Tag Archives: Inflation Reduction Act

Apr 4 2023

Would You Welcome a Refugee into Your Home? 


Armstrong Economics Blog/Immigration Re-Posted Apr 4, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

The refugee crisis has become a problem across the European Union. According to the UN Refugee Agency, over 72,000 people applied for asylum in the UK alone, which is double the number of applicants from 2019. However, these are simply the documented cases. Germany received the highest number of applicants among the EU at 127,730, followed by France at 96,510. In fact, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain took in 70% of all first-time applicants in the European Union. Using the UK as an example, refugees are not permitted to work and fully rely on state support. So how does a nation financially support a mass influx of refugees?

The UK provides asylum seekers with free housing and £40.85 per person, per week. That is barely enough to survive, especially with the current rate of inflation, but these people cannot legally work. They often do not speak the language and have trouble assimilating into a vastly different culture. The government is relying on taxpaying citizens to foot the bill, and some recognize that the UK simply does not have the resources to provide welfare to hundreds of thousands of incoming refugees each year.

Social justice warriors are up in arms about this situation. They believe that nations should simply open their borders and everyone can live in a land of rainbows and sunshine with unlimited resources. The video above is a great example of how these social justice warriors are promoting an agenda that they simply do not understand.

Not one protestor questioned in this video agreed to house a refugee. “Are you willing to adopt a refugee and take them into your home?” the reporter asked. Excuses range from not having the space to living in a rental. At one point, he tells a protester, “Oh, right, that’s someone else’s problem.” These people are clueless and do not understand the economic repercussions of open borders.

Apr 3 2023

The US Begins to Arm Taiwan


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Apr 3, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

The evidence of the coming global war is overwhelming. In a move that will prompt a direct response from China, the US announced that it would deliver 400 Javelin man-portable anti-tank systems to Taiwan. The delivery is strategically planned to begin during the second half of this year into 2024. Reports claim that this deal was created under Trump, of course, but the timing could not be more on point for the international conflict our computers have been indicating.

These advanced weapons can penetrate armor 800 millimeters thick and come equipped with fire-and-forget technology. Ukraine has used these American-made missiles to repel troops and they are extremely effective. This is not intended to prevent China from invading. It is in preparation for when they do invade.

China will never relinquish Taiwan. It would be considered a great shame for the nation and an embarrassment on an international scale. They will do everything possible to keep Taiwan under the One China policy. China is taking notes on how Russia is operating in Ukraine. Russia had little time to prepare, whereas China has had 75 years. China is the second-largest economy in the world and will surpass the United States. The US is no longer a feared nation as it has lost every war since the second world war. The woke ideology prominent in American politics makes our nation appear weaker than ever before. America became the financial capital of the world after the second world war; China will secure that title after the third.

Apr 3 2023

Has Bakhmut Fallen? Zelensky the Real War Criminal


Armstrong Economics Blog/Ukraine Re-Posted Apr 2, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

There are yet unconfirmed reports that the head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced late on Sunday, April 2nd, 2023. that his forces have raised the Russian flag over the administration building of the town of Bakhmut in Ukraine. There is no question that Bakhmut will fall. Zelensky has sent over 100,000 men to their death there desperate to keep the money flowing into Ukraine. It is a sad state of affairs when a high-heel dancing idiot orders generals to fight to the death all for his pride and money. The fall of Bakhmut is simply inevitable and the West’s propaganda that Russia would be defeated and that they were weak was all wishful thinking of the Neocons who can think of nothing but war.

Zelensky should be charged with treason and bribery. He was elected promising to end the war and broker peace. Once he got in, he sold his soul o the Neocons and filled his pockets to live forever comfortably. Some Ukrainians are wondering if he did this to punish Ukraine for its persecution of Jews.

He hid being a Jew before the election. Even made jokes about persecuting the Jews. This has a lot of people very confused since he suddenly became Jewish after the election. He married a non-Jew and had his children baptized. He jokes about the confiscation of property of Russians and Jews.

