Debt Default Will Kill the Dollar-Brandon Smith
By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com
Economic and political writer Brandon Smith thinks America is in deep financial trouble, and the Fed knows it. Smith contends, “First of all, I’d like to point out that at the end of last year, I brought up the prospect to the alternative economics community that the ‘taper’ was real, that the Fed would start cutting QE stimulus. I received a pretty negative response from that concept, which is understandable because a lot of people in alternative economics and the liberty movement are focused on the concept of hyperinflation through printing. I am pointing out through my articles on ‘taper’ that there is more than one way to kill the dollar. It’s not just about printing. There is also the issue about debt default and how that can kill the dollar’s world reserve status and kill the dollar’s value in the process. So, the ‘taper’ is a huge part of that process of debt default.”
Smith goes on to say, “I find it interesting the Federal Reserve institutes the ‘taper’ just before we saw major downturns in global manufacturing. The Baltic Dry Index is starting to crash again. We’re starting to see trouble in emerging market currencies. You could say that maybe that’s coincidence that the Federal Reserve started the ‘taper’ before those negative indicators started to become visible. I don’t think that was a coincidence. I think they knew that those negative indicators were coming, and the Fed is insulating itself using the ‘taper’ concept. Basically, what that means is the Fed is pulling back its QE because the effects of QE are diminishing. Stimulus has a shelf-life. Printing has a shelf-life for its effectiveness in manipulating markets and propping up stocks. I think we’ve hit the point where QE is no longer effective. The shelf-life is over. They are pulling the QE back now because they don’t want it to be known to the public that QE has become ineffective. They don’t want QE to be blamed for a stock market implosion. So, they are pulling it back because they know this downturn is coming.”
What about talk that the Fed is ‘tapering’ QE to intentionally cut the legs out from under the market? Smith explains, “Ultimately, the Fed is not pulling back from QE because the Fed wants to cut the legs out from under the market. I think the market is losing its legs regardless. They are pulling QE back because what happens if we have a stock market implosion while stimulus is running? I am saying the Fed is removing QE as part of the equation because it knows an implosion is going to happen, and they don’t want to be blamed.” Smith predicts that another $10 billion of QE, or money printing, will be cut at the next Fed meeting. Smith says, “The Fed is looking to end this by the end of the year, but maybe even faster.”
Smith predicts U.S. debt will “explode in 2014.” Smith goes on to say, “I think the U.S. debt issue is going to be very big this year. I think where all this is headed is debt default by the United States and intervention by the IMF. I believe the IMF will intervene in U.S. Treasuries.” Smith thinks America is headed for one big “final swindle.” Smith says the government is “cornering the last vestiges of U.S. wealth in the Treasury market and then will cut the legs out from under the Treasury market and thereby destroying the few people left in the middle class and deal with an economic collapse situation. . . . I think we will not see a full-on collapse where we wake up and there is nothing. We will have a slow to medium speed collapse where we will lose a considerable percentage of the value of the dollar. We will see major price hikes in necessary goods such as food, energy and electricity. I think the ultimate goal is to have the IMF move in and take over the management of the U.S. economy. I think the IMF and the U.N. will work hand in hand to rebuild the U.S. economy once it collapses.” Smith goes on to say, “I I have never seen so many possible global trigger events in the short time since I started to report on these global events. If you would have told me back in 2008 that we may one day be on the verge of WWIII in the Ukraine or with China and Japan, I might not have believed you. . . . I think there is a good possibility of a limited exchange, or limited use of nuclear weapons.”
On gold and silver, Smith says, “People in the investment market are going to start looking for alternative hedges.” Smith thinks, “Silver will go way up,” and “gold will be up 20% to 30% this year.” (There is much more in the video interview.)
Join Greg Hunter as he goes One-on-One with Brandon Smith of Alt-Market.com.
After the Interview:
Smith told me his next article will come out later this week. He’s going to give his many reasons why 2014 will get “uglier and uglier before the end of the year.” Smith predicts 2014 will reveal “the perfect storm of interconnectivity, and it is not a coincidence.” Catch Brandon Smith at Alt-Market.com.
