Economy

Thanks to the endless barrage of feel-good propaganda that daily assaults the American mind the citizens have no idea how disastrous the country’s fiscal, monetary and economic problems truly are nor do they perceive the rapidly increasing risk of a totalitarian nightmare descending upon the American Republic. Below, we outline America’s troubling and compounding predicament, and urge you to think about how to protect yourself from its consequences, both financially and personally.

The price of gold, on a quarterly basis, is 86% correlated - yes, 86%! - to total government debt going back to 1975... and a shocking 98% over the past 15 years! [As such,] it would seem like a no-brainer investment thesis to buy gold... as a proxy for the not-otherwise-investable thesis that US total government debt will increase in the future. [But there is more - and it is disappointment for gold bugs - read on!]

[There is a major downside to] quantitative easing; it isn't free. There is a cost to the Fed's policy and the bill will be past due when the economy recovers and interest rates rise. Congress will then realize that the Federal Reserve System is the biggest financial black hole in the history of mankind [and that] the tab may be big enough to blow the Federal budget and plunge Washington into a new fiscal and political crisis. Words: 870

The “debt ceiling” has replaced the “fiscal cliff” as the new crisis of the month. The gargantuan debt of the U.S. which – as of this writing – stands at an astounding $16,450,981,484,618 is now slightly above our current national debt ceiling of $16.394 trillion and growing. Let’s take a closer look at what the debt ceiling is and why it is important. Words: 1020

I expect the eventual endgame to this whole Keynesian monetary experiment that has been going on ever since World War II [will] finally terminate in a global currency crisis. [That being said,] I'm starting to wonder if we aren't seeing the first domino - the Japanese yen - start to topple...[It has] cut through not only the 2012 yearly cycle low, but also the 2011 yearly cycle low and never even blinked [and should it continue its steep decline] and break through the 2010 yearly cycle low [of 105.66] I think we have a serious currency crisis on our hands. Needless to say, if the world sees a major currency collapse... it's going to spark a panic for protection - to gold and silver. Wouldn't it be fitting that at a time when they are completely loathed by the market they are about to become most cherished? [This article analyzes the situation supported by 3 charts to make for a very interesting read.] Words: 620; Charts: 3

The Fed’s plan B: Bail out the banks, transfer the banks bad bets onto its own balance sheet, hammer the greenback, slash wages (via inflation), boost exports, and pump as much money as possible into the unproductive, overbuilt black hole we call the U.S. housing market. [Let me explain why that is obviously the case.] Words: 1298

Higher interest rates [are eventually coming and]... will substantially increase the annual interest costs, the deficit, and the required borrowing/printing. More deficits, more borrowing, more printing, and higher interest rates will cause a larger deficit and more borrowing and the cycle will repeat. [You have a choice as to what you do to protect your current and future standard of living and this article sts it all out.] Words: 595

It seems clear that there are a number of investors who have gained confidence in the global economy and are seeking to capture the growth opportunities taking place around the world. With the European crisis comfortably in the rear view mirror and global central banks taking the position that they will continue their easing policies, investors have taken their foot off the brake and have begun to accelerate....We see more sunshine and less stormy weather ahead [and explain why that is the case in this article]. Words: 695; Charts: 3

America's GDP is still roughly twice as big as China's (using market exchange rates). To predict when the gap might be closed, The Economist has updated its interactive chart below with the latest GDP numbers. This allows you to plug in your own assumptions about real GDP growth in China and America, inflation rates and the yuan's exchange rate against the dollar. [Plugging in our assumptive] numbers China will overtake America in 2018. [Share your prediction in the "Comments" section at the bottom of the page.]

Across Europe and the United States, millions go without work. Those who do work face a lifetime of crippling taxation to pay for the entitlements of their countrymen and the debts of their governments. Canada by contrast is strong. To stay that way, we must never repeat the mistakes of Europe and the United States and we must instead focus on what Canada has already done right. Words: 1320