By the time he is finished, 500,000+ Ukrainian will have died because of him and his greed! He could swap his high heels for an army helmet and always appear in an army T-Shirt to get money. That did not give him the experience to win a war. Pray for all the Ukrainians he sent to their death.

CNN wrote:

The Kremlin saw Zelensky’s predecessor, outgoing President Petro Poroshenko, as representing the “party of war,” and the election results in Ukraine were greeted by official Russia with what could be described as cautious hope for a reboot in relations.

“There are chances to improve Ukraine’s interaction with our country,” Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Facebook. “What is needed for this? Honesty. And we need a pragmatic and responsible approach.”

The day before Putin launched his special operation, Zelensky announced to the world he would seek nuclear weapons to force Putin’s hand. This was all choreographed by the Neocons who always want war. They will never stop.

Apr 3 2023

Inditement Backlash


Armstrong Economics Blog/Corruption Re-Posted Apr 3, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Trump said from the beginning that his arrest would blow up in Biden’s face. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he would not honor any request to extradite the former president and called the situation “un-American.” “The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head,” DeSantis tweeted. News outlets, even those on the left, are bashing the inditement. The Washington Post released an article calling it “a poor test case for prosecuting a former president.” American voters seem to agree.

You know you screwed up when even George Soros wants no part of the scandal. The leftist billionaire came out to declare that he is not associated with Alvin Bragg in any way, despite being a donor to the Color of Change PAC that supported Bragg’s election. Both DeSantis and Trump accused Soros of supporting Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg. “As for Alvin Bragg, as a matter of fact I did not contribute to his campaign and I don’t know him,” Soros told the media.

Trump stated: “I believe this Witch-Hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden. The American people realize exactly what the Radical Left Democrats are doing here. Everyone can see it. So our Movement, and our Party – united and strong – will first defeat Alvin Bragg, and then we will defeat Joe Biden, and we are going to throw every last one of these Crooked Democrats out of office so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Even the Democrats are now admitting that this is a witch hunt. Rasmussen Reports found that the public was split 49-47 in favor of charging the former president. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy called the charges “an outrageous abuse of power.” He also called Braggs a “radical DA who lets violent criminals walk as he pursues political vengeance against President Trump.” Rasmussen also found that 46% of Democrats agree that what is happening is “an outrageous abuse of power,” and 55% of Independent voters also agreed. A poll by Breitbart News found that 59% of poll respondents see the charges as “politically motivated,” and 53% said it was “stretching a weak case.”

Could these charges actually cause the public to feel sympathy for Donald Trump? Republicans are standing strong behind him. Those in the middle are leaning to the right on this situation. The left wanted Trump gone, but not in such an overtly corrupt manner. Beating the charges would be a win for Trump and a nod to his promise to fight the establishment. This has become additional free publicity for Trump as it is hard to deny that the US government is already attempting to interfere in the 2024 presidential election.

Apr 3 2023

Europe Wants War At Any Cost


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Apr 2, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Federal Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren of the Netherlands has handed the Netherlands Army to be subordinated by Germany. He put out the standard propaganda that he did so because of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. They ignore the fact that it has been the West who started the civil war and propped up this fake leader in high-heels to send waves of Ukrainians to their death. All because the Western monetary system is collapsing and they desperately need war especially after keeping interest rates NEGATIVE since 2014 wiping out banks and pension funds throughout Europe. The “complete integration of all three Dutch army brigades into Bundeswehr structures” is a “milestone” they have declared.

On top of that von der Leyan will most likely take over NATO. She sold out all Europeans to Pfizer buying billions of doses of their vaccine using an executive order denying the people or parliament to even vote. They will never be used. What did she get in return? She will be a puppet for the highest bidder in the Neocon world. How such people can even look at themselves in the mirror has always astonished me.

NATO will now stage the largest military exercise in history by June. It will most likely create some excuse to wage war against Russia. They need this war desperately to restart a new monetary system that they have been planning with Bretton Woods II. There is no remorse for those who die in battle. They do not care about the families driven from their homes. This is all in the political game of kicking the can down the road and always blaming someone else.

