Alternative Visions – China’s Financial Crisis Erupts While US ‘Pivots’ to Destabilize South America – 01.08.16

Jack Rasmus takes a look at this past week’s major event in the collapse of the China stock market, as well as the resurgence of Neoliberal policies in South America and the US pivot to that continent and destabilization of economies in Venezuela, Brazil and Argentine now underway. What’s behind the most recent stock decline in China? Jack explains its relationship to the slowing real economy there, and the pressure to devalue its currency, the Yuan, that is growing. Devaluation coming in China is reflected in investors attempting to take their money and run, thus the stock decline now underway. China government efforts to slow it via ‘circuit breakers’ is not working as well as before. The real economy-currency-stock nexus will continue. How this all has contagion effects on the rest of the global economy is explained. Jack then looks at the US ‘pivot’ to South America, and specifically how the US destabilizes economies by wrecking its currency. Global oil and commodity crash, slowing China, and US interest rate hikes are all having major negative effects on South American economies. In this scenario, the US is now attempting to exacerbate Venezuela’s currency collapse even further, while attacking it politically and legally. Venezuela is a model of how the US destabilizes a country’s currency and therefore economy, as a prelude to re-establishing more friendly Neoliberal governments and policies.

Bernie Suarez – These 15 Arguments Will Destroy Chemtrails Deniers

As we approach the end of another year let’s remember that humanity is now subjected to yet another full year of spraying with metal particles. Not just humanity but all the poor creatures on earth are being sprayed, every plant and every tree, the bees and birds, the soil and all the little creatures that live in it, even the …

Expat Files – 10.23.15

-Looking for a few very low cost Expat business ideas? Here’s an idea one Latin Expat has taken and marketed successfully on Amazon. He’s in a beautiful rural surrounding, works about 3 hours a week, has one full time employee and makes about $20k a year (on an initial $5k investment plus the land). He could make much more but likes his life and doesn’t want to put in another 3 hours a week.. would be too much like real work.

-Today we have a few more good reasons why socialist leaning Ecuador, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia and Uruguay may not be the best places for Expats to consider living- in the long term. These are countries that have established price controls on basic commodities and are thus setting themselves up for disruptive economic problems. Price controls NEVER work. Do you want to be there when the system is no longer tenable?

-There’s a new car theft scam making the rounds in Latin America. Today we have the play-by-play action as to how the bad guys pull it off. It’s pretty slick. Don’t let it happen to you!

-Visit me Johnny (and Expat super-blogger John Galt) at our new joint website www.TheNewExpat.com . Its where you’ll get real “boots on the ground” info, experienced expat blogs and reports. It’s a work in progress so please be patient. We’re continually improving and expanding the format.

WikiLeaks: US Government Plotted to Assassinate Bolivian President

Cables leaked by U.S. Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning reveal an apparent plot by the U.S. government to assassinate Bolivian President Evo Morales and overthrow his administration. The cables in question were published in August in “The WikiLeaks Files: The World According to US Empire,” a book in which multiple journalists along with Julian Assange analyze the contents of the treasure trove of …

Eric Zuesse – “Iraqis Are The Saddest And One Of The Angriest Populations In The World”

The 2015 Global Emotions survey from Gallup finds that, “Iraqis Are Among the Saddest and One of the Angriest Populations in the World.” They explain: “Iraq’s high Negative Experience Index score is largely attributable to the relatively high percentages of Iraqis who report experiencing each of these negative emotions. Majorities of Iraqis experienced worry (62%), physical pain (57%), sadness (57%) and stress …

Expat Files – 09.11.15

-Bolivia is having all kinds of civil unrest. The steep 50% drop in state oil revenues in the past year has caused President Evo Morales to call a press conference asking the general population to officially tighten their belts. Yes, the public is being forced by necessity into doing that right now (like they needed his official proclamation, duh!) but you can bet that no government official will ever follow suit (yup, less 5 star hotels, champagne and caviar maybe?)

-People want to know why some Latin countries (Panama, Ecuador, Belize and El Salvador) use the US dollar as their official funny money. How do those Franklins affect local economies, and what about the dollar effects on the surrounding Latin countries who use their own homegrown funny money?

-With the Latin real estate bubble about ready to pop, it’s definitely a renter’s market. But fresh clueless gringos often don’t get in on the good deals. So then how can you get the best deal on rent? Today, frequent contributor Captain Mango tells us how he got his $650 a month rent sliced all the way down to $250 a month- a 60% reduction!!!

-A “boots on the ground” real estate and cost of living report from Medellin Colombia.

-Did you know that Colombia’s peso has crashed 27% against the dollar in the last year? It’s really causing havoc especially at the border towns. That means many gringo opportunities… but do look out for potholes!!

Pope Francis: Unbridled Capitalism Is ‘Dung of the Devil’ – Jon Queally

In a far-reaching speech in Bolivia on Thursday, Pope Francis offered his apologies to, and begged forgiveness from, the native people of the Americas as he acknowledged the brutal treatment they received throughout the so-called “conquest of America.” In a speech that also touched on the need to rapidly move away from the destructive model ofunbridled capitalism—which he described as the “dung of the …

Pope Calls on World Youth to Rise Up Against Global Capitalism – Lauren McCauley

The latest call for a youth uprising against global capitalism came not from grassroots groups, but from the leader of the Catholic Church, who on Sunday gave a rousing speech during which he told a crowd of young people in Paraguay that it is their time to “make a mess.” The address marked the end of Pope Francis’ week-long pilgrimage to Latin …

Pope Blasts ‘Unbridled Capitalism’; Begs Forgiveness from Native Americans – Jon Queally

In a far-reaching speech in Bolivia on Thursday, Pope Francis offered his apologies to, and begged forgiveness from, the native people of the Americas as he acknowledged the brutal treatment they received throughout the so-called “conquest of America.” In a speech that also touched on the need to rapidly move away from the destructive model of unbridled capitalism—which he described as the …

Something’s Missing From Pope Francis’ ‘Radical’ Vision of Equality: Women By Roisin Davis

Pope Francis this week embarked on a seven-day “homecoming” tour of Latin America on his unstoppable quest to defend the planet and the poor.The continent—the most unequal region in the world, and the Argentine pontiff’s home turf—will likely provide fertile ground for more of his legendary sermons on poverty and inequality. After addressing a crowd of a million in Guayaquil, …