Category World Economic Form

Sep 14 2019

Top Canadian Intelligence Official Arrested for Leaking Secret Information….


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on September 13, 2019 by 

Cameron Ortis, a director general with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s intelligence unit (RCMP), faces three charges of violating intelligence laws and leaking sensitive information.  While the destination for his leaked intel is not revealed, his professional business profile shows he speaks “fluent mandarin Chinese“. So, connect the dots…

Obviously Justin from Canada wants to keep a tight lid on the spying compromise; and unfortunately, with the Canadian election a little more than a month away, the compliant state-run media are more than willing to try and downplay the issue.

OTTAWA (Reuters) – A top Canadian police intelligence officer has been charged with leaking secret information, authorities said on Friday, in what could be a major security breach.

Cameron Ortis, a director general with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s intelligence unit, faces three charges under a little-used 2012 security of information law.

“It is alleged he obtained, stored and processed sensitive information … with the intent to communicate that information with people he shouldn’t be communicating to,” federal prosecutor John MacFarlane told reporters outside Ottawa’s court house after Ortis was charged.

Sources with knowledge of national security investigations described Ortis as former RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson’s most elite adviser on issues related to national security. Paulson was in office from 2011-2017.

“Operationally, this could be very, very bad,” said Stephanie Carvin, an assistant professor and security expert at Ottawa’s Carleton University.

Canada is part of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network with United States, Britain, New Zealand and Australia.  (read more)

Is it really a surprise to anyone?…

Sep 10 2019

EU Parliament & How they Protect the Bankers


Blog/Corruption

Posted Sep 10, 2019 by Martin Armstrong

A number of people have asked me to comment on Bloom’s speech on the floor of the European Parliament. He is incorrect in attributing the insolvency of the European banks to fractional banking. They have blown themselves up because of derivative exposure, not actual lending.

The US banks survived and have prospered BECAUSE of TARP. The US government bought the toxic financial waste they created so the bankers got away with it again. In Europe, the design of the euro was to deny creating a national European debt, therefore there could be no bailout because that would mean the money would flow from one country to the another to bail out their banks. Hence, European banks still have the tonic financial waste on their books from 2007.

The central banks are ARTIFICIALLY manipulating interest rates down to try to save the banks, but this Quantitative Easing has not only failed, it has set the stage for the next financial disaster — the collapse of government pensions and private pension funds. These funds are regulated and it is mandated that they have government debt for that is “risk free,” so they claim.

The bankers sell the government debt so the politicians cannot let the bankers fail for they also fund their elections. This entire mess is not going to be held off much longer. We will be looking at this in great detail at the WEC in Orlando (Oct. 25-26).

Sep 9 2019

Report: PM Boris Johnson Has Simple Plan to Legally Stop Brexit Extension….


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree house on September 8, 2019 by 

If this simple procedure is true, wow… It would mean all of last week’s parliamentary teeth gnashing by the usurping Never-Brexit MP’s was essentially irrelevant.

According to a Reuters report, Prime Minister Boris Johnson simply needs to attach a letter to the Brexit delay legislation saying the U.K. government officially does not request any extension beyond October 31st.  Then ignore it.  That was easy.

(Reuters) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has prepared plans to legally stop any Brexit extension, the Daily Telegraph bit.ly/2ZP87Ycreported late on Sunday.

Johnson’s advisers held a meeting on Sunday to counter the strategy to prevent the British parliament’s attempts at enforcing a three-month Brexit extension if no new deal is agreed, the newspaper reported.

A plan under consideration would see Johnson sending a letter alongside the request to extend Article 50 setting out that the government does not want any delay after Oct. 31, according to the report.  (read more)

“Boris, he’s a cheeky one”….

The prior remarks by President Trump (last week) now take on a new context:

Q Have you been following the situation in London with Boris Johnson and the Brexit vote?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, Boris is a friend of mine. And he’s — he’s going at it. There’s no question about it. He’s in there — I watched him this morning. He’s in there fighting.

And he knows how to win. Boris knows how to win. Don’t worry about him. He’s going to be okay. (link)

Sep 8 2019

Brexit is a Gordian Knot – Who Is The World’s Premier Gordian Knot Cutter?….


