Top Trader Forecasts Gold & Silver for 2026 – and the Black Swan That Could Derail Markets

Top Trader Forecasts Gold & Silver for 2026 – and the Black Swan That Could Derail Markets

Miles Franklin Media:  12-28-2025

Michelle Makori, President & Editor-in-Chief, Miles Franklin Media, is joined by Gareth Soloway, Chief Market Strategist at Verified Investing, to break down what could become the true black swan of 2026. Soloway shares his 2026 forecast for gold, silver, palladium, platinum and more. He also gives his top trade of 2026. In this episode of The Real Story:

Why gold and silver surged to record highs in 2025 & what that signals next

Soloway’s call for $5,000 gold in early 2026

Why silver may see a sharp correction before its next leg higher

Bitcoin’s ETF-driven transformation into a macro trading asset

Why oil could be the most overlooked trade of 2026

How near-24/7 stock trading could turn markets into a casino

Coming Up

00:34 Introduction: Precious Metals Performance in 2025

03:09 Bitcoin's Performance & Future Outlook

 13:23 Equity Market Predictions for 2026

 17:00 Potential Black Swan Events in 2026

19:05 Impact of Japanese Rates on US Markets

20:57 Inflation & the Fed's Role

34:59 Gold's Future in 2026

38:32 Gold Price Predictions for 2026

41:05 Silver's Extraordinary Performance

42:37 Silver Market Dynamics

49:13 Platinum & Palladium Insights

 50:35 Top Trade for 2026

56:44 Avoiding Tech Stocks in 2026

01:00:31 Market Emotions & Investor Psychology

 01:01:30 Round-the-Clock Trading: A New Era

01:05:00 Final Thoughts & Personal Advice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uitA8tUhO9w

Seeds of Wisdom RV and Economics Updates Monday Afternoon 12-29-25

Good Afternoon Dinar Recaps,

Key Watched Nations: Who Is Ready for the Global Financial Reset

Infrastructure, assets, and timing determine who moves first

Overview

• The global reset will not occur uniformly across all countries

• Readiness depends on infrastructure, reserves, governance, and political timing

• Some nations are technically ready but politically constrained

• Others are asset-rich but policy-limited

• Quiet preparation often signals higher readiness than public declarations

Why This Series Matters

Most observers focus on headlines. Institutions focus on plumbing.
This series tracks countries where financial architecture is already aligned — even if public action has not yet occurred.

🇻🇳 Vietnam — Quietly Ready, Strategically Patient

• Deeply embedded in global manufacturing supply chains

• Conservative monetary policy and disciplined reserve management

• Rapid growth in digital and cashless payment rails

• Strategy favors smooth transition over disruptive reform

Status: Technically ready, deliberately quiet

🇮🇶 Iraq — Technically Ready, Politically Timed

• Core banking and payment systems upgraded and compliant

• Strong oil revenues support reserves and balance-of-payments strength

• Settlement and reporting infrastructure largely complete

• Political coordination remains the gating factor

Status: Infrastructure complete, execution paced

🇻🇪 Venezuela — Asset-Rich, Policy-Constrained

• One of the world’s largest oil reserves

• Significant gold holdings despite economic turmoil

• Currency credibility damaged by years of mismanagement

• Any reset participation depends on policy overhaul and governance reform

Status: Assets present, credibility rebuilding required

🇮🇷 Iran — Sanctioned but Structurally Aligned

• Energy-rich with strong domestic production capacity

• Alternative trade and settlement channels already in use

• Reduced dependence on Western banking systems

• Sanctions limit integration, not internal readiness

Status: Operationally adaptive, externally restricted

🇷🇺 Russia — De-Dollarized, Resource-Anchored

• Large gold reserves and commodity backing

• Settlement systems increasingly routed outside dollar rails

• Accelerated adoption of alternative payment mechanisms

• Strategic focus on sovereignty over integration

Status: Actively transitioned, geopolitically isolated

🇨🇳 China — System Builder, Not First Mover

• Advanced digital currency infrastructure

• Large gold reserves and trade dominance

• Prefers control, testing, and phased rollout

• Avoids triggering instability through sudden shifts

Status: Technically advanced, strategically restrained

🇧🇷 Brazil — Aligned, Cooperative, and Adaptive

• Strong participation in BRICS initiatives

• Commodity-backed economic strength

• Improving digital payment and settlement systems

• Favors multilateral coordination

Status: Ready through alignment, not leadership

🇺🇸 United States — Structurally Ready, Strategically Constrained

• Most advanced financial infrastructure globally

• Deep debt limits monetary flexibility

• Must manage transition without triggering loss of confidence

• Focused on control of timing rather than speed

Status: Ready but constrained by reserve-currency role

🇪🇺 European Union — Technically Advanced, Politically Fragmented

• Modern payment rails and regulatory frameworks

• Uneven debt and growth across member states

• Consensus governance slows decisive action

• Likely to follow coordinated global moves

Status: Operationally ready, institutionally slow

Why It Matters

The reset will favor countries that:

• Built infrastructure quietly

• Anchored value with assets

• Modernized settlement rails

• Managed timing carefully

Countries that confuse noise with readiness risk volatility.

Implications for the Global Reset

• Pillar: Readiness Is Uneven
  The reset unfolds in stages, not a single moment.

• Pillar: Infrastructure Beats Rhetoric
  Payment rails, reserves, and settlement systems determine who moves first.

This is not just politics — it’s global finance restructuring before our eyes.

Seeds of Wisdom Team
Newshounds News™ Exclusive

Sources

• International Monetary Fund — “Country Financial and Monetary Profiles”

• Bank for International Settlements — “Global Payment System Modernization”

~~~~~~~~~~

Silver’s Record Break and Sharp Reversal: What Volatility Means for Reset Assets

Structural demand, speculative spikes, and market mechanics collide in historic silver moves

Overview

• Silver prices hit all-time highs above $80 per ounce late in December 2025 before sharply retracing

• The rally was quickly followed by a steep pullback as profit-taking, margin requirement increases, and rapid repositioning hit markets.

• This pattern reflects deeper forces in silver — supply constraints, industrial demand, speculative leverage, and macro positioning, not just transient safe-haven flows.

• The swing in prices highlights how precious metals behave at the intersection of monetary stress and real demand needs — a key signal in the global reset landscape.

Key Developments

Parabolic Rally to Record Levels

• Silver climbed dramatically in 2025, driven by a blend of geopolitical uncertainty, expectations of U.S. interest rate cuts, tight physical supply, and industrial demand.

• Spot prices reached all-time highs near $80 per ounce (and intraday peaks reported above $83), far exceeding historical norms

• Tight inventories, export restrictions, and foundational supply deficits contributed to the surge. 

Sudden Pullback and Volatility

• After the record surge, profit-taking and risk reduction triggered a sharp decline in prices.

• Exchanges responded by raising margin requirements, putting pressure on leveraged positions and amplifying the selloff.

• Sharp intraday falls — including double-digit percentage retreats — underscored the fragile balance between speculative positioning and real demand pressures.

Underlying Forces Driving the Move

• Structural supply deficits and declining inventories created real scarcity pressures beyond typical safe-haven behaviors.

• Industrial demand — especially for technology, solar, EVs, and data centers — added a parallel consumption narrative.

• Macro drivers, including weakening currencies and rate expectations, enhanced precious metals appeal.

Why It Matters

Silver’s late-year ascent and dramatic reversal underscore how volatile hybrid assets — those with both industrial demand and monetary characteristics — behave under pressure.

Drivers of the Rally

• Structural supply deficits: global demand, particularly for industrial uses like solar, AI, and electrification, remains tight and outpaces mining increases. 

• Safe-haven rotation: geopolitical uncertainty, anticipated interest rate cuts, and concerns about currency debasement pushed investors toward hard assets. 

• Speculative momentum: record prices attracted a wave of leveraged and retail traders, inflating a self-fulfilling surge in futures markets. 

Mechanics of the Fall

• Margin hikes by exchanges quickly escalated holding costs, forcing leveraged longs to reduce exposure. 

• Profit-taking at extreme levels occurred as technical conditions became overbought, exacerbating sell-offs. 

• Paper markets reacted faster than physical demand, illustrating how liquidity stress can overwhelm fundamental price drivers. 

Why It Matters to Foreign Currency Holders

For foreign currency holders, silver’s volatility is more than a commodity story — it is a signal of shifting risk perception and repricing dynamics within asset markets.

• Volatility reveals liquidity fragility: When leveraged players dominate, market repricing can occur swiftly and deeply, influencing expectations for other monetary and near-money assets.

• Safe-haven rotation intersects with macro stress: Silver’s rally correlates with expectations of lower real yields and currency debasement — themes also central to currency repricing risk.

• Industrial demand embeds fundamentals: Unlike gold, silver’s pricing captures both value storage and real economic utility, making it a more sensitive early indicator of systemic stress.

Silver’s run and subsequent correction suggest that markets are actively testing the boundaries between store-of-value demand and industrial scarcity, a dynamic that will increasingly shape how currencies and alternative assets are valued in reset scenarios.

Implications for the Global Reset  

Pillar: Dual-Role Assets Lead Signals
Assets that combine monetary and industrial demand — like silver — can signal stress earlier than pure stores of value, highlighting where liquidity and leverage intersect with real demand.

Pillar: Market Mechanics Matter More Than Narratives
Margin costs, exchange interventions, and liquidity conditions can drive faster price adjustments than long-term structural narratives alone.

This is not just politics — it’s global finance restructuring before our eyes.

Seeds of Wisdom Team
Newshounds News™ Exclusive

Sources

• Financial Times — “Silver price tumbles as record-breaking rally goes into reverse”

• PV Magazine USA — “Silver hits record high of $83.62 an ounce”

• The Chronicle Journal – “The Great Silver Squeeze of 2025: How the ‘White Metal’ Breached $80 and Rewrote the Global Market”

~~~~~~~~~~

Seeds of Wisdom Team RV Currency Facts Youtube and Rumble

Newshound's News Telegram Room Link

RV Facts with Proof Links Link

RV Updates Proof links - Facts Link

Follow the Gold/Silver Rate COMEX

Follow Fast Facts

Seeds of Wisdom Team™ Website

Thank you Dinar Recaps

Iraq Economic News and Points To Ponder Monday Afternoon 12-29-25

The Economic Risk Map That The World Has Drawn Up For Iraq During The Year 2025

Economy 22-12-2025, | 602   Deep Structural Imbalances    Baghdad Today – Baghdad   In the assessments of international institutions regarding Iraq's situation in 2025, it is not viewed as an economy heading towards a single, specific crisis, but rather as a system living on a delicate balance: a state that finances itself from a single resource, consumes most of its revenue on current expenditures, postpones the development of a productive economy, and is then surprised to find that shocks do not come in isolation, but rather as simultaneous waves linked to oil prices, production decisions, water scarcity, youth employment, and investor confidence.

