Posted originally on Feb 6, 2024 By Martin Armstrong |
Washington has been compromised by a foreign global power. Protecting America is not a priority, in fact, abolishing America seems to be the priority for our politicians on both sides. New York is providing $53 million to illegals who are above the law, and have even assaulted police officers without consequence. The overall funding involved in the calculated invasion was unsustainable long ago. So where are our leaders sending OUR tax funds? Israel and Ukraine.
In a measure that proves politicians are two wings on the same bird, the Senate released a bipartisan proposal to secure the borders of Israel and Ukraine. Years ago, the very same people who are approving these spending packages were outraged at the proposition of a mere wall between the US-Mexico border, which would have only cost around $12 billion at the time. Washington is now requesting to send $118.2 billion to these two foreign nations.
It is now up to House Republicans to stop this madness. Some only want to fund Israel and not Ukraine. Very few are asking for all the funding to go to the US border. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said preserving Israel’s border is “sacred,” and their war should be funded without question.
America’s national debt has surpassed $34 trillion. US Federal spending has surpassed $6.5 trillion, and the federal budget is operating at a $1.9 trillion deficit. The migrant crisis will cost America untold fortunes. The masses are waking up and realizing that there are no checks and balances in Washington. Our elected leaders are permitted to do as they please with our collective funds while leaving their own people high and dry.
Posted originally on Feb 5, 2024 By Martin Armstrong
On the stage at Davos, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde took a long pause when asked about the 2024 US Presidential Election. The mere question made the room erupt in laughter. “It is for the American people to decide what they want with their politics, with their government with their future,” she diplomatically replied, followed by saying she wants member nations to form a “more cohesive” economy as they may not be able to count on the US to push forward their objectives if Trump wins.
“Of course, we are concerned about it because the United States is the largest economy, the largest defense country in the world and has been a beacon of democracy with all its upsides and downsides but this is what they should be considering,” Lagarde said before stating that they unfortunately cannot interfere in the election. Lagarde said that the ECB has already considered what they may do if Donald Trump secures the vote this November.
“We must anticipate, just as we do with inflation, you know, we do scenarios what if what if what if and then what do we do, that is the real question,” she stated, later adding, “We have to be strong as Europeans and not assume we can rely on our friends over the world because these things change over the course of time as we have seen.” Precisely this as the US would not be considered a friend to the globalists within the EU or ECB under Trump.
Lagarde is calling on European leaders to “accelerate capital market union,” and no different from people hoarding in times of uncertainty, the ECB is asking member nations to begin hoarding in the event of a future they do not wish to see. “There is a lot of saving in Europe and we have to make sure that those savings actually stay here to finance what needs to be financed, which is predominantly the climate transition, which is digitalization, which is enough re-industrialization…so in the key areas we could be self-sufficient.”
Hence why, members of the ECB stated in a recent poll that Lagarde has failed to focus on economic objectives. Climate change initiatives were the first issue that came to mind as she knows Trump would not commit unlimited resources to fighting naturally occurring cyclical weather patterns. Digitalization, CBDC, and digital IDs would also be off the table. She failed to mention their biggest concern, which was that the US could pull out of the wars.
This is why Alexander Soros mentioned assassinating Trump for he is too large of a threat for the globalist agenda. The US is only a friend to Europe if the US abides by the plans for a Great Reset. So, we may see EU member states pulling back on US investments as they prepare for the potential scenario of an enemy in the White House.
Posted originally on Feb 5, 2024 By Martin Armstrong
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde’s approval rating is “poor,” at best, according to a union-run IPSO survey. Around 60% of European Central Bank staff members do not approve of Lagarde’s presidency, with 53.5% saying she is not the “right president for the ECB at the current juncture.”
The poll found that 59% of staffers do not trust their own organization, marking a drastic uptick from the 40% in last year’s survey. The main complaint seems to be that Lagard spends “too much time on topics unrelated to monetary policy” as Europe’s financial health is not a globalist’s top priority. Only 38.4% say they “agree” or “strongly agree” with her decisions as a leader. Staff stated that her “autocratic” leadership has created a “negative atmosphere” at the central bank.