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on September 7, 2019 by 

The Gordian Knot of Brexit is based on a Parliamentary ruling class within the U.K. government who will not accept Great Britain leaving the European Union.

The elitist Members of Parliament (MP) have passed a law requiring Prime Minister Boris Johnson to forever stay in the EU until an agreement for terms of exit are reached.  However, the EU doesn’t want the U.K. to exit; so the consequence of the MP law is to ‘remain’ in the EU forever.  This elitist scheme has created the knot; and the majority of the British people -those who voted to ‘leave’- are insufferably bound within it.

In one approach to cutting the knot Prime Minister Boris Johnson has requested a national vote for government leadership on October 15th.  With a scheduled round of talks with the EU set for October 17th, a Boris Johnson election victory would create the needed momentum toward a hard-brexit (no deal) on October 31st.  Britain would, finally, be free.

However, the MP ruling class, those who say they know better than the people they are supposed to serve, know such a popular vote would upend their schemes – and likely lead to many of their alliance being removed from office.  So the elites will not support a national election that would lead to their own defeat. [More knot building].

A second knot-cutting tactic implied by the Prime Minister, is to ignore the insufferable law –recently passed and pending signature– and proceed toward a ‘no-deal’ Brexit on October 31st.

This approach could lead to the British Parliament being forced to vote against the Prime Minister (no confidence); and would set up a replacement election, which Boris Johnson wants anyway.  Actually, no-one is quite sure what will happen on this second knot-cutting avenue… no map available.

Many Americans are watching the part where we see just how ideologically corrupt politicians are within British government; and how much they have lied and conned the British people.

Similar to the republican elitist class (Never Trump) who came out of the shadows against President Donald Trump, the never-Brexit British masks are dropping at an alarming rate.  Trump supporters have a great deal in common with Brexiteers.

However, beyond the domestic politics…. there’s an economic geopolitical aspect only a few smart people (YOU) in the U.S. have been paying attention to.  If you stand back and overlay what you know about the Trumpian global trade reset, there’s a familiar picture.

When it comes to the Trump global trade realignment, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is currently positioned to the EU as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was to China.

In early 2017, culminating in November 2017 tour of Asia, President Trump worked with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to start the process for southeast Asia countries to think about what could/would happen when the Trump administration triggered the trade reset with China.

In the two years that followed Trump’s visit, the ASEAN nations recognized what those 2017 discussions were all about.  Japan (Abe), South Korea (Moon Jae-in), Malaysia (Mahathir Mohammed), Vietnam (Tran Dai Quang), Philippines (Rodrigo Duterte), and India via Narendra Modi, all realized the China strategy of President Trump was going to provide a significant economic opportunity to replace Chinese manufacturing in Asia.

In the background of the 2019 Brexit mess, Boris Johnson is similarly positioned to where Shinzo Abe was in 2017.  If you take the trade reset strategy and replace China with the EU you can see a possibility for the future.

Economically both China and the EU have been receiving one-side benefits through the manipulation of the U.S. economy at the hands of the multinationals.  Both have exfiltrated massive amounts of U.S. wealth; and both sets of Wall Street lobbying assemblies have paid corrupt U.S. politicians handsomely to continue this indulgence.

President Trump has already hinted at his goal regarding the EU and the trade reset.  The administration objective is free, fair and reciprocal trade; meaning: no tariffs, no non-tariff barriers, no subsidies and no protectionism.  However, the EU group is the most hypocritical and protectionist trade bloc in the world. [Yes, in many ways similar to China sans the overt theft and communist aspect.]

The EU has balked at any request to drop their protectionist policies, and the generational  benefits of the post-WWII Marshal Plan will have to be pried from their cold dead fingers. The EU, with particular emphasis on France and Germany, are not about to allow the U.S. to take away the one-way tariffs they use to indulge their social welfare programs.

All of the indicators are there.  Once the USMCA is booked (North America terms settled), we can see Trump taking a similar approach with the EU as he did with China.

