China’s
National Oil Operating Company (CNOOC) $19 Billion CASH (Dollars) bid
for California based Unocal has markedly upped the pot bellied poker
stakes. Geopolitically, this is an enormous test of our solvency and
willingness to actually return something for all this money for nothing
we convey towards the Globe as ringleader in the Fiat Currency
Experiment, better known as Breton Woods II.
This
latest attempted acquisition is well beyond anything PC’s and Vacuum
Cleaners.
Politically,
we can expect to hear the time honored 'National Security Issue' tossed
about over the bid in addition to a growing, but pathetic u-turn over
textiles at the World trade Organization.
The
WTO is the same body which tiered tariffs favoring finished goods over
intermediates. For manufacturers, it was a no-brainer. ZERO tariffs on
finished goods versus prohibitively high tariffs on intermediate source
materials. Fleece Street is only too pleased to be earning their keep
bidding for ‘Financial Services’ with the Chinese; both Morgan’s
(JP & Stanley) and Goldman Sachs are openly pondering a bidder war
with Exxon Mobil.
The
ultimate Weapon of Financial Mass Destruction is in play.
Be
bought or be sold.
CNOOC
wants Unocal, we prefer the Chinese keep all those IOU’s we’ve been
sharing with them for many years.
If
they are rebuffed, there remains an increasingly high probability many
of the Dollars they are presently holding will go shopping for
‘other’ hard assets and factors of production.
Something
to consider, as we advance into the unwinding before us for the
remainder of 2005 and Q’s 1 & 2 of 2006, it is evident our
financiers want to convert worthless Fiat Currency for tangible factors
of production for everything from energy to technology.
The
Gold shares remain at risk in the short term.
I
remain unimpressed by the recent advance in Gold Shares.
GOLD,
on the other hand looks very good and in the Short term should retrace
some of the recent gains before beginning a powerful journey for the
remainder of 2005.
Interest
Rates, Crude Oil and Hyper-Liquefaction remain the key variables.
The
time honored GOLD : Dollar relationship is, for all intents and
purposes, fading quietly into the dustbin of analytical metrics so
vaunted, by so many. The reality is quite different of course, but if it
is possible to convince people it is important, it will hold importance
until it will not. GOLD is money, it is a Currency and it had been
legitimized in all Major Fiat Currencies.
Figure
001: NEM Daily
Figure
002: NEM Weekly

Figure
003: NEM Monthly

Newmont
is trying to resolve to the upside and has filled the gap above on the
daily chart from late April.
It is
interesting to note, although not visible on these charts, NEM has a gap
below in the 33’s.
This
is precisely where the SMAs on both the weekly and monthly charts line
up for a back test. The daily’s MACD is getting dangerously
overbought, leaving NEM open for a sharp and sudden drop after making a
try for 42.50, we may have seen that attempt last week.
The
charts above are congruent and not in conflict, they support one
another, but what they do not show is this… the strong move upward in
Gold Shares IS NOT SUGGESTED ANYWHERE.
I
will reiterate the bottom for gold the HUI & XAU are in with a very
high degree of probability.
This
does not mean there are not going to be more trials and tribulations
ahead in the very short term, and after observing the past six weeks
price action, I made the decision to lock in profits and stand aside
while the crooks on Fleece Street are at play.
Over
the years it become an insult to be robbed, I make every effort to move
aside and into safety when I see these setups occur and am not giving my
clients hard earned money over to a bunch of crooks every again, much
less my own if I can avoid.
Figure
004: AU / Euro

Figure
005: AU / Yen

Figure
006: AU / Swiss Franc

Figure
007: AU/ West Texas Intermediate

Figure
008: AU / CRX (Morgan Stanley Commodity Index)

Figures
004 – 006 illustrate the powerful move GOLD has made in Euros, Yen and
Swiss Francs. It is important to note, as it is rarely mentioned, the
Swiss citizen’s voted to remove the GOLD cover clause (non-redeemable)
from their currency making it a purely FIAT currency.
We
are approaching a short duration period of consolidation for these
currencies. The Price of GOLD has reached 14 year highs and is in need
of a minor retracement. This most recent move is very bullish for the
metal longer term.
The
RSI in each chart is elevated to a point of extremes in each case, in
particular the Euro and Swiss Franc.
Figures
007 illustrates that the Crude Oil : Gold ratio is at an extreme as
well. Something is going to give there, we have exited the majority of
our WTIC Contracts from the 48’s and are going to observe the
timeframe into mid July before committing another trade in Crude.
Commodities,
outside of Crude Oil and as expected, are underperforming the CRX as
well as the CRB. We prefer the CRX as it acts far more like an exchange
traded fund, many of which have been newly announced over the past four
weeks.
These
are in play to ‘capitalize’ upon the move to hard assets or so the
story goes. Think back to the GLD launch… you’ll know what happens
next.
I
very much doubt the French are enjoying paying $5.80 for a gallon of
gasoline, contrary to the spin, it is an unwelcome situation being
pressed hard for profit until it breaks.
Figure
009: $ Daily