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About the Author
Greg Hunter
Greg is the producer and creator of USAWatchdog.com. The site’s slogan is “analyzing the news to give you a clear picture of what’s really going on.” The site will keep an eye on the government, your financial interests and cut through the media spin. USAWatchdog.com is neither Democrat nor Republican, Liberal or Conservative. Before creating and producing the site, Greg spent nearly 9 years as a network and investigative correspondent. He worked for ABC News and Good Morning America for nearly 6 years. Most recently, Greg worked for CNN for shows such as Paula Zahn Now, American Morning and various CNN business shows.
Hi Greg,
When Bernanke left the fed he handed Yellen a hand grenade with the pin pulled. If Yellen does nothing and the economy doesn’t tank he can credit his brilliant. policies. If she continues tapering and the economy tanks he can say she should have stopped the tapering or should have reversed it. If she reverses tapering and the economy tanks he can say she should have continued tapering. I don’t think Bernanke ” left ” the fed I think he bailed.
Mal,
You pretty much summed it up with your first sentence: “When Bernanke left the fed he handed Yellen a hand grenade with the pin pulled.” Yes sir he bailed. Quick, write a book before it blows up.
Greg
I’m thinking of writing a book but it will be about fishing so people can learn to feed themselves. I have 30 lbs. of filets in my freezer.
Thanks for the great interview I do have one disagreement however when he predicts that we will see a final confiscation of most of the remainder of America’s private wealth via confiscation of retirement funds, etc. Well that won’t be the final confiscation of America’s private wealth because the private wealth of America is mostly held by the elites. You can be sure that the likes of Buffett and the Waltons and the many other less visible elites won’t have their net worth damaged too much. But they are the ones who should be taxed back down to the status of millionaires, but unfortunately they are all part of the group of elites who want the remainder of the middle class’ wealth. And this wealth isn’t going to the government; if it was then the government wouldn’t be on the brink of official bankruptcy. This wealth is going into the private coffers of the 0.001% elites.
Also, regarding the speed of the collapse, I am having a hard time reconciling a slow or medium length collapse with the numbers I hear about the gold flows into Asia. We are talking massive quantities now. What will happen when the gold runs out and you simply can’t buy any more physical? I would say that virtually all physical gold holders today would not sell at anything less than $5000. So when the gold runs out and no one can buy any, how could they possibly hide that? How could the Comex continue to be the price setting mechanism? At that point gold will skyrocket. When will that happen? Who knows. As suggested in the interview, they will probably try to time this with some token war to take the heat off the US for a little while. But when the gold runs out, I see things falling apart quickly, in the order of weeks. I just don’t see how they could hide that, which is the whole point of gold — it’s supposed to reveal the “truth”, and it does, in physical form in a legitimate market. What happens when a million Chinese gold aunties can no longer buy gold?
Once again, thanks for the interview.
greg, you hit another home run. this guy is young, he is unrefined and have great respect for him. i have a problem with so many people in this country willing to be payed off to let there country be destroyed. won’t they be destroyed too, or eventually? so what are these people thinking. then we turn to karen hudes. people didn’t like her but how do you know she isn’t actually trying to do something. sometimes i think the person way out on a limb, may know way more than you think. people can’t stand conspiracies, but in my opinion from brandon and alot of your interviewers fall into that. you don’t here this on mainstream media. everything is great! really? you have basically ran the spectrum, i would really like to see you do some interviews with historians that would open people eyes with what got us to this point. i heard an interview not to long ago, i can’t remember the the name, but was interviewed on coast to coast, who had said that when we won our independence, the british had told us that ,you may have won now, but we will take you down. we were warned in writings of our fore fathers , an yet we are letting it happen. i will be first to admit, i let it happen too. greed is also our enemy. thanks greg for your hard work, it shows everyday.
Thank you Bob!
