Friday, December 4, 2020

"Market Fantasy Updates 12/4/20"

"Market Fantasy Updates 12/4/20"
Down the rabbit hole of psychopathic greed and insanity...
Only the consequences are real - to you!
"The more I see of the monied classes, 
the better I understand the guillotine."
- George Bernard Shaw
Gregory Mannarino, PM 12/4/20:
"Economy Cratering; A Trifecta Of New Record Highs For Stocks"
Updated live.
Daily Update (Dec. 4th to Dec. 10th)
Insanity... 
And now... The End Game...

Covid-19 Pandemic Updates 12/4/20"

Covid-19 Pandemic Updates 12/4/20"
Dec. 4, 2020 2:11 PM ET: 
The coronavirus pandemic has sickened more than 65,638,100 
people, according to official counts, including 14,331,210 Americans.
At least 1,513,000 have died.

The Daily "Near You?"

Black Hawk, South Dakota, USA. Thanks for stopping by!

"Does Anyone Know..."

"All sins, of course, deserve to be treated with mercy: we all do what we can, and life is too hard and too cruel for us to condemn anyone for failing in this area. Does anyone know what he himself would do if faced with the worst and how much truth could he bear under such circumstances?" 
- Andre Comte-Sponville

"In Loving Memory of FREEDOM 1945 to 2019 - Rest in Peace..."

"In Loving Memory of FREEDOM 1945 to 2019 - Rest in Peace..."
by Clive Maund

This article is not a normal “run of the mill” article. It is a one-off and is big, because it covers a lot of ground as the subject is huge. So you may prefer to read it when you have time on your hands or read it in chunks. To break up the text I have included some of the ZeroHedge feedback I received from the earlier "Welcome To The Global Gulag" that was posted on that site back in August. I have also included some of this feedback because it is interesting and at times provides valuable insights from others. Note that clicking on the individual feedback items will popup a larger more legible version in a window.

We will henceforth refer to those in control as the New World Order, or NWO for short, because that is what they intend to bring about, via what they imperiously label “The Great Reset” which is a euphemism for a brutal and ruthless global totalitarian society. Watch this short video "The Great Reset" which sums up the essence of it in a few minutes.

The period from 1945 to 2019 was for many a “Golden Age” – a period of relative peace, prosperity, stability and freedom. This has now ended as the most dangerous and destructive timeline in the history of the World has begun, initiated by malevolent and extremely ruthless plutonian forces characterized by a remorseless complete lack of empathy that are intent on creating a global totalitarian regime. If this timeline is not derailed soon – and there is little sign that it will be – the result will be death, destruction and enslavement on a biblical scale for the majority of humanity and we are already seeing this starting. Examples of other such inflection points in history that lead to catastrophe are the shooting of Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo that triggered the onset of the 1st World War and the declaration of war on Germany by Britain in 1939, using the excuse that it had a pact with Poland, but what we are seeing now is an order of magnitude higher and truly global in nature so that nowhere on Earth will escape the dragnet. This time round the trigger is the timed release of a relatively harmless virus that has been heavily hyped by the media non-stop to make the public think it is akin to the Black Death.

The coronavirus or Covid-19 plot is the biggest hoax in the history of the world, and this scam is only given plausibility in the minds of the unthinking public at large by deception on a monumental scale. The two main supporting pillars of this deception are mass testing of the populace to generate fraudulent data on the number of cases which are then used to justify draconian restrictions imposed on the public and the collusion of the mainstream media who are complicit in presenting the fraudulent testing results as genuine and then relentlessly hype the threat out of all proportion to reality." - Excerpt
Please view this complete, most highly recommended article here:

"How It Really Is"

 

Must Watch! Gregory Mannarino, "THE MELTDOWN: Economic Collapse Worsening. Stock Market Poised For New Records"

Gregory Mannarino, AM 12/4/20:
"THE MELTDOWN: Economic Collapse Worsening. 
Stock Market Poised For New Records"

Thursday, December 3, 2020

Greg Hunter, "Weekly News Wrap-Up 12/4/20"

"Weekly News Wrap-Up 12/4/20"
by Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com 

"After many hours of election fraud hearings in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan and, most recently, Georgia and Nevada, a picture of well organized election and voter fraud has emerged. The election steal was organized crime that would make mobster John Gotti blush. The 2020 Election is a treasonous RICO election and voter fraud case pure and simple. There are hundreds of sworn affidavits from people who witnessed all sorts of fraud in multiple states. Election laws passed by state legislatures were thrown out the window, and the cheating and law breaking this election was off the charts. Now, a video has emerged in the Fulton County, Georgia, vote counting center that catches suitcases of ballots being pulled out from under a big table (put there hours earlier by Democrats) after GOP election watchers were ordered from the counting room. Trump was up by 110,000 votes at that time, but after the secret vote dump, he lost Georgia by 12,670 votes. If this is not election fraud caught on camera, I don’t know what is.

Also this week, President Trump gave a 45 minute speech on all the election fraud and said the U.S. “voting system was under siege.” You would not know this because the mainstream media (MSM) would not cover it. Trump affirmed that every legal ballot is counted and that no illegal ballot should be counted. Still, states have rushed to certify the election in the battleground states, which is, in effect, certifying massive voter fraud. The disgraced MSM is using up the last bit of credibility it has by ignoring the well documented massive fraud. When Team Trump turns this fraud fest around and acknowledges him as the rightful winner on election night, the fireworks will be going off.

