A good friend of mine, learning of the impending visit of Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, recalled Homer’s description of Helen of Troy, “The face that launched a thousand ships and burnt the towers of Ilium.” Well, Nancy ain’t no Helen of Troy, but she might nevertheless be in the business of launching warships and burning cities due to her bizarre interpretation of her foreign policy prerogatives as Speaker.
Producing New Enemies for No Reason Whatsoever
Tag: US Economy
U.S. election cycle drives new confrontations with China, Russia
Global Times | August 1, 2022
Dim mid-term election prospects of Democrats risk igniting more tensions
With less than 100 days to go before the US mid-term elections, many US media outlets, polls and observers see the Democrats’ prospects dim. A new Bloomberg Economics study showed that “President Joe Biden’s party can expect to lose 30 to 40 seats in the House and a few in the Senate too, easily wiping out razor-thin Democratic majorities,” Bloomberg reported on Saturday.
U.S. election cycle drives new confrontations with China, Russia
Pelosi expected to visit Taiwan, Taiwanese and US officials say and Could Get Us All Killed!
Nancy Pelosi Taiwan Visit Could Get Us All Killed
Related:
Pelosi expected to visit Taiwan, Taiwanese and US officials say
Officials also believe the Chinese leadership doesn’t completely grasp the political dynamics in the United States*, leading to a misunderstanding over the significance of Pelosi’s potential visit. The officials say China may be confusing Pelosi’s visit with an official administration visit, since she and Biden are both Democrats. Administration officials are concerned that China doesn’t separate Pelosi from Biden much, if at all.
Pelosi is in the presidential line of succession, thus the administration takes extra care of her security when she travels overseas, the White House said on Tuesday, according to CNN.
They’re well aware that Pelosi is the second in line of Presidential succession!
Calling a recession and blaming it on interest rates
The latest US GDP figures for second quarter of 2022 renewed the debate about whether the US economy was in a recession or not. Real GDP contracted in the second quarter of this year by a 0.9% annualised rate (or by 0.2% quarter over quarter). That meant the US economy had contracted for two successive quarters, and so ‘technically’ (by that definition) was in a recession. Real GDP is now up only 1.6% from Q2 2021. And business investment is slowing, up only 3.5% from this time last year, the slowest rate since the end of the COVID slump in 2020.
Calling a recession and blaming it on interest rates
Oliver Boyd-Barrett: Approaching War with China
By Prof. Oliver Boyd-Barrett, Substack, 7/29/22
Donbass and Kherson Developments
Drawing on Dima’s reports to the Military Summary Channel, it appears to Mercouris (Mercouris July 29 2022) that the Russian renewed offensive is now in full force, more intensely overwhelming than it has ever been, quite contrary to a recent BBC report.
Oliver Boyd-Barrett: Approaching War with China
Despite sweeping sanctions, Russia’s economic outlook has improved since April — but it’s gotten worse for almost every other country
Russia’s economy is holding up better than expected amid sweeping sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, according to the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook report issued on Tuesday.
Despite sweeping sanctions, Russia’s economic outlook has improved since April — but it’s gotten worse for almost every other country
US recession is very likely, IMF says + A recession alarm sounds on Wall Street
“It’s a very narrow path,” IMF chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas said. “The current environment suggest that the likelihood that the US economy can avoid a recession is actually quite narrow.”
US recession is very likely, IMF says
Related:
‘We can’t be an oil supplier’: Biden’s adviser says oil reserve releases must end
One of Biden’s top energy aides confirmed Friday the administration won’t extend the oil releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve that are scheduled to end this fall.
‘We can’t be an oil supplier’: Biden’s adviser says oil reserve releases must end
Related:
Soaring U.S. Production Can’t Keep LNG Prices In Check
Europe has displaced Asia as the top destination for U.S. LNG, and now receives 65% of total exports.
…
According to a report by the Oil & Gas Journal, 10-year LNG contracts are currently priced at ~75% above 2021’s rates, with tight supplies expected to persist as Europe aims to boost LNG imports.
NYT Opinion: I Was Wrong About Trump Voters
By Bret Stephens
The worst line I ever wrote as a pundit — yes, I know, it’s a crowded field — was the first line I ever wrote about the man who would become the 45th president: “If by now you don’t find Donald Trump appalling, you’re appalling.”
I Was Wrong About Trump Voters
The Democrats’ green war on the working class
The obsession with climate change is hammering the poor and driving voters to the right.
The Democrats’ green war on the working class
Ms. Cat’s Chronicles 
You must be logged in to post a comment.