Life In 2014: Nothing Makes Sense

That's the essence of the latest article from Zero Hedge. Nothing makes sense anymore.  Of course, this article was in reference to the economic situation that is looming and ever present - but upon closer inspection, this sentiment can really apply to the world as we know it today. We're supposed to believe that various uprisings around the world (name one: the Arab Spring, Syria, Libya, Egypt, and now the Ukraine) were all just spontaneous uprisings. We were supposed to believe that trillions in "stimulus" will stimulate the economy. We are supposed to believe that the U.S. unemployment still hovers around 6% yet millions have lost jobs over the past 5 years. We are supposed to believe that one of the most frigid winters in this generation is because of "warming". And on and on this list goes. 

The article below does indeed discuss the financial situation and it is highly germane to prophecy for our age but everything stated can equally refer to our world in a more general sense:

Understanding Why It Feels Different This Time

There probably isn’t an over used phrase thrown across the media landscape than, “It’s different this time.”

One can’t look at the financial markets, the political stage, and more without shaking ones head. Nothing seems to make sense. Yet if one wants to lazily answer, “It’s different this time.” Things become crystal clear.

Water now seems to run uphill. The definition of words no longer mean what they once did. (we’re still marveling on what is – is) Free society means the loss of only a few freedoms per year, as opposed to everything at once. Work is a bad thing however, if someone else goes to work and pay for your things – then that’s good. You can keep your plan if you like your plan – but if we don’t like it – well – you can’t. The Federal Reserve would never monetize the debt – however if you’re a preferred dealer in the QE (quantitative easing) program – they’ll do it for you. I could go on but for brevity’s sake, I’ll stop there. I believe you get the drift.

These precarious times leave many scratching their heads. It has been (and continues to be) extremely difficult to rationalize exactly what one personally, or business and investing wise should, or should not be doing.

When everything one has both learned through experience or looked back through history for clues now seems irrelevant, or worse – indifferent. It truly makes one question one’s sanity as you wrestle daily with the over whelming feeling that you just may be – the only sane person in the asylum. And that is not a comforting resolution to one’s conclusions. For it begs the rebuttal: Then who’s truly the crazy one?

I was asked the other day why I continue to make arguments for caution where some people at times are having a field day with the equivalent of kicking me in the shins as the financial markets rise higher, and higher, to ever higher heights? It’s a good question and I thought I’d extrapolate more on what or why I’m seeing blatant warning signs others can’t or, refuse to.

Let me express why my observations cause this with the following line: When everyone is on the band wagon – except the band. You had better take notice.

A few things (although very big) have changed over the past 5 years since the great market collapse. These are in no specific order of importance.

First: The advent of government involvement within the financial markets is unprecedented in its history. It can not be understated the influx of Trillions of dollars via the Federal Reserves QE programs, and the levered effects that influence has brought to bear. We don’t have a shred of true market forces that warrant such levels.

As one nation after another with its cities on fire, citizens battling in the streets, cries of defaulting on sovereign debt, export/import disruptions, and more. Since the intervention of the QE programs; as long as the spigot remains open – the world and its crises are mere footnotes.

Just look at what is taking place today in the Ukraine. Quite possibly the greatest global uncertainty wrench into the gears of the world at large. Russia puts boots on the ground, test fires an ICBM to heighten threats. North Korea test fires more missiles during this same period. At the same time our largest holder of debt and largest trading partner China publicly sides with Russia’s invasion calculations, not to mention their newest economic figures have been awful (and they are notorious in fudging them as to make them better than they truly are)  and the markets reaction? Not only higher, but Investor Intelligence™ surveys show that traders are the least caring of a market hiccup in over 15 years!

That’s the equivalent of more unicorn and rainbow thinkers in the market today than the dot-com bubble! Absolutely mind-boggling in my view.

I bring this point to the forefront for the sole purpose of pointing out there was an anniversary this week. It was the 5th anniversary of the financial markets collapse. The worst since the era that brought about The Great Depression. And if I didn’t bring it to your attention now, many of you probably didn’t even know it. The near mention of this event had more in line with the Harry Potter character of “You know who” as in “He that shall not be named.” The 2009 financial collapse now seems to be of the same ilk.

