Germany’s obsession with anti-inflation policies inspired by the Hyperinflation of the 1920s is so misguided that it is not threatening to collapse all of Europe. Former ECB banker Lorenzo Bini Smaghi has now even called to rescue the Italian banks with European taxpayers’ money. He is correct in warning that the insistence of Germany on the prohibition of state funding bailouts could evolve into a threat to the entire European financial system. The ECB is desperately trying to support the euro, but a strong currency only promotes deflation – not recovery.

The German hypeinflation was the result of a collapse in confidence because of the 1918 Communist revolution in Germany. Nobody would lend the government money after they invited the Russian communists to take over Germany. This had NOTHING to do with printing money. That was the result of the collapse in confidence, not the original cause.

This misguided interpretation of the German hyperinflation is causing the exact same response. People are hoarding cash, not investment, and banks are collapsing. Deutsche Bank says it need 150 billion euros. This is a full blown sovereign debt crisis that will tear Europe apart. Negative interest rates are accelerating the process.

We are looking at the collapse of Europe unfold much faster than anyone suspected. I have been warning that the Continental EU banks are in serious trouble. The negative interest rates have devastated Europe. While trying to stimulate borrowers who are not interested without an opportunity to make money, the ECB has wiped out savers, pensions, and sent cash into hiding contracting the European economy – not stimulating it. I have also warned that it is the EURO which is in serious trouble and that BREXIT was the only way to save Britain from being dragged down under as the Euro sinks.

The Italian banks are collapsing and the crisis is now risking bringing down the Italian government. If they do not bailout the banks, the people will be in revolution. If they bailout the banks, they can only print Euros. The is starting to illustrate what I have been warning about. The EURO is in effect like a gold standard. When crisis hit, everyone had to suspend the gold standard for World Wars I and II and then upon the fall of Bretton Woods. The currencies were tied to gold which they could not increase its supply. This is the same crisis now with the EURO. Despite the EURO is really just electronic/paper, its quantity is still fixed by the EU membership. No single member state can just increase its supply unilaterally. That would be like trying to maintain a gold standard and one nation revalued its gold to three times that of what everyone else uses. That becomes impossible. The Silver Democrats nearly caused the bankruptcy of the USA for overvaluing silver relative to the world in the 19th century.

This is why the euro CANNOT SURVIVE. You have sovereign states with their own crisis and that demand measures separate and distinct from other members. This is how the euro system will break. It is extremely urgent that you understand the crisis ahead. This is what will send capital fleeing into the dollar. True, some will buy gold. That is generally retail investors. Pension funds and institutional investors will buy US government bonds, dollars and park them at the Fed, or jump in with both feet into the US stock market.

By the time this mess comes unraveled, we will see the world completely change. We are probably looking at a major world monetary reform come as early as 2018. The speed with which this is unfolding is rather incredible

QUESTION: Dear Mr Armstrong.
I attended the Berlin conference and already enrolled for Orlando as well. I have a question regarding the EURO. It is obvious that the EU cannot be sustained as is. I think, so far, I do understand the decline of the EURO. We see it happen. But Germany and France are vigorously protecting their dream. However voices are louder for Italy to abandon the EURO, with probably more countries to follow and but with Germany and France clinging on. With weaker countries leaving, isn’t Euro starting to look more and more like a Deutsch Mark?
My question is; is the anticipated decline in the EURO to below par to the dollar the only scenario, or can the EURO recover once the weaker countries are out?
Thanks you for all you do.

FB

ANSWER: The Euro cannot become the Deutsche Mark for at the end of the day there are also conflicts between Germany and France. As I have stated before, the Federal Reserve was set up with each branch maintaining its own interest rate. That enabled a single currency to survive. The pressure was then contained in the interest rates. It was FDR who seized the Federal Reserve and imposed a single national interest rate. That was OK to work through World War II, but ever since, the pressures have not been offset in interest rates but in local economies. We always called it the New York/Texas arbitrage. The Fed would raise rate to fight speculation in stocks in NYC while putting farmers into bankruptcy. The original design was proper. What FDR created was merely copied by the EU. Hence, we see that the promises of the Euro creating one interest rates for all failed. The rates have been rising in the peripheral members.

The negative interest rates are undermining pensions throughout Europe. This will start to lead to failure in 2017. There is just no possible way these people even understand what they have done. For the Euro to survive, that would still mean the subordination of some economic conditions in one member for the benefit of another.