The U.S. dollar has been quietly taking a beating on the world stage since Election Day. Everybody knows Trump won, but big tech, big media and the Democrats are acting more like a third world nation. So, the world is selling the dollar, the world’s reserve currency. Do you know what happens to the currencies of third world nations? They collapse in buying power, and the U.S. dollar is off by more than 4% since Biden has falsely been declared the winner of the 2020 Election. Bo Polny predicted the dollar start a down trend in his October 2nd interview and it clearly did."

Join Greg Hunter of USAWatchdog.com as he talks 
about these stories and more in the Weekly News Wrap-Up.

“Debt About To Go Nuclear; Stock Valuations On Crack; Airlines Bleeding Cash; No Stimulus Checks?”

Jeremiah Babe,
“Debt About To Go Nuclear; Stock Valuations On Crack; 
Airlines Bleeding Cash; No Stimulus Checks?”

"The Economic Collapse Hits Home: 1 Out Of 4 US Children Could Suffer From Hunger By The End Of 2020"

"The Economic Collapse Hits Home: 1 Out Of 4 US 
Children Could Suffer From Hunger By The End Of 2020"
by Epic Economist

"The 2020 economic collapse has certainly smashed millions of hopes and dreams, but for children, it has removed prospects for a healthy growth and a flourishing childhood, considering that one out of four American children has been suffering from acute hunger throughout this year. The U.S. has nearly 75 million children, and approximately 18 million of them are now in food-insecure households. As a consequence of the current economic recession, their parents have lost their jobs, therefore, the ability to provide for their kids most basic needs. 

Many of these households are also on the brink of eviction, and as federal programs expire and food banks get increasingly overwhelmed the situation of these families is about to get much more aggravating. It's lamentable to see our great nation go down this troubled path - one that could potentially compromise the future of our next generation. In this video, we expose this incredibly concerning issue that authorities haven't been taking seriously and the mainstream media doesn't seem to be properly addressing. 

Ever since the health crisis struck in America and triggered the most damaging economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s, a large chunk of our population suddenly lost their main source of income. The majority of these people have never needed external assistance to find ways of ensuring their survival, but now they are counting on government handouts, food distribution events, and the kindness of others to provide a plate of food for their kids. Unfortunately, oftentimes outside help is not enough. According to Feeding America, by December, over 50 million people could be experiencing food insecurity. The organization has warned that one in six Americans and one in four children could go hungry - a 50 percent increase from 2019.

Overall, this massive spike in food insecurity is a clear result of the record unemployment and underemployment rates. An alarming 5.6 million households have struggled to put enough food on the table in the last week of November, which means, several families didn't have what to eat during Thanksgiving. 

Although the U.S. has a vast network of food banks across its territory, the demand has been so high that there simply is not going to be enough food if it continues to soar in the months ahead. According to Feeding America, food banks have consistently seen a 60 percent increase in demand compared to this time last year.

Now, as several states started to impose new lockdowns to control the rampant spread of the virus and record-high hospitalization rates, such unprecedented demand for food aid will persist as we advance towards the end of the year. In Texas, the North Texas Food Bank told that before the collapse happened, their aim was to distribute 92 million meals by 2025. But by early June, they had largely surpassed that target. 

In Cleveland, where 5,000 families showed up for the pre-Thanksgiving drive-in distribution. About 54% of the food distributed was directed to children and seniors. Some states such as New Mexico and California are on the verge of a famine calamity. According to Sonya Warwick of Albuquerque's Road Runner Food Bank, one in three children are experiencing hunger this year, while in rural California, the executive director of Tulare County FoodLink Nicole Celaya disclosed that "the food cliff is looming. The food system hasn't done a very good job of meeting the increased need. As viral case numbers continue to rise, it's going to get worse."

This staggering level of hunger is something only seen before during the Great Depression. Still, almost a century later, the cracks are large enough for tens of millions of Americans to slip and fall right into poverty. As pantries are running low, and another stimulus package is out of sight, many food banks don't know how they will continue to feed Americans. 

Unfortunately, as the economic conditions are worsening with each passing day, this new wave of lockdowns will depress even more businesses and spark another round of layoffs, which will critically inflame poverty rates pretty soon. As Michael Snyder observed in his latest article, "we are entering a time when there is going to be such widespread economic despair, and we are all going to have to take care of one another if we hope to make it through this storm". This is what an economic collapse looks like, and what we have experienced so far is just a taste."

Gregory Mannarino, "Markets: The Freak Show is Just Beginning. Plus Important Updates"

Gregory Mannarino, PM 12/3/20:
"Markets: The Freak Show is Just Beginning.
 Plus Important Updates"

Musical Interlude: Simon & Garfunkel, “The Boxer”

Simon & Garfunkel, “The Boxer”

"A Look to the Heavens"

“A now famous picture from the Hubble Space Telescope featured Pillars of Creation, star forming columns of cold gas and dust light-years long inside M16, the Eagle Nebula. This false-color composite image views the nearby stellar nursery using data from the Herschel Space Observatory's panoramic exploration of interstellar clouds along the plane of our Milky Way galaxy. Herschel's far infrared detectors record the emission from the region's cold dust directly.
The famous pillars are included near the center of the scene. While the central group of hot young stars is not apparent at these infrared wavelengths, the stars' radiation and winds carve the shapes within the interstellar clouds. Scattered white spots are denser knots of gas and dust, clumps of material collapsing to form new stars. The Eagle Nebula is some 6,500 light-years distant, an easy target for binoculars or small telescopes in a nebula rich part of the sky toward the split constellation Serpens Cauda (the tail of the snake).”

