Category End of the Middle Class

Jun 7 2024

Build-to-Rent Communities Grow in Popularity


Posted Jun 7, 2024 By Martin Armstrong 

BuildtoRentHomeStarts2022

You will own nothing. Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) have grown in popularity in recent years. America has recently imported a concept stemming from across the pond in the UK to pacify housing fears. Build-to-rent (BTR) communities are becoming a common development as the majority of Americans struggle to either afford or find housing.

Around 23% of Americans own property. YouGov conducted a poll that found that 60% of Americans believe the old model whereby 30% of one’s income would equate to affordable housing. That is simply not possible for over a quarter of Americans who spend far more than 30% on their mortgages. Almost half (49%) of renters spend 30% or more on shelter, while 19% spend over half of their take-home pay to the landlord. According to the survey, 46% of homeowners are worried about making their monthly mortgage payments, compared to 69% of renters.

Build-to-rent communities usually mimic a typical suburbia rather than an apartment complex. Amenities and property management is often included, which is why this concept was once reserved for retirees and the aging population. This is a deal for investors who may purchase homes within the development communities. They are usually priced higher than typical rentals as the home is within a more desirable community with stable tenants and a lower turnover. As for the tenants, they are not gaining any equity and are forgoing a valuable asset.

Fixr reported that build-to-rent communities are set to grow within the next two years based on data from the NAHB but will remain somewhat stagnant in 2023 due to massive growth in recent years. Over 119,000 homes using this model were built in 2022, marking a 50% increase from 2018. In the last five years, Charlotte, NC, experienced a 621% uptick in built-to-rent communities, followed by Jacksonville, Florida (353%), Greenville, South Carolina (265%), while Phoenix, Arizona, experienced a 280% uptick.

The younger generation, who want to begin expanding their families but cannot afford to own them, is primarily attracted to these growing complexes that provide the feel of homeownership without the asset. Everyone needs a place to live. Families, especially with young children, do not tend to move around as often with school zoning and other aspects. Homeownership and the traditional American dream of the house with the white picket fence have been transformed.

Apr 10 2024

Confidence in Government & Justice is Collapsing


Posted originally on Apr 9, 2024 by Martin Armstrong

While COVID has set in motion the collapse in confidence of the government and the media, the prosecutions against Trump and anyone associated with him are demonstrating that the Department of Justice is now weaponized. We are staring into the eyes of a collapse of justice for all. No government can stand when the rule of law collapses. These people are merely confirming our computer’s forecast into 2032.

Mar 22 2024

The Biggest Issue With Joe Biden’s EV Mandate Has Absolutely Nothing To Do With EVs


Posted originally on the CTH on March 21, 2024 | Sundance 

This is a good opportunity to emphasize a key point that is often missed.   In the research and discussion outline yesterday, about Joe Biden’s EPA publishing new regulations for the auto industry, we dove deep into the background of what actually creates the issue. {GO DEEP}

The issue that should concern everyone is not the Joe Biden administration and their ideology around climate change, or the EPA, or even the viability of EVs themselves.  The issue that should draw the biggest concern is how the regulation originates; what is the impetus; who are the beneficiaries?

The regulation itself did not originate in the EPA, nor was it created from an origination process amid climate ideologues in the administration.  Everything starts with BlackRock positioning their assets.  From that empirical point, all political activity then takes place, which includes the regulations to support the BlackRock objective.

A massive, multinational investment firm is in control of political outcomes in the USA.  That should be the emphasis, not necessarily the regulation that flows as an outcome of that control, and certainly not the debate over whether EVs are a viable alternative to combustion engines.

BlackRock, and the control agents of finance, banking and investment, would like nothing more than to see Congress have debates about climate change, the viability of EVs as an alternative to combustion engines, the nuances of power grid generation from alternative energy sources, the scale of energy need as estimated and debated for the next two decades, etc.

All these points of debate become useful political policy issues that divide and contrast.  Sure, Congress would love to hold hearings about EV viability, U.S. grid compliance, the need for subsidized charging stations, etcetera, etcetera.  Because what is not discussed in this debate is where the subject matter comes from.

