President Trump likes to point out that before the pandemic, the economy was booming. The Democrats like to say that the economies recovery is due to Obama. You know what? They are both BS artists!
At Evolution, we have gathered proof that the anti-worker, anti-union powers-to-be with all their outsourcing is destroying the concept of America. From stats from the Labor Bureau and Social Security we found that 51% of working citizens earn less than $30,000 a year. If you do the math this translates to a weekly income of $600 bucks. This is the same figure that both political parties are haggling over in another stimulus program. If you dig deeper, it translates to $15 per hour. That is the same figure that led the mantra of wage protests two years ago. Back to the stimulus debate. Sadly, the only truth in the arguments is that this figure ($600) is more than what many make by working. When you continue reading, you will see that the low level of income by Americans is due to service type employment. It not only does not provide a living wage, but kills social mobility.
It gets worse. The once respected income of $50-grand-a-year, is not reached by 70% of workers. This means that you have a paycheck of $1,041 per week. This is union level wages. This is a living wage. This enables the children of these families to improve our economy with social mobility. If you think with the low number of Americans reaching this figure is bad, how about this?
Participation Rate
As of June, it is 61%. The math says 39% of us who are eligible to work, aren't. Do you know what this translates to? It means for one reason or another, there are 102 million Americans who do not work or have a job. This is one-third of our population!
None of the above stats account for the virus. This is how we live in America. When the government performs their formula for inflation, they do not count the three basic needs by everyone: food, energy and shelter. In the next section, the Economic Evangelist did a research of all 50 states in regards to renting a one bedroom apartment. In a past piece, we at Evolution have shown you why working citizens cannot afford to buy or qualify for a home. The standard test is one weekly paycheck must cover the mortgage. By the above stats, only 30% of Americans can qualify to purchase the medium home in the US which costs $248,000. Forget a new home. The average price is $302,000. So, our man chose a basic unit. Consider who lives in this apartment. It will be a single man or woman, a childless married couple or retirement age people. Keep in mind that $30,000 a year is not reached by 51% of the population. Workers are closer to $20K. The rents will be the average cost for a one bedroom unit. It is also true that it costs more to live in certain locations like San Fran, New York or Seattle. A mailman's income is borderline poor in those cities, however he is securely middle-class in many states and rural areas. The chart will show the state, the cost and conclusion - workers need 50% of income just to meet rent in most locations. What does that leave them for food, energy, insurance - life? Sadly, one weeks pay covers the cost in only a few states.
State Rent Conclusion
Maine $780 Costs 50% of income
Utah $805 Costs 50% of income
Vermont $974 Costs more than 50% income
Washington $1,178 Costs more than 50% income
Colorado $1040 Costs 50% of income
Minnesota $705 Less than 50%, but expensive
Oregon $984 Cost more than 50% income
Pennsylvania $830 Less than 50%, but expensive
Montana $625 Affordable (only one so far).
Wisconsin $680 Affordable (2 in a row!)
D.C. (only one not a state-yet) $1493 Off the charts for a slum!
New Hampshire $1052 Costs more than 50% income
Kansas $673 Affordable
Alaska $946 Costs more than 50% of income
Wyoming $625 Affordable
Massachusetts $1313 Costs more than 50% of income
Iowa $606 Very affordable
Connecticut $1083 Costs more than 50% of income Michigan $726 Less than 40% of income
Illinois $913 Costs more than 50% of income
Virginia $1067 Costs more than 50% of income
Missouri $667 Affordable
North Carolina $769 Less than 40% of income
Delaware $1035 Costs more than 50% of income
South Dakota $569 Very affordable
Nebraska $662 Affordable
Hawaii $1444 How do they make rent?
Idaho $663 Best state-worth every penny
Maryland $12 Costs more than 50% income
Rhode Island $978 Costs more than 50% income
Kentucky $608 Very affordable
Arizona $869 Costs 50% of income
Indiana $664 Affordable
North Dakota $582 Very affordable
Oklahoma $605 Very affordable
Arkansas $579 Very affordable(3straight,Wow!)
Nevada $901 Costs more than 50% income
Georgia $878 Costs 40% of income
West Virginia $605 Affordable(if you can find work)
South Carolina $779 Costs more than 50% income
New Jersey $1255 Expensive
California $1449 Even more expensive!
Ohio $669 Affordable
Florida $979 Costs more than 50% income
Tennessee $710 Close to 40% of income
Texas $856 Costs 50% of income
New York $1292 Consider taxes- unaffordable!
New Mexico $681 Affordable
Mississippi $665 Affordable
Alabama $685 Affordable
Louisiana $685 Affordable
Dear Reader, there are only 16 states where the average income can afford a one bedroom apartment. This is the lie of both political parties. We need a new third party. The platform is no wars. Cut the military. Put tariffs on all imports and especially to outsourcing firms like Nike, Apple, among others. Tax the internet to help retail and stop the disease of Amazon. Put in place renewable energy for quality jobs and redo our infrastructure. And the most importantly, End the Fed! Together this simple agenda will not only cut our deficits, but it will clear the path that leads to the American Dream.
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
Odds and Ends: July 2020
As time moves along, we sit closer to 2021 than 2019. No one saw what we face today. We have a president that is turning to the playbook of Tricky Dickie. It calls on fear with the meme of law and order. If you recall your history, Hitler used the same formula in Germany. The Democrats are going with the idea to buy votes. They are targeting segments in society that they need to win in swing states. Biden has offered plans for manufacturing. Suddenly, this outsourcing candidate (NAFTA) is saying that we need to protect jobs and create quality work - a living wage. He also seeks to grab progressive votes, (Bernie Sanders) following with government handouts. This appeals to millennials. Soon, he will offer something for senior citizens. Dear Reader, he will probably win. We can only hope that he has no convictions like Obama because the country is close to bankruptcy. By the way, he is using the playbook that Ben Franklin feared, "...democracy allows citizens to vote themselves benefits...the nation will suffer from that point."
Fear Factor...
is not only rising, it is becoming ingrained. President Trump may or may not know that he is laying the grounds for totalitarianism. He has an obligation to protect, but it is a fine line to play politics by using federal troops or officers in military gear to stop civil unrest. It has been used many times by past presidents and history shows this is a status quo position. It is anti-democratic. It is not good. Today, it shows especially bad when the local government leaders do not want their presence in their zone of influence. This is more than state rights versus federal government. If he keeps doing this, a future dictator/president could emerge. The economics of our present dilemma is bad enough, but excessive police force is only one step away from fascism.
The size of these military style officers is also dangerous. Currently, there are over 800,000 of these personal. If I was the mayor in Portland, this is what I would do. Have citizens walk in areas that these officers congregate. If they are not allowed to walk and pass peacefully on city streets, have your local police officers arrest them as a violation of peaceful assembly. If they resist. So be it. It is better to face an early disease than to let it foster and grow.
P.S. The same thinking should have been the approach to the virus.
Fear is spreading...
In South America the fear factor is also growing. The president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, has some serious issues with democracy. Brazil is by far the biggest economic and populous nation in SA. Before this man became president, he has said some scary thoughts. In 1997 as a member of their Congress, he backed a new drug by a medical firm. When asked if it worked, he said, "I don't know. I'm a military man. My skill is to kill." Later, in 1999 when he got upset with the government, he said, :Let's end Congress! Go straight to dictatorship!" He has been infected by the virus and yet, he still does not mandate using a mask. His country leads SA in infections. It is third in the world with deaths. My feeling on masks is this. I do not like them, but in consideration of my fellow citizen, I will wear one. I would like my neighbor to show the same consideration to me and any establishment that they enter. We need this sickness to pass because it will allow more governments excuses to by-pass democracy. This is happening in Peru and Ecuador. The two nations will suspend elections due to the virus. Sadly, others will follow.
Fear: Maybe even the Gods...
In ancient times, even more complex societies like Greece, if the heavens displayed unusual signs, the leaders would someone who had spiritual depth. This person would translate the sign - an oracle. No, not the Oracle of Omaha. Anyway, last week we were told that the coronavirus was spreading again. Then, on the news, it mentioned that a comet would be visible in the sky. The Neowise or Panstarrs Comet would be appearing at dusk in the northwest. I looked for it. The third day was the charm. It was quite beautiful with its reflection with the setting sun. The next day the news contained another fearful note. In a Colorado town, people began seeing dead squirrels. An investigation resulted. The findings revealed....please be seated...bubonic plague!
