Tuesday 31 December 2019

More Punch Bowl Needed?


Baltic Dry Index. 1090 -13 Brent Crude 68.44 Spot Gold 1523

Never ending Brexit now January 31.
Trump’s Nuclear China Tariffs Now in effect.
The USA v EU trade war started October 18. Now in effect.

Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.

Mark Twain.
The next LIR update will be on January 2nd, 2020. Have a great, safe, happy and healthy New Year holiday, and a safe, happy, healthy and prosperous 2020 to all.

Below, with no fresh injections of central bankster monetisations, global stocks limp into 2020. Hmm?

World stocks slip as rally pauses, dollar eases

December 30, 2019 / 2:11 AM
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar slid on Monday, and global stock markets fell as a year-end rally lost steam after pushing stocks to record highs in 2019.

As investors assessed the outlook for next year, thin year-end trading volumes exacerbated broad weakness in the dollar, which has fallen the past three sessions. On Friday, it notched its biggest daily decline since March. 

Germany’s 10-year bond yield hit a seven-month high and U.S. Treasury yields rose, driving the yield curve between two- and 10-year notes to its steepest in 14 months on expectations the Federal Reserve will not lower rates.

Wall Street slid as did equity markets in Europe and Japan, but overnight Chinese blue chips closed at an eight-month high and shares in Hong Kong closed at more than a five-month peak after China’s central bank moved to lower funding costs.

MSCI’s gauge of stocks across the globe .MIWD00000PUS shed 0.43%, while the pan-European STOXX 600 index lost 0.85%. Both hit all-time highs on Friday.

Stocks on Wall Street fell in their biggest one-day decline in four weeks after a record run. The benchmark S&P 500 had logged record closes in nine of the previous 11 sessions and is up four months in a row.

News on the U.S.-China trade deal failed to lift markets as it had in past sessions. White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said the pact was likely to be signed in the next week, and the South China Morning Post earlier reported Chinese Vice Premier Liu would travel to Washington later this week to sign the deal.

“This is just end-of-year rally fatigue,” said Kristina Hooper, chief global market strategist at Invesco in New York. “It makes sense that investors are taking their foot off the gas for the last two days of the year.”

The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI fell 183.12 points, or 0.64%, to 28,462.14. The S&P 500 .SPX lost 18.73 points, or 0.58%, to 3,221.29 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC dropped 60.62 points, or 0.67%, to 8,945.99.

Monetary policy, including three rate cuts by the Fed, was the dominant factor for markets in 2019 and will likely be next year, too, as central banks remain accommodative, Hooper said.
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While all the world awaits the details of the USA v China trade deal lite part one, China seems to have weathered the storm. Does China even need a trade deal lite part two? Has trade war team Trump over played its hand? Reuters does its best to spin negatively on the latest news from China.

December 31, 2019 / 1:22 AM

China's factory activity grows as easing trade spat revives demand

BEIJING (Reuters) - Manufacturing activity in China expanded for a second straight month in December as seasonal demand and signs of progress in trade talks with Washington boosted factories’ output and order books.

China’s official Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) was unchanged at 50.2 in December from November, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday, slightly higher than the 50.1 expected in a Reuters poll of analysts. 

It also remained above the 50-point mark that separates monthly growth from contraction.

The better-than-expected readings suggested some recovery in the world’s second-largest economy this month. Production rose at the fastest pace in over a year while growth of total new orders was only a notch lower than a recent high hit last month.

While the upbeat indicators show the economy ending 2019 on a firmer footing than initially expected, there are deeper concerns such momentum may not continue next year.

“The extended strength in the official manufacturing PMI certainly looks positive for markets, but we believe this may not be sustainable, and the economy has yet to hit the bottom,” Nomura analysts said in a note after the data

Still, the stability seen recently prompted Nomura to revise up its gross domestic product forecasts for the fourth quarter to 6.0% from 5.8%.

Zhao Qinghe, a senior statistician with the statistics bureau, attributed the PMI resilience to increasing demand and production ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, which falls in late January.

