Submitted by David Stockman via Contra Corner blog,

The chart below crystalizes why the Fed is stranded in a monetary no man’s land. By the time of next week’s meeting the federal funds rate will have been pinned at about 10 bps, or effectively zero, for 84 straight months.

One of the recurring topics we have focused on extensively in the past few months has been the dramatic collapse of all shipping-related metrics when it comes to seaborne trade with China, from the recent record plunge in the Baltic Dry index...

... to Shanghai Containerized Freight...

... both of which are taking place even as China exports record amount of commodities to the outside world...

Czech President Milos Zeman said yesterday (English translation):

I think [Turkey] is indeed a member of NATO, but sometimes behaves as if more was an ally of the Islamic Republic: removes oil from the Syrian sites, which finances the Islamic state.

 

***

 

They do not like the Kurds, which are the only ones who fought effectively with the Islamic state. That is why Turkey [should be viewed] with caution and why it should not be an EU member.

He is one hundred percent right …

Having won Time's "Person of the Year" award, German chancellor Angela Merkel may have little time, or cause, for celebration.

The reason for that is that, as we noted yesterday when commenting on Donald Trump's snub of Time in which he said that it "picked person who is ruining Germany", is that according to increasingly more Germans, Trump just may be - in his trademark politically incorrect way - right.

Recall:

Submitted by Mac Slavo via SHTFPlan.com,

The White House, which is running a blatantly unconstitutional regime, is now attempting to vet potential successors to the Oval Office, and yet again take out opposition leaders.

First, Obama said that Assad lost all legitimacy, and should step down, and partnered with al Qaeda and ISIS to back up his opinions.