RT Interview on Russia-Ukraine War


Armstrong Economics Blog/Armstrong in the Media Re-Posted Sep 17, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

RT reached out to Martin Armstrong for an economist’s view on the Ukrainian conflict. Click here for a quick interview that explains why Zelensky has no incentive to seek peace.

Putin & October


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics Re-Posted Sep 17, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

Despite all the propaganda that was put out by John McCain, Putin was selected by Yeltsin because he was being blackmailed on the one side by the oligarchs in July 1999 and the communists on the other who introduced a motion in the Duma to impeach him for corruption that was related to the Bank of New York scandal.

Putin NEVER sought to resurrect the old USSR. In fact, he was the ONLY Russian leader to even criticize Lenin as just a bolshevik who destroyed a great empire of the Tsars. Lost in the pages of history, Russia at the time in 1917 had the largest gold reserves of any nation. Those gold reserves vanished and to this day have not been found. It was believed that they were hidden to prevent the Communists from seizing them.

Putin was there to restore Russia after the oligarchs plundered it and the Harvard boys who advised Russia on how to make the transition from Communism to Capitalism utterly never understood the most basic element of such a transition – the people. Putin’s most important achievement of his 20 years in power was restoring normalcy and stability to Russia. He went after the oligarchs and told them they could keep their money, but to stop interfering in politics.

The unwritten history that has been omitted from all books on the subject is that in 1991 when the USSR collapsed, NATO solicited Gorbachev to join NATO. That was one of the reasons there was a coup against him for the hardliners saw this would be a surrender of Russia to the USA. That is when Yeltsin stood on the tank and became President. Yeltsin was himself corrupt and he actually facilitated the rise of the oligarchs.

When Yeltsin turned to Putin out of desperation, the people cheered for Putin was neither an oligarch nor a communist. Despite the propaganda from the West, Putin truly enjoyed a 70%+ approval rating for the people neither wanted to lose all freedom to the communists and the oligarchs exploited the people to gain wealth.

Putin has refused to institute a draft to shore up Russian forces. However, despite all the propaganda that pours out of Ukraine, removing Putin will turn Russia very hard right and they are already criticizing Putin for being too soft.

There has been the strategy that inflation is rising and if Putin is smart, he will turn off the gas to Europe for the winter and show them how insane this is to (1) fuel a proxy war against Russia, and (2) push this Great Reset and the Green Agenda.

Basically, the hope remains that the West loses interest in supporting Ukraine as the costs rise. That’s been Russia’s hope and Ukraine’s dread before, but it seems more unlikely than ever at the moment before winter comes.

The most serious threat to Putin is losing the support of the elites. At the moment, Putin is the balance in the middle between hawks who want to see him crush Ukraine, and doves who want a peace settlement. As it stands now, the hawks would win for the West does not seek any peace and Zelensky says Kissenger is living in 1938 and refuses to yield one inch of territory to Russia. The Ukrainian Neo-Nazis instantly attacked the Donbas in 2014 and even put out a slogan that Crimea will be Ukrainian or Crimea will be depopulated. The hatred there is not going to ever vanish. The only reasonable solution is to allow the Donbas to vote, but since they are mostly ethnic Russians, Kyiv will never accept their vote.

It appears that the volatility will rise after this coming week. The Ukrainians may be forcing Putin’s hand to placate the Hawks since the Doves have been rejected by the West. NATO was Behind the Surprise Offensive In Kharkiv. Yet this victory for Ukraine was more of a staged PR event. The region was being held by local police units, not the Russian army which is in the South. Russia has achieved a 10:1 kill ratio against the Ukrainians in the region of the Donbas which is key. The Ukrainian forces that attacked Kharkiv were in effect a NATO army with the full support of Western intelligence and tactics. Because Kharkiv was held by police-type forces rather than the Russian army, it was clearly done for a PR event to raise morale and to get the West to send more money under the theory that Putin is on the run.

