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Off The Cuff: Big Trouble In China Trade Talks

In this week’s Off The Cuff podcast, Chris and Charles Hugh Smith discuss: What’s driving the latest breakdown in trade talks The 2 Chinas: and why it can no longer have it both ways The dollar shortage in China The great global slowdown The big news driving the markets this week is obviously the breakdown…

Off The Cuff: Big Trouble In China Trade Talks

PREVIEW by Chris Martenson

What If Nations Were Less Dependent on One Another?

by charleshughsmith

Autarky is more than a ten-dollar word for self-sufficiency, as it implies a number of questions that “self-sufficiency” alone might not.

The ability to survive without trade or aid from other nations, for example, is not the same as the ability to reap enormous profits or grow one’s economy without trade with other nations. In other words, 'self-sufficiency' in terms of survival does not necessarily imply prosperity, but it does imply freedom of action without dependency on foreign approval, capital, resources, and expertise.

What If Nations Were Less Dependent on One Another?

by charleshughsmith

Autarky is more than a ten-dollar word for self-sufficiency, as it implies a number of questions that “self-sufficiency” alone might not.

During this very tumultuous week for precious metals prices, Chris sat down with Mike Maloney, founder and owner of GoldSilver.com, one of the world's largest bullion dealers.

Mike is a true scholar of monetary history. His reasons for getting into the bullion business have their roots in a very predictable cycle that has happened time and again over the centuries (more accurately millennia):

Mike Maloney: Today’s Low Gold & Silver Prices Are Not Realistic

by Chris Martenson

During this very tumultuous week for precious metals prices, Chris sat down with Mike Maloney, founder and owner of GoldSilver.com, one of the world's largest bullion dealers.

The Arrival of Japan’s Sunset

by Gregor Macdonald

For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled. ~ Richard Feynman

Waiting for Japan's economy to make a strong recovery has been an ongoing game since 1990. Shall we play that game one more time?

The Arrival of Japan’s Sunset

by Gregor Macdonald

For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled. ~ Richard Feynman

Waiting for Japan's economy to make a strong recovery has been an ongoing game since 1990. Shall we play that game one more time?

Off the Cuff: The Plot Thickens

PREVIEW

by Chris Martenson

In this week's Off the Cuff with Mish & Chris podcast, Mish and Chris tackle

The German Constitutional Court decision
- What importance does it have? Any?
America is back in recession
- More hard-to-refute data
Whither the Fed?
- Why markets will be disappointed by Bernanke

Surprising to those who don't read this site, a number of notable announcements are happening this week besides Apple's unveiling of the iPhone 5…

Today, the German Constitutional Court made its ruling on the legality of Mario Drahgi's plans to flood European banks with liquidity. The court has the power to block the ECB's profligacy; but it seems that once again, politics trumps justice. Draghi will be allowed to proceed with some tissue-thin restraints.

Meanwhile, new data show North America's economies are slowing down. Indeed, more and more analysts are coming to the conclusion that the US has slipped back into recession (even though to many it feels as if America had never left it). Jabbering of 'recovery' and slight declines in the official employment rate – which is a complete farce, as those unable to find work after a time are removed from the lists of those counted as 'unemployed' – are fooling no one at this point.

Which leads all eyes to the Fed. What will it do (or better asked, what can it do) to combat this dismal data?