A Mystery in the Middle East
April 10, 2008
This is a Special Edition of Outside the Box from my friend George Friedman and Stratfor. You've heard me say before that these guys see the world in a different way, but this piece just makes it crystal clear. There are serious rumblings about a major war coming between Israel and its neighbors, and George has put what seems like innocent dots on the board and wonders if there is not a pattern emerging. I am especially looking forward to seeing George and his wife and partner Meredith at my conference this weekend.
The newspapers will do a wonderful job of telling you the bombs started falling yesterday, but that's like trading on yesterday's quotes. George's team is focused on what's coming, and their geopolitical insights are uncannily accurate.
If you've been reading my letters for a while, you know that George has offered a special rate to my readers. George and his colleague Fred Burton both have new books coming out soon, and they've very kindly extended a special offer on a Stratfor membership that includes autographed copies. Like all of us, I hope there's not going to be a new war in Israel, but hope is no more a geopolitical strategy than it is an investment strategy, so I encourage you to stay aware of what's coming by reading Stratfor.
I wouldn't recommend to you - via my emails or at my conference - someone that I didn't feel was the absolute best in the world at providing geopolitical insights to the private sector. If global events shape your investment decisions, and that's everyone these days, you need to complement your financial awareness with geopolitical intelligence. I hope you click here to take advantage of George's very kind offer.
Mid-East Update: Confusion Before the Storm
July 17, 2006
In my Friday letter, Thoughts from the Frontline, I wrote, "This week's events have made it clear why as investors you need to be able to get a handle on world events." The turmoil in the Middle East has only intensified since then, making the markets start off the week in the midst of geopolitical uncertainty.
I think you will find it interesting to read today's note from Stratfor on the Mid-East situation. Strategic Forecasting, Inc, or Stratfor for short as I noted last Friday is my single best source for geo-political news. The company is headquartered in Austin, TX with a satellite office in Washington, DC and intelligence sources from around the world. Stratfor focuses on providing corporations, governments and individuals strategic intelligence on the economic, political and security issues that will affect them.
George Friedman, the President of Stratfor, has written an up-to-date piece on how the Israeli/Hezbollah conflict is likely to unfold. With oil in the mid 70's and the Fed facing tough decisions, investors must be on their guard with yet even more volatility from geopolitical concerns. I trust that you will find this alert to be quite "Outside the Box" compared to what the traditional media is reporting.
I have gotten them to reduce their normal subscription rates to $199 for the next few days. You can subscribe by going to https://www.stratfor.com/offers/060522-milrate/?ref=060522-milrate-BMG&camp=060522-milrate. Once again, if you need a real source of information on what is happening in the world, especially if you are in the money management business, you should subscribe.