Apr 06

Today’s News 6th April 2017

  • Necons Demand Action in Syria, While Serious Questions Regarding the Chemical Attack Remain Unanswered

    Today, President Trump ‘changed his mind’ about Syria and Assad, due to the horrific pictures showing victims of a chemical weapons attack that killed dozens in the ISIS controlled city of Idlib. The media has been plastering one dead child after the next — evoking emotional responses from people looking for a villain to bomb. On a much smaller scale, these are the same tactics that were used to draw us into the 9/11 wars, which still persist in all of their horrible, indecorous, calamity, 16 years hence.

    Trump has changed his mind.

    Before we start send sorties into Syria, trying to take out both Russian and Syrian forces, how about we first see evidence proving this was a government sponsored attack?

    Thus far, according to the NY Times, this is all we have — this one flimsy attestation by ‘witnesses.’

    Witnesses said the gas was delivered by a government airstrike. The attacks raised the possibility that the Syrian government used a banned nerve agent, like sarin, after it agreed in 2013 to eliminate its chemical weapons program.

    Fox’s Geraldo ‘Al Capone Punk’d Me from the Grave’ Rivera offered his take, stating the obvious. It made no sense for Assad to use chemical weapons, especially after the US made overtures accepting his rule in the country.

    The US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, gave an overly dramatic speech regarding the attacks — standing up and showing pictures of dead children, asking Russia ‘how many children have to die before Russia cares?’

    Russian officials have a different account of the events in Idlib. They said Assad attacked an ISIS weapons depot, which had chemical weapons in it.

    Can we be sure who is telling the truth? No.

    But, thanks to social media, some serious facts have been presented, such as people receiving gas masks two days prior to the attacks and an anti-Assad reporter, writing about a chemical gas attack 24 hours in advance. How can we explain this? Personally, I think we’d be fools to believe anything ISIS or the ‘moderate rebels’ have to say on the matter.

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    Let’s examine the timeline and what has just transpired. The war that the neocons have wanted for the past half decade in Syria, displacing Assad for a ‘pro-western’ leader, was just greenlit by Trump. Bannon was booted from the NSC, amidst rumors that Trump’s son in law, Jared Kushner, was leaking info to the Morning Shill, Joe Scarborough. Nikkie Haley sabre rattled Russia, Syria and Iran at the UN. Trump ‘changed his mind.’ Rex Tillerson told Russia to ‘rethink Assad.’

    And, lastly, Trump called Merkel to discuss the Ukraine.

    This is either the best game of 10d waterpolo ever played or we’ve been had.

    One last thing before I go. Motive.

    Content originally published at iBankCoin.com

     

  • With Trump As President Prepping Is More Important Than Ever

    Authored by Brandon Smith via Alt-Market.com,

    I don’t believe it is as pervasive as certain people may think, but there is a notion among some in the liberty movement that with Donald Trump in the White House the need for crisis preparedness has subsided. Because preppers and survivalists tend to lean towards the conservative side of things, the urgency for prepping almost always explodes when the Democratic party is “in power.” As they say, for example, Barack Obama was perhaps the greatest gun salesman in history with the gun industry growing over 158% during his two terms.

    Now with Republican dominance in Congress, Senate and White House, there is a possible temptation for conservatives to become complacent and comfortable once again. In 2017 so far, ATF background checks have dropped by at least half a million since this time last year, and gun company stocks are turning negative. There are also rumors floating around that survival food companies are suffering from a severe crunch in sales. Though I have not yet found this to be substantiated, I can verify that many preppers I deal with on a daily basis seem to have relaxed their guard.

    I would point out that this is not necessarily all due to Trump. The gun market is likely saturated after eight years of Obama, and one must also consider that as the U.S. economy continues to decline, surplus cash used for prep gear is going to dry up. That said, I do think it is important to examine any assumptions liberty activists might have in terms of a Trump driven “recovery.”

    When I began publishing my post-election analysis on what I felt was a predictable Trump win, I did find anger among some activists who decided I was being “too pessimistic,” and that I should join the movement in celebration. Being that I called a Trump presidency half a year in advance based on the premise that the globalists needed a conservative scapegoat for the next phase of the ongoing financial crisis, it was hardly a moment of celebration for me.

    There is a common delusion among those that invest themselves in politics that all that is needed to reverse the course of any nation or situation is a “strong leader” with ample cheerleading from the populace. In reality, social and geopolitical disasters are usually far beyond the means of any one politician to change. Economic disasters are even more irreversible. I wish I could pretend to be optimistic, but I am rather well studied in the history of these kinds of events.

