(Wherever, Off Mexico) With the US stock markets closed for the Labor Day observance, we don’t really have much to say about the markets.
Except that in Europe, things are up between a third and half a percent. However in Asia, the markets are jittery as ever. The Hang Seng was hang-dog, down one and a quarter percent. And the Shang-hai was hang-low — down 2 1/2 percent.
Tomorrow, if my calculations are correct, the markets should begin to suffer a massive week-long hangover and that will be that. We should stop around 1,812, have a nice double bottom and then begin a slow rally up from there. Or, 1,740.
More than anything, though, this whole Schmita collapse thing should be clear in two weeks time. That where the Jewish festival is either going to end the financial world OR ( and this is the outcome I favor) we will continue to see sideways trading.
But we shall see…I just go with the data. Our Peoplenomics Trading Model went to short the week ending July 3. And it did so without me having to begin rabbinical studies. Those who think a market decline going into the Fed meeting on the 16th have a terrible secret.
They are 45-days late to the party.
The Government Inequality Part
The Executive Orderer in Chief is at it again. This time he is extending paid sick leave the federal workers. It’s pushing inequality, again, however, as you can read over here.
The idea sounds OK on the surface, but it will drive up costs of government projects and will lead to more opportunity to bid-padding.
At the end of the day, it means all those supposed “savings” from turning stuff over to “private contractors” will disappear and your taxes will have to go up to pay for it. You won’t get as much for your tax dollar and the democorps will convince some that their support of higher benefit packages is a good thing.
At the worker level it is, but at the systemic level, it basically creates a leech class of federal contractors – that don’t answer to the voters – and we’re gonna call it progress. Please salute when asked.
Why do we have AmeriCorps workers, the modern analog to the Civilian Conservation Corp AND private contractors? Apparently, business schools don’t teach basics like they used to.
The People Left Behind
Out here with some fresh ocean air, the Folly of Man sure comes into focus. The headline that did it for me read Europe struggles to handle accelerating flow of refugees.
Here’s what no one in the (unfair to mostly stupid) media will remind you of:
Most all of these people are flowing into Europe from Syria. The West is bombing and droning the bejezus out of the place. So of course, anyone with higher than a room temperature IQ would flee. Hop the first boat for anywhere.
Yet here we are, up to our butts on National Last Beers of Summer Day, watching the Germans and the Brits reveal how effing stupid they are.
If the West would simply approach Syria, like we approached other tin-horn dictators in the past (like Noriega) and then “arrange” a transfer of power, people in the country won’t flee and the place could be brought into the future slowly with a good chance for economic exploitation on a number of fronts.
That is what we do, after all.
The Europeans reveal their gullibility when they can’t figure this out without my help, and I’m supposed to be on vacation this week. Wait till I send them my bill.
The whole solution to the Syria problem is don’t send anyone arms. When the fighting stops, the flow of people stops. If there’s anyone left, deal with them.
Is that really that hard to figure out?
If democrats think gun control can work, let me ask how well it has worked out in Iraq, Afghanistan, or this week in Syria.
I rest my case, and myself.
It is much harder to fight a war using only knives or spears.
Sadly Sue, fighting with knives and spears is easier.
Alexander the Great did what tanks and aircraft today cannot.
Ahem….. is it fair to ask why all the Syrian refugees aren’t fleeing into Russia, who after all has supported the Syrian regime for all these years. I mean really, it’s a heck of a lot closer than Greece or Germany. France is taking 75,000,, England is taking 75,000…… how many is Moscow taking?
“The whole solution to the Syria problem is don’t send anyone arms.”
Um, at 31%, the USA is the world’s biggest arms exporter. Wonder where those hollowpoint bullets ended up …
George- also add that in addition to sending arms to everyone and their brother, the US/NATO/Israel has directly supported ‘ISIS’…..yes, the ‘bad’ guys. The middle east is a mess because regimes that have successfully ruled for decades (Assad, et al) are being destroyed to be replaced with absolute corruption. In the case of the EU, they are simply getting the blowback from supporting ludicrous US/NATO/Israeli policies. Oh well, I have lived long enough in America to know that our .gov just loves to create devastation. I wonder if that is a business model.
Rand Paul: US has been arming ISIS in Syria:
https://therearenosunglasses.wordpress.com/2014/06/23/senator-admits-isis-using-ussaudi-supplied-weapons-against-iraq/