The U.S. Intervention in Venezuela: Oil, Leverage, and Potential for Reform.

The media account is biased leaving the public uninformed. (As usual) In early January 2026, U.S. forces executed a daring military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, marking a dramatic shift in U.S. policy toward the troubled South American nation.  President Donald Trump announced the capture triumphantly, declaring that the United States would temporarily […]

Continue Reading

The Positives of the Venezuelan Leadership Change in 2026: Unlocking Oil Sector Potential

On January 3, 2026, a U.S.-led military operation successfully captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during a large-scale strike on Caracas and other targets. President Donald Trump announced the operation, which removed the couple from the country to face U.S. charges, including narco-terrorism.  While the intervention has drawn international criticism and […]

Continue Reading

The Shifting Landscape of Commodity Futures Markets: From Western Dominance to Asian Ascendancy and Its Implications for the US Dollar

Commodity futures markets serve as the backbone of global pricing for essential raw materials, enabling producers, consumers, and investors to hedge against price volatility, discover fair values, and facilitate efficient resource allocation. These markets operate through standardized contracts traded on exchanges, where buyers and sellers agree on future delivery prices for commodities like oil, metals, […]

Continue Reading

Why is China so anti-gambling?

Is their economy that weak?  https://tinyurl.com/ytwf86hf https://tinyurl.com/ya8sy69n To be sure, both Taiwan and Thailand are desperate to bring back Chinese tourists. Here in Jomtien, south of Pattaya and an hour south of Bangkok, as far as I can see, Thailand is devoid of Chinese tourists. Aussies, yes… Russians, by the boatload… Kiwi’s, all over… Chinese, […]

Continue Reading
Grocery store at Central World Mall in Bangkok

The Global Middle Class Boom: A Double-Edged Sword for Consumption and US Inflation.

In a world that’s rapidly evolving, one of the most transformative shifts has been the explosive growth of the global middle class.  Over the last 25 years, approximately 500 million people have crossed into this income bracket—earning above $50,000 in today’s dollars. This surge mirrors poignant examples like India’s Interior Minister’s observation from a decade […]

Continue Reading

Unveiling Fragility: Parallels Between Japan’s 1980s bubble and the U.S. Nasdaq, 2025

Summary: The wealthy are constructing fortified bunkers, a silent acknowledgment of systemic vulnerabilities that remain opaque to most.  This essay examines the striking similarities between Japan’s speculative bubble of the 1980s and the current U.S. Nasdaq boom, arguing that both are fragile constructs sustained by three critical flaws: unsettled financial obligations, stock-based compensation, and questionable […]

Continue Reading