OASIS FORUM Post by the Golden Rule. GoldTent Oasis is not responsible for content or accuracy of posts. DYODD.

My allocations aren’t much different and it’s been financial hell.

Choices are limited. At this point we stick to it and keep marching forward.

I don’t think the other option of buying tech stocks is the answer.

https://youtu.be/4-jY84M3MMQ

Kirby has been talking about the Exchange Stabilization Fund for at least two years, probably three, if memory serves.  If you felt it needed discussion at the Tent all you needed to do was make mention of it, I’m sure someone would have been happy to engage you in dialogue.

P.S.  Also wanted to add that you had the opportunity for discussion on the topic when I posted at least two of the Kirby videos over the past few years…yet not a word in response to my postings.

I have no qualifications to give investment advice, but can only indicate how we have positioned our family portfolio since, incidentally, about the year in your posting handle (1995). Actually mostly since 2012 when we parted with a privately owned home and decided to rent instead and to invest in PM-related holdings. I need not tell you how that has worked out for us over the past 6+ years !
Our present marketable assets are currently apportioned about as follows, in descending order: physical silver stored privately outside of any financial institution, 35 % of assets; physical gold ditto, 27 % of assets; PM-related junior gold and silver equities purchased and listed in our country’s currency, 24 % of assets; dividend-paying Canadian-listed fuel supply company, 8 % of assets; and Canadian-listed PM streaming companies, 6 %.
Note that there are no assets held in any financial institution, no curency-trading holdings, no holdings in any vehicles trading in U.S. dollars, and no real estate holdings of any kind (commercial, private, or real estate investment trusts. And no energy-related assets.
You make your choices and you roll with the tide. The advice I do not give, but which I have followed myself over the past few years, is revealed in the asset allocations listed above, namely – buy physical silver. Cheers. Equiz.

The sooner that happens, the sooner a better world can be built, as long as we learn not to repeat past mistakes.

Only one of those topics are taboo here and I would rather live in a goldtent than the Tower of Babel.

Channeling goldballoon, sorry to be a Debbie Downer.

We are all just sheep ……..

Keep stacking,  that’s then only way ……..

Shares are a side show …….  just saying 🙂

Winedoc

I have never felt inhibited talking about the ESF or GATA on this site……

I also think it will only change via political change and that may well happen in Europe, as there people are really pissed with the way Davos man runs the World…….

Via GATA

Italian Populists Target Huge Gold Reserves and Some Cry Foul

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-11/italian-populists-target-huge-gold-reserves-and-some-cry-foul

This could be fun, as they may well know all that Gold is gone/leased out and this is just the opening shot…..

I believe everyone on this forum recognizes the presence of the “invisible hand”. There is also another one or two (or maybe the same one) that controls food and energy. The ultimate goal is control of people. The best example is the entry of new businesses in the economy .We will never see a new auto, steel, railway company and others in this country because of the entry barriers. This leaves fewer entities to control as a source of production.

The timing of the “event” or “reset” is unknown so all we can do is act and react to the present. Hyperinflation before deflation? Will the gun grab succeed ? Will social destabilization be a factor? Europe is paying dearly for replacing the Jewish population with Muslims.

The dike holding civilization together is springing more leaks for the “invisible hand” to control. Your post is exactly correct. I just don’t see how we as individuals can can do anything about it until it self destructs. Buying phiz for the long run and accumulating fiat for the short run may be the best we can hope for.

rno

you are absolutely correct in your observation. Rob Kirby is bold and right to the point.  and market skeptics.com ( story of the ESF) is scary!

my point is this:  i made no wealth trading the futures market; and i bowed out of the stock market near its bottom (i told my dad to get out of QQQ way back when, it was going to ‘crash’

and lol on me he could have been a billionaire now ;    lol!!!)  so today i just sit on my wealth and still thank  the LORD GOD for all that HE has given to me. WHAT ABOUT YOU??

is your bank account in fiat well padded;  is stash of precious sufficient for the future; are you still playing the wall street game; are you a prepper/off the grid; or are you just living

the good life with your social security check and private pension fiat.   ?????   any investment advice for the rest of us?  stay with us and laugh at these ‘exciting times’  we live in.

