Resurgent Russia Discharging Dollars

RUSSIA IS MASSIVE BUT DISAPPEARING

Russia with 6,592,800 square miles (17,075,400 square kilometers) spanning 11 time zones is easily the largest country in the world covering about 1/8th of its landmass.  The BRIC  economies, Brazil, Russia, India and China are both similar and different.  With only about 142 million people, tremendous natural resources and about 8 million unemployed Russia is more akin to Brazil than the population behemoths.

Russia’s total fertility rate is only 1.3 births per woman where 2.1 is required to maintain a stable population.  The death rate of 15 per 1,000 people per year is 66% above the world’s average of 9.  With neither a rising generation nor much immigration and rapid deaths the Russian population is disappearing.

WANING OLIGARCHS

The collapse of the Soviet Union resulted in massive chaos.  Three wings, the siloviki, ‘The Family’ and the ogligarchs frantically grabbed power, resources, companies and wealth.  Into the KGB Putin brought the siloviki, mostly former KGB and other security contractors, and ‘The Family’, Yeltsin’s relatives who burrowed into business and government to keep him in power along with the technocracy aligned with Western interests that kept foreign direct investment funds flowing on Russia’s terms.

The billionaire oligarchs were allowed to keep their fortunes so long as they did not play politics.  For example, Mikhail Khodorkovsky the owner of oil super-major Yukos decided to play politics and succeed Putin as President.  Mr. Khodorkovsky is still in a freezing Siberian oubliette.

The credit crisis in 2008 has decimated most of the oligarchs.  With gigantic debts, declining revenues, access to very little credit and dissipating companies the oligarchs found that their business empires had rapidly evaporated.  For example, the Forbes billionaire list saw Russians disappear from from 87 in 2008 to 32 in 2009.

REGENERATING KREMLIN

The real power elite in Russia are both siloviki and oligarch as they infest both corporate boardrooms and the Kremlin.  Like the politically connected in America they make the ‘bailout cut’.  The Kremlin is able to determine which oligarchs survive.  Government power is consolidating in financial, economic, business, social and political spheres.

Out of the G-20 party came pressures on tax havens.  Obama and the US government led the charge.  Likewise the Russian government struck deals such as with Cyprus and Deloitte reported, “one of the most favourable treaties the Russian Federation has concluded”.  It is getting increasingly difficult for those trying to figure out how to vanish.

TD F 90-22.1 FORM DUE 30 JUNE 2009 FOR 2008

This may be a good time to mention that for those subject to US jurisdiction the TD F 90-22.1 Form for reporting foreign bank accounts is due on 30 June 2009 for 2008 activities.  I have received many inquiries about its application to GoldMoney holdings.  There are significant legal issues, questions of law and particular facts unique to each individual that will determine individual application.

I recommend filing the form if there is any question as to its requirement because it is not very burdensome and the penalties for not filing are draconian.  Nevertheless, if you do not wish to file because after reading the instructions on the form you do not think it is required then I do suggest consulting competent legal counsel.

THE AGE OF REAL THINGS

Ironically, during the Information Age there is a return to all things real.  Immediate worldwide communication overextends and will eventually decimate the inherently unsound, unstable and immoral financial and monetary system.

The Internet is quickly aligning perception with reality.  Monstrous malinvestment is being liquidated and the costumed criminal clowns in Washington DC and St. Petersburg are intentionally exacerbating the greater depression.  As the tide goes out it is increasingly apparent which wealth is real and which was illusory.

Russia does have a real economy built by real labor that grows, produces or builds real things and generates real wealth.  Nevertheless, as Russia Today reports, “Russia’s economy is contracting at the fastest pace in 15 years”.  Meanwhile the ruble has lost about 40% of its value in the past year and yet Putin praises the central bank.  Russia may not have anything to worry about.

ANOTHER ATTACK ON FRN$ HEGEMONY

The Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee, GATA, held the Gold Rush 21 Conference 7-9 August 2005 in Dawson City, Yukon, Canada and had an extremely interesting visitor:  Andrey Bykov a highly regarded economic advisor to Vladimir Putin.

