Petro-Dollar

Apocalypse, Or Not?

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By Alasdair Macleod – Re-Blogged From Silver Phoenix

Members of the American libertarian movement, particularly extremist preppers, are often associated with a belief that a complete breakdown in society is the only outcome from government economic policies and will lead to complete social disintegration. At the centre of their concerns is monetary destruction, with other issues, such as the erosion of personal freedom and the right to bear arms, important but peripheral. They cite history, particularly the hyperinflationary collapses, from Rome to Zimbabwe, and now Venezuela. They draw on Austrian economic theory, which fans their dislike of government and their expectation of total chaos.

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“The PetroDollar Matrix”

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Andy Sutton & Graham Mehl – Re-Blogged From Silver Phoenix

At the forefront of the media’s attention today is Russia. We’re not really sure why, (well, of course we are) but it seems that Russia has become the new boogeyman. Everything is Russia’s fault. I’ve even heard rumors that the National Weather Service has plans to blame Russia for all the confounded rain in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic this summer. We know – right away you’re thinking this is going to be about Russia but it’s really not. It’s about what the media isn’t telling you. It’s why (we believe), Trump’s Tweets, Ivanka’s Sweets, Russiagate, the left’s hate, the right’s hate (aka, establishment theatre) are all taking the headlines while a very disturbing trend is left in plain sight. It’s the 800-pound gorilla in the room during any discussion involving economics and geopolitics, but nobody wants to talk about it.

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Oil, The Petrodollar, And The Next Emerging Market Crisis

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By John Rubino – Re-Blogged From Dollar Collapse

Oil prices are up over the past year, which is bad if you’re, say, a developing country that imports a lot of the stuff. But the US dollar (aka the petrodollar) is also up, which compounds the problem because oil is priced in dollars. So Brazil, for instance, finds itself buying an appreciating necessity that’s priced in an appreciating currency:

Steep Oil and Strong Dollar Make Toxic Brew for Global Economies

‘Brutal’ rally in dollar-priced crude hammers governments, strains consumers from U.K. to Brazil.

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They Did It…

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By Mike Savage – Re-Blogged From http://www.Gold-Eagle.com

After many starts and stops over the past few years, the Chinese oil exchange launched on March 26, 2018 as I have been reporting for the past few weeks. This is a big deal. It appears to be a direct competitor to the US dollar in, right now, just oil but it could expand to many other materials- particularly in Eastern Europe and Asia where their one belt one road initiative is taking place. (the largest infrastructure plan the world has ever seen being overseen by China)

Basically, oil is now trading in Shanghai for Yuan rather than the US dollar. In addition, anyone who doesn’t want to hold Yuan can trade the Yuan for gold in either Shanghai or Hong Kong.

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Trade Wars

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By Alasdair Macleod – Re-Blogged From http://www.Silver-Phoenix500.com

An overt trade war has commenced. President Trump has fired the starting gun, setting in motion an election promise, part of his Make America Great Again undertaking. It is a blow squarely aimed against China, costing China some trade perhaps, but basically a loser’s last roll of the dice.

The back story appears to be far deeper than some relatively minor tariffs on steel and aluminium would suggest. It comes after a prolonged period of shadow-boxing between America in the blue corner and Russia and China in the red. To pursue the boxing analogy, China and Russia have been soaking up America’s punches on the basis America would simply tire herself out. It has been a replay of Muhammed Ali’s dope-on-a-rope strategy in the rumble-in-the-jungle, with America cast as George Foreman.

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Bad ‘Karma’ Brings Bad Consequences

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By Hugo Salinas Price – Re-Blogged From http://www.Silver-Phoenix500.com

There is a lot of commentary going around the world, regarding Trump’s initiation of a “Trade War” to rebuild America’s industries. Trump thinks that tariffs will do the trick, and stop the rest of the world from taking unfair advantage of the US by selling their goods to the US in exchange for lots of US dollars. According to Trump, this nefarious behavior on the part of the rest of the world is causing a h-u-u-u-ge Trade Deficit, sending hundreds of billions of dollars out of the country. Trump’s view is that this is just plain “unfair”.

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The Plan Comes Together?

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By Bill Holter – Re-Blogged From http://www.Silver-Phoenix500.com

My original thought was to write further about the left turning on and eating each other. The volume of news, “who” and the timing seemed to indicate something very big coming down. However, another story broke out of the blue this morning from Saudi Arabia that supersedes (though very well may have connections to) the feeding frenzy.

Crowned Prince Mohammed bin Salman had 11 princes and 38 current and former senior officials arrested on corruption and money laundering charges. http://www.reuters.com. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal being the most notable arrested. The thought process of “why” becomes scattered after the initial and obvious thought MBS is consolidating his power after being named as next in line back in June.

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Suddenly, “De-Dollarization” Is A Thing

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By John Rubino – Re-Blogged From Dollar Collapse

For what seems like decades, other countries have been tiptoeing away from their dependence on the US dollar. China, Russia, and India have cut deals in which they agree to accept each others’ currencies for bi-lateral trade while Europe, obviously, designed the euro to be a reserve asset and international medium of exchange.

These were challenges to the dollar’s dominance, but they weren’t mortal threats.

