German government calls for disaster preparedness

[bjorb]

[quote author= article Pierre]One day after Germany's DPA broke the news that the Merkel government is considering "bringing back nationwide conscription in times of crisis"[/quote]

Few months old but France has already been following suit for a while, Calling for 'patriotic' volunteers to protect the country against terror :

Hollande Says Boosted Reserve Force Could Form 'National Guard'
http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Hollande-Says-Boosted-Reserve-Force-Could-Form-National-Guard-20160720-0009.html

France has been calling on citizens to join the military reserves to help the country tackle a wave of terrorist attacks. French President Francois Hollande said Wednesday that a call to boost reserve forces had paved the way toward a resurrected "National Guard." “Between current reservists, and the call for more volunteers, we can say that France, with you, is forming a National Guard," Hollande said.

Hollande, who is currently on a European tour aimed at reinforce the foundations of the EU, visited Portugal on Tuesday and will stop over in Ireland on Thursday. The president’ statements follow the appeal made by Interior Minister Bernard on Saturday, who appeal to "all patriotic citizens" to join the military reserves to help the country tackle a wave of terrorist attacks that have befallen France in the past 18 months.

The French government has faced tough criticism over its ability to protect the population after Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel ploughed his truck through a crowd of Bastille Day revellers in the south city of Nice, killing 84.

The attack was claimed by the Islamic State group via a statement on its Amaq news service, saying one of its "soldiers" carried out the attack "in response to calls to target nations of coalition states that are fighting the extremist organization. France's reserve force comprises civilian volunteers in the police, army and paramilitary police, who can be deployed for specific missions.
The operational reserve is currently made up of 12,000 volunteers, 9,000 of whom are within the paramilitary police and 3,000 in the regular police force. The French National Guard had previously been established following the storming of the Basille on July 13, 1789, but was disbanded when France restructured its military following the crushing of the French Commune.

 

[Ca.]

Doesn't look all that bright in germany...

Not so good here in France either.

Mock Attacks to be Staged in French Schools to Prepare Children for Terrorism
20:14 24.08.2016
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160824/1044605795/france-school-terrorism.html
French schools will simulate attacks with the aim to prepare children for potential terrorism, media reported Wednesday.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) —

At the press conference on security at schools, colleges and lyceums, French Education Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve proposed that simulated terrorist attacks be staged in schools for all children aged three and older as soon as the new school year starts in September, Le Parisien reported.

The simulated attacks will be introduced as a game for the youngest children, called "The Kingdom of Silence," so that they do not panic. Among other compulsory security exercises, there will be mobile phone applications for teachers sending alert updates, and a crowd control reaction training for head teachers.

"It is not about establishing the climate of fear and anxiety in our institutions but rather about establishing the climate of work and reassuring the families, which could be worried," the municipal councilor of Noisy-le-Grand, Emmanuel Constant, told the French newspaper, commenting on the measure.

Certain security measures at schools have been already taken after terrorist attacks in November 2015, including increased surveillance, controlling crowds at school gates and increased security at the entrance of school buildings. A circular note with security recommendations was distributed on summer holidays to all educational institutions

 

[Voyageur]

Re: Czech are also warning their citizens to prepare! What does the EU know?

The Czech Republic tells its people to “Prepare for the worst”

http://<iframe width="854" height="...1Q" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Was just reading about the ex Chief of Staff of the Czech Army, General Petr Pavel (now in high command of NATO) whereby back in June he "let slip":

https://www.newcoldwar.org/theres-no-russian-threat-baltics-canadas-soldiers/

“It is not the aim of NATO to create a military barrier against broad-scale Russian aggression, because such aggression is not on the agenda and no intelligence assessment suggests such a thing,”

Well of course, yet what is at play here one wonders - "celestial intentions"?

 

[Gawan]

Germany Debates Putting "Troops On Streets" To Protect Against Terrorism

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-08-24/germany-debates-putting-troops-streets-protect-against-terrorism

Already in July the Bundeswehr and German police planned to work together in case of a terror attack and planned to hold exercises.

What is also interesting that Germany (minister De Mazeire) and France (minister Cazeneuve) want to have a travel register, that they know who is coming and going and why. Beside they also want to access to short message services that they can spy on citizens more easily and get more easily access to provider data.

Doesn't look all that bright in germany...

Not so good here in France either.

Mock Attacks to be Staged in French Schools to Prepare Children for Terrorism

Germany was thinking about the same this month and more and more people are supporting such ideas because of the "imminent terrors threats".

