Armstrong Economics Blog/Armstrong in the Media Re-Posted May 28, 2022 by Martin Armstrong
There is also a wealth of information available for free at zeeemedia.com!
Tag Archives:
UDSA Raises Food Price Forecast to Highest Level in 42 Years, Third Wave of U.S. Food Inflation Will Dwarf Prior Price Increases
Posted originally on the conservative tree house on May 27, 2022 | Sundance
Have you ever seen egg prices at $1 per egg range, or $12/doz? Hold on a few months and perhaps you will. That is the context for the scale of food price increases the USDA is now starting to predict. The highest predicted change in food costs in well over 40 years, that’s the USDA warning in their revised May “Food Price Outlook”. [DATA HERE]
This month the USDA just re-re-revised the forward price outlook, and things are grim. It likely doesn’t come as a surprise to many CTH readers because we have been discussing the convergence of events since October of 2021, when we first were able to predict Wave-1 (Dec/Jan), and Wave-2 (March/Apr) inflation. However, the underlying data for Wave-3 is double the prior two phases.
Keep in mind the data is national & skewed toward low estimations as represented by (+).
When the USDA predicts egg prices increasing by 19.5 to 20.5% (from where those prices are now), there will be regions with much higher retail increases than estimated.
Just two months ago, USDA had egg inflation at 2.5%-3.5% range, year over year. Again, that’s the scale of change; from a 3.5% forward outlook to a 20.5% forward outlook effective right now.
Food at home (grocery store) prices: up 7% to 8% in this monthly review, versus the April outlook of a rise of 5% to 6%. That means the USDA is predicting the highest grocery store price rise since 1980 when prices rose 8.1% (prices rose 7.2% in 1981). There is no reason to think the USDA forecast will not rise again in June.
[Click graphic to expand – Data Set Here]
If you have not taken food price stability seriously before now, please take proactive measures to secure your family. We are talking about future retail food prices that were simply unfathomable last year.
You know how much prices at the supermarket have increased in the last six months. Double that, and there’s your estimation for food prices later this fall.
Behind all the datasets, statistics, BEA, BLS, USDA and analysis of these things, there are real people living paycheck-to-paycheck that are likely to be in serious food insecurity position for the first time in their lives.
I’m not talking about poor people, I’m talking about solid upper middle-class working families with kids who are already being hit hard by gasoline, energy, housing and grocery store increases. Another twenty percent increase in food costs can easily become a crisis.
The core issue is this snowball of production costs inside the field to fork supply chain. Diesel prices, fertilizer prices, energy prices, seed and feed prices, all of it has doubled and tripled in less than a year.
Add in transportation and distribution costs that have doubled, and all of that cumulative impact is going to flow through the food supply chain from the field to the processor (wholesaler), and into the supermarket. Fresh foods, especially in the produce section, will catch many people off guard.
Not all news associated with this is bad news. As you read this you have information that allows you to take control and be proactive. YOU will not be part of the national population that is stunned in September and October. YOU know what is coming. With that in mind, do what you can today, tomorrow, this week, to be proactive and offset the impact. Taking action reduces stress.
Perhaps shop proactively for your holiday shelf stable food items now. Look at the circulars and on-line for coupons, not for then – but for use now. Perhaps learn to make some of the foods you would normally purchase already prepared. Small proactive seeds, kept in mind while carrying on day-to-day life.
I know from reading comments that many of you have planted ‘victory gardens’ this year. Those harvests are worth 50% more now they were three months ago. That’s the way to look at it. Every amount of saving matters…. and yes, grandma carefully washed the aluminum foil and reused it for a reason.
The Incredible Transition
Armstrong Economics Blog/Energy Re-Posted May 27, 2022 by Martin Armstrong
According to politicians around the world, the Great Unwashed plebians should be grateful for the energy crisis. President Joe Biden recently declared that America is undergoing an “incredible transition” and we must suffer in order to reap the benefits. “Here’s the situation. And when it comes to the gas prices, we’re going through an incredible transition that is taking place that, God willing, when it’s over, we’ll be stronger and the world will be stronger and less reliant on fossil fuels when this is over,” Biden said.