Gold was trading at $436 at the time and two days later the gold market broke traditional trading norms and a bull upleg started that eventually took gold to new highs.  On 22 November 2005 Vladimir Putin said, “The central bank should review its gold and forex reserves policy in favor of increasing the weighting of gold.”  Putin is learning where and how to buy gold bars in his hot little hand.

On 19 May 2009 the FRN$ stopped being Russia’s reserve currency with 47.5% of currency assets in the Euro, 41.5% in the FRN$ and about 500 tons of officially reported gold or about 2%.

Likewise Russia has begun asserting economic and military ambitions in its region.  There has been the Georgia skirmish with the US in August 2008.  On 26 May 2009 the Civil Georgia reported that protesters of United States puppet President Saakashvili  filled the 55,000 seat Tbilisi’s national stadium.  Also, Russia has offered Azerbaijan assistance in building a nuclear plant.

Russia has agreed to pay Ukraine to run military drills over the Crimean Peninsula.  Of particular interest though is that while the American government says this ‘could prove provocative and destabilizing’ on 15 May 2009 Vladimir Putin met with Sergey Bagapsh, leader of the Georgian breakaway region Abkhazia, and agreed to sign an agreement for Russian military bases in Abkhazia where Russian troops will be stationed for at least 49 years.

CONCLUSION

Russia is a regional powerhouse but disappearing because of demographic factors.  The oligarch’s power and influence is waning as the Kremlin reasserts its dominant role in finance, economics and politics.  The Great Credit Contraction grinds on and real things are becoming increasingly sought after.

Resurgent Russia is discharging dollars like refuse through a garbage disposal.  This challenge of FRN$ hegemony with its world reserve status along with United States dominance both economically, diplomatically and militarily will have significant geo-political and geo-strategic implications.  As a result, the FRN$ will be impacted negatively while gold will be a prime beneficiary of this change.

Disclosures:  Long physical gold and silver, no problematic GLD or SLV ETFs and no TLT.

Pending home sales soar 6.7 pct in April

Pending home sales in April posted their largest monthly increase since Oct 2001, the National Association of Realtors said on Tuesday. The Pending Home Sales Index, jumped to 90.3 in April from 84.6 in March.

It was the third straight monthly increase this year. The index is also now 3.2% above its level a year ago.

The 6.7% month to month jump took all economists by surprise. Most had forecast only a paltry 0.5% rise.

Yesterday we reflected on three indices that marked the end of the recession just past. The pending homes sales report is perhaps one of the first indications of just how resilient this new growth cycle will be.

Join the forum discussion on this post - (1) Posts

Three Clear Markers: The Recession is Over

We now have three very reputable markers that signal the recession’s end.

1. According to the U.S. Weekly Leading Index published by the Economic Cycle Research Institute (ECRI), that index growth has steadily risen to a 36-week high.

2. You’ve seen the pointer here for several weeks now that the “lagging peak” in new claims for unemployment is shown to be quite accurate in predicting past business cycle rebounds. With current continuing claims declining again last week, it is almost certain that we’ve now seen the lagging peak of this recession.

3. The ISM Manufacturing index that we’ve been following since the beginning of Feb, shows a likely return to GDP growth. The ISM reported that index at 42.8% on Monday. You may want to go back and check our trend-line from our March 2 post remembering that according to the ISM an index reading “in excess of 41.2 percent, over a period of time, generally indicates an expansion of the overall economy.”

It is increasingly obvious that the ‘green shoots’, have grown leaves, and no doubt will blossom this summer. Professor Hirschey got it just right.

Political Risk Is Evaporating Treasuries

Political risk is increasing and predictably the Treasury bubble has been bursting.  There are major machinations going on in the bond market which will significantly affect you.

On 3 January 2009 I wrote United States Treasuries Are The Biggest Bubble Of All and on 18 January 2009 followed it up with Why And How The Treasury Bubble Will Burst concluding with “Taking possession [FRN$s] eliminates at least two types of risks.  First, is any potential counter-party risk with whoever is holding the Treasury Bill for you.  Second, ‘political risk’ which is a much larger threat. ”  On 7 May 2009 I wrote about the key ratios moving and have been vindicated.