Greg
i forgot one last thing. i have three kids who fall into brandons idea of the younger generation. party like it’s 1999. they are respectful and contribute to society, willing to give the shirt off their backs, but have the idea it’s overwith. how sad. they keep plugging along with hopes that things change. no matter what i tell them it’s there. we are possitive parents, but it seems in their blood that something is’nt right
Greg;
I can agree with him, slow gradual default, and they will buy our wealth pennies on dollar. Your gold will be gotten by hook or crook, and starvation controls the masses.
Revelation 6:5-6
New King James Version (NKJV)
Third Seal: Scarcity on Earth
5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart[a] of wheat for a denarius,[b] and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.”
Footnotes: Revelation 6:6 Greek choinix; that is, approximately one quart
Revelation 6:6 This was approximately one day’s wage for a worker.
CONCERNING RUSSIA AND THE UKRAINE
Because of the Carpathian Mountains.
…since Ukraine is on the Russian side of the Carpathians… those mountains would no longer be a barrier to invasion and would double Russia’s vulnerability. Russia would need twice the army to guard that border. And, Russia cannot afford to support an army of that size.
That is why Russia CANNOT allow Ukraine to fall into the hands of the European Union. So, expect Russia to quietly and firmly up the pressure. If Putin can take back Ukraine by covert means, he’ll do that. If the US and EU block covert action, Putin will send in troops…S.H.T.F
Greg:
Thanks for that interview with Smith. 32 years old. You know I’m 80 and I would never return to that age in the enviornment that we are in today, but I will say the IMF will never take over our gov’t. The shadow gov’t in Washington will start WWIII before that happens. You can bank on that. As a matter of fact the situation in the Ukraine could be the trigger that starts the end of us all… That’s what WWIII will do…..
I remember a few years back 2009-10, Glenn Beck was saying that the US was the final cog or piece towards global governance and global currency. A world with no borders and just being controlled by a few Elites. This has been the centerpiece of George Soros and why he manipulates so many GOVERNMENTS, currencies and markets.
Drudge just linked an article which now says that the Obamacare penalty will be now be mandatory and imposed by the IRS.
http://www.atr.org/irs-warns-obamacare-tax-must-paid-a8164
———————————————————————————
1 percent of your household income that is above the tax return filing threshold for your filing status, such as Married Filing Jointly or single, or your family’s flat dollar amount, which is $95 per adult and $47.50 per child, limited to a maximum of $285.
As confirmed by previous IRS testimony to the tax-writing House Committee on Ways and Means, “taxpayers will file their tax returns reporting their health insurance coverage, and/or making a payment”.
Once fully phased in, the Obamacare individual mandate tax will rise steeply, to a maximum of 2.5 percent of Adjusted Gross Income or $2,085 – whichever is higher
Greg, thanks for posting that web link on China. China is in far worse shape than even the US is and all their gold won’t save them. As the Bible says, man cannot rule himself.
Rodster,
I have never seen this many big deal stories that could possibly pop all at the same time. I think is one of thes blows up it will cause a daisy chain of bubble popping.
Greg
Let’s just pray Karen Hudes was wrong about us being thrown back into the Dark Ages.
Rodster,
Amen brother, but I am afraid she will be right on that point.
Greg
Very thoughtful young man, would like to hear some more from him in the future. Hunker down Greg, we got along way to go till Spring Plantin’, and the harvest might be more important than ever. God Bless!
Interesting guest. I have not been to altmarkets.
Here is a concept I came up with last year: Why The End of QE May be Bad for the Dollar and Good For Good and Silver.
The rationale is that the entire world now relies on the Fed’s willingness to print in order to get paid interest and principle on their T-Bonds.
If the Fed stops printing, how will bond holders be paid?
I call the Fed’s printing press the new gold standard.
http://smaulgld.com/why-the-end-of-quantitative-easing-may-be-bad-for-the-dollar/
An instructive video on the dangers of keeping your money in the banks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DT7bX-B1Mg
A really refreshing interview Greg. Brandon is a very sharp young man. He reminds me a lot of my son who is also my business partner. Most of my sons friends who went to college are living with their parents, and are preparing for trips to Florida for Spring break. They could care less about what’s going on in the economy much less the world.
