Mexican cartels hunt down and kill critics

The reason I am not naming names, even place names, is that these are my neighbors’ stories, not mine, and my neighbors—farmers, cowboys, and ranching families, strong, resourceful, tough people—my neighbors are wary and they are weary. They fear retribution by the drug runners and coyotes who bring the illegals across, because they have seen it happen.

This poster is near the Mexican border, in Texas, facing the drug importation roots.  It would be easy for the cartel to enter this area a kill news critics.

I have to watch out a bit in Fresno which is the largest transfer depot on the west coast. No protection from Sacramento, the legislature already bribed.

Filling the Keynesian hole

The idea is to break Say's Law and pay interest charges for eternity, or bankruptcy; whichever comes first.

Taking sand box to fiat bankers

IHS Markit Has A Plan to Tokenize A $1 Trillion Loan Market

The article is a bit fuzzy but they plan to create digital bearer dollars by locking up a fiat account, by contract, then allowing liquid flows on their swapnet.

But if the technique works, then we should be able to have fiat on Telegram, which is up and running. The point is, guv regulators will have to decide, capital controls or jump into sandbox. The banks need the latter choice. I  think it is game over.

The Economist neglected lending accounts

The Economist has an article that discusses the possibility of allowing ordinary people to have checking accounts at central banks.

And Scott Sumner discusses the issue.  

The central banks, any currency banker, opens both lending and deposit accounts. Having any accounts at the currency banker means keeping  a loan to deposit ratio.  Pricing only works well when the loan/deposit ratios are adjusted by the currency banker. Central banks that consider only government  lending will suffer periodic crashes as we notice.  

The open market operations consist  of matching loans to deposits, there is very little risk to the currency banker, risk is marked to lenders and depositors.

We can do central banking in the traditional sense of giving priority  to government funding needs but we match deposits, loans and seigniorage, a three way trade. Government shares the risk in that they can still cause crashes.

So, if you want a central bank, you can borrow or  lend, but you bear the risk of government crashes. This system is closed and complete be we cannot hide  money losing government programs.

Starbuck's learning us political correctness

Starbucks Is Closing All Its U.S. Stores for Diversity Training Day.

Are allowed to say, 'Coffee black' 

Look what's happening in Telegram

Just the results of a simple search.

The best Finance Bots for Telegram - BotList

Telegram Trading Bot Indicators - proxy.ws

List of Telegram Crypto Groups and Bots — Steemit

Dynamic Crypto Bot which trades automatically on Telegram Signals ...

These are mostly Python, and we are seeing more of these swap nets show up. Amazon AWS is going to the dust bin. Pure sandbox built to  spec.

I didn't invent swap net, I was awaiting the Spectre discovery before I conjectured on financial routing. Once we understood what spectre was about, we all got comfortable that ledger swapping could work and jumped  on Telegram. 

Nor did I predict Python, I just discovered what traders already knew. Sandnox is happening rapidly, surprising me most of all.

Crypto and Fintech merging

Can Cryptocurrency Businesses like Coinbase Compete With Wall Street Conglomerates?

The key new technology are he Swap Nets, like Telegram.  These swap nets can automatically operate over the counter markets.  Then comes direct pipeline control of the instruction cache, the Spectre standard.  Much of this work will be finished this year.

So, yes, Coinbase is dealing with a rapidly changing environment, but they know what they do.

The willingness of taxpayers to pay 3%

The most fundamental reason that the U.S. runs persistent current-account deficits is that America remains a relatively attractive place to invest.

The government has great plans for us, Don Bourdeaux,  and our willingness to pay 3% on government debt is quite an enticement for a trade deficit.  

So, Don, our trade deficit is a result of the great  opportunity to invest in Congress; which sounds a bit unsustainable.  The usual method of rebalance is devaluation. Remember the Nixon devaluation, or the FDR devaluation? When the devaluation comes you will be crying and screaming.

Don has the hidden agenda, reform Congressional budgeting via competitive trade. Instead we get devaluation, always, and I  am not sure he is reading history correctly.

IMF takeover of Italian government?

ROME (Reuters) - Italy’s president is expected to ask a former International Monetary Fund official on Monday to head a stopgap government amidst political and constitutional turmoil, with early elections looking inevitable.

Like, egad, a sign of bankruptcy.  

Why can't the president head a stopgap rule? If this fouls up there will be contagion. Here is the proximate cause:

Italy sank deeper into political turmoil as populist leaders pulled the plug on their attempt to form a government after the president rejected the choice of a euro-skeptic, Germany-bashing candidate as finance minister. The anti-establishment Five Star Movement said it was considering proposing impeachment of President Sergio Mattarella after his veto, while anti-immigrant League leader Matteo Salvini hinted at a conspiracy and made a thinly veiled call for fresh elections.

Conspiracy and plots mean another election. The Italian budget will not survive the interest charges. Tomorrow is another European flight the Treasuries.

They are talking

The unconfirmed report said the negotiations were conducted last weekend between Iran’s ambassador to Jordan, who was in one hotel room in Amman with Iranian security personnel, while in the next room there were senior Israeli security officials, including the deputy head of the Mossad. The report said a Jordanian mediator carried messages between the sides.
Elaph sources said that "the talks with the Israelis were related to fighting in Syria and the nearing campaign in southern Syria, particularly in Dera'a and Kuneitra." 
Furthermore, they said that Israel made clear to the Iranians not to become involved in fighting close to the Israel-Syria ceasefire lines in the Golan and the Israel-Jordan border. One participant of the talks said that "the sides discussed this issue with the Israelis, and arrived at a quick agreement that even surprised the Israeli representatives."

Let me add one proviso, both sides need to agree that Bolton has to go. Offer Trump a hotel if need be.  If the US is stuck with Bolton, we will blame Israel.