Topics are wide open and I think a discussion about the ESF is a good one. I agree with you that until the manipulation ends we are swimming upstream.

Best

that you and Ipso_facto and a couple of others on this forum maintain for the future prospects of precious metals value when expressed in fiat terms. However, despite my appreciation for your part in keeping this forum site going, I have now pretty well accepted that little will be learned from this forum as long as no one wishes to discuss the Exchange Stabilization Fund topic (and its market-wide ramifications) that Rob Kirby re-summarizes in the 38-minute x-22 interview linked below.
As long as American posters to this site dare not touch the scenario that Kirby outlines in the link below, Goltentoasis will be simply skirting around the edges of the controlled situation we PM investors find ourselves in. I am not saying that I will have no future posting on Goldtentoasis because you can never say goodbye to a forum that had original good intentions; it is simply that there seems no point in seeking any educational benefit from a forum in which potentially knowledgeable participants do not dare touch the crucial subject outlined in the link below. I wish it could be otherwise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY-NTmv3iBU

Gold futures dropped to the 20 day moving average today and bounced. JNUG seems to be holding up well today. My USDX trade didn’t turn out well but I had a very close stop. My KC wheat call options have lost nearly all the premium which wasn’t much. The scum are buying Chicago and Minneapolis wheat and selling KC wheat in big spread numbers. My options will expire before they come out of the short leg.

rno

where we could really be getting creamed because of the strong dollar yet we’re hanging in there – especially the shares.

Seems to me this would be an opportune time for the scum to come in and crush the whole sector but for some reason they aren’t.

Kind of bullish from my limited perspective.

comes to a halt right in here somewhere.

Kind of like the way silver has been holding up lately.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/semafo-savary-announce-non-binding-134000391.html

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/pure-gold-announces-positive-feasibility-113000546.html

but most will likely go to legal fees , and the amount claimed is inadequate . My losses alone would amount to about 10% of the award , and I am sure there are more than ten people who were damaged by the manipulation .

We must not question Jamie Dimon’s ( SP ??) multimillion dollar bonuses , you know .

I think JPM played the game best . Play the futures , pushing physical ever lower , make money on the older , higher priced contracts , while accumulating HUGE amounts of cheap silver . Until the mining company CEO’s withhold production for a few months , the game will continue .

Monday taketh away. No stopping the strong dollar

Metals Guy – I didn’t receive that email

NOTICE OF PROPOSED CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENTS

Gold and Silver Market Instrument Canadian Class Action Settlements

PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY AS IT MAY AFFECT YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS

To All Persons or Entities Who, Between January 1, 2004 and March 19, 2014, Transacted in a Gold Market Instrument*, or Who, Between January 1, 1999 and August 14, 2014, Transacted in a Silver Market Instrument**, in Whole or in Part in Canada, Either Directly or Indirectly through an Intermediary, and/or Purchased or Otherwise Participated in an Investment or Equity Fund, Mutual Fund, Hedge Fund, Pension Fund or Any Other Investment Vehicle that Transacted in a Gold Market Instrument or Silver Market Instrument.

*Gold Market Instrument includes gold bullion or gold bullion coins, gold futures contracts traded on an exchange operated in Canada, shares in gold ETFs, gold call options traded on an exchange operated in Canada, gold put options traded on an exchange operated in Canada, over-the-counter gold spot or forward transactions or gold call options, over-the-counter gold put options, leases for gold, and gold certificates.

**Silver Market Instrument includes silver bullion or silver bullion coins, silver futures contracts traded on an exchange operated in Canada, shares in silver ETFs, silver call options traded on an exchange operated in Canada, silver put options traded on an exchange operated in Canada, over-the-counter silver spot or forward transactions or silver call options, over-the-counter silver put options, leases for silver, and silver certificates.

This notice is about class actions relating to Gold Market Instrument and Silver Market Instrument transactions.

