Infinite Unknown – Page 2743 – The man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either.

Mizuho’s Ricchiuto Wipes The Floor With Deutsche’s Lavorgna: ‘Why Do I Even Bother?’ (Video)

May 6, 2015May 6, 2015 by Infinite

– Mizuho’s Ricchiuto Wipes The Floor With Deutsche’s Lavorgna: “Why Do I Even Bother?” (ZeroHedge, May 6, 2015):

The last time Mizuho’s Chief Economist Steve Ricchiuto was on CNBC, we suspected he would never be invited back. However, today, he dared to unleash the truthiness of the US economy, debating ‘truth’ with none other than Deutsche Bank’s meteoroconomist Joe Lavorgna. As soon as Ricchiuto stated unequivocal ‘facts’ about growth, productivity, and earnings; the smiling Lavorgna started talking over him to which Ricchiuto blasted “why bother… why do I even bother?” and Lavorgna fell back to the “well he has been short the market for 400 points” argumnet which Ricchiuto rebuffed aggressively…

One of these guys is thoroughly pissed off… the rest are smiling.

The fireworks begin around 3:00 (but watch the intro for some facts)

As a reminder, this was Ricchiuto’s last appearance…148 seconds of awkward uncomfortable truthiness…

Read moreMizuho’s Ricchiuto Wipes The Floor With Deutsche’s Lavorgna: ‘Why Do I Even Bother?’ (Video)

It Begins: US Government Issues $700,000 Fine Against A Digital Currency

May 6, 2015 by Infinite

– It begins: US government issues $700,000 fine against a digital currency (Sovereign Man, May 5, 2015):

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later.

Our beloved amigos at the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), have just issued the first-ever ‘civil enforcement action’ against a virtual currency.

The offending criminal mastermind in this case? Ripple Labs.

If you’re not familiar, Ripple is a virtual currency platform that was once the darling of Silicon Valley, attracting top VC firms like Google Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz.

Ripple’s technology allows users to conduct financial transactions with one another — sending and receiving payments in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, as well as fiat currency.

Imagine Bitcoin meets Paypal… and you have the basic idea.

Read moreIt Begins: US Government Issues $700,000 Fine Against A Digital Currency

The Good News: There Will Be No 25-Year Depression – The Bad News: It Will Be Much Worse Than That

May 6, 2015 by Infinite

– There Will Be No 25-Year Depression (Acting Man, May 6, 2015):

Good and Bad News

Today, we have bad news and good news. The good news is that there will be no 25-year recession. Nor will there be a depression that will last the rest of our lifetimes.

The bad news: It will be much worse than that. On Monday, the Dow rose another 43 points. Gold seems to be working its way back to the $1,200 level, where it feels most comfortable.

Read moreThe Good News: There Will Be No 25-Year Depression – The Bad News: It Will Be Much Worse Than That

Ultra-Secrecy Surrounds Barack Obama’s New Global Economic Treaty

May 6, 2015 by Infinite

– Ultra-Secrecy Surrounds Barack Obama’s New Global Economic Treaty (Economic Collapse, May 5, 2015):

Barack Obama is secretly negotiating a global economic treaty which would destroy thousands of American businesses and millions of good paying American jobs. In other words, it would be the final nail in the coffin for America’s economic infrastructure. Obama knows that if the American people actually knew what was in this treaty that they would be screaming mad, so the negotiations are being done in secret. The only people that are allowed to look at the treaty are members of Congress, and even they are being banned from saying anything to the public. American workers are about to be brutally stabbed in the back, and thanks to all of this secrecy and paranoia they won’t even see it coming.

