ericbj

Trump saw, and sought to correct, a gathering economic storm, unseen or deliberately ignored by others in the political arena. His results to date have been disappointing. . The problem - partly due to his own limitations and partly to a suffocating politico-economic system - is that he has allowed himself to become mired in political backwaters and self-idolatry, has appointed some unsuitable subordinates, and is an unreliable wild-card. He favours gaining national advantage through blackmail rather than diplomacy. And personal advantage through graft: https://www.bonnerprivateresearch.com/p/the-problem-with-fake-money The world requires transformative change, rather than change brought about by violent collapse.

Or maybe they vote into power the political party media misinformation leads them to believe in. Few have the time and energy to ferret out what lies behind the hype.

Here is further to what you have posted. It is a quote from within an article in The Stansberry Digest of yesterday, freely available to all via their Archive page: [incidentally The Digest publishes both optimistic and pessimistic reviews, so they have to be right one way or the other] ------------------------------------------------------- "While at SAC Capital (now Point72 Asset Management), I absorbed market wisdom that is, today, telling me we are at a huge and important inflection point for markets. … MARKET BOTTOMS ARE AN EVENT, BUT MARKET TOPS ARE A PROCESS. "When the market bottoms, it's due to a single event that we can usually name. For example, the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy during the global financial crisis, or the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. But when markets top out, it is a longer, drawn-out process. A market top needs to suck all the available capital into the dominant narrative at the time. That could be Japanese industrial supremacy in the 1980s, or the limitless prosperity of the Internet in 2000. It has to go through the process of getting everyone to believe in the bull case and everything that the bull case touches. "That's what has happened with artificial intelligence. The tech giants that are operating AI, like Alphabet (GOOGL) and Microsoft (MSFT), have rallied to all-time highs. So has the company that's the biggest beneficiary of their spending – Nvidia, now the largest stock in the market. And so have all the "bank shot" plays, like power and utility companies. At this point, is anyone still left to buy into the AI story? That brings us to the second quote... IT'S NOT THE NEWS... IT'S THE REACTION TO THE NEWS. This is pure trader wisdom. It means the market can tell you what is already priced in by looking at how stocks react to news. "So let's look again at Nvidia, which is the stock that summarizes the AI trade more than any other... Two weeks ago, the stock hit an all-time high, exceeding $5 trillion in market value. … Since then: The Trump administration agreed to dial down its tariff war with China... The U.S. government shutdown ended... And Nvidia reported results and guidance that exceeded analyst expectations. "All these things are good news for Nvidia. And yet, the stock is down 12% from its recent peak. And the reaction to the earnings announcement itself was the most telling. Again, the company handily beat estimates and gave guidance ahead of Wall Street expectations. The stock initially climbed 5%... then reversed intraday to close 3% lower. It's a sign that folks who own the stock are using good news as an opportunity to exit. This is a giant bell ringing not just for Nvidia but for the market as a whole . "AI isn't just a tech phenomenon – it's a meaningful part of the entire country's GDP growth. It is the biggest driver of prosperity on Main Street... But on Wall Street, Mr. Market is now telling us it's all priced in. TAKE HEED OF THESE LESSONS AND PROCEED WITH EXTREME CAUTION."

Putin is seeking essentially to achieve the objectives he declared at the beginning of the incursion. Which did not and does not include the annexation of the Ukraine but rather a return to the situation existing prior to the U.S.-engineered Maidan coup, which pre-empted scheduled elections, PLUS cast-iron protection of the ethnic Russian population. He can achieve his objectives by one of two means. A negotiated peace. Or total victory. Putin would prefer a negotiated peace, both for diplomatic and economic reasons. But neither common sense nor public pressure will allow him voluntarily to exchange hard-earned victory for defeat. Those who think otherwise are either self-delusional or see personal advantage in their own armed forces being thoroughly beaten. As if what they have already suffered is not enough. Zelensky and his inner circle, of which he is the figurehead but not the master, wants only war. A western-subsidised war drawn out for as long as possible. While it lasts they continue to enrich themselves. When it ends they must pack their bags and go into exile, to live off the rich pickings of the war. Much of it from syphoning off huge chunks of cash, and some derived from matériel diverted to the Albanian black market, which supplies ISIS in West Africa; and also Hamas [unlike Hezbollah, they possess U.S. weapons] Powerful elements in Europe and in the U.S. have fingers in the pie of the western-taxpayer-funded Ukraine War. Only a fraction of the cash reaches the Ukraine. A major portion goes to the companies producing replacements for inventory sent to the Ukraine. In turn those companies reward their warfare-promoting politicians and lobbyists. The excuse of national necessity or advantage sounds hollow these days, since the Ukrainian pawn is clearly on a failing wicket. It could not really have been otherwise despite a very valiant struggle against a more powerful opponent. The biggest losers in this power-game and major money-laundering affair are the ordinary working-age people of the Ukraine. It is time to call it a day.

