GDP Figures Revised Downward, U.S. Economy Shrinks 1.5 Percent in First Quarter, Things are Getting Much Worse


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on May 26, 2022 | Sundance 

May 26, 2022 | Sundance | 160 Comments

The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) originally calculated the first quarter economy at a scale of -1.4% growth. The BEA revises that figure downward today with more data showing a contracted level of consumer spending [DATA HERE].  The economy contracted by -1.5% in the revised numbers.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the dollar value of all goods and services produced in the economy, minus the dollar value of goods and services we import. The percentages discussed are percentages of change over time.

♦ What changed in this revision to make the economy worse?

(1) U.S. inflation was revised upward (prices increased); (2) the estimate of calculated inventories was lowered; (3) the estimate of consumer spending was raised (inflation issue); which leads to (4) a massive drop in the calculation of disposable incomes.  [See the Change Table]

This table shows where the revisions are located:

Look at the revision to disposable incomes:

The Joe Biden’s economic policy is literally: (a) draining our savings and bank accounts, and (b) increasing our personal debt as we struggle to survive.

(Via MSM) – […] The U.S. economic contraction to start the year was worse than expected as weak business and private investment failed to offset strong consumer spending, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.

First-quarter gross domestic product declined at a 1.5% annual pace, according to the second estimate from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. That was worse than the 1.3% Dow Jones estimate and a write-down from the initially reported 1.4%.

Downward revisions for both private inventory and residential investment offset an upward change in consumer spending. A swelling trade deficit also subtracted from the GDP total.

The pullback in GDP represented the worst quarter since the pandemic-scarred Q2 of 2020 in which the U.S. fell into a recession spurred by a government-imposed economic shutdown to battle Covid-19.  (read more)

These economic conditions are mostly driven by energy policy.  U.S. energy policy underlines almost all economic activity and touches every facet of our lives as a consumer. You cannot change U.S. energy policy so drastically without changing every single economic aspect which is connected to energy policy.

What’s coming next?  WATCH:

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I concur with that prediction.

Prepare your affairs accordingly.

The Ukrainian Solution: Money, Weapons, and Embargo


Armstrong Economics Blog/Uncategorized Re-Posted May 26, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

The Kremlin has made it known that they will not evacuate troops from Ukraine until their victory is declared. “We are sure that everything will be fine, and we are sure that we will win, we will achieve all the goals,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Russia has already downgraded “unfriendly states” to “hostile states” as Western countries are now directly involved. “Sometimes it seems that the very existence of Russia is a significant irritant for the collective West, and they are ready to do anything to prevent us from developing and living the way we want,” Peskov stated.

Kissinger suggested that Ukraine surrender some of its territories to Russia, as it is land that is composed of mostly Russian-speaking individuals who have not been allowed to vote on whether they’d like to remain under Ukrainian rule. “Negotiations need to begin in the next two months before it creates upheavals and tensions that will not be easily overcome. Ideally, the dividing line should be a return to the status quo ante,” Kissinger said, ““pursuing the war beyond that point would not be about the freedom of Ukraine … but a new war against Russia itself.” Furthermore, Kissinger is concerned that the West’s hostility will cause Russia to form a closer alliance with China.

Kissinger’s suggestion could end the war. Russia would feel as if they achieved the objective, and Ukraine would remain an independent country. Western nations would not need to spend billions of taxpayer funds on war while teetering on their own recessions. The food shortages due to the lack of wheat coming from Russia and Ukraine would end. Most importantly, the threat of the next world war would dissipate.

Zelensky’s advisor adamantly rejected the peace offer. “The shortest way to end the war – weapons, money, embargo,” Mykhailo Podolyak declared on Twitter. That may be the easiest solution for those in power, but it comes at the expense of the people. Ukraine and its Western allies will continue throwing money and fuel on the problem until the global economy crumbles so that they can reset it to their liking.

Henry Kissinger on Taiwan


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted May 26, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

Veteran diplomat and former Nobel Peace Prize winner Henry Kissinger is warning Washington to avoid conflict with China over Taiwan. Although Joe Biden said that the US would interfere if China were to invade Taiwan, the White House clarified that the US will respect the One China policy. “The United States should not by subterfuge or by a gradual process develop something of a ‘two-China’ solution, but that China will continue to exercise the patience that has been exercised up until now,” Kissinger warned at Davos.