This is why reports repeatedly describe the situation as one of deep structural imbalances that cannot be remedied by temporary abundance or masked by circumstantial improvements.

Dangerous Dependence On Oil

The most consistent observation in the 2025 reports is that oil continues to dictate the pace of a nation's economy before it dictates the pace of the market. When a country's revenues are so tied to a highly volatile market, any change in prices or production levels can shift it from a position of substantial spending to one of strain in a short period. This dependence not only signifies financial vulnerability but also means that policy itself becomes a recurring crisis management exercise, adapting to the ever-changing oil price landscape.

Public Finances Under Constant Pressure

Reports link the fragility of oil revenues to the structure of public spending. The issue is not simply whether or not there is a deficit, but rather the composition of the budget: salaries, pensions, subsidies, and transfers, compared to productive investment that is insufficient to transform the economy. In this context, there is a recurring warning about the inflation of current spending at the expense of development spending, which makes the state less resilient in the event of an oil shock or an emergency.

An Undiversified Economy And A Sluggish Private Sector

Conversely, reports indicate that the non-oil sector is operating below its potential, and that years of relative stability have not automatically translated into rapid and sustainable growth. They add that the private sector remains constrained by chronic factors: bureaucracy, limited access to finance, weak competition, unstable policies, and state dominance over broad economic sectors. Without a clear regulatory environment and a vibrant financial market, private investment remains too weak to become a major engine of job creation.

Finance And Banking: A Hurdle That Delays Investment

One of the most frequent findings in the reports is that the financial system is not playing its full role in driving the economy. When credit to the private sector is limited, and when confidence in the financial system remains insufficient, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) become trapped between operating costs and difficulty accessing finance, which weakens expansion and innovation and reduces opportunities for creating stable jobs.

A Dysfunctional Labor Market And High Youth Unemployment

From a labor market perspective, reports highlight the expansion of the informal economy as a large but precarious employment sector. Informal jobs mean less protection, lower productivity, a limited tax base, and ultimately, a state that spends more to manage the consequences of unemployment rather than investing in preventing it. While public sector opportunities remain the most attractive, the state's capacity to absorb them is diminishing as wages inflate, leaving the youth gap open to increasingly complex social and economic possibilities.

Corruption And Governance: A Hidden Cost That Consumes The State

International reports treat corruption and governance as economic indicators, not merely ethical considerations. Corruption increases project costs, weakens competition, deters investment, and diverts public spending toward lower output at a higher cost. Simultaneously, poor governance undermines the ability of institutions to enforce fair and transparent rules, which directly impacts market confidence and capital willingness to invest.

Increased External Risks

Reports do not view Iraq as an isolated economy, but rather as a country that is quickly exposed to global shocks due to its dependence on oil. A slowdown in the global economy, geopolitical and trade instability, or changes in demand all translate into an immediate impact on revenues. And when domestic obligations are fixed and substantial, the margin for maneuver in the face of any revenue decline becomes very limited.

Water And Climate: The Danger That Became Economic

By 2025, the water issue had shifted from the realm of environmental concerns to that of economic ones. Water scarcity, agricultural decline, and internal migration are placing long-term pressure on cities, services, and the labor market, presenting the state with a costly dilemma: either significant investments in adaptation and resource management, or accumulating social and economic costs year after year. With the increasing complexity of the water situation in upstream countries, water has become a source of both external and internal pressure simultaneously.

2025 Summary: Improvement Is Reversible If Reforms Remain Delayed

The recurring theme in international reports is that improved revenues alone do not build resilience. If a country remains dependent on oil, consumes most of its resources on current expenditures, leaves the private sector without adequate funding and a clear competitive environment, and faces water scarcity as a recurring shock, then any oil, political, or security shock will push the economy back into a state of tension.

According to economist Ziad al-Hashemi , international reports during 2025 do not speak of a temporary crisis, but rather of structural risks in the Iraqi economic model, and that any improvement in revenues will remain fragile and susceptible to reversal with the first oil, political or security shock unless deep economic reforms are implemented.

Source: Baghdad Today + X website + Agencies   https://baghdadtoday.news/289543-2025.html

The Numbers Are Reassuring... But   Are The Reserves Sufficient To Protect The Dinar?… The Shocking Truth: The Danger Lies Not In The Market, But In The State Itself.

Baghdad Today – Baghdad   While the parallel market is testing the limits of monetary policy, the Prime Minister's financial advisor, Mazhar Muhammad Salih , offered explicit reassurance: the official exchange rate will remain at 1,320 dinars, and the recent fluctuations are merely "short-term noise." But behind this apparent calm lies a larger question concerning the state's ability to bolster its resources without jeopardizing monetary stability.

Economist Ahmed Abdel Rabbo interprets Saleh’s statements as part of a broader strategy; in his view, price stability is not merely a financial option but a political signal that the incoming government will not approach adjusting the exchange rate in its first year, in recognition of the magnitude of the inflationary impact that any step in this direction could have.

Abdel Rabbo tells Baghdad Today that the real challenge lies not in the exchange rate but in the revenue structure itself. He explains that Iraq loses billions of dollars annually through weak customs procedures, a paper-based tax system, and massive import flows that keep the demand for dollars high.

*****************************************

 In his view, increasing revenue requires less of a change in the exchange rate and more of a complete customs reform, a shift to electronic tax collection, and linking tax databases to foreign trade, banks, and border crossings.

What Abdel Rabbo points out aligns with part of Mazhar Saleh's vision: strong foreign reserves provide cover for the official exchange rate, and inflation, which has fallen to 2.5%, reflects the success of monetary policy in stabilizing prices. However, without addressing the loopholes in tax collection, evasion, and invoice manipulation, the parallel market will remain capable of generating speculative waves whenever a rumor or incomplete information emerges.

Abdel Rabbo also believes that part of the pressure on the dollar is a result of an economic structure that relies on consumer imports, which makes supporting agriculture, food industries, building materials and medicines not only a development option, but also an indirect monetary policy that reduces the need for the dollar and improves the balance of payments.

In light of this scenario, the equation for stability seems clear: protecting the dinar is not achieved by changing the price, but by reforming the economy from the bottom up.

What Saleh said about the stability of the reserves provides the necessary cover, but what Abd Rabbo is proposing represents the long road that cannot be avoided if the state wants a stable exchange rate that is not shaken by "temporary noise".     Source: Baghdad Today + Agencies   https://baghdadtoday.news/288554-.html

Central Bank Reserves: Gold Rises, Investments Decline By 5 Trillion Dinars

Source:   Alsumaria News   1,229 views   Alsumaria News– The economist  revealed the economy, Nabil Al-Marsoumi On Sunday, details emerged regarding the latest official data on foreign reserves.

Central Bank of Iraq He confirmed that it had reached levels close to $98.2 billion.

Al-Marsoumi stated in a blog post on his social media account that the foreign reserves of Central Bank of Iraq As of September 30, 2025, it reached $98.155 billion,” based on official figures.

He explained that the total figure mentioned is equivalent to 127.601 trillion dinars, distributed as follows: "Gold 27.552 trillion dinars, investments 98.308 trillion dinars, and cash reserves at the Central Bank 1.741 trillion dinars."

The economist pointed out that "compared to the end of last April, gold reserves increased by approximately 5 trillion dinars, while investments decreased by more than 5 trillion dinars during the same period."

Regarding investments, Al-Marsoumi said they "include investments in US Treasury bonds, British bonds, bonds of other countries, and the purchase of sukuk (Islamic bonds)."Development Bank Islamic investment involves placing deposits in various banks, which are highly liquid and low-risk investments.   LINK

For current and reliable Iraqi news please visit:  https://www.bondladyscorner.com

“Tidbits From TNT” Monday 12-29-2025

TNT:

Tishwash:  Sudani: Our relationship with countries in the region and the world is based on economic partnerships.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani affirmed that Iraq’s relations with the countries of the region and the world are based on economic partnerships.

He added that Iraq's relations with countries in the region and the world are based on economic partnerships, given Iraq's geostrategic location and its vast natural and human resources. He emphasized the importance of the relationship with the United States within the economic framework, given its companies and technology, from which Iraq can benefit from its experience.

He explained that Iraq and Syria have great opportunities to improve the economic situation, including the Kirkuk-Banias oil export pipeline.  link

************

Tishwash:  The Sudanese government directs the release of a new batch of payments owed to contractors.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani directed on Sunday the release of a new batch of payments for completed work as part of a series of payments to Iraqi contractors.

The office of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a statement received by Al-Ghad Press that he chaired a meeting on Sunday regarding the contractual obligations of contractors, in the presence of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Planning and the head of the Contractors Union.

According to the statement, the meeting included a review of the details of contractual obligations, their amounts, and the sums due to contractors implementing projects for all ministries and governorates, in order to guarantee the rights of contracting companies and support the stability of the construction sector, which is one of the most important drivers of the national economy.

Al-Sudani directed the release of a new batch of payments for completed work as part of a series of payments to Iraqi contractors, stressing the government's commitment to monitoring projects and their implementation phases and ensuring the payment of financial dues to contractors, in order to move forward with infrastructure and service projects  link

*************

Tishwash:  Parliamentary division precedes swearing-in session; vote on parliamentary speaker enters a phase of controversy.

 A parliamentary source revealed on Monday that there is a clear division within the Iraqi parliament, ahead of the swearing-in session, regarding the election of the parliament's leadership.

The source told Shafaq News Agency that "a number of MPs from political blocs, especially within the coordination framework, do not intend to abide by the directives of the heads of blocs and parties regarding voting on the candidates for Speaker of Parliament and his deputies, which threatens an undisciplined vote during the session."

He added that "the division is not limited to the House of Representatives, but also extends to the National Political Council and the Coordination Framework, where positions regarding the position of Speaker of Parliament are divided between a group that supports Hebat al-Halbousi, and another that supports Muthanna al-Samarrai."

