In a nutshell, the Bank of England just staged the first-ever two-round rate cut drama, trimming to 4% in a stagflation soap opera of split votes and cautious hand-wringing.

The U.S. Treasury wrapped up its weekly refinancing marathon by offloading $25B in 30-year bonds at 4.813%—a smidge better than July’s 4.889%, but still 2.1 bps worse than the 4.792% WI, giving us the biggest “oops” tail since last August.

The bid-to-cover came in looking like it just rolled out of bed—2.266% vs. 2.383% last time, the weakest since November 2023 and well under the six-auction average.

Indirects? Also hitting snooze, slipping to 59.5% from 59.8%, their second-lowest showing since 2021. Directs chipped in a meh 23.03% (down from 27.40%), leaving Dealers stuck holding a chunky 17.46%—their biggest bag to carry since August 2024.

Bottom line: the week’s final coupon auction was a real beauty—if you’re into train wrecks—as more investors seem to be catching on to the Manipulator-in-Chief’s magic trick that the “risk-free” asset now comes with a side of risk, especially with the war cycle cranking up.

In true Orwellian fashion, the EU plans to mandate messaging apps like WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram to scan every message, photo, and video—even those protected by end-to-end encryption—starting October. This “client-side scanning” invades users’ devices before encryption, turning private chats into government-read letters before sealing. Under the guise of fighting child abuse, it targets ordinary citizens, exposing all digital conversations to automated surveillance and ending online privacy. Coupled with forced age verification, anonymity will vanish. Digital freedom advocates urge resistance before this Orwellian law becomes permanent.

Denmark revived the proposal on July 1, kicking off its EU Council presidency, with France—once opposed—now backing it, according to Patrick Breyer. Belgium, Hungary, Sweden, Italy, and Spain also support the plan, while Germany remains undecided. Should Berlin join, a qualified majority—requiring 15 of 27 states and 65% of the EU population—could push the measure through by mid-October.

https://x.com/wilderko/status/1952358174717006237

Because nothing screams “privacy” quite like the EU turning your encrypted messages into government-read postcards—arriving this October, courtesy of the enthusiastic bureaucrats from Brussels.

While the world was getting ready of being “tarrified” in July, China’s exports jumped 7.2%—because nothing fuels trade like panic-buying ahead of yet another tariff deadline that everyone knows will just get kicked 90 days down the road.

China’s latest customs data dropped just as Donald Copperfield’s century-high tariffs hit everyone from India to Switzerland—though not China (yet), thanks to a 90-day truce that’s about to should be… surprise! Extended another 90 days. Still, US-China trade is already limping, with July exports to the US down 22% year-on-year, proving that even in ceasefire mode, the trade war still packs a punch.

While exports to the US keep sinking, China’s shipments to Southeast Asia are booming—thanks in no small part to the art of “transshipment,” where goods take a scenic detour through places like Vietnam before quietly finding their way to American shores.

So, in classic trade-war theater, Donald Copperfield slapped a 40% tariff on anything that so much as sneezes near a transshipment route—though no one can quite define what that means—while still leaving loopholes big enough to sail a container ship through. Vietnam keeps cashing in, China keeps dodging, and the “America First” chip tariffs somehow managed to tank the only American company manufacturing in the US while making foreign rivals richer.

🤵 The Macro Butler Weekly Digest 🤵

🌐 As the World Braces for Trump’s War, August Is When Emperors Flex, Markets Vex, and the World Loses Its Mind. 🌐

Read more here: https://themacrobutler.substack.com/p/ad-bellum-trump-parare

Of course, no one on Earth wants war—except the usual deep-state Malthusians who profit from bloodshed while preaching depopulation.

Germany now flirts with mandatory service for a conflict that was never truly its own, because apparently duty is hereditary. Meanwhile, nearly 60% of Germans—like over half of Brits—say they wouldn’t fight for their country. Truly, the spirit of national sacrifice burns bright.

https://www.newsmax.com/world/globaltalk/germany-poll-attacked/2025/08/05/id/1221307/

Pistorius, the warmonger in command in Berlin, dreams of 260,000 active-duty troops, because apparently 180,000 isn’t nearly enough to satisfy the new martial appetite. The “minimum” target is 203,000, with reserves swelling from 60,000 to 200,000—just in case the war machine needs a quick top-up to the meat grinder. And if all goes according to plan, mandatory conscription in 2026 will arrive right on schedule, as the war cycle heats up as written in stone tablets.


https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-army-need-260000-troops-andre-wustner/

In war, the people always lose. Those pulling the trigger share more in common with each other than with the neocons watching safely from their towers.

Sun Tzu’s warning still stands: no nation gains from prolonged war—it only bleeds strength, wealth, and spirit

Listen to a summary of The Macro Butler weekly newsletter via podcast on Substack; YouTube; Rumble & TikTok.

https://themacrobutler.substack.com/p/ad-bellum-trump-parare-podcast

The Macro Butler just had a ‘tariff-ically’ good chat with Asharq Bloomberg TV Dubai, spilling the tea on how “tariffying” the world might inflate the world right into a bust. Meanwhile, China and the BRICS are happily turning tariffs and sanctions into a game of “you trade with me, I trade with you”—because, let’s face it, Uncle Sam’s not exactly winning any “Most Reliable Trading Partner” awards these days.

https://themacrobutler.substack.com/p/interview-with-asharq-bloomberg-tv-989

While Donald Copperfield crows about the "booming" U.S. economy and grovels for rate cuts from the “Chief Banker In Chief’, retailers are boarding up shops faster than you can say "bankruptcy." Over 120 million square feet of retail space has been shuttered in 2025—making the pandemic-era closings look like a warm-up. Coresight Research reports a whopping 5,822 stores closed by June 27, blowing past last year’s 3,496 for the same period.

https://www.newsweek.com/store-closures-exceed-2024-levels-2096509

The so-called “retail apocalypse” isn’t just back—it’s breaking pandemic records with a smug grin.
July saw Chapter 11 commercial bankruptcies leap 78% year-over-year to 911, with total commercial filings hitting 2,997—up 26%—according to Epiq’s Aug. 5 report. Month-over-month, Chapter 11s spiked another 46%, because apparently bankruptcy court is the new hot spot. Even the freight sector joined in—20 carriers went belly-up in Q2 alone—leaving lenders stuck with over $1 million in unsecured IOUs. And in the grand tradition of political theater, lawmakers are busy squabbling over tweaks to Subchapter V and Chapter 13 debt limits, as if rearranging deck chairs will stop this ship from sinking.

In a nusthell, retail’s in free fall—stores are shuttering and bankruptcies are soaring, but D.C. is too busy fiddling with forever bankers' wars while the mall burns.