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Has The World Gone Mad (Again)?
A few select headlines from the day that made us, well, wonder...
- OBAMA'S GOAL IS FOR RUSSIA TO STEP BACK IN CRIMEA, LEW SAYS (hope and change?)
- CHINA SHOULD LOOSEN RESTRICTIONS OVER HOME PURCHASES: SEC. NEWS (but, but, but the reforms?)
- DONETSK GOVERNOR (AND BROTHER) HAD MOAT DUG OUT ON RUSSIAN BORDER (and filled with crocodiles?)
- BEIJING TO SPEND 20M YUAN TO CHANGE WEATHER TO CUT SMOG: DAILY (winning the war on weather and hence the economy)
- PUTIN SPOKESMAN SAYS UKRAINE FORCES MUST CHOOSE SIDES: BBC (hhmm, tough decision)
- FLAHERTY SAYS DECISION TO LEAVE POLITICS WAS NOT RELATED IN ANY WAY TO HIS HEALTH (just being pissed off)
- CARNEY SAYS LOW RATE ENVIRONMENT IS CONDUCIVE TO COMPLACENCY (and water is wet and we'll keep doing it)
- IRS INFORMS EMPLOYEES OF PERSONAL INFORMATION DATA BREACH (shame really)
- UKRAINE FAILS TO SELL DEBT AT DOMESTIC AUCTION: FIN MIN. (but TSLA did - shoulda sold stock)
- BANK OF CANADA'S POLOZ SAYS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT RECENT ECONOMIC SOFTNESS IN CANADA IS ALL DUE TO THE WEATHER. (wait what?)
- ESTONIA'S PRESIDENT ILVES SAYS EU RESPONSE "SHOULD NOT BE ABOUT THE PRICE OF GAS" (what else is there?)
- U.S. TREASURY CORRECTS TICS DATA RELEASED EARLIER TODAY (#Ref/0)
- KERRY SAYS PUTIN SPEECH "DIDN'T JIBE WITH REALITY" (YouTube reality?)
- UKRAINE MAY SEEK COMPENSATION FOR CRIMEA ASSETS: PETRENKO (we don't recognize it unless you pay us?)
- MERKEL SAYS NO CHANGE IN RUSSIA G-8 STATUS FOR NOW (nope, they'd have to really cross the red line)
- RUSSIA FELT ROBBED BY BREAKUP OF SOVIET UNION, PUTIN SAYS (uh oh)
- CYPRUS OPPOSES MORE SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA: FOR'N MINISTER (RIK) (just capital controls is good)
- SUGA: WILL DEAL APPROPRIATELY WITH PUTIN'S PLANNED JAPAN VISIT (umm what?)
- PUTIN: RUSSIA WILL NEVER SEEK CONFRONTATIONS IN WEST, EAST (fingers crossed?)
- JAPAN HALTS TALKS WITH RUSSIA ON VISA ISSUANCE (and nobody cared)
- WHITE HOUSE CARNEY "I WOULDN'T IF I WERE YOU" INVEST IN RUSSIA (what do you think of TWTR?)
- JAPAN DISPLAY STARTS TRADING 15% BELOW IPO PRICE IN TOKYO (shoulda IPO'd in USA)
- VIETNAM DELAYS SOME BAD DEBT CLASSIFICATION UNTIL APRIL 2015 (will all be fixed by then)
- SUGA: ABENOMICS WILL WITHOUT DOUBT LEAD TO ECONOMIC REVIVAL (yep no dooubt about it)
Has the world gone totally mad?
And then there's this:
- Fed Tightening May Begin Sooner Than Thought: Hildebrand in FT (not holding our breath)
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The world has not gone mad. Our sociopathic leaders have. It's time for people to rise up and protect our communities. Think locally, act globally!
Yes, yes they have...... and they are all following eachother off the edge of the cliff like a bunch of lemmings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oZx8XD9U8s
But the Russians love Krokodile. They will take it until the flesh rots off their bones.
Oh, that's something else entirely. My bad.
We haven't had nearly enough Boris Alatovkrap during the Ukraine pissing contest. Was really hoping for more of his insightful commentary...
I figure Boris is really Vlad just out to have a little fun. This is due to the fact that when the shit gets serious, good ole Boris does a disappearing act.
Thats my story, and I'm stickin to it...
Dunno.
Hedgeless takes a mental health sabbatical now and then.
Good on him;)
My mental sabbatical is to come here.
Whisper rumor Boris is runnin' shine between St. Pete & Ukraine & business is booming.