The source indicated that the disputes also extend to the position of First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, particularly within the coordination framework, as the following are competing for the position: Yasser Al-Maliki, candidate of the State of Law Coalition; Adnan Faihan, candidate of Asaib Ahl Al-Haq and current Governor of Babylon and winner in the elections; Mohsen Al-Mandalawi; and Ahmed Al-Asadi, candidate of the Reconstruction and Development Coalition and current Minister of Labor and Social Affairs.

He explained that "the competition for the position of second deputy speaker of parliament is limited to two candidates, namely Shakhwan Abdullah from the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and Ribwar Karim from the Position Bloc," indicating that "the majority of the deputies of the political blocs tend to renew confidence in Shakhwan Abdullah to assume the position."

The Iraqi parliament is scheduled to hold its first session on Monday, its sixth session, which includes two items on its agenda: the first is the swearing-in of the new members, and the second is the election of the Speaker of Parliament and his two deputies, according to a statement issued by the parliament’s media department.

The Presidency of the House of Representatives consists of a Speaker and two Deputy Speakers, who manage the legislative sessions and organize the work of the Council. According to the political traditions followed after 2003, the position of Speaker of Parliament is allocated to the Sunni component, the First Deputy Speaker to the Shiite component, and the Second Deputy Speaker to the Kurdish component.

update later   link

************

Mot: They are cute and harmless but they are loud, incredibly expensive to keep and absolutely untrainable. 

They are cute and harmless but they are loud, incredibly expensive to keep and absolutely untrainable.

The other is a kangaroo. I don't really know much about kangaroos.

Mot: . Start the new year off right…

Seeds of Wisdom RV and Economics Updates Monday Morning 12-29-25

Good Morning Dinar Recaps,

Iraq — Technically Ready, Politically Timed

Infrastructure aligned, reforms staged, execution dependent on stability

Overview

• Iraq has completed most technical requirements for modern banking and payments

• Monetary and settlement infrastructure is largely in place

• Currency reform is paced deliberately to align with political stability

• Timing, not capability, is the gating factor

Key Developments

• Banking system upgrades have aligned Iraq with international compliance standards

• Payment rails and settlement mechanisms have been modernized and tested

• Foreign reserve management has improved, supporting monetary credibility

• Oil revenue continues to anchor fiscal capacity and balance-of-payments strength

• Political coordination remains the primary variable influencing execution timing

• Gradual reform sequencing is favored over abrupt currency actions

Why It Matters

Iraq’s position illustrates a core truth of financial resets: technical readiness does not equal political readiness. The systems can be prepared, tested, and compliant, but execution depends on governance stability and coordinated policy decisions. Iraq’s measured approach reduces the risk of disruption while preserving the option to act when conditions align.

Why It Matters to Foreign Currency Holders

For foreign currency holders, Iraq represents a case where infrastructure readiness precedes visible change. This creates extended periods of anticipation followed by decisive movement. Watching political alignment, regulatory clarity, and fiscal coordination matters more than tracking technical milestones already achieved.

Implications for the Global Reset

• Pillar: Infrastructure First, Policy Follows
  Systems are built quietly before public currency actions occur.

• Pillar: Timing Protects Stability
  Deliberate sequencing reduces volatility during transition.

This is not just politics — it’s global finance restructuring before our eyes.

Seeds of Wisdom Team
Newshounds News™ Exclusive

Sources

• International Monetary Fund — “Republic of Iraq: Financial Sector and Monetary Policy Overview”

• Bank for International Settlements — “Payment System Modernization and Cross-Border Settlement”

~~~~~~~~~~

Vietnam — Quietly Ready, Strategically Patient

Why disciplined preparation matters more than dramatic moves

Overview

• Vietnam is among the most structurally prepared emerging economies

• Readiness has been built through manufacturing depth, trade integration, and monetary discipline

• Digital payment infrastructure is expanding rapidly without destabilizing reforms

• Vietnam’s strategy prioritizes stability, timing, and system alignment

Key Developments

• Vietnam is deeply embedded in global manufacturing supply chains

• Monetary policy remains conservative and stability-focused

• Foreign reserves have been managed prudently relative to growth

• Digital and cashless payment systems continue to scale nationally

• Trade relationships are diversified across major economic blocs

• Policy direction favors readiness without disruption

Why It Matters

Vietnam demonstrates how financial transitions occur without chaos. Instead of forcing currency shocks or public realignments, Vietnam has quietly aligned its infrastructure, reserves, and trade relationships. This approach reduces volatility while preserving flexibility when broader global shifts accelerate.

Why It Matters to Foreign Currency Holders

For foreign currency holders, Vietnam illustrates that system readiness does not require headlines. Countries that modernize payment rails, maintain disciplined monetary policy, and integrate deeply into global trade are positioned to adapt smoothly during global resets. Quiet preparation often outperforms reactive policy shifts when currencies realign.

Implications for the Global Reset

• Pillar: Stability Before Repricing
  Countries that build quietly reduce shock risk during transition.

• Pillar: Infrastructure Signals Readiness
  Payments, reserves, and trade alignment matter more than rhetoric.

This is not just politics — it’s global finance restructuring before our eyes.

Seeds of Wisdom Team
Newshounds News™ Exclusive

Sources

• International Monetary Fund — “Vietnam Country Profile and Economic Indicators”

• World Bank — “Vietnam Economic Overview and Updates”

~~~~~~~~~~

Ukraine Peace Talks Reach Advanced Stage After Trump–Zelensky Meeting

Multi-hour Florida summit signals nearing resolution while key obstacles remain

Overview

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump report substantial progress toward a negotiated peace agreement

• Negotiators claim 90–95% of a proposed 20-point peace framework is agreed

• U.S.–Ukraine security guarantees are described as fully settled

• Final outcomes hinge on unresolved territorial, nuclear, and ceasefire issue

Key Developments

• Zelensky confirmed that approximately 90% of the 20-point peace plan is finalized

• Trump stated negotiators have resolved roughly 95% of the issues required to end the war

• U.S.–Ukraine security guarantees were described as “100% agreed” and a critical milestone

• Trump suggested clarity on success or failure would emerge within weeks

• Trump conducted a two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin prior to the meeting and planned follow-up discussions

• Negotiating teams are expected to reconvene in the coming weeks, potentially with European leaders present

Outstanding Obstacles

• Territorial Disputes: The status of the Donbas region remains the most contentious issue, with Trump warning Ukraine may face further losses if talks stall

• Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant: The U.S. proposed a joint operational framework involving Russia, which Zelensky has rejected

• Ceasefire Conditions: Zelensky insists a national referendum is required for any territorial concessions, while Russia has not yet agreed to a ceasefire to enable such a vote

Why It Matters

This negotiation phase represents more than a bilateral peace effort — it reflects broader geopolitical recalibration. A resolution to the Ukraine conflict would reduce systemic risk across energy markets, sovereign debt exposure, and European financial stability. The pace and structure of the deal signal that global powers are prioritizing managed outcomes over prolonged uncertainty.

Why It Matters to Foreign Currency Holders

For foreign currency holders, progress toward a Ukraine peace agreement directly impacts risk premiums, currency valuation, and capital flows. Prolonged conflict forces governments to fund defense, energy subsidies, and reconstruction through debt expansion, which weakens currency credibility over time. A credible path to peace reduces these pressures and shifts focus toward fiscal normalization.

Peace also stabilizes Europe’s energy outlook. Lower geopolitical risk in Eastern Europe reduces volatility in energy pricing, which directly affects inflation, trade balances, and central bank policy across multiple currencies. When inflation pressure eases, currencies tied to disciplined monetary policy regain relative strength.

Most importantly, conflict resolution allows global capital to move from defensive positioning into restructuring mode. Investors begin repricing currencies based on infrastructure readiness, trade integration, and settlement efficiency rather than wartime uncertainty. Currencies backed by stable governance, secure energy access, and modern payment systems gain durability, while those reliant on emergency funding and prolonged instability face repricing risk.

In reset terms, peace does not trigger revaluation — it removes the final obstacle that allows revaluation mechanics to proceed.

Implications for the Global Reset

Pillar: Conflict Resolution Enables Financial Repricing
Large-scale geopolitical conflicts delay capital reallocation. Peace unlocks restructuring across trade, energy, and currency markets.

Pillar: Security Guarantees Anchor Stability
Formalized security frameworks reduce uncertainty premiums embedded in global markets.

This is not just politics — it’s global finance restructuring before our eyes.

Seeds of Wisdom Team
Newshounds News™ Exclusive

Sources

• Reuters — “Zelenskiy meets Trump in Florida to discuss Ukraine peace plan”

• ABC News — “Trump says Russia and Ukraine are ‘maybe very close’ to peace deal after Zelenskyy meeting”

• CNN — “Takeaways from Trump’s meeting with Zelensky in Florida”

~~~~~~~~~~

🌱 A Message to Our Currency Holders🌱

If you’ve been holding foreign currency for many years, you were not foolish.
You were not wrong to believe the global financial system would change.

What failed was not your patience — it was the information you were given.

For years, dates, rumors, and personalities replaced facts, structure, and proof. “This week” predictions created cycles of hope and disappointment that were never based on how currencies actually change.

That is not your failure.

Our mission here is different:   • No dates • No rates • No hype • No gurus

Instead, we focus on:
• Verifiable developments • Institutional evidence
• Global financial structure • Where countries actually sit in the process

Currency value changes only come after sovereignty, trade, banking, settlement systems, and fiscal coordination are in place. History and institutions confirm this sequence.

You will see silence. You will see denials. That is not delay — that is discipline.

Protect your identity. Organize your documents.      Verify everything.
Never hand your discernment to anyone who cannot show proof.

You deserve truth — not timelines.

Seeds of Wisdom Team   Newshounds News

~~~~~~~~~~

Seeds of Wisdom Team RV Currency Facts Youtube and Rumble

Newshound's News Telegram Room Link

RV Facts with Proof Links Link

RV Updates Proof links - Facts Link

Follow the Gold/Silver Rate COMEX

Follow Fast Facts

Seeds of Wisdom Team™ Website

Thank you Dinar Recaps

Iraq Economic News and Points To Ponder Monday Morning 12-29-25

Beneath The Feet Of Iraqis: A Treasure Capable Of Transforming The Country's Economy... Job Opportunities And Huge Returns Await Activation

A disrupted strategic resource   Baghdad Today – Baghdad   With every attempt to predict the future of the Iraqi economy, silica emerges as a more postponed issue than a neglected one. This material, used in the manufacture of advanced glass, fibers, and solar cells, is now widely integrated into the global supply chain, yet in Iraq it remains in the stage of "geological existence" rather than "economic presence."

