"Deal Or War": Is Doomed Dollar Really Behind Obama's Iran Warning?

And The Big Picture - Ron Paul: "All Wars Are Paid For Through Debasing The Currency"

Ron Paul: "All Wars Are Paid For Through Debasing The Currency"

ZH: Another Conspiracy Theory Becomes Fact: The Fed's "Stealth Bailout" Of Foreign Banks Goes Mainstream.

ZeroHedge.

End Gold Manipulation: The Stunner From Today's Round Table Debate To "Fix" The London Gold Fix. $TNR.v $MUX $GLD $ABX

 

Jim Puplava: The Swiss Gold Initiative With Luzi Stamm, Member of the Swiss National Council $TNR.v $MUX $GLD $GDX

  "Jim Puplava discusses the groundbreaking developments in Switzerland where the real democracy can be in action now. Even debates about the Gold and Money Printing will be unprecedented on the national level and if this decision finds the support of the people Central Planers will be in horror."

End Gold Manipulation: The Stunner From Today's Round Table Debate To "Fix" The London Gold Fix.

ZeroHedge:

Another Conspiracy Theory Becomes Fact: The Fed's "Stealth Bailout" Of Foreign Banks Goes Mainstream

Back in June 2011, Zero Hedge first posted:

• "Exclusive: The Fed's $600 Billion Stealth Bailout Of Foreign Banks Continues At The Expense Of The Domestic Economy, Or Explaining Where All The QE2 Money Went"

which we followed up on various occasions, most notably with

• "How The Fed's Latest QE Is Just Another European Bailout" and
• "The Fed's Bailout Of Europe Continues With Record $237 Billion Injected Into Foreign Banks In Past Month."

With the following key chart:

Of course, the conformist counter-contrarian punditry, for example the FT's Alphaville, promptly said this was a non-issue and was purely due to some completely irrelevant microarbing of a few basis points in FDIC penalty surcharges, which as weexplained extensively over the past 3 years, has nothing at all to do with the actual motive of hoarding Fed reserves by offshore (or onshore) banks, and which has everything to do with accumulating billions in "dry powder" reserves to use for risk-purchasing purposes (alas understanding that would require grasping that reserves are perfectly valid collateral to use as margin against purchase of such market moving products as e-mini futures, which in turn explains why traders usually don't end up as journos).

Fast, or rather slow, forward to today when none other than the WSJ's Jon Hilsenrath debunks yet another "conspiracy theory" and reveals it as "unconspiracy fact" with "Fed Rate Policies Aid Foreign Banks: Lenders Pocket a Spread by Borrowing Cheaply, Parking Funds at Central Bank"

Wait... the Wall Street Journal said that? Yup. Read more on ZeroHedge."

Martin Katusa: End of Petrodollar - Russia to Help Kill U.S. Dollar.

Rob McEwen Live On Gold, Silver And Los Azules Copper Potential Value Based on Lumina Copper Buyout.

Jim Rickards & Peter Schiff Discuss Global Gold Markets. $TNR.v $MUX $GLD $GDX $RGLD $ABX

  "Jim Rickards and Peter Schiff are explaining the complex global geopolitical situation as the part of the ongoing Currency Wars leading to The Death Of Money. BRICS Bank is the very important development among these very difficult economical and financial issues and its rising as alternative to IMF will play the very important role in the destiny of US Dollar and Gold."

Jim Puplava: The Swiss Gold Initiative With Luzi Stamm, Member of the Swiss National Council $TNR.v $MUX $GLD $GDX

  "Jim Puplava discusses the groundbreaking developments in Switzerland where the real democracy can be in action now. Even debates about the Gold and Money Printing will be unprecedented on the national level and if this decision finds the support of the people Central Planers will be in horror."

Jim Rickards & Peter Schiff Discuss Global Gold Markets. $TNR.v $MUX $GLD $GDX $RGLD $ABX

  Jim Rickards and Peter Schiff are explaining the complex global geopolitical situation as the part of the ongoing Currency Wars leading to The Death Of Money. BRICS Bank is the very important development among these very difficult economical and financial issues and its rising as alternative to IMF will play the very important role in the destiny of US Dollar and Gold.

