A Cancer of the Body Politic

Corruption is a cancer on the economy, and the fact that the United States is in decline due to corruption is evident. [Energy and Capital Header] Practical Investment Analysis for the New Energy Economy A Cancer of the Body Politic Christian DeHaemer | Aug 30, 2023 It's rainy and hot in central Maryland today. Many of our youngsters are returning to school this week, with the exception of a few who dropped out during the COVID-19 lockdowns and made other plans. In previous decades, a conscientious father would talk them into going back to their lessons, but these days one wonders if it's worth it. How many bartenders and baristas have a degree in women's studies or early French poetry? A sound plan or a good apprenticeship seem like valid choices. But I digress. Yesterday I told you we as a country were paddling across the River Styx, in debt to the ferryman, hell-bound and in denial. I outlined the ways this country is corrupt, from the secret police to the taxman to the media. Trust, justice, and the rule of law are the cornerstones of any civilization. When you stop and ponder complex financial instruments like derivatives or even basic ones like life insurance or a 30-year mortgage, you’re amazed that, given the scams of the world, they exist at all. After all, life insurance is a bet that you will die young, and most current mortgages are below the rate of inflation. Those firms that hold the loans are losing money. That said, corruption is a cancer on the economy. There's $322 Billion Worth of Lithium in Northwest Alberta...Why Can't Anybody Touch It? For more than 40 years, an oil company has been working a 671-square-mile chunk of northwestern Alberta, producing its lifeblood using brine that’s kept in hundreds of massive storage ponds. These storage ponds have long been known to contain a massive lithium resource, totaling an estimated 4.3 million tons. Just recently a tiny Vancouver-based technology company, founded and headed by petrochemical industry veterans, figured out a way to extract the lithium from this brine, very quickly and very efficiently. So efficiently, in fact, that the company can filter this oil field brine, returning it to the pond after processing, with a better than 95% capture rate. Production of salable lithium will cost between $3,000 and $4,000 per ton, while market rates price lithium at $70,000 per ton. They know where the lithium is, they know how to extract it, and, as of now, they have an agreement in place to work this giant lithium-rich property. Commercial production is now projected to be in place by the middle of 2024, with buyers already lining up. [Interested? Enter here to learn more.]( According to The Conversation: Corruption severely constrains poverty alleviation and economic development... Countries like Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand, and the Philippines all face pervasive corruption problems. If developing countries can control corruption and enforce the rule of law, the World Bank estimates per capita income could [increase fourfold]( over the long term. On average, the business sector could grow 3% faster. Corruption is also a de facto tax on foreign direct investments, amounting to around 20%. Controlling corruption can improve many socioeconomic indicators, including reducing infant mortality rate by 75%. The fact that the United States is in decline due to corruption is evident. In the 1920s, the Teapot Dome scandal involved President Warren G. Harding's administration taking bribes from oil companies to get favorable contracts for storing oil for the U.S. Navy. At the time, it was called the “greatest and most sensational scandal in the history of American politics.” These days, such things are not only commonplace but accepted. Instead of brown paper bags full of cash, politicians get book deals, podcasts, or speaking engagements. I seem to remember former President Bill Clinton buying a New York brownstone at a fraction of the real value. [$34,200 Retirement Handout Starts on SEPTEMBER 18th.]( There isn’t much time to waste... You could boost your retirement income by up to $34,200 a year simply by staking a claim on a new income stream hidden in the recent Inflation Reduction Act. It’s 100% legal, but you’ll need to move fast. The first payment is due on SEPTEMBER 18th. [Discover the full details of this retirement income opportunity by clicking here.]( Congress members make below $200,000 a year but retire among the 1% in terms of wealth. Laws that apply to the rest of us don’t apply to those who write them. That alone is enough to get you to grab a pitchfork. Turnaround Today, we are looking for countries that turned it around, that stopped the decline and bounced back. After some research, it seems that there are only a handful that rose like the proverbial phoenix but many more that have gotten worse. According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, 25 out of 180 countries have reduced corruption in their public sectors since 2021, with 31 significantly dropping down the scale in the same period. Armenia seems to be a winner. After the Armenian Velvet Revolution in 2018, the new government made the fight against corruption an official top priority. Another example is Georgia. In 2003, Georgia was one of the most corrupt countries in the world. However, after the Rose Revolution, the new government implemented reforms that led to a significant reduction in corruption. It should be noted that both of these countries had massive political turnover that involved key political figures and businessmen being fired, arrested, and/or tossed in jail. In Georgia's case, whole departments were disbanded and reformed. So yes, countries can bounce back, but it takes a revolution to make it happen. All the best, [Christian DeHaemer Signature] Christian DeHaemer [[follow basic]Check us out on YouTube!]( Christian is the founder of [Bull and Bust Report]( and an editor at [Energy and Capital](. For more on Christian, see his editor's [page](. [Fb]( [Li]( [Tw]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. You can manage your subscription and get our privacy policy [here](. Energy and Capital, Copyright © 3 East Read Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. Please note: It is not our intention to send email to anyone who doesn't want it. If you're not sure why you're getting this e-letter, or no longer wish to receive it, get more info [here]( including our privacy policy and information on how to manage your subscription. If you are interested in our other publications, please call our customer service team at [1-877-303-4529](tel:/18773034529).