The name of this new treaty is “the Trans-Pacific Partnership”, and it is being touted as perhaps the most important trade agreement in history. But very few people in this country are talking about it, because none of us are allowed to see it. An article that was just released by Politico detailed the extreme secrecy that is surrounding this trade agreement…

Read moreUltra-Secrecy Surrounds Barack Obama’s New Global Economic Treaty

‘Clinton Cash’ Is Out, And The Polls Show It

May 6, 2015 by Infinite

H/t reader M.G.:

“Corporate Clinton’s role as a potential presidential candidate is taking a big hit, regardless of the mendacious words on US corporate media……”

Only 25 percent of registered voters now view Clinton as honest — down from 38 percent who said so in the same poll last year. (AP)

– ‘Clinton Cash’ is out, and the polls show it (Washington Examiner, May 6, 2015):

Democrats cannot be happy about the last two weeks. With the violence in Baltimore, one more potential Democratic alternative to Hillary Clinton — former Baltimore Mayor and Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley — has become far less attractive.

Yet at the same time as her inevitability grows, Clinton’s prestige is starting to wane. The new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll finds that for the first time since 2008, she no longer enjoys a positive favorability rating. During her time as secretary of state, Clinton’s rating was consistently above 50 percent and at times approached 60 percent. Today, 42 percent of registered voters view her positively and 42 percent negatively.

Read more‘Clinton Cash’ Is Out, And The Polls Show It

Martin Armstrong, The Forecaster (Video)

May 6, 2015 by Infinite

FYI.

Martin Armstrong The System Will Crack And One World Currency Is Coming

– Martin Armstrong Warns ‘Abandon The UK Before You Can’t’

US Productivity Suffers First Consecutive Quarterly Plunge Since 1993

May 6, 2015 by Infinite

– US Productivity Suffers First Consecutive Quarterly Plunge Since 1993 (ZeroHedge, May 6, 2015):

Well this cannot be good. US output per hour (for the non-farm businesses) – or non-Farm productivity – plunged 1.9% in Q1. This follows a 2.1% slump in Q4 2014 and is the first consecutive quarterly plunge since 1993. This was driven by a 0.2% decline in output as hours worked increased 1.7% with manufacturing productivity suffering a 1.1% drop in Q1 (driven by a 1.2% decline in output).

Must be geat news…

working more… making less.

Charts: bloomberg

Berlin In July 1945 (HD 1080p Color Footage)

May 6, 2015 by Infinite

H/t reader I.G.

Apr 28, 2015

Description:

That’s how it looked like just after the Second World War in Berlin!

Fascinating moving pictures in color show the situation of the city in summer 1945, just after the Second World War and the capitulation of Germany. Daily life after years of war.

Pictures from the destroyed city, the Reichstag, Brandenburger Tor, Adlon, Führerbunker, Unter den Linden, rubble women working in the streets, the tram is running again.

7 Person CFTC Team Charges Gold Manipulators Identified First On Zero Hedge With Gold And Silver Spoofing

May 6, 2015 by Infinite

– 7 Person CFTC Team Charges Gold Manipulators Identified First On Zero Hedge With Gold And Silver Spoofing (ZeroHedge, May 6, 2015):

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) today announced the filing of a civil enforcement action in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against Heet Khara and Nasim Salim, residents of the United Arab Emirates. According to the CFTC’s Complaint, Defendants engaged in unlawful disruptive trading practices known as “spoofing” in the gold and silver futures markets by placing bids and offers with the intent to cancel them before execution.

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ADP Employment Tumbles To 15 Month Lows As Manufacturing Jobs Plunge

May 6, 2015 by Infinite

– ADP Employment Tumbles To 15 Month Lows As Manufacturing Jobs Plunge (ZeroHedge, May 6, 2015):

Following March’s dismal drop in the ADP Employment report (the biggest miss in 4 years) and missing for 3 straight months, April printed a very weak 169k (against notably lowere expectations of a 200k rise). Even worse, February and March was revised even lower. This is lower than the lowest economist estimate. Large companies were particularly weak with smaller businesses adding the bulk of the meager jobs print. The esteemed Mark Zandi blames this on “the fallout from the collapse of oil prices and the surging value of the dollar.”

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Germanwings Co-Pilot May Have Tried To Crash Previous Flight

May 6, 2015 by Infinite

– Germanwings Co-Pilot May Have Tried To Crash Previous Flight (ZeroHedge, May 6, 2015):

A new report from France’s air accident investigation agency shows that Andreas Lubitz repeatedly put the outbound flight from Düsseldorf to Barcelona into an unexplained controlled descent on the same day he deliberately flew the inbound flight into the French Alps killing all 150 passangers.