Although the US has been supplying military equipment to Taiwan since 1979 under the Taiwan Relations Act, the US has agreed to acknowledge the One China policy that states Taiwan is under Chinese rule. “A direct confrontation should be avoided and Taiwan cannot be the core of the negotiations because it is between China and the United States,” Kissinger stated, going as far as to say neutrality is crucial to “overall peace.”

A key figure in the Paris Peace Accords, Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 for arranging a cease-fire during the Vietnam War. His award was presented amid controversy as the war did not technically end until 1975. Additionally, Kissinger authorized bombing raids in Cambodia to target the Khmer Rouge. North Vietnamese diplomat Le Duc Tho received this award jointly with Kissinger but rejected it for the reasons mentioned. War is never the first option, and Kissinger knows the complexities of war from behind the curtain. Biden would be wise to take this warning with the utmost caution.

Monkeypox – Old Virus, New Vaccine


Armstrong Economics Blog/Disease Re-Posted May 25, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

The US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is already developing a vaccine for monkeypox. Although the disease may seem novel, the first reported outbreak in monkeys occurred in 1958, and the first human infection was reported in the 1970s in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). According to the Centers for Diseases and Prevention (CDC), the virus is transmitted to humans through direct animal-to-human or human-to-human contact. Before they change the transmission guidelines, I will report what they stated on their website:

“Transmission of monkeypox virus occurs when a person comes into contact with the virus from an animal, human, or materials contaminated with the virus. The virus enters the body through broken skin (even if not visible), respiratory tract, or the mucous membranes (eyes, nose, or mouth). Animal-to-human transmission may occur by bite or scratch, bush meat preparation, direct contact with body fluids or lesion material, or indirect contact with lesion material, such as through contaminated bedding. Human-to-human transmission is thought to occur primarily through large respiratory droplets. Respiratory droplets generally cannot travel more than a few feet, so prolonged face-to-face contact is required. Other human-to-human methods of transmission include direct contact with body fluids or lesion material, and indirect contact with lesion material, such as through contaminated clothing or linens.”

The disease can reportedly occur through sexual encounters as well. This is NOT an airborne virus – masks and lockdowns would be useless. Cases of the virus are appearing throughout the world, but again, this virus was never limited to one continent. In 2003, 47 cases of monkeypox were reported in the US after pet prairie dogs became infected after being housed with small animals imported from Ghana.

BARDA plans to release JYNNEOS, a smallpox vaccine, to treat monkeypox cases by 2023. The company has already produced almost 13 million freeze-dried doses of the vaccine that are expected to be manufactured in 2024 and 2025.

President and CEO of Bavarian Nordic Paul Chaplin said, “We are pleased to announce the exercise of the first options under our contract with the US government to deliver a freeze-dried version of the smallpox vaccine with an improved shelf-life, which will be manufactured at our new fill and finish facility. This marks a significant milestone in our long-standing partnership with the US government to ensure availability of life-saving vaccines for the entire population.”

The European Medicines Agency approved the medication to treat monkeypox in 2013, and the FDA quietly approved its usage in 2019. Since this seems to be a rare illness, why are they planning to manufacture millions of doses to save “the entire population?” The media has only just begun reporting cases of the virus, and it would not be surprising if they pushed yet another unnecessary vaccine on the global population for profit and control.

Canadian Multinational Executive Outlines Tech Initiative to Create Consumer Carbon Footprint Tracker


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on May 24, 2022 | Sundance

It is important to remember the ultimate goal of the ‘climate change’ promotors (World Economic Forum) is not an energy system that changes the global climate. The goal of the ‘climate change’ group is to create a carbon trading system; a new financial mechanism (a global tax program) to control human activity on a world-wide basis.  This system also needs a digital identity in order to work {hint-hint}.

You cannot tax or trade things you cannot track.  As a result, there was always going to be a need for an individual tracking and monitoring system that would connect to the global digital identity and determine the carbon footprint.  The carbon taxing and trading system will be more financially lucrative than any stock exchange or monetary banking system.  It is the ultimate human control mechanism, and the preferred way to redistribute wealth under the guise of global equity.