Jim Puplava: The Swiss Gold Initiative With Luzi Stamm, Member of the Swiss National Council $TNR.v $MUX $GLD $GDX

  "Jim Puplava discusses the groundbreaking developments in Switzerland where the real democracy can be in action now. Even debates about the Gold and Money Printing will be unprecedented on the national level and if this decision finds the support of the people Central Planers will be in horror."

Kirill Klip.:

End Gold Manipulation: The Stunner From Today's Round Table Debate To "Fix" The London Gold Fix.

 ZeroHedge reports on this very important topic, which I follow on my blog:

  "As those following the saga of the rigged for decades and soon to be history (in its current incarnation) London gold fix know, today was the date when the World Gold Council held its "Modernising the London Gold Fix: IOSCO and beyond" round table session.

  Specifically, as the WGC explained, "The World Gold Council will be holding a round table debate on the reform of the London Gold Fix and the modernisation of the London gold market. Many aspects of the existing price benchmark process are viewed favourably by market participants, however, other elements are in need of reform if IOSCO compliance is to be achieved. The World Gold Council is seeking views from both users and service providers on the optimal characteristics of any reformed system. We will also debate whether IOSCO compliance is enough or should the industry be seeking to modernise more than just the price benchmark?" ZeroHedge."

I Vote To End Gold Manipulation: FSA Fines Barclays For Manipulation Of Gold Price - Join Me.

 "Manipulation cannot lasts forever even if the very powerful forces are behind it. You already know that I am not talking here just about one trader, one bank or even one country. We are talking here about the highest levels of power involved in this masquerade.

   Why Gold is so important for everyone, not just for the super wealthy who can afford to put it aside for the rainy day? Gold is the most important indicator of the rate at which FIAT money are losing its value - its real purchasing power. If you can manipulate it - you can pretend that everything is fine and DOW and S&P 500 will beat All-Time-High every month as we have now. But just look below at your childhood McDonalds Menu - something is not so right, isn't it?  My personal vote is nothing, but if I am not alone it will be finished one day. Please donate your tweet for the good cause and share this post if you want to change it as well.

TNR Gold: Shotgun Gold Project - Why Do We Need New Gold Deposits?

  "This picture above is stronger than thousand words written by the FED's hired academics and even Austrian School of Economics - it cuts through the verbal mist to the bone of Inflation definition and what it really means. It means that your FIAT money are losing it purchasing power. It happens every day, day by the day. How much you can see from the McDonald's menu from 70s. 

  And below is the chart representing "Strong US Dollar Policy" in action implemented by FED from the day of its inception in 1913. Some people even think that Federal Reserve is as Federal as Federal Express, but we will not go that road today.

  Inflation is the dirty open secret of all Central Banks in the world. It creates the Inflation Tax by gradually stealing from the value of your savings and deflating the government's obligations on all social programs. It is the way for governments to finance wars and "Inflate away" their debts without taxing you "directly". Inflation follows currency debasement - organised by money printing or by QE in the iPad's century - and it is making its dirty work by itself.

  Why Gold is so important here? It is the real measure of the rate of Currency Debasement and Inflation: Gold is the Real Money, not dollars. That is why it is manipulated so heavily:

  I will address you to James Rickards' books: "Currency Wars" and "The Death of Money" to get more information in depth on these subjects and Gold Manipulation is widely discussed on the web today. Read more."

  

  This particular case is not more than a slap on the wrist for Barclays, but it is the beginning. Now Gold Manipulation will be more difficult. Will we ever have the real free market? I doubt it personally, but it is the very good start and Naked Short Selling could be the very good follow up:

Market Manipulations, NI 43-101 And How The Honest Person Can Survive In Junior Mining.

 "Manipulation is rampant in all markets: HFT Flash Boys, LIBOR, FOREX, Pensions, Energy ... Gold. Some of the former conspiracy theories are going in the court rooms now, others are still waiting for their time. But nothing could be compared with naked shorting and manipulations in the illiquid junior mining stocks. Dirty tactics are used all over the market like the banging the juniors into the close, suppressing the prices during the accumulation. You can get the idea from the reports made by Jim Puplava  on Financial Sense and the summary: Naked Short Selling: The Problem.  Not a lot of people are talking about it - not a lot of us have the voice. And that is the real problem. Read more."

