Tuesday, October 3, 2023

The Poet: Fernando Pessoa, “I Don’t Know If The Stars Rule The World”

“I Don’t Know If The Stars Rule The World”

“I don’t know if the stars rule the world,
Or if Tarot or playing cards
Can reveal anything.
I don’t know if the rolling of dice
Can lead to any conclusion.
But I also don’t know
If anything is attained
By living the way most people do.

Yes, I don’t know
If I should believe in this daily rising sun
Whose authenticity no one can guarantee me,
Or if it would be better (because better or more convenient)
To believe in some other sun,
One that shines even at night,
Some profound incandescence of things,
Surpassing my understanding.

For now...
(Let’s take it slow)
For now
I have an absolutely secure grip on the stair-rail,
I secure it with my hand –
This rail that doesn’t belong to me
And that I lean on as I ascend...
Yes... I ascend...
I ascend to this:
I don’t know if the stars rule the world.”

- Fernando Pessoa

"The Definition Of Hell..."

"15 Shortages That Will Hit Stores This Winter"

Full screen recommended.
Epic Economist, 10/3/23
"15 Shortages That Will Hit Stores This Winter"

"As we approach the busiest season of the year for supply chains, new product shortages seem to be popping up every week. From cleaning products to breakfast staples to auto equipment, the list of out-of-stock items continues to grow, and conditions are likely to get very chaotic at U.S. stores as shoppers prepare for end-of-the-year festivities. 

For instance, another fall veggie is in short supply this year. As we previously reported, droughts and flooding resulted in a significant drop in pumpkin production in 2023. And the same has happened to squash crops. Not only in the U.S. but all around the world, squash producers have been witnessing some of the worst weather conditions in history. During the planting season, the soil is too moist, which can lead to early spoilage and fungus. Meanwhile, during the growing season, drought has led to some of the hottest temperatures on record, which can alter the veggie’s flavor and development. Now that harvest season has begun, many farmers are having to discard a big share of their produce instead of sending it to the stores. In the coming weeks, we will start seeing the effects of this at our local grocery stores. If you spot the veggie on shelves, don’t miss the chance to buy it early in the season, because later on prices will go through the roof, and that’s if you’re lucky to find it.

Moreover, a hazelnut shortage is about to trigger huge price hikes for Nutella in the coming months, and make the delicious chocolate spread harder to find at U.S. stores. The product is made with Turkish hazelnuts, but this year, the country, - which produces 70% of the world’s hazelnuts, - reported a sharp decline in hazelnut supply after a hail storm destroyed hazel flowers at a critical moment in the growing season. Hazelnut production is influenced by various factors, including weather conditions, agricultural practices, and global market demand. In California, the U.S. biggest grower of the nut, abnormally dry weather damaged crops and impacted this year’s harvest, causing hazelnut production to fall 2.9% compared to 2022 levels, and failing to provide a supply boost to food makers. Right now, hazelnut prices are already soaring, up by 60% since January, a 10-year-high. The Ferrero Group, who make Nutella, consumes nearly 25% of the entire world's supply of hazelnuts, and they are likely to pass on those increased costs to consumers in the form of higher prices over the next couple of months, meaning that now is the time to purchase this sweet chocolate paste if you don’t want to spend the holiday season without it.

Many things can happen to our supply chains before 2023 ends, and by the look of things right now, more shortages are likely to emerge over the next couple of months. It seems like this is just the beginning of a major crisis that will rock the country through the fall and winter. Even people's favorite restaurant dishes, including guac and seafood, are getting far more expensive and harder to find given that production levels are failing to meet consumer demand. The months ahead will be marked by empty shelves and price hikes as the U.S. industry faces a myriad of challenges that we're about to expose in today's video. We tracked the latest supply shortages gripping the system and which products you should start stocking up in October. So let's check this list!"
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The Daily "Near You?"

Macon, Georgia, USA. Thanks for stopping by!

Gregory Mannarino, "Expect A Major Bank To Fail"

Gregory Mannarino, PM 10/3/23
"Expect A Major Bank To Fail"
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o
And so it begins...

John Wilder, "Leftists: They Hate You"

"Leftists: They Hate You"
by John Wilder

"My feeling is they should open it-the border, let everybody pour in, and then the answer which is, well then there will be all these problems. Yes, there should be. It shouldn’t be so great here, is what I’m saying, in America." That’s a quote from Louis, C.K., the “comedian”.

After having read a bit about him, I’m pretty sure that Louis hates himself deeply. But he also hates you. A quick Internet search shows him with a net worth of $35 million, which shows you don’t have to have a billionaire to be as big a tool as Bill Gates.

The bigger idea is that this is the way that most Leftists think, on those rare occasions a thought occurs to them. As I’ve addressed before, Leftists think more highly of people the farther away they are from themselves up to and including rocks: Leftism Is A Death Cult That May Kill Us All.

Here’s yet another example:
This graph shows something pretty amazing. Most groups prefer their own company. Most black people like to hang around black people. Most Asians like to hang around Asians. But white Leftists? The reflection of their self-hatred is so great that they actively dislike being around other white people. Now, I could understand that if you were Chelsea Clinton, but, as shown by every other racial group since the dawn of history, it’s abnormal and dysfunctional.

Those are the people who are in charge of the border right now.

Wonder why we’re taking on illegals like Johnny Depp attracts women with low self-esteem? It’s because the Left hates the United States because they either despise it, or feel guilty. So, their solution is to take it over, loot it, remove the things that created wealth in the first place, and still pretend it’s the United States.

The situation, however, appears to have finally reached the breaking point as illegals are swamping the southern border in numbers greater than at any time in history. To be clear, these aren’t refugees, they’re economic migrants that are coming here because their country sucks. They’re being enticed to take this journey indirectly by the United States government through the money they give to NGOs that feed the illegals, give them money for and during the trip ($800 a month, I hear), and set up showers and beds and transport. That’s our government – the only things it does really well are the things that harm its actual citizens.

When the illegals get here, they aren’t a net economic benefit. They actually increase housing costs, depress wages, and are causing government welfare costs to skyrocket because the jobs they get don’t pay for the public costs that they create. Expanding the economy by bringing in more immigrants is like improving your financial situation by taking on more debt.