 

[luc]

Re: The German government calls the population for Disaster Reduction on

I was wondering about this, too. If we look at the result of officially telling people to stockpile, it's that people get alarmed or scared. If people put that together with the propaganda of Russian and muslim scapegoats, it looks like they're being primed (i.e. even more than already) for some incident to happen from the official 'bad guys'. If it does happen, people will have their confirmation that the PTB were right all along, or at least the PTB will have their justification for establishing a police state.

On the other hand, it is vital for people to have supplies on hand, so at least here's the official heads-up. Perhaps another part of it is seeing how people react to it?

Well, one thing to keep in mind is that this "civil defense strategy", which was now published by the interior ministry, has been ordered by the budget commission of the parliament in 2012. This was not long after a rather famous study was published by the parliament about the consequences of a long-term power outage in Germany.

The interior ministry developed this strategy parallel to the new "white book", which is the most important defense strategy paper published by the defense ministry - which interestingly defines Russia as a major threat for the first time.

So, I would say this civil defense strategy is the result of a rather normal bureaucratic process (could be wrong of course). But even so, it is used for further fearmongering, and the "Russion thread" connection is interesting. But somehow, I doubt that people will fear Russia as enemy number one.

And yes, I agree, there is a positive side-effect: Now, "prepping" is officially recommended :) I wouldn't exclude the possibility that this "prepping" recommendation might come from the saner elements within the bureaucracy - even though the pathocracy will use it for their own purposes of course.

Fwiw

 

[loreta]

Belgian also wants her National Guard. There is an article in Sott.net but in French:

https://fr.sott.net/article/28863-La-Belgique-veut-elle-aussi-sa-Garde-Nationale


It can be a sort of control of the population, a big, huge propaganda against Muslims and Russians as in the beginning of the 20 century they teach a big, huge propaganda to kids in schools against Germans and then in 1914 the kids were not so kids but ready to fight for the country. Also it can be to control the people more and more that are against "them". This idea to re-do the military service is very good for them, young people that don't work will be again controlled. These stages in schools seems propaganda also.

 

[Pierre]

In case of a meltdown of Deutsche Bank, stockpiling might indeed be a good idea.


Deutsche Bank CEO Warns Of "Fatal Consequences" For Savers

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-08-24/deutsche-bank-ceo-warns-fatal-consequences-savers

Deutsche Bank's war of words with the ECB is not new: it was first unveiled in February when, as we wrote at the time "A Wounded Deutsche Bank Lashed Out At Central Bankers: Stop Easing, You Are Crushing Us." Europe's largest bank, with the massive derivatives book, then upped the ante several months later in June, when its chief economist Folkerts-Landau launched a shocking anti-ECB rant in which it warned of social unrest and another Great Depression.

Ironically, these infamous diatribes hurt more than helped: telegraphing to the market just how hurt DB was as a result of the ECB's monetary policy, the market punished its stock, which has been recently trading within spitting distance of all time lows, in effect making Deutsche Bank's life even harder as it now has to contend not only with its own internal profitability problems, but also has to maintain a market-facing facade that all is well. So far, it has not worked out very well, prompting numerous comparisons to another infamous bank:

So, in what may have been DB's loudest cry for help against the ECB's unwavering commitment to rock-bottom interest rates, the bank's CEO, John Cryan, warned in a guest commentary ahead of the Handelsblatt Banking Summit titled, appropriately enough "Banks in Upheaval", to be held in Frankfurt on August 31 and September 1, that “monetary policy is now running counter to the aims of strengthening the economy and making the European banking system safer."

However, his most striking warning was not aimed at Mario Draghi, but at Germany itself - and ostensibly his own clients - implicitly suggesting that if Deutsche Bank goes down it is taking everyone down with it, when, as cited by Bloomberg, he warned of “fatal consequences" for savers and pension plans while “companies refrain from investments due to ongoing uncertainty and demand less loans.”

The details are known to those who have followed the paradox of central bank failure - if only for the economy and ordinary people - summarized earlier today by Citi's Matt King.

Quoted by Handelsblatt, Cryan warned that "the ECB’s policy is squeezing the margins of Europe’s struggling banks, making it harder for insurers to find profitable investments and dangerously distorting financial market prices." Meanwhile, he added, the hoped-for benefits haven’t materialized. “Given the continued uncertainty, companies are holding back on investments and are hardly seeking any credit anymore,” he wrote.

He added that it was unacceptable that financial regulators demanded that banks increase their safety cushions but then imposed punitive interest rates on these additional reserves.

Many agree with Cryan:"The hoped for pan-European investment boost hasn’t happened, and neither have the expected structural reforms in the affected euro member states,” said Georg Fahrenschon, president of the German Savings Bank Association. Instead, uncertainty is growing throughout the euro zone in light of the “horrendous sums of money the ECB is now directly pumping into the markets,” he added.

