Posted originally on CTH on April 3, 2025 | Sundance
The response from the EU is exactly what we would expect to see from the end of the 80-year-old Marshal Plan.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyden has three big concerns with the new trade/tariff reset. I strongly suggest everyone to read the EU concerns slowly to fully absorb decades of hypocrisy now surfacing:
#1 The EU will not be able to compete for U.S. market share with 20% general tariffs and 25% auto tariffs.
#2 The EU must deploy countermeasures against the risk of losing industrial capacity and manufacturing to the United States.
And #3 The EU must defend itself against China dumping cheap products into the EU now rejected by the USA.
von der Leyen is concerned mostly about the extremely valuable U.S. consumer being leveraged by President Trump, essentially blocking exploitation from EU and Asia. The EU will not tolerate losing access to the most valuable customers in the world, Americans.
Showcasing the mindset, Ursula von der Leyen vows to take all action needed to retain U.S. customers, even if those customers no longer want her products. The USA will allow Europe access, or there will be hell to pay. I must say this is quite funny.
(Via Politico) […] Von der Leyen said Trump’s tariffs would have dire consequences for consumers and businesses that have prospered through trade with the United States since World War Two.
[…] The EU chief executive said the bloc would ready countermeasures against Trump’s latest tariff broadside, in addition to a €26 billion package responding to tariffs he has already imposed on steel and aluminum. At the same time, she vowed, Brussels will work to protect the industries most exposed.
“We are already finalizing the first package of countermeasures in response to tariffs on steel, and we are now preparing for further countermeasures to protect our interests and our businesses if negotiations fail,” von der Leyen said from Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where she was attending a summit.
“We will also be watching closely what indirect effects these tariffs could have. Because we cannot absorb global overcut capacity, nor will we accept dumping on our markets,” von der Leyen said, as the bloc braces for a flood of cheaper exports coming from China and elsewhere that will be shut out of the U.S. market. (read more)
As noted by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, all of the global trade partners would do themselves a favor if they did not react emotionally with increased countervailing duties.
The currently outlined U.S. reciprocal tariffs represent a ceiling amount levied. The goal is to lower the tariffs to zero by eliminating all trade barriers. If the EU raises their baseline tariffs, the only thing that happens is the U.S. side increases at the same proportion. The higher von der Leyen goes in her tariffs, the higher the U.S. countervailing duty applies.
Posted originally on Mar 30, 2025 by Martin Armstrong
QUESTION: Mr. Armstrong, I have followed Socrates for over a year now. I was told by friends you run the most unbiased site in the industry. I greatly appreciate how objective it really has been. What I am dumbfounded by is how, with the tension now with Iran and Trump’s ultimatum to Iran, even things like this take place when Socrates projects months in advance. I don’t want the code. You were willing to give your life to protect that. Can you give us a hint at how Socrates can see things nobody else does?
A most respectful convert
MM
ANSWER: I believe that pressure is building within the system, and it is that pressure that compels people to react. The computer forecasts that pressure, not some order that Trump may or may not sign. Trump is compelled to take action because of the pressure. The computer tells us when that pressure will reach a turning point that compels a response.
We have lost the knowledge that existed before the Dark Ages. There is a mysterious force that many do not wish to acknowledge even exists because they cannot see everything simultaneously and connect the dots. I am working hard to deliver two books, which I hope will be my legacy and what I leave behind. I have tried my damndest to defeat my own computer, and I have always failed. The sequel to the movie on me, The Forecaster, may be out by May. I was asked a tricky question, understanding that the forecasts are not my personal opinion. The question was:
How does it feel to live through your own forecasts?
They have been filming me at every conference since 2011. So they have recorded all the forecasts, including me standing up in 2011 and forecasting that the War Cycle would begin in 2014.
Here is the first draft of the Prologue to the book on the business cycle and the Economic Confidence Model. I am working hard to complete it.
Posted originally on Mar 20, 2025 by Martin Armstrong
“THE FIRST ALL-SEASON MOUNTAIN RESORT IN UKRAINE WITH AN INTERNATIONAL FORMAT, A HOLISTIC CONCEPT AND THE BROADEST PALETTE OF IMPRESSIONS, SERVICES AND ATTRACTIONS”
The war in Ukraine has left the nation utterly insolvent, almost entirely reliant on foreign aid. President Zelensky claims he cannot account for billions in aid, urging world leaders to send more rapidly as he must prevent Russia from invading all of Europe. Peace is not an option as “the worst conflict since World War II” rages on with no end in sight. In the meantime, Ukraine spent £1.2 billion ($1.5 billion) to improve its tourism sector by building a massive luxury ski resort.
The luxury resort will span 2,965 acres, feature 25 hotels with 5,5000 rooms, with 41 ski slopes spanning 46.6 miles. The GORO Mountain Resort project was supposed to begin in 2022, but was delayed due to the obvious. OKKO Group, Ukraine’s largest network of gas stations, suddenly changed plans and believes now is the time to begin building the project that will take an estimated 15 years to complete.
As a bonus, GORO Mountain Resort will be located in Lviv, adjacent to Ukraine’s border with Poland. Poland’s defense budget has multiplied as it rushes to fight off Russian aggression at its own border. Donald Tusk has demanded that every male in Poland undergo military training, and he plans to expand the nation’s 200,000 army to one boasting 500,000 troops, which would make it the third-largest military force in NATO behind the United States and Turkey. In November 2024, 55% of Poles said they supported ending the wareven if Ukraine was forced to surrender territory. The people do not want war but those at the helm will send them off to die under the guise of protecting national sovereignty.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has threatened neighboring nations like Poland with untold repercussions if they fail to strangle their own agricultural sector by extending Ukraine’s duty-free trade deal. Ukraine has warned that Eastern European nations will suffer the worst of the consequences.