Oh. I just remembered how the Feds deal with budgets. Never mind.

Even Leftists like Louis C.K. are sometimes inadvertently honest in their utter lack of care for the United States. I’m sort of sad that the U.S. government shutdown didn’t happen. If it had, the U.S. Border Patrol could have stayed home and let illegals in, rather than just hang out by the border and cut razor wire to let illegals in. We’ve reached the point where we’d have fewer illegals if the Border Patrol stayed home.

Since the illegals have started leaving Texas, though, Biden went from Trump’s “Remain in Mexico plan” to, “Put the illegals in Red States where we could swap the vote” to “Remain in Texas” as the illegals converged on Blue Cities and are costing billions and even Leftists there are starting to come to their senses.

As the economy falters (it is, more on that on Wednesday, probably), and as the unending streams of illegals continue to surge into the United States, my bet is that the tolerance for illegals will soon drop as jobs disappear and the charmed life they live with subsidized food and housing makes a mockery of the conditions of the average American citizen.

In many places, the result will be the expulsion of (at least) illegals as people cease to want them to be around. I would predict that this will not end well. And I predict that many of the illegals will wish that they had never come to the United States as it will become increasingly hostile to them in many regions. The failure to stop these mass migrations will end the way it has every single time in history – with fire and pain, all because we didn’t have the courage to send them back in the beginning.

Me? I think that Louis C.K. shouldn’t have it so great. He should have to take about 750 illegals into his house, feed and care for them. Louis hasn’t invited illegals into his house. He hasn’t given his money away. Like any good Leftist, his generosity is overwhelming. At least until it comes to spending his own money or inconveniencing himself in any way. And he still hates you, and doesn’t see why it should be so great here, in America."

Dan, I Allegedly, "Get Ready for a 3 1/2 Day Work Week and Living to 100"

Full screen recommended.
Dan, I Allegedly, AM 10/3/23
"Get Ready for a 3 1/2 Day 
Work Week and Living to 100"
"Artificial intelligence is going to change everything in our lives. The CEO of JP Morgan, Jamie Dimon has gone to the extreme with where he thinks this is headed. He said that we will have a 3 1/2 day work week. He also said that cancer will be cured because of artificial intelligence. He finished it by saying that people will live to be 100 years old."
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How It Really Is"

 

Bill Bonner, "The Final War"

"The Final War"
As America Marches Toward The Inflationary 
Depression of '26-'28, The Last Battle Looms Large...
by Bill Bonner

Poitou, France -  “The brain is unable to distinguish whether information is right or wrong; is led to believe statements or messages it has already heard as true, even though these may be false; accepts statements as true, if backed by evidence, with no regards to the authenticity of that evidence.”

“At the political and strategic level, it would be wrong to underestimate the impact of emotions… Emotions - hope, fear, humiliation - shape the world and international relations with the echo-chamber effect of social media.”
~ "Cognitive Warfare," - NATO

"News Flash: America’s sanctions don’t seem to be working. ZeroHedge: "When western nations rolled out a grand plan to throttle Russian oil imports and impose sanctions on Kremlin energy exports, we - and many others - laughed: after all, we have repeatedly seen how toothless western sanctions are when seeking to contain "rogue regime" oil profits, from Iran (which is pretty much selling oil to China at max capacity) to Venezuela and onward. One year later, our laughter has been well justified, because as the FT reports, "Russia has succeeded in avoiding G7 sanctions on most of its oil exports", a shift in trade flows that will boost the Kremlin’s revenues as crude rises towards $100 a barrel, and as Russian Urals prices hit $80, the highest level in over a year."

Sanctions against China aren’t doing so well either. AP: "Chinese tech giant Huawei reports sales, profit up despite US sanctions."

Years from now, economists and historians will be aghast and amazed. So many failed policies. So many flop wars. So many lies. So much BS.

Last Chance Alley: Maybe even TIME magazine will try to understand what has happened, with a cover story: “America: What Went Wrong.” Talk shows will include experts with explanations. Some will say that Americans were always hellbent. They’ll recall everything from the massacre at Wounded Knee to Nagasaki, arguing that a ‘Final War’ was inevitable. Others will claim the Democrats got a bee in their bonnets; all they could think about was sexual perversions and racism…(didn’t they appoint a White House press secretary…and then a Senator from California…simply because they were Black lesbians?). Still others will say that it was the Republicans, with their election denials and ‘wannabe dictator,’ who were to blame…or neo-liberalism…or immigration…AI….climate change…whatever.

Even as late as 2023, the USA still had a chance. It still could have renounced its empire and its sanctions, balanced its budget, trimmed its transfer payments…recalled its troops…and extended a hand of friendship to all who would take it.

Yes, it would have been rough for a year or two…disposing of trillions of dollars’ worth of unpayable debt. But it would have avoided a total breakdown of the US economy and its government. Americans would never have had to watch their country lose another major war and turn into a banana republic, sh*thole country.

Pistols and Knives: Maybe one of the talk show guests…or more likely, a complete outsider, with a long, gray beard, sending his opinions from a website based in Laramie, Wyoming…will explain: “If Congress had balanced the budget, it would have had to back away from its lavish military adventures…and it wouldn’t have been able to afford a pointless battle with China and Russia, both. And if Congress hadn’t run deficits, the Treasury wouldn’t have had to print so much money. We could have avoided the Inflationary Depression of 2026-28. And the ‘Final War’ would never have taken place.

Today, two-thirds of America’s ‘defense budget’ goes to support its war industry, not to defend the nation. Cutting it back…along with relatively small adjustments to “entitlement” programs… could bring spending in line with tax receipts."

But as of October of 2023, Congress shows no inclination whatsoever to avoid the catastrophe headed its way. Instead, Democrats and Republicans go after each other with pistols and knives. Each side sees the other as an ‘enemy.’ But they are on the same page on the two things that will cause the shameful end of the American Empire.

Immodest Foreign Policy: That is, they agree that no real limit should be put on their spending. And that the US should do ‘whatever it takes’ to remain the world’s alpha nation.