**********************************************

Huge Reserves 

Iraqi geological data indicates that the country possesses approximately 350 million tons of high-purity silica sand, distributed in the western desert and large areas of Anbar, with an average purity ranging between 95% and 99%, a percentage considered among the highest in the Middle East.

However, current extraction operations do not exceed 50,000-70,000 tons per year, while any sustainable processing industry needs a minimum of 500,000-1 million tons per year to enter commercial production, which effectively puts the sector outside the economic cycle.

A Different Governmental Vision

Mohammed Othman Al-Khalidi, a member of the Reconstruction and Development Alliance, confirmed to Baghdad Today that “the government has reinstated silica among the strategic priority files, with the intention of actually introducing it in 2026, as part of reactivating 16 important economic files.”

Al-Khalidi points out that the new investment map aims to shift the economy from dependence on oil — which currently accounts for more than 92% of revenues — to a broader model based on mineral resources and manufacturing industries.

Obstacles Hindering A Promising Sector

Analysis of the silica situation in Iraq reveals five key factors hindering investment:

1. Geographical distance: Most deposits are 250-350 km away from industrial centers.

2. Lack of specialized factories: There are no facilities for processing or manufacturing silica.

3. Unsupportive mining legislation.

4. Transportation costs range between $14 and $22 per ton.

5. A technological gap exists in the production of high-purity silica for the solar industries.

A Rapidly Growing Global Market, And Iraq Is Out Of The Picture.

The global silica market was valued at $22 billion in 2024, with projections indicating it will reach $32 billion by 2030, driven by the expansion of the glass and solar energy industries.
Although Iraq possesses larger reserves than some producing countries, its production remains at marginal levels.

Economic estimates indicate that silica could become a sustainable resource, significantly boosting the Iraqi budget, if incorporated into manufacturing industries. While selling the raw material yields limited returns, manufacturing completely alters the equation.

• Manufacturing 1 million tons annually can generate revenues ranging from
  $400 to $900 million per year, depending on the type of industry.

• If Iraq expands to produce 2-3 million tons, with most of it being processed, potential revenues will rise to between $1.5-2 billion annually within a decade.

If these figures are realized, silica could become one of the most important non-oil resources in Iraq in the coming years.

************************************************

2026: Will It Be A Pivotal Year?

The inclusion of silica as a government priority makes next year a test of the seriousness of the economic transformation. The transition from a geological resource to an advanced industry requires a suitable legal environment, new infrastructure, and international partnerships capable of introducing advanced technology.

If the state manages to provide these requirements, silica could become the first real success story in the path of diversifying the national economy, instead of remaining one of the resources that experts know about… but the market does not feel.    https://baghdadtoday.news/288533-.html

The Most Important Resource In Iraq Is Oil, "Outside The Calculations"... When Will It Be Transformed Into A Real Lever For The Economy?

Economy 10-12-2025, | 727  A true force for growth  Baghdad Today – Baghdad  In his latest analysis of the World Bank's 2025 report, economist Ziad al-Hashemi presents a starkly different picture of Iraq's "wealth." According to the report, the most important resource is not oil or fleeting financial surpluses, but rather "its people and its young generation."

 However, as al-Hashemi comments, this wealth is currently managed with minimal vision and maximum waste, to the point that Iraq has become one of the most fragile countries in terms of human capital development, despite its vast financial resources.

The World Bank report, as cited by Al-Hashemi, argues that decades of political conflict, instability, and government mismanagement have hampered human capital development, thereby diminishing opportunities for economic growth.

 The report indicates that Iraq's youth have lost "tens of billions of dollars" in potential earnings over the past years—amounts that could have been realized had they benefited from a quality education system, an effective healthcare system, and a productive labor market. In other words, Iraq has not only lost potential revenue but also the opportunity to accumulate expertise and skills that could have transformed its economy.

Fragility, as described by Al-Hashemi based on the report, is not a detail confined to a single sector.

According to this analysis, Iraq is among the most fragile countries in terms of education, training, health, and food security, with wide gaps at every stage of life: from early childhood, through school and working years, to old age.

A child enters school without adequate nutrition or structured early education, then a student receives a deteriorating education in overcrowded schools and universities, then a young person faces high unemployment or low-productivity jobs, then a worker ages without a robust pension system and health protection… a whole series of successive gaps, culminating in a less productive, more fragile, and less resilient society.

**************************************

On paper, the picture is different. Al-Hashemi points to the existence of national plans such as the "National Development Plan 2023–2027," but notes that implementation is repeatedly hampered by "the lack of ongoing reforms, mismanagement, the absence of effective governance, and insufficient funding."

 Plans are written, but the institutions meant to translate them into programs, policies, and tangible results remain trapped in bureaucracy, political infighting, and shifting priorities with each new government.

In this context, Al-Hashemi puts his finger on the heart of the problem: the weakness of government institutions and their inability to translate strategies into tangible results remains the greatest challenge facing any serious human capital investment project.

Institutions run on the basis of patronage and favoritism, rather than competence and accountability, tend to produce networks of rent-seeking jobs more than effective education, training, and healthcare programs.

The result is an economy increasingly reliant on government appointments and the absorption of young people into low-productivity jobs, instead of channeling them into a private sector capable of creating added value and sustainable employment opportunities.

However, Al-Hashemi does not view the issue as a hopeless case, but rather as an opportunity that still exists if it is treated as a national priority. He emphasizes that "Iraq has no option but to develop its human capital and invest in its youth," through a comprehensive approach that includes improving education, strengthening the healthcare system, expanding social protection, and opening the door for the private sector to create real job opportunities for young people, coupled with training and skills development.

Without this, new generations will remain trapped in the same cycle: studies that do not translate into skills, followed by a long search for a government job, or work in fields that do not match their qualifications.

Al-Hashemi also reminds us that "investing in people is the most important path towards sustainable economic growth and long-term prosperity," and that investing in human capital "is not a luxury, but rather a prerequisite for survival and advancement.

" Countries that have built a solid economic standing have not done so solely through natural resources, but also by cultivating a broad base of trained and capable individuals, able to innovate, adapt, and withstand shocks. "A country with trained and capable human capital," he says, "is often an economically resilient country, capable of withstanding crises and confidently progressing towards development and advancement."

In conclusion, Al-Hashemi links all these observations to a direct political question, albeit phrased in a calm economic manner: Will the next government take clear and tangible steps to invest in Iraqi human capital, or will the decline continue and it join its predecessors who neglected this issue and left young people stuck between waiting for government appointments or being drawn into unsuitable work?

Between an international report that raises its voice and warnings from local experts, Iraq's economic future seems to hinge on a practical answer to this question, not on more speeches and unimplemented programs.    Source: Baghdad Today + X website     https://baghdadtoday.news/288780-.html

For current and reliable Iraqi news please visit:  https://www.bondladyscorner.com

Why 2026 will be the End of the Fiat Experiment

Why 2026 will be the End of the Fiat Experiment

As Good As Gold Australia:   12-28-2025

As we navigate the complexities of the current financial landscape, industry experts Daryl Payne, CEO of As Good as Gold Australia, and Alasdair Macleod offer a stark warning: the global economy is on the brink of a significant upheaval.

In a detailed discussion, they shed light on the precious metals market, particularly silver and gold, and what the future holds for these assets amidst growing economic instability.

The conversation begins with silver, a metal that has been quietly gaining momentum. Alasdair Macleod highlights that silver prices are experiencing an extraordinary rise, primarily driven by industrial demand.

 The surge in emerging technologies, such as electric vehicle batteries, has significantly increased the demand for silver, propelling its price upwards. Moreover, central banks, especially in Asia, are accumulating silver reserves, further bolstering its value.

Macleod emphasizes that the long-term suppression of silver prices is finally correcting itself, reflecting fundamental changes in demand.

This breakout is not just a market fluctuation; it’s a significant shift that investors should take note of. As the world transitions towards greener technologies, the demand for silver is expected to continue its upward trajectory, making it a critical asset to watch in the coming years.

The discussion then shifts to gold, an asset that has traditionally served as a safe haven during times of economic uncertainty.

Alasdair Macleod underscores gold’s role as a monetary asset, particularly in an era where fiat currencies are facing increasing instability. The U.S. dollar, a long-standing global reserve currency, is under scrutiny as the global economy grapples with massive credit and equity bubbles.

Macleod warns that the current global credit and equity bubble is the largest in recorded history, far surpassing the 1929 crash.

As this bubble nears its bursting point, the repercussions will be severe, including rising bond yields, plummeting equity prices, and heightened counterparty risks. In such a scenario, gold is poised to play a crucial role as a safe-haven asset, protecting investors from the impending financial storm.

The conversation also delves into the broader geopolitical and currency implications of the current financial landscape.

The era of fiat currency is seen to be in decline, with major currencies like the U.S. dollar facing a loss of purchasing power. China is strategically positioning itself with gold-backed yuan trade settlements and forming alliances through BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Meanwhile, Europe and NATO are experiencing political fractures that could further destabilize the global financial system.

As the geopolitical landscape continues to evolve, the importance of holding assets that are insulated from these risks becomes increasingly evident.

Alasdair Macleod stresses that rising inflation is inevitable and that governments may resort to price controls, which will only exacerbate economic pain for ordinary people. In this context, preserving wealth through hard assets like gold and silver becomes a prudent strategy. Macleod urges investors not to wait for price dips but to secure their holdings promptly.

The key takeaway is clear: in uncertain times, understanding the dynamics of the precious metals market and the broader financial environment is crucial for protecting individual and community wealth. Education and awareness are the first steps towards making informed investment decisions.

The insights shared by Daryl Payne and Alasdair Macleod offer a compelling case for why gold and silver should be at the forefront of any investment strategy in the coming years.

 As the global economy hurtles towards significant changes, these precious metals are poised to play a pivotal role in safeguarding wealth.

For those looking to navigate the complexities of the current financial landscape, the message is clear: now is the time to act.

