California on Track to Topple Power Grid


Armstrong Economics Blog/Climate Re-Posted Sep 2, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

California plans to ban gas-powered vehicles by 2035. The Advanced Clean Cars II rule would ban ALL gas car sales in 2035, but there are no alternatives in place. The average American cannot afford an electric car or maintenance on an electric vehicle. Beginning in 2026, 35% of new autos sold in California will be required to produce zero emissions. By 2027, 51% of all new cars will need to be electric, and that amount will rise to 68% in 2028, followed by an all-out ban on gas-powered cars in 2035.

Well, California is already struggling to power the electric vehicles on the road in 2022. The California Independent System Operator called for a “voluntary energy conservation” during the upcoming Labor Day weekend due to the failing power grid. They are asking residents to refrain from charging their cars between 4 PM and 9 PM, which is when demand peaks. “If left unmanaged, the power demanded from many electric vehicles charging simultaneously in the evening will amplify existing peak loads, potentially outstripping the grid’s current capacity to meet demand,” Cornell University’s College of Engineering stated.

So electric vehicles have the potential to take down California’s power grid. The state estimates that it will need 1.2 million charging stations by 2030, but they have a mere 80,000 currently. California does not have the ability to implement this zero-emission ban without toppling the entire power grid.

The Optics Created by Joe Biden Communication Team for a National Address Were Off the Charts Creepy


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on September 1, 2022 | Sundance

I usually prefer to stay away from the ancillary stuff, but the remarks by Joe Biden today were not normal, not even close.

Every national address by a president has a massive advance team checking every detail of a venue before broadcast.  The optics they put together for Biden’s “battle for the soul of a nation” speech tonight, was just plain creepy and weird.  I mean think about it, what does this imagery present when discussing the theme of battling for the soul of a nation?

These are not modified images or changes in presentation; they are exactly what was broadcast to the nation. It looks straight up evil. Like something out of a hellscape theatrical production intended to showcase Baal as the “soul of the nation.”

On one hand, this is the realistic tone of the Biden administration.  But on the other hand, you would not expect to see this harsh dictatorship enhanced with the backdrop to give it such angered imagery.   I have never seen anything even close to this in a presidential address.  Beyond creepy.

Biden: “Let me say this to my MAGA Republican friends in Congress: Don’t tell me you support law enforcement if you won’t condemn what happened on the 6th.”


The Post Millennial Clips  Published originally on Rumble on August 30, 2022

Biden: “Let me say this to my MAGA Republican friends in Congress: Don’t tell me you support law enforcement if you won’t condemn what happened on the 6th.”

CBO Confirms Inflation Reduction Act Will Target Everyone


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics Re-Posted Sep 1, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) conducted a study that proves claims that the middle class will not face tax increases under the Inflation Reduction Act are unfounded. This comes after the CBO said that the act would have little if no impact on inflation. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urged the IRS not to target the “share of small business or households below the $400,000 threshold that are audited relative to historical levels.” She knew that was not possible.

The truth of the matter is that everyone will be targeted. The CBO estimates that those earning under $400,000 annually will contribute to $4 billion in collected revenue over the next decade. That is nearly the size of a care package embezzlement to Ukraine. The CBO stated:

“Some taxpayers reporting income of less than $400,000 on their tax return, for whom the proposed amendment would have barred audits using the new funding, will be found to have more income than they reported—in some cases, income greater than $400,000—if they are audited.”

The billionaires they claim to be targeted have teams of lawyers and accountants, as do large corporations. The average person or small business owner does not have the option of eclectic accounting or hiring a team to take on the IRS. I have no idea why people still think the Democrats are the party of the working and middle class when their policies do nothing but harm the average American.

Does the US Want War with China?


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics Re-Posted Aug 30, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

China does not want a war with the US. The US, however, is continually provoking China by using Taiwan as its scapegoat. The US Navy announced that two warships will be traveling through the Taiwan Strait. The reasoning? The military aims to demonstrate freedom of movement through international waters. In other words, they deliberately want to anger China.

