investmentwatchblog--2020-09-11--If You Feel Like Something Really, Really Bad Is About To Happen, You Are Definitely Not Alone

If this is “ the recovery ” , what are things going to look like once economic conditions start to deteriorate again ?
As you will see below , more than half of all households in some of our largest cities “ are facing serious financial problems ” , and Americans continue to file for unemployment benefits at a rate that the United States had never seen before prior to 2020 .
When 695,000 workers filed for unemployment benefits during a single week in 1982 , it established a record which stood for nearly 38 years .
But now we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 25 weeks in a row .
On Thursday , we learned that another 884,000 Americans filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week… Weekly jobless claims were worse than expected last week amid a plodding climb for the U.S. labor market from the damage inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic .
The Labor Department on Thursday reported 884,000 first-time filings for unemployment insurance , compared with 850,000 expected by economists surveyed by Dow Jones .
The total was unchanged from the previous week .
Of course it is always important to look at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those numbers we actually saw an increase over the previous week… This is the second week in a row that the non-seasonally adjusted initial claims have risen .
That definitely wasn ’ t supposed to happen .
We are supposedly in a “ recovery ” right now , and things are supposed to be getting better .
But instead they appear to be getting worse .
According to Wolf Richter , continuing claims under all state and federal programs were way up last week… At any other time in American history , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered “ catastrophic ” , but we have been getting these sorts of catastrophic numbers for so long that we have become desensitized to them .
But at least the unemployment numbers are not as bad as they were earlier this year , and other economic figures seem to have hit a bit of a plateau as well .
So for the moment there is relative calm , but it won ’ t last for very long .
If you feel like something really , really bad is about to happen , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countless others that are also waiting for “ the other shoe to drop ” , and I believe that it could literally happen at any time .
But for now we wait .
I would encourage you to enjoy these remaining days of summer while you still can .
This weekend , put some burgers on the grill and enjoy some time with your family .
Unfortunately , there are many Americans that are under such financial stress that it is hard to enjoy much of anything right now .
In fact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or more of the households in some of our largest cities are currently facing “ serious financial problems ” … How can that be possible if we are in the midst of a tremendous “ recovery ” ?
Of course the truth is that we aren ’ t in any sort of a recovery , but at least things are a whole lot better than they will be after the upcoming election .
I had such an ominous feeling coming into 2020 , and I shared this repeatedly with my readers , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the rest of 2020 and beyond .
In particular , I am extremely concerned about what will happen in November .
No matter who is ultimately declared the winner , the other side is going to be convinced that the election was stolen from them and that is likely to throw our nation into a state of chaos .
And we are already being told that we probably will not know the winner until long after election day .
That period of uncertainty is almost certainly going to spark more civil unrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the integrity of our elections will be greatly shaken .
Before I end this article , there is one more thing that I wanted to mention that I found to be extremely interesting .
This year the Federal Reserve has been buying up mortgage bonds worth hundreds of millions of dollars , and according to Mish Shedlock the Fed now owns nearly a third of that entire market… • The Fed has snapped up $ 1 trillion of mortgage bonds since March .
It bought around $ 300 billion of the bonds in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since then has been buying about $ 100 billion a month .
• The Fed now owns almost a third of bonds backed by home loans in the U.S. • Buying the securities has pushed mortgage rates lower , with the average 30-year rate falling to 2.91 % as of last week from 3.3 % in early February .
• Morgan Stanley analysts pointed out in late March that the buying was running at eight times the pace seen in prior episodes of Fed purchasing under programs known as quantitative easing .
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ direction of the Fed is not going to change .
They are going to continue to engage in exceedingly reckless manipulation of the markets , and that is going to have very serious long-term implications .
All around us , we can see our society being thrown into convulsions as all of our systems begin to fail .
I know that so many of you out there are feeling the exact same way that I am .
A sense of anticipation hangs in the air , and millions of people are waiting for @ @ @ @ @ @ @

by Michael Snyder
If this is “the recovery”, what are things going to look like once economic conditions start to deteriorate again? As you will see below, more than half of all households in some of our largest cities “are facing serious financial problems”, and Americans continue to file for unemployment benefits at a rate that the United States had never seen before prior to 2020. When 695,000 workers filed for unemployment benefits during a single week in 1982, it established a record which stood for nearly 38 years. But now we have been way above that old record for 25 weeks in a row. On Thursday, we learned that another 884,000 Americans filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week…
Weekly jobless claims were worse than expected last week amid a plodding climb for the U.S. labor market from the damage inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic. The Labor Department on Thursday reported 884,000 first-time filings for unemployment insurance, compared with 850,000 expected by economists surveyed by Dow Jones. The total was unchanged from the previous week.
Of course it is always important to look at the non-adjusted numbers, and according to those numbers we actually saw an increase over the previous week…
The Labor Department changed its methodology in how it seasonally adjusts the numbers, so the past two weeks’ totals are not directly comparable to the reports from earlier in the pandemic. Claims not adjusted for seasonal factors totaled 857,148, an increase of 20,140 from the previous week.
This is the second week in a row that the non-seasonally adjusted initial claims have risen.
That definitely wasn’t supposed to happen.
We are supposedly in a “recovery” right now, and things are supposed to be getting better.
But instead they appear to be getting worse. According to Wolf Richter, continuing claims under all state and federal programs were way up last week…
Total continued claims for unemployment insurance (UI) under all state and federal programs rose by 380,000, to 29.6 million people (not seasonally adjusted), the highest since August 1, according to the Department of Labor this morning. This was the second weekly increase in a row, after the 2.2-million jump last week.
At any other time in American history, the numbers that were just reported would be considered “catastrophic”, but we have been getting these sorts of catastrophic numbers for so long that we have become desensitized to them.
But at least the unemployment numbers are not as bad as they were earlier this year, and other economic figures seem to have hit a bit of a plateau as well.
So for the moment there is relative calm, but it won’t last for very long.
If you feel like something really, really bad is about to happen, you are definitely not alone. There are countless others that are also waiting for “the other shoe to drop”, and I believe that it could literally happen at any time.
But for now we wait.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
I would encourage you to enjoy these remaining days of summer while you still can. This weekend, put some burgers on the grill and enjoy some time with your family. Unfortunately, there are many Americans that are under such financial stress that it is hard to enjoy much of anything right now. In fact, one recent survey found that 50 percent or more of the households in some of our largest cities are currently facing “serious financial problems”…
There’s no question the coronavirus pandemic has forced many Americans into financial hardship, but a new NPR/Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation survey provided a clearer picture of the extent of the struggles in the United States’ four largest cities. At least half of all households in those cities — 53 percent in New York City, 56 percent in Los Angeles, 50 percent in Chicago, and 63 percent in Houston — reported facing serious financial problems, including depleted savings, problems paying credit card bills, and affording medical bills.
How can that be possible if we are in the midst of a tremendous “recovery”?
Of course the truth is that we aren’t in any sort of a recovery, but at least things are a whole lot better than they will be after the upcoming election.
I had such an ominous feeling coming into 2020, and I shared this repeatedly with my readers, and now I have such an ominous feeling about the rest of 2020 and beyond.
In particular, I am extremely concerned about what will happen in November. No matter who is ultimately declared the winner, the other side is going to be convinced that the election was stolen from them and that is likely to throw our nation into a state of chaos.
And we are already being told that we probably will not know the winner until long after election day. That period of uncertainty is almost certainly going to spark more civil unrest, and I believe that faith in the integrity of our elections will be greatly shaken.
Before I end this article, there is one more thing that I wanted to mention that I found to be extremely interesting. This year the Federal Reserve has been buying up mortgage bonds worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and according to Mish Shedlock the Fed now owns nearly a third of that entire market…
The Fed has snapped up $1 trillion of mortgage bonds since March. It bought around $300 billion of the bonds in each of March and April, and since then has been buying about $100 billion a month.
The Fed now owns almost a third of bonds backed by home loans in the U.S.
Buying the securities has pushed mortgage rates lower, with the average 30-year rate falling to 2.91% as of last week from 3.3% in early February.
Morgan Stanley analysts pointed out in late March that the buying was running at eight times the pace seen in prior episodes of Fed purchasing under programs known as quantitative easing.
No matter who wins the election, the direction of the Fed is not going to change. They are going to continue to engage in exceedingly reckless manipulation of the markets, and that is going to have very serious long-term implications.
All around us, we can see our society being thrown into convulsions as all of our systems begin to fail.
I know that so many of you out there are feeling the exact same way that I am.
A sense of anticipation hangs in the air, and millions of people are waiting for the next big crisis to erupt.


investmentwatchblog--2020-09-11--All Of The Bad News In 2020 Is Causing A Shockingly High Number Of Americans To “Seriously Consider”

All Of The Bad News In 2020 Is Causing A Shockingly High Number Of Americans To “Seriously Consider” Suicide

