Let’s start with geopolitics. The Chinese peace and reconciliation tour continues to bear fruit at the point of its main focus: the Middle East. Following the announced resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia—an earthshaking event—the Saudis have invited Iran’s foreign minister to visit Riyadh, while arrangements for a major meeting are under way. Further, Iran has announced that it is has been, for the past two months, been engaging in talks aimed at normalizing relations with Bahrain. Bahrain hosts two US military bases.
Re Trump, it will be interesting to see if the DS really is as stupid and crazy enough to arrest him, or whether it's just a Trump publicity stunt. I certainly wouldn't think about any riots or demonstrations - we know how that worked out on J6. "Ray Epps, please report immediately for duty!"
A guy goes away for a week and all heck breaks loose... OK I am not that solipsistic. But things do not look good domestically or internationally.
We had better hope that the Dems, Rinos, and Neocons are somehow relieved from power. We have a total disregard for the rule of law and equal application of it. We have an economic civil war between the Fed w/ the NY boys, and Yellen w/ the Biden admin and the ECB. Our globalist elites are at war with the rest of the world except for Soros and Davos and the German Greens and the UK neo-colonialists. The worst consequences might still be avoided but the people that could change them remain tethered to their own biases and desires and their own immoral, unsustainable, false versions of reality.
Many years ago, I remember having to sing a song in school that was, I think, the official theme song for United Nations Day: "Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me." Who would have thought that 50+ years on, Xi Jinping would become the embodiment of that sentiment? And the U.S. its antithesis? By the way, whatever happened to the United Nations? I haven't heard a peep out of them about the Ukraine. Wasn't their main justification to promote peace? Or has it now become equity and reparations? Maybe they are too busy kowtowing to their host country who is also their major benefactor? They are shameful and a sham, indeed. But they always were. The Biden crime family writ large, really. All in for the money.
Mark, thank you for being very much on top of things and your recent posts are spot on both politically and economically, IMO. There is just so much to keep up with day by day I don't know how you do it.
The contrast of Putin and Xi's measured adult behavior vs that of the petulant, hysterical children of NATO especially Biden/Obama & Trudeau is staggering. Apparently they believe they are masters of their universes, comfortable "increasing the pressure while still keeping the valve closed" with no concern that what is happening to Rutte in the Netherlands and Macron in France will happen to them.
I think Russia and China are looking to fill a void where US hegemony has held other countries subservient. Many 3rd world too. These countries want badly to get out from the EU / U.S. thumb. Look at Mali. Others too. These countries are sick of our doublespeak and resource pillaging. Russia and China present options. Did we ever think we’d lose India? Fair market opportunities are what others are looking for… not pillage.
The incredible damage that these neocon tyros have done to this country cannot be overstated, the evidence continues to build on a daily basis. Who’d have suggested a rapprochement between the Saudis and the Iranians? China and Russia look like the champions of peace while the US displays all the signs of a duplicitous and untrustworthy actor on the world stage with “sound and fury, signifying nothing”. Every move our elites make only serves to make a bad situation worse. Rather than reflecting on how their plans have consistently run amuck, they double down on stupid and continue to push a policy of endlessly reckless provocation driving the world closer and closer to WW lll.
Meanwhile on the domestic front the same policy of endless provocation has created one of the most volatile social situations since the civil war! Unceasing attacks on personal freedom will do nothing to diffuse the situation and couple that with a monetary policy that has the country teetering on the edge of a financial abyss not seen since the 1930’s, seems to almost guarantee a messy and undesirable outcome. Their response? “Hey, let’s arrest DJT on some warmed over BS charge, that’ll show the peasants that we mean business!”
Brilliant! Wasn’t it Einstein who said that at one time he thought that only time and space were infinite, but upon further reflection he felt inclined to add stupidity to the list.
As Andrea pointed out in her column today, the Dems are foolish enough to think that they can maintain control over this situation as it reaches critical mass. The pressure cooker analogy was also apt, because the stress that is building to higher level with every passing day has got to find some kind of relief, and soon.
The reconciliation of Iran and Saudi Arabia is a good thing and makes nuclear war less likely. Maybe Iran can become a normal nation again.
We are entering a post NATO world. NATO was a defensive alliance through the Cold War but I don’t know what it’s purpose is now. It shouldn’t be an offensive alliance.
I don’t believe our banking system will collapse and I don’t believe it is as fragile as people believe. The risk from underwater securities is overstated. Banks have deposits too which become less burdensome - more profitable - as interest rates rise. Credit problems will be more challenging - these aren’t apparent yet but they will be.
Banks in Europe and Japan are much weaker than US banks. The Fed put in rigorous stress tests after the GFC, and most banks bolstered their capital levels. My impression is that the Europeans did not do so.