Nancy Pelosi began the subtle attack on China when she visited Taiwan and disregarded warnings from every intelligence agency. China repeatedly warned America not to interfere in its One China policy. Yet, Pelosi said she wants Taiwan to liberate Taiwan.

“We take this trip at a time when the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy,” Pelosi said. “We cannot stand by as the CCP proceeds to threaten Taiwan — and democracy itself,” Pelosi said in a statement. “Our congressional delegation’s visit should be seen as an unequivocal statement that America stands with Taiwan, our democratic partner, as it defends itself and its freedom.”

China flexed its military power as soon as Pelosi left by performing almost a mock invasion through the skies and sea. As of this week, Taiwan reported 23 Chinese aircrafts and eight ships around Taiwan. Russia was provoked by NATO and backed into a corner before invading Ukraine. Beijing is increasingly feeling the pressure as the US is not actively abiding by its One China policy. Between the current recession, proxy war in Ukraine, and surmounting debt, the US is simply stretched too thin to enter a war with China.

Our models warn that geopolitical tensions will rise going into 2023. China is selling off US debt, which is another sign of coming geopolitical problems.

California Begs Residents Not to Move to Texas


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics Re-Posted Aug 30, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

California’s failed policies have led residents to flock to states like Florida, Arizona, and Texas. Now, California is begging them to stay by using disturbing rhetoricBillboards are appearing across Los Angeles and San Francisco warning against moving to Texas. The reason? The horrific Uvalde School massacre that occurred at Robb Elementary in May.

“The Texas miracle died in Uvalde,” the billboards states. It is in bad taste to use a school shooting to promote an agenda. The gunman was apprehended by a Texas resident with a gun. The police failed those children. None of this has anything to do with California’s policies; crime is not as prominent in Texas.

Between 2020 and 2021, over 25,000 fled California to Texas, according to the US Census data. Overall, over 360,000 people left California in 2021. Most cite that California has become completely unaffordable, with the median home price at about $797,470. Companies have fled California since the beginning of the pandemic to tax-friendly states. They lost huge job creators and revenue makers such as Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox, SpaceX, and Tesla, to name a few. Another less discussed reason is the intense woke rhetoric spewed by Newsom and others. Theft has basically become legal. Despite the beautiful scenery and weather, people simply do not want to live in the Golden State for a plethora of reasons.

Greenpeace to Ditch Greta


Armstrong Economics Blog/Climate Re-Posted Aug 30, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

Reports are circulating that Greenpeace may soon ditch their poster child for climate change, Greta Thunberg. The Swedish activist was pushed to fame as a child and became notorious for passionate speeches that she was likely forced to read and believe. Klaus Schwab even featured the young girl in his film, “The Forum,” to promote Agenda 2030.

Greta is now 19 years old and no longer the perfect child-like puppet with braids and innocence. I warned that her parents manipulated this girl for their own benefit. She suffers from autism and depression, and her parents publicly stated that parading her around the globe was “medicine” for her ailments.

As an adult, she is diverting from the script. Last year, she said that democracy should be prioritized over climate change in a move that angered her handlers. She accidentally shared an image of “suggested posts” that her handlers asked her to share across social media platforms. Greta even came under fire by the Indian government after being spotted with pop star Rihanna who began promoting the Indian farmer’s protest.

There are now talks that the climate change crowd plans to discard the teen. Other activists have begun publicly criticizing her, which would have never happened when she was surrounded by the likes of Al Gore and Jennifer Morgan. “Since the beginning, we have said that we want to be hierarchy-free – and yet many saw Greta as the leader,” Swiss Jann Kessler stated. Others have whined that she was not the first to protest the weather cycle.

To the adults who abused this innocent girl – how dare you!