Columbian president pees his pants live on TV.
http://dailycaller.com/2014/03/18/colombian-president-pees-in-his-pants-during-a-speech-on-live-tv-video/
Looks almost as foolish as Choomboy on the phone to Putin.
Political campaigns are a big piss contest between candidates. Showing whi has the biggest dick (or who is one)
the world was never sane. Crazy ass brokers too are going round showing how the market is going to crash, using 1929 charts compared to 2014, but we all know that is bullshit, and the market history never repeats THIS POST PROVES IT. => http://bit.ly/1eiJ8N7
The days of getting lots of free good info are gone. The world will go madder when Obamacare comes in, that is their trick to steal from the poor to pay the rich as it ever was. Do not beleive me, then go to google and type it in, the elite are going eat you up, once this obumma care comes in. Just wait and see.
Is this part of what you're referring to? http://dailycaller.com/2014/03/18/congresswoman-obama-admin-rule-change-...
RIGHT ON PEOPLE
The LEADERS have gone mad, now its time for the LITTLE-PEOPLE to go BAD.
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But right educate yourself globally, but act locally in ONLY the place you occupy.
Change only that which you can change, ... but for god's sake look at the BIG picture and focus on primary cause, rather than tertiary symptoms.
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MAO & STALIN had their purge, a reset we may say, they purged their country's of the ASSHOLES. Nobody has purged the USA of the ASSHOLES since civil-war or earlier, a great reset must come, because in all civilizations the shit always rises to the top, and without reset the shit stays on top.
Helluva Engineer, You're Back!
In form, I see.
This will all work out fine. You'll see.
Yes, I'm sure the Nancy Boy in Chief and Old Hoss Face have this under control.
Just another day on the happy pills in Broadmoor hospital for the criminally
insane.
Chill.
My favorite Rumpole of the Bailey.
"There is not a single earthly pleasure I would forego in order to secure another six months in Mr's Higgenbottom's Home for the Aged."
The sad thing is the algos are programmed to believe every word of it. Party on!!
And to add insult to injury. This in an email to me from APMEX
The price you've been waiting for - 2014 1 oz Silver American Eagles just
$2.79 per coin over spot until Midnight Thursday
Barely $3 under spot. What the hell? In any quantity.
The Banksters broke the market.
Uh huh, make sure to calculate the shipping charges on that order.
Fuck APMEX......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oZx8XD9U8s
That's crazy. What is it .
The planet is fucked.
The planet is fine... The PEOPLE are fucked. - George Carlin
Someone beat me to GC quote. Well played, sir.
Who cares?
We still expect s&p500 to return 30% at year end.
The sad thing is when I look at the DJIA of about 11722 at the beginning of 2000, and plug that into an online inflation calculator, that number comes out within 400 point of todays closing.
We have not really gained any ground at all, just shuffled a lot of paper around, or rearranged the deck chairs............................
And that "flat return" doesn't account for the FACT that 80%+ of the sheeple "investors" got ass reamed multiple times during that period you reference, meaning that the only return has been massive churning of P&D games by the insiders, and as of the last 5 years or so, HFT scalping of no risk, resulting in any "gains" being wrapped up and pulled out by the insiders consistently close to downturns, bear markets and sudden crashes (think Blackstone).
I would bet a Yellen to anyone's 20 that 90% of any and all REALIZED gains over the last 5 years in the "markets" have gone to the insiders, and that by the time this party crashes and burns, 9 out of 10 "investor sheeple" will be ass reamed yet again - before anyone tells me I'm wrong, I am exposed to the insiders and a helluva lot of wise people who know what is up & where.
As just another example of this, in the event you're unaware, look at the rate at which the indexes have delisted and replaced ticker symbols on the
Dow, Spooz, Naz and R2000, or just research survivorship bias.
Very well said, +100
There needs to be a complete change to our current paradigm. The folks running the show need to be fired. I'm talking across the globe. We need less globalism and more regional and local oversight. We need to return to the Constitution and the not so good folks from the IMF, BIS and another 30 or so 3 letter agencies and NGOs need to go pound sand. One of these days they are gonna kill us all.
Maybe you should ask all nicey-nice and maybe they will let you do that? WTH man?
Still laughing at this comment 5 minutes later. All we can do is laugh.
Yes bitching on blogs with you and the other folks seems to be doing wonders. I'm educating myself, stacking, learning to garden and becoming as sustainable as possible. I cannot save the world, but I can change myself. I know I am stating the obvious. It needs to be said if never accomplished.
Dood, all one can point out to you is that there is no mention of oil in the Constitution, but all of civilization is defined by oil.
...And my wife wonders why I wanna buy a waste veggie oil Mercedes. When the constitution was written, oil was for lamps and cooking.