Watch the full video from As Good As Gold to gain further insights into the precious metals market and how to protect your wealth in the face of looming financial uncertainty.

https://youtu.be/RorJZIIV-d8

Seeds of Wisdom RV and Economics Updates Sunday Afternoon 12-28-25

Good Afternoon Dinar Recaps,

Silver Market Structural Imbalance: Squeeze Signals and Supply Stress

Veteran analysts warn silver’s rally may reflect deeper market mechanics, not just short-term price moves

Overview

• The silver market is experiencing a sustained structural supply-demand imbalance

• Industrial demand has surged as inventories tighten and production remains constrained

• Severe price action, record levels, and delivery stress suggest deeper stress in the paper–physical relationship

• Analysts with decades of experience see conditions that diverge from normal market behavior

Key Developments

• Silver prices have surged sharply in 2025, breaking multiple historic levels and outperforming other precious metals in percentage terms as demand outpaces supply 

• Market observers point to persistent supply deficits and expanding industrial usage, particularly in technology and clean energy sectors 

• Structural constraints on physical inventories — and tight access to deliverable metal — are beginning to influence pricing behavior in futures and spot markets, according to expert commentary and investor analysis 

• Paper markets now face growing scrutiny as analysts note large leveraged positions may be under stress in environments where physical is scarce and delivery demand rises 

Why It Matters

This is not a garden-variety rally. What experienced market observers are describing is a shock to the balance between promises (paper contracts) and deliverable reality (metal inventories). When delivery obligations start to outrun physical availability, the market begins to price risk differently, shifting attention from purely financial trading to real asset scarcity. This dynamic can expose structural vulnerabilities that normal supply-demand analysis alone does not capture.

Why It Matters to Foreign Currency Holders

For foreign currency holders, a stressed foundational market such as silver represents more than industrial risk — it signals monetary and systemic liquidity dynamics at work. When asset markets begin reconciling paper positions with physical reality, confidence in financial promises shifts. Hard assets that can be physically owned and delivered become a hedge against both currency risk and counterparty risk, particularly in an era of high global debt and monetary expansion.

Implications for the Global Reset

• Pillar: Asset Scarcity Reframes Price Discovery
  Structural metal scarcity elevates real inventories above abstract price signals.

• Pillar: Real Commodities Matter in Financial Architecture
  Markets that fail to reconcile physical constraints with financial instruments create systemic stress points.

This is not just politics — it’s global finance restructuring before our eyes.

Seeds of Wisdom Team
Newshounds News™ Exclusive

Sources

• Youtube -- "If You Own SILVER, You Need to See THIS NOW!": Andy Schectman | Silver Price 2025

• Reuters — “Silver surges past $35/oz level to hit more than 13-year high”

• The Guardian — “Elon Musk warns of impact of record silver prices before China limits exports”

~~~~~~~~~~

Bitcoin vs ISO Assets: Speculation vs Infrastructure

Why narrative-driven assets behave differently from settlement-grade systems

Overview

• Bitcoin and ISO-compliant digital assets serve fundamentally different roles

• Bitcoin is driven by speculation, liquidity, and narrative

• ISO assets are designed for regulated settlement and interoperability

• Infrastructure assets gain value through use, not hype

• The distinction matters as the global financial system modernizes

Key Developments

• Bitcoin continues to dominate retail and institutional speculative exposure

• ISO 20022 has become the standard language for global payments

• Only a limited set of digital assets are compatible with institutional rails

• Financial institutions prioritize speed, finality, cost, and compliance

• Alternative settlement systems are being built alongside legacy rails

• Asset-backed models are replacing debt-only expansion frameworks

Speculation vs Infrastructure: How They Differ

Bitcoin — A Speculative Asset
Bitcoin’s value is primarily driven by belief, scarcity narrative, and liquidity access. It trades like a macro risk asset, responding to sentiment, monetary policy expectations, and capital flows. Its design prioritizes decentralization and security over throughput, resulting in slower settlement times and higher transaction costs during congestion.

ISO-Compliant Assets — Financial Infrastructure
ISO assets are engineered for interoperability within regulated financial systems. Their value proposition lies in efficiency, not appreciation. These assets facilitate rapid settlement, low-cost transfers, and messaging compatibility with central banks and financial institutions. Adoption depends on legal clarity and operational necessity rather than market excitement.

Why It Matters

As the financial system transitions, speculation and infrastructure will not be valued the same way. Speculative assets inflate early in cycles when liquidity is abundant. Infrastructure assets become indispensable later, when systems require reliability and scale. Confusing these roles leads to misaligned expectations about price behavior and adoption timelines.

Why It Matters to Foreign Currency Holders

For foreign currency holders, understanding this distinction is critical. Speculative assets may offer volatility-driven gains but lack settlement reliability. Infrastructure assets support cross-border trade, liquidity management, and monetary stability. As countries modernize payment systems, currencies aligned with ISO-compliant rails and asset-backed frameworks gain durability.

Implications for the Global Reset

• Pillar: Narrative Leads, Infrastructure Lasts
  Speculation captures attention early; systems that move value endure.

• Pillar: Function Determines Survival
  Assets integrated into payment and settlement networks outlast those reliant on belief alone.

This is not just politics — it’s global finance restructuring before our eyes.

Seeds of Wisdom Team
Newshounds News™ Exclusive

Sources

• Bank for International Settlements – “ISO 20022 and the evolution of global payment systems”

• International Monetary Fund – “Global financial architecture and cross-border payment reform”

~~~~~~~~~~

Bitcoin vs XRP vs Gold: Speculation, Settlement, and Sovereign Trust

Three assets, three roles, one transforming financial system

Overview

• Bitcoin, XRP, and gold serve distinct and non-interchangeable functions

• Bitcoin operates as a speculative digital asset

• XRP is designed for high-speed settlement and liquidity bridging

• Gold remains the ultimate sovereign reserve asset

• Confusing these roles leads to incorrect expectations about value and adoption

Key Developments

• Bitcoin dominates digital asset speculation and liquidity flows

• XRP continues integration into cross-border payment infrastructure

• Central banks remain aggressive buyers of physical gold

• Payment systems are upgrading to ISO-compliant digital rails

• Asset-backed settlement models are gaining institutional support

• Monetary systems are separating value storage from value movement

Role Comparison: How Each Asset Functions

Bitcoin — Speculation and Narrative
Bitcoin’s value is driven by belief, liquidity, and scarcity narrative. It performs well during risk-on cycles and monetary expansion. However, limited throughput, higher fees during congestion, and slow finality restrict its usefulness as a settlement asset at institutional scale.

XRP — Settlement and Liquidity
XRP was engineered to move value quickly, cheaply, and with finality. Its role is not to replace sovereign currencies, but to bridge them. XRP reduces reliance on pre-funded accounts and enables real-time cross-border settlement. Adoption depends on regulatory clarity and operational efficiency rather than speculative demand.

Gold — Sovereign Trust and Collateral
Gold anchors monetary confidence. It carries no counterparty risk and has functioned as a reserve asset across centuries. Central banks accumulate gold to protect balance sheets against currency debasement, sanctions, and systemic shocks. Gold does not move value — it secures it.

Why It Matters

The evolving financial system is modular. Different assets perform different tasks. Bitcoin captures speculative attention, XRP facilitates movement, and gold anchors trust. Systems that mistake speculation for infrastructure risk instability. Systems that align assets to function gain resilience.

Why It Matters to Foreign Currency Holders

For foreign currency holders, this distinction determines exposure. Speculative assets respond to sentiment. Settlement assets respond to usage. Reserve assets respond to confidence breakdowns. As the reset progresses, currencies tied to efficient settlement and credible reserves gain strength relative to those dependent on debt expansion alone.

Implications for the Global Reset

• Pillar: Function Over Hype
  Assets survive based on utility, not popularity.

• Pillar: Separation of Roles
  Storing value, moving value, and pricing risk require different tools.

This is not just politics — it’s global finance restructuring before our eyes.

Seeds of Wisdom Team
Newshounds News™ Exclusive

Sources

• World Gold Council – “Central banks and gold: reserve diversification trends”

