Inflationomics.com

Why Do We Have a Silver Shortage Today?

03/03/2026

Let’s start with the fact that we are consuming...

Why is Government Spending Uncontrollable?

2/20/2026

Government spending is politically uncontrollable. That means...

Money, Debt, and Inflation

2/19/2026

Money—Gold is money, everything else is...

Addressing the Silver Shortage: The Carrot or the Stick?

1/13/2026

Some people who have been following commodities prices recently have noticed that gold and silver prices have shot up. As far as silver is concerned, this has happened despite the COMEX's having significantly raised margin requirements, which normally would cause a sell-off.

A Tariff is a Tax

3/21/2025

A tariff takes money from a profitable business and gives it to a wasteful government. What could go wrong there?

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

12/16/2024

Efficiency generally means that something works with minimal or no waste. In the world of business, an organization is considered to be efficient if/when it earns a profit…the greater the profit, the greater the efficiency. Governments...

Wealth

10/14/2024

What is Wealth? Where does Wealth come from? How does someone become Wealthy? Where in the world is the best place to accumulate wealth?

What Are You Speculating in?

5/7/2024

Most people don't think of themselves as speculators, but...

If Seashells were Money, Why not Bitcoin?

3/6/2024

One of the earliest forms of money was seashells; however, gold and silver...

Looking Ahead

12/21/2023

For anyone who has been paying attention to what the Fed and U.S. federal government have been doing, it must be obvious that:

Five Reasons Governments Lie

4/4/2023

Why would a government ever lie to its citizens? I can think of five reasons...can you think of more?

Why Have There Been so Many Mergers and Consolidations in the U.S. over the Years?

1/16/2023

Some people believe that big corporations are to blame...

This Chart Shows Why Inflation Isn't Going Anywhere

11/22/2022

I want to show you something important today. It has to do with everything that's in the financial news. And yet I don't think I've seen anybody looking at things quite this way.

Biden's National Security Strategy Visited

11/10/2022

According to the Biden administration's latest National Security Strategy, "The People's Republic of China...

How Inflation Misallocates Resources

06/21/2022

A friend recently asked me how one prepares for hyper-inflation. I told him...

What Would You Do if Your Bank Account were Frozen?

04/07/2022

That’s what happened to Russia after its troops invaded the Ukraine. It had roughly $650 billion in foreign exchange reserves parked in banks around the world.

Economic Lessons for Amish Children

02/06/2022

I recently had a second Amish baby boy named after me. While I could obviously gift the child and his parents gifts of gold or silver, it occurred to me that it would be nice if I could give them something more…something they wouldn’t get from any place else; i.e., a little knowledge about economics. The Amish never take a course on economics as they never attend school past eighth grade. Furthermore, their teachers never go to school beyond eighth grade. So where can they obtain any knowledge of economics? As far as I know, they don’t subscribe to economic newsletters or other publications; therefore, I wrote down the following ten items I call Economic Lessons for Amish Children. Of course, the lessons could be of value to non-Amish children (and some adults!), as well.

Inflation: Transitory? Or Just Getting Started?

01/11/2022

Ok, so now everyone can see the price inflation...

Don't Forget about Food!

06/16/2021

My father was born in 1922, in Germany. As many people know, hyper-inflation in Germany...

How Inflation Plays Out

03/02/2021

The problem with inflation is that it has a number of mal-effects on the economy and society in general. The following is...

Is it Unpatriotic to Avoid the Coming Price Inflation?

02/21/2021

Some people believe it is patriotic to deprive a wasteful government of the capital that is being seized and squandered by it. Fortunately...

Earning a Profit, or Not?

02/18/2021

Earning a profit is important for five reasons...

Unequal Treatment under the Law

02/16/2021

Government is an instrument of force. Its laws, rules, and regulations are enforceable with police power and military might. This force is necessary to...

The Confusion about Inflation

01/20/2021

I recently read an article in which the author defined inflation as a “sustained increase in the price of goods and services.” While this definition is quite common, it is not accurate. Inflation is the increase in the supply of money and credit, pure and simple. This may lead to rising prices of goods and services (price inflation), but to say that the rising prices are inflation confuses the cause and effect of the rising prices. This is important because...

