International Forecaster Weekly

The Clock Ticks Towards Financial Judgement Day

cronies Run America, incompetents get bonuses, at least our readers wont be totally blindsided by events, a fantastic increase in money and credit is coming to the third world, massive monetization to come before the final collapse,  debt and corruption remain as major problems in first world, massive pension shortfalls, no way to raise money for large entities, 

Bob Chapman | April 29, 2009

America is no longer a republic. It has degenerated into a system where the rich run the country by having purchased all of our political institutions. As a result Americans have become sheeple who are being terrorized by the ruling illuminist class. We recently saw signs of unhappiness at the “Tea Parties held around the nation. Those kinds of activities are healthy in a Democracy, but they have to be turned into further action - not just an email here and there to Congress. Remember your government considers you the enemy. You are a terrorist because you disagree with what government is doing. You disagree with a mob of white-collar criminals, who are stealing everything not nailed down and most of whom are willing to go along with a one-world government. Is it any wonder so many Americans are leaving the US?

The long arm of government is reaching into every cranny of our lives. We do not think Merrill Lynch and AIG’s incompetents should have received bonuses, but the very fact that government was ready to institute a retroactive 90% income tax rate should send shivers through every American. It should also be very disturbing when the CEO of Bank of America testifies under oath that Paulson and Bernanke forced him to shut up over the Merrill Lynch bonuses. Paulson said Bernanke directed him to do so and the Fed said no such orders were given. They are all liars.

The increase in money and credit, the monetizing and demands by the Treasury in just 2009 alone will devalue the purchasing power of the dollar by 85%. Is it any wonder that smart Americans are buying gold and silver for protection and for wealth preservation? There is a currency collapse in process and the public doesn’t even realize what is being done to them. We are talking hyperinflation during the second half of the year. Americans will be totally blindsided by the events and as long as the government continues to have budget deficits of over $2 trillion a year and the Fed monetizes, the worse it will get. The $2.50 loaf of bread could be $15.00 in just two years.

What is going on is that the rich, elitist, Illuminists who control our country are looting it. They want it all and world government to boot. The public is being thrown to the dogs. Not only is America losing its moorings but so is the world. Wait until the public cannot feed itself, or pay for drugs and medical care: or when government tells you that your physical problems can no longer be treated by the state because you are 72, and you are told to prepare for death; or if you desire government will happily end it all for you. There will be no quality of life remaining.

America is led by degenerate, ignorant, Satanists who perpetually sell out their constituents at every opportunity. America has become a very dark place.

Over the next few years there will be no warning bells. You will need a suit of armor to protect you both physically and emotionally. Financial chaos could come sharply and quickly or subtly; prepared you’ll survive unprepared you will perish. That is what the IF is all about, knowledge and preparation. Sort of like a class at university. That is why we are thankful that we can do 20 hours of radio programming a week that reaches millions of people throughout the world. Hopefully we can prepare them for survival.

The signs of America’s demise and that of the world as well, are all around us. The morality of leadership and law are gone. The rules are whatever the leaders want them to be. We are a nation of corporations bent on profit, greed and control of the American public. What it all is headed for is bankruptcy and the control and oppression of the people.

What will you do when you find your bank is closed, or all the banks are closed? If you haven’t made preparations you have problems. That is why $5,000 in small bills in your safe at home, along with your gold and silver coins can allow you to survive. Wars will be raging across the planet and food will be of preeminent importance. You won’t need to worry you will have put aside food for such an emergency. Then will come the oppression of government. If you protest, you will be rounded up and put in an internment camp, or perhaps shot down in the streets by goons from Homeland Security or by FEMA mercenaries. The Illuminists will explain to you how they will protect you and once control is reasserted how wonderful our new world will be. They are there to help you when in fact they created this condition, this violent misery. They will explain how foreign troops are here to help bring order, when they are there to make sure the bogus, evil government is protected against those who prefer freedom. America could be breaking apart. States are declaring sovereignty and breaking away from the seats of power in Washington and New York.

Food won’t be available. It will have been wiped out in the first wave of panic and gangs or groups will be roaming the streets. If you are fortunate you will have power and water, but in all likelihood they will have been disconnected. Those with salt, sugar, candles and matches and toilet paper will feel blessed. This is not some fantasy. This is where we are headed, so you had best prepare yourself quickly.

New economic growth cannot be generated by printing, borrowing and spending money. This is what is happening worldwide to most nations and no matter what the experts and government say it won’t work.

Due to the fantastic increase in money and credit the G-7 are on their way to being 3rd world countries. If you understand this you can profit handsomely simply by being long gold and silver related assets. We are now seeing four generations of economic and financial illiterates weaned on Keynesianism. A lot of wealth is going to be transferred and that presents a once in a lifetime opportunity for those who understand what is transpiring. The G-20 countries are insolvent. There has to be deflation and default. The longer the elitists wait the worse the fallout will be. In the 1930s it took five years for de-leveraging to begin and for debt to finally be paid off. Our recession began in February of 2007. It began depression in February 2009. If we extend out five years, that would take us to 2012. Today we have a combination of government, individual and corporate debt that goes into the trillions of dollars. The corporate debt holders are carrying mark-to-model debt at $0.90 on the dollar when it is worth $0.10 to $0.30. A falling economy makes it difficult if not impossible for the debt to be paid off or written off because they lack the income to do so. Government has assumed part of that debt by purchasing it. It is monetization and every time they do that they stoke the fires of inflation. In order to combat a slowing economy over the past ten years deficit spending and money and credit expansion were substituted. As you know everyone is buried in debt in America as a result. Earnings are off 80% and tax revenues have fallen 90%.

