Friday, January 5, 2024

"A Short History of the End of the World"

The End of Days in Argentina… as imagined by Substack’s AI 
and longed for by members of the mainstream media.
"A Short History of the End of the World"
Doomsday cults, armageddon enthusiasts 
and bedwetting catastrophizers of all stripes...
by Joel Bowman

“Have the riots started yet?” A dear reader – tongue firmly in cheek – wanted to know about the carnage and anarchy on the streets here in Argentina, at least as (mis)reported in the popular presses. Needless to say, and much to the chagrin of catastrophizing snowflakes everywhere, life here in the Paris of the South goes on. Folks reading in cafés... enjoying the parks... strolling the plazas... As you can plainly see, it’s an inferno of truly Dantean proportions…
Your editor (right) and his daughter (8), brave
the rampaging hordes on today’s morning stroll.

But what about our own "Notes From the End of the World?" Does the title itself (cheekily conceived) not portend an ominous apocalypse? A fiery armageddon? A hellish end of days?After all, the End of the World is not only a convenient geographic location from which to pen these riotous notes... it also implies a long-prophesied day of reckoning. But this, too, can be interpreted in many ways. Looking back over history, we are delighted to discover that there’s nothing new about the end of the world. In fact, doomsday cults are as old as the days are long.

The Beginnings of the Ends: From the Essene order of Jewish ascetics, who saw their rising up against the Romans in 66-70 AD as a prelude to the coming of the Messiah... to Hilary of Poitiers, the French bishop who predicted the end of the world in 365 AD... to the trembling triumvirate of Hippolytus of Rome, Sextus Julius Africanus and Irenaeus, who foretold the second coming of Christ (based on the dimensions of Noah's Ark) in 500 AD, history is full of end time predictions. (Sextus later reset his cataclysm clock from 500 to 800 AD, presumably due to a cubit rounding error made while measuring the Ark’s upper deck.)

Over the centuries, brigades of bed-wetting panic artists came forth to wail and gnash their teeth over this or that date of decimation. Popes and priests, astrologers and kabbalists, false prophets, TV evangelists, Malthusians, pyramidologists and hucksters of every stripe stepped up, each with their own crackpot explanation and, usually, a collection plate in hand.

Even allegedly sane individuals fell prey to what Freud called the death wish... mathematician John Napier, artist Sandro Botticelli, navigator Christopher Columbus and gadfly reformer Martin Luther all predicted fire and brimstone of varying descriptions. And yet... here we are, still among what the British author Virginia Woolf called the “army of the upright.” And ready to chart a new journey in our history...

A Precipice, of Sorts: Of course, mankind’s tendency to fear the worst is understandable. In a very real sense, we are always standing at the “End of the World”... carried by the tide of time to the farthest reaches of human achievement and knowledge (such as it is). We exist at the bleeding edge of all that has come before us, on the precipice of all human experience, standing on the shoulders of giants.

We peruse the pages of history, until and including this morning’s newspaper, then we look out ahead... into an unlived abyss, fraught with all manner of possibilities, tantalizing and terrifying alike. Any wonder we occasionally get a case of the wobbles!

Happily, those dusty tomes, when carefully studied, reveal great cycles... the rise and fall of empires, of cultures and currencies, and of grand political movements, the likes of which may be just beginning again. The way is not always easy, or even apparent... but as the great Roman statesman, Marcus Tullius Cicero (whose birthday we celebrate this week) once wrote:
“The greater the difficulty, the greater the glory.”

"P.S. Although an academic skeptic himself, Cicero (106-43 BC) had plenty to say about the competing philosophies of his day, including epicureanism, cynicism and stoicism. Our friends (read: dear wife) over at Classical Wisdom investigate Cicero’s paradoxes of stoicism – Paradoxa Stoicorum – in this handy article, recommended for further reading."

Bill Bonner , "A Disastrous Rout"

"A Disastrous Rout"
America's declining empire, plus Trumps political buoyancy, 
more unwinnable wars and avoiding the Fed's shade...
by Bill Bonner 

Baltimore, Maryland - "What do we know today that we didn’t know last year at this time? In the markets, 2023 reminded us that there are always surprises. Who would have thought that stocks would mount one of the biggest bull markets ever…while at the same time interest rates were rising more than ever? And who could have foreseen such a big increase in the cost of borrowing without a recession? A recession shoulda happened. Didn’t. But there’s always 2024!

It was also a surprise to us that Donald Trump remained so politically buoyant. It was obvious that the mainstream elite were out to get him. It was also obvious that he was going to be mired in legal battles to keep himself out of jail. What wasn’t so obvious was that he was so useful to so many different groups.