Why choose a course of action that inevitably results in national bankruptcy…inflation…and probably in military humiliation too? Why does an aging CEO…a senator…an old president…stay at his post long after he has ceased to be effective? Why did Charles XII, Napoleon and Hitler all decide to invade Russia? Why can’t Congress stop spending money it doesn’t have…and take up what George W. Bush promised the nation, a “more modest foreign policy?”

Yesterday, one member of Congress had had enough. Medialite reports: "Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN) has had just about enough of Congress and its unwillingness to handle the increasing amount of debt, and now she’s threatening to throw herself on the sword and resign. Ms. Spartz: “If Congress does not pass a debt commission this year…I will not continue sacrificing my children for this circus …”

Bye, bye…Ms. Spartz."

"US Debt Clock, Real Time"

"US Debt Clock, Real Time"
Full screen recommended. 

"We're so freakin' doomed!"
- The Mogambo Guru

"Situation Critical! The Enemy From Within Is Destroying America And The World!"

Gregory Mannarino, AM 10/3/23
"Situation Critical! The Enemy From Within
 Is Destroying America And The World!"
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"Items At Meijer Everyone Should Be Buying Now! Stock Up Before Prices Increase!"

Full screen recommended.
Adventures With Danno, 10/3/23
"Items At Meijer Everyone Should Be Buying Now! 
Stock Up Before Prices Increase!"
"In today's vlog, we are at Meijer and are finding many items we all need to be stocking up on now before the next wave of price increases. Grocery prices are higher than ever, and we need to take advantage of all the great deals as we find them!"
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"What Could Possibly Go Wrong?"

"What Could Possibly Go Wrong?"
by Addison Wiggin

“When there is a lack of honor in government, 
the morals of the whole people are poisoned.”
- Herbert Hoover

“The budget should be balanced,” a wise man stood and encouraged his fellow statesmen. Then continued, “the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest [we] become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance.”

You might think one of the members of the House had given such a speech on Saturday prior to the stopgap measure being passed. Matt Gaetz, maybe? If you did think so, you’d be off by about 2,067 years. Or maybe not.

The quote is often attributed to Cicero, a Roman statesman who as Consul of the Roman Republic tried - and failed - to head off the coming of Julius Caesar and the Roman Empire. Apparently, there is no real record of him having spake these words in public. Nor does it appear in any of his known writings. A more modern search on Google’s A.I. “Bard” tells me “the quote first appeared in the early 1900s, and it has been used by politicians and commentators ever since to promote conservative fiscal policies.”

Then, the Bard offers this unsolicited opinion: "While Cicero did speak out against government corruption and excessive spending, he also supported social programs that helped the poor and needy. It is unlikely that he would have endorsed the harsh and punitive policies advocated by the modern-day proponents of this quote."

Ah, Bard. Faithful to the core. “The misattribution of this quote to Cicero,” Bard admonishes, “is a reminder of the importance of critical thinking and source evaluation. It is important to be aware of the potential for misinformation and to be skeptical of quotes that seem too good to be true.” Too good to be true. Well, at least he got that part right.

Let’s think this through for a minute. Even if Cicero did not say it, why has the quote been hanging around for a 100 or so years? Like all works of fiction there must be some truth that resonates. What, after all, would be wrong with: a balanced budget…a treasury refilled..the arrogance of officialdom tempered...and assistance to foreign lands be curtailed?

Oh well, Cicero fought against the rise of the Empire and lost. We found the quote in the lead of one of our favorite monthly reads, Dr. Marc Faber’s "Gloom, Boom & Doom Report." Dr. Faber - or “Dr. Doom” as he’s known by Barron’s - is a Swiss born, iconoclastic economist. He earned his PhD in economics in Zurich at the age of 24 and spent most of his professional career trading stocks and bonds and managing money in Hong Kong for Credit Suisse Lyonnais, among other firms. He’s lived in Chiang Mai, Thailand for a number of years.

We bring him up for a couple of reasons. First of all, his book "Tomorrow’s Gold: Asia’s Age of Discovery" was a formative read for me when I was still wet behind the ears in this business. Second, he’s a super nice guy. He often attended and spoke at our Vancouver conference while we were playing host back in the day. I recall one day seeing him sitting at the bar in the lobby by himself. I sat down and we chatted for several hours… about the business, about investing… about travel, women and life. The conversation has resonated with me since.

In case there has to be a third reason, here it is: While reading his letter last night, rather… this morning, at about 3am, Marc reminded me why we do this work at all. The headline to October’s issue of "The Gloom, Boom & Doom Report" is a question: “Is the Current ‘Strength’ in the US Economy Based on a ‘Statistical Mirage’?” It’s a good question.

Faber then goes on to answer the question in 47 pages of fairly dense economic analysis replete with charts and quotes from a host of other writers and thinkers I respect. We’ll give you the short version: “Yes.” “The current rebound in the economy,” Faber cites David Rosenberg, “is a ‘statistical mirage’. It is orchestrated by record amounts of monetary and fiscal stimulus that are simply unsustainable and actually risk precipitating a very unstable financial and economic backdrop in the coming years.”

That much we know already, right? The question we habitually ask when reading Faber or anyone else is “what could go wrong?” It sounds hypothetical in nature, but, really… I’d like to know… “what could go wrong?” It’s the only plausible question to ask given the “statistical mirage” we’re consistently wooed by. How do you manage your finances in the face of uncertainty of such epic proportions? If, as Rosenberg suggests, the “record amounts” of monetary and fiscal stimulus are unsustainable… by definition they must end. What happens next? These are big questions and it’s later in the work day for me, so we’ll pick this line of thinking up again tomorrow…So it goes."

