Trends This Week – Behind and beyond the Brexit vote – 06.29.16

Although stocks bounced back on “Turnaround Tuesday” on the belief that contagion has been contained following the rout that wiped out $3.6 trillion from equity markets following Great Britain’s referendum last Thursday to “Brexit” the European Union… we disagree. It’s bigger than Brexit. Despite many of the world’s largest hedge funds betting billions on a “Remain” victory and British bookies putting the chances of “Leave” at barely 10 percent, in our June 15 Trend Alert, we wrote, “Should the ‘Leave’ vote win, we forecast the US dollar and gold prices will spike while equity markets, particularly those currently under downward pressure, will sink deeply lower.” Since then, gold hit two-year highs, the British pound fell to 31-year lows and currencies around the world hit new lows against the US dollar – or tested old ones – as investors sought safe-haven assets such as the dollar and Japanese yen.
The criticism in the “investor” world has long been that gold yields no interest. However, as interest rates around the world keep trending lower and holding cash yields nothing, in a climate of ongoing market volatility, for many, holding gold is considered the ultimate safe-haven commodity.

Meditations and Molotovs – 06.27.16

Today’s program features a discussion on the Brexit vote. Vince talks about what the vote means, and what it doesn’t mean. He also explores procedural and legal challenges, the various ideologies and organizations that supported the “leave” vote and their connection to Trump’s supporters, and what the Brexit vote means for Left political movements around the globe. Most importantly, Vince suggests that the Left shouldn’t tear itself apart over the Brexit results. There is plenty of room for disagreement and solidarity. It would be wise to recognize that both sides have legitimate concerns and suggestions. Political, economic and media elites want to divide progressives. It’s up to us to reject this false narrative and provide alternatives to both nation-state capitalism and neoliberal-EU capitalism.

Alternative Visions – Brexit—What are the Consequences of the June 23 Vote – 06.17.16

Jack reviews in detail the upcoming UK vote to leave the European Union. Cameron’s ‘faustian’ bargain is coming. What will the ‘devil’ demand? The origins of the vote and likely consequences of a Brexit are considered, for the UK, for the EU and for the US and rest of the global economy. The likely effects on the real economy, as well as more volatility for global currencies, more central bank money injections, more negative interest rates, slowing real investment and declining productivity. Brexit as a proxy for discontent over the conditions in the UK economy, immigration effects, cultural and sovereignty issues. Brexit as a reflection of discontent with supra-national free trade agreements and cross-nation capitalist integration efforts by global financial and economic elites. Jack compares Greece efforts to reform the EU to current UK efforts to do the same and predicts UK will also fail. An alternative scenario post-Brexit: nothing happens for another two years under Article 50 of the EU treaty.

Trends This Week – Obama, Trump, Clinton, terrorism, lies and fear mongering – 06.15.16

Global forecaster Gerald Celente provides a trend-tracking lesson by separating rhetoric, distortions and propaganda from fact in speeches made in response to the recent massacre in Orlando. His analysis shows how and why this type of violence self-perpetuates. Elsewhere in this program, Celente breaks down what the coming Brexit vote in the UK could – or could not – mean for the global economy. He forecasts continued global economic deterioration and high equity-market volatility

Alternative Visions – Is There a Global Supernova Bond Bubble About to Explode? – 06.10.16

Jack discusses the global bond market conditions today, many times the size of the world’s stock markets and far more important. Bond guru, Bill Gross, this week forewarned of a ‘supernova’ explosion coming in global bond markets as a consequence of the $10 trillion (and growing) in government bond negative interest rates (not counting corporate bonds). Is there a ‘bubble’ in global bonds? Will it bust? When and Where? Jack agrees with Gross and explains why there is—located so far in Europe and Japan but spreading to the US and taking off in corporate bonds as well. How the bond bubble is the consequence of central banks’ (US, UK, Europe, Japan) monetary policies since 2008. How tens of trillions of dollars in money injections by the central banks—in quantitative easing and zero rate programs—have done little for stimulating real investment, jobs, incomes and consumption—and instead have pumped up global stock and other financial markets. The bond bubble as the latest consequence. Jack predicts why central banks’ NIRP policies fail to boost real investment and real growth, but are already having negative consequences for retirees’ and workers’ wage incomes, growing financial instability, and the slowing real economy. Central banks’ monetary policies have failed miserably. What’s next? Talk of ‘helicopter money’, ‘guaranteed income’, and bank ‘bail ins’ after the next bust. Jack warns of likely major global stock market correction coming soon—in the wake of likely Brexit, NIRP, global oil prices again falling, and US economic slowdown and predicts a US recession for 2017. NEXT WEEK: ‘Will There Be a BREXIT?’