Apr 3 2023

McDonald’s Is Temporarily Shutting Down U.S. Corporate HQ to Announce Major Cuts and Layoffs


Posted originally on CTH on April 2, 2023 | Sundance 

Before getting to the headline, I want to remind you what CTH outlined two years ago about these massive food price increases.

You might remember me saying that processed food prices will increase at a much greater rate than fresh or lesser processed foods.  Factually, even organic products (ie. produce) could/would end up less expensive (in relative terms) to the increase in price at your supermarket, as compared to the price increases for the more processed foods.

The reason is simple, processed food use more energy; energy prices are skyrocketing; the processing costs (packaging, transportation, freezing, sanitizing, storage, warehousing and distribution etc.), at each step of the processing cycle, in addition to higher labor costs, drive up the end result of the price.

In this energy driven inflationary environment, less processing and handling equals lower overall cost increases from field to fork.  More processing, handling, distribution equals higher overall costs.  This is simply a supply chain, truism.

Into this issue comes McDonald’s Corp.  Last I heard, approximately 85% of McDonald’s business was franchise.  The franchise has to purchase the product (food) from the main company.  Supply side cost increases in the food are transferred from the company to the franchisee via higher product costs.  The restaurant is then forced to raise prices to accommodate their increased costs.  A portion of the revenue from sales then flows back to the main company.

It is important to note here, there is a natural disconnect in supply side price increases within the franchise model.  The parent company must, must, negotiate the best possible contract terms with the suppliers because the increases in costs are passed directly to the franchise.  The parent company doesn’t immediately feel any problem until the revenue from the franchise drops due to the forced raising of retail prices and diminished sales.  There is a lag.

McDonald’s is extremely exposed to processed food price increases.

McDonald’s franchises were forced by supply cost increases to raise retail prices.  The retail prices were raised into a primary customer base that is already under extreme inflationary pressure. The average McDonald’s customer is exposed to inflation at almost every level of their life.

A typical family of four will now pay between $30 to $40 dollars for a single meal at a McDonald’s restaurant.  That is not practical for the customer base.  The result is lowered sales at retail, as eating a meal at home becomes the less costly option.  The downstream consequence is lower revenue returned to the parent company.

The only way the parent company can offset the supply side costs to the franchisee is to lower overall operating costs. Expenses have to be cut. Advertising budgets reduced. Administration costs reduced. Administrative staffing levels reduced. Supply contracts renegotiated. Packing, warehousing, distribution and all vendor contracts renegotiated, consistently looking for better terms.

(Wall Street Journal) McDonald’s Corp. is temporarily closing its U.S. offices this week as it prepares to inform corporate employees about layoffs undertaken by the burger giant as part of a broader company restructuring.

The Chicago-based fast-food chain said in an internal email last week to U.S. employees and some international staff that they should work from home from Monday through Wednesday so it can deliver staffing decisions virtually. The company, in the message, asked employees to cancel all in-person meetings with vendors and other outside parties at its headquarters.

“During the week of April 3, we will communicate key decisions related to roles and staffing levels across the organization,” the company said in the message viewed by The Wall Street Journal. McDonald’s declined to comment Sunday on the number of employees being laid off.

McDonald’s in January said that it planned to make “difficult” decisions about changes to its corporate staffing levels by April, as part of a broader strategic plan for the burger chain.

Chief Executive Chris Kempczinski said in an interview at the time that he expected to save money as part of the workforce assessment, but said then he didn’t have a set dollar amount or number of jobs he was looking to cut. “Some jobs that are existing today are either going to get moved or those jobs may go away,” Mr. Kempczinski said.

McDonald’s employs more than 150,000 people globally in corporate roles and its owned restaurants, with 70% of them located outside of the U.S., the chain said in February.

