investmentwatchblog--2020-04-01--Japanese Vice PM Says WHO Should Be Renamed ‘Chinese Health Organization’

The WHO listened to China and people died .
Now they listened to China again , and the world economy nose dived .
Japanese Deputy Prime Minister and pro-Taiwan advocate Taro Aso had some harsh words for the World Health Organization and its compliance with Chinese Communist Party propaganda on Sunday .
Speaking to Japanese lawmakers , Taro Aso referenced a Change.org petition calling for the removal of WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus .
“ Although the details are murky , the WHO ’ s previous Director General was a Chinese national , and at he time , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aso said .
“ And now , at least , the petition has gathered three hundred thousand signatures , or rather , five hundred thousand signatures.
” “ People think the World Health Organization should change its name .
It shouldn ’ t be called the WHO , it should be renamed the Chinese Health Organization ( CHO ) .
This appeal is truly resonating with the people , ” the vice PM said .
“ Early on , if the WHO had not insisted to the world that China had no pneumonia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precautions .
The WHO , which is a global organization , does not even include Taiwan , and then precisely because Taiwan is not a member of the WHO , it becomes a world leader in fighting the epidemic , ” Taro Aso continued .
“ After that statement is made , the CCP jumps out to correct it , it says Taiwan is a region , not a country.
” The full video can be seen below :

The WHO listened to China and people died. Now they listened to China again, and the world economy nose dived.
Then, they pretended Taiwan doesn’t exist.
Enough, stop funding these clowns.
Japanese Deputy Prime Minister and pro-Taiwan advocate Taro Aso had some harsh words for the World Health Organization and its compliance with Chinese Communist Party propaganda on Sunday.
Speaking to Japanese lawmakers, Taro Aso referenced a Change.org petition calling for the removal of WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“Although the details are murky, the WHO’s previous Director General was a Chinese national, and at he time, there were complaints all around,” Taro Aso said.
“And now, at least, the petition has gathered three hundred thousand signatures, or rather, five hundred thousand signatures.”
“People think the World Health Organization should change its name. It shouldn’t be called the WHO, it should be renamed the Chinese Health Organization (CHO). This appeal is truly resonating with the people,” the vice PM said.
“Early on, if the WHO had not insisted to the world that China had no pneumonia epidemic, then everybody would have taken precautions. The WHO, which is a global organization, does not even include Taiwan, and then precisely because Taiwan is not a member of the WHO, it becomes a world leader in fighting the epidemic,” Taro Aso continued.
“After that statement is made, the CCP jumps out to correct it, it says Taiwan is a region, not a country.”
The full video can be seen below:


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-01--Just for laughs: Chris Cuomo interviews his brother Andrew from his basement

Chris and Andrew Cuomo argue over who was Mom ’ s favorite son and her tomato sauce .

Chris and Andrew Cuomo argue over who was Mom’s favorite son and her tomato sauce.
Start at the 9:15 mark
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h/t Codfish


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-01--CIVIL UNREST IS COMING As Retailers Board Up Their Shops! Get Ready For “ORDER OUT OF CHAOS”!

Civil unrest is coming and things are about to get ugly .
The powers that ought not to be are @ @ @ @ @ by shutting down businesses and putting nearly everyone on lockdown and strict quarantine in response @ @ @ @ @ The ramifications of this organized chaos will begin to unfold in the next couple of @ @ @ @ @ people become unemployed , broke , stricken with cabin fever and desperate for things to @ @ @ @ @ video Dan Dicks of Press For Truth visits downtown Vancouver in the hight of the @ @ @ @ @ for the worst to explain what ’ s happening , who ’ s behind it @ @ @ @ @ you as an individual can do about it !

Civil unrest is coming and things are about to get ugly. The powers that ought not to be are engineering a global economic collapse by shutting down businesses and putting nearly everyone on lockdown and strict quarantine in response to the Covid-19 plandemic. The ramifications of this organized chaos will begin to unfold in the next couple of weeks as more and more people become unemployed, broke, stricken with cabin fever and desperate for things to be fixed. In this video Dan Dicks of Press For Truth visits downtown Vancouver in the hight of the pandemic as businesses are preparing for the worst to explain what’s happening, who’s behind it all and most importantly what you as an individual can do about it!
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investmentwatchblog--2020-04-01--EPIC: Best April Fool’s Joke Ever

EPIC: Best April Fool’s Joke Ever

China Coronavirus Insanity by the Numbers – Data Makes No Sense as Entire Industries and Millions of Lives Are Destroyed Based on what we know , here are some numbers that are perfect for April Fools Day : 7.794 Billion – the number of people on this planet who are all in a panic and fearful of catching the China coronavirus .
872,893 – the number of individuals around the world who reportedly have been confirmed as contracting the coronavirus .
.01 % – the percent of the world population that has contracted the China coronavirus 188,592 – the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – the number of recovered cases in the US – clearly this number is not being maintained because it is way below that of other countries 2.2 % – the percent of deaths per confirmed cases in the US which is way below the average for the world at 5 % .
This is no doubt due to President Trump ’ s travel ban on China early on and perhaps the impact of the US beginning to use Chloroquine to treat the virus after the President fast tracked it through the medical bureaucracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported confirmed cases coming out of China , the center of the coronavirus outbreak , since sometime last year – we really don ’ t know when this all started but believe it started in Wuhan .
14,108 – the number of confirmed cases China reported on February 12 , 2020 .
They have never reported any numbers close since or before this date .
( But the WHO and many medical enterprises are willing to use China ’ s data on the coronavirus ? )
40 – the number of days since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus .
Since February 20 , China has only reported an additional 6,000 cases in a miraculous turn of events ( satire ) .
4.1 % – the percent of confirmed cases in Sweden that ended in fatalities which is less than the overall average of 4.9 % even though Sweden decided to keep their industries open and allow the coronavirus to run its course .
4,056 – the number of deaths in the the US related to the coronavirus ( smaller number used below due to timing ) .
24,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US related to the flu during this flu season .
10 % – the percent of deaths from the flu as a percent of confirmed flu cases via the CDC ( note much higher than the coronavirus ) 39,000,000 – the number of estimated individuals in the US who contracted the flu this flu season .
0 – the number of estimated coronavirus cases in the US who contracted the coronavirus but who have not been included in the coronavirus numbers .
In the initial reports coming from the Director General of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate ( 3.4 % ) to the flu ( .1 % ) .
This comparison caused world panic and there have been no repercussions as a result even though the world economy has been destroyed as a result .
113 – the number of deaths from the flu in Hong Kong .
4 – the number of deaths from the China coronavirus in Hong Kong .
( Sadly this is consistent around the world but governments have shut down all commerce due to the China coronavirus and not the flu ? )
1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position of Director General running the World Health Organization ( WHO ) .
Director General , Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , is reportedly a ranking member of a known terrorist organization in Ethiopia and he ’ s also a China puppet .
( But of course the world uses the data from the WHO related to the China coronavirus as gospel . )
2 – the number of top government bureaucrats who are consulting President Trump but whose connections to the Clintons and Obama indicate conflicted alliances – doctors Fauci and Birx .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individuals who face certain death from the coronavirus and appear to be on a mission to instigate fear and panic more than anything else .
Thousands – the number of planes sitting on airport runways not flying due to lack of travel due to coronavirus policies .
Millions – the number of individuals who have been terminated , have lost their businesses , have filed for unemployment , who sit at night wondering where they will get their next meal or job as a result of coronavirus panic .
Millions – the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world who are starving due to lack of work and the inability to earn money to obtain food to eat due to the local governments shutting down all local commerce .
Millions – the number of individuals around the world who will likely starve to death as a result of coronavirus policies worldwide and their impact on commerce .
Trillions – the number of business dollars lost as a result of policies to shut down world commerce as a result of the coronavirus panic .
The China coronavirus is the worst April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and evil .

China Coronavirus Insanity by the Numbers – Data Makes No Sense as Entire Industries and Millions of Lives Are Destroyed
Based on what we know, here are some numbers that are perfect for April Fools Day:
7.794 Billion – the number of people on this planet who are all in a panic and fearful of catching the China coronavirus.
872,893 – the number of individuals around the world who reportedly have been confirmed as contracting the coronavirus.
.01% – the percent of the world population that has contracted the China coronavirus
188,592 – the number of confirmed cases in the US
7,251 – the number of recovered cases in the US – clearly this number is not being maintained because it is way below that of other countries
2.2% – the percent of deaths per confirmed cases in the US which is way below the average for the world at 5%. This is no doubt due to President Trump’s travel ban on China early on and perhaps the impact of the US beginning to use Chloroquine to treat the virus after the President fast tracked it through the medical bureaucracy.
81,554 – the total number of reported confirmed cases coming out of China, the center of the coronavirus outbreak, since sometime last year – we really don’t know when this all started but believe it started in Wuhan.
14,108 – the number of confirmed cases China reported on February 12, 2020. They have never reported any numbers close since or before this date. (But the WHO and many medical enterprises are willing to use China’s data on the coronavirus?)
40 – the number of days since China reported more than 75,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Since February 20, China has only reported an additional 6,000 cases in a miraculous turn of events (satire).
4.1% – the percent of confirmed cases in Sweden that ended in fatalities which is less than the overall average of 4.9% even though Sweden decided to keep their industries open and allow the coronavirus to run its course.
4,056 – the number of deaths in the the US related to the coronavirus (smaller number used below due to timing).
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24,000 – the estimated number of deaths in the US related to the flu during this flu season.
10% – the percent of deaths from the flu as a percent of confirmed flu cases via the CDC (note much higher than the coronavirus)
39,000,000 – the number of estimated individuals in the US who contracted the flu this flu season.
0 – the number of estimated coronavirus cases in the US who contracted the coronavirus but who have not been included in the coronavirus numbers. In the initial reports coming from the Director General of the WHO when comparing the coronavirus fatality rate (3.4%) to the flu (.1%). This comparison caused world panic and there have been no repercussions as a result even though the world economy has been destroyed as a result.
113 – the number of deaths from the flu in Hong Kong.
4 – the number of deaths from the China coronavirus in Hong Kong. (Sadly this is consistent around the world but governments have shut down all commerce due to the China coronavirus and not the flu?)
1 – the number of terrorists in the position of Director General running the World Health Organization (WHO). Director General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, is reportedly a ranking member of a known terrorist organization in Ethiopia and he’s also a China puppet. (But of course the world uses the data from the WHO related to the China coronavirus as gospel.)
2 – the number of top government bureaucrats who are consulting President Trump but whose connections to the Clintons and Obama indicate conflicted alliances – doctors Fauci and Birx. These two consistently have overstated the number of individuals who face certain death from the coronavirus and appear to be on a mission to instigate fear and panic more than anything else.
Thousands – the number of planes sitting on airport runways not flying due to lack of travel due to coronavirus policies.
Millions – the number of individuals who have been terminated, have lost their businesses, have filed for unemployment, who sit at night wondering where they will get their next meal or job as a result of coronavirus panic.
Millions – the number of individuals in third world countries around the world who are starving due to lack of work and the inability to earn money to obtain food to eat due to the local governments shutting down all local commerce.
Millions – the number of individuals around the world who will likely starve to death as a result of coronavirus policies worldwide and their impact on commerce.
Trillions – the number of business dollars lost as a result of policies to shut down world commerce as a result of the coronavirus panic.
The China coronavirus is the worst April Fools joke ever – it is devastating and evil.
h/t CrsCrpr


