This must be some kind of golden age for government. In the US, the feds have seized major stakes in banking, autos, insurance and mortgage finance industries.

The Chinese are paying for their enterprises. They already own footholds in some of the most important companies in the US. Yesterday, they announced another big move. CNOOC, China’s state-owned energy company, is buying half of Argentina’s second largest oil producer, Bridas. The Chinese have described the deal as giving them a “beachhead” for entry into Latin America.

The world’s richest people (two of the top five are Indians)…its biggest markets…it largest financial reserves…its most profitable companies – all are moving away from the US.

And now the Chinese are proposing to help the US upgrade its transportation system. Word from Beijing is that Chinese contractors are pitching high-speed rail lines to California, Florida and Illinois.

What next?

Empires you can trust…

At least there is one area in

...

The full version of this article can be read on the Huffington Post.While the fast friendship and personalism between Sarkozy and Medvedev are important, the motives behind the alliance have been obscured (for example, it is difficult to believe that anyone expects progress toward Iran sanctions). Taking the advice of Jean-David Levitte, the key architect of France's new Russia policy, Sarkozy is acting in concert with other European leaders to make a public show of support and preference for Medvedev over Vladimir Putin, and thereby encourage change from within the government in Russia. In reality, it is the perfect example of how well the ruling diarchy works in Russia to disaggregate critical EU states and sow ...

Company to Enter Agreement for Ownership of InternationalEntertainment Broker

Feb. 22, 2010 (Business Wire) — CitySide Tickets, Inc. (PINK SHEETS: CIST), which owns and operates www.CitySidetickets.com, a nationwide event ticket purchasing venue that caters to a diverse selection of popular theater, music, and sporting events, today announces that it has signed a Letter of Intent with StadiumTickets.com, an international entertainment and event ticket broker exchange. Terms of the letter include a 100% ownership in StadiumTickets.com by CitySide Tickets, Inc. The website, www.stadiumtickets.com, will be live and accepting broker orders on March 1st.

The lucrative secondary ticket market has undergone an incredible transformation since the mid-1990s. In an industry as old as ancient Rome, tickets closest to the Emperor’s box were highly prized and sold at a premium; today’s prime seats are courtside tickets to a Final Four NBA match. Commonly known as “scalpers,” these tradesmen of

...

I want to start by telling you something truly “uncommon”, and that’s that what is happening to the economies of the world is perfectly normal. Once you understand that you will not only be able to steer clear of the emotions of the times today but be objective instead and, most importantly, fully expect what’s about to happen next. www.uncommonwisdom.com; By: Larry Edelson; Words: 1864

In further edited excerpts from the original article* Edelson goes on to say:

If you study the history of financial panics back to Roman times, you will find a clear pattern of five distinct phases of economic cycles as follows:

Phase I: Price stability and economic expansion. Characterized by peace, zero to low inflation rates, rising industrial production, emerging technologies, income growth, government surpluses and growing personal savings. In short, the best of times.

Here are some examples: a) Rome, during its “Pax Romana” period, which lasted nearly

...

Could the commodity and equity rallies have ended? Has a change been triggered by a resurgent dollar, meaning its purportedly strong negative correlation with gold and commodities continues to drive the process? But if so, would this also not signal the end of the reflation and carry trades? Would it not also mean that contractionary monetary forces may soon dominate? If that is the case, is other evidence that the correlation between gold and the dollar, which on average actually has been weak, might be shrinking to a benign level? Looking at the historical record, has this correlation been steady, or has it cycled up and down or faded away for extended periods?

Based upon theory and evidence, the Conservative Economist presents a case that the negative correlation of the dollar and gold has been a weak, on-and-off phenomenon, subject to degradation. This conclusion augments the theory presented in a companion

...

Perhaps because we are a young country, Americans tend not to pay much attention to the lessons of history. Well, we should start, because those lessons are brutal. Power, even great power, if not well tended, erodes over time. Nations, like corporations and people, can lose discipline and morale. Economic and political vulnerability go hand in hand. Remember, without a strong economy, a nation’s international standing, standard of living, national security, and even its domestic tranquility will suffer over time.

Many of us think that a superpowerful, prosperous nation like America will be a permanent fixture dominating the world scene. We are too big to fail. But you don’t have to delve far into the history books to see what has happened to other once-dominant powers. Most of us have witnessed seismic political shifts in our lifetime. In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev settled into his job as the Soviet Union’s young and

...

Linda Brady Traynham of Whiskey and Gunpowder shares a portion of her recent interview with Doug Casey of Casey’s Gold & Resource Report.

Doug Casey (Casey’s Gold & Resource Report):

L: Doug, we’ve talked about cars, cows, and cash, but the investment world thinks of you as a gold bug, so let’s give that a go; why gold?

Doug: Sure. First of all, it’s because gold is actually money. It’s an unfortunate historical anomaly that people think about the paper in their wallets as money. The dollar is, technically, a currency. A currency is a government substitute for money. Gold is money.

Now, why do I say that?

Historically, many things have been used as money. Cattle have been used as money in many societies, including Roman society. That’s where we get the word “pecuniary” from: the

...

We have initiated coverage on Eni SpA ADRs (E) with a Neutral recommendation and a $53 target price, as we believe that it will perform in line with the industry. Based in Rome, Italy, Eni SpA with its consolidated subsidiaries is engaged in the oil and gas, electricity generation, petrochemicals, oilfield services and engineering industries. The company conducts its major exploration and production activities for hydrocarbons in Italy, Croatia, North Africa, West Africa, the North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, the Middle and Far East, the Caspian Sea, Australia and Latin America. A key part of Eni’s long-term business strategy relates to its focus on playing a leading role in the natural gas market of Europe. Management confirmed the company’s objective of strengthening its leading position in the European gas market, where it holds a unique competitive position, given the availability of gas from several long-term supply contracts as well ...

Bill Bonner, writing for The Daily Reckoning, analyses the latest housing news from the U.S., including the recent increase in prime mortgage defaults.

Bill Bonner (The Daily Reckoning):

The Los Angeles Times tells us that mortgage defaults in the prime category rose in the 3rd quarter. If you are wondering what might happen to housing prices in the US…should the depression continue…you might want to keep an eye on the default rate.

Housing prices are down about 30% nationwide. In some areas, they are down much more. But they had been going up for so long…this downswing still seems like an aberration. Hope has momentum…especially in the housing market. Housing prices rose along with inflation for 100 years. Then, they rose

…

Bill Bonner, writing for The Daily Reckoning, analyses the latest housing news from the U.S., including the recent increase in prime mortgage defaults.

Bill Bonner (The Daily Reckoning):

The Los Angeles Times tells us that mortgage defaults in the prime category rose in the 3rd quarter. If you are wondering what might happen to housing prices in the US…should the depression continue…you might want to keep an eye on the default rate.

Housing prices are down about 30% nationwide. In some areas, they are down much more. But they had been going up for so long…this downswing still seems like an aberration. Hope has momentum…especially in the housing market. Housing prices rose along with inflation for 100 years. Then, they rose

…