The post WWII system is coming to an end. The transition is rocky but there is a lot of opportunity once we get past this. The worst problems are dodgy elections and dysfunctional elites and that is what we must solve.
Re Trump, it will be interesting to see if the DS really is as stupid and crazy enough to arrest him, or whether it's just a Trump publicity stunt. I certainly wouldn't think about any riots or demonstrations - we know how that worked out on J6. "Ray Epps, please report immediately for duty!"
great commentary = thx for posting
Putin and Xi want to be as far away from the ship when it goes down.
A guy goes away for a week and all heck breaks loose... OK I am not that solipsistic. But things do not look good domestically or internationally.
We had better hope that the Dems, Rinos, and Neocons are somehow relieved from power. We have a total disregard for the rule of law and equal application of it. We have an economic civil war between the Fed w/ the NY boys, and Yellen w/ the Biden admin and the ECB. Our globalist elites are at war with the rest of the world except for Soros and Davos and the German Greens and the UK neo-colonialists. The worst consequences might still be avoided but the people that could change them remain tethered to their own biases and desires and their own immoral, unsustainable, false versions of reality.
Many years ago, I remember having to sing a song in school that was, I think, the official theme song for United Nations Day: "Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me." Who would have thought that 50+ years on, Xi Jinping would become the embodiment of that sentiment? And the U.S. its antithesis? By the way, whatever happened to the United Nations? I haven't heard a peep out of them about the Ukraine. Wasn't their main justification to promote peace? Or has it now become equity and reparations? Maybe they are too busy kowtowing to their host country who is also their major benefactor? They are shameful and a sham, indeed. But they always were. The Biden crime family writ large, really. All in for the money.
Mark, thank you for being very much on top of things and your recent posts are spot on both politically and economically, IMO. There is just so much to keep up with day by day I don't know how you do it.
The contrast of Putin and Xi's measured adult behavior vs that of the petulant, hysterical children of NATO especially Biden/Obama & Trudeau is staggering. Apparently they believe they are masters of their universes, comfortable "increasing the pressure while still keeping the valve closed" with no concern that what is happening to Rutte in the Netherlands and Macron in France will happen to them.
I think Russia and China are looking to fill a void where US hegemony has held other countries subservient. Many 3rd world too. These countries want badly to get out from the EU / U.S. thumb. Look at Mali. Others too. These countries are sick of our doublespeak and resource pillaging. Russia and China present options. Did we ever think we’d lose India? Fair market opportunities are what others are looking for… not pillage.
The incredible damage that these neocon tyros have done to this country cannot be overstated, the evidence continues to build on a daily basis. Who’d have suggested a rapprochement between the Saudis and the Iranians? China and Russia look like the champions of peace while the US displays all the signs of a duplicitous and untrustworthy actor on the world stage with “sound and fury, signifying nothing”. Every move our elites make only serves to make a bad situation worse. Rather than reflecting on how their plans have consistently run amuck, they double down on stupid and continue to push a policy of endlessly reckless provocation driving the world closer and closer to WW lll.
Meanwhile on the domestic front the same policy of endless provocation has created one of the most volatile social situations since the civil war! Unceasing attacks on personal freedom will do nothing to diffuse the situation and couple that with a monetary policy that has the country teetering on the edge of a financial abyss not seen since the 1930’s, seems to almost guarantee a messy and undesirable outcome. Their response? “Hey, let’s arrest DJT on some warmed over BS charge, that’ll show the peasants that we mean business!”
Brilliant! Wasn’t it Einstein who said that at one time he thought that only time and space were infinite, but upon further reflection he felt inclined to add stupidity to the list.
As Andrea pointed out in her column today, the Dems are foolish enough to think that they can maintain control over this situation as it reaches critical mass. The pressure cooker analogy was also apt, because the stress that is building to higher level with every passing day has got to find some kind of relief, and soon.
Some good things are happening here too.
The reconciliation of Iran and Saudi Arabia is a good thing and makes nuclear war less likely. Maybe Iran can become a normal nation again.
We are entering a post NATO world. NATO was a defensive alliance through the Cold War but I don’t know what it’s purpose is now. It shouldn’t be an offensive alliance.
I don’t believe our banking system will collapse and I don’t believe it is as fragile as people believe. The risk from underwater securities is overstated. Banks have deposits too which become less burdensome - more profitable - as interest rates rise. Credit problems will be more challenging - these aren’t apparent yet but they will be.
Banks in Europe and Japan are much weaker than US banks. The Fed put in rigorous stress tests after the GFC, and most banks bolstered their capital levels. My impression is that the Europeans did not do so.
The post WWII system is coming to an end. The transition is rocky but there is a lot of opportunity once we get past this. The worst problems are dodgy elections and dysfunctional elites and that is what we must solve.