BlackRock positions their money to benefit from policy.  BlackRock, like others, then manipulate the policymakers to support their position.  We The People end up in a debate over EVs, while the BlackRock executives dance merrily into cocktail hour, discuss the latest climb in their value, and debate which politician should get a cut of the proceeds.

Nowhere in the political process on Capitol Hill does anyone ask, “How did the BlackRock investment group know to support Chinese EV plants in Mexico?”

The obvious fire of corporatism/fascism is ignored while the politicians, and us, debate the ramifications of the smoke, EVs.

Democrats would love to debate EVs and say the Republicans are planet killers.  Republicans would love to debate EVs and say the Democrats are taking away your freedom.

Meanwhile, corporations are running the U.S. government…. and people are oblivious.

The elected political representatives are dancing tools, useful for the purposes of distracting the American people, and funded by the corporations who need them to continue the distractions.

In a very similar fashion to how laws are written by K-Street corporations and sold by lobbyists, so too are regulations originated by outside groups and then pushed into the administration.  The politicians and/or bureaucrats in the administration then benefit financially from implementing the regulation.

The issue with Joe Biden’s EPA mandate for EV use is not an issue over which form of energy development is more useful for the passenger transportation needs of American consumers.  The issue with Joe Biden’s EPA mandate is that BlackRock originated it.

Once you elevate to the level of root cause, then you start to ask, “What else is BlackRock originating?”

2022 – NEW YORK, March 24 (Reuters) – BlackRock Inc’s (BLK.N) chief executive, Larry Fink, said on Thursday that the Russia-Ukraine war could end up accelerating digital currencies as a tool to settle international transactions, as the conflict upends the globalization drive of the last three decades.

In a letter to the shareholders of the world’s largest asset manager, Fink said the war will push countries to reassess currency dependencies, and that BlackRock was studying digital currencies and stablecoins due to increased client interest.

“A global digital payment system, thoughtfully designed, can enhance the settlement of international transactions while reducing the risk of money laundering and corruption”, he said.

Russia enters Ukraine Feb 24, 2022.  Less than 4 weeks later, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink is outlining a dollar-based central bank digital trade currency.

Huh. Imagine that.

Everything else is chaff and countermeasures.

Feb 29 2024

War & the ECM


Posted originally on Feb 29, 2024 By Martin Armstrong 

ECM Wave 2020 2028 Pi

QUESTION: You have been the only analyst who has been correct that there would be no recession that just about everyone had forecast for the last two years. A friend turned me on to you and said mainstream media will never quote you because you do not play by their rules.

I had to present to our board and explain why we needed to switch to your services. They were impressed with your track record. The number one question that arose was that you said there is no recession until after May 7th. The latest statistics from the Atlanta Federal Reserve’s real-time GDP tracker have climbed back up to 3.1% for February, confirming your model has been correct all along. There has been no retreat in consumer confidence in February.

Will consumer confidence contract because of war, which appears to be inevitable? I assume this will be the topic at your London conference in May.

Thank you for your objective model. The world needs your analysis.

FNK

Uncertainty

ANSWER: The elite are on a fast train to create war. They think this will not be nuclear, but I fear the darker forces are looking at war as the means to reduce the population by 50% to save their precious planet and reduce CO2. They are honestly sick individuals. They never tell the truth. ALWAYS – more civilians die in war than soldiers,

With the prospect of war, UNCERTAINTY enters the equation. That results in consumer spending being reduced and savings increasing. I have warned that these people are desperate to create war to influence the 2024 election. The media is all on board, cheering war just as they did with COVID-19. You have Victoria Nuland calling anyone who is against war is now a Putin supporter. She has labeled the Republicans who are against war a “Putin’s wing of the Republican Party.” She is on a mission to create World War III before Trump might become president, who is anti-war and will fire her ASAP.

The mainstream media is all pushing for war. Just look at the stats. World War I saw 9 to 11 million military personnel dead, with civilian deaths of about 6 to 13 million. World War II was by far the deadliest military conflict in human history, with a total estimated death total of 70–85 million people. The civilian deaths totaled 50–55 million. Because you cannot grow food during such events, there were an additional estimated 19–28 million deaths from famine. That was 3% of the 2.3 billion at the time. Today, the world population is 8.1 billion. They used the COVID-19 vaccines to alter the herd. But war is always the best means to reduce the population. If they eliminate just 3%, that would be nearly 250 million. They want to reduce a lot more than that.

