Tag Archives: Qatar

Oct 24 2017

State Dept. Admits There’s 40,000 pages of Clinton Emails They Never Read…


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on October 23, 2017 by

A stunning admission today from the U.S. State Department considering all of the dismissive declarations from the Clintons, the FBI, DOJ and State Department before the 2016 election.

The State Deparment now admits there’s over 40,000 pages of Clinton emails, created on her personal server, they’ve never even read:

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced that the State Department revealed in a federal court hearing that it has yet to process 40,000 of 72,000 pages of Hillary Clinton records that the FBI recovered last year.

The revelation came during a federal court hearing in Judicial Watch Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit seeking former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s emails that were sent or received during her tenure from February 2009 to January 31, 2013 (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:15-cv-00687)). The case is before Judge James E. Boasberg.

The hearing focused on the State Department’s progress on processing the tens of thousands of emails Clinton failed to disclose when she served as Secretary of State, some of which were emails sent by Clinton aide Huma Abedin that were found on the laptop of her estranged husband Anthony Weiner. The State Department has processed 32,000 pages of emails so far, a small number of which have been released, but 40,000 pages remain to be processed.

Judicial Watch asked the court to require the State Department to identify any records from the seven FBI discs that it intends to withhold, and why, in a timely manner. The State Department disclosed to the Court that it was adding extra resources to its FOIA operation but would not commit to a faster production of the Clinton emails.

On October 19, Judge Boasberg ordered the State Department to “explain how its anticipated increase in resources will affect processing of records in this case and when the processing of each disk is likely to be completed.” Surprisingly, the Tillerson State Department and Sessions Justice Department previously argued to the court that there was diminished public interest in the Clinton emails.  (read more)

Oct 23 2017

NFL Week #7 – More Empty Seats Seed Doubt for Future of Commissioner…


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on October 22, 2017 by

The business decision of the NFL to isolate and ridicule well over half of their fan (customer) base will easily, very easily, go down in history as the most stunningly stupid decision in the history of any American business enterprise.

The vast majority of NFL fans held a middle-class, center-right, common sense, and patriotic outlook toward sports and entertainment overall.  In essence most of the NFL fan base are/were positively MAGA-minded.

It reflects the profound disconnect between the corporation and their customer base that the NFL didn’t recognize the danger in making social justice causes part of their business enterprise.  That blame lays squarely on the well paid leader of the NFL, Roger Goodell.

So, against the backdrop of increasingly empty stadiums on Sunday, it just doesn’t come as a surprise to see a report of Roger Goodell possibly not having his contract renewed yet:

(Via ESPN) The debate over NFL player protests during the national anthem has become so big within the league that it has delayed the completion of commissioner Roger Goodell’s contract extension, league sources told ESPN.

Goodell’s deal is still expected to be completed and has been papered, sources told ESPN, but the process has been slowed while the overwhelming majority of the NFL’s attention has been diverted to handling the anthem issue, which has affected TV ratings, merchandise sales and the country’s feelings about football.  […] “The anthem issue has overridden everything — and I do mean everything,” one source told ESPN. (read more)

A reasonable person would think there’s no way the owners of these billion dollar franchises would watch their entire organization collapse financially.  Yet, seemingly that’s exactly what’s happening. Social Justice Marxism is a toxic disease.

Check out these NFL stadiums, and the number of empty seats, from earlier today:

….And that’s just stadium attendance.  Imagine the loss in TV viewership, purchases of NFL gear and merchandise, and the larger impacts to the ancillary business spinoffs?   Really quite stunning.

CTH doubts it is even possible for the NFL to ever recapture themselves unless they take immediate and severe steps to reverse course.  Unfortunately, because the corrective action would require such a complete reversal; and because the NFL has gone so far past the line of no-return; it’s almost impossible to see a positive future for the league.

The NFL is deep into the financial death spiral.

Oct 23 2017

Catalonia is not Just About Spain – it is About Brussels!!


Armstrong Economics Blog/European Union

Re-Posted Oct 23, 2017 by Martin Armstrong

There are of course those in Spain who side against Catalonia. Others write who are in Catalonia yet disagree with the separatists. Let me make this very clear. It is the government of Rajoy who has acted abusively, and this is all about protecting Brussels and federalizing Europe behind everyone’s back.