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-01--74-78% of COVID-19 Patients have At Least One Underlying Health Problem!

Preliminary Estimates of the Prevalence of Selected Underlying Health Conditions Among Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 — United States , February 12–March 28 , 2020 As of March 28 , 2020 , a total of 122,653 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases ( Figure ) and 2,112 deaths were reported to CDC .
Case report forms were submitted to CDC for 74,439 ( 60.7 % ) cases .
Data on presence or absence of underlying health conditions and other recognized risk factors for severe outcomes from respiratory infections ( i.e.
, smoking and pregnancy ) were available for 7,162 ( 5.8 % ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one third of these patients ( 2,692 , 37.6 % ) , had at least one underlying condition or risk factor .
Diabetes mellitus ( 784 , 10.9 % ) , chronic lung disease ( 656 , 9.2 % ) , and cardiovascular disease ( 647 , 9.0 % ) were the most frequently reported conditions among all cases .
Among 457 ICU admissions and 1,037 non-ICU hospitalizations , 358 ( 78 % ) and 732 ( 71 % ) , respectively occurred among persons with one or more reported underlying health condition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 27 % ) COVID-19 patients who were not hospitalized were reported to have at least one underlying health condition .

Preliminary Estimates of the Prevalence of Selected Underlying Health Conditions Among Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 — United States, February 12–March 28, 2020
As of March 28, 2020, a total of 122,653 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases (Figure) and 2,112 deaths were reported to CDC . Case report forms were submitted to CDC for 74,439 (60.7%) cases. Data on presence or absence of underlying health conditions and other recognized risk factors for severe outcomes from respiratory infections (i.e., smoking and pregnancy) were available for 7,162 (5.8%) patients (Table 1). Approximately one third of these patients (2,692, 37.6%), had at least one underlying condition or risk factor. Diabetes mellitus (784, 10.9%), chronic lung disease (656, 9.2%), and cardiovascular disease (647, 9.0%) were the most frequently reported conditions among all cases. Among 457 ICU admissions and 1,037 non-ICU hospitalizations, 358 (78%) and 732 (71%), respectively occurred among persons with one or more reported underlying health condition . In contrast, 1,388 of 5,143 (27%) COVID-19 patients who were not hospitalized were reported to have at least one underlying health condition.
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www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6913e2.htm?s_cid=mm6913e2_w
h/t CrsCrpr


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-01--United States #COVID19 deaths doubling time now at 2.7 days. Weeks ago it was estimated at 6.5 days

There are over 4000 deaths right now in the US from Covid-19 .
We can therefore expect that to rise @ @ @ @ @ the next three days .

BREAKING – United States #COVID19 deaths doubling time now at 2.7 days. Weeks ago it was estimated at 6.5 days – Johns Hopkins University pic.twitter.com/zXjtfnYS3O — Disclose.tv 🚨 (@disclosetv) April 1, 2020
There are over 4000 deaths right now in the US from Covid-19.
We can therefore expect that to rise to over eight thousand in the next three days.
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h/t Builder


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-01--The CDC and the FDA have not covered themselves with glory in this crisis

BUREAUCRACY KILLS : America Could Import Countless More Face Masks if Federal Regulators Would Get Out of the Way : Markets are trying to meet spiking demand for face masks , but importers are stymied by the FDA and CDC .
The FDA and CDC should get out of the way so those ad hoc markets can operate legally .
“ Due to the worldwide shortage of N95 masks , the operative question for FDA regulators is not whether a Chinese KN95 mask is preferable to an American N95 mask , ” write Alec Stapp , director of technology policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Caleb Watney , a tech policy fellow with the free-market R Street Institute , in a forthcoming paper on the regulatory challenges facing face mask suppliers .
“ The question is , ” they continue , “ whether it ’ s better than the CDC ’ s recommendation that healthcare professionals ‘ might use homemade masks ( e.g.
, bandana , scarf ) for care of patients with COVID-19 as a last resort . '
” According to the CDC ’ s own data , it takes an average of 95 days to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s far too long , even at the best of times .
Stapp and Watney compare the FDA ’ s and CDC ’ s role in the ongoing face mask shortage to how the same federal agencies initially restricted the number of labs that could work to develop COVID-19 testing kits .
The federal government should learn from that experience and act quickly to address the shortage of masks by freeing up markets and allowing additional imports , they argue .
Specifically , that means granting immediate exemptions for all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowing imports from any foreign producer that has a track record of selling products to “ peer countries ” like Japan and nations in Europe .
Purchasers and hospitals should be trusted to conduct quality control testing and spot checks .

BUREAUCRACY KILLS: America Could Import Countless More Face Masks if Federal Regulators Would Get Out of the Way: Markets are trying to meet spiking demand for face masks, but importers are stymied by the FDA and CDC.
The FDA and CDC should get out of the way so those ad hoc markets can operate legally.
“Due to the worldwide shortage of N95 masks, the operative question for FDA regulators is not whether a Chinese KN95 mask is preferable to an American N95 mask,” write Alec Stapp, director of technology policy at the Progressive Policy Institute, and Caleb Watney, a tech policy fellow with the free-market R Street Institute, in a forthcoming paper on the regulatory challenges facing face mask suppliers.
“The question is,” they continue, “whether it’s better than the CDC’s recommendation that healthcare professionals ‘might use homemade masks (e.g., bandana, scarf) for care of patients with COVID-19 as a last resort.'”
According to the CDC’s own data, it takes an average of 95 days to approve new certifications for face mask suppliers. That’s far too long, even at the best of times.
Stapp and Watney compare the FDA’s and CDC’s role in the ongoing face mask shortage to how the same federal agencies initially restricted the number of labs that could work to develop COVID-19 testing kits. The federal government should learn from that experience and act quickly to address the shortage of masks by freeing up markets and allowing additional imports, they argue.
Specifically, that means granting immediate exemptions for all domestic manufacturers to by-pass regulatory hurdles and allowing imports from any foreign producer that has a track record of selling products to “peer countries” like Japan and nations in Europe. Purchasers and hospitals should be trusted to conduct quality control testing and spot checks.


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-01--JAIL orders increasing across country for those out during Covid-19 outbreak! Texas special agents c

JAIL orders increasing across country for those out during Covid-19 outbreak! Texas special agents checking in on quarantine orders! & much more!

As far as jailings go here ’ s updated info : “ Residents of Washington , D.C. , could be jailed for up to 90 days if they violate the city ’ s strict stay-at-home order announced Monday — the latest in a series of increasingly tough measures taken across the country to stop the spread of the coronavirus .
“ Any individual who willfully violates the stay-at-home order may be guilty of a misdemeanor and , upon conviction , subject to a fine not exceeding $ 5,000 , imprisonment for not more than 90 days , or both , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to enforce orders , or they are worthless , ” the mayor told D.C. Council members before she announced the order ” “ Similar punishments were also announced Monday by Gov .
Larry Hogan for the state of Maryland .
California meanwhile threatens up to six month in jail , Michigan threatens up to 90 days , while Oregon threatens up to 30 days in jail .
Alaska and Hawaii include the possibility of up to a year in jail for those who break those states ’ orders.
” Getting crazy in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other day , locking down state boarders , forced quarantines , roadside inspections .
You will also see that in order that “ special agents ” will be doing unannounced visits to quarantine locations .
If you dont comply is a criminal offense punishable by fine and jail .
Sounds crazy but is true all in the Executive order .
It is crazy town all over… In area of Florida this going on per order from Judge : Court proceedings that will continue to be held are limited to those deemed “ mission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : o ) Violations of quarantine or isolation orders ; p ) Violations of orders to limit travel ; q ) Violations of orders to close public or private buildings ; r ) Seizure of bodily fluids ; s ) Mandatory vaccinations proceedings ; t ) Enforcement of curfew orders ; u ) Extraordinary writs ; v ) Any other “ emergency ” proceedings or hearings as authorized by the Chief Judge .
l ) Proceedings involving requests for “ do not resuscitate ” orders ; Again sounds crazy but is real , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thread This is becoming more of a reality… We are at the brink folks , there ain ’ t much time left .
What they aren ’ t telling you I think part of all these jailing orders are to discourage people from going out and rioting and protesting .
Oh you are out of work , can ’ t pay bills etc ?
Well shut up and stay locked down somewhere or else you will jailed !
Just think a whole group of people protesting can be jailed for breaking “ social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We are screwed .

