Main Street America's Confidence in Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell

Remember this from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell?

 

 

So, how has that worked out for Main Street America over the past year?

  

With that in mind, let's look at how Americans feel about the Federal Reserve and how much trust they put in this non-governmental banking cartel. A poll taken by Gallup between April 3 and April 25, 2023, found the following when asked how much confidence they had in Jerome Powell to do "the right thing for the economy":

 

A great deal of confidence - 4 percent

 

A fair amount of confidence - 32 percent

 

Only a little confidence - 26 percent

 

Almost no confidence - 28 percent

 

Nine percent of respondents had no opinion.

 

Compared to the results of a similar poll taken in 2022, confidence (a great deal or fair amount) in Jerome Powell's capabilities dropped by 7 percentage points from 43 percent in 2022 to 36 percent in 2023, the lowest rating that he has received during his six years as Federal Reserve Chairman.  It is also the lowest rating that a Fed chair has received since Gallup started this poll in 2001.

 

Here is a graphic showing how Jerome Powell's confidence rating compares to the previous occupiers of the Federal Reserve's chair going back to 2001:

 

 

Here is a table showing the data in detail:

 

Americans are showing a growing lack of confidence in the Federal Reserve's ability to improve their economic situation.  With the Fed's key interest rate approaching 20 year highs which has had a significant impact on the cost of consumer borrowing as shown here:

 

 

...with recent failures in the banking sector as shown here despite Powell's assertion that the U.S. banking sector was healthy:

 

...and with the odds of a recession growing by the day, Main Street America aka "the serf class" has every right to be disillusioned with the Federal Reserve's growing inability to manage the economy.  Unfortunately, given the Fed's self-granted powers, there is almost nothing that the suffering class can do about it.

How the CIA is Recruiting Russians

The Central Intelligence Agency has recently posted a video with the intention of recruiting Russians to spy on their own nation.  Let’s take a closer look.

Here is the Russian-language video which appeared on the CIA's YouTube channel:

Here is a translation of the video using Google Translate:

"This is the life I dreamed of this is the path I chose for myself why the lives of some people are worth more than the lives of others and who decides it?  To be a hero means to endure.  This does not mean suffering in vain.  The best way to keep a prisoner is to make it so that he never finds out that he is in prison.  We easily succumb to lies, but we know what our reality is, the reality in which we live and the reality that we speak about in a whisper.  I don't believe in a revolution, true life occurs where imperceptible changes are made in the souls of people imperceptible to my country. but not for me.  I will live a true life This is my Russia.  It will always be my Russia. I survived.  My family will survive.  We will live with dignity thanks to my actions.

 

Imagine the CIA being a source of morality,  telling Russians that they are succumbing to lies and that their leadership has them imprisoned

 

Here is a translation of the text that follows the video:

 

"People who surround you.  Maybe they don't want to hear the truth we want that surround you.  You are not powerless.  Contact us securely."

 

And then, at the end of the video and out of the kindness of their hearts, the CIA provides potential Russian recruits with instructions on how to use TOR to contact them with intelligence information:

 

Here is a translation of the text that accompanies the YouTube video:

 

"This video shows fictional #Russians who made the difficult but important decision to secretly contact the #CIA through the anonymous information system Tor. The CIA wants to know the truth about #Russia, and we are looking for reliable people who know and can tell us this truth. Your information may be more valuable than you think.

 

We understand that Russians can contact the CIA due to various circumstances. We highly value and respect people who are ready to communicate with us. Protecting everyone who works with us around the world is our professional duty.

 

Are you a #military officer? Do you work in the field of #intelligence, diplomacy, science, high technologies, or do you deal with people who do this? Do you have information about the economy or the top management of the Russian Federation?

 

Contact us. Maybe people around you don't want to hear the truth.

 

Have established contact with us, be patient. We thank you for your courage. We carefully consider the submitted documents in order to give an appropriate answer and at the same time ensure your safety.

 

Project Tor: ((Project Tor)

https://torproject.org

 

CIA’s Tor Hidden Service Site: ((CIA’s Tor Hidden Service Site))

ciadotgov4sjwlzihbbgxnqg3xiyrg7so2r2o3lt5wz5ypk4sxyjstad.onion"

 

So there you go.  The world's foremost intelligence agency which has a multi-decade history of "dirty tricks" is now trying to convince Russians that they need to turn on their leadership and provide intelligence to the United States during conflict in Ukraine.  