How the hell could squirrels in a clean, Colorado town, suddenly contract this deadly disease?
More signs...The US had a hurricane hit two states on the same day!
If I was explaining the oracle of the comet with all the bad medical news, and weird signs, it would not be what some ancient king would want to hear. So, I'll just say, the sight of the comet with the setting sun, was a rare and beautiful experience.
P.S. Fleas were the carriers to rats for the spread of the plague in Europe. My suggestion to all pet owners. Give flea protection to your pets, just in case. By the way, fleas are terrible in the South, especially in Florida.
Pay the owner!
Speaking of the Greeks, there is this: An ancient Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Istanbul. It has been a museum for centuries. Why, you ask? To answer, consider this recent point of contention. The Nazi's stole many things from wealthy Jewish families, including art. Lawyers have tracked the pieces and courts have ruled to return the items to descendants of those families. This is right. And if that is right, why should Muslims occupy a church that belonged to the Greek Orthodox Church which is basically a Catholic Church. It was used as a museum so not to inflame old feelings. If the Hagia Sophia is now being used as a mosque, the members should reimburse the Greek Orthodox for the value of the old church taken by force in 1453. Of course, this action would setoff a world litigation rampage. How far back is relevant? The Native Americans claim? The S. American tribes claim? The Palestine claim? On and on, it could go as an endless nightmare. A nice gesture by the Muslim mosque members would be fitting and ease tensions that are present in Greek/Turkey airspace and maritime zones as well as the island of Cyprus.
To the market...
Even in the face of the above issues, the stock market continues to rally. Last week it had more bad news in reports. The Housing Price Index (HPI) came in below expectation as well as the PMI. Nevertheless, the advance/decline line rose to 3-1. The Volatility Index (VIX) closed below its 200-day moving average. In addition, more stocks rose above their 50-day and 200-day moving average. Always keep in mind, especially in this low volume market that the ETFs will buy when it rises and sell when it declines. This accelerates the movement.
Sebastian's piece on gold is being fulfilled. Our Economic Evangelist got a following at the Bank of America. In a report by that bank, it stated, "if the market fall by 20%, which it did, it takes an average of 4-years for the economy to recover." Outlook is not good.
King Dollar is sinking like cement in water as foreign currencies like the EU, Yen and GBP gain strength. This is inflationary for the US.
Another unsolved problem: The president wants schools to open for Fall. Teachers are asking, "There is no money for PPE? How do we do social distancing? Then, there is this aspect. One in five teachers say that they will retire before they come back to the classroom in these conditions. The head of the union is talking strike.
More tit-for-tat...
After the US closed a Chinese consulate office in Houston, China closed one of our embassy offices in their nation.
Boeing took a loan out of the CARES Act. In Europe, an international airlines agency, the IATA said, "economic stimulus is needed, but without political strings. Things will be slow and hard for global airlines for quite a spell." Then, the EU passed a large stimulus relief package.
Free Fury
In some nice news, a sperm whale got entangled with an abandoned fishnet of the coast of Italy. Italian divers are working to free the animal from the net and save its life. Apparently, the whale realizes the good intent of the divers. In this good sequel to Free Willie, it acts as a reminder that the global community should do something worthwhile like a resolution to clean our oceans. It should not be used like it is as a toilet bowl for nations. Without clean water, we all die! We are seeing the effects in the seas in food chains. Instead of buying votes, both candidates should push a program as a national priority to have clean water as well as clean energy. We have the know how. We lack the resolve.
Fear Factor...
is not only rising, it is becoming ingrained. President Trump may or may not know that he is laying the grounds for totalitarianism. He has an obligation to protect, but it is a fine line to play politics by using federal troops or officers in military gear to stop civil unrest. It has been used many times by past presidents and history shows this is a status quo position. It is anti-democratic. It is not good. Today, it shows especially bad when the local government leaders do not want their presence in their zone of influence. This is more than state rights versus federal government. If he keeps doing this, a future dictator/president could emerge. The economics of our present dilemma is bad enough, but excessive police force is only one step away from fascism.
The size of these military style officers is also dangerous. Currently, there are over 800,000 of these personal. If I was the mayor in Portland, this is what I would do. Have citizens walk in areas that these officers congregate. If they are not allowed to walk and pass peacefully on city streets, have your local police officers arrest them as a violation of peaceful assembly. If they resist. So be it. It is better to face an early disease than to let it foster and grow.
P.S. The same thinking should have been the approach to the virus.
Fear is spreading...
In South America the fear factor is also growing. The president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, has some serious issues with democracy. Brazil is by far the biggest economic and populous nation in SA. Before this man became president, he has said some scary thoughts. In 1997 as a member of their Congress, he backed a new drug by a medical firm. When asked if it worked, he said, "I don't know. I'm a military man. My skill is to kill." Later, in 1999 when he got upset with the government, he said, :Let's end Congress! Go straight to dictatorship!" He has been infected by the virus and yet, he still does not mandate using a mask. His country leads SA in infections. It is third in the world with deaths. My feeling on masks is this. I do not like them, but in consideration of my fellow citizen, I will wear one. I would like my neighbor to show the same consideration to me and any establishment that they enter. We need this sickness to pass because it will allow more governments excuses to by-pass democracy. This is happening in Peru and Ecuador. The two nations will suspend elections due to the virus. Sadly, others will follow.
Fear: Maybe even the Gods...
In ancient times, even more complex societies like Greece, if the heavens displayed unusual signs, the leaders would someone who had spiritual depth. This person would translate the sign - an oracle. No, not the Oracle of Omaha. Anyway, last week we were told that the coronavirus was spreading again. Then, on the news, it mentioned that a comet would be visible in the sky. The Neowise or Panstarrs Comet would be appearing at dusk in the northwest. I looked for it. The third day was the charm. It was quite beautiful with its reflection with the setting sun. The next day the news contained another fearful note. In a Colorado town, people began seeing dead squirrels. An investigation resulted. The findings revealed....please be seated...bubonic plague!
How the hell could squirrels in a clean, Colorado town, suddenly contract this deadly disease?
More signs...The US had a hurricane hit two states on the same day!
If I was explaining the oracle of the comet with all the bad medical news, and weird signs, it would not be what some ancient king would want to hear. So, I'll just say, the sight of the comet with the setting sun, was a rare and beautiful experience.
P.S. Fleas were the carriers to rats for the spread of the plague in Europe. My suggestion to all pet owners. Give flea protection to your pets, just in case. By the way, fleas are terrible in the South, especially in Florida.
Pay the owner!
Speaking of the Greeks, there is this: An ancient Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Istanbul. It has been a museum for centuries. Why, you ask? To answer, consider this recent point of contention. The Nazi's stole many things from wealthy Jewish families, including art. Lawyers have tracked the pieces and courts have ruled to return the items to descendants of those families. This is right. And if that is right, why should Muslims occupy a church that belonged to the Greek Orthodox Church which is basically a Catholic Church. It was used as a museum so not to inflame old feelings. If the Hagia Sophia is now being used as a mosque, the members should reimburse the Greek Orthodox for the value of the old church taken by force in 1453. Of course, this action would setoff a world litigation rampage. How far back is relevant? The Native Americans claim? The S. American tribes claim? The Palestine claim? On and on, it could go as an endless nightmare. A nice gesture by the Muslim mosque members would be fitting and ease tensions that are present in Greek/Turkey airspace and maritime zones as well as the island of Cyprus.
To the market...
Even in the face of the above issues, the stock market continues to rally. Last week it had more bad news in reports. The Housing Price Index (HPI) came in below expectation as well as the PMI. Nevertheless, the advance/decline line rose to 3-1. The Volatility Index (VIX) closed below its 200-day moving average. In addition, more stocks rose above their 50-day and 200-day moving average. Always keep in mind, especially in this low volume market that the ETFs will buy when it rises and sell when it declines. This accelerates the movement.
Sebastian's piece on gold is being fulfilled. Our Economic Evangelist got a following at the Bank of America. In a report by that bank, it stated, "if the market fall by 20%, which it did, it takes an average of 4-years for the economy to recover." Outlook is not good.
King Dollar is sinking like cement in water as foreign currencies like the EU, Yen and GBP gain strength. This is inflationary for the US.