“Choose Your Words: Failure”

“Choose Your Words: Failure”
by Madisyn Taylor, The DailyOM

“When the word failure comes up, it’s a call for us to apply a more enlightened consciousness to the matter at hand. The word failure puts forward a very simplistic way of thinking that allows for only two possibilities: failure or success. Few things in the universe are black and white, yet much of our language reads as if they are. The word failure signifies a paradigm in which all subtlety is lost. When we regard something we have done, or ourselves, as a failure, we lose our ability to see the truth, which is no doubt considerably more complex. In addition, we hurt ourselves. All you have to do is speak or read the word failure and see how it makes you feel.

At some point, the word may not have been so loaded with the weight of negativity, and it simply referred to something that did not go according to plan. Unfortunately, in our culture it is often used very negatively, such as when a person is labeled a failure, even though it is impossible for something as vast and subtle as a human being to be reduced in such a way. It also acts as a deterrent, scaring us from taking risks for fear of failure. It has somehow come to represent the worst possible outcome. Failure is a word so burdened with fearful and unconscious energy that we can all benefit from consciously examining our use of it, because the language we use influences the way we think and feel.

Next time you feel like a failure or fear failure, know that you are under the influence of an outmoded way of perceiving the world. When the word failure comes up, it’s a call for us to apply a more enlightened consciousness to the matter at hand. When you are consciously aware of the word and its baggage you will not fall victim to its darkness. In your own use of language, you may choose to stop using the word failure altogether. This might encourage you to articulate more clearly the truth of the situation, opening your mind to subtleties and possibilities the word failure would never have allowed.”

"The Grand Inevitability of Unavoidable Endings"

"The Grand Inevitability of Unavoidable Endings"
by Doug “Uncola” Lynn

"It is true people are known by their actions. We are what we do. Or, more specifically, we are what we do and not what we say we’ll do. Actions speak louder than words. It means if the swamp were to be truly drained, there would have been a steady progression of media revelations indicating genuine results during the Trump administration. Therefore, to quantify any progress of swamp draining, I collated headlines in a series of articles posted in the spring and summer of 2018. The objective at that time was to identify actual trends prior to the midterm elections based upon reported news, instead of political spin, empty promises, smoke and mirrors.

The final compilation of the series of articles was posted on September 1, 2018 and was entitled “Destination in Sight”. It summarized specific trends in accordance with previous monthly postings and there were two prominent progressions identified: 

1.) The advancement of Socialism and
2.) The technological ascendency of Orwell’s Big Brother.

Accordingly, over the past few years, we have witnessed corrupt manifestations of sheer political power, seemingly, crashing in waves – each one higher than the last as measured by historical consequence: Russiagate, the Mueller investigation, impeachment, Covid, and, now, a stolen election paired to a propagandic media narrative which has warped reality for millions of Americans.

At this point, it no longer matters whether President Trump is a real swamp fighter, a naïve dupe, or a symbol of (misplaced?) hope to his supporters. In truth, the tsunamis of trends were formed decades ago in America and have since grown larger than any campaign platform or presidential administration.

In an article from March of 2018 entitled “Destiny Looms: Choose Your Way or it Drags You”, three responses to the New World Order were explored which could be summarized as follows:

1.) Fight the empire.
2.) Sell out.
3.) Or choose one’s battles carefully and deliberately.

At the end of that piece, these words were posted: In any scenario, the civil divorce will be ugly and America’s children will suffer.

Looking back, could there have been any other outcome? Given human nature, perhaps it was always inevitable. Maybe it’s just time. Even if one wanted to fight, how can they know they’re not fighting against destiny or something bigger; battling against that which was unavoidable anyway? What if America’s seemingly psychotic breakdown is more spiritual in nature? Because, right now, it does seem as if the Perception Puppets are dreaming a new reality; like an incantation.

Another one of my articles considered the phrase “It is what it is” as representing either resignation or acceptance in the face of circumstances beyond one’s control; with acceptance defined NOT as surrender, per se, but, instead, as honest realism. And, at the end of that piece, these words were posted:

"Whether Trump wins another term or a convenient stock market crash installs a socialist president and secures a blue wave in 2020, the current administration will have served the bleeding of the nation’s brake lines before the Big Stop. And, undoubtedly, this blogger and those reading these words have defiantly distinct digital footprints. So when the final votes are counted on the inevitable day, the new sheriffs will be in town. They’re coming for us all and all we thought we ever had."

Like a flower, a nation was planted onto the fertile ground. It grew and blossomed under the midday sun but now wilts and dies. The seasons come and go. The sun rises and sets. We are born, we flourish and fade. Everything turns.

The truth is, no matter who is president, vaccinations will be, at the very least, strongly encouraged by means of economic pressure; and, at most, submission to medical tyranny will be mandated in order to travel, work, shop, buy, or sell.

In his four-act drama “Man and Superman”, the Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw penned the following quote: "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

And has that not been the Story of Man since the first campfire? But what kind of progress? Isn’t that a most important consideration?

In the 1974 film “The Godfather Part II”, a conversation occurred between the mafia boss, Michael Corleone, and the Jewish gangster, Hyman Roth, amidst the backdrop of the Communist revolution in Cuba:

(Michael Corleone): I saw a strange thing today. A rebel was being arrested by the military police. And rather than be taken alive he exploded a grenade he had hidden in his jacket. He killed himself and took a captain of the command with him. Now, soldiers are paid to fight; the rebels aren’t.
(Hyman Roth): What does that tell you?
(Michael Corleone): They could win.

That exchange adequately summarizes why fanatical revolutionaries have overturned societies throughout history: because they are true believers and fully committed to victory.

