The Fateful Geological Prize Called Haiti

by F. William Engdahl

Leaving aside the relevant question of how well in advance the Pentagon and US scientists knew the quake was about to occur, and what Pentagon plans were being laid before January 12, another issue emerges around the events in Haiti that might help explain the bizarre behavior to date of the major ‘rescue’ players—the United States, France and Canada. Aside from being prone to violent earthquakes, Haiti also happens to lie in a zone that, due to the unusual geographical intersection of its three tectonic plates, might well be straddling one of the world’s largest unexplored zones of oil and gas, as well as of valuable rare strategic minerals.

Bernanke vs. Deflationary Collapse

By Doug Casey and Louis James
January 27, 2010
Stowe, Vermont, U.S.A.

And Bernanke is always presented as a Ph.D., a scholar of the Great Depression, its causes, and how to cure such an economic downturn. But he hasn’t prevented an economic catastrophe — he’s done just the opposite of what needs to be done, and there’s going to be hell to pay.

It’s quite perverse. Look at Alan Greenspan. In the 1960s, he was an acolyte of Ayn Rand and wrote a famous essay defending the gold standard, which I read in her book, Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal. And then he goes on to become the most inflationary Fed chairman in history until Bernanke superseded him.

Bases, Missiles, Wars: U.S. Consolidates Global Military Network

by Rick Rozoff


Afghanistan is occupying center stage at the moment, but in the wings are complementary maneuvers to expand a string of new military bases and missile shield facilities throughout Eurasia and the Middle East.

A Haiti Disaster Relief Scenario Was Envisaged by the US Military One Day Before the Earthquake

by Michel Chossudovsky


After the earthquake hit on Tuesday [January 12, 2010], Demay said SOUTHCOM decided to go live with the system. On [the following day] Wednesday [January 13, 2010], DISA opened up its All Partners Access Network, supported by the Transnational Information Sharing Cooperation project, to any organization supporting Haiti relief efforts.

The Battle of the Titans: JP Morgan Versus Goldman Sachs

Or Why the Market Was Down for 7 Days in a Row

by Ellen Brown

But Goldman Sachs has been caught in this blatant market manipulation so often that the JPMorgan faction of the banking empire has finally had enough. The voters too have evidently had enough, as demonstrated in the recent upset in Massachusetts that threw the late Senator Ted Kennedy’s Democratic seat to a Republican. That pivotal loss gave Paul Volcker, chairman of President Obama’s newly formed Economic Recovery Advisory Board, an opportunity to step up to the plate with some proposals for serious banking reform. Unlike the string of Treasury Secretaries who came to the government through the revolving door of Goldman Sachs, former Federal Reserve Chairman Volcker came up through Chase Manhattan Bank, where he was vice president before joining the Treasury.

Bernanke's Burn Notice -- Why Now? Research Reveals Insight Into Fed Chairman's Popularity

by Elliott Wave International


Bernanke has gone from being Time magazine's Man of the Year in 2009 to ... what? A Fed chairman embroiled in a controversial reconfirmation process before U.S. Congress. Why the sudden turnaround in his fortunes?

Secret Deals Involving No One; AIG Coverup Conspiracy Unravels

by Mike Shedlock

Most know I am not a big believer in conspiracies. I regularly dismiss them. However, this one was clear from the beginning and like all massive conspiracies, it is now in the light of day.

Creating A Trillion From Thin Air

by Daniel Amerman

The Federal Reserve reported a $45 billion profit for 2009, making it the most profitable financial institution in the nation. Many news outlets put a positive spin on this report, saying it was great news for the economy and the financial sector. Are they right about that? Or could the full story of what happened represent a direct threat to the value of your savings and your retirement investments? Let's take a short look at the story behind the headlines, and the personal implications for you and your family.

Will a Threatened Euro Affect the Gold Price

by Julian D. W. Phillips

Claude Trichet, head of the European Central Bank dismissed talk of Greece exiting the Euro as their national currency. The fact that he felt it necessary to issue such a statement meant that the prospect was being discussed outside the E.C.B. Instead, the EU is considering sanctions against the country to bring it into line with the E.U. The stress is high in the Eurozone!

Gazprom: Angel or Demon?

By Philip H. de Leon for OilPrice.com

Gazprom faces regular opprobrium for its bullying ways of using energy as a pressure and political tool. Seen by some, mostly Russians, as the symbol of a successful and strong Russia, others see it as a dominating juggernaut, economic right arm of the Kremlin implementing, or should we say, imposing its policies by using energy as a weapon.

The Stuff Conspiracy Theories Are Made Off: The Emergence Of A Secret Banking Cabal

Submitted by Tyler Durden

Wednesday’s hearing described a secretive group deploying billions of dollars to favored banks, operating with little oversight by the public or elected officials.