Another unsolved problem: The president wants schools to open for Fall. Teachers are asking, "There is no money for PPE? How do we do social distancing? Then, there is this aspect. One in five teachers say that they will retire before they come back to the classroom in these conditions. The head of the union is talking strike.
More tit-for-tat...
After the US closed a Chinese consulate office in Houston, China closed one of our embassy offices in their nation.
Boeing took a loan out of the CARES Act. In Europe, an international airlines agency, the IATA said, "economic stimulus is needed, but without political strings. Things will be slow and hard for global airlines for quite a spell." Then, the EU passed a large stimulus relief package.
Free Fury
In some nice news, a sperm whale got entangled with an abandoned fishnet of the coast of Italy. Italian divers are working to free the animal from the net and save its life. Apparently, the whale realizes the good intent of the divers. In this good sequel to Free Willie, it acts as a reminder that the global community should do something worthwhile like a resolution to clean our oceans. It should not be used like it is as a toilet bowl for nations. Without clean water, we all die! We are seeing the effects in the seas in food chains. Instead of buying votes, both candidates should push a program as a national priority to have clean water as well as clean energy. We have the know how. We lack the resolve.
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
China: Time to Close the Door
My only regret in writing this piece is to my fellow citizens, namely Chinese-Americans. It could also effect other Asians like Koreans and Japanese-Americans. Sadly, this is due to not knowing enough about our brothers. It is the same syndrome of not knowing your neighbor. Too many Americans are guilty of this avoidance trait. It is one reason why we have racial problems. I would hate to see conflict with our Asian-Americans due to our tension with China. We must always remember that America is an experiment. We are at the forefront in developing Democracy as well as being an immigrant nation. We do not have the luxury of being homogeneous. Until man becomes a better human, we will always have problems with both of our experiments.
Tricky Dicky...
opened the door to China back in 1972. He was the first president to visit the People's Republic of China since it declared itself a new nation in 1949. One of the first international acts by the new government was to steal the atom bomb from the US. So much for US military intelligence and security. Nevertheless, this is China's nature - steal or whatever to advance. Then, they backed their fellow communists in North Korea versus S. Korea and the US led NATO forces in the Korean War. Their Migs fought our pilots over the skies in peninsula combat. I would say that this new nation/government was not very nice. However, time cures many things. Politics came front and center as Nixon needed something for his reelection. Trade with China was his solution. Producers along with their lobbyists were looking to the future. Outsourcing was in its early stages. The anti-union Republicans saw low-cut wages, no regulations and a super, large labor force. The perfect setting for outsourcing. By the way, the democrats did the same thing under Clinton with NAFTA.
We see the sins of greed and the wrongs within capitalism with the coronavirus. We have no supplies as everything is produced in China. Outsourcing has left our nation defenseless as we don't produce anything. We import everything. We need to protect our companies and workers. Globalism is lowering our standard of living. The critics call this "populism." Do they not see homelessness everywhere? The only segment growing in America is poverty. Tariffs is the answer. Unions are needed for workers and we need both for the nation to grow healthy again. Isn't it ironic that tariffs and unions are a way of life everywhere in the world except in the US? However, back to China...
We all know the story from that point in time. China transformed itself from a back wood, agrarian nation into the world's leading export nation and the world's leading manufacturing nation along with a few other titles. No one says the truth. This rapid grow is due to outsourcing by the West, and mainly by the US to keep wages low and maximin profits. This is the negative side of capitalism.
China has the second largest population and also, it is the second largest in land mass. When a nation is this big, there are many contradictions. It is like the analogy of a US policeman. There are two types. There are officers and there are pigs. The Red Communist party in China is the pigs. Many of its people have customs so strange to the West that in relationship to us, they are pigs too. These are the ones who counterfeit merchandise. They copy everything. For example, in China they copied Walmart with Wu Mart. They use iconic brands as labels, but the product is fraud. It is a cheap copy. Then, on the other side, you have quality people who have produced many firsts throughout history in the development of man. The list is too long, but their artistry is masterful like any Michelangelo or Picasso. Sadly, the pigs are in control. We need to distance ourselves from them before things come to blows and the world could end. Both military's have enough psychopaths that will make wearing a virus mask today seem like the good old days. The two will destroy each other and become radio-active nation's that will send whatever is left of the world back to a return of the Dark Ages. What is left of humans will be walking around in a world that is full of poisoned air and one where you will need a preventive, radioactive, nuclear suit.
First sign...
When the virus first appeared, good Chinses doctors sought to alert the global community and at the same time, seek help. The Chinese government put pressure on them to shut their mouths! They also passed a law along with tracking technology that made anything in the government's view, disturbing was subject to their law: social impact danger. One brave Chinese soul posted, "Power to the people." Chen disappeared.
During the early stages of the virus, a Chinese foreign minister, Zhao Lijian alleged that the US military planted the virus in Wuhan. In spite of this conspiracy theory, everyone knew that a good Chinese doctor from Wuhan was the first to treat his patients with a connection to pneumonia. This is another heroic person who got infected and as a result, he died. However, we see the underbelly of the communist party in action. There were other, more serious signs...
Continual Theft...
Not only does China demand that any company doing business in China must exposed its complete product make-up. It must provide the blueprint to its product. Then, they also must be classified as a Chinese company. This is one phony reason why China produces such a high yearly growth rate. Then, China uses these companies to access into their nation of origin. Their purpose: steal product development, ideas and formulas. When this happened more than one time, the door to China should have been closed, but greed trumps many sins. The Chinese are lucky that JFL was not in charge because he would have put his foot up their ass as he kicked them out the door after they received one more misuse/chance. Recently, a director in the FBI stated, "That over half of all espionage and commercial property theft is in one way or another, related to China.
Recent Signs...
The Chinese ambassador to the UK showed what I have been saying for years about the Red Party. He said, "If you prevent China advancement (referring to Huawei), you risk China becoming hostile."
He says it all. China has advanced as far as they can as a make believe, peaceful, trading nation. Now, they will use fear and pressure to obtain their wants. It should be noted that China has completed their final satellite to establish their own global mapping network. This has military implications. President Trump was the first to shout the dangers of their telecom giant, Huawei. They are in many nations and they have been accused of intellectual theft more than once. Consider if the worst happened: war with China? Huawei could close all communications in your country as they control the door to the internet and phone service. Any nation under that situation would be defenseless. How about this other tidbit? Another Chinese giant social media firm, TikTok. Always keep in mind that Chinese companies are state sponsored, which means that they are owned by the government as opposed to free capitalist companies. The sharing, social app company, was dis-assembled with reverse-engineering by Bangoriol. They discovered that TikTok gathers info to which the Chinese government has access too. Your privacy is a file in a government computer.
It gets worse. When you go to a race track, you look for signs like the appearance of the horse. Better yet, if the horse could speak as in the expression, "From the horses mouth." Now, I give you the words direct from the horses mouth.
Cui Tiankai...
is the Chinese ambassador to the US. When asked of recent criticism of China like in the expansion of islands in the South China Sea, he said, "...people have to fully recognize the realities of today's world." Then, he tried to cover the statement. He added, "America must learn to live with a modernized, strong, prosperous China." In a rebuttal to his comments, it was mentioned that the world court in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines about the land/island dispute. Cui said, "China will not participate in such a ruling." There you have it. By the way, the new laws by China would get me arrested for criticizing China. Hope I never set foot in Hong Kong or China or else I'll be singing Humble Pie, "...30 days in the hole..."
Bottom line: China has committed continual theft of intellectual property and product, manipulation of currency, rules and regulations to gain an advantage in trading, lies and suppression like the recent actions with Hong Kong, a history of supporting communist nations against capitalist nations and land grabbing like their current actions in the South China Seas to which all point to one conclusion. We must end all trade with China. They go their way and we go ours. Call things off before they get any worse. Maybe, sometime in the future, we could try again with a better understanding of each other's culture - for now, close the door!
Tricky Dicky...
opened the door to China back in 1972. He was the first president to visit the People's Republic of China since it declared itself a new nation in 1949. One of the first international acts by the new government was to steal the atom bomb from the US. So much for US military intelligence and security. Nevertheless, this is China's nature - steal or whatever to advance. Then, they backed their fellow communists in North Korea versus S. Korea and the US led NATO forces in the Korean War. Their Migs fought our pilots over the skies in peninsula combat. I would say that this new nation/government was not very nice. However, time cures many things. Politics came front and center as Nixon needed something for his reelection. Trade with China was his solution. Producers along with their lobbyists were looking to the future. Outsourcing was in its early stages. The anti-union Republicans saw low-cut wages, no regulations and a super, large labor force. The perfect setting for outsourcing. By the way, the democrats did the same thing under Clinton with NAFTA.