As far as jailings go here’s updated info:
“Residents of Washington, D.C., could be jailed for up to 90 days if they violate the city’s strict stay-at-home order announced Monday — the latest in a series of increasingly tough measures taken across the country to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
“Any individual who willfully violates the stay-at-home order may be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, subject to a fine not exceeding $5,000, imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or both,” the order says.
“We have to enforce orders, or they are worthless,” the mayor told D.C. Council members before she announced the order”
“Similar punishments were also announced Monday by Gov. Larry Hogan for the state of Maryland. California meanwhile threatens up to six month in jail, Michigan threatens up to 90 days, while Oregon threatens up to 30 days in jail. Alaska and Hawaii include the possibility of up to a year in jail for those who break those states’ orders.”
www.foxnews.com/politics/dc-jailed-coronavirus-lockdown
Getting crazy in Texas too;
Texas executive order the other day, locking down state boarders, forced quarantines, roadside inspections.
You will also see that in order that “special agents” will be doing unannounced visits to quarantine locations. If you dont comply is a criminal offense punishable by fine and jail.
Sounds crazy but is true all in the Executive order.
Found here:
Part of executive order mentioning “special agents” unannounced visits to ordered quarantine locations:
imgur.com/skrmBff
It is crazy town all over…
In area of Florida this going on per order from Judge:
Court proceedings that will continue to be held are limited to those deemed “mission critical” as defined by the Order:
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o) Violations of quarantine or isolation orders;
p) Violations of orders to limit travel;
q) Violations of orders to close public or private buildings;
r) Seizure of bodily fluids;
s) Mandatory vaccinations proceedings;
t) Enforcement of curfew orders;
u) Extraordinary writs;
v) Any other “emergency” proceedings or hearings as authorized by the Chief Judge.
l) Proceedings involving requests for “do not resuscitate” orders;
Again sounds crazy but is real, can find documents to it in this thread
www.clerk.org/news.aspx
youtu.be/2ccuU22VrYM
This is becoming more of a reality…
We are at the brink folks, there ain’t much time left.
What they aren’t telling you I think part of all these jailing orders are to discourage people from going out and rioting and protesting.
Oh you are out of work, can’t pay bills etc? Well shut up and stay locked down somewhere or else you will jailed!
Just think a whole group of people protesting can be jailed for breaking “social distancing” orders.
The perfect plan.
We are screwed.
h/t Flying Poptart


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-01--Crimes Against Humanity – 5G Court Papers Filed – AI Tech For Transhuman Experiments , Stolen And So

Crimes Against Humanity – 5G Court Papers Filed – AI Tech For Transhuman Experiments , Stolen And Sold To China, Virus Development And More -Vid

This video shows a court case filing against numerous individuals for a slew of crimes against humanity .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ of the corrupt individuals we have heard about for years .

This video shows a court case filing against numerous individuals for a slew of crimes against humanity.
It’s huge and includes most of the corrupt individuals we have heard about for years.
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PINK


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-01--Critical Steps To Protect Your Business & Workforce From Coronavirus

28 states in the U.S. are already on lockdown due to coronavirus and this number continues to rise .
As a result , the U.S. economy is plunging and experts are predicting that it will take at least three years to recover .
To prevent the economic situation from worsening , it ’ s crucial that businesses act fast to keep themselves afloat and to protect their workforce during these unprecedented times .
But as a business owner , what should you really be doing ?
Where possible , you should keep your business running , but allow your employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your premises .
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that around 30 % of workers are able to telecommute .
If you ’ re not already used to letting your workers work from home , then you ’ ll need to invest in work from home technology , including laptops and internal communications programs .
It ’ s also worth creating a work-from-home policy that takes into consideration the ideas of department managers and employees .
As part of your policy , you should set expectations and ensure that all employees understand the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s an employer ’ s job to safeguard their employees and you should already have protection such as workers ’ insurance in place so that your employees are looked after should they suddenly fall ill. Cerity Insurance backs this up , stating that employers should always strive to foster a safe work environment that supports their employees ’ comfort , health , and success .
In these times , further measures should be taken to safeguard workers on the job and this includes ramping up your business ’ s cleaning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to three days on certain surfaces , you should ask your employees to disinfect their desks at least once per day .
Hand sanitizers should also be readily available and hand washing should be encouraged .
You also need to make it someone ’ s responsibility to regularly wipe down objects which are touched frequently such as door entry pads , elevator buttons , door handles , and even the kettle .
The coronavirus means things are escalating at a fast pace .
It ’ s therefore essential that you stay on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ domestically and internationally if your business has a global base .
When new official advice and guidelines are released you need to make sure that you ’ re aware of them and that you quickly update all members of your workforce , especially line managers , on any new procedures that you ’ ll be taking as a result of them .
This will help to put people at ease and will ensure that all employees are adhering to the relevant guidelines , thus demonstrating that you ’ re a responsible employer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ repercussions of coronavirus .
But the good news is that there are steps you can put into place to protect your business and your employees from this virus so that you ’ re all in a good position once things return to normal .
Disclaimer : This content does not necessarily represent the views of IWB .

28 states in the U.S. are already on lockdown due to coronavirus and this number continues to rise. As a result, the U.S. economy is plunging and experts are predicting that it will take at least three years to recover . To prevent the economic situation from worsening, it’s crucial that businesses act fast to keep themselves afloat and to protect their workforce during these unprecedented times. But as a business owner, what should you really be doing?
Create a work-from-home policy
Where possible, you should keep your business running, but allow your employees to work from home rather than on your premises. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that around 30% of workers are able to telecommute. If you’re not already used to letting your workers work from home, then you’ll need to invest in work from home technology, including laptops and internal communications programs. It’s also worth creating a work-from-home policy that takes into consideration the ideas of department managers and employees. As part of your policy, you should set expectations and ensure that all employees understand the importance of adhering to strict security procedures.
Review your cleaning procedures
It’s an employer’s job to safeguard their employees and you should already have protection such as workers’ insurance in place so that your employees are looked after should they suddenly fall ill. Cerity Insurance backs this up, stating that employers should always strive to foster a safe work environment that supports their employees’ comfort, health, and success. In these times, further measures should be taken to safeguard workers on the job and this includes ramping up your business’s cleaning routine. As coronavirus can live for up to three days on certain surfaces, you should ask your employees to disinfect their desks at least once per day. Hand sanitizers should also be readily available and hand washing should be encouraged. You also need to make it someone’s responsibility to regularly wipe down objects which are touched frequently such as door entry pads, elevator buttons, door handles, and even the kettle.
Stay up to date
The coronavirus means things are escalating at a fast pace . It’s therefore essential that you stay on top of the latest advice — both domestically and internationally if your business has a global base. When new official advice and guidelines are released you need to make sure that you’re aware of them and that you quickly update all members of your workforce, especially line managers, on any new procedures that you’ll be taking as a result of them. This will help to put people at ease and will ensure that all employees are adhering to the relevant guidelines, thus demonstrating that you’re a responsible employer.
Almost every business is worried about the repercussions of coronavirus. But the good news is that there are steps you can put into place to protect your business and your employees from this virus so that you’re all in a good position once things return to normal.
Disclaimer: This content does not necessarily represent the views of IWB.
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-01--Money available to the self-employed and small businesses

I haven ’ t seen this mentioned here as of yet , so let me make a post where people might see it for more than few minutes .
The recently passed legislation that authorized stimulus payments and increased unemployment also made available over $ 300B in money for small businesses affected by recent events .
This explicitly includes self-employed people , sole proprietorships and independent contractors .
So , any small businesses or self-employed folks who are seeing their business slack off , even 1099 workers who did hair at a now-closed salon , or can ’ t get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is for you .
The Paycheck Protection program works like so : You can “ borrow ” an amount up to 2.5 months of payroll expenses….and you never have to pay back an amount used for two months of payroll and other expenses such as rent and utilities .
It gets forgiven , and doesn ’ t count as taxable income .
Now , in order to get this , you can ’ t reduce payroll , but it ’ s not obvious how a self-employed person would do that anyway .
Applications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses , and April 10th for self-employed people .
Here ’ s the official announcement from the Small Business Administration : www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/paycheck-protection-program-ppp That ’ s sort of terse , so here ’ s a better summary of how this works : home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/PPP % 20Borrower % 20Information % 20Fact % 20Sheet.pdf

by yes_its_him
I haven’t seen this mentioned here as of yet, so let me make a post where people might see it for more than few minutes.
The recently passed legislation that authorized stimulus payments and increased unemployment also made available over $300B in money for small businesses affected by recent events. This explicitly includes self-employed people, sole proprietorships and independent contractors. So, any small businesses or self-employed folks who are seeing their business slack off, even 1099 workers who did hair at a now-closed salon, or can’t get Uber rides from late-night partiers? This is for you.
The Paycheck Protection program works like so:
You can “borrow” an amount up to 2.5 months of payroll expenses….and you never have to pay back an amount used for two months of payroll and other expenses such as rent and utilities. It gets forgiven, and doesn’t count as taxable income.
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Now, in order to get this, you can’t reduce payroll, but it’s not obvious how a self-employed person would do that anyway.
Applications are supposedly being accepted April 3rd for businesses, and April 10th for self-employed people.
Here’s the official announcement from the Small Business Administration: www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/paycheck-protection-program-ppp
That’s sort of terse, so here’s a better summary of how this works: home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/PPP%20Borrower%20Information%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-01--Bearish: Investors Net Bought Stocks All The Way Down. Defaults Are Starting In the Oil Patch

