Armstrong Economic Blog/Euro €
Re-Posted Dec 4, 2019 by Martin Armstrong
QUESTION: Dear Mr Armstrong,
When will the Euro begin the final drop against the USD?
My second question is property in Italy seems to be rising. Is this what you referred to a currency inflation?
ANSWER: The decline in the euro since 2008 has been steady, but gradual to some extent. The EU government has been warning banks not to accept short positions and they have done their best to try to hold the currency. The final blow comes ONLY when the general public realizes that there is a problem with all central banks. They cannot support the economy while the fiscal side makes no effort at reform. That is more likely in the 2021-2022 time period.
As far as property in Italy is concerned, Italians have a cultural attachment to property. Many have more than one place. They have traditionally sought to park money in property because the Italian lira was in a perpetual decline.
Pension funds on a global scale will become a major crisis. Japan has the worst aging population. However, the same problem exists in Europe and America. This is a long-term issue rather than instantly, right now
German Politics
Armstrong Economics Blog/Germany
Re-Posted Dec 4, 2019 by Martin Armstrong
QUESTION:
Hi Martin,
It can not be said enough: thank you for everything that you do.
I have a question that has been bothering me for some time now. I haven’t had the time to compose it until now.
You often talk of the fact that Hitler was elected with only 30% of the vote, and was allowed to propagate because of it. This changed the face of Europe and the world.
Was this the same for Merkel? Was she allowed, with only 30% of the vote, to open the borders and so change the face of Europe for decades to come?
If so, then Germany, with all its preoccupation about hyperinflation, has misread history and so should have focused on electoral reform rather than austerity.
Thanks, from a dedicated daily reader,
D
ANSWER: Yes, political reform in Germany is really essential. At the very least, it should adopt the French system where the first round of voting reduces the multi-party factions to two. Then the people have to vote between them. In the case of Germany, they form governments from groups to form coalitions. This means there must be compromises in what the people voted for. It is wrong that those compromises are then decided by politicians rather than the people. The next result, someone with only 30% can change the face of Germany and Europe
Premiere of The Forum (Davos)
Armstrong Economics Blog/Opinion
Re-Posted Dec 3, 2019 by Martin Armstrong
I attended the premiere of The Forum last night and got to meet those “elite” they spin such conspiracy theories about. Putin will be the keynote speaker at the next session in 2020. Interestingly, the film will be released to the general public on the turning point of the ECM – January 18th, 2020.
Most people have no idea that the World Economic Forum, which Nigel Farage said our World Economic Conference is the alternative, is more like a convention. They employ 800 people and they try to stand politically in between. It was founded by Klaus (Charles) Schwab.
Klaus’ vision was to create a forum where world leaders can meet each other and create a bond. The conspiracy theories that paint these meetings as the place where they decide what the world will do for the next year is really nonsense. These people are not in control of anything and as the world turned nuts in 2019, the leaders of Germany, France, and the US all declined to attend.
It began with the model being the Chamber of Commerce meeting in the United States. Klaus took it one step further and tried to bring business and government together. As events unfolded, it grew into an annual meeting which then people wanted to be seen as being apart of it.
The film is the first to show the behind the scenes of Davos.
Legarde & Green Bonds
Armstrong Economics Blog/Europe’s Economic History
Re-Posted Dec 2, 2019 by Martin Armstrong
QUESTION: Marty; Why is Legarde pitching Euro Green Bonds when they lose money?
JL
ANSWER: If she can use the climate change nonsense to shame Germany into agreeing to issue Eurobonds, it would be a step to eliminate the refusal to issue a single European debt. If Legarde can sell that issue, then it will restructure Europe’s debt position
Davos the Film Entitled “The Forum”
Armstrong Economics Blog/Opinion
Re-Posted Nov 29, 2019 by Martin Armstrong
Repo Crisis – Best Kept Secret Ever!
Armstrong Economics Blog/Interest Rates
Re-Posted Nov 29, 2019 by Martin Armstrong
COMMENT: Marty; I want to thank you for a great conference. It is clear you are the only true institutional adviser. Our board is very impressed. The FT reported that there is still no single factor that caused the dislocations in the repo market in mid-September. You are the only one who explains the event authoritative.
Thanks
JG
ANSWER: Nobody will talk publicly. Everyone is scared to death of starting a panic. This is the BEST kept secret I have ever seen in my career. The real test comes at year-end when banks typically step back from the repo market so that their balance sheets are smaller for December 31 regulatory calculations. We will see what really happens then on the chaos scale of 1 to 10. I find it really funny how there are articles calling it the new QE to where the Fed is clandestinely buying T-Bills through repo. This really seems to be an orchestrated effort at disinformation. It is hard to say if the people who make this up are deliberate agents of the government hired to keep people looking in the wrong direction.
