Tag Archives: Hunt for Taxes

Nov 10 2017

First Lady Melania Trump and Madame Pen Liyaun Visit Beijing Art and Design School…


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on November 8, 2017 by

While President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping are conducting official state business, First Lady Melania Trump and China’s first lady Madame Pen Liyaun visit a Beijing, China, Art and Design School.

*Geopolitical Note* The messaging here is toward U.S. trade sanctions on intellectual property theft by Chinese companies.  The intended objective here is to show they have the capability to create their own design ideas.  Theft of trademark products, and the re-manfacturing of those falsely branded products, is a huge part of China’s black-market economy and a large part of the ongoing U.S. led trade sanctions review.

Nov 10 2017

Trump Presses China on Trade…


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on November 9, 2017 by

Guess Who’s Winning?

This was written up directly from the webcast by taking live notes. Media is busy writing it all up now with some articles trickling out. You got it first!

Nov 10 2017

USA Media Ignores Historic Prime Time Broadcast of Official Beijing Welcome For President Trump…


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on November 9, 2017 by

In 1989 the communist regime of China delivered one of the more infamous authoritarian displays of brutality in modern history. The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, commonly known in mainland China as the June Fourth Incident, were student-led demonstrations in Beijing, the capital of the People’s Republic of China. In response the communist regime crushed the student uprising and hundreds were massacred.

Almost thirty years later, it’s now 2017, and in the exact same place, on the exact same streets, the Chinese government played the U.S. national anthem while broadcasting -for the first time ever- to their own country:  the welcoming ceremony of a state visit by a U.S. President and First Lady at the Grand Hall of the People’s Republic of China.

During prime time TV viewing (8:30pm EST) you would think this historic moment, this historic contrast (liberty crushed / liberty celebrated), should easily garner U.S. media attention.  You might think that, but you would be wrong.

Actual trumpets sounded the regalia as a U.S. President exited the limousine in front of the Great Hall; but not a single U.S. network, broadcast or cable, showed the historic moments of the ceremony when President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrived.

Thirty years ago, China was controlling broadcasts and hiding uncomfortable events on that location. In 2017 it’s the U.S. media apparatus doing the hiding. Has the worm turned 180°?

Central Beijing 1989 – Look closely at the front of the tank column.

It has been almost a generation, and those under 40-years-of-age might not remember, but the incredible events in Tiananmen square captured the attention of the world (mostly from smuggled footage).  June 1989 also provided one of the most iconic images of the struggle for freedom in history: “Tank Man”.

So it was stunning last night to see that same roadway and central square in front of the Great Hall of the People’s Republic filled with the sounds of trumpets, the Star Spangled Banner, joyful children and the arrival of a U.S. President actually broadcast LIVE on Chinese State TV.

The significance was not lost on international viewership outside the U.S.

WATCH:

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Nov 10 2017

Tectonic Shifts – The Saudi Alliance Strategy Continues…


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on November 9, 2017 by

If you haven’t followed the entirety of how the “Freedom Alliance” was assembled in the very early months shortly after the election of President Donald Trump, it’s hard to understand the scope of what is taking place in the middle-east.

The nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), led by Saudi Arabia, are on the cusp of transforming themselves into a modern and engaged era. The goals of the GCC allies, led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) are to remove the influence agents who have supported extremism, the Muslim Brotherhood, and stimulated and/or enabled crisis for personal and ideological gains.

Because of the financial reach within the parties involved, the downstream consequences are being felt within the political bodies of most nations including our own. Specifically within Washington DC’s deep-state institutions, career politicians on foreign affairs committees, and within the upper and lower tiers of the aggregate U.S. State Dept.  A great realignment is taking place.

Caption: There will come a time when you will need to choose a side. Think wisely…

French President Emmanuel Macron said today he will make an unexpected trip to Saudi Arabia after leaving the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to see Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and discuss crises in Lebanon, Yemen and the wider region.  This happens simultaneous to the UAE announcing they too are examining bank accounts for their own officials, officers and leaders within their nation.