While Cryan admits that the ECB's intervention did avoid an all out collapse in Europe it has done so at extreme costs, like negative rates on most German debt. Which is why, Cryan writes it is high time for a change in direction at the ECB. He would say that: his bank is in the midst of a painful restructuring and battling to keep the confidence of investors, so the side effects of the ECB’s policy are causing it particular pain. That’s one reason why Mr. Cryan is particularly critical of the negative interest rate on bank deposits at the ECB. He said net interest income, traditionally the most important pillar of bank earnings in the euro zone, had fallen by 7 percent since 2009.

Martin Lück, strategist at Blackrock, the world’s largest asset manager, agrees with Cryan and fears that the ECB's actions are having the opposite effect of the spending spree intended. With interest rates falling, people have to save more rather than less to secure their pensions. And the punitive banks are weakening banks and forcing them to curb their lending, he said. Insurers and pension funds were also being hit because they had to enter ever higher risks to secure returns on their investments. This has become evident with the slide in yields into negative territory on many sovereign bonds including 10-year German government paper. These securities are the backbone of the insurers’ investments.

Private investors face the same problem. If they don’t want to take higher risks, for example by investing in stocks, “then they must save substantially more than before to secure their pension,” said Frank Engels, head of fixed income fund management at Union Investment.

Meanwhile, the beneficiaries of the ECB's asset reflation policy are few: only around nine million Germans own stocks, just over 10 percent of the population. The risk is now that savings will lie dormant in bank accounts without earning interest. Germany’s central bank, the Bundesbank, has calculated that Germany had a savings ratio of 9.7 percent for 2015, the highest level since 2010, and it’s likely to rise further in 2016. In the first quarter it was up 0.2 percentage points above the year-earlier level.

Worse may come if Cryan's fatalistic warning comes true: after all, few CEOs ever talk of "fatal consequences", especially since the context of these words has become so very clear.

* * *

So what, according to the CEO, is the only lifeline available to European banks, and to savers, in Europe? In his guest comment, Cryan said that an EU banking union was an important step that should be followed by a capital markets union, which become more important in order to provide the much needed funding for companies as banks shrink their balance sheets. In short, a continent-wide backstop system.

The warnings for savers could not be any clearer.

 

[Ca.]

In case of a meltdown of Deutsche Bank, stockpiling might indeed be a good idea.

Deutsche Bank CEO Warns Of "Fatal Consequences" For Savers
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-08-24/deutsche-bank-ceo-warns-fatal-consequences-savers

........ .......... ...........

Deutsche Bank Cannot Be Saved - Will Make Lehman Brothers Look Minor Aug 16, 2016

http://<iframe width="560" height="...VI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Jim Rogers : WARNING 2016 Deutsche Bank is Broke, Derivatives Collapse Coming Aug 22, 2016

http://<iframe width="560" height="...qA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Gerald Celente joins Gary franchi to reveal his forecast for the Eurozone after the fall of Deutsche Bank.
Deutsche Bank could cut up to 35,000 jobs by the year 2020 and shutting down branches all over Germany.

http://<iframe width="560" height="...-8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Pierre]

DB exposure to derivatives ($72 trillion) seems to be a threat indeed. However this should apply to other banks too:

Five Banks Account For 96% of $250 Trillion in Outstanding US Derivative Exposure … A mere 5 banks (and really 4) account for 95.9% of all derivative exposure … The top 4 banks: JPM with $78.1 trillion in exposure, Citi with $56 trillion, Bank of America with $53 trillion and Goldman with $48 trillion, account for 94.4% of total exposure.

So this focus on DB exposure seems a bit suspicious to me. Is it the German tree who is supposed to hide the US forest? Is it one more maneuver designed to put pressure on Germany? (Cf the 'Volkswagen 'scandal')

Meanwhile, Citi is buying hundreds of billion of derivatives from...Deutsche Bank!

Why Is Citi Gobbling Derivatives?

http://www.thedailybell.com/news-analysis/why-is-citi-gobbling-derivatives/

This U.S. Bank Is About to Relive the 2008 Derivatives Nightmare … Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE: DB) – with its stock now trading at a 30-year low – was recently called the world’s riskiest financial institution by the International Monetary Fun … In a last-ditch effort to save itself, DB is trying to dump a bucket load of credit derivatives … You would think no one would buy these weapons of financial mass destruction… but you’d be wrong.

