Tag Archives: Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei

Feb 16 2018

The Story of Drew Ferguson, a Special Forces Trooper


I belong to the Special Forces Association (Green Beret’s) and last year we, in north east Ohio, were notified that one of our brothers had died and we were invited to the ceremony to be held on August 5, 2017 at 10 AM at the Veterans Memorial Park in Avon Lake Ohio. We always go when possible to these events as is it is a very small and close group. Most NCO’s and all commissioned officers are college grads and of course are in top physical shape. The 5th Special Forces Group “The Legion” is I believe the most highly decorated united in the Army (I was in the 5th in Nam). And we have almost all seen combat and lost good friends. About half on my local chapter made it to the service.

Drew was a very unique individual (most of the Green Berets are but he was the ultimate and I wish I had known him we had much in common) and, as proof there were hundreds there from his high school class in Avon Lake including teachers, to college friends from Ohio University, to active duty Green Berets and retired Green Berets. The speakers told of story of his life which was in summary: top of his class academically, an accomplished artist and musician, a top notch athlete. He went to Ohio University and while there it was much the same except he was also in ROTC and graduated with honors including being number 13 out of over 4,000 ROTC grads the year he graduated (I’m not positive on the exact numbers).

He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant and severed in the 10th Mountain Division we he got jump wings (Paratrooper) and a Ranger Tab. He did two tours in Iraq. After making 1st Lieutenant and being on the way to Captain he applied for and was accepted to undergo Special Operations training and of course became a Green Beret and did one or two tours in Afghanistan. I may not have this exactly right but its close enough since they didn’t give all the dates.

While he was doing service to his country he continued to work on his art, poetry and music; I’ll type in a sample at the end of this. Needless to say he was good at that as well. I would guess Drew was born ~1984, graduated from HS in ~2002 (after 9/11), graduated from college ~2006 and left the service in ~2016 after 10 years; making him ~33 when he died.

After getting out he turned back to is art and was in the process of setting up a website for artists called Lifeblood Art when he committed suicide; the exact date was not given so I would guess it was sometime in late July.  The family continued that work he started and The Cleveland Foundation set up the “Lifeblood Art Fund” How the hell could this happen and then I read his poetry.

 

Drew’s Song, I Know A Place

I know a place, I know a place where we can go, to pass the time
Pass. pass, pass the time

I know some friends, I know some friends, we can call, to share our night
Share, share, share our night

I know a drink, I know a drink, we can drink, to warm our bones
Warm, warm, warm our bones

I know a song, I know a song, we can sing to lift our souls
Lift, lift, lift our souls

I know a dance, I know a dance, we can dance, to fill our hearts
Fill, fill, fill our hearts

I know a bed, I know a bed, where we can go, to rest our heads
Rest, rest, rest our head

I know a dream, I know a dream, we can dream to change our lives
Change, change, change our lives

I know a song, I know a song, we can sing to lift our souls
Lift, lift, lift our souls

I know a song, I know a song, we can sing to lift our souls
Lift, lift, lift our souls

I know a song, I know a song, we can sing to lift our souls
Lift, lift, lift our souls
Lift, lift, lift our souls
Lift, lift, lift our souls

When I read this I know what happened since I had just finished ready CG Jung’s The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious (as an artist I think you would appreciate his writing) and based on his work, which I agree with, we all have the male Yin and female Yang in us which leads to conflicts in some cases. Drew had both the warrior and the artist in him. What was bad was he was strong in both and so when he went in the army after 9/11 he was driven to be the best a Green Beret when then that put him in direct conflict with his artist side. Based on his rank and accomplishments there is no doubt that if he would have stayed in he would have made general so why did he get out? And why did he committee suicide right after getting out?

The 10 years of being in the military and being deployed 3 or 4 times where he was there to destroy things ripped his soul apart I know for I felt some of that after I got out; obviously not to the same degree, but I could see the conflict in that poem. After I got out I was working with a bunch of engineers at GE in New York and a lot of them hunted deer. I went out with them a couple of times after buying a rifle and I found I could not shoot a deer.

Feb 15 2018

What Did James Comey Tell President Trump About Clinton-Steele Dossier…


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on February 15, 2018 by

Andrew McCarthy has an excellent must-read review of how the Susan Rice email paints a clear picture of James Comey’s instructions -from President Obama- to obfuscate the intent of the FBI counterintelligence operation during the early days of the Trump administration.