DUBAI (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron is making a previously unscheduled trip to Saudi Arabia on Thursday to see Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman amid rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, notably over Lebanon and Yemen.

Macron, on a visit to the United Arab Emirates, declined to discuss a wave of high-level arrests for corruption in Saud Arabia, but said it was vital to work with the kingdom for the stability of the region and to fight terrorism.

He told a news conference in Dubai that the decision to go to Riyadh had been made on Thursday morning, and that his talks with the prince would include “regional questions, in particular Yemen and Lebanon”.  (read more)

Last Saturday Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned as prime minister in a shocking declaration read from inside Saudi Arabia.  It is suspected that either: A.) Crown Prince bin Salman confronted PM Hariri with documented evidence of financial relationships between Hariri and Iran, including agreements for terrorist funding therein, and that led to Prime Minister Hariri resigning; or B.) that MbS presented evidence of a possible Iranian assassination plot, and Saad Hairi is now being protected in his former homeland (Saudi Arabia).

This resulted in putting Lebanon into a political crisis and pushed Lebanese political leadership back into the spotlight amid the regional and ideological struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran and Salman’s goal to stop extremism.

Regardless of motive, after his resignation, Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri remained in Saudi Arabia prompting officials in Lebanon to claim he is being held against his will.  According to regional media reporting Lebanese President Michel Aoun is seeking help from other international diplomats to uncover the mystery surrounding Hariri’s resignation.

Hariri reportedly met the French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Thursday in Riyadh, and has met EU, U.K. and U.S. diplomats in recent days.  Hence, French President Emmanuel Macron traveling to Riyadh to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to find out the details behind what’s happening.

In the interim, in what appears to be a precautionary move against hostile action from Iranian sympathizers inside Lebanon, both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are telling their citizens in Lebanon it would be advisable if they left.  This is happening at the same time the UAE is expanding their own probes into the financial networks of officials.

ABU DHABI/DUBAI (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s crackdown on corruption has spread beyond its borders as regulators in the United Arab Emirates ask UAE banks for information about Saudi citizens detained in the investigation, a possible prelude to freezing their accounts.

The UAE central bank has requested commercial banks and finance companies in the UAE to provide details of the accounts of 19 Saudis, commercial bankers told Reuters on Thursday, declining to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Almost all of the 19, including billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and former National Guard chief Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, are known to be among dozens of senior officials and businessmen detained in the corruption inquiry.

Commercial bankers said UAE authorities had not explained why they wanted the information, but believed the authorities were acting at the behest of the Saudi government, which has said it aims to recover billions of dollars of illicit assets identified in its investigation.

Central bank officials in the UAE, a federation of seven emirates, were not available to comment, and Saudi officials in Riyadh, who have frozen over 1,700 domestic bank accounts as part of the crackdown, did not respond to requests for comment.

The UAE, particularly its most commercially prominent emirate Dubai, is one of the main places where wealthy Saudis park their money abroad. In addition to bank accounts, they buy luxury apartments and villas in Dubai and invest in the emirate’s volatile stock market.  (read more)

It doesn’t take a deep geopolitical thinker to see the basic outlines of what’s happening.  In order to confront the issues in the region, all of them, the most direct approach is to cut off the money.  Saudi Arabia and their regional partners in the Gulf Cooperation Council are doing just that.

From President Trump’s perspective he says: ‘great, go for it – my administration has your back’.   After initial diplomatic strategy meetings, to discuss up the basic outlines and the consequences that could/would happen, well, then came the historic summit in Saudi Arabia.    Five months later King Salman and the Crown Prince execute the plan.

Now we are seeing it happen.   The Big Ugly… Saudi Arabia version.

However, amid the apex team of corrupt financial influencers MbS arrested are a bunch of regional players who bought U.S. politicians in exchange for assistance as they carried out their ideological and indulgent interests.