    Conservatives are especially vulnerable to the idea of a “protector on a white horse” coming to their rescue; a God-fearing hero and statesman, a general and leader of men. But, such people do not exist. There are no supermen. There are no worldly saviors. There are only common men, with common failings, destined to face extraordinary obstacles. The great men of history are not born before hand — they are forged in the crucible of crisis. Great men are not great men until proven otherwise. To assume any political leader is a great man beforehand is foolish, to say the least.

    This is why blind faith in a post-Trump renaissance is misplaced. It is something that has yet to be proven, and in the meantime, there are numerous and highly visible dangers on the horizon that demand continued vigilance and preparedness. I will examine one of these primary dangers now…

    The Growing Threat Of Civil Unrest

    As I noted in my post-election analysis, the political Left has been shell shocked by the rise of Trump and their emotional response would undoubtedly be to double down and become progressively more volatile and more violent. I predicted that this would be evident as winter broke and the cold weather subsided.

    The first signs of this are surfacing as May Day is becoming a rally date for social justice mobs bent on disrupting any agenda the Trump administration might have for enforcing immigration laws. The largest of these protests is to be held in Los Angeles, but similar protests are planned nationwide as well.

    From what we have seen from previous rallies, it would not be unfair to expect rioting in May. I say this because a tone shift in the left is taking place and extreme reactions are more frequent. The following video illustrates this clearly, I think…

    Warning – Explicit

    In case you missed it, this guy just pulled an AR-15 on someone simply because they had a MAGA flag on their truck. Not only that, but he FILMED HIMSELF doing it and and apparently posted it on social media. That is how brazen and insane these people are becoming.

    Think of it this way — could you have even imagined something like this happening during the 2012 election? It is important not to become conditioned to such behavior as being “normal.”

    To be sure, this sort of thing will not be happening in certain parts of the country. In my state of Montana, the assailant would have been shot two dozen times over by our highly armed population regardless of his politics just on the self defense principle. And frankly, I am fine with that. Citizens providing security for citizens is the American way.

    What I do have a problem with, though, is the increasing potential for an extreme response from conservatives in the face of leftist lunacy. Meaning, I worry about martial law with conservative support, which in my view is more and more likely over the next two years.

    Contrary to popular belief among tough-government champions, martial law often instigates more violence than it solves. The harsher the crackdown, the more vicious the push-back; the more vicious the push-back the more totalitarianism is rationalized by authorities. It’s a terrible cycle.

    Preparedness in terms of self defense should be self-explanatory here. During widespread mob action the rule of law is usually the first casualty, even when martial law is instituted. You also never know when some nutcase might declare you a “Trump supporter” (whether you are one or not) as he reaches for a weapon.

    It is fascinating to me the level of cognitive dissonance with some liberty activists who seem to think Trump’s first term will be anything other than pure chaos. George Soros, an elitist who often funds the very groups organizing mobs to protest Trump, said it plainly:

    “I think Trump will fail.”

     

    “What’s more Soros predicted that the market’s Trump high will soon turn into a hangover. He called Trump unpredictable and unprepared, and said that combination will end up bad for the market.”

    Soros and his globalist colleagues do not need to field guesses; they ENGINEER the outcomes that they “predict.” Social unrest at this fragile time would result in the exact market instability Soros mentioned, among other problems.

    Look, you may believe Trump is being threatened on all sides by the so-called “deep state,” or you may believe that he has willingly surrounded himself with global elitists because he is a Trojan horse. Either way, the diagnosis for the future is not rosy. It would be naive to think that the globalists would not do everything in their power to foment calamity in the near term. It would be equally naive to believe that such an agenda could be repelled through political means.

    The answer, as always, is a prepared citizenry. This can act as a deterrent as much as a measure of comfort. The more prepared the public is for any eventuality, the less affected we will be by disaster. The less affected we are by disaster, the less fearful we will be when it strikes and the less likely we will be to make stupid decisions such as throwing our support behind martial law and the wholesale erasure of the constitution. The more prepared we are, the fewer options available to the establishment when attempting to lure us into poor collective decisions.

    Prepping means freedom in the face of uncertainty, and times have never been more uncertain. To summarize: A Trump White House calls for more caution, not less.