This is a very difficult article for me to write , but I definitely need to write it .
All over the country , people are considering suicide because of all the bad things that have happened this year , and things are only going to get even more challenging in 2021 and beyond .
This greatly grieves me , because suicide is never the answer to anything , and I wish that I could sit down individually with every person that is considering suicide and get them to understand this .
Our lives are meant to be lived with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that doesn ’ t change when times get very difficult .
In fact , when challenging times come that is when bright lights are needed the most .
Personally , even though I am constantly writing about all of the hard things that are going on in the world , I am not down , I am not depressed , and I am not on any pills .
Instead , I am incredibly thankful for the gift of each new day , and there is no other time in all of human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than right now .
But if you allow your life to be defined by the system that the global elite have established , and if you are living for what you can get from that system , then the years ahead are going to be exceedingly difficult for you because that system is failing .
Over the course of this year , the entire world has been thrown into a state of chaos by the coronavirus pandemic , the global economic collapse and the tremendous civil unrest that we have witnessed in major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a survey that the CDC recently conducted , all of this turmoil has had a dramatic affect on our mental health… At the end of June , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveyed almost 10,000 Americans on their mental health .
They found symptoms of anxiety and depression were up sharply across the board between March and June , compared with the same time the previous year .
And young people seemed to be the hardest-hit of any group .
Almost 11 percent of all respondents to that survey said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the past 30 days .
For those ages 18 to 24 , the number was 1 in 4 — more than twice as high .
The years between 18 and 24 should be some of the greatest years of your entire life , and yet one out of every four Americans in that age group “ seriously considered ” committing suicide in just one month .
That number alone is sufficient evidence to prove that our society has become a complete and utter failure .
The system that we are living in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any real meaning for their lives , it doesn ’ t provide them with hope , and it doesn ’ t give them any reason to be optimistic about the long-term future .
And the truth is that suicides have been on the rise for many years .
In fact , CDC numbers show that the suicide rate has been increasing “ every year since 2007 ” … Shouldn ’ t the fact that the suicide rate just keeps going up year after year after year be a giant red flag for all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the direction that we are running is the exact opposite of where we should be going , and that greatly frustrates me .
Many of us keep sounding the alarm , but most people simply do not want to listen .
But if we keep going down the same path , many more Americans will fall into despair , depression and self-destructive behaviors .
Just like the CDC numbers that I discussed earlier , a recent KFF tracking poll found that Americans have had an exceedingly difficult time dealing with the events of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even deal with the problems that we are facing right now , how in the world are we going to handle what else is ahead ?
Sadly , our overall mental health was already in really bad shape coming into this year .
In 2019 , it was being reported that “ deaths of despair ” in the United States had reached an all-time record high .
The following comes from NBC News… When things get really crazy , it can be very tempting to try to find a way to escape .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ alcohol or drugs , and for others it means becoming immersed in endless hours of self-destructive forms of entertainment .
And of course some people attempt to “ escape ” permanently by committing suicide .
But the truth is that you can not run away from reality , and there is no reason to try to escape in the first place .
You were born at this particular moment in history for a reason , there is a unique purpose for your life , and you have a job to do .
All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a great crescendo , and to be alive during this time is such an amazing privilege .
In the movie Gladiator , Russell Crowe ’ s character made a statement that has always stuck with me .
He said that “ what we do in life echoes in eternity ” .
If you make your life all about the global elite ’ s system and what you can get from it , you will end up depressed and defeated .
But if you focus on the things that will echo in eternity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why you were placed at this moment in history , then you will never have any reason to want to try to escape this amazing adventure that we call life .

by Michael Snyder
This is a very difficult article for me to write, but I definitely need to write it. All over the country, people are considering suicide because of all the bad things that have happened this year, and things are only going to get even more challenging in 2021 and beyond. This greatly grieves me, because suicide is never the answer to anything, and I wish that I could sit down individually with every person that is considering suicide and get them to understand this. Our lives are meant to be lived with purpose, passion and great joy, and that doesn’t change when times get very difficult. In fact, when challenging times come that is when bright lights are needed the most.
Personally, even though I am constantly writing about all of the hard things that are going on in the world, I am not down, I am not depressed, and I am not on any pills. Instead, I am incredibly thankful for the gift of each new day, and there is no other time in all of human history that I would rather be living than right now.
But if you allow your life to be defined by the system that the global elite have established, and if you are living for what you can get from that system, then the years ahead are going to be exceedingly difficult for you because that system is failing.
Over the course of this year, the entire world has been thrown into a state of chaos by the coronavirus pandemic, the global economic collapse and the tremendous civil unrest that we have witnessed in major cities all over the planet. According to a survey that the CDC recently conducted, all of this turmoil has had a dramatic affect on our mental health…
At the end of June, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveyed almost 10,000 Americans on their mental health. They found symptoms of anxiety and depression were up sharply across the board between March and June, compared with the same time the previous year. And young people seemed to be the hardest-hit of any group. Almost 11 percent of all respondents to that survey said they had “seriously considered” suicide in the past 30 days. For those ages 18 to 24, the number was 1 in 4 — more than twice as high.
Those numbers are absolutely heartbreaking.
The years between 18 and 24 should be some of the greatest years of your entire life, and yet one out of every four Americans in that age group “seriously considered” committing suicide in just one month.
That number alone is sufficient evidence to prove that our society has become a complete and utter failure. The system that we are living in doesn’t give these young people any real meaning for their lives, it doesn’t provide them with hope, and it doesn’t give them any reason to be optimistic about the long-term future.
And the truth is that suicides have been on the rise for many years. In fact, CDC numbers show that the suicide rate has been increasing “every year since 2007”…
The suicide rate among young people was already at a record high before the pandemic, and had increased every year since 2007, according to a new analysis of CDC data released on Thursday by the gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety. The new report, which came on World Suicide Prevention Day, notes that suicide was the second leading cause of death among young people after accidents.
Shouldn’t the fact that the suicide rate just keeps going up year after year after year be a giant red flag for all of us?
As a society, the direction that we are running is the exact opposite of where we should be going, and that greatly frustrates me. Many of us keep sounding the alarm, but most people simply do not want to listen.
But if we keep going down the same path, many more Americans will fall into despair, depression and self-destructive behaviors. Just like the CDC numbers that I discussed earlier, a recent KFF tracking poll found that Americans have had an exceedingly difficult time dealing with the events of this year…
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
In a KFF Tracking Poll conducted in mid-July, 53% of adults in the United States reported that their mental health has been negatively impacted due to worry and stress over the coronavirus. This is significantly higher than the 32% reported in March, the first time this question was included in KFF polling. Many adults are also reporting specific negative impacts on their mental health and wellbeing, such as difficulty sleeping (36%) or eating (32%), increases in alcohol consumption or substance use (12%), and worsening chronic conditions (12%), due to worry and stress over the coronavirus. As the pandemic wears on, ongoing and necessary public health measures expose many people to experiencing situations linked to poor mental health outcomes, such as isolation and job loss.
If we can’t even deal with the problems that we are facing right now, how in the world are we going to handle what else is ahead?
Sadly, our overall mental health was already in really bad shape coming into this year. In 2019, it was being reported that “deaths of despair” in the United States had reached an all-time record high. The following comes from NBC News…
Rates of deaths from suicides, drug overdoses and alcohol have reached an all-time high in the United States, but some states have been hit far harder than others, according to a report released Wednesday by the Commonwealth Fund.
When things get really crazy, it can be very tempting to try to find a way to escape.
For some people, escaping means abusing alcohol or drugs, and for others it means becoming immersed in endless hours of self-destructive forms of entertainment.
And of course some people attempt to “escape” permanently by committing suicide.
But the truth is that you cannot run away from reality, and there is no reason to try to escape in the first place.
You were born at this particular moment in history for a reason, there is a unique purpose for your life, and you have a job to do.
All of human history has been building up to a great crescendo, and to be alive during this time is such an amazing privilege.
In the movie Gladiator, Russell Crowe’s character made a statement that has always stuck with me. He said that “what we do in life echoes in eternity”.
If you make your life all about the global elite’s system and what you can get from it, you will end up depressed and defeated.
But if you focus on the things that will echo in eternity, and if you discover the reason why you were placed at this moment in history, then you will never have any reason to want to try to escape this amazing adventure that we call life.


investmentwatchblog--2020-09-11--Dear Jerry and James: You’re Both Wrong About New York