This is really bearish, investors net BOUGHT STOCKS all the way down.t.co/R2BAEZXgDN — Jim Bianco (@biancoresearch) April 1, 2020
Energy sector bankruptcies have begun this morning….Fed can’t create an artificial valuation for those guys — GreekFire23 (@GreekFire23) April 1, 2020
$WLL BK Chapter 11 >>Whiting Petroleum Corp. Reaches Agreement in Principle with Certain of Its Noteholders to Pursue Consensual Financial Restructuring Commences Chapter 11 Reorganizational Process to Right-Size Capital Structure ht @DiMartinoBooth t.co/V9JupHLj30 — 𝕮𝖍𝖎 🛢 (@chigrl) April 1, 2020
Current Activity Indicator from @GoldmanSachs has plunged for March, dragged down mostly by manufacturing & labor components @SoberLook pic.twitter.com/XHN8Jms4Dd — Liz Ann Sonders (@LizAnnSonders) April 1, 2020
💸 No takers NY FED RECEIVES NO BIDS FOR OVERNIGHT REPO OPERATION – NY FED WEBSITE — PiQ (@PriapusIQ) April 1, 2020


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-01--U.S. Drillers Face Doomsday Scenario As Some Crude Blends Hit $1

As the oil war and coronavirus demand destruction rage on , WTI crude prices briefly dipped below $ 20 per barrel , but many prices aren ’ t even fetching $ 20 per barrel as they are struggling to find buyers for their crude .
Prices in Oklahoma , Colorado , Kansas , and Louisiana , for instance , have dropped significantly over the last week , with benchmark prices such as Louisiana Light falling to $ 5.85 and Oklahoma Sweet falling to $ 16.50 on Monday , while prices in the cowboy state , Wyoming , have fallen to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crude are often found in more remote areas with little access to pipeline and export infrastructure , and these are also often the areas where , once shut-in , production isn ’ t likely to be restarted anytime soon .
So-called stripper wells made up about 10 percent of total U.S. crude output back in 2015 , and after a round of serious cost-cutting , there ’ s not much left to cut for these tiny producers , most of whom are now losing money on every barrel they produce .
Larger shale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Chevron can bring back production relatively easy as we ’ ve seen in the past , but smaller producers are more likely to either shut-in production or face bankruptcy .
The Houston Chronicle cites energy data provider Enverus as saying that stripper wells now make up about 6 percent of total US oil production , or about 850,000 bpd , and that about 500,000 bpd or even more could be at stake with oil prices in the teens or even lower .
The question is then , how much production will bigger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most well shut-ins occur ?
Even before oil prices crashed into the $ 20-range , Canadian , Bakken , and SCOOP/STACK producers were struggling to churn out a profit , and as prices of some blends fall below $ 10 per barrel , these areas are most likely to see the first major well shut-ins .
Canadian oil giant Suncor has already shut-in production at its Fort Hills heavy crude operation , and other producers are set to follow suit .
Matt Murphy of Tudor Pickering Holt & Co. thinks that some 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ production could be shut-in within the next couple of months , equating to some 340,000 bpd .
In the meantime , Canada ’ s rig count has fallen by 44 rigs in just one week as producers are starting to focus on the lowest cost wells in their portfolio .
In the heart of the U.S. shale industry , producers such as Pioneer Natural Resources and Parsley Energy have asked the Texas Railroad Commission to consider formal output cuts .
Pioneer CEO Sheffield and Parsley CEO Gallagher sent a letter to the Commission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders for the entire state of Texas , something that has not been done since the 1970s .
Pioneer CEO Sheffield states that his company received requests from pipeline operators to stop the flow of crude and shut-in production , saying that he fears a ‘ ’ total decimation ’ ’ of the industry if action is not taken immediately .
Total global production then is set to decline this year as a result of the coronavirus crisis .
In a note on Tuesday , IHS Markit said that the total number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between April and June as storage is filling up at an unprecedented pace .
The declines , however , are not equally distributed , with OPEC producers such as Saudi Arabia , the UAE and possibly Iraq set to boost output by 4 million bpd this year according to Energy Aspects , highlighting the significant production crash in non-OPEC production countries .
Is it all bad news then ?
For now , it seems like the industry is set for a huge round of consolidation , spending cuts and well shut-ins , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supply/demand crisis will likely see higher prices as a result of a possible oil shortage later this decade according to investment bank Goldman Sachs .

By Tom Kool
As the oil war and coronavirus demand destruction rage on, WTI crude prices briefly dipped below $20 per barrel, but many prices aren’t even fetching $20 per barrel as they are struggling to find buyers for their crude. Prices in Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, and Louisiana, for instance, have dropped significantly over the last week, with benchmark prices such as Louisiana Light falling to $5.85 and Oklahoma Sweet falling to $16.50 on Monday, while prices in the cowboy state, Wyoming, have fallen to $1.25.
The deepest discounts in crude are often found in more remote areas with little access to pipeline and export infrastructure, and these are also often the areas where, once shut-in, production isn’t likely to be restarted anytime soon.
So-called stripper wells made up about 10 percent of total U.S. crude output back in 2015, and after a round of serious cost-cutting, there’s not much left to cut for these tiny producers, most of whom are now losing money on every barrel they produce.
Larger shale producers such as Pioneer, Exxon, and Chevron can bring back production relatively easy as we’ve seen in the past, but smaller producers are more likely to either shut-in production or face bankruptcy. The Houston Chronicle cites energy data provider Enverus as saying that stripper wells now make up about 6 percent of total US oil production, or about 850,000 bpd, and that about 500,000 bpd or even more could be at stake with oil prices in the teens or even lower.
The question is then, how much production will bigger oil producers shut-in, and where will most well shut-ins occur?
Even before oil prices crashed into the $20-range, Canadian, Bakken, and SCOOP/STACK producers were struggling to churn out a profit, and as prices of some blends fall below $10 per barrel, these areas are most likely to see the first major well shut-ins. Canadian oil giant Suncor has already shut-in production at its Fort Hills heavy crude operation, and other producers are set to follow suit. Matt Murphy of Tudor Pickering Holt & Co. thinks that some 20 percent of Canada’s thermal bitumen production could be shut-in within the next couple of months, equating to some 340,000 bpd. In the meantime, Canada’s rig count has fallen by 44 rigs in just one week as producers are starting to focus on the lowest cost wells in their portfolio.
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In the heart of the U.S. shale industry, producers such as Pioneer Natural Resources and Parsley Energy have asked the Texas Railroad Commission to consider formal output cuts. Pioneer CEO Sheffield and Parsley CEO Gallagher sent a letter to the Commission on Monday to officially ask for pro-rationing orders for the entire state of Texas, something that has not been done since the 1970s.
Pioneer CEO Sheffield states that his company received requests from pipeline operators to stop the flow of crude and shut-in production, saying that he fears a ‘’total decimation’’ of the industry if action is not taken immediately.
Total global production then is set to decline this year as a result of the coronavirus crisis. In a note on Tuesday, IHS Markit said that the total number of shut-in barrels could reach 10 million bpd between April and June as storage is filling up at an unprecedented pace.
The declines, however, are not equally distributed, with OPEC producers such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and possibly Iraq set to boost output by 4 million bpd this year according to Energy Aspects, highlighting the significant production crash in non-OPEC production countries.
Is it all bad news then? For now, it seems like the industry is set for a huge round of consolidation, spending cuts and well shut-ins, but the producers that will survive this brutal supply/demand crisis will likely see higher prices as a result of a possible oil shortage later this decade according to investment bank Goldman Sachs.
By Tom Kool of Oilprice.com


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-01--Jim Bianco: Central Banks are taking over financial markets

Jim Bianco is President and Macro Strategist at Bianco Research , L.L.C .
Since 1990 Jim ’ s commentaries have @ @ @ @ @ the global economy and financial markets .
Unencumbered by the biases of traditional Wall Street @ @ @ @ @ a decades long reputation for objective , incisive commentary that challenges consensus thinking .
In @ @ @ @ @ Research , Jim ’ s wide ranging commentaries have addressed monetary policy , the intersection @ @ @ @ @ the role of government in the economy , fund flows and positioning in financial markets @ @ @ @ @ and Bianco Research , Jim was a Market Strategist in equity and fixed income research @ @ @ @ @ Technical Analyst at First Boston and Shearson Lehman Brothers .
He is a Chartered Market @ @ @ @ @ a member of the Market Technicians Association ( MTA ) .
Jim has a Bachelor @ @ @ @ @ from Marquette University ( 1984 ) and an MBA from Fordham University ( 1989 ) @

Fernando Ulrich, Released on 3/31/20
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
Jim Bianco is President and Macro Strategist at Bianco Research, L.L.C. Since 1990 Jim’s commentaries have offered a unique perspective on the global economy and financial markets. Unencumbered by the biases of traditional Wall Street research, Jim has built a decades long reputation for objective, incisive commentary that challenges consensus thinking. In nearly 20 years at Bianco Research, Jim’s wide ranging commentaries have addressed monetary policy, the intersection of markets and politics, the role of government in the economy, fund flows and positioning in financial markets. Prior to joining Arbor and Bianco Research, Jim was a Market Strategist in equity and fixed income research at UBS Securities and Equity Technical Analyst at First Boston and Shearson Lehman Brothers. He is a Chartered Market Technician (CMT) and a member of the Market Technicians Association (MTA). Jim has a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Marquette University (1984) and an MBA from Fordham University (1989).


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-01--Michael Pento: It’s A Global Depression Combined With A Credit Crisis, April Will Be A DISASTER

Money manager Michael Pento has long warned the global financial system was “ not sustainable or viable ” because of record debt creation .
Pento has also long said , “ This was the biggest debt bubble in history , and it is going to pop someday.
” That day has arrived .
Now , Pento says , “ This is a global depression just like we had in the 1930 ’ s combined with a 2008 style credit crisis .
That ’ s what it is .
I was on your program about three months ago , and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrong .
It is a global depression .
.
.
.
We have learned that the S & P 500 earnings will decrease by 10 % in the second quarter .
We also know that GDP ( Gross Domestic Product ) for the second quarter is projected to decline by 35 % .
.
.
.
We also know , according to the St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard , that the unemployment rate in the United States could surge to 42 % .
.
.
.
April is going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a recession , we are in a depression , and it is global in nature.
” Pento thinks physical gold and silver are some of the “ must have ” assets .
He has also recently doubled his investment in precious metals .

