Weekly News Wrap-Up 12.20.13
By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com
The Federal Reserve finally pulled the trigger on the so-called “taper”– or did it? I am talking about cutting back the Fed’s bond buying program by $10 billion a month. It is now $75 billion each and every month. Who is going to buy an extra $10 billion a month in debt? Are the banks going to take up the slack? The front page of USA Today says, “Fed: Era of Easy Money Ending.” Yet, on the front of the business page, Fed Chief Ben Bernanke is quoted as saying, “This is not intended to be a tightening . . . We’re trying here to get a high level of accommodation.” Which is it? Who knows what they are doing? My sources say the banks are putting trillions of dollars on interest rate swaps to hold down interest rates. The Fed wants you to think it’s being responsible, but it cannot stop printing money. Bernanke even said in a Q & A session that the Fed might increase the money printing. The latest housing and jobs numbers look like they are going to throw a cold bucket of water on the Fed’s phony “taper” move. And, just wait until those high Obama Care premiums suck billions of bucks out of the economy. And, let’s not forget the debt ceiling that will have to be raised in light of the new two year budget deal. That will be at least two trillion more added to our debt.
Reports out of the Middle East are showing Saudi Arabia is ready to act alone against both Syria and Iran. You might remember the Kingdom bought a record $60 billion in arms from the U.S. back in 2010. That included more than 80 brand new F-16’s. Saudi Arabia recently ordered nuclear weapons from Pakistan. This is one very serious warning. Other hot spots include the East China Sea and the disputed Senkaku Islands. Things are very tense between China, Japan and the U.S. Japan is making big plans to upgrade its military. War drums seem to pound louder as the global economy gets worse and worse.
The NSA lost a big battle in Federal court. A judge ruled its data collection was unconstitutional. Edward Snowden said he blew the whistle on the NSA because he thought the NSA spying was unconstitutional. This will no doubt be heard in the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, a White House advisory panel is recommending drastically cutting back on government spying–the sooner the better. Maybe Snowden can come home and charges be dropped? At least USA Today stopped calling Snowden a “leaker.”
Bitcoin got slammed this week. No surprise there. It is in competition with the U.S. dollar, Yuan and the Euro. What is a surprise is the revelation on Bloomberg that the London Gold vaults are “virtually empty.” Where’s the gold now? China. There really is a finite amount of gold. You have to ask yourself, if the London vaults are empty because of massive physical demand, why in the world is the price going down? The government wouldn’t be manipulating it to make the dollar look strong would they?
Join Greg Hunter as he analyzes these stories and more in the Weekly News Wrap-Up.
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About the Author
Greg Hunter
Greg is the producer and creator of USAWatchdog.com. The site’s slogan is “analyzing the news to give you a clear picture of what’s really going on.” The site will keep an eye on the government, your financial interests and cut through the media spin. USAWatchdog.com is neither Democrat nor Republican, Liberal or Conservative. Before creating and producing the site, Greg spent nearly 9 years as a network and investigative correspondent. He worked for ABC News and Good Morning America for nearly 6 years. Most recently, Greg worked for CNN for shows such as Paula Zahn Now, American Morning and various CNN business shows.
One of Gerald Celente’s many famous quotes is “when all else fails, they take you to war”. This is where all this is heading because all the economies around the world are in the toilet and TPTB have no choice but to distract it’s citizens from the inevitable global economic meltdown.
– Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas and Happy New year to you , Greg and to all your readers in America and from around the Globe – Happy Holidays! 🙂
Thank you Reader!! Back to you, and Merry Christmas.
Greg
Thanks Reader and the same to you !
I’d like to add that doctors and scientists came out against taking vitamins. They said they are useless and are potentially harmful. Now here’s the punchline.
They want you to get your 5 servings of fruits and vegetables. That’s right, no mention of the GMO pesticide laden fruits and vegetables. 😛
http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/physicians-urge-americans-stop-wasting-money-supplements
And no mention of lead and other toxins in supplements. You don’t really know what you are buying, in addition to not really needing them to start with…unless you are found to have a deficiency
A must read for what the Elite and Central Planners have in store for us all.
