54 Story #3: Rising Interest Rates and U.S. Debt Acceleration The steady decline in interest rates that be- gan around 1980 is ended, with the new trend of rising interest rates. This not only means an acceleration of U.S. debt (even though the Fed- eral government is collecting record individual income tax revenues!), but also inflation. With the real estimated cost of inflation running at around 10% a year, expect to feel the impact on every area of your life and business dealings, in- cluding food and energy—while the leadership imports skilled intellectual capital from Asia to help keep a lid on labor prices. • As debt rises, the government will soon spend more on interest than on the mil- itary • The astronomical price of America’s un- declared wars • China cuts U.S. Treasury holdings as trade war intensifies • Who bought the $1.47 trillion of new US national debt over the past 12 months? • U.S. government financial balance sheet one step closer to blowing up • Senate passes massive spending bill for defense and domestic programs • 115th Congress, 2nd Session, No. 1, June 7, 2018: Spending caps and the new fiscal cliff • Feds collect record individual income tax- es through August; still run $898B deficit • U.S. government debt yields fall the most in 5 weeks after inflation report • Cost of living increasing at fastest rate in 10 years • Majority of young Americans live in a household receiving Welfare • Consumer inflation – Official vs Shadow- Stats (1980-based) alternate Story #4: Emerging Markets U.S. Dollar Bear Trap The U.S. dollar bear trap became more ap- parent, with U.S. repatriation of dollars and the falling value of commodities leaving emerging markets up to their eyeballs in dollar debt. This triple whammy promises to create pain around the world. What would it be like to live through a 99% drop in currency value (Venezuela) or 30% inflation (Argentina)? The bear trap will likely be successful in the short term, but in the long term, expect blowback. Affected countries are going to start turning to other players in Europe and Asia—creating even more incentive for those regions to build independent financial ecosystems. While the U.S. puts up toll booths, everyone else is out there building side roads around them. • Washington’s silent weapon for not-so- quiet wars. “A world full of dollars,” a 2019 global economic crisis • IMF highlights looming global risks • Let the emerging market bailouts begin: “We don’t have much choice” • Bonds bid, stocks skid as emerging mar- ket massacre returns • Emerging market crisis spreads to the core, central banks face Catch-22 • Turkey’s meltdown ripples across emerg- ing markets: inside EM • Contagion hits Latin America: Argentine peso, Brazilian real plummet • Washington’s silent weapon for not-so- quiet wars. “A world full of dollars,” a 2019 global economic crisis • Egypt “resilient” to emerging market turbulence – minister • Indonesia stocks sink most in nearly two years as emerging markets slump Story #5: U.S.: Calling Capital Home Capital and operations continued to come home—call it reverse globalization. With tax reform and government-engineered corporate monopolies (enforced with space dominance), the U.S. looks like it is building a paradise for oligarchs. This does not bode well for the coun- try’s small businesses and farmers. IV. News Trends & Stories