The Return of Capitalism

01/17/2021

The United States already has socialism to a large extent. That's not to say that it couldn't get much worse. It could. And it just has. Let me explain.

How Free Things Can Destroy Incentives

12/20/2020

When food aid was sent to Haiti after it suffered a devastating earthquake in January 2010...

What Would Happen if the U.S. government were to Abolish the Federal Income Tax?

11/02/2020

Obviously, the Federal Government would bring in approximately $3.7 trillion fewer dollars...

What Has Government Done to Our Money?

9/17/2020

Starting in 1793, shortly after the Continental Dollar was printed into oblivion, the United States minted copper coins, followed by silver (1794) and gold (1795) coins. The government had learned its lesson...

A Graphic Demise of the U.S. dollar

8/11/2020

Back in the 1970s when I was in college, the United States was experiencing price inflation and as an economics major, we studied money and inflation. In fact, my dad even wrote a book...

The Price of Free

5/21/2020

Both political parties are trying to bribe voters with “free” things. There’s...

The Problems with Bernie

3/22/2020

Bernie Sanders has 3 primary ideas he’s promoting in his 2020 presidential campaign...

The Problems with Socialism

3/5/2020

The first problem with socialism is that it means different things to different people. For some people...

Why Have Living Standards Declined in the United States?

7/16/2019

The simple and short answer is...

The Free Market is Failing Us?

2/2/2019

You’ve got to be kidding! We...

Why I'm So Down on Government

6/11/2018

Some people ask me, “Why are you so down on government?” The answer is...

The World's Greatest Economic Experiment? Or More of the Same?

3/12/2018

Some people call the U.S. Fed’s monetary policies in recent years “the world’s greatest economic experiment.” But an experiment is usually a course of action the results of which are not known in advance.

Trade Wars Coming Up

2/5/2018

I recently read an article about the burgeoning trade war between the United States and China with the introduction of tariffs on solar panels and washing machines. The author made several points...

Bitcoin: Fad, New Monetary Order, or Something in Between?

12/31/2017

Bitcoin has been in the news a lot lately, sometimes for its wild multi-thousand dollar price swings and sometimes because someone holding an important position with a government or major corporation has spoken out about it. Why is it such a controversial topic?

Tax Reform

11/30/2017

Have you ever wondered how we got to the point where we need tax reform?

What Happens When Governments Manipulate the Markets?

10/27/2017

In today’s world, where market information serves not only as a signal to buy or to sell, but also as an overall indicator of economic health and direction, accurate information is more important than ever. Of course, that hasn’t stopped almost every country in the world from meddling in the calculation of indicators and the economic affairs of its citizens.

The Nature of Government—Conclusion

09/30/2017

Along the road to total government control, we may notice some of the landmarks that were seen in Rome, France of the 1790s, Germany's Third Reich, Zimbabwe, and Venezuela. How many of these landmarks do you recognize in the United States today?

The Nature of Government

08/31/2017

I’m always amazed at how few people understand the nature of government. Government is an instrument of force. It promulgates laws, enacts rules and regulations and then enforces them. This is fine, as long as...

It's Too Late, Shelley

07/31/2017

I recently read a quote from U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), in which she reportedly stated, “I did not come to Washington to hurt people.” She was apparently talking about the Senate’s attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act or parts of it. She obviously thinks that the Affordable Care Act helps people and doesn’t think about the people it harms. Her comment made me wonder...

’Til Debt Do Us Part

06/30/2017

Debt is still the #1 problem for the U.S. government, state governments, businesses, and individuals. And this problem won’t go away as long as money is available to be borrowed at exceptionally low interest rates. In short, more debt is being encouraged by the fed’s (and other central banks’) policy of low-to-no interest rates.

How Do the Amish Compete in Modern Society?

05/18/2017

The Amish. They use horses and buggies for transportation.... They clearly are living as was done back in the late 1800s or early 1900s.... So how do they compete?