DeSantis Pulls Out of Lee Zeldin Fundraiser After Meeting with Billionaire Donor Who Just Gave More Than $400,000 to Kathy Hochul


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on August 30, 2022 | Sundance 

On Sunday evening the New York Post reported, “An unforeseen tragedy forced Governor DeSantis to reschedule his trip to New York,” Zeldin spokeswoman Katie Vincentz said, declining to elaborate. “While we’re rescheduling with Governor DeSantis for a later date, tonight’s fundraiser will proceed and is expected to raise almost a million dollars.” (link)

Monday afternoon the New York Post identified the “unforeseen tragedy“:

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis backed out of a fundraiser for New York gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin to attend a Monday memorial service for a member of his security detail who died in the line of duty, sources told The Post.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Special Agent Jose Perez was responding to a call in an unmarked cruiser on Aug. 2 when he was struck by Javier Sandoval, 35, in Miami.  Perez was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries and died on Aug. 20. […] While unable to attend the evening event, DeSantis was in Deal, New Jersey, earlier in the day at the home of Jay Cayre, head of Midtown Equities, sources told The Post. (link)

Despite Officer Perez passing away eight days earlier, apparently, Governor DeSantis was unaware of the Monday funeral plans when he flew the governor’s jet to New Jersey to meet with billionaire real estate mogul Joseph ‘Jay’ Cayre on Sunday, forcing him to cancel the Zeldin fundraiser a few hours later in New York, or so the story is told.

However, the background looks really bad.  Billionaire Joseph Cayre of Midtown Equities just gave New York Governor Kathy Hochul “more than” $400,000 for her campaign against Lee Zeldin, right before DeSantis showed up. [LINK]

[Source Link]

Ron DeSantis flies to New Jersey/ New York on Sunday, meets with billionaire developer Joseph Cyre, who just donated $400k+ to Democrat candidate Kathy Hochul. Immediately following the meeting, DeSantis cancels the fundraiser with Hochul’s opponent, Republican Lee Zeldin, and returns to Florida.   Apply Occam’s Razor here.

The funeral was announced the 26th [CITATION].  Governor DeSantis knew the date/time for the funeral (29th) before he got on the plane (28th).

[Source Link]

So, what changed?  Horrible unforeseen circumstances, or a request from a Big Club donor?   The timing and circumstances look terrible.

The team behind DeSantis has promised to reschedule with Zeldin.

Also, in positive Florida news:

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced a leading investment in clean energy for Florida today with a $68 million award for 227 electric transit buses, and an unknown secondary distribution from the Dept of Environmental Protection for 218 electric school buses.  [Details Here]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis celebrated another step in the state’s efforts to modernize public transit and reduce air pollutants caused by diesel emissions. Through the Volkswagen settlement, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is awarding more than $68 million that will secure 227 electric transit buses in 13 counties statewide that will replace existing diesel transit buses in Alachua, Broward, Duval, Escambia, Hillsborough, Leon, Marion, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Orange, Palm Beach, Pasco, and Pinellas counties.

“This funding will help lower emissions while also bringing our transit bus fleets to more modern standards,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “This is a win-win for air quality and advancing the state’s efforts to bolster growing electric vehicle usage.”

In addition to today’s announced electric transit bus grant awards, DEP has also awarded grants to seven school districts to purchase a total of 218 electric school buses in Broward, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach, Pinellas, and Sarasota counties. Introducing electric buses is an important and effective way to reduce harmful emissions, especially in highly populated areas where mobile sources are the largest sources of air pollution. As more and more electric vehicles are deployed, emissions of air pollutants will be reduced, which will continue to improve Florida’s air quality. (read more)

Tucker Carlson Highlights the False Premise of the Demand Inflation Argument as Energy Becomes Scarce and Economic Collapse Looms


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on August 29, 2022 | Sundance 

During his opening monologue tonight, Tucker Carlson becomes the first mainstream pundit to point out the lies in the central bank argument.

The federal reserve and EU central banks claim they are raising interest rates to stop inflation by slowing demand.  A demand side approach.  However, it isn’t demand driving inflation; it’s the cost of energy driving inflation. That’s a supply side issue.

The central banks cannot admit what they are doing, or people would catch on.  They are intentionally reducing economic activity in order to support having scarce energy production. WATCH:

.

Analysts Begin Quantifying “Some Pain for Americans” as Monetary Policy is Positioned to Support Green New Deal Energy Transition


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on August 29, 2022 | Sundance

The financial pundits are slowly starting to drop the pretending and discuss the bigger economic picture. However, as they tread very carefully, they are being very cautious about admitting too much.