Yet, the GORO Mountain Resort boasts easy access to those neighboring nations, with direct train travel from “Vienna, Budapest, Kyiv, Dnipro, Odesa, Kharkiv, and more, with the Slavsko station (5 km from the resort).”
Ukraine claims that Russian gas may not pass through its nation as it does not its foe to receive a single euro. Zelensky and others do not care that their allied neighbors like Hungary and Slovakia desperately need the gas line reimplemented in order to provide their nations with essential energy. Perhaps the Ukrainian government could suggest an alternative through a company such as OKKO Group.
It was a known fact that Ukraine was a corrupt nation before the war began and the government rebranded itself as a delicate victim that simply wants the best for its people—its people who have been sent off to die while those in charge refuse to negotiate with Russia. Zelensky has also said that the war will last for many years to come, yet his war-ravaged nation plans to build a billion-dollar resort near its border with Poland to attract tourism. Greed and corruption will be the end of Ukraine. In fact, based on our computer model, there will be no Ukraine in 15 years when this facility is set to open.
Millions of Americans believed that their student loans would be forgiven per the promises made under Biden Administration. Then there was a period of student loan forgiveness that began during the COVID era when countless people found themselves unemployed. Payments have resumed but 9.2 million (43% of federal loan borrowers) have fallen over 90 days behind on payments.
Instead of forgiveness, these delinquencies will remain on these borrower’s credit reports for seven years. Delinquencies show on all three major credit bureaus (TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax) through nationwide credit reporting agencies (NCRAs). The result is an immediate drop in credit scores of up to 250 points.
So over 9 million Americans experienced a massive downturn in their ability to borrow instantaneously. Many may not realize that one missed student loan payment can be counted as up to eight missed payments. Credit scores are calculated and weighted differently depending on where you look. FICO factors in payment history as 35% of one’s overall credit score, while VantageScore factors in missed payments as 40% of creditworthiness.
Student loan payments have not appeared on credit reports for the past five years. Those who are able to meet their loan obligation will see a positive uptick in their score. VantageScore reported that they believe 2.3 million borrowers will see their credit rating fall beneath 600 once these payments reappear on consumer credit files. These people will have an extreme difficulty obtaining new loans.
Thanks to the Clinton Administration repealing Glass Steagall, student loans may not be discharged in the event of bankruptcy. Default and the entire balance is due immediately, with an addition of up to 25% of the loan balance in collection fees. The government may withhold Social Security benefits and tax refunds and will repeal any federal financial aid. Certain professional licenses could be suspended. Defaulting makes it hard for borrowers to access forbearance, deferment, and other repayment options. On top of everything, the government can begin to garnish wages WITHOUT a court order.
Posted originally on Mar 19, 2025 by Martin Armstrong
The Democrats have long relied on class warfare to mislead the people. They want the masses to believe that their neighbors are their enemies rather the government who is pulling the strings. Bernie Sanders, 83, launched his “stop oligarchy tour” with an introduction from a transexual singer who deliberately mocked God, Jesus, Holy Easter, and Christians in general. Teaming up with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, they want to stir anger against Trump for having wealthy members in his administration.
John Fetterman once backed Bernie Sanders and the progressive movement, but has since changed his tune. Fetterman acknowledged that his party is completely out of touch with the average person. The average person is not well-versed on the term “oligarch,” Fetterman insist, and “oligarchs” are not the problem.
A reporter recently asked Fetterman if he was worried that Trump was surrounded by the wealthiest administration in US history. “I don’t think it’s so much about their wealth. It’s just because they might have some kind of the views or some things that I don’t agree, and they would push a lot of decisions and changes in our government that I wouldn’t support or would like to see happen in there too,” Fetterman responded. “So it doesn’t really follow their wealth for me. It just follows some of these kinds of core beliefs and the things that they’re willing to push and to do.”
Yes—Fetterman actually admitted that his party and Bernie’s entire platform is completely hypocritical. He noted that many of the billionaires who were once in tech were “more friendly to the Democratic interests.” Have we forgotten that Mark Zuckerberg used social media to completely manipulate the 2020 US Presidential Election, cover the Hunter Biden laptop story, deplatform conservative voices, and control the COVID-19 narrative? Alex Soros has shaken hands with nearly every member of the DNC. I won’t even begin to speak on Bill Gates.
In fact, far more billionaires support the Democratic Party than the Republican Party because the premise of far-left politics leads to equality for all—including everyone becoming equal in poverty while the wealthy hide behind fake virtue signaling charities to save face. Perhaps one of the most memorable debate moments in recent presidential history was when Donald Trump called out Hillary Clinton for permitting her billionaire supporters to use tax loopholes while demonizing the rich. The Democrats did not sign one piece of legislation to close these loopholes for the dreaded rich.
Sanders has not used his $15 million net worth to help the people. He has not offered to house migrants at any of his three properties. Remember that socialism requires YOUR money to temporarily function.
The Democratic Party has hit an all-time low in favorability at 29%. They are losing favor among working-class voters, especially in key swing states, due to economic mismanagement, inflation, and government overreach. A recent NBC poll showed that closing the border was Trump’s most popular policy to date. Biden used the migrant crisis and woke policies like DEI to force Americans to identify as anything other than Americans—divided we fall.
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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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