The More Government Does, the More it Takes Away

04/25/2017

When a government taxes you, most people would agree that it’s taking away a percentage of your money. And because time is money, a taxing government is taking away a percentage of your life. If it takes 50% of your income, it owns 50% of you.

International Trade

03/30/2017

Take a look at the labels around you. The labels on the products you use every day. You might discover that your phone is from Korea or China, your clothes were made in Indonesia or Pakistan, and your bananas were grown in Colombia. What if everything that didn't have a "made in the USA" stamp suddenly doubled in price?

Building Walls to Keep the Competition Out

02/19/2017

The idea of building a wall between Mexico and the United States has been in the news a lot lately. The idea is short-sighted. It’s treating a symptom...

Labor Lessons?

01/26/2017

Years ago, when my wife and I were just getting started with our publishing business, and before we knew anything about labor markets, we moved our business from Cedar Falls, Iowa, to a small town in Centre County, Pennsylvania, called Spring Mills.

How to Make America Great Again

12/28/2016

One of the most basic principles of economics is that the more capital there is invested in a job, the more productive that jobholder can be. Consider...

What I Learned from my Ninth Grade Math Tutor

11/29/2016

Yes, I was having trouble with Algebra when I was in ninth grade. And so my dad hired a math wiz from the local college to help me improve my grades. And I do remember the next day in class...

Voting for the Lesser of Two Evils

10/31/2016

Let’s start arbitrarily with President Kennedy. We got Kennedy instead of Nixon. How evil was Nixon? Stay tuned. With Kennedy as President...

Reader's Questions Answered

09/30/2016

Questions: Why can’t the Fed keep interest rates low? How does the market drive them back to market value? Answers: ...

It's Time for a Renaissance of the Gold Clause Contract

9/26/2016

Assuming you had the money, would you lend $10,000 to be paid back over 30 years plus 3% interest? What if inflation skyrocketed? ...

Paying Your "Fair Share" While Building Wealth

08/29/2016

There’s a lot of rhetoric leading up to the election about taxing the rich, making them pay their “fair share,” etc. But who’s going to determine how much one’s “fair share” is? Some poor but greedy politician, some rich politician, or some bureaucrat? What do they know about what’s “fair?” Why wouldn’t it be fair just to have everyone pay the same amount regardless of their income? Isn’t that equal treatment under the law? Alas, that’s not what we argue about…

Lessons from Planting Trees

07/29/2016

Some of you may have heard the story my dad used to tell about how, back in the early 1970s, he planted (actually, he had me plant) black walnut trees on some land we own. The big-picture plan was to plant them so that future generations would be able to harvest them and reap the benefits of their far-sighted ancestors. It was a great long-term plan, but there were a few details missing…. Now, I’m going to tell you the rest of the story.

The Brexit Aftermath

06/29/2016

Someone recently asked me whether I thought there would be a war as a result of the British electing to exit the European Union (EU). After all, she said, President Lincoln went to war when the Confederate States of America seceded from the United States of America.

What Can Gold Do for Our Money?

6/6/2016

One of the chief virtues of a gold standard is that it serves as a restraint on the growth of money and credit. It makes runaway government deficit spending and major monetary catastrophes such as hyperinflation practically impossible.

The Future Under Negative Interest Rates

05/30/2016

We've all heard about negative interest rates by now. How the bank depositor has to pay the bank for the privilege of keeping his/her money in the bank…the opposite of the way things have worked in the past.

Why Regulators Can't Regulate

04/27/2016

Everyone knows that regulators regulate markets. Markets, of course, are the result of individuals acting freely to determine the price of everything from food to insurance. It's simply the most efficient way to allocate scarce resources in a world of unlimited wants. And when regulators regulate, they alter the way people behave.

Working Outside the "System"

03/28/2016

As interest rates go negative, savers have less incentive to save and everyone has less incentive to stay within the unrewarding "system." The "system," of course...

Negative Interest Rates

02/25/2016

Let's say there's a banking crisis and banks stop lending money. The economy contracts. Voters become unhappy. And nowadays it's the central bank's job to stimulate the economy. So, what does it do?

