Cathay Bank Reveals Biden Crime Family’s Activities


Armstrong Economics Blog/Corruption Re-Posted Apr 17, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

The Biden crime family’s activities are coming to light after a bank with ties to China handed over records to Republican lawmakers. Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa reached out to numerous banks for information without luck. “We are investigating the domestic and international business dealings of President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, and other Biden associates and family members to determine whether these activities compromise U.S. national security and President Biden’s ability to lead with impartiality,” they stated in a joint letter. Cathay Bank was the only bank that was willing to aid in the investigation.

Cathay Bank revealed that Rob Walker, a Biden family associated, received a $3 million payment from a Chinese firm. Walker distributed these funds to the Bidens the following day. The alleged payments were made to Hunter Biden for $610,692; the president’s brother James Biden for $360,000; Hunter’s mistress and wife of deceased son Beau, Hallie Biden, for $25,000; last of all, $70,000 was paid to an unknown Biden. Twelve additional transactions are currently under investigation.

The corruption began while Biden was Obama’s vice president. As indicated in the joint letter:

“The convergence of the Biden family’s political and business lives began during the Obama-Biden Administration. Obama Administration White House visitor logs show Hunter Biden’s business partner visited the White House at least 27 times during President Biden’s vice presidency. Hunter Biden’s business partner—Eric Schwerin—was later nominated for a position in the Obama-Biden Administration and handled then-Vice President Biden’s tax returns while he was in office and Schwerin was president of Rosemont Seneca Partners— another Hunter Biden-affiliated company. Republicans must track the dollars to uncover whether the current President himself benefitted from these transactions and whether the payments were from nations opposed to U.S. interests.”

Now-defunct CEFC China Energy, with direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), wired $1 million to one of Hunter’s business ventures called Hudson West III. Northern International Capital Holdings, a CEFC associate, sent $5 million to Hudson West III. Hudson West III used the money to send $4.8 million to Owasco P.C. and Owasco LLC, and Lion Hall Group, owned by the president’s brother James Biden. Owasco P.C. sent over 20 wire transfer to Lion Hall Group. Hunter received a $500,000 a month retainer from Hunter West III on top of a $100,000 per month fee. I am assuming that is a lot of crack. James Biden received $65,000 per month.

Senator Johnson believes the CCP may have more dirt on the Biden’s and called this release a warning shot. “They willingly gave us the documents that backed up the Treasury records. Is that a Communist Party’s shot across President Biden’s bow? Listen, this is some of the information we have. If you don’t toe the line and do things that please us, we will release even more information,” stated Johnson. The House Oversight Committee needs to take this matter seriously. America’s national security is at risk if the sitting president is compromised.

Bragg Sued for Election Interference


Armstrong Economics Blog/Corruption Re-Posted Apr 13, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

It is clear to everyone that Alvin Bragg is going after Donald Trump to prevent him from running in the 2024 Presidential Election. The Manhattan DA, who campaigned solely on a promise to take down Trump, but failed over 100 times, has made a mockery of the US legal system. Since no one is above the law, Bragg is being sued for tampering with the upcoming election.

A man by the name of Gabe Whitley (Honest Gabe) filed charges in the US Federal Court in Indiana’s Southern District against Bragg, who he claims violated 18 U.S.C. § 241:

“Section 241 makes it unlawful for two or more persons to agree to injure, threaten, or intimidate a person in the United States in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured by the Constitution or laws of the Unites States or because of his or her having exercised such a right.”

Campaigning on a promise to destroy an individual certainly seems like intimidation. Perhaps Bragg hopes Biden will appoint him to the Supreme Court one day if he succeeds in his mission. In this case, Bragg is violating the American public’s right to vote. Trump has amassed a large group of supporters, and like it or not, they have the right to vote in our elections as taxpaying citizens. The FBI and intelligence agencies did everything possible to hide the dirt on Biden prior to the elections. This time it is (D)ifferent as they are scraping the bottom of the barrel to find anything to use against Trump.

Whitley posted on Facebook:

“Today I filed a lawsuit in the US Federal Courthouse Southern District of Indiana suing Alvin Bragg for interfering in the 2024 Presidential Election. This political persecution of Former President Trump is illegal and we Hoosiers will not tolerate any election interference.