Think it through. If you arrange for a bike, or an electric asset trike, or a veggie oil mercedes -- all so you can get to the store to get food -- what makes you think food got to the store?
It's all so much more serious than people think. 80% of people who "prep" buy some extra campbells soup for their cupboard and think they're ready. You tell them get out of the city -- your water is going to shut off when the water company workers don't go to work because they're trying to get food for their families. They will reply, but I drink bottled water.
I agree. I was an alcoholic debt serf 7 years ago. I got sober, woke the fuck up and basically spend my days trying to learn what I can. I agree that if folks think having a few months of Canned goods will save you, you're wrong. I come to ZeroHedge as my AA meeting for my soul in this shitty world. My world is actually fine, but what truly woke me up was my daughter. She will be here long after I'm gone and reaps what is sewn. She's my focus.
Nice post. Good luck to you. :)
+100
That's a concept too terrifying for most people to acknowledge.
It seems to demonstrate that the nihilists are right.
I can't speak for the rest of the world, but from my limited view perch in these United States, a new, mutant & highly insidious strain of Stockholm Syndrome has turned highly contagious, and has, in fact, turned into an epidemic, ravaging the economic, social & moral fabric of the U.S., and has turned the overwhelming majority of Americans into the easiest of prey/debt slaves.
....shhhhhhhhh the burgers are laced with stockholm syndrome
I, for the 1st time in my life, am 100% certain of something, that I shall now list as a fact:
America's biggest product, export & industry is ADVERTISING.
My goal for the year is to see how little exposure to advertising I am assaulted by, not that I didn't try to avoid it like the plague of intellectual numbification that it is, previously.
WTF WITH THE FUKKIN' ADVERTISING OVERDOSE EVERY FUKKIN' MILISECOND OF LIFE, FFS!!
TIS fwiw i have read that post u put up about your clients being slaves about 10 times and sent it to several people, all who have thanked me and said they planned on sharing it with others. amazing shit man.
Thanks, fonz. I am confident that they already knew it, but it always pleases me to hear that I was able to tap into a stream of consciousness & at least give a halfway decent summation of the vibe in written word.
I've gone searching for the comment you mention, but haven't found it. Would you be so kind as to post the link please?
I am on this stupid tablet so I hope this link works -
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-03-15/if-you-are-considering-buying-h...
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-03-15/if-you-are-considering-buying-h...
Many thanks for those links :)
Oh yeah, I saw that the other day. Really good rant!
There is a horrible movie called Pete and Tilly which has one great line in it.
"God didn't make man to be a god damned certified public accountant."
I stand, or sit before you as exhibit A. Let the rebellion begin;)
Advertising doesn't work very well on me. As proof of this, I will offer the fact that I have never, ever even tasted a McRib sandwich.
What I am wondering is whether there's so much advertising because relatively little is selling well, or because it is...
...I suspect I know the answer.
And the answer today is probably different from what it was 15 or 20 years ago.
I don't know why advertising has never been very effective on me though. Maybe it is because I've always found commercials to be an annoyance? Sure, advertise a new local restaurant on the radio, and I might pop in, but even then, that isn't that common. For me, if I want something, I'm the type who will figure out what is the best option, and go in, snag what I am there for, and GTFO.
But, it is easy to see how they make shit look or sound glamorous or whatever in commercials, and how that probably affects most people. It's kind of disgusting, really. On both sides, the sheep who suck it up and the people who prey on them.
Even programs (a double meaning can be assigned there) that aren't typically thought of as advertisements, are. "News" and "Current Affairs" programs, game shows, prime time sitcoms - the people who watch those don't notice the product placement and the (mostly) gentle adjustments of acceptable behaviour in society (because if it's on TV, people start doing it).
I hate advertising. I stopped buying magazines years ago when I realized that over half the magazine was devoted to ads, and the rest was advertising disguised as articles. I always muted the commercials on tv, and then one day I realized that it was muted about 80% of the time. So I got rid of tv.
Last year I had to live in a hotel for a few months, so I tuned in to my old favorite....cable news. OMG! Almost every "news item" is an ad for something. Especially CNBC. (Yes, I watched it.) That entire channel is one big commercial.
El Vaquero,
I've never had a McRib either. But do you know why they only have it on the menu for a limited time, then it goes away, then they bring it back (to the delight of the McRib lovers)? They do it when beef prices are higher due to a shortage. Maybe it's common knowledge, but I heard an ex-Wall Street guy explain it a couple of years ago, and I was so mad at myself for not figuring it out on my own. (That's the sort of common sense thing I usually excel at.) Anyway, I've paid attention to it ever since, and sure enough, when beef is too high, the fast food places start hawking chicken and rib sandwiches.
