Archive - Dec 2010 - Blog entry

Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards Ben...

The Federal Reserve is America's Fourth Branch of government and Ben Bernanke is, in effect, the economic czar of the country. The Fourth Branch? The Fed and the Fed alone has the power to determine how much money should be in the economy. Such vast power over our lives makes the Fed a de facto fourth branch of government. Yet, its powers are not defined by the Constitution, and neither the chairman nor senior officials are elected by the people.

Banks, especially the ones which lend to most US businesses were devastated by the credit bomb. Their recovery is crucial for economic recovery. Are they thawing or freezing? What is the current status of credit in America?

We are approaching 2008 pre-crash market highs with many stock trading higher than they were then on LESS revenues than they had at the time. Meanwhile, 10% of our population is unemployed, consumer credit is down by over $1,000,000,000 (15%), household wealth is down 20% and income is down while the CPI, even by BS Government measures, is up 5% since then, effectively giving those people who still have jobs 5% less to spend anyway.

As the market has rallied over the past few months, the expectations for sales growth have risen and currently look lofty relative to what the S&P 500 has delivered in sales growth historically.

An interesting animated clip from one of my blog's readers

Indeed, the US, like all crumbling empires, is so caught up in its self-centered notions of superiority and “bread and circus” entertainment (in today’s world McDonald’s hamburgers and garbage TV like Jersey Shore) that it is TOTALLY “change blind” to the fact that China has not only ascended from a communist backwater to THE key player in the world’s global economic balance (more on this in a moment)… but is now holding MOST if not ALL of the trump cards from a global monetary/ economic standpoint.

China has made it clear that it is NOT pleased with the US’s current monetary policy (China has blamed the Fed for its inflation woes with some officials going so far as to label the Dollar’s status as a reserve currency, “absurd”).

The US has in turn responded by labeling China a currency manipulator and blaming it for the US’s economic woes. Indeed, it seems almost every other week that some US Government official comes out with a “it’s ALL China’s fault” statement.

However, when push comes to shove, it is China that holds the trump cards in the form of interest rates.

Retail traders are notoriously wrong at picking market direction/tops and bottoms. Most retail traders very naturally seem to adopt a counter-trend stance and this offers very accurate signals for individuals looking to trade against this group. This daily report is designed to help traders focus their efforts on higher probability pairs.

This could get messy. Fast.

Thought we'd make an evergreen on zero hedge out of this discussion about the future of content with my composer brother Michael Whalen that we published today in The IRA. Happy, safe and prosperous New Year to all. Oh, and to my friends in Japan: "Tora! Tora!,Tora!"

Despite the recent stability, the funding shortfall faced by the 200 largest UK schemes has soared by 50% during the past four years, rising from an average of £55 billion during 2006 to one of £87 billion this year. But the government has a trick up its sleeve to wipe out a big chunk of these pension deficits...

In August 2009 the "Deadbeats" paid the loan IN FULL. But... BAC claimed to have received rights in the loan from Taylor Bean & Whitaker as of Sept 1, 2009. Notwithstanding that the loan was FULLY PAID, BAC attempted repeatedly to collect on the PAID OFF loan.

What should we make of all the WikiDrama?

“McCarthyism is Americanism with its sleeves rolled.”--Joe McCarthy