Rajoy should have allowed a fair referendum and then negotiate if they won. Canada allowed two refferendums in Quebec and Britain allowed the Scottish referendum. This nonsense that the Constitution does not allow any democratic process is pure TYRANNY. That was the same argument in America by England and in France that led to revolution.

Had Rajoy NOT played the hardline tactics, allowed the referendum to take place, then many who voted for independence may have not done so.  This is about political power – not the dignity, right, or freedom of the people. This is basically stating the people mean nothing and you will obey or else.

This is a political power play that centers around the EU not just Spain.

If Texas or California want a referendum to separate from the USA, it is a human right to take such a vote. There can be no exceptions!!!!!

Oct 23 2017

Hillary, Barack and Uranium One


Americans paying attention have known about the Clinton, Russia uranium deal for quite some time. Those who get their news from the main stream media are most likely clueless. Check out Judge Jeanine Pirro as she lays out the facts surrounding the Obama administrations, and more specifically, the Clinton crime families involvement.

At long last the House Oversight committee is beginning a probe into this massive security breach. God willing the day will come when the chant “lock her up” will become a reality. Perhaps the sexual predator she’s married to can arrange an adjoining cell.
Jeff

Oct 23 2017

Trump to Release Secret Files on JFK?


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics

Re-Posted Oct 23, 2017 by Martin Armstrong

I have often been called the Forest Gump of finance. I have tended to meet so many people surrounding so many events it is often funny. I actually met President John F. Kennedy and shook his hand as a kid in Willingboro, New Jersey on Oct. 16, 1960. (I did not want to become president like Bill Clinton). Then years later, I bought a house on the beach in Loveladies, New Jersey. To the north of my beach house in Loveladies, is where Richard M. Nixon vacationed as well as Billy Joel. Nixon had rented in Loveladies a 5,000 square foot home designed by Malcolm Wells and built in 1970.  Due to its large base tapered upward to a triangular roofline, it was known simply as the Pyramid House.  It was torn down in 2009 to make room for the next generation of modern homes. To the south of me, was the house owned by none other than Senator Arlen Specter (1930–2012).

It was Arlen Specter who was a staffer (later a United States Senator from Pennsylvania), on the Warren Commission who is credited for coming up with the single bullet theory (magic bullet theory) known as “Warren Commission Exhibit 399”, that caused all the wounds to the governor and the non-fatal wounds to the president. Even his son would stop by my house. He would never admit to me personally that the theory was just an excuse.

Now US President Donald Trump wants to release the long-hidden secrets of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Trump announced his intention to disclose the more than 3000 documents on the presidential murder on Twitter. The concern deals with the assassination of November 22nd, 1963. There are some tens of thousands of other documents which have never been published. Trump wants to release them when the legal secrecy expires on October 26th, this week! The CIA is urging that Trump should not release the documents claiming they will endanger the survivors or informants of CIA and the FBI. That seems to be a real BS excuse if I ever heard one. What they may really incriminate is other people.

The official investigation came to the conclusion that JFK was shot by the (magic bullet) single-killer Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, who in turn was then killed two days later by the nightclub owner Jack Ruby. Then Ruby dies and nobody ever concludes just how was Oswald assassinated in the middle of the police station in front of policemen, security forces, FBI, CIA and journalists with TV cameras no less.

The official version of the assassination of Kennedy was repeatedly questioned around the world and it has never been believed in so many circles. The main “conspiracy theory” has been that it was an internal coup by the CIA. If there is no “conspiracy theory” then release the files once and for all. The argument to keep them hidden is what keeps these accusations alive.

Oct 22 2017

Rajoy Continues to Act in the Spirit of Franco Warning Spain Cannot be Trusted?