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US Dollar Dives Below 79.00 - How Long Can They Keep Gold Down? GLD GDX TNR.v MUX NG ABX

  US Dollar dives this morning and is breaking down the all-crucial 79.00 line in the sand. At the moment of writing we have 78.94. Our rhetorical question of the day is how long manipulation can keep Gold down in this environment? Now yesterday's attack on Gold can be put in the new totally dramatic perspective of today's US Dollar Melt Down.

US Dollar Meltdown - Will Gold Start To Move Finally Up Now? GLD GDX TNR.v MUX NG ABX

  "US Dollar today is in a total meltdown mood and is holding just a notch above the psychologically crucial 79.00 level at 79.09 now. Gold is moving between 1,300 and 1,317, which was tested yesterday. The both levels are crucial as we have discussed before. Move above MA50 at $1,317 will ignite the new Rally and short covering will provide the fuel for the launch of Leg Up Two in this Gold Bull market."

Eric Sprott: The Chinese Gold Vortex - Do Not Miss This Golden Opportunity GDX TNR.v MUX

  CS. Gold is building a very strong reversal pattern after resent correction. The only problem is that we are not the only one watching this chart closely and manipulators are trying to paint the breakdown on the chart above. In the normal market this picture will indicate very strong Bull market, building the base after The Golden Cross to make its Second Bull Leg Up. We have the close right above the MA200 at $1,300 and Bollinger Bands suggest that volatility will increase dramatically. Will "They" be able to break Gold down again? This is the question which will separate boys from the men again. The most important for us that this technical picture reflects the fundamentals Eric Sprott is talking about in his article. 

  Should Gold confirm this reversal by breaking Up above the MA50 at $1,317 Gold Junior Miners with the strong stories will finally start to move. This very illiquid and speculative type of investments in Gold equities normally start to participate in the stage two of the Gold Rally, when liquidity from professional players is searching for the new "ten-baggers" after booking the profits from the initial Gold Breakout. Every market is the function of the supply and demand, with Equities hitting all-times-highs and moving into the weak "Sell In May" season Gold Junior Miners have all chances to remind why they are considered to be so volatile. The way up normally is a very dramatic move in magnitude after such an obliteration as you can see on the chart below. The most important indicator here is the Volume - money is coming into the sector. More."

US Dollar Meltdown - Will Gold Start To Move Finally Up Now? GLD GDX TNR.v MUX NG ABX

  

  US Dollar today is in a total meltdown mood and is holding just a notch above the psychologically crucial 79.00 level at 79.09 now. Gold is moving between 1,300 and 1,317, which was tested yesterday. The both levels are crucial as we have discussed before. Move above MA50 at $1,317 will ignite the new Rally and short covering will provide the fuel for the launch of Leg Up Two in this Gold Bull market.

Eric Sprott: The Chinese Gold Vortex - Do Not Miss This Golden Opportunity GDX TNR.v MUX

  CS. Gold is building a very strong reversal pattern after resent correction. The only problem is that we are not the only one watching this chart closely and manipulators are trying to paint the breakdown on the chart above. In the normal market this picture will indicate very strong Bull market, building the base after The Golden Cross to make its Second Bull Leg Up. We have the close right above the MA200 at $1,300 and Bollinger Bands suggest that volatility will increase dramatically. Will "They" be able to break Gold down again? This is the question which will separate boys from the men again. The most important for us that this technical picture reflects the fundamentals Eric Sprott is talking about in his article. 

  Should Gold confirm this reversal by breaking Up above the MA50 at $1,317 Gold Junior Miners with the strong stories will finally start to move. This very illiquid and speculative type of investments in Gold equities normally start to participate in the stage two of the Gold Rally, when liquidity from professional players is searching for the new "ten-baggers" after booking the profits from the initial Gold Breakout. Every market is the function of the supply and demand, with Equities hitting all-times-highs and moving into the weak "Sell In May" season Gold Junior Miners have all chances to remind why they are considered to be so volatile. The way up normally is a very dramatic move in magnitude after such an obliteration as you can see on the chart below. The most important indicator here is the Volume - money is coming into the sector. More."

