investmentwatchblog--2020-12-01--This Stock Is Up More Than 1,000% This Year

I hope all of my American readers and subscribers had a safe , happy Thanksgiving Day and weekend .
This year has been exceptionally challenging for a variety of reasons , but I believe there ’ s still a whole lot to be thankful for .
I trust you were able to spend some time with friends and family , whether in person or over Zoom , and found the time to count your blessings .
Americans appeared to buck Thanksgiving travel warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) , with the number of commercial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nearly 1.05 million passengers took to the skies the Sunday before last , beating the previous record of 1.03 million people on October 18 .
That figure was beaten again yesterday , when 1.18 million people were screened to fly .
One of the things I ’ m most grateful for is how well HIVE Blockchain Technologies has done over the past 18 months .
As I ’ m sure many of you know , I serve as HIVE ’ s interim executive chairman , and U.S .
Global Investors ( NASDAQ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the company , the very first publicly traded cryptocurrency mining firm .
Back in June 2019 , HIVE managed to settle all disputes with Genesis Mining , bringing back transparency , accountability and responsibility .
Basic corporate governance , in other words .
The settlement agreement also allowed us to drive down costs .
This , coupled with higher Ethereum and crypto prices , means that HIVE is doing better now than ever before .
2020 has been marked by healthy expansion in mining capacity , the most recent example being HIVE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campus in Grand Falls , New Brunswick , that will give the company access to an additional 50 megawatts ( MW ) of low-cost green energy .
So far this year , HIVE shares have soared an incredible 1,100 % , well past Ethereum ’ s gain of 367 % .
This is very positive news for shareholders not just of HIVE but also GROW .
Cryptocurrency prices remain highly volatile , the same as shares of HIVE , which move in the same direction as Ethereum about 90 % of the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to join us tomorrow for the HIVE earnings webcast for the fiscal quarter ended September 30 .
This quarter represents a full year since the company has been 100 % in the driver ’ s seat of its operations , and though I obviously can ’ t give any details away right now , I ’ m very excited for you to hear them yourself .
You can register for the webinar by clicking here .
Gold Starting to Look Like a Buy The price of bitcoin swung wildly last week , along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high on Wednesday before plunging more than $ 3,000 .
The digital currency looked ready for a correction after hovering in overbought territory for about a month , according to the 14-day relative strength index ( RSI ) .
Gold , on the other hand , is starting to look oversold , especially after Friday ’ s selloff on hopes of a vaccine and broad economic recovery .
The yellow metal has also been under pressure from rising bond yields .
The yield on the 10-year Treasury has been on the upswing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of times before , this can have a huge impact on the direction of gold prices .
Take a look below .
Gold hit its all-time high of nearly $ 2,070 an ounce on August 6 , when the 10-year yield traded as low as 0.5 % .
Remember , this is the nominal yield .
Adjusted for inflation , it ’ s below zero .
I believe gold is a buy at these prices .
The following 20-day and 60-day oscillator charts bear this out .
Looking at the 20-day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standard deviations from its five-year mean , meaning its well within the “ buy ” range .
The data says we may see a rally in prices in the short term .
The 60-day oscillator chart also shows that gold is oversold , though not as pronounced .
The metal was down 1.5 standard deviations from its five-year mean .
This is about as oversold as gold has been since September 2018 .
Like HIVE , gold miners have put cost controls in place as the price of the underlying metal rose to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in record free cash flow , according to Metals Focus .
In a report dated November 25 , the London-based group said that cash flow after capital expenditures for the world ’ s leading gold miners reached a record high of $ 4.8 billion in the third quarter of this year .
That ’ s a significant increase of $ 2.7 billion from the previous quarter , an even bigger increase of $ 3.3 billion from the same quarter a year ago .
According to Metals Focus , “ costs have been contained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operating and capital cost discipline to maximize value from their [ existing ] mines.
” This is very good news for investors as this may mean higher shareholder payouts in the future .
Still Haven ’ t Had a Chance to Watch the Mining Expo ?
Many of you still haven ’ t gotten a chance to watch the Virtual Junior Mining Expo , which I co-hosted recently with StreetSmart Live !
The event was a huge success , bringing 10 of the most exciting junior metal producers and explorers to curious investors @ @ @ @

by Frank Holmes, CEO, U.S. Global Investors
I hope all of my American readers and subscribers had a safe, happy Thanksgiving Day and weekend. This year has been exceptionally challenging for a variety of reasons, but I believe there’s still a whole lot to be thankful for. I trust you were able to spend some time with friends and family, whether in person or over Zoom, and found the time to count your blessings.
Americans appeared to buck Thanksgiving travel warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with the number of commercial air passengers hitting a new pandemic high. Nearly 1.05 million passengers took to the skies the Sunday before last, beating the previous record of 1.03 million people on October 18. That figure was beaten again yesterday, when 1.18 million people were screened to fly.
click to enlarge
One of the things I’m most grateful for is how well HIVE Blockchain Technologies has done over the past 18 months. As I’m sure many of you know, I serve as HIVE’s interim executive chairman, and U.S. Global Investors (NASDAQ: GROW) owns 10 million shares of the company, the very first publicly traded cryptocurrency mining firm.
Back in June 2019, HIVE managed to settle all disputes with Genesis Mining, bringing back transparency, accountability and responsibility. Basic corporate governance, in other words.
The settlement agreement also allowed us to drive down costs. This, coupled with higher Ethereum and crypto prices, means that HIVE is doing better now than ever before. 2020 has been marked by healthy expansion in mining capacity, the most recent example being HIVE’s acquisition of a data center campus in Grand Falls, New Brunswick, that will give the company access to an additional 50 megawatts (MW) of low-cost green energy.
So far this year, HIVE shares have soared an incredible 1,100%, well past Ethereum’s gain of 367%. This is very positive news for shareholders not just of HIVE but also GROW. Cryptocurrency prices remain highly volatile, the same as shares of HIVE, which move in the same direction as Ethereum about 90% of the time.
click to enlarge
With that, I invite you to join us tomorrow for the HIVE earnings webcast for the fiscal quarter ended September 30. This quarter represents a full year since the company has been 100% in the driver’s seat of its operations, and though I obviously can’t give any details away right now, I’m very excited for you to hear them yourself.
You can register for the webinar by clicking here.
Gold Starting to Look Like a Buy
The price of bitcoin swung wildly last week, along with gold, flirting with its all-time high on Wednesday before plunging more than $3,000. The digital currency looked ready for a correction after hovering in overbought territory for about a month, according to the 14-day relative strength index (RSI).
Gold, on the other hand, is starting to look oversold, especially after Friday’s selloff on hopes of a vaccine and broad economic recovery.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
The yellow metal has also been under pressure from rising bond yields. The yield on the 10-year Treasury has been on the upswing, and as I’ve explained a number of times before, this can have a huge impact on the direction of gold prices. Take a look below. Gold hit its all-time high of nearly $2,070 an ounce on August 6, when the 10-year yield traded as low as 0.5%. Remember, this is the nominal yield. Adjusted for inflation, it’s below zero.
click to enlarge
I believe gold is a buy at these prices. The following 20-day and 60-day oscillator charts bear this out.
Looking at the 20-day, gold was trading down close to 2 standard deviations from its five-year mean, meaning its well within the “buy” range. The data says we may see a rally in prices in the short term.
click to enlarge
The 60-day oscillator chart also shows that gold is oversold, though not as pronounced. The metal was down 1.5 standard deviations from its five-year mean. This is about as oversold as gold has been since September 2018.
click to enlarge
Gold Miners Reporting Record Free Cash Flow
Like HIVE, gold miners have put cost controls in place as the price of the underlying metal rose to new all-time highs. This has resulted in record free cash flow, according to Metals Focus.
click to enlarge
In a report dated November 25, the London-based group said that cash flow after capital expenditures for the world’s leading gold miners reached a record high of $4.8 billion in the third quarter of this year. That’s a significant increase of $2.7 billion from the previous quarter, an even bigger increase of $3.3 billion from the same quarter a year ago.
According to Metals Focus, “costs have been contained, with companies remaining focused on maintaining operating and capital cost discipline to maximize value from their [existing] mines.”
This is very good news for investors as this may mean higher shareholder payouts in the future.
Still Haven’t Had a Chance to Watch the Mining Expo?
Many of you still haven’t gotten a chance to watch the Virtual Junior Mining Expo, which I co-hosted recently with StreetSmart Live! The event was a huge success, bringing 10 of the most exciting junior metal producers and explorers to curious investors such as yourself.


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-01--What a con: Time’s Up charities spent $1.4m on salaries and just $312k helping victims of sexual har

What a con: Time’s Up charities spent $1.4m on salaries and just $312k helping victims of sexual harassment

Shocker , not .
Time ’ s Up did about as much for sexual harassment victims as Joe Biden did to find a cure for cancer .
From Daily Mail : Time ’ s Up , the organization set up to fight sexual harassment in the work place in the wake of the # MeToo movement , spent the bulk of its donations of executive salaries and only a fraction on legal costs to help victims in its first year , records show .
Tax filings show that the organization , which was founded by Hollywood celebrities and is made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foundation and Time ’ s Up Now Inc. , raised $ 3,670,219 in 2018 in its first year of operation .
However , less than 10 % was spent on helping those women who have experienced sexual harassment .
Filings show $ 312,001 was spent on the legal defense fund while $ 1,407,032 was spent on salaries .
And more than $ 157,000 was spent on conferences at luxury resorts , and a further $ 58,395 was spent on travel .
The organization brought in Hollywood heavyweights during the early days of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Brie Larson holding positions on its board .
The tax filings detail the mission of Time ’ s Up Now as being : ‘ to promote safe , fair and dignified work for women of all kinds .
We work to make sure that women are free from harassment and other forms of discrimination on the job , have equal opportunity for economic security and can achieve the highest positions of power wherever they work.
’ But huge amounts were spent on executive salaries instead of legal support .
Lisa Borders was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but only spent four months at the organization after her 36-year-old son was accused of sexual misconduct .
Nevertheless , the CEO managed to pull in $ 342,308 for her salary .
The Chief Marketing Officer , Rachel Terrace , drew a salary of $ 295,000 for her efforts during the organization ’ s first year .
And treasurer Rebecca Goldman drew a salary of $ 255,327 .
Read the whole story here .