  • Lee Stranahan: 'Ideological Coup' By Kushner-Linked Goldman Globalists Destroying Trump White House

    After Wikileaks revelations that Citigroup picked Obama’s cabinet, it appears the Trump administration is succumbing to ‘same globalism, different bank.’

    Weeks after the Daily Mail exposed an internal struggle between Kushner-linked Goldman Sachs operatives and Trump advisor Steve Bannon, it has become clear that an “ideological coup” led by globalist bankers is well underway – claiming populist Steve Bannon as their latest victim. This ties in with Roger Stone’s warning that Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner has been leaking anti-Bannon information to MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough.

    Well, it appears the Goldman globalists have won… for now. Wednesday evening, former Breitbart lead investigative reporter Lee Stranahan dropped an insightful Periscope video in which he laid out exactly what’s going on in the White House – pointing out who’s running the show, and imploring people to simply research the players for themselves.

    In a nutshell: Weeks after meeting with Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein at the Four Seasons bar in DC, Jared Kushner-friendly Goldman alums have successfully maneuvered Trump’s top advisor Steve Bannon off the Natl. Security Council – further strengthening the globalist cabal’s influence over President Trump. Jared Kushner, it should be pointed out, has a well documented history of donating to Democrats; including Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Robert Mendez (D-NJ).

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    Let’s look at the ex-Goldman operators within the Trump White House:

    Gary Cohn – recently Goldman’s #2, is Trump’s chief economic advisor – who was granted an unprecedented accelerated payout of $285 Million in order to go work at the White House.

    • Staunch Democrat
    • Huge globalist, led Goldman delegation to restructure Greek debt during financial crisis, helping them hide debt from EU overseers in Brussels.
    • Head of the National Economic Council as of January 20th, 2017
    • Brought in Drew Quinn – lead negotiator of TPP

     

     


    Dina Habib Powell, another top Goldman alum and former president of the Goldman Sachs foundation:

     

    Instead of draining the swamp, Goldman alums Cohn, Powell, and Treasury Secretary Mnuchin are the swamp…

    The populist, nationalist agenda that Donald Trump was elected on is getting pushed out of the White house.

     

    The fact that Powell is in (who was in the Bush administration), as a Security advisor, is deeply troubling. She’s got Ben Rhodes’ old job.

    Goldman Sachs has taken over…

    We voted for the working people who have been taken advantage of by companies like Goldman Sachs. You’ve been screwed by Goldman Sachs. Look up TARP. You didn’t vote for Goldman Sachs.

     

    We did not vote for Globalism.

    And before you say “Wait, Steve Bannon is from Goldman!” – full stop… Bannon addressed how the megabank has changed and no longer shares his values.

    What can Trump voters do?

    Stranahan has one request for any and all who oppose this ideological coup by Goldman Sachs: CALL THE WHITE HOUSE!

    See entire Periscope here:

      

    Content originally generated at iBankCoin.com * Follow on Twitter @ZeroPointNow

  • Euro Saves Germany, Slaughters the PIGS, & Feeds the BLICS

    Authored by Chris Hamilton via Econimica,

    The change in nations Core populations (25-54yr/olds) have driven economic activity for the later half of the 20th century, first upward and now downward.  The Core is the working population, the family forming population, the child bearing population, the first home buying, and the credit happy primary consumer.  Even a small increase (or contraction) in their quantity drives economic activity magnitudes beyond what the numbers would indicate.

    To highlight the linkage of Core populations to economic activity, the chart below shows the European 25-54yr/old population vs. the best indicator of economic activity, total energy consumption (data available starting from 1980).  The implications are pretty straightforward.  European economic activity (& resultant energy consumption) will contract for decades, at a minimum, with the declining Core population.  The pie is shrinking and now it’s simply a fight for who gets bigger slices.

     

    Given this, consider Germany was well aware of it’s post WWII collapsing birth rate and the impact of this on economic growth as this shrinking population of young made it’s way into the Core.  Consider Germany’s Core population peaked in 1995 and it’s domestic consumer base has been shrinking since, now down over 3.3 million potential consumers (about a 9% Core decline…remember a depression is a 10% decline in economic activity, which a 9% and growing decline in German consumers would have almost surely induced).

    GERMANY

    The chart below shows Germany’s Core population from 1950–>2040…but understand this is no guestimate through 2040.  This is simply taking the existing 0-24yr/old population (plus anticipated immigration) and sliding them into the Core through 2040.  Germany’s Core population is set to fall by over 30% or 10+ million by 2040 (far more than the 7 million Germans of all ages who died in WWII).