Feb 29 2024

The Dismantling of the Nuclear Family


Posted originally on Feb 29, 2024 By Martin Armstrong 

Government prtend to be family

Nations like Canada and the United States have deemed terms like “mother” or “father” offensive. Canada began demonizing the nuclear family structure in 2018, when Service Canada urged public employees to “use gender-neutral language or gender-inclusive language.” A new memo by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed that public employees may no longer use terms such as “mother” or “father,” also deeming them to be offensive. Why does the family structure threaten governments?

Nations aligned with the World Economic Forum are moving to dismantle the nuclear family. First, they want to obscure the roles of men and women, often not recognizing women at all. Canada, for example, began urging the public sector to use gender-neutral terms like “parent.” “This avoids portraying a perceived bias toward a particular sex or gender,” Service Canada claimed.

FBI Report Family

The United States followed suit by demonizing all language with an associated gender, such as “son” or “daughter.” This is why Obama commonly used the term “folks” when addressing the public, as “ladies and gentlemen” ruffles the feathers of a select few. Moreover, they are slowly dismantling our personal identities. If you ask a person to describe him or herself, they may begin by saying their age, gender, parental status, and other aspects that people use for self-concept and personal identity. But now, identifying as a mother, daughter, father, or son is somehow offensive.

The extreme side of equality equates to a collective identity. Unlike other older nations where everyone has the same religion, morals, and concept of community, the Build Back Better crowd believes everyone should conform to their model of neutrality that strips one of their individual identity.

Decal Family

These governments are not pandering to the tiny fragment of the population that identifies as transgender; rather, they are slowly removing our personal individual identities at the most basic levels. The pride of being a mother is no longer permitted; you are disregarded as a “birthing person” in some Orwellian dystopian mentality. Anyone can breastfeed, the world health agencies have declared. Most importantly, your child should honor thy government over thy “mother” or “father.”

The far left has been discouraging women from having children because they produce too much carbon to exist while permitting an influx of refugees. Overpopulation is not the problem. Do you think a warmongering neocon like Antony Blinken is worried about offending someone with the wrong terminology? This is outright psychological warfare targeted at Generation Alpha, who will only learn a distorted version of government-directed reality.

Feb 28 2024

The Second Motive of the Migrant Crisis Revealed


Posted originally on Feb 28, 2024 By Martin Armstrong 

Dollar Beat Up

I revealed how Democrats planned the deliberate invasion of America to secure votes for socialistic policies. There is a second motive that is not largely understood, but it becomes apparent when you follow the money. In particular, follow the dollar.

The dollar’s purchasing power is significantly less than it was a few short years ago. Americans understand that inflation is here to stay, and the cost of living far outpaces what they earn. Americans mourned the American dream and are living in survival mode. During private waves, when the public turns away from the government, people hoard their money. The American people no longer revere the USD and are turning away from all government investments. They see the value of their dollar declining every time they go to the store, pay their mortgage, or glimpse at their bank account. Tax season highlights the misuse of government funds as we are taxed every time we look at the dollar.

You know who does revere the dollar? Everyone living outside of America, especially the people in third world countries who still place the dollar on a pedestal because its purchasing power far outweighs their own national currency. Migrants are not following the American dream to build a new life; rather, they are following the dollar.

Fiat Money

Now, our fiat currency could easily be exposed for being worth less than the public perception. “Money” is merely worth its associated cost. There is not some magical bank within the Federal Reserve where they actually store trillions of dollars to use for every outlandish spending package. The Federal Reserve simply prints more money when demanded by monetary and fiscal policies. The dollar remains the strongest currency in circulation, for now, but it does not have the same strength as it once did.

The migrants provide the illusion of a stronger dollar and a reason to print in continuation to meet the monetary policies enacted under Biden. Furthermore, the migrants are provided with free housing, health care, food, and all other living expenses in order to perpetuate the concept of a strong dollar. If they were permitted to work, they would see that their wages would not take them far. They have no concept of American taxation. Therefore, the second motive behind the deliberate invasion of America lies within the declining purchasing power of the USD.