 

Let's close with these two graphics:

What on God's green earth would make the CIA think that Russians will turn on their leader who has twice the positive approval rating of the President of the United States?  My thoughts are that the CIA is missing the "intelligence" part of its moniker.

North Face - Come On "Out" and Buy Your Outdoor Gear From Another Retailer

Here's the latest in "wokeness" from North Face, an American recreational/outdoor retailer owned by VF Corporation:

 

 

....and this from the 2022 season:

 

Apparently, nothing says mountaineering, camping and general outdoor sporting activities like a dude with a moustache wearing a rainbow-coloured dress or a tent dress, high-heeled boots and makeup.

Here's what they are talking about when referring to Salt Lake City and Atlanta in the first video:

In case you were wondering, Patti Gonia, the relatively new, fresh face of North Face's "out" movement who claims the following about herself/himself:

 

 

I've got nothing.

J.P. Morgan and Biometric Payment Solutions - Welcome to the Future of Commerce

While it may just be that my tinfoil hat is a bit on the tight side, a recent announcement by J.P. Morgan, the sixth-largest bank in the world and one of the so-called  "too big to fail" banks that is under the supervision of the Federal Reserve's Large Institution Supervision Coordinating Committee (LISCC) as shown here:

 

...is key to understanding what our future will look like.

  

Here is the announcement:

 

 

Here are is the opening paragraph from the announcement:

 

"J.P. Morgan will begin piloting biometrics-based payments with select retailers in the U.S. This is the first pilot solution to launch from J.P. Morgan Payments’ new Commerce Solutions suite of products, dedicated to helping merchants adapt to the rapidly evolving payments landscape."

 

J.P. Morgan Payment's biometric system includes both palm and face identification for payment authentication in stores and works on a enrol-capture-authenticate-pay basis.  Of course, this is being sold to consumers and merchants as a means of providing fast, secure, simple and modern checkout experiences for consumers and a means of enhancing customer loyalty for merchants at the same time as it provides transactional security and reliability.

  

J.P. Morgan wants to be an early promoter of biometric payments technology because global biometric payments are expected to reach 3 billion users and $5.8 trillion in spending by 2026.

 

Here's how the system will work and key benefits:

 

"After a short customer enrolment process in store, the workflow is; cashier scans items or customer uses self-service terminal, user scans palm or face, user completes checkout, user gets receipt. The solutions has a benefits for merchants and their consumers. For merchants, the key benefits include customer sales and loyalty growth and the removal of friction from merchants’ day-to-day processes. For the customer, the payments are phone-free, private, secure, fast and simple."

  

The first pilots will run in brick-and-mortar stores in the United States and will potentially include the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix, which is planning to be the first Formula 1 race to pilot biometrics-based payments to provide guests with a faster checkout experience.  If the pilot stage is a success, additional merchants will be added in 2024.

 

Have you noticed that all of this technology is being sold to society as a means of speeding up payment and convenience for customers, the same logic that is being used to promote central bank digital currencies?  After all, it is just so time-consuming and physically exhausting to haul a credit card out of your wallet or use a smartphone-based payment system, isn't it?  In my humble opinion, the implementation of biometrics as part of a payment system is a key and necessary aspect of the implementation of both digital identification and central bank digital currency ecosystems.

 

We are all being played for suckers in a global game that the serf class simply can't win.  Welcome to the future of commerce where we have no privacy and where the powers that be can ultimately control our spending.

mRNA Technology and the Seasonal Influenza Vaccine - The Next Experiment on Humanity

Here is a recent announcement that appeared on the United States government's clinical trials website:

 

 

Anthony Fauci's former employer, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases or NIAID is sponsoring a Phase 1 trial of a mRNA-LNP (lipid nanoparticle) vaccine for influenza.  The vaccine, currently has the catchy name H1ssF 3928 (aka VRC-FLUNPF099-00-VP) and is known as a virus quadrivalent inactivated vaccine.  The name of the vaccine is an abbreviation of H1 hemagglutinin stabilized stem ferritin which means that the vaccine uses the stem part of the influenza vaccine as its immunogen rather than the head of the virus which is the target of traditional influenza vaccines.  The vaccine consists of a modified nucleic messenger RNA (mRNA) encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles with the lipid components including polyethylene glycol (PEG), cholesterol and ionizable lipids.  As in the case of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, the lipid nanoparticles prevent the human body from breaking down the mRNA before it has a chance to affect immunity just as was the case for the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 mRNA vaccines.

