investmentwatchblog--2020-05-12--Bars And Restaurants Allowed To Reopen If They Agree To Snitch On Customers

If you are like me , you are looking forward to finally getting out of your house and maybe having a few drinks or a nice dinner at your local bar or restaurant .
But going out to your local bar or restaurant once the lockdown ends comes with a steep price .
That ’ s because three cities , in Louisiana , Texas and Missouri , will only allow non-essential businesses to reopen if they agree to collect customers personal information .
According to NOLA Ready , The Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) and the city of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normal ” by forcing bars and restaurants to collect customers personal information .
“ We know everyone is eager to reopen .
It ’ s not going back to normal ; it ’ s what we ’ re calling ‘ the new normal.
’ It will be the data and not the date that drives not only the decision but the phased approach to reopen the City of New Orleans .
Today , we are outlining what those guidelines will be for the City , ” said Mayor Latoya Cantrell .
As Forbes.com @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for bars and restaurants to become government snitches .
Two different articles in Nola.com reveal how DHS and the city of New Orleans plan to use COVID-19 contact tracing as an excuse to record customers personal information .
An article titled , “ Customer logs will be kept under ‘ new normal ’ amid coronavirus in New Orleans ” explains DHS ’ s plans .
Another Nola.com article titled , “ Proposed customer logs raise privacy , logistical concerns ” warns that forcing businesses to collect customers private information violates the constitution .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ do much more than track customers personal information .
According to an article in The Austin Eater , restaurants will track customers personal information and note exactly when they ate , where they ate , and which employees served them .
“ All restaurants allowing dine-in service and all reopened services with allowed occupancy or capacity of 75 or less are encouraged to maintain an activity log of , as reasonably possible , the contact information for all inside or sit-down customers and employees including the dates and times they were present in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sat or were served if a restaurant or reopened service with seating .
In the absence of a such a log , “ How does our government justify forcing businesses to keep detailed logs of who their customers are , what time they ate and what they ate ?
Kansas City forces churches and businesses to snitch on churchgoers and customers A recent article in The New American revealed how the city of Kansas City , Missouri is forcing places of worship and businesses to track people ’ s personal information .
Mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ that businesses must maintain a record of time of service for customers on the premises in a seated capacity for more than ten ( 10 ) minutes.
” It further states that businesses like Salons can satisfy customer registrations by providing authorities with customers names and appointment times .
Kansas City ’ s 10/10/10 rule also said that religious gatherings like , weddings , funerals , memorial services , and wakes with ten or more people should have their names and personal information collected .
A city FAQ page indicates that businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and approximate entry/exit time of these customers .
It also said the information must be turned over to the department of public health upon request .
A Kansas City new release titled , “ Re-Opening Guidelines for KCMO Restaurants , Non-Essential Businesses ” revealed that restaurants and businesses have become defacto government spies , keeping personal information of customers for thirty days .
Fortunately tracking customers personal information is not the norm yet .
As USA Today noted , most states are not tracking customer ’ s personal information as long as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It should be noted that at least one more state , Oregon is considering forcing restaurants to record customers personal information .
Forcing businesses to record the names and personal information of everyone under the guise of COVID-19 is too high a price to pay for going out to your favorite bar or restaurant .
We can not allow DHS and local authorities to use COVID-19 as an excuse to create a “ new normal ” of private business snitching .

by mapi
If you are like me, you are looking forward to finally getting out of your house and maybe having a few drinks or a nice dinner at your local bar or restaurant. But going out to your local bar or restaurant once the lockdown ends comes with a steep price.
That’s because three cities, in Louisiana, Texas and Missouri, will only allow non-essential businesses to reopen if they agree to collect customers personal information.
According to NOLA Ready, The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the city of New Orleans are creating a “new normal” by forcing bars and restaurants to collect customers personal information.
“We know everyone is eager to reopen. It’s not going back to normal; it’s what we’re calling ‘the new normal.’ It will be the data and not the date that drives not only the decision but the phased approach to reopen the City of New Orleans. Today, we are outlining what those guidelines will be for the City,” said Mayor Latoya Cantrell.
As Forbes.com explains the “new normal” is for bars and restaurants to become government snitches.
“New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced business owners will be required to keep logs of the names and contact information of patrons who enter their establishments once the Big Easy reopens to help with contact tracing—a move that Cantrell called part of the new normal, as New Orleans and Louisiana plan to rollback coronavirus restrictions this month.”
Two different articles in Nola.com reveal how DHS and the city of New Orleans plan to use COVID-19 contact tracing as an excuse to record customers personal information.
An article titled, “Customer logs will be kept under ‘new normal’ amid coronavirus in New Orleans” explains DHS’s plans.
“Contact tracing just doesn’t involve government alone,” Cantrell said in the Tuesday conference call. Businesses will proactively track the names and the contact information of patrons “as part of the new normal,” Cantrell said.
Another Nola.com article titled, “Proposed customer logs raise privacy, logistical concerns” warns that forcing businesses to collect customers private information violates the constitution.
“They’re asking of restaurants, and they’re asking right now and developing guidelines, that are completely impossible to follow and violate constitutional privacy,” Stephen Perry the head of New Orleans tourism and hospitality sector said.
In Travis County, Texas restaurants will do much more than track customers personal information. According to an article in The Austin Eater, restaurants will track customers personal information and note exactly when they ate, where they ate, and which employees served them.
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“All restaurants allowing dine-in service and all reopened services with allowed occupancy or capacity of 75 or less are encouraged to maintain an activity log of, as reasonably possible, the contact information for all inside or sit-down customers and employees including the dates and times they were present in the business and the location where they sat or were served if a restaurant or reopened service with seating. In the absence of a such a log, “
How does our government justify forcing businesses to keep detailed logs of who their customers are, what time they ate and what they ate?
Kansas City forces churches and businesses to snitch on churchgoers and customers
A recent article in The New American revealed how the city of Kansas City, Missouri is forcing places of worship and businesses to track people’s personal information.
“As part of its partial reopening of nonessential institutions, Kansas City, Missouri, is now requiring businesses and churches to maintain lists of people who enter their doors.”
Mayor Quinton Lucas’s 10/10/10 rule states “that businesses must maintain a record of time of service for customers on the premises in a seated capacity for more than ten (10) minutes.” It further states that businesses like Salons can satisfy customer registrations by providing authorities with customers names and appointment times.
Kansas City’s 10/10/10 rule also said that religious gatherings like, weddings, funerals, memorial services, and wakes with ten or more people should have their names and personal information collected.
A city FAQ page indicates that businesses must record the names, contact information, and approximate entry/exit time of these customers. It also said the information must be turned over to the department of public health upon request.
A Kansas City new release titled, “Re-Opening Guidelines for KCMO Restaurants, Non-Essential Businesses” revealed that restaurants and businesses have become defacto government spies, keeping personal information of customers for thirty days.
“Restaurants are strongly encouraged to maintain a log of all customers who spend more than 10 minutes seated at the establishment. Logs are to be kept for 30 days at the establishment before discarding/deleting. Log records will be kept confidential and will only be used to aid efforts to notify customers and staff about potential COVID-19 exposure.”
Fortunately tracking customers personal information is not the norm yet. As USA Today noted, most states are not tracking customer’s personal information as long as businesses take the necessary health precautions. It should be noted that at least one more state, Oregon is considering forcing restaurants to record customers personal information.
Forcing businesses to record the names and personal information of everyone under the guise of COVID-19 is too high a price to pay for going out to your favorite bar or restaurant.
We cannot allow DHS and local authorities to use COVID-19 as an excuse to create a “new normal” of private business snitching.


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-12--Stocks Are at “THE Line” Will They Break Up or Down?

Stocks are at “ THE line ” … but can they break it ?
The S & P 500 have been chopping just below overhead resistance ( red line in the chart below ) for two weeks now .
The significance of this level can not be overstated .
This line ALSO represents the 61.8 % Fibonacci retracement of the market decline in March .
It is widely believed that a break above the 61.8 % retracement line indicates stocks are in a NEW bull market , not a bear market bounce .
Again , the significance of this level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has caught my attention is the monthly chart for long-term treasury ETF ( TLT ) .
This chart appears to be indicating a major “ risk on ” move is coming in the financial system .
IF TLT breaks below that red line it could ignite a major bull run in stocks to new highs .
Interestingly , a big breakdown in bonds would indicate a sharp rise in inflation .
Gold is saying something similar : we ’ ve had breakouts in every major currency .
This too says big inflation @ @ @

Stocks are at “THE line”… but can they break it?
The S&P 500 have been chopping just below overhead resistance (red line in the chart below) for two weeks now.
The significance of this level cannot be overstated. This line ALSO represents the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement of the market decline in March.
It is widely believed that a break above the 61.8% retracement line indicates stocks are in a NEW bull market, not a bear market bounce. Again, the significance of this level cannot be overstated.
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One chart that has caught my attention is the monthly chart for long-term treasury ETF (TLT). This chart appears to be indicating a major “risk on” move is coming in the financial system. IF TLT breaks below that red line it could ignite a major bull run in stocks to new highs.
Interestingly, a big breakdown in bonds would indicate a sharp rise in inflation.
Gold is saying something similar: we’ve had breakouts in every major currency. This too says big inflation is coming.


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-12--Buy The Rumour, Sell The News. Fed ETF Buying.