The “ system ” known as a city , now bloated and overgrown by decades of mal-investment , will be forced to become self-supporting .
So let ’ s look at the urban exodus that ’ s exciting so much commentary .
Two essays pin each end of the urban exodus spectrum : James Altucher ’ s NYC Is Dead Forever , Here ’ s Why focuses on the technological improvements in bandwidth that enable digital-economy types to work from anywhere , and the destabilizing threat of rising crime .
In his telling , both will drive a long-term , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s sharp rebuttal , So You Think New York Is ‘ Dead ’ , focuses on the inherent greatness of NYC and other global metropolises based on their unique concentration of wealth , arts , creativity , entertainment , business , diversity , culture , signature neighborhoods , etc .
Today I ’ m publishing a guest essay on the topic by correspondent R.J. : Dear Jerry and James : You ’ re Both Wrong About New York , And I doubt you ’ ll ever be able to see why .
Fifty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mayor John Lindsay were splashed across the editorial pages of American media .
Pockets emptied and with a comical expression , he was depicted as a pathetic beggar , hoping somebody , anybody would loan his city the money it desperately needed to continue paying its bills .
His challenge was reflected in just about every other major city , where commercial flight , infrastructure rot , and population loss was on-going and devastating to already corrupt civic finances .
Turned out cities weren ’ t selling what people wanted to buy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ autonomy—the supplies of which cities are specifically designed to restrict for their leader ’ s own personal aggrandizement .
The unprecedented prosperity of the postwar years created a large American middle class with options .
And they opted to move out .
So the city ’ s economic model fell apart .
Yet twenty years later after John Lindsay went begging , most large cities were experiencing a civic renaissance–with investments in world-class infrastructure , an influx of youth and talent , and rates of population growth that would rival previous heydays .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Lindsay was begging , the idea of the Federal government bailing out a city like New York was extremely controversial , even more so than bailing out individual states today .
It had never been done before .
Why ?
Our currency had value .
It was backed , at least in part , by gold .
Then in 1971 , to prevent the last of the nation ’ s gold hoard from redemption and export as a result of years of trade deficits ; President Nixon signed an executive order ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollar to the precious metal .
The currency of America was officially valueless–unmoored from reality , able be created in whatever amounts plausibility and confidence could support .
Back then there were certain hard asset markets that could still serve as honest markers of currency value ; real estate , oil , precious metals–but eventually all could be undermined by corruption and manipulated by leverage .
Cities such as New York where such markets already existed could be cultivated and embraced as centers where the ‘ advantages ’ of the now unmoored fiat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For top efficiency in these efforts , physical proximity of the looters to each other was essential .
Such proximity also supported the natural need of these sociopaths to compare individual results through possessions , hookers , and blow .
And as the immense proceeds of financialization piled up , competitive philanthropy and the drive for personal safety also led to a vastly improved local quality of life .
Increased policing , improved infrastructure , cultural amenities–all were funded by peacocking financializers who in turn were funding themselves by pulling future demand forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rapidly depreciating to its real value–zero .
Yes , the real rate of inflation could be hidden through manipulating the official calculations of metrics such the CPI ( consumer price index ) .
Sure , the widening gaps in the real return of labor vs. capital could be masked by lowering interest rates and easing credit access .
Of course , the ‘ deaths from despair ’ in the countryside would rise as reality caught up with those not poor enough for a safety net nor wealthy enough to get in on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thrive–because even in a connected world they themselves were essential .
They , like Las Vegas casinos for the mob , were the centralized locations where the skim itself was worked .
But there was never any actual ‘ Renaissance ’ of our cities .
No DaVinci , No Michelangelo , No Botticelli .
Our scholars were credentialed classist legacies or confidence tricksters ; our businessmen , financial engineers ; our artists , propagandists .
It was all , as Elaine Benes ( how appropriate ) would say , “ Fake , Fake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that New York have energy !
There ’ s very little demand left to pull forward .
There ’ s very little upside to financialize .
It takes a whole lot of new debt to generate one additional dollar of new revenue .
And the people themselves have gotten wise to the skim off their labor .
They ’ re realizing that the only way to win is not to play .
The deflationary effects of massive oversupply will be something to see .
You don ’ t even have to live next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s , you can just fake it on Instagram .
The city , as a tool for financialization , has outlived its usefulness .
And therefore , there will be no additional outside investment , there is no reason for anyone to do so .
The “ system ” known as a city , now bloated and overgrown by decades of mal-investment , will be forced to become self-supporting .
For these cities , the rule of law is now a center of cost .
Your ethnic and racial identity , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power .
Those who can leave such places should not let the fallacy of sunk costs hold them in place .
The assets you think you own in these cities aren ’ t real .
They ’ re illusions ; ephemera whose value was propped up by the same forces that created the phantasm of Giuliani ’ s Times Square .
The smartest money left a decade ago when the connectivity of technology outweighed the value of the ego comparisons of wealth and status .
Heck , Michael Bloomberg was mayor and even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city he led .
The ‘ inertia ’ money , those still hooked on status and nostalgia , are just leaving now .
They ’ re taking losses , but at least they ’ re taking something .
Check out the vacancy rates on the Upper West Side or in the Tenderloin District .
I ’ m looking for the Seinfelds , the Gaffigans , and the Stephanopolises to be selling their co-ops soon .
It ’ s not just unsafe , its unlivable .
The next outmigration will be those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this writing , Minneapolis actually is charging owners to remove the remains of the property they were previously taxed on and that the city couldn ’ t/wouldn ’ t protect with the services paid for by those very taxes the property owners were coerced to pay .
The final outmigration will be those who don ’ t leave at all , not even with their lives .
New York , San Francisco , Seattle , Minneapolis , even Kenosha for heaven ’ s sake .
Get what you can for your financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and run .
Sure , this suppression of price might be intentional , but for you it ’ s not coming back .
Make the best of a bad situation and start anew .
Sadly , if back in the 70s these cities had simply been left alone to decay in a linear manner , there may have been some hope .
There were still strong , self-supporting social communities among the decay .
Left to their own devices , they would have sorted themselves out , created their own systems , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Potemkin of 90s New York and similar cities pulled the pendulum so far back that those social communities and the social capital that supported them are well and truly gone .
As the pendulum swings back , the barbarity and mayhem that are about to occur will be a sight to behold .
These cities , both from without and from within , will sack themselves ; over , and , over , and , over again .
And the equilibrium reached at the end won ’ t be blight but rather .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a long-time CHS subscriber who encourages free discourse as a path to a better world .
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by Charles Hugh-Smith
The “system” known as a city, now bloated and overgrown by decades of mal-investment, will be forced to become self-supporting.
So let’s look at the urban exodus that’s exciting so much commentary. Two essays pin each end of the urban exodus spectrum: James Altucher’s NYC Is Dead Forever, Here’s Why focuses on the technological improvements in bandwidth that enable digital-economy types to work from anywhere, and the destabilizing threat of rising crime. In his telling, both will drive a long-term, accelerating urban exodus.
Jerry Seinfeld’s sharp rebuttal, So You Think New York Is ‘Dead’, focuses on the inherent greatness of NYC and other global metropolises based on their unique concentration of wealth, arts, creativity, entertainment, business, diversity, culture, signature neighborhoods, etc.
Today I’m publishing a guest essay on the topic by correspondent R.J.:
Dear Jerry and James: You’re Both Wrong About New York, And I doubt you’ll ever be able to see why.
Fifty years ago, cartoons of New York Mayor John Lindsay were splashed across the editorial pages of American media. Pockets emptied and with a comical expression, he was depicted as a pathetic beggar, hoping somebody, anybody would loan his city the money it desperately needed to continue paying its bills.
His challenge was reflected in just about every other major city, where commercial flight, infrastructure rot, and population loss was on-going and devastating to already corrupt civic finances.
Turned out cities weren’t selling what people wanted to buy. People wanted space, property, and autonomy—the supplies of which cities are specifically designed to restrict for their leader’s own personal aggrandizement. The unprecedented prosperity of the postwar years created a large American middle class with options.
And they opted to move out.
So the city’s economic model fell apart.
Yet twenty years later after John Lindsay went begging, most large cities were experiencing a civic renaissance–with investments in world-class infrastructure, an influx of youth and talent, and rates of population growth that would rival previous heydays.
Budgets were even being balanced.
What happened?
Back when Lindsay was begging, the idea of the Federal government bailing out a city like New York was extremely controversial, even more so than bailing out individual states today.
It had never been done before. Why?
Our currency had value.
It was backed, at least in part, by gold.
Then in 1971, to prevent the last of the nation’s gold hoard from redemption and export as a result of years of trade deficits; President Nixon signed an executive order ‘temporarily’ suspending the convertibility of the dollar to the precious metal.
The currency of America was officially valueless–unmoored from reality, able be created in whatever amounts plausibility and confidence could support.
Back then there were certain hard asset markets that could still serve as honest markers of currency value; real estate, oil, precious metals–but eventually all could be undermined by corruption and manipulated by leverage.
Cities such as New York where such markets already existed could be cultivated and embraced as centers where the ‘advantages’ of the now unmoored fiat could be exploited to maximum effect.
For top efficiency in these efforts, physical proximity of the looters to each other was essential. Such proximity also supported the natural need of these sociopaths to compare individual results through possessions, hookers, and blow. And as the immense proceeds of financialization piled up, competitive philanthropy and the drive for personal safety also led to a vastly improved local quality of life.
Increased policing, improved infrastructure, cultural amenities–all were funded by peacocking financializers who in turn were funding themselves by pulling future demand forward through leveraging a fiat currency which was rapidly depreciating to its real value–zero.
Yes, the real rate of inflation could be hidden through manipulating the official calculations of metrics such the CPI (consumer price index).
Sure, the widening gaps in the real return of labor vs. capital could be masked by lowering interest rates and easing credit access.
Of course, the ‘deaths from despair’ in the countryside would rise as reality caught up with those not poor enough for a safety net nor wealthy enough to get in on the skim.
But the cities themselves would thrive–because even in a connected world they themselves were essential. They, like Las Vegas casinos for the mob, were the centralized locations where the skim itself was worked.
But there was never any actual ‘Renaissance’ of our cities. No DaVinci, No Michelangelo, No Botticelli.
Our scholars were credentialed classist legacies or confidence tricksters; our businessmen, financial engineers; our artists, propagandists.
It was all, as Elaine Benes (how appropriate) would say, “Fake, Fake, Fake.”
But, boy did that New York have energy!
Today, financialization has reached its limit.
There’s very little demand left to pull forward.
There’s very little upside to financialize. It takes a whole lot of new debt to generate one additional dollar of new revenue.
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And the people themselves have gotten wise to the skim off their labor. They’re realizing that the only way to win is not to play. The deflationary effects of massive oversupply will be something to see.
You don’t even have to live next door to keep up with the Jones’s, you can just fake it on Instagram.
The city, as a tool for financialization, has outlived its usefulness.
And therefore, there will be no additional outside investment, there is no reason for anyone to do so.
The “system” known as a city, now bloated and overgrown by decades of mal-investment, will be forced to become self-supporting.
For these cities, the rule of law is now a center of cost.
Your residency, a center of revenue.
Your ethnic and racial identity, a source of someone else’s political power.
Those who can leave such places should not let the fallacy of sunk costs hold them in place. The assets you think you own in these cities aren’t real. They’re illusions; ephemera whose value was propped up by the same forces that created the phantasm of Giuliani’s Times Square.
The smartest money left a decade ago when the connectivity of technology outweighed the value of the ego comparisons of wealth and status. Heck, Michael Bloomberg was mayor and even he didn’t actually live in the city he led.
The ‘inertia’ money, those still hooked on status and nostalgia, are just leaving now. They’re taking losses, but at least they’re taking something. Check out the vacancy rates on the Upper West Side or in the Tenderloin District. I’m looking for the Seinfelds, the Gaffigans, and the Stephanopolises to be selling their co-ops soon. It’s not just unsafe, its unlivable.
The next outmigration will be those who leave all their assets behind. As of this writing, Minneapolis actually is charging owners to remove the remains of the property they were previously taxed on and that the city couldn’t/wouldn’t protect with the services paid for by those very taxes the property owners were coerced to pay.
The final outmigration will be those who don’t leave at all, not even with their lives.
New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Minneapolis, even Kenosha for heaven’s sake.
Get what you can for your financial assets, coordinate with your social capital and run. Sure, this suppression of price might be intentional, but for you it’s not coming back. Make the best of a bad situation and start anew.
Sadly, if back in the 70s these cities had simply been left alone to decay in a linear manner, there may have been some hope.
There were still strong, self-supporting social communities among the decay. Left to their own devices, they would have sorted themselves out, created their own systems, and reached a livable equilibrium.
But the Potemkin of 90s New York and similar cities pulled the pendulum so far back that those social communities and the social capital that supported them are well and truly gone.
As the pendulum swings back, the barbarity and mayhem that are about to occur will be a sight to behold.
These cities, both from without and from within, will sack themselves; over, and, over, and, over again.
And the equilibrium reached at the end won’t be blight but rather. . .
abandonment,
legend,
and wonder.
Robert James is the sobriquet of a long-time CHS subscriber who encourages free discourse as a path to a better world.
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investmentwatchblog--2020-09-12--Evidence the U.S. Is a Dictatorship, Not a Democracy