The Hidden Motives Behind The Federal Reserve Taper
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-12-21/hidden-motives-behind-federal-reserve-taper
Thanks Greg for a great week of reporting.
This week I had to lay my dad to rest after 92 great years. My dad (who lived through the depression as a young boy) and I used to talk about what happened during that time period. One of the things I find eerily similar to what happened then as to what is going on now, is peoples belief that the stock market would continue to rise in spite of the fact that the countries economy was slowing down. Take a look at this chart.
http://www.thedailysheeple.com/stunning-chart-todays-stock-market-is-eerily-reminiscent-of-1929_122013
When I see this chart, and I compare it to what is happening now, it becomes crystal clear that Ben Bernanke is trying to stall the inevitable , by making it appear that the Fed is being responsible with this tickle taper. Its just talk Greg to keep the markets going, Nothing more.
Jerry,
I am so sorry for your loss. Sounds to me like your dad had a good son! Peace brother.
Greg
Thank you Greg. You are very kind.
He’ll be back Jerry, sooner than we think!
JERRY sorry for your loss. I admire your work ethic to provide for you and yours. I lost my last close family in 2004. Wish you the best.
Jerry, Were definitely, defiantly, hurling toward the mother of all debt bubble explosions, or, implosive crash in human history.
S T O P T H E P R E S S E S
(1.) Google: Larry Kudlow Podcasts
then left click it
(2.) then click: Play Now: December 21, 2013
(3.)If not interested in Obamacare,
push the time bar below Larry’s tie (picture)
to > 7 7 : 2 2
This is whats it’s all about!
The Inflating Battle against Deflation (sounds like a good title to a good book, anyone?)
There’s TON’S OF MONEY, WAITING TO
FLOOD THE MARKETS,
from Wall street to main street, to your locale,
farmers market, a tsunami of US. dollars, like the Boweevil is
lookin for a home.
I N F L A T I O N vs. D E F L A T I O N
either way were toast
Stagflation never looked so good!
edit: meant to say doctors and health experts
My condolences to you and your family, Jerry.
It is hard to lost one’s dad.
Thank God for the memories that bring our fathers back to our hearts from time to time.
May all your memories be happy!
God bless Jerry, i lost my dad on my arms, i remember when i passed my exams in medical school he cried a lot like a child and that was many years back. I keep running to his beautiful memories whenever life gets rough on me, i find refuge in those memories.
Merry christmas and my prayers go to you and family.
“This is not intended to be a tightening….were trying to get a floor under the market. You heard of the Greenspan put, the Bernanke put. Now were tr yin and well in, to get in, the Yellin put in, you putz.” Follow the Yellin brick road! ( “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try and try again. Then give up, retire, it’s no good being pig headed” ) Old English proverb
The banksters put us all in the crappers. they just keep tr yin to kick that can, er, even further. Well they might have just kicked it too fer, maybe Iceland? Remember what Scottie said quote, “fool me once shame on me, fool the people twice, shame on you.”
Google: Iceland Jails bankers youtube
follow the yelling clay road.. I love it On the beach and in the creek. iv gota wright a song 5 years ahead of time.
All thumbs up, up and away!
Greg, nice to see you in a white shirt and tie again, clean and professional. The market reacted with a 200+ rally on the FED’s tapering, not that is telling! What is it telling you ask? Just as you implied, THE TAPERING WAS SIMPLY A RUSE! One another note, not mentioned in the MSM or your brief article, the FED is going for a full court press to effect HIGHER INFLATION, now I ask you only one question, WHAT PLANET DO THEY LIVE ON? The FED can’t manipulate for higher inflation if they are going to stop printing, the two concepts are mutually exclusive. Fine work again exposing the corruption of the bankers bull crapping rhetoric.