America’s Elections are under attack by the Radical Democrats destroying our country and our free fair elections.

For far too long Democrats have been screaming Election Interference about Russia, Russia, Russia which was later debunked. We Republicans will continue to fight for your right to vote in a secure elections.”

Similar to those who went after the Clintons, people are afraid to directly go after Bragg since he is backed by Soros and all the big money on the left. The timing of Trump’s arrest is no coincidence. The American people were deprived of a fair election in 2020, and look at the state of our nation today. If Biden was really the most popular president in US election history, there would be no need to destroy his opponents.

Pentagon’s Leaked Documents Anger South Korea


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics Re-Posted Apr 12, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

South Korea’s diplomatic policy dictates that it will not send ammunition to countries at war. The recently leaked documents from the Pentagon reveal that the US is bullying South Korea into breaking its policy to arm Ukraine. Worse, the documents reveal that US intelligence agencies have been spying on South Korea. This is an unfortunate start to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s meeting with President Joe Biden scheduled for April 26.

CIA personnel has been warning Washington not to speak to Seoul over the phone until they agreed to arm Ukraine. Former presidential secretary for foreign affairs Lee Moon-hee, named Yi Mun-hui in the documents, told former Director of National Security Kim Sung-han that South Korea would have two options. The first would be for the nation to change its stance. The second would be for South Korea to send weapons to Poland, using Poland as the middleman to avoid breaking policy as “getting the ammunition to Ukraine quickly was the ultimate goal of the United States.” The documents also reveal potential wiretapping against South Korea who is supposed to be an ally.

Yoon is under pressure from both the US and his own policymakers. Opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) floor leader Park Hong-keun is urging Yoon to demand an apology from Biden. “If confirmed, it is an unacceptable practice that cannot be tolerated in the 70-year alliance and a clear infringement of South Korea’s sovereignty that shatters bilateral trust … The U.S. government should be faithful to its ally and apologize to the South Korean public and the government, if those reports are true,” Park stated.

Why is the US risking its international alliances to fight a foreign war? The Biden Administration has completely abandoned domestic policy in favor of fighting a war on behalf of Ukraine. Countries previously yielded to the demands of the US as its military and economic power made it the key ally. Things have changed. Nations are increasingly distancing themselves from the US as the country spirals down a dark path that has already shaken its superpower status.

Jim Jordan Responds to Alvin Bragg Lawsuit as Manhattan DA Tries to Block Congressional Investigation and Review


Posted originally on the CTH on April 12, 2023 | Sundance 

In the BIG PICTURE a local New York City District Attorney has created a criminal case, structured on a federal crime, that the federal government has stated was not a crime.  This is the Rubicon that has been crossed by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. In essence this is extreme Lawfare in action.

In response to the jurisdictional issue; in addition to the substantive political construct of the case; the largest mechanism within congress, the House Judiciary Committee has subpoenaed officials from the District Attorney’s office to answer questions about the construct of the case.  A return-fire lawfare response.

In reaction to the federal response and inquiry, DA Alvin Bragg filed a lawsuit against the House Judiciary Committee [Filing Review HERE].  District Attorney Bragg also asked for intervention against the subpoena, an injunction against the authority of the House oversight, that was immediately DENIED by the court.  Alvin Bragg really doesn’t want the House to investigate his case.

Appearing on Fox News to outline the House response, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan explains the issues at hand {Direct Rumble Link} – WATCH:

Jim Jordan is correct in the unprecedented action from Bragg, that preceded the unprecedented action from congress. This is a battle of Lawfare operations with significant long-term consequences for the entire justice system.  The political motives for the New York, Atlanta (GA) and Washington DC cases are transparent.

When It Comes to Economics, Trust Your Instincts


Posted originally on the CTH on April 11, 2023 | Sundance 

A few days after the terror attack of 9-11-01, someone in media asked George W. Bush what Americans can do to help.  Dubya’s response drew instant criticism, because he asked people to go shopping… but in the big picture, President Bush knew what could happen if the economic freeze continued.