Gold: Russian Presidential Adviser Proposed Plan For Currency War GLD GDX MUX TNR.v

  

  With all the cry about Gold price going lower, Gold is climbing The Wall of Worry and building the Second Bottom of the Double Bottom on daily chart above. This is a normal correction after very impressive run from December Low. We are not the only one watching this chart, so expect the volatility and attempts to paint the breakdown picture here. Otherwise the positive action in Gold today will build up the reversal pattern of Double Bottom on daily chart with the Three White Soldiers - very strong continuation of the Bullish Reversal Pattern. All momentum indicators are positive and confirming this formation.

  The Weekly chart below demonstrates our point in the perspective of last year's Double Bottom reversal in Gold market. Gold is ready to go higher - if it will be allowed now.

  This Cold War is only getting hotter day by day. We do hope that some wisdom will prevent the full escalation of the war, but the Financial Damage will be mutually assured. From ZeroHedge:

"According to Vedomosti as Bloomberg reported, Glazyev proposed:

• Russia should withdraw all assets, accounts in dollars, euros from NATO countries to neutral ones
• Russia should start selling NATO member sovereign bonds before Russia’s foreign-currency accounts are frozen
• Central bank should reduce dollar assets, sell sovereign bonds of countries that support sanctions
• Russia should limit commercial banks’ FX assets to prevent speculation on ruble, capital outflows
• Central bank should increase money supply so that state cos., banks may refinance foreign loans
• Russia should use national currencies in trade with customs Union members, other non-dollar, non-euro partners

In other words, a full-blown scorched earth campaign by Russia."

Gold Surges As US Dollar Exit Begins: Russia Largest Bank Halts Foreign Currency Loans MUX TNR.v GLD GDX

 "CS. It did not take long for Putin to start its retaliation against the sanctions and excuse was presented by JP Morgan's block of some payments on the grounds that Bank Rossii was involved in transaction. Bank Rossii was on the list of sanctions and even its issued international credit cards were declined after that. Mr Putin said that he will open his personal account in that bank and now it became really personal. We are not judging who is right in all this mess created by CIA vs KGB 2014 War Games, but ultimately aimed to push China from its path of Dangerously Fast Rising Into Power by all means possible including the last asset of the Falling Empire - Military Industrial Complex. We are just observing the outcome. 

  For us this action from Russian Largest Bank is the sign of US Dollar Exit flashing Red to everybody who is watching. Any Exit will not be even contemplated without China supporting it - we guess some arrangements are in place already. Putin is looking to reallocated Russian Oil and Gas, Metals and Agricultural Commodities towards Asia: China and India particularly.
  So far China was benefiting from all these Ukraine games by playing "The Smart Monkey Watching Two Tigers' Fight": by abstaining in UN's vote, but treating Michelle Obama during her "family visit" at the highest level at the same time. China is more than happy to buy Copper and Copper projects at the lower price, Chinese are buying the record amount of Gold and now will have the upper hand on pricing in the ongoing long negotiations on Oil and Gas supply to China, which are reported to be concluded in May. 

  Next moves will be very interesting to say at least. Western Equity markets are levitating without any reflection of reality of the underlining economy and all it takes now to bring these Currency Wars to the next level  is for Putin to announce that All Russian Commodities will be traded Not In US Dollars and any pricing and transactions in US Dollar will be prohibited by Russian Central Bank. Next move could be the pricing and transactions in Gold based currency which is so well explained by James Rickards. 

  Russia has already announced the creation of its own payment system not depending on the western financial institutions. White House Hawks are better take notice now as their push to isolate Russia can succeed and Russia can take into "isolation" China, India and other BRICS Club countries with a good half of the world population. Wall Street can survive for a while rigging what is left from the financial markets, but once all Cloud and Mobile Games IPO will be sold to Muppets people will be asking for Food on the streets. As for the "Isolated" - just check your iPhone. Was it Made in China - we guess? The Isolated Club will have all commodities and technology available to prosper. Who will be left behind in the end?"