In the Gold Market Instrument action, the plaintiffs, Julius Di Filippo and David Caron, in Ontario, and the plaintiff, Patrick Benoit, in Québec, have undertaken legal procedures under applicable laws related to class actions against the following defendants: The Bank of Nova Scotia, ScotiaMocatta, Scotia Capital (USA) Inc., Barclays PLC, Barclays Bank PLC, Barclays Capital Canada Inc., Barclays Capital Inc., Barclay Capital PLC, Deutsche Bank AG, Deutsche Bank Securities Limited, Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc., HSBC Bank PLC, HSBC Holdings PLC, HSBC Bank Canada, HSBC Securities (Canada) Inc., HSBC USA Inc., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., London Gold Market Fixing Ltd., Société Générale, Société Générale (Canada), Société Générale SA, SG Americas Securities, LLC, UBS AG, UBS Bank (Canada) and UBS Securities LLC.

In the Silver Market Instrument action, the plaintiffs, Julius Di Filippo and David Caron, in Ontario, and the plaintiff, Raymond Ayas, in Québec, have undertaken legal procedures under applicable laws related to class actions against the following defendants: The Bank of Nova Scotia, La Banque de Nouvelle-Ecosse, ScotiaMocatta, Scotia Capital (USA) Inc., Barclays PLC, Barclays Bank PLC, Barclays Capital Canada Inc., Barclays Capital Inc., Barclay Capital PLC, Deutsche Bank AG, Deutsche Bank Securities Limited, Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc., HSBC Bank PLC, HSBC Holdings PLC, HSBC Bank Canada, Banque HSBC Canada, HSBC Securities (Canada) Inc., HSBC USA Inc., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., The London Silver Market Fixing Limited, UBS AG, UBS Bank (Canada), Banque UBS (Canada) and UBS Securities LLC.

The actions are brought on behalf of all persons or entities who, between January 1, 2004 and March 19, 2014, transacted in a Gold Market Instrument, or who, between January 1, 1999 and August 14, 2014, transacted in a Silver Market Instrument, in whole or in part in Canada (or in whole or in part in Québec for the Québec action), either directly or indirectly through an intermediary, and/or purchased or otherwise participated in an investment or equity fund, mutual fund, hedge fund, pension fund or any other investment vehicle that transacted in a Gold Market Instrument or Silver Market Instrument.

Excluded from the classes are the defendants, their parent companies, subsidiaries, and affiliates. A Gold Market Instrument includes gold bullion or gold bullion coins, gold futures contracts traded on an exchange operated in Canada, shares in gold ETFs, gold call options traded on an exchange operated in Canada, gold put options traded on an exchange operated in Canada, over-the-counter gold spot or forward transactions or gold call options, over-the-counter gold put options, leases for gold, and gold certificates. A Silver Market Instrument includes silver bullion or silver bullion coins, silver futures contracts traded on an exchange operated in Canada, shares in silver ETFs, silver call options traded on an exchange operated in Canada, silver put options traded on an exchange operated in Canada, over-the-counter silver spot or forward transactions or silver call options, over-the-counter silver put options, leases for silver, and silver certificates.

WHAT ARE THE SETTLEMENT BENEFITS?

Settlements have been reached with Deutsche Bank AG, Deutsche Bank Securities Limited, and Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc. (collectively, “Deutsche Bank”) (the “Settlement Agreements”). The Settlement Agreements, if approved and their conditions fulfilled, will settle, extinguish and bar all claims relating in any way to or arising out of the proceedings against Deutsche Bank.

If the Settlement Agreements are approved, Deutsche Bank has agreed to pay $3,350,360.95 in respect of the Gold Market Instrument action and $2,121,939.05 in respect of the Silver Market Instrument action (the “Settlement Amounts”) to settle the class actions and to provide co-operation to the plaintiffs in order to continue the cases against the other defendants. The settlement is a compromise of disputed claims, and Deutsche Bank does not admit any wrongdoing or liability.

At this time, the Settlement Amounts will not be distributed to the classes. Rather, the Settlement Amounts, after deduction of court-approved fees and disbursements, will be paid into an interest bearing account for the benefit of the classes for distribution at a future date.