Thank you Art. I want to say thank you for all your comments and for your involvement with USAW! Merry Christmas!!
Greg
Thanks for all you do, Greg. Always the professional.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Thank you Don for the kind words. Merry Christmas to you and yours too!!!
Greg
Greg….I just wanted to say thankyou for giving us the great news stories and guests on your show.I really dont know how you went form network jobs to USA Watchdog,but I have a feeling you really care about our country and just couldnt work for those networks any longer.Thanks for standing tall and giving us the real news…Bruce
Bruce,
They got ride of me because I told the awful truth. They did me a favor. I love what I am doing and nobody walks in my office and tells me to “tone it down.” Thank you for your kind words and support. By the way, if I was back on the networks, I would be pushing to do the same stories I am covering now–they’re real and supported by good sources.
Greg
Greg Hunter, watchdog among’st lapdogs! Our voice in the wilderness. Stay brave mate! (Deuteronomy 1:30;20:1)
Greg,
Thank you for the REAL news, reported factually using the “old W5” foundation of professional journalism. (who, what, when, where, why)
Merry Christmas and all the best to the “Watch Dog” in the New Year.
Outlookingin,
Thank you for coming here and being a part of this site! Merry Christmas, and remember the real reason for the season!!
Greg
Since we can’t believe anything coming from Wall Street or the Government, many question the $85 billion figure to be more accurately estimated at up to $200 billion; nvestmentwatchblog.com/jim-willie-fed-is-monetizing-200-billion-a-month-not-85-billion/ The $10 billion cut is laughable and in terms of percentage, a drop in the bucket.
I agree Nethel!
Greg
I am not great with dividing math. How many days would that be of cutting to equal. lets see 85 billion-10 billion x 12 months = 120 billion… Not even two months of tapering. It can not be called tapering so what can it be called? Another scheme. Maybe admittance we are in deep trouble. Greg: cast this SH.. aside Take time to value family or what ever you place your life into. We viewers will still be here if you take a break a week or two.
I concur.
God bless you Greg, it is not easy to go through many posts and keeping up with the flowing comments.
Sorry Greg,
I had to comment again after watching the Obama administration dancing around the pole this morning tooting their horn over a recent report that GDP rose to 4.1%. This is laughable. The second half of Reagans administration it was running 6.8% and they weren’t doing all this money printing. You want a wake up call ? Take a look at what’s going on in the Bond Market-
Getty Images
Enlarge Image Mario Draghi, president of the European Central Bank, spoke Thursday, expressing cautious optimism about the European economy.
The four-month selloff in bonds picked up this week, with foreign central banks leading the way, said Thomas di Galoma, co-head of fixed-income rates trading at ED&F Man Capital Markets.
Federal Reserve indications that it will back away from its current monetary stimulus policies have sent shudders through emerging markets that threaten to hit Treasury’s in a self-reinforcing cycle .
Thank you Greg for your honnesty. Your site is pure gold. By the way I think that the US economy will collapse before the end of Obama second mandate. I will pray for you Americans. Merry Christmas.
Ivan,
Thank you for your prayers and your kind words of support.
Greg
Ivan your terrible! But we love you too!
Ivan,
I hope you do not think for a second that the US economy will collapse before the whole world goes down the drain, just for the nature of the currency in question here and that is the world reserve currency, IT WILL NOT BE SAFE ANY WHERE IN THE WORLD!
Hi Greg! One major H U G E event you forgot to include in your weekly wrap-up was Brazil’s decision to buy 36 new fighter planes from Sweden’s SAAB, a purchase worth over $4500 million.
Although Brazil’s president Dilma Rousseff was originally leaning towards Boeing with Brazil’s ex-president Lula DaSilva leaning toward France’s Aerospatiale, the NSA spying scandal has so irked Dilma that she rejected both France and the USSA in order to go with Sweden’s design instead. This is a huge blow to the American’t aeronautical industry and proof that the rest of the world is indeed DE-AMERICANIZING.