     

    But Germany had a plan.  With the advent of the EU and Euro just as Germany’s Core began shrinking, Germany was able to avoid the pitfalls of a shrinking domestic consumer base, circumvent the strong German currency, and effectively quadruple it’s effective export market across Europe.  German exports, as a % of GDP, have essentially doubled since the advent of the Euro (22% in ’95 to almost 50% in ’16).  The chart below highlights Germany’s shrinking Core vs. rising GDP (primarily via exports) since 1995.

     

    And this had the desired effect of turning what was a rising German debt to GDP ratio during re-integration of E. Germany into a falling ratio (chart below).

     

    So the German motivation for the EU and Euro are fairly plain as are the resultant economic transfusion from South to North.  But for Germany to be a winner, there had to be a loser in this shrinking pie game.  Hello PIGS (Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain), you lost.  As the old poker adage goes, when you don’t know who the sucker at the table is…it’s you.  Particularly when you “win big” at first and it all seems so easy…but then it all turns.

    PIGS

    The chart below shows the PIGS Core population peaking about 15 years later than in Germany but likewise clearly rolling over.  By 2040, the PIGS Core population will be back at it’s 1960 levels…down from the 2010 peak by 17 million or about a 30% decline.

    But if we look at the PIGS combined GDP and Core population…we see a very different picture than in Germany.  The chart below shows the PIGS GDP turned down ahead of the Core population peak.  The rise in GDP in these nations was a credit bubble premised on cheap EU wide interest rates more appropriate for Germany.  Exports as a % of GDP (which were higher than Germany’s in ’95) have risen less than half of Germany’s increase (rising as a % primarily due to declining PIGS GDP).  Low German wage increases and high quality German goods helped displace PIGS domestic manufacturing base.

     

    To extend the game a bit longer (and multiply the harm), un-repayable government debt has been substituted to keep the PIGS consuming since 2007 (chart below).

     

    How it played out…

    The chart below shows the impact of the implementation of the EU and Euro on the different parties.  Clearly the PIGS were fattened up on cheap credit.  These nations became used to unsustainably fast growth and the good life, buying really nice German exports and undermining their own national brands.

     

    But then the phony PIGS growth turned to real and deep contraction (chart below).  However, the slowdown was quick and shallow for Germany and the BLICS.  French GDP likewise turned upward after a shallow contraction but did so on a large increase in debt and continuing high levels of unemployment.  Quite the opposite of the trends in Germany.

     

    The raw trade data confirms Germany’s gain against an ageing domestic population came at the expense of the PIGS.

     

    BLICS

    And just to square the circle, I need to talk a little about the BLICS (Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland, Cayman Island, and Switzerland…yes, I understand Cayman Island is not in Europe, but bear with me as it is a British Overseas Territory).  These nations with a total population of about 24 million have been disproportionate beneficiaries of the new EU system.  These financier nations have been the biggest winners of all with huge amounts of money flowing through them (BLICS GDP below).

     

    But why would small to tiny financier nations be the greatest beneficiary of the new EU?  Untold quantities of nearly free ECB money & distortions does wonders for those who can get their hands on it.  In this respect, a peek at these nations US Treasury holdings is quite telling.  These tiny nations are now five of the top 13 foreign holders of US Treasury’s (Ireland is #3, and Cayman Island #5, Switzerland #6, Luxembourg #7, and Belgium has slipped to #13).  That these are America’s creditors is laughable really!

    I’m just guessing but the timing and size of BLICS Treasury purchases sure looks like it was front running in conjunction with the ECB’s 2011 LTRO and subsequent 2014 TLTRO?!?  The chart below shows the BLICS Treasury holdings back to 2001.  “Financialization” writ large for nations that don’t produce much of anything.

     

    In fact, since the July 2011 debt ceiling debate (debacle?!?) when Congress determined the US would never live within it’s means, it has been the BLICS that have done the heavy lifting to maintain the foreign Treasury bid while China (and cumulative BRICS) have been selling despite record dollar surplus’ (chart below).  As an aside, from ’00 through July ’11, China recycled about 50% of it’s dollar trade surplus into Treasury’s…from July ‘ll China only continues to sell Treasury’s despite record trade surplus…but luckily the BLICS stepped up just as China and the BRICS bowed out.

     

    The chart below highlights that the BLICS are now, as of January 2017, the largest holder of US Treasury debt overtaking the declining holdings of both Japan and China.