We see the sins of greed and the wrongs within capitalism with the coronavirus. We have no supplies as everything is produced in China. Outsourcing has left our nation defenseless as we don't produce anything. We import everything. We need to protect our companies and workers. Globalism is lowering our standard of living. The critics call this "populism." Do they not see homelessness everywhere? The only segment growing in America is poverty. Tariffs is the answer. Unions are needed for workers and we need both for the nation to grow healthy again. Isn't it ironic that tariffs and unions are a way of life everywhere in the world except in the US? However, back to China...
We all know the story from that point in time. China transformed itself from a back wood, agrarian nation into the world's leading export nation and the world's leading manufacturing nation along with a few other titles. No one says the truth. This rapid grow is due to outsourcing by the West, and mainly by the US to keep wages low and maximin profits. This is the negative side of capitalism.
China has the second largest population and also, it is the second largest in land mass. When a nation is this big, there are many contradictions. It is like the analogy of a US policeman. There are two types. There are officers and there are pigs. The Red Communist party in China is the pigs. Many of its people have customs so strange to the West that in relationship to us, they are pigs too. These are the ones who counterfeit merchandise. They copy everything. For example, in China they copied Walmart with Wu Mart. They use iconic brands as labels, but the product is fraud. It is a cheap copy. Then, on the other side, you have quality people who have produced many firsts throughout history in the development of man. The list is too long, but their artistry is masterful like any Michelangelo or Picasso. Sadly, the pigs are in control. We need to distance ourselves from them before things come to blows and the world could end. Both military's have enough psychopaths that will make wearing a virus mask today seem like the good old days. The two will destroy each other and become radio-active nation's that will send whatever is left of the world back to a return of the Dark Ages. What is left of humans will be walking around in a world that is full of poisoned air and one where you will need a preventive, radioactive, nuclear suit.
First sign...
When the virus first appeared, good Chinses doctors sought to alert the global community and at the same time, seek help. The Chinese government put pressure on them to shut their mouths! They also passed a law along with tracking technology that made anything in the government's view, disturbing was subject to their law: social impact danger. One brave Chinese soul posted, "Power to the people." Chen disappeared.
During the early stages of the virus, a Chinese foreign minister, Zhao Lijian alleged that the US military planted the virus in Wuhan. In spite of this conspiracy theory, everyone knew that a good Chinese doctor from Wuhan was the first to treat his patients with a connection to pneumonia. This is another heroic person who got infected and as a result, he died. However, we see the underbelly of the communist party in action. There were other, more serious signs...
Continual Theft...
Not only does China demand that any company doing business in China must exposed its complete product make-up. It must provide the blueprint to its product. Then, they also must be classified as a Chinese company. This is one phony reason why China produces such a high yearly growth rate. Then, China uses these companies to access into their nation of origin. Their purpose: steal product development, ideas and formulas. When this happened more than one time, the door to China should have been closed, but greed trumps many sins. The Chinese are lucky that JFL was not in charge because he would have put his foot up their ass as he kicked them out the door after they received one more misuse/chance. Recently, a director in the FBI stated, "That over half of all espionage and commercial property theft is in one way or another, related to China.
Recent Signs...
The Chinese ambassador to the UK showed what I have been saying for years about the Red Party. He said, "If you prevent China advancement (referring to Huawei), you risk China becoming hostile."
He says it all. China has advanced as far as they can as a make believe, peaceful, trading nation. Now, they will use fear and pressure to obtain their wants. It should be noted that China has completed their final satellite to establish their own global mapping network. This has military implications. President Trump was the first to shout the dangers of their telecom giant, Huawei. They are in many nations and they have been accused of intellectual theft more than once. Consider if the worst happened: war with China? Huawei could close all communications in your country as they control the door to the internet and phone service. Any nation under that situation would be defenseless. How about this other tidbit? Another Chinese giant social media firm, TikTok. Always keep in mind that Chinese companies are state sponsored, which means that they are owned by the government as opposed to free capitalist companies. The sharing, social app company, was dis-assembled with reverse-engineering by Bangoriol. They discovered that TikTok gathers info to which the Chinese government has access too. Your privacy is a file in a government computer.
It gets worse. When you go to a race track, you look for signs like the appearance of the horse. Better yet, if the horse could speak as in the expression, "From the horses mouth." Now, I give you the words direct from the horses mouth.
Cui Tiankai...
is the Chinese ambassador to the US. When asked of recent criticism of China like in the expansion of islands in the South China Sea, he said, "...people have to fully recognize the realities of today's world." Then, he tried to cover the statement. He added, "America must learn to live with a modernized, strong, prosperous China." In a rebuttal to his comments, it was mentioned that the world court in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines about the land/island dispute. Cui said, "China will not participate in such a ruling." There you have it. By the way, the new laws by China would get me arrested for criticizing China. Hope I never set foot in Hong Kong or China or else I'll be singing Humble Pie, "...30 days in the hole..."
Bottom line: China has committed continual theft of intellectual property and product, manipulation of currency, rules and regulations to gain an advantage in trading, lies and suppression like the recent actions with Hong Kong, a history of supporting communist nations against capitalist nations and land grabbing like their current actions in the South China Seas to which all point to one conclusion. We must end all trade with China. They go their way and we go ours. Call things off before they get any worse. Maybe, sometime in the future, we could try again with a better understanding of each other's culture - for now, close the door!
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Food: It's a Problem When You're Hungry
Our farm data will soon change and for the worse. At present, there are 3 million laborers who work on 2 million farms. Most are family owned operations. Farming is defined by economics. If you had income of $1,000, then, you are a farmer. By the way government subsidies make people who never stepped foot on grass, a farmer. Subsidies should go to people who work a farm, not absent owners.
Of the 2 million farms, 90% are small which means that income on a yearly basis was $350,000 or less. However, these small farms produce 20% of total production. Large-scale farms amount to 2.5% of US farms, but produce 50% of our product. They earn from $1 million and way up.
Breakdown
In general, one farm can feed 166 people. The problem in the outlook is the rising global population and possible food insecurity.
At present, the value of US farmland is $2 trillion, but that figure changes all the time. The lockdown of the nation's economy will effect farming for the worse.
Did you know that women are the biggest influx into farming? They grew by 27% from 2012 to 2017. Taken as a whole, farming accounts for only 1% of GDP.
No longer #1
The US has lost the top spot. We are currently third in world production. This is due to many reasons to which is people having left farming for the city. Back in the day (1840) 70% of our population were on farms. This is our heritage of individualism and being self-proficient. Modern media influence is trying to change that. If one looks deeper into their byte lines, you can see their small thinking. Our founders may not have been perfect, but who is? However, they were schooled in the philosophical and literary tradition that dates back to classical antiquity. They understood the fragility of civil peace and the danger of the vengeful mob. I really dislike the people who attack our founders statues and Christopher Columbus.
Our present leaders, use politics to buy votes. These products of politicized instruments also reveal our failing education system. They offer no vision. The best word to describe both of our political parties is malfeasance. I don't want to drift off the topic, but like I say in my unpublished work, "All things are connected."
What I See and Fear...
The producer price index came out last week. It said that prices dropped by .02%. This means things were cheaper, however the PPI for May was up .04%. I think that I know the answer.
With all the fear spread by government and the media, people rushed to grocery stores. Can you ever remember seeing empty shelves in a supermarket? Yet, there they were. No tuna. No meat. No rice. Only high price can goods and the biggest, hardest item, no toilet paper! Even with all this emptiness in grocery stores, the government says prices only rose by .04%. They have manipulated these indexes so much that they have no relation to reality. Malfeasance is the word!
By the way, Bank of America says inflation will rise to 4% in Mexico. It is off the charts in Argentina and Brazil. In Lebanon, their currency, the lira went from 1500 to 4300 versus the US dollar. That's inflation!