After about 3 minutes of DD I realized the Fed is officially going to start buying corporate bond ETFs today .
I ’ m sure their fingers are going to “ slip ” and buy a few SPY shares too .
No one is taking on significant risk in this market , except the overnight PPT .
It is being propped up .
Daddy Powell has whispered sexy words like “ infinite QE ” and “ I ’ ll do anything at all costs to keep this market up , I ’ ll even sell the souls of the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re a billionaire investor , who invested in a dog shit company such as one of the largest automakers in the world , Daddy Powell ’ s words are reassuring .
It is going to stop you from panic selling .
If you could buy more dog shit you would , but you ’ re leveraged to the tits and can ’ t afford it .
You got ta deleverage .
So rich investors are dumb , but not as dumb as Jimmy with 5K in a robinhood account saying “ follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I am so smart cuz I read the USO fact sheet ” .
Rich investors know the party is over and they are going to dump their shit onto the Fed when they can .
That time is now .
Investors can finally take a steamy dump on the Fed .
They couldn ’ t before because Jimmy ’ s 5K account could only buy 10 shares while they wanted to sell 10 million .
Fed will gladly put those 10 million shares on their balance sheet for the next generation to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is only for educational purposes .
Do not make any investment decisions based on the information in this article .
Do you own due diligence .

by JimCramerSober
After about 3 minutes of DD I realized the Fed is officially going to start buying corporate bond ETFs today. I’m sure their fingers are going to “slip” and buy a few SPY shares too.
No one is taking on significant risk in this market, except the overnight PPT. It is being propped up. Daddy Powell has whispered sexy words like “infinite QE” and “I’ll do anything at all costs to keep this market up, I’ll even sell the souls of the next generation to the illuminati.”
If you’re a billionaire investor, who invested in a dog shit company such as one of the largest automakers in the world, Daddy Powell’s words are reassuring. It is going to stop you from panic selling. If you could buy more dog shit you would, but you’re leveraged to the tits and can’t afford it. You gotta deleverage.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
So rich investors are dumb, but not as dumb as Jimmy with 5K in a robinhood account saying “follow the Fed, stocks up, guh, I am so smart cuz I read the USO fact sheet”. Rich investors know the party is over and they are going to dump their shit onto the Fed when they can.
That time is now. Investors can finally take a steamy dump on the Fed. They couldn’t before because Jimmy’s 5K account could only buy 10 shares while they wanted to sell 10 million. Fed will gladly put those 10 million shares on their balance sheet for the next generation to deal with.
Disclaimer: This information is only for educational purposes. Do not make any investment decisions based on the information in this article. Do you own due diligence.


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-12--House Democrats are pushing ahead with another coronavirus stimulus package despite pushback from th

House Democrats are pushing ahead with another coronavirus stimulus package despite pushback from the Trump administration and Senate Republicans , @ @ @ @ @ to add more money on top of the trillions of dollars in recovery programs already @ @ @ @ @ Get our news in real-time : t.co/JlOKqd0Bkj House Speaker Nancy Pelosi unveils a $ 3 @ @ @ @ @ the House is expected to take up Friday for a vote .
Pelosi has encouraged @ @ @ @ @ ” with the next virus aid package to help cash-strapped states .
t.co/LwFo33KGBE — The @ @ @ @ @ ) May 12 , 2020

House Democrats are pushing ahead with another coronavirus stimulus package despite pushback from the Trump administration and Senate Republicans, who don’t want to add more money on top of the trillions of dollars in recovery programs already in play. t.co/BFiWhXBvI7 pic.twitter.com/yVs93jBYKZ
Get our news in real-time: t.co/JlOKqd0Bkj
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi unveils a $3 trillion new coronavirus aid package the House is expected to take up Friday for a vote. Pelosi has encouraged Congress to “go big” with the next virus aid package to help cash-strapped states. t.co/LwFo33KGBE
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 12, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-12--Current situation of countries relative to their peak. COVID-19 deaths per day

This graph was requested under my previous post about number of cases .
I included all countries with more than @ @ @ @ @ in mind that for some countries outliers or sudden spikes of number of deaths might @ @ @ @ @ some extreme jumps ( china ) For next iterations i can make the same graphs @ @ @ @ @ the population and with a normalized y-axis if some of you are interested .

by fifaBeastFC
data: Johns Hopkins University data.humdata.org/dataset/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-cases 2020-05-12
Tools used: R and ggplot
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
This graph was requested under my previous post about number of cases.
I included all countries with more than 100 deaths total. Keep in mind that for some countries outliers or sudden spikes of number of deaths might cause the graph to make some extreme jumps (china)
For next iterations i can make the same graphs but then keeping in mind the population and with a normalized y-axis if some of you are interested.


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-12--Are Regional Banks (KRE) Suggesting “Look Out Below” For Stocks?

As we ’ ve written several times before , the banks / financials are an important sector in the stock @ @ @ @ @ it goes without saying that when bank stocks are in an up-trend and/or performing in-line @ @ @ @ @ a good indicator for the broader stock market and economy .
Well , that ’ @ @ @ @ @ today ’ s chart – a “ weekly ” chart of the Regional Banks ( @ @ @ @ @ can see , the banks have been weak and are facing dual resistance test at @ @ @ @ @ the banks play catch-up and mount a breakout rally ?
Or will they remain weak @ @ @ @ @ happens during the next few weeks for KRE should send an important message to banks @ @ @ @ @ Stay tuned !

by Kimble Charting
As we’ve written several times before, the banks / financials are an important sector in the stock market and economy.
So it goes without saying that when bank stocks are in an up-trend and/or performing in-line, that it’s a good indicator for the broader stock market and economy.
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Well, that’s not the case in today’s chart – a “weekly” chart of the Regional Banks (KRE).
As you can see, the banks have been weak and are facing dual resistance test at (2). Can the banks play catch-up and mount a breakout rally? Or will they remain weak and turn lower?
What happens during the next few weeks for KRE should send an important message to banks and the broader market. Stay tuned!


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-12--Record short in long bond increases odds that Raoul Pal view of negative bond yields coming.

Record short in long bond increases odds that @ RaoulGMI view of negative bond yields coming .
A few more @ @ @ @ @ will be all that is needed .
Fed stubborn at 0 % but market knows @ @ @ @ @ bonds as productive asset class .
Good for gold .
pic.twitter.com/bmDwadC86i

Uh oh!
Record short in long bond increases odds that @RaoulGMI view of negative bond yields coming.
A few more months of negative CPI prints will be all that is needed.
Fed stubborn at 0% but market knows better.
End of govt bonds as productive asset class. Good for gold. pic.twitter.com/bmDwadC86i
— Dan Tapiero (@DTAPCAP) May 12, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-12--The $NDX $SPX ratio since the tech bubble. $AAPL currently on pace for 7th straight day of 1%+  Last

The $NDX $SPX ratio since the tech bubble. $AAPL currently on pace for 7th straight day of 1%+  Last and only time that happened? Aug 29th, 2000

Economic recovery will be a swoosh not a V. Until recently , many policy makers and corporate executives were hoping for a V-shaped economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic : a short , sharp collapse followed by a bounce back to pre-virus levels of activity .
Now , however , they expect a “ swoosh ” recovery .
Named after the Nike logo , it predicts a large drop followed by a painfully slow recovery , with many Western economies , including the U.S. and Europe , not back to 2019 levels of output until late next year—or beyond .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the contraction now being recorded for the spring , as well as more evidence that soaring joblessness and months or years of social distancing—particularly in the West—will depress economic activity well into next year .
“ This is not going to be a quick recovery , ” said Mark Schneider , chief executive of Nestlé SA , the world ’ s biggest packaged foods maker , recently .
“ This is going to be a several-quarter , if not several-year kind of process.
” Are you comfortable with current valuations if it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GDP levels ?

$AAPL currently on pace for 7th straight day of 1%+ Last and only time that happened? Aug 29th, 2000 — Jonathan Krinsky,CMT (@jkrinskypga) May 12, 2020
World’s Biggest Wealth Fund Faces Record $37 Billion Withdrawal – Bloomberg pic.twitter.com/CgSU6wZUgZ — Otavio (Tavi) Costa (@TaviCosta) May 12, 2020
Federal Reserve officials warned of the potential for "business failures on a grand scale" that could create a lasting scar on the economy t.co/yiawzGGvXd via @business — Robert Burgess (@BobOnMarkets) May 12, 2020
Economic recovery will be a swoosh not a V.
Until recently, many policy makers and corporate executives were hoping for a V-shaped economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic: a short, sharp collapse followed by a bounce back to pre-virus levels of activity.
Now, however, they expect a “swoosh” recovery.
Named after the Nike logo, it predicts a large drop followed by a painfully slow recovery, with many Western economies, including the U.S. and Europe, not back to 2019 levels of output until late next year—or beyond.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
The sobering new view reflects the depth of the contraction now being recorded for the spring, as well as more evidence that soaring joblessness and months or years of social distancing—particularly in the West—will depress economic activity well into next year.
“This is not going to be a quick recovery,” said Mark Schneider, chief executive of Nestlé SA, the world’s biggest packaged foods maker, recently. “This is going to be a several-quarter, if not several-year kind of process.”
Are you comfortable with current valuations if it takes 24-36 months to return to current GDP levels?