When it comes to politics and economic outlooks, trust your instincts.  The economics of the ‘thing’ is always the reason the ‘thing’ exists or does not exist.

When you are looking at economic news, always remind yourself… the people producing the news have a vested interest in maintaining a very specific outlook.  The motive behind what Dubya said in September of 2001, pertains every bit as much today.  Economic outcomes can topple entire governments.

Remember, this current ‘supply-side energy policy driven inflation‘, a purposeful effort to shrink the economy and yet tenuously maintain control, has never happened before.  The people behind the Build Back Better agenda are, in reality, experimenting with a theory. DATA…

(ISM) – The Institute for Supply Management’s PMI contracted for the fifth straight month in March registering 46.3, the lowest level since May 2020. Any reading below 50.0 indicates contraction.  The employment index declined by 2.2 percent to a level of 46.9.

Most of the impediments to manufacturing growth — such as shortages and lockdowns — have subsided, said Tim Fiore, chair of the ISM’s manufacturing survey committee, with the exception of pricing. ISM’s pricing index fell below 50 in March but at 49.2 remains higher than pre-pandemic levels.

“The beginning of the second half may not be the beginning of a recovery,” said Fiore. “Manufactures reduced headcounts because of uncertainty of demand and over-ordering has burned off. Demand isn’t coming back quickly enough to support current headcounts.”

All these trends were prevalent in March, he added, although the PMI has only lost 3 to 4 points since October 2022.

Back in December, ISM panelists anticipated an uptick in demand by the beginning of Q2. “We thought this recovery would be lumpy, but I think this indicates the recovery has been delayed,” Fiore said. “I think we are talking about expansion toward the end of Q3—it’s unlikely we’ll see a lot of activity in the summer.” (read more)

It’s not a recovery now, it will not be a recovery this year.

On a per unit basis, we have been in an economic contraction cycle since mid 2021.  However, because economic outcomes are measured in dollars, the shrinking unit output, and the fewer units being sold at wholesale and retail level, is being hidden.

Inflation has hidden serious drops in unit purchases…. and fewer unit purchases mean lowered production output…. and lowered production output means less production is needed.

(CNBC SURVEY) – Inflation, economic instability and a lack of savings have an increasing number of Americans feeling financially stressed. 

Some 70% of Americans admit to being stressed about their personal finances these days and a majority — 52% — of U.S. adults said their financial stress has increased since before the Covid-19 pandemic began in March 2020, according to a new CNBC Your Money Financial Confidence Survey conducted in partnership with Momentive.

Anxious and uncertain about whether they can get a better handle on their money, some may be intimidated by the prospect of creating a budget or unsure of where to stash their cash to get the highest returns. Others may be wondering how to begin saving for retirement when they’ve gotten off to a late start. 

“People are worried that the money they’ve saved won’t last and are worried they’re going to have to lean more on their credit cards and other sources of debt just to get by,” said Bruce McClary, a senior vice president at the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. (read more) 

If you want to know what’s going on in the larger U.S. economy, just look around you.

Don’t turn on the television and read the newspaper to see what is happening in the U.S. economy for your purchasing or life planning.  Just look around you.

Look at restaurants and bars.  Do you see continued high-volume business or not.

Look at the grocery stores. Do you see continued optimism, or not.

Look at the malls and shopping centers. Do you see foot traffic, or not.

Look at the real estate in your neighborhood – your local view.  Do you see prices going up or going down.

That’s the reality of the economy as it impacts you….. and critically, that’s the reality of the economy nationwide.

When it comes to data and economics, do not let the media created ‘illusion of the thing‘ cloud your ability to see the reality of the thing.

Trust your instincts.

Yellen Admits Truth Behind the Inflation Reduction Act


Armstrong Economics Blog/Corruption Re-Posted Apr 11, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

The Inflation Reduction Act has only increased inflation. Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen came out and admitted the truth – the act’s entire premise is to push the climate change agenda forward. “The Inflation Reduction Act is, at its core, about turning the climate crisis into an economic opportunity,” Yellen admitted.