• Bank for International Settlements – “Cross-border payments and settlement modernization”

~~~~~~~~~~

Seeds of Wisdom Team RV Currency Facts Youtube and Rumble

Newshound's News Telegram Room Link

RV Facts with Proof Links Link

RV Updates Proof links - Facts Link

Follow the Gold/Silver Rate COMEX

Follow Fast Facts

Seeds of Wisdom Team™ Website

Thank you Dinar Recaps

Iraq Economic News and Points To Ponder Sunday Afternoon 12-28-25

A Frightening US Report: Corruption, Jobs, And Oil Are Besieging Iraq's Financial Future.  

Economy / Translated Reports 25-12-2025, | 1220  Baghdad Today – Translation 

An analytical report issued by the Washington Report Institute for Middle East Studies paints a picture of the next Iraqi government within a complex equation.

 Its three fundamental elements are: deeply entrenched corruption that has become the norm; a public sector bloated with approximately 700,000 new jobs created in just a few years; and an economy dependent on an oil price that must approach $90 per barrel to keep the budget afloat and avoid a deficit that grows year after year.

These factors, the report argues, severely limit the chances of any new government breaking the cycle, as long as it emerges from the same parties that created and continue to thrive on this reality.

The institute believes that corruption in Iraq is no longer an isolated incident or individual deviation, but rather a deeply entrenched "pattern" that governs the workings of the government bureaucracy from top to bottom.

A citizen with an official request or transaction often finds themselves forced to go through a political party or entity that represents them along sectarian or ethnic lines, accompanied by letters, favors, "gifts," and bribes paid to influential figures, all in order for their paperwork to move through the state's corridors.

The report indicates that the dominant parties treat ministries and agencies as "private property," not public service institutions, using them either to embezzle funds directly or to distribute jobs and contracts to networks of supporters and affiliates.

According to Professor Alyssa Walter, author of "The Contested City: Consecrating Citizenship and Survival in Modern Baghdad," on which the report is based, the election results and the composition of the next government "will not bring about real change in the corruption situation," because the forces sharing power today are the same ones that established the rules of the game after 2003 and have a vested interest in maintaining them as they are, with only minor cosmetic adjustments when necessary.

She adds that the quota system makes any minister or senior official "constrained" by a broader party network that defines the boundaries of what can and cannot be touched within their ministry.

The report also refers back to the experience of the October 2019 demonstrations as the clearest moment when the street raised the slogan of combating corruption and directly linked it to poor services and the lack of justice in the distribution of opportunities.

However, the outcomes of those protests, from the institute’s point of view, showed that the political system was able to absorb the shock without making a deep review of its method of managing the state, only to return later and produce new governments according to almost the same mechanisms, with a change in faces but not in the rules of the game.

In contrast, the report notes that Iraqi society has become accustomed to this pattern of performance. Many Baghdadis, it states, associate the presence of officials and limited public services with election seasons, when localized repairs or partial renovations are carried out in streets and public squares, only for the activity to disappear after the voting concludes.

The report cites the example of outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who enjoyed considerable public support for a "modest reform package" in Baghdad, consisting of localized infrastructure improvements.

The report argues that this support reflects a decline in citizens' expectations of their government to a level where even partial reform is considered an exceptional achievement.

At the level of the financial structure, the report focuses on the extensive public sector hiring spree of recent years, which is estimated to have added nearly 700,000 new employees to the government apparatus during al-Sudani's tenure. This increase raised the total number of public sector employees to nearly 4 million, in addition to the hundreds of thousands working in state-owned enterprises funded by the budget.

The institute argues that this expansion, which was used as a tool to absorb public anger and alleviate unemployment, has now become a heavy financial burden on any future government, because reversing it by reducing the number of employees would mean a direct confrontation with a broad social base that depends entirely on state salaries.

The economic analysis accompanying the report indicates that the "state of public sector employment" policy has made salaries and wages one of the most inflated areas of government spending, approaching, according to some estimates, 40 percent of total government expenditure.

Meanwhile, budgets for investment, services, and infrastructure remain limited compared to the accumulated needs in the capital and the provinces. The report concludes that, with this structure, the state has adopted a "pay salaries first, then think about everything else later" approach, which translates into recurring financial crises whenever oil prices fluctuate.

In the background, the oil sector stands as a crucial factor. The report indicates that the "break-even price" needed by the Iraqi budget to cover its obligations without resorting to borrowing is currently approaching $90 per barrel, due to the inflated wage bill, subsidies, and increasing current expenditures, coupled with limited non-oil revenues.

Given the global trend of price volatility and the potential for further declines, the report warns that any prolonged period of low prices will push the budget directly toward a deeper deficit, in the absence of fundamental reforms to reduce dependence on oil as the almost sole source of state funding.

Despite this bleak picture, the Washington Report quotes researchers from academic initiatives focused on the Middle East as saying that Iraq still retains a significant advantage in the region: the continued peaceful transfer of power, based in part on election results, unlike many other Arab states that remain trapped in closed systems of governance.

However, these researchers also warn that this advantage could gradually lose its value if elections continue to reproduce the same system without changes to the rules governing political financing, oversight of public funds, and the mechanisms for selecting governments.

The report concludes that the incoming government will face a triple burden: entrenched corruption that provides parties with enormous resources and makes it difficult to dismantle patronage networks; a bloated public sector that consumes the lion's share of the budget and hinders any restructuring efforts; and near-total dependence on oil prices in an unpredictable global market.

Between these three pillars, the new government's ability to act will depend on the willingness of political forces to accept unpopular decisions, such as controlling appointments and curbing waste, in exchange for forging a different path toward building a service-oriented state with functioning institutions, not just a state focused on salaries.

The question that the report leaves open is whether the forces that have benefited for years from this financial-political model are actually capable of dismantling it, or whether future governments will simply manage the crisis and postpone the explosion, waiting for a new oil cycle, or new protests, that will raise the same questions from scratch.

Source: Baghdad Today + Washington Report   https://baghdadtoday.news/289807-.html

Above Ministries And Governorates

The economic offices of political parties have infiltrated Iraq, creating a shadow state that manages contracts and bankrupts contractors.

Economy / Special Files 23-12-2025, | 1199  Baghdad Today – Baghdad   An appeal received by "Baghdad Today" from a group of veteran contractors in Basra paints a stark picture of the reality of the contracting market in Iraq: Companies that are properly registered, pay taxes and insurance, and have a proven track record, are now without projects. Even small contracts are being snatched from them and awarded to new companies affiliated with political parties or supported by their "economic offices."

This firsthand account from Basra aligns with what research and media reports have observed: that the parties' "economic offices" have become the mandatory gateway to obtaining government contracts and investments in most governorates, particularly in the southern cities rich in oil and service projects.

Economic offices or a parallel shadow state?

Recent press reports and research indicate that "economic offices" are no longer merely organizational structures within political parties, but have transformed into networks of financial influence that manage a significant portion of state resources by controlling contracts, projects, and investments, particularly in the southern provinces.

Sources within the Federal Integrity Commission previously reported the widespread influence of economic offices affiliated with political parties and armed factions over all economic resources in the southern provinces, and that hundreds of complaints have been filed regarding what contractors and businesspeople describe as "extortion" and "organized acquisition" of contracts.

In this context, some politicians and former parliamentarians go even further, describing these offices as “outlets for stealing public money” and “offices for looting and plundering the people’s money,” and accusing them of destroying Iraqi projects by pushing for fictitious contracts or work that is carried out formally on paper and has no real existence on the ground.

How is the deal structured? Fixed percentages and front companies.

Information circulating in economic and political circles points to a fairly consistent pattern in the work of many of these offices: the party controls a ministry, governorate, or agency, and through it, an unofficial "committee" or "economic office" is formed.

This office reviews contracts, tenders, and investments, imposing its conditions on competing companies. Previous testimonies from officials have spoken of percentages ranging from 5% to 10% of the value of any contract being deducted for the benefit of the office or the political entity behind it, in exchange for facilitating the awarding of the contract or not obstructing it.

In practice, this mechanism translates into the emergence of new "front" companies, registered under the names of individuals whose public affiliation with the party is not apparent, but who are, in reality, part of its economic system.

 These companies obtain large or medium-sized contracts, then sometimes subcontract parts of the work to other contractors, while retaining a substantial profit margin that goes to the party office, not based on the skill of the contractors or the quality of the infrastructure.

Basra as a case study: Yesterday's contractors are jobless today

The appeal received by Baghdad Today from a group of veteran contractors in Basra perfectly reflects this distorted equation. The contractors explain that they own companies registered for many years, paying taxes, social security contributions, pension funds, and health insurance for their employees, yet today they have no projects. Some have already been forced to sell their companies, and others are "on the way out," as they say.

The problem, they explain, is not the size of their projects—mostly small or medium-sized enterprises—but rather that these same projects are being taken from them and awarded to other companies "recommended" by economic offices or influential figures.

Contractors are appealing directly to the Governor of Basra, requesting that a portion of local projects be allocated to their companies, which they describe as "established, committed," and experienced in execution, instead of being left to wither away in an environment of unfair competition.

Some say that, despite accepting small projects or limited rehabilitation work, they are surprised to find that "political influence" extends even to this level, imposing specific names or new companies with no history in the contracting market.

This appeal coincides with previous statements by the head of the Basra Contractors Union, who spoke about large financial dues owed by the central government to companies and contractors, estimated at more than one trillion dinars in Basra alone, and about 30 trillion dinars at the level of Iraq, which adds another layer of pressure on contractors who are not getting new projects, nor their old dues at the same time.

Projects built only to collapse... a cycle of profit built on the ruins of service.

One of the most serious warnings issued by experts on administrative corruption in Iraq is that many companies linked to political parties or economic offices are not built on the principles of quality and sustainability, but rather on the principle of "profit-driven cycles.

" Work is often carried out with substandard specifications, using inferior materials, or with inflated costs on paper, making the project prone to rapid deterioration and creating, after a few years, a justification for a new project under the guise of "rehabilitation," "comprehensive maintenance," or "reconstruction."

Reports from economic offices indicate that the adoption of fictitious or incompletely implemented projects was one of the reasons for "the destruction of all Iraqi projects," according to some former MPs, because the project is originally created in the context of a deal, not in the context of service planning, and then recycled time and again for the benefit of the same corruption networks.

In such an environment, reputable companies – those that try to adhere to technical specifications – are in a vulnerable position. If they try to do the work properly, their profits will weaken and they will be unable to pay royalties or keep up with the "economic office's conditions." If they succumb to the logic of manipulating specifications, they will lose their professional reputation and become part of the very game they complain about.

A besieged private sector... and an economy run outside the rules of the market

Recent economic research on the business environment in Iraq describes the situation as small and medium-sized enterprises “being forced to operate within an economic system dominated by powerful and wealthy parties,” and that they do not get equal opportunities in contracts and investment unless they enter into arrangements with controlling political entities.