“ Elected officials face serious consequences for misconduct.
” 27 % Yes .
( 73 % No . )
“ Government is open and transparent.
” 30 % Yes .
( 70 % No . )
“ Campaign contributions do not lead to greater political influence.
” 26 % Yes .
( 74 % No . )
However , another relevant question produced an extreme disparity between the opinions of Republicans ( America ’ s conservatives ) versus Democrats ( America ’ s liberals ) regarding whether America is a democracy , and here is that fourth question and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunity to succeed.
” Republicans 76 % Yes .
Democrats 28 % Yes .
Those are diametrically opposite opinions , by the adherents to the two political Parties .
So , on that one question , America ’ s conservatives do consider America to be a democracy , regarding at least the factor of whether or not all Americans have equal opportunity .
This question is relevant to democracy because if everyone has equal opportunity , then there is equality on at least that single matter of equality — equality of opportunity — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dictatorship , because a dictatorship has dictators , who , obviously ( by definition ) , possess enormously more opportunity than do the rest of the population .
So , whereas Republicans think that America is a democracy on at least that factor ( equal opportunity ) , Democrats equally strongly believe that it ’ s not .
There was also one other question on which a strong contrast existed between Republicans and Democrats , though not diametrically opposite views , and here is that fifth question , and its answers : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American government need significant changes.
” Republicans 50 % Yes .
Democrats 79 % Yes .
How should these opinion-differences , by Party ( ideology ) , be interpreted ?
Whereas Democrats overwhelmingly believe that America is a dictatorship , Republicans overwhelmingly believe that it is an equal-opportunity dictatorship ; and half of Republicans believe ( perhaps because they believe America provides equal opportunity ) that ( regardless of whether or not America is a dictatorship ) “ The fundamental design and structure of American government don ’ t need significant changes.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ viewpoint ?
Perhaps Republicans believe that poor people deserve to be poor because they ’ re lazy and/or incompetent , and that the rich deserve to be rich because they ’ re hard-working and brilliant , and perhaps Democrats are more inclined to attribute the unequal outcomes ( rich versus poor ) to “ the fundamental design and structure of the American government.
” The views of Democrats on these matters are entirely consistent with the view that America is a dictatorship , but the views of Republicans are not .
Republicans overwhelmingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and half of Republicans believe that the fundamental design and structure of the American government don ’ t need any significant changes .
Both of those viewpoints are accepting America as it is , which means that they are blaming the poor — instead of blaming “ the fundamental design and structure of American government ” ( such as that America is being ruled by the rich ) — for the poverty of the poor .
Consequently , at least half of Republicans ( the ones who don ’ t believe that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rightfulness of an aristocracy — they believe that the wealthiest should rule , the public should not .
Those Republicans want to be ruled by the rich , instead of ruled by the majority of the public .
They are , at the very least , ambivalent about ( if not outright hostile toward ) democracy .
One of the ways that Republicans might get around this problem in their viewpoint is by assuming that there is no Deep State , no unelected and totally unaccountable power behind the elected rulers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ career civil-service professionals , nothing which is outside and above that , such as the aristocracy of billionaires who select which politicians ’ careers to fund , and which ones not to fund .
According to this conservative viewpoint , all the deficiencies in the government come from the career bureaucracy , none come from the corruption that allows the richest to buy the winning politicians and the major newsmedia , and the think tanks , etcetera .
In those people ’ s imaginings , the controlling power is inside the government , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s the problem with the conservative side .
The problem with the liberal side is its hypocrisy , which that video is mocking .
Maybe the reason for the hypocrisy of liberals is that they sort-of are opposed to corruption , whereas conservatives are entirely devoted to the free market , which allows corruption , since to do otherwise is to support policies against corruption , which policies would prohibit certain types of mutually voluntary agreements , and would specifically penalize agreements that are corrupt .
Thus , Republicans oppose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regulations .
By accepting corruption ( as conservatives do , since they are devoted to the free market ) , a person accepts one-dollar-one-vote government , and rejects one-person-one-vote government — that individual accepts a dictatorship by wealth , and rejects a democracy by the people : by the nation ’ s residents .
So : this difference in support for the aristocracy — the holders of the vast majority of the nation ’ s wealth — might explain the differences between Republicans and Democrats .
Here are previous studies that have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or instead a dictatorship .
First is an international comparison that enables these recent findings by Pew to be viewed in an international comparative context : Here are the findings , and the rankings : % saying yes to ‘ My country is democratic ’ ( ranks shown are out of the 53 countries that were surveyed ) : proves it .
It ’ s not consistent with the opinion that “ The fundamental design and structure of American government don ’ t need significant changes.
” Perhaps the two most reliable statistical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to which a given country is a dictatorship is its imprisonment-rate : the percentage of its residents who are in prison .
Right now , the U.S. has the world ’ s highest percentage of its residents who are imprisoned .
This indicates either that it has the worst people or that it has the worst laws , or both , but it also provides overwhelming solid empirical evidence that “ The fundamental design and structure of American government need significant changes.
” Consequently , the 79 % of Democrats , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with that proposition are certainly correct , because the world-record-high imprisonment-rateit .
It ’ s not consistent with the opinion that “ The fundamental design and structure of American government don ’ t need significant changes.
” This means that any ‘ news ’ report that refers to America as being a “ democracy ” is demonstrably and clearly false .
( Maybe , in some respects , America is formally a democracy ; but , substantively , it certainly isn ’ t an actual democracy . )