The Rising Tension in Europe for Civil Unrest
Armstrong Economics Blog/Civil Unrest
Re-Posted Nov 27, 2019 by Martin Armstrong
QUESTION: Hello!
More and more people in western Europe are talking about the coming civil war between the Muslims/Arabs and the Europeans. Guillaume Faye has even written a book about it. I personally believe that it will break out between 2025 and 2050 and that it will start in France. Me and my friends are looking for some place to go before it starts. We are looking at eastern Europe. Have your computer anything on this coming civil war?
Thank you for your hard work.
IR
ANSWER: Economics is at the root of the crisis. In 1844, tensions rose and there were gun battles on the streets in Philadelphia against the Irish Catholics. This occurred in the middle of a depression from the Panic of 1837 with the sovereign debt defaults by states. Religion was involved to some extent, but the argument became that the Irish immigrants were taking the jobs and were willing to work for less.
In this case, the refugees get handouts from the state and then the state raises taxes on the citizens. This still is fueling the tensions and there is indeed a risk of civil conflicts and separatist movements. This is also the period where we should expect more anti-establishment parties rising because people are losing their lifestyles thanks to the career politicians who have created an economic catastrophe.
William Koch & Ancient Coins
Armstrong Economics Blog/Ancient History
Re-Posted Nov 26, 2019 by Martin Armstrong
QUESTION: I understand that the Koch brothers bought ancient coins. Is there any truth to that?
WJ
ANSWER: Oh, yes. William Koch was involved in a very famous case involving the Athenian decadrahms. There was a hoard discovered in Antalya by a television repairman and two other people back in 1984. They found a hoard of 2000 ancient silver coins with a metal detector. The hoard contained the rare Athenian decadrachms, which were produced as a commemorative 10-drachma coin. There were only 7 previously known examples. The Elmali Hoard contained 14 of them and became known as the “The Hoard of the Century.” The first one sold for $600,000 dollars, easily breaking the old record. The billionaire, William Koch of Boston, bought 1,800 of the coins for $3.5 million dollars. The Turkish Government knew that the treasure had been smuggled out of the country, but after it was taken across the border they didn’t have the slightest knowledge of its whereabouts. The treasure disappeared.
Based on the evidence, the Turkish Government started legal proceedings in Boston. The judge gave an important interim judgment in Turkey’s favor. Koch lost the hoard to Turkey
Britain GDP Has been declining ever since joining the EU
Armstrong Economics Blog/BRITAIN
Re-Posted Nov 25, 2019 by Martin Armstrong
REQUEST:
Hi Martin, I trust you are well. Would you post the chart you showed of how the UK has performed since joining the EU? I’ve been ploughing through your emails but am unable to find it. In short, I want to show my partners son the chart, who is a vehement ‘remainer’. Ie, evidence that the Uk would be better off leaving the EU.
Thanks for your help,
Cheers
Charlie
The Hunt For Taxes – Sell & Leave Before It is too late?
Armstrong Economics Blog/The Hunt for Taxes
Re-Posted Nov 24, 2019 by Martin Armstrong
QUESTION: Dear MR. Armstrong,
As a long time subscriber to your basic level Socrates,I’m very grateful for the guidance I’ve received.I have a question. In the hunt for taxes my Canadian government just assessed me over $80,000.00 for unreported income. I pay my taxes Mr Armstrong, the Canadian government pulled my bank records and although what I said was verified by those records, they refused to accept them! Even my tax lawyer was astounded.Now a difficult question for me.I’m retired and have no income presently.But I do own my on home.To pay off the CRA I’m considering getting a Reverse Mortgage on my home.They charge 6% monthly on the unpaid settlement so if I can get the RM at say 5% and use the extra to buy gold, perhaps over 5 years I can beat this burden.Would you recommend this strategy to your Mother or what else can I do.
Best Regards,
RW
ANSWER: Perhaps that is all you can do. The tax authorities are pulling those tactics far more often because they are broke and it will get far worse. I strongly advise to get a retirement visa from Thailand. You may have to just change your domicile to get away from this hunt for taxes that will continue to get worse. You are already hit. They will usually shift the burden of proof to you and just assume everything you have belongs to them. This is part of the economic tyranny we face.
It really is best to sell fixed assets in countries with aggressive tax agencies so they cannot take your home. Another thing they do, like the USA, is to cancel your passport if you owe them more the $50,000. We are economic slaves. We have truly lost all our freedoms.
I do not know what else to say, You are dancing with the devil and the rule of law has vanished. Justice died with the beginning of direct taxation embracing the income tax and Marxism. Justice is indeed just the will of the government.
Centinel2012 