Lagarde went into lawyer mode and accused the survey of being flawed. She double-downed on her disastrous work, stating, “I’m very proud and honored to lead the institution,” and dismissing all criticism. As I’ve said before, there are no mirrors in Brussels.
Mario Draghi appointed her as ECB president in October 2019 and she took over a month later. Lagarde was a lawyer and former Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund with no real experience in economics, so of course that has never been her focus. Lagarde was part of the unelected Troika branch of the IMF that made decisions solely on the premise of creating a unified European government. Lagarde retained her position at the IMF because she pushed the socialist agenda that is robs the average person through taxation and regulation.
Lagarde seeks to expand tax enforcement on a global scale, ensuring there is no place to hide. On the fiscal side, she argues that governments need to be managed better but has no real suggestions on how to accomplish that goal aside from usurping more power. The ECB had stimulus measures in place for nearly a decade and cannot blame the pandemic or war for its failure.
When they were creating the euro, the Commission attended our 1998 London Conference — the same one when I warned that Russia was about to collapse. It was then when I had a discussion with them, warning that a single currency WOULD NOT produce the same interest rate for all. One central bank cannot impose a single interest rate any more than the Federal Reserve can control the interest rates all 50 states must pay to borrow money.
The ECB has been doomed, and Lagarde is simply the face to mask the severity of the Sovereign Debt Crisis. The only option is for central banks to monetize the debt by buying it because there are no real-world buyers. That defeats the entire purpose of borrowing, which was supposed to be less inflationary. Then, they must raise taxes dramatically to prevent the system from collapsing.
This is an attempt to remain in power until they compel the people to rise up in revolution, as is always the case. Almost every revolution in history has begun with taxation.
Posted originally on the CTH on February 3, 2024 | Sundance
Things are getting very interesting in the EU, specifically the nations with significant uprisings of farmers and truckers.
What I find interesting in this Reuters story, is the first time one of the MSM publications has been willing to identify the true intent of the protests.
WARSAW, Feb 2 (Reuters) – Polish farmers from the Solidarity trade union plan a general strike starting next Friday with a blockade of border crossings between Poland and Ukraine, it said, joining similar protests, opens new tab all over Europe.
Farmers in France, Belgium, Portugal, Greece and Germany have been protesting against the constraints placed on them by EU measures to tackle climate change, as well as rising costs and unfair competition from abroad. Polish farmers have been particularly vocal about the impact of cheap food imports from neighbouring Ukraine.
“Our patience has run out. Brussels’ position on the last day of January 2024 is unacceptable for our entire agricultural community,” the trade union said in a statement dated Thursday.
“Additionally, the passivity of the Polish authorities… regarding the import of agricultural produce and food products from Ukraine leave us with no other choice but to declare a general strike.”
The European Commission said it was listening closely to the concerns expressed by farmers in protests taking place in several member states. (read more)
I arrive in Poland at noon tomorrow… I’ll let you know what I find, and what comes next…
Posted originally on Feb 2, 2024 By Martin Armstrong
Click here to watch the latest interview on 2 Vikings Podcast on Spotify.
A message from Frank Nilsen:
How does Martin believe central bank digital currencies will affect the future of finance, borrowing, and the overall economy? With rising government discontent and predicted collapses in confidence, what indicators should we watch to gauge the stability of government systems? What are the historical precedents for capital migration during times of war or conflict, and how are we seeing this take place today?
Martin A Armstrong is back on the 2 Vikings podcast again. He is a former financial advisor and hedge fund manager who gained prominence for his economic forecasting abilities. He started his career in the early 1970s and quickly became known for his unique approach to analyzing financial markets. One of Armstrong’s notable contributions to the field of economics is the development of the Economic Confidence Model (ECM). The ECM is a cyclical model that aims to predict economic and political events based on a series of mathematical calculations. According to Armstrong, these cycles repeat over time and can be used to forecast market trends with remarkable accuracy. Armstrong’s forecasting abilities gained widespread attention in the late 1980s when he accurately predicted the Black Monday stock market crash of 1987. His model also successfully predicted various other major events, including the Japanese asset bubble collapse in the early 1990s and the Russian financial crisis in 1998.