This infiltration creates a layer of "parallel economy," where economic offices become funding centers for political parties and their election campaigns, as numerous reports indicate, while traditional contractors become the weakest link: no effective legal protection, no real competitive environment, and no transparency in how contracts are awarded. In a city like Basra, which is considered the richest province in Iraq in terms of oil resources and strategic projects, the paradox becomes even more stark: a huge economy operates in the province, yet a large segment of its long-established contractors complain about the lack of projects and the market becoming a "monopoly" for companies linked to influential figures.

To where?

The intertwined data – from the encroachment of economic offices, their acquisition of contracts, the emergence of inexperienced front companies, the accumulation of contractors’ dues, and the appeals of old contractors in Basra – indicate that the problem is no longer just individual complaints, but a structural imbalance in the state’s relationship with the contracting and investment market.

Without restoring the principle of fair competition, imposing genuine transparency on government contracts, and restricting the influence of the economic offices of political parties within ministries and governorates, the real private sector will remain besieged, and public money will continue to finance a parallel party economy, while projects collapse or are rebuilt every few years with the same short-term profit logic.

The appeal of Basra contractors, as they demand that the governor reopen the door to work for them, is not merely a local request; it is a warning that the “office economy” has begun to devour what remains of the “contractors’ economy” in Iraq, and that addressing this issue is no longer an administrative luxury, but rather a condition for any serious talk of real development in a country whose resources have been consumed in the same cycles: a project is granted, implemented poorly, collapses, and then rebuilt under new names, while the citizen remains the first and last loser.  Report by: Baghdad Today's Economic Affairs Editor

For current and reliable Iraqi news please visit:  https://www.bondladyscorner.com

“Tidbits From TNT” Sunday 12-28-2025

TNT:

Tishwash:  From "nothing" to billionaires... What are the secrets of the phenomenon of "exorbitant and rapid wealth" in Iraq?

Hussein Omran, a researcher in strategic, political, and regional security affairs, highlighted the phenomenon of "exorbitant and rapid wealth accumulation" that has spread in Iraq In recent years, he described it as a product of the "shadow economy" and not the result of investment acumen or genuine entrepreneurship.

Imran noted in a post that I followed Alsumaria News until the scene The Iraqi has become It is teeming with figures "with no commercial or industrial history" who, in record time, became billionaires.

The researcher attributed this shift to two main, almost guaranteed paths to wealth beyond oversight:

The first path: the dollar "machine" and currency platform: Imran argued that manipulating the price difference between the official and parallel markets, fictitious invoices, and transfers made through front companies and banks lacking genuine oversight, transformed the dollar into a means of exorbitant profit with no risk or added value to the economy, in addition to serving as a cover for money laundering operations.

The second path: oil smuggling and the regional shadow market: The researcher explained that regional crises, particularly those related to Iran, created a massive parallel oil market. He emphasized that Iraq It has become a "corridor and outlet" through complex land and sea routes, where oil is sold under various guises via a system that includes tankers, intermediaries, and formal and informal facilities, making "proximity to oil" the shortest path to wealth.

 Imran warned of the disastrous consequences of this model , emphasizing that it neither builds a state nor creates jobs, but rather produces a "parasitic elite" linked to or protected by politics, which fights any attempt at reform because it threatens its source of profit.

Imran described this situation as "Collapse The "quiet" collapse, which doesn't happen with a resounding explosion, but rather seeps into the structure of society when an entire generation becomes convinced that "work and production" stupidity

The researcher concluded his presentation with a question that sparked widespread discussion: "Do you know anyone who had nothing and is now a billionaire?", highlighting the clarity of the phenomenon and the inability of natural economic logic to explain it.  link

************

Tishwash:  The Iraqi parliament publishes the agenda for Monday's session.

 The Iraqi parliament is scheduled to hold its first session of its sixth term on Monday at 12 noon, which includes two items on its agenda.

The first paragraph includes: the swearing-in of the new members of the House of Representatives, and the other includes: the election of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and his two deputies, according to a statement issued by the Parliament’s Media Department.

In the past few days, the Shiite, Sunni, and Kurdish political forces and parties that won the elections have intensified their discussions in order to decide on the three top leadership positions: Speaker of Parliament, President of the Republic, and Prime Minister.

After the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime in the spring of 2003 at the hands of American forces and their allies, the major political forces of the Shiites, Kurds, and Sunnis adopted a quota system in distributing positions for the three presidencies: the Prime Minister’s office, the Republic, and Parliament.

Last Saturday, the head of the Supreme Judicial Council, Faiq Zaidan, confirmed that the first session of the new House of Representatives, scheduled for December 29, 2025, must decide on the appointment of the Speaker of the House and his two deputies, and it is not constitutionally or legally permissible to postpone or extend it.  link

************

Tishwash:  "Threaten them with their money": Savaya receives advice on the weaknesses of Iraqi politicians

The Middle East Monitor website offered advice to the US Special Envoy to Iraq, Mark Savaya, that if he wants to succeed in his Iraqi mission and survive what the report called the "theater of illusions" represented by Baghdad, he should scrutinize who is making money. 

After the London-based website pointed out that Savaya came to his position as a reward for his loyalty, and not through hardening his resolve through Middle Eastern events and calculations, it noted that he comes to the den of wolves armed with a smile and an outstretched hand, but his experience is shallow and his mandate is to dismantle the Popular Mobilization Forces and cut the strong bond of loyalty that connects Baghdad to Tehran, in order to pull Iraq back into the sunlight from the darkness of Iran.

The report, translated by Shafaq News Agency, said that Savaya will walk through a maze of deception, where every door in front of him is a trap. It added that the leaders he will deal with have overcome dictatorships, invasions, coups, sanctions, revolutions, and wars, and buried their enemies. They speak cunningly and will mislead him by drowning him in unimportant details. It noted that they are skilled at camouflage and that their civility is merely a sword covered in silk, and that he will have to identify the twin forces behind their actions in order to understand them. 

The report continued, saying: “These are not patriots, but rather a coterie of greed. They do not worship ideology, but rather power. They do not cling to faith, but rather to wealth. They are not ministers and parliamentarians, but rather leaders of a league wearing government clothes. They lead militia groups, order kidnappings, and silence journalists.” It added that they “have been looting Iraq since 2003, and they feed on a wounded lion like hyenas.”

The report said that, like all criminals, they "made one major mistake: they left a financial trail." 

The report explained that their wealth is not in Baghdad, but rather their money is hidden in vaults in Switzerland, in Iranian banks, in shell companies, in offshore accounts, and in real estate in Europe, North America, and within the United States, noting that the “Panama Papers” scandal contributed to lifting the veil and to the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control tracking them. 

The report urged Savaya to use the weapon of "the power of fear" against these people because they fear poverty and bankruptcy, not troops and bombs, if he wanted his mission to succeed. 

The report outlined this proposed scenario, with the author addressing Savaya: “Sit before them, smile diplomatically, and present them with a document granting the United States government full legal authority to investigate, trace, and seize any asset, account, or investment in their names, the names of their children, or the names of those in their inner circle.”

He continued, “Tell them this document means nothing if they are truly innocent. Watch their hands tremble, watch their masks break, and those who are honest will sign. But the corrupt will stall, and they will erupt in anger at the sudden infringement upon their sovereignty over their ill-gotten gains.” 

He added, "These men are not motivated by dignity or belief. It is the fear of losing everything they have stolen that motivates them." 

The report stated that "money is only one of their weapons; their second weapon is deception. They are experts in smiles, hugs, and schemes. They are a group of promises and betrayals, and they practice dissimulation," noting that this does not represent theology or science, but rather "a sacred art of lying," and every handshake is worthless. 

The report continued, saying, "They will obstruct him, and stifle him with delays until he gets tired and defeated," adding that "we must remember that the Iraqi tragedy did not arise only in a state of chaos, but rather in the collaboration between cynical foreigners and opportunistic Iraqis, and between external power and internal treachery." 

The report argued that Savaya was not sent to deal with a democratic entity, but rather with a market where loyalty is a commodity, where alliances can be auctioned off, and where patriotism can be faked. It added that "if Savaya wants to dismantle the Popular Mobilization Forces, and if he wants to destroy Tehran's grip, then he must harness the one thing these men fear, which is money, not truth, not principles, not justice." 

The report concluded by addressing Savaya, saying, "Follow the money. Seize it. Threaten, use it, and only then will they bow down. Only then will they surrender. Only then will the empire of thieves tremble." It continued, "Follow the money, and never stop until their world collapses."

link

This is the link to the original article

************

Mot: scary 2026

Mot: Snow Daze!!!

Seeds of Wisdom RV and Economics Updates Sunday Morning 12-28-25

Good Morning Dinar Recaps,

The Architecture of the New Global Financial System Is Already Visible

Gold-backed value, digital rails, and ISO-compliant assets form the backbone

Overview

• Central banks are accelerating gold accumulation as neutral monetary collateral

• The next system is shaping up as asset-backed, digital, and interoperable

• ISO 20022 compliance has become the baseline requirement for participation

• A limited group of digital assets are positioned for institutional use

• Speed, finality, scalability, and compliance now outweigh ideology

Key Developments

• Central banks have shifted from fiat expansion to reserve hardening

• Gold is increasingly treated as balance-sheet insurance rather than a legacy asset

• ISO 20022 messaging is live across major payment and settlement systems

• BRICS introduced the Unit, a basket-backed settlement instrument for wholesale trade

• Countries are preparing sovereign digital currencies backed by domestic assets

• Interoperability between national systems is now the primary challenge

Special Focus: Key Watched Technologies and Assets

ISO 20022 Digital Assets
Only a small number of digital assets meet institutional requirements for messaging compatibility, regulatory oversight, and throughput. These assets are designed to function inside financial infrastructure, not outside it.

XRP as a Bridge Asset
XRP was designed to provide on-demand liquidity between currencies without requiring pre-funded accounts. Its ability to move value in seconds at negligible cost addresses the core inefficiencies of correspondent banking. Scalability, speed, and finality position XRP as connective infrastructure rather than a speculative store of value.

Bitcoin’s Structural Limitations
Bitcoin demonstrated that digital scarcity is possible, but it was not designed for modern settlement. Long confirmation times, high fees during congestion, and limited throughput restrict its usefulness for institutional-scale payments. Bitcoin functions as a speculative asset, not financial plumbing.

BRICS Unit and Multipolar Settlement
The BRICS Unit reflects a broader move toward collateral-backed settlement instruments that reduce reliance on any single national currency. It signals a shift from reserve dominance to asset-based trust.

Why It Matters

The global financial system is not collapsing — it is being rewired. Nations are preserving sovereignty while upgrading rails. Value is being anchored to assets, while movement of value is being digitized. This separation of what backs money from how money moves is the defining feature of the transition now underway.

Why It Matters to Foreign Currency Holders

For foreign currency holders, the reset changes what determines credibility. Currencies tied to real assets, efficient settlement, and compliant infrastructure gain durability. Those dependent on debt expansion, slow rails, and political leverage face repricing risk. Watching infrastructure readiness now matters more than watching headlines.

Implications for the Global Reset

• Pillar: Assets Back Value, Networks Move It
  Gold and national resources anchor trust, while digital rails provide speed and scale.

• Pillar: Interoperability Over Dominance
  The future system favors connection between currencies, not replacement of them.

This is not just politics — it’s global finance restructuring before our eyes.

Seeds of Wisdom Team
Newshounds News™ Exclusive

Sources

• Bank for International Settlements – “ISO 20022 and the future of global payments”

• World Gold Council – “Central banks and gold: reserve diversification trends”