William Butler Yeats in his poem “The Second Coming”, wrote:

"The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity."

And so many other times throughout history has the road to hell been paved by utopian dreams as honest men with common sense succumbed to silent normalcy-bias while being restrained with unjust rules applied specifically on them.

The Covid pandemic was unleashed by psychopaths who now demand the plebeians to submit for reasons of safety. The irony is ridiculous. And, now, an American presidential election is in the process of being illegally stolen by the same psychopaths who will soon issue despotic edicts on a citizenry expected to acquiesce and obey.

This is tyranny.

There is a reason why America floundered as the neo-Bolshevists rose. It was because half the country tried to play by the rules in order to save the country while the other half had long-desired the nation to dissolve so a One World Order could coagulate as a phoenix rising from the ashes.

It’s like that old story where two women were fighting over a baby and the judge told them to cut it in two so each woman could keep half. The evil woman was fine with that proposition because she would rather the child die than lose custody to the other woman. But when the good woman chose to rescind her claim so the baby could live, the judge knew then who was the real mother.

America was the baby, Dear Reader, but now the republic is dead; torn in half by bad actors. The result will be a war with many fronts turning neighbor against neighbor, friend into foe, and as families are irredeemably divided. The line has been crossed so there’s no going back. And, sadly, the momentum is on the wrong side. For those who understand that battles cannot be won simply by playing defense, a question remains: What can be won?

The nation was lulled to sleep through prosperity; and those waking up now will soon realize it is far too late to save the republic. The people have perished by the wrong vision as faux-conservative leaders have surrendered to the enemies gathered at the gate.

All politics are, indeed, truly local – now more than ever. And much can still be done as the sun sets. For some, relocating to a red state may be a priority. For others, it may be to seek out like-minded dissidents in their area. And, still, for others, it may be to close the circle on their preps including acquisitions of food as well as supplies for energy/power, first-aid, and defense.

Entire red regions, and counties possessing constitutionally-committed law enforcement agents, could, potentially, be fortified in a balkanized America, and primarily through the coordination and cooperation of existing civil administrations. But the heads of select institutions and agencies will need to work together quickly and decisively for any micro-constitutional republics to achieve self-sufficiency before Mordor swallows all.

The answers are not in the problem. The answers are in the answer. It means compromise is a strategy for failure. Now is the time to rise; to shine like stars at midnight."

The Universe

“There are no accidents. If it's appeared on your life radar, this is why: to teach you that dreams come true; to reveal that you have the power to fix what's broken and heal what hurts; to catapult you beyond seeing with just your physical senses; and to lift the veils that have kept you from seeing that you're already the person you dreamed you'd become. There are no accidents. And believe me, that was one heck of a dream.”

“Tallyho,”
The Universe

“Thoughts become things... choose the good ones!”

"The First Shall Be Last"

"The First Shall Be Last"
by Bill Bonner

WEST RIVER, MARYLAND – "The new Biden bunch will be full of meaningless “firsts.” Kamala Harris will be the first female vice president. She will also be the first “Woman of Color” in that post. And the first person of South Asian descent. Janet Yellen will be the first woman to head the Treasury Department. Another first will likely be a woman as Secretary of Defense.

Since the origin of the species, men have done almost all the fighting. They might be better at it; they are bigger, stronger, faster… And those who were bad at fighting may have been killed, or perhaps denied the right to mate. In some primitive societies, a man had to prove himself in combat before he was allowed to take a wife. So it almost seems natural to have a man at the head of a group of fighters.

New Era: But this is a new era. If you’ve been following our Diary for very long, you know that nature has her cycles… her patterns… her birth announcements and obituaries. Great empires come and go, just like the rest of us. The newspapers report these comings and goings as the work of men. But men cannot defy nature… or the gods. And it appears to us that at the end of the 20th century, the gods decided to take the U.S. empire down a peg. Bush, Obama, Trump – all have played their parts, each with his cockamamie projects and foolish ideas. Biden must continue the work. How better than to appoint the last people as the firsts?

Limiting Diversity: Janet Yellen is one of the last people we’d have in charge of our money. So has Biden selected one of the last people who should be in charge of the armed forces. Today, there is no reason to think that a woman can’t do the top Pentagon job just as well as – or better than – a man. After all, it mostly consists of bullying small countries and lobbying for more money for the arms suppliers of Northern Virginia. God forbid that any real “defense” comes into play. If it does, America – with its gold-plated, lard-butt military – will probably be in big trouble.

Besides, diversity is the most important thing now, not national defense. And diversity seems to be becoming more popular everywhere. Like “stimulus” and fake money, diversity is another delusional desideratum for the 21st century.

Here’s CEO News: "The growing drumbeat on ESG [Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance] in corporate America sounded louder than ever Tuesday, as Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman announced a new effort to require the boards of all Nasdaq-listed companies to have at least one female director and one director who is an underrepresented minority or LGBTQ – or explain publicly why they have not."

But the call for “diversity” is not aimed at increasing variety, but limiting it… to a few “acceptable” categories. No, “diversity” is not really about diversity… It’s about sameness – having the same opinions… the same ideas… and the same people, worshipping the same ersatz gods. You put them on your corporate board – or in your cabinet – not to promote a variety of points of view, but to limit them to a few, faddish ones.

Same, Same, But Different: Speaking of underrepresented minorities… how many polygamists are there in the nation? For obvious reasons, it’s hard to say for sure… But you will score no “diversity” points by putting a man with six wives on your board. And what could be rarer than a man who had murdered every one of them? Though “off the charts” on diversity, no one would want him on their board of directors… or in the presidential cabinet.