The corrupt Saudi crew are directly connected to corrupted U.S. politicians who sell foreign policy.  Therefore the arrests of the corrupt Saudi players becomes the ripple effect shock-wave within DC.

Is the new era MbS leadership willing to expose the names of the politicians who were purchased?  Has MbS told President Trump who was being paid-off within those financial records?

See the alarm bells?

Think – Senator Bob Corker, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.

BING-BING-BING !

Who else was Chairman of that committee…. oh, that would be Senator John Kerry, who later became Secretary of State…. BING-BING-BING!

The biggest names in Washington DC politics including lobbyists, Clintons and the biggest names in congress, are all affiliated with the business model of selling foreign policy influence.  Do you really think it’s accidental these voices are lashing out against President Donald Trump?

Even the smaller and more meddling critters like Senator John McCain and Senator Lindsey Graham are part of the business model.  Heck, a review of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is a ‘who’s who’ of NeverTrumpers and Neo-Cons.

How about Evan McMullin and/or Representative Adam Kinzinger.   Remember the connections between the Muslim Brotherhood and NeverTrump? All ya’ gotta’ do is just align the names with their attacks against the Trump administration, and the connections are transparent.

And remember… there are TRILLIONS of dollars at stake.

“[…]  I have just returned from a historic trip to Europe and the Middle East, where I worked to strengthen our alliances, forge new friendships, and unite all civilized peoples in the fight against terrorism. No civilized nation can tolerate this violence, or allow this wicked ideology to spread on its shores.

I addressed a summit of more than 50 Arab and Muslim leaders — a unique meeting in the history of nations — where key players in the region agreed to stop supporting terrorism, whether it be financial, military or even moral support.

The nation of Qatar, unfortunately, has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level, and in the wake of that conference, nations came together and spoke to me about confronting Qatar over its behavior. So we had a decision to make: Do we take the easy road, or do we finally take a hard but necessary action? We have to stop the funding of terrorism.

I decided, along with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, our great generals and military people, the time had come to call on Qatar to end its funding — they have to end that funding — and its extremist ideology in terms of funding.

I want to call on all other nations to stop immediately supporting terrorism. Stop teaching people to kill other people. Stop filling their minds with hate and intolerance. I won’t name other countries, but we are not done solving the problem, but we will solve that problem. Have no choice.

This is my great priority because it is my first duty as President to keep our people safe. Defeating ISIS and other terror organizations is something I have emphasized all during my campaign and right up until the present. To do that, stop funding, stop teaching hate, and stop the killing.

For Qatar, we want you back among the unity of responsible nations. We ask Qatar, and other nations in the region to do more and do it faster.

I want to thank Saudi Arabia, and my friend, King Salman, and all of the countries who participated in that very historic summit. It was truly historic. There has never been anything like it before and perhaps there never will be again. Hopefully, it will be the beginning of the end of funding terrorism. It will, therefore, be the beginning of the end to terrorism.

No more funding.

 

Nov 10 2017

Interest Rates will Double


Armstrong Economics Blog/Bonds

Re-Posted Nov 10, 2017 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: Mr. Armstrong; Thank you for an excellent conference. I have been attending since 2011. Each time you deliver a different conference and they are always better than the last. I could not help to notice on Zero Hedge they ran a piece about a Harvard University’s visiting scholar at the Bank of England who claims:

“We trace the use of the dominant risk-free asset over time, starting with sovereign rates in the Italian city states in the 14th and 15th centuries, later switching to long-term rates in Spain, followed by the Province of Holland, since 1703 the UK, subsequently Germany, and finally the US.”

Besides claiming to calculate the 700-year average real rate at 4.78% suggesting that rates will rise sharply when your models are 5,000 years, the two ridiculous statements are a 700-year average as if this really means something in the near-term when rates have been below that for nearly 10 years, and second the statement that he traces “the dominant risk-free asset over time.” You have demonstrated that moving averages are not valid in forecasting and that government routinely defaults.