Why the Federal Reserve Always "Happens" to Be Wrong

2/12/2016

The Federal Reserve Board finds itself back in a quandary of its own making.

The 21st Century Gold Standard is Already Here

01/14/2016

Some advocates of the gold standard look to the past and idolize the way it was during the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. They point to the Coinage Act of 1792, where a dollar was defined as 371¼ grains of pure silver, and gold was fixed at a ratio of 15 to 1 relative to silver. “If only we could fix the dollar to a set quantity of silver again,” they lament.

2015 Review

12/31/2015

The war in Syria continues, sending out a flood of refugees to Europe and beyond. Russia has joined the Syrian fray, and Europeans are becoming frayed around the edges as more refugees move in. Meanwhile, rich Arab countries...

From the Echoes of 1776: A Monetary Revolution is Coming

12/17/2015

Is America on the cusp of a revolution that will usher in a new monetary order? The lessons of history tell us...

Another Consequence of Declining Oil Prices?

12/02/2015

You may have heard that Saudi Arabia has just brought a halt to its experiment of growing wheat in the desert. In other words, they are about to stop turning their oil revenues into...

What Will the Next Debt Default Crisis Bring?

10/29/2015

Back in 2008, when Lehman Brothers failed, Merrill Lynch was taken over by Bank of America, AIG was nationalized, and Reserve Primary Fund's (a large money fund) price dropped below one dollar, the Fed came to everyone's rescue with cash. Since then...

Why the Fed Didn't Raise Interest Rates

09/29/2015

So the Fed didn't raise short-term interest rates, again. Is the economy still too weak? Does it need more stimulus?

Get Ready for a Huge Wave of Bankruptcies

9/16/2015

Global companies are having trouble paying their bills...

The Most Important Geopolitical Trend of the Next Decade

9/8/2015

The bloodbath was merciless. In 1842, 16,500 British soldiers and civilians withdrew from Kabul, Afghanistan. Only one would survive. It was the most humiliating military disaster...

Money—How to Get It and Keep It

9/2/2015

Even if you are already wealthy, some thought on this topic is worthwhile. What would you do if some act of God or of government...took you back to square one?

Currency Wars: Who Wins? Who Loses?

08/31/2015

After 71 years of the world’s being under the U.S. dollar’s dominance and 44 years operating as an un-backed fiat currency, the wheels are finally starting to wobble. How much longer till they fall off?

The Next Financial Disaster Starts Here

8/11/2015

Individual investors take note...Some of the world's best money managers are betting on the biggest financial disaster since 2008. You won't hear about this from the mainstream media.

When Paper Money is Free

07/29/2015

If I could borrow money at 0% interest or even 1% interest with inflation at 1%+, why wouldn’t I? All I have to do is...

Capital Controls and a Bank Holiday in Greece: Here's How You Can Profit

7/3/2015

For the unprepared, it happens like a mugging...When you hear a central banker or politician deny that something is going to happen to bank depositors, you can almost be certain that it will happen. And probably...

Following the Greek Example

07/03/2015

Ok, so Greece has been living beyond its means for some time. It borrowed...

This Unknown Market Could Explode on June 30...Possible Triple-Digit Gains Await

6/24/2015

Do yourself a favor right now and think in terms of risk and reward. Ditch all your preconceptions about any country. If you don't, you'll miss out on the richest investment opportunity to come your way in years.

As Costs Rise, Opportunities Decline

05/28/2015

Did you ever think about how many mandatory costs Americans must pay? First came...

The Difference Between the Republicans and the Democrats

04/28/2015

I've long said that the only difference between the Republicans and the Democrats is...

Which Way Will the Fed Turn?

03/31/2015

Prior to the Fed’s tapering of quantitative easing, I didn’t think it likely that the Fed would actually taper; i.e., reduce its money printing. I thought that the world had become addicted to the easy money policies of the Fed. I thought that by tightening the money-printing spigots, the U.S. dollar would strengthen, U.S. exports would become depressed, and U.S. imports would become cheaper, thus worsening the balance of trade. In short, I didn’t think the Fed would be able to wean the world off the easy money policies it had fostered. Also…

Why Should We Audit the Fed?