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AND NOW: 5-Star Resort Opens For ISIS Supporters In Iraq

May 6, 2015 by Infinite

– 5-star resort opens for ISIS supporters in Iraq (RT, May 6, 2015):

It may look like any other top resort in Iraq, but the Ninawa International Hotel in Mosul has one major difference. It is the first 5-star hotel for Islamic State jihadists. It includes a swimming pool and tennis court… but no bar.

The battlefield is a place of few comforts, so the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) has decided to re-open a luxury hotel in conquered territory to give its jihadists a bit of R&R. The Ninawa International Hotel in Mosul used to be one of the most luxurious in Iraq, catering to foreign guests and local dignitaries. However, its 262 rooms will now be used by extremist terror group.

Read moreAND NOW: 5-Star Resort Opens For ISIS Supporters In Iraq

California Adopts ‘Unprecedented’ Restrictions On Water Use As Drought Worsens

May 6, 2015 by Infinite

– California Drought Emergency: Weather Modification Through HAARP & Chemtrails – Satellite Photos Show Pacific Storms Stopped Cold, Destroyed

– Gulf Stream Is Slowing Down Faster Than Ever – Greenland Anomaly

Flashback:

– Scientific Paper On HAARP: ‘High-Power ELF Radiation Generated By Modulated HF Heating Of The Ionosphere Can Cause Earthquakes, Cyclones And Localized Heating’

– California Adopts “Unprecedented” Restrictions On Water Use As Drought Worsens (ZeroHedge, May 5, 2015):

Early last month we warned that California’s drought was approaching historic proportions and that if climatologists were to be believed, the country may see a repeat of The Dirty Thirties as experts cite “Dust Bowl” conditions. Governor Jerry Brown has called for statewide water restrictions aimed at reducing consumption by 25%.

Now, the conservation calls are getting much louder as the state’s water regulators have approved “unprecedented” measures aimed at curtailing the crisis.

Read moreCalifornia Adopts ‘Unprecedented’ Restrictions On Water Use As Drought Worsens

Veterans Truth Network: Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney Exposes U.S. Government Lies & Corruption (Video)

May 6, 2015 by Infinite

May 5, 2015

Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney joins Stew Webb and Bruce Campbell to discuss the corruption she witnessed in Washington DC.

“It Strikes Me Mighty Strange That You Would Have Seven Latin American Leaders All Come Down With Cancer At The Same Time.”

– Former US Lawmaker Cynthia McKinney: US Lawmakers Forced To Sign Support Of Israel (Video)

– Former Presidential Candidate Cynthia McKinney Exposes THE LIE Used To Attack And Destroy Libya: ‘Truth is the First Casualty of War. No Justice, No Peace, No Truth..’

– Cynthia McKinney at Munich Germany NATO Peace Rally: ‘My Country Has Been Hijacked By A Criminal Cabal’ (Video)

US Lawmakers Forced To Sign Support Of Israel:

The Economy Is In Free Fall And The U.S. Government Is Preparing For The Big Event (Video)

May 6, 2015 by Infinite

May 5, 2015

– US Economy Grinds To A Halt, Again: Q1 GDP Tumbles Below Expectations, Rises Paltry 0.2%:

Without this epic stockpiling of non-farm inventory which will have to be liquidated at some point (and at a very low price) Q1 GDP would have been -2.5%.

Florida Man Faces 15 Year Sentence For Sex On A Beach – Still No Banksters In Jail!

May 6, 2015 by Infinite

– Florida Man Faces 15 Years in Jail for Having Sex on the Beach (Still No Bankers in Jail) (Liberty Blitzkrieg, May 5, 2015):

A jury Monday found a couple guilty of having sex on Bradenton Beach after only 15 minutes of deliberation.

The convictions carry a maximum prison sentence of 15 years.

Both Caballero and Alvarez will now have to register as sex offenders.

Ronald Kurpiers, defense attorney for the couple, said his clients were “devastated,” by the verdict.