In Gold We Trust: Forming Of Eurasian Economic Union And Joint Currency Accelerates

ZeroHedge:

Furious Russia, Downgraded To Just Above Junk By S&P, Proposes "Scorched Earth" Retaliation Against NATO Countries

Cyprus and Russia - what's the difference (aside from the fact that the former was a money laundering offshore center of the latter until last year of course)?

If you said one is a lackey to statist, selfish banker interests, and after having its economy thoroughly destroyed by the great doomed European sociopolitical (and pathological) experiment, came crawling back to its Eurozone masters, while the other couldn't care one bit about Pax Petrodollariana and the global central bank cabal, you are right. In which case it will also be clear why a few hours ago that joke of a rating agency, Standard & Poor's, which also earlier announced it was "affirming" France at an AA rating making it very clear it will no longer accept being sued for telling the truth and downgrading sovereigns or otherwise have its offices abroad raided, not only upgraded Cyprus from B- to B (please deposits your funds in Cyprus banks now: they are safe, S&P promises), but - far more importantly - delivered a political message to the Kremlin, and downgraded Russia from BBB to BBB-, one short notch away from junk status. This was the first downgrade of Russia by S&P since December 2008.

WSJ reports:

"In our view, the tense geopolitical situation between Russia and Ukraine could see additional significant outflows of both foreign and domestic capital from the Russian economy and hence further undermine already weakening growth prospects," S&P wrote in its report.

Moscow's MICEX stock index fell by 1.5% after the move. The ruble weakened 0.6% against the dollar to 35.977.

A further cut to junk status would be a big move, given Russia's relatively modest level of debt, according to Tim Ash, an economist at Standard Bank.

"But if the crisis in Ukraine deteriorates further, and we see sustained capital flight and pressure on the ruble and Russian markets further, then it is possible," he said.

Russia's response was prompt.

First, in retaliation to the downgrade, Russian economy minister Alexei Ulyukaev said S&P’s downgrade of Russia’s rating was expected by investors, won’t significantly change their behavior, adding the obvious that the decision to cut Russia’s rating was partly political, partly based on economic situation. In other words, entirely symbolic - it is not as if Russia has access to bond markets anyway, plus as we wrote earlier this week in "Why Putin Is Smiling At The Bond Market's Blockade Of Russia", it is not as if it needs them.

But far more importantly, and ahead of yet another round of western sanctions which appears imminent unless Obama is to look even more powerless than he currently is (granted, a difficult achievement), Russian presidential adviser Sergei Glazyev proposed plan of 15 measures to protect country’s economy if sanctions applied, Vedomosti newspaper reports, citing Glazyev’s letter to Finance Ministry. According to Vedomosti as Bloomberg reported, Glazyev proposed:

• Russia should withdraw all assets, accounts in dollars, euros from NATO countries to neutral ones
• Russia should start selling NATO member sovereign bonds before Russia’s foreign-currency accounts are frozen
• Central bank should reduce dollar assets, sell sovereign bonds of countries that support sanctions
• Russia should limit commercial banks’ FX assets to prevent speculation on ruble, capital outflows
• Central bank should increase money supply so that state cos., banks may refinance foreign loans
• Russia should use national currencies in trade with customs Union members, other non-dollar, non-euro partners

In other words, a full-blown scorched earth campaign by Russia.

Granted, Russian holdings of US Treasurys are not that substantial (and could be monetized entirely in three months of POMO by the Fed), and western financial linkages to Russia, aside from trade routes, are not life-threatening, but if Russia were to take the baton, and other BRIC countries, already furious by the recent US decision to not boost their IMF status, follow suit, then Obama's life is about to become a living nightmare. Especially, if that most important BRIC member - China - does any of the many things it can do to indicate if, in this brand new Cold War, it is with or against the US...

Finally, those curious what are the linkages between the west and Russia are, review our recent post on the matter: All You Need To Know About Russia, In Charts."