield bonds–has collapsed .
Everyone with a stake in an asset bubble is about to have a Wile E. Coyote realization that the risk they thought had vanished has emerged as gravity .
It ’ s a long way to the bottom of the canyon , and the impact will be devastating .
This impact is the dreadful price of avoiding healthy business-cycle recessions in 2000 , 2008 and 2016 that would have cleared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zombie companies .

by Charles Hugh-Smith
The Fed has backed itself not into a corner but to the edge of a precipice.
Though the Federal Reserve never stated its Grand Bargain explicitly, their actions have spoken louder than their predictably self-serving, obfuscatory public pronouncements. Here’s the Grand Bargain they offered institutional investors and speculators alike:
We’re taking away your low-risk, high-yield investments by slashing interest rates to near-zero, but we’re giving you endless asset bubbles as a new way to notch reliable gains. This trade-off has worked for 20 years as the Fed hyper-inflated one asset bubble after another until they finally inflated everything to precarious extremes: The Everything Bubble of 2019 that started unraveling in September 2019, long before the pandemic.
The Everything Bubble includes: stocks, housing, commercial real estate, corporate debt, junk bonds, CDOs, CLOs, bankrupt companies, phantom companies, etc. The Fed inflated all these assets bubbles as a “can’t lose” proposition for yield-starved institutions that can’t survive on low-risk 1% Treasury yields.
These institutions include: public union pension funds, insurance companies, mutual funds, wealth management entities, hedge funds, banks and 401K retirement fund managers.
Asset bubbles are not a substitute for Treasury bonds and AA-rated corporate/municipal debt for one reason: risk. Despite all the extravagant claims about risk being hedged, the reality is that risk cannot be made to disappear, it can only be transferred to others.
Asset bubbles are intrinsically unstable and therefore risky. All bubbles pop, period, and whomever is holding the bag as the bubble pops will suffer catastrophic losses. The Fed and its countless apologists / lackeys claim the Fed has our back and so bubbles will never pop because the Fed will print as much money as needed to reflate any bubble that’s losing air.
After unprecedented asset bubbles popped in 2000 and 2008, the Fed apologists / lackeys all claimed the bubbles only popped due to a policy error. If only the Fed had (insert policy: waved more dead chickens over the bonfire, danced the humba-humba with Paul Krugman, bought bat-guano futures through offshore proxies, etc.), then the bubble would have continued expanding to infinity: Dow 100,000, yee-haw!
This fantasy ignores the dynamics of bubbles: when bubbles reach extremes, they implode regardless of policy tweaks and media appearances.
The Fed lowered rates to bring demand forward and lower the cost of additional borrowing by households, companies and governments, the goal being to stave off recession and encourage speculative gambles in housing and stocks that would generate the wealth effect to further stimulate imprudent borrowing and spending.
Don’t put off buying that new pickup, the Fed screamed; buy it now while rates are near-zero. (Buying what you would have bought next year right now is bringing demand forward.)
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The problem with bringing demand forward is eventually there’s no demand or credit left to buy more stuff because all the demand was brought into the present and only the most marginal borrowers (and those who refuse to borrow more no matter how low rates go) are left.
Goosing stocks to ever-higher valuations even as revenues and earnings stagnate or collapse reaches the same end-game: by the time stock valuations have completely lost touch with reality (in March 2000 and again now in February – June 2020), the delusionally euphoric belief that stocks will continue to loft ever higher because the Fed has our back is only credible to the last few greater fools. Once the pool of greater fools is drained, stocks crash.
The same can be said of corporate debt, which has reached unprecedented levels around 50% of GDP. Once again, greater fools are buying potentially worthless junk bonds because the Fed has our back, even though the Fed’s junk-bond buying is a leaky bucket compared to the tsunami of defaults that’s about to wash away the entire junk bond sand castle.
The Fed’s primary job has been to transfer risk from the most ferociously parasitic and predatory speculators to its own balance sheet, which expands as the Fed buys the fetid garbage of a speculative bust through proxies. Whatever risk can’t be buried in the Fed’s foul cellar of financial sewage is off-loaded onto the hapless taxpayers via soaring federal deficits.