Though Dafonseca hinted that they’d be speaking with the judge about whether or not 15 years was appropriate for Caballero, Kurpiers said the judge would have no discretion.

“That’s what he’ll get,” Kurpiers said.

– From the Miami Herald article: Couple Found Guilty of Having Sex on Florida Beach

This is what “justice” looks like in the Oligarch States of America. If you’re a pleb who gets caught having consensual sex on the beach, you’re immediately convicted and face up to 15 years in the gulag. Meanwhile, if you’re a banking executive responsible for crashing the global economy, you’re rewarded with trillions in taxpayer bailouts and backstops and given free reign to continue your crime spree. Criminal charges are never considered, despite the extreme negative impact your actions have on society at large, and you’re always given a slap on the wrist via deferred prosecution agreements, or DPAs. Don’t believe me? Let’s look at an excerpt from last year’s post titled, The U.S. Department of Justice Handles Banker Criminals Like Juvenile Offenders…Literally:

Read moreFlorida Man Faces 15 Year Sentence For Sex On A Beach – Still No Banksters In Jail!

This is What Happens if You Defy Curfew: A Shocking 90 Second Video from the Streets of Baltimore

May 5, 2015 by Infinite

– This is What Happens if You Defy Curfew – A Shocking 90 Second Video from the Streets of Baltimore (Liberty Blitzkrieg, May 4, 2015):

On Saturday night, a man whose name still seems to be unknown, but who was wearing a “F##k the Police” t-shirt, came out in front of police past the official curfew. This is what happened next:

As Mike noted previously, the situation in Baltimore is very serious and all Americans should be paying very close attention; but Baltimore is just a Microcosm of America.

Baltimore, Maryland is in many ways the perfect microcosm for these United States of America. If you still don’t get that, you’ll be in for a rude awakening in the years ahead.

A gradual erosion of the Constitution and the civil rights of the citizenry, the abuse of power by people in authority, perverse financial incentives that lead to horrible outcomes, zero accountability, and a ubiquitous surveillance state apparatus; Baltimore has it all. Yet all of these troubling traits have also come to characterize early 21st century America.

Read moreThis is What Happens if You Defy Curfew: A Shocking 90 Second Video from the Streets of Baltimore

Gold Withdrawals From NY Fed Vault Refuse To Stop: 200 Tons Of Gold Repatriated In Past Year

May 5, 2015 by Infinite

– Gold Withdrawals From NY Fed Vault Refuse To Stop: 200 Tons Of Gold Repatriated In Past Year (ZeroHedge, May 5, 2015):

One month ago, when we commented on the latest monthly withdrawal from the gold vault lying on New York’s bedrock some 90 feet below the NY Fed building, which then saw another 10 tons quietly repatriated by unnamed foreign central bank(s) bringing the total held on behalf of foreign governments to below 6,000 tons for the first time in the 21st century, we made an observation:

… it means that all of the 207 tons in Dutch and German withdrawals are now accounted for with a matched and offsetting “departure” at the Fed. Which is why the next monthly update of the Fed’s earmarked gold will be especially interesting: if March data shows that the withdrawals continue, it will mean that either Germany, or some other sovereign, has continued to redeem their gold which for some reason they no longer trust is safe lying nearly 100 feet below street level on the Manhattan bedrock.

Read moreGold Withdrawals From NY Fed Vault Refuse To Stop: 200 Tons Of Gold Repatriated In Past Year

Israeli Soldiers Describe How They “Shot Innocent Civilians Because They Were Bored”

May 5, 2015 by Infinite

– Israeli Soldiers Describe How They “Shot Innocent Civilians Because They Were Bored” (ZeroHedge, May 5, 2015):

On July 12 of 2014 we reported that “after conducting countless sorties and bombing raids aimed at Hamas operatives in Gaza during the fifth day of Operation Protective Edge, but resulting in well over a hundred innocent civilian deaths in the past week, Israel, realizing it is not generating any brownie points with the international “humanitarian” media, finally did what it had threatened to do over the last few days – launch a ground assault.”

