Business Investing and Stock Market Uncertainty

Posted on February 28, 2021 by Alberto Mancini

Business Investment; the best time to buy is when the crowd is scared

Business investing: One of the best places to invest in is the stock market, provided one understands how the masses operate. The mass mindset is wired for failure; it is programmed to panic when anything stressful presents itself and that is very dangerous when it comes to the stock markets. In short, as a business investment, the stock market could be considered to be one that provides the best return on capital provided one does not allow one’s emotions to do the talking.

Look at the recent headlines; all the top players are going out of their way to create a mountain out of a molehill. I wonder why? Are they doing this because they love the masses so much? We think not; the idea is to fleece the masses both ways; on the way and on the way down.

Nothing drives the masses more insane then uncertainty. Suddenly create the illusion of uncertainty, and all hell will eventually break loose. All hell is the secret code word for long-term opportunity. Individually these stories are not a big deal, but what stands out is all these comments were made around the same time; it almost seems like a coordinated event.

Even Stan Druckenmiller doesn’t know where markets go next

After a wild three months in the financial markets, the billionaire investor is warning that trading conditions may become even more challenging as central banks withdraw stimulus from a global economy that’s already slowing. He anticipates lousy returns on stocks for years to come and has been buying US Treasuries on the expectation that yields will keep dropping.

“If you look at the indicators I have historically used in my business, they’re not red yet, but they are definitely amber. https://bit.ly/2Q1qgYY

Greenspan Says Politics Today Are Unlike Any He’s Seen

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said the current state of U.S. politics is unlike anything he’s seen.

“I was in the U.S. government for almost 20 years and I’ve never seen anything remotely close to what we’re observing today,” Greenspan said on Bloomberg TV on Wednesday. “I think the economic outlook is being significantly affected by the poor politics,” he said, adding that he’s “very much concerned.” https://bloom.bg/2SmATr2

Janet Yellen is worried about the next financial crisis

Janet Yellen is worried about the next financial crisis and told a small, intimate audience at an event Wednesday night in Washington, D.C., that her biggest concerns were the potential for reversal of financial safeguards put in place after the crisis and growing corporate debt.

“I am worried that we are in a deregulatory mode and I see a lot of pressures building in the system to go further to really weaken fundamental safeguards that were created in Dodd-Frank. We are a decade after the financial crisis so that would be worrisome and wrong to do,” Yellen told the audience at the Women in Housing and Finance holiday event. https://on.mktw.net/2SOVuEu

What was the difference between the Feb 2018 correction and the current one?

At least there was a proper trigger for that event. Bullish sentiment surged to a seven-year high, even though it only maintained this reading for roughly ten days. Had that correction morphed into a back-breaking correction, we could justify it as at least two triggers were there; bullish sentiment soared to a seven-year high, and the markets were trading in the extremely overbought ranges. This time around, bullish sentiment did not even make it to the 54% mark, and our indicators had already pulled back from the overbought ranges. In fact, they were dangerously close to the oversold ranges on the monthly charts.

Higher interest rates were never issue

The next interest rate hike was already priced in and so were the effects of the tariffs. However, when these events were weaponized, they started to become an issue. Now that the big players have seen the benefits of this type of attack first hand expect it to be used ruthlessly in the years to come. However, if you stop and focus on the forest as opposed to a single tree, this weapon will have no effect on you.

After everything was said and done, if you had held onto your shares from the 2008 crash and then added more as the market tanked incrementally, you would have made a fortune ten years later. Let’s look at some random examples. To simplify matters we are going to assume that one lot of each stock was purchased roughly at the highest price during the 2007-2008 top and an equal amount was purchased at roughly at the lowest price in 2009. However, any person employing simple Technical Analysis and Mass Psychology would have achieved a better average entry price, even though they did not purchase at the top or the exact bottom.

Courtesy of Tactical Investor

Random views on Business Investing

The Stock Market: Risk vs. Uncertainty

Life is risky. The future is uncertain. We’ve all heard these statements, but how well do we understand the concepts behind them? More specifically, what do risk and uncertainty imply for stock market investments? Is there any difference in these two terms?

Risk and uncertainty both relate to the same underlying concept—randomness. Risk is randomness in which events have measurable probabilities, wrote economist Frank Knight in 1921 in Meaning of Risk and Uncertainty.1 Probabilities may be attained either by deduction (using theoretical models) or induction (using the observed frequency of events). For example, we can easily deduce the probabilities of the possible outcomes of a game of dice. Similarly, economists can deduce probability distributions for stock market returns based on theoretical models of investor behavior.