     

    Conclusion:

    As Europe’s Core population collapses (and economic activity with it), the Euro and ECB seem to be serving a select few at the expense of the majority.  The imbalances and distortions will only grow as the attempts to mask who the Euro and ECB truly serve continue.  What little vitality exists is being transfused to prop up the few.  Hope this has been thought provoking and make of this what you will.

  • Snowflakes Demand University President's Resignation After Refusal To Support "Safe Spaces"

    Snowflakes at the ultra-liberal Northern Arizona University are demanding that their President, Rita Cheng, step down today after a student asked for her opinion on ‘safe spaces’ and got a rather shocking dose of reality as a reply. 

    During a forum hosted by Cheng, NAU sophomore Breanna Kramer asked the following (per KPNX):

    “How can you promote safe spaces, if you don’t take action in situations of injustice, such as, last week, when we had the preacher on campus and he was promoting hate speech against marginalized students?  As well as, not speaking out against racist incidents like blackface two months ago by student workers followed by no reform and no repercussions?”

    And while Kramer expected a softball response from her school’s president, what she actually got was a heaping dose of ‘real life’…which, of course, immediately ‘triggered’ every snowflake within an earshot of the president’s ‘microaggression‘.

    “As a university professor, I’m not sure I have any support at all for safe space.  I think that you as a student have to develop the skills to be successful in this world and that we need to provide you with the opportunity for discourse and debate and dialogue and academic inquiry, and I’m not sure that that is correlated with the notion of safe space as I’ve seen that.”

    In the aftermath of the atrocity, NAU students took to Facebook to do what all snowflakes do when their bastions of liberalism refuse to bend to their every demand…namely, organize a protest…

    NAU

     

    Meanwhile, the mass-triggering event caused local news agencies to spring into action with a series of accusatory questions…

    Q: What does President Cheng think about the NAU SAC asking for her resignation if she doesn’t provide a safe space for all students?

     

    A: NAU is safe. Creating segregated spaces for different groups on our campus only [leads] to misunderstanding, distrust and [reduces] the opportunity for discussion and engagement and education around diversity. Our classrooms and our campus is a place for engagement and respect – a place to learn from each other.  NAU is committed to an atmosphere that is conducive to teaching and learning.

     

    Q: Does she only bring up diversity and equality on campus when it opens up the school for grant and fund eligibility?

     

    A: President Cheng has been addressing diversity and equality in her words and her actions since the day she arrived at NAU. Her leadership in advocating for our students and their success is reflected in the fact that our enrollment mirrors the diversity of our State.

     

    Q: Is she willing to sit down with NAU SAC representatives (if she hasn’t already) to hear their concerns and see what she can do to address them?

     

    A: Yes. The President is and has always been willing to meet with representatives of student groups. There were hundreds of people at Wednesday’s forum – faculty staff and students.  The few dozen who left, missed the opportunity to hear the questions of others, including several similar to theirs, and the answers that followed.

    We’ll set the over/under at 1 week for Cheng’s remaining tenure at NAU….

     

  • How To Trade The Trump-Xi Summit

    While today’s market was certainly more exciting than many had expected, first surging on the blockbuster ADP report, then plunging in the biggest intraday drop in 14 months after “some” Fed members warned stock prices are “quite high“, there is a chance that it will get even more exciting tomorrow, should either Trump or Xi utter a word “out of place” during the first summit between the two world leaders at Mar-A-Lago.

    How should traders approach tomorrow’s key risk event? Courtesy of Bloomberg’s ex-FX trader Mark Cudmore, here are some thoughts.

    With fundamental trading semi-paralyzed ahead of Thursday’s Trump-Xi meeting, it’s only prices that matter for the moment.

    • The summit between the Chinese and U.S. leaders could have profound implications, but it’s nearly impossible to have any bias going in to the meeting. There’s genuine potential for both positive and negative surprises.
    • As a result, markets are in a holding pattern as we wait to see whether risk-aversion is really ready to step it up a notch. Key levels across assets have not yet broken, with the 2.3% line in 10-year Treasury yields being the most critical.
    • The context is a global economy that’s strengthening. Excess liquidity remains in the system meaning that yield and returns will continue to be chased overall. The flip side is that there are flickers of risk-aversion in markets that are not used to volatility.
    • That environment leads to an adamantly divided market. On one side are those who cite growth and liquidity as a reason to always buy the dip. On the other, those who fear calamity, citing the idea that low volatility has induced excess leverage to chase returns and a misallocation of capital.
    • I have sympathy with both views and while trading each individual asset requires conviction, sensible risk management of a portfolio requires a more balanced perspective. I believe markets are vulnerable to a larger correction this month, but the structural macro story leads me to be bullish longer-term, so I don’t expect a sustained bear market.
    • Thursday’s high-profile meeting may not provide any concrete outcomes, but it’s likely to at least provide sufficient excuses for markets to act, even if it is on a pre-ordained path.