A large part of the electorate see him as their champion…someone who will disrupt a corrupt system. Many Democrats thought he was the only candidate Joe Biden could defeat. And the more cynical elements of the elite saw him as the perfect ‘reform’ candidate – one who would bluff and bluster for the folks in the cheap seats…but leave the ruling class in its skyboxes, unmolested.

Megapolitics: These things were surprises. But none of them change our fundamental outlook. We try to look beneath the market moves and political headlines. What we are looking for is the deep, long-term trends that determine the course of history. ‘Megapolitics’ we call it.

In the markets, we believe that the Primary Trend has changed. Yes, stock prices are near all-time highs, but not when adjusted for inflation. And while there are a lot of flukey and surprising things going on, the Primary Trend reflects a more fundamental movement. From bull to bear…greed to fear…optimism to despair – the Bubble Epoch is over. Or so we believe. Yes, we will still have bubbles…but we can no longer depend on the credit cycle or the Fed to support them.

There are patterns to everything. When you listen to a piece of music, for example, you can anticipate where it is going even though you’ve never heard it before. Stories have beginnings and endings…heroes and villains…moral failings and come-uppances. There are two basic templates for human beings – male and female – and every single one of them follows the same basic sequence…from birth to death, from dust to dust and ashes to ashes. There are no exceptions.

Interest rates follow patterns too. Yields hit an all-time low in July 2020. Since then, yields (and interest rates) are substantially higher, though nowhere near as high as they will probably go, eventually.

Throwing Shade: Putting this in perspective, the interest rate cycle – from major high to major low, and back again – began its last roundtrip about the time we were born. It took rates higher for the first 32 years…and down for the next 40. Why it takes so long, we don’t know…all we know for sure is that interest rates cast a long shadow…and you don’t want to get stuck in the shade.

You may think that this up-cycle in interest rates will end soon, as the Fed begins to cut rates later this year. But down deep, beyond the talking heads and headlines, something has changed. The Fed may cut rates, but the inflation cat is now out of the bag. Additions to the money supply now lead to higher consumer prices, and everyone knows it. And when the Fed resumes its rate-cutting, money-printing fandango, we’ll see inflation begin to rise too. So, it is unlikely that real rates, adjusted for inflation, will see anything like the July 2020 lows again in our lifetimes.

Another ‘megapolitical’ development we are watching is the decline of the US empire. It doesn’t matter what you think or what you want, empires have life cycles too. And it appears to us that the US began the downhill side around 1999. Since then, its wars have been disasters, its GDP growth has been almost cut in half…its politics are a-shamble…and its debt has grown by $28 trillion.

Expensive and Unwinnable: Probably the most remarkable part of this list of failures is the part least often remarked upon – the debt. Who would have imagined that the US – the world’s richest and most powerful nation – couldn’t afford to pay its own way…and had to saddle future generations with trillions of debt?

The decline of an empire can be handled gracefully…or shamefully. Either the empire pulls back willingly. Or it is pushed back. Either it executes a rare and orderly retreat. Or it suffers a disastrous rout. The graceful way to manage it is to cut expenses sharply, balance the budget, abolish the Fed, and bring the troops home, lest they get us involved in another expensive and unwinnable war. Empires, however, are like drug addicts. Yes, that is part of the pattern too. They are corrupt, incompetent, and desperate for their next fix. More to come…"

Dan, I Allegedly, "You Can’t Hide Anymore"

Full screen recommended.
Dan, I Allegedly, 1/5/24
"You Can’t Hide Anymore"
"People cannot hide behind the anonymity of an LLC anymore. As of 2024 the financial crimes enforcement network is demanding that people turn over all the principles of these companies. This includes your name, address, Social Security number, and your personal email. There is no more hiding."
Comments here:

Thursday, January 4, 2024

"Major Alert! N. Korea Fires Shots; US Bomber Crash At Nuclear Base; Evacuation; Internet Down"

Full screen recommended.
Canadian Prepper, 1/4/24
"Major Alert! N. Korea Fires Shots; US Bomber 
Crash At Nuclear Base; Evacuation; Internet Down"
Comments here:

"Banks Just Made A Massive Change, The Same Thing Happened Before The 2008 Crash"

Full screen recommended.
The Atlantis Report, 1/4/24
"Banks Just Made A Massive Change, 
The Same Thing Happened Before The 2008 Crash"
"Recent developments in the financial landscape are signaling a potential storm on the horizon, reminiscent of the conditions preceding the 2008 economic crisis. A surge in bankruptcy filings, escalating debts, and challenges in the commercial real estate sector show us that trouble is coming. Just like in 2008 before the crash, banks just made a massive change."
Comments here:

Gerald Celente, "Gold Gets Golden, World Exploding"

