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Stock World Weekly: Irresistible Forces meet Immovable Objects.

ilene's picture




 

Here's the latest edition of Stock World Weekly:  Irresistible Forces meet Immovable Objects. - Ilene 

Excerpt:

On Saturday, February 27, the Security Council of the United Nations (UN) voted unanimously to institute sanctions on Libya, including travel bans and freezing the assets of Muammar al-Gaddafi and others associated with his regime. Protests have dragged into their twelfth day, and protestors refuse to yield in the face of utterly horrific retaliation by Gaddafi’s loyal forces. U.S. ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice said, “When atrocities are committed against innocents, the international community must act with one voice - and tonight it has.”  

The Telegraph reported over the weekend that Gaddafi apparently made good on his threats to trigger a civil war, using irregular forces largely composed of hired mercenaries to launch a counterattack against protesters. “Anywhere we go there is danger,” said one woman, a 28-year-old mother of four who asked not to be named. “All we want is food and fresh water for our children but it is impossible to find. Security is the only concern of the authorities.” 

An accurate report of the death toll is impossible to obtain at this time, but on Wednesday, Italy’s Foreign Minister, Franco Frattini said, “We believe that the estimates of about 1,000 are credible.” The situation in Libya has deteriorated since then. Multiple stories coming in from all over the country have cited dozens to hundreds of casualties in each city. It appears that Libya has slipped into the abyss of complete social breakdown and civil war.

This is just one example of the tide of popular unrest that has been unleashed in the wake of the Federal Reserve’s and other central banks’ inflationary policies. The chart below shows the U.S. Adjusted Monetary Base increasing from $1.75Tn in 2009, to $2.0Tn in 2010, and now nearing $2.3Tn, an increase of $300Bn in just two months! This represents an increase of 35% in less than 18 months. (The U.S. Monetary Base is the total amount of currency that is circulating in the hands of the public or in the commercial bank deposits held in reserves of member banks of the Federal Reserve System.)  

Another revolt of a more peaceful nature took place in Ireland. The long-dominant Fianna Fail party was brutally rejected by Irish voters, taking just 15.1% of the vote and losing 58 seats in Parliament. Opposition party Fine Gael won 36% of the vote, and is expected to form a coalition government with Labour, their traditional partner and winner of 20.5% of the vote. Leaders of both Fine Gael and Labour have both promised that they will renegotiate the EU-IMF austerity program and force financial investors to shoulder some of the bank debts that are currently being paid by taxpayers. 

Meanwhile, in the United States, conflict between public labor and Republican leaders is now spreading in the wake of a standoff between Wisconsin public Union members and Republican Governor Scott Walker. Protestors in other states are demonstrating in sympathy. Thousands of people marched in support of Wisconsin’s Union protestors in Indiana and Ohio. In Ohio, so many Union activists arrived at the Statehouse that police locked the doors.

In these stories and more, there is a common theme being expressed. All over the world, in countries as far apart and diverse as Egypt and Vietnam, Ireland and Libya, Bahrain and the United States, people are standing up and saying “No more concessions, no more cutbacks, no more bailouts, no more austerity, no more!” 

Read the Stock World Weekly Newsletter to find out what biotech Pharmboy likes as a long position, and what stock Scott at Sabrient thinks is still a good short. 

 

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Mon, 02/28/2011 - 04:45 | 1003351 Tic tock
Tic tock's picture

The point about Unions' is that they are now willing to negotiate, because there is a real threat to the microeconomic sitation. You can't realistically fault the success of Union negotiation, given that their rationale has been to bring more wealth to more people - when the distribution of wealth is so highly skewed in favour of the 'owners of production'.

What you might be able to say is that Unions have been trying to redistribute wealth from the top 5-15%, rather than the top 1-15%. Whether that is significant I don't know. But, if it is the case that making the cost of labor of the middle 50% more expensive actually shuts down the engine of job-creation; then it means that the bottom 65% is squeezed into a cost-regime with extremely high marginal costs.    

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 20:46 | 1002539 Quaderratic Probing
Quaderratic Probing's picture

Both sides knew the future value of pensions prevented higher wage cost today. Now its due you say no pay? No way to negotiate.

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 20:26 | 1002494 Bansters-in-my-...
Bansters-in-my- feces's picture

You can buy "Liberty" for One Dollar,it says so on the American Silver Eagle.

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 20:19 | 1002477 max2205
max2205's picture

I could careless about unions serving companies. It's the company's lack of backbone and they deserves whatever lack of profits they generate. But fuck public unions who get outfuckingragious pay overtime and pensions bleeding taxpayers. Fu k public unions and fuck the Fed. Over and out...

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 19:38 | 1002412 minus dog
minus dog's picture

I'm certainly not going to be the first to say that comparing the pro-union protesters in Wisconsin to the various protesters in the middle east is just plain fucking stupid.  

Sure, there is someone getting hosed here, but let me offer you a hint; it's not our government nor its employees.

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 20:04 | 1002457 Quantum Nucleonics
Quantum Nucleonics's picture

The pro-union protesters are more analogous to the pro-regime thugs employed by these various dictators - they are defending a status quo that has become a fantasy.

