Thursday, July 13, 2017

 

News Links, July 14, 2017

## Global Ponzi meltdown/House of Cards/global cooling/deflationary collapse ##
Startup financing losing steam in US, China
Venture capital investment has slowed markedly in the U.S. and China, the two largest players in the field by far, a slump that could last for some time as both countries embark on tighter monetary policy.
My studied prediction is to look for negative growth in the coming years. And that goes for all countries. -- RF

## War on cash/cashless society ##
War on Cash: Denmark bans cash in prisons to fight crime

## Airline death spiral ##
Security is a growing challenge for airlines, and demands for new technology are a burden on budgets.
Delta's profit tumbles on higher costs; passenger unit revenue rises
Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL.N) on Thursday reported a 21 percent drop in second-quarter profit because of sharply higher labor and fuel costs, despite higher passenger unit revenue, sending its shares down 2 percent.

## Fault lines/flashpoints/powder kegs/military/war drums ##
Saudi Arabia exports extremism to many countries - including Germany, study says
Politicians bedazzled by fighter plane that can't fight.
U.S. Democrats in new bid to push Russia and Iran sanctions bill
Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives said on Wednesday they planned to introduce a new version of a Russia and Iran sanctions bill, hoping to send a message to President Donald Trump to maintain a strong line against Moscow.
But the US will continue to arm terrorists. -- RF
Seeing the Substance in Trump-Putin Meeting
The first meeting between Presidents Trump and Putin achieved  potentially life-saving progress on the Syrian crisis, but the U.S. media/political world can't get past its obsession with Russia-gate.

But while individual companies hope to attract investors and boost profits by ratcheting up production, the industry as a whole is shooting itself in the foot. Some less efficient drillers are increasing production but losing money on every barrel produced.
Energy junk bonds have been hit especially hard. They slipped more than 2 percent in June, according to a Bloomberg index, after increasing 38 percent in 2016 -- a year when 89 energy companies filed for bankruptcy.

There's no future here, as their idea is to further increase dependence on a failing energy regime. -- RF

## Solutions ##
It's Time For Local Communities to Take Charge and Experiment – Decentralize or Die (Part 2)

## Environment/health ##
Electrocuted (on electric cars)
Will Hungry Polar Bears Attack More People As The Arctic Sea Ice Melts?
Humans might see more attacks from polar bears as the Arctic environment changes, because these bears may turn to preying on people as their food sources dwindle.
Naturally, this will be blamed on the bears, which are encroaching on "our" habitat. -- RF
"Love It" Smoking Gun Hype vs Reality
The preposterous anti-Trump drumbeat from mainstream media is never-ending.
The Saudi Agents Next Door: Americans Who Cashed in on Campaign to Stop 9/11 Trial
Saudi Arabia spent millions trying to keep 9/11 families and survivors from presenting evidence against the kingdom

## Propaganda/censorship/fake news/alternative facts ##
Why some Arab countries want to shutter Al Jazeera
Carbon-free hydrogen trial underway
A group of Japanese businesses and officials has launched a trial project to produce hydrogen using wind power. They aim to establish a system that creates a clean energy source without emitting carbon dioxide.
No one gives any serious thought to how all this hardware is made. -- RF
Japan barely makes strides in fixing its finances
Japan remains in dire fiscal straits, with the latest estimates still showing it behind in progress toward the goal of a primary surplus by fiscal 2020, as pressure to spend mounts while the tax base shrinks.
Talk of Looser Fiscal Policy Grows Within Japan's Ruling Party
With its popularity in free-fall, there is increasing talk within Japan's ruling party that the government should increase spending this year, with some lawmakers even suggesting cutting the sales tax and reversing efforts to impose fiscal discipline on the heavily-indebted country.
It won't make any difference because economic degeneration is an energy problem, not a money problem. Governments are still trying to achieve growth, but what they should be doing is the opposite: downsizing their economies and populations to accommodate the new energy reality. -- RF

UK government declines to publish review on funding of extremism
The British government said on Wednesday it would not publish in full its report on the sources of funding of Islamist extremism in Britain, prompting opposition charges that it was trying to protect its ally Saudi Arabia.
Democrats Gone Mad: The Year of Living Stupidly
Nobody voted for the War Party in November of 2016, but that's who's in power. Which is why both Democrats and Republicans talk of virtually nothing but Russians and war.
General collapse of the economy will make it happen before then. -- RF
Financial-Crisis-Style Carmageddon Descends on Houston
Auto sales in Houston, whose economy had been battered by the oil bust, should be turning around from their Financial-Crisis-type levels, but they just got worse: New vehicle sales plummeted 26% in June from a year ago, with car sales getting totally crushed and even trucks sales plunging.
House rejects proposal to declassify info about experiments on troops
Details about Pentagon biological and chemical weapons tests involving military personnel during the 1960s and 1970s — some involving lethal nerve agents — have long been kept secret. Thursday, the House agreed to keep things that way.
His apparent praise of fracking makes you wonder if he actually knows anything about energy. -- RF


Permanent Link posted by Rice Farmer @ 6:13 PM


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