    Unsatisfied by Cudmore’s take? Here are some more analyst opinions on what to expect tomorrow.

    Citigroup Global Markets Asia (Ken Peng, investment strategist)

    • “It’s more a bargaining game rather than one where punishments are doled out”
    • Markets feel “comfortable” as there isn’t universal support in the Republican Party for a protectionist trade policy. Failure of the president’s health-care bill is also a factor
    • Still, hard to predict how talks will pan out

    Oanda Asia Pacific (Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst)

    • China will strive for market stability during the talks
    • “The chances of the onshore- and offshore-traded yuan being allowed to trade materially weaker while Mr Xi is visiting the U.S. will be almost zero”

    Guotai Junan Fund Management (Guo Rui, vice president)

    • Don’t anticipate any news that will move markets
    • “The meeting will be more likely about two leaders tentatively figuring out each others’ card hands. Trump tends to be hawkish on words, but the meeting itself signals there is common ground for cooperation”

    ING (Jingyi Pan, markets strategist)

    • “The market’s imagination appears to be running wild with the possibilities of the outcome from this meeting”
    • That will likely make many stay on sidelines ahead of the meeting. “A pickup in volatility post event could nevertheless lure traders out”
    • Trump’s past colorfulness when it comes to China’s perceived transgressions means talks could go a number of ways

    ANZ (Khoon Goh, head of Asia research)

    • Still a risk U.S. could take a strong line on China in the Treasury’s semi-annual currency report
    • “Hopefully the Xi-Trump meeting will ease some of the tension”
    • Lack of concern in markets shows traders don’t expect rhetoric over China being a currency manipulator to be followed through

    Mizuho Bank (Ken Cheung, Asia currency strategist)

    • Don’t expect any kind of deal out of the talks
    • Don’t think China will be slapped with manipulator tag
    • “We’re not looking for breaking news that would change the yuan’s outlook at the summit. The meeting will be smooth as Trump has softened his stance against China”

  • Border Wall Bids Emerge; Include Everything From Tourist Attractions To Nuclear Waste Storage

    Yesterday was the deadline for companies to submit bids for Trump’s “physically imposing” yet “aesthetically pleasing” border wall between the U.S. and Mexico.  And while the U.S. government has said they won’t disclose bids, rather just the names of companies actually awarded contracts on June 1st, some of the companies decided to disclose their plans themselves.  Below are a couple of our faves…

    Gleason Partners of Las Vegas, for example, revealed its proposal to line the border wall with solar panels so that it could, among other things, sell electricity to Mexico to help pay for the wall.  Per the AP:

    The panels would provide electricity for lighting, sensors and patrol stations along the wall. Sales of electricity to utilities could cover the cost of construction in 20 years or less, according to the company. Power could also be sold to Mexico.

     

    “I like the wall to be able to pay for itself,” said managing partner Thomas Gleason.

    Border Wall

     

    Another company, Crisis Resolution Security Services, wants to turn the border wall into a massive tourist attraction with beautiful panoramic views of the desert landscapes.

    Crisis Resolution Security Services Inc. of Clarence, Illinois, proposes a wall that is 56 feet (17 meters) high and 22 feet (7 meters) wide at the top — with plenty of room to allow tourists to enjoy desert views.

     

    The height — nearly twice what the government envisions — would deter climbers, and its width would give the structure longevity, said chief executive officer Michael Hari.

    Clayton Industries had the slightly different idea of storing nuclear waste under the wall.

    Clayton Industries Inc. of Pittsburgh proposes storing nuclear waste along the wall in trenches that are at least 100 feet (30 meters) deep.

     

    Money already collected by the U.S. Department of Energy from people who benefit from nuclear power would help pay for the wall.

     

    The bid includes an option for hardware to convert the nuclear waste to energy.

    Meanwhile, a San Diego company decided to focus on the “aesthetically pleasing” component of the RFP…

    Concrete Contractors Interstate of San Diego proposed a polished concrete wall augmented with stones and artifacts specific to areas on the 2,000-mile (3,218-kilometer) border.