On the other hand, induction allows us to calculate probabilities from past observations where theoretical models are unavailable, possibly because of a lack of knowledge about the underlying relation between cause and effect. For instance, we can induce the probability of suffering a head injury when riding a bicycle by observing how frequently it has happened in the past. In a like manner, economists estimate probability distributions for stock market returns from the history of past returns.

Whereas risk is quantifiable randomness, uncertainty isn’t. It applies to situations in which the world is not well-charted. First, our world view might be insufficient from the start. Full Story

How Do Investors Respond to Uncertainty?

By Jyoti Madhusoodanan

Uncertainty in the economy—triggered, say, by a change in government, a diplomatic conflict, or a turn of the business cycle—is usually considered bad news for people who want to invest their money. But a new analysis from researchers at the Yale School of Management and Northwestern University looked at an unprecedentedly wide range of markets and found that investors are more concerned about actual volatility in prices than periods of high uncertainty. Indeed, their analysis suggests that investors historically have viewed periods of high uncertainty as being good news.

“There’s good reason to believe that just uncertainty by itself is bad,” says Yale SOM professor of finance Stefano Giglio, who led the study. The theory goes that a jump in uncertainty makes firms and individuals less likely to invest, driving down growth. “But we also know that when there’s high volatility there’s also high opportunity. So it wasn’t entirely clear: Are investors truly worried about market uncertainty?”

To answer that question, Giglio and his colleagues examined the prices of options, which are contracts that give investors the ability to buy or sell assets at a pre-specified price at some point in the future. They drew these data from the CME group, which includes information from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the Kansas City and Chicago Boards of Trade, and the New York Mercantile and Commodity Exchanges. Full Story

Understand the difference between risk and uncertainty while investing

Most people are unable to appreciate the difference between risk and uncertainty. When you invest in the markets or in any other asset class, there is an element of risk.

If you have seen investors getting confused between risk and uncertainty then they are not the only ones. Most people are unable to appreciate the difference between risk and uncertainty. When you invest in the markets or in any other asset class, there is an element of risk and also an element of uncertainty. In many ways, you can say that uncertainty is a very extreme form of risk. You can predict risk based on a mathematical formula and set the limits. In case of uncertainty, it is hard to set limits. That is why uncertainty cannot be managed; it can only be insured against.
Risk has a negative connotation and a positive connotation to it. For example, stock markets hate risk and any stock with a higher degree of risk gets a lower P/E valuation. What is the positive connotation of risk? Remember, all your investment decisions are risk-return trade-offs. To earn higher returns, you need to take higher risks. However, higher risk, by itself, does not guarantee you higher returns. How do we define risk? The risk is the potential for loss. Full Story

Long Term Trends: stock market bull vs bear

Posted on February 27, 2021 by Alberto Mancini

The monthly chart of the Dow going from 1985

Stock market bull vs bear: Each point on this chart represents a month’s worth of data; the worst one day crash (black Monday) is just an insignificant blip on this long-term chart, clearly proving that until Fiat money is eliminated that stock market crashes from a long-term perspective represent buying opportunities.

The yearly chart of the Dow from 1985

The same chart but now each point represents a year’s worth of data; one could argue that depending on the time frame one chooses, a back-breaking correction on the daily and weekly charts might appear as a small event on the monthly charts and almost a non-event on the yearly charts.

The stronger the deviation, the better the opportunity; markets always revert to the mean. No matter how much one might be tempted to disagree, the above charts state otherwise.

There are two main underlying themes behind every single market crash; a euphoric crowd and an extremely overbought market. Both elements were missing this time around, clearly highlighting that something else is at play here, and it smells dangerously akin to market manipulation. Market manipulation via weaponized news?

From a long-term perspective, this sharp pullback is creating another once in a lifetime buying opportunity event. The crash of 2008 was one of the most painful in recent history and yet despite this vicious pullback; the Dow is still trading well over 200% above its 2009 lows.

Another myth that is peddled over and over again is the issue of how long it takes a market to recoup it has lost gains. Our response is who cares? What matters is the stocks you are buying and not a particular market index. A vast number of stocks had already tacked on gains of several hundred percentage points before the Dow traded above its 2008 highs. The same is going to happen this time around. Strong companies will recoup their gains 2X to 3X faster than the broader markets, so when the Dow trades past 27K, some of these stocks will be showing gains in excess of 100%.