The bank in talks to buy the Deutsche Bank derivatives is Citigroup Inc. according to this article. Well written and focused, it asks why Citi would buy more derivatives when last year Citi purchased $250 billion from Deutsche Bank.The idea is that Wall Street is simply too greedy for its own good and that this greed can rob bankers of perspective.

Citi is making deals because it can make money and damn the consequences. We’re not quite sure this interpretation is the correct one, as we’ll show in a moment.

Certainly, Citi’s actions don’t make much sense from a longer-term perspective. Most banks are trying to downsize. For instance, Credit Suisse Group AG just sold $380 billion of derivatives to … Citigroup! And this does seem strange, as Citi “nearly destroyed itself” with derivatives in 2008.

The US government had to guarantee up to $300 billion or more to ensure that Citi stayed solvent and now, given all the derivatives that Citi is buying, the US government might have to step in again if the market sours.

Bizarrely, this is a strategy that Citi has been pursuing for some time. Three years ago, the bank separated its derivatives and cash traders and created dedicated derivatives teams – including a “risk optimization” team led by Vikram Prasad, who explains, “You can’t have every trader obsessing over every capital measure. By giving that responsibility to a dedicated team, we’re using our resources in a more efficient way.” Right.

… “We consider single-name CDSs to be an integral part of our overall credit business,” says Brian Archer, Citi’s New York head of global credit trading. “A large number of our biggest clients still want to trade the product and use it to move risk. We have the appropriate resources in place to service that demand.” In other words, Citi is playing with explosives – and it’s proud of it.

The article goes on to inform us thatthe derivatives “monster” is about $650 trillion, which is a lower estimate than the one we’re familiar with, which is well over $1,000 trillion.

But even at $650 trillion, the market is “36 times the size of the U.S. GDP and over eight times larger than the world GDP – the entire global output of the entire world in a year.”

From Global Research in 2015:

Five Banks Account For 96% of $250 Trillion in Outstanding US Derivative Exposure … A mere 5 banks (and really 4) account for 95.9% of all derivative exposure … The top 4 banks: JPM with $78.1 trillion in exposure, Citi with $56 trillion, Bank of America with $53 trillion and Goldman with $48 trillion, account for 94.4% of total exposure.

This is a sizable part of the total derivatives market, however large it may be. And within a larger context these banks are in some sense an extension of the US government, and certainly of the Federal Reserve.

Is it possible the US government and the Fed are using Citi as a stalking horse to gather derivatives contracts?

If these derivative relationships are jeopardized by a market event, or even by a serious crash, could the Fed can step in and print the money necessary to stem the proverbial tide? The dollar remains the world’s reserve currency, after all.

And isn’t this in a sense what Ben Bernanke did when he sent $16 trillion around the world in 2008-2009 to ensure there was no larger collapse of the entire financial system.

The more derivatives owned by US banks, the more control presumably that the Fed has over the market. Perhaps it can create solvency for some participants while leaving others out, as it did during the throes of the financial crisis when it salvaged Merrill Lynch but sank Lehman Brothers.

The Fed’s power over market meltdowns has been suggested before. Here is an article at Newsmax entitled, ‘Aftershock’ Author Wiedemer: “Fed Can Stop Stock Meltdown by Printing More Money.”

The Federal Reserve can stop the nation’s stock market meltdown just by printing more money in yet another round of quantitative easing, Robert Wiedemer, co-author of “Aftershock: Protect Yourself and Profit in the Next Global Financial Meltdown,” told Newsmax TV.

Many knowledgeable observers would deny vehemently that the Fed could stabilize the market in the face of a significant derivatives crash – and we’ve accepted this conclusion in the past. Yet Citi is certainly not acting like a bank that fears the almost inevitable consequences of its actions.

Perhaps there have been private assurances given that the Fed intends to do what is necessary to ensure Citicorp’s continued existence – and that of other Wall Street firms and significant overseas banks as well. In doing so, perhaps Fed officials believe they can select additional winners and losers while aiming the larger market in a desired direction.

Conclusion: This would be quite an arrogant series of assumptions, yet arrogance is not in short supply at the top end of American institutions. Of course, consider the corollary: What if they’re wrong?

 

[Ca.]

Yeah to hear these guys everything is just fine.........................Profits ahead. USA Titanic

Full Show: Bloomberg ‹GO› (08/24)
Bloomberg ‹GO› hosted by David Westin, Jonathan Ferro, and Alix Steel. Guests include UBS U.S. Equity and Derivatives Strategist Julian Emanuel and Deutsche Bank Securities U.S. Economist Brett Ryan.
(Source: Bloomberg)

_http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2016-08-25/full-show-bloomberg-go-08-24

 

[Voyageur]

[...]