Canadian Prepper, "Alert: No Signal, WW3 Emergency Preparations"

Full screen recommended.
Canadian Prepper 10/2/23
"Alert: No Signal, WW3 Emergency Preparations"
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Monday, October 2, 2023

Musical Interlude: 2002, "When I See You Again"

Full screen recommended.
2002,"When I See You Again"

"A Look to the Heavens"

"NGC 1333 is seen in visible light as a reflection nebula, dominated by bluish hues characteristic of starlight reflected by interstellar dust. A mere 1,000 light-years distant toward the heroic constellation Perseus, it lies at the edge of a large, star-forming molecular cloud. 
This telescopic close-up spans about two full moons on the sky or just over 15 light-years at the estimated distance of NGC 1333. It shows details of the dusty region along with telltale hints of contrasty red emission from Herbig-Haro objects, jets and shocked glowing gas emanating from recently formed stars. In fact, NGC 1333 contains hundreds of stars less than a million years old, most still hidden from optical telescopes by the pervasive stardust. The chaotic environment may be similar to one in which our own Sun formed over 4.5 billion years ago."

Paulo Coelho, "Killing Our Dreams"

"Killing Our Dreams"
by Paulo Coelho

"The first symptom of the process of our killing our dreams is the lack of time. The busiest people I have known in my life always have time enough to do everything. Those who do nothing are always tired and pay no attention to the little amount of work they are required to do. They complain constantly that the day is too short. The truth is, they are afraid to fight the Good Fight.

The second symptom of the death of our dreams lies in our certainties. Because we don’t want to see life as a grand adventure, we begin to think of ourselves as wise and fair and correct in asking so little of life. We look beyond the walls of our day-to-day existence, and we hear the sound of lances breaking, we smell the dust and the sweat, and we see the great defeats and the fire in the eyes of the warriors. But we never see the delight, the immense delight in the hearts of those who are engaged in the battle. For them, neither victory nor defeat is important; what’s important is only that they are fighting the Good Fight.

And, finally, the third symptom of the passing of our dreams is peace. Life becomes a Sunday afternoon; we ask for nothing grand, and we cease to demand anything more than we are willing to give. In that state, we think of ourselves as being mature; we put aside the fantasies of our youth, and we seek personal and professional achievement. We are surprised when people our age say that they still want this or that out of life. But really, deep in our hearts, we know that what has happened is that we have renounced the battle for our dreams – we have refused to fight the Good Fight.

When we renounce our dreams and find peace, we go through a short period of tranquility. But the dead dreams begin to rot within us and to infect our entire being. We become cruel to those around us, and then we begin to direct this cruelty against ourselves. That’s when illnesses and psychoses arise. What we sought to avoid in combat – disappointment and defeat – come upon us because of our cowardice. And one day, the dead, spoiled dreams make it difficult to breathe, and we actually seek death. It’s death that frees us from our certainties, from our work, and from that terrible peace of our Sunday afternoons."

"The Point..."

“You do not really understand something
unless you can explain it to your grandmother.”
- Albert Einstein
Full screen recommended.
Moody Blues, "Don't You Feel Small"
"See the world, ask what it's for.
Understanding, nothing more..."

"Which New World Order Are We Talking About?"

"Which New World Order Are We Talking About?"
by Jeff Thomas

"Those of us who are libertarians have a tendency to speak frequently of "the New World Order." When doing so, we tend to be a bit unclear as to what the New World Order is. Is it a cabal of the heads of the world’s governments, or just the heads of Western governments? Certainly bankers are included somewhere in the mix, but is it just the heads of the Federal Reserve and the IMF, or does it also include the heads of JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, etc.? And how about the Rothschilds? And the Bundesbank - surely, they’re in there, too? And the list goes on, without apparent end.

Certainly, all of the above entities have objectives to increase their own power and profit in the world, but to what degree do they act in concert? Although many prominent individuals, world leaders included, have proclaimed that a New World Order is their ultimate objective, the details of who’s in and who’s out are fuzzy. Just as fuzzy is a list of details as to the collective objectives of these disparate individuals and groups.

So, whilst most libertarians acknowledge "the New World Order," it’s rare that any two libertarians can agree on exactly what it is or who it’s comprised of. We allow ourselves the luxury of referring to it without being certain of its details, because, "It’s a secret society," as evidenced by the Bilderberg Group, which meets annually but has no formal agenda and publishes no minutes. We excuse ourselves for having only a vague perception of it, although we readily accept that it’s the most powerful group in the world.

This is particularly true of Americans, as Americans often imagine that the New World Order is an American construct, created by a fascist elite of US bankers and political leaders. The New World Order may be better understood by Europeans, as, actually, it’s very much a European concept - one that’s been around for quite a long time.

It may be said to have had its beginnings in ancient Rome. As Rome became an empire, its various emperors found that conquered lands did not automatically remain conquered. They needed to be managed - a costly and tedious undertaking. Management was far from uniform, as the Gauls could not be managed in the same manner as the Egyptians, who in turn, could not be managed like the Mesopotamians.

After the fall of Rome, Europe was in many ways a shambles for centuries, but the idea of "managing" Europe was revived with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. The peace brought an end to the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) in the Holy Roman Empire and the Eighty Years’ War (1568-1648) between Spain and the Dutch Republic. It brought together the Holy Roman Empire, The House of Habsburg, the Kingdoms of Spain and France, the Dutch Republic, and the Swedish Empire.

Boundaries were set, treaties were signed, and a general set of assumptions as to the autonomy within one’s borders were agreed, to the partial satisfaction of all and to the complete satisfaction of no one… Sound familiar?

Later, Mayer Rothschild made his name (and his fortune) by becoming the financier to the military adventures of the German Government. He then sent his sons out to England, Austria, France, and Italy to do the same - to create a New World Order of sorts, under the control of his family through national debt to his banks. (Deep Throat was right when he said, "Follow the Money.")

So, the concept of a New World Order has long existed in Europe in various guises, but what does this tell us about the present and, more important, the future? In our own time, we have seen presidents and prime ministers come and go, whilst their most prominent advisors, such as Henry Kissinger and Zbigniew Brzezinski, continue from one administration to the next, remaining advisors for decades. Such men are often seen as the voices of reason that may be the guiding force that brings about a New World Order once and for all.

Mister Brzezinski has written in his books that order in Europe depends upon a balance with Russia, which must be created through the control of Ukraine by the West. He has stated repeatedly that it’s critical for this to be done through diplomacy, that warfare would be a disaster. Yet, he has also supported the US in creating a coup in Ukraine. When Russia became angered at the takeover, he openly supported American aggression in Ukraine, whilst warning that Russian retaliation must not be tolerated.

