Week 1 of the quarantine

Plunging Markets and Surrender in Syria

The world markets continue their volatility with a definite trend lower. Stay the course in America as there do not seem to be many alternatives outside of illiquid assets. On the security front, Europe refuses to confront the challenge of absorbing Syrian (and others) refugees who contain a significant minority with a world view incompatible with western liberalism. The reaction on the right will only strengthen as European leaders fail to recognize the concerns. A peace conference scheduled but no one really can square the disparate interests of Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Russia, the United States, Jordan, Lebanon, etc.

It started with Greece, will it come full circle?

As I prepare to head to Paris for some much needed family time, I'm struck by how little has been reconciled in the last few years. The US has had a fair economic recovery, but no one seems to feel it. Only a sense that self pitying Americans are somehow slipping behind where the feel they deserve to be. Productivity, education and life decisions be damned. I wait anxiously for April 24 to see if the Greeks can prove their own faith in Democracy. A belief that a popular vote can repeal the laws of gravity and that if not for some faceless conspiracy all would be right in the world. I continue to build the armaments business as it seems that this world is committed to sorting itself out one way or the other. Perhaps we've hit the wall as a world culture. Stay tuned....

Bosnia Blowing Up

So things aren't getting better

S&P downgrade of US credit rating. Give me a break, they miss the mortgage bond ratings and write a crummy report to go along with the downgrade.

Epic riots in Britain. Good for future stock footage purposes.

Stock market gyrates like a West Virginia stripper looking a $5'er.

So things aren't getting better

Greeks are going to bring it all crashing down

Here's the scenario. Greece defaults, they can't stand up to the street and the rest of northern Europe can't be told the truth that the bailout is really for their banks not the vacation class in Athens. Watch the markets tank, the Euro collapse, the dollar rises and resulting trade stagnation puts the breaks on the US recovery.