Very strong language alert!
Gerald Celente, Trends Journal. 1/4/24
"Gold Gets Golden, World Exploding"
"The Trends Journal is a weekly magazine analyzing global current events forming future trends. Our mission is to present facts and truth over fear and propaganda to help subscribers prepare for what’s next in these increasingly turbulent times."
Comments here:

Musical Interlude: Alan Parsons Project, “Ammonia Avenue”

Full screen recommended.
Alan Parsons Project, “Ammonia Avenue”

"A Look to the Heavens"

“Here is one of the largest objects that anyone will ever see on the sky. Each of these fuzzy blobs is a galaxy, together making up the Perseus Cluster, one of the closest clusters of galaxies. The cluster is seen through a foreground of faint stars in our own Milky Way Galaxy.
 
Near the cluster center, roughly 250 million light-years away, is the cluster's dominant galaxy NGC 1275, seen above as a large galaxy on the image left. A prodigious source of x-rays and radio emission, NGC 1275 accretes matter as gas and galaxies fall into it. The Perseus Cluster of Galaxies, also cataloged as Abell 426, is part of the Pisces-Perseus supercluster spanning over 15 degrees and containing over 1,000 galaxies. At the distance of NGC 1275, this view covers about 15 million light-years.”

Chet Raymo, “At Home In An Infinite Universe”

“At Home In An Infinite Universe”
by Chet Raymo

“They are questions that bedeviled thinkers for thousands of years: Is the universe infinite or finite, eternal or of a finite age? It is certainly hard to imagine a universe that extends without limit in every direction, or a universe without a beginning or end. It is equally difficult to imagine a finite universe; what is beyond the edge? Or a beginning or end in time; how can something come from nothing? How can what is cease to be?

The problems are so intractable philosophically that their resolution has generally been left to the theologians, which from a philosophical (or scientific) perspective offers no solution at all. Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake for proposing a philosophical resolution (an infinite universe) that offended theology.

An escape from befuddlement is provided by Einstein's theory of general relativity, which- for example- can describe a finite universe without a boundary, as the "two-dimensional" surface of a sphere is finite and without an edge. Unfortunately, multi-dimensional curved space-time is so counterintuitive that it is difficult to get one's head around it without mastery of the mathematics. Given a choice between the ancient myths of your local preacher and the obtuse mathematics of the physics professor, it's not hard to guess what most folks will opt for.

Meanwhile, I'm reading a meditation on infinity by physics professor Anthony Aguirre, in a collection of essays called "Future Science." He discusses contemporary cosmological theories based on general relativity, and in particular the rehabilitation of the idea of an infinite and eternal universe, or, more precisely, that our universe might be just one of an infinity of infinite universes. He writes in conclusion: “What seems clear, however, is that infinity can no longer be safely ignored; beautifully constructed, empirically supported, self-consistent theories have brought infinity from idle curiosity to central player in contemporary cosmology. And if correct, the worldview these theories represent constitutes a perspective shift unlike any other: in comparison to the universe, we would be not just small but strictly zero. Well, I can't imagine many folks racing to embrace that conclusion.

Oh, but wait. Aguirre adds one final sentence: "Yet here we are, contemplating - if not quite understanding - it all.”

"Only Human..."

“The acceptance of ambiguity implies more than the commonplace understanding that some good things and some bad things happen to us. It means that we know that good and evil are inextricably intermixed in human affairs; that they contain, and sometimes embrace, their opposites; that success may involve failure of a different kind, and failure may be a kind of triumph.” - Sydney J. Harris

And, of course, the universal and inevitable excuse…
“A person who is going to commit an inhuman act invariably
excuses himself to himself by saying, “I’m only human, after all.”
- Sydney J. Harris
I've always wondered...
Everyone says “Only human…” compared to what?
Full screen recommended
Billy Joel, "Only Human"

Adventures With Danno, "Massive Recall On These Meat Products! This Is Getting Bad!"

Adventures With Danno, PM 1/4/24
"Massive Recall On These Meat Products! 
This Is Getting Bad!"
"We discuss the massive recall of these different meat products. We discuss the different options on what to do if you're affected and how we need to prepare for the future accordingly."
Comments here:

Jeremiah Babe, "99% Will Stay Broke, Part Time Jobs Won't Save America; Another Great Depression Is Coming"

Jeremiah Babe,1/4/24
"99% Will Stay Broke, Part Time Jobs Won't Save America; 
Another Great Depression Is Coming"
Comments here:

The Daily "Near You?"

South Pittsburg, Tennessee, USA. Thanks for stopping by!

"I Am That..."