In addition to his economic forecasting work, Armstrong also founded Armstrong Economics, a research firm that provided economic analysis and consulting services to clients worldwide. The company’s clients included governments, central banks, and major corporations. While he gained recognition for accurately predicting major market events, he also faced legal troubles and was convicted of contempt of court. Armstrong spent several years fighting the charges against him and was ultimately convicted of contempt of court for refusing to hand over computer files related to his forecasting models. He was sentenced to prison in 2000 and remained incarcerated until 2011. You can see his story in the documentary “The Forecaster.” During his time in prison, Armstrong continued to write about economics and finance. He gained a following of supporters who believed in his forecasting abilities and viewed him as a victim of government persecution. Armstrong’s writings, which were published on his website, often delved into topics such as market manipulation, government corruption, and the flaws of the financial system. Since his release from prison, Armstrong has continued to publish his economic insights and analysis on his website. He has also been involved in various legal battles related to his case and has become an advocate for reforming the justice system. Armstrong continues to share his economic insights through his website but remains a controversial figure in the field of economics.
We talk about: 00:00 Allegations of election interference and financial corruption. 09:14 Discoveries made by accident, not intentional pursuit. 15:39 Refusing to sell, setting off chain of events. 17:32 Russia’s large natural resource reserves are tempting. 28:15 Congress to vote, circumventing, dangerous power grab, inflation. 31:15 Became largest institutional advisors in the world. 35:03 Historical revolts sparked democracy, not communication speed. 42:48 Urgent need for CBDCs to control debt. 48:12 Decrees make no sense, unsustainable federal spending. 51:20 Shocking dinner conversation at Mar a Largo. 58:18 Rising discontent may lead to stock market pullback. 01:04:21 High priest determined leap year, leading to corruption. 01:10:42 Gold brokers indicative of upcoming restrictions, collapse. 01:17:11 Migration increases traffic, taxes and bribery issues. 01:18:58 Model predicts war but people want peace. 01:24:09 AfD leader supports Brexit model for Germany. 01:32:28 Colombians pay for heart transplant to escape. 01:34:09 Government funds for medical procedures exploited. Enjoy!
Posted originally on the CTH on February 1, 2024 | Sundanc
The popular farmer and trucker protests in the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Romania, France and now Belgium are continuing.
Sensing the problematic nature of the uprising, watching the protests escalate to direct confrontation at parliament, and facing considerable political opposition on many domestic issues, the French government of Emmanuel Macron has agreed to the terms of the French farmers. However, the two major labor unions associated with the farmers in France are not asking for the protests to stop until they see the agreement of the French government in writing.
Protesting farmers blockaded multiple roads and camped outside the European parliament building in Brussels on Thursday, ahead of a EU leaders’ summit in the Belgian capital. The demonstrators lit two fires outside and placed their tractors in front of the European parliament building. Farmers have been protesting across Europe against the globalist agenda, rising costs in the agriculture sector and targeted taxes by the various governments.
(Associated Press) – France’s two major farmers unions announced they would lift country-wide blockades Thursday, shortly after the prime minister introduced new measures aimed at protecting their livelihoods that they described as “tangible progress.”
However, farmer activists who have snarled traffic along major highways around Paris said they would stay put at least another day to see the government commitments in writing, and both unions said they would closely monitor any government implementation.
“We don’t want to hear words of love. What we want is proof of love,” said Thierry Desforges, a farm union member at road blockade of the A6 highway in Chilly-Mazarin, south of Paris.
Thousands of French farmers have been demonstrating for a couple of weeks across the country in protests over low earnings, heavy regulation and what they call unfair competition from abroad. Similar protests also have extended across Europe, including at the European Union headquarters in Brussels.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, whose earlier promises to address farmers’ issues had failed to quell the French protests, announced a new set of measures Thursday.