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-12--The Praetorian Guards at the FBI and DOJ are Approaching their Milvian Bridge

Last week , two attempted cover-ups by government officials were exposed within days of each other .
The first cover-up was laid bare through the perseverance of defense attorney , Sidney Powell , who pried loose records that showed the FBI deliberately withheld exculpatory evidence in the case of Michael Flynn , President Trump ’ s former National Security Adviser .
For years , the FBI stiff-armed Flynn ’ s defense team , when it sought FBI files that would clear Flynn of any criminal wrongdoing .
Once those files were obtained and the FBI ’ s misconduct was exposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dropped its case faster than the speed of light in a vacuum .
In the second cover-up , acting Director of National Intelligence , Richard Grenell , forced House Intelligence Committee Chairman , Adam Schiff , to release unclassified transcripts of 57 interviews the committee had with government officials in 2017 and 2018 .
The interviews put the lie to Schiff ’ s repeated public allegations that Trump colluded with the Russians .
Instead of proving alleged Trump-Russia collusion , high-ranking officials from the Obama administration testified that there wasn ’ t any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is abundantly clear why President Trump and Michael Flynn ’ s political opponents fought so hard to prevent evidence from being released that would clear the two men .
The partisan hacks were busy trumpeting Trump and Flynn ’ s guilt to a receptive press corps , when they knew all along that the documentation they were sitting on said otherwise .
This tells you all you need to know about their treachery and hypocrisy .
The two news reports appear to be precursors to what is expected to be a series of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Justice Department into potential criminal abuse by FBI and DOJ law enforcement officials , who appear to have wielded their immense power over a period of years to take down a sitting president and his associates .
The wheels of justice usually get stuck in a quagmire when the intended targets are deep-state operatives , especially when they are the Praetorians who control the intelligence community .
Most observers believe that officials at the Justice Department , the FBI and the national intelligence agencies will do what they do best ; i.e.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to avoid accountability .
Indeed , such cynicism is justified based on experience .
The last time a top Justice Department official was brought to justice was during the Nixon Watergate scandal 46 years ago , when U.S. Attorney General , John Mitchell , was indicted on charges that he had conspired to plan the bungled Watergate break-in and then obstructed justice when he attempted to cover-up the affair .
Mitchell was convicted in 1975 and sentenced to 2 ½ to 8 years in prison , but only served two years of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mindset of American Praetorians , U.S. Presidents serve at the pleasure of the deep-state , not the other way around .
Trump challenged this notion and promised to drain the swamp ; therefore , he posed an existential threat and had to go one way or another .
The Praetorians thought they were safe as they manipulated the levers of the justice system to wreak havoc on Donald Trump before and after the 2016 national election and they did so in the arrogant belief that justice would never be meted out to them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ land ’ s top law enforcers and they would make sure the arm of the law would never reach them .
In their view , pain-in-the-ass laws only apply to common folk , who have no clout .
But sometimes the best laid plans have a perverse way of getting upturned , as now seems to be the case .
It may have taken a lot longer than it should have , but it is gratifying at last to see corrupt law enforcement officials back on their heels .
Welcome to a banquet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these weasels roll over each other in a cowardly attempt to deflect blame away from themselves and onto their former colleagues .
Seventeen hundred years ago , the detested Roman Praetorian Guard met an unceremonious end to their centuries-old reign at the Battle of Milvian Bridge north of Rome .
If justice is served , their latter-day American counterparts are about to meet a similar fate because they left a clumsy trail of damning evidence , which will eventually lead to their downfall .
The hunters are about to be captured by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who violated their oath of office , must be held to account for their despicable attempt to subvert our electoral process and our judicial process .
Let them defend themselves before a jury of their peers and let the pieces fall where they may .
Let the dirty cops stand trial and explain why they should be exempt from the laws they assiduously applied to others .
The following is an article that appeared two years ago on IWB and bears repetition because we may be witnessing the beginning of the end for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never thought they would see the business end of indictments they freely dispensed to lowly plebeians .
The Praetorians thought they could hide under color of law , but they were wrong .
After Caesar Augustus gained complete control in 27 B.C .
and became the first Roman Emperor , he established the Praetorian Guard for his personal protection .
Over the next three centuries , the Guard exploited its nexus to the seat of power for its own interest and aggrandizement .
Most notably , the Praetorians schemed and interfered with Roman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and proclaiming their successors .
In 193 A.D. , Emperor Septimius Severus tried to disband the Praetorian Guard , but his reorganization of the Guard did not last as it regained power after his death .
In 306 A.D. , amidst turmoil among a tetrarchy of Roman emperors , the Praetorians turned to Maxentius and proclaimed him their emperor .
In 312 A.D. , Constantine the Great defeated Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge to gain control of the Western Roman Empire .
After the death of Maxentius at the battle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Praetorian Guard by destroying their barracks and dispatching their soldiers to the outskirts of the Roman Empire .
Flash forward to the early 21st century in the U.S. and we see a replay of this sordid Roman history repeating itself with the modern-day Praetorian Guard that holds sway within the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Justice .
Prior to the 2016 presidential election , FBI and DOJ leaders sought to influence the election by favoring one presidential candidate ( Hillary Clinton ) and undermining her opponent ( Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be elected that they clumsily perverted justice to ensure that outcome .
This is exactly what the Roman Praetorians did two millennia ago when they hand-picked the emperors they favored time and time again .
They expected to be rewarded by the grateful emperor , who would invariably shower them with gifts and power .
For centuries , this rigged system of government worked extremely well for the Roman Praetorians until they overplayed their hand .
Ultimately , they picked the wrong emperor , which led to their ignominious demise .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now .
It is one thing to curry favor with a president who is duly elected by the people .
It is quite another thing to influence an election in order to curry favor with a sitting president and his heir apparent .
That ’ s exactly what occurred when the FBI and the DOJ did backflips to exonerate Clinton so she could campaign for the presidency unfettered by a criminal probe into her mishandling of classified information and the destruction of subpoenaed emails .
Not only were the American Praetorians careless in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton investigation , they simultaneously sought to damage her adversary , Donald Trump , by launching a probe into possible Trump-Russia collusion based on a licentious phony dossier that was bought and paid for by the Democratic National Committee and Clinton .
It was a classic push-pull maneuver .
Push Clinton toward her expected coronation as president and pull her opponent down at the same time .
FBI and DOJ leaders had morphed from law enforcers into kingmakers or , in this case , queen makers .
At the time , it seemed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winning hand since Clinton was way ahead in the polls .
Unfortunately for them , pesky American voters didn ’ t get the memo .
Trump won ; Clinton lost .
Most intelligent individuals , especially the Praetorian insiders , should have seen the writing on the wall at that point .
Instead of retreating and calling off the dogs , they doubled down and pressed their attack on the new president .
Such was their deep-seated animus toward Donald Trump .
They were irate that their favored candidate didn ’ t win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who had the temerity to win a national election .
In their twisted minds , they knew better than the American people .
The hubris of these unelected bureaucrats was so great that it never occurred to them that they had sworn to uphold the law of the land .
Instead , they acted like half-assed politicians who are accountable to no one , including congress and the president .
As they see it , their primary duty is to protect the institutions of the FBI and the DOJ above all else @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foremost .
After all , who is going to investigate the FBI , the premier law enforcement agency on the planet ?
Nobody , that ’ s who .
They would simply close ranks and clam up .
They decided to take down Donald Trump by getting him impeached or , barring that result , they would hobble his presidency with a never-ending Trump-Russia collusion probe .
They sought and received repeated approvals from the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to monitor Trump ’ s associates based largely on a false dossier funded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Like the Roman Praetorians before them , the upper echelon the FBI and the DOJ were hell-bent on getting their way .
American voters be damned .
Justice be damned .
Their strong bias for one candidate over another has come to light despite the yeoman efforts of FBI and DOJ management to stonewall record requests from congress and Freedom of Information Act requests from citizen advocacy groups such as Judicial Watch .
The FBI and DOJ constantly hide behind self-serving excuses to refuse the release of documents and , when forced to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ files .
They offer up the usual pretexts to fend off public disclosure such as : the information you seek can not be disclosed because it involves an ongoing investigation , or the information you seek involves national security , or our methods and sources will be jeopardized if the information you seek is divulged to the public .
But it seems the ones who would be most harmed by public disclosure are the corrupt FBI and DOJ officials themselves , who are trying desperately to keep from embarrassing themselves , or revealing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justice system .
Nonetheless , the truth has a way of surfacing through the cracks .
Narrow cracks turn into deep fissures and fissures turn into a chasms .
Although it may take longer than we like , the truth ultimately wins out .
We can see it unfolding at the FBI and the DOJ as the corrupt officials are fired , resign , or are re-assigned .
The tide has receded and the naked bodies at the FBI and the DOJ can be seen floundering on the beach .
Soon they will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same way they try to flip witnesses against each other .
It ’ s the beginning of the end .
The Praetorians at the FBI and the DOJ , who fixed the Clinton investigation and sought to frame a sitting president , have no place in our justice system , except inside its correctional facilities where they belong .