I have explained that the Biden Administration deliberately ruined America’s ability to be energy independent. Biden sparked the energy crisis on his first day in office when he canceled the Keystone XL pipeline and removed various gas permits. The keyword in Biden’s statement is “when,” as no one knows when this transition will take place as there are NO viable large-scale alternatives to oil.
“It’s Incredible for you!” Senator Ted Cruz clarified, “You fly a damn 747 where the taxpayers pay for your jet fuel. What Joe Biden is saying is, if you at home, if you drive a pickup truck, ‘to hell with you; you can’t drive your pickup truck. If you have a Suburban, you’ve got to get rid of that. We’re all getting Toyota Priuses.’”
Biden had the audacity to claim he kept the energy crisis “from getting worse – and it’s bad.” This comes as the nationwide gas average reaches $4.59, but it has surpassed $8.00 in many locations. You will own nothing, not even an electric vehicle, and be happy. Realize that the “pain at the pump” is a deliberate attempt to push the Great Reset and climate change agendas.
Biden’s Approval Rating Drops to New Low
Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics Re-Posted May 27, 2022 by Martin Armstrong
Amid soaring inflation and a declining quality of overall life, Americans are beginning to wake up and realize that the current administration is on the wrong track. Joe Biden’s approval rating fell to 39% — a new low. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Research found that only 2 in 10 Americans believe the US is on the right track. Republicans and Democrats both agree that the current administration is failing the people. Only 33% of Democrats believe the country is on the right path, marking a sharp downturn from the 49% rating in April. The multitude of distractions from Ukraine to Roe v. Wade is not helping the Democrats’ bid for the upcoming midterms.
The Ukrainian Solution: Money, Weapons, and Embargo
Armstrong Economics Blog/Uncategorized Re-Posted May 26, 2022 by Martin Armstrong
The Kremlin has made it known that they will not evacuate troops from Ukraine until their victory is declared. “We are sure that everything will be fine, and we are sure that we will win, we will achieve all the goals,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Russia has already downgraded “unfriendly states” to “hostile states” as Western countries are now directly involved. “Sometimes it seems that the very existence of Russia is a significant irritant for the collective West, and they are ready to do anything to prevent us from developing and living the way we want,” Peskov stated.
Kissinger suggested that Ukraine surrender some of its territories to Russia, as it is land that is composed of mostly Russian-speaking individuals who have not been allowed to vote on whether they’d like to remain under Ukrainian rule. “Negotiations need to begin in the next two months before it creates upheavals and tensions that will not be easily overcome. Ideally, the dividing line should be a return to the status quo ante,” Kissinger said, ““pursuing the war beyond that point would not be about the freedom of Ukraine … but a new war against Russia itself.” Furthermore, Kissinger is concerned that the West’s hostility will cause Russia to form a closer alliance with China.
Kissinger’s suggestion could end the war. Russia would feel as if they achieved the objective, and Ukraine would remain an independent country. Western nations would not need to spend billions of taxpayer funds on war while teetering on their own recessions. The food shortages due to the lack of wheat coming from Russia and Ukraine would end. Most importantly, the threat of the next world war would dissipate.
Zelensky’s advisor adamantly rejected the peace offer. “The shortest way to end the war – weapons, money, embargo,” Mykhailo Podolyak declared on Twitter. That may be the easiest solution for those in power, but it comes at the expense of the people. Ukraine and its Western allies will continue throwing money and fuel on the problem until the global economy crumbles so that they can reset it to their liking.
Henry Kissinger on Taiwan
Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted May 26, 2022 by Martin Armstrong
Veteran diplomat and former Nobel Peace Prize winner Henry Kissinger is warning Washington to avoid conflict with China over Taiwan. Although Joe Biden said that the US would interfere if China were to invade Taiwan, the White House clarified that the US will respect the One China policy. “The United States should not by subterfuge or by a gradual process develop something of a ‘two-China’ solution, but that China will continue to exercise the patience that has been exercised up until now,” Kissinger warned at Davos.