by DCG
Shocker, not. Time’s Up did about as much for sexual harassment victims as Joe Biden did to find a cure for cancer.
From Daily Mail: Time’s Up, the organization set up to fight sexual harassment in the work place in the wake of the #MeToo movement, spent the bulk of its donations of executive salaries and only a fraction on legal costs to help victims in its first year, records show.
Tax filings show that the organization, which was founded by Hollywood celebrities and is made up from the Time’s Up Foundation and Time’s Up Now Inc., raised $3,670,219 in 2018 in its first year of operation.
However, less than 10% was spent on helping those women who have experienced sexual harassment.
Filings show $312,001 was spent on the legal defense fund while $1,407,032 was spent on salaries. And more than $157,000 was spent on conferences at luxury resorts, and a further $58,395 was spent on travel.
The organization brought in Hollywood heavyweights during the early days of its operation with Reese Witherspoon, Amy Schumer and Brie Larson holding positions on its board.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
The tax filings detail the mission of Time’s Up Now as being: ‘to promote safe, fair and dignified work for women of all kinds. We work to make sure that women are free from harassment and other forms of discrimination on the job, have equal opportunity for economic security and can achieve the highest positions of power wherever they work.’
But huge amounts were spent on executive salaries instead of legal support.
Lisa Borders was recruited to head Time’s Up but only spent four months at the organization after her 36-year-old son was accused of sexual misconduct. Nevertheless, the CEO managed to pull in $342,308 for her salary.
The Chief Marketing Officer, Rachel Terrace, drew a salary of $295,000 for her efforts during the organization’s first year. And treasurer Rebecca Goldman drew a salary of $255,327.
Read the whole story here.
DCG


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-01--“Your vote is not as secure as your Venmo account”

Why would a company purposefully make the vote not as secure as it feasibly could be ?
Think about it @ @ @ @ @ PRESIDENT is not as secure as your Venmo account .
Just off that alone , @ @ @ @ @ election over .

Why would a company purposefully make the vote not as secure as it feasibly could be? Think about it. Your vote FOR THE PRESIDENT is not as secure as your Venmo account. Just off that alone, you have to turn the election over.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
h/t DXMXD


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-01--California flipped red? Expert: More than 1.7M Biden votes in California are suspect

The consolation prize for President Trump in the Golden State was that he won 5.5 million votes in 2020 , @ @ @ @ @ four years ago .
But did Joe Biden really top 11 million ballots as officially @ @ @ @ @ and information security expert thinks the answer is likely not .
In fact , the @ @ @ @ @ even topped 10 million .
Doing a deep dive analysis of the election live-feed used @ @ @ @ @ , the researcher , with two decades of experience looking for data anomalies , estimated @ @ @ @ @ votes for Joe Biden were statistically suspicious and likely the result of electronic fraud , @ @ @ @ @ exclusive interview .
California ’ s new motor voter law goes into effect in 2017 @ @ @ @ @ a license to vote .
No real safeguards to prevent illegals with drivers licenses from @ @ @ @ @ The communists want them to vote !
Unbelievable !

The consolation prize for President Trump in the Golden State was that he won 5.5 million votes in 2020, a million plus more than four years ago. But did Joe Biden really top 11 million ballots as officially reported? One experienced programmer and information security expert thinks the answer is likely not. In fact, the Democratic candidate may not have even topped 10 million.
Article originally posted on Press California.
Doing a deep dive analysis of the election live-feed used by the New York Times, the researcher, with two decades of experience looking for data anomalies, estimated that at least 1.7 million votes for Joe Biden were statistically suspicious and likely the result of electronic fraud, he told PressCalifornia.com in an exclusive interview.
Suspicious votes could top 5M
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noqreport.com/2020/11/30/expert-more-than-1-7m-biden-votes-in-california-are-suspect/
California’s new motor voter law goes into effect in 2017. Automatically registers everyone with a license to vote. No real safeguards to prevent illegals with drivers licenses from being able to vote. The communists want them to vote! Unbelievable!
thenewamerican.com/giving-drivers-licenses-to-illegal-aliens-makes-illegal-voting-a-real-possibility/
h/t Coastie


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-01--Why Iran Is Getting the Bomb

Why Iran Is Getting the Bomb

The ‘ moderates ’ staffing the Biden administration will move quickly to cement Barack Obama ’ s foreign policy legacy @ @ @ @ @ obvious failures .
Obama ’ s Iran deal was the costliest mistake of his presidency @ @ @ @ @ Middle East .
The premises on which it was based were proved false .
And @ @ @ @ @ t wait to reenter the JCPOA , with Secretary of State-apparent Antony Blinken pledging to @ @ @ @ @ intact , signaling his clear intention to lift nuclear-related sanctions against Iran .
The only @ @ @ @ @ such wonderful plans , the press warns , is an impending Trump strike on Iran @ @ @ @ @ day now .
According to The New York Times , Trump asked his cabinet for @ @ @ @ @ reported that Iran had exceeded its limit of enriched uranium .

The ‘moderates’ staffing the Biden administration will move quickly to cement Barack Obama’s foreign policy legacy, starting with its most obvious failures.
www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/iran-getting-the-bomb
Obama’s Iran deal was the costliest mistake of his presidency for the peoples of the Middle East. The premises on which it was based were proved false. And yet Joe Biden can’t wait to reenter the JCPOA, with Secretary of State-apparent Antony Blinken pledging to keep “non-nuclear sanctions” intact, signaling his clear intention to lift nuclear-related sanctions against Iran.
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The only thing that could interfere with such wonderful plans, the press warns, is an impending Trump strike on Iran, which might come any day now. According to The New York Times, Trump asked his cabinet for military options after the U.N. reported that Iran had exceeded its limit of enriched uranium.
h/t PrisonerNo6


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-01--Is China trying to start a war?

Is China trying to start a war?

I ’ ll believe it ’ s a crisis when the people who keep telling me it ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a crisis :

Chinese communist regime has disgraced themselves in front of the world after posting a doctored picture of an Australian soldier holding a knife to a child’s neck.
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h/t ShockChance


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-01--Jenna: The certification of Arizona’s FALSE results is unethical and knowingly participating in the

Jenna: The certification of Arizona’s FALSE results is unethical and knowingly participating in the corruption that has disenfranchised AZ voters. BUT, this in no way impacts the state legislature’s ability to take back the proper selection of delegates.

The certification of Arizona ’ s FALSE results is unethical and knowingly participating in the corruption that has disenfranchised AZ @ @ @ @ @ in no way impacts the state legislature ’ s ability to take back the proper @ @ @ @

The certification of Arizona’s FALSE results is unethical and knowingly participating in the corruption that has disenfranchised AZ voters.
BUT, this in no way impacts the state legislature’s ability to take back the proper selection of delegates.
— Jenna Ellis (@JennaEllisEsq) November 30, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-01--50 years of failures, so why exactly are those international agreements still being pushed?

One may suspect that the real purpose of climate treaties , accords and what else isn ’ t control the @ @ @ @ @ rather supply constant excuses to push agendas on the signatory nations .

One may suspect that the real purpose of climate treaties, accords and what else isn’t control the climate or CO2 levels… but rather supply constant excuses to push agendas on the signatory nations.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
h/t dromni


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-01--Hypocrisy Much, Kamala? One Tweet Sucks up to Businesses; the Other Raises Money for Rioters Who Des

Hypocrisy Much, Kamala? One Tweet Sucks up to Businesses; the Other Raises Money for Rioters Who Destroyed Them

The ability of the species Americanus Democratus to talk out of both sides of its mouth at the same time is unequaled in annals of the human experience .
Hence the hypocrisy of the Left knows no bounds .
While the competition within the Democrat Party has never been more fierce , nobody is more adept at the unique talent than Sen. Kamala Harris ( CA ) Ladies and gentlemen , may I demonstrate ?
Much obliged .
Now that Harris believes she ’ s the official vice president-elect — as does the entirety of the Democrat Party and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media — the left-wing senator is getting all vice presidency and stuff , as illustrated by the following tweet in which she sucked up to small business owners , ostensibly because of the impact of the coronavirus .
“ Small businesses , especially Black and minority-owned businesses , urgently need relief to survive the effects of coronavirus this winter .
@ JoeBiden and I are committed to helping these businesses during this pandemic and get them the support they need to thrive in years to come.
” Memo to Kam : It hasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all but destroyed untold numbers of small businesses .
The rioters you supported for months destroyed untold numbers of those businesses — many of them permanently — but we ’ ll get to that in a minute .

The ability of the species Americanus Democratus to talk out of both sides of its mouth at the same time is unequaled in annals of the human experience. Hence the hypocrisy of the Left knows no bounds. While the competition within the Democrat Party has never been more fierce, nobody is more adept at the unique talent than Sen. Kamala Harris (CA)
Ladies and gentlemen, may I demonstrate? Much obliged.
Now that Harris believes she’s the official vice president-elect — as does the entirety of the Democrat Party and its sock puppets in the “mainstream” media — the left-wing senator is getting all vice presidency and stuff, as illustrated by the following tweet in which she sucked up to small business owners, ostensibly because of the impact of the coronavirus.
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“Small businesses, especially Black and minority-owned businesses, urgently need relief to survive the effects of coronavirus this winter. @JoeBiden and I are committed to helping these businesses during this pandemic and get them the support they need to thrive in years to come.”
Memo to Kam: It hasn’t been just COVID that has all but destroyed untold numbers of small businesses. The rioters you supported for months destroyed untold numbers of those businesses — many of them permanently — but we’ll get to that in a minute.
redstate.com/mike_miller/2020/11/30/hypocrisy-much-kamala-one-tweet-sucks-up-to-businesses-the-other-raises-money-for-rioters-who-destroyed-them-n286922
Small businesses, especially Black and minority-owned businesses, urgently need relief to survive the effects of coronavirus this winter. @JoeBiden and I are committed to helping these businesses during this pandemic and get them the support they need to thrive in years to come. — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) November 28, 2020
If you’re able to, chip in now to the @MNFreedomFund to help post bail for those protesting on the ground in Minnesota. t.co/t8LXowKIbw — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) June 1, 2020
h/t PrisonerNo6