But at the Defense Department, how about a woman with the blood of thousands of men on her hands? Biden might have chosen Hillary Clinton for the job. But in Michèle Flournoy, he gets his Deep State martinet… his warmonger… without the political baggage. Is this a breath of fresh air? A new direction? Shall we say goodbye to the Bush/Obama/Trump forever wars? Will the gods be thwarted?

Oh, Dear Reader, don’t be so naïve. You know as well as we do that Joe Biden is not going to shake things up. He won’t even stand up to the teachers’ unions, let alone the armed wing of the Deep State. He’s been one of its major supporters for the last four decades. And both Flournoy and his choice for Secretary of State, Tony Blinken, are democratic hacks… Swamp critters, who swim back and forth between the government and the arms industry. When their party is in power, they promote war. When it is out of power, they advise defense suppliers on how to cash in.

This from The Grayzone: "Since the 1990s, Flournoy and Blinken have steadily risen through the ranks of the military-industrial complex, shuffling back and forth between the Pentagon and hawkish think-tanks funded by the U.S. government, weapons companies, and oil giants. Under Bill Clinton, Flournoy was the principal author of the 1996 Quadrennial Defense Review, the document that outlined the U.S. military’s doctrine of permanent war – what it called “full spectrum dominance.” Flournoy called for “unilateral use of military power” to ensure “uninhibited access to key markets, energy supplies, and strategic resources.”

As Bush administration officials lied to the world about Saddam Hussein’s supposed WMD’s, Flournoy remarked that “In some cases, preemptive strikes against an adversary’s [weapons of mass destruction] capabilities may be the best or only option we have to avert a catastrophic attack against the United States.”

Was Iraq about to launch a “catastrophic attack” against the U.S.? Of course not. Instead, the U.S. launched a catastrophic attack against Iraq! The Grayzone continues: "As Iraq was plunged into chaos and bloodshed, Flournoy was among the authors of a paper titled “Progressive Internationalism” that called for a “smarter and better” style of permanent war. The paper chastised the anti-war left and stated that “Democrats will maintain the world’s most capable and technologically advanced military, and we will not flinch from using it to defend our interests anywhere in the world.”

Full Spectrum Dominance: What do you do if you want to keep America on track towards its own destruction? You just need to make sure the trillion-dollar forever wars continue… along with the money-printing to support them. Biden has both of those imperatives covered. With Janet Yellen as Treasury secretary, he is assured that the fake cash will continue to come hot off the presses. And with Michèle Flournoy as secretary of defense and Tony Blinken as secretary of state, he’s found his “full spectrum dominance” jackasses. Now, he can be sure that the country will continue its costly, clumsy misadventures overseas.

The gods smile."

The Daily "Near You?"

 
Bayonne, New Jersey, USA. Thanks for stopping by!

"There Was A Tale He Had Read Once..."

“There was a tale he had read once, long ago, as a small boy: the story of a traveler who had slipped down a cliff, with man-eating tigers above him and a lethal fall below him, who managed to stop his fall halfway down the side of the cliff, holding on for dear life. There was a clump of strawberries beside him, and certain death above him and below. What should he do? went the question. And the reply was, Eat the strawberries. The story had never made sense to him as a boy. It did now.”
- Neil Gaiman

"A Deep Attentiveness..."

“When the pain of leaving behind what we know outweighs the pain of embracing it, or when the power we face is overwhelming and neither flight nor fight will save us, there may be salvation in sitting still. And if salvation is impossible, then at least before perishing we may gain a clearer vision of where we are. By sitting still I do not mean the paralysis of dread, like that of a rabbit frozen beneath the dive of a hawk. I mean something like reverence, a respectful waiting, a deep attentiveness to forces much greater than our own.”
- Scott Russell Sanders

"The Economic Collapse Hits Home: Feeding America Says 1 Out Of 4 U.S. Children Could Suffer From Hunger By The End Of 2020"

"The Economic Collapse Hits Home: Feeding America Says 1 Out Of 4 
U.S. Children Could Suffer From Hunger By The End Of 2020"
by Michael Snyder

"There are approximately 74 million children in the United States, and right now millions upon millions of them do not have enough to eat. The economic collapse that has started in 2020 has been brutal for most of the nation, but it has hit children particularly hard. If their parents lose their jobs, there is nothing that they can do except hope that government handouts and the kindness of others will be enough. Unfortunately, way too often they are not enough, and at this point Feeding America is projecting that one out of every four children in America could suffer from hunger by the end of this calendar year:

"By the end of this year, more than 50 million people could experience food insecurity, according to Feeding America, the country’s largest hunger-relief organization. That’s one in six Americans and one in four children - nearly a 50 percent increase from 2019. A Northwestern University study in June found that food needs had doubled nationally, and tripled for households with children. The pandemic has laid bare how many people are one paycheck or medical bill away from hunger."

Prior to the pandemic, more than 20 million children were at least getting free or reduced price lunches at school. When lockdowns force the closing of schools, that just makes the hunger crisis even worse: “There are 22 million children who even before this pandemic relied upon free and reduced lunch,” said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, the CEO of Feeding America. “When you hear that schools are closed, not only does that mean that there are challenges for children with an education, but it also means lost meals.”