They included tens of millions of euros in aid, tax breaks and a promise not to ban pesticides in France that are allowed elsewhere in Europe — which French farmers say leads to unfair competition. Attal also said France would immediately ban imports from outside the EU that use a pesticide banned in the bloc.
Arnaud Rousseau, president of France’s biggest farmers union FNSEA, and Young Farmers union President Arnaud Gaillot said Thursday that they were calling on their members to suspend the protests.
[…] At the Chilly-Mazarin blockade, Damien Greffin, a FNSEA representative, said farmers still need time to “better analyze the measures” as some appeared to him “a bit deceptive.”
Desforges, a fellow FNSEA member, remained cautious about proposals that concern the EU because “we know how Europe works, the countries still need to agree.”
Regarding domestic proposals, “we really need to wait and see if they are turned into law,” Desforges added. (read more)
Posted originally on Jan 31, 2024 By Martin Armstrong
Farmers throughout the world have been protesting the increasing regulations on agriculture. The media is barely covering the story, and when they do mention it, they say that the farmers are protesting due to Russia blocking supplies from Ukraine. This is simply untrue. The farmers are protesting against over-regulation, taxes, and the climate change agenda that is making it increasingly difficult for them to make a successful living.
Hundreds of tractorsdescended on Paris earlier in the week where they were met by 15,000 police officers. Numerous blockages were reported, and the farmers have described the situation as a “siege on the city.” “Our goal isn’t to bother or to ruin French people’s lives,” Arnaud Rousseau, president of the influential FNSEA agricultural union, said on RTL radio. “Our goal is to put pressure on the government to rapidly find solutions out of the crisis.”
Farmers from nearby Belgium are now joining the French protest. The European Union plans to meet in Brussels this Thursday to discuss providing Ukraine with additional financial aid, and the protestors have made it clear that this demonstration demands their concerns be heard.
In terms of Ukraine, the EU has permitted an influx of agricultural imports since the beginning of the war and removed all quotas and tariffs. Domestic production cannot compete with the surge of agricultural goods coming from Ukraine. Ukraine has cornered the entire wheat production industry as domestic producers simply cannot sell their products at the same rate due to regulations imposed by the EU.
A few European nations have implemented temporary restrictions on Ukrainian agriculture, but the entire problem is that they are under the control of the European Union. Those in Brussels are making decisions for the collective of Europe despite policies that favor some members over others. The farmers have made it clear that the protests will not end until their demands are met, and farmers throughout ALL of Europe are joining forces to protest the people attempting to destroy their livelihoods.
Posted originally on the CTH on January 29, 2024 | Sundance
While Turkey is a NATO ally, Recep Erdogan strategically refused to participate in the process to ostracize Russia. True to Erdogan’s strategic political interests of being an influence broker, Turkey is the only NATO country that does not participate in the sanctions regime against Russia. Next month Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to Turkey for diplomatic discussions.
Turkey represents the literal gateway for most Western travel into and out of Russia. However, first things first. Despite the position of Turkey, notice how Hungary receives all the EU admonitions for not supporting the Ukraine side of the conflict, while NATO/EU never criticize Turkey who never even joined the EU/Western sanctions regime. Inside that hypocritical contrast there is a revealing story.
Turkey established themselves as the neutral entity for future brokering negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Turkey has multiple geopolitical ties to Russia, including the purchase of Russian military equipment. Apparently, despite the severity of the original sanction demand, Western interests -specifically the U.S. government- had no issue with Turkey proactively taking their ‘neutral’ position. Always remember this.
Given all of the domestic headlines in the USA, there is a very good reason for Americans to keep paying attention to all things that happen in the orbit of Russia right now. Many people ponder the issue of a dollar-based central bank digital currency; however, only a few people have paid attention to the self-fulfilling prophecy of the CBDC that was created by the Russian sanctions regime.
Those who ask about the possibility/probability of a dollar-based CBDC, and the possibility of the timeframe therein, should always be referenced back to the Western financial sanctions against Russia. It was that triggering point that put the USA and Western alliance on the irreversible path to the U.S CBDC, and the process is no longer a matter of “if” because the determining issue is no longer (primarily) in U.S. control.