Production for sectors such as the textile, pharmaceutical and auto and telecom equipment industries stood at relatively high levels. The survey also showed a boost in firms’ willingness to stock up inventories in order to meet production need ahead of the holidays.

The PMI aligns with other recent signs of strength with profits at China’s industrial firms growing at the fastest pace in eight months in November, data showed last week.

Growth in industrial and retail sectors also beat expectations in November as government support propped up demand.

It also co-incides with signs of improvement in Sino-U.S. trade talks, which have boosted global investor confidence and helped Chinese manufacturers book new orders from abroad, even though a final deal is yet to be inked.
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Next, Japanese kidnap hostage Carlos Ghosn has escaped Japan’s “justice” system, often called a hostage system until you agree to confess. So whose secret service and mercenaries were involved with this rescue?  Canada’s hostage Cathy Meng next?

Ex-Nissan boss Ghosn says he is in Lebanon, denies fleeing justice in Japan

December 31, 2019 / 2:18 AM
PARIS/TOKYO (Reuters) - Ousted Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn confirmed he fled to Lebanon, saying he wouldn’t be “held hostage” by a “rigged” justice system and raising questions about how one of the world’s most-recognised executives escaped Japan months before his trial.

Ghosn’s abrupt departure marks the latest dramatic twist in a year-old saga th2at has shaken the global auto industry, jeopardised the alliance of Nissan Motor Co Ltd and top shareholder Renault SA and cast a harsh light on Japan’s judicial system. 

“I am now in Lebanon and will no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant, and basic human rights are denied,” Ghosn, 65, said in a brief statement on Tuesday.

“I have not fled justice - I have escaped injustice and political persecution. I can now finally communicate freely with the media, and look forward to starting next week.”

Neither Ghosn’s attorney nor a spokesman for the Tokyo prosecutors office had immediate comment when contacted earlier about Ghosn’s whereabouts. Nissan declined to comment.

Most immediately, it was unclear how Ghosn, who holds French, Brazilian and Lebanese citizenship, was able to orchestrate his departure from Japan, given that he had been under strict surveillance by authorities while out on bail and had surrendered his passport.

A person resembling Ghosn entered Beirut international airport under a different name after flying in aboard a private jet, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported, citing an unidentified Lebanese security official.

Japanese immigration authorities had no record of Ghosn leaving the country, NHK said. While Ghosn’s arrest on financial misconduct charges last year ensured his dramatic fall from grace in Japan, he retains more popularity in Lebanon, where billboards saying “We are all Carlos Ghosn” were erected in his support and he at one time featured on a postage stamp.

Although born in Brazil, Ghosn is of Lebanese ancestry and grew up in Beirut. He has retained close ties to the country.
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Finally, on January 1st, 1660, Samuel Pepys made his first diary entry.

Sunday 1 January 1659/60

Blessed be God, at the end of the last year I was in very good health, without any sense of my old pain, but upon taking of cold.1

I lived in Axe Yard having my wife, and servant Jane, and no more in family than us three.

My wife … gave me hopes of her being with child, but on the last day of the year … [the hope was belied.]2 

The condition of the State was thus; viz. the Rump, after being disturbed by my Lord Lambert, was lately returned to sit again. The officers of the Army all forced to yield. Lawson lies still in the river, and Monk is with his army in Scotland. Only my Lord Lambert is not yet come into the Parliament, nor is it expected that he will without being forced to it.
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"a company for carrying out an undertaking of great advantage, but nobody to know what it is"

1720 South Sea Bubble.

Crooks and Scoundrels Corner.

The bent, the seriously bent, and the totally doubled over. 

Those climate change fanatics again. Why would anyone with a brain give them time of day?

Below, more on the cult exposed.

I wouldn't have wasted my time on Trump, says Greta Thunberg

December 30, 2019 / 11:39 AM
LONDON (Reuters) - Teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg said on Monday that talking to U.S. President Donald Trump at a United Nations summit on global warming would have been a waste of time since he would not have paid any attention.

