"The degree and level of propaganda now flowing from the Establishment and the Establishment-controlled mainstream media is on par with that of the old Soviet Politburo or German Third Reich. In fact, I’d confidently propose that this point is incontestable. With modern technology and regulations which have made Fed operations and accountability tragically opaque, I have zero doubt that the Fed and the Government have managed to turn the stock market into another propaganda tool. Studies have shown that, over the short term, the direction of the stock market and consumer sentiment measures are highly correlated.
Thus, pushing the stock market a lot higher is a mechanism that can be used to influence the public’s sentiment and willingness to spend. This is critical after an election in which the political party controlling Capitol Hill changes and – more important – during the holiday shopping season. Without question the U.S. economy is beginning to quickly crumble. If you “peel away” the manipulative techniques applied to the economic reporting it reveals that every segment of the economy is now contracting.
...