Henry Kissinger, who has literally written volumes on his "pursuit of world peace" has, when down in the trenches, also displayed a far more aggressive personality, such as his angry recommendation to US President Gerald Ford to "smash Cuba" when Fidel Castro’s military aid to Angola threatened to ruin Mr. Kissinger’s plans to control Africa.

Whilst the most "enlightened" New World Order advisors may believe that they are working on the "Big Picture," when it comes down to brass tacks, they clearly demonstrate the same tendency as the more aggressive world leaders, and reveal that, ultimately, they seek to dominate. They may initially recommend diplomacy but resort to force if the other side does not cave to "reason" quickly.

If we stand back and observe this drama from a distance, what we see is a theory of balance between the nations of Europe (and, by extension, the whole world) - a balance based upon intergovernmental agreements, allowing for centralized power and control.

This theory might actually be possible if all the countries of the world were identical in every way, and the goals of all concerned were also identical. But this never has been and can never be the case. Every world leader and every country will differ in its needs and objectives. Therefore, each may tentatively agree to common conditions, as they have going back to the Peace of Westphalia, yet, even before the ink has dried, each state will already be planning to gain an edge on the others.

In 1914, Europe had (once again) become a tangle of aspirations of the various powers - a time bomb, awaiting only a minor incident to set it off. That minor incident occurred when a Serbian national assassinated an Austrian crown prince. Within a month, Europe exploded into World War. As Kissinger himself has observed in his writings, "They all contributed to it, oblivious to the fact that they were dismantling an international order."

Since 1648, for every Richelieu that has sought to create a New World Order through diplomacy, there has been a Napoleon who has taken a militaristic approach, assuring that the New World Order applecart will repeatedly be upset by those who are prone to aggression. Further, even those who seek to operate through diplomacy ultimately will seek aggressive means when diplomatic means are not succeeding.

A true world order is unlikely. What may occur in its stead would be repeated attempts by sovereign states to form alliances for their mutual benefit, followed by treachery, one- upmanship, and ultimately, aggression. And very possibly a new World War.

But of one thing we can be certain: Tension at present is as great as it was in 1914. We are awaiting only a minor incident to set off dramatically increased international aggression. With all the talk that’s presently about as to a New World Order, what I believe will occur instead will be a repeat of history.

If this belief is correct, much of the world will decline into not only external warfare, but internal control. Those nations that are now ramping up into police states are most at risk, as the intent is already clearly present. All that’s needed is a greater excuse to increase internal controls. Each of us, unless we favor being engulfed by such controls, might be advised to internationalize ourselves - to diversify ourselves so that, if push comes to shove, we’re able to get ourselves and our families out of harm’s way."

"It Is Inevitable..."

"We do not rest satisfied with the present. We anticipate the future as too slow in coming, as if in order to hasten its course; or we recall the past, to stop its too rapid flight. So imprudent are we that we wander in the times which are not ours, and do not think of the only one which belongs to us; and so idle are we that we dream of those times which are no more, and thoughtlessly overlook that which alone exists. For the present is generally painful to us. We conceal it from our sight, because it troubles us; and if it be delightful to us, we regret to see it pass away. We try to sustain it by the future, and think of arranging matters which are not in our power, for a time which we have no certainty of reaching. Let each one examine his thoughts, and he will find them all occupied with the past and the future. We scarcely ever think of the present; and if we think of it, it is only to take light from it to arrange the future. The present is never our end. The past and the present are our means; the future alone is our end. So we never live, but we hope to live; and, as we are always preparing to be happy, it is inevitable we should never be so."
- Blaise Pascal

The Daily "Near You?"

Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA. Thanks for stopping by!

"Russia - Ukraine War Update 10/2/23"

Judge Napolitano - Judging Freedom, 1/2/23
"Underestimating the Russian Army 
w/Larry Johnson fmr CIA"
Comments here:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k3GBMJgP-8
Judge Napolitano - Judging Freedom, 1/2/23
"Zelenskyy: From Hero to Zero
 w/ Col. Doug Macgregor"
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o

"Disney Is Getting Absolutely Wiped Out, Empty Parks Signal Collapse Is Coming"

Full screen recommended.
The Atlantis Report, 10/2/2
"Disney Is Getting Absolutely Wiped Out,
 Empty Parks Signal Collapse Is Coming"

"Disney is indeed in deep trouble. The entertainment favorite that dominated our screens for longer than we even care to remember is now getting absolutely wiped out. The beloved Mickey Mouse was not the solution to the world’s problems, but it brought huge smiles to the faces of kids and adults alike. One would expect that with such remarkable success, the Disney Conglomerate would only continue to thrive. Unfortunately, we were wrong. Disney is experiencing staggering levels of decline in all sectors.

In November 2022, a leaked memo revealed what the company's management had been trying to conceal - over $1.4 billion in operating losses from streaming for just one quarter. Now, almost a year later, it appears to have only gotten worse as losses are being recorded in all its three major sectors. Disney garners revenue from its popular, widely acclaimed themed parks, streaming platforms, and studio productions. This diversity of operations has been advantageous in the past because losses could be easily managed and balanced. However, all three sectors are going under now, and there’s none stable enough to keep the ship afloat for much longer."
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"Finish Each Day..."

"2 Very Ominous Events That Are Going To Happen This Week"

"2 Very Ominous Events That 
Are Going To Happen This Week"
by Michael Snyder

"You only practice for something if you think that there is a decent chance that it will actually happen. This week, two “tests” will be conducted that sound rather ominous. The first of these “tests” will happen in Russia on Tuesday. Vladimir Putin has ordered the very first “nationwide nuclear attack exercise” in the entire history of his country, and that is making headlines all over the globe…"Russia will stage its first nationwide nuclear attack exercise across 11 time zones in preparation for potential nuclear war. It is scheduled to take place on October 3 and will see Vladimir Putin’s regime present the West as a nuclear aggressor."