Fiscal debt has risen from $450 billion to an estimated $2.5 trillion. World trade has fallen some 40% and countries are already setting up trade barriers and subsidies. This debt will force continual monetization by the Treasury and the Fed, which means further inflation. It also means a falling dollar and countries devaluing their currencies and using subsidies to beggar thy neighbor in trade. Unless the dollar is devalued and debt defaulted the US cannot hope to survive as a first world nation. The debt payoff could last 100 years or more. In the Bush years the size of government doubled. In the Obama reign it will be doubled again in one year.

All of this is terrible but much worse is out in the open we don’t care if you know corruption. It has infected not only government, but every cranny of the corporate world, particularly in banking and on Wall Street. We can promise you under our new President corruption will reach new highs: 90% of Congress has been purchased, as has our 2-tier court system. Stock markets of the world may have rallied recently, but don’t be deceived the worst 2/3s is still ahead of us. The “Working Group on Financial Markets has never been more active manipulating markets and you are seeing the result of that in markets worldwide, including the gold and silver markets. The market rigging is relentless, but always only temporary. In the end the markets will always overpower manipulation by government. No matter what the elitists do the Dow is going to 3,800 to 4,200 and we’ll be lucky if it finds support there.

The Stress Tests were released in a splash of white wash. All the results were known well in advance. All 19 banks are broke. Going into the redundant details is a waste of time. The conversion from preferred to common stock from TARP recipients will effectively privatize not nationalize major banks under the Fed into one large bank making it easier later to incorporate American banking into a one-world bank. Over the next few yeas, 2,000 to 3,000 banks will go under and be absorbed by the bigger banks to further consolidate banking.

As a result of these machinations banking, Wall Street and insurance companies are in a state of collapse. They will be followed by funds, hedge funds and pension and retirement plans collapsing as the economy collapses. You are also about to see hundreds of GM’s, Chryslers, AIG’s, etc. The next minefield Congress is about to enter is the guaranteeing of state and municipal debt. It won’t be long before these entities won’t be able to service their debt, due to the lack of tax revenue. All these actions are collectivist in nature and they are turning us into a corporatist fascist government. We are to become tax slaves for the New World Order.

In an effort to protect the public Congress may pass legislation that would limit fees charged by credit card customers. As a result billing practices will become even more aggressive and more fees will proliferate. It also means marginal users will be dumped and perhaps what banks call dead beats, those who pay off their entire balance every month, will be dumped as well. There will be no more easy access. This will negatively affect consumerism and further injure the economy.

The banks have been ripping off customers and other credit card holders for years and everyone knows it. Congress is not only incensed at the rates but at the practice of “universal default.” That is when one loan is delinquent and all banks that you deal with increase rates due to that one problem. The solution of course is to only issue cards to people with good credit histories. This is the way banks issued loans and cards for years. They’ll have to return to that practice if they expect to cut their losses.

The Fed’s balance sheet showed 89% of their asserts were AAA two years ago. Today that figure is 24%. Today they have $355 billion in MBS, Mortgage Backed Securities, and $61 billion in debt issued by Fannie, Freddie and Ginnie. Their assets, most of which were created out of thin air, were $833 billion and they are now $2.19 trillion. Even though the Fed has bought $238 billion worth of commercial paper, as of six months ago, that market is still in serious trouble. The list of loans of dubious quality goes on and on. The Fed has total capital of $46 billion putting its leverage at 48 times versus 27-1 a year ago. We believe the Fed is way overextended. Perhaps they will eventually collapse – who knows.

The bear market that began at Dow 14,100 has dramatically reduced the value of Assets of S&P 500 companies. At the end of 2008 they were worth just $1.1 trillion, or a short fall of $300 billion. After the 10% fall in the first quarter those asset are now worth even less. In 2008 S&P 500 profits were about $132 billion. Thus the pension shortfall is almost three times annual profits. You can now better understand why our government manipulates markets. A fall, which we perceive could happen, to Dow 4,000 would put the shortfall at more than $600 billion and even the strongest balance couldn’t overcome that and benefits would have to be reduced.

On the horizon are many countries and companies that won’t be able to raise money at a reasonable cost. At the head of the list is Eastern European countries that borrowed in Swiss francs and cannot service that debt never mind new debt. The IMF has stepped in to assist with the group as well as the Ukraine. Then there are Greece, Spain, Ireland, Italy and Luxembourg. Britain’s finances are so bad they may not qualify for an IMF loan. Then come the US government and individual states. Although Europe is presently the worst off, Austrian banks are holding most of those Eastern European loans, so they should get banged around pretty hard.

Those bond buyers such as China, Russia, greater Asia and oil producers have turned the tap off and in fact some of these countries have been sellers. Of the $6.7 trillion in paper held by these countries, $248 billion has been sold, or just a little under 4%. It may not seem like much but it is. Lower oil prices have been a major block. Countries do not have the revenue anymore.

In the UK debt is 200% of GDP; 80% to 100% can usually be managed.

Japan’s $1.5 trillion state pension fund, the world’s biggest, will begin to sell state bonds to cover a $40 billion shortfall. Next year Japan’s debt will be 200% of GDP. Pensions are coming due not only in Japan, but also in the US, Germany, Italy, Korea, Eastern Europe and even China. Demographics play a part with fewer working and more pensioners.

Where does the $6 trillion come from to meet this debt demand? It comes from massive monetization - that is worldwide monetization. That means massive hyperinflation worldwide. This buys time but the final result will be deflationary collapse. The amount of money and credit being created worldwide is staggering and it will continue to overcome the ‘what is called deflationary spiral.’ This leaves the dollar and all currencies vulnerable to losses versus gold and the dollar is very vulnerable versus other currencies as well. We even hear cries for the Fed to issue its own debt – just more worthless fiat Federal Reserve notes. Just another attempt to push back the clock on financial judgment day.