So what is going on now?

Why are the markets acting differently; one-word weaponized News. The action has been downright brutal, but something was off, the crowd was never euphoric, and the markets were not trading in the extremely overbought ranges.

The markets had already priced in Tariffs and a rate hike, but then things changed. Suddenly Trump had to emphasise that he is “tariff man”. Then he starts taking pot shots at the Fed. The Fed, in turn, takes shots at him, albeit indirectly, and the media goes ballistic. We are not taking sides here, what we are trying to portray is that old news was and is being turned into something sinister. Moreover, not a day goes by without some old nonsense being respun into a scarier version of the original story. When spin doctors are in charge of the media you need to take their sage advice with a shot of whiskey and a barrel of salt. In other words, when they scream you sing and vice versa. Mass psychology states that stock market crashes are buying opportunities; end of story.

Courtesy of Tactical Investor

Random Views on Long Term Trends in stock market 2019

Stock Market Tantrums Are Over, But For How Long?

Equities have been behaving like a recession is looming. That dire outlook seems overdone. While major global stock markets were battered in 2018 – and even the initially resilient U.S. Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 stumbled – we still expect equities to deliver solid returns in 2019. Assuming no price-to-earnings (P/E) expansion this year, and tagging on a 2% dividend, the S&P 500 could return 8%. Any modest P/E expansion could deliver 12% returns. Bank earnings this week, including JP Morgan and Wells Fargo, are likely to restore some faith in equity markets over the short-term.

However, trade tensions between the U.S. and China and fears over Federal Reserve System of the United States (Fed) tightening are definitely taking their toll on investor sentiment. Earlier in January, Apple posted a reduced revenue outlook, blaming Chinese demand, causing its stock price to tumble. Yale University’s Stephen Roach warned that it was “the canary in the coal mine.”

These fears could strangle growth, but fundamentally, the bleak backdrop for equities is starting to improve. Investors want evidence that the Fed is not on autopilot, and will continue to be hyper-sensitive to data disappointments until they get some positive U.S.-China trade news. A reduction in these risks could see an expansion in the P/E ratio – delivering a boost to equity markets. Full Story

Sven Henrich: My 2019 stock-market outlook

Cataclysmic action in the fourth quarter left investors shell-shocked, as U.S. stocks plummeted and over 90% of dollar-based asset classes fell for all of 2018.

Macro monsters from trade wars, Brexit, slowing economic growth, a slump in global property prices, political uncertainty, yield-curve inversions, deficit explosions, technical breakdowns, etc., are lurking everywhere, leaving investors blindfolded while they try to navigate highly volatile market waters in search for a safe destination in 2019.

As we learned in 2018, extremes can become more extreme, long-term trends matter, patterns matter, divergences matter, technical disconnects matter and now we’re dealing with the aftermath and their implications.

My main market message for 2019: Pay close attention and stay fully informed. There are a lot of complex moving technical and macro pieces driving markets and the global economy that make for a foggy outlook for the year ahead.

Wall Street tends to focus on a destination when it projects higher year-end target prices. Indeed, as in 2018 and in 2008, Wall Street is again projecting higher prices for this year. While higher prices are always a possibility, my focus in this report is on the journey rather than the destination, as I expect wild price swings within the 2018 range (2,340-2,941 points in the S&P 500 Index SPX, +0.12% ) and possibly a much lower range still to come. Full Story

Stock Market Forecast For 2019: 7 Critical Trends To Watch

The new year begins with a gnawing question: Is the stock market correction of the past three months a harbinger of an awful 2019, or a launchpad for a new bull market? While it’s folly to make a decisive stock market forecast for 2019, a few trends hold clues.

On the face of it, financial markets seem to sense trouble. On Christmas Eve, the S&P 500 index hit the 20% threshold for a bear market.

Few experts see a recession, but signs of slowing economic growth are piling up. The 10-year Treasury yield has fallen to the lowest since April, even as the Fed tightens and unwinds its quantitative easing program.
Of all these factors, two stand out because of their unpredictability and consequences: trade policy and interest rates. The trade war can expand suddenly into multiple industries and cause spillover effects. Markets fear Fed rate hikes will overshoot, sending the economy into recession.

Here’s a look at each of the seven factors, plus tips on how stock market investors can prepare for whatever 2019 brings.