Argentina and other South American countries have simultaneously announced that they will start looking into making future weapons purchases from RUSSIA instead of buying from their traditional supplier the USSA.
May I remind you and your readers dear Greg that WEAPONS and FINANCIAL FRAUD are perhaps the ONLY two markets remaining that Amerika still dominated.
I guess NOW we’ll only have ONE left!
Best regards!
DanTheManWithThePlan,
You are correct sir. Thank you for adding it!
Greg
Dan the man, don’t ferget the farmers and Hollywood, were still feeding the brains and starving the minds of the world!
Greg,
I’ve had to drive 2000 miles to help-out family as a death nears, in my wife’s family. I wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas and thank you for all your work. And thank you for allowing us to be a part of what you are doing. Be seeing you into the new year. Take care. C. H.
Charles H.
You are a good man to help with this passing. Merry Christmas and God Bless you and yours. May you have divine protection while you travel.
Greg
Greg, you are becoming a trusted news source for me … which is saying something since I don’t trust any news sources. I would like to see a brief list of topics that are covered in your summary posts in writing. The correlation between war drums and financial problems is a nice observation. I was not aware of the statements from Saudi, yikes. I like you holding up the newspapers, it is simple and effective. I don’t read news papers, or listen to the main stream media, so maybe you could cover, VERY briefly, what they think are important stories.
You are always a good watch.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours.
Thank you Peter J for your kind words. Merry Christmas.
Greg
Greg I have a suggestion. Take some time away from the site. The work you do is valuable to us. Maybe a open posting day when your away. The folks that visit this site can post great article’s and comments . It is not bad for you to take some time to yourself. Not meaning to offend. Just that we all need time to clear our minds sometime. Love you man.
For Greg
WANT TO STIMULATE THE ECONOMY?
FED SHOULD TRY THIS FOR 1 YEAR
Fed mails $266 dollars to everyone.
Family of 4 gets $1064 dollars every month to pay rent-mortgage.
Make this a “Consumer Economy instead of a Banker Economy”.
$80 Billion a month goes to citizens rather than buying junk bonds
that have helped rich people in the stock market
and devastated ordinary taxpayers.
FED SEND US THE MONOPOLY MONEY…BOBBYENERGY
Greg you can use this in your column.
Greg,
Is there a way to color code (or some other means of marking) the most recently released comments . I enjoy reading every single comment. However it gets more difficult, as the number of comments increases, to read only the new ones. Just looking for some way to simplify reading and tracking followup comments without having to re-read everything again (and sometimes again, and again).
Also, even though I don’t always agree with MichaeltheMarine, have you heard from him? I know that he mentioned something at the VA Hospital or something. Just hoping everything worked out okay for him.
Blessings,
Rich
Instead of imagining the worst to come, let us all see in our God given imagination (where the power of God resides) the restoration of a sound economy while those who have sowed the tares among us will reap their own harvest. See it, believe it, KNOW it and so it is.
I believe in my heart of heart that I can fly. I can see it in my minds eye I know it’s true..but when I jump off the roof of the house I still hit the ground. What am I doing wrong?
I just completed an awesome interview with Greg Hunter! You can check out the interview at http://shawnozbun.com/greg-hunter-dont-real-markets-massive-manipulation-scheme/
Greg, thanks again for coming on the show! I had a real blast speaking with you!
Shawn Ozbun,
I think you are going to have a bright career on the web my friend. Thank you for interviewing me on your You Tube channel!
Greg
Greg,
Great calling and wrap once again.
Something slipping through the cracks….should be getting more attention.
In case y’all missed it ….
12/16/2013
LM
“anyone PAYING ATTENTION to the TNX…..?….Anyone ….?????
That right there is where this whole mess (artificial asset inflation) is exposed.
Slowly creeping up and once it cracks 300, we get the equity correction and then the fun starts with bankruptcies. 1Q 2014 should be a blast…for gold and for exponential QE (forget tapering) that is”.