WHAT IS THIS CASE ABOUT?

These class actions allege that beginning at least as early as 2004 and continuing through March 2014, the defendants conspired with each other to fix prices for Gold Market Instruments, and that beginning at least as early as 1999 and continuing through August 2014, the defendants conspired with each other to fix prices for Silver Market Instruments. It is alleged that the defendants communicated directly with each other to coordinate their: (i) fixing of spot prices; (ii) manipulating of the bid-ask spreads; (iii) controlling or manipulating of benchmark rates; and (iv) exchanging of confidential customer information. It is alleged that the defendants’ conduct impacted the price of Gold Market Instruments and Silver Market Instruments, and that the defendants profited directly, at the expense of the classes, by having control and advanced knowledge of the movements in price of Gold Market Instruments and Silver Market Instruments.

ARE YOU INCLUDED?

You are included in these class actions if:

· you are a person or entity who, between January 1, 2004 and March 19, 2014, transacted in a Gold Market Instrument[1], or who, between January 1, 1999 and August 14, 2014, transacted in a Silver Market Instrument[2], in whole or in part in Canada, either directly or indirectly through an intermediary, and/or purchased or otherwise participated in an investment or equity fund, mutual fund, hedge fund, pension fund or any other investment vehicle that transacted in a Gold Market Instrument or Silver Market Instrument.

[1] “Gold Market Instrument” includes gold bullion or gold bullion coins, gold futures contracts traded on an exchange operated in Canada, shares in Gold ETFs, gold call options traded on an exchange operated in Canada, gold put options traded on an exchange operated in Canada, over-the-counter gold spot or forward transactions or gold call options, over-the-counter gold put options, leases for gold, and gold certificates.

[2] “Silver Market Instrument” includes silver bullion or silver bullion coins, silver futures contracts traded on an exchange operated in Canada, shares in silver ETFs, silver call options traded on an exchange operated in Canada, silver put options traded on an exchange operated in Canada, over-the-counter silver spot or forward transactions or silver call options, over-the-counter silver put options, leases for silver, and silver certificates.

WHO ARE THE LAWYERS WHO REPRESENT THE CLASSES?

The law firms of Sotos LLP, Koskie Minsky LLP, Siskinds LLP, and Camp Fiorante Matthews Mogerman represent the plaintiffs and the classes in the Ontario actions and Siskinds Desmeules, s.e.n.c.r.l. represents the plaintiffs and the classes in the Québec actions (“Class Counsel”). The lawyers will be paid on a contingency fee basis.

HEARINGS TO APPROVE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS AND CLASS COUNSEL FEES

Hearings will be held during which Class Counsel will seek the court’s approval of (i) the Settlement Agreements; and (ii) the fees and expense reimbursement of Class Counsel (the “Approval Hearing”). The hearing before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice will be held on April 30, 2019 at 10:00AM (ET) at Osgoode Hall, 130 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario. The hearing before the Québec Superior Court will be held on June 17, 2019 at 9:30AM (ET) at the Montreal Courthouse, 1 Notre Dame Street East, Montreal, Québec.

At the Approval Hearings, the courts will determine whether the Settlement Agreements are fair, reasonable and in the best interest of the classes. At the hearings, Class Counsel will also seek court approval of its request for fees equal to 25% of the Settlement Amounts and expense reimbursement. Class Counsel has not been paid as the matters have proceeded, and has arranged for funding of the out-of-pocket expenses of conducting the litigation. Class Counsel will be requesting that the fees and disbursements be deducted directly from the Settlement Amounts.

Any member of the proposed classes may attend the Approval Hearings and may ask to make submissions regarding the proposed settlements. Persons intending to object to the Settlement Agreements or Class Counsel’s fees and expenses should provide their objection in writing to Class Counsel at the address below no later than April 12, 2019.

WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS?

Stay in the(these) Class Action(s) and Do Nothing:

You do not have to do anything to stay in the(these) class action(s). If any benefits, including any settlement funds, become available for distribution to the classes, you will be notified about how to ask for a share. You will be legally bound by all orders and judgments of the court, and you will not be able to sue the defendants about the legal claims in these cases.