Also, Costco hasn't sold their canned roast beef for over a year. I did see that one coming when I read about the Texas drought affecting cattle herds.
My point is that advertising = manipulation, and people rarely notice it.
I'll see my "friends" on Facebook with their narcissistic posts and drivel. I wanna scream from the roof tops. It won't help. You just have to dig into your little corner of the world and focus on you and yours. Thankfully most of my family sees what I see.
I haven't logged into Facefuck for probably 2 years.
I thought most people here would be beyond that social media bullshit
Posting on ZH could be considered messing with social media, no?
I wrote earlier today, but the problem is and RM asserts this frequently but the problem is that GOD is now USD-MURDER, inc.
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The USD is MURDER
The cia ain't christian
The mossan ain't jewish
The al-queda ain't muslim
All these ZIO-KLAN'smen all worship the USD as god, and that is the fucking problem.
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First we have to separate out the notion of religion, the kleptocrats don't have fuck all do with with judaism, islam, or christianity.
Must of the zio-zio-con is ran by big-oil, rockefeller, ford foundations.
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How do we fix it, start by TRUTH, by education, by anger we shall over-come the assholes.
Russia collects over $400 billion from the EU every year in oil and gas payments. That is drainage from Russia's enemies, relentlessly dragging them down.
That's paid in Euros. And here we thought it was Germany that was ordering Draghi not to print from thin air.
The G-8 is meaningless. The G-20 has taken over. Think of all the Nation-States that have hated US diplomacy (an oxymoron if I've ever heard) in the last few decades. The East of the world will now slice pie with the West. Still to have their day in court is the South. But just as the US helped China along, there will be benfactors in South America and Africa.
ESTONIA'S PRESIDENT ILVES SAYS EU RESPONSE "SHOULD NOT BE ABOUT THE PRICE OF GAS"
This is what the Baltics would hope it wouldn't come to, I'm afraid. They joined NATO thinking that they'd get actually help in keeping the great eastern bear at bay. Of course, embracing western banking and IMF austerity sucked too. But you know, once someone's "invested" in something, i.e. I've suffered for this, but I persevere we'll come out OK in the end-- well, you've only chosen a different pimp who promised not to beat you (as much) as the last one. NATO may put some F-15's or whatever in the Baltics, but when push comes to shove, they'll retreat faster than a French border guard with running shoes and free coupons for cigarettes.
I have still not heard one peep from the MSM lately about the SS-26
systems in Kaliningrad. WTF?
They are in lockstep.
Under their desks searching for a 777.
I hear trumpets.
i'm estonian and i have no illusions about nato. once we were left to soviet union with yalta conference, so when it comes to this again, west wild look the other way as usual. it's only our politicians who will not entertain such a notion. until then, estonian government will send highest number of soldiers per capita to afganistan, iraq, mali or wherever the empire building is acute. i guess i don't have to express my repugnance for such a policy, but what can i do, our democracy is as effective as it is at in our great example of ussa.
furthermore, it took nato 2 weeks to form a sentence to put their stance out regarding ukraine. i know, they are not in the nato but nevertheless.
i don't know if estonian economy would be better or worse without western banks and finance, but nevertheless, progress has been remarkable considering where we were at after the collapse of soviet union. and FYI, latvia, who swallowed the imf hook in 2008, has repaid their debt in full, for the great displeasure of imf. they said latvia went too far with austerity, lol. well if soviet union was good for anything, it was to learn austerity. for example, estonian public debt to gdp is lowest in the eu, though it comes with the price.
Glad to hear from you brother, I'm Latvian but living in america. I was in Estonia (Parnu) last year, such a wonderful place--and I highly recommend the ham & cheese stuffed pancakes (Taidetud pannkugid). I thought you guys had your act together. It doesn't hurt to share a close bond with Finland. My comment re the bankers would be objections to things like full recourse mortgages with as many co-signers as possible. So that way after you go into foreclosure (because you bought more than you were qualled for) they will not only go after you for deficiencies after sale (to one of their crony buddies) they will go after your old auntie too. The austerity did go too far but I'm glad to hear the wretched IMF is out. What a bunch of blood suckers. The soviet era did manage to teach people to tend their own small plots of land and create extra produce for themselves, which heaven knows the US should be working on. I just don't want our lands turned into battlefields again.
good to hear from you too. pärnu is a nice summer resort indeed.
finland is our last hope. they are not part of nato, but they have pretty decent military force which they are not showing off. finland managed to defeat soviet army in the winter war 39-40. also their help in estonian war of independence in 18-20 was essential to establish first estonian state. let's hope it doesn't come to this, though baltics has been the battlefield since forever.
don't get me started on bankers and imf.