Jan 26 2024

The Price of Dying – Repeal the Estate Tax


Posted originally on Jan 26, 2024 By Martin Armstrong 

Angel of Death

They say the only two certainties in life are death and taxes. And taxes on dying if you’re in the US. That’s right, the luxury of death comes with a price in the land of the free, thanks to the death tax. Now, Republicans are working to introduce legislation that would allow Americans and their families to rest in peace, free of charge.

The estate tax, or death tax, was first executed in the United States in 1916 as a means to generate revenue for the federal government. Supporters said it would address concerns about wealth concentration. The tax has been rewritten and revised over the years and numerous states have imposed their own death tax on top of the federal one. This is not the same as the inheritance tax that directly taxes beneficiaries.

US Representative Randy Feenstra, a proponent of eliminating this absurd tax, believes this bill is hurting farmers in particular. I have heard similar sentiments from my own clients. People fled England to America to avoid government confiscation of property through taxation. Britain has a 100-year land lease program whereby you pay the actual fair value of the property you bought outright. At the end of that 100 years, the next tenant must pay the full fair value once again. This is how the “rich” made their money keeping it in the family and never selling land. It is also why Britain was forced to hand Hong Kong back to China after 100 years.

People fled to America so they could actually pass property down to their children like the rich landholding families in Britain. This was the origin of the term “freehold” meaning you could actually own the land. America was the land of opportunity because it was all freehold and people could for the first time rise from the poor rank to that of the rich by hard work, saving, and being able to create wealth for the family unit. This was the American Dream.

Failing to repeal this tax will change American agriculture. As Rep. Feenstra notes:

“Over 99% of our country’s two million farms and ranches and over 95% of our nation’s small businesses are owned and operated by individuals and families. In other words, the American economy is powered by mom-and-pop shops on main street and farms that have been in the family for generations. Naturally, the federal government only sees these incredible farms and small businesses as potential sources of tax revenue, completely ignoring the sacrifice and labor that made these enterprises successful.”

This is one of the reasons why the wealthy in China are buying US farmland. The manner in which governments globally treat farmers is shameful. The government is not our next of kin; we do not save our entire lives to provide a better life for government.

Jan 26 2024

Your Morning Coffee is Killing the Planet


Posted originally on Jan 26, 2024 By Martin Armstrong 

The ruling elites want to strip us of all our earthly pleasures. Swiss banker Hubert Keller took to the stage at Davos to declare that coffee consumption is destroying the climate.

“The coffee that we all drink emits between 15 and 20 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of coffee… Every time we drink coffee, we are basically putting CO2 into the atmosphere,” Keller stated. Every time we BREATHE, we are “putting CO2 into the atmosphere” and this argument is completely absurd. Life cannot exist on Earth without CO2. Surely they serve coffee on Mr. Keller’s private jet.

The World Economic Forum first presented this idea in August 2016 in an article entitled, “Your morning coffee is destroying the planet.” The article begins by discussing the waste of plastic cups – OK, fine, pollution is an undeniable problem. This was also when Keurig machines and coffee pods became popular. It seemed reasonable to find a plastic alternative, but that was merely a way to plant the seed.

Fertilizer 2

Coffee agriculture is a significant global market. The annual revenue of the global coffee industry is estimated to exceed $200 billion, with over 25 million farming households depending on coffee bean production for their living. Global coffee production reached 168.5 million 60-kilogram bags as of 2021/2022, and coffee is commercially produced in more than 50 countries. The United States coffee industry alone is responsible for nearly 1.7 million American jobs and $225 billion of national Gross Domestic Product.

The global market for coffee shops is projected to reach $237.6 billion by 2025. Countless mom-and-pop shops are centered around the world’s second most popular beverage. Coffee is ingrained in countless cultures throughout the world. It is part of our daily routine and way of life. Interestingly, his warnings come at a time when Starbucks plans to expand into China and is defying the WEF by siding with Palestine in the Israel-Palestine war.