It provided the government with an opportunity to eliminate our energy independence. We did not have an energy crisis before Joe Biden took office. He killed the Keystone deal on his very first day in office and has been promoting the larger WEF Build Back Better plan at the expense of the nation. Biden implemented policies that worsened inflation and then convinced mindless politicians, who never read the large bills put forward, to vote for a $369 billion act under the premise of fixing a problem he created.

Now Joe Manchin, who brokered the deal with Biden, claims he was duped into believing the act was actually designed to reduce inflation. In an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal, Manchin criticized the need to raise the debt ceiling as a “needless emergency.” Manchin wrote:

“America is fast approaching another needless emergency—the raising of the national debt ceiling. This impending crisis isn’t an accident but a result of the inaction of various actors who refuse to confront fiscal reality, sit down, negotiate and make hard decisions for the sake of our nation’s future. While all parties have a responsibility to negotiate in good faith, recent actions make clear to me that the Biden administration is determined to pursue an ideological agenda rather than confront the clear and present danger that debts and deficits pose to our nation.”

He goes on to state that the national debt is nearly $31.5 trillion, “or close to $95,000 for every man, woman, and child, and represents 120% of our gross domestic product.” He proposes negotiating the debt ceiling and is pleading with “Mr. Biden to instruct his administration to implement the Inflation Reduction Act as written and stop redefining its credits and other subsidies.”

The Senator from West Virginia stated that Americans will pay the price for generations if Biden fails to act, but Yellen has now admitted that the goal of the IRA has been achieved. As Trump said, if you put the worst five presidents in American history together, they’ve done less damage to the nation than Biden in under three years.

Alvin Bragg Video Resurfaces


Armstrong Economics Blog/Corruption Re-Posted Apr 11, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

The video above is from two years ago. Alvin Bragg admitted that he helped “sue the Trump administration over 100 times.” Bragg says “rich old white men” need to be prosecuted and attempts to compare Trump to convicted rapists like Epstein and Weinstein. If a white guy said rich black guys it would be racist. His entire career has centered on attempting to bring Trump down by any means possible. He has already failed to bring down Trump “over 100 times,” and this is his last-ditch effort. Bragg simply has a personal vendetta against Trump and was elected for the sole purpose of removing Trump from the political arena.

Below is the full video:

When the Body Bags Start Coming Home


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics Re-Posted Apr 10, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

The Neocons are on both sides of the aisle. In the Republican camp, of course, we have Lindsy Graham, but there is also Marco Rubio who has the audacity to tell Europe they better pick sides. Then there is Michael McCaul of Texas. Based on reliable sources, the military has been instructed to prepare for war. This is inevitable.

The Democrats intend to beat the war drums to make sure the Republican Neocons will vote with them. Biden intends to Run in 2024. The Neocons need him because he is senile and will say what they write on his cue cards and sign whatever they put in front of him. Blinken is the leader of the Neocons in the White House. They are pushing for war BEFORE the 2024 election for these people looks at war and that typically the president in power is always reelected in times of war. So, hunker down. Hide your kids. It’s off to war we go so Biden can be reelected. They thought Trump would be the Republican and Biden could beat him. That remains to be seen when the body bags start coming home. These people have no respect for the people or human rights. It’s all just a chess game to them.

Interview: Can History Help Us Predict Market Cycles?


Armstrong Economics Blog/Armstrong in the Media Re-Posted Apr 10, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Visit Spotify or your podcast channel of choice for my most recent interview with TikMill.

Martin Armstrong, a true market maverick & innovator – ‘History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme’ M.Twain – a motto for the ages and closely linked to Martin Armstrong’s market and personal ethos, Martin’s Socrates platform is truly groundbreaking as is his Economic Confidence model, listen in and learn more – enjoy!

Poor Kids (documentary)


Armstrong Economics Blog/North America Re-Posted Apr 10, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

This documentary is extremely hard to watch but accurately depicts the hardships millions face in the modern industrialized world. We cannot turn a blind eye to the pain and suffering that poverty creates. This is happening today in the wealthiest country in the world.

Below is an update from the documentary that aired in 2012. There was a slight glimpse of hope when Obama left office and the economy improved under Trump. Still, the funds we send overseas are needed at home. Those with the least suffer the most when the economy turns down.

This a raw reminder to count your blessing on this Easter Monday.