Money manager Michael Pento has long warned the global financial system was “not sustainable or viable” because of record debt creation. Pento has also long said, “This was the biggest debt bubble in history, and it is going to pop someday.” That day has arrived. Now, Pento says, “This is a global depression just like we had in the 1930’s combined with a 2008 style credit crisis. That’s what it is. I was on your program about three months ago, and I predicted a global recession. That was wrong. It is a global depression. . . . We have learned that the S&P 500 earnings will decrease by 10% in the second quarter. We also know that GDP (Gross Domestic Product) for the second quarter is projected to decline by 35%. . . . We also know, according to the St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard, that the unemployment rate in the United States could surge to 42%. . . . April is going to be a disaster. We are not in a recession, we are in a depression, and it is global in nature.”
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Pento thinks physical gold and silver are some of the “must have” assets. He has also recently doubled his investment in precious metals.


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-01--CDC Considers Asking The Public To Wear Face Masks

This article was written by Mac Slavo and originally published at SHTFplan.com This is irony at its finest .
The United States attorney general used twitter to tell the public to NOT use face masks to protect against the coronavirus because they don ’ t work , they only work for health care workers .
Now , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering a recommendation that people wear masks when in public .
We all remember this : Jerome Adams tweet said it all : “ Seriously people- STOP BUYING MASKS !
They are NOT effective in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but if healthcare providers can ’ t get them to care for sick patients , it puts them and our communities at risk ” We were told that face masks weren ’ t effective at preventing a coronavirus infection unless we are a healthcare worker , but now the CDC is saying otherwise .
There ’ s still no consensus ( meaning someone from the government hasn ’ t made a decision yet ) on whether widespread use of facial coverings would make a significant difference , and some infectious disease experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a false sense of security and make them less disciplined about social distancing , according to a report by The Washington Post .
But studies done by doctors in the medical field have shown properly fitting N95 face masks to be about 80 % effective .
They are certainly better than nothing and could be used to get people back in public and the economy on a roll again .
It ’ s an “ ongoing discussion ” however , and nothing has been finalized .
The official , who asked to remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make clear that the general public should not use medical masks — including surgical and N95 masks — that are in desperately short supply and needed by health-care workers .
So once again , the guidelines would be to “ cover your face ” not use a respirator that could actually stand a chance at protecting you .
At the daily White House briefing Monday , President Trump was asked if everyone should wear nonmedical fabric masks .
“ That ’ s certainly something we could discuss , ” Trump said , adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that for a limited period of time.
” It seems like the government can ’ t make up their mind on just about anything .
But the one thing they have been doing is expanding their power and getting the docile population in a constant state of fear .

This article was written by Mac Slavo and originally published at SHTFplan.com
This is irony at its finest. The United States attorney general used twitter to tell the public to NOT use face masks to protect against the coronavirus because they don’t work, they only work for health care workers. Now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering a recommendation that people wear masks when in public.
We all remember this:
Surgeon General DEMANDS: “Stop Buying Face Masks!”
Jerome Adams tweet said it all:
“Seriously people- STOP BUYING MASKS! They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk”
We are primarily funded by readers. Please subscribe and donate to support us!
We were told that face masks weren’t effective at preventing a coronavirus infection unless we are a healthcare worker, but now the CDC is saying otherwise. There’s still no consensus (meaning someone from the government hasn’t made a decision yet) on whether widespread use of facial coverings would make a significant difference, and some infectious disease experts worry that masks could lull people into a false sense of security and make them less disciplined about social distancing, according to a report by The Washington Post.
But studies done by doctors in the medical field have shown properly fitting N95 face masks to be about 80% effective.
They are certainly better than nothing and could be used to get people back in public and the economy on a roll again. It’s an “ongoing discussion” however, and nothing has been finalized. The official, who asked to remain anonymous, said the new guidance would make clear that the general public should not use medical masks — including surgical and N95 masks — that are in desperately short supply and needed by health-care workers. So once again, the guidelines would be to “cover your face” not use a respirator that could actually stand a chance at protecting you.
At the daily White House briefing Monday, President Trump was asked if everyone should wear nonmedical fabric masks. “That’s certainly something we could discuss,” Trump said, adding, “it could be something like that for a limited period of time.”
It seems like the government can’t make up their mind on just about anything. But the one thing they have been doing is expanding their power and getting the docile population in a constant state of fear.


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-01--It is all about the banks once again

It is all about the banks once again

As so often we find ourselves returning to the topic of the banks as they are at the heart of the financial system .
They are the group which most exemplify the dictum if you want to enrich yourself get as close as you can to flows of money .
The best description of this was provided by Matt Taibbi some years ago .
Now we find ourselves in a situation where central banks are hurriedly devising schemes to protect the banking sector which is odd in a way for something they have kept describing as “ resilient ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cuts has turned into an overdose as the banks remain terrified of the consequences of reducing interest-rates for the ordinary depositor below 0 % in case it creates a run on deposits .
Such a thing which expose some of the illusions that banking relies on .
So now we have other policies such as more Quantitative Easing of which there will be an extra £4.5 billion in the UK today for example .
Also we are in an era of “ credit easing ” with what is called the Term Funding Scheme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as below .
Last time around the money leaked straight into the mortgage market thus providing a double boost for the banks as they were able to lend out funds they got cheaply as well as boost their balance sheet as the consequent higher house prices improve their mortgage book .
But in spite of that there are plenty of signs of this .
Let me give you a different perspective on this with some news that flashed a warning sign yesterday .
These securities are part of the capital of a bank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued .
As junior subordianated debt it is not at the top of the line but this is hardly the time for a buyback of any sort of capital especially when we note the news below .
Switching to the interest-rate well that is what banks had to pay when the credit crunch was raging in last 2009 .
This poses a question of why the Bank of England is allowing this ?
Which leads to the conclusion that one of the holders of the bond may be desperate for cash/liquidity and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you prefer an olive branch .
Regular readers are unlikely to be surprised by this being in US Dollars .
According to the Financial Times these are something for yesterday and some unspecified date in the future but not now .
So the banks will save the amount below and accordingly get a capital boost .
Investors though who have been hoping for dividends will lose out .
Now whilst owning a share is supposed to be risky there is an awkward optic here in the era of central bank put options @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that some of these had been announced .
These too are supposed to be put on hold .
As someone who is suspicious of such announcements it immediately occurs to me that bonuses in shares are not excluded according to that statement .
Furthermore bank shares are very cheap right now , of which more later .
So bonuses would probably have been in shares anyway .
If North Man is correct there is also another issue .
He has a point I think .
I have been writing for a couple of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortage of US Dollars .
It would appear that the US Federal Reserve is coming around to my point of view .
It was only on the 16th of last month I noted the expansion of its liquidity or FX Swaps .
As of last week ’ s update some US $ 206 billion was drawn on them .
But it seems that was not enough .
The emphasis is mine .
The financial system is plainly creaking and clearly so are some of the banks .
I have looked above at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not necessarily a shortage of them outright but that now some are considered too risky to be lent them .
As banks rely in such flows there is a danger of a financial form of contagion .
I doubt it is a coincidence that the bond Lloyds Bank are planning to redeem is US Dollar denominated .
On the other side of the coin the banks are under pressure to support the economy .
There must be extraordinary demands on them to support smaller businesses for example .
I see the big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I would not be any sort of son if I did not point out that my father ’ s ashes will be spinning at maximum speed .
For newer readers I looked at his experiences with the banks during economic slow downs last Thursday .
This from the FT piece is really rather extraordinary .
If that is a parody then please forgive me for missing it .
Returning to the UK banks we see in an irony of the times the Bank of England remaining a follower of the ECB as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspension theme .
However there is a catch which is the effect on already weak bank share prices as we learn there are a lack of free gifts in this area .
For example Barclays Bank is at 88 pence as I type this down another 6 pence today .
Meanwhile Royal Bank of Scotland in which the UK government invested UK taxpayers money at a bit over £5 is at £1.07 as I type this also down 7 pence today .
Yet Lloyds Bank can apparently buy a bond back ?
With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile the owner of Brewdog when asked by CNBC if the banks were doing all they can replied .