Meanwhile, Citi is buying hundreds of billion of derivatives from...Deutsche Bank!

Why Is Citi Gobbling Derivatives?

http://www.thedailybell.com/news-analysis/why-is-citi-gobbling-derivatives/

[...]
From Global Research in 2015:

Five Banks Account For 96% of $250 Trillion in Outstanding US Derivative Exposure … A mere 5 banks (and really 4) account for 95.9% of all derivative exposure … The top 4 banks: JPM with $78.1 trillion in exposure, Citi with $56 trillion, Bank of America with $53 trillion and Goldman with $48 trillion, account for 94.4% of total exposure.

This is a sizable part of the total derivatives market, however large it may be. And within a larger context these banks are in some sense an extension of the US government, and certainly of the Federal Reserve.

Is it possible the US government and the Fed are using Citi as a stalking horse to gather derivatives contracts?

If these derivative relationships are jeopardized by a market event, or even by a serious crash, could the Fed can step in and print the money necessary to stem the proverbial tide? The dollar remains the world’s reserve currency, after all.

And isn’t this in a sense what Ben Bernanke did when he sent $16 trillion around the world in 2008-2009 to ensure there was no larger collapse of the entire financial system.

The more derivatives owned by US banks, the more control presumably that the Fed has over the market. Perhaps it can create solvency for some participants while leaving others out, as it did during the throes of the financial crisis when it salvaged Merrill Lynch but sank Lehman Brothers.

The Fed’s power over market meltdowns has been suggested before. Here is an article at Newsmax entitled, ‘Aftershock’ Author Wiedemer: “Fed Can Stop Stock Meltdown by Printing More Money.”

The Federal Reserve can stop the nation’s stock market meltdown Just by printing more money in yet another round of quantitative easing, Robert Wiedemer, co-author of “Aftershock: Protect Yourself and Profit in the Next Global Financial Meltdown,” told Newsmax TV.

Many knowledgeable observers would deny vehemently that the Fed could stabilize the market in the face of a significant derivatives crash – and we’ve accepted this conclusion in the past. Yet Citi is certainly not acting like a bank that fears the almost inevitable consequences of its actions.

Perhaps there have been private assurances given that the Fed intends to do what is necessary to ensure Citicorp’s continued existence – and that of other Wall Street firms and significant overseas banks as well. In doing so, perhaps Fed officials believe they can select additional winners and losers while aiming the larger market in a desired direction.

Conclusion: This would be quite an arrogant series of assumptions, yet arrogance is not in short supply at the top end of American institutions. Of course, consider the corollary: What if they’re wrong?

It seems like a big assumption, yet it may have some hallmark elements of sick banking legerdemain to reconfigure the whole money market (while wiping people out left right and center). In Canada today the media was lamenting on the big 5 banks who though they would be having a bad quarter, when it turns out it was good one, or so they say. They said that the last time the banks had a bad quarter it was in 2009. They failed to remind listeners that back then, four of the five banks were bankrupt and were bailed-in by TARP funds (among other funds), and then it was business as usual; yet it was billions not trillions, though I'm not sure it maters to them.

 

[Ca.]

DIE WELT- 29.08.2016 Video
Deutschland Ministeriumsentwurf
https://beta.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article157877470/Im-Notfall-sollen-Bauernhoefe-beschlagnahmt-werden.html?wtrid=crossdevice.welt.desktop.vwo.article-spliturl&betaredirect=true
Im Notfall sollen Bauernhöfe beschlagnahmt werden

Für den Fall einer Versorgungkrise sollen Behörden Bauernhöfe und Lebensmittelbetriebe beschlagnahmen können.

In Betracht kommen Krieg, Stromausfall, Pandemie oder ein Terroranschlag mit Freisetzung radioaktiver Strahlung.
Wirksamstes Mittel zur Vorsorge ist die „Vorratshaltung durch die Privathaushalte“.

Warum das wichtig ist:

Auch wenn eine solche Krise unwahrscheinlich ist, sie kann nicht vollständig ausgeschlossen werden.

Die Bundesregierung regelt die Versorgung der Bürger mit Lebensmitteln im Falle einer schweren Krise neu. „Eine Versorgungskrise ist ein Szenario, in dem bis zu 80 Millionen Menschen über den freien Markt keinen Zugang zu Lebensmitteln mehr haben und daher hoheitlich versorgt werden müssen“, heißt es in einem vom Agrarministerium ausgearbeiteten Gesetzentwurf, der der Nachrichtenagentur Reuters vorliegt.

