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Image | Get Ready for Rising Commodity Prices
Get Ready for Rising Commodity Prices
by charleshughsmith

The human mind seeks a narrative explanation of events, a story that makes sense of the swirl of life’s interactions.

The simpler the story, the easier it is to understand. Thus the simple stories are the most attractive to us.

But conspiracies and power groups do not always provide comprehensive explanations for what we observe.
Get Ready for Rising Commodity Prices
 by charleshughsmith

The human mind seeks a narrative explanation of events, a story that makes sense of the swirl of life’s interactions.

The simpler the story, the easier it is to understand. Thus the simple stories are the most attractive to us.

But conspiracies and power groups do not always provide comprehensive explanations for what we observe.
Image | The Dead Weight of Sluggish Global Growth
The Dead Weight of Sluggish Global Growth
by Gregor Macdonald

Global Slowdown

The U.S. economy weakened appreciably in the first quarter of 2013. But what if this weakness persists into the second quarter just completed, and worsens still in the second half of this year? Q1 GDP, as reported on June 26th, was revised lower to just 1.8%. And various indications suggest that Q2 could come in slightly lower still, at 1.6%. Might the U.S. economy be guiding to a long-term GDP of 1.5%? That’s the rate identified by such observers as Jeremy Grantham – the rate at which we combine aging demographics, lower fertility rates, high resource costs, and the burdensome legacy of debt. Well, after a four-year reflationary rally in just about everything, and now with an interest-rate shock, the second half of 2013 appears to have more downside rather than upside risk. Have global stock markets started to discount this possibility?

The Dead Weight of Sluggish Global Growth
 by Gregor Macdonald

Global Slowdown

The U.S. economy weakened appreciably in the first quarter of 2013. But what if this weakness persists into the second quarter just completed, and worsens still in the second half of this year? Q1 GDP, as reported on June 26th, was revised lower to just 1.8%. And various indications suggest that Q2 could come in slightly lower still, at 1.6%. Might the U.S. economy be guiding to a long-term GDP of 1.5%? That’s the rate identified by such observers as Jeremy Grantham – the rate at which we combine aging demographics, lower fertility rates, high resource costs, and the burdensome legacy of debt. Well, after a four-year reflationary rally in just about everything, and now with an interest-rate shock, the second half of 2013 appears to have more downside rather than upside risk. Have global stock markets started to discount this possibility?

Image | Iceland – The Model the Bankers Would Like to Forget
Iceland – The Model the Bankers Would Like to Forget
 PREVIEW
by Chris Martenson

As the 2008 banking crisis unfolded, a lot of secret decisions were made that essentially boiled down to this: The bankers did not want to absorb the losses that resulted from their decisions.  The name of the game was who is going to eat the losses? And the early target, as always, was taxpayers.
Iceland – The Model the Bankers Would Like to Forget
 PREVIEW by Chris Martenson

As the 2008 banking crisis unfolded, a lot of secret decisions were made that essentially boiled down to this: The bankers did not want to absorb the losses that resulted from their decisions.  The name of the game was who is going to eat the losses? And the early target, as always, was taxpayers.
Image | Europe’s Precarious Banks Will Determine the Future
Europe’s Precarious Banks Will Determine the Future
by Alasdair Macleod

Crying Wolf?

It is easy to get the impression that the naysayers are wrong about Europe. After all of the predictions of Armageddon, ten-year government bond yields for Spain and Italy fell to the 4% level, France (which is retreating into old-fashioned socialism) was able to borrow at about 2%, and one of the best-performing bond investments has been until recently – wait for it – Greek government bonds! Admittedly, bond yields have risen from those lows, but so have they everywhere. It is clear, when one stands back from all the usual euro-rhetoric, that, as a threat to the global financial system, it is a case of "panic over."
Europe’s Precarious Banks Will Determine the Future
 by Alasdair Macleod

Crying Wolf?

It is easy to get the impression that the naysayers are wrong about Europe. After all of the predictions of Armageddon, ten-year government bond yields for Spain and Italy fell to the 4% level, France (which is retreating into old-fashioned socialism) was able to borrow at about 2%, and one of the best-performing bond investments has been until recently – wait for it – Greek government bonds! Admittedly, bond yields have risen from those lows, but so have they everywhere. It is clear, when one stands back from all the usual euro-rhetoric, that, as a threat to the global financial system, it is a case of "panic over."
Image | Neil Howe: The Fourth Turning Has Arrived
Neil Howe: The Fourth Turning Has Arrived
by Chris Martenson

In 1996, demographers William Strauss and Neil Howe published the book The Fourth Turning. This study of generational cycles ("turnings") in America revealed predictable social trends that recur throughout history, and warned of a coming crisis (a "fourth turning") based on this research.

Fourth turnings are defined by disorder and great changes brought on by a breakdown of the systems and operating principles that dominated the prior three turnings.

Neil Howe: The Fourth Turning Has Arrived
 by Chris Martenson

In 1996, demographers William Strauss and Neil Howe published the book The Fourth Turning. This study of generational cycles ("turnings") in America revealed predictable social trends that recur throughout history, and warned of a coming crisis (a "fourth turning") based on this research.