IMF Prepared To Bail Out Greece As Trichet Warns Of Debt Unsustainability (In Europe AND US)

Submitted by Tyler Durden

Not good for Europe: all the posturing about how Greece will never, ever be bailed out was just destroyed courtesy of a few words out of place by the IMF. IMF Managing Director John Lipsky just noted that the International Monetary Fund is ready to help Greece "in any way necessary." The quote comes from a Bloomberg TV interview conducted earlier. Perhaps that is why Greek CDS just hit another all time wide at 410 (+35). And joining the foot in the mouth crew is ECB president Trichet who said that "Debt on both sides of the Atlantic are unsustainable." So should we now assume that even Central Bankers admit we are headed for a brick wall at 120 mph?

NOTE: Not sure why this wouldn't be "good" for Europe, other than the fact that the IMF is NOT the friend of any nation it "helps." If Greece defaults, it could destroy the European Union, and the Euro as a currency. -Vigilius

Federal Reserve Moral Hazard Smoking Gun: In August 2008 Goldman Was Willing To Tear Up AIG Derivative Contracts, Offered To Take Haircut

So was Goldman prepared to offer AIG a haircut in the month before its rescue? A legitimate question, given that Goldman refused to accept such a cut when the New York Fed raised the idea after it bailed out AIG.

Why China's About to End Dollar-Peg

Jeff Nielson

China is willing to take whatever “hit” that it must on the U.S. dollars which it is holding (through currency swaps), because it is effectively “sterilizing” global trade from the cancerous effect of the biggest flood of greenbacks in history (and the horrific inflation they would cause). Instead of these depreciating dollars being used again and again, in that back-and-forth flow of trade, those dollars have been removed from global markets – and replaced with renminbi.

U.K. Firms Mobilize in New Falklands Foray

Rising Oil Prices and Advances in Drilling Technology Lure Prospectors Despite Inclement Weather, Chilly Politics

LONDON—Twelve years after the last prospectors left the Falkland Islands, British oil-exploration companies are returning, lured by rising oil prices and advances in deep-water drilling technology.


NOTE: The conspiracy theory is that there is "more oil in The Falkland Islands than there is in Saudi Arabia." Kind of like Gull Island, Alaska. This is why the British fought a war over the Falklands back in the early 80s. -Vigilius

Goldman's Concern Over The Economy Is Growing

Submitted by Tyler Durden

Anyhow, in the three weeks so far, we have witnessed evidence of the things that support why our views are "exciting" and, unfortunately, more important ones of why " with risks" has been there. Of possible interest;

1. BRICs…………For those of you that often doubt much of the data from China and elsewhere in " BRICland", the FT has kindly being doing a special all week long on the whole theme, with lots of colourful local stories. Over the weekend, if you have some time, take a gander…

Zero Hedge Proposes John Taylor For The Position Of Chairman Of The Federal Reserve

Zero Hedge will have more to say on the topic of Mr. Taylor's nomination, however for all those curious as to why Mr. Taylor would provide the much-needed critical approach to monetary policy, we suggest reading Mr. Taylor's WSJ op-ed from February 9, 2009, which puts the blame for the current economic catastrophe where it squarely belongs: government, and the Federal Reserve.

The Volcker Revolution - Providing Some Much Needed Answers

Just who is this Paul Volcker who will now be the President's seemingly primary economic advisor, and more importantly, what will his policies be like? Luckily, an extensive blueprint already exists, and Zero Hedge readers should be quite familiar with it by now.

Latent Chinese Demand, a Potential Cure-All

With China already the number one consumer of autos in the world, the Chinese consumer with the benefit of a strong currency would spell a voracious appetite for potential consumption.

US Mint Sales: 2010 Silver Eagles Explode on Release

By Darrin Lee Unser on Jan 21st, 2010

In less than two days, Mint records show an astounding 2,480,000 were purchased. Put another way, in less than 48 hours the Mint sold over 8.6% of the total number of Silver Eagles it had sold in all of 2008.

John Edwards Admits He Fathered Rielle Hunter's Child

By LEE FERRAN, BRIAN ROSS, NADINE SHUBAILAT and CHRIS FRANCESCANI
Jan. 21, 2010

In an excerpt from his upcoming interview with ABC News's Bob Woodruff, Young alleges that Edwards asked him to arrange a fake a paternity test.

Deflation in Everything But the Cost of Living

THEY WERE SUPPOSED to avert depression. The Bank of England continues to tout their "success".

But it looks like the best that money-printing and zero rates might now deliver is '70s-style stagflation, plus '30s-style wealth destruction and a glacé cherry on top.

The Risk Chart

The Risk Chart

One of my favorite charts is what I call, "The Risk Chart". It's simply the stock market divided by volatility. One of the reasons I like this chart is that it prices the market not in dollars but in the terms of risk.