With that in mind, Brexit becomes the leverage Trump needs to force the EU to accept terms.  President Trump has been working with Boris Johnson on the framework of an agreement in principle for a U.S-U.K. trade agreement.

Here’s where it all comes together:

If Johnson delivers Brexit, soon thereafter President Trump announces matching tariffs against the EU equal to the tariffs they currently have on U.S. products.  The EU will again balk at the idea of negotiating new trade terms.  That’s where the U.K. (no longer in the EU) comes in.

North America and the U.K. would have a cross-Atlantic trade super-highway.  EU countries who wish to avoid Trump’s tariffs would have the U.K as a gateway.  EU nations can/will use the UK as an assembly and distribution hub for EU goods.  This would mean massive benefit to the British economy.

The issue that impedes this plan is the current Gordian knot with Brexit.

Don’t be surprised to see the world’s premier Gordian Knot cutter, Donald J Trump, reverse the order of his plan in order to create leverage favorable to Boris Johnson.

Meaning, don’t be surprised to see significant U.S. announcements about tariffs against EU goods, which will have specific focus on French and German products, as President Trump starts applying leverage to support Brexit….

Keep watching.

CNN

Trump’s other trade war could hit European cheeses and olive oil

The steady stream of customers walking into Di Palo’s on a recent afternoon were greeted by giant cheese wheels, meat hanging from the ceiling and bottles of olive oil lined up on the shelves — a…

cnn.com

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Sep 7 2019

Merkel Takes Her Tin Cup to China…


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on September 6, 2019 by 

As if, on cue:

.

CTH – […] The problem for China, and ultimately for Germany, is that Trump’s trade reset has stopped a big amount of U.S. wealth from arriving in Beijing. Simultaneously, Beijing is countering Trump’s tariffs by devaluing their currency. The rebound economic impact is doubled. China has: (1) less income; and (2) less value within their own currency.

Where does this dynamic show up?

…. Anytime China is going to buy something.

China’s currency devaluation makes their exports cheaper; however, at the same time it makes any of their imports more expensive. As a consequence China buys less… and that now exhibits in lower purchases of German stuff. See how that happens?

So yeah, the ramifications for Merkel’s German economy -twice as bad as originally forecast- are based on China fighting Trump. The fact that China is bleeding cash, and has simultaneously dropped the value of their currency, means China can’t buy stuff.

All of those nations who were counting on Chinese purchases are now going bananas. This is why the multinationals blame Donald Trump… and to make matters even worse – the U.S. economy is thriving, while they watch from the sidelines. It’s a delicious dynamic.  (read more)

Sep 5 2019

Hong Kong withdraws Controversial Bill


Armstrong Economics Blog/Southeast Asia

Re-Posted Sep 5, 2019 by Martin Armstrong

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said that she will withdraw a controversial extradition bill that has sparked months of mass protests. The Hang Seng index rallied around 4%. The bill has been withdrawn after it really became clear that Hong Kong could lose its financial position in Asia to Singapore had Chinese troops intervened.

I have been in Asia for this crisis with clients on both sides of the controversy were really deeply concerned that there was a capital flight beginning with deep concerns that a troop invasion would raise tremendous concerns with respect to the future stability of Hong Kong in the world financial system.

The bill’s withdrawal has been a major positive event for Hong Kong and the rest of Asia as the protest escalation was clearly impacting capital flows and was a major potential threat to the global stability of the economy we have been warning about over here

Sep 5 2019

BREXIT & the Attempt to Delay until January 2020 ECM Turning Point


Armstrong Economics Blog/BRITAIN

Re-Posted Sep 5, 2019 by Martin Armstrong

Prime Minister Borris Johnson had wanted an election on October 15, but Labour and other opposition MPs would not back the move while the option of a no-deal Brexit on October 31 remained open to the PM. The House of Lords said it would pass the legislation by Friday.

The British pound rallied on the defeat of the PM clinging to the notion that leaving the EU is somehow bad for Britain. It remains the same old dire predictions they used back in the nineties when Britain was not going to surrender the pound and adopt the euro.

While our models indeed pinpointed a Directional Change with rising volatility into the week of 9/16, the pound has held the October 2016 for now, but a close for September below 12350 keeps the pound in check.

