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…The U.S. is destroying itself through senseless (and expensive) warfare and is no longer dancing around the
socialist tar pit—it is now diving in [Obamacare]… It is an empire on the brink of losing its position to the next empire. That much is as clear as day. What we find surprising is that so many Americans cling so desperately to the possibility that a collapse can somehow be avoided and that the U.S. will somehow remain “liveable,” or at least that the present standards will continue. [The truth of the matter is, unfortunately, that the U.S. is facing a series of hurdles, followed by a cliff. Let me explain.]
So says Jeff Thomas (internationalman.com) in edited excerpts from his original article* entitled A Series of Hurdles, Followed by a Cliff.
[The following is presented by Lorimer Wilson, editor of www.FinancialArticleSummariesToday.com and www.munKNEE.com and may have been edited ([ ]), abridged (…) and/or reformatted (some sub-titles and bold/italics emphases) for the sake of clarity and brevity to ensure a fast and easy read. This paragraph must be included in any article re-posting to avoid copyright infringement.]
Thomas goes on to say in further edited excerpts:
A Series of Hurdles, Followed by a Cliff!
In 2008, an American associate of mine hoped, “If we can only avoid this socialised medicine, we might be okay.” In 2010, the same associate said, “If we can only get the tea partiers elected, we might be okay.” Prior to the US interest in the Syrian conflict, he said, “If we can just stay out of further war in the Middle East, we may be okay” and so it goes.
When an empire has entered the final, definitive stage of its period of decline, there is always a “hurdle” of some description in front of the citizenry. If only that hurdle can be jumped, the future might be rosy. However, if we step well back from the situation, we see that:
- a hurdle of Further Warfare is in view,
- a hurdle of Default is getting closer
- the hurdle of Dramatic Inflation is visible and that
- there are further hurdles:
- increasing capital controls,
- confiscation,
- nationalisation of businesses,
- completion of a full police state,
- expatriation controls,
- collapse of the markets,
- collapse of the currency.
We see a series of hurdles, followed by a cliff.
[While]…it is not only the U.S. that is in dramatic decline at present it is, however, the present empire of the world, and just as with previous collapses of empire, when a giant falls, it lands all the harder.
The difficulty in recognizing the cliff beyond the hurdles is, of course, that if all your effort is going into jumping one hurdle after another, it is more difficult to remain objective of the final outcome. It becomes harder to make the decision to quit jumping hurdles and thereby avoid the cliff entirely.
- When warned that the U.S. government is planning a requirement for IRAs to be invested in government treasuries that may soon become worthless, the average person says, “But if I take my money out, I’ll be penalised.”
- When advised that capital controls may soon make it illegal to expatriate funds, the average person says, “It will be taxed wherever it is. At least if it’s here, it’s close to where I am.”
- When an alternative residence is suggested, the average person says, “But I like what I have now. I’ve worked toward this for years. I don’t want to leave this behind.”
Trouble is, what the average citizen has now will not continue, under the evolving uber-state. Retaining the status quo will not be an option.…
Conclusion
[It is] time for a rethink. As the old saying goes, “The situation is hopeless but not serious.” The world is not coming to an end; it’s merely that, once again, a few countries are in the last throes of decline. The world is still large enough that those who choose to opt for greener pastures outside the declining empire have many choices. Dealing with the hurdles is one thing. Dealing with the cliff is quite another.
[Editor’s Note: The author’s views and conclusions in the above article are unaltered and no personal comments have been included to maintain the integrity of the original post. Furthermore, the views, conclusions and any recommendations offered in this article are not to be construed as an endorsement of such by the editor.]
*http://www.internationalman.com/articles/a-series-of-hurdles-followed-by-a-cliff#.UzBEE1VOXIU (Copyright © 2014 Casey Research, LLC.)
(Footnote: For years, we [at Doug Casey’s International Man] have been projecting that, as the US and the EU approach their respective economic Waterloos, they will impose increasing controls on their people—laws that will serve to pen in the sheep as much as possible, so that when the odiferous effluvium really does hit the fan, the average citizen will find that the gate has been shut and his ability to internationalise has become, at best, extremely difficult, and maybe impossible.
For those of us who are not a part of the US or the EU, it would seem a simple exercise to simply stand back and view all countries as possibilities for residence, employment, investment, banking, citizenship, etc. After all, when seeking to buy a home, no one, in any country, assumes that the only possible choice he has is his present residence. He gets out the newspaper, goes on the Internet, checks with realtors—all in the interest of finding the property that is most suitable to him.
It would therefore seem logical that the choice of country (for whatever purpose—not merely for residence) would be approached in the same way, yet this is rarely the case.
Casey Research specializes in finding the most up-to-date, accurate, and comprehensive information on internationalization. Find the best countries for second passports, offshore banking, offshore incorporation, foreign gold storage, and more in our Going Global publication.)
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One question that needs to be considered is this:
Will the longer we wait, make the “cliff” bigger?
My gut feeling is that the answer is YES, since we are daily creating ever more debt, so when the “Fiscal Correction” occurs it will more “dramatic” than if it had occurred when we owed far less to other countries!
I’d be interested in what you think about the future.