 

The Poet: Robinson Jeffers, "We Are Those People"

"We Are Those People"

"I have abhorred the wars and despised the liars,
laughed at the frightened
And forecast victory; never one moment's doubt.
But now not far, over the backs of some crawling years, the next
Great war's column of dust and fire writhes
Up the sides of the sky: it becomes clear that we too may suffer
What others have, the brutal horror of defeat -
Or if not in the next, then in the next - therefore watch Germany
And read the future. We wish, of course, that our women
Would die like biting rats in the cellars,
our men like wolves on the mountain:
It will not be so. Our men will curse, cringe, obey;
Our women uncover themselves to the grinning victors
for bits of chocolate."

- Robinson Jeffers

“One Last Smile For My Old Friend”

Full screen recommended.
“One Last Smile For My Old Friend”
by Iain Burns

“This is the magical moment a dying chimpanzee recognizes her old friend and gives him an emotional farewell. Mama, the 59-year-old former matriarch at Royal Burgers Zoo in the Netherlands, was curled up in a ball and refusing food until the arrival of Professor Jan van Hooff, who she had known since 1972. At first she did not realize that her old friend had come to see her and remained on the floor as he stroked her. But her bond with Professor van Hooff – who co-founded her chimp colony at the Arnhem zoo – was deep enough to shake her from her gloom. The terminally ill chimp, who was fast approaching the end of her life, can be seen reacting with pure joy when she realizes who has come to see her. Mama screeched with delight and beamed with a smile while greeting the professor. Screeching with pleasure and smiling in delight, Mama can be seen stretching out her hand and stroking Professor van Hooff’s head in greeting. The video was filmed in April 2016. Mama died just a week after giving her old friend a heartfelt farewell.”

"Mencken, Where Are You Now That We Need You?"

"Mencken, Where Are You Now That We Need You?"

"Henry Louis Mencken, The “Sage of Baltimore”, (September 12, 1880 – January 29, 1956) was an American journalist, essayist, satirist, cultural critic, and scholar of American English. He commented widely on the social scene, literature, music, prominent politicians, and contemporary movements. His satirical reporting on the Scopes Trial, which he dubbed the "Monkey Trial," also gained him attention."
'The men the American people admire most extravagantly are the most daring liars; the men they detest most violently are those who try to tell them the truth.'

"The demagogue is one who preaches doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots."

"When a candidate for public office faces the voters he does not face men of sense; he faces a mob of men whose chief distinguishing mark is the fact that they are quite incapable of weighing ideas, or even of comprehending any save the most elemental - men whose whole thinking is done in terms of emotion, and whose dominant emotion is dread of what they cannot understand. So confronted, the candidate must either bark with the pack or be lost... All the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre."

"When somebody says it’s not about the money, it’s about the money."

"A professional politician is a professionally dishonorable man. In order to get anywhere near high office he has to make so many compromises and submit to so many humiliations that he becomes indistinguishable from a streetwalker."

"The average man never really thinks from end to end of his life. The mental activity of such people is only a mouthing of cliches. What they mistake for thought is simply a repetition of what they have heard. My guess is that well over 80 percent of the human race goes through life without having a single original thought."

"I have little belief in human progress. The human race is incurably idiotic. It will never be happy."
- H. L. Mencken

"How It Really Is"

 

"Turkey Sends Troops Into Gaza In Support Of Palestine Against Israel!"

Full screen recommended.
Tech Beat, 1/4/24
"Turkey Sends Troops Into Gaza 
 In Support Of Palestine Against Israel!"
"In this video, we'll discuss the groundbreaking news that has taken the world by storm: Turkey's decision to send troops into Gaza, Palestine, in a show of support for the Palestinian people amid the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The world has taken notice of Turkey's audacious decision because it represents a dramatic change in the dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This involvement could change the Middle East's geopolitical environment and ignite heated discussions and debates around the world.

This in-depth video will examine the reasons for Turkey's historic decision, the background that led to it, and the ramifications it has for the Middle East as a whole as well as the Israeli-Palestinian issue. To give you a complete picture of the situation, we'll also examine the responses from other parties, such as Israel, the international community, and regional powers.

Turkey's ambitions to become a regional force again, its emotional and historical ties to the Palestinian cause, and the possibility of a conflict escalation because of the involvement of many parties are some of the important subjects discussed. We'll talk about the varied response from around the world, with some expressing support for Turkey's position and others voicing worries about tensions rising. We'll also examine how regional dynamics and alliances are changing, as well as the possibility of proxy wars in the Middle East. The video will also discuss the significance of coordinated efforts amongst global parties, the difficulties in involving Turkey in peace negotiations, and the crucial role that international diplomacy plays in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian problem peacefully.