The Fed’s shameless army of apologists/lackeys claim the Fed can always start buying stocks directly as the final measure to goose stocks to ever more absurd highs. But the apologists/lackeys never follow through to the logical end-game of their folly: eventually the Fed owns most of the assets it has goosed to the moon, leaving nothing for private-sector capital to earn a return on.
If the Fed ends up owning most long-term Treasury bonds, most corporate debt, most of the mortgage backed securities (MBS), most of the stock market, etc., then what’s left for the tens of trillions in private-sector capital that sold all its risky assets to the Fed? What’s left to invest in that’s low-risk and high-yield?
The answer is: nothing. Simply put, inflating asset bubbles is not a substitute for low-risk, high-yield investments such as Treasuries, and buying the guaranteed-to-default sewage of corporate junk bonds doesn’t make new junk bonds any less risky or any less prone to default.
The Fed has backed itself not into a corner but to the edge of a precipice. It cannot allow interest rates to rise enough to offer institutions low-risk alternatives to gambling in asset bubbles, and it can’t goose the insanely over-valued asset bubbles it’s inflated any higher without triggering political blowback as the Fed’s asset bubbles are the primary driver of soaring wealth inequality.
Buying stocks directly won’t create low-risk, high-yield returns for institutions; all it will do is bury the risk in the Fed’s ballooning balance sheet while stripping insurers and pension funds of the returns they need to remain solvent.
Yields will remain near-zero while all the asset bubbles implode, destroying tens of trillions of dollars in phantom capital. The Fed’s grand bargain–offering inherently risky asset bubbles as a substitute for low-risk, high-yield bonds–has collapsed. Everyone with a stake in an asset bubble is about to have a Wile E. Coyote realization that the risk they thought had vanished has emerged as gravity.
It’s a long way to the bottom of the canyon, and the impact will be devastating. This impact is the dreadful price of avoiding healthy business-cycle recessions in 2000, 2008 and 2016 that would have cleared the economy of speculative deadwood and toxic zombie companies.


investmentwatchblog--2020-06-16--Asset Class of Classic Cars Sinks, High-End Hits 5-Year Low, Priciest Ferraris Drop the Most. Americ

Asset Class of Classic Cars Sinks, High-End Hits 5-Year Low, Priciest Ferraris Drop the Most. American Muscle Cars Fall to 2007 Level

It hadn ’ t been a smooth ride for the asset class of beautiful machines before the pandemic , including the fiasco at the Monterey auctions last August .
Now , in response to the pandemic , all live auctions were either canceled , postponed , or moved to online platforms .
Auction activity dropped to the lowest level since December 2010 , and private-market activity fell to the lowest level since May 2012 , said vintage-auto insurer Hagerty in its release today .
The Hagerty Market Index – which tracks prices and volume of classic cars that sold at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adjusted for inflation – dropped 1.9 % in June from May to a value of 138.07 .
It is now down 11.8 % from a year ago , and 26 % from the all-time high in August 2015 .
During the Financial Crisis , the index fell 16 % peak-to-bottom ( chart via Hagerty , notes added ) : Price changes ranged widely among Hagerty ’ s seven primary indices , with the Ferrari Index and the Blue Chip Index experiencing the biggest price declines , and with the Affordable Classics Index experiencing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re going to take four of these indices of beautiful machines out for a spin : Blue Chips , Ferraris , Affordable Classics , and American Muscle Cars .
The Hagerty “ Blue Chip ” Index of the Automotive A-List The average price reflected in this index of “ 25 of the most sought-after collectible automobiles of the post-war era ” dropped 7 % in May from the last reading in January , after having dropped 6 % in January from the prior period , to just above $ 2.25 million .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 2.62 million peak range in 2018 .
But note over the 2013-2014 period , the average price doubled !
Since 2007 , the index is still up fourfold !
• “ The Ferrari 250 GT California LWB Spyder and the Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider America each shed nearly a third of their values.
” • “ Other iconic classics like the Aston Martin DB5 , Mercedes-Benz 300SL , 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS and Shelby Cobra 289 all experienced drops that were less severe but still significant.
” • “ The sole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , largely thanks to a massive auction result in Scottsdale.
” These are the 25 cars that are in the Blue Chip Index : The index averages the prices of 13 of the “ most sought-after street Ferraris of the 1950s-70s.