Eine solche Krise sei zwar unwahrscheinlich, sie könne aber nicht vollständig ausgeschlossen werden: In Betracht kämen eine kriegerische Auseinandersetzung, ein großflächiger Stromausfall, eine Pandemie oder ein Terroranschlag mit großflächiger Freisetzung radioaktiver Strahlung.

Extremwetterlagen, technische Störungen, Naturkatastrophen oder die Freisetzung von Gefahrstoffen dürften dagegen nach

Einschätzung der Experten nicht zu einer Versorgungskrise führen. „Derartige Ereignisse konnten seit Bestehen der Bundesrepublik stets mit den Mitteln des Katastrophenschutzes bewältigt werden“, heißt es dazu in dem Entwurf, der derzeit in der Ressortabstimmung zwischen den Ministerien ist und auch vom Bundesrat genehmigt werden muss.

Vorgaben aus der Nachkriegszeit

Der Entwurf enthält wie bisher Ermächtigungen, mit denen die Regierung Regeln zur Produktion und Zuteilung von Lebensmitteln erlassen kann. Neu sind Befugnisse, die den Behörden im Notfall die Beschlagnahmung von Bauernhöfen und anderen Lebensmittelbetrieben ermöglichen sollen.

Die Regierung kommt mit der Neuregelung Forderungen des Bundesrechnungshofes nach. Dessen Prüfer hatten 2011 gerügt, dass die in ihren Ursprüngen noch aus der Nachkriegszeit stammenden Vorgaben zum Umgang mit einer Versorgungskrise Schwachstellen enthielten.

Der Rechnungshof mahnte unter anderem die Erarbeitung aktueller Krisenszenarien an. Außerdem plädierten die Prüfer dafür, ein Gesamtkonzept mit einheitlichen Regelungen für militärische und zivile Krisenfälle zu erlassen. Bisher existieren zwei separate Gesetze.

Staatliche Vorratshaltung wird überprüft

Zudem soll die staatliche Bevorratung von Lebensmitteln überprüft und neu geordnet werden. Auch dies war eine Forderung des Bundesrechnungshofes. Die Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung ist bisher einerseits zuständig für die sogenannte Zivile Notfallreserve aus Reis, Erbsen, Linsen und Kondensmilch, die in einer Krise vor allem in Ballungsräumen bei der Versorgung der Menschen mit mindestens einer täglichen Mahlzeit helfen soll.

Außerdem verwaltet die Anstalt die Bundesreserve Getreide mit Weizen, Roggen und Hafer, die in der Nähe von Mühlen gelagert wird. So soll im Krisenfall die Versorgung mit Mehl und Brot aufrechterhalten werden.

Wirksamstes Mittel zur Vorsorge sei allerdings die „Vorratshaltung durch die Privathaushalte“, heißt es in dem Entwurf. Empfehlungen zur privaten Vorratshaltung sind auch seit Langem Teil des Zivilschutzkonzeptes, dessen Neufassung Bundesinnenminister Thomas de Maizière kürzlich vorstellte.

G-Trans

Authorities should be able to seize farms and food businesses In the event of a supply crisis.

Considering coming war, power failure, pandemic or a terrorist attack involving release of radioactive radiation.

Powerful method for screening is the "stockpiling by households".

Why it matters:

Even if such a crisis is unlikely, it can not be completely excluded.

The federal government regulates the supply of citizens with food in case of serious crisis again. "A supply crisis is a scenario in which up to 80 million people on the free market do not have access to food more and therefore have to be sovereign supplies", according to a prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture bill, which present the news agency Reuters.

While such a crisis is unlikely, but it could not be completely ruled out: Considering came a warlike conflict, a widespread power outage, a pandemic or a terrorist attack involving large-scale release of radioactive radiation.

Extreme weather conditions, technical faults, natural disasters or the release of hazardous substances likely to hand not lead to the experts, to a supply crisis. "Such events could since the Federal Republic always be overcome by means of civil protection", puts it in the draft, which is currently in the departmental co-ordination between ministries and should also be approved by the Federal Council.

Specifications of postwar

The draft contains the known authorizations with which the government may adopt rules for the production and allocation of food. New features include powers to allow the authorities in an emergency the seizure of farms and other food establishments.

The government comes with the new regulation demands the Federal Audit Office. Its inspectors had in 2011 alleging that the still originating from the post-war period in its origins guidelines for dealing with a supply crisis contained vulnerabilities.

The Court reminded the audience, among other things the development of current crisis scenarios. In addition, the examiner argued for adopting an integrated approach with uniform regulations for military and civil emergencies. So far, there are two separate laws.