Our goal is to give you a thorough and informative rundown of this intricate and often changing issue. To make sure you fully comprehend this momentous occurrence, we'll go through the terms and subjects linked to Israel, Gaza, Palestine, Turkey, international diplomacy, regional dynamics, and more."
Comments here:
o
Full screen recommended.
Tech Show, 1/4/24
"Turkey Just Launched Warplanes On 
The Israeli Capital In Support Of Gaza Palestine!"
"We dive into the frightening and unique event in which Turkey fired airplanes on Tel Aviv, the Israeli capital, in a spectacular show of support for Gaza, Palestine, in this riveting video. The complex and long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict has once again taken centre stage in the Middle East, with Turkey's bold actions sending shockwaves throughout the international community. The video then digs into Turkey's startling aerial assault on Tel Aviv, which targeted military installations and infrastructure. We look at the quick reactions of the international community, including condemnations from the United States and European nations, as well as calls for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council. The possibility of greater regional confrontations in the Middle East as tensions rise is also mentioned."
Comments here:
o
Comments: I'm seeking additional sources and confirmation of these reports. Some valid factual contextual observations:
Game over!
• Turkey has a 2 million man totally modern and equipped professional military, whom Scott Ritter describes as "ferocious fighters" which includes a powerful air force and navy, and huge missile stockpiles.They could very rapidly eliminate the IDF.
• Syria can and will retake the occupied Golan Heights. The IDF has neither the troops or the resources to stop this.
• Hezzbollah has 100,000 very well trained and equipped professional soldiers, battle hardened by 10 years of involvement in the Syrian civil war. Doug Macgregor states they have 140,000 missiles which can reach anywhere in Israel.
• Hamas in Gaza has fought the IDF to a standstill and withdraw while only using a fraction of their reported 30,000 fighters.
• The entry of Iran into a wider regional war is a distinct probability, adding it's huge military and missile stockpiles to the mix.
• The Yemeni Houthis will close the Red Sea to all shipping causing enormous financial losses not only to Israel but the global economy. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates dare not attempt to intervene under threat of Houthis completely destroying their petroleum facilities.
• The Egyptian government, while reluctant, may be forced into the conflict by the political pressure of thier absolutely enraged population which is demanding action.
• Israel's only ally is the United States, which is totally impotent to assist them, lacking the troops and ability to intervene. The US Navy fleet are useless sitting ducks, targets for precise missile strikes, and will very rapidly be destroyed, including the aircraft carriers.

Your thoughts and comments?

Gregory Mannarino, "So It Begins..."

Gregory Mannarino, AM 1/4/24
"So It Begins... Waves Of Corporate Layoffs 
As The World Economy Freefalls Faster"
Comments here:

Dan, I Allegedly, "Fake Rich People Are Going Broke"

Full screen recommended.
Dan, I Allegedly, AM 1/4/24
"Fake Rich People Are Going Broke"
"Things are starting to crack in the system. We are seeing people that overextended themselves and put their money into investments that they thought would never go down. Now we’re seeing things like the watch industry and the high end vehicles drop dramatically."
Comments here:

Adventures With Danno, "More Price Increases At Kroger But Finding Some Great Deals!"

Full screen recommended.
Adventures With Danno, AM 1/4/24
"More Price Increases At Kroger 
But Finding Some Great Deals!"
"We continue to find a lot of products going up in price at Kroger, 
but we did manage to find some really good deals and digital coupons!"
Comments here:

"Alert! January 22nd And World War 3; Germany Evacuates Lebanon; UK Will Send Troops Into Ukraine"

Full screen recommended.
Canadian Prepper, 1/4/24
"Alert! January 22nd And World War 3; 
Germany Evacuates Lebanon; UK Will Send Troops Into Ukraine"
Comments here:

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Jeremiah Babe, "Alert! Ominous Warning Signs For America"

Jeremiah Babe, 1/3/24
"Alert! Ominous Warning Signs For America:
War, Debt, Job Losses and Uncertainty"
Comments here:

Musical Interlude: Liquid Mind, "My Orchid Spirit (Extragalactic)"

Full screen recommended.
Liquid Mind, "My Orchid Spirit (Extragalactic)"
"In this galaxy, there's a mathematical probability of 3 billion 
Earth-type planets. And in all of the universe, 2 trillion galaxies like this.
 And in all of that... and perhaps more, only one of each of us."
- "Dr. Leonard McCoy"

"A Look to the Heavens"

"Will the spider ever catch the fly? Not if both are large emission nebulas toward the constellation of the Charioteer (Auriga). The spider-shaped gas cloud on the left is actually an emission nebula labelled IC 417, while the smaller fly-shaped cloud on the right is dubbed NGC 1931 and is both an emission nebula and a reflection nebula.
About 10,000 light-years distant, both nebulas harbor young, open star clusters. For scale, the more compact NGC 1931 (Fly) is about 10 light-years across.”
" I do not question the presence of intelligent life on other planets;
 but I do question its existence on this one."
- Dr. Ivan Desantis

The Poet: Robert Service, "Prelude"

"Prelude"

"In youth I gnawed life's bitter rind
And shared the rugged lot
Of fellows rude and unrefined,
Frustrated and forgot;
And now alas! it is too late
My sorry ways to mend,
So sadly I accept my fate,
A Roughneck to the end.