Andrew McCarthy – On her way out the White House door and out of her job as national-security adviser, Susan Rice writes an email-to-self. Except it’s not really an email-to-self. It is quite consciously an email for the record.

Her term having ended 15 minutes before, Rice was technically back in private life, where private people have private email accounts — even notepads if they want to scratch out a reminder the old-fashioned way. Yet, for at least a few more minutes, Rice still had access to her government email account. She could still generate an official record. That’s what she wanted her brief email to be: the dispositive memorialization of a meeting she was worried about — a meeting that had happened over two weeks earlier, at which, of course, President Obama insisted that everything be done “by the book.”  (continue reading)

 

Feb 15 2018

President Trump Delivers Remarks on Tragedy in Parkland Florida…


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on February 15, 2018 by

Earlier today President Trump delivered remarks about the tragic school shooting in Broward County Florida in the community of Parkland.

[Transcript]  THE PRESIDENT: My fellow Americans, today I speak to a nation in grief. Yesterday, a school filled with innocent children and caring teachers became the scene of terrible violence, hatred, and evil.

Around 2:30 yesterday afternoon, police responded to reports of gunfire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida — a great and safe community. There, a shooter, who is now in custody, opened fire on defenseless students and teachers. He murdered 17 people and badly wounded at least 14 others.

Our entire nation, with one heavy heart, is praying for the victims and their families. To every parent, teacher, and child who is hurting so badly, we are here for you — whatever you need, whatever we can do, to ease your pain. We are all joined together as one American family, and your suffering is our burden also.

No child, no teacher, should ever be in danger in an American school. No parent should ever have to fear for their sons and daughters when they kiss them goodbye in the morning.

Each person who was stolen from us yesterday had a full life ahead of them — a life filled with wondrous beauty and unlimited potential and promise. Each one had dreams to pursue, love to give, and talents to share with the world. And each one had a family to whom they meant everything in the world.

Today, we mourn for all of those who lost their lives. We comfort the grieving and the wounded. And we hurt for the entire community of Parkland, Florida that is now in shock, in pain, and searching for answers.

To law enforcement, first responders, and teachers who responded so bravely in the face of danger: We thank you for your courage. Soon after the shooting, I spoke with Governor Scott to convey our deepest sympathies to the people of Florida and our determination to assist in any way that we can. I also spoke with Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel.
I’m making plans to visit Parkland to meet with families and local officials, and to continue coordinating the federal response.

In these moments of heartache and darkness, we hold on to God’s word in scripture: “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you.”
We trust in that promise, and we hold fast to our fellow Americans in their time of sorrow.

I want to speak now directly to America’s children, especially those who feel lost, alone, confused or even scared: I want you to know that you are never alone and you never will be. You have people who care about you, who love you, and who will do anything at all to protect you. If you need help, turn to a teacher, a family member, a local police officer, or a faith leader. Answer hate with love; answer cruelty with kindness.

We must also work together to create a culture in our country that embraces the dignity of life, that creates deep and meaningful human connections, and that turns classmates and colleagues into friends and neighbors.

Our administration is working closely with local authorities to investigate the shooting and learn everything we can. We are committed to working with state and local leaders to help secure our schools, and tackle the difficult issue of mental health.

Later this month, I will be meeting with the nation’s governors and attorney generals, where making our schools and our children safer will be our top priority. It is not enough to simply take actions that make us feel like we are making a difference. We must actually make that difference.

In times of tragedy, the bonds that sustain us are those of family, faith, community, and country. These bonds are stronger than the forces of hatred and evil, and these bonds grow even stronger in the hours of our greatest need.

And so always, but especially today, let us hold our loved ones close, let us pray for healing and for peace, and let us come together as one nation to wipe away the tears and strive for a much better tomorrow.

Thank you. And God Bless you all. Thank you very much.

END

Feb 13 2018

Merkel & Schulz Under Tremendous Pressure in Germany


Armstrong Economics Blog/Germany

Re-Posted Feb 13, 2018 by Martin Armstrong

The politics in Germany remain in turmoil. The CDU leader Angela Merkel is being attacked from within her own party. The dissatisfaction concerning Merkel has engulfed the CDU base. It has reached at times outright seething rejection of Merkel. The future of the Union really hangs in the balance. The CDU party congress takes place on February 26, and that will be when they vote on the coalition agreement.