  

In the trial, the vaccine will be intramuscularly administered to 50 healthy adult volunteers between the ages of 18 and 49 years inclusive.  Volunteers will be divided into five groups of ten individuals in five experimental arms.  The purpose of the trial is to assess the safety and immunogenicity (i.e. effectiveness) of one dose of H1ssF 3928 at various doses of 10mcg, 25 mpg and 50 mcg as follows:

 

 

One of the arms of the trial will be used to compare the antibody responses to H1ssF 3928 with a traditional standard dose of IIv4, a traditional quadrivalent influenza vaccine that is "effective" against four different influenza viruses (two influenza A viruses and two influenza B viruses) that many of us have received over our lifetimes.

  

Here are more details on how the trial will be conducted:

 

"Eligible participants will be sequentially enrolled into dosing groups (10 mcg, 25 mcg, and 50 mcg, selected optimal dose) to receive the H1ssF 3928 mRNA Vaccine at the specified dose. A separate group of 10 participants will receive licensed quadrivalent influenza vaccine (IIV4). Subjects receiving IIV4 will be followed for safety but only their immune responses will be compared to those of participants receiving H1ssF 3928 mRNA Vaccine. Dosing of H1ssF 3928 mRNA Vaccine will commence at the lowest dose (10 mcg) and only escalate to the next highest dose if safety concerns are not identified. For each VRC H1ssF 3928 mRNA-LNP (Lipid Nanoparticle) dosing group, the first two subjects enrolled will be considered the sentinel subgroup. After the two subjects in the Low Dose sentinel subgroup are enrolled and given their vaccination, enrollment will then be stopped pending a review of the reactogenicity and safety data collected through Day 3 for both subjects. Approval by the reviewing group will allow for continued enrollment of the remaining Low Dose Group subjects to complete enrollment of 10 participants. After Low Dose Group enrollment is completed, enrollment will be stopped pending an Safety Review Committee (SRC) review of the reactogenicity and adverse event (AE) information through Day 7 and clinical laboratory results through Day 8 for all Low Dose Group subjects. Approval will allow dose escalation and initiation of enrollment of the Medium Dose Group sentinel subgroup. After the two subjects in the Medium Dose sentinel subgroup are enrolled and given their vaccination, enrollment will then be stopped pending a safety review of the sentinel subgroup as specified for the Low Dose Group. Approval will allow for continued enrollment of Medium Dose Group subjects to complete enrollment of 10 participants. After the Medium Dose Group enrollment is completed, enrollment will be stopped pending an SRC review of the reactogenicity and adverse event information through Day 7 and clinical laboratory results through Day 8 for all Medium Dose Group subjects. Approval will allow dose escalation and initiation of enrollment of the High Dose Group sentinel subgroup. After the two subjects in the High Dose sentinel subgroup are enrolled and given their vaccination, enrollment will then be stopped pending a safety review of the sentinel subgroup as specified for the Low and Medium Dose Groups. Approval will allow for continued enrollment of High Dose Group subjects to complete enrollment of 10 participants. After the High Dose Group enrollment is completed, enrollment will be stopped pending an SRC review of the reactogenicity and adverse event information through Day 7 visit and clinical laboratory results through Day 8 for all High Dose Group subjects. Reactogenicity and AE information through Day 7 and clinical laboratory results through Day 8 from the first three dosing groups will guide the selection of an optimal dose group to include an additional 10 subjects who will receive the optimal dose of mRNA-LNP. The primary objective of this study is to assess the safety of a single dose of VRC H1ssF 3928 mRNA-LNP vaccine administered IM in healthy adults, 18-49 yrs, at doses of 10 mcg, 25 mcg, and 50 mcg. The secondary objective of this study is to assess serum antibody responses to a single dose of VRC H1ssF 3928 mRNA-LNP vaccine administered IM in healthy adults at doses of 10 mcg, 25 mcg, and 50 mcg in comparison to a standard dose of IIV4."