Armstrong Economics Blog/European Union

Re-Posted Oct 22, 2017 by Martin Armstrong

Spain is showing that it truly remains a fascist state in the spirit of Franco and Rajoy plans to just seize Catalonia. Meanwhile, the Catalan citizens’ movement, Assemblea Nacional, is calling on all Catalans to withdraw all their money as much as possible from one of the five largest Spanish banks to increase pressure on Madrid, These include Caixa Bank, Bankia, Sabadell, BBVA and Santander. Americans supporting Catalonia are also urged to withdraw all funds from Santander in the USA.

Behind closed doors, many are becoming very disturbed by the action of Madrid. They fear this is spilling over as a contagion within Europe for populist movements. The election in the Czech Republic with the overwhelming vote against the EU many fear will be repeated next year in Italy and much of the finger-pointing behind the closed doors our sources are calling Rajoy a “f**king idiot” to directly quote some political sources.

Oct 22 2017

Macron’s Call to Federalize Europe


Armstrong Economics Blog/European Union

Re-Posted Oct 22, 2017 by Martin Armstrong

France’s President Emmanuel Macron is calling for a radical restructuring of the whole EU. Macron has presented his map for the EU into 2024. He is proposing that the Eurozone budget must include a joint force for military operations. Macron intends to finance this new budget with its tax – the “EU tax” he calls it.

Macron has looked at the numbers and see that France will go the way of Greece if something is not changed and soon. Macron hopes just to throw all the rotten eggs into one basket and hope nobody will notice. It’s the Three Musketeers – All for one; One for All just times 28.

Germany is still dominated by its misunderstanding of the Hyperinflation. Former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis supports Macron’s federalist proposals on the euro single currency but believes only a real threat could make Germany budge on the issue. It has been Germany that opposed the consolidation of the debts to form the Euro. They are trying to remain isolated in their austerity posture refusing to budge on the debt consolidation, while at the same time they want the single currency to facilitate German exports eliminating foreign exchange risk among other members. They just cannot have it both ways.

The extent of Macron’s plan goes beyond just an EU Tax.  He also says that Europe is moving at “different speeds” and that those states which fall behind should not stand in the way of his proposals. He is calling for a European defense budget and a standard minimum rate for company taxes.

Macron has noted the high cost of taxing the rich. The Socialist agenda under Hollande imposed a wealth tax which drove 10,000 people with about 35 billion euros to flee the country. And that is just what they admit publicly. The tax was imposed on personal assets of more than 1.3 million euros is part of Macron’s reform, but the socialists are demanding they be taxes even more until they all leave one must assume.  As promised by President Emmanuel Macron in the election campaign, the tax will now only apply to real estate, meaning other forms of wealth such as shareholdings in companies will be exempted. Macron realizes that the French share market has one of the worst performance in Europe next to Greece. While the world is worried about bubble markets, Macron is concerned that new lows will unfold on the next crisis.

“When someone leaves the country because of the wealth tax… collectively all French lose.” But the Socialists just refuse to stop their hatred of the rich. Macron has abolished the wealth tax and the socialists are calling him the “President of the rich” and remain oblivious to reality.
More than fifty years ago, back in 1965, it was the French President Charles de Gaulle who withdrew his ministers from the Council of the EU, thereby constituting a de facto veto over all decisions, which became known as the “Empty Chair Crisis.” There were several issues regarding European political integration led to The Empty Chair Crisis. There was a push at that time to create the quasi-federalization of Europe. De Gaulle believed that national governments should move towards integration, but he did not agree with the Commission’s attempt to create some new super central state or a federalized Europe, extending powers of the EU beyond national borders as we have today, which Margaret Thatcher also opposed.
President Charles de Gaulle has proposed the Fouchet Plan was a plan back in 1961 to create a new grand design for Europe. Charles de Gaulle wanted to develop a three-power directorate, consisting of France, Britain and the United States. The idea was to form a new ‘Union of States’, as an alternative to the European Communities (EC). De Gaulle feared a loss of French national influence in the EC as there was a drive to federalize Europe back then.
After the failure of the Fouchet Plan and De Gaulle’s veto of the United Kingdom’s application for EC membership, the Commission attempted to move towards integration by proposing an idea that would combine the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the European Parliament, and Commission. De Gaulle supported the creation of the CAP and favored its enactment. However, he disagreed with the Parliament’s new role, the Commission’s strength, the shift towards federalization and a super central state, and the budget proposals for financing the CAP. De Gaulle made it a condition that majority voting with a right to veto must exist if France was to participate in the EC. When de Gaulle was denied a more intergovernmental Commission or voting and veto rights, the French representative left the Council of Ministers thereby creating the Empty Chair Crisis.
The Luxembourg Accord was an agreement reached in January 1966 to resolve the “Empty Chair Crisis” which had caused a stalemate within European Economic Community. Then on June 21, 1966, de Gaulle withdrew France in a shocking move taking its troops from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This decision led by French president Charles de Gaulle complicated relations between the U.S. and Europe amidst clashing American and Communist spheres of influence. Though France remained politically in NATO, its actions cast doubt on the organization’s future as a counter to Soviet military power and control back then.
Disagreement within the EU is by no means something new. We may yet see a political breakdown as the economy continues to spiral lower and the ECB bond-buying program has been transformed from an economic stimulus to simply life-support for government debts to try to keep interest rates from exploding and no bid for government debt.