What’s happening lately, however, is a lot more serious. It even has an ominous-sounding name: de-dollarization. Here’s an excerpt from a much longer article by “strategic risk consultant” F. William Engdahl:

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Oil Rich Venezuela Stops Accepting Dollars

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By Mark O’Byrne – Re-Blogged From http://www.Silver-PHoenix500.com

  • President Maduro ‘ Venezuela will create a basket of currencies to free us from the dollar,”
  • Oil traders ordered to stop accepting U.S. dollar in exchange for crude oil
  • Order comes following calls from Russia and China to find alternatives to current reserve system
  • U.S. Dollar accounts for two-thirds of global trade
  • Venezuela has over ten-times more oil than United States
  • Super powers are gradually turning to gold to avoid using world’s main reserve currency
  • Are we seeing the beginning of the end for the U.S. dollar?

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Mutiny “For” The Bounty?

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By Bill Holter – Re-Blogged From http://www.Gold-Eagle.com

China recently announced they will trade oil for yuan “backed” by gold. The story has gotten some press (none of it mainstream mind you), and many have questions as to what it really means. While quite complicated as a whole, when you break this down into pieces I believe it is a quite simple and logical end to Bretton Woods.

For a background, China has had an exchange open for about a year where gold can be purchased with yuan, though the volumes so far have been miniscule to this point. China has also been all over the world inking trade deals (in yuan) and investing in all sorts of resources from oil to gold to grains, they have made no secret about this. With the most recent example here. They have trade arrangements and treaties with Russia, Iran and many other non-Western nations. They have also “courted” many Western nations privately (remember their meeting with the King of Saudi Arabia?) and actually lured many with their “Silk Road” plans via the AIIB which was huge news last year (but nearly forgotten by Americans at this point?). We also know China has been a huge importer of gold for the last 4-5 years and done so publicly via Shanghai receipts and deliveries.

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New Eastern Energy Cartel: Replacement To The Dead Petro-Dollar

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By Jim Willie – Re-Blogged From http://www.Silver-Phoenix500.com

The Petro-Dollar is dead. It had served so well for over 40 years in maintaining the USDollar as global currency reserve, while keeping tight the controls on geopolitical power. The link between crude oil and the USDollar has been broken, painfully evident since 2016 with a harsh price decline that cannot rise about the $50 level. It remains stuck below that level despite heavy collusion in a demonstration that OPEC is dead defunct also. A void has been created in the energy sector, a most important sector. Enter Russia & China to fill the void. Both the crude oil market and the natural gas market have new alliances which feature nations acting in a cooperative manner.

The common element is Russia on the production side, complete with pipeline arrays. The common other element is China on the demand side with large customer needs and financial influence. This article describes the two emerging organizations, which the Jackass calls the Oil Consortium and the NatGas Cartel. It will serve the Eurasian Trade Zone. It will function outside the USD payment system. It is ripe for Gold payment structure in the near future. In no way do these qualify as coffin nails for the Petro-Dollar. The funeral for the corrupted abused hegemon USDollar might have taken place with the Trump charade in Saudi Arabia a month ago. The emerging energy organizations signal the new dawn after the funeral without eulogy.

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PetroDollar System In Trouble As Saudi Arabia Continues To Liquidate Foreign Exchange Reserves

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By SRSrocco – Re-Blogged From http://www.Silver-Phoenix500.com

The U.S. PetroDollar system is in serious trouble as the Middle East’s largest oil producer continues to suffer as the low oil price devastates its financial bottom line.  Saudi Arabia, the key player in the PetroDollar system, continues to liquidate its foreign exchange reserves as the current price of oil is not covering the cost to produce oil as well as finance its national budget.

The PetroDollar system was started in the early 1970’s, after Nixon dropped the Gold-Dollar peg, by exchanging Saudi Oil for U.S. Dollars.  The agreement was for the Saudi’s only to take U.S. Dollars for their oil and reinvest the surpluses in U.S. Treasuries.  Thus, this allowed the U.S. Empire to continue for another 46 years, as it ran up its ENERGY CREDIT CARD. 

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Double Barrelled Hidden Q.E. To Infinity

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By Jim Willie – Re-Blogged From http://www.Gold-Eagle.com

We were just treated to a fake official rate hike, and it was cleverly executed. The recent supposed USFed rate hike was a gigantic fraud, a misdirection, a clever ploy, and an act of extreme desperation. We were told of an official 25 basis point interest rate hike. But a hike of 0.25% is nowhere to be seen.

The reality is that the USFed is so strapped, so deeply under siege, so overwhelmed, that it requires urgent help from the USDept Treasury. So they have expanded QE to become Double Barreled Hidden QE to Infinity. It has an important feature now, with national security stamped on it. This is truly the end game for the USDollar. Big thanks to Rob Kirby and EuroRaj on my colleague team for leading the way and shining the spotlight. Their abilities to see through the maze, smoke, mirrors, and din is impressive.

Consider the many points, which can be connected. As they say, connecting the dots can lead to conclusions more clearly, when the dots display a recognized picture. The deception was well organized, well planned, well delivered, and well done generally. Most financial analysts only read the headline, then gobble the false message. Most traders only read the headline, and look for quick profit while anticipating the moves by the dullard masses. Best to look for the reality, and plan for the long run survival. Take a closer look at the developments within the USTreasury market where private accounts have emerged in recent months to purchase the referenced inventory of USTreasurys that China and others are dumping.

NO RATE MOVEMENT & INVERSION SUDDENLY

The effective Fed Funds rate has not risen by 25 basis points. More like 10 to 15 bpts, depending upon the day. In fact, the Fed suddenly finds itself in an awkward position, with an

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