You forecast at the conference that rates would rise very rapidly as we move into the Monetary Crisis Cycle. When I returned home to Greece, the latest news here is that so many people do not even have the money left to pay taxes. Is this part of the first stone in the water that sets off the waves of the Monetary Crisis Cycle?

ANSWER: It is very nice to trace 700 years and come up with the average of 4.78% by switching to the dominant economy as the financial capital of the world moved. However, starting the study in the 14th century skips the crazy part. There was the Great Financial Crisis of 1092 in Byzantium. This was really a watermark event that set in motion the decline thereafter. This study of moving from Spain to Holland, UK, Germany, and then the USA, is interesting, but regionally biased.

The fall of Byzantium resulting in the financial capital of the world moving to India – not Spain. That is why Columbus set sail trying to get to India, which was the financial capital of the world after Byzantium.

We hit a 5,000 year low. The Reversals we provided at the conference show we are looking at a near doubling in rates when we cross that number.

Nov 10 2017

Tax Reform & the Dow


Armstrong Economics Blog/Dow Jones

Re-Posted Nov 10, 2017 by Martin Armstrong

Trump’s tax reform to cut the corporate income tax rate from 35% to 20% will be a huge boost for the economy and place tremendous pressure on the rest of the world. But already we have Republicans playing games for personal careers. They want to postpone the cut for corporations until 2019 AFTER, of course, the 2018 mid-term elections. As always, they are afraid that the Democrats will point to the rich and regain seats.

The longer they delay, the greater the economic decline. This may be the fundamental behind our model which targeted November for a temporary high. Nonetheless, our Energy Models have peaked on the Daily level suggesting that we are still not really in a serious overbought position. That implies a correction is possible, but not a major crash and change in long-term trend.

Nov 10 2017

Sicily votes 81% against the EU Status Quo – It Begins!


Armstrong Economics Blog/Italy

Re-Posted Nov 10, 2017 by Martin Armstrong

The contagion from Catalonia is indeed spreading to Italy. The Democratic Party (PD) led by former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has suffered a severe defeat in Sicily. The Eurosceptic parties have won the election sending yet another warning sign to Brussels that they refuse to accept demand reform. 

BerlusconiThe Democratic Party has lost the regional elections in Sicily in a very DRAMATIC way. Renzi’s party came in third place with just 19% of the vote. The candidate, supported by Silvio Berlusconi, has won around 40%. I have written before that RELIABLE sources revealed that the EU had staged a coup in Italy to overthrow Berlusconi because he was proposing back then to exit the Euro.

Brussels refuses to listen and reform anything.  Berlusconi proudly announced: “Sicily has chosen the path of change, as I have demanded,” in his video message on Facebook. Sicily is one of the poorest provinces in Italy. Youth unemployment is alarmingly high and many people migrate out of lack of prospects to the north or abroad.

Brussels is not interested in the people of Europe. This is now all about saving the jobs of the politicians in Brussels. They have no job without the Euro.

 

Nov 9 2017

The ECM Turning Point Here in November


Armstrong Economics Blog/ECM

Re-Posted Nov 8, 2017 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: Marty,

First off, I would like to say it was truly a pleasure meeting you at the cocktail party this past weekend. Congratulations on presenting an incredible conference. It was my first time attending and I will definitely be there again next year. Furthermore, let me tell you that I was very impressed with your staff. They were very helpful before and during the conference. Lastly, I was extremely impressed with the number of young attendees that were at the conference. I consider myself as still being young, but the number of early 20 year olds that were at the conference was extremely impressive.

Now on to my questions. There seemed to be some confusion from a number of people that I spoke to as to the two November dates (the one coming up this month and the one next year). Can you please clarify the significance between the two dates and what you are expecting from them. Also, you may have mentioned this in the past, so I apologize for asking can you to repeat yourself, but can you tell me where the 23700 number came from on the Dow? Is it a number generated by Socrates or is it just a technical analysis number? Lastly, I would like to know what your thoughts are about the diverse crowd that attended your conference?