McDonald’s in the message acknowledged that the week of April 3 would be a busy one for personal travel, which it said contributed to the decision to deliver the news remotely. Workers who wouldn’t have access to a computer during the week should provide personal contact information to their manager, the company said. (read more)

Apr 2 2023

Col Macgregor on the Neocons


Armstrong Economics Blog/Neocons Re-Posted Apr 2, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Apr 2 2023

This is Important – I Have Been Warning – Ukraine Has Been Losing


Armstrong Economics Blog/Ukraine re-Posted Apr 1, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

You should listen to this carefully. The Neocons will have at least another 500,000 people’s blood on their hands. I have stated that Putin NEVER sought to invade and conquer Ukraine. It was also a Special Action only to free the Russian Dunbas. The American Neocons are the ones who have been pushing this to defeat Russia. They never cared about the people of Ukraine. They have been used as cannon fodder. Perhaps as we enter the final days into the target of the ECM – April 10th, it will have this defeat to deal with. To all of those who bought into the whole Putin is just evil scenario, you better think again, why are you so easily manipulated by Neocon propaganda? Because this is not going to end.

Apr 2 2023

Neil Oliver – The Peasants Are Revolting


Posted originally on the CTH on April 2, 2023 | Sundance

For his monologue this week British Pundit Neil Oliver takes a walk around the globe to highlight how an increasingly awake global citizenry are revolting against the professional political class.

From France to the United States and Canada and all the way to Africa and throughout Europe, people are looking at the professional political class and rebelling against the desperate schemes of those barely clinging to power.  Many tremors and trembles are visible amid the action of the people and the responses from the elites that believe they rule them.  WATCH:

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Apr 2 2023

Zelenskyy Sends “New Democracy” Jackboots to Shut Down Orthodox Christian Religion in Ukraine


Posted originally on the CTH on April 1, 2023 | Sundance 

In the aftermath of their assembled COVID-19 powers, the “new western democracy” is an ever-evolving phrase. This version doesn’t have any structural voting representation at the core of the word “democracy,” and is generally akin to totalitarianism with a police state to back it up.

While the United States is sending hundreds of billions to fund the new form of “western democracy” in Ukraine, the outlawing of political opposition, the shutting down of non-state-controlled media, and now the cancellation of religion has a historical rhyming to it. Leftists in the general sense are supporting these new constructs within this newly defined version of democracy, and the western corporate media seem to be subservient to the fiats.

In the latest development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sent the state police to shut down Metropolitan Pavel Lebed, the leader of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Pavel Lebed is now under house arrest.

Pavel’s sin against the Ukraine regime is described by Politico: “in his public speeches repeatedly insulted the religious feelings of Ukrainians, humiliated the views of believers of other denominations and tried to form hostile sentiments towards them,” said the SBU, which also published what it alleges are phone intercepts from Pavel’s sermons. He also “made statements that justified or denied the actions of the aggressor country,” according to the service.”

(Politico) – Ukrainian investigators are searching the home of Metropolitan Pavel Lebed, an Orthodox Church leader, who they accuse of justifying Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and inciting inter-religious hatred.

Ukraine’s security service (SBU) confirmed on Saturday that Pavel, who runs Ukraine’s most important monastery, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, is suspected of violating the country’s criminal code. (read more)

(Radio Free Europe) – […] Around three dozen Orthodox priests around the country have been arrested by Ukrainian law enforcement since the February 2022 invasion, accused of unspecified acts of sabotage or of gathering intelligence and sending it to Moscow.

In November, Ukrainian security agents raided the Monastery of the Caves complex, searching for what they said were weapons or anti-Ukrainian propaganda. A Russian Orthodox Church spokesman called it an “act of intimidation” against Ukrainian believers. (read more)

History tells us that churches and organized religion are always the first targets of the totalitarian state, because they represent a unity of purpose and assembly that is not reliant on the totalitarian state.  In all communist regimes, religious worship is generally banned.

As the “new western democracy” takes shape in Ukraine, a system of government supported by the U.S. government and NATO, what we see now is an outcome that is something entirely different from the traditional secular democratic norms.

In the United States there are many voices identifying how Christianity itself is under attack from the ideology of leftist government.  In Ukraine those attacks are manifesting more openly as orchestrated by the state.

As we enter the most holy of Christian weeks leading up to Easter, there is a rhyming in current events.