Meanwhile, the SPD leader Martin Schulz has come under persistent criticism concerning his personal ambitions for the office of Foreign Minister. The view has been he was willing to enter a coalition to get that political position for himself. This is the problem with career politicians and now he has been forced to come out and stating that he would refuse that position in order to save the coalition agreement.

Keep in mind that political turmoil in Germany underpins the Euro.

Feb 9 2018

Soros – One of the Greatest Threats Against Society?


Armstrong Economics Blog/BRITAIN

Re-Posted Feb 9, 2018 by Martin Armstrong

It is no secret that I have no respect for George Soros and that is aside from the fact that we would often be on opposite sides of the market. I never saw Soros as a great trader. Even the reputation that he broke the Bank of England was nonsense. The “Club” was all on that trade and it was a guaranteed trade where if the peg broke, you made a fortune and if you were wrong, you got your money back. I was on the opposite side back then being called in by those in the British government. After a 7-year bull market in equities, Soros finally threw in the towel ending his bets on the stock market crash only after being wrong for so long.

Soros lost big time on the Russian manipulation when the “Club” was bribing the IMF to keep the loans to Russia going so they could make a fortune in interest rates. That failed and ended up in Long-Term Capital Management debacle. Soros lost $2 billion on that one. I believe he also lost when the “Club” was targeting the Japanese yen in 1999. So I never saw Soros as some fantastic trader. I believe he was just simply on the right side of a few big plays orchestrated by the “Club” and never by himself.

Macedonia 3-26-2017

I personally find him very dangerous politically. He stands for control of the people and is always plotting for the manipulation of society. He is always on the side of Marxist/Socialism and disturbs me greatly. This is just his political philosophy. There has been a rising movement against Soros on a global scale. This is one person who the world will celebrate his death – not morn it.

The Telegraph is now reporting that Soros “is one of three senior figures linked to the Remain-supporting campaign group Best for Britain who plan to launch a nationwide advertising campaign this month, which they hope will lead to a second referendum to keep Britain in the EU.” Soros is on the wrong side. Europe has no chance of the EU Project actually succeeding long-term. The entire structure is completely unsound and the political process is anti-Democrat. The EU was purposefully designed to be as close to a dictatorship where the people are not trusted to make any decision and are too stupid to even know how to spend their own money. Nobody in the Troika ever stands for an election and they are the people who rule with an iron fist over the economy.

 

Jan 23 2018

The Ban on issued Coins that Commemorated Waterloo


Armstrong Economics Blog/European Union

Re-Posted Jan 23, 2018 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: Wrote said that under the EU organization, the French insisted there would be a prohibition against issuing any coin that commemorated Waterloo. Can you elaborate on that? I never heard of that clause before.

ANSWER: Yes, and Belgium defied the rule by issuing a commemorative 2.5 euro coin that was NOT for general circulation. It was a special issue collector’s coin. Great Britain also issued a commemorative 2-pound collector’s coin in 2015 also celebrating the victory at Waterloo. Both were for collector purposes and thus skirted around the prohibition included in the agreement for the Euro by the French.

The tensions between nations politically still survive throughout Europe. When the Eurostar was created so you can ride the train from Paris or Brussels to London, it was set to arrive in London at Waterloo Station. Despite the European project design to federalize Europe, the ill-feelings run deep and will remain going forward for you cannot change history.

Jan 19 2018

The Humanitarian Hoax of Common Core: Killing America With Kindness – hoax 19


by Linda Goudsmit
January 14, 2018

The Humanitarian Hoax is a deliberate and deceitful tactic of presenting a destructive policy as altruistic. The humanitarian huckster presents himself as a compassionate advocate when in fact he is the disguised enemy.

Obama, the humanitarian huckster-in-chief, weakened the United States for eight years presenting his crippling Common Core advocacy as altruistic when in fact it was designed for destruction. His legacy, the Leftist Democrat Party with its “Resistance” movement, is the party of the Humanitarian Hoax attempting to destroy the capitalist infrastructure of American democracy and replace it with socialism.

Common Core is a deliberate information war targeting American children. It is a deceitful campaign to undermine established American Judeo-Christian cultural norms celebrating patriotism, the meritocracy, and American sovereignty. The Leftist/Islamist axis is promoting collectivism in preparation for one-world government. This is how it works.

