Retail Closures in US Hit Pandemic Levels


Posted originally onJan 2, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

StoreClosuresRetail

Over 6,481 retailers have closed their doors since the beginning of the new year, according to data from Coresight Research in November, but that figure is expected to reach 7,327, marking a 57.8% increase in closures since 2023.

During the pandemic, closures exceeded openings by 180 stores in 2020, with the gap widening in 2021 to 6,000 retailers. There were 5,919 store openings in 2023, barely easing the burden. While online shopping has nulled the need for many brick and mortars, the types of retailers that experienced the steepest declines are telling.

Nothing at the dollar store costs a dollar. That changed years ago during the pandemic, thanks to tariffs and supply chain issues. Retailers had to mark up these cheap goods to make a meager profit. As a result, Family Dollar shut their door to 677 locations and 99 Cents Only stores shed 371. Big Lots, also known for selling discounted items, has been forced to close 580 locations, although the bankruptcy played a larger role.

Rite Aid also experienced bankruptcy in 2024, closing 408 locations. Pharmacies, in general, took a major hit this past year. Walgreens plans to close 1,200 locations over the next three years and lost 259 locations in 259. CVS closed 586 locations as well. The convenience of picking up items while at the pharmacy does not overshadow the need for a discount. People are not willing to pay more for essentials at the pharmacy when they can receive them for a discounted price elsewhere. The same goes for convenience stores like 7-Eleven which shed 492 locations in 2024 with plans to close another 400 worldwide.

Another major contributing factor is the workforce – people do not want to work low-wage jobs that do not support their cost of living. Enter any pharmacy or low-end store, and you will find a severe shortage of workers. One pharmacy by me that is part of a major chain is only open two days a week because they simply do not have the staff to keep it operating.

There is a reason that retail closures are at their highest level since the pandemic. Americans are spending more on less and their spending habits are shifting from convenience to practicality.

Can Britain be Saved form Extinction?


Posted originally on Dec 30, 2024 by Martin Armstrong 

British Extinction 2025

QUESTION: Dear Martin,

Merry Christmas to you, your family, and the Armstrong Economic team. All of you have worked tirelessly to help humanity.

A question about the UK: you have discussed saving the USA and that your proposal would always work in the EU. What about the UK? You say Trump is married to old theories. What about Nigel Farage?

Thank you for everything you do.

Ash

ANSWER: Starmer’s approval rating has crashed. Now, 61% of Britain disapprove of his policies.  Even though Labour has an overwhelming majority and can pass anything they want, the reality is that our computer does not show Starmer will survive until the next election in 2029. This is a special report with the proposal to save Britain, and it can be done if Nigel Farage dares to lead the entire world to a new economic freedom. Once one nation rejects the old theories that not even central banks can use anymore, the rest will follow. I would say the two countries that could show the way forward for the future are Britain and Argentina.

I will let everyone know when this report is ready for prime time.

Gold Clause & CBDC


Posted originally on Dec 30, 2024 by Martin Armstrong 

CBDC

QUESTION: Regarding CBDC, will they convert all the savings/cash in your bank account, will they convert everything in your brokerage accounts (all stocks etc.) will they go after gold and silver you have in storage (Brinks, for example)?

KS

ANSWER: Everything will be converted to the new CBDC. The money in your bank account is already just an electronic book entry. This is why banks are closing branches everywhere in the USA as well as Europe. They are preparing for CBDCs, which means without physical paper money, bank branches are no longer needed. You can deposit a check on your phone. The only thing left for a branch is safe deposit boxes, and the government assumes you are hiding cash there anyway. So kiss your local branch goodbye. The local bank I used because it was the closest has closed, and it is now a 30-minute ride to the closest one still open.

We the People

The monetary system will still function as normal. The exchange will probably be one-for-one. The main purpose of this is to destroy the underground economy to be able to tax everything – even the 16-year-old girl next door you hire to babysit while you go out to dinner and that $100 bill you found in the parking lot that you cheated the government out of their 50% gift tax. We are all looked down upon as scum. They presume we are all guilty and the whole debt crisis is never their fault – it is you – we the people.