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-01--S&P 500 at 4,000 By Year End? Don’t Laugh

At this point , we ’ re about to enter the final month of the year .
Most fund managers have had a TERRIBLE year .
Only a handful of them accurately predicted the March meltdown and even fewer managed to buy at the lows once the market bottomed .
What does this mean ?
That an entire industry of money managers has about four weeks to play “ catch up ” so they can post the best possible returns for 2020 .
Those who fail will lose clients and assets under management .
This has the makings of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & P 500 has broken out of its three-month consolidation period .
This breakout if it holds predicts a move to 4,000 before year-end .
This sounds crazy I know , but which is crazier… 4,000 on the S & P 500 , or the notion that money managers will say , “ you know what , I ’ ve performed terribly this year… I ’ m going to just take it easy in December and post my awful returns to my clients.
” You get my point .
Throw in the fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Central Bank ( ECB ) are both printing tremendous amounts of money with both banks ’ balance sheets hitting new all-time highs and you have the makings of a MELTUP into year-end .
And then of course… there ’ s the market ’ s reaction if the 2020 Presidential election ends up going for Trump .
With that in mind , I stand by my original forecast that President Trump will end up winning this election .
And our clients are already doing this with our new special report titled… The MAGA Portfolio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ During Trump ’ s Second Term .
In it , we detail five unique investments that we expect will produce the most extraordinary gains during President Trump ’ s second term .
Each one of these investments is in a unique position to profit from the combination of Trump economic reforms and Fed monetary easing , combining high growth opportunities with extreme profitability .
We are offering this report exclusively to subscribers of our e-letter Gains Pains & Capital .
To pick up your copy please swing by :

The market continues to grind higher.
At this point, we’re about to enter the final month of the year. Most fund managers have had a TERRIBLE year. Only a handful of them accurately predicted the March meltdown and even fewer managed to buy at the lows once the market bottomed.
What does this mean?
That an entire industry of money managers has about four weeks to play “catch up” so they can post the best possible returns for 2020. Those who fail will lose clients and assets under management.
This has the makings of a market melt-up into year-end.
The S&P 500 has broken out of its three-month consolidation period. This breakout if it holds predicts a move to 4,000 before year-end.
This sounds crazy I know, but which is crazier… 4,000 on the S&P 500, or the notion that money managers will say, “you know what, I’ve performed terribly this year… I’m going to just take it easy in December and post my awful returns to my clients.”
You get my point.
Throw in the fact that both the Fed and the European Central Bank (ECB) are both printing tremendous amounts of money with both banks’ balance sheets hitting new all-time highs and you have the makings of a MELTUP into year-end.
And then of course… there’s the market’s reaction if the 2020 Presidential election ends up going for Trump.
KABOOM!
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With that in mind, I stand by my original forecast that President Trump will end up winning this election. And our clients are already doing this with our new special report titled…
The MAGA Portfolio: Five Investments That Will Make Fortunes During Trump’s Second Term.
In it, we detail five unique investments that we expect will produce the most extraordinary gains during President Trump’s second term.
Each one of these investments is in a unique position to profit from the combination of Trump economic reforms and Fed monetary easing, combining high growth opportunities with extreme profitability.
We are offering this report exclusively to subscribers of our e-letter Gains Pains & Capital. To pick up your copy please swing by:
phoenixcapitalmarketing.com/MAGA.html
Best Regards
Graham Summers
Chief Market Strategist
Phoenix Capital Research


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-01--Biden Appoints Labor Economist Yellen As Treasury Sec, Global Markets Decline (But US Pending Home S

Biden Appoints Labor Economist Yellen As Treasury Sec, Global Markets Decline (But US Pending Home Sales YoY Rises)

President-elect Joe Biden has appointed former U-C Berkeley labor economist Janet Yellen as US Treasury Secretary .
The reaction in @ @ @ @ @ pending US home sales YoY are up 19.50 % .
The US Dollar keeps droppin @ @ @ @ @ poppin ’ !

by confoundedinterest17
President-elect Joe Biden has appointed former U-C Berkeley labor economist Janet Yellen as US Treasury Secretary. The reaction in global equity markets?
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
But pending US home sales YoY are up 19.50%.
The US Dollar keeps droppin’ as Bitcoin keeps a poppin’!


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-01--CNN Analysis: “Why Joe Biden’s broken foot reveals how different his White House will be from Donald

CNN Analysis: “Why Joe Biden’s broken foot reveals how different his White House will be from Donald Trump’s”

Biden plans to make 11 million illegals in America full citizens !
He wants 125,000 new illegals in America a @

www.cnn.com/2020/11/30/politics/joe-biden-broken-foot-donald-trump-walter-reed/index.html
BREAKING: CNBC: “Biden will likely require walking boot for
several weeks after fracturing foot”
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www.cnbc.com/2020/11/29/biden-will-require-walking-boot-for-several-weeks-after-slipping-fracturing-foot-.html
Biden’s Injury From Falling While Playing With Dog More Serious Than Initially Thought t.co/X4a3mOeZaA — Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) November 30, 2020
h/t dr0id


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-01--We are literally just minutes away from the start of a major conflict in the Middle East – Iran vs I

We are literally just minutes away from the start of a major conflict in the Middle East – Iran vs Israel and the US

If reports are true , Israel is about to get hit by missiles from Iranian proxies in Syria , will @ @ @ @ @ info US & Israel pushing Iran to brink of war Red Lines host Anya Parampil @ @ @ @ @ of The University of Tehran and Investigative Journalist Gareth Porter about the recent assassination of @ @ @ @ @

If reports are true, Israel is about to get hit by missiles from Iranian proxies in Syria, will update as I get more info
Related:
Iran’s Mohsen Fakhrizadeh killed hit squad, report says.
US & Israel pushing Iran to brink of war
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Red Lines host Anya Parampil speaks with Professor Mohammad Marandi of The University of Tehran and Investigative Journalist Gareth Porter about the recent assassination of Dr. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in Tehran
Posted November 29, 2020
#Iraqi sources reveal that #Iran's Revolutionary Guards commander, Muslim Shahdan, has been killed near the Syrian-Iraqi border.t.co/wlGPIAiCLq pic.twitter.com/66GzRzoLwZ — Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) November 30, 2020
🚨 Hight alert in Israel 🇮🇱
Something in progress… — INTELSky (@Intel_Sky) November 30, 2020
AC


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-01--IRAN‘S REVOLUTIONARY GUARD COMMANDER KILLED BY DRONE STRIKE

# Iraqi sources reveal that # Iran 's Revolutionary Guards commander , Muslim Shahdan , has been killed near the @ @ @

#Iraqi sources reveal that #Iran's Revolutionary Guards commander, Muslim Shahdan, has been killed near the Syrian-Iraqi border.t.co/wlGPIAiCLq pic.twitter.com/66GzRzoLwZ
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) November 30, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-01--Tyrants Warn: “It’s Going To Get Worse”

Tyrants Warn: “It’s Going To Get Worse”

The tyrants who want us all to bow to their commands are warning that they are going to clamp down even more on our basic human right to be free .
Draconian technocrats like Dr. Anthony Fauci says “ it ’ s going to get worse , ” and he ’ s referring to the restrictions coming to stop the alleged coronavirus cases from spiking .
The warnings continue to come and the fear-mongering keeps ramping up .
If these tyrants can get away with another lockdown , they will do it .
They continue to warn us of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warnings are coming faster .
The COVID-19 “ Dark Winter ” PsyOp : Question Everything…Joe Biden Warns : A “ Dark Winter ” Is Ahead Health officials are still trying to panic the masses into submission while making the Sunday talk show rounds .
All are propagating a surge of cases that they will blame on us .
We should be expected to be enslaved because some of us dared to travel and mix households over the Thanksgiving holiday , according to RT , Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Brett Giroir told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time ” for the U.S. , noting that 20 percent of all people in hospitals are already Covid-positive and warning that number could be rising fairly soon .
Keep in mind , these tyrants lied profusely about the hospitals being overrun last spring .
Fauci did admit that the spread among and from children “ is not really big at all.
” He wants bars closed , and schools to remain open .
“ If you mitigate the things that you know are causing spread in a very , very profound way , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring that down , you will then indirectly and ultimately protect the children in the school , because the community level is determined by how things go across the board , ” he added .

by Mac Slavo of SHTFplan
The tyrants who want us all to bow to their commands are warning that they are going to clamp down even more on our basic human right to be free. Draconian technocrats like Dr. Anthony Fauci says “it’s going to get worse,” and he’s referring to the restrictions coming to stop the alleged coronavirus cases from spiking. The warnings continue to come and the fear-mongering keeps ramping up. If these tyrants can get away with another lockdown, they will do it. They continue to warn us of the upcoming “dark winter” and the warnings are coming faster. The COVID-19 “Dark Winter” PsyOp: Question Everything…Joe Biden Warns: A “Dark Winter” Is Ahead
Health officials are still trying to panic the masses into submission while making the Sunday talk show rounds. All are propagating a surge of cases that they will blame on us. We should be expected to be enslaved because some of us dared to travel and mix households over the Thanksgiving holiday, according to RT,
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Brett Giroir told CNN “this is a really dangerous time” for the U.S., noting that 20 percent of all people in hospitals are already Covid-positive and warning that number could be rising fairly soon. Keep in mind, these tyrants lied profusely about the hospitals being overrun last spring.
NEW: “We may see a surge upon a surge. We don’t want to frighten people but that’s just the reality,” Dr. Anthony Fauci tells @MarthaRaddatz, adding that he doesn't expect a relaxation of restrictions or travel advisories for the Christmas season. t.co/txCs2tyc80 pic.twitter.com/ajTlQoMzpK — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) November 29, 2020
Fauci did admit that the spread among and from children “is not really big at all.” He wants bars closed, and schools to remain open.
“If you mitigate the things that you know are causing spread in a very, very profound way, in a robust way, if you bring that down, you will then indirectly and ultimately protect the children in the school, because the community level is determined by how things go across the board,” he added.


