Europe

Submitted by BullionStar.com

When a nation adopts a foreign currency it will typically face significant hurdles when it tries to rid itself of that currency, or de-dollarize. But Zimbabwe’s autocratic ruler Robert Mugabe has appeared to have done the impossible. After dollarizing ten years ago, over the course of the last year or two he and his cronies have managed to throw off the U.S. dollar and re-introduce a Zimbabwean replacement.

"It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world."

President George Washington's farewell address

Oy vey!  Now, seven flags over Texas?

Back in 2016...

Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, flew to Israel on a private plane belonging to Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire casino owner and megadonor active in Republican national politics.

 

Having first surged above $8000 overnight amid Zimbabwe's chaos, it appears uncertainty in the core of Europe has driven further demand for cryptocurrencu protection, sending Bitcoin to a new record high of $8247 - up 50% from the 'Bitcoin Cash' crash weekend lows.

image courtesy of CoinTelegraph

As CoinTelegraph reports, the latest milestone for Bitcoin, which came following news the first Bitcoin-to-Litecoin Lightning Network ‘atomic swap’ successfully debuted, caps its comeback after Bitcoin Cash volatility.

Over the past several months we've frequently noted the devolving relationship between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and billionaire financier George Soros.  Tensions escalated last month when Orban took it upon himself to mail a Soros-related questionnaire to all 8 million Hungarian voters (see: Hungary Launches Anti-Soros Political Campaign) and then followed that up with an announcement that Hungary's intelligence services had been instructed to "map" Soros' network of influence.

“When you turn an election into a three-ring circus, there is the possibility the dancing bear will win..”

After Sunday night's shocking failure by Merkel to from a government (triggered by the Free Democrats walking out due to irreconcilable differences on refugee policy, energy policy and tax policy) the FT was quick to conclude that "Merkel faces worst political crisis of her career." And while Merkel is certainly in hot water, a more appropriate question is what's next for Germany.