By LV
Last week, two attempted cover-ups by government officials were exposed within days of each other.
The first cover-up was laid bare through the perseverance of defense attorney, Sidney Powell, who pried loose records that showed the FBI deliberately withheld exculpatory evidence in the case of Michael Flynn, President Trump’s former National Security Adviser. For years, the FBI stiff-armed Flynn’s defense team, when it sought FBI files that would clear Flynn of any criminal wrongdoing. Once those files were obtained and the FBI’s misconduct was exposed for all to see, the DOJ dropped its case faster than the speed of light in a vacuum.
In the second cover-up, acting Director of National Intelligence, Richard Grenell, forced House Intelligence Committee Chairman, Adam Schiff, to release unclassified transcripts of 57 interviews the committee had with government officials in 2017 and 2018. The interviews put the lie to Schiff’s repeated public allegations that Trump colluded with the Russians. Instead of proving alleged Trump-Russia collusion, high-ranking officials from the Obama administration testified that there wasn’t any evidence of such a conspiracy.
It is abundantly clear why President Trump and Michael Flynn’s political opponents fought so hard to prevent evidence from being released that would clear the two men. The partisan hacks were busy trumpeting Trump and Flynn’s guilt to a receptive press corps, when they knew all along that the documentation they were sitting on said otherwise. This tells you all you need to know about their treachery and hypocrisy.
The two news reports appear to be precursors to what is expected to be a series of indictments stemming from the lengthy investigation by the Justice Department into potential criminal abuse by FBI and DOJ law enforcement officials, who appear to have wielded their immense power over a period of years to take down a sitting president and his associates.
The wheels of justice usually get stuck in a quagmire when the intended targets are deep-state operatives, especially when they are the Praetorians who control the intelligence community. Most observers believe that officials at the Justice Department, the FBI and the national intelligence agencies will do what they do best; i.e., keep themselves firmly above the law to avoid accountability. Indeed, such cynicism is justified based on experience. The last time a top Justice Department official was brought to justice was during the Nixon Watergate scandal 46 years ago, when U.S. Attorney General, John Mitchell, was indicted on charges that he had conspired to plan the bungled Watergate break-in and then obstructed justice when he attempted to cover-up the affair. Mitchell was convicted in 1975 and sentenced to 2 ½ to 8 years in prison, but only served two years of his sentence before being paroled.
In the mindset of American Praetorians, U.S. Presidents serve at the pleasure of the deep-state, not the other way around. Trump challenged this notion and promised to drain the swamp; therefore, he posed an existential threat and had to go one way or another. The Praetorians thought they were safe as they manipulated the levers of the justice system to wreak havoc on Donald Trump before and after the 2016 national election and they did so in the arrogant belief that justice would never be meted out to them. After all, they were the land’s top law enforcers and they would make sure the arm of the law would never reach them. In their view, pain-in-the-ass laws only apply to common folk, who have no clout.
But sometimes the best laid plans have a perverse way of getting upturned, as now seems to be the case. It may have taken a lot longer than it should have, but it is gratifying at last to see corrupt law enforcement officials back on their heels. Welcome to a banquet of consequences.
Soon we will see these weasels roll over each other in a cowardly attempt to deflect blame away from themselves and onto their former colleagues.
Seventeen hundred years ago, the detested Roman Praetorian Guard met an unceremonious end to their centuries-old reign at the Battle of Milvian Bridge north of Rome. If justice is served, their latter-day American counterparts are about to meet a similar fate because they left a clumsy trail of damning evidence, which will eventually lead to their downfall. The hunters are about to be captured by the game.
Top law enforcement officers, who violated their oath of office, must be held to account for their despicable attempt to subvert our electoral process and our judicial process. Let them defend themselves before a jury of their peers and let the pieces fall where they may. Let the dirty cops stand trial and explain why they should be exempt from the laws they assiduously applied to others.
The following is an article that appeared two years ago on IWB and bears repetition because we may be witnessing the beginning of the end for a number of deep-state Praetorians, who never thought they would see the business end of indictments they freely dispensed to lowly plebeians. The Praetorians thought they could hide under color of law, but they were wrong.
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After Caesar Augustus gained complete control in 27 B.C. and became the first Roman Emperor, he established the Praetorian Guard for his personal protection. Over the next three centuries, the Guard exploited its nexus to the seat of power for its own interest and aggrandizement. Most notably, the Praetorians schemed and interfered with Roman politics to the point of overthrowing emperors and proclaiming their successors.
In 193 A.D., Emperor Septimius Severus tried to disband the Praetorian Guard, but his reorganization of the Guard did not last as it regained power after his death. In 306 A.D., amidst turmoil among a tetrarchy of Roman emperors, the Praetorians turned to Maxentius and proclaimed him their emperor. In 312 A.D., Constantine the Great defeated Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge to gain control of the Western Roman Empire. After the death of Maxentius at the battle, Constantine put an end to the Praetorian Guard by destroying their barracks and dispatching their soldiers to the outskirts of the Roman Empire.
Flash forward to the early 21st century in the U.S. and we see a replay of this sordid Roman history repeating itself with the modern-day Praetorian Guard that holds sway within the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Justice. Prior to the 2016 presidential election, FBI and DOJ leaders sought to influence the election by favoring one presidential candidate (Hillary Clinton) and undermining her opponent (Donald Trump). They were so sure Clinton would be elected that they clumsily perverted justice to ensure that outcome.
This is exactly what the Roman Praetorians did two millennia ago when they hand-picked the emperors they favored time and time again. They expected to be rewarded by the grateful emperor, who would invariably shower them with gifts and power. For centuries, this rigged system of government worked extremely well for the Roman Praetorians until they overplayed their hand. Ultimately, they picked the wrong emperor, which led to their ignominious demise. As it was then, so it is now.
It is one thing to curry favor with a president who is duly elected by the people. It is quite another thing to influence an election in order to curry favor with a sitting president and his heir apparent. That’s exactly what occurred when the FBI and the DOJ did backflips to exonerate Clinton so she could campaign for the presidency unfettered by a criminal probe into her mishandling of classified information and the destruction of subpoenaed emails.
Not only were the American Praetorians careless in their execution and cover-up of the rigged Clinton investigation, they simultaneously sought to damage her adversary, Donald Trump, by launching a probe into possible Trump-Russia collusion based on a licentious phony dossier that was bought and paid for by the Democratic National Committee and Clinton. It was a classic push-pull maneuver. Push Clinton toward her expected coronation as president and pull her opponent down at the same time. FBI and DOJ leaders had morphed from law enforcers into kingmakers or, in this case, queen makers.
At the time, it seemed like the Praetorians had dealt themselves a winning hand since Clinton was way ahead in the polls. Unfortunately for them, pesky American voters didn’t get the memo. Trump won; Clinton lost.
Most intelligent individuals, especially the Praetorian insiders, should have seen the writing on the wall at that point. Instead of retreating and calling off the dogs, they doubled down and pressed their attack on the new president. Such was their deep-seated animus toward Donald Trump. They were irate that their favored candidate didn’t win and were determined to unseat the victor, who had the temerity to win a national election. In their twisted minds, they knew better than the American people.
The hubris of these unelected bureaucrats was so great that it never occurred to them that they had sworn to uphold the law of the land. Instead, they acted like half-assed politicians who are accountable to no one, including congress and the president. As they see it, their primary duty is to protect the institutions of the FBI and the DOJ above all else, which means protecting themselves first and foremost. After all, who is going to investigate the FBI, the premier law enforcement agency on the planet? Nobody, that’s who. They would simply close ranks and clam up. They decided to take down Donald Trump by getting him impeached or, barring that result, they would hobble his presidency with a never-ending Trump-Russia collusion probe.
They sought and received repeated approvals from the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to monitor Trump’s associates based largely on a false dossier funded by Trump’s political adversaries. Like the Roman Praetorians before them, the upper echelon the FBI and the DOJ were hell-bent on getting their way. American voters be damned. Justice be damned.
Their strong bias for one candidate over another has come to light despite the yeoman efforts of FBI and DOJ management to stonewall record requests from congress and Freedom of Information Act requests from citizen advocacy groups such as Judicial Watch. The FBI and DOJ constantly hide behind self-serving excuses to refuse the release of documents and, when forced to do so, they release heavily redacted files. They offer up the usual pretexts to fend off public disclosure such as: the information you seek cannot be disclosed because it involves an ongoing investigation, or the information you seek involves national security, or our methods and sources will be jeopardized if the information you seek is divulged to the public. But it seems the ones who would be most harmed by public disclosure are the corrupt FBI and DOJ officials themselves, who are trying desperately to keep from embarrassing themselves, or revealing how they played politics by weaponizing our justice system.
Nonetheless, the truth has a way of surfacing through the cracks. Narrow cracks turn into deep fissures and fissures turn into a chasms. Although it may take longer than we like, the truth ultimately wins out. We can see it unfolding at the FBI and the DOJ as the corrupt officials are fired, resign, or are re-assigned. The tide has receded and the naked bodies at the FBI and the DOJ can be seen floundering on the beach. Soon they will turn on each other in much the same way they try to flip witnesses against each other. It’s the beginning of the end.
The Praetorians at the FBI and the DOJ, who fixed the Clinton investigation and sought to frame a sitting president, have no place in our justice system, except inside its correctional facilities where they belong.


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-12--Negative Interest-Rates are arriving in the United States

Today brings into focus a subject we find ourselves returning to time and time again .
It has been a road paved with official denials followed by U-Turns which are often presented as being forced on the central bank concerned .
So the playlist is as follows .
• Negative Interest-Rates are not going to happen • I am not a fan of Negative Interest-Rates ( these days added to by concerns over their effects ) • There is the imposition of Negative Interest-Rates in response to a crisis • Research is produced to show that the cut into Negative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and is nothing at all to do with the people who just voted for it .
Of course should stage 4 actually work then it will be pronounced as a triumph for the central bank involved .
Should that ever happen I will be sure to let you all know .
We have seen the reverse as the Riksbank of Sweden has gone from -0.5 % to 0 % as the economy slowed .
Indeed as you might expect things are deteriorating .
But they have been lucky in PR terms as first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now the Covid-19 pandemic have been smokescreens .
After all Sweden has kept more of its economy open so will appear to have done better for a while .
Returning to my stages the quickest move from 1 to 3 I can think of was in Japan where Governor Kuroda imposed negative interest-rates only eight days after denying any such intention .
As you can see some of the factors above were in play only yesterday .
As you can see this is not a full official denial but he is indulging in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote for them he can say he was in some way forced to .
At the moment he is a non-voter but that changes next year .
This is not quite what he has said in the past as back in March 2014 it was reported that after a speech he said this .
If we are looking for an official denial then we may note this from the Wall Street Journal over the weekend .
The Chicago Fed published a paper on it last year and one opening salvo is bad for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In fact they seem to be trolling the ECB to some extent .
With the ECB back in full expansion mode ( another 42 billion Euros of sovereign bonds bought last week ) that looks rather ominous .
Indeed they go further and suggest that more QE would make NIRP more difficult .
That is rather awkward as the relative size of the US Federal Reserve balance sheet is heading to those sorts of levels .
Also let me move you on from the 2019 research to May 2020 .
The ECB has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this .
Or more simply it is a case of “ The Precious !
The Precious !
” as banks can access funds at -1 % to offset the issue of having to pay -0.5 % on other reserves .
Central banks can be incredibly innovative when it comes to helping the banks.Oh and I am using the definition of innovative from my financial lexicon for these times which notes that the Irish banks which collapsed were renowned for innovation .
We noted this in late March .
We have moved away from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not far away as we remind ourselves that “ Not QE ” involved buying US $ 60 billion of US Treasury Bills a month .
Then there was this .
The situation ebbs and flows but when I checked earlier we still had futures prices above 100 from April to August next year , or if you prefer negative interest-rates .
There are several subplots here .
Firstly if negative interest-rates had worked we would be swamped with central bank literature on the subject , so its absence is telling .
Also such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the waters as for example when Mario Draghi combined the impact of a -0.5 % interest-rate with QE .
Next comes the problems some of which were highlighted by the Chicago Fed back in 2014 .
For central bankers to suggest others should have seen the future more clearly really is a bit of a joke .
So let me finish with the best joke I can think of on this subject courtesy of Kenneth Rogoff .
He thinks it would do this .
Nobody seems to have told our Ken about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact some might implode and explode simultaneously .
So he would be reaching for his John Lennon albums .