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 19:37 | 1002408 SuperRay
SuperRay's picture

Gee, I guess the CIA has been spending too much time on domestic issues - you know, depoloying Blackwater patriots to cities like Milwaukee, Detroit, Joisey, etc. But you can't blame them. There are so many potential terrorists - like those nasty old people who're gonna squawk about their health care and social security being cut. So many enemies, so few resources...

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 18:41 | 1002319 gall batter
gall batter's picture

Thomas Jefferson:  "Every generation needs a revolution."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8KQmps-Sog

Mon, 02/28/2011 - 11:02 | 1003682 falak pema
falak pema's picture

revolution is to the young what viagra is to the old...who said that?

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 17:59 | 1002209 kaiserhoff
kaiserhoff's picture

The people of Libya are saying, "no more concessions, no more cutbacks?"

What is this flakey broad smoking, and why does a gold bug/finance blog have a resident Communist?  What is this, the Berkeley Faculty?

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 18:39 | 1002317 masterinchancery
masterinchancery's picture

It is a strange interpretation of the uprising! I think they actually want cheap food and jobs.

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 20:35 | 1002511 Bob
Bob's picture

A disinformation specialist.

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 17:43 | 1002182 Rotwang
Rotwang's picture

The John Deere tractor in Iowa faced with insurection.

The food weapon will be used. You can't eat sand or oil.

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 17:31 | 1002165 Simen
Simen's picture

So who is following the Saudi stock market? It's down something like 5% on Sunday, so Monday any spillover to Monday may get interesting.

 

http://www.tadawul.com.sa/wps/portal/!ut/p/c1/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3g_A-ewIE8TIwP3gDBTA08Tn2Cj4AAvY_dQA_3gxCJ9P4_83FT9gmxHRQAK2gLn/dl2/d1/L0lHSkovd0RNQUprQUVnQSEhL1lCWncvZW4!/

 

I'll watch the Nikkei...

 

-s

 

 

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 16:41 | 1002079 JW n FL
JW n FL's picture

All over the world, in countries as far apart and diverse as Egypt and Vietnam, Ireland and Libya, Bahrain and the United States, people are standing up and saying “No more concessions, no more cutbacks, no more bailouts, no more austerity, no more!” 

********************************************************************************

God Willing, Amen!

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 16:39 | 1002074 Pseudo Anonym
Pseudo Anonym's picture

On Saturday, February 27, the Security Council of the United Nations

hmm, where I live, it was Sunday. Where does the UN live? That's what I want to know.

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 16:33 | 1002056 disabledvet
disabledvet's picture

all the weapons in the world cannot stop the "movement of peoples."  the Reckoning has now been followed by The Collapse.  The result as it has been throughout history is "a tide of humanity."  clothing them, feeding them and of greatest challenge "working them" is the mission of our age though whether it is "our mission" remains to be seen.  the USA has it's own demons--I "sense an export-oriented approach."

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 16:21 | 1002031 TexDenim
TexDenim's picture

Tunisia's Prime Minister has resigned. I don't think the region can handle much more. It's like 9/11 and Katrina happening in the same week.

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 16:18 | 1002024 PulauHantu29
PulauHantu29's picture

"Global Panic over Oil" : AP

"Alan Clendenning, AP Business Writer, On Sunday February 27, 2011, 3:04 pm

MADRID (AP) -- Libya's oil industry is in chaos -- and there's no telling when that will end.

Armed men loot equipment from oil field installations. British and German commandos execute secret raids in the Libyan desert to rescue stranded oil workers as security disintegrates rapidly in remote camps."

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Libyan-cha...

Luckily, Libya "is not a major exporter."

 

I am buying  more GLD, USO and SLV tmorrow...early.

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 16:40 | 1002077 JW n FL
JW n FL's picture

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYuLjGQQ-jg

 

it is the best 40 minutes you will spend trying to easily understand the oil issues we face...

we are not running out of oil...

we are running out of conventional oil... lite sweet crude... which is running out of affordable oil.

thusly the entire economic model of wage arbitraige is off by 200% - 300% on transpo costs alone.

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 19:44 | 1002423 silver_serf
silver_serf's picture

+600 Billion

Perhaps this was benocides plan the whole time.  Devalue fiats against commodies so much, that labor is the smallest factor in production...brilliant!

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 16:02 | 1001994 falak pema
falak pema's picture

The price of liberty...riding a bicycle! Or a horse...Silver hi-ho away!

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 16:35 | 1002066 JW n FL
JW n FL's picture

sail boat... rivers that run north will be tangled with traffic..

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 15:50 | 1001965 terryg999
terryg999's picture

No more money!

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 18:38 | 1002312 unwashedmass
unwashedmass's picture

 

well i know that i have contributed all i want to to Jamie Dimon's family multi-generational wealth.

i'm done. the other day, i turned back my leased car and refused to take another from the dealer because the only company they do financing with is Chase.....so, i like subarus, but....

i'm done doing any business whatsoever with Chase, BAC, Morgan Stanley et al. Adios boys, you got the last dime from me.

Sun, 02/27/2011 - 18:36 | 1002307 masterinchancery
masterinchancery's picture

No more public empoyee unions or freebies for public workers.

Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!