If Vladimir Putin was entirely convinced that there is zero chance that a nuclear war will happen, he would not have ordered these drills. Obviously he believes that there is at least a remote possibility that the conflict in Ukraine could spark a nuclear war.

It is being reported that this exercise will assume “that martial law has been introduced in Russia” and that a nuclear attack by the western powers would destroy “up to 70% of Russian housing”…"The one-day nuclear attack exercise, which has only ever been done region by region, will include preparation for the destruction of up to 70% of Russian housing stock and life support facilities. It will assume the scenario that martial law has been introduced in Russia and that is has gone through full mobilization."

But that doesn’t mean that most of the Russian population would die during such an attack. Russia has more than 16,000 nuclear shelters, and some of them can hold vast numbers of people. Here in the United States, we have one. It is in the Seattle area, and at the time it was built it could hold about 200 people…"In November 1962, only a month after the Cuban Missile Crisis, excavation of a shelter in Seattle began. It was expected to be the first of several fallout shelters across the U.S., but ended up being the only one built in the country. The May 15, 1962, Seattle Times identified the structure as “the nation’s first fallout shelter to be built into a freeway.”

And of course the U.S. is not likely to hold a “nationwide nuclear attack exercise” any time soon, because our leaders have fooled themselves into thinking that the Russians would never dare fire their missiles at us. But just last week thousands of Russians were involved in extensive nuclear combat drills…"The combat drills took place in the Sverdlovsk region on Thursday and saw 3,000 Tagil Rocket Division soldiers being trained on the “highest degrees of combat readiness”, according to RadarOnline.com.

Video footage of the nuclear missile division’s combat drills was shown on the Russian defense ministry TV channel, Zvezda. The clip shows thousands of soldiers training and Yars thermonuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles, feared throughout the world because of their massive 6,835-mile range."

If both sides continue to escalate matters in Ukraine, this is where things are eventually heading, and the Russians realize this. Unfortunately, our leaders in the western world just don’t seem to get it. If push comes to shove, the Russians will use their nuclear weapons.

In fact, many prominent voices inside Russia are already encouraging Vladimir Putin to go in that direction. Here is just one example…"The rhetoric was raised by loyalist MP and army commander Lt-Gen Andrei Gurulev who demanded Putin be ready to use nuclear weapons. ‘Our strategic capability is our [nuclear triad],’ he said. This is what is designed for the landmass of the United States of America. This is specifically for them. And they know very well that after that there will be no United States of America. We 100% inflict an unacceptable defeat on the USA. They know that.’

If our leaders had any sense, they would be looking for a peaceful way out of this mess while it is still possible. Because Ukraine is not going to defeat Russia, and the Russians are not going to back down. Last week, it was being reported that Putin has decided to bring in another 130,000 conscripts…"Russian President Vladimir Putin is calling up 130,000 conscripts for military service this fall, increasing the age limit of conscripts from 27 to 30, according to a document posted on the Russian government website on Friday.

Russia’s lower house of parliament voted last July to raise the age for conscripts, and that legislation will take effect on January 1, 2024. Putin said earlier this month that he is bracing for a long war with Ukraine as Russia’s armed forces press on with their “special military operation” in Ukraine, now in its 20th month." We are rapidly approaching a point of no return with Russia, and so we should sit down and talk while we still can.

The second ominous event that I wanted to discuss is the “Nationwide Emergency Alert Test” that will happen just one day after the Russians conduct their “”nationwide nuclear attack exercise”. On Wednesday afternoon, televisions, radios and phones all over the entire country will suddenly come alive at 2:20 PM eastern time… Get ready to not freak out. On Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 2:20 p.m. EDT, every TV, radio and cellphone in the United States should blare out the distinctive, jarring electronic warning tone of an emergency alert. It’s a test – only a test. Officially, the trial is called the Nationwide Emergency Alert Test. You know it’s a test and not an actual emergency because it’s accompanied by an explanation of the test.

Even if your phone is set to silent mode, you will still hear a very loud alarm…"The alerts include a series of loud alarms meant to attract attention. These will go off even if devices are set to silent mode. The test will last for about one minute on radio and television, and cellphones should receive the alert within a half-hour of the test starting. The test system will broadcast a message reading, “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” A translated message will be delivered for those whose language is set to Spanish."

So does this mean that something really bad will happen on Wednesday? Probably not. They are telling us that it is just a test, and hopefully that is all it is. But they are obviously practicing because they believe that there is a reason to do so.

We live at a time when one bad thing is going to happen after another. This summer, Hawaii was devastated by wildfires, a massive tropical storm hit California, and Hurricane Idalia caused an enormous amount of damage in Florida. Even if a major disaster does not occur this week, the truth is that it is just a matter of time before we get hammered with more major disasters. But some disasters are avoidable. Hopefully our leaders will pull us back from the brink of nuclear war with Russia, because that really would mean the end of our society as we know it today."

"How It Really Is"

 

Dan, I Allegedly, "Office Buildings Are Selling for Half Off"

Full screen recommended.
Dan, I Allegedly, 10/2/23
"Office Buildings Are Selling for Half Off"
"We are seeing office buildings sell for over 60% off right now. This is the beginning of the end for commercial real estate. LA County is just announced that they will have no bail on most crimes. Plus, Target is teaming up with homeland security to protect its stores."
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"Banks Will Need At Least A $17 Trillion Dollar Bailout, And You Are Going To Pay For It!"

Gregory Mannarino, AM 10/2/23
"Banks Will Need At Least A $17 Trillion Dollar Bailout, 
And You Are Going To Pay For It!"
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Bill Bonner and Joel Bowman, "Nyet Means Nyet"

The Soviet Victory Day marks the capitulation of 
Nazi Germany to the Soviet Union in the Second World War.
"Nyet Means Nyet"
Russian tanks, rising bond yields and a national debt that just won't quit...
by Bill Bonner and Joel Bowman

Poitou, France -  "There are some things that are obviously disastrous…but apparently irresistible. Driving drunk…invading Russia… spending more than you can afford – sooner or later, all are bound to lead to trouble.

US deficits are now tending towards $2 trillion per year. At that rate, it won’t take very long to go broke. And since the US Treasury has the ability to ‘print’ all the money it wants, it’s only a matter of time until the presses are running hot, day and night. At least…that’s our baseline assumption.