Zionism is a creed of racial hatred, similar to Nazism. But in one respect worse. The Nazis made some effort to hide from the German people what they did to Jews, Romanies, Serbs, etc. The Zionist authorities revel in what they do to Palestinian Arabs. They are said to be supported in this by some 80% of the Israeli Jewish population. Notable exception being the opposition of many Orthodox Jews. Of some significance: Zionism was originally opposed to Judaism, but gained little traction until it developed a perverted form of the religion. The Holocaust provided a further boost to its ambitions. Jews held a privileged position in Spain under Islam and when expelled (or forcibly converted) following the Reconquista they were welcomed by the Muslim populations amongst which they settled. Genetic studies have shown Palestian Arabs to be more closely related to the Jews of Biblical times than Ashkenazi Jews (those from Europe). If populations can change so can religions. Historians estimate that at least 50% if not considerably more of the Jewish diaspora occurred voluntarily, for economic reasons, and took place before the Roman-Jewish War of 66-73 AD. It was not primaily, still less exclusively, a result of forced deportation as claimed by Zionists. Greek colonisation and the conquests of Alexander of Macedon contributed to the development of trade throughout the Middle East, Asia Minor and the Mediterranean seaboard. Greek was the lingua franca of the region for centuries. Aramaic not Hebrew was the language of Galilee.

Tourists spend money and when doing so they pay Value Added Tax the same as everyone else. Then further taxes may be paid on profits, if any, by the businesses. But maybe there is a shortage of revenue to pay for illegal immigrants, so tourists must be made to support this added inducement to their visit.

His speech may appeal to those, many in the modern world, fulfilling thankless, unskilled, repetitive jobs carried out in an a-social environment. But his vision is pie-in-the-sky. He does not explain how the world he envisions will actually function. No road-map. One is invited to make a colossal leap of the imagination. In pre-industrial communities and even to a degree in industrial times life could be harsh for the unprivileged majority, but had some sense of purpose provided by social relationships. That is increasingly lacking today. Work of one kind or another is necessary as both an economic and a social activity. Without it society falls apart and life becomes meaningless. Of course, the way things are going, with a plethora of mad-cap politicians, bureaucrats and plutocrats intent upon promoting warfare on an ever grander scale, we could soon be back to very primitive life-styles. With much of our electronic-dependent world knocked out by radiation.

https://www.bonnerprivateresearch.com/p/is-ai-a-super-sell

https://www.bonnerprivateresearch.com/p/everybody-loves-a-ponzi

If you are buying index funds they say that can work when the market is steadily rising but not so well at other times. Right now some sectors of the market seem to rise while others fall. But the sectors change, so I guess if you use ETFs specialised in certain sectors and are alert to changes, that could work quite well. The question is: how does one keep an eye on the markets without a huge expenditure of time and effort? I think one should avoid as a rule following advice from brokers or from advisory services remunerated by the companies they recommend. Better to go for a paying service which employs informed and connected research staff. Some of these services put out free newsletters and/or paying ones of modest cost. These are clearly 'lead-ins' to their oft-promoted more expensive services giving specific recommendations on exactly what to buy, and why, and when to sell. These latter are doubtlessly well worth it for those able to make substantial investments. These services cannot afford to be wrong too often or they lose their clientele, their source of revenue. The free, or cheap, subscriptions can be helpful in keeping in touch with the markets while avoiding excessive media hype. In addition to a monthly newsletter there are often several informative reports.

Thanks for that information. Cannot access Jensen Huang's comments to the Financia Times, as it is behind a paywall; but from looking elsewhere to find what he actually said, can find no mention of analogue processors. It seems his comments suggesting China might take the lead were designed to frighten the Trump administration into reducing regulations.

It would be interesting to know the primary source of this MSN [MSM] article, ideally with supporting aerial videos (including geolocation) taken by drone. Glaringly suspect is the link to https://newsukraine.rbc.ua Western MSM (including western "Intelligence") uses predominently official Ukrainian sources, a rich source of fabricated news since the earliest days (Snake Island, the Ghost Fighter-Pilot, etc) Not everything goes well for the Russians, as admitted by neutral - and some pro-Russian - sources; but overall they are in a greatly more advantageous position. Here is a small selection of views that contradict western mainstream opinion: https://youtu.be/NPiTqo3zzoY https://youtu.be/JgwyTJIuD9A https://youtu.be/eYBV-wuPQJY https://youtu.be/pQtNBxJU7iQ https://youtu.be/Ohjdwl02dDA https://www.youtube.com/live/qeAZUXVD2D8

Europe wants Ukraine to fight till last man - Peace in Ukraine is career end of European leaders