Profanity is in my voice
And slag is in my rhyme,
For I have mucked with men who curse
And grovel in the grime;
My fingers were not formed, I fear,
To frame a pretty pen,
So please forgive me if I veer
From Virtue now and then.

For I would be the living voice,
Though raucous is its tone,
Of men who rarely may rejoice,
Yet barely ever moan:
The rovers of the raw-ribbed lands,
The lads of lowly worth,
The scallywags with scaley hands
Who weld the ends of earth."

- Robert Service

"Global Debt Circus: Let’s Get Clear About The Danger America is Facing"

"Global Debt Circus: 
Let’s Get Clear About The Danger America is Facing"
by Capitalist Exploits

"Here’s some sobering numbers from the US:

• Interest payments on the debt increased by $177 billion or 33%.
• Medicare spending increased by $126 billion or 18%.
• Medicaid spending increased by $24 billion or 4%.
• Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation spending increased by $38 billion.
• FDIC spending amounted to $92 billion as the agency dealt with bank failures—an increase of $101 billion.

What This Means: Let’s be clear about the danger America is facing. The US has an unprecedented, almost incomprehensible, $33.5 trillion national debt that has eclipsed the size of the economy. Every person in America today owes more than $100,000. They are forced to borrow over $75,000 every second just to cover expenses. The budget deficit of $1.7 trillion shows how this burden grows yearly.

Families will be decimated by record-high inflation and access to capital. Today, the average family of four is paying $14,700 yearly or $1,224 more per month to purchase the same goods and services compared to the day sleepy Joe took office.

But it’s not just the US. Global sovereign debt is the world’s most glamorous pyramid scheme. Move over, Amway; there’s a new player in town, and it’s got countries across the globe wrapped around its debt-laden finger. We live in a world where countries engage in a high-stakes game of financial Jenga, each one desperately trying to avoid being the next to topple over. It’s a spectacular sight, really, like a global circus where the acrobats juggle debt instead of flaming torches.

Now, let’s talk about the architects of this financial circus – the political class themselves. These financial virtuosos have mastered the art of spending money they don’t have, all while smiling for the cameras and assuring their citizens that everything is under control. It’s the ultimate magic trick: turning debt into the illusion of prosperity.

Now, let’s talk about the debt enthusiasts - the bondholders. These financial daredevils willingly lend money to countries, fully aware that repayment is a distant dream. It’s a game of financial chicken, with both parties hurtling towards a collision course, but who cares when it’s someone else’s money right? Pension funds I’m looking at you.

Credit Agencies: Let’s not forget the credit rating agencies, those purveyors of financial wisdom who assign grades like teachers handing out gold stars. Somehow, they manage to maintain a straight face while giving top marks to countries drowning in debt. It’s as if they believe that, with enough positive reinforcement, the debt will magically disappear.

In the grand scheme of things, global sovereign debt is the ultimate soap opera, with each country playing its role in the never-ending drama of fiscal irresponsibility. It’s a thrilling spectacle of financial acrobatics, where countries balance on the precipice of economic disaster, hoping that the safety net of international goodwill will catch them if they fall. So, there you have it - the state of global sovereign debt, a glittering, high-wire act that defies the laws of financial gravity, as the world continues to teeter on the edge of fiscal insanity."

Dan, I Allegedly, "Would You Like Some Free Money?"

Full screen recommended.
Dan, I Allegedly, 1/3/24
"Would You Like Some Free Money?"
"There are so many grant programs available. 2024 is going to be a banner year to get money to start a business, pay your bills, grow your business or promote your social programs. Use these references to get the information to get some free money."
Comments, references here:

Bill Bonner, "The Rhapsodia de la Pampa"

"The Rhapsodia de la Pampa"
Trillion dollar deficits, looming war,
 appalling politics and the road to Buenos Aires...
by Bill Bonner

Baltimore, Maryland - "A long-held guess here at BPR is that the US would eventually follow Argentina on the road to ruin…with high levels of corruption and inflation. Amid all the noise and to-do of 2023, it was hard to follow the tune. But in the deep background, the tango beat grew stronger.