In an interview with BBC radio’s Today programme, for which she was the guest editor on Monday, Thunberg also said she regarded personal attacks on her as funny and that she hoped to go back to having a normal life. 

A video of the 16-year-old Swedish campaigner giving Trump what media described as a “death stare” at a U.N. climate summit in New York in September went viral on social media. Trump has questioned climate science and is pulling the United States out of the 2015 Paris Agrement on global warming.

Asked what she would have said to the president if they had spoken, Thunberg said: “Honestly, I don’t think I would have said anything because obviously he’s not listening to scientists and experts, so why would he listen to me?

This month Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro called Thunberg “a brat”. Trump has said on Twitter she needs to work on her anger management problem.

“Those attacks are just funny because they obviously don’t mean anything,” she said. “I guess of course it means something - they are terrified of young people bringing change which they don’t want - but that is just proof that we are actually doing something and that they see us as some kind of threat.”
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The Elite Machine Behind Greta Thunberg

In the matter of a few months, Greta Thunberg went from a lone girl protesting in front of the Swedish parliament to an international phenomenon. Although mass media is making it seem as if this meteoric rise to prominence happened organically, this is simply not true.

Behind Greta is a major machine, one that is controlled by major international actors and backed by major funds. This PR machine has allowed Greta to make the covers of magazines, become the subject of thousands of news articles while being photographed with world leaders and giving speeches at elite organizations such as the United Nations.

Although Greta might very well be genuinely concerned with the fate of the planet, her message is carefully crafted by those who control her to generate a specific response from the youth. In short, Greta is the face of a major marketing scheme – a tightly coordinated international effort to sell global warming through a specific lens: Fear, panic, and urgency.

Before going further, I need to point out that I am neither a “climate denier” nor a “climate activist”. That is not my field of expertise. I never analyzed any data regarding climate change and its correlation with human activity. I am far from qualified from speaking about this issue so I won’t.

My field of expertise is mass media and its relation to power. In the “Read This First” article of this site, I explained (using quotes from the field of Communications such as Edward Bernays) how mass media is used to shape and mold opinions. The rise of Greta to international prominence is a clear-cut case of “agenda-setting” which is defined as follows:

Agenda-setting is the creation of public awareness and concern of salient issues by the news media. As well, agenda-setting describes the way that media attempts to influence viewers, and establish a hierarchy of news prevalence. Two basic assumptions underlie most researches on agenda-setting:
  • the press and the media do not reflect reality; they filter and shape it;
  • media concentration on a few issues and subjects leads the public to perceive those issues as more important than other issues.
---- Mass media programming is particularly effective on those who did not develop an acute sense of critical thinking – notably young people. And the Greta phenomenon was custom-made to cater to this very specific demographic.

Here’s a look at the rise of Greta.

Family Ties

---- A young Greta posing with her famous parents for a magazine. Notice the one-eye sign made by both children.

Greta Thunberg’s father is actor Svante Thunberg, whose father is actor and director Olof Thunberg. Her mother is the famous opera singer Malena Ernman who became a celebrity at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009. In 2010, Ernman was named HovsÃ¥ngerska (translated to “court singer”) by Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

---- Malena at Eurovision 2009. Notice the one-eye sign. Also, Eurovision has always been pure occult elite propaganda.

Ernman on the cover of Vi magazine. The quote under her face says: “We all sell our souls to the devil”. Can’t make this up.

In 2017, Ernman won the WWF “Environmental Hero” award for her “involvement in the climate issue for the past several years”. About a year later, Ernman’s 16-year-old daughter is seen protesting in front of the Swedish parliament. The perfect storm begins.

----Greta photographed during her first climate strike.

On August 20th, 2018, Greta Thunberg sat in front of the Swedish Parliament with a sign saying “School strike for the climate”. Four days later, the book Scenes From the Heart was published by her mother.

