Martin Biely

Private Equity Principal, Cartesian Capital Group | Experienced Investor | Future of Investing | Leveraging Tech for Finance

[Bishop Robert Barron @BishopBarron]

Like many others, I have been alarmed by the success of certain politicians in our country who identify as extreme socialists or communists.

This is not a matter of classical liberals triumphing over standard-issue conservatives; this is the victory of people who stand athwart the fundamental principles that undergird our country.

There are many reasons why I detest Communism, but I want to draw attention to just one issue of supreme importance.

Karl Marx said that the first critique is the critique of religion. He meant that, before a complete re-working of the politics and economics of a society can take place, religion has to be taken down.

This is because religion, as he saw it, is the “opium of the masses,” a drug taken to dull our sensitivity to the suffering caused by economic exploitation. As long as the suffering populace is lured into complacency by fantasies about God's providence and the promise of eternal life, they will never rise up and throw off their chains.

But there is a second reason why the elimination of religion is of paramount significance for Marx.

Communism aspires to be a totalizing system, involving the government's control over education, entertainment, communication, politics, and especially economics.

What stands resolutely athwart this ambition is religion, which declares that all of these societal expressions are finally under the judgment of God. So, if you want Communism to succeed, religion has to be stamped out.

If you doubt me on any of this, I would encourage you to read the recent histories of China, Russia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Venezuela. Revisit those histories and tell me I'm wrong about the attack on religion.

Might I encourage my fellow believers in God not to be complacent in the face of this very troubling development in the American body politic?

[Martin Biely @martinbiely]

@Jason I'm in

[The Kobeissi Letter @KobeissiLetter]

BREAKING: The US is considering paying Greenlanders $10,000 to $100,000 each to support secession from Denmark.

We may soon witness the largest acquisition in world history.

[Fareed Zakaria @FareedZakaria]

America’s top universities should abandon their long misadventure into politics, retrain their gaze on their core strengths and rebuild their reputations as centers of research and learning.

My take:

[Bill Ackman @BillAckman]

Why Do Young Americans Support Hamas? Look at TikTok. | The Free Press https://t.co/NRW5WW0e0i

[Bill Ackman @BillAckman]

From a source I trust:

Events that point to Russian involvement in the Hamas attack on Israel:

“1) A week before the escalation, Russian propaganda TV “Sputnik” launched a broadcasting TV channel in Lebanon in Arabic.

2) On September 24th, the Russian intelligence space satellite capable of conducting radio-electronic reconnaissance and intercepting satellite signals was moved to Israel's geostationary orbit.

3) From September 22nd to 24th, a Russian military delegation made an official visit to Iran.

We know that in exchange for providing missiles and drones to attack Ukraine, there were several requests from the Iranian side, including expansion of intelligence capabilities.

Shortly after the visit, representatives of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps met with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

It is now clear what intelligence information the Russians began to provide to Iran and other interested parties.”

[Hananya Naftali @HananyaNaftali]

MUST WATCH: A British Author explains the truth about "proportionality". Well done!

[Ben Simon @benjaminsimon97]

“Israel is unwilling to give the people in Gaza and the West Bank more than an inch of freedom to live.”

Lots of people are retweeting this as an example of “great analysis.” In reality, it’s peppered with false moral equivalencies and half truths (if not outright falsehoods).

I want to address the most important and pernicious falsehood here, the one pasted above.

Israel *is* willing to give the people in Gaza and the West Bank “more than inch of freedom to live.” In fact, Israel has given a lot more than that in the past.

With respect to Gaza, Israel forcibly withdrew every single man, woman, and child—all 8,000 of them living there—from their homes in Gaza in 2005. The “disengagement,” as it was called, opened a deep, painful rift in Israeli society. Soldiers sobbed as they dragged their brothers and sisters out of homes. Every synagogue, school, factory, army base in Gaza was abandoned. Not a soldier remained.

All of this was carried out by a *right wing Israeli government* in the name of peace and Palestinian self determination.

Gazans were free—free enough to elect, not more than a year later (2006), Hamas, an organization with an official charter calling for the destruction of Israel and the killing of Jews. It was only *after* Hamas rose to power and started launching rockets at Israel that Israel imposed a permanent blockade of the strip, to stop the weapons influx.

Again, note the order of causality here. Israel unilaterally disengages in 2005. Hamas takes power (after a democratic election) in 2006-2007. Terror attacks start. Israel responds with a permanent naval blockade and air strikes and, every half decade or so, a ground invasion in response to an uptick in rocket attacks to destroy weapons caches and terror strongholds.