1. Stock Market Volatility
For much of 2018, the stock market tolerated a trade war, Treasury yield anxiety, Europe’s political spasms and other risks. In the final months of the year, investors could bear it no longer. As 2019 begins, the market has to pick itself up from the worst correction since 2011. On Dec. 20, the Nasdaq sank to a bear-market depth. Full Story

Stock Market Correction

Posted on February 26, 2021 by Alberto Mancini

What is the difference between a Market correction and a back-breaking correction?

A sharp stock market correction is the thing that we encountered in Feb of this current year. The pullback is sharp and quick, and the dread dimensions rise significantly. A backbreaking revision is unique. The term itself is demonstrative of the distinction. The pullback is exceptionally solid however the unpredictability is crazy, and the market seems, by all accounts, to be bipolar. Chaos is by all accounts the request of the day, and even the absolute most impassioned of bulls begin to scrutinize their stance. Every positively trending business sector encounters one such adjustment. Be that as it may, it is difficult to tell ahead of time which redress is going to fall under the extremely difficult category. Trying to figure out which adjustment falls in this class has an exceptionally high open door cost. It is hard to break out of the “uneasiness arrange” in the event that you have been stuck in it for quite a while. These brokers in the long run get their desire of solid adjustment, however they are scared to the point that they can’t act; they keep on expecting that the market will prop up lower and lower.

Advanced warning for market correction

We expressed in July 2017 that the there would be one revision where the Dow would shed 3500-5000 points.

Without a smidgen of uncertainty, we can express that there will be somewhere around one rectification that drives the Dow lower by 3500-5000 points before this positively trending business sector is over. Market refresh June 2, 2017.

Two help focuses become possibly the most important factor. On the off chance that the Dow closes underneath 2400 on a month to month premise, at that point we can anticipate that the pullback should fall nearer towards the 5000 point range. If the Dow closes beneath 23348 on a week by week premise, at that point the above standpoint will likewise hold. 23348 is the low the Dow set in April of this year. Market Update Dec 18, 2018

As the above help calls attention to taken out, we expressed that the following stage was for the market to test the 22,000-23,000 territories. That has happened, the following stage for the market is to step water while gathering up speed to slant higher. This stage will be pressed with unpredictability as the market powers the feeble hands to dump their stocks. Brokers who have experienced this stage before will perceive for it is; an ideal purchasing opportunity occasion.

So do not focus on what happens if the stock market crashes scenario; instead, focus on building a list of stocks you always wanted to own at a lower price. History and Mass psychology both illustrate that permanent stock market bears die broke and that stock market crashes have always proven to be buying opportunities; pull up and long-term chart and try to argue otherwise.

THE STOCK MARKET CORRECTION IS PURPOSELY BEING MADE TO LOOK WORSE THAN IT IS

It looks terrible, the media is siphoning apocalypse type situations, solid bulls are appearing of shortcoming, and even contrarian financial specialists are beginning to break. Unadulterated contrarians are more brilliant than the majority, yet they do have defects; the most brilliant financial specialists are the ones that put the standards of mass brain research into play. They watch the mass mentality, and they comprehend that notwithstanding when dread begins to crawl into the condition, they are constrained to ask this question: Was the group in a condition of rapture when the market beat out? In the event that the appropriate response is “no”, at that point regardless of how horrendous the image may look, the end diversion is that the group is being set up for a bogus descending move. And the ordinary reaction would “why”. Simple answer, this is an advanced form of Pavlovian training.

Take a gander at the above notion information; in the meantime refresh conveyed before today we expressed that bearish slant would come in the 45-47 territories; rather, it remains at 49, which is right around a seven-year high rather than a multi year high. We turned wary in Feb of this current year and put all our plays on hold in light of the fact that bullish assumption took off to a seven-year high; despite the fact that this flood in assessment was transitory, it was sufficient for us to turn mindful. Given the present pattern, the following refresh could drive bearish readings north of 50. This information was gathered up to Saturday of a week ago. At the present time the quantity of people in the bearish and unbiased camps means an astounding 80; this consolidated score nearly coordinates the perusing of the 2008-2009 base. The last time we had such readings was more than 10 years back.

Presently take a gander at the nervousness check, this is the most minimal perusing since the initiation of this measure and given the present pattern it could finish up redlining one week from now; we may even be compelled to broaden the range if the perusing is altogether higher than the current week’s perusing.