” Their average price dropped about 8 % in May from January , to $ 4.8 million , and is down 15 % from the peak in January 2016 ( $ 5.7 million ) , after having skyrocketed from 2007 to the peak in January 2016 ( chart via Hagerty ) : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorded an increase , while over half of them lost value.
” • “ One of the index ’ s most expensive cars – the 1958 250 GT California Spyder LWB – was the biggest drop at 29 percent .
• “ Other declines , both within and outside this index , were much more modest , but the 250 GT SWB still shed 7 percent ( or $ 600,000 ) .
• “ Not all Ferraris are sliding , as later and less expensive models [ outside the index ] like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maranello , 456 GT and Mondial all recorded an increase.
” These are the 13 Ferraris in the index : This index averages the values of affordable cars from the 1950s to the 1970s below $ 40,000 .
The average price rose 4 % to a new high in May , from January , the only one of the Hagerty ’ s primary indices to experience a price gain .
The index has been on a consistent up-trend since 2015 , with the average price gaining about 30 % over the period .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ raise the cutoff price for “ affordable ” from $ 30,000 to $ 40,000 recently , but the chart still says $ 30,000 ( I added the red adjustment to reflect Hagerty ’ s text ) : • “ Most of the index ’ s component cars tracked steady , none of them lost value .
• “ The Datsun 240Z notched a large increase as well , with the best examples now past the point of being considered affordable .
• “ Many of the market ’ s biggest gainers outside of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other classic Volkswagens to Toyota MR2s and Dodge Stealths , also fit into the affordable sub- $ 40,000 bracket.
” Here are the affordable classics in the index : This index – it averages the price of “ the rarest and most sought-after muscle cars ” – ticked down 1 % in May from January , to about $ 285,000 , after having experienced the largest percentage drop of the Hagerty primary indices in the prior period .
Since the peak in January 2018 , the average price of these machines has dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back where it had first been in 2007 ( chart via Hagerty ) : • “ Four-fifths of the component cars recorded no change at all since January .
• “ Small drops for the 1970 Chevelle LS6 and 1969 Mustang Boss 429 as well as a large drop for the 1964 Impala SS convertible were enough to pull the rating down .
• “ It ’ s a similar story for other mainstream muscle cars , with values either tracking straight or weakening .
• “ Many higher tier models sold for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks of the year .
• “ Muscle cars have been experiencing volatility since before the events of March 2020 , and the ensuing crisis hasn ’ t helped confidence.
” These are the cars in the index : In light of these price declines especially at the high end , the good thing is that classic cars are not stocks or bonds that have no visual or emotional value .
These are beautiful machines that will continue to please impassioned souls even if some of the monetary value is evaporating .
Just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s costly ) , don ’ t expect to be selling it ( can be tough and a shock in this climate ) , and for crying out loud , don ’ t wreck it .

1958 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder LWB down 29%. But “Affordable Classics” sizzle.
It hadn’t been a smooth ride for the asset class of beautiful machines before the pandemic, including the fiasco at the Monterey auctions last August. Now, in response to the pandemic, all live auctions were either canceled, postponed, or moved to online platforms. Auction activity dropped to the lowest level since December 2010, and private-market activity fell to the lowest level since May 2012, said vintage-auto insurer Hagerty in its release today.
The Hagerty Market Index – which tracks prices and volume of classic cars that sold at auctions and private sales, and is adjusted for inflation – dropped 1.9% in June from May to a value of 138.07. It is now down 11.8% from a year ago, and 26% from the all-time high in August 2015. During the Financial Crisis, the index fell 16% peak-to-bottom (chart via Hagerty, notes added):
Price changes ranged widely among Hagerty’s seven primary indices, with the Ferrari Index and the Blue Chip Index experiencing the biggest price declines, and with the Affordable Classics Index experiencing the only price gain.
We’re going to take four of these indices of beautiful machines out for a spin: Blue Chips, Ferraris, Affordable Classics, and American Muscle Cars.
The Hagerty “Blue Chip” Index of the Automotive A-List
The average price reflected in this index of “25 of the most sought-after collectible automobiles of the post-war era” dropped 7% in May from the last reading in January, after having dropped 6% in January from the prior period, to just above $2.25 million. The index is down 14% from the $2.62 million peak range in 2018.
But note over the 2013-2014 period, the average price doubled! Since 2007, the index is still up fourfold!
Hagerty observed:
“Over half of the component cars tracked straight.”