This idea of trade being so important is really quite insane. Nevertheless, Trump has not helped by trying to create jobs with his trade negotiations. China will listen to the US news which will show Trump losing 2020 even if you put a monkey up as the Democratic candidate. The press is so against Trump that they will turn this trade issue into real insanity. Likewise, this aids those in Britain desperate to keep their perks and pensions in place so they are selling out Britain for personal gain using the same issue as trade.

So far the Euro/Sterling Cross has been following the forecast array perfectly. The low was March followed by the breakout May/June with a Directional Change due in September. The next target is November followed by January.

What is very clear is that the financial markets are far more afraid of Labour taking power than BREXIT. We do not see any reversal of fortune for the pound and its long-term decline before 2021. Labour has become extreme. They will most certainly destroy the capital formation in Britain perhaps once and for all.

 

Sep 5 2019

British Globalists Pass Bill to Block ‘No-Deal’ Brexit – Ongoing Elitist Efforts to Ignore British Referendum…


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on September 4, 2019 by 

The jaw-dropping elitism expressed by British members of parliament continued today as globalists in the Conservative Party joined with globalists in the Labour Party and passed a bill in the UK House of Commons to block no-deal Brexit.  Their goal is to handcuff Prime Minister Boris Johnson from leaving the EU on October 31st.  [Backstory Here]

The multinational banks and financial elite have poured money toward the anti-Brexit politicians (both parties) and deployed all media efforts in an attempt to stop the U.K from leaving the European Union despite the majority of British who voted to leave in 2016.

The latest move by the elitist group, led by far-left Jeremy Corbyn, forces the U.K. to say in the EU until an agreement to exit the EU is affirmed.  However, the actual purpose of the bill is to empower the EU never to agree to *any* terms of Brexit, thereby keeping the U.K. in the EU forever.

Boris Johnson has requested a mid-October general election so the British people can remove the elitist politicians.  However, two-thirds of those same politicians would have to agree to allow a vote that would eliminate their position.  Therefore, the pontificating elite are also blocking any effort at a snap election.  It’s a mess.

Right now the upper chamber (House of Lords) has threatened to filibuster the lower chamber (House of Commons) bill in an effort to help their Prime Minister.  However, there is also a possibility Prime Minister Johnson could intentionally just ignore the law (if passed), proceed toward a no-deal Brexit and force Parliament to vote him out of office; which would trigger the general election vote the Prime Minister is seeking.

It’s a classic case of elitist politicians trying all parliamentary rules to override the majority vote of the people in the country.

Two centuries ago the masses would have already taken arms against their overseers, stormed the gates and hung the politicians from Tower Bridge.  Unfortunately, in 2019 it’s less likely to happen… Although if the elitist politicians keep this up, well, you never know.

(Via AP) – In a second straight day of parliamentary turmoil, the House of Commons voted by 327-299 in favor of an opposition bill to block a no-deal Brexit, sending it to Parliament’s upper chamber, the House of Lords.

Even so, the bill’s fate is unsure. With Johnson set to suspend Parliament for several weeks starting next week, pro-Brexit peers in the Lords are threatening to try to stop it by filibustering until time runs out.

“There is very little time left,” said Labour Party lawmaker Hilary Benn as he introduced the opposition bill. “The purpose of the bill is very simple: to ensure that the United Kingdom does not leave the European Union on the 31st of October without an agreement.”

The bill would require the government to ask the EU to delay Brexit until Jan. 31, 2020, if it can’t secure a deal with the bloc by late October.

The lawmakers hope to pass the bill into law — a process that can take months — by the end of the week, because Johnson plans to suspend Parliament at some point next week until Oct. 14.

Johnson became prime minister in July by promising to lead Britain out of the EU, breaking the impasse that has paralyzed the country’s politics since voters decided in June 2016 to leave the bloc. But he is caught between the EU, which refuses to renegotiate the deal it stuck with May, and a majority of British lawmakers opposed to leaving without an agreement. Most economists say a no-deal Brexit would cause severe economic disruption and plunge the U.K. into recession. (read more)

Perhaps nothing personifies the elitist outlook more than this letter from Phillip Lee a member of Boris Johnson’s own party who is resigning because the Prime Minister continues to listen to the unwashed people, disregard the elites and pursue Brexit.