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-01--FLORIDA GOV extends order banning local COVID-related shutdowns, restrictions and mask mandates…

Gov .
Ron DeSantis has extended a September executive order aimed at preventing business shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ before the Thanksgiving holiday , said the state “ continues to suffer economic harm as @ @ @ @ @ closures , exacerbating the impacts of the State of Emergency , and Floridians should not @ @ @ @ @ from working or operating a business .
”

Gov. Ron DeSantis has extended a September executive order aimed at preventing business shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two-page extension, issued before the Thanksgiving holiday, said the state “continues to suffer economic harm as a result of COVID-19 related closures, exacerbating the impacts of the State of Emergency, and Floridians should not be prohibited by local governments from working or operating a business.”


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-01--A Vaccine Won’t Cure The 20-Year “Widow-Maker” Trade

In 1999 , a media personality stated that “ investing like Warren Buffett was like driving dad ’ s old Pontiac.
” Of course , that was at the height of the Dot.com bubble , and soon after , “ value investing ” paid off .
Unfortunately , it didn ’ t stick .
It wasn ’ t just 1999 .
In 2007 , individuals were chasing the “ momentum ” in the real estate market .
Individuals left their jobs to pursue riches in housing .
They were willing to “ pay any price ” under the assumption they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Of course , it was not long after Ben Bernanke uttered the words “ the subprime market is contained , ” the dreams of riches evaporated like a “ morning mist.
” In 2020 , investors are again chasing “ growth at any price ” and rationalizing overpaying for growth .
As I discussed in the “ Death Of Fundamentals : ” Given the massive government and Federal Reserve interventions over the last decade , it should be of no surprise that “ growth ” has outperformed .
For “ value investors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of pain.
” The rise of passive indexing , algorithmic trading , and massive amounts of liquidity have destroyed price discovery in the markets .
In a recent discussion on “ Value Is Dead , ” we referenced a Research Affiliates article that noted the under-performance reasons .
“ An investment strategy , style , or factor can suffer a period of underperformance for many reasons .
• None First , the style may have been a product of data mining , only working during its backtest because of overfitting .
• None @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • None Third , the trade can get crowded , leading to distorted prices • None because the style or factor is becoming cheaper as it plumbs new lows in relative valuation .
• None Finally , flagging performance might be a result of a left-tail outlier If the first three reasons imply the style no longer works , and will not likely benefit investors in the future , the last two reasons have no such implications .
With today ’ s value vs. growth valuation gap at an extreme ( the 100th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it sets the stage for a potentially historic outperformance of value relative to growth over the coming decade.
” The underperformance is quite stunning .
The chart shows the difference in the performance of the “ value vs growth ” index .
The index compares the pure value to a pure growth index , with each based on a $ 100 investment .
While value investing always provides consistent returns , there are times when growth outperforms value .
The periods when “ value investing ” has the most significant outperformance , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas , are notable .
When things ultimately go “ pear-shaped , ” the return to value tends to be a swift event .
For investors , it is crucial to grasp what decades of investment experience tell us about the future .
When the cycle turns , we have little doubt the value-growth relationship will revert to its long-term mean .
Is The Vaccine Announcement The Turning Point He goes on to make a case for “ why ” the Pfizer vaccine ( and the other vaccines that will follow ) may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the market has been waiting for .
Kevin ’ s view is the market is a discounting mechanism , and the “ Smart Money ” will focus on the future .
Primarily , he hopes , the “ Buying Value/Selling Growth ” trade , which has been a widow-maker trade for the past 20 years , will be changed by the “ vaccine.
” I doubt the “ vaccine ” will cure the ills of “ value ” any time soon as it does not address the primary issues driving the “ momentum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Research Affiliates comments above .
• The effect of “ data mining ” on investment styles ?
No .
• The “ structural changes ” to the market ( i.e .
proliferation of ETF ’ s ) ?
No .
• A crowded trade that leads to a distortion of prices ?
No .
The “ vaccine ” does not cure the most massive problem for value stocks – actual value .
The Lack Of Value In “ Value ” As a “ fundamental ” and “ value ” based investor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growth has undoubtedly been frustrating .
However , one of the biggest problems is the astonishing lack of value in “ value.
” The chart is pretty stunning but needs some explanation .
Here is the issue with intangible assets .
In many cases , the value of intangible assets is often overly optimistic assumptions about the companies worth .
We recently quoted Raconteur on this particular issue : The debt issuance is problematic as companies used it for non-productive investments such as stock buybacks and dividend issuance as corporate profitability remained extraordinarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussed in “ The Importance Of The Buffett Indicator , ” corporate profits are at the same level as in 2009 , while markets are at all-time highs .
Exactly where is the “ value ?
” Notably , corporate profits are a reflection of economic growth rates , and a “ vaccine ” will not cure the problem plaguing profitability long-term—the debt .
The problem with the “ vaccine will lead to a value rotation , ” is such would require more robust economic growth and higher rates for increased profitability .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ value ” runs into problems .
If interest rates were to rise substantially , the economy contracts due to the economy ’ s massive debt levels .
We showed this specifically in “ The Fed Will Monetize All Debt Issuance.. ” No one believed me in 2017 when I stated that oil prices were going to remain low .
Energy companies still have a massive supply/demand imbalance that existed long before the “ pandemic ” hit the economy .
While a vaccine may provide a short-term boost , the underlying fundamentals are still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Energy companies , along with basic materials and industrials , need stronger economic growth .
A vaccine will not solve the longer-term problems plaguing weaker economic growth rates and stronger fundamentals .
As we discussed previously in the “ One-Way Trip Of American Debt , ” the economic growth rate has been undermined by the surge in debt over the last decade .
As stated , the sectors believed to be part of the “ value trade ” requires stronger economic activity .
Such would lead to higher rates of inflation and higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so do rates on credit card payments , auto loans , business loans , capital expenditures , leases , etc.
, while also reducing corporate profitability .
In an economy supported by debt , rates must remain low .
Therefore , the Federal Reserve has no choice but to monetize as much debt issuance as is needed to keep rates from substantially rising .
The byproduct of those actions is weaker economic growth and lower rates of inflation .
As shown , since 2009 , inflation has consistently run well below the Fed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ levels of debt continue to retard economic growth keeping the Fed trapped in a debt cycle as hopes of “ growth ” remain elusive .
The current 5-year average inflation-adjusted growth rate is just 1.64 % , a far cry from the 4.79 % real growth rate in the ’ 80s .
A “ vaccine ” for COVID-19 is entirely different than what is needed to cure the “ debt problem.
” The Rotation Is Likely Short-Lived Look back at the first chart above .
Based on two-year forward earnings estimates , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trading at historical extremes .
Compound valuation problems , with the debt problem , and the lack of actual “ value , ” the issue becomes more apparent .
Given the Federal Reserve ’ s monetary injections and suppression of interest rates , it is not surprising to see companies leveraging their balance sheets .
As interest rates have plunged , corporations have hit a record issuance of debt to pay dividends and engage in other non-productive actions .
The increased leverage of corporate balance sheets is problematic , particularly given already weak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies .
The rotation from “ growth ” to “ value ” is inevitable .
With that , we agree .
However , a “ vaccine ” doesn ’ t solve the problems plaguing economic growth , suppressing inflation , and keeping Central Bankers flooding the markets with liquidity .
Those problems can only get solved against a backdrop of devastation for the majority of investors .
When there is a true reversion in leverage , debt , and valuations , the foundation for a “ value rotation ” will be laid .