Stay in the(these) Class Action(s) and Object to the Settlement Agreement or Class Counsel’s Fees and Expenses:

If you want to object to the proposed Settlement Agreements with Deutsche Bank or to the payment of Class Counsel’s fees and expenses, you should do so by setting out your objection in writing addressed to the Class Counsel at the address below.

Get Out of the(these) Class Action(s):

If you want to keep your right to sue the defendants on your own over the claims in these cases, you need to opt out or remove yourself from this(these) class action(s). If you remove yourself, you cannot get any compensation or other benefits from these class actions. If you want to be removed, you must complete and send an Opt Out Form (see attached) to info@preciousmetalsclassactions.ca or Nelson P.O. Box 20187 – 322 Rideau Street, Ottawa ON, K1N 5Y5 no later than April 12, 2019. Residents of Québec must also send their Opt Out Form to the Clerk of the Superior Court of Québec located at 1, rue Notre-Dame Est, Montréal, Québec, H2Y 1B6, no later than April 12, 2019. Opt Out Forms are also available at www.preciousmetalsclassactions.ca. You may choose to opt out of the Gold Market Instrument class action, the Silver Market Instrument class action, or both.

Please note that after April 12, 2019 no further right to opt out of this(these) actions will be provided. However, if there are further settlements in this(these) action(s), you will be given an opportunity to oppose such settlements or the payment of Class Counsel’s fees and expenses at that time if you wish to do so.

MORE INFORMATION?

Go to www.preciousmetalsclassactions.ca, call toll-free 1-833-414-8040, email info@preciousmetalsclassactions.ca or write to Class Counsel at Nelson P.O. Box 20187 – 322 Rideau Street, Ottawa ON, K1N 5Y5.

Interpretation

If there is a conflict between the provisions of this notice and the Settlement Agreements, the terms of the Settlement Agreements will prevail with respect to Deutsche Bank.

DISTRIBUTION OF THIS NOTICE HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE ONTARIO SUPERIOR COURT OF JUSTICE AND BY THE QUÉBEC SUPERIOR COURT

Appalachia in fall colors.
http://railpictures.net/photo/685660/

The Real Reason the Government Wants You to Drive an Electric Car

By Jeff Brown, Editor, The Near Future Report

Jeff Brown
By now, most consumers are aware of the growing trend of electric vehicles (EVs).

According to the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA), 125 million electric vehicles will be on the road by 2030. That’s up from an estimated 3.1 million in 2017.

And according to a 2018 survey from the American Automobile Association (AAA), roughly 20% of Americans are considering going electric for their next car purchase.

I’ve even outlined this growing trend to readers of my Near Future Report. [Subscribers can catch up here.]

And the adoption of this technology has been aggressively pushed by governments. In the U.S. alone, government subsidies for electric vehicles have been estimated as high as $20 billion.

But the push to migrate from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to electric vehicles isn’t what most think.

There’s a deeper story here…

Popular Motivation

The most popular motivation used by both consumers and governments is a simple one… EVs are better for the environment. They produce less, or no, pollution.

Sadly, this is a logical fallacy.

Taken out of context, yes, an electric vehicle produces less pollution than an ICE vehicle. Or does it?

The answer lies in a simple question that is rarely ever asked… where does the electricity come from?

Take a state like California. According to the California Energy Commission, 61.6% of energy used in the state comes from coal (fossil fuel), large hydro projects (damages natural habitats of freshwater rivers and lakes), natural gas (fossil fuel and California’s largest individual power source), and nuclear energy (radioactive waste). And only 29% comes from renewable sources, two-thirds of that being solar and wind.

That means nearly 62% of the electricity used to power an EV in California comes from fossil fuels and energy sources that are highly destructive to the natural environment.

Surprising, isn’t it?

And California is one of the best states in the country for generating renewable energy due to its sunny and, in some places, also windy climate.

Look at a state on the other coast, New York. The New York Times reports that 94% of its energy comes from natural gas (37%), nuclear (33%), and large hydro projects (23%).