Sometimes I feel like taking the Blue pill and joining them.
Personally I think the timeline for collapse is accelerating. This past weekend my son who lives in Florida told me he received a letter from his Bank ( Bank of America ) telling him there were limits on the amount of money he could draw out of his account using his debit card. Since when does a Bank tell you “hands off your own money” ?
There is a reason why we have bodies of Bankers piling up everywhere, and it has nothing to do with the Fed taper. The Fed taper is just a dog and pony show to draw attention away from the main show, which is the collapse of the derivatives market. Quadrillion is a number I still can’t wrap my mind around, but that is how much debt the Banks have racked up in derivatives. There is literally no way out, but a collapse, and its coming.
As far as the IMF and the United Nations taking away our Second Amendment rights in order to usher us into some new world currency system, that will be interesting to see. In my state we have approximately 185,000 CCW licensed gun holders. Probably half that number have AR-15’s . Many of them are law enforcement officers, veterans, and retired military. I don’t see very many of them going quietly into some NWO.
Just my opinion.
Thanks for having Brandon on. I hope you have him on again. He gives us some hope for a brighter future. Thanks Greg.
Thank you Jerry. I took a chance and it paid off. Smith is very bright and gave a different perspective.
Greg
Jerry
with you on two things you said…1) Not going quietly to the NWO re-education / concentration camp and 2) as we are main backer of IMF and World Bank, how are they going to back anything. I dont see Russia or China delegating their power to these bozos
Galaxy.
I have been told by multiple sources I know in law enforcement that if the UN is brazen enough to send in troops to disarm our citizens, they will be on the line with the American people. They are very Constitutional minded.
Greg. Great interview. Smart young man causing a glimmer of hope in a otherwise hopeless situation. Thanks for having Brandon Smith on. 4 out of 5 stars!
Great interview. It’s good to see a younger person so informed. You mentioned our Navy ships not having fuel, this has already occurred on several occasions. (Although not with the aircraft carriers, all carriers are currently nuclear, the Kitty Hawk was decommissioned along with her sister ship the Constellation. Which I served on). Now, ALL the ships except subs which escort the carriers are diesel. A large majority of my friends are retired navy. They have told me there has been quite a few times the escorts did not have enough fuel to go with the carriers. My nephew who is currently serving on the U.S.S. Howard which is a destroyer has also said his ship was delayed a few times for “lack of supplies”. Fuel.
Mike S.
This is why retirement money will trun into a national security issue. I think it will be taken in due time.
Greg
Greg, I concur with your guest about tapering of the FED & the reasons he gave in support of it to continue. Basically though, the most profound reason in my mind the FED must continue to taper is to be viewed as relevant in their handling of the economy; meaning, it you do a stimulus program (aka QE) to boost the economy and never quit, that is strong evidence that your program (stimulus) didn’t work. The tapering is a ruse that QE (stimulus) worked & the economy is getting better. Tapering is perception of a recovery, albeit a false one. Your guest’s assertion that stimulus has a shelf life is a “known” fact but rarely discussed. Countries who have “perpetual stimulus” become banana republics within 20 years of doing so; also a known fact as their currencies become worthless little by little. That is what we are experiencing now with the dollar with QE1 having commence in November 2008, QE2 in 2010 and so forth; over 5 years now of stimulus and its effect is slowing. Think about it, over 5 years and counting of stimulus, well on its way to banana republic status,therefore, they must stop it or admit it didn’t work & the economy is bottom bouncing at best.
Thank you Art, Noel and JohnE for the comments!
Greg
Just a thought. What if they told us they were tapering but actually weren’t? Would we know?
That is one impressive young man. Great find Greg. Tweeted this interview as far and wide as I could.
Greg,
Outstanding interview with Brandon Smith! You are doing a tremendous job of getting important views “out there”, from intelligent thinking people. Keep it up.
