| By Bill Bonner Wednesday, August 18, 2021 POITOU, FRANCE - The financial news this week is overshadowed by the disgraceful fall of Kabul. On July 8, President Biden said a Taliban takeover was “highly unlikely,” adding that there would be “no circumstance [where] you see people being lifted off the roof of an embassy.” And even if the Taliban did eventually take over, said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in June, it won’t “be something that happens from a Friday to a Monday.” But that’s exactly what did happen. The Afghan troops that the U.S. trained, bribed, and supported for 20 years didn’t fight to the last man… They simply dropped their guns and joined the other side. | Recommended Link | 1,000X Bigger than Crypto? ($25 Gets You In) LIVE ON CAMERA: The man who called #1 tech stocks of 2016, 2018, 2019 & 2020 based on return… Reveals the details of a new tech set to grow: “This is the biggest investing moment in 400 years – and just $25 gets you in.” Brown believes the rollout could be days away… |
| | -- |
Incompetent and Unreliable In all of military history, we can’t think of any defeat so quick… so complete… or so ignominious. Biden and Blinken were advised and informed by 17 different “intelligence” agencies – the CIA, the NSA, etc. – with billion-dollar budgets, thousands of big-head analysts, and all the latest spy technology. How could they all be so incompetent? Journalist Glenn Greenwald reports that the Pentagon had long reported that the Afghan army, which outnumbered the Taliban 4-to-1, was both incompetent and unreliable. They didn’t make a “mistake,” said Greenwald, interviewed on Fox News by Tucker Carlson this morning, “they lied.” So add Biden, Blinken, and a few spook chiefs to the gallows list. Hang ‘em high as a warning to the others. | Recommended Link | | Do You Know About “Tech Royalty” Savings Accounts? If you don’t know about “Tech Royalties” — it’s time you find out... This is a new kind of asset that lets you earn 8%... 12%... even 17% — or more — on your savings. Compare that to the measly .06% you get from a regular bank. Not surprisingly, banking insiders are quietly moving their own money into “Tech Royalties” ahead of a major event. And JPMorgan — the biggest bank on Wall Street — predicts payouts from “Tech Royalties” will hit $40 billion by 2025. That money is just sitting there waiting for someone to collect it. |
| | -- |
Corruption and Conflict But today, we wonder: What else are they lying about? COVID-19 vaccines? Inflation? The economy? The green agenda? Yes, Dear Reader, it’s amazing what you can’t see when you’re paid to be blind. And for a long time – 20 years, in the case of Afghanistan – you can keep the fantasy intact. Then, in just a few days, it collapses like a punctured balloon. Anyone could have foreseen the whole 20-year fiasco… all they had to do was read about Afghanistan on Wikipedia. The country was invented by Europeans. But it is inhabited by dozens of different tribes – Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Aimaq, Turkmen, Baloch, Pashai, Nuristani, Gujjar, Arab, Brahui, Qizilbash, Pamiri, Kyrgyz, Sadat – each with its own language, religion, culture… and deep grudges against the others. Building a U.S.-style democracy was preposterous from the get-go. But who wanted to see that… when there was $2 trillion to be made by pretending not to see it? The generals got their stars… their post-retirement sinecures at Raytheon… and their shares in WestExec, a private equity firm specializing in Pentagon boondoggles. Of course, it was not just the generals who were paid not to notice. The private sector collaborated with the military – and profited handsomely. A portfolio of “defense” stocks – bought at the beginning of the 21st century and held until today – rose 10 times, while U.S. GDP only doubled. How’s that for a pay-off? Trillions of dollars were changing hands. The corruption, the conflicts of interest, the temptation to lie, cheat, and steal were obvious. [Featured: New Investment “Craze” Hits All 50 States] Turning a Blind Eye Here was some high-quality muck, in other words… But where were the muckrakers? Where was the press? Where were the guardians of truth… candor… and justice? As we saw yesterday, some leading reporters were on the military-industrial payroll. But the blindness was far more widespread than just a few newshounds who were paid to shill for the Pentagon. Instead, practically the entire press corps… so eager was it to not see the corruption… poked its own eyes out. Yes, it could get worked up by the killing of George Floyd. That was someone else’s fault – the low-bred white supremacists. They were “racists,” and everyone knew it. All a reporter had to do was rant and rave about it; he might get a better job at The New York Times… invitations to Georgetown parties… and his name in the hat for a Pulitzer. But Afghanistan? 47,245 times more innocent civilians were killed by U.S. soldiers in the Hindu Kush than by Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis. But heck… Afghan Lives Don’t Matter! [Featured: (Bizarro World) Facebook set to launch new cryptocurrency?] Elite Con Job Besides, the Afghanistan debacle was supported by Democrats and Republicans. It was a con job by the entire elite establishment, not the Trumpista yahoos or the make-believe “insurgents” who invaded the Capitol on January 6. The Afghanistan disaster was concocted in elite think-tanks. It was directed by elite Ph.D. experts… coming from elite universities. It was supplied by elite corporations… and boosted by elite lobbyists… And Hillary Clinton (then U.S. Secretary of State) and Antony Blinken (now Secretary of State) were in the White House Situation Room watching the action on TV when Navy seals murdered al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and members of his family. | Recommended Link | | Welcome to an empire of debt Our credit system is currently sitting at $68 trillion. It’s the largest debt ceiling in the history of the world – in fact, it’s more than twice the value of every single home in America put together. It’s the most crucial part of our economy. And despite stagnant wages and rising costs, America still appears to be getting richer and richer (at least on paper). And there’s the problem… This massive credit system is about to collapse. But this system has a dark secret about where they’re going to get money to pay off this massive debt. This will affect EVERY American citizen! |
| | -- |
Hidden Truth Now, the truth about Afghanistan is out in the open. But what is still hidden? The truth about vaccines? About masks? About electric vehicles? About diversity and anti-racism training? About budget deficits? About the $2 trillion infrastructure bill… or the $3.5 trillion “human infrastructure” budget? About the Federal Reserve’s money-printing? Or about inflation? Tune in tomorrow… Regards, Bill
Like what you’re reading? Send your thoughts to feedback@rogueeconomics.com.