by Shaun Richards
Today brings into focus a subject we find ourselves returning to time and time again. It has been a road paved with official denials followed by U-Turns which are often presented as being forced on the central bank concerned. So the playlist is as follows.
Negative Interest-Rates are not going to happen I am not a fan of Negative Interest-Rates ( these days added to by concerns over their effects) There is the imposition of Negative Interest-Rates in response to a crisis Research is produced to show that the cut into Negative Interest-Rates is part of global secular trends and is nothing at all to do with the people who just voted for it.
Of course should stage 4 actually work then it will be pronounced as a triumph for the central bank involved. Should that ever happen I will be sure to let you all know. We have seen the reverse as the Riksbank of Sweden has gone from -0.5% to 0% as the economy slowed. Indeed as you might expect things are deteriorating.
Household consumption decreased by 3.1 percent in March, compared with March 2019 measured in fixed prices and working day adjusted figures. ( Sweden Statistics)
But they have been lucky in PR terms as first the problems with the unemployment series and now the Covid-19 pandemic have been smokescreens. After all Sweden has kept more of its economy open so will appear to have done better for a while.
Returning to my stages the quickest move from 1 to 3 I can think of was in Japan where Governor Kuroda imposed negative interest-rates only eight days after denying any such intention.
The US Situation
As you can see some of the factors above were in play only yesterday.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Atlanta Federal Reserve bank president Raphael Bostic said he is “not a big fan” of negative interest rates. Negative rates are “among the weaker tools in the toolkit,” Bostic said in webcast remarks, reiterating the broad view among Fed officials that the U.S. is unlikely to use a policy approach currently used in Europe and Japan. Some traders see negative rates as a possibility as the Fed battles the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, though Fed officials have generally opposed the idea.
As you can see this is not a full official denial but he is indulging in some PR which means that should he vote for them he can say he was in some way forced to. At the moment he is a non-voter but that changes next year.
He was not the only Federal Reserve member on the case yesterday so let us see if he sticks to his views and move from Atlanta to Chicago. FED’S EVANS DOES NOT ANTICIPATE NEGATIVE INTEREST RATES WOULD BE USED AS A TOOL IN THE UNITED STATES ( @PriapusIQ )
This is not quite what he has said in the past as back in March 2014 it was reported that after a speech he said this.
Fed would have made interest rates negative if possible ( Forexlive)
If we are looking for an official denial then we may note this from the Wall Street Journal over the weekend.
Federal Reserve officials are unlikely to consider using negative interest rates to stimulate economic growth in the current coronavirus-induced downturn after concluding the tool’s clear costs outweigh its uncertain benefits.
Research
The Chicago Fed published a paper on it last year and one opening salvo is bad for the Bank of Japan and ECB.
Significant stimulus from NIRP requires very large cuts in policy rates. Such large cuts into negative territory have not been attempted in practice for a variety of political and
financial reasons.
In fact they seem to be trolling the ECB to some extent.
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Fixing other parameters but increasing the size of the
central bank’s steady state balance sheet to 38% of GDP (which matches the Euro area as of the end of 2018), NIRP actually becomes mildly contractionary.
With the ECB back in full expansion mode ( another 42 billion Euros of sovereign bonds bought last week) that looks rather ominous. Indeed they go further and suggest that more QE would make NIRP more difficult.
Negative policy rates are essentially a tax on the holders of reserves. The more reserves there are, the more punitive
is this tax, and at some point intermediaries might find it undesirable to continue.
That is rather awkward as the relative size of the US Federal Reserve balance sheet is heading to those sorts of levels. Also let me move you on from the 2019 research to May 2020. The ECB has adjusted to the reserves issue by doing this.
Moreover, for counterparties whose eligible net lending reaches the lending performance threshold, the interest rate over the period from June 2020 to June 2021 will now be 50 basis points below the average deposit facility rate prevailing over the same period.
Or more simply it is a case of “The Precious! The Precious!” as banks can access funds at -1% to offset the issue of having to pay -0.5% on other reserves. Central banks can be incredibly innovative when it comes to helping the banks.Oh and I am using the definition of innovative from my financial lexicon for these times which notes that the Irish banks which collapsed were renowned for innovation.
Why now?
We noted this in late March.
On Wednesday, yields on both the one-month and three-month US Treasury bills fell below zero, joining a slew of government debt around the world with yields in negative territory. It was the first time both bills went negative at the same time since their yields briefly fell to -0.002% each four-and-a-half years ago, CNBC reported.
We have moved away from that since but at around 0.1% not far away as we remind ourselves that “Not QE” involved buying US $60 billion of US Treasury Bills a month. Then there was this.
May 7 (Reuters) – U.S. fed funds futures contracts have begun pricing in a slightly negative fed funds rate in 2021, as the U.S. economy contracts due to business shutdowns designed to stem the spread of the new coronavirus.
The situation ebbs and flows but when I checked earlier we still had futures prices above 100 from April to August next year, or if you prefer negative interest-rates.
Comment
There are several subplots here. Firstly if negative interest-rates had worked we would be swamped with central bank literature on the subject, so its absence is telling. Also such references as there have been have muddied the waters as for example when Mario Draghi combined the impact of a -0.5% interest-rate with QE.
Next comes the problems some of which were highlighted by the Chicago Fed back in 2014.
The fear is that excessive and persistently low interest rates would lead to excessive risk-taking by some investors. For instance, some firms, such as life insurance companies and pension funds, are under pressure to meet a stream of fixed liabilities incurred when interest rates were higher.3 (And perhaps these liabilities were offered at somewhat generous terms to begin with.)
For central bankers to suggest others should have seen the future more clearly really is a bit of a joke. So let me finish with the best joke I can think of on this subject courtesy of Kenneth Rogoff.
Suppose central banks pushed back against today’s flight into government debt by going further, cutting short-term policy rates to, say, -3% or lower.
He thinks it would do this.
For starters, just like cuts in the good old days of positive interest rates, negative rates would lift many firms, states, and cities from default.
Nobody seems to have told our Ken about the contracts he has just imploded, On fact some might implode and explode simultaneously. So he would be reaching for his John Lennon albums.
Nobody told me there’d be days like these
Nobody told me there’d be days like these
Nobody told me there’d be days like these
Strange days indeed — strange days indeed


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-12--BP Boss: We May Have Already Hit Peak Oil Demand

One of the biggest oil companies in the world , BP , is not ruling out that the oil demand crash amid COVID-19 and perhaps the subsequent lasting change in people ’ s lifestyle may have already brought about peak oil demand .
The pandemic adds not only a layer of uncertainty in the oil industry in the short term , but it also creates another challenge for the coming years , BP ’ s chief executive Bernard Looney told the Financial Times in an interview published on Tuesday .
“ It ’ s not going to make oil more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more likely [ oil will ] be less in demand , ” Looney told FT. BP ’ s top executive joins other CEOs of major oil corporations who have recently expressed views that it ’ s not guaranteed that global oil demand will return to its ‘ normal ’ pre-virus levels of around 100 million barrels per day ( bpd ) .
“ I don ’ t think we know how this is going to play out .
I certainly don ’ t know , ” Looney said .
“ Could it be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I would not write that off , ” BP ’ s chief executive told FT. Last month , Shell ’ s chief executive Ben van Beurden said on the earnings call that the current crisis is a “ crisis of uncertainty , ” and we don ’ t know what ’ s on the other side of it , as the supermajor slashed its dividend for the first time since World War II .
“ We are looking at a major demand destruction that we don ’ t even know that will come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come back .
But if the volumes are significantly lower , we still have a major dislocation , of course , in our own cash wheel , ” van Beurden said .
According to Shell , maybe we ’ ve already hit peak oil demand—a sobering view in stark contrast with opinions from just three months ago that suggested global oil demand would continue to grow every year for at least another decade .
The pandemic and the oil demand crash has made the case for BP investing more in renewables a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told FT .
Both BP and Shell , plus other oil majors , including Eni and most recently , Total , have pledged to become net-zero energy companies by 2050 or sooner .