Eric Zuesse, originally posted at The Saker
On September 2nd, Pew Research — one of America’s most respected polling organizations — issued findings from their survey of 11,001 U.S. adults between July 27 and Aug. 2, 2020 , regarding three important questions that are indicative of whether or not Americans believe the U.S. Government to be a democracy, or instead a dictatorship. These are those three findings:
“Elected officials face serious consequences for misconduct.” 27% Yes. (73% No.)
“Government is open and transparent.” 30% Yes. (70% No.)
“Campaign contributions do not lead to greater political influence.” 26% Yes. (74% No.)
merely an opinion by three quarters of the U.S. public. The last-listed of those three indicates that three-quarters of the American public believe exactly the same as the existing political-science empirical studies clearly have documented to be actually the case: that America is ruled by only its wealthiest and best-connected people — that it’s an aristocracy, a one-dollar-one vote nation , instead of a one-person-one-vote nation — it’s not a democracy at all . So: that is now established as a fact in political science; it’s notan opinion by three quarters of the U.S. public.
However, another relevant question produced an extreme disparity between the opinions of Republicans (America’s conservatives) versus Democrats (America’s liberals) regarding whether America is a democracy, and here is that fourth question and its answers:
“Everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.” Republicans 76% Yes. Democrats 28% Yes.
Those are diametrically opposite opinions, by the adherents to the two political Parties.
So, on that one question, America’s conservatives do consider America to be a democracy, regarding at least the factor of whether or not all Americans have equal opportunity. This question is relevant to democracy because if everyone has equal opportunity, then there is equality on at least that single matter of equality — equality of opportunity — which cannot even possibly exist in a dictatorship, because a dictatorship has dictators, who, obviously (by definition), possess enormously more opportunity than do the rest of the population. So, whereas Republicans think that America is a democracy on at least that factor (equal opportunity), Democrats equally strongly believe that it’s not.
There was also one other question on which a strong contrast existed between Republicans and Democrats, though not diametrically opposite views, and here is that fifth question, and its answers:
“The fundamental design and structure of American government need significant changes.” Republicans 50% Yes. Democrats 79% Yes.
How should these opinion-differences, by Party (ideology), be interpreted?
Whereas Democrats overwhelmingly believe that America is a dictatorship, Republicans overwhelmingly believe that it is an equal-opportunity dictatorship; and half of Republicans believe (perhaps because they believe America provides equal opportunity) that (regardless of whether or not America is a dictatorship) “The fundamental design and structure of American government don’t need significant changes.” How can one make sense of that viewpoint? Perhaps Republicans believe that poor people deserve to be poor because they’re lazy and/or incompetent, and that the rich deserve to be rich because they’re hard-working and brilliant, and perhaps Democrats are more inclined to attribute the unequal outcomes (rich versus poor) to “the fundamental design and structure of the American government.” The views of Democrats on these matters are entirely consistent with the view that America is a dictatorship, but the views of Republicans are not.
Republicans overwhelmingly believe that America is an equal-opportunity society, and half of Republicans believe that the fundamental design and structure of the American government don’t need any significant changes. Both of those viewpoints are accepting America as it is, which means that they are blaming the poor — instead of blaming “the fundamental design and structure of American government” (such as that America is being ruled by the rich) — for the poverty of the poor. Consequently, at least half of Republicans (the ones who don’t believe that America needs structural changes) believe in the rightfulness of an aristocracy — they believe that the wealthiest should rule, the public should not. Those Republicans want to be ruled by the rich, instead of ruled by the majority of the public. They are, at the very least, ambivalent about (if not outright hostile toward) democracy.
One of the ways that Republicans might get around this problem in their viewpoint is by assuming that there is no Deep State, no unelected and totally unaccountable power behind the elected rulers, other than some amorphous governmental bureaucracy, career civil-service professionals, nothing which is outside and above that, such as the aristocracy of billionaires who select which politicians’ careers to fund, and which ones not to fund. According to this conservative viewpoint, all the deficiencies in the government come from the career bureaucracy, none come from the corruption that allows the richest to buy the winning politicians and the major newsmedia, and the think tanks, etcetera. In those people’s imaginings, the controlling power is inside the government, not outside, and above, it.
There is a good ten-minute Republican-Party propaganda video which displays that viewpoint, by mocking the hypocrisy of a leading congressional Democrat, regarding democracy. This video excludes any raising of the crucial question: “Whose interests (other than the politician’s own) is that politician actually serving?” By not asking that question, the ignoring of logical inconsistencies within one’s own political opinions is not only easy to do, but it is quite natural to do. Apparently, conservatives, far more than liberals, think this way: they don’t examine to find out whom the beneficiaries of the politician’s decisions are. It’s a way that accepts corruption. It doesn’t even wonder how corruption works. It doesn’t seek to understand.
That’s the problem with the conservative side. The problem with the liberal side is its hypocrisy, which that video is mocking. Maybe the reason for the hypocrisy of liberals is that they sort-of are opposed to corruption, whereas conservatives are entirely devoted to the free market, which allows corruption, since to do otherwise is to support policies against corruption, which policies would prohibit certain types of mutually voluntary agreements, and would specifically penalize agreements that are corrupt. Thus, Republicans oppose government regulations, whereas Democrats support government regulations.
By accepting corruption (as conservatives do, since they are devoted to the free market), a person accepts one-dollar-one-vote government, and rejects one-person-one-vote government — that individual accepts a dictatorship by wealth, and rejects a democracy by the people: by the nation’s residents. So: this difference in support for the aristocracy — the holders of the vast majority of the nation’s wealth — might explain the differences between Republicans and Democrats.
Here are previous studies that have been done on whether America is a democracy or instead a dictatorship. First is an international comparison that enables these recent findings by Pew to be viewed in an international comparative context:
Here are the findings, and the rankings:
% saying yes to ‘My country is democratic’
(ranks shown are out of the 53 countries that were surveyed):
78% Taiwan #1
77% Denmark #2
75% Switzerland #3
75% S. Korea #4
73% China #5
73% Austria #6
71% Vietnam #7
71% India #8
71% Norway #9
69% Argentina #10
69% Sweden #11
67% Germany #12
66% Netherlands #13
65% Philippines #14
65% Portugal #15
64% Canada #16
63% Singapore #17
61% Malaysia #18
61% Greece #19
60% Ireland #20
59% Israel #21
57% Indonesia #22
56% Spain #23
56% Australia #24
56% UK #25
56% Turkey #26
55% Belgium #27
55% Peru #28
54% South Africa #29
54% Romania #30
54% Italy #31
53% Saudi Arabia #32
53% Pakistan #33
52% France #34
52% Mexico #35
51% Brazil #36
49% Kenya #37
48% U.S. #38
46% Japan #39
46% Colombia #40
45% Thailand #41
45% Algeria #42
43% Nigeria #43
42% Chile #44
41% Egypt #45
40% Morocco #46
40% Ukraine #47
39% Russia #48
38% Poland #49
37% Hong Kong #50
36% Hungary #51
28% Iran #52
24% Venezuela #53
(NATO did not publicize those rankings, nor even the scores.)
proves it. It’s not consistent with the opinion that “The fundamental design and structure of American government don’t need significant changes.” Perhaps the two most reliable statistical scores which tend to indicate the extent to which a given country is a dictatorship is its imprisonment-rate: the percentage of its residents who are in prison. Right now, the U.S. has the world’s highest percentage of its residents who are imprisoned . This indicates either that it has the worst people or that it has the worst laws, or both, but it also provides overwhelming solid empirical evidence that “The fundamental design and structure of American government need significant changes.” Consequently, the 79% of Democrats, and the 50% of Republicans, who agree with that proposition are certainly correct, because the world-record-high imprisonment-rateit. It’s not consistent with the opinion that “The fundamental design and structure of American government don’t need significant changes.”
Furthermore: since America’s prisoners are overwhelmingly the nation’s least wealthy, and since America’s wealthiest are virtually (if not totally) impossible to imprison regardless of how many people they might have defrauded — or else even murdered by promoting and selling toxic and dangerous products, sometimes even more toxic than such things as toxic collateralized mortgage obligations — these facts are further evidence that “The fundamental design and structure of American government need significant changes” is true, and that “Everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed” is false. So, a consistent picture is emerging, which is consistent with the political-science findings that the U.S. is, in fact, a dictatorship (by its wealthiest).
on its own, as an indicator of whether or not the given nation is a dictatorship. Everything should be viewed within its broader context. (I previously did this — provided a much broader context — under the headline However, this does not necessarily mean that any single one of those indicators is reliable,, as an indicator of whether or not the given nation is a dictatorship. Everything should be viewed within its broader context. (I previously did this — provided a much broader context — under the headline “Which Is the Most Totalitarian Country?”
deepens this context is whether or not there has been some stability in America’s being at the top of the imprisonment heap. The earliest web-archived version of comparative international imprisonment-rates was that time, was shown to have the highest imprisonment-rate was the United States. So, from at least that time to this time, America has had the world’s highest imprisonment-rate. If this isn’t a dictatorship, then what is? But, of course, the political-science empirical studies already show that the U.S. is a dictatorship. So, can can there even be a debate about it? One question thatthis context is whether or not there has been some stability in America’s being at the top of the imprisonment heap. The earliest web-archived version of comparative international imprisonment-rates was this one on 20 March 2009 , and the nation which, attime, was shown to have the highest imprisonment-rate was the United States. So, from at least that time to this time, America has had the world’s highest imprisonment-rate. If this isn’t a dictatorship, then what is? But, of course, the political-science empirical studies already show that the U.S. is a dictatorship. So, can can there even be a debate about it?
This means that any ‘news’ report that refers to America as being a “democracy” is demonstrably and clearly false. (Maybe, in some respects, America is formally a democracy; but, substantively, it certainly isn’t an actual democracy.)
international dictatorship. Yet another indicator that the U.S. is a dictatorship is that it now is spending approximately half of the entire world’s military expenditures . So: it’s not only the most police-state, it is the most militarized nation — not necessarily in terms of having the world’s highest numbers of soldiers, but definitely in terms of having, by an overwhelming margin, the world’s highest military expenditures (especially on weapons). So: it is andictatorship.
still (now six years later) are referring to such fantasies as “American democracy” and “the U.S. and other democracies.” However, recent evidence indicates that a majority of the American public have figured this hoax out for themselves, no thanks to America’s (or the rest of the world’s) ‘news’ media. People are learning, perhaps from their own personal experiences. Anyway, that’s what the U.S. Government is: it is the U.S. regime (or “the American regime”). That is today’s reality. On 17 June 2014, I headlined “Why Does NATO Still Exist?” and was (so far as I have been able to find) the first person publicly to refer to the “U.S. Regime” (other than as being part of an adjective in the many online references to “U.S. regime change” operations). In that article, I used the phrase “U.S. regime”, for the first time, directly as a noun, in the phrase, “The U.S. regime can say …”. More than five years later, on 10 November 2019, I headlined “Why does no other writer refer to ‘the U.S. regime’?” Instead, ‘news’ reports(now six years later) are referring to such fantasies as “American democracy” and “the U.S. and other democracies.” However, recent evidence indicates that a majority of the American public have figured this hoax out for themselves, no thanks to America’s (or the rest of the world’s) ‘news’ media. People are learning, perhaps from their own personal experiences. Anyway, that’s what the U.S. Government is: it is the U.S. regime (or “the American regime”). That isreality.
—————


investmentwatchblog--2020-09-12--Public Debt higher than WWII

Public Debt higher than WWII

20 years ago , US nat ' l debt was $ 5T , interest rates were 5-6 % + it @ @ @ @ @ to earn the $ 50k/yr in interest income to retire .
Now we 'll be @ @ @ @ @ rates 0-1 % forever , $ 1- $ 2T deficits/yr to ♾ and it takes @ @ @ @ @ .
# MMT friends wo n't tell you this t.co/W795Q437jG pic.twitter.com/t2i7gQOL1A

20 years ago, US nat'l debt was $5T, interest rates were 5-6% + it required $1M in savings to earn the $50k/yr in interest income to retire. Now we'll be $30T in debt, rates 0-1% forever, $1-$2T deficits/yr to ♾ and it takes $8M saved to retire. #MMT friends won't tell you this t.co/W795Q437jG pic.twitter.com/t2i7gQOL1A
— M/I_Investments (@MI_Investments) September 11, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-09-12--The majority of high networth individuals (10m+) have their largest positions in real estate.