The Analog Chip the U S Can’t Stop — China Just Broke the AI Race

If by Ukrainians you are referring to the Ukrainian-speaking people who predominate in the western Ukraine you are broadly correct. But this is not true of the Ukraine as defined by its borders at the time of the Maidan coup of 2014. It was a multi-ethnic country, divided principally into those of Ukrainian and Russian culture, language, religion, etc. But also Hungarian and Tartar. And until liquidated in the early 1940s, substantial Polish and Jewish populations. Broadly speaking, western Ukrainians, influenced by the Holomodor, welcomed the German occupation and sought to collaborate, forming for example the Galicia SS Division; while those in the east resisted. Incidentally, deaths from starvation caused by Stalinist confiscation of harvests to finance military spending affected all agricultural areas of the USSR, including for example Byelorussia. The highest death rate was amongst the Kazars. I shall not enter into a long explanation of how during the 1990s the Russian economy was hollowed out under the alcoholic Yeltsin, by Russians in position of influence who became plutocrats by selling off Russia's assets at bargain-basement prices to western businesses; all justified by the Chicago-boy economic advisors provided by the US; extreme poverty leading to high mortality and crime rates in Russia; the west's rejection of proposed joint-security arrangements; NATO's eastward expansion in defiance of the promises made to Gorbachev; etc. However this reveals some of the background: How Dick Cheney Started the USA War in Ukraine in 1991 Regarding termites, my house, rented since 2007, clearly bears little resemblance to yours. Built of hollow concrete block walls with no foundations or damp-proof course, on 55 cm of clay placed over the black earth of a former paddy field. Multiple cracks in the walls, which I regularly fill, superficially. Tiled floors on concrete which has in places clearly subsided. A termite infested wasteland a few metres from the north wall. About seven years ago an old irrigation ditch that ran alongside my property was blocked off and filled in. During the monsoon season it evacuated rain-water, which these days laps at the foot of my walls. I regularly use expensive termite poison around the house and protect woodwork before painting with concentrated borax solution. Books themselves are difficult to protect. Termites will eat through plastic film to get inside. Recently I have taken to tearing cardboard boxes into small pieces and soaking in DILUTE borax solution to scatter around outside as poisonous bait. I put naptha balls in filing-cabinets and storage boxes. Although the fumes are detrimental to human health.

The U.S. military had the brawn, they just lacked the brains. I don't mean that of all Americans, but of those who made the decisions. In conventional warfare, as in the Ukraine today - something no western military has experienced in an active lifetime - 'firepower' counts. US success in the Tet offensive demonstrated this. The final phase of war leading to the fall of Saigon was also of a conventional nature. But for the most part the Vietnam war was an asymmetric conflict to which the Viet Cong adapted while the U.S. Army did not. With the exception of a few units which studied Australian tactics learnt in the jungles of Malaya. The anti-war movement in the U.S., encouraged by conscription and high casualties, was an important factor in the withdrawal of U.S. ground forces. Incidentally the Tet offensive was highly favourable to the North Vietnamese as it cratered 'Viet Cong' strength. The Viet Cong was not communist-controlled but was a liberation front that had hoped eventually to take political control of the South. At least one Viet Cong cabinet minister fled to the United States after the take-over by Hanoi. (I have his autobiography, if it has not been eaten by termites) It is very doubtful that the U.S. Government was so ill-informed as to think the Ukraine could defeat the Russian Federation. The Ukraine was the stick the neo-cons and neo-'liberals' used for eight long years to repeatedly poke the bear into aggression. So that a plethora of sanctions could be imposed. The intended result: extreme hardship of the Russian population, leading to overthow of the government, and dismemberment of the Russian Federation. The actual result: it backfired on the west, and most especially upon Europe, with its imbecile, sycophantic, authoritarian-leaning governments harbouring delusions of past glory. They deserve to be defenestrated.

0/100, chum!

"The Russian military has about one million active-duty personnel and close to two million reservists … " "The Russian military is a hybrid system that combines conscripts with contracted volunteers; with certain exceptions, Russian law mandates one year of military service for all male citizens aged 18–27. Despite efforts to professionalize its ranks since the early 2000s, it remains heavily reliant on conscripts, with contract soldiers being concentrated in cadre and elite units. Russia planned to expand its active personnel to 1.5 million by the end of 2024, which would have made it the second largest active military force after China." May also be of interest: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1296573/russia-ukraine-military-comparison/

You are correct if what you are saying is that the Russian demands have not substantially changed since 24th February 2022. As the Russians are on the road to victory their views must be taken into consideration if the fighting is to be halted by a negotiated settlement. The alternative is to say "No surrender!". Leading to further mass casualties of fighting/working age men, destruction of infrastructure, impoverishment of Ukranians, Europeans, and Americans … and finally unconditional surrender. Those who suffer most, ordinary Ukrainians (not the mafia profiteers) and not deep-pocketed foreigners invested in "Defence", should have the final say.

The Dark Legacy of Dick Cheney https://corbettreport.substack.com/p/the-dark-legacy-of-dick-cheney

Interesting perspectives on the AI market: What Jeff Gundlach, Jamie Dimon, and Target Are Telling Us https://rebelcapitalist.com/p/what-jeff-gundlach-jamie-dimon-and Trump PANICS on Nvidia & Musk backlash

AI stocks, gold, BTC, USD, platinum, silver, Tether: We’re at EXACT Level That Triggered Every 40% Crash in History – AI Stocks & Bitcoin to Collapse!