02/26/2015

I can only think of these ten reasons...how about you?

The Swiss Franc Snaps--Up

01/19/2015

Ok, so the sound-money voters in Switzerland lost the election, but it looks like the election may have affected the Swiss National Bank (SNB) after all. While the Swiss won’t be backing their currency with gold, they also won’t...

(R)oiling the World Markets

12/29/2014

The world depends on oil for many things, making it one of the most important commodities around. So, let's consider some of the effects of a 40% drop in oil prices during the last six months.

The Most Important Election of the Year

11/18/2014

I realize everyone is focused on the U.S. election results with the Republican victories, but what difference will it really bring? Will the Republicans eliminate the Fed or the federal debts? Will they reduce taxes? None, no, and no. So what difference will it make? Not much, in the long run. But there is another election coming up on November 30 that could make a big difference...

The Fed's Independence

10/30/2014

Theorists like to point to the Fed’s independence when it comes to monetary policies; however, one must ask, “Who benefits the most from the Fed’s low interest rate and money printing policies?” Clearly, U.S. dollar debtors benefit most. And who...

Swiss Gold Referendum May Contribute to Gold Price Surge

10/15/2014

The referendum for the Swiss Gold Initiative is scheduled for November 30th and the propaganda war - between the Swiss National Bank (SNB) and the Swiss Parliament on one side and the Swiss People's Party (SVP) on the other - has begun and we expect it to escalate as the day draws nearer.

ISIS: Can We Afford to Fight It?

09/30/2014

Back in 2003, the Bush Administration estimated that the war in Iraq would cost between 50 and 60 billion dollars. Others estimated a higher cost, but no one suspected that it would cost $4.4 trillion.

Fed Says Americans are Hoarding Cash

9/8/2014

One of the great mysteries of the post-financial crisis world is why the U.S. has lacked inflation despite all the money being pumped into the economy.

Trade Wars Lead to Depressions

08/14/2014

Are we on the path to another Great Depression? See the parallels between the Great Depression and today's trade war with Russia.

Still Waiting for Signs of Intelligence

07/31/2014

I just read in The Wall Street Journal, "The boom in 'inversion' deals, in which a U.S. firm buys a foreign company and moves overseas, has raised the ire of President Barack Obama, who has said the practice is 'wrong.'" Of course...

BRICs Announce $100 Billion Reserve to Bypass Fed, Developed World Central Banks

7/21/2014

The anti-dollar alliance among the BRICS has successfully created a so-called "mini-IMF," since the BRICS are clearly furious with the IMF as it stands currently.

The Implosion is Near: Signs of the Bubble's Last Days

7/17/2014

The central banks of the world are massively and insouciantly pursuing financial instability. That's the inherent result of the 68 straight months of zero money market rates that have been forced into the global financial system by the Fed and its confederates at the BOJ, ECB and BOE. ZIRP fuels endless carry trades and the harvesting of every manner of profit spread between negligible "funding" costs and positive yields and returns on a wide spectrum of risk assets.

Welcome to the Everything Boom, or Maybe the Everything Bubble

7/10/2014

In Spain, where there was a debt crisis just two years ago, investors are so eager to buy the government's bonds that they recently accepted the lowest interest rates since 1789. In New York...

Why I'm Not Inclined to Leave the United States when the U.S. Dollar Collapses

06/29/2014

My dad told me that you can’t run from your problems…they’ll just follow you. Perhaps I was unfortunate to have a father who was a former fighter pilot whose primary instruction was...

For Most Families, Wealth Has Vanished

6/26/2014

If you're a typical family, you're considerably poorer than you used to be. No wonder the "recovery" feels like a recession.

The Benefits/Costs of Low Interest Rates

05/14/2014

For everything on this planet there is a market price, including interest; i.e., the cost of borrowing money.