I saw an economist on PBS, a Nobel Prize winner Esther Duflo. She had some real good points on poverty, but I take exception to this. She does not know what she is talking about. Get away from computer stats and get out into the world. She says that it is a lie that immigrants take all the low wage jobs. Go to an airport. All the cleaning people are Hispanic. Go to a meat or chicken factory. How about hotel or hospital laundry? A black or white person can no longer get these jobs. It is the same for cleaning agencies in almost every city. All the help are Hispanic immigrants. Critics will say Americans will not do these jobs. That is BS! People will sadly do any menial task to eat or feed their starving children. The media controls the dialogue. The one fantastic aspect of immigrant labor was on farms. They moved throughout the nation as harvest time changes in growing zones. These people need better pay, benefits and living conditions. However, the lockdown have kept them absent from the farms. Food rotted in the fields. Farmers also could not find drivers to deliver their bounty. They lost everything! Farms will go under. Our food supply will not only be in danger, but whatever is grown and delivered in the future will cost more. We can see that in the recent resupply by our stores. Meat is unaffordable. Chicken is king. People have always avoided inflation by substitution. A solid, albacore tuna can is like finding a silver coin. Rice costs like sweet potatoes and sweet potatoes is like hamburger. What lie will the government say about this as it happens? Of course, government did not suffer a lockout of a job. They do not count the basic needs of life, food, energy and shelter in their index, but as the blind man says, "We will see."
I got off topic again with the immigrant mention. My view is I'm for immigration, but not at all times. A weak, fragile economy like our present one, cannot have more immigration. This forces people to beg for low paying jobs. It is a negative spiral. If we stopped our military spending and devoted our resources into a future outlook for our nation in solar, wind and electric autos - all segments that would provide livable wages, then, we could open our borders. Not until we see the end of homelessness and our rising poverty levels.
Tidbits on farming...
One hen averages 250 eggs per year. We find many other uses for product. Corn for oil and gasoline. Soybeans will make crayons. Peanuts for peanut butter. One baseball requires 150 yards of wool. One cow can average 6.3 gallons of milk. It takes 4,400 cranberries to make a gallon of juice. The Keystone State grows the most mushrooms. Idaho grows one-third of US potatoes. Note: the US still leads the world in corn production. S. Dakota grows the most sunflowers. Washington produces the most hops. Texas has the most farms. It should it is the biggest. Sadly, the US grows the most GMOs. Georgia has its peaches and Florida its oranges. Nebraska has the highest land usage under farming at 92%. Maybe that is why Buffett went into the stock market? He could not find a farm? Cattle is the largest sector, but it is declining every year. In 1975 there were 45 million cows. In 2014 the number dropped to 29 million.
The medium income of farmers is higher than average, however only 2 in 5 small farms turn a profit. These are hard working people. Two-thirds of them have a second job. I guess that they can relate to city people after all because many in our cities work two jobs. All things are connected!
Of the 2 million farms, 90% are small which means that income on a yearly basis was $350,000 or less. However, these small farms produce 20% of total production. Large-scale farms amount to 2.5% of US farms, but produce 50% of our product. They earn from $1 million and way up.
Breakdown
In general, one farm can feed 166 people. The problem in the outlook is the rising global population and possible food insecurity.
At present, the value of US farmland is $2 trillion, but that figure changes all the time. The lockdown of the nation's economy will effect farming for the worse.
Did you know that women are the biggest influx into farming? They grew by 27% from 2012 to 2017. Taken as a whole, farming accounts for only 1% of GDP.
No longer #1
The US has lost the top spot. We are currently third in world production. This is due to many reasons to which is people having left farming for the city. Back in the day (1840) 70% of our population were on farms. This is our heritage of individualism and being self-proficient. Modern media influence is trying to change that. If one looks deeper into their byte lines, you can see their small thinking. Our founders may not have been perfect, but who is? However, they were schooled in the philosophical and literary tradition that dates back to classical antiquity. They understood the fragility of civil peace and the danger of the vengeful mob. I really dislike the people who attack our founders statues and Christopher Columbus.
Our present leaders, use politics to buy votes. These products of politicized instruments also reveal our failing education system. They offer no vision. The best word to describe both of our political parties is malfeasance. I don't want to drift off the topic, but like I say in my unpublished work, "All things are connected."
What I See and Fear...
The producer price index came out last week. It said that prices dropped by .02%. This means things were cheaper, however the PPI for May was up .04%. I think that I know the answer.
With all the fear spread by government and the media, people rushed to grocery stores. Can you ever remember seeing empty shelves in a supermarket? Yet, there they were. No tuna. No meat. No rice. Only high price can goods and the biggest, hardest item, no toilet paper! Even with all this emptiness in grocery stores, the government says prices only rose by .04%. They have manipulated these indexes so much that they have no relation to reality. Malfeasance is the word!
By the way, Bank of America says inflation will rise to 4% in Mexico. It is off the charts in Argentina and Brazil. In Lebanon, their currency, the lira went from 1500 to 4300 versus the US dollar. That's inflation!
I saw an economist on PBS, a Nobel Prize winner Esther Duflo. She had some real good points on poverty, but I take exception to this. She does not know what she is talking about. Get away from computer stats and get out into the world. She says that it is a lie that immigrants take all the low wage jobs. Go to an airport. All the cleaning people are Hispanic. Go to a meat or chicken factory. How about hotel or hospital laundry? A black or white person can no longer get these jobs. It is the same for cleaning agencies in almost every city. All the help are Hispanic immigrants. Critics will say Americans will not do these jobs. That is BS! People will sadly do any menial task to eat or feed their starving children. The media controls the dialogue. The one fantastic aspect of immigrant labor was on farms. They moved throughout the nation as harvest time changes in growing zones. These people need better pay, benefits and living conditions. However, the lockdown have kept them absent from the farms. Food rotted in the fields. Farmers also could not find drivers to deliver their bounty. They lost everything! Farms will go under. Our food supply will not only be in danger, but whatever is grown and delivered in the future will cost more. We can see that in the recent resupply by our stores. Meat is unaffordable. Chicken is king. People have always avoided inflation by substitution. A solid, albacore tuna can is like finding a silver coin. Rice costs like sweet potatoes and sweet potatoes is like hamburger. What lie will the government say about this as it happens? Of course, government did not suffer a lockout of a job. They do not count the basic needs of life, food, energy and shelter in their index, but as the blind man says, "We will see."
I got off topic again with the immigrant mention. My view is I'm for immigration, but not at all times. A weak, fragile economy like our present one, cannot have more immigration. This forces people to beg for low paying jobs. It is a negative spiral. If we stopped our military spending and devoted our resources into a future outlook for our nation in solar, wind and electric autos - all segments that would provide livable wages, then, we could open our borders. Not until we see the end of homelessness and our rising poverty levels.
Tidbits on farming...
One hen averages 250 eggs per year. We find many other uses for product. Corn for oil and gasoline. Soybeans will make crayons. Peanuts for peanut butter. One baseball requires 150 yards of wool. One cow can average 6.3 gallons of milk. It takes 4,400 cranberries to make a gallon of juice. The Keystone State grows the most mushrooms. Idaho grows one-third of US potatoes. Note: the US still leads the world in corn production. S. Dakota grows the most sunflowers. Washington produces the most hops. Texas has the most farms. It should it is the biggest. Sadly, the US grows the most GMOs. Georgia has its peaches and Florida its oranges. Nebraska has the highest land usage under farming at 92%. Maybe that is why Buffett went into the stock market? He could not find a farm? Cattle is the largest sector, but it is declining every year. In 1975 there were 45 million cows. In 2014 the number dropped to 29 million.
The medium income of farmers is higher than average, however only 2 in 5 small farms turn a profit. These are hard working people. Two-thirds of them have a second job. I guess that they can relate to city people after all because many in our cities work two jobs. All things are connected!
Wednesday, July 8, 2020
Gold, Going Forward
The last time that I spoke about gold was in my 20th of May piece. The main point that I stressed was the trend. It was up. It still is. Not only that, the continuous contract reveals more volume which means new buyers. Everyone has the knowledge that the Federal Reserve will continue its excessive printing. It is putting the dollar in jeopardy, especially with its role as the world's reserve currency.
Cornerstone point
The Fed, like I mentioned in that previous piece, took 94 years to reach the first trillion in printing. Since the financial crisis of 2008, they have printed another $9 trillion or 10x the previous amount. They are destroying our currency, standard of living and our future economic welfare. Their existence and use of fiat money for our currency is in violation of the constitution. Since nothing will change by either of our government's political parties, to end the power or reign of the Federal Reserve, we can take confidence with our trust in the metal that never tarnishes.
