Alternative Visions – Behind Bitcoin Mania & Trump Tax Cut Ideology – 12.04.17

Dr. Rasmus discusses the 9 major ‘drivers’ behind the growing bubble in Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, as well as potential channels of contagion to other financial markets once the bubble bursts. The connection between Blockchain tech and bitcoin and cryptos are explained, as well as the emerging shift from ‘retail’ speculator to professional investing in Bitcoin, options trading, legitimization …

Jack Rasmus – Today’s Global Financial Faultlines

In the past year the stock markets in China erupted, contracting by nearly 50% in just three months, after having risen in the preceding year by 130%–truly a ‘bubble event’. That collapse, commencing in June 2015, continues despite efforts to stabilize it. Chinese bankers then injected directly $400 billion to stem the decline. Including other government and private sources, estimates …

Paul Craig Roberts – The West Is Reduced To Looting Itself

I, Michael Hudson, John Perkins, and a few others have reported the multi-pronged looting of peoples by Western economic institutions, principally the big New York Banks with the aid of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Third World countries were and are looted by being inticed into development plans for electrification or some such purpose. The gullible and trusting governments are …

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.

Peter Symonds – Weakening currency and economic slowdown in China

Amid a continuing weakening of the Chinese currency, the People’s Bank of China (PoBC) has signalled new moves that could accelerate the slide in the renminbi’s value and trigger a currency war among export-dependent countries in Asia and internationally. Last Friday, as the renminbi hit its weakest level against the US dollar in more than four years, the PoBC announced …

It’s Our Money with Ellen Brown – Addressing A Digital Divide – 12.09.15

Digital currency is destined to change almost everything about our money systems and management. The traditional gatekeepers of credit, and the types of credit issued, are also changing. This week Ellen talks with Scott Smith, an author, financial innovator and presidential candidate who achieved great success in the old mechanics of money but sees a brighter path ahead with simple changes that can do away with income tax and the national debt. Co-host Walt McRee speaks with the CEO of a community-dedicated credit union choosing to leave the business because of harassment from the federal agency that oversees them. And Matt Stannard takes a retrospective look at the past year in public banking news.

Expat Files – 12.06.15

-There are many thousands, of US government slugs posted in Latin America; contractors, embassy personal, military support, security people, clandestine operatives and more. Most of these govt drones seem to be clueless about the severe problems within the Big Brother police state they are part of. In fact , most are just putting in their time waiting it out for that fat pension (while they bury their classist snouts deep in the public trough). But what about those few enlightened govt. insiders living and working in Latin America who know the system can’t last and is about to implode? Today we have a story of one such guy…

-Vigilante groups: occasionally Latin citizens get so pissed off at their lazy ass cops, they the law into their own hands…

-We all know people stateside who live day to day on their credit cards and are absolutely terrible with money. Unfortunately, today Latin America today, credit card mania has arrived with a vengeance (within the middle classes and above) and now the whole individual and family society seems to be on the edge of insolvency.

ANDREW GAVIN MARSHALL – BANK CRIMES PAY: UNDER THE THUMB OF THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL MAFIOCRACY

ON NOV. 13, THE UNITED KINGDOM’S SERIOUS FRAUD OFFICE (SFO) ANNOUNCED IT WAS CHARGING 10 INDIVIDUAL BANKERS, WORKING FOR TWO SEPARATE BANKS, DEUTSCHE BANK AND BARCLAYS, WITH FRAUD OVER THEIR RIGGING OF THE EURIBOR RATES. THE LATEST ANNOUNCEMENT SHINES THE SPOTLIGHT ONCE AGAIN ON THE SCANDALS AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR THAT HAVE COME TO DEFINE THE WORLD OF GLOBAL BANKING. To date, only …

Pam Martens and Russ Martens – Citigroup Was Using Taxpayer Bailout Funds While Committing Its Foreign Currency Felony

While the U.S. taxpayer was involuntarily shoveling over $2 trillion in bailout funds and loans into Citigroup from 2008 to 2010, the bank was committing at least one admitted felony on its foreign currency trading desk. And if ongoing testimony in a London court is to be believed, the U.S. Justice Department could have brought charges against individuals instead of …

Why It Really All Comes Down To The Death Of The Petrodollar

Last week, in the global currency war’s latest escalation, Kazakhstan instituted a free float for the tenge. The currency immediately plunged by some 25%. The rationale behind the move was clear enough. The plunge in crude prices along with the relative weakness of the Russian ruble had severely strained Kazakhstan, which is central Asia’s largest crude exporter. As a quick look at …