Serious educational reform enacted by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 was designed to provide high standards and measurable goals to improve individual outcomes in education. Federal funding was correlated to test performance. Rather than improving education the net effect of NCLB was education reformatted to teach to the tests. Education critic Alfie Kohn argued that the “NCLB law is ‘unredeemable’ and should be scrapped – its main effect has been to sentence poor children to an endless regimen of test-preparation drills.” There were loud calls for reform.

Enter Common Core State Standards (CCSS) launched under Obama in 2009 deceptively marketed by a propaganda campaign emphasizing the positive benefits of national standards and uniformity in curriculum guidelines with measurable effectiveness for American public education K-12. Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are mistakenly understood to be a derivative of the No Child Left Behind Act – they aren’t.

Obama’s 2009 Race To The Top program was introduced as a competitive grant program that awarded points to states for satisfying performance-based evaluations of teachers and principals based on measures of educator effectiveness. Sound familiar? It should because measurable effectiveness = student test scores. Even though Race to the Top did not mandate adoption of Common Core, to receive federal stimulus money states had to “commit” to adopting Common Core standards. Forty-two states now operate public and private education under the Common Core program.

So, what makes Common Core a humanitarian hoax? Let’s review.

Common Core Standards Mission Statement:

“The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy. . . These Standards do not dictate curriculum or teach methods.”

Sounds great. The problem is the deceptive language referring to the “real world” the “global economy” and the misleading statement that the Standards do not dictate curriculum or teaching methods. This is how it works.

Common Core State Standards are not a derivative of America’s No Child Left Behind. Common Core State Standards are a derivative of the United Nation’s Global Education First initiative (GEFI). The 3 Priorities of GEFI are:

Priority 1: Put Every Child in School

Priority 2: Improve the Quality of Learning

Priority 3: Foster Global Citizenship

It is Priority #3 that is most problematic and the basis for the humanitarian hoax of Common Core.

Obama’s Common Core is not teaching American children about the world and how to be effective and competitive in a global marketplace. Obama’s deceitful Common Core initiative is propagandizing American children toward collectivism, globalism, and one-world government with its anti-American, anti-Judeo-Christian, pro-Islamic bias. American public/private education no longer advocates American patriotism, the meritocracy, American exceptionalism, or American sovereignty. America is no longer in control of American education. This is how it happened.

Obama’s infamous Cairo speech launched an eight-year initiative to Connect All Schools that was fraudulently presented as a program to help different people who believe different things be able to communicate and understand one another.

Bethany Blankley’s stunning 4/2015 article exposes Obama’s Common Core as “originating from the One World Education concept, a global goal orchestrated by the Connect All Schools program to globalize instruction. Its origin is funded by the Qatar Foundation International (QFI). The director of QFI’s Research Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics is Tariq Ramadan, grandson of Muslim Brotherhood founder, Hassan al-Banna.”

World Net Daily WND reported that in 2011 Qatar Foundation International “partnered with the Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education to facilitate matchmaking between classrooms in the U.S. and international schools through. . . the ‘Connect All Schools’ project.” QFI proudly states on its website that the initiative was founded in response to Mr. Obama’s 2009 Cairo speech with the Muslim Brotherhood prominently seated in the front row.

The conspiracy of the Leftist/Islamist axis to re-educate American children away from America-first patriotism toward global governance and Islam is well underway and well funded.

Qatari Foundation International unapologetically states its mission of advancing global citizenship through educational curricula on its Q&A page:

Why is your global presence limited to a select few countries?

While QFI’s mission is dedicated to connecting cultures and advancing global citizenship through education, our current focus is K-12 public and charter schools in the United States, Canada, and Brazil. To find out if a school near you is a QFI partner, see our map to find other resources that may help your child learn Arabic, visit Al Masdar.

Most parents have no idea what their children are learning in school unless their child asks for help with homework or relates an experience at school. Parents in any of the 42 states that have adopted Common Core State Standards need to start reading their children’s textbooks immediately. It is up to parents to decide if they support American sovereignty and fair trade in the global marketplace or if they support global citizenship and a globalized curriculum promoting one-world government. It is a matter of informed consent.