THE CRACK-UP BOOM

As Ludwig von Mises predicted decades ago in chapter 20 of Human Action, ‘The boom can last only as long as the credit expansion progresses at an ever-accelerated pace. … But then finally the masses wake up. … A breakdown occurs. The crack-up boom appears.’

The crack-up boom is in process and the intensity accelerating.  Everyone knows or should know that the United States government is unable to perform on their debt in regards to purchasing power.  The United States government is a failing counter-party and the FRN$ is doomed.

POLITICAL RISK INCREASES

The Great Writ of Habeas Corpus provides for individuals to challenge their detention.  The United States Constitution decrees in Article 1 Section 9 Clause 2 that “the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.”  The Sixth Amendment provides:

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.

The Supreme Court struck down the three great American tyrants in their attempt to violate this clause with Ex parte Milligan, Korematsu v. US and Rasul v. Bush.

29 July 1921 Adolf Hitler assumed leadership of the NSDAP and became Der Führer.  During 1923 the Reichmark evaporated and Hitler was released from prison 20 December 1924.  Conditions continued deteriorating and on 28 February 1933 the Law for the Protection of People and State or Reichstag Fire Decree is enacted providing in § 1:

Articles 114, 115, 117, 118, 123, 124 and 153 of the Constitution of the German Reich are suspended until further notice. It is therefore permissible to restrict the rights of personal freedom [habeas corpus], freedom of opinion, including the freedom of the press, the freedom to organize and assemble, the privacy of postal, telegraphic and telephonic communications, and warrants for house searches, orders for confiscations as well as restrictions on property, are also permissible beyond the legal limits otherwise prescribed.

By 14 July 1933 Hitler has declared the success of the Nazi revolution and it became the only party in Germany with all others banned.

OBAMA ANNOUNCES PREVENTIVE DETENTION

On 20 May 2009 the New York Times reported:

President Obama told human rights advocates at the White House on Wednesday that he was mulling the need for a “preventive detention” system that would establish a legal basis for the United States to incarcerate terrorism suspects who are deemed a threat to national security but cannot be tried … Human rights advocates are growing deeply uneasy with Mr. Obama’s stance on these issues … — a concept he criticized bitterly as a presidential candidate. The two participants, outsiders who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the session was intended to be off the record, said they left the meeting dismayed.  They said Mr. Obama told them he was thinking about “the long game” — how to establish a legal system that would endure for future presidents.

This talk about establishing a legal system that will endure for future presidents baffles me.  Why will President Obama not open up a copy of the Constitution and read it?  There already is a legal system that has endured for centuries and is the supreme law of the land.

While the Obama administration is intentionally exacerbating the greater depression; in addition why does President Obama feel compelled to rewrite ad hoc tyrannical procedures that undermine essential principles of free and open societies?  President Obama has accomplished more in his first four months than Hitler did.  This is like the caterwauling of a cougar instead of the screetching tunes of someone learning saxophone for the first time.

GOLD AND POLITICAL RISK

Fiat currencies represent the common stock of nations.  This decade all fiat currencies have been evaporating relative to gold.  Those who did not follow my warnings in the two articles about the Treasury bubble are probably down between 30-50% depending on how their positions were setup.

There have been rumors which I have been unable to verify that United States embassies around the world have been instructed to acquire local currencies.

While reviewing the logs for my site I came across someone who searched Google for “how to buy gold delivery”.  While this is not unusual what is unusual is who it was and how long they spent on my site.

I wonder what briefing or meeting the Department of Homeland Security employee was in that prompted them to search on “how to buy gold delivery” in Google?  It seems as if governments and their officials in their cute little costumes seem to be getting increasingly scared.

I wonder if they were trying to figure out how to buy gold coins or gold bars.  Maybe they were even venturing into the less prominent area but lately more profitable and trying to learn how to buy silver coins or silver bars.

KEY RATIOS MOVING AS PREDICTED

As I wrote about in the key ratios moving, “While the DOW may continue its rally I highly doubt it will breach 11.5 gold ounces before it resumes its downward destiny and reaching 5-6 ounces sometime this year.  Silver will likely continue its upward ascent and return to a more normal ratio with gold around 55.”