The break down is 29 % in real-estate , 24 % in private equity , 21 % in public equity @ @ @ @ @ income ( 10 % ) , cash ( 12 % ) hedge funds ( 3 @ @ @ @ @ 1 % ) .

www.cnbc.com/2019/12/19/heres-where-the-wealthiest-investors-are-finding-opportunities.html?utm_source=www.google.com
The break down is 29% in real-estate, 24% in private equity, 21% in public equity and the rest in fixed income (10%), cash (12%) hedge funds (3%) and commodities (1%).


investmentwatchblog--2020-09-12--CNBC: A new electric-truck stock is hitting the market

A new electric-truck stock is hitting the market Founded in 2015 , Hyliion makes hybrid as well as fully electric @ @ @ @ @ commercial vehicles .
The hybrid solution , which increases diesel engines ’ range and efficiency @ @ @ @ @ market .
Penske and Ryder are customers .
The company will also make the Hypertruck @ @ @ @ @ fully electric drivetrain as well as a natural gas-powered onboard generator to charge the battery @ @ @ @ @ will have some vehicles on the market by 2021 , followed by volume shipments in @ @

A new electric-truck stock is hitting the market
Founded in 2015, Hyliion makes hybrid as well as fully electric powertrain solutions for Class 8 commercial vehicles. The hybrid solution, which increases diesel engines’ range and efficiency, is already on the market. Penske and Ryder are customers. The company will also make the Hypertruck ERX, which has a fully electric drivetrain as well as a natural gas-powered onboard generator to charge the battery. The company says it will have some vehicles on the market by 2021, followed by volume shipments in 2022.


investmentwatchblog--2020-09-12--So far, the same market dynamic as yesterday. Stocks open higher but fail to attract more net buyers

So far, the same market dynamic as yesterday. Stocks open higher but fail to attract more net buyers, including FOMO and BTD inflows. Prices start fading.

So far , the same market dynamic as yesterday .
# Stocks open higher but fail to attract more net @ @ @ @ @ BTD inflows .
Prices start fading .
Currently , the Dow has given up an @ @ @ @ @ the NASDAQ is notably underperforming .
Let ’ s see how this evolves pic.twitter.com/QjgmNKmUrp Since @ @ @ @ @ index has never been negative with the $ SPX -5 % or more MTD .
@ @ @ @ @ performances with the SPX -5 % or more MTD since Apr 04 : pic.twitter.com/hPs54QO87I

So far, the same market dynamic as yesterday. #Stocks open higher but fail to attract more net buyers, including FOMO and BTD inflows. Prices start fading. Currently, the Dow has given up an over 200 point gain and the NASDAQ is notably underperforming. Let’s see how this evolves pic.twitter.com/QjgmNKmUrp
Since Apr 2004, $VXX index has never been negative with the $SPX -5% or more MTD.
Here are worst 10 VXX performances with the SPX -5% or more MTD since Apr 04: pic.twitter.com/hPs54QO87I
— Matt Thompson, CFA (@dynamicvol) September 11, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-09-12--Citron Research agrees NKLA “appears to be a total fraud”

“ Today , we reveal why we believe Nikola is an intricate fraud built on dozens of lies over the @ @ @ @ @ Executive Chairman Trevor Milton ’ s career .
We have gathered extensive evidence—including recorded phone @ @ @ @ @ private emails and behind-the-scenes photographs—detailing dozens of false statements by Nikola Founder Trevor Milton .
@ @ @ @ @ level of deception at a public company , especially of this size .
Trevor has @ @ @ @ @ statements made over the course of a decade into a ~ $ 20 billion public @ @ @ @ @ partnerships with some of the top auto companies in the world , all desperate to @ @ @ @ @ to harness the EV wave .
We examine how Nikola got its early start and @ @ @ @ @ into signing agreements by falsely claiming to have extensive proprietary technology .
”

Source: hindenburgresearch.com/nikola/
“Today, we reveal why we believe Nikola is an intricate fraud built on dozens of lies over the course of its Founder and Executive Chairman Trevor Milton’s career.
We have gathered extensive evidence—including recorded phone calls, text messages, private emails and behind-the-scenes photographs—detailing dozens of false statements by Nikola Founder Trevor Milton. We have never seen this level of deception at a public company, especially of this size.
Trevor has managed to parlay these false statements made over the course of a decade into a ~$20 billion public company. He has inked partnerships with some of the top auto companies in the world, all desperate to catch up to Tesla and to harness the EV wave.
We examine how Nikola got its early start and show how Trevor misled partners into signing agreements by falsely claiming to have extensive proprietary technology.”


investmentwatchblog--2020-09-12--According to Barclays, the % of tenants who made their rent payment by the 6th of the month just had

According to Barclays , the % of tenants who made their rent payment by the 6th of the month just @ @ @ @ @ the start of the crisis .
pic.twitter.com/0aaraZeJPc

According to Barclays, the % of tenants who made their rent payment by the 6th of the month just had its worst month since the start of the crisis. pic.twitter.com/0aaraZeJPc
— Joe Weisenthal (@TheStalwart) September 11, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-09-12--Warren Buffett Is DUMPING Wells Fargo! – Are We Witnessing The END Of Wells Fargo?

Josh Sigurdson talks with Tim Picciott , The Liberty Advisor about the fall of Wells Fargo as Warren Buffett ( @ @ @ @ @ continues to dump his stake in Wells Fargo which he ’ s praised and promoted @ @ @ @ @ has dealt with one scandal after another for years and has completely cratered in 2020 @ @ @ @ @ about the old guard banking system and the future of centralized banks ?
What would @ @ @ @ @ such a bold move ?
What is the truth about Warren Buffett himself ?
Stay @ @ @ @ @ cover these issues closely !

Josh Sigurdson talks with Tim Picciott, The Liberty Advisor about the fall of Wells Fargo as Warren Buffett (Mr. Wells Fargo himself) continues to dump his stake in Wells Fargo which he’s praised and promoted for decades.
Wells Fargo has dealt with one scandal after another for years and has completely cratered in 2020.
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What does this say about the old guard banking system and the future of centralized banks? What would lead Warren Buffett to make such a bold move? What is the truth about Warren Buffett himself?
Stay tuned as we continue to cover these issues closely!


investmentwatchblog--2020-09-12--Largest Shipper On The Planet Could Be Peaking Again

Is the largest shipper on the planet about to send an important price message to the world ?
Joe Friday @ @ @ @ @ looks at Maersk , which is the largest shipper on the planet .
Over the @ @ @ @ @ created falling channel ( 1 ) , a series of lower highs and lows .
@ @ @ @ @ 2019 , several weeks before the S & P 500 peaked this year , then @ @ @ @ @ % .
The rally off the bottom of the channel , now has it testing @ @ @ @ @ channel at ( 2 ) .
Joe Friday Just The Fact Ma ’ am ; @ @ @ @ @ in play for this shipping company at this time .
Bullish message to the world @ @ @ @ @ breaks out at ( 2 ) .
A negative price message would be sent if @ @ @ @ @ ) .
Joe Friday says bulls and bears should keep a close eye on what @ @ @ @ @ few weeks !

by
Is the largest shipper on the planet about to send an important price message to the world? Joe Friday says yes!
The chart looks at Maersk, which is the largest shipper on the planet. Over the past 4-years, it has created falling channel (1), a series of lower highs and lows.
It peaked in December of 2019, several weeks before the S&P 500 peaked this year, then it declined more than 50%.
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The rally off the bottom of the channel, now has it testing the top of this falling channel at (2).
Joe Friday Just The Fact Ma’am; An important resistance test is in play for this shipping company at this time. Bullish message to the world will be sent if it breaks out at (2). A negative price message would be sent if support breaks at (3).
Joe Friday says bulls and bears should keep a close eye on what Maersk does over the next few weeks!


investmentwatchblog--2020-09-12--Dollar crisis in the market on the way to erupt next week?

FRA OIS VS USD/ILS Dollar crisis in the market on the way to erupt next week ?
# DXY pic.twitter.com/CDfJkXSB3z @ @ @ @ @ completely shut down operations for a period of two weeks because of the covid 19 @ @ @ @ @ reaching a low … This connects to the fact that there is a change in @ @ @ @ @ DXY pic.twitter.com/GqGpbIDXC4

FRA OIS VS USD/ILS Dollar crisis in the market on the way to erupt next week? #DXY pic.twitter.com/CDfJkXSB3z
#Israel is going to completely shut down operations for a period of two weeks because of the covid 19
The #dollar soars after reaching a low … This connects to the fact that there is a change in the foreign exchange market#DXY pic.twitter.com/GqGpbIDXC4
— Amit Noam Tal (@amital13) September 10, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-09-12--How COVID-19 Is Transforming The Auto Industry