The good news is that the U.S. has a vast network of food banks all over the country, and they have been able to help more people than ever this year. According to Feeding America, their food banks have “seen a 60 percent increase in demand” compared to last year. But the bad news is that there simply is not going to be enough food if demand continues to soar in the months ahead. In Alabama, demand at one food pantry has risen 20 percent just since last month:

"In central Alabama, demand at the Grace Klein food pantry is up 20% since last month. “It could be the rumors of civil unrest or the rise in Covid cases driving demand, but people are living off this food,” said director Jenny Waltman. The pantry is currently serving about 12,000 people each week, compared with 2,500 a week before the pandemic. The 200 volunteers and staff are exhausted, said Waltman."

At one of Chicago’s most important food pantries, the amount of food given out is up 237 percent compared to last year, and the CEO of that facility says that the new lockdowns are causing demand to start to surge once again: "In Chicago, the Lakeview pantry has provided groceries for 237% more people so far this year compared to 2019, with demand “ramping up again” after leveling off slightly over the summer, according to CEO Kellie O’Connell. “The pandemic has brought to light how normal wasn’t working for so many people, especially black and brown communities.”

And in California, the head of the Tulare County food bank says that “a food cliff is looming” because demand is becoming so intense: "In rural California at least one food bank braced for a “food cliff” that could leave it unable to serve clients heading into the new year. “The food cliff is looming,” said Nicole Celaya, executive director of Tulare County FoodLink. “The food system hasn’t done a very good job of meeting the increased need. As COVID numbers continue to rise, it’s going to get worse.”

All over America people have been sleeping in their vehicles and waiting for hours just to get handouts from their local food banks. If economic conditions continue to get even worse, many food banks will soon not have any hope of meeting the crushing demand. Unfortunately, the truth is that economic conditions are getting worse with each passing day. This new wave of lockdowns is causing more businesses to fail and forcing more layoffs, and that is going to mean that a whole lot more people will soon fall into poverty.

I don’t know why the politicians would want to institute more lockdowns after the immense damage that the first wave of lockdowns created. Hundreds of thousands of businesses closed down for an extended period of time, and a significant percentage of them have never reopened: "Other data from the University of California Santa Cruz shows the number of closures could be even higher, with more than 316,000 businesses closed between February and September, which puts the number of daily closures at 1,500 a day."

Meanwhile, the New York Post recently reported that Harvard-run database TrackTheRecovery.org showed 27.8% of small businesses in New York haven’t reopened their doors since January. In New Jersey, 31.2% remain closed. The national average, according to the database, is 29.8%.

Instead of heading for some sort of a “recovery”, now we are heading into a “dark winter” in which countless more businesses will be shuttered. It is hard to imagine that the lines at the food banks could get even longer, but that appears to be exactly what we could be facing.

In fact, one recent survey found that over half of all U.S. households with children are “not very confident” that they will be able to buy the food that they need in the weeks ahead: "Looking ahead to the next four weeks, 56% of households with children nationwide are “not very confident” they will be able to afford needed food. Nine percent said they are “not at all confident.” In Pennsylvania, 52% of households are “not very confident”; in New Jersey, the number is 55%.

This is what an economic collapse looks like, and what we have experienced so far is just the beginning. We are entering a time when there is going to be such widespread economic despair, and we are all going to have to take care of one another if we hope to make it through this storm. Decades of incredibly foolish decisions are catching up with our nation, and most Americans are completely and utterly unprepared for the very painful times which have now commenced."

"Do You Really Think the Empire Will Sacrifice the Dollar to Further Enrich Billionaires?"

"Do You Really Think the Empire Will Sacrifice 
the Dollar to Further Enrich Billionaires?"
by Charles Hugh Smith

"Let's keep it simple: US dollar up, stocks down. US dollar down, stocks up. Stocks up, billionaires get richer. Since that spot of bother in March 2020 when the US dollar (USD) soared and stocks cratered, the USD has been in a free-fall, boosting the wealth of America's Robber Barons and various other skimmers, scammers and other undeserving scoundrels. Chief among the undeserving scoundrels feasting on the decline of the USD are global stock markets which have soared not because revenues and profits are soaring but because the USD has plummeted.

The Federal Reserve is widely worshiped as the Ultimate Power in the Universe, a kind of financial Death Star. The Fed has seen fit to crush the USD to further boost the wealth of billionaires and save global stock markets from their well-deserved ruin. Saving the world, ho-hum, just another day for the god-like Fed.

But something doesn't quite add up here, for as the all-powerful Fed devalues the US dollar, it destroys the exorbitant privilege of America's reserve currency. What's the exorbitant privilege? Simply this: the owner of a reserve currency can create "money" (USD) out of thin air and trade it for autos, oil, semiconductors - real-world goods that were not created out of thin air. Rather, all these real-world goods required tremendous investment and significant costs to be produced and transported.

The exorbitant privilege is something for nothing - a remarkably good deal. And yet the universal expectation is the Fed is going to throw that privilege in the dumpster by pushing the USD into the ground, first by devaluing it relative other currencies and then by letting hyper-inflation destroy what's left of its purchasing power.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the ability to create "money" out of thin air and trade it for real-world goods is the foundation of America's global power, what I call the Imperial Project. The same can be said for the other reserve currencies, the euro and the yen. (Since China's currency is pegged to the US dollar, it is not a true reserve currency; it is only a derivative of the USD.)

So let me get this straight: the Fed is consciously choosing to undermine and then lay waste to the foundation of American power - just to boost Robber Barons and zombie global stock markets? I don't think so. That the Fed would pursue a suicidal destruction of the purchasing power of the dollar just to boost stock markets and billionaires - that beggars belief.
The Fed is not the Empire, it is the handmaiden of the Empire. The Fed's dual mandate - for PR purposes, stable employment and prices - is actually balancing the conflicting demands of a global and domestic currency - Triffin's Paradox writ large.