Again, as to push the point I made earlier on things that leave people scratching their heads. Black Monday (a far less eventful matter as compared with the final declines of 2009) was headlined, spoke of, theorized, along with a great whaling and the gnashing of teeth – every anniversary. And what about this one? The silence was deafening.

Here’s the rub – we all know the unemployment #’s are worthless. We know they’re currently manipulated to the point of absurdity. We know that GDP (gross domestic product) trade deficits, and much, much more are now running inline with as much controversy as to their validity as those we get from the Chinese government. Accounting standards and the reporting of earnings are once again venturing on comedic.
(As in an a company lost money according to general accounting, but based on Non-general? The place is rolling in dough!”)

Fact or fiction seems to no longer matter anymore. It’s now blatantly obvious: spin a tale no matter how large for if it sticks – it’s now considered fact. And if they don’t believe the first lie – just readjust or recalculate the formulations to provide something they will believe. It’s becoming near maddening.

So I guess it truly is, “different this time.”

Just what happens when it’s realized that puddle on the floor isn’t from unicorn tears but from someone who didn’t see a Depends commercial is now anyone’s guess.

Arms Ship: 40 Missiles, 181 Mortars, 400,000 Bullets

The Israeli military announced Sunday that it had offloaded 40 M-302 missiles,181 122-mm mortars, and 400,000 7.62 caliber bullets from the containers aboard the ship seized several days earlier in the Red Sea.

A combined task-force of sailors, combat engineers and ordnance experts has begun inspecting the containers offloaded from the Klos-C, and may uncover more munitions over the next several days.

Naval commandos seized the vessel on Wednesday in the Red Sea between Eritrea and Sudan, and it was escorted into Eilat on Saturday by two Israeli warships.

The IDF said the Iranian shipment was destined for the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.

Israel has hailed the discovery of the shipment as exposing Iranian efforts to support global terrorism.

On Sunday, a senior security official in Egypt said the shipment was destined for militants in either the Sinai Peninsula or the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he wanted EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, in Tehran for talks, to bring up the issue.

“I call this to the attention of Catherine Ashton, who is now visiting Tehran,” he said at the start of a weekly cabinet meeting. “I would like to ask her if she asked her Iranian hosts about this shipment of weapons for terrorist organizations, and if not, why not.”

Syria: 'We Christians Live In Fear'

He described what he expected the scene would look like this first Sunday of Lent. While churches around the world would be crowded, in his country “where St. Paul found his faith, many churches stand empty, targets for bombardment and desecration.”

“Aleppo, where I have been bishop for 25 years, is devastated. We have become accustomed to the daily dose of death and destruction, but living in such uncertainty and fear exhausts the body and the mind,” Audo wrote.

Though Aleppo has 45 churches and “Syria was one of the last remaining strongholds for Christianity in the Middle East,” the bishop explained that most Christians who can afford to have left Syria.

Besides the fear of bombs, unemployment, lack of food and electricity compound the worries for those who have remained.

On a personal note, the bishop said, “I have to be careful walking around the city because of the risk of snipers and kidnappings” as two priests were kidnapped on the road from Aleppo to Damascus.

Ukraine's Military Mobilizes, Prepares for Combat

Did somebody say de-escalation?

Earlier today, photos were distributed showing the latest military convoy reinforcements heading into the Crimea, accompanies by a Police car demonstrating Moscow license plate numbers, most likely providing further support to the pro-Russian forces in the peninsula.

While at the same time along the makeshift border between Crimea and the mainland, the Pro-Russian forces are putting down minefields.

However, the Ukrainians, having already been mobilized for over a week, finally appear set to seize back the offensive:

The first clip below captured the 80th Airborne Regiment out of Lviv moving out, direction mainland, preparing to repel foreign attack.

The next video shows what are allegedly Buk SAM batteries deployed in the Donetsk region, a city in Eastern Ukraine which in the past week has swayed between Ukraine and Russian authority.

So where again are all those pundits who were so eager to explain away the Ukraine confrontation as one that will promptly be forgotten, and is by now most certainly priced in?

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