Kari Lake Holds a Press Conference About Need to Restaff and Support Police, Then Confronts Hostile Media


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on September 16, 2022 | sundance

Arizona Governor candidate Kari Lake and candidate for State AG Abe Hamadeh held a press conference earlier today to outline Lake’s policy proposal to restaff police units and support law enforcement in the state.  {Direct Rumble Link}

The somewhat combative press Q&A begins at 12:30 of the video.  WATCH:

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Zelensky to head US Defense Industry Conference


Armstrong Economics Blog/Corruption Re-Posted Sep 16, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

The military-industrial complex continues to grow with the proxy war. The annual Future Force Capabilities Conference and Exhibition hosted by the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) will feature none other than Zelensky as their keynote speaker, as well as his minister of defense, Oleksii Reznikov. Everyone in attendance is directly profiting off of the war. The IRS deems the NDIA to be a nonprofit organization when in fact, it is blatantly lobbying.

Defense contractors need war, as do corrupt government officials who prosper off of pain. America has already provided Ukraine with over $15 billion since February, yet Zelensky is poised to request more funding and weapons at this meeting.

Boeing Defense, Space & Security; L3Harris Technologies; Raytheon Technologies; BAE Systems; Lockheed Martin Corporation; Huntington Ingalls Industries; General Dynamics; and Northrop Grumman all met in April to discuss how they could profit off of the war. The Pentagon recently announced (see video above) that they want to set up “the backbone of a Ukraine force…for years to come.” Meanwhile, the US military is suggesting that its own soldiers, 24% of whom are food insecure, begin applying for food stamps.

The Biden Administration seems to have unlimited funds for Ukraine. This event will show all the “innovative” ways that the US can pay to kill Russian soldiers on behalf of Ukraine “for years to come.”

Food Stamps for US Soldiers


Armstrong Economics Blog/USA Current Events Re-Posted Sep 15, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

Washington acts perplexed as to why recruitment is nearing a record low. Food inflation is on the rise across the world, increasing 10.9% in the US over the last year. This marks the largest 12-month spike in food prices since 1979. The food at home index spiked 15.8%, cereals and bakery goods rose 15%, and dairy products rose 14.9% in the past year alone. Service members who rely on government pay, not adjusted for inflation, are struggling.

This may come as a surprise – the Pentagon believes 24% of enlisted personnel are food insecure. How on Earth could the US expect to maintain a strong military when nearly a quarter of members cannot provide their families with food? The military budget is certainly not hurting for funds.

The US Army is now recommending that service members apply for food stamps. So, instead of using the funds from the military budget, the government wants to take those funds from a program designed for low-income individuals.

With inflation affecting everything from gas prices to groceries to rent, some Soldiers and their families are finding it harder to get by on the budgets they’ve set and used before,” the guidance written by Sergeant Major of the Army Michael A. Grinston reads. “Soldiers of all ranks can seek guidance, assistance, and advice through the Army’s Financial Readiness Program.”

Grinston goes on to recommend resources for managing debt, spending, and taxes. Soldiers can request to receive a 6% interest rate cap on debts incurred prior to serving. This includes credit cards, loans, and mortgages. Take advantage of this service and any military benefits if you have the opportunity.

It is a shame that the men and women fighting for our country are surviving on food stamps. Maybe instead of paying off military contractors, sending endless funds to foreign nations, and “10% to the big guy,” the US government can help those who risk their lives to serve and protect our diminishing freedoms.

Bidenomics, August 2022 Inflation Data Infographic


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on September 14, 2022 | Sundance 

Someone had requested a simple to see infographic of the Bureau of Labor and Statistics August inflation data with monthly and yearly outcomes.  I thought everyone might find this graphic as a good tool for sharing with your network.  [Data Source Link]

Additionally, the BLS also released the producer price index today [DATA HERE].  The PPI for goods dropped slightly, as we expected, due to the August temporary decline in gasoline and diesel.   However, the PPI for final demand services moved up 0.4 percent in August, the fourth consecutive rise.

We are now seeing service providers having to raise their prices to cover their increased costs.   This could be trouble for employment in the long-term.

Why Liberals Hate The Queen (Ep. 1848) – The Dan Bongino Show


The Dan Bongino Show Published originally on Rumble on September 9, 2022

Dan always has a good story

When a Clown Moves into a Palace


Armstrong Economics Blog/Uncategorized Re-Posted Sep 10, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

-Record-high inflation

-Proxy war with Russia

-Open borders

-Loss of energy independence

-Looming recession

-Reckless spending

-Woke agenda

-Increase in violent crimes

-Polarized nation

-Compromised elections

-America now seen as vulnerable to enemies

The list goes on and on…

The Time of Separation of the USA is Rapidly Approaching


Armstrong Economics Blog/Gov’t Incompetence Re-Posted Sep 9, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: Marty, is Steve Bannon another pre-election ploy to put a spike in the heart of Republicans for the elections?