Figure
010: $ Weekly

Figure
011: $ Monthly

The
Dollar remains in a Fantasyland, pure and simple.
Never
has so much remained at stake with respect to one Currency.
As
the Globe’s Reserve Currency, far too many nations have been left
holding our ‘Debt Bag,’ while we fully enjoyed the privilege of
seniorage.
Technically,
we have a Bullish Cross on the Daily Chart in Figure 009. This chart
suggests a period of consolidation is perhaps close to an end or within
a few weeks of ending.
Figure
010 is downright creepy, suggesting a horrific plunge could be in the
offing come July – August.
We
shall see… the Community of Speculators has been destroyed and much of
the $1.4 Trillion short bet against the Dollar has been beaten back. I
doubt very much Warren Buffett was openly and honestly telegraphing his
positions as publicly suggested. Any noise about Berkshire’s Forex
losses, are simply that, more accounting gimmicks.
Warren
Buffett and Berkshire are not that dumb. Not a chance, this is a well
designed ruse for those who enjoy a dose of ‘High Drama’ to go along
with their World views. The claimed $327 million losses are most likely
from another corner of the Berkshire Portfolio as buffet is rumored to
have been a large buyer of Dollars at precisely the time the media was
touting his Short position.
It is
important to remember, in the ‘Financial Economy,’ everything paper
is fair game.
Figure
012: XAU Daily

Figure
013: XAU Weekly

Figure
014: XAU Monthly

Figure
015: HUI Daily

Figure
016: HUI Weekly

Figure
017: HUI Monthly

In
Figures 012 – 017 we see precisely the same setup and divergences
between the Daily. Weekly and Monthly charts illustrated within Figures
001 – 011.
Why?
There is a very simple answer to this and it is as old as Wall Street
itself. It breeds opportunity for the Plutocrats. They adore money and
profit. We are expendable in every instance and there are far too many
of us. Please listen to Financial
Sense’s 2nd Hour broadcast this past weekend. Andrew
McKillop discusses ‘The Final Energy Crisis’ and it’s
ramifications for us all. I listened to it last night after having
discussed it Peak Oil and the ramifications with Jim earlier last week
and was impressed with the result, a welcome Listen.
Optimistic
media hype as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD), the representative body of the richest 26 countries in the
world, announced that it is sharply reducing its forecasts for every
leading economy.
In
addition, The OECD forecast the U.S. Current Account Deficit would
continue to rise, reaching ~ $900 billion or closing in on 7% of United
States GDP in 2006. In other words, the mountainous DEBT will continue
to be piled higher and higher until it collapses in a dung heap that
topples the 26 leading economies and everyone else as well.
It is
of extreme importance you understand GDP is not as stated, it is the
greatest fraud every passed on by our Government. Our Debt presently
consumes ~ 17% of non-Financial GDP and it is going to move far higher
in percentage terms.
Fundamentally,
it is the ‘Laws of Large Numbers at play.
The
OECD essentially is vocalizing this. The Debts are extreme and the
leverage employed in the speculative Financial Economies risks a
Financial ‘Accident.’
More
of the same, albeit far less amorphous than the recent round of CFR
Fabians finger pointing; World Trade growth is projected to slow to 7.4%
from 9.4% in 2004 with Japan and Europe performing far fewer acts of
levitation with respect to their Financial Economies.
-
Rising
Interest Rates
-
Falling
Real Estate prices
-
Slowing
Consumer Spending
-
Falling
Real Wage Rates
-
Rapidly
Expanding Current Account Deficits
-
Wildly
increasing Federal Deficits
-
Unemployment
Rates grossly understated
-
Rapid
Debasement of Currency
-
Scarcity
of Vital Resources
-
Geo-Political
Tensions
-
Invasion
of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Property
-
DEBT
Welcome
to the New World Order, whereby all of the above are implying an
accident just around the bend, just lovely. I laid out the timeline
several years in advance and it’s performing as expected. 2005 will be
a continual decline while 2006 will mark the awareness of the
‘Greatest Depression.’ Please protect yourself; this is going to be
Horrific as we move forward. I cannot stress the importance of thinking
years ahead right now. This runs counter to the cultural grains we, as
Americans, have embedded, but is vital at this time.
©
2005 John Mackenzie
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