by Lance Roberts
Will a vaccine cure the 20-year “Widow-Maker” trade?
In 1999, a media personality stated that “investing like Warren Buffett was like driving dad’s old Pontiac.” Of course, that was at the height of the Dot.com bubble, and soon after, “value investing” paid off. Unfortunately, it didn’t stick.
The Widow-Maker Trade
It wasn’t just 1999. In 2007, individuals were chasing the “momentum” in the real estate market. Individuals left their jobs to pursue riches in housing. They were willing to “pay any price” under the assumption they would be able to sell higher. Of course, it was not long after Ben Bernanke uttered the words “the subprime market is contained,” the dreams of riches evaporated like a “morning mist.”
In 2020, investors are again chasing “growth at any price” and rationalizing overpaying for growth. As I discussed in the “Death Of Fundamentals:”
“Such makes the mantra of using 24-month estimates to justify paying exceedingly high valuations today, even riskier.”
Chart updated as of November 2020
Given the massive government and Federal Reserve interventions over the last decade, it should be of no surprise that “growth” has outperformed. For “value investors,” it has been a “decade of pain.” The rise of passive indexing, algorithmic trading, and massive amounts of liquidity have destroyed price discovery in the markets.
Reasons For Under-Performance
In a recent discussion on “Value Is Dead,” we referenced a Research Affiliates article that noted the under-performance reasons.
“An investment strategy, style, or factor can suffer a period of underperformance for many reasons. First, the style may have been a product of data mining, only working during its backtest because of overfitting.
Second, structural changes in the market could render the factor newly irrelevant.
Third, the trade can get crowded, leading to distorted prices and low or negative expected returns.
Fourth, recent performance may disappoint because the style or factor is becoming cheaper as it plumbs new lows in relative valuation.
Finally, flagging performance might be a result of a left-tail outlier or pure bad luck. If the first three reasons imply the style no longer works, and will not likely benefit investors in the future, the last two reasons have no such implications. With today’s value vs. growth valuation gap at an extreme (the 100th percentile of historical relative valuations), it sets the stage for a potentially historic outperformance of value relative to growth over the coming decade.”
The underperformance is quite stunning. The chart shows the difference in the performance of the “value vs growth” index. The index compares the pure value to a pure growth index, with each based on a $100 investment. While value investing always provides consistent returns, there are times when growth outperforms value. The periods when “value investing” has the most significant outperformance, as noted by the “blue shaded” areas, are notable.
When things ultimately go “pear-shaped,” the return to value tends to be a swift event. For investors, it is crucial to grasp what decades of investment experience tell us about the future. When the cycle turns, we have little doubt the value-growth relationship will revert to its long-term mean.
Is The Vaccine Announcement The Turning Point
Recently, Kevin Muir published a piece with an important message:
“The virus is done. The scientists won. They nailed it…markets will look through any (short term) negatives and realize the end is in sight.”
He goes on to make a case for “why” the Pfizer vaccine (and the other vaccines that will follow) may be the “silver bullet” that the market has been waiting for. Kevin’s view is the market is a discounting mechanism, and the “Smart Money” will focus on the future. Primarily, he hopes, the “Buying Value/Selling Growth” trade, which has been a widow-maker trade for the past 20 years, will be changed by the “vaccine.”
I doubt the “vaccine” will cure the ills of “value” any time soon as it does not address the primary issues driving the “momentum chase” currently. Refer back to the Research Affiliates comments above.
Does a vaccine change:
The effect of “data mining” on investment styles? No.
The “structural changes” to the market (i.e. proliferation of ETF’s)? No.
A crowded trade that leads to a distortion of prices? No.
The “vaccine” does not cure the most massive problem for value stocks – actual value.
The Lack Of Value In “Value”
As a “fundamental” and “value” based investor, the lack of performance in value versus growth has undoubtedly been frustrating. However, one of the biggest problems is the astonishing lack of value in “value.”
Be careful about what you are paying for. pic.twitter.com/P6wkg2kb4O — Lance Roberts (@LanceRoberts) September 18, 2020
The chart is pretty stunning but needs some explanation.
Here is the issue with intangible assets.
“Intangible assets are typically nonphysical assets used over the long-term. Intangible assets are often intellectual assets. Proper valuation and accounting of intangible assets are often problematic. Such is due in large part to how intangible assets are handled. The difficulty assigning value stems from the uncertainty of their future benefits. Also, the useful life of an intangible asset can be either identifiable or non-identifiable. Most intangible assets are long-term assets meaning they have a useful life of more than a year.” – Investopedia
Read the bolded sentence again.
In many cases, the value of intangible assets is often overly optimistic assumptions about the companies worth. We recently quoted Raconteur on this particular issue:
“Tangible assets are easy to value. They’re typically physical assets with finite monetary values, but over the years have become a smaller part of a company’s total worth. Technology disruption continues in artificial intelligence, robotics and cloud computing. As such, intangible assets have grown to represent the lion’s share of corporate valuations. But without a physical form and the ability to easily convert them into cash, working out what these assets are truly worth can be challenging.”
The Debt Problem
The most significant problem for the majority of companies in the “value” space is debt. As we have discussed previously, in just the last 10 years, the triple-B bond market has exploded from $686 billion to $2.5 trillion—an all-time high. “To put that in perspective, 50% of the investment-grade bond market now sits on the lowest rung of the quality ladder. And there’s a reason BBB-rated debt is so plentiful. Ultra-low interest rates have seduced companies to pile into the bond market and corporate debt has surged to heights not seen since the global financial crisis.” – John Mauldin
The debt issuance is problematic as companies used it for non-productive investments such as stock buybacks and dividend issuance as corporate profitability remained extraordinarily weak over the last decade.
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As discussed in “The Importance Of The Buffett Indicator,” corporate profits are at the same level as in 2009, while markets are at all-time highs. Exactly where is the “value?”
Notably, corporate profits are a reflection of economic growth rates, and a “vaccine” will not cure the problem plaguing profitability long-term—the debt.
Value Needs Strong Economic Growth & Higher Rates
The problem with the “vaccine will lead to a value rotation,” is such would require more robust economic growth and higher rates for increased profitability.
Banks – need higher interest rates
Energy – needs higher oil prices
Materials – needs more substantial economic growth driving physical investment.
Industrials – same as materials.
Here is where the “rotation to value” runs into problems.
Let’s start with the banks.
If interest rates were to rise substantially, the economy contracts due to the economy’s massive debt levels. We showed this specifically in “The Fed Will Monetize All Debt Issuance..”
“In an economy laden with $75 Trillion in total debt, higher interest rates have an immediate impact on consumption, which is 70% of economic growth. The chart below shows this to be the case, which is the interest service on total credit market debt. (The chart assumes all debt is equivalent to the 10-year Treasury, which is not the case.)”
What about energy stocks?
No one believed me in 2017 when I stated that oil prices were going to remain low.
“With respect to investors, the argument can be made that oil prices could remain range-bound for an extremely long period of time as witnessed in the 80’s and 90’s.“
Energy companies still have a massive supply/demand imbalance that existed long before the “pandemic” hit the economy. While a vaccine may provide a short-term boost, the underlying fundamentals are still not supportive of a long-term rotation.
Energy companies, along with basic materials and industrials, need stronger economic growth.
That isn’t coming.
Weaker Economic Growth
A vaccine will not solve the longer-term problems plaguing weaker economic growth rates and stronger fundamentals.
As we discussed previously in the “One-Way Trip Of American Debt,” the economic growth rate has been undermined by the surge in debt over the last decade.
“Before the “Financial Crisis,” the economy had a linear growth trend of real GDP of 3.2%. Following the 2008 recession, the growth rate dropped to the exponential growth trend of roughly 2.2%. Instead of reducing the debt problems, unproductive debt and leverage increased.”
As stated, the sectors believed to be part of the “value trade” requires stronger economic activity. Such would lead to higher rates of inflation and higher interest rates.
As rates rise, so do rates on credit card payments, auto loans, business loans, capital expenditures, leases, etc., while also reducing corporate profitability.
In an economy supported by debt, rates must remain low. Therefore, the Federal Reserve has no choice but to monetize as much debt issuance as is needed to keep rates from substantially rising. The byproduct of those actions is weaker economic growth and lower rates of inflation. As shown, since 2009, inflation has consistently run well below the Fed’s target.
Unfortunately, higher levels of debt continue to retard economic growth keeping the Fed trapped in a debt cycle as hopes of “growth” remain elusive. The current 5-year average inflation-adjusted growth rate is just 1.64%, a far cry from the 4.79% real growth rate in the ’80s.
A “vaccine” for COVID-19 is entirely different than what is needed to cure the “debt problem.”
The Rotation Is Likely Short-Lived
Look back at the first chart above. Based on two-year forward earnings estimates, the Russell 2000 (small-capitalization companies) are trading at historical extremes. Compound valuation problems, with the debt problem, and the lack of actual “value,” the issue becomes more apparent.
Given the Federal Reserve’s monetary injections and suppression of interest rates, it is not surprising to see companies leveraging their balance sheets. As interest rates have plunged, corporations have hit a record issuance of debt to pay dividends and engage in other non-productive actions.
The increased leverage of corporate balance sheets is problematic, particularly given already weak revenue growth for S&P 500 companies.
The rotation from “growth” to “value” is inevitable. With that, we agree.
However, a “vaccine” doesn’t solve the problems plaguing economic growth, suppressing inflation, and keeping Central Bankers flooding the markets with liquidity.
Those problems can only get solved against a backdrop of devastation for the majority of investors. When there is a true reversion in leverage, debt, and valuations, the foundation for a “value rotation” will be laid.


investmentwatchblog--2020-12-01--IWB is an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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investmentwatchblog--2020-12-01--Is the U.S. actually a ‘police state’?

Is the U.S. actually a ‘police state’?