The de-dollarization of half the trade globe, the general cleaving of finance that followed the Russian sanctions (see the efforts of BRICS+), has essentially created a system where major economic nations are trading between themselves in non-dollar-based exchanges. India trades with Russia in Rupes to Rubles. China trades with Russia on old fashioned ledgers of value (due to proximity somewhat of a quasi-bartering system); Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, South Africa and a host of non-Western nations are all in various stages of direct trade in national currency outside the dollar zone.
At the core of the issue behind the question of a U.S. or dollar-based Central Bank Digital Currency, you will find this global financial cleaving. Intra-Western trade (USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the EU) is still done in dollars, and trade done into the Western system is still done in dollars. Ex. if China wants to trade into the USA, they must complete transactions in dollars. However, trade from grey zone to grey zone nation is no longer contingent upon dollars.
Very few people are talking about these new financial trade alternatives. Yet ultimately, this cleaving is likely what will result in a dollar-based U.S CBDC. Remember, the need for alternative trade currencies was triggered in time by the immediacy of the sanctions against Russia. I do not believe the Western financial alliance thought the Russian allies could assemble the alternative so quickly.
If the DoS and CIA truly believed the sanctions would cripple Russia, it’s then likely our institutions vastly underestimated the prior diplomatic talks that preceded those sanctions. As a big picture consequence, no geopolitical issue is as connected to your kitchen table as anything that connects with Russia. So, pay close attention to how Russia is engaged by the rest of the non-Western world (grey zone), and you will get a good idea about the speed and timing of a pending U.S. CBDC.
As soon as the grey zone trade is predicted to take place in non-dollar terms, the U.S CBDC will be fast-tracked. The only way for President Donald Trump to stop the CBDC process would be to immediately end the Russia-Ukraine conflict and subsequently remove the sanctions. [And that might not even work.] As long as there are financial trade blocks based on dollars and who we like, there will be an easy justification for the financial cleaving to continue.
RUSSIA – Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Turkey next month in a rare foreign trip to a NATO nation, according to a Kremlin announcement on Monday.
Yuri Ushakov, a top adviser to Putin on foreign policy matters, told the Interfax news outlet that “a visit is being prepared.” As to the purpose of the visit, Ushakov added: “I can say that Ukrainian issues will probably be one of the main subjects of negotiations.”
Though a key NATO nation, Turkey and its president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, serve as a rare diplomatic bridge between the Kremlin and its Western rivals. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Ankara has supported Ukraine with military supplies while refusing to join Western sanctions on Moscow.
Turkey has positioned itself as a mediator between the two nations, hosting two rounds of peace talks in Antalya and Istanbul in 2022. Turkey was also key to the Black Sea Grain Initiative that temporarily facilitated the export of agricultural products from southern Ukrainian ports amid Russia’s naval blockade.
Following a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the beginning of this month, Erdoğan said Ankara remains ready to help “establish lasting peace, stability and prosperity in our region.”
“We have previously acted as a host country for direct talks between the parties to the conflict,” the president said. “We are, as before, ready to do our best in this matter and act as a mediator….Ukraine in order to take joint steps with Russia certainly needs to soften its position.”
Putin last visited a NATO nation in 2020 when he traveled to Germany to meet with then-Chancellor Angela Merkel. His Western travel options have been limited by his war on Ukraine and the arrest warrant issued for him in 2023 by the International Criminal Court over alleged related crimes. (read more)
I really do not like Turkish President Recep Erdogan. His political policy is full of dangerous self-interest (Muslim Brotherhood) and thirst for power (recreation of the Ottoman empire). However, on the issue of ending this Russia-Ukraine conflict, I will admit Erdogan has positioned himself very well.
If Trump wins in November, Erdogan will play a major role in the end of hostilities.
You might even say Erdogan holds the key to eliminating the self-fulfilling prophecy of a US CBDC that Obama/Biden created.
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This is a library of News Events not reported by the Main Stream Media documenting & connecting the dots on How the Obama Marxist Liberal agenda is destroying America
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