FEATURED READS Walmart Requiring Corporate Employees to Get Vaccinated
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon has said that all corporate employees above store and club level are required to be vaccinated by October 4. Meanwhile, Walmart has doubled its incentive for hourly staff to get the vaccine... Another Shipping Delay Threatens Black Friday Sales
Western Europe and China’s Henan province, major transportation hubs, deal with disastrous flooding that could impact shipping goods to the U.S. Although months ahead, delays could impact Black Friday sales and holiday shopping... MAILBAG Dear Readers continue to debate the COVID-19 vaccine and its possible side effects... Jerry K. says he thinks it’s better to get the shot THAN the virus. That’s what a lot of people thought, and now they’ve gotten the shot AND the virus. As Jim Rickards has pointed out repeatedly, the shot does not prevent infection or transmission. It just serves to lessen the severity of symptoms. Anyone who thought otherwise was duped. And now, we see a wave of people who have gotten the shot and also gotten the disease. And the shot is anything but harmless. – Thomas W. Contrary to the gentleman that said no one had grown a second head, there have been people who have had serious problems resulting from taking the shot. Some have died. I believe several entities, including the mainstream media, have downplayed this and underreported this. It should be up to the individual to decide if they want to take the shot. Some should not take this shot because of issues unique to their condition. A mandatory rule could kill or seriously injure them. – Homer B. Another Dear Reader reflects on home as his “sacred place” after reading Bill’s essay last week, “Memories of an Old French Home”... At a very young age, I found my home. For 82 years, minus the obligatory military time in my early years, I’ve domiciled on the family ranch in what was the great state of Oregon. At 55 years of age, I made the quick and easy decision to step up and buy it from my aging parents. With the building of the interstate highway system, I-5 weaseled its way through our once-rural farms and ranching communities, bringing new folks from the southern cities (and their way of life). Now a stronghold of liberal Democrats, our three northern counties, with the three largest cities, control a once-free people. Blanketing the land and its people with layers of regulations, I can’t even build a home for my children though we “own” several hundred acres. Our old family home still rests in the shade of large sugar maples; the original barns stand proudly; Dad’s saddle shop and the dairy barn (the state & the feds now “own” and control the dairy business) still stand, giving testimony to a way of life quickly disappearing. The only growing part of the ranch is the family cemetery on the hill; (the “code book” held safely by the bureaucrats, tells me it’s not to be referred to as a cemetery because such is not allowed in their progressive idea of zoning). But it is there (and was long before them). Like the Native Americans before us, we call it a burial ground. Thanks, Bill, for your refreshing memories of home. I feel the same as you about that sacred place. My entire purpose now is to secure ours for an entire family, hoping to give them an anchor in a coming storm that is bent on shredding families and destroying the values that built our nation. – Lawrence M. Lastly, some interesting insights on Friday’s essay, “Cancel Culture and Preposterous Policies”... I guess we know what is happening. We know it is happening fast. In the past, the wolves took over and the sheep got eaten – or they got penned for slaughter later. I don’t know when the revolt starts. It is usually generated by a war, followed by defeat and followed by a change. But like Castro, once in, they tend not to leave. Biden is very transitory. What comes next I don’t know. Being here in the States, I see a big movement and potential resistance. But is there the backbone and nerve to do something and make a change? Don’t know. I am approaching 80 and have seen a lot. Not pleased at the situation. I hope I manage to not get eaten by the wolves before I leave this place. – Irwin G. Why is there so much silence around the 47,245 lives lost during the Afghanistan war? What else is the elite hiding? Write us at feedback@rogueeconomics.com. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT… Do You Have $19? (That’s All It Takes). “Hi, my name is Jeff Clark. For the past 36 years, I’ve helped people from all walks of life make money in the markets. Retired stockbrokers… presidents of companies… people with almost no financial experience… and everything in between. But I haven’t done it the usual way… My method is different. It’s unlike anything you’ve probably ever seen before. We’re unveiling it right now for just $19. That’s the lowest price my publisher has EVER offered for a trading research service… And it won’t be available for long. Watch a ‘10-second live demo’ of this method to see how it works." Watch now! 
Get Instant Access Click to read these free reports and automatically sign up for daily research. | 
