Podcast
by
Chris Martenson
In Part II of Chris' shocking interview with Bill Black on the extreme vulnerability that our economic system has to fraud (click here for Part I), the discussion deepens, exploring a number of disturbing topics including:
- Why there is such a crisis of accountability today
- Why future fraud-driven crises are inevitable if status quo continues
- What strategies are needed to reduce the prevalence of fraud
Bill Black (Part II): A Mess of Our Own Making
PREVIEW by Chris MartensonIn Part II of Chris' shocking interview with Bill Black on the extreme vulnerability that our economic system has to fraud (click here for Part I), the discussion deepens, exploring a number of disturbing topics including:
- Why there is such a crisis of accountability today
- Why future fraud-driven crises are inevitable if status quo continues
- What strategies are needed to reduce the prevalence of fraud
by
charleshughsmith
Executive Summary
- Expect the Fed's ability to move the market to weaken from here
- The three key investment-actionable indicators
- The most likely direction the dollar will head next
- Why capital preservation is now of paramount priority
Part I: What Data Can We Trust?
If you have not yet read Part I, available free to all readers, please click here to read it first.
Part II: The Three Key Indicators to Watch
In Part I, we set aside the suspect “headline numbers” issued by government agencies as metrics of economic health, and as an alternative methodology, we surveyed the income and balance sheets of households and the federal government. We found declining household income and tax receipts, and high debt loads for both households and the government. This data simply does not support the rosy view of “recovery” presented by government officials.
Let's now examine more actionable indicators of economic health. In other words, it’s all well and good to ascertain whether the economy is growing smartly or not, but how does that guide our investment strategy?
The Three Key Indicators to Watch
PREVIEW by charleshughsmithExecutive Summary
- Expect the Fed's ability to move the market to weaken from here
- The three key investment-actionable indicators
- The most likely direction the dollar will head next
- Why capital preservation is now of paramount priority
Part I: What Data Can We Trust?
If you have not yet read Part I, available free to all readers, please click here to read it first.
Part II: The Three Key Indicators to Watch
In Part I, we set aside the suspect “headline numbers” issued by government agencies as metrics of economic health, and as an alternative methodology, we surveyed the income and balance sheets of households and the federal government. We found declining household income and tax receipts, and high debt loads for both households and the government. This data simply does not support the rosy view of “recovery” presented by government officials.
Let's now examine more actionable indicators of economic health. In other words, it’s all well and good to ascertain whether the economy is growing smartly or not, but how does that guide our investment strategy?
by
earthwise
With the onset of the financial crisis, many of us undertook the task of becoming more resilient by packing up buckets of various and sundry foodstuffs like grains, beans, rice, etc. The thought occurred to me that, being a Shameless Carnivore, I would rather starve than live off of rice and beans forever. Well, okay, maybe that’s just a little dramatic, but hopefully you get the point. While packing up my grain buckets, it became clear to me that my food security was inadequate for long-term food viability. Not only was it limited in variety, but also in quantity — it was not sustainable long-term because it wasn’t feasibly reproducible.
Clearly fresh meat was what was lacking, but more importantly was the ability to reproduce that meat. Therefore, critters on the hoof were the obvious solution, or ‘meals-on-wheels.’ While just about everyone who’s preppin’ (and many who aren’t) has chickens, one of the most overlooked critters is the rabbit. Whether you just want some homegrown, organic meat or are a serious prepper, the rabbit has much to recommend it as a staple in your plans.
Resiliency with Rabbits
by earthwiseWith the onset of the financial crisis, many of us undertook the task of becoming more resilient by packing up buckets of various and sundry foodstuffs like grains, beans, rice, etc. The thought occurred to me that, being a Shameless Carnivore, I would rather starve than live off of rice and beans forever. Well, okay, maybe that’s just a little dramatic, but hopefully you get the point. While packing up my grain buckets, it became clear to me that my food security was inadequate for long-term food viability. Not only was it limited in variety, but also in quantity — it was not sustainable long-term because it wasn’t feasibly reproducible.
Clearly fresh meat was what was lacking, but more importantly was the ability to reproduce that meat. Therefore, critters on the hoof were the obvious solution, or ‘meals-on-wheels.’ While just about everyone who’s preppin’ (and many who aren’t) has chickens, one of the most overlooked critters is the rabbit. Whether you just want some homegrown, organic meat or are a serious prepper, the rabbit has much to recommend it as a staple in your plans.
by
Gregor Macdonald
The Triggers That Will Spark ‘Hot’ Inflation
by Gregor Macdonald, contributing editor
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Executive Summary
- Rising wages in the developing world create upward price pressure everywhere globally
- The paradox of safety: Many traditional “safe” assets (e.g., bonds) are horrible places to store capital during ‘hot’ inflation
- Money velocity drives inflation — and it has only one direction to go these days: up
- Winning and losing assets if ‘hot’ inflation does indeed break out
Part I: Get Ready for ‘Hot’ Inflation
If you have not yet read Part I, available free to all readers, please click here to read it first.
Part II: The Triggers That Will Spark ‘Hot’ Inflation
Arthur Lewis was an economist from the small, Caribbean island of St. Lucia who went on to win a Nobel Prize in 1979. His work identified the process by which very cheap labor is brought from the countryside to urban areas during phases of industrialization in developing countries. At a certain point, this supply of cheap labor went into decline and wage pressures began to mount.
Now referred to as the Lewis Turning Point, such a phase marks the end of a kind of deflationary boom, in which input costs fall during a phase of hyper-strong growth, and the beginning of inflationary restraints, in which profit margins stop growing. This is exactly what’s happening in China today.
The Triggers That Will Spark ‘Hot’ Inflation
PREVIEW by Gregor MacdonaldThe Triggers That Will Spark ‘Hot’ Inflation
by Gregor Macdonald, contributing editor
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Executive Summary
- Rising wages in the developing world create upward price pressure everywhere globally
- The paradox of safety: Many traditional “safe” assets (e.g., bonds) are horrible places to store capital during ‘hot’ inflation
- Money velocity drives inflation — and it has only one direction to go these days: up
- Winning and losing assets if ‘hot’ inflation does indeed break out
Part I: Get Ready for ‘Hot’ Inflation
If you have not yet read Part I, available free to all readers, please click here to read it first.
Part II: The Triggers That Will Spark ‘Hot’ Inflation
Arthur Lewis was an economist from the small, Caribbean island of St. Lucia who went on to win a Nobel Prize in 1979. His work identified the process by which very cheap labor is brought from the countryside to urban areas during phases of industrialization in developing countries. At a certain point, this supply of cheap labor went into decline and wage pressures began to mount.
Now referred to as the Lewis Turning Point, such a phase marks the end of a kind of deflationary boom, in which input costs fall during a phase of hyper-strong growth, and the beginning of inflationary restraints, in which profit margins stop growing. This is exactly what’s happening in China today.
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