Another of our assumptions is that the Primary Trend has reversed. After a 4 decade bull market, both stocks and bonds are now in a sustained downtrend. Bond yields hit their bottom in July 2020; the mainstream financial press is catching on. Reuters: "US bond market signals the end of an era." "The…age of low interest rates and inflation that began with the 2008 financial crisis has ended. What follows is unclear. The market's view has come into sharp focus in recent days amid a dramatic run-up in 10-year Treasury yields that hit 16-year highs. "We have moved into a new era here," said Greg Whiteley, a portfolio manager at DoubleLine. "It's not going to be a matter of struggling to get the inflation rate higher. It's going to be working to keep it down."

New Era? Not exactly. A very old era…in which the chickens come home to roost, just like they always do. And with prices rising and interest rates going up…along with a bigger and bigger pile of debt to finance…there’s sure to be some squawking in the henhouse.

Our focus last week was on the biggest single item of federal spending – the cost of maintaining the sprawling empire…military bases, aid programs, weapons procurement, ships, planes…and the whole shebang of ‘dominance.’ It is usually lumped into a category called ‘national defense.’ But the ‘defense’ part is probably only about a third of the budget. The rest is for projecting power and influence, not protecting the Homeland. Right now, for example, $100 billion in the most recent price tag for the war in the Ukraine. The money has nothing to do with the defense of the 50 states; au contraire, it puts the US into conflict with Russia, a nuclear power, generating risks far beyond any possible rewards.

What causes this kind of delirium…where you look at the gates of Hell, and can’t stop from entering therein? It begins with voluntary stupidity. You ignore history. You make a list of the pros…and study it carefully. You list the cons too – and dismiss them. Most important, you take out all the ‘ifs’…the ‘buts’…and the ‘maybes.’ This is where people like Tom Friedman are so helpful.

The Western media and US weapons giants – prominently aided and abetted by the New York Times columnist– reduce the conflict in the Ukraine, for example, to a simplified meme for the masses: Putin is evil…and that if he isn’t stopped in the Ukraine, there will soon be Russian tanks rolling down the Champs-Elysees.

This, of course, is nonsense. As subsequent events have shown, there was no way Putin posed a risk to Europe; he couldn’t even conquer a country on his own doorstep, where roughly a third of the population was sympathetic to him. Europe has an economy 7 times larger than Russia’s…and much more sophisticated; there was never any danger of a Russian conquest.

No Middle Ground: Tom Friedman spent 3 days in the Ukraine. He reported to New York Times readers: "One need only look into the eyes of Ukrainian soldiers back from the front, or talk to parents in the streets of Kyiv, to be stripped of any illusions about the moral balance of this war. I was in the country for just three days…This is as obvious a case of right versus wrong, good versus evil, as you find in international relations since World War II.

How could the journalist have an opinion on the ‘moral balance’ without taking a glance at the other side of the scale? Did he attend a conference in Moscow? Did he talk to Russian veterans? To any of the victims of the Ukraine’s firepower…or to any of the 2 million refugees who fled – to Russia? No? We didn’t think so.

Thank Tom Friedman, the sultan of sap, for removing all the hesitations and second thoughts that might have saved a sensible person. Friedman merely clarified that Putin was a devil. There was really no reason to say more. You can’t compromise with the archfiend from Hell. You can’t try to ‘see it from his perspective.’ There’s no middle ground.

Friedman, though, had another full page to fill. So he launched into the Great Game, with one of the lamest geo-strategic justifications for war since the Wehrmacht invaded Poland. “Without the Ukraine, Russia ceases to be an empire…” This left us stunned. Where were the question marks? Really? Why? There are plenty of other foundling countries Mother Russia could take in. And why would we care whether Russia were an empire, or not?

Russia has made no claim on the Ukraine. It has only taken over the Eastern provinces. It says it has done so partly because that is where the people live whom it wants to protect. The Kyiv government banned the Russian language; Russian speakers are fined for using their language in public. Naturally, they welcomed a ‘regime change’ led by Vladimir Putin.

The other reason Russia has provided for its invasion is that it is afraid that NATO might pose a threat. An attack from ‘the West?’ Seems unlikely to us. But Russia’s been down that road. The last time 1941-1945, the Soviet Union suffered 26 million deaths; it doesn’t want to go there again.

Casus Belli: Justified or not, those are the things Putin seems to care about. But the mainstream media barely mentions them. It describes the war in terms that leave no space for exploring ‘the other side.’ So often are the adjectives “brutal” and/or “unprovoked” used to describe the invasion, there is probably a whole generation of young people who think the words are permanently attached, like ‘high dudgeon’ (we’ve never heard of someone stomping out of a room in ‘low dudgeon’)…or ‘gratuitous insult’ (whoever gets a ‘gratuitous compliment?’).

The attack was not especially brutal. The war began in Feb. 2022. By September, 2023, 18 months later, The New York Times said about 500,000 people had died. The last time Kiev was a battleground, in 1941, German and Soviet forces lost that many men in just 10 days of fighting.

Nor was the attack un-provoked. Instead, it appears to be just what America’s empire architects wanted. The deal made in the early ‘90s, between Russia and the leaders of the US, France, Britain and Germany was that Russia would allow re-unification of Germany and in exchange ‘the West’ would not allow NATO to creep to the East. US Ambassador to Moscow, William Burns, who later became head of the CIA, reminded the Bush administration of this promise in 2008. His memo – ‘Nyet Means Nyet’ – famously recalled that bringing NATO up to Russia’s border was a ‘red line’ that shouldn’t be crossed. Unless, of course, you really wanted to provoke a war.