Written as a “family autobiography”, the book discusses various issues such as Greta’s Asperger’s syndrome, which Ernman describes as a “superpower”. In one bizarre passage, Ernman states that Greta can actually see carbon dioxide emanating from vehicles and buildings.

The perfect timing between Greta’s strike and the book release was not a coincidence. And Greta’s strike certainly did not go unnoticed.

On the very same day of the first strike, a picture of Greta was published on the Facebook page of We Don’t Have Time, a “social network for climate change”. The page is managed by Ingmar Rentzhog – a specialist in financial marketing.

Rentzhog is also a chairman of the Global Utmaning Board, a think tank that “promotes sustainable development within social, economic and environmental dimensions”. The Global Utmaning Board was founded by the Swedish politician and economist Kristina Persson, who is the daughter of the billionaire politician and entrepreneur Sven O. Persson.

Backed by this machine, Greta’s story garnered intense and immediate media attention in Sweden and, soon after, around the world. After a few months of weekly strikes, Greta took a year off from school to focus solely on climate change and began a tour of European cities.

During these events, a woman was often spotted “advising” Greta: Luisa-Marie Neubauer.

Neubauer is a member of ONE Campaign, an organization managed by Bill Gates and Bono, which is heavily funded by George Soros’ Open Society Foundation.

On the Associated Press’ “fact-checking” site, an article with the bizarre title Climate activist Greta Thunberg does not have ‘handler’ asserts that Luisa-Marie Neubauer does not serve as Greta’s “handler”. It nevertheless admits that Neubauer is linked with this powerful Soros-funded group.
More! Sadly, much, much, more.

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.

Cultist Agent Greta, hits her handler’s eco-loon agenda.

Technology Update.
With events happening fast in the development of solar power and graphene, I’ve added this section. Updates as they get reported. Is converting sunlight to usable cheap AC or DC energy mankind’s future from the 21st century onwards?

Xinjiang’s first concentrated solar power plant operational

The first solar thermal power plant in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region went into operation Sunday night.

The 50-megawatt concentrated solar power plant is located in Naomaohu Township, eastern Xinjiang’s city of Hami. Construction of the project began in October 2017 by Energy China.

The concentrating solar power project can achieve an annual power supply of 198.3 million kWh, saving 61,900 tonnes of standard coal annually, which is equivalent to reducing emissions of about 61.89 tonnes of sulfur dioxide, 61.89 tonnes of nitrogen oxides, 19.84 tonnes of soot and 154,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

The solar thermal power plant adopts a «light-heat-electricity» power generation mode. The CSP project works by using tens of thousands of mirrors to concentrate sunlight on a receiver at the top of the tower to create a temperature above 800 degrees Celsius.

Steam with a temperature of over 500 degrees Celsius will then be generated through the heat transfer medium to drive a turbine to produce electricity.

The plant is able to generate power 24/7 through the use of molten salt that absorbs the heat, allowing the station to maintain the high temperature, even without a constant stream of sunlight.

In contrast to photovoltaic panels that cannot generate electricity at night and can easily be affected by weather changes, the solar thermal power plant can generate power steadily with lower cost and higher efficiency, said Zhang Yanli with the State Grid’s Hami branch.

China 6th large-scale commercial solar thermal power plant, CPECC Hami 50MW Molten Salt Tower CSP Project, was successfullly connected to the grid at 23:39 p.m. on December 29th, 2019, making the total capacity of large-scale CSP projects in China reach 350MW.
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Set in Camelot, Arthur and Guinevere have a daughter. At the Blessing of Princess Aurora, Jerome Powell arrives and sets an evil curse on the child, forcing the child into paying off the exploding national debt. Lurking darkly in the wings, President Trump promised to double the debt.

With apologies to Richard Gauntlett author of pantomime scripts.

The monthly Coppock Indicators finished November

DJIA: 28,051 +76 Up. NASDAQ: 8,665 +94 Up. SP500: 3,141 +90 Up. All higher again, but it’s not a buy signal I would follow. I would wait for the next sell signal.