The inherent problem with a reserve currency is that it must meet global economic needs and domestic needs, and these are intrinsically in conflict. America's billionaires and pension funds want the US stock market to loft higher on the back of a declining USD, but that diminishes the global purchasing power of the USD -a  trend heading for economic ruin.

The Fed has had numerous reasons to weaken the dollar since March: a desperate need to "save" global stock markets from well-deserved collapse, and an equally desperate need to keep the dollar weak so global debtors with loans denominated in dollars can manage to service their trillions in USD-denominated debts. But drawing a line extending this short-term necessity all the way to hyper-inflationary oblivion is a grave misreading of the Empire's need for the exorbitant privilege of a strong dollar.

The Fed is about done with its "rescue" of billionaires and global markets and debtors. Against virtually all expectations of seers, pundits, gurus, etc. the USD is about to start serving the Empire in its foundational role. As for stock markets - the devil take the hindmost."
Related:

Musical Interlude: Grateful Dead, "A Touch Of Gray"

Grateful Dead, "A Touch Of Gray"

"We will get by,
We will survive..."

"How It Really Is"


Little did we know how good we really had it, and took for granted...

Gregory Mannarino, AM 12/3/20: "The US Dollar Is CRATERING, Economy In FREEFALL"

Gregory Mannarino, AM 12/3/20:
"The US Dollar Is CRATERING, Economy In FREEFALL"

"Covid-19 Pandemic Updates 12/3/20"

Covid-19 Pandemic Updates 12/3/20"

Dec. 3, 2020 8:19 AM ET: 
The coronavirus pandemic has sickened more than 64,689,500 
people, according to official counts, including 13,999,385 Americans.
At least 1,496,200 have died.

"How to Handle the Beast"

"How to Handle the Beast"
by David Cain

"The Beast showed up around Christmas last year, and stayed till April. During those months it was difficult to get anything done, or believe getting things done was a thing I could still do. You might know the Beast too. It has many forms. The Doom-Anxiety Beast. The Regret Beast. The Despair Beast. The Shame Beast. Psychologists have names for some of them.

Whatever the form, the Beast has certain characteristics. It saps your sense of agency and forward motion. It robs you of what might feel like your birthright: the basic ability to function to society’s standards. You lose the sense that you can steer the boat. The Beast may stay away for weeks or months or years. Then one Thursday afternoon, when one too many things goes wrong, it darkens your doorway again and you know that life might be different for a while.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, that’s a good thing. Many of you do though. For what it’s worth, I’ll share what I’ve learned about tangling with the Beast.

As you already know, the Beast especially likes to visit during the holidays, or sometimes just after. It takes advantage of stress, isolation, and any sense of non-belonging you already feel. It wants to reduce you to a robotic pattern of habits and appetites. However, it can never quite steal that last bit of agency from you. There is always enough wriggle-space beneath it to do small, defiant things. This bit of space is what we will use to handle the Beast.

Assume your full height: Physically, I mean. The Beast can’t stop you from standing up straight, but it sure doesn’t want you to. It wants you to lower your head and drop your shoulders forward, especially in public – otherwise you might start to consider the possibility that you are in some way worthy, or even formidable. Upright posture doesn’t just symbolize resilience in the face of suffering, it creates the resilience. Be your full height. Return to it again and again.

Remember that the Beast is survivable: The Beast’s presence feels like you’ve been evicted from normal life, at least for now. Nothing is stable, and you can’t do what you need to do. It feels like you can’t possibly live at all until the Beast is gone.

Human history proves this is false. While the Beast can’t be ignored or destroyed, it can be lived with, and it has been. Human beings have cohabited with Beasts forever, often for years at a time. Life still happens during those years. Choices are still made, and good things are still accomplished.

What I’m trying to say is that taking action and finding meaning are possible even while the Beast is present. The conditions are different, but you still have agency. Life is still happening, and it still counts.

Discover the power of small acts of defiance: Whenever you feel the Beast sapping your will, do something – anything – that will improve your situation in even the smallest way. Straighten a crooked picture. Put all your stray pencils into a cup. The point isn’t so much to get things done, it’s to exercise the small bit agency you do have. One little act of defiance proves to both you and the Beast that it cannot clamp down on you completely. The earlier you do this in a day, the greater the effect.

Anything you do get done can weaken the Beast in a different way. By changing the state of things around you, you may be removing one of the Beast’s handholds, such as the laundry on your floor or the call you are not returning.

Lift things and clean: Physical exertion and cleaning up are the closest thing I’ve found to kryptonite for the Beast. A little of either can change a day’s trajectory, and remove more handholds.

Do a daily movement routine, even if it’s really easy. Even if it’s the equivalent of three pushups. Each one weakens the Beast, because it is an act against gravity. You are exercising your agency indirect opposition to the Beast’s inertia.

Get the house to a tidyish state if you can - a single room if you can’t - and keep it that way the best you’re able. Clutter is madness congealed.

Talk to people who know the Beast: Nothing has been as helpful for me as getting to know other people who know the Beast and are willing talk about it. There is tremendous relief to be found just describing your experience to someone:

“Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say “My tooth is aching” than to say “My heart is broken.”
- C.S. Lewis

The goal of talking is not to problem-solve, but to break the illusion that something has gone uniquely wrong for you.

Our species knows the Beast well, but we don’t talk about it much. I suppose that’s because it’s hard to win at the rat race and other public-facing status games when you admit you are suffering. But suffering less is more important."