David Stockman Pulls the Plug on Janet Yellen’s Bathtub Economics

5/13/2014

Some people are either born or nurtured into a time warp and never seem to escape. That’s Janet Yellen’s apparent problem with the “bathtub economics” of the 1960s neo-Keynesians. As has now been apparent for decades, the Great Inflation of the 1970s was a live fire drill that proved Keynesian activism doesn’t work. That particular historic trauma showed that “full employment” and “potential GDP” were imaginary figments...

The Evils of Inflation

04/16/2014

Inflation is the expansion of the supply of money and credit. So what’s so bad about inflation? 1. In time, expansion of the supply of money and credit leads to...

What Inflation?

03/03/2014

First, let’s make one thing perfectly clear: inflation refers to the expansion of the money supply and credit. Price inflation refers to rising prices. Just because a government inflates the money supply, it does not mean that price inflation will follow. The money supply must be inflated at such a rate...

$10,000 Gold, $50,000 Gold & the Coming Frightening Chaos

2/21/2014

On the surface it looks like there is deflation on the way. Japan is failing to inflate and China is tightening because of the problems in their banking system and shadow banking system. The EU banking system has also restricted lending....

Income Inequality, Part 2

02/12/2014

Income inequality in the United States is still in the news, and probably will be for some time. And it’s no wonder, with all the specious notions about why the inequality is growing. Some people blame globalization, others blame broken homes, crime-filled communities, dysfunctional schools, and personal chaos. Still others blame the rich...

2014 - A Catastrophic Year of Historic Devastation & Chaos

1/28/2014

We are about to witness the sad, but inevitable conclusion, from having a global economic system that is based on fiat currencies. This global experiment in which the quantity of money and credit is left to the discretion of just a few unaccountable individuals is about to come to a disastrous end...

A Second Social Security System?

01/27/2014

When the Social Security System was established in 1935, it was sold to the public as old-age or retirement "insurance." The idea was that the (usually younger) working people would contribute enough to the system to cover the payments to the (usually older) retirees...

Signs that it's Time to Head for the Exits

1/19/2014

Real money, such as gold and silver, is adopted by the market and traded for goods and services voluntarily. The government's fiat currency is something different. Most people forget we have legal tender laws forcing us to use the scrip that the Federal Reserve and Treasury create from thin air.

The business of creating bills for pennies and trading them for, in some cases, a hundred dollars is a good one. Creating electronic journal entries costs even less. Governments won't let go of this business without a fight.

Central Planning Maze and a Firestorm of Inflation

1/18/2014

On [January 15th] in 1919, the city of Boston experienced a disaster that would make national headlines the like of which had not been seen since the great earthquake and fire in San Francisco in 1906. But this time the source was not a natural disaster—instead it was an industrial accident.

It began as a quiet and relatively warm January day...

Second-Greatest Opportunity to Buy Gold

1/11/2014

Last year, a year that saw gold's greatest decline in 32 years, my book, $10,000 Gold was published. How's that for timing?

Income Inequality

12/16/2013

I sure am glad I don't live in a world of income equality! Just imagine what the world would be like if everyone were paid the same regardless of results.

The Great Game Accelerates...

12/10/2013

In the jigsaw that is the Great Game of Asia pieces which heretofore made little sense on their own are beginning to slot in to give us an idea of the final picture. These disparate pieces are as varied as China's claim of territorial rights over Japan's Senkaku Islands, NATO's backing off from Syria, America's détente with Iran and the surprising move by Iran to improve relations with the other Gulf States. The Chinese yuan is now...

The Tax that is Obamacare

11/30/2013

On June 28, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Obamacare as a tax. As with most taxes, money is taken from the more productive people and given to the less productive people. This does two things...

A Review of the Future

10/24/2013

During the past six years, I've written about the economy and what I expect in the future, and now seems like a good time for a 13 point “review of the future.”

The Best Case Scenario

9/24/2013

I realize that things don't look good for the United States these days, but there are two things happening in this world that could eventually turn things around...

Inflation and Gresham's Law in my Lifetime

8/29/2013

It was the summer of 1968 and I had just finished seventh grade. Rather than "goofing off" all summer, my dad required me to attend his Principles of Economics class at Grove City College. He and Fred Andre team-taught the class, as my dad was often on the road giving lectures around the country. It was during this class that I learned...