Jim Flarety resigned abruptly just to jump on the brakes of the CAD. He wanted to retire anyway...
The CAD is soooo fucking weak. Glad Im loaded up in gold. Its been north of $1500 in CAD for weeks.
<<CHINA SHOULD LOOSEN RESTRICTIONS OVER HOME PURCHASES>>
Oi vey!
Which reset button is it this week?
Yes.
It's good for a laugh.
Just push the button, get it over with already. I'll be on the roof top.
just more proof that comedians rule the world ...
This must really be putting a kink in Zero's golf game.
Where do I order those Mickey Roonies Crazy Pills?
No, Northern Pike, they live forever and grow as big as their feed; take a toe off ya if they get hungry enough. Besides Donetsk is in a goddamned temperate zone, komodo dragons can't hack it.
On a less zany note:
German court approves ESM-greenlight for bailouts
China, New Zealand agree to direct currency exchange (by-passing other currencies-$).
"BEIJING TO SPEND 20M YUAN TO CHANGE WEATHER TO CUT SMOG: DAILY (winning the war on weather and hence the economy)"
This couldn't possibly have an unforeseen consequences could it?
Good job ZH !!!!!!!!
meanwhile, China and New Zealand begin direct currency trading. (China is New Zealand's largest export market.) previously, a company that needed to trade New Zealand dollars for Chinese yuan in China had to use a third currency, and typically it was the U.S. dollar.
NEW SANCTIONS: MERKEL - OLIGARCHS NOT ALLOWED TO DRIVE GERMAN CARS IN RUSSIA
"The devil triumphs when good men do nothing." The rulers are out of control. They have forgotten the horrors of 1914-1918, 1939-1945. We are doomed to repeat history, any reading of long term history confirms that rulers will go mad several times each century. Now it is our turn to suffer the evil of our ruling classes driven by greed, corruption, lust for power and their belief in their god given right to kill. Did you know the American president commands a huge dedicated death squad, the most secret of US Special Forces Command. They answer only to the President, no one else. They kill across any nation they choose and taget the Presidents enemies as he sees fit. See the documentary "The Dirty War" on netflix. You will see the US force that Afghans call "The American Taliban". Did you ever wonder that when ever American interests would benefit by snipers shooting large numbers of people, it always happens? EuroMidan was not the first case of shadowy snipers doing just what US foreign policy needs done.
We are all spied on by the USG because good men are a threat to the evil that now rules Washington.
Just in case anyone is keeping score and is interested in making it a "headline".
I know Zerohedge doesn't normally throw up a PressTV report but with the likes of Senior Editor Jeff Steinberg of the Executive Intelligence Review how can the rest of them that pay for adds on the borders of this page throw up a "red flag" calling the source and the interviewee an anti-semite? Then again the Zionist and Neocons in Washington and the EU are going to be forced to abandon those kinds of questionable catcalls given the evidence of the Svoboda and other Neo-Nazi organizations they are funding in the Ukraine, just as the U.S. can no longer call the FSA "terrorists".
Can't ignore the truth forever, or at least until they provoke the Bear into a conventional exchange that escalates?
Let's hope this story is wrong folks.
http://www.presstv.com/detail/2014/03/18/355208/us-builds-up-forces-on-russia-border/
The Jews voted for Hitler in Germany also. The Zionists/NEOCons in charge seemingly don't care who gets killed or who they support as long as they get what they want.
Madness in Ukraine. Patriotic meeting in one of Kiev 's school: Moscovites should be stabbed. "Men, who are not jumping (dead and not moving) - are moscovites (Russians)!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrJC6rU9lG0&feature=player_embedded
Age of chaos ... world out of balance ... blah, blah.
Simple question, simple answer: YES.
"CARNEY SAYS LOW RATE ENVIRONMENT IS CONDUCIVE TO COMPLACENCY(and water is wet and we'll keep doing it)"
This just about sums up Carney.
Although he often makes comments which suggest he has some sense (unlike his puppetmaster boss Osborne in No.11 Downing Street who continues to make socialist claims of "we're all in this together"), his actions suggest that he's yet another mad central banker who believes that cheap money and starving savers of interest income (as in Zirp) will stimulate the economy and produce genuine growth and recovery.
THAT it has completely failed to do anything of the sort in five years seems to have gone right over his head.
I therefore pay more attention to what Carney does, not what he says.