Europe

A group of scholars with the Zurich-based Center for Security Studies produced a chilling map showing military exercises held by both Russia and NATO in 2014 and 2015. The map reveals some interesting facts as to what both sides could be planning for World War 3. Each circle seen in the map [below] represents an exercise. The larger circles mean more troops, and smaller circles means less troops. Vox.com reports: Russia’s aggression in Europe — its invasion of Ukraine, its military flights up the noses of NATO states, its nuclear saber rattling — has faded from the news.

In the aftermath of the BOJ's stunning NIRP announcement in late January, virtually everyone had an opinion on what this move of sheer desperation means.

Submitted by Stefan Gleason via Money Metals Exchange,

"The last duty of a central banker is to tell the public the truth."- Alan Blinder, former Federal Reserve Board Vice Chairman

The Federal Reserve Board finds itself back in a quandary of its own making. When Fed chair Janet Yellen pushed through an interest rate hike this past December, she confidently cited an "economy performing well and expected to continue to do so."

A group of British and American scientists have said that the world needs to prepare itself for global food shortages in the near future.  Speaking at an annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the scientists unveiled disturbing new research that suggests future extreme events could affect the global food system so dramatically that it will result in ‘food shocks’ across the world. Eurekalert.org reports: Food shocks have the potential to wreak havoc on food markets, commodity exports, and families around the world.

Earlier today, we discussed how after 8 long years spent wandering punch drunk through a dream-like Keynesian wonderland where all financial assets rise inexorably, the world finally woke up last month with a terrible hangover only to discover that after 637 rate cuts and $12.3 trillion in asset purchases, “quantitative easing” has been a “quantitative failure.”