YOU WILL OWN NOTHING, including coffee production, according to the WEF:

“The opportunity is to basically bring capital for return in this value chain, to basically, you know, acquire or lease these coffee assets, these monoculture coffee assets, to transform them to a regenerative agroforestry model. In doing so we would create effectively a climate and a nature premium which will have a lot of value for these parts of the value chain that can inset these climate and the nature premium and you end up with basically coffee plantations that are fully regenerative, that are sequestering carbon, that are positive for nature, that are restoring biodiversity, and that basically are creating better value for an asset that has a longer life without actually the consumer paying any more for its daily coffee.”

“A regenerative agroforestry model” is precisely what farming has always been and there is no need to redesign the wheel. The WEF introduced the concept in 2019 in an article entitled, “How regenerative agroforestry could solve the climate crisis.” The article claims that farming, the most essential industry for our survival, has contributed to 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and is the cause of 80% of deforestation. The latter is the key here – they want the land in order to seize the means of production.

LandUseEfficency.WEF_.Farming

The globalists claim that “land use efficiency” needs to improve by 2030. They have already implemented restrictions on fertilizers and taxed the life out of farmers. I mentioned in another article how US farmers are unable to pass their land onto the next generation due to the death tax. Globalists like Bill Gates have been buying countless acres of farmland to prepare for the next step. Farmers throughout the world are protesting the increased regulations, but you won’t see that covered by the media.

The ultimate plan is to force farmers to lease their land. You will own nothing, but they will own everything.

Jan 14 2024

Biden Shreds the Constitution and Goes to War in Yemen


Posted originally on Rumble By Glen Greenwald On: Jan 13 1:00 PM 2024

Jan 14 2024

Interview: Gold Surges Between War-Driven Inflation Dynamics


Posted originally on Jan 14, 2024 By Martin Armstrong |

Interview with GoldSeek Radio:

Head of Armstrong Economics, Martin Armstrong, reviews charts of the major indexes in real-time, noting “2024 could be a chaotic year.”

– Interest rates rise during boom periods.

“Yeah, I think people have to understand that the vast majority of analysis out there is all domestic. They’re just calling for the Fed and I think so many of them are talking about a major crash in 2024. What they never do is look outside the country. And honestly, if you look at the 3 indexes look at the Dow, the S&P, and then the NASDAQ, you’ll see the Dow leading.

And that is basically showing you that what’s going on here is international capital inflows. I mean, the more it’s getting crazy for wars just about everywhere. From Asia, you’re looking at the Middle East. You’re looking at Europe. We have probably more institutional clients than anybody in the world and they’re all starting to wake up a little bit and hedging their bets and they’re moving money to the States. That’s why the Dow has been rising, more so than you see. We have probably more institutional clients than anybody in the world and they’re all starting to wake up a little.

… but then again you have people just looking at the Fed and talking about ‘Oh, transparency.’ And is they only ever keep talking about old defense, going to ‘Lower rates, lower rates, lower rates.’

If you really look at it, objectively, interest rates always rise during boom periods, and they decline during recessions and depressions. We are looking at increased inflation, probably into 2028 caused by shortages and war. But you’re looking at a declining economic growth, so that ends up being more like the 1970s…and you’re looking there at what we call “Stagflation” where the inflation rate will be higher than economic growth.

– Increased inflation could erupt due to supply shortages and skirmishes.
– Stagflation similar to the 70’s could soon come to the domestic economy.

“That was basically caused by OPEC raising the price of oil dramatically and that created a cost-push inflation. So everybody’s costs were rising dramatically. Anything that had to do with plastic, went up dramatically and that created eventually the inflationary boom between 1976 going into 1980. As for gold rose to $875, etc…I think gold was about a $100 in 1976 and it rose to about $400 but that was by December 1979, the last six weeks of the rally, which peaked in 1980 on January 21st. So from December to January 21st, that’s when Russia invaded Afghanistan. So it was the geopolitical stuff that took gold from $400 to $875. So it’s important to understand inflation is not the major driving power but inflation when war is around – that’s what broke Bretton Woods…it was the Vietnam War.”

– Funds may be flowing into the blue-chip Dow Jones 30 stocks from global unrest.
– Geopolitical opinion and commentary.