ZB

ANSWER: Of course. Claiming that you raised money and then did not disclose you were paying salaries is really stretching it. You can put every charity in prison for the very same thing. How much really goes to the administration and not the people they claim?

The fraud claim is very ambiguous. I advised on so many takeovers and major corps they were sure they could have gotten me on insider trading. HSBC even came to me to ask me about buying Republic National Bank in April 1999. I told them to count their fingers and make sure they still had their arm.

Advising around the world meant I had to comply with everyone’s laws. My lawyers on every continent concluded I just could not have any personal accounts for trading. I had to give that up and that is why I was the highest paid in the world and could walk into all the central banks and government wealth funds BECAUSE they all knew there were no conflicts of interest.

It was so bad that if I had owned one share of Republic Bank and I advised HSBC on the takeover, I would have to disclose my entire portfolio, not just the one share of Republic, and then disclose by my advice to buy meant I could profit $10 or whatever the bid would be. It was totally insane. Our politicians should have to comply with the same laws they imposed on me.

It became a choice between being an investor and an advisor. I could not be both.

After my case began, the lead prosecutor Richard Owens just said, you are one smart SOB. They could not find anything. Instead of running a clean shop, I was just so smart they could not prove anything yet surely I had to have something hidden. For the bank, suddenly he told the truth that the notes were in yen. For me, he kept claiming they were in dollars to impose a higher penalty. He would use different theories all the time it would change and it got to the point I didn’t even know what the case was about.

That is the thinking process of any prosecutor. NEVER let your child ever marry one. They are trained to lie, deceive, and are genuinely dishonest in order to do the job.

I submitted a motion to compel him to explain even what my case was about it had become so confusing. They tried to claim I was pro see and I did not know the law to defend myself. I moved for dismissal because if I did not know the law to defend myself, then I could not knowingly violate any law. Judge McKenna smiled and ordered them to respond. He then went to the Chief Judge, had my case taken away from that Judge, and reassigned to Judge Kennan who immediately denied that motion. They sealed the docket so I cannot see how they did that, which violated my Due Process Rights. In his mind, the Constitution seemed to become just a “guideline” – not binding to these people.

He even had to admit to my face, well we know you didn’t take any money but still refused to drop the charges. I looked at them as idiots. How could you get $1 billion out of a bank and nobody knew where it was? There had to be a wire, a check some evidence of a withdrawal. They finally figured out that the bank lied. How idiotic to even start a case on such an absurd theory of the bank claiming they had no idea where the money was when they stole it, to begin with. The only reason the bank had to plead guilty, and not one banker went to jail, was because my clients listened to me and filed suits against the bank which they could not cover up.

That is the real world of law – it is as corrupt as you expect in China, Nicaragua, or Venezuela. As Thrasymachus warned Socrates even in a Democracy, justice will be only what the government says it is. This is what we are seeing with Trump and Bannon right now. They are desperate to criminally indict Trump BEFORE the midterms and they will then plaster all the headlines that these people Trump has endorsed are all criminals like him. He will be tried and convicted in the mainstream press all without any trial before the midterms. That is their goal and they will destroy the country in the process. Instead of He’s Not My President, we will see This is Not My Country.

Once the Rule of Law collapses, the end is not too far down the road. They are destroying our country right before our eyes. As I have said, the computer warns that we may not even see a presidential election in 2024. Next year will be the year from Political Hell. This quest to win at all costs here in 2022 will divide the country deeply and this WOKE agenda is destructive dividing everyone so there is no more We the People.

Our computer has NEVER been wrong. This was the computer forecast from 2018. It has been showing 2023 as the start and 2026 would be the Panic Cycle. I am not looking forward to 2023 in the least. The Democrats are desperate and they will NOT tolerate a Republican victory that might overturn their agenda that has been choreographed by the World Economic Forum.

This is the Array you can find on our old site with the Wayback Machine. In 1998 it projected a Panic Cycle in 2008, which was right on target. There are plenty of people who hate my guts. I really do not give a shit. This is NOT my personal opinion. They hate me because it projects something they usually want the opposite to happen like in gold. The markets are here to TEACH us how to read them and see what lies ahead. The past whispers to us quietly. We have to pay attention if you want to hear the message.