At that point the TNX had moved from 2.75 t0 2.85
Today it hit 2.95% and closed at 2.89%.
Something tells me that when this baby hits 3.00% that the Bond Market and the Stock Market wont be happy. More than just a few nervous people out there.
In the meantime we should all rejoice in having loved ones around and in our good health and safety whilst keeping those we have lost, close to our hearts.
Liquid Motion,
Thank you for adding this to the site. Nice analysis my friend!! I say when the 10-year hits 3.25 the lights will dim. When it hits 3.50 it’s lights out.
Greg
Hi Greg,
I am looking at the ten year treasury interest rates and in April of 2010 I see 3.888 percent and in April of 2011 it was 3.65 percent. Why did it not pop at those rates when you and others predict that 3.0, 3.25 and 3.5 will blow the top off? What do you know here? I feel certatain that this house of cards is waiting for a breeze to flatten it but why did it not get uglier at those interest rates? Je ne sais pas. I am now cashing all my paychecks at the bank and getting greenbacks. I don’t want to be one of the desperate folks waiting in line outside the bank for my $25 daily limit when it comes to bail in. I am beginning my own drawdown of funds, getting started early for the next bank run. I am grateful for your site and am amazed at your constant string of high powered guests that you interview. I don’t miss any of them. Keep up the good work and have a wonderful Christmas.
Thank you Brad27. Please watch the Rob Kirby (15 years of experience with OTC derivatives) because he will enlighten you. He is coming on Christmas Day to give all a present of perspective and knowledge. The derivative guys know how terrifying this really is. Kirby is a new guest. He is smart, connected and he has deep experience in the dark world of the OTC derivative markets. Merry Christmas and thank you for your support.
Greg
Liquid Motion.
I have been following the TNX with you the last several weeks and seeing a steady uptick. I don’t know if there is a direct correlation or not, but many of my friends who are wealthy are bugging out in the next 2-3 weeks. It could be coincidence by I have a feeling they know something.
Hopefully after Christmas our ‘Leaders?’ will see the Light and decide to fix problems and become Peace-Makers to the World. ‘Turning swords into plows, and knives into pruning hooks’. Merry Christmas to everyone. Have a good holiday. Drive safe….
Am afraid they and we are correct. Its not coincidence.
Volatility index also shows something on the near horizon.
We are in another FED endorsed and managed phase. This one is a corrective and perhaps even destructive one. Smart money is not waiting around. They have already moved. A crisis is about to engulf the financial markets with the FED front and centre (as the culprit).
Greg,
Merry christmas to you and to your family and to every one on this forum.
I feel comfortable when i look at your face because i see honesty and a man who seeks the truth.
God bless and lets hope that wars will be deferred or derailed even if we think otherwise.
Mohammad
Thank you Mohammad. Merry Christmas to you my friend.
Greg
Greg,
Doesn’t get much of attention from the MSM for sure, but this is fuming in India, they are mad as hell:
http://news.yahoo.com/washington-seeks-defuse-row-over-indian-diplomat-230454962.html
“They should tender a clear apology. We will not accept this conduct against India under any circumstances,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath told reporters.
“The US has to understand that the world has changed, times have changed and India has changed.
“The conduct and attitude that the US has shown regarding the Devyani issue is a matter of concern not only for India but also for all countries and everyone should raise their voice.”
Mohammad,
This is very bad. What were they thinking!
Greg
Greg,
Here is a speculation on BITCOIN , a wild speculation that is but i will put in in a format of points and i will post links to support my theory, no one came up with this and i have not read it any where.
Most of NSA spying program was on financial status of countries among other reasons but ECONOMICAL information was the core:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-gchq-targeted-broad-spectrum-of-foreign-interests-including-allies-aid-agencies/2013/12/20/b44f9314-6992-11e3-8b5b-a77187b716a3_story.html
“But she said that some economic espionage was necessary for the intelligence community “to understand economic systems and policies, and monitor anomalous economic activities.” That information, she said, is “critical” for policy makers “to make informed decisions that are in the best interest of our national security.”