     

    Russ Baumgartner, CEO of the company, says the wall should be “a piece of art.”

     

    Customs and Border Protection’s solicitation says the wall should be “aesthetically pleasing” from the U.S. side. Baumgartner wants to decorate both sides.

    Border Wall

     

    …while DarkPulse Technologies chose to focus on the “physically imposing” part.

    DarkPulse Technologies of Scottsdale, Arizona, proposes a concrete wall that can withstand tampering or attacks of any kind.

     

    “You could fire a tank round at it and it will take the impact,” said company founder Dennis O’Leary.

     

    Fiber sensors would be embedded in the concrete to immediately alert officials to any attempts to climb over or tunnel under the wall. It would be coated with a slick coating that would prevent climbing.

    Border Wall

     

    Finally, one snowflake organization, Otra Nation, proposed no border wall at all but rather the “world’s first shared co-nation.”

    Otra Nation, a group of U.S. and Mexican citizens, proposed the world’s first shared co-nation along the border “open to citizens of both countries and co-maintained by Mexico and the United States of America.”

     

    It would also create “nodes of cultural production” such as libraries, museums, galleries and workshops between San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico, and other spots with cities on both sides of the border.

     

    It would prohibit oil drilling and mining and create a “hyperloop transportation system” for people and cargo.

    We’re almost certain Trump will choose the Otra Nation option and just be done with this whole border wall thing.

  • Silicon Valley Survivalist Builds DIY “TsunamiBall” To Ride Out Disaster

    Authored by Mac Slavo via SHTFplan.com,

    Whenever seismic activity kicks up on the planet, earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis are triggered.

    Just how big, and how devastating, depends upon chance, and the build-up of pressures within the earth.

    But anyway you slice it, places like Southern California, and globally, the Ring of Fire, are in the danger zone. Many say that it’s just a matter of time.

    With that in mind, survival-minded individuals and disaster preppers have been trying to get ready, and help others get ready, too.

    That’s sort of what happened when Chris Robinson and his Silicon Valley friends and associates got into ‘sketching ideas for tsunami-proof shelters.’

    He says his boss drove home the idea, and brought it up over and over, until he came up with any idea…

    … And started building his own tsunami-proof shelter that he hoped could survive a storm of any size, and keep he and his family safe even if the vessel tumbled, or got knocked.

    As a one-man crew, Robinson went to town with simple plywood, and a lot of patience, until he came up with this fantastic DIY survival vessel, dubbed the ‘Tsunamiball’, featured on one of the best off-grid sites on the web.

    via Kirsten Dirksen:

    A couple years ago Chris Robinson was a former Facebook and PayPal art director with no boat-building (nor sailing) experience. Then the Tsunami hit Japan (a place where he’d lived and met his wife). He happened to be working in a startup incubator at the time with some “very smart people”, including an astronaut, and everyone was sketching ideas for tsunami-proof shelters.

     

    To be sure, Robinson’s house boat isn’t done, and frankly, wouldn’t survive a disaster of any magnitude in its current condition. It hasn’t even been tested on the water.

    But he hopes to use his pet project to inspire others into thinking of better designs, and improving his along the way.

    As Wired Magazine reported:

    The former Facebook and PayPal art director used Adobe Illustrator to sketch his tsunamiball plan (he asked some engineers for help calculating whether it would float). “Very early in the project it became about building this interesting object,” Robinson says. “I’m not a survivalist. I don’t even have life jackets.” He does, however, have an emotional connection to Fukushima—he met his wife there in 1991, when he lived in Japan. “Half the places we went on dates are gone,” he says. Robinson plans to finish the outer shell by May, then ocean-test the vessel if he can find a crane and truck big enough to haul it over to the Pacific. And if the sphere doesn’t sink, he’ll use Airbnb to rent the tsunamiball for tidal wave-safe overnights in Palo Alto.

    Whether it helps out in a disaster or not, the project is fascinating and breathtaking.

    In principle, it is very similar to the ‘Survival Capsule’ that SHTF reported on a little while back:

    In the wake of an extreme threat – such as a tsunami or earthquake – this capsule could be the best place to withstand the impact, no matter what.

     

    It is water-tight. It is extremely durable. It floats, and it can withstand against the impact of super-strong winds, crashes, heat and many other factors.