By Tsvetana Paraskova
One of the biggest oil companies in the world, BP, is not ruling out that the oil demand crash amid COVID-19 and perhaps the subsequent lasting change in people’s lifestyle may have already brought about peak oil demand.
The pandemic adds not only a layer of uncertainty in the oil industry in the short term, but it also creates another challenge for the coming years, BP’s chief executive Bernard Looney told the Financial Times in an interview published on Tuesday.
“It’s not going to make oil more in demand. It’s gotten more likely [oil will] be less in demand,” Looney told FT.
BP’s top executive joins other CEOs of major oil corporations who have recently expressed views that it’s not guaranteed that global oil demand will return to its ‘normal’ pre-virus levels of around 100 million barrels per day (bpd).
“I don’t think we know how this is going to play out. I certainly don’t know,” Looney said. “Could it be peak oil? Possibly. Possibly. I would not write that off,” BP’s chief executive told FT.
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Last month, Shell’s chief executive Ben van Beurden said on the earnings call that the current crisis is a “crisis of uncertainty,” and we don’t know what’s on the other side of it, as the supermajor slashed its dividend for the first time since World War II.
“We are looking at a major demand destruction that we don’t even know that will come back. So the oil price may come back. But if the volumes are significantly lower, we still have a major dislocation, of course, in our own cash wheel,” van Beurden said.
According to Shell, maybe we’ve already hit peak oil demand—a sobering view in stark contrast with opinions from just three months ago that suggested global oil demand would continue to grow every year for at least another decade.
The pandemic and the oil demand crash has made the case for BP investing more in renewables a “personal conviction” for Looney, he told FT.
Both BP and Shell, plus other oil majors, including Eni and most recently, Total, have pledged to become net-zero energy companies by 2050 or sooner.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-12--Denmark Just Made The Vaccine Mandatory

Denmark Just Made The Vaccine Mandatory

An interesting short video about how corrupt it is to force vaccines .
The fact that no one can get @ @ @ @ @ or kills you , makes it absurd that they should be able to mandate vaccines @ @ @ @ @ We all now this these vaccines are meant to kill people in order to cut @ @ @ @ @ elite .
I hate to think what would be in the Covid-19 Plandemic vaccine .

An interesting short video about how corrupt it is to force vaccines.
The fact that no one can get sued if a vaccine damages or kills you, makes it absurd that they should be able to mandate vaccines. But they are.
Total evil tyranny.
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We all now this these vaccines are meant to kill people in order to cut down the population for the elite.
I hate to think what would be in the Covid-19 Plandemic vaccine.
AC


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-12--If 80% Wore Masks, This Would ALL Stop…

If 80% Wore Masks, This Would ALL Stop…

This divisiveness and foolishness has me about ready to pull my hair out .
There is a contagion , and it is killing a great number of people , but not as many as are being reported .
Wearing a light face covering DOES impede the spread and lessen any pathogenic load allowing one ’ s immune system to over come the pathogen .
It protects BOTH the one wearing a mask and anyone they come into contact with .
Yes , there is a tremendous amount of propaganda flying on ALL sides of this , and it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get actual facts separated from fiction .
Here is an article with link to one clear study on the efficacy of masks .
They work , and they don ’ t have to be n95 masks .
Pathogens have to attach to particles to spread through the nose and mouth .
They don ’ t have wings and fly on their own .
This video is from a very reasonable and proven to be very accurate source .
It ’ s about the above referenced study and also a few other things important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 minutes .
Can we stop polarizing ourselves and agree that we need to reopen and to do so intelligently ?
We have actual cures , but what we don ’ t have is general immunity .
We do not need a vaccine , we simply need to act intelligently and be cautious .
Not frightened , but cautious .

This divisiveness and foolishness has me about ready to pull my hair out.
There is a contagion, and it is killing a great number of people, but not as many as are being reported.
Wearing a light face covering DOES impede the spread and lessen any pathogenic load allowing one’s immune system to over come the pathogen. It protects BOTH the one wearing a mask and anyone they come into contact with.
Yes, there is a tremendous amount of propaganda flying on ALL sides of this, and it’s incredibly difficult to break through that and get actual facts separated from fiction.
Here is an article with link to one clear study on the efficacy of masks. They work, and they don’t have to be n95 masks. Pathogens have to attach to particles to spread through the nose and mouth. They don’t have wings and fly on their own.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
mashable.com/article/coronavirus-study-80-percent-of-americans-wear-masks/
This video is from a very reasonable and proven to be very accurate source. It’s about the above referenced study and also a few other things important to our general well being. Approximately 30 minutes.
Can we stop polarizing ourselves and agree that we need to reopen and to do so intelligently?
We have actual cures, but what we don’t have is general immunity. We do not need a vaccine, we simply need to act intelligently and be cautious. Not frightened, but cautious.
h/t FP


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-12--Barack Obama’s staged “leak” about Mike Flynn indicates how scared he is.

Within moments of the recent Russiagate documents release and the DOJ recommendation not to pursue the case against Michael Flynn , the left and MSM chorused nearly the same thing almost in unison : this is a travesty of justice !
And they weren ’ t talking about the wretched excesses of the state apparatus regarding the framing of Flynn , they were talking about the Barr DOJ and its suggestion regarding Flynn .
James Comey ’ s tweet was a good example of this : James Comey ✔ “ The DOJ has lost its way .
But , career @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you .
The country is hungry for honest , competent leadership.
” Obama had this to say : Former President Barack Obama , talking privately to ex-members of his administration , said Friday that the “ rule of law is at risk ” in the wake of what he called an unprecedented move by the Justice Department to drop charges against former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn… “ The news over the last 24 hours I think has been somewhat downplayed — about the Justice Department dropping charges against Michael Flynn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk with members of the Obama Alumni Association .
“ And the fact that there is no precedent that anybody can find for someone who has been charged with perjury just getting off scot-free .
That ’ s the kind of stuff where you begin to get worried that basic — not just institutional norms — but our basic understanding of rule of law is at risk .
And when you start moving in those directions , it can accelerate pretty quickly as we ’ ve seen in other places.
” Perjury ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ definition of perjury , and knows the difference between supposedly lying to the FBI – in a matter in which there is no evidence of any crime , and the target is not allowed to have a lawyer or be read his rights or even informed he ’ s being interrogated as a target – and perjury .
Obama almost certainly knows the difference , too , so why did he use the word ?
Perhaps he believes it makes a good talking point because it sounds really bad .

by Playaguy
Within moments of the recent Russiagate documents release and the DOJ recommendation not to pursue the case against Michael Flynn, the left and MSM chorused nearly the same thing almost in unison: this is a travesty of justice!
And they weren’t talking about the wretched excesses of the state apparatus regarding the framing of Flynn, they were talking about the Barr DOJ and its suggestion regarding Flynn. James Comey’s tweet was a good example of this:
James Comey ✔ “The DOJ has lost its way. But, career people: please stay because America needs you. The country is hungry for honest, competent leadership.”
Obama had this to say:
Former President Barack Obama, talking privately to ex-members of his administration, said Friday that the “rule of law is at risk” in the wake of what he called an unprecedented move by the Justice Department to drop charges against former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn…
“The news over the last 24 hours I think has been somewhat downplayed — about the Justice Department dropping charges against Michael Flynn,” Obama said in a web talk with members of the Obama Alumni Association.
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“And the fact that there is no precedent that anybody can find for someone who has been charged with perjury just getting off scot-free. That’s the kind of stuff where you begin to get worried that basic — not just institutional norms — but our basic understanding of rule of law is at risk. And when you start moving in those directions, it can accelerate pretty quickly as we’ve seen in other places.”
Perjury? A first-year law student ordinarily learns the definition of perjury, and knows the difference between supposedly lying to the FBI – in a matter in which there is no evidence of any crime, and the target is not allowed to have a lawyer or be read his rights or even informed he’s being interrogated as a target – and perjury. Obama almost certainly knows the difference, too, so why did he use the word? Perhaps he believes it makes a good talking point because it sounds really bad.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Isikoff#Career
news.yahoo.com/obama-irule-of-law-michael-flynn-case-014121045.html
thehill.com/policy/national-security/496895-storm-builds-around-barr-over-dropping-of-flynn-case
legalinsurrection.com/2020/05/obamas-staged-leak-rallies-the-troops-and-gives-them-their-talking-points/


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-12--Reddit World Politics, an example of why censorship does not work in the long-run

Recently one of Reddit ’ s biggest forums World Politics ( Reddit.com/r/worldpolitics ) , has descended into chaos after its @ @ @ @ @ that they decided protest by posting random memes .

Recently one of Reddit’s biggest forums World Politics (Reddit.com/r/worldpolitics), has descended into chaos after its users base became so disenfranchised that they decided protest by posting random memes.
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investmentwatchblog--2020-05-12--8 Ways to Grow Tons of Potatoes No Matter Where You Live

There are actually many different ways to cultivate potatoes and you can choose one according to the available space and @ @ @ @ @ a big backyard or you own a small balcony you will find here , at @ @ @ @ @ will interest you .
Check out these 8-ways to grow potatoes .

There are actually many different ways to cultivate potatoes and you can choose one according to the available space and needs. whether you have a big backyard or you own a small balcony you will find here, at least, one idea that will interest you. Check out these 8-ways to grow potatoes.
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investmentwatchblog--2020-05-12--Video of a 55yo Swedish woman dying of covid since denied oxygen by the hospital

Anita Pettersson , a 55-year-old woman from Borlänge , has been denied care by Falu laser ( Lasarett* i.e hospital ) and died tormented by corona .
Her daughter Alexandra has recorded her obituary and wants the shocking video proof to be spread to the public .
Anita Pettersson was admitted to Falu Lasarett with confirmed corona infection at the end of March .
But despite her condition gradually deteriorating , she was denied both oxygen and intensive care units – despite the fact that there were vacant intensive care units at the hospital , according to her daughter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ let in to “ say goodbye ” , because the health service decided that Anita would not do so long .
That ’ s when the daughter recorded the shocking video .
The video shows how the woman struggles to get air .
There are also bruises on her hands that often occur in seriously ill people in Covid-19 as a result of blood clots .
Although the doctor prescribed morphine to relieve the cramps , the staff refused to use it .
The only thing Anita got , according to her daughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was soothing ( with tranquelizers* ) *my correction of the google translation .
Viewer discretion is adviced and please keep things civil in your replies out of respect for Anita and her daughter .