by Shaun Richards
As so often we find ourselves returning to the topic of the banks as they are at the heart of the financial system. They are the group which most exemplify the dictum if you want to enrich yourself get as close as you can to flows of money. The best description of this was provided by Matt Taibbi some years ago.
The first thing you need to know about Goldman Sachs is that it’s everywhere. The world’s most powerful investment bank is a great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money.
Now we find ourselves in a situation where central banks are hurriedly devising schemes to protect the banking sector which is odd in a way for something they have kept describing as “resilient”. Of course the original medicine of interest-rate cuts has turned into an overdose as the banks remain terrified of the consequences of reducing interest-rates for the ordinary depositor below 0% in case it creates a run on deposits. Such a thing which expose some of the illusions that banking relies on. So now we have other policies such as more Quantitative Easing of which there will be an extra £4.5 billion in the UK today for example. Also we are in an era of “credit easing” with what is called the Term Funding Scheme for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises or TFSME as below.
In order to mitigate these pressures and maximise the effectiveness of monetary policy, the TFSME will, over the next 12 months, offer four-year funding of at least 5% of participants’ stock of real economy lending at interest rates at, or very close to, Bank Rate……….Experience from the Term Funding Scheme launched in 2016 suggests that the TFSME could provide in excess of £100 billion in term funding.
Last time around the money leaked straight into the mortgage market thus providing a double boost for the banks as they were able to lend out funds they got cheaply as well as boost their balance sheet as the consequent higher house prices improve their mortgage book.
But in spite of that there are plenty of signs of this.
Trouble, trouble, trouble
Oh, oh
Trouble, trouble, trouble ( Taylor Swift).
Lloyds Bank
Let me give you a different perspective on this with some news that flashed a warning sign yesterday.
*LLOYDS BANK STARTS CASH TENDER FOR 12% PERPETUAL CAP SECURITIES Wow, this is stunning. ( @jeuasommenulle)
These securities are part of the capital of a bank and some US $2 billion was issued. As junior subordianated debt it is not at the top of the line but this is hardly the time for a buyback of any sort of capital especially when we note the news below. Switching to the interest-rate well that is what banks had to pay when the credit crunch was raging in last 2009.
This poses a question of why the Bank of England is allowing this? Which leads to the conclusion that one of the holders of the bond may be desperate for cash/liquidity and is being offered a type of out or if you prefer an olive branch. Regular readers are unlikely to be surprised by this being in US Dollars.
Dividends
According to the Financial Times these are something for yesterday and some unspecified date in the future but not now.
The UK’s largest lenders bowed to pressure from Britain’s top financial regulator and halted their dividends after they were warned against paying out billions of pounds to shareholders during the coronavirus pandemic. In a series of co-ordinated statements on Tuesday evening, Lloyds, RBS, Barclays, HSBC, Santander and Standard Chartered said they would cancel their dividends for 2019 and refrain from setting cash aside for investor payouts this year. They also pledged not to carry out any share buybacks.
So the banks will save the amount below and accordingly get a capital boost.
By bowing to the regulator’s wishes on dividends, the banks have avoided being subjected to formal action. But the decision to cancel last year’s payouts — worth £7.5bn — will prove unpopular with some investors, especially retail shareholders who rely on the payout for their income.
Investors though who have been hoping for dividends will lose out. Now whilst owning a share is supposed to be risky there is an awkward optic here in the era of central bank put options for equities as well as the fact that some of these had been announced.
The Asia-focused bank had been due to pay a dividend totalling $4.2bn on April 14. HSBC’s Hong Kong-listed shares fell as much as 9.9 per cent on Wednesday morning…….Barclays had been due to pay a full-year dividend of 6p per share on Friday, worth roughly £1bn.
Bonuses
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These too are supposed to be put on hold.
The regulator also said it “expects” the banks and Nationwide, the building society, to refrain from paying any cash bonuses to senior staff and signalled they should stop setting money aside for variable pay during the “coming months”. ( Financial Times )
As someone who is suspicious of such announcements it immediately occurs to me that bonuses in shares are not excluded according to that statement. Furthermore bank shares are very cheap right now, of which more later. So bonuses would probably have been in shares anyway.
If North Man is correct there is also another issue.
Absolute scandal – the banks have just paid their 2019 bonus pools in the LAST 2 WEEKS (e.g. c 1.bn Barc and c. 3bn HSBC paid out). If a capital cushion is required, why didn’t the PRA ensure these were stopped as well?…….Why doesn’t the FT article mention this – any serious financial article would question why 19 bonuses can be paid, but the 19 dividend can’t and challenge this glaring inconsistency. Surely has to be same treatment for both whether it is pay, cut or suspend.
He has a point I think.
The US Dollar Shortage
I have been writing for a couple of years or so now about the apparent shortage of US Dollars. It would appear that the US Federal Reserve is coming around to my point of view. It was only on the 16th of last month I noted the expansion of its liquidity or FX Swaps. As of last week’s update some US $206 billion was drawn on them. But it seems that was not enough. The emphasis is mine.
The FIMA Repo Facility will allow FIMA account holders, which consist of central banks and other international monetary authorities with accounts at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, to enter into repurchase agreements with the Federal Reserve. In these transactions, FIMA account holders temporarily exchange their U.S. Treasury securities held with the Federal Reserve for U.S. dollars, which can then be made available to institutions in their jurisdictions.
Comment
The financial system is plainly creaking and clearly so are some of the banks. I have looked above at the issue of US Dollar liquidity and it is not necessarily a shortage of them outright but that now some are considered too risky to be lent them. As banks rely in such flows there is a danger of a financial form of contagion. I doubt it is a coincidence that the bond Lloyds Bank are planning to redeem is US Dollar denominated.
On the other side of the coin the banks are under pressure to support the economy. There must be extraordinary demands on them to support smaller businesses for example. I see the big read in the Financial Times is this.
Will the coronavirus crisis rehabilitate the banks?
I would not be any sort of son if I did not point out that my father’s ashes will be spinning at maximum speed. For newer readers I looked at his experiences with the banks during economic slow downs last Thursday. This from the FT piece is really rather extraordinary.
We are the doctors of the economy now.
If that is a parody then please forgive me for missing it.
Returning to the UK banks we see in an irony of the times the Bank of England remaining a follower of the ECB as it was it who started the dividend suspension theme. However there is a catch which is the effect on already weak bank share prices as we learn there are a lack of free gifts in this area. For example Barclays Bank is at 88 pence as I type this down another 6 pence today. Meanwhile Royal Bank of Scotland in which the UK government invested UK taxpayers money at a bit over £5 is at £1.07 as I type this also down 7 pence today.
Yet Lloyds Bank can apparently buy a bond back? With a share price of 30 pence?
Meanwhile the owner of Brewdog when asked by CNBC if the banks were doing all they can replied.
No I don’t


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-01--Is the U.S. Able to Handle COVID-19? – Global Prospects Hang on This Question