“The Ferrari 250 GT California LWB Spyder and the Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider America each shed nearly a third of their values.”
“Other iconic classics like the Aston Martin DB5, Mercedes-Benz 300SL, 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS and Shelby Cobra 289 all experienced drops that were less severe but still significant.”
“The sole gainer this period was the Tucker 48, largely thanks to a massive auction result in Scottsdale.”
These are the 25 cars that are in the Blue Chip Index:
1967 Chevrolet Corvette, 2dr Convertible 8-cyl.
1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing, 2dr Coupe 6-cyl.
1966 Shelby Cobra 427, 2dr Roadster 8-cyl.
1965 Shelby GT350, 2dr Fastback 8-cyl.
1969 Toyota 2000GT, 2dr Coupe 6-cyl.
1959 Maserati 5000GT Frua, 2dr Coupe 8-cyl.
1958 Ferrari 250 California LWB, 2dr Spider (closed headlight) 12-cyl.
1954 Lancia Aurelia B24, 2dr Spider America 6-cyl.
1972 Iso Grifo IR9 Can Am, 2dr Coupe 8-cyl.
1970 Plymouth Cuda, 2dr Convertible 8-cyl.
1958 Bentley S1 Continental Coachbuilt, 2dr Drophead Coupe 6-cyl.
1964 Alfa Romeo TZ-2, 2dr Coupe 4-cyl.
1963 Mercedes-Benz 300SL, 2dr Roadster 6-cyl.
1953 Chevrolet Corvette, 2dr Roadster 6-cyl.
1965 Aston Martin DB5, 2dr Saloon 6-cyl.
1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7, 2dr Coupe 6-cyl.
1948 Tucker 48, 4dr Sedan 6-cyl.
1963 Shelby Cobra 289 R&P, 2dr Roadster 8-cyl.
1954 Jaguar D-Type, 2dr Roadster 6-cyl.
1958 Porsche 356A 1600 Super, 2dr Speedster 4-cyl.
1963 Ferrari 250 California SWB, 2dr Spider (closed headlight) 12-cyl.
1957 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I HJ Mulliner, 2dr Drophead Coupe 6-cyl.
1968 Ferrari 275 GTB/4, 2dr Coupe 12-cyl.
1959 BMW 507, 2dr Roadster 8-cyl.
1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV, 2dr Coupe 12-cyl.
The Ferrari Index:
The index averages the prices of 13 of the “most sought-after street Ferraris of the 1950s-70s.” Their average price dropped about 8% in May from January, to $4.8 million, and is down 15% from the peak in January 2016 ($5.7 million), after having skyrocketed sevenfold from 2007 to the peak in January 2016 (chart via Hagerty):
Hagerty observed:
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“Not a single component car recorded an increase, while over half of them lost value.”
“One of the index’s most expensive cars – the 1958 250 GT California Spyder LWB – was the biggest drop at 29 percent.
“Other declines, both within and outside this index, were much more modest, but the 250 GT SWB still shed 7 percent (or $600,000).
“Not all Ferraris are sliding, as later and less expensive models [outside the index] like the 360 coupe, 348 ts, 550 Maranello, 456 GT and Mondial all recorded an increase.”
These are the 13 Ferraris in the index:
1966 Ferrari 330 GT SII, 2dr Coupe 2+2 12-cyl. (image via Hagerty)
1957 Ferrari 410 Superamerica SIII, 2dr Coupe (closed headlight) 12-cyl.
1963 Ferrari 250 LM, 2dr Coupe 12-cyl.
1968 Ferrari 330 GTC, 2dr Coupe 12-cyl.
1958 Ferrari 250 California LWB, 2dr Spider (closed headlight) 12-cyl.
1972 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS, 2dr Spider 6-cyl.
1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, 2dr Coupe 12-cyl.
1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso, 2dr Coupe 12-cyl.
1960 Ferrari 250 GT, 2dr Coupe 12-cyl.
1972 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona, 2dr Spider 12-cyl.
1963 Ferrari 250 California SWB, 2dr Spider (closed headlight) 12-cyl.
1963 Ferrari 250 GT SWB, 2dr Coupe 12-cyl.
1968 Ferrari 275 GTB/4, 2dr Coupe 12-cyl.
Affordable Classics Index
This index averages the values of affordable cars from the 1950s to the 1970s below $40,000. The average price rose 4% to a new high in May, from January, the only one of the Hagerty’s primary indices to experience a price gain.