Scream all you want. Hate me all you want. What will be will be. I cannot stop that and silencing me will not change the future. I was in prison when the model peaked in 2007.15, which was the precise day of the peak in the Schiller Real Estate Index and then the Panic of 2008. That proved it was not me and personal influence.

Julius Caesar said long ago, that men are willing to believe what they wish. I know it is IMPOSSIBLE to argue with a fool or someone indoctrinated into whatever the belief. You can only help those with an open mind and willingness to look at the facts from an UNBIASED perspective.

Obama won the general election with 52.9% of the popular vote. I have said many times, that the only presidents ever elected with more than 60% were FDR, Johnson after the Kennedy Assassination, and Richard Nixon. Everyone else wins with typically less than 55%. This is NOT a Democracy. We live in a Republic. ALL republics collapse from within. There will be no enemy that defeats America, we are doing that quite well without the help of Putin or Xi. You cannot do what Biden is doing using a couple of percents to impose a dictatorship.

We are approaching that fateful day when it will be time to just turn out the lights on the American Dream than has turned into an American Nightmare. The attitudes in California, Oregon, and Washington State, are so foreign to those in the South, that they might as well be their own separate country. The time of separation is approaching, for that is the only way freedom to pursue your own happiness and live your life the way you want to instead of how someone else tells you you must comply with their ideas. Freedom will never be possible again. It pains me to be around on this planet when it is time to write the eulogy on the American Dream.

Is the US Sacrificing Europe to Maintain Global Dominance?


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Sep 8, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

Vladimir Putin believes that Washington is sacrificing Europe to maintain global dominance. The United States has always been the world police, and the top country that others turn to in times of crisis. America’s post-World War II status left it as the financial capital of the world, and the dollar has remained the world’s reserve currency. Nothing has topped the dollar.

Europe attempted to create the European Union in an effort to prevent European conflicts, but it also created the euro to compete against the dollar. I explained various times how their attempts have failed. However, the euro is now beneath the dollar and on the decline. Nations maintain diplomatic relations, but only Schwab wants a one-world government as everyone is competing for global dominance.

Putin claims that the West rushed to place sanctions on Russia. There was indeed a rush to place sanctions on Russia despite Joe Biden himself coming out and admitting sanctions never work. Peace talks were never an option. Returning land or promising to curtail NATO was never an option. Sanctions and threats were immediately imposed. Why?

“The pandemic has been replaced by new challenges of a global nature, carrying a threat to the whole world, I’m talking about the sanctions rush in the West and the West’s blatantly aggressive attempts to impose their modus vivendi on other countries, to take away their sovereignty, to submit them to their will,” Putin told delegates at Russia’s Eastern Economic Forum in the port city of Vladivostok on Russia’s Pacific coast, as reported by CNBC.

It is true that Europe is facing the brunt of these sanctions as they sacrificed their main supplier of energy to save a nation with a GDP of roughly only $200 billion. Europe did not want to allow Ukraine to join the euro, and they had no interest in the country prior to this conflict. The hatred for Russia runs deep in Europe, especially in Germany after Russia took hold of the east after the last World War. The politicians are certainly old enough to remember when Germany was split in two until 1989. There is a reason Russia’s integral support for the axis powers during World War II is diminished in Western history books.

Putin went on to say that the standard of living in Europe and overall social and economic stability was “being thrown onto the fire of sanctions.” The United States has been eager to sanction Russia since the war in Syria began. Obama tried but failed to kick Russia out of the SWIFT system in 2014, with Christine Lagarde offering her support. Zelensky, who rand the NYSE bell this week remotely, admitted that he needed America to place harsh sanctions on Russia to accelerate the war.

“So far, I think that the United States of America is the accelerator of the sanction policies and I think they do more than any other country. And this is the way it should be because they are the most powerful country right now. I see the same support with respect to sanctions from the United Kingdom,” Zelensky told reporters at Fox in May.

The dollar remains strong and is the last safe haven. The war in Ukraine has only promoted capital to rush into the dollar. So is Europe “being sacrificed in the name of preserving the US dictatorship in global affairs,” as Putin claims? Europe will suffer more than the United States due to these sanctions. In fact, had Biden not eliminated domestic oil production, the US would not be facing an energy crisis at all. One thing is clear – the support to Ukraine is not an act of kindness. The invisible hand is at play.