As the lockdowns across Europe began to bite , the U.S .
Establishment began its ‘ wobble ’ .
The more elegant amongst élite circles pointed to a dangerous mis-match in timelines : The medical advice has been : ‘ lockdown until the virus begins to subside ’ , but that advice encompassed too , the possibility of Covid-19 returning later in the year in a Phase Two , thus requiring further personal distancing .
Hands shot high in absolute horror amongst some business and Wall Street leaders : Could the U.S. economy sustain such a prospect ?
Might not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Would there even be an economy left – to resurrect – in the wake of ‘ peak Coronavirus ’ ?
The mis-match thesis then acquired a third strand : To immediate economic fears standing in contradistinction to longer term medical perspectives was added the third question : Are Americans culturally ‘ built ’ for lockdown ( that is to say , will an individualistic , libertarian-minded – and armed society – acquiesce to being ordered to stay home over a long period ) ?
Not surprisingly , President Trump – with an advancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mast of sound economic management – hit on the formula that the ‘ cure can not be worse than the disease ’ : Let ’ s have the economy open by Easter ( 12 April – i.e .
15 days hence ) , he declared .
The issue of the virus is not manufactured , ( though there are still many in the U.S. , who regard it as an overblown scare ) , nor is the dilemma of the divergent timelines .
Actually – a great deal hangs on how these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and political prospects , no less .
Just about everyone and his dog now claims to have modelled Covid-19 .
But in truth , we still know very little on which to accurately predict the virus ’ course .
The ‘ data ’ is made unreliable : firstly , because not only does the virus have different mutations , but secondly , owing to it acting in two quite different modes : One is mild , or even asymptomatic ( the 80 % ) ; and the second mode is serious ( requiring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 20 % – deadly .
But consequently , we simply do not know how much of the population is infected , or is still to be infected – precisely owing to its very mildness or , its asymptomatic characteristics amongst the 80 percent-ers .
There hasn ’ t been enough testing – and anyway , given its mild or non-noticeable iteration , many people may have it , but don ’ t test .
So the data modelling is more ‘ art ’ , than predictive , and therefore introduces economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is obvious from the first , but the question least considered is the importance of the third strand : Is Trump right when he says that America ‘ is not built for lockdown ’ ?
He may be right , in one sense ; but if he opts to prioritise a quick opening of the economy over the welfare of the American people , he may face incalculable consequences – should Covid-19 bite him in the backside : Either by mutating ( as did the Spanish ‘ flu in August 1918 ) ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phase through a resurgence of community infection later in the year .
Plainly , Trump is of the ‘ fears are exaggerated ’ school of thought , and seems poised to bet his Presidency on it .
In this era , viral social media images of hospitals overwhelmed , and of patients fighting to breathe their last , unaided , and lying on the floor , jam-packed in corridors , or in converted gyms – can become politically toxic .
The counter- response that the financial system is struggling for oxygen , under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people as a ‘ little lacking ’ in common humanity – perhaps ?
The dilemma is cruel .
And maybe the social timeline ‘ strand ’ has more substance , than is generally granted ?
Americans are libertarian in many ways ( not least , in their determination to carry arms ) .
This is reflected also , in their deliberate eschewing of a public health programme , and in the purposefully limited support provided to the hourly paid – who are laid off .
It is the ethos of individualism , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ libertarian ’ constitution .
The St Louis Chair of the Fed has predicted 30 % unemployment and 50 % of the economy at standstill by the end of June .
Is it sustainable to have these furloughed workers dying in the street , because they can not afford America ’ s ‘ boutique ’ health-service for the wealthy ?
( we ’ ve seen videos of people unexpectedly falling down in the street , dying , as passers-by skirt the afflicted victim – from both China and Iran ) .
Such videos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happens if ‘ lockdown ’ were extended , and the unemployed were to attack supermarkets for food they can not afford ; or because the supermarket shelves are empty ( this has happened in Europe ) ?
What would videos of the U.S. National Guard look like as they arrive , armed for war , to put down the ‘ looters ’ ?
What happens if the rioters angry at their plight – and without money – use their right to bear weapons to fight against the National Guardsmen ?
Can the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it not disintegrate ?
Here , the U.S. differs from Europe .
America has not , since the Civil War , had to experience the harsh circumstances in hospitals approximating to wartime , on its own soil .
So , is Trump right , then , to prioritise keeping the U.S. economy open ?
Well , firstly , the notion that bits of the economy can be opened where infection-rates are low , whilst other parts are locked down , seems odd : Covid-19 – we do know – is highly infectious .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are under 50 years , or under 40 years-old – would not preclude them from being silent ‘ super-carriers ’ of the disease .
We have not heard there is a test for anti-bodies , which might signal that an individual enjoys immunity .
But unless an area has no infections , putting even one carrier into a workplace , would be sufficient to trigger a localised community infection .
Perhaps then , Trump might be right that anything other than a short ( and possibly ineffective ) lockdown is not manageable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tear apart an already polarised , armed and inegalitarian , social fabric .
There is then , a substantial point here : How far , and for how long , can an U.S. or European society accept a ‘ command ’ or martial-law administration – before citizens rebel , and head to the beaches for summer ?
What then ?
Is it possible that can Trump may emerge from these events as the ‘ saviour of the U.S. economy ’ ?
Here , we touch on the key question of the adaptability of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of true transformation of consciousness as circumstances alter ?
On the answer to this question will hang the geo-political future .
It was the inability of the Soviet elites to give up on their corrupt and privileged status quo that led to the implosion of the USSR in 1987 .
We are often told that Americans are great innovators and graspers of opportunity .
But today , the U.S. élites are utterly intent on preserving a status quo – as the viability and even the reality of that status quo is being questioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority , though , the mind-set is intransigent and adamant .
The status quo suits them well .
They do not wish to see to see it reformed or changed .
They refuse to think differently .
Eventually , the coronavirus will subside ; but what will America look like when it does ?
For the moment , the élites believe that America will look just as it did , in February , before the impact of the pandemic hit U.S. markets .
So , we have had the Fed , the Bank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all doing the same thing , over and over again , hoping that the economy will snap-back to ‘ normal ’ .
But it isn ’ t working .
The Fed fears a collapse in credit ( with due reason ) , but ‘ normality ’ is not returning from the rush of liquidity hosed across credit markets .
In the 2008 crisis , the Fed responded with all sorts of easing .
This time the Fed is throwing the ‘ kitchen sink ’ at markets , offering ‘ facilities ’ for almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate of growth , the Fed balance sheet will be $ 6 Trillion in days – and reach a total equivalent to almost 50 % of the U.S. GDP by June .
Another , unimaginable chunk of debt .
The problem is that the Fed ’ s measures will fail as stimulus – because it is not a problem of demand shortfall , but of supply-shock – as the globe implements ‘ shut-down ’ in order to slow infection .
But , with recession or depression looming , asset prices are collapsing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as what constitutes a safe asset , or the expectation of returns over the next decade , are all being thrown out of the window – as Central Banks strive to avert a global recession : The latter have unleashed a money tsunami , unlike anything seen before , and the fear of inflation is rising , together with a sense that all the old metrics of what constitutes safe investments are gone for good .
Meanwhile the U.S. Congress has passed a $ 2 trillion bill to counter the effects of Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while in the U.S. markets , before they fell again .
The bill may help keep a part of the big business status quo alive , for now , but the bottom line is that these spending bills – as Jim Rickards notes – “ provide spending but they do not provide stimulus ” .
And all that spending – like that of the Fed – essentially will be helicopter money : i.e .
monetised debt .
The essential dilemma is that the Central Bankers ’ Holy Grail – stimulus – depends on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. economy ; and on whether they decide consume – and to what extent .
And that will depend upon their psychology in the post-Covid-19 era , and not on what the Fed does , or does not , do now .
If consumers get used – during lockdown – to doing without ; to economising ; they may well decide that increased savings and debt reduction , are the best ways to prepare for straitened times .
83 % of U.S. businesses are small or medium sized companies .
Some may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not re-open after the lockdown .
It will be a different atmosphere : a different economic era .
Of course , the élites want to go ‘ back to normal ’ as quickly as possible , but the ‘ bottom line ’ emerging from the Fed ’ s failure to staunch market paralysis is that that which the élites had thought to be ‘ normal ’ is proving not to have been normal at all .
It is now apparent as having been a financialised bubble – and Covid-19 happens to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This bubble was just the biggest , in a long line of Fed-blown bubbles ( NASDAQ , sub-prime mortgages , etc . )
– and now , the final ‘ everything-bubble ’ has burst .
There ’ s nothing now left for the Fed to ‘ bubble up ’ .
It ’ s probably over .
Here ’ s the larger – global – point .
Again , it revolves around psychology : Have these events been the ‘ pin ’ which also pops some sort of mass psychological bubble ( a sealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public faith in the status quo crash , along with the financialised ‘ everything-bubble ’ ?
Will a momentary flash of enlightenment to the house-of-cards reality that Americans had been living , cause them to start seeing their world afresh , and in its raw , hard reality ?
If so , the world order stands on the cusp of change .
For some time now , a general popular disquiet has been incubating .
The question is whether , in the cold post-Covid-19 reality , Americans will begin to cease their acquiescence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the status quo .
This might mean trouble as America and some European states try to manage the pandemic through invoking the necessity of a war-time command-governance .
Will people accept such a command system , if they see its principal purpose being the return to a failed status quo ante ?