Although the US has been supplying military equipment to Taiwan since 1979 under the Taiwan Relations Act, the US has agreed to acknowledge the One China policy that states Taiwan is under Chinese rule. “A direct confrontation should be avoided and Taiwan cannot be the core of the negotiations because it is between China and the United States,” Kissinger stated, going as far as to say neutrality is crucial to “overall peace.”
A key figure in the Paris Peace Accords, Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 for arranging a cease-fire during the Vietnam War. His award was presented amid controversy as the war did not technically end until 1975. Additionally, Kissinger authorized bombing raids in Cambodia to target the Khmer Rouge. North Vietnamese diplomat Le Duc Tho received this award jointly with Kissinger but rejected it for the reasons mentioned. War is never the first option, and Kissinger knows the complexities of war from behind the curtain. Biden would be wise to take this warning with the utmost caution.
Twitter Agrees to Pay $150 Million FTC Fine for Using Two Factor Authentication as Ruse to Sell Targeted User Data to Advertisers
Posted originally on the conservative tree house on May 25, 2022 | Sundance
Two-Factor authentication has always been a platform ruse for gathering data on platform users. Twitter was just one company amid a large number of on-line platforms who pushed “two factor authentication” as a security measure. The real motive of TFA was to gain the user cell phone number in order to gain more specific information about the user.
Today multiple media outlets are reporting the FTC and Twitter have agreed to a settlement where Twitter will pay a $150 million settlement for violating user privacy and selling user data. Twitter collected cell phone and email account information for users under the auspices of user security. However, Twitter actually planned to use the cell phone and email data to sell a more comprehensive package of user identification to advertisers.
(Reuters) – […] The company will pay $150 million as part of the settlement announced by the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In addition to the monetary settlement, the agreement requires Twitter to improve its compliance practices.
The complaint said that the misrepresentations violated the FTC Act and a 2011 settlement with the agency.
“Specifically, while Twitter represented to users that it collected their telephone numbers and email addresses to secure their accounts, Twitter failed to disclose that it also used user contact information to aid advertisers in reaching their preferred audiences,” the complaint said.
[…] “Twitter obtained data from users on the pretext of harnessing it for security purposes but then ended up also using the data to target users with ads,” said FTC Chair Lina Khan in a statement. “This practice affected more than 140 million Twitter users, while boosting Twitter’s primary source of revenue.”
The complaint also alleges that Twitter falsely said it complied with the European Union-U.S. and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Frameworks, which bar companies from using data in ways that consumers do not authorize.
Twitter’s settlement follows years of fallout over the privacy practices of tech companies.
Revelations in 2018 that Facebook, the world’s biggest social network, was using phone numbers provided for two-factor authentication to serve ads enraged privacy advocates.
Facebook, now called Meta (FB.O), similarly settled with the FTC over the issue as part of a $5 billion agreement reached in 2019. (read more)
Two Factor Authentication (TfA) and the 5G telecommunications network work hand in glove.
By connecting the registered user id to their cell phone number, advertisers can target platform users with far more granular detail. 3G networks tracked user history to build the user portfolio. 5G networks bridge the space between user identity, cell phone, and geolocation services and apps on cell phones.
Cell phones are registered to people. The TfA purpose was to identify the actual people behind the registered accounts and then monitor them for enhanced targeting. The data of the user is monetized and your unique identity is sold to advertisers.
This is one of the reasons CTH does not track anyone, or ask for any data on any user. We do not monetize users at The Conservative Treehouse, and all of our engagement systems, including the comment system, are built around the principle that user privacy is our number one priority.
Any engagement platform that asks you to enter your cell phone as part of the registration process is going to have the ability to sell your data and user identity to a third party. It really is that simple.
Canadian Multinational Executive Outlines Tech Initiative to Create Consumer Carbon Footprint Tracker
Posted originally on the conservative tree house on May 24, 2022 | Sundance
It is important to remember the ultimate goal of the ‘climate change’ promotors (World Economic Forum) is not an energy system that changes the global climate. The goal of the ‘climate change’ group is to create a carbon trading system; a new financial mechanism (a global tax program) to control human activity on a world-wide basis. This system also needs a digital identity in order to work {hint-hint}.