As for the West Bank, Israel has initiated peace processes various times since the 1947 UN partition plan was accepted by Israel but rejected by the Arab countries (who promptly invaded from all sides). All of these times—1993, 2000, 2008, 2019, and more—Israel has offered “land for peace” only to be met by firm rejectionism from elected Palestinian leaders, followed by government-sponsored terror attacks and rockets soon after.

The exception that proves the rule: after the Six Day War in 1967, Israel conquered the whole Sinai peninsula from Egypt. In 1979, the Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin—the father of the Israeli Right, and Bibi Netanyahu’s political hero—signed a peace treaty with Egypt: land (the Sinai) for peace. That treaty was *accepted* by Egypt and there’s been peace for the past 40+ years.

Not so with the Palestinians.

Instead, Hamas remains by all accounts *the most popular political party* not just in Gaza but also in the West Bank (which doesn’t have democratic elections these days). The original post would have you believe otherwise (“The Palestinian people do not have a government or leaders who legitimately represent their interests”). But time and again, anonymous polling has shown Hamas to be the most popular political group among Palestinians. If the PA in the West Bank allowed free elections, all analysts predict that Hamas would win in a landslide.

Does that mean there are zero Palestinians who want peace, or even just normal lives? No. But there is broad mainstream support for Hamas not just among Palestinians, but across the Arab world and, as we’ve seen in recent days, across even elite American college campuses.

Even—in some cases, especially—after the barbaric rape, beheading, and butchering of a thousand Israeli civilians this past weekend.

Stop with the moral equivalencies.

[Martin Biely @martinbiely]

@KeithWoodsYT @KeithWoodsYT you’re wrong: https://t.co/2b33Rn8tu8

[Martin Biely @martinbiely]

@PicturesFoIder Self defense

[Slovakia MFA 🇸🇰 @SlovakiaMFA]

Slovakia 🇸🇰 stands with Israel 🇮🇱

@IsraelMFA

[Martin Biely @martinbiely]

August's 3.7% inflation rise, led by gas prices, signals a moment for #PrivateEquity and #HedgeFunds to reassess. Currently, sectors like housing & food may offer new angles for long-term investment. Strategy recalibration is key. @NYPost #InflationImpact https://t.co/e0JhmS4zzI

[Martin Biely @martinbiely]

#Inflation is one of the biggest risks to #EconomicStability and can lead to significant uncertainty. Although it's important to be aware of #CPI levels, it's equally important to analyze other economic indicators, such as wage growth, to better understand the underlying economy.

[Peter Schiff @PeterSchiff]

As I've been warning #inflation as measured by the #CPI has bottomed and is now heading higher. Consumer prices rose .6% in Aug, 3.7% YoY, up from a low of 3% in June. Core prices rose .3% on the month, and 4.3% YoY. Consumer price gains will me much greater in 2024 than in 2023.

[Martin Biely @martinbiely]

@KobeissiLetter The rise in trade restrictions is alarming, and it's clear the Fed has their work cut out in addressing the resulting inflation.

[Martin Biely @martinbiely]

@Barchart It's great to see hedge funds investing in tech as it shows confidence in the sector.

[Martin Biely @martinbiely]

@ericwallerstein @WSJmarkets Interesting analysis - looking forward to seeing what the regulators have to say.

[Martin Biely @martinbiely]

In tragedy, the depth of humanity shines through.

As we recall that day, let's remember the love, unity, and compassion that arose from the ashes. #Reflecting911 #HumanityPrevails #MemoriesInHeart

[Martin Biely @martinbiely]

@FXStreetNews It looks like the EU PPI and PMIs have had a greater impact on EUR/GBP than the UK figures.

[Martin Biely @martinbiely]

Not too surprised by this data. No matter the efforts of governments to support markets, it's important to remember that investors can be fickle and that even the most positive news may not always translate into lasting gains. #MarketUnpredictability #HighVolatility #MarketRisks

[Liz Thomas @LizThomasStrat]

Despite opening up >5% in response to measures announced by the Chinese government to support financial markets, the CSI 300 rally faded throughout the day and ended up just 1.2%. So far, investors are not impressed by the stimulus.

[Martin Biely @martinbiely]

Hedge funds are increasing bearish bets on China, selling off equities. It's a calculated response to market signs, showcasing adaptability and caution in the investing world. @Vetta_Fi #China #HedgeFunds #GlobalEconomy https://t.co/gNlAAegVjt