Once again, thank you for all that you have done for us little people.

P.S. I can’t wait for the release of the Socrates professional version.

John

ANSWER: The Economic Confidence Model has a turning point here this November 24/25. That can produce the temporary high. The next one November 21, 2018, is the one that tends to produce the major events that are often political in nature. For example, on the 1998 wave, we saw the Long Term Capital Management collapse as a result of the Russian collapse. Then the Pi Turning point produced the 911 attack on the World Trade Center to the day.

The next wave that peaked in 2007, produced April 16, 2010 and that was when Greece petitioned the IMF for a loan when it could not pay its debt.

That same turning point from 1929 was November 20th, 1932. It was the 1932 German presidential elections were held on March 13th, 1932 (first round) and April 10th, 1932 (second round run-off) where the incumbent President, Paul von Hindenburg, won a second term. His opponent was Adolf Hitler of the Nazi Party (NSDAP). However, despite the fact that Hindenburg deeply distrusted Hitler and he ran to stop Hitler from winning, following his re-election, two successive federal elections left the Nazis as the largest party in the Reichstag. Hindenburg was forced to appoint Hitler as Chancellor of Germany in January 1933. It was December 1932 when the Fourth Encirclement Campaign was launched against Mao. The communist victory resulted in annihilating over 30,000 nationalist troops, including capturing more than ten thousand. Furthermore, the communist’s victory also armed them for they were able to capture tens thousands of guns from the nationalists.

Roosevelt ran in the primary elections in  1932 and became the candidate at the Democratic Convention  June 27 – July 2, 1932. The elections were November 1932. Then at the bottom of that wave in 1934.05, this is when Roosevelt confiscated gold.

On this wave, the Pi Turning point seemed to mark the political changes around the world from Hitler and Mao to FDR in the United States.

Nov 9 2017

The Coming Censorship


Armstrong Economics Blog/Media

Re-Posted Nov 7, 2017 by Martin Armstrong

The entire nonsense that the political election was “influenced” by Russia propagated by Hillary who paid for the dossier that started this whole mess. The clandestine firm that created the false dossier on Trump is refused to cooperate with Congress. Now because of all this insinuation about “influence” by Russians, Google stated that it is planning to take greater action against “illegal content and misinformation” on its platforms. This is what Hillary is running around the world pitching her book and blaming all this so the response is censorship.

There has been a huge effort to research how ads were used on Google during the US presidential election. Two user accounts related to Russia spent a total of $4,700 (about 4050 euros) on ads. That has been blown up as if it were hundreds of millions. The argument that that slight add is creating misinformation that must be eliminated. Of course, the propaganda by mainstream media that is so one-sided is somehow ignored.

Nov 9 2017

Bank of England & Real World


Armstrong Economics Blog/Central Banks

Re-Posted Nov 7, 2017 by Martin Armstrong

Without real-world experience, today’s move by the Bank of England would have cost you serious money. Yes, finally after more than a decade the BOE finally raised rates by 25 basis points to 0.50%. The move has been well telegraphed in recent days and having been confirmed the first thing we see is a 1.5% drop in Sterling. There are always reasons why and this one was no exception. Talk that future hikes will be gradual is the top excuse traders are using for sterling’s decline.
Inflation hit 3% in September of this year well above the 2% inflation BOE target so it was only a matter of time for the hike. However, with the future still uncertain ahead of April 2019 and the end of BREXIT talks, it is likely to take a steady hand to drive the 3% back towards target. Gradual rate increases are not what the currency markets wanted to hear but are has been helpful for the long end of the Gilt curve.
It is going to be an extremely difficult task for the Old Lady as she also tries to encourage foreign investment at a time when all help is needed. A weaker currency will not help that hand, but without it, the labour market will suffer.
Weekly bearish Reversal is down at 1.2811 which may well be the target for tomorrow if we see a 300K Non-Farms Payroll report. The close today will have elected Daily Reversals down from 1.3087.
Categories: Central Banks