  

Here are the primary outcome measures:

 

1.) Occurrence of any adverse events of special interest (AESIs) with VRC H1ssF_3928 mRNA-LNP vaccine. [ Time Frame: Day 1 through Day 366 ]

2.) Occurrence of any influenza-like illnesses (ILIs) with VRC H1ssF_3928 mRNA-LNP vaccine. [ Time Frame: Day 1 through Day 366 ]

3.) Occurrence of any medically attended adverse events (MAAEs) with VRC H1ssF_3928 mRNA-LNP vaccine. [ Time Frame: Day 1 through Day 366 ]

4.) Occurrence of any new-onset chronic medical conditions (NOCMCs) with VRC H1ssF_3928 mRNA-LNP vaccine. [ Time Frame: Day 1 through Day 366 ]

5.) Occurrence of any serious adverse events (SAEs) with VRC H1ssF_3928 mRNA-LNP vaccine. [ Time Frame: Day 1 through Day 366 ]

6.) Occurrence of any unsolicited adverse events (AEs) with VRC H1ssF_3928 mRNA-LNP vaccine. [ Time Frame: Day 1 through Day 28 ]

7.) Occurrence of clinical laboratory adverse events (AEs) with VRC H1ssF_3928 mRNA-LNP vaccine. [ Time Frame: Day 1 through Day 57 ]

8.) Occurrence of solicited reactogenicity adverse events (AEs) with VRC H1ssF_3928 mRNA-LNP vaccine. [ Time Frame: Day 1 through Day 14 ]

Both local and systemic adverse events will be assessed

 

The study had an estimated starting date of May 12, 2023 although the website claims that recruitment has not begun and a final data completion date of March 15, 2024 for the primary outcome measure.

 

Better line up folks.  Apparently, despite the fact that the technology has yet to be proven to be safe and effective over the medium- and long-term, humanity simply cannot get enough mRNA technology injected into our bodies.

Monica Bertagnolli - The Links Between the Nominee for Director of the NIH and Big Pharma

Joe Biden's newly nominated candidate for Director of the National Institutes for Health (NIH), Monica Marie Bertagnolli:

 

...has a very cozy relationship with one of America's largest pharmaceutical companies and a strong connection to the President as you will soon see.

  

As background, Dr. Bertagnolli was also appointed as Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) by the Biden Administration on October 3, 2022, one of 20 Institutes that make up the National Institutes of Health as shown here:

 

 

NCI is the federal government's principal agency for cancer research as part of the National Institutes of Health.

 

Let's look at Dr. Bertagnolli's connection to Big Pharma.  Thanks to Open Payments Data, an official website of the U.S. government, we know which companies have funded Bertagnolli's research.

  

Here's her payment summary for 2021, the latest year for which data is available:

 

 

Associated research funding is provided to research a project of study where the physician named is the principal investigator, in this case, Dr. Bertagnolli.

  

Here is a graph and table showing Dr. Bertagnolli's associated research funding back to 2015:

 

 

Here are the top companies making associated research funding to Dr. Bertagnolli in 2021:

 

 

As you can see, in 2021, Pfizer was responsible for funding 72.1 percent of research in where Dr. Bertagnolli was the lead researcher.

  

Here's the same data for 2020:

 

...and 2019:

 

 

In closing and because Joe Biden really doesn't care what the serf class thinks of his potential appointment of Dr. Bertagnolli, here's a sampling of what appeared on the White House website on May 16th, touting the views of her peers on her nomination:

This is yet another fine example of "agency capture".  While it is not corruption per se, it's pretty clear that there are close links between Dr. Bertagnolli's research and Pfizer.  One has to wonder whether she will be able to be impartial when dealing with Pfizer (and other Big Pharma companies) as director of the National Institutes for Health given that Pfizer has funded a very significant part of her research.

But, then again, if there's anything that the last three years have taught us it's that health care in America is rife with conflicts of interest and has very little to do with actually improving our health.

Why the Debt Ceiling Doesn't Matter

Once again, Washington is grappling with its debt problem.  In actuality, while they make a great deal about the debt ceiling, in the hallowed halls of Congress, the ruling class knows that the fiscal situation in the United States is unsustainable.  Let's look at three measures which prove their fiscal incompetence.