Stocks hit a high note; wars and massacres continued; US politics degenerated into buffoonery; inflation eased off. Over the course of the last two administrations, 2017-2024, US debt increased from $19.9 trillion to $33.9 trillion – or at the rate of $2 trillion per year.

Last October and November set a new debt record – with a deficit of $383 billion for the first two months of the fiscal year, or $2.3 trillion annualized. No attack on the US. No depression. No emergency…not even a bad hair day…and yet, US politicians spent money as if they were Argentines! What to make of it?

Not a Care in the World: The most remarkable thing about it is that no one thinks it is very remarkable at all. Things that we once considered criminal are now respectable. Sins are now considered virtues. Rank stupidity, incompetence, and corruption are now prerequisites for public office. Stocks are near all-time highs, as if investors had not a care in the world. Federal budgets are no longer considered or approved; no attempt is made to get outflow to line up with income. Instead, in a form of budget improv, spending bills are passed…with hardly any real discussion or dissension. Congress is like a car full of drunks speeding down the highway…arguing over what to listen to on the radio.

Even more remarkable, people still lend money to the US government…fully aware that the Fed will begin to re-inflate the currency (inevitably leading to lower dollar values) this year. And believe it or not, there was a time when people thought mass murder and mass destruction were beneath contempt. The UN solemnly outlawed them both. But today, they are respectable features of US foreign policy.

After living through 2023, we wonder: how can 2024 top that? What goofy, malign, and appalling thing will happen this year? Rather than pretend we can know the future, let’s look at what kind of surprises might be worth preparing for.

Default Dominos: First, a stock market crash would be unwelcome. We went into last year recommending cash, fearing that another shoe was bound to drop. Came the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th largest bank failures in history; still, by the end of the year, the shelves were full of loafers and hobnailed boots that had yet to fall. A decent bet: some will hit the ground this year.

The Daily Mail: "US office buildings face $117BN debt time bomb: Mortgages due this year threaten to sink US economy as thousands of workplaces remain empty Billions of dollars in loans on office buildings that are about to come due could play havoc with the US economy after interest rates soared. About $117 billion worth is expected to be due this year and needs to be repaid or refinanced, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. A big chunk of it is at risk of defaulting and costing banks and developers huge sums, sending some into insolvency.

Yahoo Finance adds: "More big firms are likely to go bust next year amid the “double whammy” of high borrowing costs and pressure on consumer budgets, according to insolvency experts. Administrators and restructuring specialists also warned that high-growth companies such as tech firms could be among those facing financial turbulence. It comes after another year of tough economic conditions resulted in increased business failures during the year.

A second nasty surprise would be this: higher interest rates. In addition to the current deficits – now running about $2 trillion per year – the federal government has trillions more that now need to be refinanced – at much higher interest rates. Large, institutional bond buyers are going to want protection from the obvious crises ahead. Defaults, inflation…or simply higher rates themselves – all are good reasons to demand higher yields.

Strike Three: A third unpleasant surprise: recession. The mainstream media is telling investors that there will be no hard landing, no soft landing…nor any landing at all. Prices will stay aloft…presumably, forever. But the combination of higher interest rates, business failures, and consumers running out of money is likely to finally bring the recession we’ve been waiting for.

And one more thing to worry about – a larger, more dangerous war. War begets war. Sending fighting men into a war zone is dangerous….and pretty soon you might have more fight than you wanted. What, where, when? We don’t know. But supply brings forth demand. The US firepower industry is so large, so rich, and so politically powerful, there is no stopping it. And after seeing so much devastation, wrought by US bombs and missiles, the rest of the world is surely preparing a riposte.

The prominent risks, dear reader, whether in the stock market, the bond market, the economy, or in geopolitics…are on the downside. Any of them, alone or together, would result in a financial crisis, with reduced tax revenues to the government and increased expenses. Deficits would grow larger. Interest rates would go up. Companies would fail. Stocks would crash. And the clamor – probably a panic, to cut interest rates and to begin buying US debt with fake money – would be irresistible.

Inflate or Die. The refrain remains the same. In the coming months, we’ll probably see more low notes than high ones…more dying than inflating. But that will be only a prelude…a warm-up, while the orchestra tunes up…gets the rhythm of a tango…and begins its Rhapsodia de la Pampa."
o
Rhapsodia de la Pampa? No. 
Rhapsodia de America!
Full screen recommended.

The Daily "Near You?"

Pearland, Texas, USA. Thanks for stopping by!

"When I See..."