Apart from the new EU tax, Macron did not make any funding proposals for his very far-reaching program. The FT reported his “wish list” and presented the most desired demands of Macron:

  • EU intervention group and budget by 2020
  • a European Intelligence Academy to train spies
  • a European civil protection group for responding to disasters
  • a European prosecutor for terrorism and organized crime
  • a European asylum seeker for the joint processing of claims, common procedures
  • a European border police
  • a carbon dioxide tax levied on imports into the EU
  • a European innovation agency for the investigation of artificial intelligence
  • EU subsidies to support the development of electric vehicles
  • Taxation of US tech companies with a tax on sales, rather than on profits
  • a larger EU budget to finance investments and dampen economic shocks
  • Review of agricultural policy and the new EU Food Authority
  • accelerated harmonization of corporation tax bases
  • gradual harmonization of corporation tax rates and social security contributions
  • a guaranteed minimum wage for each country
  • all young Europeans will be able to spend six months as a student or trainee in another EU country
  • Creation of European universities on the basis of networks of institutions
  • six-month series of national and local conventions to discuss the future of Europe
  • half of MEPs to EU Parliament is to come from EU-wide lists until 2024
  • a much smaller European commission, only 15 commissioners
  • a Europe of different speeds, to which Great Britain could also return
  • a new European prosecutor ensures that the competitors comply with the EU rules
  • a Franco-German cooperation agreement focusing on the harmonization of company regulation
Oct 21 2017

450,000 March in Spain After Government Announces Dissolution of Catalonia Regional Government…


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on October 21, 2017 by

Hundreds of thousands of Spaniards took to the streets of Barcelona after the Spanish government announced they would dissolve the Catalonia Regional Government and hold new elections through an Article 155 declaration.

Article 155 allows Madrid to dissolve the Catalan regional government and force new elections, which Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy says will take place within six months. The PM insisted the move would not result in a loss of autonomy for Catalonia, but hundreds of thousands of pro-independence Catalans have taken to the streets in Barcelona in protest.

(Via UK Express) Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s Cabinet in Spain met this morning to agree to roll out hardline rules to penalise the breakaway region and impose direct rule.

Elections could be held in just six months as the government seeks to oust all those involved in the “illegal” referendum – including Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont who could even face jail for his role in the crisis.

But now Catalonia has hit back over his stinging rant, as calls for immediate independence erupt among fierce secessionists.  Supporters of independence had already called a demonstration in Barcelona this afternoon to protest the arrests of two Catalan activists accused of sedition.

However, the event has now changed its focus and is directing its anger at Madrid for triggering of Article 155.

Thousands of people have taken to the streets with cries of “independence” or “TV3 will always be ours” after the government took control of the Catalan broadcasting company – akin to Britain’s BBC.  (read more)

Broad Generalization Alert – The issue(s) are all internal to the specifics of Spain and the current conflict traces it’s past back to the time of General Francisco Franco and promises made thereafter.  The Catalonia secessionists are, generally speaking, left-leaning socialists and occupy an ideological space similar to the governing philosophy of the far-left-wing in California.