 

1.) Interest owing on the current federal debt:

 

In the first quarter of 2023, the annualized interest owing on the federal debt hit another new record of $928.929 billion, up 80 percent from $516.098 in the third quarter of 2020 just after the mini-recession of the pandemic wound down.  Obviously, given the increase in interest rates on the federal debt since the Federal Reserve has done its best to kill the inflation that it launched during its money-printing response to the pandemic as shown here:

 

...this fiscal situation is unsustainable and it is just a matter of time before the annual interest payments on the debt passes the $1 trillion mark, money which does not add to economic growth.

  

As an aside, given that the United States is by far the biggest spender on defense when compared to other nations, it is interesting to see that spending on defense, the biggest single line item on Washington's annual budget, is now roughly the same as spending on debt interest payments:

 

 

2.) Federal spending:

 

The red line shows the general trend of the growth of federal spending over the period from 1970 to 2020.  The massive growth in federal spending as Washington responded to the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020 is very obvious.  Again, this fiscal situation is unsustainable.

  

3.) Growth in the debt ceiling:

 

 

Thanks to Statista, we can see that it doesn't matter which party is in power, the debt ceiling rapidly rises as Washington habitually spends more than it brings in as revenue.  Once again, this fiscal situation is unsustainable as we can see on this graph which shows the federal surplus/deficit situation going back to 1980: 

 

 

The United States federal debt ceiling has become a laughable concept.  Washington's ruling class loves to spend more than it brings in as revenue, a reality that will eventually become painful as Congress kicks the "debt can" further and further down the road.

The debt ceiling doesn't matter for one reason; it just becomes the new debt floor.

The Bank of Canada and its Digital Dollar Ecosystem

With 120 nations taking part in one of the greatest monetary experiments of all time as shown here:

 

...a recent announcement from the central bank of one of the world's most globalist-centric nations is not surprising.

 

Here is the announcement from the Bank of Canada:

 

 

Here are some interesting excerpts from the press release with my bolds:

  

"The way Canadians pay for everything from the daily necessities to major purchases is evolving rapidly. As the world becomes increasingly digital, the Bank—like many other central banks—is exploring a digital version of Canada’s national currency.

 

“As Canada’s central bank, we want to make sure everyone can always take part in our country’s economy. That means being ready for whatever the future holds,” said Senior Deputy Governor Carolyn Rogers.

 

At this time, a digital Canadian dollar is not needed. And any decision to issue one rests with Parliament and the Government of Canada."

  

That said, Canadians can assure themselves that as long as this person is pulling the strings in Parliament....

 

...a Canadian version of a CBCD is guaranteed.

  

The Bank of Canada is looking for input regarding a digital dollar on issues including:

 

1.) how people would likely use it

 

2.) what security features are important

 

3.) what concerns you have about accessibility and privacy

  

Here is a key excerpt:

 

"The Bank has been providing bank notes to Canadians for more than 85 years. Cash is a safe, accessible and trusted method of payment that anyone can use, including people who don’t have a bank account, a credit score or official identification documents.

 

If a digital Canadian dollar is issued in the future, the Bank will continue to provide bank notes for those who want them. Cash isn’t going anywhere.

 

However, there may come a time when bank notes are not widely used in day-to-day transactions, which could risk excluding many Canadians from taking part in the economy."

  

Again and again we hear from central bankers that, if a digital currency ecosystem is implemented, cash will still be part of the economy.  And if you believe that....

 

So, why would the Bank of Canada bother to issue a CBDC?  Here's the reason:

 

"It’s also possible that private cryptocurrencies or central bank digital currencies issued by other countries could become widely used in Canada in the future. This could compromise the role of an official, centrally issued currency—the Canadian dollar—in our economy and pose a risk to the stability of our financial system.

 

A digital Canadian dollar would ensure Canadians always have an official, safe, and stable digital payment option issued by Canada’s central bank."

The online public consultation period runs from May 8th to June 19th, 2023.  The Bank will publish the findings of the consultations later this year.  

One might almost think that the Bank of Canada really cares what Canadians think about this sea-change in Canada's monetary ecosystem.  Unfortunately, with Chrystia Freeland clearly signalling that the Trudeau government is quite comfortable locking people out of their own savings during the Trucker's Protest in early 2022, it is quite clear that the ultimate goal of a digital Canadian dollar is to further control Canadians' behaviours.