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The “Sanction Spiral” Elegantly Spirals Out of Control

The White House attacks Russian financial markets and oil, publicly and behind-the-scenes, Merkel suffers from “moral cowardice,” Russia develops the “Putin Doctrine” and threatens Estonia, and a crescendo of sanctions and counter-sanctions erupts. What gives?

Goldman Goes Bonkers Over Tesla

Wall Street once again stands out as history’s most glorious, most efficient, sophisticated, prolific “gigafactory,” to use Tesla’s newfangled term, for the production of self-serving BS. Investors beware!

French Megabank: No “Drastic Crisis” in France, It Will Be “Slow And Over Time”

Finally we know why French government debt and French stocks have performed so well, despite the crummy economy, and why France has been spared so far the fate of Cyprus: the fiasco won’t happen suddenly in France, the bank reported. It will be slow and torturous.

Will The Last Bear Please Turn Out The Lights

When BlackRock CEO Larry Fink grumbled about “way too much optimism” in the markets, he wasn’t kidding. An entire mindset is benchmarking today’s record metrics against the splendor of 2000 and 2007: not to warn, but to prove that this time it won’t end in tears.

Shell Oil: US Fracking “Revolution” A Money Loser

Shell is already steeped in its Alaska offshore debacle. Now its new boss admitted that fracking in the US, after a huge investment, is a money-losing business.

Obama’s Fantasy: Using US Energy ‘Boom’ Against Russia

The release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve took down the price of oil in the US, but not in the rest of the world, and didn’t impact Russia. New measures are bandied about – ludicrous attempts by the government to flex some muscle.

Kremlin: If The US Tries To Hurt Russia’s Economy, Russia Will Target The Dollar

The first official warning shot was fired before an all-out assault on the dollar system begins. Not by a Putin advisor that can be brushed off, but by Alexey Ulyukaev, Russia’s Minister of Economy and former Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank. A major escalation.