George Soros: Open Society Needs Defending

Interesting views from George Soros on where we are headed:

https://www.project-syndicate.org/onpoint/open-society-needs-defending-by-george-soros-2016-12\

After the Crash of 2008, the EU and the eurozone became increasingly dysfunctional. Prevailing conditions became far removed from those prescribed by the Maastricht Treaty, but treaty change became progressively more difficult, and eventually impossible, because it couldn’t be ratified. The eurozone became the victim of antiquated laws; much-needed reforms could be enacted only by finding loopholes in them. That is how institutions became increasingly complicated, and electorates became alienated.

The rise of anti-EU movements further impeded the functioning of institutions. And these forces of disintegration received a powerful boost in 2016, first from Brexit, then from the election of Trump in the US, and on December 4 from Italian voters’ rejection, by a wide margin, of constitutional reforms.

Democracy is now in crisis. Even the US, the world’s leading democracy, elected a con artist and would-be dictator as its president. Although Trump has toned down his rhetoric since he was elected, he has changed neither his behavior nor his advisers. His cabinet comprises incompetent extremists and retired generals.

 (snip)

The same is likely to happen in the European election season in 2017 in the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy. In France, the two leading contenders are close to Putin and eager to appease him. If either wins, Putin’s dominance of Europe will become a fait accompli.

I hope that Europe’s leaders and citizens alike will realize that this endangers their way of life and the values on which the EU was founded. The trouble is that the method Putin has used to destabilize democracy cannot be used to restore respect for facts and a balanced view of reality.

The process is likely irreversible in my opinion. However, the challenges are probably a good thing. Europe and the rest of the first world have become burdened by bureaucracy and politicians who don't actually believe in anything. All they care about are their perks. The way I see it, democracy is likely to be strengthened by these changes (Brexit and the eventual collapse of the EU); at long last the voter is cracking the whip.

George Soros On Current Collapse

I was waiting for the current market correction all 2015, looks like I was out by a month or so (don't worry, I don't try to predict the market, I just get on with things and have this idea in the back of my head). The current problem is just 2008 revisited, read about George Soros and what he thinks...

>>Click Here<<

Speaking at an economic forum in Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, he told an audience that China is struggling to find a new growth model and its currency devaluation is transferring problems to the rest of the world, according to media. He added that a return to rising interest rates was proving difficult for the developing world.

The current environment reminded him of the "crisis we had in 2008," The Sunday Times in Sri Lanka reported on Thursday morning. "China has a major adjustment problem," he added, according to Bloomberg. "I would say it amounts to a crisis."

China is going to fall apart. It's a case of when not if. For the rest of the world that's a real problem as China makes so much of the shit we now consume. But the problems don't end there, government has propped up failing industries and prevented bargain hunters from picking over the spoils.

What we now have, throughout the OECD, is a form of state capitalism much like the USSR form of socialism. Yes, you heard that right. Big government decides who succeeds, some are too big to fail (General Motors) and main street small business gets screwed.

2016 is going to be the year of the stock picker. To succeed as an investor, it's going to be necessary to pick the companies that will do well, and my pick is only the most boring and old-fashioned are any good. Businesses that are relatively cheap, ignored for the most part, not considered at all 'sexy.' Anything even remotely speculative or fly-by-night will be duds.