     

    As the London Guardian reports:

     

    This capsule, which features two small porthole windows so the occupants can see what is going on around them, was created to give individual groups and families more control of their survival in emergency situation than traditional ‘safe houses.’

     

    It is designed to float so it will never be inundated by water levels rising too high, as they do in tsunami situations.

     

    The sphere is designed to withstand the initial impact of a natural disaster, as well as sharp object penetration, heat exposure, blunt object impact, and rapid deceleration.

    How’s your plan for survival? It’s time to think one through if you don’t have one.

  • Bannon Threatened To Quit; Pence Says "Not Demotion"

    In the aftermath of today’s main political event, the removal of Steve Bannon from Trump’s National Security Council, the punditry and the public have been eager to find out if this was a voluntary transition – in Bannon’s own words “I was put on to ensure that [Susan Rice’s NSC] was de-operationalized. General McMaster has returned the NSC to its proper function” – or whether there was a behind the scenes conflict between Bannon and Trump or others in the administration – Reuters reported that Bannon’s removal from the NSC was seen as a boost to H.R. McMaster, who officials said has struggled to work together with Bannon.

    And while it will hardly provide a definitive answer, especially to skeptics, moments ago Fox News’ Martha MacCallum sat down with Vice President Mike Pence for a wide-ranging interview. Pence also addressed the major news stories of the day, where of particular interest was the discussion on the removal of Steve Bannon.

    Asked if the NSC move was a demotion for Bannon, Pence said “not for Steve, not for Ton. These are very highly valued members of our administration. They’re going to continue to play important policy roles. But I think with H.R. McMaster’s addition as our National Security Advisor – a man of extraordinary background in the military – this is just a natural evolution to ensure the National Security Council is organized in a way that best serves the president in resolving and making those difficult decisions,” Pence said.

    That, however, conflicts with what the NYT reported this evening, when the newspaper (as usual relying on “a White House official who, like others, insisted on anonymity to discuss internal deliberations”) said that “Bannon resisted the move, even threatening at one point to quit if it went forward… Bannon’s camp denied that he had threatened to resign and spent the day spreading the word that the shift was a natural evolution, not a signal of any diminution of his outsize influence.”

    His allies said privately that Mr. Bannon had been put on the principals committee to keep an eye on Mr. Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn, a retired three-star general who lasted just 24 days before being forced out for misleading Vice President Mike Pence and other White House officials about what he had discussed with Russia’s ambassador. With Mr. Flynn gone, these allies said, there was no need for Mr. Bannon to remain, but they noted that he had kept his security clearance.

    Of course, the whether the NYT report is trustworthy is just as pertinent.

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    Pence also said that Americans “have a right to know” details about allegations that President Obama’s National Security Adviser Susan Rice asked for the identity of Trump transition team members to be unmasked in intelligence reports.

    “Well I think the American people have a right to know what was going on. And we have every confidence that intelligence committees in the House and the Senate will get to the bottom of all of these allegations,” Pence told Fox News. Rice became the subject of ire from Trump allies earlier this week after media reports said the former Obama official requested the identities of transition team members be unmasked in reports about surveillance of foreign targets. Rice on Tuesday did not deny that she requested the unmasking of identities, but said she would not have done so for political reasons.

    Pence, when asked if Rice should testify in front of Congress, said such a decision is up to lawmakers. “But I would say the American people have a right to know if there was surveillance of any private citizen in this country,” he added in the Fox News interview.

    “And the identity of those citizens was revealed, people ought to have the right to know why. And the fact that it involved out campaign and our transition should be deeply troubling to anyone cherishes civil liberties in this country.”

    Trump, in an interview with the New York Times  earlier on Wednesday, said he thought Rice committed a crime.  “Do I think? Yes, I think.” Trump told the newspaper when asked.

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    Another pertinent topic touched upon by Pence was the alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria, which he said appears to be the work of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, and which prompted Trump this afternoon to suggest that his Syria policy may change as a result.

    “No American can look at those images and not be heartsick,” Pence said. “It is a reflection of the failure of the past administration to both confront the mindless violence of the Assad regime and also hold Russia and Syria to account for the promises that they made to destroy chemical weapons.”

    Finally, when discussing Trump’s upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Pence said he’s expecting a “productive discussion” about the U.S.-China economic relationship. He added that he expects North Korea and its burgeoning hopes of developing nuclear weapons will also be discussed.

    “As the president said this weekend, if China won’t deal with North Korea, we will,” Pence said.

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