~~~~~~~~~~

Silver vs Gold: Same Monetary Family, Very Different Market Mechanics

Why silver behaves like a leveraged monetary metal while gold anchors stability

Overview

• Gold and silver both function as monetary metals, but their market structures differ sharply

• Gold trades primarily as a reserve asset, while silver straddles monetary and industrial demand

• Silver’s smaller market size makes it more sensitive to leverage and liquidity stress

• Divergence between the two often signals shifts in risk, inflation expectations, and liquidity

Key Developments

• Central banks overwhelmingly accumulate gold, not silver, for reserves

• Silver demand is split between industrial use and investment, tightening supply cycles

• Paper-to-physical ratios are significantly higher in silver markets

• Silver inventories are thinner relative to annual demand

• Gold markets are deeper and more liquid, reducing volatility

• Silver reacts faster — and more violently — during leverage unwinds

Market Mechanics: Why They Behave Differently

Gold
Gold functions as a monetary anchor. Central banks hold it, sovereigns settle with it, and it carries minimal industrial dependency. Its futures and OTC markets are large and liquid, allowing stress to dissipate more slowly. Gold moves when confidence shifts — but rarely gaps without cause.

Silver
Silver behaves like a pressure valve. Its dual role creates constant tension between industrial consumption and monetary demand. Because the silver market is much smaller, leveraged positions dominate price discovery during stress. When liquidity tightens or physical supply is constrained, silver reprices rapidly.

Why It Matters

Silver often moves after gold signals a trend — but moves faster and farther once constraints appear. This is not speculation; it is structure. When markets begin repricing monetary risk, gold establishes credibility while silver exposes fragility. The relationship acts as an early warning system for leverage, inflation, and settlement stress.

Why It Matters to Foreign Currency Holders

For foreign currency holders, the gold–silver relationship reveals confidence versus pressure. Gold reflects trust erosion in fiat systems, while silver reflects stress inside them. When silver outperforms sharply, it suggests leverage is unwinding and liquidity is thinning — conditions that often precede currency instability or repricing

Implications for the Global Reset

• Pillar: Gold Anchors, Silver Signals
  Gold stabilizes confidence; silver exposes structural strain.

• Pillar: Liquidity Determines Volatility
  Smaller, leveraged markets reprice faster when systems are stressed.

This is not just politics — it’s global finance restructuring before our eyes.

Seeds of Wisdom Team
Newshounds News™ Exclusive

Sources

• World Gold Council — “Gold Demand Trends and Central Bank Reserves”

• Silver Institute — “World Silver Survey: Supply, Demand, and Market Structure”

~~~~~~~~~~

Ukraine Under Fire Ahead of Critical Zelenskiy–Trump Summit

Mass missile and drone strikes intensify pressure as peace talks approach

Overview

• Russia launched a large-scale aerial assault on Kyiv and other regions

• The attack came just ahead of a high-stakes meeting between President Zelenskiy and President Trump

• Hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles targeted civilian and energy infrastructure

• The timing signals an attempt to shape negotiations through escalation

Key Developments

• Ukraine reported approximately 500 drones and 40 missiles launched overnight

• Air raid alerts lasted nearly ten hours in Kyiv

• At least one fatality and multiple injuries were confirmed, including children

• Energy facilities were struck, leaving large portions of Kyiv without heat and power

• Damage was reported across seven districts, including residential high-rises

• Polish airspace disruptions triggered heightened regional military readiness

• Peace discussions center on territorial control, security guarantees, and economic zones

• A draft 20-point peace framework is nearing completion but remains unresolved

Why It Matters

This escalation underscores how military pressure is being used as leverage at the negotiating table. Energy infrastructure targeting highlights the weaponization of winter hardship, while the timing ahead of diplomatic talks suggests an effort to influence terms before concessions are finalized. The conflict remains a major destabilizing force for Europe and global markets.

Why It Matters to Foreign Currency Holders

For foreign currency holders, renewed escalation increases geopolitical risk premiums across Europe. Energy disruption, reconstruction costs, and prolonged uncertainty strain fiscal balances and influence currency valuation. Wars that drag into negotiation phases often trigger currency realignment, reserve shifts, and debt restructuring, all critical signals for those watching the global reset.

Implications for the Global Reset

• Pillar: War Accelerates Financial Fragmentation
  Prolonged conflict deepens the divide between geopolitical blocs and settlement systems.

• Pillar: Energy Security Equals Currency Stability
  Targeted infrastructure attacks directly impact inflation, sovereign budgets, and monetary credibility.

This is not just politics — it’s global finance restructuring before our eyes.

Seeds of Wisdom Team
Newshounds News™ Exclusive

Sources

• Reuters — “Russia launches massive air attack on Kyiv ahead of Zelenskiy-Trump talks”

• Modern Diplomacy — “Ukraine Under Fire Ahead of Critical Zelenskiy-Trump Summit”

~~~~~~~~~~

Seeds of Wisdom Team RV Currency Facts Youtube and Rumble

Newshound's News Telegram Room Link

RV Facts with Proof Links Link

RV Updates Proof links - Facts Link

Follow the Gold/Silver Rate COMEX

Follow Fast Facts

Seeds of Wisdom Team™ Website

Thank you Dinar Recaps

Iraq Economic News and Points To Ponder Sunday Morning 12-28-25

Idle Wealth, Not Imminent Bankruptcy: A Financial Expert Refutes 2030 Scenarios And Reveals To Iraq Observer The Strengths Of The Iraqi Economy.
 
December 20, 2025  Baghdad/Iraq Observer   Parliamentary warnings that  Iraq could face total bankruptcy by 2030 if current spending mechanisms continue   have sparked a wave of controversy in economic circles,  amid questions about the   true state of the country’s finances and its  actual ability to overcome upcoming challenges.

In response to these statements, Mustafa Hantoush, who is concerned with financial and banking affairs,   confirmed that Iraq is considered one of the very rich countries, stressing that    talk of bankruptcy is not based on realistic data  as much as it is related to financial mismanagement.
 
Hantoush explained to Iraq Observer that “the Iraqi government, as a central government,  owns  more than two-thirds of the country’s land, in addition to  factories,  plants, and  extensive real estate assets owned by the state, as well as long-term contracts with millions of citizens,  which constitutes a large economic base that has  not yet been optimally invested.”

He added that   “Iraq does not rely solely on its visible resources,  but also possesses enormous underground wealth,  including oil, gas, and rare minerals,” stressing that “these capabilities make the country a nation capable of rapid recovery  if it has an efficient financial administration that    invests revenues correctly and    seriously combats corruption.

” Hantoush pointed out that  “economic studies confirm that Iraq,  which has an area of ​​about 430,000 square kilometers,    has a high percentage of land suitable for development, as    about 80% of its area is usable,    while only about 8% of it has been invested in the fields of    housing,  agriculture and  industry,   which opens the door to broad development opportunities.”
 
According to experts,  these data reflect that the real challenge facing Iraq    does not lie in the  scarcity of resources or the  risk of bankruptcy, but rather in how to manage and invest wealth,  in a way that transforms great potential into development projects that guarantee a   decent life and   economic stability for future generations.      
https://observeriraq.net/ثروات-معطلة-لا-إفلاس-وشيك-خبير-مالي-يف/    

The Numbers Don't Lie: $340,000 Is The Share Of Every Iraqi In The Wealth Among The Resource Giants... Where Is It?
 
Baghdad Today – Baghdad   Visual Capitalist's global ranking of countries with the most natural resources,
based on per capita wealth, places Iraq sixth on the list of "resource giants."
 
According to the data, Iraq's per capita wealth is approximately $340,000,with an estimated value of its natural resources at around $16 trillion, and a population of approximately 47 million.
 
  [https://baghdadtoday.news/uploads/posts/2025-12/medium/3b56f0accf_111.jpg]
 
This classification doesn't reflect actual income earned by citizens,nor readily available funds in the treasury, but rather the "estimated value" of natural resources relative to the population.
 
In other words, it measures the potential of the country: its underground and above-ground wealth, and how each individual's share would appear if this value were theoretically distributed among the population.

Therefore, a high figure can simultaneously be an  "economic promise" and a  "painful question": why doesn't this abundance translate into  a more stable life,  stronger services, and  wider job opportunities?
 
In the rankings,
Saudi Arabia topped the list with an individual share of nearly $984,000, followed by
Canada with $822,000, then
Australia with $727,000.
Russia came in fourth,
Venezuela fifth,
Iraq sixth,
Iran seventh, the
United States eighth,
Brazil ninth, and
China tenth.
 
The point here is that Iraq, relative to its population, is among a group of countries with very large "natural resources,"so much so that a difference of one or two places in this type of ranking is usually linked to two crucial variables: the  size of the estimated resources and the  size of the population.
 
But transforming “resource wealth” into “societal wealth” doesn’t happen automatically.
 
The difference between a  resource-rich country and a  truly wealthy one is made by  management,   governance, and the  ability to build an economy that operates outside of price fluctuations.
 
Natural wealth may provide a state with financing capacity,  but it alone does not guarantee sustainable development   if revenues remain dependent on a single commodity, or  if returns are eroded by  waste, poor planning, and sluggish productive investment.
 
This is why Iraq appears in such tables as a country with great potential,  while the most important question remains internal:  how much of this potential is being channeled  into  infrastructure,  industry,   agriculture,  education, healthcare, and  job creation?
 
While the ranking highlights the “individual share” as a shocking indicator,   a more realistic interpretation comes from a different angle:
 
Iraq possesses a resource base that offers a rare opportunity to restructure its economy  if it is treated as a lever for building non-rentier sectors, rather than as a permanent guarantee. In other words,
 
the message conveyed by the figure is not so much boasting as it is a warning: possessing wealth is not enough, because   what matters most is “how it is managed” and  how it is transformed   from perceived value into real production, and   from quick profits into long-term assets.
 
For the average citizen, the meaning of this ranking is simple and straightforward: 
a country that appears in this position  theoretically possesses the capacity to  finance major projects,    improve services, and   create jobs  if revenues are channeled along a clear path, and to  build financial resilience   that can absorb market shocks when prices fall.
 
Conversely, a persistent gap between the  "value of resources" and the "reality of living"   means that    wealth remains in the realm of potential, and the   economy remains vulnerable to external fluctuations,   no matter how impressive the figures may appear on paper. In conclusion,
 
Iraq’s ranking in this global classification reopens an old question in a new form:
 
When a country is in the club of “resource giants,”   why does the social return seem less than the numbers suggest?
 
The answer is not in the resources themselves,  but in the path that transforms them    from raw wealth   into a state capable of investment, and  from short-term returns   to development that is measured by what people experience daily.     https://baghdadtoday.news/288949-340.html    

For current and reliable Iraqi news please visit:  https://www.bondladyscorner.com

MilitiaMan and Crew: IQD News Update-Imminent Exchange Rate Integration

MilitiaMan and Crew: IQD News Update-Imminent Exchange Rate Integration

12-27-2025

The Crew:  Samson, PompeyPeter, Petra, Daytrader, Sunkissed, GIGI and Militia Man

Follow MM on X == https://x.com/Slashn

Be sure to listen to full video for all the news……..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaqICLowQ_Y