Let us look at some other factors

The S&P 500 is trading 14.3 times below 2019 earnings of $178 per share. However, we if remove the highly overpriced FANG stocks, it is priced roughly 12 times 2019 earnings. The historical average is 16.2
Value line states that over 100 companies have a forward P/E of 8 or lower; the last time this took place was during the 2008 meltdown but the economy was in shambles at that point, and that is not the case today.
A lot of fear is being created due to an inverted yield curve; first of all not all inversions lead to recessions, and secondly, there is roughly a two year lag between the inversion and the recession
Investors are sitting on hoards of cash; this refers to those that were active in the markets. If we include those who have avoided the markets, then one can state that there is a huge group that has missed this entire Bull Run. They will be dragged into this market for the top player’s need many suckers do dump their huge holdings onto.
The number of “Gloom & Doom” articles is surging, and soon we will have individuals predicting Dow 10,000. Insanity sells; investors were lapping the nonsensical targets of 100K, 200K and the last target of $1 million issued for Bitcoin with straight faces. Very few insane high-level projections have been made for the Dow.

Conclusion

A backbreaking correction is not easy to deal with. In fact, it is hard for everyone to deal with; the only way to get through it is to pull up long-term charts and examine previous corrections. When you look at those charts, try to imagine what the investors felt as the markets pulled back. If you experienced one of these previous corrections remember the thoughts flashing through your mind. One does not have to go back to far; 2008-2009 the markets experienced one of the most brutal of corrections. The master of “Gloom” were projecting Dow 2K during the height of the corrective phase; ten years later, one can clearly see how full of rubbish they were. These same guys are now laying out similar predictions.

The best time to kill a Bull is when it is fat, lazy and arrogant. The current bull is a lean and could turn into a “mean fighting machine” after the recent pullback.

Courtesy of Tactical Investor

Denmark finally passes Law banning both Burqa and Niqab

Posted on February 25, 2021 by Alan Solomon

Denmark has joined several other European countries in banning garments that cover the face, including Islamic veils such as the niqab and burqa, in a move condemned by human rights campaigners as “neither necessary nor proportionate”. In a 75-30 vote with 74 absentees on Thursday, Danish lawmakers approved the law presented by the centre-right governing coalition. The government said it is not aimed at any religions and does not ban headscarves, turbans or the traditional Jewish skull cap.

But the law is popularly known as the “burqa ban” and is mostly seen as being directed at the dress worn by some Muslim women. Few Muslim women in Denmark wear full-face veils.The justice minister, Søren Pape Poulsen, said it would be up to police officers to use their common sense when they see people violating the law, which comes into force on 1 August.The legislation allows people to cover their face when there is a “recognisable purpose” such as cold weather or complying with other legal requirements, for example using motorcycle helmets under Danish traffic rules.

Those violating the law risk a fine of 1,000 kroner (£118). Repeat offenders could be fined up to 10,000 kroner or jailed for up to six months. Austria, France and Belgium have similar laws.

Gauri van Gulik, Amnesty International’s Europe director, said of the Danish decision: “All women should be free to dress as they please and to wear clothing that expresses their identity or beliefs. This ban will have a particularly negative impact on Muslim women who choose to wear the niqab or burqa. “While some specific restrictions on the wearing of full-face veils for the purposes of public safety may be legitimate, this blanket ban is neither necessary nor proportionate and violates the rights to freedom of expression and religion. Full Story

Roughly two hours after commenting on the previous story, this news article surfaced. If you have ever been to Denmark or had Danish friends, you will understand how easy going and nice these individuals (generally) are. http://studyindenmark.dk/why-denmark/quality-of-life-1/what-are-the-danes-like

Hence, when you factor this into the equation what’s taking place now is occurring at a very fast rate. The statement we boldfaced is very telling. On a scale of 1-10, we are between 3 and 4, so this trend has plenty of room to run before it tops out. In other words, what’s taking place will appear mild in the future?

Sweden Democrats the Anti-immigration party set to score big in Upcoming elections

Posted on February 24, 2021 by Alan Solomon

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Sweden’s top three parties are running almost level four months ahead of a general election, with the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats polling a record 20 percent, according to poll in daily Dagens Nyheter. Support for the Sweden Democrats has surged since they first won seats in parliament in 2010, with the party on track to record its best ever election result after getting 13 percent in 2014. A surge in asylum numbers in 2015, when Sweden took in 160,000 refugees, has heightened worries about a creaking welfare state and that crime is increasing, boosting the party, which wants to close Sweden’s doors and crack down on gangs. The ISPOS poll put the Sweden Democrats hot on the heels of the governing Social Democrats, who got 24 percent, and the biggest opposition party, the center-right Moderates, who scored 22 percent.