This brings us to the United Nations Agenda 21 initiated in 1992 and described in a lengthy report titled United Nations Sustainable Development. The entire document can be summarized in one sentence:

The United Nations Agenda 21 is a plan for a New World Order that internationalizes the entire world into a global society under its own UN global governance for our own good of course. Its lofty Preamble reads like the lyrics of John Lennon’s song “Imagine.” In the old days power grabbers for world domination were not so soft spoken. Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini did not sing lullabies of peace – but this is the 21st century and requires a different approach. We have “Imagine” and the updated 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Culture War is an insidious information war being waged on America through the political correctness, moral relativism, and historical revisionism embodied in the informational materials supplied by the pro-globalism enemies of national sovereignty at the UN. Stealth jihad is quietly being fought in classrooms with the educational propaganda of the World Core Curriculum – not with bullets or airplanes.

In 1989 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) awarded its prize for peace education to the father of global education and creator of the World Core Curriculum (WCC) Robert Muller. He accepted his award saying, “I dream that UNESCO will study and recommend by the year 2000 a world core curriculum for adoption by all nations.”

Why is a world core curriculum desirable? Most people understand the mission of the United Nations to be promotion of mutual respect and understanding between sovereign nations with differing cultures. Were we mistaken or mislead? Was the goal of the UN always universal citizenship? Muller says, “In the final analysis… the main function of education is to make children happy, fulfilled, and universal human beings.” Universal human beings?? Really?

In November, 2010 Obama’s Secretary of Education Arne Duncan addressed UNESCO praising universal education without ever mentioning educational content. Educating the world’s children is a laudable goal. Putting every child in school and improving the quality of learning is an altruistic undertaking. The problem is that most people naively assume universal education advances literacy and do not realize it is a propaganda tool designed to advance global governance. It is a humanitarian hoax.

In a world of technology where hard copy books are increasingly being replaced with software and lessons taught on computers it is incredibly simple to alter, censor, and manipulate original texts. Having the world’s children literate and able to read about the world to better understand other cultures and live together in peace is not the same thing as having the children of the world literate to be propagandized by manipulated curriculum content.

There are 193 member states in the United Nations and only 86 are full-fledged democracies. The G77 has 134 members (69% of member states) and functions to advance the economic well-being of the Third World. It should surprise no one that UN educational objectives are in conflict with traditional American educational objectives.

Curriculum content for American educational materials must be developed by Americans for Americans with an unapologetic America-first foundation. Parents endorsing the Common Core State Standards are unwittingly endorsing the pro-Muslim anti-American globalized educational products designed by British publishing giant Pearson Education. Pearson Education supplies educational materials to Connect All Schools.

When the UK froze Muammar Gaddafi’s assets in 2011 The Sovereign Fund of Libya had a 3.27% stake in Pearson. Libya was the second largest shareholder in Pearson Education. CAIR, designated a terrorist organization by the United Arab Emirates, was also an investor. The anti-American, anti-Semitic, pro-Muslim Pearson educational products must not be allowed to propagandize American students.

Words matter. It is essential that Americans understand what one-world government global citizenship means in the Arab world. To Qatar and the Islamic world it means the re-establishment of the Islamic caliphate that rules the world under religious Islamic sharia law. It is equally important for Americans to understand what one-world government means to the secular globalist elite.

Secular one-world government was described in chilling detail 65 years ago by English aristocrat Lord Bertrand Russell in his alarming book, The Impact of Science on Society. Neither the secular nor the religious version of one-world government is the fulfillment of John Lennon’s iconic song “Imagine.” Both are regressive returns to feudal infrastructures consisting of the few ruling masters, the mass of ruled slaves, and an army of soldiers to enforce the pyramid. Both see the United Nations as the instrument for imposition and management of their own version of global governance.

If American parents do not become actively involved in discovering what their children are learning in school they will be unable to oppose the radical education initiative currently transforming the children of the world into “green” or “global citizens” prepared for the New World Order. The humanitarian hoax of Common Core will successfully propagandize American children to reject American citizenship and become citizens of a world dictated and governed by the United Nations. Ignorance is not bliss and willful blindness is not a position of strength – it is submission.

Jan 16 2018

60% of Japanese Girls Are Not Dating & Are Younger Girls Looking for Older Men a Return of the Cycle?


