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Tearing Venezuelan Society Apart: A Personal Account

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By Mariana Belisario-Blaksley, The Bubble: Government policies have destroyed the economy, sovereignty, and security of our once rich nation. They led to preposterous exchange controls, persecution, expropriation in the private sector, and impunity regarding corruption. Reading the media has turned into masochism….

Black Money In France “At The Center Of Life For Politicians”

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Someone in the French government deleted 3,300 French names from a purloined list of accounts at HSBC Switzerland. Their revelation would have left the despised French “political class” red-faced and in deep trouble.

How the BBC Over-Egged UK Retail Sales … And The World Soaked Up Every Word

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By John Ward, The Slog: The BCC misread and misreported UK’s so-so December retail sales as “the fastest annual sales growth in more than nine years.” It was picked up by Bloomberg, CNBC, Reuters…. everywhere. Actual retail recovery? Not so much.

The Suddenly Invisible And Silent President Of Argentina

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By Adrian Bono, Argentina, The Bubble: The last time President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner was seen in public was December 10th – dancing at the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the return of democracy, while a wave of looting tore through many provinces that left ten people dead and frayed the very fabric of society.

What the Hell Just Happened in Córdoba?

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In the last 24 hours, the province of Córdoba spiraled out of control, the very fabric of society torn apart. A sudden absence of law and order sent people into a looting frenzy. Residents and store owners boarded up windows, grabbed shotguns, and climbed to their roofs, waiting for the encounter with the enemy.

Rising Costs A Silent Killer In US Oil Exploration And Production (But Where Are The Opportunities?)

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By Dave Forest, Oil & Energy Insider: Critical news for the Exploration & Production sector came this month. Not a new discovery. Not a drilling technique. It didn’t come from geologists or engineers. It came from accountants: ballooning costs as silent E&P killer.

Does QE Boost Employment? (Somebody Should Send This To Yellen)

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By Lee Adler, The Wall Street Examiner: Overlaying raw employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics with the Fed’s balance sheet offers surprising insights. Brief must-see video with excellent chart and explanation. Somebody should send it to Yellen.

China’s Back-Door Natural Gas Supply

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By Dave Forest, OilPrice.com: One of the most critical changes in global energy flows we’ve seen for years happened this week.

How the Arab Spring Shakes Up The Oil Markets

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The oil producing country of note with major disruptions due to the Arab Spring was Libya. But it produces a relatively minor amount of the global supply. Syria, Egypt, Yemen, and other countries with their own “Arab Springs” are not major producers. So why the fear premium in the price of oil?