1913 Income Tax

This is the natural progression of direct taxation – the complete loss of all liberty. This is why the Founding Fathers prohibited direct taxation. But the socialists seized the government and followed Marx to get the evil rich. It was introduced with the promise that only the rich would have to pay. They lied about that as well, for as soon as the income tax took place, simultaneously in the same bill, there was the payroll tax demanding employers withhold income from their workers.

1912 Vermont Income Tax
1913 Feb 4 LA Times

The federal income tax of 1913 was accompanied by the fact that the law also attempted to withhold the brand-new income tax because the people were never to be trusted. Initial estimates were that the withholding provisions would yield two-thirds of income tax revenue, but in 1916, less than 5% came from withholding. Furthermore, employers’ simple lack of compliance led to a massive groundswell of opposition to the new withholding system.

Minneapolis Payroll Tax

The people realized that the government lied to get the 16th Amendment passed, and the state politicians voted for it because it allowed them to also allowed them to impose income taxes at the state level. Even cities joined the money grab, imposing city income taxes. Every layer of government now had the right to extort money from the people based on their income, requiring disclosure of their personal lives. You gave your children money, which was circumventing income tax, so they rolled out the gift tax. , which fueled the corruption on a massive scale. The Revenue Act of 1862 included an inheritance tax and gift tax, which applied to transfers of personal assets. In 1864, Congress amended the Revenue Act, added a tax on transfers of real estate, and increased the rates for inheritance taxes. They have always used war to justify raising taxes, but they always remain in place thereafter. The War Revenue Act of 1898 implemented an inheritance tax of .74 % to 15%, which was used to fund the Spanish-American War. This is why the government loves to wage wars.

Who Creates Money?


Posted originally on Dec 30, 2024 by Martin Armstrong 

big stack of money

To a large extent, there is still much confusion regarding the creation of MONEY. Some people still think the government actually creates money as if it were in ancient times. When I say MONEY is no longer TANGIBLE, but it is VIRTUAL, many seem to fail to grasp just how much the world has changed. In ancient times, the state minted the coins AFTER 600 BC attempting to certify the weight to facilitate commerce. However, the government quickly learned that there was profit to be made, which is known as the “seigniorage,” referring to the difference between the intrinsic value of the metal and the declared value. In such a world, the state predominantly created money supply, discounting leverage from banking and counterfeiting.

Today that is about as far removed from how the economy functions as the next inhabitable planet. In the example I used that if a foreign investor buys domestic real estate, he is increasing the domestic money supply. The conversion of his local currency to the domestic currency is NOT dictated by some FIXED quantity created by the central bank. It is just electronic. Nobody actually prints anything , and the central bank does NOT even create electronic currency. It is just a book entry. Because the foreign investor is bringing in cash and buys a TANGIBLE object (real estate), the net amount of cash in the domestic supply of money increases the same when the Fed bought US bonds under QE2. Banking also LEVERAGES the economy by creating MONEY. If you have $1,000 on deposit and I borrow $1,000, we both now have accounts reflecting $1,000 each. Again, the state did NOT create that money.

It is once more a book entry. This is how a BANK PANIC will take place. You go to the bank trying to get your $1,000, but the bank actually lent it to me. As long as you do not try to take out that $1,000, everything is fine and dandy. Therefore, MONEY is not TANGIBLE, and it is purely VIRTUAL! The idea that MONEY is supposed to be some TANGIBLE object actually ended in 600 BC once government got involved and began to manufacture a profit from creating money. As long as the economy is free, then you are free to keep your wealth in whatever object you desire, be it gold or real estate. MONEY is NOT a store of value, for it has always fluctuated, rising in purchasing power in recessions (NOW) and declining in booms.

Police Officer Dressed as the Grinch Makes Drug Bust in Peru


Published originally on Rumble By The Gateway Pundit on Dec 27, 2024 at 7:30 pm EST

12.27.24: CHRISTMAS comms, Then coming years will be GREAT, PHARMA lies protected? Canada state? PRAY!


Posted originally on Rumble By And We Know on: Dec 27, 2024 at 11:40 pm EST

Canada Moving for a NO CONFIDENCE Vote to Throw Out Trudeau


Posted originally on Dec 28, 2024 by Martin Armstrong 

No Confidence
IMMCD Y Tech 12 27 24

The C$ is poised to finally elect a Yearly Sell Signal (Bearish Reversal) warning that Canada may not bottom out until 2026. Even if Trudeau is removed from office, will that prevent the Decline & Fall of Canada into 2026? We will deal with these questions and more in our annual report on Canada for 2025.