by Alastair Crooke via Strategic Culture Foundation
As the lockdowns across Europe began to bite, the U.S. Establishment began its ‘wobble’. The more elegant amongst élite circles pointed to a dangerous mis-match in timelines: The medical advice has been: ‘lockdown until the virus begins to subside’, but that advice encompassed too, the possibility of Covid-19 returning later in the year in a Phase Two, thus requiring further personal distancing. Hands shot high in absolute horror amongst some business and Wall Street leaders: Could the U.S. economy sustain such a prospect? Might not a long shutdown inflict permanent damage? Would there even be an economy left – to resurrect – in the wake of ‘peak Coronavirus’?
The mis-match thesis then acquired a third strand: To immediate economic fears standing in contradistinction to longer term medical perspectives was added the third question: Are Americans culturally ‘built’ for lockdown (that is to say, will an individualistic, libertarian-minded – and armed society – acquiesce to being ordered to stay home over a long period)?
Not surprisingly, President Trump – with an advancing Election, and his colours pinned to the mast of sound economic management – hit on the formula that the ‘cure cannot be worse than the disease’: Let’s have the economy open by Easter (12 April – i.e. 15 days hence), he declared.
The issue of the virus is not manufactured, (though there are still many in the U.S., who regard it as an overblown scare), nor is the dilemma of the divergent timelines. Actually – a great deal hangs on how these timelines play out – our global economic and political prospects, no less.
Just about everyone and his dog now claims to have modelled Covid-19. But in truth, we still know very little on which to accurately predict the virus’ course. The ‘data’ is made unreliable: firstly, because not only does the virus have different mutations, but secondly, owing to it acting in two quite different modes: One is mild, or even asymptomatic (the 80%); and the second mode is serious (requiring hospitalisation) – and for a minority of the 20% – deadly.
But consequently, we simply do not know how much of the population is infected, or is still to be infected – precisely owing to its very mildness or, its asymptomatic characteristics amongst the 80 percent-ers. There hasn’t been enough testing – and anyway, given its mild or non-noticeable iteration, many people may have it, but don’t test.
So the data modelling is more ‘art’, than predictive, and therefore introduces economic uncertainty. The damage to the economy is obvious from the first, but the question least considered is the importance of the third strand: Is Trump right when he says that America ‘is not built for lockdown’?
He may be right, in one sense; but if he opts to prioritise a quick opening of the economy over the welfare of the American people, he may face incalculable consequences – should Covid-19 bite him in the backside: Either by mutating (as did the Spanish ‘flu in August 1918); or simply, by beginning a second phase through a resurgence of community infection later in the year.
Plainly, Trump is of the ‘fears are exaggerated’ school of thought, and seems poised to bet his Presidency on it. In this era, viral social media images of hospitals overwhelmed, and of patients fighting to breathe their last, unaided, and lying on the floor, jam-packed in corridors, or in converted gyms – can become politically toxic. The counter- response that the financial system is struggling for oxygen, under lockdown, too, may strike many people as a ‘little lacking’ in common humanity – perhaps?
The dilemma is cruel. And maybe the social timeline ‘strand’ has more substance, than is generally granted? Americans are libertarian in many ways (not least, in their determination to carry arms). This is reflected also, in their deliberate eschewing of a public health programme, and in the purposefully limited support provided to the hourly paid – who are laid off. It is the ethos of individualism, a work ethic and the consequence of a ‘libertarian’ constitution.
The St Louis Chair of the Fed has predicted 30% unemployment and 50% of the economy at standstill by the end of June. Is it sustainable to have these furloughed workers dying in the street, because they cannot afford America’s ‘boutique’ health-service for the wealthy? (we’ve seen videos of people unexpectedly falling down in the street, dying, as passers-by skirt the afflicted victim – from both China and Iran). Such videos would be inflammatory in the U.S.
What happens if ‘lockdown’ were extended, and the unemployed were to attack supermarkets for food they cannot afford; or because the supermarket shelves are empty (this has happened in Europe)? What would videos of the U.S. National Guard look like as they arrive, armed for war, to put down the ‘looters’? What happens if the rioters angry at their plight – and without money – use their right to bear weapons to fight against the National Guardsmen? Can the U.S. national fabric handle such strains? Might it not disintegrate?
Here, the U.S. differs from Europe. America has not, since the Civil War, had to experience the harsh circumstances in hospitals approximating to wartime, on its own soil.
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So, is Trump right, then, to prioritise keeping the U.S. economy open? Well, firstly, the notion that bits of the economy can be opened where infection-rates are low, whilst other parts are locked down, seems odd: Covid-19 – we do know – is highly infectious. Those who show no symptoms – whether they are under 50 years, or under 40 years-old – would not preclude them from being silent ‘super-carriers’ of the disease. We have not heard there is a test for anti-bodies, which might signal that an individual enjoys immunity. But unless an area has no infections, putting even one carrier into a workplace, would be sufficient to trigger a localised community infection.
Perhaps then, Trump might be right that anything other than a short (and possibly ineffective) lockdown is not manageable in the U.S.: That it might tear apart an already polarised, armed and inegalitarian, social fabric. There is then, a substantial point here: How far, and for how long, can an U.S. or European society accept a ‘command’ or martial-law administration – before citizens rebel, and head to the beaches for summer? What then?
Is it possible that can Trump may emerge from these events as the ‘saviour of the U.S. economy’? Here, we touch on the key question of the adaptability of élites. Are the U.S. élite capable of true transformation of consciousness as circumstances alter? On the answer to this question will hang the geo-political future. It was the inability of the Soviet elites to give up on their corrupt and privileged status quo that led to the implosion of the USSR in 1987.
We are often told that Americans are great innovators and graspers of opportunity. But today, the U.S. élites are utterly intent on preserving a status quo – as the viability and even the reality of that status quo is being questioned by important insiders. For the élite majority, though, the mind-set is intransigent and adamant. The status quo suits them well. They do not wish to see to see it reformed or changed. They refuse to think differently.
Eventually, the coronavirus will subside; but what will America look like when it does? For the moment, the élites believe that America will look just as it did, in February, before the impact of the pandemic hit U.S. markets. So, we have had the Fed, the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan all doing the same thing, over and over again, hoping that the economy will snap-back to ‘normal’. But it isn’t working.
The Fed fears a collapse in credit (with due reason), but ‘normality’ is not returning from the rush of liquidity hosed across credit markets. In the 2008 crisis, the Fed responded with all sorts of easing. This time the Fed is throwing the ‘kitchen sink’ at markets, offering ‘facilities’ for almost every asset class. At the present rate of growth, the Fed balance sheet will be $6 Trillion in days – and reach a total equivalent to almost 50% of the U.S. GDP by June. Another, unimaginable chunk of debt.
The problem is that the Fed’s measures will fail as stimulus – because it is not a problem of demand shortfall, but of supply-shock – as the globe implements ‘shut-down’ in order to slow infection. But, with recession or depression looming, asset prices are collapsing. Bloomberg has noted that core tenets such as what constitutes a safe asset, or the expectation of returns over the next decade, are all being thrown out of the window – as Central Banks strive to avert a global recession: The latter have unleashed a money tsunami, unlike anything seen before, and the fear of inflation is rising, together with a sense that all the old metrics of what constitutes safe investments are gone for good.
Meanwhile the U.S. Congress has passed a $2 trillion bill to counter the effects of Covid-19. It was well received for a while in the U.S. markets, before they fell again. The bill may help keep a part of the big business status quo alive, for now, but the bottom line is that these spending bills – as Jim Rickards notes – “provide spending but they do not provide stimulus”. And all that spending – like that of the Fed – essentially will be helicopter money: i.e. monetised debt.
The essential dilemma is that the Central Bankers’ Holy Grail – stimulus – depends on consumers, who constitute 70% of the U.S. economy; and on whether they decide consume – and to what extent. And that will depend upon their psychology in the post-Covid-19 era, and not on what the Fed does, or does not, do now.
If consumers get used – during lockdown – to doing without; to economising; they may well decide that increased savings and debt reduction, are the best ways to prepare for straitened times. 83% of U.S. businesses are small or medium sized companies. Some may survive and resume work, but others will not re-open after the lockdown. It will be a different atmosphere: a different economic era.
Of course, the élites want to go ‘back to normal’ as quickly as possible, but the ‘bottom line’ emerging from the Fed’s failure to staunch market paralysis is that that which the élites had thought to be ‘normal’ is proving not to have been normal at all. It is now apparent as having been a financialised bubble – and Covid-19 happens to have been the pin that popped it. This bubble was just the biggest, in a long line of Fed-blown bubbles (NASDAQ, sub-prime mortgages, etc.) – and now, the final ‘everything-bubble’ has burst. There’s nothing now left for the Fed to ‘bubble up’. It’s probably over.
Here’s the larger – global – point. Again, it revolves around psychology: Have these events been the ‘pin’ which also pops some sort of mass psychological bubble (a sealed Cartesian, mental retort)? Will public faith in the status quo crash, along with the financialised ‘everything-bubble’? Will a momentary flash of enlightenment to the house-of-cards reality that Americans had been living, cause them to start seeing their world afresh, and in its raw, hard reality? If so, the world order stands on the cusp of change.
For some time now, a general popular disquiet has been incubating. The question is whether, in the cold post-Covid-19 reality, Americans will begin to cease their acquiescence to – and their co-operation with – the status quo.
This might mean trouble as America and some European states try to manage the pandemic through invoking the necessity of a war-time command-governance. Will people accept such a command system, if they see its principal purpose being the return to a failed status quo ante?


investmentwatchblog--2020-04-01--Censorship Wins! Doctors & Healthcare Workers Fired For Talking About Lack Of Masks, Gloves, Etc

( Silver Doctors Editors ) Some doubleplusungood news on this final day of March , 2020 .
The censorship is real , and while it may be hard to believe , censorship in the USA is getting in the way of doctors and nurses simply being able to do their jobs and help healthcare workers in doing theirs by sharing difficulties and fixes for difficulties .
It ’ s bad enough our government and so-called public health leaders say masks don ’ t help , but now , doctors , nurses , and those on the frontlines are simply not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on .
Here ’ s a ( former ) doctor from Washington State who ’ s out of a job for speaking out : An emergency room doctor who spoke out about the lack of coronavirus safety protections in place at his workplace in Bellingham , Washington , about 90 miles north of Seattle , said he was fired on Friday .
Dr Ming Lin , an emergency physician at PeaceHealth St Joseph Medical Center , repeatedly posted on his Facebook page about not having enough protective equipment , long delays in receiving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screening practices in which patients were evaluated inside the waiting room .
Dr Lin , a physician for about 30 years , often began posts with “ SHAME ON PEACEHEALTH ” .
He received dozens of supportive responses .
In a Facebook post on Wednesday , he wrote that nurses were not given enough gowns to protect themselves and there was no area for staff to “ decontaminate ” .
There was “ no way for us to prevent us from becoming the vector for our family and our community , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when doctors are allowed to speak out , well , changes can be made for the better .
So if doctors are not allowed to speak out , then what does that say about the true agenda here ?
Here ’ s more on this alarming new censorship trend , from Bloomberg : As in , treated like chained-dogs ?
Welcome to the silver stacker ’ s world , dear healthcare workers !
Hospitals have traditionally had strict media guidelines to protect patient privacy , urging staff to talk with journalists only through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic has ushered in a new era , Schubert said .
Health-care workers “ must have the ability to tell the public what is really going on inside the facilities where they are caring for Covid-19 patients , ” she said .
One reason is to prepare other nurses and doctors for the looming onslaught of cases and encourage donations of much-needed equipment , particularly the personal protective equipment or PPE that protects them from being infected and in turn infecting other patients as well as their families when they go home .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are chased out , or just leave , yet many will be unable to walk away , and as the healthcare system in the United States collapses , in comes the latest dark chapter in American history , the era of nationalized healthcare in the United States .
It will be served right alongside of nationalized everything .

(Silver Doctors Editors) Some doubleplusungood news on this final day of March, 2020.
The censorship is real, and while it may be hard to believe, censorship in the USA is getting in the way of doctors and nurses simply being able to do their jobs and help healthcare workers in doing theirs by sharing difficulties and fixes for difficulties.
It’s bad enough our government and so-called public health leaders say masks don’t help, but now, doctors, nurses, and those on the frontlines are simply not able to say what’s going on.
Here’s a (former) doctor from Washington State who’s out of a job for speaking out:
An emergency room doctor who spoke out about the lack of coronavirus safety protections in place at his workplace in Bellingham, Washington, about 90 miles north of Seattle, said he was fired on Friday. Dr Ming Lin, an emergency physician at PeaceHealth St Joseph Medical Center, repeatedly posted on his Facebook page about not having enough protective equipment, long delays in receiving coronavirus test results, and risky virus screening practices in which patients were evaluated inside the waiting room. Dr Lin, a physician for about 30 years, often began posts with “SHAME ON PEACEHEALTH”. He received dozens of supportive responses. In a Facebook post on Wednesday, he wrote that nurses were not given enough gowns to protect themselves and there was no area for staff to “decontaminate”. There was “no way for us to prevent us from becoming the vector for our family and our community,” he wrote.
The scary part is, when doctors are allowed to speak out, well, changes can be made for the better.
So if doctors are not allowed to speak out, then what does that say about the true agenda here?
Here’s more on this alarming new censorship trend, from Bloomberg:
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“Hospitals are muzzling nurses and other health-care workers in an attempt to preserve their image,” said Ruth Schubert, a spokeswoman for the Washington State Nurses Association. “It is outrageous.”
Say what?
Muzzled?
As in, treated like chained-dogs?
Welcome to the silver stacker’s world, dear healthcare workers!
Bloomberg continues (bold added for emphasis):
Hospitals have traditionally had strict media guidelines to protect patient privacy, urging staff to talk with journalists only through official public relations offices. But the pandemic has ushered in a new era, Schubert said. Health-care workers “must have the ability to tell the public what is really going on inside the facilities where they are caring for Covid-19 patients,” she said. One reason is to prepare other nurses and doctors for the looming onslaught of cases and encourage donations of much-needed equipment, particularly the personal protective equipment or PPE that protects them from being infected and in turn infecting other patients as well as their families when they go home.
In the end, the good doctors are chased out, or just leave, yet many will be unable to walk away, and as the healthcare system in the United States collapses, in comes the latest dark chapter in American history, the era of nationalized healthcare in the United States.
It will be served right alongside of nationalized everything.