Is the phrase “ police state ” anything more than propaganda that a government uses against a foreign government that it wants to overthrow — such as the U.S. did against Iraq before invading it in 2003 , and against Libya and Syria since 2011 , and against Venezuela since 2012 , and against Ukraine since 2013 , and in all instances destroyed those countries , allegedly to ‘ bring democracy and human rights and the rule of law , and fight against corruption ’ there ( as if that were honestly the intention ) ?
So , there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ usages , of the phrase “ police state , ” by the U.S. and its allies ; and one must always be aware of the propagandistic usage of such phrases or words as “ police state , ” and “ regime , ” because the speaker or writer might actually represent that , more than does the government which that person is propagandistically attacking .
However , objective usage of the phrase “ police state ” is also possible ( though far less common ) .
That usage would be based upon rankings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as being the basis for an objective comparison of countries ; and , so , this will actually be done here — not the normal , propagandistic , usage of the phrase “ police state.
” This is about only actual police states .
The measures that will be applied here will be two : ( 1 ) the percentage of the population who are in prisons ; and ( 2 ) the percentage of the population who have been shot dead by police during the latest tabulated year .
The ranking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation , USA , will be shown in boldface in the listings below , because the usage of the phrase “ police state ” is extraordinarily common in this country to refer to lands that its billionaires want to conquer and haven ’ t yet added to their list of ‘ allies ’ or vassal nations ( such as Iran , China , Russia , Syria , and Venezuela ) , but our usage for the phrase “ police state ” is different from that propagandistic one ; and , so , here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the candidates to be considered as being possibly “ police states.
” Conspicuously NOT included as possible candidates here are ( just to name some of the ones that the nation which has the world ’ s highest imprisonment-rate — America — claims or believes to be ‘ police states ’ ( and the respective actual figure for each of them ) : China ( 120 ) , Vietnam ( 128 ) , Yemen ( 53 ) , Zimbabwe ( 114 ) , Syria ( 60 ) , Iraq ( 126 ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 179 ) , Hungary ( 173 ) , Venezuela ( 178 ) , SaudiArabia ( 197 ) , Qatar ( 53 ) , Uzbekistan ( 150 ) , Tajikistan ( 120 ) , Kyrgyzstan ( 161 ) , Kazakhstan ( 156 ) , Mexico ( 163 ) , Libya ( 139 ) , Laos ( 130 ) , Kenya ( 102 ) , India ( 34 ) , Palostan ( 38 ) , and Nigeria ( 36 ) .
None of those is even nearly as much of a police state as America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a police state .
Here are the percentages of the population who have been shot dead by police during the latest tabulated year as shown at Wikipedia .
USA is the 20th in that list of 60 countries , and may therefore reasonably be considered to be in the top half , as having a higher than normal percentage of its people killed annually by its local police forces .
The countries that score worse ( higher ) than America on that list tend to be lands which have far lower per-capita @ @ @ @ @ @ @ therefore commonly called “ third world ” or “ poor ” countries by Americans ; and some of these countries — such as Iran and Venezuela — are routinely reported in American news-media as being police states .
All of the industrialized countries except the U.S. on that list have lower , not higher , levels of killings by police , than America does , and are therefore less appropriate to be called a “ police state ” than the U.S. is .
Of the nations that U.S. media treat as being “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is in the top half as having an abnormally high frequency of police executing people who are in their custody is America itself .
This is especially remarkable because America is also the country which also has ( and by far ) the world ’ s highest percentage of its people imprisoned behind bars .
So : not only does the U.S. lock up a higher percentage of its population than does any other country in the entire world , but it is also the only wealthy country whose police forces execute an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s population .
Certainly , therefore , if the phrase “ police state ” objectively means anything at all , then it applies to the United States of America .
types of laws that apply especially against the very poorest of Americans .
( Only few Americans are in prison for convictions of “ white collar ” or upper-class crimes . )
Furthermore , there appears to be a considerable amount of sheer racism that is involved , because the ethnic skew of Americans who become executed by police , and also of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are intensely against black people .
For example , on 31 December 2015 , Britain ’ s Guardian bannered not been murder by the police officer .
So , the situation in the United States seems to fit very well a police state .
It is non-accountability regarding individuals who exercise the power of the government , especially against the poor and minorities .
Virtually all of the people whom the American criminal ‘ justice ’ system imprisons and executes are poor people , who , if they have violated any laws at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apply especially against the very poorest of Americans .
( Only few Americans are in prison for convictions of “ white collar ” or upper-class crimes . )
Furthermore , there appears to be a considerable amount of sheer racism that is involved , because the ethnic skew of Americans who become executed by police , and also of Americans who become imprisoned , both skews are intensely against black people .
For example , on 31 December 2015 , Britain ’ s Guardian bannered “ Young black men killed by US police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths ” , and reported that , “ Young black men were nine times more likely than other Americans to be killed by police officers in 2015.
” Most of those killings by police were not processed to any conclusion by American courts ; but some were , and , of the 1,134 people killed by police in 2015 , only 23 % ( 255 of the 1,034 ) became ruled by a court as having been “ justified.
” The other 77 % might not have been ( even according to American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favor of police against anyone whom they arrest or try to arrest ) .
That news-article didn ’ t say how many , if any , of the murderous police became convicted by any court , but only 23 % of these 1,034 cases even were evaluated by a court as havingbeen murder by the police officer .
So , the situation in the United States seems to fit very well a police state .
It is non-accountability regarding individuals who exercise the power of the government , against the poor and minorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ placed judge Reeves into the position that , in the specific case he now was ruling upon , he had to choose either to rule in favor of the U.S. Constitution ( and convict the cop ) and then being virtually certain to be overruled on appeal , or else ruling ( as he now was doing ) in accord with the U.S. Supreme Court ’ s existing precedents and against the U.S. Constitution ( and rule that cop ‘ innocent ’ ) and thereby being safe against being overturned on appeal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court : please change your precedent on this , so that judges such as I won ’ t , in the future , have to choose between either the Constitution or else being reversed on appeal .
He didn ’ t want to continue being merely a cog in an evil ( Constitution-violating ) machine .
Nearly 200 people are thought to have died in police custody in Russia last year , according to a new investigative website calling itself “ Russian Ebola ” .
Founded by journalist Maria Berezina , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pre-trial detention facilities and related institutions , and publishes the information online .
Berezina , who previously worked at the Journalism Investigations Agency in St Petersburg , said she first noticed the reports of frequent deaths while working for the prominent Russian opposition journalist Oleg Kashin .
She decided to request data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs , and said she had been shocked by the statistics .
Each month , the official figures showed that between nine and 29 people died at police stations across the country , with very few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those numbers into killings by police per 10 million residents ( and Russia has 144 million , so 10 million is 7 % of it ) would be not “ nearly 200 people ” but instead nearly 14 people , which would place Russia into the category of Luxembourg , India , and Canada , on that .
America ’ s rate of killings by police is about 2.5 times higher than Russia ’ s .
Usually , a police state has a constitution , but if this is a written constitution ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t , and Israel doesn ’ t , for examples ) , then that nation ’ s supreme court routinely finds ways to ‘ interpret ’ it so as to ‘ justify ’ unConstitutional laws , and unConstitutional actions by that regime ’ s officials ; and this is what has happened , which judge Carlton Reeves was objecting to .
But he was actually saying that the blame was specifically against the U.S. Supreme Court itself , ever since 1967 , because that Court had created this not law , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judicial ‘ precedent ’ — it didn ’ t come from Congress .
The U.S. Supreme Court had itself created this ( in effect ) ’ law ’ .
Of course , when it ’ s an unwritten ‘ Constitution , ’ then even overtly the regime ’ s jurists are constantly ruling what that ‘ Constitution ’ is , and what it isn ’ t , and therefore an unwritten constitution is like chewing gum , and can become turned into virtually any shape at all , by the court .
All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cite existing precedents for it .
However , a written constitution doesn ’ t necessarily mean that the government adheres to it .
But an unwritten constitution is virtually an invitation to dictatorship .
1 .
The Government shall comprise the King and the Ministers .
2 .
The Ministers , and not the King , shall be responsible for acts of government .
The Prime Minister and the other Ministers shall be appointed and dismissed by Royal Decree .
1 .
Ministries shall be established by Royal Decree .
They shall be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A Bill shall become an Act of Parliament once it has been passed by the States General and ratified by the King .
1 .
Members of the judiciary responsible for the administration of justice and the Procurator General at the Supreme Court shall be appointed for life by Royal Decree .
Things are not what they are said to be .
However , Netherlands definitely is not a police state — not by a long shot .
Not every dictatorship is also a police state .
But America is both a dictatorship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is discussing actual police states , not employing the propagandistic usage of that phrase .
Throwing labels around ( such as ‘ police state ’ ) is what propagandists do .
But social scientists can not afford to .
Where do any such people ( social scientists ) even exist , at all ?
The public drown in all the propaganda .
And this is how today ’ s dictatorships function : by means of propaganda .
Issues about government — what is mis-called “ political science , ” even though there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ existing in that field — are inextricably connected to issues about criminal justice : police , courts , and laws .
Following below are two discussions of criminal justice , exemplifying this : first , a reformist proposal , such as is accepted to be published in a dictatorship ; and , then , a much deeper revolutionary proposal , which a dictatorship won ’ t allow to become widely distributed ( and so it never was ) : 12 February 2020 , BY DAVID OSCAR MARKUS , OPINION CONTRIBUTOR , criminal defense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School .
He tries criminal cases and argues criminal appeals throughout the country .
… the larger problem , and the one that no one is talking about , is that the system itself is fatally flawed because it is set up for prosecutors and judges to issue unjustifiably harsh sentences .
Stone shouldn ’ t be thrown in a cage for 7-9 years — and neither should any other first-time non-violent offender .
… Had Stone pleaded guilty , he would have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24 months under the guidelines .
And had he met with prosecutors and cooperated , he likely would have been sentenced to probation .
Because he had the audacity to go to trial , his sentence goes from probation to 7-9 years .
It ’ s no wonder that innocent people plead guilty .
It ’ s no wonder that trials are vanishing .
Before the sentencing guidelines … , 20 percent of cases went to trial .
Now it ’ s less than 3 percent .
That is pretty stark evidence that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s fee for a defendant ’ s choosing to go to trial ] has become too severe .
Lots of people are rightly saying that Trump was wrong to jump in for his friend and overrule the line prosecutors ’ sentencing recommendation .
But what was wrong about it was not overruling an overly harsh sentence .
What was wrong about it was that he did it for a friend instead of across the board .
We are in bad need of criminal justice reform .
Let ’ s overrule all of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offenders .
Myth 6 : “ Rich and poor are equal before the law.
” 78 … 54 : WHITE-COLLAR CRIME is violent crime .
There is a common belief shared by the general public and criminal-justice personnel that white-collar crime is only economic .
That is , “ crime in the suites ” involves money being taken from a group rather than some physical attack on a victim .
The treatment of white-collar crime as economic , nonviolent crime is clearly evidenced in statements by high Reagan administration officials and , more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ George Bush , who define white-collar crime and violent crime as two mutually exclusive behaviors .
Then Attorney General William F. Smith said in regard to Reagan ’ s policy on crime , “ Top priority … would be violent crime .
That would be closely followed by organized crime , by drug enforcement , and by white-collar crime in due course.
” Smith ’ s ranking of crime priorities seems to say that white-collar crime lacks a violent component , a position unsupported by the evidence .
Consider the following corporate incidents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Bhopal , India , a large amount of a poisonous chemical gas leaked from a storage tank at the Union Carbide India , Ltd. , plant .
The chemical , known as methyl isocyanate ( MIC ) , was used in the production of pesticides .
Touted the “ world ’ s worst industrial disaster , ” the leak left approximately 2,000 people killed and between 30,000 and 40,000 people seriously injured .
… 79 : THE RICH are as violent and crooked as the poor , so why are they not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 48 percent of American prisoners black ?
Why is it so rare to see rich , prominent people sent to prison ?
Criminal justice officials , and indeed many criminologists , say that people are largely punished in proportion to the seriousness and quantity of offenses they commit .
How can they believe this ?
Suppose that most of the officers of an urban police force were to patrol the suites rather than the streets ( leaving sufficient cars on the streets to cover emergency calls ) .
… This pattern of enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of rich and poor would be detected equally .
The vast majority of dictatorships , throughout history , have been controlled — often behind the scenes — by the super-rich ( especially in fake ‘ democracies ’ ) , who also control the ‘ news ’ -media .
That ’ s the reason why the latter , far deeper , type of analysis ( from Pepinsky and Jesilow ) gets squelched and is therefore not made available to the public in a dictatorship .
And it ’ s why anyone who would say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these insane sentencing recommendations for first time non-violent offenders ” can get plenty of publicity , and is acceptable to teach in places such as Harvard — the world ’ s most-billionaire-endowed university .
But what is taught by individuals such as professors Pepinsky and Jesilow is not .
It ’ s not merely a dictatorship : it ’ s one that is also a police state ( even a global police state ) .
The U.S. actually is a “ police state.
” It is certainly the world ’ s leading @ @ @

