133 The Real Game of Missing Money · BIS warns of “perfect storm” for global economy · Is a recession coming? CFOs predict 2019 recession, majority expect pre-2020 market crash · Freddie Mac rolls out new loan program for manufactured housing Story #3: Piratization Prep: The Deep State Utilities Build Out Their Platform Contrary to what hope porn would have us believe, the swamp is in full blossom. Throughout 2018, we watched an unprecedented “in-your-face” move to reengineer and centralize the Federal government’s digital infrastructure using the deep state “utilities”—especially Amazon and Lock- heed Martin. Consider Amazon’s set-up: It has the 17 U.S. intelligence agencies happy together in the Amazon cloud; it has consolidated its retail business with the purchase of Whole Foods; it owns The Washington Post; and its new dual headquarters will be located in proximity to the CIA, Trea- sury, and the New York Fed. In addition, the pending $10 billion DOD Jedi contract looks like it may go to…Amazon. Then, we have Amazon’s strategic satellite deal with Lockheed—which hap- pens to be the U.S. government’s number-one contractor and was the lead contractor at the Federal Aviation Administration when 9/11 happened. Lockheed also ran information and payment systems for HUD and DOD during the financial coup and managed the neat trick of spinning out its IT division to escape liability for the missing money. · Amazon to pick NYC, Northern Virginia for split “HQ2”: source · Google reportedly plans to significantly expand its New York City presence · As shutdown looms, House votes to empower Federal CIO, improve agency services · Federal CIO office cyber lead is leaving government · GSA to consolidate 24 multiple award schedules into one · Amazon Web Services and Lockheed Martin team to make downlinking satellite data easier and less expensive · The DOD is defending its JEDI procurement—and AWS has joined that defense · Government denies Oracle’s protest of $10B Pentagon JEDI cloud RFP · GAO dismisses IBM’s JEDI protest · DOD says bids for $10B JEDI deal must be hand-delivered · “We are coming”: Chilling Blackwater ad triggers fears of Trump seeking to privatize Mid- east wars · Erik Prince’s plan to privatize the war in Afghanistan Story #4: Cash Is King: Stocks, Bonds, Commodities Drop Together Atypically, stocks, bonds, and commodities were all down together in 2018. With no pricing mech- anism, what to do? You need to make wise decisions about where and how you invest your time, money, and other resources. Invest in what you know and believe to be real. There are thousands of good companies that are not corrupt and are producing basic things that everybody needs. Also remember that seven billion people are a mighty force; the deep state may be trying to harvest us, but we can still focus on doing something productive. · Cash is king · More than half of S&P 500 stocks are now in a bear market · Bizarre direct bid collapse continues in today’s tailing 5Y auction