Anita Pettersson, a 55-year-old woman from Borlänge, has been denied care by Falu laser (Lasarett* i.e hospital) and died tormented by corona. Her daughter Alexandra has recorded her obituary and wants the shocking video proof to be spread to the public.
Anita Pettersson was admitted to Falu Lasarett with confirmed corona infection at the end of March. But despite her condition gradually deteriorating, she was denied both oxygen and intensive care units – despite the fact that there were vacant intensive care units at the hospital, according to her daughter.
In the end, the relatives were let in to “say goodbye”, because the health service decided that Anita would not do so long. That’s when the daughter recorded the shocking video. The video shows how the woman struggles to get air. There are also bruises on her hands that often occur in seriously ill people in Covid-19 as a result of blood clots. Although the doctor prescribed morphine to relieve the cramps, the staff refused to use it. The only thing Anita got, according to her daughter who works as a nurse herself, was soothing (with tranquelizers*)
Less than 50%
*my correction of the google translation.
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translate.google.com/translate?depth=1&hl=sv&nv=1&pto=aue&rurl=translate.google.se&sl=auto&sp=nmt4&tl=en&u=https://samnytt.se/video-har-dor-anita-pettersson-av-corona-utan-vard-kippar-efter-luft-men-nekas-syrgas/
Viewer discretion is adviced and please keep things civil in your replies out of respect for Anita and her daughter.
Backuplink to video
3speak.online/watch?v=vladtepesblog/wmgptfyw&utm_souce=player_brand
AC


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-12--“Trending United States: Right now on Twitter vs Trending Twitter Hashtags Realtime Map”

Trending United States : Right now on Twitter vs Trending Twitter Hashtags Realtime Map 🤔🤔🤔🤔 # ObamaGate # OBAMAGATE pic.twitter.com/pTUCsnQL1Y

by AC
Twitter is a globalists’ joke.
Trending United States: Right now on Twitter vs Trending Twitter Hashtags Realtime Map
🤔🤔🤔🤔#ObamaGate#OBAMAGATE pic.twitter.com/pTUCsnQL1Y
— Guillemf08 ll-// (@guillemmf8) May 12, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-12--Explain to me why the media takes their masks off when they think the cameras are off? Is it all for

Explain to me why the media takes their masks off when they think the cameras are off? Is it all for show? Looks like fake news MSM thinks the the rules only apply to us peasants.

Explain to me why the media takes their masks off when they think the cameras are off ?
Is it @ @ @ @ @ fakenews # LamestreamMedia looks like the rules only apply to us peasants .
# obamagate @ @ @

by bgny
Explain to me why the media takes their masks off when they think the cameras are off? Is it all for show? #fakenews #LamestreamMedia looks like the rules only apply to us peasants. #obamagate #qanon pic.twitter.com/rlET581ytJ
— Mateusz Zawadzki (@Matt_Zawadzki) May 12, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-12--OBAMAGATE: “President Obama’s Hands are Dirty. They Are Beyond Dirty. He Has Judicial Blood On His H

OBAMAGATE: “President Obama’s Hands are Dirty. They Are Beyond Dirty. He Has Judicial Blood On His Hands.”

“ President Obama ’ s Hands are Dirty .
They Are Beyond Dirty .
He Has Judicial Blood On His Hands.
” – Former US Attorney Joe diGenova Former US Attorney Joe diGenova was again on the Monday morning radio show – Mornings on the Mall and he dropped some shocking statements about former President Obama and his Administration .
Right after the 3:10 mark , diGenova says the following : And , [ Obama ] says in that meeting , according to Susan Rice , he wants to be kept informed so he can decide whether or not they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the incoming administration involving Russia .
That is sedition .
That is beyond anything we ever heard about a President leaving office , doing this to his successor .
What Obama did in that office was sedition on that day .
Next at the 7:00 mark , diGenova says : President Obama ’ s hands are dirty .
They are beyond dirty .
He has judicial blood on his hands .
He is responsible for this injustice .
He could have stopped it .
He could have said , ‘ what are you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ duly elected President of the United States , Donald Trump .
Why are you doing this ?
’ At the 10:00 mark diGenova then says : People forget , because the MSM will not cover the FISA Court decision that two Chief Justices of the FISA Court , Collier and Bossberg , have written multiple opinions , scathing opinions , accusing the Obama FBI and Justice Department of violating the constitutional privacy of American citizens by unmasking and leaking that information to the press .

“President Obama’s Hands are Dirty. They Are Beyond Dirty. He Has Judicial Blood On His Hands.” – Former US Attorney Joe diGenova
Former US Attorney Joe diGenova was again on the Monday morning radio show – Mornings on the Mall and he dropped some shocking statements about former President Obama and his Administration.
Right after the 3:10 mark, diGenova says the following:
And, [Obama] says in that meeting, according to Susan Rice, he wants to be kept informed so he can decide whether or not they are going to withhold classified information from the incoming administration involving Russia. That is sedition. That is beyond anything we ever heard about a President leaving office, doing this to his successor. What Obama did in that office was sedition on that day.
Next at the 7:00 mark, diGenova says:
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President Obama’s hands are dirty. They are beyond dirty. He has judicial blood on his hands. He is responsible for this injustice. He could have stopped it. He could have said, ‘what are you idiots doing. This is against the duly elected President of the United States, Donald Trump. Why are you doing this?’
At the 10:00 mark diGenova then says:
People forget, because the MSM will not cover the FISA Court decision that two Chief Justices of the FISA Court, Collier and Bossberg, have written multiple opinions, scathing opinions, accusing the Obama FBI and Justice Department of violating the constitutional privacy of American citizens by unmasking and leaking that information to the press.
www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/05/president-obamas-hands-dirty-beyond-dirty-judicial-blood-hands-former-us-attorney-joe-digenova/
h/t CrsCrpr


investmentwatchblog--2020-05-12--French President Emmanuel Macron Suffers Stunning Setback As His Poor Handling Of The COVID-19 Crisi

French President Emmanuel Macron Suffers Stunning Setback As His Poor Handling Of The COVID-19 Crisis Has Left France Deeply In Debt

For a man who had aspired to rule like the Roman god Jupiter , the pandemic has left Emmanuel Macron and his vision of a multilateral world order in tatters and his own leadership back in France in question .
This is exciting , now we get to see just what Emmanuel Macron is really made up of , and how he does or does not rebound from this current setback will show us if our previous assessment of his astonishing similarities to the biblical Antichrist were well founded or misplaced .
Remember one thing , though , Adolf Hitler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the moment they put him in jail where everyone said his days were over .
But they were just getting started .
Quo vadis , Emmanuel Maconr , quo vadis ?
“ Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom : but within few days he shall be destroyed , neither in anger , nor in battle .
And in his estate shall stand up a vile person , to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom : but he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the kingdom by flatteries.
” Daniel 11:20,21 ( KJB ) Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly likened himself to the Roman god Jupiter , which is a very telling comparison if one is aware of ancient Rome and their oppression of the Jews in Israel .
In 132 AD , the Bar-Kochba revolt against Rome took place because the Romans had erected a statue of their god Jupiter right on the Temple Mount .
If Macron see himself as Jupiter then that only further cements his standing as leader in the end times Antichrist sweepstakes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this ministry and apostleship , from which Judas by transgression fell , that he might go to his own place.
” Acts 1:25 ( KJB ) I will be watching with an extremely high interest level as Emmanuel Macron attempts to dig himself out of this hole , and restore his former glory .
I am rooting for him to do just that .
He ’ s come all the way out of his own place for such a time as this , and failure is not an option .
FROM BLOOMBERG @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the gardens of his Elysee Palace in the background , the youngest French head of state since Napoleon boasted that the country “ hasn ’ t known such energy in years.
” With re-election two years away , he vowed his plans to cut taxes and reduce red tape would put France at the heart of a reinvigorated European Union .
Today , such confidence seems a world away after his struggle to get a grip on the coronavirus epidemic left Macron damaged at home and abroad .
The EU ’ s second-biggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in January but for weeks the government insisted that wearing a facemask was useless for the public , even as the disease coursed through French society .
Macron didn ’ t impose a lockdown until March , when Italy and Spain had already shuttered most businesses .
In a dramatic U-turn , the government is now encouraging people to wear masks when venturing outdoors .
One official in his office , speaking on condition of anonymity , acknowledged the government fumbled its response in the early stages , but insisted it has the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sibeth Ndiaye told Europe 1 radio Friday that the policy on masks had evolved along with the scientific advice .
A press officer at the Elysee declined to comment .
Macron had seemed to eclipse the German chancellor when he burst onto the stage in 2017 , with Beethoven ’ s Ode to Joy , the European anthem , at his election-night rally .
But as France tries to return to a new kind of normality with the tentative reopening of its economy on Monday , it ’ s piling up debt while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Put simply , France will struggle to spend its way out the recession in the same way as its neighbor .
For a politician who ’ s gone toe-to-toe with Donald Trump and urged the EU to stand up to China , the scale of the crisis and his own role in it has forced a degree of introspection .
As he said in one of several televised statements in April , “ it ’ s a moment to start again from scratch.
” A government official , speaking on condition of anonymity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say who had handled the crisis better and pointed to France ’ s successes , such as treating its gravest cases in hospitals and coordinating with international allies on a vaccine conference .
With his approval ratings slipping , Macron himself has also recognized that his administration fell short .
“ Were we prepared for this crisis ?
Obviously , not enough , ’ ’ he said last month .
“ This moment , let ’ s be honest , has revealed cracks.
’ ’ For Philippe Maniere , president of crisis management @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making a political calculation .
“ He needs to change course to get back on his feet — he ’ s being tactical , ” he said .
Even before the crisis there were signs that Macron might have to adjust his approach , with his lectures on everything from Iran to climate change at global summits failing to produce results , despite the personal chemistry he seemed to enjoy with the U.S. president .
Macron couldn ’ t persuade Trump to stick with the Paris Climate Agreement , failed to keep the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indeed stop it undermining the World Trade Organization .
When Macron pursued a coordinated international push for a coronavirus vaccine , it became clear the U.S. was out for itself .
White House tariff threats meanwhile forced the French president to suspend his plans to tax internet giants like Google and Amazon.com Inc. on their revenue from France .
At home , his first wobble came after the Yellow Vest protests – a movement sparked by a hike in gasoline taxes but fundamentally driven by anger at economic injustice and perceptions of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The seeds were sown as far back as 2018 , when he ruffled feathers with a video that went viral of him scolding a teenager for not addressing him as “ Mr .
President ” and spoke to the nation about inequality from a gold desk .
Outside France , his demand for EU reform had become increasingly shrill as opponents like the Dutch and the Austrians stonewalled his calls for tighter integration or , when he did win support for a euro-area budget , diluted his original proposals to the point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when disaster struck , his political capital was running low .
With his handling of the virus coming under fire in France , his credibility with EU partners was further weakened and calls for joint euro-area bond issuance to fund the economic recovery were easily brushed off .
His fall-back proposal of grants from an EU fund has fared little better so far .
Perhaps expectations were too great when he came to power in the aftermath of Trump ’ s shocking election victory and the Brexit referendum , promising a progressive renewal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was guilty of fueling those expectations with his pre-election talk of how France wanted its president to be god-like .
But the impression among some European officials now is , ‘ who is he to tell us what to do ’ ?
Like most world leaders , Macron initially failed to grasp the dangers of Covid-19 and as March ’ s municipal elections approached with Italy and then Spain in lockdown , calls mounted for the ballot to be delayed .
But Macron feared that would expose him to political attacks , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of people to infection .
A day later , the president who had vowed to rein in the state , announced 300 billion euros of government loan guarantees and halted his economic reforms .
The government made clear it wouldn ’ t hesitate to take equity stakes in companies if necessary and the state is paying more than half the private sector workforce to stay home .
Far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon attacked Macron for stealing his policy ideas .
It ’ s an ironic political journey for Macron , the son of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at one of most prestigious institutions in Paris and worked as Rothschild & Co. investment banker .
He ’ s spent more than a decade honing his world view among the educated , Parisian elites before he came to power promising to make France a “ start-up nation ” by paring back the role of the state and courting foreign investors .
But the truth is that Macron is grasping for a new identity .
The Jupiter-like stance he ’ d envisaged before his election just an embarrassing memory .
READ MORE