Armstrong Economics Blog/Economics

Re-Posted Jan 16, 2018 by Martin Armstrong

Culture is changing and much seems to be reverting back to the way it was before Socialism. Before the 1930s, there was typically a large age differe4nce between couples. The boy had to become a man and then approach the father to ask for her hand. He would have to demonstrate that he was capable of taking care of her. After Socialism when the government replaced old family traditions, the age differential collapsed. The common complaint girls have today is that boys in their 20s are immature. In Japan, this has manifested into what is called the “celibacy syndrome” where girls are not interested even in dating no less marriage. Now about 60% of eligible girls are not interested in dating. The high unemployment among the youth, in Europe especially, also has driven younger women to now seek older men for husbands who are (1) mature and not addicted to video games, and (2) have the means to support a family.

Other studies are uncovering interesting facts about age differences. Men ‘live longer’ if they marry a younger woman. Perhaps the natural balance was the way things were before Socialism. The boy had to first become a man before he was ready for a wife. What many girls complain about boys lacking maturity is often expressed that they are raised being told they can be independent whereas boys are raised these days telling them to have fun for there is plenty of time to settle down. It may be possible that girls are being prepared for life faster than boys in addition to the biological clock.

Just maybe, Socialism has disrupted a lot more than people think. Couples used to have several children for their retirement was the family unit. When Socialism came into play, family size reduced dropping from an average of nearly 5 to 2.5. In 1790, having more than 5 children accounted for 35.8% which is now only 1% of households. Children, who once saved to take care of their parents in old age, are no longer responsible. Government social programs take care of that. In the USA, it is Social Security which replaced the family structure. Socialism may have changed a lot more than saving to take care of the parents in old age. Altering the age differential of couples may also have also profoundly changed to our social structure and girls are naturally now either not interested in marriage or are looking for older men. The future of society may be starkly different than people suspect.

Jan 16 2018

Can Government Really Prevent War?


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics

Re-Posted Jan 16, 2018 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: Martin,

So much common sense from you. But, re the almost total corruption of government, could this be the ONLY practical solution?

That is:
1. Elect Politicians directly, at random, from the general, law abiding population for a fixed term with no possibility of re-election
2. Pay them well, with jobs/careers guaranteed and severe prison time for any corrupt activity

Of course, lots of other issues, all surmountable – but these principles are sacrosanct.

Could it be any worse than the current appalling corrupt situation?

Regards
IW

PS I understand this system was tried in ancient Greece and Italy around WW1. We might be better at the logistics now?

ANSWER: No there is no other choice. Thrasymachus (c 459-400BC) put it best: all forms of government become the same as they all act in their own self-interest. We really need a bureaucracy to run, but they MUST be accountable to elected people who are by NO MEANS career politicians. The European Project and the entire theory of federalizing Europe has been to supposedly prevent war by devolving everything to a single government. If there are no career politicians, then this will do far more to reduce the threat of war than any other step we can take toward securing our future.

A single government that is still not answerable to the people will not cut it. This is precisely the design of the European Project to eliminate any democratic process because they assume the people are too stupid to understand their vision. Those who dictate the trend of Europe known as the Troika, rule without any accountability to the people. There is no democratic process that any of them have to face. This is the European Project – a single government free of any democratic check and balance all justified to prevent war.

Jan 14 2018

Iran Economic Decline = Rise in Protests


Armstrong Economics Blog/Middle East

Re-Posted Jan 14, 2018 by Martin Armstrong

COMMENT: Mr. Armstrong; The economy is in a poor state at best because the government just does not know how to manage the state and this proxy war with Saudi Arabia is draining everything here in Iran. What is your view on the economy going forward?

REPLY: The lifting of economic sanctions under the 2015 nuclear deal with the USA did not result in any improvement in the Iranian economy. Iran’s economy has simply remained stagnant at best for we are in an overall economic contraction now into 2020. Inflation is running above 10% in Iran while many basic food items like eggs are up over 40%. Still, some 3 million people remain unemployed. The economic conditions since the Islamic Revolution have simply left about 35% of Iranians living below the official poverty line.

The protests in Iran are being instigated by economics as they are in Europe. The young Iranians, in general, are growing increasingly frustrated by corruption in government combined with economic mismanagement. Protests and instability are likely to continue over the next few years because of the government, like most others, is simply interested in retaining power – not reform.