"Tequila Bar In England Registers To Become A Church So It Can Re-Open"

"Tequila Bar In England Registers To 
Become A Church So It Can Re-Open"
by Tyler Durden

"It was just a couple days ago we wrote about one Staten Island bar finding a "creative" solution to the government shutdown by declaring itself an autonomous zone. Now, another bar in England is following suit with another "creative" solution: registering itself as a church. 400 Rabbits Tequila and Mezcal Cocktail Bar in Nottingham, England has rebranded itself as "The Church Of the Four Hundred Rabbits" and has officially filed a formal application for the bar to be used as a place of worship, according to the NY Post.

The owner, James Aspell, now needs people to sign up as his congregation in order for the application to go through.

Aspell wrote on Twitter: “With places of worship allowed to open in all tiers we thought f–k it let’s start a religion! Can’t be that hard can it! Congregation daily till late.” He said that despite the cynical tone of what he's doing, his business is truly struggling and that the hypocrisy of shutting down small businesses is disproportionately hurting bars. “This time of year it’s usually all guns blazing but instead I’m sat at home putting my Christmas decorations up,” he said.

Future customers - err - congregation members seem to love the idea. “The only reason I’d take up a religion. I’m in,” one wrote on Facebook. “The only religion I would get on board with,” another said. Of course, to truly curb all this nonsense, governments could just allow small businesses to open up with precautions. But given government's expertise in misuse of time, money and resources, we're sure that won't happen. "

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

“Homes Become ATMS; Banks Steal From You; Massive Job Cuts; Americans Addicted to Debt”

Jeremiah Babe,
“Homes Become ATMS; Banks Steal From You;
 Massive Job Cuts; Americans Addicted to Debt”

"Panic Buying Sweeps Across America As Fears Of Food Shortage Continues To Rise"

"Panic Buying Sweeps Across America As 
Fears Of Food Shortage Continues To Rise"
by Epic Economist

"The stockpiling tendency is intensifying as more than 40 states recorded a substantial spike in confirmed viral cases last week, lockdowns are looming, and a tough winter approaches. Store shelves in several states have been affected, and it appears that a "March 2.0" has just begun. A recent study has shown that over 80 million U.S. citizens already started to panic buy paper and cleaning products, as well as canned goods, and breakfast food.

Fearing a supply chain break flashback, people have been rushing into the grocery shops to avoid suffering from shortages during the holiday season. Giant food retailers that have previously affirmed to have prepared in advance for another wave of panicked consumer activity, now say that demand has been so high their chains are inevitably stressed. In this video, we report the effects of the stockpiling trend that has been clearing shelves all across the country and turning everyday essentials into cherishable commodities. 

All over the nation, people have been filling grocery carts to the brim in another round of panic buying boosted by the consequences of the latest surge in confirmed viral cases that led states to order the partial or total freeze of their economic activities. "Defensive purchasing" as some may define, is wiping everything out from the stores. Toilet paper, disinfectant, and groceries are flying off the shelves everywhere. 

When state governors threatened to enforce strict measures to control the virus, people started stockpiling a wide range of products. However, what was a threat before, now became a reality. As more than 40 states registered daily increases in viral cases this month, several governors acted to restrict social gatherings and non-essential business activity, and while the orders were being put into effect, many reports about panic buying started to pop on the news.

A Seattle worker disclosed to The Daily Beast that "people are stockpiling now not just because they're afraid of being stuck at home, but because they've seen everyone else buying it up and are afraid they won't be able to get any when they need it later”. He's right. That's how any behavior drove by fear works. While some impulsively react to the threat of harder days, the panic spreads to the observant others. Alarmed and frightened, they shortly start to react in order to protect themselves as well. And this damaging loop will likely to continue to extend, as case rates keep increasing and restrictions are being confirmed pretty much everywhere. 

Despite the efforts made by authorities and supply chain representatives to highlight that this second run is likely to be less severe because stores are more prepared, shoppers only believe in what they can see. Even though their attitude may cause the disruption they're fearing, consumers another imminent wave of shortages could come regardless of their increasingly defensive tendencies. 

When Walmart, the world’s biggest retailer started to report shortages in high-demand items, such as cleaning supplies, breakfast foods – and the most important commodity in any bathroom: toilet paper, warning signs were triggered amongst frightened customers. 

Target also communicated it would enforce purchase limits if consumers resume hoarding behavior. According to Anna Nagurney, shortages are a possibility if the sanitary outbreak “adversely affect the labor supply chain. Plus, winter weather can bring additional supply chain disruptions in terms of transportation,” she added.

All in all, panic purchases are understandable considering consumers remember the frustrations of going from store to store in the early months of the health crisis, looking for essentials that suddenly become scarce. "And that pattern will only intensify as the number of virus cases increase and the holidays approach," Nagurney said. 

A LendingTree survey has found that 86.7 million U.S. consumers have already begun stockpiling supplies for a potential winter wave of viral cases, with an additional 35% that affirmed to have plans to stockpile but haven't done so yet. 

In contrast, the effects of those massive purchases are seen not only on store shelves but on consumers' wallets - 27% of them have been accumulating credit card debt related to these purchasings, and most of them have been laid off or furloughed to the economic recession. Moreover, a recent analysis described how hoarding behavior might result in food waste.

Concerned about the dark winter ahead consumers might be unconsciously setting the stage for much more economic deterioration, as they spend more and increase their debt, rush into the unnecessary purchase of several products, which consequently creates a shortage, lead prices to skyrocket, while perpetuating a disruptive cycle of panic-driven purchases that don’t hurt anyone but themselves."