Eric Zuesse
Is the phrase “police state” anything more than propaganda that a government uses against a foreign government that it wants to overthrow — such as the U.S. did against Iraq before invading it in 2003, and against Libya and Syria since 2011, and against Venezuela since 2012, and against Ukraine since 2013, and in all instances destroyed those countries, allegedly to ‘bring democracy and human rights and the rule of law, and fight against corruption’ there (as if that were honestly the intention)?
The phrase “police state” is used propagandistically to denigrate a foreign nation that one’s own government and its news-media don’t like and might even be hoping to conquer by means of subversion, or sanctions, or coup, or perhaps invasion by either the aggressor’s own troops or else hiring mercenaries — such as, for example, the U.S. did against Syria, hiring Al Qaeda and Kurdish separatists as ‘rebels’ there, to bring regime-change to Syria — all the while labelling as “a police state” the government that the aggressor is trying to overthrow . The aggressor-country alleges itself to be attacking the target-country because that target-country is ‘a police state’ and ‘violates human rights’ — and the aggressor and its allies have continued this ‘civil war’ against Syria ever since 2012, destroying Syria and refusing to pay even a cent for restitution and reconstruction in Syria. They wreck the ‘police state’, and then abandon it. This is merely one example of a ‘police state’, as that phrase is commonly employed. This phrase is just a tool to ‘justify’ an invasion. It’s a ‘justification’ for international war-crimes.
So, there is a lot of hypocrisy in many common usages, of the phrase “police state,”by the U.S. and its allies; and one must always be aware of the propagandistic usage of such phrases or words as “police state,” and “regime,” because the speaker or writer might actually represent that, more than does the government which that person is propagandistically attacking.
However, objective usage of the phrase “police state” is also possible (though far less common). That usage would be based upon rankings, according to reasonably reliable numerical measures, as being the basis for an objective comparison of countries; and, so, this will actually be done here — not the normal, propagandistic, usage of the phrase “police state.” This is about only actual police states.
The measures that will be applied here will be two: (1) the percentage of the population who are in prisons; and (2) the percentage of the population who have been shot dead by police during the latest tabulated year.
The ranking of the world’s most powerful nation, USA, will be shown in boldface in the listings below, because the usage of the phrase “police state” is extraordinarily common in this country to refer to lands that its billionaires want to conquer and haven’t yet added to their list of ‘allies’ or vassal nations (such as Iran, China, Russia, Syria, and Venezuela), but our usage for the phrase “police state” is different from that propagandistic one; and, so, here it is:
(1)
First are the rankings of the world’s countries according to the numbers of prisoners per million inhabitants (though Wikipedia gives those numbers for 223 nations, only the top 12% — only the top 26 nations, out of these 223, and which have populations of over a million inhabitants — will be shown here, because Wikipedia fails to list the nations in rank order, and even fails to indicate their respective ranks at all, and also because only the very worst 26 of the nations might reasonably be considered to be “police states”):
USA=655
ElSalvador=590
Turkmenistan=552
Thailand=531
Rwanda=511
Cuba-510
Panama=401
CostaRica=374
Brazil=348
Belarus=343
Russia=340
Nicaragua=332
Turkey=324
Uruguay=295
Namibia=295
Iran=294
Peru=278
SouthAfrica=275
Georgia=262
Taiwan=258
Swaziland/Eswatini=258
Colombia=246
Morocco=237
Israel=234
Malaysia=230
Honduras=229
So: Those are the candidates to be considered as being possibly “police states.” Conspicuously NOT included as possible candidates here are (just to name some of the ones that the nation which has the world’s highest imprisonment-rate — America — claims or believes to be ‘police states’ (and the respective actual figure for each of them): China (120), Vietnam (128), Yemen (53), Zimbabwe (114), Syria (60), Iraq (126), Sudan (52), Philippines (179), Hungary (173), Venezuela (178), SaudiArabia (197), Qatar (53), Uzbekistan (150), Tajikistan (120), Kyrgyzstan (161), Kazakhstan (156), Mexico (163), Libya (139), Laos (130), Kenya (102), India (34), Palostan (38), and Nigeria (36). None of those is even nearly as much of a police state as America is. So: none of them is a police state.
(2)
Here are the percentages of the population who have been shot dead by police during the latest tabulated year as shown at Wikipedia.
Venezuela=1,830.2
ElSalvador=954.5
Syria=831.6
Nicaragua=522.7
Philippines=322.4
Brazil=276.2
Afghanistan=170.5
DominicanRepublic=131.8
SouthAfrica=76.9
CentralAfricanRepublic=64.4
Lesotho=63.8
BurkinaFaso=60.4
Burundi=53.9
DRC=47.8
Iraq=45.1
Nigeria=44.0
Kenya=43.5
Honduras=40.4
Iran=36.6
U.S.=34.8
Angola=34.7
Colombia=34.1
Mali=32.3
Sudan=32,1
Rwanda=31.0
Mexico=30.0
Bangladesh=28.3
Pakistan=25.2
Argentina=21.6
Egypt=21.2
Luxembourg=16.9
India=12.54
Canada=9.7
France=3.8
Indonesia=2.9
Belgium=2.6
Netherlands=2.3
N.Z.=2.1
Norway=1.9
Finland=1.8
Nepal=1.7
Australia=1.7
Germany=1.3
Portugal=1.0
Sweden=1.0
Taiwan=0.8
UK=0.5
Poland=0.5
Japan=0.2
Denmark, Iceland & Switzerland=0
USA is the 20th in that list of 60 countries, and may therefore reasonably be considered to be in the top half, as having a higher than normal percentage of its people killed annually by its local police forces. The countries that score worse (higher) than America on that list tend to be lands which have far lower per-capita GDPs than America does, and are therefore commonly called “third world” or “poor” countries by Americans; and some of these countries — such as Iran and Venezuela — are routinely reported in American news-media as being police states. All of the industrialized countries except the U.S. on that list have lower, not higher, levels of killings by police, than America does, and are therefore less appropriate to be called a “police state” than the U.S. is. Of the nations that U.S. media treat as being “civilized,” the only one that is in the top half as having an abnormally high frequency of police executing people who are in their custody is America itself. This is especially remarkable because America is also the country which also has (and by far) the world’s highest percentage of its people imprisoned behind bars.
So: not only does the U.S. lock up a higher percentage of its population than does any other country in the entire world, but it is also the only wealthy country whose police forces execute an abnormally high percentage of the country’s population. Certainly, therefore, if the phrase “police state” objectively means anything at all, then it applies to the United States of America.
types of laws that apply especially against the very poorest of Americans. (Only few Americans are in prison for convictions of “white collar” or upper-class crimes.) Furthermore, there appears to be a considerable amount of sheer racism that is involved, because the ethnic skew of Americans who become executed by police, and also of Americans who become imprisoned, both skews are intensely against black people. For example, on 31 December 2015, Britain’s Guardian bannered not been murder by the police officer. So, the situation in the United States seems to fit very well a police state. It is non-accountability regarding individuals who exercise the power of the government, especially against the poor and minorities. Virtually all of the people whom the American criminal ‘justice’ system imprisons and executes are poor people, who, if they have violated any laws at all, have violated theof laws that apply especially against the very poorest of Americans. (Only few Americans are in prison for convictions of “white collar” or upper-class crimes.) Furthermore, there appears to be a considerable amount of sheer racism that is involved, because the ethnic skew of Americans who become executed by police, and also of Americans who become imprisoned, both skews are intensely against black people. For example, on 31 December 2015, Britain’s Guardian bannered “Young black men killed by US police at highest rate in year of 1,134 deaths” , and reported that, “Young black men were nine times more likely than other Americans to be killed by police officers in 2015.” Most of those killings by police were not processed to any conclusion by American courts; but some were, and, of the 1,134 people killed by police in 2015, only 23% (255 of the 1,034) became ruled by a court as having been “justified.” The other 77% might not have been (even according to American laws, which are obscenely slanted in favor of police against anyone whom they arrest or try to arrest). That news-article didn’t say how many, if any, of the murderous police became convicted by any court, but only 23% of these 1,034 cases even were evaluated by a court as havingbeen murder by the police officer. So, the situation in the United States seems to fit very well a police state. It is non-accountability regarding individuals who exercise the power of the government,against the poor and minorities.
discontinue its imposition of police legal immunity when police are being accused of — while on the job — having violated Constitutionally guaranteed rights of American citizens (such as by shooting or killing innocent persons — such as George Floyd). Legally immune police is what defines a police state; and, so, this was a black judge’s request for the U.S. Supreme Court to end the existing police state it imposes in America — to end a police state that this judge attributed to (and which he documented to have been produced by) choices that the U.S. Supreme Court itself had made, and that only they therefore can possibly reverse.” Further about that non-accountability: I headlined on August 21st of this year, at Strategic Culture, “U.S. Judge Urges Supreme Court to End U.S. Police State It Imposes” , and reported that, “A black U.S. District Court Judge in Mississippi — one of America’s most bigoted-against-Blacks states — issued on August 4th a 72-page decision, Jamison v. McClendon , containing a plea for the U.S. Supreme Court toits imposition of police legal immunity when police are being accused of — while on the job — having violated Constitutionally guaranteed rights of American citizens (such as by shooting or killing innocent persons — such as George Floyd). Legally immune police is what defines a police state; and, so, this was a black judge’s request for the U.S. Supreme Court to end the existing police state it imposes in America — to end a police state that this judge attributed to (and which he documented to have been produced by) choices that the U.S. Supreme Court itself had made, and thattherefore can possibly reverse.”
The judge was Carlton W. Reeves. I continued:
Reeves went on to say, “Our courts [he was referring here to today’s U.S. Supreme Court] have shielded a police officer who shot a child while the officer was attempting to shoot the family dog.117.” That was a case which had been only recently decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, on June 15th, and which decision by this Supreme Court was ignored by the nation’s press, since that decision exposes how totalitarian this country has actually become. That Supreme Court decision, which (especially because of the recent headlines about the George Floyd murder case) should have been front-page news throughout the country, was instead hidden from the public by the ‘news’-media, though that decision — and the others which were similarly dismissed that day on the very same ground of “qualified immunity” of police officers — probably constituted the most important decision of the current Supreme Court term, and directly relate to the George Floyd case. That June 15th decision (now virtually a precedent protecting the murderer of George Floyd) ruled in a slew of cases that had been brought against police officers by their victims. This Supreme Court dismissed all of them, on the basis of this absurd court-precedent, which had been established in 1967, and which was further defined in 1982. It’s “qualified immunity”, and asserts that police are allowed to do anything to anyone unless Congress has passed a specific law against what they did, and in that law, has described and identified exactly the same circumstances that the claimant against the police is claiming had existed — each and every detail of it — in his/her specific case. It’s a Supreme-Court precedent, for a police state (unaccountable government-officials) to be ‘Constitutional’ in America, and this black judge in Mississippi was here essentially begging the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the precedent that the 1967 Supreme Court had established (and which had been reaffirmed and worsened yet further, by the Supreme Court in 1982).