A Monetary Master Explains Inflation

8/24/2013

An interview with Terry Coxon, who begins by talking about the history of the term inflation, and ties that to his view of whether deflation has a chance, or whether price inflation will reign.

The de facto Gold Standard

7/10/2013

Many of today's central bankers may think they are not laboring under the constraints of a gold-standard, but they are wrong.

Obama Requests 15,000 Russian Troops for Upcoming Disaster

7/4/2013

Obama requests 15,000 Russian Riot-Control Troops for deployment on U.S. soil for an unspecified upcoming disaster in the region surrounding Washington D.C. EU Times tells the story.

Stirring up Envy

6/30/2013

I find it interesting that the U.S. Congress is taking notice of Apple, Inc.'s tax planning (avoidance, not evasion) and questioning Apple's motives. It would be one thing if Congress were asking...

How Inflation Affects Wages

5/31/2013

Inflation, i.e., the expansion of the paper (and electronic) money supply, affects wages in several ways...

The Case Against Deflation

5/14/2013

I am in the inflation, possibly hyperinflation camp; but there are those that think the future is more likely to be deflationary. In the main, this is the view of neoclassical economists, Keynesians, and monetarists, who generally foresee a 1930s-style slump unless the economy is stimulated out of it.

Municipal Woes

4/30/2013

Cities across the country are experiencing more difficulty making ends meet. Consider Vallejo, CA, Detroit, MI, and Harrisburg, PA. Some people believe this difficulty is because of rising prices. Others say it is due to declining revenues. Perhaps there is another explanation—

Warren Buffett Compares Gold to Capital

3/29/2013

Warren Buffett is a well-respected stock picker (and rightly so), whose every word is hung onto by many would-be investors. Unfortunately, Mr. Buffett sometimes strays beyond his area of expertise and comments on things like taxes and gold.

Cyprus' New Reality, Cash Society without Cash

3/27/2013

Cyprus' sudden acquiescence to demands by international lenders to confiscate 40 percent or more of bank deposits over 100,000 euros ($130,000) and limit withdrawals, while keeping the banks shut, has turned much of the country overnight into a fright-filled society with many people unable to get their hands on enough cash to pay for anything except food.

Money Walks

2/27/2013

Investors move their money. Is there more to it than just comparative tax rates? Find out here!

When the Convenience of Money isn't Worth It

1/23/2013

Money is a tool of convenience. Find out when its convenience is no longer worthwhile.

How the Swiss National Bank Went "All In," Three Times and Counting

1/10/2013

Think the Fed (with its balance sheet amounting to over 20% of US GDP), or the ECB (at 30% of GDP) is bad? Then take a look at the balance sheet of the Swiss National Bank...

The Results of Inflationomics^TM

12/26/2012

See some of the results of inflationomics^TM...

Porter Stansberry: Gold and Real Estate are my Hedges for the Fiscal Cliff

12/13/2012

With nary a glimmer of hope that economic sense will supplant political expedience, Stansberry & Associates Investment Research Founder Porter Stansberry expects rampant inflation to roar in once the cost of capital rises. How is he preparing himself? Read this interview to find out!

Rachel Maddow: Government "Greatness" vesus Private "Smallness"

11/30/2012

Is there a difference between government and society? Rachel Maddow seems to think not. Pay close attention to these words from the MSNBC host's promo as she attempts to defend "America"...

The Rise and Fall of Socialism

11/26/2012

Socialism is a social system where the means of production is owned by government. Ownership can be acquired either through force (civil forfeiture, for example) or through purchase. If acquired through purchase...

What Kind of “Arab Spring” will the United States Have?

10/22/2012

Lots of people are watching the Arab Spring with a curious fascination and wondering whether the same thing could happen in the United States. But, let's take two steps back. Remember...