Read this:

(Source)

…”the twin diseases of populism and English nationalism”?

Dr Lee is apoplectic that any politician might listen to the British people.

MP Phillip Lee openly states any British person who wants to leave the EU is suffering from a disease of wrongful thought; and accuses them of British patriotism.  How dare they be so bold….

The open elitist worldview is really quite remarkable.

The Associated Press

✔@AP

 · 

Brexit

News from The Associated Press, the definitive source for independent journalism from every corner of the globe.

apnews.com

Alan Wilton@Alanpw1955

Blocking no deal Brexit means we either accept any deal the rest of EU deems appropriate, which of course will be entirely to their advantage, or we don’t leave the EU at all. Either way we’re screwed and U.K. democracy is dead and buried. We need to kick out the traitors.

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Sep 4 2019

Thailand & its Military Coups are Different from the West


Blog/Thailand

Posted Sep 4, 2019 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: My friend is Chinese. He said you are very popular in Asia because you understand the Asian mindset. I believe when the military stepped in in Thailand against the politicians, you were not concerned about a military-type coup and said it was different from the West’s experience. Would you care to explain that position? Really curious.

PN

ANSWER: The Thai people are among the most polite in the world. Military coups d’eÌ tat occurred in Thailand in 2006 as well as back in 1991, 1991 and 2006. The Thai military acts as a political army which is very different from military coups in the West. The Thai military determines the combination of factors necessary for the military to step into the political system which stems from the kingdom’s ancient beginnings. The 1932 coup d’eÌ tat overthrew the absolute monarchy and defended the people. In the 1980s, they established the founding principles of the military and its historical role in politics, both of which contribute to the values and identity of Thailand’s military as an institution.

If you actually look closely and make a comparison of the precoup periods to the events that lead directly to the coup event, there is clearly a common set of factors necessary for the military to stage a successful coup. These factors include political stalemate, affronts to Thai values, and direct threats to the interests of the nation. Thailand’s military is compelled to act as a political army due to the birthright principle, civilian incompetence, and military competence.

order OF THE CINCINNATI

The Thai people do not see such military intervention as the same thing as in the case of European history from Hitler to events in Spain and Italy for example. Ironically, they follow more along the lines of the principles of the Roman dictator Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus (519–430 BC). He was an aristocrat and statesman who served as consul in 460 BC and dictator in 458 BC and 439 BC, which made him a model of integrity and virtue. The Romans regarded Cincinnatus as a hero.

When Rome was invaded, Cincinnatus was called to serve Rome as a dictator, which was an office for one year. He defended the nation and then resigned two weeks later after defeating the rival tribes of the Aequians, Sabines, and Volscians. His immediate resignation of power demonstrated his integrity and lack of personal ambition.

Order of CincinnattiGeorge Washington would not accept the office of president until he had resigned as a military leader and returned to private life. The Founding Fathers were deeply impressed with the battle of Rome against its Tarquin king that gave birth to a republic. George Washington followed and created the Order of the Cincinnati and wanted to follow his integrity.

The Thai military in its coups has followed the same path. Their interventions and unlike those of various military dictatorships in European history. They step in, deal with corruption, and then surrender power back to the political state. They may not be expressly following the man Cincinnatus, but they have exercised the very same basic principle. The proof of that is the simple fact that they returned the power to the political system.

Sep 4 2019

U.K Report: All Conservative Lawmakers Who Rebelled Against Brexit Kicked Out of Party….


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree house on September 3, 2019 by 

Righteous !

LONDON (Reuters) – All 21 lawmakers from the ruling Conservative Party who voted against the government to back a motion to seize control of parliamentary time to try to block a ‘no deal’ Brexit are being kicked out of the party, the BBC’s political editor said on Tuesday, citing government sources.

The group includes former finance minister Philip Hammond and Nicholas Soames, the grandson of former prime minister Winston Churchill. (Link)