At the last election the center-left Social Democrats got 31 percent and the Moderates 23.3 percent. The current government is a minority coalition of the Social Democrats and Greens. They are supported in parliament by the Left Party. Together, the parties polled 37 percent. The Moderates, Centre, Christian Democrats and Liberals cooperate and will fight the election as a group. They polled 39 percent Full Story

The Viking blood still runs strong in many of the Scandinavian nations and while time has cultured the fierce Vikings, the current state of affairs is starting to stir things up and as this trend gathers momentum we fear that these once quite people will reveal a side of them that the world has not seen for a long time. The Vikings were extremely ruthless and note that the Russians also have Viking blood. We mention this because it takes a lot to provoke the Russian bear, but once provoked the bear will not rest until it has destroyed its enemy. Vikings were twice as volatile; they were not afraid to fight; they actually relished a good and bloody fight. Given the strength of this trend there is a fairly high probability that some leader will emerge in this area with strong Viking roots and start talking about days gone by; if this comes to pass, all hell could break loose. The main target of this rage will be Muslim immigrants as they are being labelled as invaders with increasing frequency and the attacks are gradually becoming more violent.

If someone comes to power and starts talking about how strong the Vikings were and how the Norwegians, Danes, etc. need to stand up to the invaders (this is the term that is often used today), it will be an indication that the above outlook is coming to fruition. The rhetoric at first will be rather mild, but don’t confuse this mild rhetoric for inaction. Focus on whether the Viking factor is mentioned, if it is, then the odds of it turning violent are quite high.

We are not rooting for the above outcome, nor do we favour such an outcome but we would be doing our subscribers a disservice if we did not talk about a potential trend that appears to be gaining momentum.

Deutsche Bank set to cut 10K Jobs to reduce costs’ about time those lazy bankers were fired

Posted on February 23, 2021 by Alan Solomon

The Journal, citing unnamed sources, reported that job cuts were likely to extend into 2019.Separately, Bloomberg News reported the bank was planning to withdraw from a number of equities markets across the globe.

The Bloomberg report, which also cited unidentified people, said that Deutsche would sharply scale back its presence in the United States, and had started cutting activities in Central Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.Deutsche Bank, which holds its annual shareholder meeting on Thursday, declined to comment. The loss-making bank said last month that it was planning to scale back its global investment bank and that equities was one of the areas it was looking at for possible cuts.A person familiar with the matter told Reuters last month Deutsche Bank was expected to cut around 1,000 jobs or 10 percent of its workforce in the United States.

It has also said that it would cut back U.S. bonds trading and the business that services hedge funds.The bank has been expected to announce further details of its reorganisation plans ahead of its AGM on Thursday. hareholders, fed up with a languishing share price and dwindling revenue, will call on the bank’s management to speed up the recovery process at the AGM.

Hans-Christoph Hirt, head of shareholder adviser Hermes EOS at Hermes Investment Management, told Reuters on Wednesday he wanted to see a “credible strategy with achievable targets.” Full story

Now they are firing to balance the books, in the near future they will be firing to get rid of the “expensive human element”. Sadly most of today’s high paid individuals get way too much for doing way too little, and AI is going to dramatically alter the landscape. Remember the equation must always balance, and the more skewed things become the stronger the blowback as the market moves back to the point of equilibrium.

Trump Administration is looking to scrap programs granting foreign entrepreneurs residence for up to five years

Posted on February 22, 2021 by Alberto Mancini

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Trump administration moved on Friday to end a program that aimed to attract foreign entrepreneurs to the United States, saying the Obama-era effort did not adequately protect American workers and was an inappropriate use of government authority.
The Department of Homeland Security’s formal proposal to rescind the international entrepreneur rule, which is set to be published in the Federal Register next week, was widely expected given the administration had stated its intent to do so last year. The program would have allowed foreign entrepreneurs to stay in the United States for up to five years to manage and grow start-up businesses.

DHS said in a filing on Friday that the program represented an “extraordinary use” of the agency’s discretionary authority, that it “does not adequately protect U.S. investors and U.S. workers,” and that Congress was better placed to create a special visa for entrepreneurs.
The Obama administration established the international entrepreneur rule in January 2017, shortly before former President Barack Obama left office, with an effective date of July 2017. But last year the administration of President Donald Trump, which has moved to sharply curtail both legal and illegal immigration, delayed the program’s effective date to March 2018, while also indicating it would later rescind it entirely. Pro-immigrant groups criticized the decision. Full Story

The news follows the trend; we spoke of this when it was in its infancy (the anti-immigrant trend) and stated at the time that it had barely begun. Now it’s just warming up, so all these developments will look mild 12-24 months from now.