"When I see the blind and wretched state of men, when I survey the whole universe in its deadness, and man left to himself with no light, as though lost in this corner of the universe without knowing who put him there, what he has to do, or what will become of him when he dies, incapable of knowing anything, I am moved to terror, like a man transported in his sleep to some terrifying desert island, who wakes up quite lost, with no means of escape. Then I marvel that so wretched a state does not drive people to despair." 
- Blaise Pascal
o
Ahh, but it does...
“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

Folks, I fear our time for such reverence is here...
God help us, God help us all...

Judge Napolitano, "Col. Douglas Macgregor: Wrongheaded US Military Priorities"

Judge Napolitano - Judging Freedom, 1/3/24
"Col. Douglas Macgregor: Wrongheaded US Military Priorities"
Comments here:

"Don't Wonder..."

"Don't wonder why people go crazy. Wonder why they don't.
In the face of what we can lose in a day, in an instant,
wonder what the hell it is that makes us hold it together."
- "Grey's Anatomy"

"How It Really Is"

"Here We Are..."

"Here we are, trapped in the amber of the moment. 
There is no why."
- Kurt Vonnegut
But perhaps there's something that transcends "no why..."

"If there is meaning in life at all, then there must be meaning in suffering. The way in which a man accepts his fate and all the suffering it entails, the way in which he takes up his cross, gives him ample opportunity - even under the most difficult circumstances - to add a deeper meaning to his life. It may remain brave, dignified and unselfish. Or in the bitter fight for self-preservation he may forget his human dignity and become no more than an animal. Here lies the chance for a man either to make use of or to forgo the opportunities of attaining the moral values that a difficult situation may afford him. And this decides whether he is worthy of his sufferings or not."
- Viktor Frankl

"The Only Winning Move..."

"Wargames", 1983

"Middle East Crisis, 1/3/24"

Full screen recommended.
OpenmindedThinker Show, 1/3/24
"Hezbollah Goes on Rampage In Kiryat Shmona; 
Mass Troops on Northern Border. This is Huge!"
Comments here:
o
Full screen recommended.
WION, AM 1/3/24
"Iran Reports 103 Dead, 170 Hurt In Blasts 
At Ceremony Honoring Qasem Soleimani"
Comments here:
o
Full screen recommended.
OpenmindedThinker Show, AM 1/3/24
"Houthis Go On Rampage At Bab-al-Mandab Strait, 
Block All Ships; Biggest Operation Ever!"
Comments here:
o
Full screen recommended.
Hindustan Times, 1/3/24
"Hezbollah's 10 Attacks In 14 Hours On Day Of Arouri's Killing: 
'IDF Troops Dead, Hurt' Claim"
"On the day that senior Hamas leader Saleh Al Arouri was killed in a Beirut suburb considered a stronghold of Hezbollah, the Lebanese group announced as many as 10 airstrikes on north Israel. Hezbollah claimed to have hit a new command headquarters of the IDF, and new spy equipment placed on cranes near the border. Hezbollah also said that it had "killed" and "injured" some IDF troops."
Comments here:
o
Full screen recommended.
Times Now World, 1/3/24
"New Threats from Hamas: What's the Weapon 
Behind Their Warning to Burn Tel Aviv and Target IDF?"
"On New Year's, Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades delivered a menacing threat to Israel, unveiling new weapons in their arsenal. The Iran-backed group released a video with the caption 'Tel-Aviv will be burned, Jerusalem will be liberated.' The undated footage showcases multiple rocket launchers in an undisclosed location within the besieged Gaza Strip. In the purported video, Hamas fighters are seen preparing M90 rockets, reportedly aimed at Israeli cities."
Comments here;

"Human Nature: A Brief Disagreement"

Full screen recommended.
Steve Cutts, "A Brief Disagreement"
"A visual journey into mankind's favorite pastime throughout the ages."

"War"
"War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular or irregular military forces. Warfare refers to the common activities and characteristics of types of war, or of wars in general. Total war is warfare that is not restricted to purely legitimate military targets, and can result in massive civilian or other non-combatant suffering and casualties. While some war studies scholars consider war a universal and ancestral aspect of human nature, others argue it is a result of specific socio-cultural, economic, or ecological circumstances.

The earliest evidence of prehistoric warfare is a Mesolithic cemetery in Jebel Sahaba, which has been determined to be about 13,400 years old. About forty-five percent of the skeletons there displayed signs of violent death, specifically traumatic bone lesions.

Since the rise of the state some 5,000 years ago, military activity has occurred over much of the globe. Estimates for total deaths due to war vary wildly. For the period 3000 BCE until 1991, estimates range from 145 million to 2 billion. In one estimate, primitive warfare prior to 3000 BCE has been thought to have claimed 400 million victims based on the assumption that it accounted for the 15.1% of all deaths. For comparison, an estimated 1,680,000,000 people died from infectious diseases in the 20th century."