Automotive players in Turkey expect up to 8m used car sales in 2020 as a pre-pandemic shortage of new vehicles is exacerbated by supply chain disruptions attributed to the virus .
Some 2.1m cars and light commercial vehicles were sold in the first quarter of the year , putting the market on a path to surpass the record 7.6m units sold in 2019 .
With many residents of major Turkish cities moving away from public transport in favour of private cars , second-hand vehicle prices increased by nearly 10 % between mid-April and mid-May .
Meanwhile , a July survey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 54 % of respondents in South-east Asia ’ s largest economy were considering buying a used vehicle over a new one .
Elsewhere , pre-owned vehicle sales fell by 38 % year-on-year ( y-o-y ) in April as lockdowns were imposed across the US , but efforts to reopen the economy in June saw sales of used cars exceed pre-pandemic forecasts by 17 % , according to automotive research firm JD Power .
Across the Atlantic , used car sales were similarly down in Germany , France , Italy and Spain ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declines .
In April , for example , Germany processed 44 % fewer used car registrations y-o-y , while new car registrations fell by 61 % over the same period .
While consumer trends early in the year indicate a shift towards pre-owned vehicles , many dealers and automakers are actively developing their online sales channels and other digital tools to increase new unit purchases .
Dealers had previously been hesitant to sell online for fear that it would reduce profitability .
AutoNation , the largest car retailer in the US , recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ introduced a store-to-door delivery service , eliminating the need for customers to visit a showroom .
“ For digital , this whole disruptive period… is an inflection point from which there is no turning back , ” Mike Jackson , executive chairman and CEO of AutoNation , told investors in May .
Reflecting a larger shift in retail , some companies have reported accelerated online sales during the pandemic .
Group 1 Automotive of the US saw online-generated sales almost triple their proportion of overall sales , rising to 7.3 % in April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the same time , the share of vehicle deliveries increased four-fold from 5 % to 20 % .
Similarly , US-based Carvana , an online-only car seller , saw a 25 % y-o-y rise in vehicle sales in the second quarter of 2020 , with revenue expanding by 13 % to nearly $ 1.2bn .
Investors have taken note : the company ’ s share price on the New York Stock Exchange rose from around $ 30 in mid-March – when Covid-19-related mobility restrictions were first introduced around the country – to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ August , for growth of 616.7 % .
The resurgent popularity of pre-owned cars offers opportunities for new and established players to gain digital market share .
However , with supply lines disrupted and overall demand dampened , the industry ’ s weaker performance has continued into the second half of 2020 .
Worldwide passenger vehicle sales fell by around 7 % y-o-y in July , according to global industry research firm Counterpoint , even as some countries registered month-on-month recoveries as economies reopened .
In China , sales were up 16 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the US , Europe , India and Japan .
As OBG outlined in June , the decline in auto sales was primarily driven by the economic impact of the pandemic , as a sharp rise in unemployment globally led to a considerable drop in consumer spending .
This trend was compounded by supply chain lags : manufacturers could not source raw materials and parts from shuttered production facilities in China and other hard-hit countries .
However , past health crises have demonstrated that such initial disruptions can boost vehicle sales over time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the 2002-03 SARS outbreak in China , the fear of infection led many to avoid public transport and resulted in increased vehicle demand .
While the economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic are expected to negatively affect the auto industry in the near term , the shift towards used cars and efforts to digitalise sales and services are providing dealers and manufacturers an opportunity to adapt to changing retail dynamics .

By Oxford Business Group
Automotive players in Turkey expect up to 8m used car sales in 2020 as a pre-pandemic shortage of new vehicles is exacerbated by supply chain disruptions attributed to the virus. Some 2.1m cars and light commercial vehicles were sold in the first quarter of the year, putting the market on a path to surpass the record 7.6m units sold in 2019.
With many residents of major Turkish cities moving away from public transport in favour of private cars, second-hand vehicle prices increased by nearly 10% between mid-April and mid-May.
Meanwhile, a July survey by classified advertisements website OLX Indonesia found that 54% of respondents in South-east Asia’s largest economy were considering buying a used vehicle over a new one.
Elsewhere, pre-owned vehicle sales fell by 38% year-on-year (y-o-y) in April as lockdowns were imposed across the US, but efforts to reopen the economy in June saw sales of used cars exceed pre-pandemic forecasts by 17%, according to automotive research firm JD Power.
Across the Atlantic, used car sales were similarly down in Germany, France, Italy and Spain; however, new vehicle purchases recorded steeper declines. In April, for example, Germany processed 44% fewer used car registrations y-o-y, while new car registrations fell by 61% over the same period.
Digital check-out lanes
While consumer trends early in the year indicate a shift towards pre-owned vehicles, many dealers and automakers are actively developing their online sales channels and other digital tools to increase new unit purchases. Dealers had previously been hesitant to sell online for fear that it would reduce profitability.
AutoNation, the largest car retailer in the US, recently invested in expanding its online offerings and introduced a store-to-door delivery service, eliminating the need for customers to visit a showroom. “For digital, this whole disruptive period… is an inflection point from which there is no turning back,” Mike Jackson, executive chairman and CEO of AutoNation, told investors in May.
Reflecting a larger shift in retail, some companies have reported accelerated online sales during the pandemic. Group 1 Automotive of the US saw online-generated sales almost triple their proportion of overall sales, rising to 7.3% in April from 2.5% before the pandemic. At the same time, the share of vehicle deliveries increased four-fold from 5% to 20%.
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Similarly, US-based Carvana, an online-only car seller, saw a 25% y-o-y rise in vehicle sales in the second quarter of 2020, with revenue expanding by 13% to nearly $1.2bn. Investors have taken note: the company’s share price on the New York Stock Exchange rose from around $30 in mid-March – when Covid-19-related mobility restrictions were first introduced around the country – to around $215 at the close of August, for growth of 616.7%.
Future growth prospects
The resurgent popularity of pre-owned cars offers opportunities for new and established players to gain digital market share. However, with supply lines disrupted and overall demand dampened, the industry’s weaker performance has continued into the second half of 2020.
Worldwide passenger vehicle sales fell by around 7% y-o-y in July, according to global industry research firm Counterpoint, even as some countries registered month-on-month recoveries as economies reopened. In China, sales were up 16% y-o-y, though turnover remained under pressure in the US, Europe, India and Japan.
As OBG outlined in June, the decline in auto sales was primarily driven by the economic impact of the pandemic, as a sharp rise in unemployment globally led to a considerable drop in consumer spending.
This trend was compounded by supply chain lags: manufacturers could not source raw materials and parts from shuttered production facilities in China and other hard-hit countries.
However, past health crises have demonstrated that such initial disruptions can boost vehicle sales over time as economies recover. For instance, during the 2002-03 SARS outbreak in China, the fear of infection led many to avoid public transport and resulted in increased vehicle demand.
While the economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic are expected to negatively affect the auto industry in the near term, the shift towards used cars and efforts to digitalise sales and services are providing dealers and manufacturers an opportunity to adapt to changing retail dynamics.
By Oxford Business Group


Amazon Price-Gouging Accusations

Despite taking a hardline stance against profiteering early during the pandemic , Amazon is facing accusations of doing the very @ @ @ @ @ a deep look at the claims against the e-commerce giant and how sector dominance can @ @ @

Despite taking a hardline stance against profiteering early during the pandemic, Amazon is facing accusations of doing the very same thing. We take a deep look at the claims against the e-commerce giant and how sector dominance can harm consumers.
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investmentwatchblog--2020-09-12--VIOLENCE IN AMERICA … PROGRESSIVE AND DEMOCRAT STYLE

Just because owning guns in America is seen as a right-wing characteristic , that doesn ’ t mean Republicans have @ @ @ @ @ Democrats , liberals and progressives aren ’ t scared of raising the spectre of violence @ @ @ @ @ either , and here ’ s the proof .

Just because owning guns in America is seen as a right-wing characteristic, that doesn’t mean Republicans have a monopoly on violence. Democrats, liberals and progressives aren’t scared of raising the spectre of violence to get their views across either, and here’s the proof.
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investmentwatchblog--2020-09-12--MASSIVE explosion shakes outskirts of Jordanian capital

A series of explosions have lit up the night sky outside the city of Zarqa , northeast of Amman , @ @ @ @ @ at a military ammunition depot in Ghabawi .

A series of explosions have lit up the night sky outside the city of Zarqa, northeast of Amman, the capital of Jordan, at a military ammunition depot in Ghabawi.
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investmentwatchblog--2020-09-12--Directionless Market Awaits the FOMC

Directionless Market Awaits the FOMC

Let me start with an apology , because there is nothing really new to say this week .
While we got the sharp move down in stocks with the expected bounce now under way and the opposite in the dollar , metals and miners have been basically going sideways .
The best example of this is Gold : Lower highs and higher lows must come to some resolution one way or the other soon .
The daily RSI says it all : it ’ s crawling along the neutral 50 mark .
The MACD Line is almost back to zero @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sign is that Gold is desperately clinging to the purple trend line in place that represents support for the entire rally since the low in March .
But it hasn ’ t “ closed ” below it yet .
It also tested the 50-day moving average in blue on Tuesday and bounced from there .
This also just happened to match the previous low ~1910 in late August .
The risk is that the weak hands that were late to the party throw in the towel and we get one more final plunge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possibly 1670 .
In order for that to happen , though , we need to see a conclusive break below 1910 with follow-through below the August 12 low of 1874 .
Until then , it could go either way .
This sideways action could also be just consolidation before moving higher again .
The extreme oversold and bullish conditions at the record high have been corrected .
That said , for the bulls to take control , we need to see at least a break of 2000 again followed by the prior high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take a new record high above 2089 to confirm that the bottom is in .
As for Silver , much like 1910 in Gold , ~26 is a big level that needs to hold .
Below 26 , there are several support levels that can be seen on the chart below , but my preference would be for at least a 23 handle should that occur .
Above the recent high of 29.23 , it ’ s much more likely that the bottom is in , especially if we get confirmation above 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the previous support levels that I provided last week for GDX and SILJ remain intact .
The initial support levels to watch in both are ~37 and ~13.40 respectively .
A higher high above 43 in GDX and 16.50 in SILJ would suggest that the bulls are in control again .
Although I remain biased towards further downside ahead , I can not provide any definitive view on the direction from here until we see either these support or resistance levels break .
However , if stocks and precious metals continue to rise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while the dollar drifts lower , the risk that the market is disappointed increases and those moves are reversed .
What I can say with a far greater degree of confidence is that when the Fed , the U.S. Treasury , and/or Congress turns on the magic money machine again , Gold , Silver , and the miners are heading much higher .
The destination is clear , in my opinion , but the route to get there remains in doubt .
We should get resolution one way or the other around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I ’ m playing the game of wait and see .