Canada Report 2025

Japan Fighting the Market Blaming Speculator not Its Policies


Posted originally on Dec 21, 2024 by Martin Armstrong 

Japan Yen 10000 2024

Japan is cascading into a serious debt crisis. Even Japanese finance officials have come out and been shocked by the fall of the Japanese yen back to retest the lows of 1990. They have been urging the Bank of Japan to intervene in foreign exchange and are naturally blaming speculators. Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato came out and stated:

“As we are alarmed by recent currency market developments including those driven by speculators, we’ll take appropriate action against excessive moves.”

IBJYUS Y Tech 12 19 24

In every government, they will always blame speculators and never their own policies. The mere fact that Kato has publicly made this statement demonstrates that the currency market is rather alarming, and the government is very concerned about the collapse of the Japanese yen. Currently, the dollar is trading at the 151 level. A year-end closing above 148 will warn that the dollar can rally substantially in the 200 to 250 zone. A close BELOW 147 would imply we could see the yen consolidate into 2026, but then it would resume a decline into 2027. Japan did conduct an intervention into the FOREX market buying yen last July to support its currency after fell below 161 per dollar level.

The BOJ’s rate-setting meeting concluded, suggesting that the U.S.-Japan interest rate differentials may not narrow as fast as previously expected. They did confirm that a former employee’s theft of over 1 billion yen from customers’ deposit boxes did not help with confidence overall.

Newsom Declares State of Emergency


Posted originally on Dec 20, 2024 by Martin Armstrong 

Newsom California

Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency over the bird flu. Of the 34 reported cases, 33 were working directly in farms. There is no grave danger to the public at large. This publicity stunt is merely a way for Newsom to have more power over his state ahead of Trump’s inauguration.

Newsom enjoyed endless power under COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions. I’ve met countless people who call themselves “pandemic refugees” as they were forced to flee California during the pandemic as it became one of the most oppressive states in the nation.

“This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak. Building on California’s testing and monitoring system — the largest in the nation — we are committed to further protecting public health, supporting our agriculture industry, and ensuring that Californians have access to accurate, up-to-date information. While the risk to the public remains low, we will continue to take all necessary steps to prevent the spread of this virus,” Newsom declared.

Over 600 dairy farms are under quarantine in California due to the bird flu. I explained that the USDA will begin testing ALL dairy farms across America, despite no known instance of someone becoming sick from consuming dairy. There have not been any recorded cases of person-to-person spread either.

Newsom may now issue executive orders and proclamations under the premise that this virus is not posing a risk to the public at large. He may now assume direct control over emergency management and state operations, as well as expanding current budgets. He could actually make expenditures from any state fund available for his use. There is a deeper power play ploy at hand behind these actions.

Postal Truck EV Fail – $3B Govt Waste


Posted Dec 20, 2024 by Martin Armstrong 

Governments are eager to spend your tax dollars on useless initiatives to save the planet from global warming. The Biden Administration spent BILLIONS on investing in EV infrastructure that never came to fruition. I spoke on how Biden approved of a $7.5 billion spending package to build EV charging stations throughout the nation, but only SEVEN were produced in over a two-year span. His most recent climate debacle that came to light rests on decarbonizing the Postal Service.

The government provided the Postal Service with funding to purchase 60,000 “Next Generation Delivery Vehicles” (NGDVs) from defense contractor Oshkosh. Oshkosh has never produced an electric truck and it is obvious why Biden avoided other more established EV manufacturers. Congress approved $3 billion to spend on this $10 billion project derived from the Inflation Reduction Act – the largest guise for climate spending in US history.

Out of that $3 BILLION, only 93 vehicles have been delivered since 2022.  Countless issues have been reported with these NGDVs from leaks to airbags. Worse, Oshkosh was never equipped to handle the production of 3,000 vehicles, and has stated that they have only been able to produce ONE truck per day. They are now working to refine their manufacturing to create 80 trucks per day. Again, there were other avenues and established factories.

Does anyone believe those small mail trucks are truly polluting the environment? Should the American people simply accept that they may not receive mail when the weather is less than ideal? “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds” unless forced to drive electric!