Since Obama’s tyrannical declaration regarding preventative detention gold has moved from $920 to $980 or 6.5% while silver has moved from $13.75 to $15.75 or 14.5%.  The gold to silver ratio is currently about 62.5 while the DOW/Gold has moved to 8.9 from 9.32.  The DOW/Gold will likely encounter some volatility because the failures General Motors and Citigroup have been replaced with Cisco Systems, Inc. and The Travelers Companies, Inc.

Gold is currently 1.14x and silver is 1.31x their 200dma.  These trends will likely remain in place until the price of gold is about 1.3x its 200dma while the price of silver is about 1.5x its 200dma.

For those who do not own the precious metals yet, even though a good portion of this latest up-leg has passed, now is a good time to consider how to buy gold or silver.  A useful third-party service is GoldMoney which allows for physical delivery at any time as opposed to the problematic GLD or SLV ETFs.

Meanwhile the Treasury bubble has burst and the USD index is now below 80.

CONCLUSION

Gold and silver and not mere barbaric commodities but essential checks and balances in the political machinery.  This is why they are in the United States Constitution.

Obama is outdoing Hitler regarding the acquisition of tyrannical power.  Like the American tyrants Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and George W. Bush; President Obama’s administration is like a bad nightmare.

Gold, silver, oil and stocks are moving predictably while the Treasury bubble is bursting as the FRN$ is breaking down.  The bottom line:  political risk is increasing and gold is moving.  Hopefully you have a 72 hour kit, have learned how to buy gold or silver coins or bars and are prepared because  The Great Credit Contraction has only begun.

Join the forum discussion on this post - (2) Posts

The Politics of Keynesianism

A Business Standard editorial today says “We just may have the makings of a painful trade-off between sustaining growth and fiscal discipline”. Essentially that we may have to “government spend” our way out of the economic crisis.

Keynesiansim is now rampant in the press, more often implicit than explicit. The doctrine however is not somehow “purely economic” (if there is such a thing), but manifests itself in society through politics of a particular kind. Here are some wise words from W H Hutt

Mises contention that “inflation is the fiscal complement of statism and arbitrary government…a cog in the complex of policies and institutions which gradually lead towards totalitarianism” has been recently confirmed by one who obviously welcomes this result.  In what is probably the most effective recent defense of Keynesianism, Bronfenbrenner has argued that the great virtue of the doctrine has been that, through its influence upon policy – through the consequent secular inflation – the “peaceful acceptance” of Marxian aims has been secured. Where the drastic measures which Marx himself contemplated would have failed, Keynesian methods have quietly succeeded. “Secular inflation” has, in fact, proved to be the “principal weapon for extortion of surplus value”, and has had “the net effect of permitting all active pressure groups to gain at the expense of the dead hands of the salaried, the rentier, and the pensioner”. Bronfenbrenner describes inflation as a “social mollifier” which permits the politically dominant groups, like the trade union movement and organized agriculture, to increase their share of national income “without decreasing money income of anyone else, and therefore without arousing the volume or vehemence of opposition which might be expected”.

This triumph of Marxian aims by more subtle methods than Marxs own, this gradual process which we are currently witnessing of the euthanasia of the politically weak classes is, according to Bronfenbrenner, to be preferred to what he apparently regards as the inevitable alternative, expropriation on orthodox Marxian lines.

- page 48, Keynesianism – Retrospect & Prospect, 1963

Consumer, Financial, and Investor Indexes Continue to March Higher

Consumer confidence indexes continued their march higher in May. The widely watched University of Michigan and Reuters index rose in its final reading of the month reaching it’s highest level since last September.

Previously the Michigan index rose to 68.7 from 65.1 in April.

The more dynamic Rasmussen consumer index also continues to post solid gains. That index now stands at 73.0, up four points from a week ago and up seven points from a month ago. The Rasmussen consumer index is now thirteen points above the first reading of the year.

Throughout May the Bloomberg Financial Conditions Index (BFCIUS:IND) has rebounded sharply. The index combines yield spreads and indices from the Money Markets, Equity Markets, and Bond Markets into one normalized index. It closed the month at a near normal level of -2.17.

Meanwhile, the Rasmussen Investor index surged, closing the week up sixteen points from just a week ago and twenty-three points from the beginning of the year. Among investors surveyed a full third now report economic conditions getting better.