Golden Outlook
Gold ended the second quarter at $1800 on good contract volume. Silver failed to break its previous high that touched $19, however it broke $18 and it has held price at that level. There are other indicators that are even more promising.
HUI and XAU...
are the two gold indexes. They are both making new highs. Using Fibonacci levels, the price of gold will break its all-time high of $1910 set in 2008. In my previous piece, Fibonacci ratio called for gold to reach $1856 in the future. Dear Reader, the future is here. Gold futures already hit that price projection last week. It gets more crazy when I used the two gold indexes and Fibonacci to project future prices. There is no resistance coming in the HUI which closed last week at 291. It could blast all the way to, are you ready for this? = 529. Yowzah! The XAU could run from 127 all the way to 196. Super Duper!
It gets better...
The ETF for gold mining stocks is GDX. At present, it is around $37. It is projected to rise to $52. This is a huge move and it will raise the mining stocks in its fund like AEM and WPM. And a rising tide lifts all boats.
Need a 2cd opinion?
In a report by A. Nalavi, of MKS, SA, says if $1790 price of gold holds, the rally will blast through $1807. Hey, buddy, it already has.
In another report by Bernard Dahdah of Natixis, the analyst has increased his price projection for gold to $1950 by the second quarter in 2021. However, he does not feel the price will hold and the metal will slowly decline from that point. He could be right as the banking industry is anti-gold and they will attack the metal.
By the way, here at Evolution, we see gold breaking its old high of $1910 and reach $1940. At that point we need to see the volume in the trend. Gold, like Dahdah sees, could temporarily run out of gas.
Nevertheless, the Fed "put" will turn out to be the foundation for gold. The Fed is being forced to keep printing from pressures by the president and Congress. It has even greater pressure in the hope that the bond market won't implode. The other sad truth and another uplift for gold is the basic building block of government borrowing. When rates are normal, people prefer to save rather than risking their hard earned money in the stock market. With low rates and negative yield, savers are forced to turn to the market. The Fed over-borrows. When you look at the aspect of total savings that the Fed at one time utilized, the savings rate was 75% in ratio to the GDP. Now, it is 1.4% of GDP.
Four gold stocks we like...
My list takes in the point that we all have different levels to invest. I offer gold miners from low entry price and up.
1) Argonaut Gold (ARNGF) A Canadian miner to which is a very important point as socialist government's could take over a free market mine. A $1.75 - $1.80 would be a good entry point. The company has a strong pipeline of mines to develop. It is already a mid-tier producing firm.
2) Newcrest Mining (NCMGY) is an Australian miner. It has strong production and $21 would be a good entry level. It pays a dividend. Only negative is its big mine with a robust outlook, but not a reliable government. This mine is in another nation.
3) Wheaton Precious Metal (WPM) This is a great streaming gold company. It has a dividend and a good reinvestment dividend program. Any pullback to $40 would be ideal.
4) Agnico-Eagle Mine (AEM) has a history of solid performance. It pays a dividend. $60 would be a good entry point in this rising gold price market.
Cornerstone point
The Fed, like I mentioned in that previous piece, took 94 years to reach the first trillion in printing. Since the financial crisis of 2008, they have printed another $9 trillion or 10x the previous amount. They are destroying our currency, standard of living and our future economic welfare. Their existence and use of fiat money for our currency is in violation of the constitution. Since nothing will change by either of our government's political parties, to end the power or reign of the Federal Reserve, we can take confidence with our trust in the metal that never tarnishes.
Golden Outlook
Gold ended the second quarter at $1800 on good contract volume. Silver failed to break its previous high that touched $19, however it broke $18 and it has held price at that level. There are other indicators that are even more promising.
HUI and XAU...
are the two gold indexes. They are both making new highs. Using Fibonacci levels, the price of gold will break its all-time high of $1910 set in 2008. In my previous piece, Fibonacci ratio called for gold to reach $1856 in the future. Dear Reader, the future is here. Gold futures already hit that price projection last week. It gets more crazy when I used the two gold indexes and Fibonacci to project future prices. There is no resistance coming in the HUI which closed last week at 291. It could blast all the way to, are you ready for this? = 529. Yowzah! The XAU could run from 127 all the way to 196. Super Duper!
It gets better...
The ETF for gold mining stocks is GDX. At present, it is around $37. It is projected to rise to $52. This is a huge move and it will raise the mining stocks in its fund like AEM and WPM. And a rising tide lifts all boats.
Need a 2cd opinion?
In a report by A. Nalavi, of MKS, SA, says if $1790 price of gold holds, the rally will blast through $1807. Hey, buddy, it already has.
In another report by Bernard Dahdah of Natixis, the analyst has increased his price projection for gold to $1950 by the second quarter in 2021. However, he does not feel the price will hold and the metal will slowly decline from that point. He could be right as the banking industry is anti-gold and they will attack the metal.
By the way, here at Evolution, we see gold breaking its old high of $1910 and reach $1940. At that point we need to see the volume in the trend. Gold, like Dahdah sees, could temporarily run out of gas.
Nevertheless, the Fed "put" will turn out to be the foundation for gold. The Fed is being forced to keep printing from pressures by the president and Congress. It has even greater pressure in the hope that the bond market won't implode. The other sad truth and another uplift for gold is the basic building block of government borrowing. When rates are normal, people prefer to save rather than risking their hard earned money in the stock market. With low rates and negative yield, savers are forced to turn to the market. The Fed over-borrows. When you look at the aspect of total savings that the Fed at one time utilized, the savings rate was 75% in ratio to the GDP. Now, it is 1.4% of GDP.
Four gold stocks we like...
My list takes in the point that we all have different levels to invest. I offer gold miners from low entry price and up.
1) Argonaut Gold (ARNGF) A Canadian miner to which is a very important point as socialist government's could take over a free market mine. A $1.75 - $1.80 would be a good entry point. The company has a strong pipeline of mines to develop. It is already a mid-tier producing firm.
2) Newcrest Mining (NCMGY) is an Australian miner. It has strong production and $21 would be a good entry level. It pays a dividend. Only negative is its big mine with a robust outlook, but not a reliable government. This mine is in another nation.
3) Wheaton Precious Metal (WPM) This is a great streaming gold company. It has a dividend and a good reinvestment dividend program. Any pullback to $40 would be ideal.
4) Agnico-Eagle Mine (AEM) has a history of solid performance. It pays a dividend. $60 would be a good entry point in this rising gold price market.
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
When It Rains, It Pours
Ever hear the expression, "Misery loves company?" For those among you that live in the Southeastern part of the US, you know this. You don't just get precipitation, you get buckets of rain. Sadly, I see an analogy to the US economy. It is raining on us with the virus and it will pour, when the news of the CLOs hits the clouds.
Back before the recession of 2008, there were many writers, including myself, who asked the question, "Who can afford to buy these houses for $400,000?" The thought continued, "How can I get a job that qualifies for such a mortgage?" There were other people who realized the same thing except that they happened to be in financing. They had play money to bet against the housing phenomena. They made billions when the flaws became known. I didn't lose a home. How did you do?
Houston, we got a problem...
We all know now about the dangers to the economy that were caused by the coronavirus. The hope is in a vaccine. In the meantime, the prayers are for the flu to pass and the economy to return to normal. You can count me with those thoughts. However, here at Evolution, we got a new writer. He called the down day that occurred last Friday on Wednesday of that week. He sees a new problem that will take time to unfold. It is like the articles that I wrote in 2006 about the rising cost of housing. It took two years, but the crash happened. We call him, "The Economic Evangelist." He has deep insights. This is the message that he sent to Houston.
CLOs...
You should all know by now what the letters, CDOs mean? They were the root source to the banking crisis behind the great recession of 2008. People were getting mortgages based on NINJA Loans (no income, no job and no assets). Today, banking is quietly changing clients. They have left the individual and housing. They have turned to business. Neither the Republicans nor the Democrats offer any knowledge on the issue or subject. This is still another reason why I say that both of our political parties are corrupt. You can see this with the latest headlines, "Black Lives Matter." The two parties never offered any suggestions on police brutality or procedures. Now, they both offer plans. Can you see my point, my view?.