Prior U.S. Supreme Court rulings had placed judge Reeves into the position that, in the specific case he now was ruling upon, he had to choose either to rule in favor of the U.S. Constitution (and convict the cop) and then being virtually certain to be overruled on appeal, or else ruling (as he now was doing) in accord with the U.S. Supreme Court’s existing precedents and against the U.S. Constitution (and rule that cop ‘innocent’) and thereby being safe against being overturned on appeal. He was pleading with today’s Supreme Court: please change your precedent on this, so that judges such as I won’t, in the future, have to choose between either the Constitution or else being reversed on appeal. He didn’t want to continue being merely a cog in an evil (Constitution-violating) machine.
That “evil” doesn’t consist ONLY of police murdering innocent people. For example, the framing of innocent persons is almost routine in the United States and other dictatorships . Non-accountability is the rule there, but, since police are near the bottom of the power totem-pole, way below national leaders — and even farther below the billionaires who control the government — the news-media, even in dictatorships, are allowed to expose it, if and when they find it. And doing so “helps sell newspapers.” (That’s a safe way to do it, because that type of ‘sensationalism’ poses no threat against the billionaires.)
Nearly 200 people are thought to have died in police custody in Russia last year, according to a new investigative website calling itself “Russian Ebola”.
Founded by journalist Maria Berezina, the site monitors deaths in police stations, pre-trial detention facilities and related institutions, and publishes the information online.
Berezina, who previously worked at the Journalism Investigations Agency in St Petersburg, said she first noticed the reports of frequent deaths while working for the prominent Russian opposition journalist Oleg Kashin.
She decided to request data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and said she had been shocked by the statistics.
Each month, the official figures showed that between nine and 29 people died at police stations across the country, with very few cases ever investigated further.
To convert those numbers into killings by police per 10 million residents (and Russia has 144 million, so 10 million is 7% of it) would be not “nearly 200 people” but instead nearly 14 people, which would place Russia into the category of Luxembourg, India, and Canada, on that. America’s rate of killings by police is about 2.5 times higher than Russia’s.
Usually, a police state has a constitution, but if this is a written constitution (which not all countries have — UK doesn’t, and Israel doesn’t, for examples), then that nation’s supreme court routinely finds ways to ‘interpret’ it so as to ‘justify’ unConstitutional laws, and unConstitutional actions by that regime’s officials; and this is what has happened, which judge Carlton Reeves was objecting to. But he was actually saying that the blame was specifically against the U.S. Supreme Court itself, ever since 1967, because that Court had created this not law, but it was and is instead merely judicial ‘precedent’ — it didn’t come from Congress. The U.S. Supreme Court had itself created this (in effect) ’law’. Of course, when it’s an unwritten ‘Constitution,’ then even overtly the regime’s jurists are constantly ruling what that ‘Constitution’ is, and what it isn’t, and therefore an unwritten constitution is like chewing gum, and can become turned into virtually any shape at all, by the court. All the judge needs to do is to cite existing precedents for it. However, a written constitution doesn’t necessarily mean that the government adheres to it. But an unwritten constitution is virtually an invitation to dictatorship.
Even a written constitution can be totalitarian and yet still the regime calls itself a “democracy.” Netherlands is a good example of this — and thus it’s far more blatantly a dictatorship than America is, because Holland’s Constitution (unlike America’s) is itself ridiculous. That Constitution ’s five most important Articles are:
Article 42
1. The Government shall comprise the King and the Ministers.
2. The Ministers, and not the King, shall be responsible for acts of government.
Article 43
The Prime Minister and the other Ministers shall be appointed and dismissed by Royal Decree.
Article 44
1. Ministries shall be established by Royal Decree. They shall be headed by a Minister.
Article 87
1. A Bill shall become an Act of Parliament once it has been passed by the States General and ratified by the King.
Article 117
1. Members of the judiciary responsible for the administration of justice and the Procurator General at the Supreme Court shall be appointed for life by Royal Decree.
So: the King has total veto power; he even appoints all Ministers and judges, and yet absorbs none of the blame for any of their decisions, because “The Ministers, and not the King, shall be responsible for acts of government.” And, of course, the judges alone are ‘responsible’ for their rulings. There is no accountability. To call that a ‘democracy’ is farcical. (And, yet, when a confidential NATO poll asked the residents in 53 countries whether they agree with the statement “My country is democratic” , Netherlands ranked 13th-highest at 66% “Yes,” and America ranked 38th-highest at 48% “Yes”; so, even though Netherlands isn’t a democracy even on paper, the Dutch population are much more convinced that they live in a democracy than Americans are. That is ridiculous on top of ridiculous.)
Things are not what they are said to be. However, Netherlands definitely is not a police state — not by a long shot. Not every dictatorship is also a police state. But America is both a dictatorship and a police state.
being so. In addition, the United States spends around half of the entire world’s money that is devoted to the military , and this too is consistent with the U.S. being a police state, even a global one — and very much in a class by itself aboutso.
All of this is discussing actual police states, not employing the propagandistic usage of that phrase.
Throwing labels around (such as ‘police state’) is what propagandists do. But social scientists cannot afford to. Where do any such people (social scientists) even exist, at all? The public drown in all the propaganda. And this is how today’s dictatorships function: by means of propaganda.
Issues about government — what is mis-called “political science,” even though there isn’t yet any scientific theory existing in that field — are inextricably connected to issues about criminal justice: police, courts, and laws. Following below are two discussions of criminal justice, exemplifying this: first, a reformist proposal, such as is accepted to be published in a dictatorship; and, then, a much deeper revolutionary proposal, which a dictatorship won’t allow to become widely distributed (and so it never was):
——
12 February 2020, BY DAVID OSCAR MARKUS, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR, criminal defense attorney at Markus/Moss in Miami. He is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School. He tries criminal cases and argues criminal appeals throughout the country.
… the larger problem, and the one that no one is talking about, is that the system itself is fatally flawed because it is set up for prosecutors and judges to issue unjustifiably harsh sentences. Stone shouldn’t be thrown in a cage for 7-9 years — and neither should any other first-time non-violent offender. …
Had Stone pleaded guilty, he would have been looking at a sentence of closer to 24 months under the guidelines. And had he met with prosecutors and cooperated, he likely would have been sentenced to probation. Because he had the audacity to go to trial, his sentence goes from probation to 7-9 years. It’s no wonder that innocent people plead guilty. It’s no wonder that trials are vanishing. Before the sentencing guidelines …, 20 percent of cases went to trial. Now it’s less than 3 percent. That is pretty stark evidence that the trial tax [the Government’s fee for a defendant’s choosing to go to trial] has become too severe.
Lots of people are rightly saying that Trump was wrong to jump in for his friend and overrule the line prosecutors’ sentencing recommendation. But what was wrong about it was not overruling an overly harsh sentence. What was wrong about it was that he did it for a friend instead of across the board. We are in bad need of criminal justice reform. Let’s overrule all of these insane sentencing recommendations for first time non-violent offenders.
——
CONTENTS …
Myth 4: “White-collar crime is nonviolent.” 54
Myth 5: “Regulatory agencies prevent white-collar crime.” 62
Myth 6: “Rich and poor are equal before the law.” 78 …
54: WHITE-COLLAR CRIME is violent crime. There is a common belief shared by the general public and criminal-justice personnel that white-collar crime is only economic. That is, “crime in the suites” involves money being taken from a group rather than some physical attack on a victim. The treatment of white-collar crime as economic, nonviolent crime is clearly evidenced in statements by high Reagan administration officials and, more recently, by appointees of Pres. George Bush, who define white-collar crime and violent crime as two mutually exclusive behaviors. Then Attorney General William F. Smith said in regard to Reagan’s policy on crime, “Top priority … would be violent crime. That would be closely followed by organized crime, by drug enforcement, and by white-collar crime in due course.” Smith’s ranking of crime priorities seems to say that white-collar crime lacks a violent component, a position unsupported by the evidence. Consider the following corporate incidents.
Union Carbide
On December 4, 1984, in Bhopal, India, a large amount of a poisonous chemical gas leaked from a storage tank at the Union Carbide India, Ltd., plant. The chemical, known as methyl isocyanate (MIC), was used in the production of pesticides. Touted the “world’s worst industrial disaster,” the leak left approximately 2,000 people killed and between 30,000 and 40,000 people seriously injured. …
79: THE RICH are as violent and crooked as the poor, so why are they not punished in equal proportion? Why are 48 percent of American prisoners black? Why is it so rare to see rich, prominent people sent to prison? Criminal justice officials, and indeed many criminologists, say that people are largely punished in proportion to the seriousness and quantity of offenses they commit. How can they believe this?
Looking for Crime
Suppose that most of the officers of an urban police force were to patrol the suites rather than the streets (leaving sufficient cars on the streets to cover emergency calls). … This pattern of enforcement would begin to ensure that the crimes of rich and poor would be detected equally.
——
The vast majority of dictatorships, throughout history, have been controlled — often behind the scenes — by the super-rich (especially in fake ‘democracies’), who also control the ‘news’-media. That’s the reason why the latter, far deeper, type of analysis (from Pepinsky and Jesilow) gets squelched and is therefore not made available to the public in a dictatorship. And it’s why anyone who would say merely “Let’s overrule all of these insane sentencing recommendations for first time non-violent offenders” can get plenty of publicity, and is acceptable to teach in places such as Harvard — the world’s most-billionaire-endowed university. But what is taught by individuals such as professors Pepinsky and Jesilow is not.
It’s not merely a dictatorship: it’s one that is also a police state (even a global police state).
The U.S. actually is a “police state.” It is certainly the world’s leading police state.
—————