You cannot tax or trade things you cannot track. As a result, there was always going to be a need for an individual tracking and monitoring system that would connect to the global digital identity and determine the carbon footprint. The carbon taxing and trading system will be more financially lucrative than any stock exchange or monetary banking system. It is the ultimate human control mechanism, and the preferred way to redistribute wealth under the guise of global equity.
Of course, the system will beta test as a consumer demand product until the government steps in to take over the allocation and distribution equity part. In this video segment, Alibaba Group president J. Michael Evans boasts at the 2022 World Economic Forum about the development of an “individual carbon footprint tracker” to monitor what you buy, what you eat, and where/how you travel. WATCH:
The individual carbon tracker is the baseline for a global carbon trading system that involves everyone; at least, everyone connected to the outlook of western government.
Carbon allocation creates the financial metric that replaces currency. You buy and sell carbon credits allowing you to engage in specific functions within society, like dining, traveling, home ownership and type, vehicle or transportation type, even the clothes you can purchase. Hence, “carbon trading” is the term most people are familiar with.
In essence, you are a parasite to earth; therefore, you must offset your derogatory footprint on the planet by paying a fee to exist. If you cannot pay for the carbon credits needed to engage in the transaction (travel, home ownership, cooling, heating, etc.) you cannot engage in the regulated activity.
The carbon exchange process is at the end of the slippery slope created by a digital identity. The 5G telecommunications network is designed to use geolocation and behavioral tracking that will connect your digital identity to your individual behavior and facilitate the carbon footprint tracing process. We are already passed the “if” stage.
Behind the Scenes of US Military’s Decline & Navy SEALs | Jack Carr | LIFESTYLE | Rubin Report
Posted by The Rubin Report Published on Rumble on May 22, 2022
Dave Rubin of “The Rubin Report” talks to Jack Carr, the author of such bestsellers as “Savage Son”, “True Believer” and “The Terminal List”, about the hardest aspects of being a Navy SEAL, what he learned about Hollywood filming “The Terminal List” for Amazon, and the history of the decline of US military power. First, Jack shares what it’s really like to train to be a Navy SEAL. He also opens up about the emotional challenges of being on a special forces SEAL team and the events that no training can prepare you for. He also shares the details that the U.S. government demanded he change in his books. Next, Jack explains how Chris Pratt and Antoine Fuqua became involved in turning “The Terminal List” into an Amazon series. He also shares what the non-woke side of Hollywood is really like. Jack also shares stories of liberal friends in Los Angeles panic buying guns for the first time and being shocked by the restrictions that they helped to vote in. Finally, Jack reveals why the US military is in decline despite major advances in military technology. He explains the origins of the military industrial complex and how the failed Afghanistan withdrawal didn’t surprise anyone familiar with the rewarding of failure in the armed forces. He explains why Craig Whitlock’s “The Afghanistan Papers” is so revealing and what has gone wrong in the military where failed leaders simply leave and get high paying jobs in the defense industry.
Australian eSafety Commissioner Tells Word Economic Forum Audience It is Time to Recalibrate Free Speech
Posted originally on the conservative tree house on May 23, 2022 | sundance
Australian eSafety Commissioner Tells Word Economic Forum Audience It is Time to Recalibrate Free Speech
May 23, 2022 | sundance | 274 Comments
Australia has an eSafety Commissioner named Julie Inman-Grant. While delivering remarks to the World Economic Forum summit in Davos, Switzerland, she outlined a new on-line era where free speech would need to be “recalibrated,” and the ability to be free from something called “on-line violence.” WATCH:
.
For the past several years we have noted a progressive, totalitarian, shift in speech, specifically a redefinition of the word “violence.” Speech the leftists do not like, they call violence; and violence the leftists support, they call speech. As a result, the overlay of a newly recalibrated on-line world for speech and violence would be modified accordingly.
Speech the Big Tech consortium would define as against their views would be considered on-line violence and thus controlled by the governmental guardians of the internet like the eSafety Commissioner. As you can see in the video below, “violence” now includes their perception of something happening on a metaphysical level. An emotional impact. They have a spiritual avatar that they feel the drive to defend from the viewpoints of the Others.
.
.
Centinel2012 