Well, Dear Reader, our new writer sees a new danger brewing. Before we continue, a quick recap on how banks operate. The corruption covers many aspects. CDOs refer to collateral debt obligations. These were the NINJA Loans. Banks got the rating services to give them their AAA rating - their best level. Then, they sold these loans as safe vehicles that offer a yield. The banks give the rating services a job. The service gives their employer a favorable response and perhaps, more work. Did you know that 13,000 AAA rated CDOs defaulted during the crisis? That is all you really need to know to continue. Dodd-Frank was passed to force banks into safer actions with taxpayers deposits. The idea of "stress" tests added to the peace of mind for everyone except the greedy nature of the banking industry. The industry knows the Fed has their backs. They can keep all the profits and socialize all the losses. This is what they are now doing.
Off the books
Ever have a job off the books, meaning no taxes? Fix the neighbor's car on Saturday morning. He pays you directly. No big deal. LBJ was so corrupt that he kept the cost of the Viet Nam war off the books. Politicians still do it. Our nation has trillions in unknown debt. It will surface some day and it has to be repaid. Enough on that. Anyway, banks circumvented Dodd-Frank. They keep certain risky loans off their books in bundles that they farm out. They also hide these so-called assets like Enron hid off the books companies with shell names. The banking industry is following the Enron playbook. They classify these assets in structures called, "Variable Interest Entities."
A report in the Atlantic by Frank Partnoy, says, "Wells Fargo has more than $1 trillion of VIE assets off the books.
So, what are these VIE assets, you ask? They are loans to shaky companies like J.C. Penny, Men's Wearhouse, etc. The 2008 crisis had shaky loans to home buyers and now, corporations that own malls, restaurants and retail are the users of these loans. They are called, Collateral Loan Obligations.
Do the math
The housing recession of 2008 had $640 billion of bad mortgages in CDOs. Today, CLOs have $880 billion in shaky loans. Business debt alone stands at 78% of GDP. The Fed is the guilty source of all this borrowing due to extra low interest rates. It gets worse. Two economist from the Federal Reserve have reported that US depository institutions and their holding companies own more than $110 billion of CLOs issued out of the Cayman Islands. This is so wrong. The Fed constantly seeks to expand its power and it constantly abuses its power. You heard that Wirecard cannot find $2 billion? The Financial Stability Board, a monitor of global systems, reported that $10 billion of CLOs are unaccounted for. This is why we call him the, "Economic Evangelist."
What he suggests...
Banks should be regulated like utilities. They provide a functions for business and citizens. They should not be allowed to venture beyond this format and of course, End the Fed!
Back before the recession of 2008, there were many writers, including myself, who asked the question, "Who can afford to buy these houses for $400,000?" The thought continued, "How can I get a job that qualifies for such a mortgage?" There were other people who realized the same thing except that they happened to be in financing. They had play money to bet against the housing phenomena. They made billions when the flaws became known. I didn't lose a home. How did you do?
Houston, we got a problem...
We all know now about the dangers to the economy that were caused by the coronavirus. The hope is in a vaccine. In the meantime, the prayers are for the flu to pass and the economy to return to normal. You can count me with those thoughts. However, here at Evolution, we got a new writer. He called the down day that occurred last Friday on Wednesday of that week. He sees a new problem that will take time to unfold. It is like the articles that I wrote in 2006 about the rising cost of housing. It took two years, but the crash happened. We call him, "The Economic Evangelist." He has deep insights. This is the message that he sent to Houston.
CLOs...
You should all know by now what the letters, CDOs mean? They were the root source to the banking crisis behind the great recession of 2008. People were getting mortgages based on NINJA Loans (no income, no job and no assets). Today, banking is quietly changing clients. They have left the individual and housing. They have turned to business. Neither the Republicans nor the Democrats offer any knowledge on the issue or subject. This is still another reason why I say that both of our political parties are corrupt. You can see this with the latest headlines, "Black Lives Matter." The two parties never offered any suggestions on police brutality or procedures. Now, they both offer plans. Can you see my point, my view?.
Well, Dear Reader, our new writer sees a new danger brewing. Before we continue, a quick recap on how banks operate. The corruption covers many aspects. CDOs refer to collateral debt obligations. These were the NINJA Loans. Banks got the rating services to give them their AAA rating - their best level. Then, they sold these loans as safe vehicles that offer a yield. The banks give the rating services a job. The service gives their employer a favorable response and perhaps, more work. Did you know that 13,000 AAA rated CDOs defaulted during the crisis? That is all you really need to know to continue. Dodd-Frank was passed to force banks into safer actions with taxpayers deposits. The idea of "stress" tests added to the peace of mind for everyone except the greedy nature of the banking industry. The industry knows the Fed has their backs. They can keep all the profits and socialize all the losses. This is what they are now doing.
Off the books
Ever have a job off the books, meaning no taxes? Fix the neighbor's car on Saturday morning. He pays you directly. No big deal. LBJ was so corrupt that he kept the cost of the Viet Nam war off the books. Politicians still do it. Our nation has trillions in unknown debt. It will surface some day and it has to be repaid. Enough on that. Anyway, banks circumvented Dodd-Frank. They keep certain risky loans off their books in bundles that they farm out. They also hide these so-called assets like Enron hid off the books companies with shell names. The banking industry is following the Enron playbook. They classify these assets in structures called, "Variable Interest Entities."
A report in the Atlantic by Frank Partnoy, says, "Wells Fargo has more than $1 trillion of VIE assets off the books.
So, what are these VIE assets, you ask? They are loans to shaky companies like J.C. Penny, Men's Wearhouse, etc. The 2008 crisis had shaky loans to home buyers and now, corporations that own malls, restaurants and retail are the users of these loans. They are called, Collateral Loan Obligations.
Do the math
The housing recession of 2008 had $640 billion of bad mortgages in CDOs. Today, CLOs have $880 billion in shaky loans. Business debt alone stands at 78% of GDP. The Fed is the guilty source of all this borrowing due to extra low interest rates. It gets worse. Two economist from the Federal Reserve have reported that US depository institutions and their holding companies own more than $110 billion of CLOs issued out of the Cayman Islands. This is so wrong. The Fed constantly seeks to expand its power and it constantly abuses its power. You heard that Wirecard cannot find $2 billion? The Financial Stability Board, a monitor of global systems, reported that $10 billion of CLOs are unaccounted for. This is why we call him the, "Economic Evangelist."
What he suggests...
Banks should be regulated like utilities. They provide a functions for business and citizens. They should not be allowed to venture beyond this format and of course, End the Fed!
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Odds and Ends: June 2020
Space X
We begin with Space X. No need to remind everyone of the great accomplishment it achieved being the first commercial carrier to send astronauts to the Space Station. What might be overlooked is the other entry by the firm to offer broadband. Its Starlink Constellation is adding satellites and will soon have the capacity to begin operations.
In a related aspect, Astrobotic technology has been awarded the contract by NASA for the rover to the moon in 2022. This is a private company.
Failed test...
The S&P 500 failed last Friday with its test of the 3140 level. This is important because that date was options expiration day. This points to a negative trend, however the market still has enough bulls to try another attempt. If it fails again, this would be a near-term triple top.
One other point. This Friday is the end of the quarter to which means extra volatility. According to CNBC, the market could lose $65 billion in pension money to which may go to bonds. There are many doubts about this market, especially with the virus. Combining the two aspects, we, at Evolution see a down day.
Beware Greeks bearing gifts...
Goldman Sachs may not be Greek, however the firm came out of the closet, so to speak, by saying that they believe that gold will reach $1800 before the year ends. They go on to say that they see the precious metal breaking $2000 sometime in 2021. When fiat bankers say something nice or recommend gold, you know that they will let it rise and then, Boom! They will seek to short the metal. Just be careful. Put your stops on your gold stocks. The firm also sees money leaving the US due to low yields by the treasury.
Tidbits from the World Bank
The agency said this recession is far more reaching than even the Great Depression. In the 1929 hardship, the effects of the depression hit 83.8% of global nations. Today, the coronavirus has spread its pain to 92.9% of the world's nations.
In a related aspect, the UKs debt is now larger than their whole economy. Not good.
Speaking of pain...