The ground assault promptly led to a mini-war in the Gaza Strip that left more than 2,100 Palestinians dead, of which 80% civilians, and reduced vast areas to rubble: a “war” which many speculated was a predetermined massacre by highly skilled, trained, and ethically drained Israeli soldiers who used civilians for target practice.

Read moreIsraeli Soldiers Describe How They “Shot Innocent Civilians Because They Were Bored”

Following “Terrorist-Fighting” Ban On Cash, France Passes “Le Patriot Act”

May 5, 2015 by Infinite

– Following “Terrorist-Fighting” Ban On Cash, France Passes “Le Patriot Act” (ZeroHedge, May 5, 2015):

In its efforts to ‘protect’ its citizens from terrorists, France deemed it necessary in March to “fight against the use of cash and anonymity in the French economy,” and drastically reduced the public’s freedom and privacy to spend. Today, that freedom and privacy took another blow as the French government passed “Le Patriot Act” dramatically beefing up the government’s spying powers.

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SEC Commissioner Furious At Deutsche Bank’s “Decade Of Lying, Cheating, And Stealing”

May 5, 2015 by Infinite

– SEC Commissioner Furious At Deutsche Bank’s “Decade Of Lying, Cheating, And Stealing” (ZeroHedge, May 5, 2015):

“Deutsche Bank’s illegal conduct involved nearly a decade of lying, cheating, and stealing. This criminal conduct was pervasive and widespread, involving dozens of employees from Deutsche Bank offices including New York, Frankfurt, Tokyo, and London. Deutsche Bank’s traders engaged in a brazen scheme to defraud Deutsche Bank’s counterparties and the worldwide financial marketplace by secretly manipulating LIBOR. The conduct is appalling. It was a complete criminal fraud upon the worldwide marketplace.”

– SEC Commissioner Kara Stein

Sanctions & Saber Rattling Doesn’t Stop The US From Importing Russian Petroleum

May 5, 2015 by Infinite

– Sanctions & Saber Rattling Doesn’t Stop The US From Importing Russian Petroleum (ZeroHedge, May 5, 2015):

Americans might be quite surprised to know that even with all the U.S. Government sanctions and threats of war with Russia, America still imports a significant amount of petroleum from the former communist country. How much petroleum does the United States import from Russia? Actually, a lot more when we focus on net imports..

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Greek Deal In Limbo After “Serious Disagreement” Between EU, IMF

May 5, 2015 by Infinite

– Greek Deal In Limbo After “Serious Disagreement” Between EU, IMF (ZeroHedge, May 5, 2015):

On the heels of Monday’s news that the IMF may demand a write-off of Greek debt by European creditors before the organization will disburse its portion of a €7.2 billion aid tranche to Athens, it now appears the situation has deteriorated further with unnamed Greek officials reporting “serious disagreements” between the IMF and the EU which may make a compromise “impossible” by the critical May 12 deadline.

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Two Chinese Warships Enter The Black Sea

May 5, 2015 by Infinite

– Two Chinese Warships Enter The Black Sea (ZeroHedge, May 5, 2015):

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As a reminder, in the summer of 2013 when the Syria war tensions saw a build of US, Russian and even Chinese ships in the Mediterranean ahead of what could be the first global Middle East war. The war was avoided in the last minute. This time the naval build up is taking place even closer to both Europe and Russia, and now even China is present.

Worst Ever US Trade Deficit Excluding Crude Hints At Upcoming QE4

May 5, 2015 by Infinite

– Worst Ever US Trade Deficit Excluding Crude Hints At Upcoming QE4 (ZeroHedge, May 5, 2015):

Remember that in a beggar thy neighbor world, where currency warfare has once again broken out between the US, Europe and Japan, for every winner there is a loser. In this case, the loser is the one country that has decided that a strong currency is a great thing for its economy (if only for the time being): that would be the US. Why is this relevant? Because as the chart below shows, US trade excluding Petroleum, just crashed to $43.7 billion, the worst print in the history of the series, suggesting that portrayals of the US as a resurgent export powerhouse are completely erroneous, and that instead the US is as big a net importer of goods and services (and soon to be oil) as ever.

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