Dollar Index Disguises Global Inflation Threat

10/18/2012

When the U.S. Dollar Index peaked at 120.51 in January of 2002, few suspected that it was on the brink of a one-directional correction that would ultimately erase a third of its value. In fact, in just three short years, the dollar index shed, on average, a point a month before ultimately...

Is Legal Tender Next?

10/12/2012

It's going to be illuminating to see whether the government appeals the big ruling on judges' pay that was handed down last week at Washington....The plaintiffs are Judge Peter Beer and a rainbow coalition of some of the most distinguished judges on the federal bench. They have just won a ruling that...

What You, the Rich, Owe to the Poor

10/6/2012

There are five obligations that you, the rich, owe to the poor.

Problems and Symptoms

9/19/2012

Doctors have a tricky job: they have to find out what symptoms a patient is having and use those to figure out what the problem is. Sometimes, they figure out the problem, cure it, and the symptoms go away; other times, they mistake the symptoms for the problem, and just make things worse. If one wants to "cure" the economy, one faces much the same problem, but on a bigger scale. Think about some of the things you've heard about, and...

Legalized Plunder – Why we have all been had, fooled and deceived…. and the surprising reason we keep asking for more of the same bad medicine

9/19/2012

Author G Edward Griffin was pilloried from all sides when his book The Creature from Jekyll Island was first published in 1994. 18 years later, when prediction after prediction has come true, and Griffin's claim that we are in the middle of enormous changes to society that will affect your lifestyle, your livelihood and your financial wellbeing are playing out every day...

America's Real Fiscal Problem: Federal Government Has Become a Giant Wealth-Transfer Machine

9/18/2012

There are two disturbing trends that help frame the long-run fiscal challenges confronting the United States which far outweigh any possible near-term fallout from the pending "fiscal cliff" the federal government is facing at the end of this year.

How Long Before Money Collapses and What Will it Mean for Gold?

9/14/2012

Since 2007 and the start of the "credit-crunch" the developed world's money system has been under stress. As a consequence, there has been an economic downturn that government and bankers have not been able to stop, convincingly, in the last five years. The developed world has decayed to the point...

Government Spending Does Not Boost the Economy!

8/31/2012

Some people believe that governments can boost the economy by spending money, but they are forgetting one thing.

Gun Control: Controlling the Government's Guns

8/26/2012

The recent mass shootings in Aurora, Colorado and then in Oak Creek, Wisconsin have led to renewed demands for "gun control" aimed ultimately at depriving the individual citizen of his Constitutional right to keep and bear arms. It is believed that if the individual were deprived of this right, such shootings would not take place, because of the sheer lack of available weaponry. Let me say immediately that I, too, believe in gun control. However...

What to Do When Every Market is Manipulated

8/24/2012

LIBOR, Bernie Madoff, MF Global, Peregrine Financial, zero-percent interest rates...and debt-based money. What do all of these things have in common?

Leaving the Euro Behind

7/30/2012

Someone recently wrote, "If Greece or Spain leave [the Euro], it will be a disaster for everyone.... If Germany leaves, it will merely be a surprise. No riots. No revolutions. No currency debacles. The deutschemark will go up. The euro will go down. Problem solved." I disagree. If Germany...

David Stockman Interview

7/18/2012

David Stockman says, "Austerity is not Discrectionary." Watch this insightful interview!

'Idiots' Controlling the World's Economies - Gold in Lockdown

7/12/2012

For some scary nighttime reading I would recommend Paul Mylchreest's latest Thunder Road report - Part 1. One cannot dismiss Mylchreest's views as just scaremongering. As an analyst he has nearly always been correct...

The $800 Trillion Scandal: How Banks' LIBOR Lies Affected You

7/11/2012

Banking scandals have grown so common that perhaps folks have simply run out of outrage. Or maybe the numbers are just too huge to wrap our mortal heads around.

Illegal Aliens vs. Chinese Imports

6/28/2012

What difference does it make whether Americans buy cheaply manufactured goods from China or those cheaply manufactured goods are made in the Unitea States by illegal aliens? To learn more...

Passing the Baton from the United States to China

5/31/2012

America grew to become a world superpower because it was an economic powerhouse. How much longer will that last?