Of course, the system will beta test as a consumer demand product until the government steps in to take over the allocation and distribution equity part.  In this video segment, Alibaba Group president J. Michael Evans boasts at the 2022 World Economic Forum about the development of an “individual carbon footprint tracker” to monitor what you buy, what you eat, and where/how you travel.  WATCH:

The individual carbon tracker is the baseline for a global carbon trading system that involves everyone; at least, everyone connected to the outlook of western government.

Carbon allocation creates the financial metric that replaces currency.  You buy and sell carbon credits allowing you to engage in specific functions within society, like dining, traveling, home ownership and type, vehicle or transportation type, even the clothes you can purchase. Hence, “carbon trading” is the term most people are familiar with.

In essence, you are a parasite to earth; therefore, you must offset your derogatory footprint on the planet by paying a fee to exist.  If you cannot pay for the carbon credits needed to engage in the transaction (travel, home ownership, cooling, heating, etc.) you cannot engage in the regulated activity.

The carbon exchange process is at the end of the slippery slope created by a digital identity.  The 5G telecommunications network is designed to use geolocation and behavioral tracking that will connect your digital identity to your individual behavior and facilitate the carbon footprint tracing process.   We are already passed the “if” stage.

A Technical Study of Relationships in Solar Flux, Water and other Gasses in the upper Atmosphere, Using the April, 2022 NASA & NOAA Data


From the attached report on climate change for March 2022 Data we have the two charts showing how much the global temperature has actually gone up since we started to measure CO2 in the atmosphere in 1958? To show this graphically Chart 8a was constructed by plotting CO2 as a percent increase from when it was first measured in 1958, the Black plot, the scale is on the left and it shows CO2 going up by about 32.0% from 1958 to April of 2022. That is a very large change as anyone would have to agree.  Now how about temperature, well when we look at the percentage change in temperature also from 1958, using Kelvin (which does measure the change in heat), we find that the changes in global temperature (heat) is almost un-measurable at only .4%. As you see the increase in energy, heat, is not visually observably in this chart hence the need for another Chart 8 to show the minuscule increase in thermal energy shown by NASA in relationship to the change in CO2 Shown in the next Chart using a different scale.

This is Chart 8 which is the same as Chart 8a except for the scales. The scale on the right side had to be expanded 10 times (the range is 50 % on the left and 5% on the right) to be able to see the plot in the same chart in any detail. The red plot, starting in 1958, shows that the thermal energy in the earth’s atmosphere increased by .40%; while CO2 has increased by 32.0% which is 80 times that of the increase in temperature. So is there really a meaningful link between them that would give as a major problem?

Based to these trends, determined by excel not me, in 2028 CO2 will be 428 ppm and temperatures will be a bit over 15.0o Celsius and in 2038 CO2 will be 458 ppm and temperatures will be 15.6O Celsius.

The numbers tell us the story of the planets Atmosphere

The full 40 page report explains how these charts were developed .

Behind the Scenes of US Military’s Decline & Navy SEALs | Jack Carr | LIFESTYLE | Rubin Report


Posted by The Rubin Report  Published on Rumble on May 22, 2022 

Dave Rubin of “The Rubin Report” talks to Jack Carr, the author of such bestsellers as “Savage Son”, “True Believer” and “The Terminal List”, about the hardest aspects of being a Navy SEAL, what he learned about Hollywood filming “The Terminal List” for Amazon, and the history of the decline of US military power. First, Jack shares what it’s really like to train to be a Navy SEAL. He also opens up about the emotional challenges of being on a special forces SEAL team and the events that no training can prepare you for. He also shares the details that the U.S. government demanded he change in his books. Next, Jack explains how Chris Pratt and Antoine Fuqua became involved in turning “The Terminal List” into an Amazon series. He also shares what the non-woke side of Hollywood is really like. Jack also shares stories of liberal friends in Los Angeles panic buying guns for the first time and being shocked by the restrictions that they helped to vote in. Finally, Jack reveals why the US military is in decline despite major advances in military technology. He explains the origins of the military industrial complex and how the failed Afghanistan withdrawal didn’t surprise anyone familiar with the rewarding of failure in the armed forces. He explains why Craig Whitlock’s “The Afghanistan Papers” is so revealing and what has gone wrong in the military where failed leaders simply leave and get high paying jobs in the defense industry.