Even Zelensky’s own team admitted that the real cause of the war wasn’t Putin’s desire for conquest; it was NATO enlargement. Oleksiy Arestovych, former Advisor to the Office of the President of Ukraine under Zelensky, declared that “with a 99.9% probability, our price for joining NATO is a big war with Russia.” Russia tried to avoid war; it was the US that was eager for it. Stay tuned..."
o
Joel’s Note: "Two weeks ago today, the US national debt surpassed $33 trillion for the first time ever. A dubious milestone, to be sure. But with $2 trillion deficits as far as the eye can see, it’s certainly not the last…

Just how much is $33 trillion, really? Well, it’s about 22% more than the U.S. gross national product as of June 30 (about $27 trillion). It’s also six times what the national debt was when George W. Bush took office, back in 2000 ($5.6 trillion). And if the government were to pay it back at the rate of $1 million an hour, interest free, it would take…oh, about 3,750 years…Of course, the debt is not interest free (and the empire probably don’t have three and three-quarter millennia to pay it back.)

In fact, the current upper limit on the federal funds rate is at its highest since 2001. That puts huge pressure on debt that needs to be rolled over from historically low rates. From The Daily Caller: "Almost 60% of the debt that the U.S. currently owns originated when the average interest rate on U.S. ten-year Treasury notes was less than 3%, while 75% of debt held in three-month Treasuries was acquired at that same rate, according to the CRFB. That debt is now being rolled into new Treasuries at much higher rates, with ten-year Treasuries at a rate of 4.61% and three-year Treasuries at a rate of 4.89% as of Sept. 27, according to FRED.

Currently, the US is spending just over $800 billion per year to service its debt pile, or about 15 percent of the total annual federal spending. That’s before manning a single foreign military base… rolling out a single tank… launching a single ship… piloting a single F-16… firing a single missile, and the myriad associated costs with maintaining a vast empire abroad."

One wonders how many more blank checks Uncle Sam can write to countries afar… when its own financial house appears to be on fire."
o
Full screen recommended.
"Russia's Victory Day Parade 2023"
"A Victory Day military parade was held at Moscow's Red Square to mark 78 years since the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. Amid Russia’s war with neighboring Ukraine, Kyiv marked the anniversary a day earlier reflecting a new break with Moscow."
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Look at these people...what do you see?
Now look at us... what do you see?

Jim Kunstler, "Three-Way?"

"Three-Way?"
by Jim Kunstler

“Intents have been overtaken by events.” 
- Jacob Dreizin

"You have to wonder what took Bobby Kennedy, Jr. so long to recognize that the Democratic Party was a home that he had long ago been turned out of, like a dog that has peed on the carpet too many times. At the end of last week, Mr. Kennedy intimated that he might run for president on an independent line. If he manages to get that line on the state ballots - and you can easily imagine New York and California trying to thwart him - it will change all the current calculations about the 2024 election.

As of right now, the Party of Chaos is living up to its name. They continue to present an obviously false and ridiculous consensus among themselves that “Joe Biden” is running for reelection. In fact, “the Big Guy” is about to get run through a wringer of the most abject public disgrace as his already-well-known crimes of bribery and treason get conscientiously laid out for all to see with cold and implacable decorum. Even the mind-f**ked spawn of the Ivy League, toiling away on their CIA-owned newspapers and cable news networks, might find themselves forced to spin their narrative in a new direction.

“Joe Biden” is now a monumental embarrassment and a liability to our country, let alone to the degenerate party that owns him. Sub rosa efforts must be in motion to persuade him to resign before the impeachment inquiry spotlights all those telltale bank records, but they will fail to overcome his demented pride. He’ll ride this thing out to the bitter end, when he can use the last tool at his disposal to officially pardon everyone involved in his family’s racketeering operation. The longer the party pretends to support him, the closer the party itself skates toward self-destruction. Also consider: if allowed to play out, the impeachment inquiry will implicate the DOJ and the FBI in obstruction of justice - exposing many Deep State blob players to danger of prosecution.

Gov. Gavin Newsom dangles himself above the fray as the deus ex machina who can touch down in DC and make all the Democrat’s problems go away. Such an attractive fellow! Great teeth and hair! Tall as a sequoia! And such a smooth talker! The woked-up suburban ladies who comprise the party’s main voting bloc grow moist in anticipation of Gov. Newsome landing on-stage like a demigod out of a Mozart opera. But how do you think he’ll make out in an election when the airwaves are filled with oppo ads showing his toothy and hairy visage inset against scenes of homeless junkies and looting flash mobs? Try blaming that on climate change. What else does he stand for? Censorship? Forced vaccinations? Child sex mutilations? Open borders? News-flash: these are increasingly unpopular, except among an easily-identified depraved elite.

Indeed, the whole Left-Right demon-driven psychodrama is proving impossible to live in as it throbs and pulsates toward something like civil war. And it has obscured the truly potent idea that the nation might actually be capable of solving its problems by facing up to them and changing how we act. That potent idea might be what voters will see in Bobby Kennedy if he can get their attention. Mr. Kennedy would dismantle the heinous partnerships between private corporations and the US government that loosed the Covid-19 op on the world and asset-strips the middle-class. He favors closing the border and a reevalution of immigration policy. He aims to negotiate an end to the ignoble Ukraine war project. He’s determined to disassemble the security state apparatus that’s destroying the US Constitution and citizens natural rights with it.

Mr. Kennedy says he can bring divided Americans together on these dire matters. It’s conceivable that his message might go over with enough rancor-weary voters to pull off a tour-de-force plurality in a three-way race, where nobody wins enough electoral votes to settle the contest, which then moves to the House, like in the old days of Jefferson and Burr. The rest is election mechanics, some of it very sinister when you consider all the election-rigging booby-traps already in-place such as mass mail-in ballot harvesting, no voter ID requirements, and the still-mysterious hookups of vote-counting machines to the Internet. But, at least, Mr. Kennedy running on an independent line will be a hard whap upside the Democratic Party’s thick skull, maybe even a death-blow to the party. They made a big mistake trying to un-person him. He’s on a hero’s journey at a moment in history when America dearly needs one."

"Dollar Tree Items That Are Great To Stock Up On! Getting Prepared!"

Full screen recommended.
Adventures With Danno, 10/2/23
"Dollar Tree Items That Are Great To Stock Up On! Getting Prepared!"
"In today's vlog, we are at Dollar Tree and are stocking up on some prepping items to add to our stockpile. In case everything hits the fan at some point, it's a good idea to stock up on some of these cheaper options!"
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