Starwood Capital has missed its second consecutive debt payment. The owner of malls is looking as empty as its parking lots. With many firms grabbing stimulus loans, and many others rushing to bankruptcy court, I remind you that the Federal Reserve will release their latest stress tests for the banking industry on June 25th. Did you know that banks reveal loans when defaults happen, but they do not have to reveal what other dangerous loans could be connected to a default situation? So much for Dodd-Frank. By the way, the Fed sees the fourth quarter in 2020 being lower than the fourth quarter of 2019 to the overall economy.
Speaking of tension...
Everyone is aware of the trade tensions between the US and China, but a new, more dangerous tension has erupted between China and India along their common border. The news is sketchy, but it was reported that 20 Indian guards have been killed. Isn't the pandemic enough complications for the world?
More China: The Chinese have sent their last satellite into space. This will allow them to have their own operating global navigation system. They will move away from the US, GPS. Under military aspects, this is dangerous because prior to that, the US could close GPS to any Chinese belligerent
act. China has been working on this for two decades. Now, they will compete with the US. Their system is called, "Beidou System." I foresee a more aggressive stance by China to which will show their true colors. After all this is the year of the rat.
Speaking of the virus...
A new app is being launched in Ireland to trace the virus. I like the effort, but I worry about future applications. It is one thing to seek to fight a disease and another to track people and killing our freedom of movement and privacy. This is my worry. We can see the playbook from the "sick" people in the pharmaceutical industry. They make a dangerous, addictive drug. They seek permission from the FDA to offer the drug as a pain reliever with cancer victims. When they get approval like with the opioids, the prescription pad opens for everything and anything.
Wrap Technology...
is a new policing technique that is environmentally and humanely safe. The "Bolo Wrap" is shot from a cartridge. It is a metal rope that "ties" around a target. This allows the police to gather the suspect in a safe manner. There should be no loss of life. This is the next step for all police departments. In disclosure, I'm all-in on the stock (WRTC).
Other new ideas...
The latest smart phones will offer a new app that can read your forehead to check your temperature.
Facial recognition...
will be taking a step back after it was revealed in a lawsuit that its application of facial recognition matched 27 Congressman to convicted felons.
Bad time for women...
April may bring flowers, but along with its showers, is this sad data. In Mexico, eleven women were murdered every day for the month of April. What the hell is going on down there? Is the flu making people crazy?
It gets worse as things are worse in Iran.
For Honor?
I don't want to get into a religious conflict, but anyone contemplating on becoming a Muslim consider this. In Iran a father beheaded his 14-year daughter because he did not approve of her boyfriend. The older boyfriend seeking his daughter bought dishonor to the family. This happens all the time in Islamic nations. Although the practice is condemned, even by the supreme leader in Iran, it still happens. There were no arrests or charges bought against the father.
Islamic Law may not allow this practice, but words are cheap, action counts.
On a lighter note...
Lamborghini is offering their cheapest model, only $200,000 for Father's Day. I know the date has passed, but if one considers, supply, distance and the pandemic, what's a few days late?
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World...
is one of the great comedy classic movies of all-time. You can see this in the stock market every day. Hertz offered a $500 million in a stock offering. The company revealed that the shares might be worthless. After this announcement the stock climbed. Wirecard cannot account for $2 billon. Yes, with a "B".
How about this? A new, small electric truck company with no production and no revenue raised more money than Ford. This makes the upstart worth more than Ford? Get real!
The firm, Nikola plans to target Ford's F-150 truck. It's a Mad World!
We begin with Space X. No need to remind everyone of the great accomplishment it achieved being the first commercial carrier to send astronauts to the Space Station. What might be overlooked is the other entry by the firm to offer broadband. Its Starlink Constellation is adding satellites and will soon have the capacity to begin operations.
In a related aspect, Astrobotic technology has been awarded the contract by NASA for the rover to the moon in 2022. This is a private company.
Failed test...
The S&P 500 failed last Friday with its test of the 3140 level. This is important because that date was options expiration day. This points to a negative trend, however the market still has enough bulls to try another attempt. If it fails again, this would be a near-term triple top.
One other point. This Friday is the end of the quarter to which means extra volatility. According to CNBC, the market could lose $65 billion in pension money to which may go to bonds. There are many doubts about this market, especially with the virus. Combining the two aspects, we, at Evolution see a down day.
Beware Greeks bearing gifts...
Goldman Sachs may not be Greek, however the firm came out of the closet, so to speak, by saying that they believe that gold will reach $1800 before the year ends. They go on to say that they see the precious metal breaking $2000 sometime in 2021. When fiat bankers say something nice or recommend gold, you know that they will let it rise and then, Boom! They will seek to short the metal. Just be careful. Put your stops on your gold stocks. The firm also sees money leaving the US due to low yields by the treasury.
Tidbits from the World Bank
The agency said this recession is far more reaching than even the Great Depression. In the 1929 hardship, the effects of the depression hit 83.8% of global nations. Today, the coronavirus has spread its pain to 92.9% of the world's nations.
In a related aspect, the UKs debt is now larger than their whole economy. Not good.
Speaking of pain...
Starwood Capital has missed its second consecutive debt payment. The owner of malls is looking as empty as its parking lots. With many firms grabbing stimulus loans, and many others rushing to bankruptcy court, I remind you that the Federal Reserve will release their latest stress tests for the banking industry on June 25th. Did you know that banks reveal loans when defaults happen, but they do not have to reveal what other dangerous loans could be connected to a default situation? So much for Dodd-Frank. By the way, the Fed sees the fourth quarter in 2020 being lower than the fourth quarter of 2019 to the overall economy.
Speaking of tension...
Everyone is aware of the trade tensions between the US and China, but a new, more dangerous tension has erupted between China and India along their common border. The news is sketchy, but it was reported that 20 Indian guards have been killed. Isn't the pandemic enough complications for the world?
More China: The Chinese have sent their last satellite into space. This will allow them to have their own operating global navigation system. They will move away from the US, GPS. Under military aspects, this is dangerous because prior to that, the US could close GPS to any Chinese belligerent
act. China has been working on this for two decades. Now, they will compete with the US. Their system is called, "Beidou System." I foresee a more aggressive stance by China to which will show their true colors. After all this is the year of the rat.
Speaking of the virus...
A new app is being launched in Ireland to trace the virus. I like the effort, but I worry about future applications. It is one thing to seek to fight a disease and another to track people and killing our freedom of movement and privacy. This is my worry. We can see the playbook from the "sick" people in the pharmaceutical industry. They make a dangerous, addictive drug. They seek permission from the FDA to offer the drug as a pain reliever with cancer victims. When they get approval like with the opioids, the prescription pad opens for everything and anything.
Wrap Technology...
is a new policing technique that is environmentally and humanely safe. The "Bolo Wrap" is shot from a cartridge. It is a metal rope that "ties" around a target. This allows the police to gather the suspect in a safe manner. There should be no loss of life. This is the next step for all police departments. In disclosure, I'm all-in on the stock (WRTC).
Other new ideas...
The latest smart phones will offer a new app that can read your forehead to check your temperature.
Facial recognition...
will be taking a step back after it was revealed in a lawsuit that its application of facial recognition matched 27 Congressman to convicted felons.
Bad time for women...
April may bring flowers, but along with its showers, is this sad data. In Mexico, eleven women were murdered every day for the month of April. What the hell is going on down there? Is the flu making people crazy?
It gets worse as things are worse in Iran.
For Honor?
I don't want to get into a religious conflict, but anyone contemplating on becoming a Muslim consider this. In Iran a father beheaded his 14-year daughter because he did not approve of her boyfriend. The older boyfriend seeking his daughter bought dishonor to the family. This happens all the time in Islamic nations. Although the practice is condemned, even by the supreme leader in Iran, it still happens. There were no arrests or charges bought against the father.
Islamic Law may not allow this practice, but words are cheap, action counts.
On a lighter note...
Lamborghini is offering their cheapest model, only $200,000 for Father's Day. I know the date has passed, but if one considers, supply, distance and the pandemic, what's a few days late?
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World...
is one of the great comedy classic movies of all-time. You can see this in the stock market every day. Hertz offered a $500 million in a stock offering. The company revealed that the shares might be worthless. After this announcement the stock climbed. Wirecard cannot account for $2 billon. Yes, with a "B".
How about this? A new, small electric truck company with no production and no revenue raised more money than Ford. This makes the upstart worth more than Ford? Get real!
The firm, Nikola plans to target Ford's F-150 truck. It's a Mad World!
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