State stockpiling is checked

In addition to checking the state stockpiling of food and rearranged. This was also a requirement of the Federal Court. The Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food has been one part responsible for the so-called Civilian emergency reserve of rice, peas, lentils and condensed milk, which is intended to help in a crisis, especially in metropolitan areas in the care of people with at least one daily meal.

In addition, the Institute administers the Federal Reserve cereal with wheat, rye and oats, which is mounted near mills. So to be maintained in the event of a crisis, the supply of flour and bread.

However, the most powerful method for screening is the "stockpiling by households", says the draft. Recommendations to private stocks are also long been part of the civil defense concept, which recast Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière recently introduced.

Germans "Lose Faith In Banks", Rush To Buy Safes
Aug 30, 2016 3:38 AM
by Tyler Durden
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-08-29/safes-sell-out-germany-savers-lose-faith-banks
Snip:

Thies Hartmann, managing director of the Hamburger Stahltresor store in Hamburg
It is no secret that one of the most admirable qualities of the German public - in addition to its striking propensity for thrift in the aftermath of Weimar - is its stoic patience and pragmatism when dealing with adversity. However, over the past month, we grew increasingly confident that said patience would be tested, if only when it comes to matters of monetary trust vis-a-vis the local, neighborhood bank. First it was the news that Raiffeisen Gmund am Tegernsee, a German cooperative savings bank in the Bavarian village of Gmund am Tegernsee, with a population 5,767, finally gave in to the ECB's monetary repression, and announced it’ll start charging retail customers to hold their cash. Then, just last week, Deutsche Bank's CEO came about as close to shouting fire in a crowded negative rate theater, when, in a Handelsblatt Op-Ed, he warned of "fatal consequences" for savers in Germany and Europe - to be sure, being the CEO of the world's most systemically risky bank did not help his cause.

That was the last straw, and having been patient long enough, the German public has started to move. According to the WSJ, German savers are leaving the "security of savings banks" for what many now consider an even safer place to park their cash: home safes.

 

[angelburst29]

Re: The German government calls the population for Disaster Reduction on

It is based on a paper that was put forward already in 2012. It sounds like a preparation against the "russian threat", more then anything

The announcement/article appeared on August 21, 2016. I'm wondering, that it might not have been specifically "a Russian threat" that prompted the announcement?

Germany is part of NATO and shares it's intelligence.

Two days earlier, Syrian airstrikes came close to the newly formed USA/NATO Hasaka Air base and US-Coalition jets were scrambled, then a "warning" issued to the Syrian Government. Think of the serious implications of this situation? We know that U.S. and NATO Forces are in Syria - illegally and now the Pentagon has brazenly dictated orders directly to the Syrian Government - that they will "protect" their ground and air force's, even going as far as stating - they will target Syrian/Russian jets. Syria has every legal right to confront their illegal occupation and eliminate them?

On the flip side, Erdogan decides to enter Syria, "NOW" come hell or high water and asks the U.S. for air cover. NATO's high command scrambles to Turkey and a day or two later, VP Biden and Kerry show up but Erdogan goes ahead with his plans, while the U.S. lags behind in providing cover. Erdogan even went as far as dismantling a part of a Border Wall being constructed on the Syrian/Turkish Border line, to get his tanks through into Syria. Adding to U.S. and NATO's headaches, Erdogan is following his own script/plans and compromising the U.S.'s position and it's newly constructed air base.

If the U.S. and NATO get really STUPID - they could directly attack Erdogan's ground forces and start an all out War scenario or shoot down a Syrian/Russian plane? Then there's Murphy's Law - where even an honest mistake - could lead to all out War?

Aug. 19 - US-Coalition Scrambles Jets in Response to Syrian Airstrikes
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160819/1044442547/us-coalition-syria-strikes.html

Aug. 22 - NATO Europe Commander Arrives in Ankara for Meeting With Turkish General Staff
http://sputniknews.com/world/20160822/1044511049/nato-turkey-meeting.html

Aug. 22 - Turkey Launches Artillery Barrage on Northern Syria
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160822/1044528797/turkey-ypg-daesh-shelling.html

Aug. 23 - US ready to target Russian, Syrian jets in Syria: Pentagon
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/08/23/481261/US-Russia-Syria-Daesh

Aug. 24 - VP Biden and Kerry visit Turkey
http://sputniknews.com/world/20160822/1044505595/turkey-united-states-biden-visit.html

On August 24, Turkey launched a ground operation in Syria codenamed ‘Shield of Euphrates.’