Reuters discussion of the comments by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, starts to dip the media toe in the painful pool; yet they will not admit the Biden energy program is the source of the inflation Powell is targeting with his policy moves to shrink energy demand. Thus, the pretending continues.

If you take the written words and extract the parseltongue, you can see a more fulsome picture of what is being outlined.

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo., Aug 29 (Reuters) – The message from the world’s top finance chiefs is loud and clear: rampant inflation is here to stay and taming it will take an extraordinary effort, most likely a recession with job losses and shockwaves through emerging markets.

That price is still worth paying, however. Central banks spent decades building their credibility on inflation fighting skills and losing this battle could shake the foundations of modern monetary policy.

In other words, the U.S. economy is based on core U.S. energy systems and moving that construct to alternative energy, windmills, electric vehicles and solar panels; along with getting Americans to accept a lowered standard of living; is an “extraordinary effort.”

Yes, they are ‘all-in’ and if they lose “this battle,” the core foundations of modern monetary policy will “shake” along with the economic collapse that follows. The economic energy “transition” is the Biden policy, the federal reserve is trying to support that policy by lowering economic demand.

Yes, they also now admit that people will lose their jobs, their livelihoods and the foundation of their economic stability in the process.

[…] “Regaining and preserving trust requires us to bring inflation back to target quickly,” European Central Bank board member Isabel Schnabel said. “The longer inflation stays high, the greater the risk that the public will lose confidence in our determination and ability to preserve purchasing power.”

Banks should also keep going even if growth suffers and people start to lose their jobs. “Even if we enter a recession, we have basically little choice but to continue our policy path,” Schnabel said. “If there were a deanchoring of inflation expectations, the effect on the economy would be even worse.”

[Energy inflation, the root of all supply side inflation] “is near double-digit territory in many of the world’s biggest economies, a level not seen in close to a half century.”

[…] Deglobalisation, the realignment of alliances due to Russia’s war, demographic changes and more expensive production in emerging markets could all make supply constraints more permanent. (read more)

Yes, the “realignment global of alliances,” as an outcome of the western world policy to fracture global markets based on energy use.  Notice they are now starting to admit what we have discussed here for over a year?

“The global economy seems to be on the cusp of a historic change as many of the aggregate supply tailwinds that have kept a lid on inflation look set to turn into headwinds,” Agustín Carstens, the head of the Bank of International Settlements, said.

“If so, the recent pickup in inflationary pressures may prove to be more persistent,” said Carstens, who heads a group often called the central bank of the world’s central banks.

All this points to rapid interest rates hikes, led by the Fed with the ECB now trying to catch up, and elevated rates for years to come. (read more)

Indeed, we are only now on the front side “cusp” of the transition which will force the continued lowering of economic activity within the aligned nations for more than a generation or two.   All economic activity, essentially all human activity, will have to be stalled and reduced until the levels of sustainable energy production can catch up to the levels of energy needed for the now smaller economy.

With current estimations of 50+ years before sustainable energy can generate 25 to 50 percent of the need, this is going to take a long time, and the bankers & financial control agents are going to have to simultaneously make the economies of the allied nations much smaller.

The planned energy oven is small, the size of the economic pizza must be shrunk in order to fit within it.

My last and important point is this…. The multinational corporations, banks and global finance folks, do not enter into these situations without a carefully planned way to retain their own wealth.  The job of a “hedge fund manager” is described in the title, to find a “hedge” against risk to continue increasing wealth.

The billionaire elites that have assembled their wealth on the old economic system will not trust anything to chance as this global cleaving of the world economy takes place. Being reactionary is not how they operate.  These groups pre-stage their wealth and assets outside the zone of collateral damage. They are proactive, not reactive to these global financial events.

With the foundation of the western economic system now being changed, look carefully at the political landscape to see what Wall Street risk mitigation maneuvers are taking place. My very strong hunch on this wealth preservation facet leads me back to domestic politics, and suddenly things make sense. I’m not wrong. I am open to being wrong, but I’m not wrong.