Donald Trump Blames Chuck Schumer

Posted on February 21, 2021 by Alan Solomon

Donald Trump Blames Chuck Schumer, Plugs ‘Fox & Friends’ In Morning Tweets On NYC Terror Attack

President Donald Trump watched Fox & Friends Wednesday morning to get his early briefing on the latest about the previous night’s terror attack in lower Manhattan that left eight dead.

Then he tweeted.

Trump blamed the Senate’s top Democrat Chuck Schumer for the attack. Trump also pushed his immigration agenda. And he twice plugged his pals at Fox News Channel’s morning show.

Pointing his finger at Schumer, the president tweeted that the terrorist came into our country through what is called the ‘Diversity Visa Lottery Program’” which he called “a Chuck Schumer beauty,” adding, “I want merit based.”

“We are fighting hard for Merit Based immigration, no more Democrat Lottery Systems. We must get MUCH tougher (and smarter),” Trump continued.

“‘Senator Chuck Schumer helping to import Europes problems’ said Col. Tony Schaffer. We will stop this craziness!” Trump concluded. Two of those tweets plugged Fox News Channel’s morning show. Full Story

Political correctness is over; we now enter the “rage stage” where people let emotion dictate the rules. Immigrants are going to be targeted in a ruthlessness manner; systematically programs that were designed to help them will be gutted or eliminated.

Austrian Vote Paves Way for Nationalist Party to Enter Government

Austrian voters paved the way for the nationalist Freedom Party to enter government, heralding a shift to the political right that’s likely to make the country a more prickly ally for its European partners.

Projections after Sunday’s election put the populists within reach of second place behind the People’s Party of Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, 31, who claimed victory after a campaign built on outflanking the Freedom Party with a hard-line stance on migration. He now has a mandate to form a coalition, replace Social Democrat Christian Kern as chancellor and become the world’s youngest government leader. Full Story

Kurz is not only the youngest leader in Europe but one that is set to give new life to the Alt-right movement. The fact that he is a millennial illustrates that his stance resonates with the young and that this trend has a lot of staying power.

The Great Saudi Cleanse (just another word for the great Culling)

Some senior figures detained in last Saturday’s purge in Saudi Arabia were beaten and tortured so badly during their arrest or subsequent interrogations that they required hospital treatment, Middle East Eye can reveal. People inside the royal court also told MEE that the scale of the crackdown, which has brought new arrests each day, is much bigger than Saudi authorities have admitted, with more than 500 people detained and double that number questioned Full Story

One of the most famous is Prince Bandar bin Sultan, a former Saudi ambassador to Washington and confidant of former US President George W Bush. There is no word on his fate, but Saudi authorities said that one of the corruption cases they are looking at is the al-Yamamah arms deal, in which Bandar was involved. Full Story

We stated that we were in the midst of a culling period, we failed to mention that it would be a phenomenon that would be experienced worldwide and not localised just to the US. Now we know why the Saudi’s went to Russia. Prince Bandar Bin Sultan had the audacity to threaten Putin for supporting Syria. He stated he would open the floodgates for terrorists to flock into Russia. Then they supplied the rebels with weapons to fight Russia and Assad’ forces. We stated that the Russian Bear would not rest till blood was drawn and it has drawn a lot of blood with this strike. The Saudi’s understand Russia is there to stay in the Middle East as do the Israeli’s. More and more nations will turn to Russia for help as they proved how effective they were at destroying ISIS in Syria.

Chinese convicts executed after stadium trial – McDonald’s has cold brew now

Posted on February 20, 2021 by Alan Solomon

Chinese convicts executed after stadium trial

Beijing (AFP) – Thousands of spectators filled a stadium in China to watch 10 suspects be sentenced to death for crimes ranging from drug-dealing to homicide before they were taken away to be executed at the weekend. An online video of the rare public trial, held in southern Guangdong province on Saturday, showed the handcuffed suspects paraded around a track by uniformed police officers as onlookers watched from the sidelines.

The convicts also stood on a podium as their sentences were read over loudspeakers, while officials sat on a stage flanked by military guards. Rights groups say China executes more people than any other country, but Beijing does not give figures on the death penalty, regarding the statistics as state secrets.