Fourth turnings are defined by disorder and great changes brought on by a breakdown of the systems and operating principles that dominated the prior three turnings.

Image | Ron Paul: Rejecting Authoritarian Government Is Our Greatest Priority
Ron Paul: Rejecting Authoritarian Government Is Our Greatest Priority
by Chris Martenson

Dr Ron Paul has long been a leading voice for limited constitutional government, low taxes, free markets, sound money, civil liberty, and non-interventionist foreign policies.

His last term in the U.S. House of Representatives ended earlier this year, so we caught up with the former Congressman to get his latest perspective on how successfully our national leadership is dealing with America’s economic challenges.
Ron Paul: Rejecting Authoritarian Government Is Our Greatest Priority
 by Chris Martenson

Dr Ron Paul has long been a leading voice for limited constitutional government, low taxes, free markets, sound money, civil liberty, and non-interventionist foreign policies.

His last term in the U.S. House of Representatives ended earlier this year, so we caught up with the former Congressman to get his latest perspective on how successfully our national leadership is dealing with America’s economic challenges.
Image | Four Signs That We’re Back in Dangerous Bubble Territory
Four Signs That We’re Back in Dangerous Bubble Territory
by Chris Martenson

As the global equity and bond markets grind ever higher, abundant signs exist that we are once again living through an asset bubble – or rather a whole series of bubbles in a variety of markets. This makes this period quite interesting, but also quite dangerous.

With equity and bond markets at or near all-time record highs, with all financial assets consistently shrugging off bad – or worse – news as the riskiest of assets continue to find consistent upward bids, we find ourselves in familiar and bubbly territory.
Four Signs That We’re Back in Dangerous Bubble Territory
 by Chris Martenson

As the global equity and bond markets grind ever higher, abundant signs exist that we are once again living through an asset bubble – or rather a whole series of bubbles in a variety of markets. This makes this period quite interesting, but also quite dangerous.

With equity and bond markets at or near all-time record highs, with all financial assets consistently shrugging off bad – or worse – news as the riskiest of assets continue to find consistent upward bids, we find ourselves in familiar and bubbly territory.
Image | We’ve Dug a Pretty Damn Big Hole for Ourselves
We’ve Dug a Pretty Damn Big Hole for Ourselves
by JHK

The diminishing returns of technology are insidious, and they are ever with us. By this I mean the slow erosion of the quality of life, despite the impression that technological wonders only make our lives better.
We’ve Dug a Pretty Damn Big Hole for Ourselves
 by JHK

The diminishing returns of technology are insidious, and they are ever with us. By this I mean the slow erosion of the quality of life, despite the impression that technological wonders only make our lives better.
Image | This Gold Slam is a Massive Wealth Transfer from Our Pockets to the Banks
This Gold Slam is a Massive Wealth Transfer from Our Pockets to the Banks
by Chris Martenson

I am very disappointed by, but not surprised at, the latest transfer of wealth to the bankers from everyone else.  The most recent gold bear raid has vastly enriched the bullion bankers, once again, at the expense of everyone trying to protect their wealth from global central bank money printing.

The central plank of Bernanke's magic recovery plan has been to get everybody back borrowing, spending, and "investing" in stocks, bonds, and other financial assets.  But not equally so, as he has been instrumental in distorting the landscape towards risk assets and away from safe harbors.
This Gold Slam is a Massive Wealth Transfer from Our Pockets to the Banks
 by Chris Martenson

I am very disappointed by, but not surprised at, the latest transfer of wealth to the bankers from everyone else.  The most recent gold bear raid has vastly enriched the bullion bankers, once again, at the expense of everyone trying to protect their wealth from global central bank money printing.

The central plank of Bernanke's magic recovery plan has been to get everybody back borrowing, spending, and "investing" in stocks, bonds, and other financial assets.  But not equally so, as he has been instrumental in distorting the landscape towards risk assets and away from safe harbors.
Image | Off the Cuff: Whither the US Dollar?
Off the Cuff: Whither the US Dollar?
 PREVIEW
by Chris Martenson

In this week's Off the Cuff podcast, Chris and Charles Hugh Smith do something a little different.

Given the thoughtful and in-depth discussion resulting in our recent article on the future of the dollar's purchasing power, Chris and Charles engage in a fundamentals-based debate on the outlook for the U.S. dollar over the next decade.

This is one of those instances in which Charles, a valued contributing editor to Peak Prosperity, sees the future differently than Chris…

Off the Cuff: Whither the US Dollar?
 PREVIEW by Chris Martenson

In this week's Off the Cuff podcast, Chris and Charles Hugh Smith do something a little different.

Given the thoughtful and in-depth discussion resulting in our recent article on the future of the dollar's purchasing power, Chris and Charles engage in a fundamentals-based debate on the outlook for the U.S. dollar over the next decade.

This is one of those instances in which Charles, a valued contributing editor to Peak Prosperity, sees the future differently than Chris…

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