It is known that NSA has invented electronic currency in 1996 and put out a paper about it:
http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/classes/6.805/articles/money/nsamint/nsamint.htm
“HOW TO MAKE A MINT: THE CRYPTOGRAPHY OF ANONYMOUS ELECTRONIC CASH”
It is known that Bitcoin is an encryption that is highly sophisticated and will require the CPU full force to mine the coins and sometimes a high capacity computers to do efficient mining, those computers may rival or exceed super computers.
It is also known that countries like China and Germany had accepted it as a legal tender for transactions before THE SWITCH WAS TURNED OFF all of a sudden recently in the wake of the Snowden spying fiasco.
If you want to get a trojan to snoop on a financial status it will not be a freaking email or an obvious entity that will make you eery about it, rather it will make sense to be something financial that is associated with a greed that will make you willingly connect it to your bank account and other aspects of your financial partners, DOES BITCOIN FIT THE BILL?
It is an encryption that is highly sophisticated and no clear idea who came up with it (most say that “Satoshi Nakamoto” is not real), here comes the wild SPECULATION:
WAS BICOIN THE VEHICLE OF NSA TO SPY?
And does that explain why the kill switch was hit now after Snowden spilled out the beans?
Does the timing strikes as odd?
A mere speculation.
Very interesting Mohammad. Judging technology and the NSA it’s not a bit far fetched.
Greg
Greg,
A great posting, they just get better and better, I hope to be in a position to donate next year as you certainly deserve it (the same applies to Paul Craig Roberts and Nomi Prins although it doesn’t look as though Nomi’s site takes donations).
I loved your interview with Shawn, you’re as good an interviewee as you are interviewer – your ‘… manipulated,…manipulated, … manipulated’ bit had me in stitches!
Your comment about Christmas, Hannukah etc also was spot on. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating EACH one without having to pander to all.
And, with that, I wish you a great Christmas and New Year, I hope 2014 is a good one for you and I (definitely!) look forward to your work next year.
DavidC
Thank you DavidC for the kind words and for your support.
Greg
Hi Greg! can you track down Kurt Kallenback and try get him to interview ? I have pasted 3 of his videos below for your viewing. I have not donated to your web site yet. Been unemployed. Just got a part time job and lookng for maybe about two more part time jobs. LOL! Kurt said the 3rd video was his last. I hope you find the time to view his presentation.
Season of Treason Full
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LxY_H5V0Kw&feature=share&list=PLB0B1C564DF137065
——————————————————-
Season Of Treason II – America’s Cancer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtvZUSXpDE8&list=PLB0B1C564DF137065
——————————————————-
Season of Treason III Full – The King’s House
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo4iX8dF4s0&list=PLB0B1C564DF137065
Greg,
Thanks once again for your concise and thoughtful analysis – blessedly unbiased by the craven corruption that passes for a system of governance these days.
As far as meta-analysis of this all consuming debt system under which we suffer, please consider interviewing Steve Keen, of the University of Western Sydney of Australia. He has some genuinely original insights regarding the causes of the current debacle, and how to manage a debt jubilee as a potential solution. He seems to be less taken with the typical left / right paradigm that colors much analysis.
Have a Merry Christmas and productive New Year,
Bryan
Did you know the Federal Reserve was incorporated in 1913 and is a legally chartered for profit corporation that is NOT part of the US Government? The constitution explicitly states that US congress and NOT a for profit corporation such as the Federal Reserve should issue currency.
The US currency is not associated with Gold or anything else, so what is preventing the Federal Reserve from crashing the US dollar and then issuing in Hyperinflation?
Why to crash the hen that gives you golden eggs before getting a barnyard of gold laying hens (digital currency that is)?
they are just positioning themselves no more no less!