Simply for comparative purposes: If far-left Californians were to advance their current anti-Trump cause celéb and succeed from the U.S., the blends of secessionists and non-secessionists would break down similar to Catalonians -vs- Spaniards.

The larger Spanish electorate, the generally silent majority, is, well, silent; however, it’s generally accepted that most Spaniards want Catalonia to stay and not break-away into a fully antonymous region. (although some parts of Spain are reported to have previously held rallies in support of the region’s right to hold a referendum).

Democracy is challenged in this construct because the democrat majority of “all Spaniards” probably would not support secession; however, the democrat majority of just “Catalonians” likely support secession.  Which democractic group does the Spanish Prime Minister adhere to?

Therein lies the dilemma.

Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy, a 62-year-old from northern Galicia who studied law and has been in politics since his 20s, has vowed he will do everything in his power to stop Catalonia from seceding, but was previously vague on the details. Rajoy’s center-right Partido Popular has governed since 2011, when it won a landslide victory in the middle of the European debt crisis.

The current status reflects the more Prime Minister Rajoy pushes back against the secessionists, the more sympathy is generated toward their cause.

Oct 21 2017

Has the OECD Been Told to Put Out Fake Opinions?


Armstrong Economics Blog/BRITAIN

Re-Posted Oct 21, 2017 by Martin Armstrong

 

They just don’t give up. Now the OECD is coming out telling Britain to have a new referendum and stay in the EU. They claim, without any evidence to back up one work, that they “believe” it will have a positive impact on the British economy. One really has to wonder if they have not turned the charts on GDP upside down.

 

Categories: BRITAIN, European Union
Oct 21 2017

ABC & Fake News


Armstrong Economics Blog/Press

Re-Posted Oct 21, 2017 by Martin Armstrong

Murrow Edward R (1908-1965)

ABC News has indeed violated the principles of a Free Press and is the example why the old Fairness Doctrine should be restored. ABC News has come out and wrote: “Every American president has sparred with the press and fought back against stories unflattering or unfair. But no sitting president has in decades suggested media organizations should be shut down or that the federal government should consider curtailing their content or reach.”

The press thinks it is their right to push their agenda on the people. They no longer report the news, but twist it for their agenda be it left or right. It was back in a 1958 speech to the Radio and Television News Directors Association when veteran CBS journalist Edward R. Murrow told a room full of TV executives: “We are currently wealthy, fat, comfortable and complacent.” Murrow produced a series of reports that helped lead to the censure of Senator Joseph McCarthy and his trumped up witch hunt for communists when it was revealed that he was just making accusations without evidence.

Murrow was one of the journalism’s greatest figures, noting his honesty and integrity in delivering the news. That stature of ethics has been lost which some news organizations like CNN produce fake news not just on Trump, but of everything they touch right down to exaggerating the hurricane in Florida.

Edward Murrow used his position to take on powerful politicians and defend the American people, a free press as envisioned by Thomas Jefferson. He also exposed issues such as segregation and warned that the new TV medium was being used to “distract, delude, amuse and insulate” the public.

The FCC repealed the Fairness Doctrine, which has been rather disastrous. The Fairness Doctrine required that TV and radio stations holding FCC-issued broadcast licenses to (a) devote some of their programmings to controversial issues of public importance, and (b) allow the airing of opposing views on those issues. This meant that programs on politics were required to include opposing opinions on the topic under discussion. Broadcasters had an active duty to determine the spectrum of views on a given issue and include those people best suited to represent those views in their programming. That meant you had to relay both sides of an issue.

Today, mainstream media no longer has to be fair. They can propagate all the propaganda and tell only what the government demands. Hence, nothing that is real is fit for the news if it goes against corporate management or government demands. We are plagued with Terrorism as the excuse to eliminate all privacy as the excuse to raise taxes. This paranoia is not even as honest as McCarthyism which it at least was about Communists. Today, we are subjected to fake news but nobody will defend the people against exaggerated terrorism or the corrupt agenda of false prosecutions for political reasons.

Trump should bring back the Fairness Doctrine. That will apply to both sides.