by Geoffrey Grider
For a man who had aspired to rule like the Roman god Jupiter, the pandemic has left Emmanuel Macron and his vision of a multilateral world order in tatters and his own leadership back in France in question.
This is exciting, now we get to see just what Emmanuel Macron is really made up of, and how he does or does not rebound from this current setback will show us if our previous assessment of his astonishing similarities to the biblical Antichrist were well founded or misplaced. Remember one thing, though, Adolf Hitler was looking like the Antichrist right up to the moment they put him in jail where everyone said his days were over. But they were just getting started. Quo vadis, Emmanuel Maconr, quo vadis?
“Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle. And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.”Daniel 11:20,21 (KJB)
Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly likened himself to the Roman god Jupiter, which is a very telling comparison if one is aware of ancient Rome and their oppression of the Jews in Israel. In 132 AD, the Bar-Kochba revolt against Rome took place because the Romans had erected a statue of their god Jupiter right on the Temple Mount. If Macron see himself as Jupiter then that only further cements his standing as leader in the end times Antichrist sweepstakes.
“That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.” Acts 1:25 (KJB)
I will be watching with an extremely high interest level as Emmanuel Macron attempts to dig himself out of this hole, and restore his former glory. I am rooting for him to do just that. He’s come all the way out of his own place for such a time as this, and failure is not an option.
The Humbling of Emmanuel Macron
FROM BLOOMBERG: Just four months ago, with the gardens of his Elysee Palace in the background, the youngest French head of state since Napoleon boasted that the country “hasn’t known such energy in years.” With re-election two years away, he vowed his plans to cut taxes and reduce red tape would put France at the heart of a reinvigorated European Union.
Today, such confidence seems a world away after his struggle to get a grip on the coronavirus epidemic left Macron damaged at home and abroad.
The EU’s second-biggest economy registered its first case of Covid-19 in January but for weeks the government insisted that wearing a facemask was useless for the public, even as the disease coursed through French society. Macron didn’t impose a lockdown until March, when Italy and Spain had already shuttered most businesses. In a dramatic U-turn, the government is now encouraging people to wear masks when venturing outdoors.
One official in his office, speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledged the government fumbled its response in the early stages, but insisted it has the situation under control now. Government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye told Europe 1 radio Friday that the policy on masks had evolved along with the scientific advice. A press officer at the Elysee declined to comment.
As the death toll in France climbed past 25,000, the president’s dithering was in stark contrast to Angela Merkel’s sober, methodical approach next door in Germany.
Macron had seemed to eclipse the German chancellor when he burst onto the stage in 2017, with Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, the European anthem, at his election-night rally. But as France tries to return to a new kind of normality with the tentative reopening of its economy on Monday, it’s piling up debt while Merkel has fiscal reserves to spare. Put simply, France will struggle to spend its way out the recession in the same way as its neighbor.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
For a politician who’s gone toe-to-toe with Donald Trump and urged the EU to stand up to China, the scale of the crisis and his own role in it has forced a degree of introspection. As he said in one of several televised statements in April, “it’s a moment to start again from scratch.”
A government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was too early to say who had handled the crisis better and pointed to France’s successes, such as treating its gravest cases in hospitals and coordinating with international allies on a vaccine conference.
With his approval ratings slipping, Macron himself has also recognized that his administration fell short. “Were we prepared for this crisis? Obviously, not enough,’’ he said last month. “This moment, let’s be honest, has revealed cracks.’’
For Philippe Maniere, president of crisis management consultancy Vae Solis, Macron’s making a political calculation. “He needs to change course to get back on his feet — he’s being tactical,” he said. Even before the crisis there were signs that Macron might have to adjust his approach, with his lectures on everything from Iran to climate change at global summits failing to produce results, despite the personal chemistry he seemed to enjoy with the U.S. president.
Macron couldn’t persuade Trump to stick with the Paris Climate Agreement, failed to keep the U.S. in the Iran nuclear deal or indeed stop it undermining the World Trade Organization. When Macron pursued a coordinated international push for a coronavirus vaccine, it became clear the U.S. was out for itself. White House tariff threats meanwhile forced the French president to suspend his plans to tax internet giants like Google and Amazon.com Inc. on their revenue from France.
At home, his first wobble came after the Yellow Vest protests – a movement sparked by a hike in gasoline taxes but fundamentally driven by anger at economic injustice and perceptions of the president’s at times arrogant manner. The seeds were sown as far back as 2018, when he ruffled feathers with a video that went viral of him scolding a teenager for not addressing him as “Mr. President” and spoke to the nation about inequality from a gold desk.
Outside France, his demand for EU reform had become increasingly shrill as opponents like the Dutch and the Austrians stonewalled his calls for tighter integration or, when he did win support for a euro-area budget, diluted his original proposals to the point of irrelevance.
All this meant that when disaster struck, his political capital was running low. With his handling of the virus coming under fire in France, his credibility with EU partners was further weakened and calls for joint euro-area bond issuance to fund the economic recovery were easily brushed off. His fall-back proposal of grants from an EU fund has fared little better so far.
Macron’s warnings that the EU risks collapse if the Dutch don’t accept his demands grow more hollow with each repetition.
Perhaps expectations were too great when he came to power in the aftermath of Trump’s shocking election victory and the Brexit referendum, promising a progressive renewal for France and Europe. Perhaps he was guilty of fueling those expectations with his pre-election talk of how France wanted its president to be god-like. But the impression among some European officials now is, ‘who is he to tell us what to do’?
If Macron is realizing that he may never strike the grand bargain he wants for Europe, disenchantment with the political prodigy set in even sooner back home.
Like most world leaders, Macron initially failed to grasp the dangers of Covid-19 and as March’s municipal elections approached with Italy and then Spain in lockdown, calls mounted for the ballot to be delayed.
But Macron feared that would expose him to political attacks, so the vote went ahead, potentially exposing thousands of people to infection. A day later, the president who had vowed to rein in the state, announced 300 billion euros of government loan guarantees and halted his economic reforms. The government made clear it wouldn’t hesitate to take equity stakes in companies if necessary and the state is paying more than half the private sector workforce to stay home.
Far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon attacked Macron for stealing his policy ideas. It’s an ironic political journey for Macron, the son of a doctor from northern France who studied at one of most prestigious institutions in Paris and worked as Rothschild & Co. investment banker. He’s spent more than a decade honing his world view among the educated, Parisian elites before he came to power promising to make France a “start-up nation” by paring back the role of the state and courting foreign investors.
But the truth is that Macron is grasping for a new identity. The Jupiter-like stance he’d envisaged before his election just an embarrassing memory. READ MORE