Stock investors are rejoicing about stock markets making new highs in many countries, totally oblivious of the risks or the reasons. It seems that this is an unstoppable rally in a “new normal” market paradigm. No major increase is expected in the inflation rate or the historically low interest rates. The present rally has lasted 8 years since the 2009 low. There is virtually no fear in markets so investors see no reason why this favourable climate would not continue for another 8 years at least.
Yes, of course it could. All that is needed is that governments worldwide print another $20-50 trillion at least and that global debt goes up by another $200-500 trillion.
“IF YOU TELL A BIG LIE OFTEN ENOUGH ….”
The gullibility of people today is exacerbated by the power of the internet and social media. Anything we read is accepted as fact or truth whilst a major part of it is just fake news. This is of course nothing new as it has been used by governments for centuries. Goebbels, the Nazi Propaganda Minister, who was an expert at manipulating the German people, said: “If you tell a big lie often enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually believe it.” The power of the internet and other media has facilitated spreading news and propaganda to billions of people and very few can distinguish if they hear or read “real” news or “fake” news.
Buy Silver at Discounted Prices
Anyone in government is in capable of telling the truth. Automatically when someone assumes an elected position his Pinocchio nose grows extremely long since his entire purpose is then to be all things to all men in order to be re-elected. This is why virtually no elected official has a backbone nor any morals or principles. Because if they had, telling the truth would make them unelectable.
THE OLD STYLE HONEST BANKING IS A THING OF THE PAST
During my early professional years as a banker at the end of the 1960s and early 1970s, I spent some time with a prominent UK Merchant Bank. This is what the old-style Investment Banks used to be called before the Americans came to dominate the sector. The senior bankers used to arrive at work around 10am and then go to lunch at 1pm. The lunch would consist of at least one gin and tonic to start with and then a good three course meal with a bottle of wine or two. Afterwards some Port with cheese and maybe a beer or two at the pub to finish off. Then back to the office at around 3pm for 4-5 hours of work. And this is how the City of London would operate when it was the financial centre of the world.
Any transaction was based on a handshake and a brief contract. Lawyers played a very small role in this process. Banking was based on trust, personal relationships and high moral standards.Banks displayed total loyalty to their staff and employees did not fear for their jobs. Major deals were concluded with a minimum of legal interference and compliance hardly existed. And still there was very little deception or fraud.
Today the financial world in London and major parts of the world is dominated by the US investment banks, the US legal system and the US government. Trust and loyalty are gone. Handshakes are worth nothing. Lawyers and compliance officers dominate everything and contracts are now running to hundreds of pages. Staff fear for their jobs since the banks have no loyalty to them. The only thing that counts is short term performance. This makes staff totally disloyal too as they know they can be fired on a whim.
Investment bankers are now Masters of the Universe and as the former Goldman Sachs CEO said, “Doing god’s work”. Well, one thing is certain there is certainly no humility in the financial world today or as Michael Lewis said in his book “Liar’s Poker”, major parts of US investment banks are dominated by “Big swinging di–s”. (Bankers with very big egos.)
FAKE EVERYTHING IN SPITE OF DUE TO ONEROUS LEGAL AND COMPLIANCE SYSTEM
The system we now have is based on Fake News, Fake Money with no morals, no principles and no moral or ethical values. In spite of, or more correctly due to, all the lawyers, government legislation, compliance and regulations, the financial system is today functioning much worse than ever with more fraud, more government intervention and more manipulation of markets. Also, clients are today secondary. Instead, it is all about lining the pockets of the bankers with their multi-billion deals and multi-million bonuses and options. As we experienced in 2006-9, profits are for the bankers and losses for governments and customers. During the time of the Great Financial Crisis, many Investment Bankers received the same bonuses during the crisis years as before although most banks would have gone under without the government support they benefitted from to the extent of $25 trillion.
END OF A MAJOR ERA
All of this is proof of the fact that we are at the end of a major financial era that started either with the Renaissance which came after the Dark Ages or since the end of the South Sea Bubble in the early-mid 1700s. I doubt that the cycle is of a smaller degree like just 100 years since the creation of the Federal Reserve in 1913. Only future historians will tell us the magnitude of the current cycle.
What is certain is that we are now in the final stages of a major era. It has been clear to me for quite some time that this will sadly end badly. The inevitable implosion of the asset and debt bubbles that the world is now experiencing is guaranteed. But governments and central banks have for some time been able to fool most of the people by telling them that the emperor is wearing a suit of gold whilst he is actually naked.
BUBBLES EVERYWHERE
We have bubbles in every aspect of society. Stocks are at ridiculous valuations. The Schiller PE is at 30 which is where it was in 1929. Still, it is below the 2000 level which tells us that the market over-valuation could extend for a bit longer.