WAR ON THE HORIZON AS EUROPE PREPARES FOR THE WORST
http://novorossia.today/war-horizon-europe-prepares-worst/

The German government appear to be preparing for a major war in Europe, as Conscription (Draft) Orders are being secretly sent out to doctors telling them to report for duty, yournewswire.com portal reported.

According to the portal, two doctors have disclosed that they received Orders, telling them that they must report to a military center to begin Army service within 8 days of receipt, and warning them not discuss it with anybody.

The orders come less than one week after the government ominously warned citizens to stockpile food and water in the event of an emergency “which threatens our existence“.

One day later, the Czech Republic told its citizens to begin “preparing for the worst.”

Five days later, the government of Finland began quietly telling its citizens, through local government Councils, to begin stockpiling food and water, to prepare for something bad.

Media previously reported that Russia had mobilized Reserve Army Troops for the first time since the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia. Portal claims that the total mobilization is actually 80 mobilization brigades: About 10 tank brigades, 30 motor rifle brigades, 20 artillery and 20 other support brigades – about 300,000 men.

According to the Pentagon, there has never been a mobilization like this in Russia before. The shear size of it is described by seasoned Pentagon officials as “staggering”.

Add to the above, this recent report .....

Lithuania has supplied about 150 tonnes of ammunition to Ukraine for the first time since 2014, says a spokesman for the country’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Lithuania supplies Ukraine with lethal weaponry
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/09/03/482988/Lithuania-Ukraine-lethal-weaponry

The unnamed spokesman told Reuters on Saturday that a day earlier Vilnius had handed over to Ukrainian authorities the ammunition cargo, mostly 5.45 caliber cartridges for various modifications of Kalashnikov AK-47 rifle.

This is the second time Lithuania, a member of NATO and neighbor of Russia, has supplied Ukraine with lethal weaponry.

 

[Nachtweide]

German policy is currently facing a major test. In a state election the CDU reached fewer votes than the AFD. Of course, this is a punishment for the policy at the federal level. It will be interesting, we will respond Merkel it. The trend is now quite clear. The ruling party trembles before the federal elections 2017. Merkel will have to move towards the people. All it takes is a correction in the refugee issue from no.
At the moment the Armenienresulution is again diluted to calm Erdogan because our soldiers will not have access to the NATO base Incirlik in Turkey.
Merkel has to do something, otherwise there next year a huge earthquake in Parliament and in Germany.

 

[Pierre]

Deutsche Bank Slapped With $14 Billion Fine By DOJ Over Mortgage Probe

www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-09-15/deutsche-bank-slapped-14bn-fine-doj-over-mortgage-probe

Blowback? Just a few weeks after the EU slapped Apple with a $14 billion bill for "back taxes," the U.S. has apparently responded with a $14 billion fine of their own to Deutsche Bank to settle an outstanding probe into the company's trading of mortgage-backed securities during the financial crisis.

Shareholders are not happy...

According to the Wall Street Journal, the proposed settlement would be largest fine paid by any of the banks related to similar charges. Unfortunately for DB, the fine is roughly equal to it's entire market cap and the stock is plunging nearly 8% in after hours trading.

The U.S. Justice Department proposed that Deutsche Bank AG pay $14 billion to settle a set of high-profile mortgage-securities probes stemming from the financial crisis, according to people familiar with the matter, a number that would rank among the largest of what other banks have paid to resolve similar claims and is well above what investors have been expecting.

The figure is described by people close to the negotiations between Deutsche Bank and the government as preliminary, and they said it came up in discussions between the bank and government lawyers in recent days. It hasn’t been previously disclosed. Deutsche Bank is expected to push back strongly against it, the people said, and it is far from clear what the final outcome will be.

It is also unclear how much of that amount is proposed to be paid in cash, and how much could be in consumer relief, as past deals have been structured.

A DB spokesman confirmed back in July that negotiations had been initiated with the DOJ though no estimates had been provided on the size of any potential settlement before today. That said, the Wall Street Journal notes that DB's attorneys had privately suggested that a $2 - $3 billion settlement with the DOJ was probably in the ballpark. Meanwhile, wall street analysts had estimated settlements in the $2-$5 billion range. Any fines paid pursuant to current negotiations would be in addition to the $1.9 billion already paid in 2013 to settle other U.S. claims related to mortgage-backed securities.

Per the table below, as of June 30, DB had reserved a total of €5.5 billion for civil litigation and regulatory penalties on its balance sheet.

The size of the proposed settlement is also bad news for other European banks that remain under investigation by the DOJ including Barclays, Credit Suisse, UBS and RBS. Lawyers working with other banks have indicated that DB's settlement would likely set the precedent for what other Euro banks might be expected to pay.

Just when you thought DB was safe...