Books that address OUR New Challenges:
With the fall of the Berlin wall in 1991 and the end of the Soviet Union, the consensus though in the US was that capitalism and the western concept of the market place had won. As last, humanity was moving toward the “Omega Point’ of philosopher/monk Pierre Teilhard de Chardin where enlightenment, reason and civility would prevail.
Instead, we face which seems like an endless cycle of greed, inequality, dishonesty, bigotry, intolerance, theocracy and authoritarianism. We are being ‘distracted’ by President Trump’s (kleptocrats) daily celebrity theatrics, while the harmful side effects of oligarchy capitalism and globalization have created distress on Middle Class, who find themselves increasingly replaced with automation and lower priced labor. We have taken our eye off the ball as 80 people own 50% of the worlds wealth and the Walton’s are wealthier than the bottom 40% of Americans and all income growth goes to the top 1% The Middle class is in trouble with 50% of the population unable to meet a $400 emergency. I continue to believe that this economic inequality will reach a tripping point, where all boats will sink.
Watch the stock of Deutsche Bank to see what the stock market will do. The bank has laundered Russian oligarchy money and Trump owes the bank (maybe) $200 billion. Today they announced they are cutting 10,000 jobs. This year the stocks is down from $20 a share to a new low $11.18 a share. Follow the money!
While some of these problems are systemic, there are two outside influences that have conspired to change our governing process. 1) One side comes from the far-left of the Koch brothers and their Cato Institute and the Mercer family and their now defunct Cambridge Analytic and their associates that have plans to subvert the will of the democratic majority and tilt the playing field forever in favor of the rich and powerful. 2) The other influence comes from the totalitarianism and the oligarchy of Russia and other authoritarian governments that are leaning to the far right, where fascism is winning over individualism and equality. Everything Russia does is to undermine Western (demonic) structures and government, so their form of government of gross inequality appears preferable to their people. Russia’s Putin has hacked our bank accounts, undermined our media with fake news and influence our elections. Whether we know it or not, our country is under attack and so is Europe (Italy)!
As long as there are no current policies to deal with automation, globalization and the two outside influence of oligarchy and fascism and the other issues raised by the books listed below, there appears to be an unstable environment for the stock market.
New books that I have just read and that I highly recommend:
Democracy in Chains by Nancy MacLean explains in detail how the Koch brothers and the Mercers are executing a plan to divide us through our fear of multiculturalism and racial differences.The Road to Unfreedom by Robert Snyder which explains how Putin is executing a plan to have us loose faith in our institutions (Presidency, the rule of law, the safety of our identity and our financial information) though cyber attacks. Can Democracy Survive Global Capitalism by Robert Kuttner describes how Fascism is winning through out the world and how the US oligarchy and corporations have captured the machinery of the government to promote it.
Three books that I have just read which hope for a positive outcome: Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit; Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker and The Soul of America by Jon Meacham; While the American story has not always—or even often—been heroic, we have been sustained by a belief in progress even in the gloomiest of times., “The good news is that we have come through such darkness before”—as, time and again, Lincoln’s better angels have found a way to prevail.
Also books I am reading now Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the America City by Matthew Desmond (6,500 evictions every day!); How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky; The Common Good by Robert Reich;
Just Published:: War vs Peace by Ronan Farrow: tells how diplomacy of the state department is being replaced by military policy; Us vs Them by Ian Bremmer: Tells how we are being distracted from solutions of automation and globalization. Tailspin by Steven Brill. How the aristocracy and oligarchy are perpetuating a ‘take it all ‘ policy that will make our economic system dysfunctional.
A novel: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline that presents a virtual reality world of the future, (Also a movie)
Carl M. Birkelbach
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Carl M Birkelkbach
Investment Strategy Blog 