by David Brady via Sprott Money
Let me start with an apology, because there is nothing really new to say this week. While we got the sharp move down in stocks with the expected bounce now under way and the opposite in the dollar, metals and miners have been basically going sideways. The best example of this is Gold:
Lower highs and higher lows must come to some resolution one way or the other soon. The daily RSI says it all: it’s crawling along the neutral 50 mark. The MACD Line is almost back to zero too. Snoozeville!
The one warning sign is that Gold is desperately clinging to the purple trend line in place that represents support for the entire rally since the low in March. But it hasn’t “closed” below it yet. It also tested the 50-day moving average in blue on Tuesday and bounced from there. This also just happened to match the previous low ~1910 in late August. The risk is that the weak hands that were late to the party throw in the towel and we get one more final plunge down to 1800, 1750, or possibly 1670. In order for that to happen, though, we need to see a conclusive break below 1910 with follow-through below the August 12 low of 1874. Until then, it could go either way.
This sideways action could also be just consolidation before moving higher again. The extreme oversold and bullish conditions at the record high have been corrected. That said, for the bulls to take control, we need to see at least a break of 2000 again followed by the prior high of 2025. But ultimately it will take a new record high above 2089 to confirm that the bottom is in.
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As for Silver, much like 1910 in Gold, ~26 is a big level that needs to hold. Below 26, there are several support levels that can be seen on the chart below, but my preference would be for at least a 23 handle should that occur. Above the recent high of 29.23, it’s much more likely that the bottom is in, especially if we get confirmation above 30.
With respect to the miners, the previous support levels that I provided last week for GDX and SILJ remain intact. The initial support levels to watch in both are ~37 and ~13.40 respectively. A higher high above 43 in GDX and 16.50 in SILJ would suggest that the bulls are in control again.
Although I remain biased towards further downside ahead, I cannot provide any definitive view on the direction from here until we see either these support or resistance levels break. However, if stocks and precious metals continue to rise ahead of the FOMC meeting next week while the dollar drifts lower, the risk that the market is disappointed increases and those moves are reversed. What I can say with a far greater degree of confidence is that when the Fed, the U.S. Treasury, and/or Congress turns on the magic money machine again, Gold, Silver, and the miners are heading much higher. The destination is clear, in my opinion, but the route to get there remains in doubt.
We should get resolution one way or the other around the FOMC meeting next week. Until then, I’m playing the game of wait and see.


investmentwatchblog--2020-09-12--Rumor has it that some or all charges against Derek Chauvin may be dropped today, hearing agenda inc

Rumor has it that some or all charges against Derek Chauvin may be dropped today, hearing agenda included

Attached is the Hearing Agenda for Sept 11/20 for Chauvin , Thao , Lane , and Kueng , @ MinneapolisPD @ @ @ @ @ of venue , charge dismissal , etc .
All charges against all Officers should be @ @ @ @ @ again .
💙 ~M # Minneapolis t.co/ztEDEEbpTV

Attached is the Hearing Agenda for Sept 11/20 for Chauvin, Thao, Lane, and Kueng, @MinneapolisPD regarding joint trial, change of venue, charge dismissal, etc. All charges against all Officers should be dropped and be made whole again. 💙 ~M #Minneapolis t.co/ztEDEEbpTV
— Walk With Blue (@BlueWalkPoconos) September 9, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-09-12--CNN ACTUALLY AIRS PATRIOT SAYING, ‘THERE IS NO COVID, IT’S A FAKE PANDEMIC!’ EPIC

CNN 's @ Acosta : `` Why are you not wearing your mask ? ''
Trump supporter : `` Because @ @ @ @ @ It 's a fake pandemic , created to destroy the United States of America .
@

CNN's @Acosta: "Why are you not wearing your mask?"
Trump supporter: "Because there's no COVID. It's a fake pandemic, created to destroy the United States of America."
pic.twitter.com/bhlAersTZo
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) September 11, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-09-12--THAILAND COVID DEATHS = 58. THAILAND suicides by lockdowns =2551

we are awakened that we didnt ` vote you to RESET WORLD economy and DESTROY JOBS and freedoms .
we @ @ @ @ @ This thread is a Tribute to my economic mentor M. Armstrong

we are awakened that we didnt`vote you to RESET WORLD economy and DESTROY JOBS and freedoms.
we know what you are doing
Thailand covid deaths :58
www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/thailand/
Thailand Suicides: 2551
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/thailand/
This thread is a Tribute to my economic mentor M. Armstrong
SS


investmentwatchblog--2020-09-12--US Core Inflation SOARS … To 1.7% YoY From 1.6% (Rent Inflation Drops To 2.7% YoY)

Is The Federal Reserve the little engine that could ?
Or the monetary engine that can ’ t ?
Inflation , as measured by the Consumer Price Index ( CPI ) , declined in August from 0.6 % MoM to 0.4 % MoM while it rose from 1.0 % YoY in July to 1.3 % in August.. Hardly an earth-shattering spike in inflations True , core inflation ( CPI less Food and Energy ) YoY rose to 1.7 % , but that is still lower than pre-Covid readings of core inflation .
Owner ’ s equivalent rent of residence ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 2.7 % YoY with the Covid outbreak in 2020 .
We are seeing some inflation in the forward 5Y5Y inflation swap that is higher than in January 2020 .
Remember the narrative that the US could always devalue public debt by creating massive inflation ?
First , The Fed can ’ t generate meaningful inflation .
Second , lower inflation translates to lower interest rates allowing Congress to spend ever MORE money and Treasury to borrow even more !
The Fed is the HUGE monetary engine that CAN ’ T generate inflation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bat-signal for help in creating inflation .

by confoundedinterest17
Is The Federal Reserve the little engine that could? Or the monetary engine that can’t?
Inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), declined in August from 0.6% MoM to 0.4% MoM while it rose from 1.0% YoY in July to 1.3% in August.. Hardly an earth-shattering spike in inflations
True, core inflation (CPI less Food and Energy) YoY rose to 1.7%, but that is still lower than pre-Covid readings of core inflation.
Owner’s equivalent rent of residence (or rent inflation) has actually declined to 2.7% YoY with the Covid outbreak in 2020.
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We are seeing some inflation in the forward 5Y5Y inflation swap that is higher than in January 2020.
Remember the narrative that the US could always devalue public debt by creating massive inflation? First, The Fed can’t generate meaningful inflation. Second, lower inflation translates to lower interest rates allowing Congress to spend ever MORE money and Treasury to borrow even more!
The Fed is the HUGE monetary engine that CAN’T generate inflation.
Perhaps The Fed should sent out the Bat-signal for help in creating inflation.


investmentwatchblog--2020-09-12--Steve Maggi: DNA Testing and Retinal Scans for Immigrants – Are Citizens Next?

Noted immigration attorney Steve Maggi joined us for a look at the latest administration initiative to perform DNA testing and @ @ @ @ @ the country .
How will this data be used and will there be privacy protections @ @ @ @ @ not just for immigrants but for citizens as well .
The government has a horrid @ @ @ @ @ protecting our data and our privacy .
The IRS hacks , Office of Personnel Management @ @ @ @ @ their inability to protect our valued data .
So we probably shouldn ’ t expect @ @ @ @ @ .

Financial Survival Network, Released on 9/11/20
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Noted immigration attorney Steve Maggi joined us for a look at the latest administration initiative to perform DNA testing and Retinal scans of immigrants entering the country. How will this data be used and will there be privacy protections? These are important questions not just for immigrants but for citizens as well. The government has a horrid record when it comes to protecting our data and our privacy. The IRS hacks, Office of Personnel Management hack and many more show their inability to protect our valued data. So we probably shouldn’t expect any great miracles here either.


investmentwatchblog--2020-09-12--US fires respect the Canadian border

US fires respect the Canadian border

And for those who say this is just a US map and are too lazy to read the twitter thread @

The fires know not to cross the Canada boarder? pic.twitter.com/f9UYyFRgcm — ]intheMatrixxx[ (@intheMatrixxx) September 11, 2020
And for those who say this is just a US map and are too lazy to read the twitter thread:
Try this:
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napsg.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=6dc469279760492d802c7ba6db45ff0e&_ga=2.57703338.123764639.1599888233-649302767.1599888223
JADR


investmentwatchblog--2020-09-12--WARNING TO ALL PARENTS! ALWAYS be aware of surroundings!

WARNING TO ALL PARENTS !
!
!
ALWAYS be aware of surroundings !
!
This SCUMBAG nearly kidnapped a 5 @ @ @ @ @ not been for this HERO she may have never been seen again !
!
🙏 @ @ @ @ @ Best Is Yet To Come ( @ TrumpRulzz ) September 11 , 2020

WARNING TO ALL PARENTS!!! ALWAYS be aware of surroundings!!This SCUMBAG nearly kidnapped a 5 yr old girl had it not been for this HERO she may have never been seen again!!🙏 pic.twitter.com/XmxRFtuH5q
— 𝑴𝒊𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆 6.0 The Best Is Yet To Come (@TrumpRulzz) September 11, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-09-12--Wow! Brazilian Female Surfer Rides 73.5 foot Wave, set World Record for women surfers. (Video)

Just watching this gives me acrophobia .
Maya Gabeira sets new World Record for the largest wave ever surfed by @ @

Just watching this gives me acrophobia.
Maya Gabeira sets new World Record for the largest wave ever surfed by a woman
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ftw.usatoday.com/2020/09/maya-gabeira-sets-new-world-record-for-the-largest-wave-ever-surfed-by-a-woman
RR


investmentwatchblog--2020-09-12--German tourist, who studied in France and the UK, is lost and homeless in South Africa after losing

German tourist, who studied in France and the UK, is lost and homeless in South Africa after losing his ID and bank card

German guy is lost in South Africa and needed ID to go back to home
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