Alternative Visions – US Jobs Growth Plummets & Global Economy Slows – 06.03.16

Jack reviews today’s just released jobs numbers confirming his prior prediction jobs growth would slow in wake of US GDP slowdown last quarter. Plus an overview of US economy and a prediction of recession in early 2017. In the second half of the show, a review of latest developments in global economy–with commentary on how the IMF outmaneuvered the Syriza government in Greece again, the likelihood of UK ‘Brexit’ from the EU, $10 trillion in negative interest rates and more than $10 trillion in global non-performing bank loans, the recent G7 meeting in Japan and prime minister Abe’s warning of another ‘Lehman event’ on the horizon, the European Central Bank’s recent decision to now buy corporation bonds, like Japan, China’s rotating financial asset bubbles, eventual currency devaluation, capital flight, corporate bankruptcies, and out of control private sector debt acceleration. (see jackrasmus.com blog for recent articles, ‘Is US Economy Heading for Another Recession?’ and ‘How the IMF outmaneuvered Syriza—Again’)

Progressive Commentary Hour – 05.17.16

On the “Progressive Commentary Hour,” Gary talks about the European Union and what will happen if the TIPP comes to exist.

Here is the full video for you to enjoy: BREXIT – The Full Movie. BREXIT, the movie is a feature-length documentary film to inspire as many people as possible to vote to LEAVE the EU in the June 23rd referendum.

Gary plays two great clips from Noam Chosky and Yanis Varoufakis. Here is the info and links for them:

VIDEO: Noam Chomsky on why TIPP is not a trade agreement – “Highly protectionist” and “for the benefit of private powers”

VIDEO: Yanis Varoufakis on Hillary Clinton – Ex-Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis had a few choice things to say about Hillary Clinton. Video from Business Insider.
Lastly on today’s show, Gary talks to the great Greg Palast. Here is a brief bio of Greg:

Greg Palast is a journalist’s journalist whose news breaking stories and investigations have appeared on BBC, the Guardian, Al-Jazeera, now Rolling Stone and others. The Tribune in the UK has called Greg “the most important investigative journalist in our time.” Greg broke the stories of voter theft in Florida districts during the 2000 Bush-Gore election, BP’s corruption over the Deep Horizon catastrophe in the Gulf, the Bush administration’s secret pre-invasion plans to capture Iraq’s oil fields, and US’s attempted coups against Hugo Chavez. He has won many awards including the George Orwell award for Courage in Journalism. He holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago and authored several books including “Billionaires and Ballot Bandits” and “Armed Madhouse” and “Vulture’s Picnic.” He is currently making a new full feature documentary – the Best Democracy Money Can Buy. You can read Greg’s reports at GregPalast.com

Alternative Visions – Brexit, Grexit, and Just ‘Bad’ Economics – 05.16.15

In the first half hour of the show, Jack Rasmus takes on the professional economics forecasting establishment and their continual missed prognostications about the condition and direction of the US economy. Reviewing the most recent US economic data for March and April, revisions of US first quarter 2015 GDP estimates in late May show the US economy performed worse in the January-March period than the 0.2% GDP initial estimated growth rate. Jack discusses how new data on business inventories, trade, and retail sales will show a -0.5% or even worse in first quarter US GDP. Data for March and April already show a continuing soft trend, with US retail sales flat, and sales of autos and big ticket items collapsing.