The Biden Administration Deliberately Destroyed Our Capacity to Produce Energy


Armstrong Economics Blog/Energy Re-Posted May 24, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

Everyone who voted for Biden will continue to see their future utterly destroyed. The climate change people are deliberately destroying the capacity to produce energy without any alternative in place. The word from DC is that they “do not give a sh-t” about the people. They want to destroy our ability to produce fossil fuels before they are thrown out of office if that is even possible.

Alaskan Senator Sullivan explains that the Biden Administration is DELIBERATELY creating an energy crisis and then wants to blame oil companies and Putin. Senator Sullivan explains what Biden has done in just the last three weeks.

Then at the same time, they want farmers to grow only green crops and terminate beef production. The Neocons want to wage war against Russian and China. And nobody stands up and asks – “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?”

Australian eSafety Commissioner Tells Word Economic Forum Audience It is Time to Recalibrate Free Speech


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on May 23, 2022 | sundance 

Australian eSafety Commissioner Tells Word Economic Forum Audience It is Time to Recalibrate Free Speech

May 23, 2022 | sundance | 274 Comments

Australia has an eSafety Commissioner named Julie Inman-Grant.  While delivering remarks to the World Economic Forum summit in Davos, Switzerland, she outlined a new on-line era where free speech would need to be “recalibrated,” and the ability to be free from something called “on-line violence.”  WATCH:

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For the past several years we have noted a progressive, totalitarian, shift in speech, specifically a redefinition of the word “violence.”  Speech the leftists do not like, they call violence; and violence the leftists support, they call speech.   As a result, the overlay of a newly recalibrated on-line world for speech and violence would be modified accordingly.

Speech the Big Tech consortium would define as against their views would be considered on-line violence and thus controlled by the governmental guardians of the internet like the eSafety Commissioner.  As you can see in the video below, “violence” now includes their perception of something happening on a metaphysical level. An emotional impact.  They have a spiritual avatar that they feel the drive to defend from the viewpoints of the Others.

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Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer Team Up to Expedite Finland and Sweden Entry into NATO


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on May 23, 2022 | sundance 

The preparations and proactive moves to establish the global cleaving are being carried out by Wall Street globalists, the World Economic Forum and the various western politicians who align with the objective.  The opinion of the citizens within each nation are irrelevant to the decisions of the leaders.

Fundamentally, the big picture dynamic is to create a global network of allied nations based on one overarching principle, energy and human control through the carbon trading platform.  There are multiple moving puzzle pieces, but one big dynamic. Western government leaders are cleaving the world into two economic systems.

One economic system will be based on traditional energy as the underpinning of the economy.  One system will be based on renewable energy, with climate change agenda as the overarching basis for all of their economic shifts.  Pressure from within traditional alliances like the G7, G20, NATO etc, will create the wedge.  Terms like Build Back Better, Green New Deal, Paris Treaty Accords, and other reference points are part of this cleaving agenda.

Each nation will eventually have to make a decision about which team they will join.  The entry of Finland and Sweden into the NATO alliance is only one part of this dynamic.

WASHINGTON – Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) plan to present a resolution that will press the Biden administration to rush the paperwork for Finland and Sweden to join NATO.

In the resolution text, first obtained by Politico, both Senate leaders note the roles played by the Nordic countries in organizations such as the United Nations and the European Union, and their neutral stance on matters pertaining to Europe as reasons why they should join the alliance.

The resolution calls on President Biden to move swiftly to complete all necessary documents involving both countries’ NATO membership so the Senate can advance the measure, also calling on fellow NATO members to swiftly complete their own ratification processes. (read more)

As we evaluate the geopolitical ramifications of everything from military alliances to food distribution and trade, this overarching global cleaving should be the prism to determine the motive of each move.  Unfortunately, as mentioned, the opinion of the average citizen within each system is irrelevant to the decisionmakers.

It is very easy to see how this global split is being created. It is much more challenging to figure out how, or even if, it can be stopped.

In the United States we have a federation of states, a constitutional republic, so we can try and combat the agenda by demanding state government draw hard boundaries from federal intervention.  However, this battle is going to get increasingly difficult.  Freedom is not expanding in this era, it is contracting.

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