The index has been on a consistent up-trend since 2015, with the average price gaining about 30% over the period. These price increases have caused Hagerty to raise the cutoff price for “affordable” from $30,000 to $40,000 recently, but the chart still says $30,000 (I added the red adjustment to reflect Hagerty’s text):
Hagerty observed:
“Most of the index’s component cars tracked steady, none of them lost value.
“The 1967 Beetle and Karmann Ghia continued their upward trajectory.
“The Datsun 240Z notched a large increase as well, with the best examples now past the point of being considered affordable.
“Many of the market’s biggest gainers outside of the index, from BMW 2002s and other classic Volkswagens to Toyota MR2s and Dodge Stealths, also fit into the affordable sub-$40,000 bracket.”
Here are the affordable classics in the index:
1967 Volkswagen Beetle, 2dr Sedan 4-cyl.
1969 American Motors Javelin, 2dr Fastback 8-cyl.
1949 Buick Roadmaster Model 76S, 2dr Sedanet 8-cyl.
1967 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia, 2dr Coupe 4-cyl.
1972 Porsche 914 2.0, 2dr Targa 4-cyl.
1963 MG MGB Mk I, 2dr Roadster 4-cyl.
1971 Datsun 240Z, 2dr Coupe 6-cyl.
1965 Chevrolet Corvair Monza, 2dr Convertible 6-cyl.
1965 Ford Mustang GT, 2dr Coupe 8-cyl.
1972 Triumph TR6, 2dr Convertible 6-cyl.
1963 Studebaker Avanti, 2dr Coupe 8-cyl.
1962 Studebaker Lark Regal, 2dr Convertible 6-cyl.
1970 Chevrolet Camaro SS, 2dr Sport Coupe 8-cyl.
Muscle Cars: Index of 1960s American muscle cars
This index – it averages the price of “the rarest and most sought-after muscle cars” – ticked down 1% in May from January, to about $285,000, after having experienced the largest percentage drop of the Hagerty primary indices in the prior period. Since the peak in January 2018, the average price of these machines has dropped about 17%. The index is back where it had first been in 2007 (chart via Hagerty):
Hagerty observed:
“Four-fifths of the component cars recorded no change at all since January.
“Small drops for the 1970 Chevelle LS6 and 1969 Mustang Boss 429 as well as a large drop for the 1964 Impala SS convertible were enough to pull the rating down.
“It’s a similar story for other mainstream muscle cars, with values either tracking straight or weakening.
“Many higher tier models sold for lower results than expected during the earlier weeks of the year.
“Muscle cars have been experiencing volatility since before the events of March 2020, and the ensuing crisis hasn’t helped confidence.”
These are the cars in the index:
1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbird, 2dr Hardtop Coupe 8-cyl.
1965 Pontiac LeMans GTO, 2dr Convertible 8-cyl.
1968 Mercury Cougar GT-E, 2dr Hardtop Coupe 8-cyl.
1968 Chevrolet Camaro Yenko, 2dr Sport Coupe 8-cyl.
1969 American Motors AMX SS, 2dr Fastback 8-cyl.
1965 Shelby GT350, 2dr Fastback 8-cyl.
1970 Plymouth Cuda AAR, 2dr Hardtop Coupe 8-cyl.
1968 Shelby GT500 KR, 2dr Convertible 8-cyl.
1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454, 2dr Sport Coupe 8-cyl.
1970 Plymouth Cuda, 2dr Convertible 8-cyl.
1970 Buick GS 455, 2dr Convertible 8-cyl.
1970 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 W-30, 2dr Holiday Coupe 8-cyl.
1969 Dodge Charger 500, 2dr Hardtop Coupe 8-cyl.
1964 Chevrolet Impala SS, 2dr Convertible 8-cyl.
1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429, 2dr SportsRoof 8-cyl.
In light of these price declines especially at the high end, the good thing is that classic cars are not stocks or bonds that have no visual or emotional value. These are beautiful machines that will continue to please impassioned souls even if some of the monetary value is evaporating. Just take good care of it (that’s costly), don’t expect to be selling it (can be tough and a shock in this climate), and for crying out loud, don’t wreck it.