A public announcement last week from Lufeng City People’s Court had invited citizens to sit in on the “open-air stadium trial”, as it was dubbed by the state-run Global Times. Beijing News, which circulated the trial video along. Full Story

Political correctness is going away, and this trend as we stated recently is set to last at least 15 years. Violence levels, for now, will continue to soar, but the response from governments especially in Asia and Eastern Europe is going to be just as brutal. The West will eventually join the pack. A leader is set to emerge that is going to make Trump look like a very polite gentleman.

McDonald’s has cold brew now, and what is coffee anymore?

In fairness, it was only a matter of time before the cold brew craze found its way to the massive fast-food chain. McDonald’s debuted its own cold brew beverage in two varieties: frozen coffee and frappe. This is the part where you swear you’ll never try it, and then give in four dayslater because you’re “curious.” Full Story

A politician is warning her fellow Russians not to do sex with foreigners during the World Cup

Tamara Pletnyova, the head of the Russian Duma’s Family, Women, and Children Committee, says to be especially careful if a potential father is “of a different race.” Her comments come as Russia is desperately trying to convince the world that it’s ready to tackle the racism that many are predicting will come along with the World Cup. Incidentally: Happy World Cup day to you! Full Story

**There’s going to be a Fortnite World Cup with $100 million in prize money**

If you’re familiar with the fandom of the video game, you might say, “Of course, this was inevitable.” For the uninitiated, Fortnite is a multiplatform game where 100 players vie for resources and compete against one another to be the last person standing. It’s also the reason you haven’t seen some of your loved ones in weeks. The Fortnite tournament will be open to all players, with qualifying tournaments starting in fall 2018. Full Story

Mexico: 113 politicians have been killed – Senate GOP moves to repeal consumer rule – Trump defended Kim Jong Un’s human rights

Posted on February 19, 2021 by Alan Solomon

113 politicians have been killed ahead of Mexico’s election. There are still two weeks to go

“Violence is altering the profile of candidates,” one expert told us. “Who sticks around? The reckless and those who collude [with criminals].”

That’s because this electoral season has been a brutally violent one in Mexico.

More than 100 candidates, pre-candidates, and current and former politicians have been killed, according to an organization tracking this. The government’s tally — 34, which counts only candidates — still pushes the death toll to four per month.

It gets more dramatic: There are hundreds of candidates who have backed out of their races out of fear for their safety, and many others who have curbed campaign activities.

The attacks have been brazen: a politician killed on a public bus, a candidate murdered while taking a selfie. You need to read Karla Zabludovsky’s deep dive into the violence in Mexico’s election. Full Story

Senate GOP moves to repeal consumer rule

The Republican-led Senate narrowly voted Tuesday to repeal a banking rule that would let consumers band together to sue their bank or credit card company to resolve financial disputes. Vice President Mike Pence cast the final vote to break a 50-50 tie. The banking industry had been lobbying hard to roll back the regulation from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The bureau had moved to ban most types of mandatory arbitration clauses found in the fine print of agreements consumers often enter into when opening a checking account or getting a credit card.

The vote reflects the effort of the Trump administration and congressional Republicans to undo regulations that the GOP argues harms the free market. The measure now moves to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president applauded the vote. Full Story

As we stated when the Crowd is polarised it is easier to rob them, and this law is just one example of the many laws that will be passed stripping the average Joe of the last shreds of power he/she holds. In the years to come it’s going to be easier for Companies to renege on their pension obligations and this will also apply to City, State and Federal workers. Most pensions are extremely underfunded and are using aggressive calculations to give the impression all is well

Trump defended Kim Jong Un’s human rights abuses after the summit

Yesterday, while speaking to Fox News, President Trump praised Kim Jong Un as “tough,” “smart,” and a “great negotiator.”

When host Bret Baier asked the president if he brought up human rights with Kim at the summit, Trump said only “briefly.”

“You know, you call people, sometimes, killers. He is a killer,” responded Baier. Trump interjected that “well, he’s a tough guy,” adding that, “when you take over a country” at 27 years old, as Kim did, “that’s one in 10,000 that could do that.”

Still, Baier pressed, saying Kim has “still done some really bad things.” Trump responded, “Yeah, but so have a lot of other people done some really bad things.” You should watch the whole exchange.

A further thought:

When politics gives way to theater, we lose a sense of the magnitude of what’s supposed to be surprising. Watching the exchange reminded me of Katherine Miller’s thoughtful piece on the news cycle during this presidency: “each day demands your judgment. Is this normal? Is this normal? Is this normal?” Full Story