There's Not Nearly Enough Growth To Keep Growing
Submitted by Raul Ilargi Meijer via The Automatic Earth blog,
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Europe
Finnish PM: Putin Not So Bad, NATO Lame, Greatest Threats To Europe Are Terrorism And Migration
Finnish Prime Minister Sauli Niinistö made it clear to CNBC last week that while Russia's actions involving Crimea must come to a peaceful resolution, the most important issues facing Europe right now are terrorism and migration. Despite Finland pledging $55 Million Euros to NATO, Niinistö also made it clear that European nations need to ultimately be responsible for their own security.
I think that Europeans start to understand that they have to take more responsibility of their own security, in spite of the fact that they are members of NATO.
The Markets Are Misreading What Trump Can and Cannot Do... BIG LEAGUE
The Trump Presidency continues to be a boon for stock investors with Trump’s tweeting having become a kind of administrative PPT that ignites a new rally any time stocks are in danger of breaking down.
However, the reality is that Trump can only tweet the markets into rallying for so long. Trump is inheriting an eight years of the most profligate Fed monetary policy in history: a balance sheet expansion of $3.5 trillion, and seven years of ZIRP, which permitted the US to double its debt load.
Like Trump, Russia Declares War On Fake News
As the “information war” heats up between east and west, Russia’s Foreign Ministry wades in the battle by planning a fact-checking service of its own to debunk “fake news.” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova says that a fact-checking service will soon be launched that will collect and debunk any factually inaccurate international news stories that are put out by the “dishonest” western media. Her comments mirroring those of President Trump’s sentiments on “dishonest” U.S. media.
Merkel Says There Is A "Problem" With The Euro, Blames Mario Draghi
Two weeks ago, German finance minister Wolfgang Schauble confirmed Donald Trump's charge that the Euro is far "too low" for Germany, but said he is unable to do anything about it and instead blamed Mario Draghi. “The euro exchange rate is, strictly speaking, too low for the German economy’s competitive position,” he told Tagesspiegel on February 5. “When ECB chief Mario Draghi embarked on the expansive monetary policy, I told him he would drive up Germany’s export surplus . . . I promised then not to publicly criticise this [policy] course.