That’s right, 70% of the electricity fueling an EV in the state of New York is “burning” carbon or a form of nuclear power.

My point is that EVs are only as clean as the energy used to fuel them.

So, if saving the environment isn’t the real motivation for the adoption of EVs, then what is?

Flooded Market

As I’ve shown Diary readers in the past, one of the main advantages is that EVs are less complex vehicles.

Consider this: The average ICE car has 2,000 moving parts. The EV equivalent has just 20. That’s just 1% of an average ICE. Incredible right?

As a result, EVs break down less often and are much cheaper to maintain. This makes them attractive to both automobile manufacturers and to consumers.

EVs also represent an attractive opportunity for automotive manufacturers because the market for ICE vehicles is so flooded.

More specifically, carmakers hoping to sell a new automobile have to compete with used cars. After all, a well-maintained used car can still accomplish the principle task of getting you where you need to go. But it comes at a significant discount.

In the case of EVs, a fairly new market for cars, there just aren’t that many used cars on the market. The market for EVs is pretty much a greenfield opportunity.

It is the opportunity for profit, not concern for the environment, that motivates automakers to pursue EVs.

But what about government motivations for EVs? What has the incentive been to stimulate this industry?

Orwellian Possibility

Governments typically tell the public that the EV subsidies are for environmental reasons. It’s a simple explanation, but that’s not the whole truth…

Many governments have offered economic incentives like discounted pricing or tax rebates to encourage consumers to buy these new EVs.

There is certainly a hope that these kinds of incentives will become a catalyst for domestic corporations to invest in the technology, create new jobs, and hopefully manufacture these new EVs locally and thus stimulate the economy.

And there is plenty of truth to that, especially in markets that have existing automobile manufacturing plants.

But what if we step back further, and think even bigger picture?

Consider that the next evolution of EVs will be self-driving cars. EVs tend to be designed much more like upgradeable computers than traditional ICE vehicles.

Tesla is a perfect example. Software updates are pushed out to Teslas around the world, several times a year, to “upgrade” the cars.

Oftentimes, those software updates are new performance features for the car, like the self-driving functionality.

Why would a government push for the mass adoption of remotely-connected, self-driving cars? There are some very Orwellian possibilities that many are not considering.

Real Motivations

Self-driving cars must always be connected to a network. Tesla’s EVs connect to its network over 4G wireless networks today, which will become 5G wireless networks beginning this year.

The government will know the location of every self-driving car at all times. And with the right authority, a self-driving car could be rerouted to a government’s choice of location at any time.

For example, what if someone suspected of a crime was trying to “drive” out of state? The local government could simply reroute the car to the nearest police station.

And there’s something else…

Consider Waymo, the self-driving division of Alphabet, the parent company of Google.

I always get a kick out of articles that claim Waymo’s motivation is to become a manufacturer of self-driving cars…

Google’s motivation is simple: It wants to collect as much data as possible about consumers and sell that data to whoever will pay for it.

Think about it. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the average American driver spends about an hour a day in a car.

In a world where cars and taxis drive themselves, that frees up an hour of time to look at a screen, surf the internet, watch videos… and you guessed it… look at ads that are served to you.

Google is spending so much time and money on research and development on autonomous driving technology so that it can license that technology to car manufacturers in exchange for being able to retain, and sell, the data that it collects. Plain and simple.

Force for Good

Now, I don’t want to give you the impression that I’m negative on new technological developments. Far from it. As many of you know, I’ve devoted my entire adult life studying, working in, and investing in bleeding edge technology.

And as I’ve told my readers time and time again, our lives are about to improve exponentially in the coming years thanks to new technology.

Self-driving electric vehicles are a tool. And like any tool, they can be used for good… or bad.

Understanding the less obvious motivations in the world of technology is a critical part of my research process. It informs better investment recommendations to my readers.

By looking beyond the “official reasons,” I’m able to better understand the direction of important technology trends.

And now, so can you…

Regards,

Jeff Brown
Editor, The Near Future Report