Greg, another great interview. I hope we all are preparing for hard times by leaning to produce food in the backyard, buying gold/silver, and stockpiling food and items that we need to live. Even if the dollar collapse doesn’t come for a few more years, prices are going in one direction and that is up…
Stan,
I have entered a constant state of readiness. Thank you for the comment.
Greg
Greg,
There are 4 people suggesting that there will be a currency reset soon.
Jim Willie,
V the guerrilla Economist,
Fabian Calvo,
Lindsey Williams,
Here are the list of pundits have been saying economic crisis coming
Gregory Mannarino, Michael Pento,Peter Grandich, Gerald Celente, Marc Faber, Jim Rogers, Max Keiser, Edward Griffin, William Kaye, Eric Sprott,
David Stockman, Paul Craig Robert, Rob Kirby, Doug Casey, Peter Schiff, Martin Weiss, Rick Rule, Andy Hoffman, Ann Barnhardt, James Turks, Bill Murphy, Jim Sinclair, Jim Rickards, Kyle Bass, Chris Martenson, Mike Maloney, Richard Russell,
John Williams, Mike Larson, Bix Weir, Jason Burack, Laurence Kotlikoff, Nomi Prins, Ellen Brown, William Black, Tres Knippa, David Collum, John Rubino, Charles Ortel,
Chris Duane, Stephen Keen, Reggie Middleton, Michael Hudson, Dan Collins, Jeffery Sachs, James Quinn. Larry Edelson,
Michael Snyder, Lew Rockwell, Simon Johnson, Mark Hulbert, Joseph Stiglitz, Shah Gilani.
klfoo123,
These are ALL quality people. How can they all be wrong? They are not!!! Thank you for taking the time to make this point here.
Greg
Did Chris Duane resolve the legal action with regard to the mulligan mint scam?
Good to have some new guests (and younger guests), Greg. I think he may be overthinking the Fed in regards to his “taper/default” theory. But who knows at this point? NOTE: I am a baby boomer.
Greg:
Brandon’s contributions and insights are most applicable. My research indicates that his commentary is spot on. What wisdom from such a young lad. Thank you for adding him to your website. IMHO, the interview was a significant addition to your followers and watchers.
Solomon,
I took a chance on him but I knew he was a smart guy. It paid off. Many liked him as he added a bit of a different perspective. Thank you for your comment and kind words.
Greg
I’m glad to see some youngsters out there who still care but have to agree with the guest that most of the youth could careless . However , recently I was forced back into taking college courses (I’m 40 ) due to the recession and had a glimmer of hope here in Asheville . In between classes I was sitting at the cafeteria and overheard a kid around 20 years old speaking to about 5 other students about the Federal reserve and it’s policies . This kid really had an incredible understanding of QE and it’s effects and the other students were interested in what he had to say . It brightened my day knowing there was still a glimmer of hope . I wish Ron Paul would at least run again so he can keep the movement alive .
Nathan,
Yes, all is not lost. We still have many young smart people in this country. Smith is one of them.
Greg
Electronic elections are a sham.
Our elections are rigged. Ron Paul was run off by the GOP and then they stole the election for Obama. No way Ohio voted for him, it was stolen.
Killer article good guest good worck this guy makes alot of sense.
peace ( hold on ) and be prepared.
China is on the verge of a financial collapse of unprecedented magnitude.
http://www.darientimes.com/29012/rickards-the-china-bubble-is-bursting/
Smart kid, but he omits the probability of inflation which, all other “triggers” aside, will incur on food items solely due to the California drought
What a refreshing ly smart and insightful young man. Brandon has presented us with one more possibility as to how this whole crazy economic worlod is going to play out.
I can follow his thinking and knowing what I know of humane behavior it is not hard to believe that the Fed wants to try and save their own ass first. People(Fed) do not want to put themselves in harms way. They prefer to create the allusion that they have givne up on a policy and thus anything that happens after the fact is not their fault.
Good thinking Brandon and thanks Greg for having him as part of your guest liat.
Great interview Greg. I know Brandon personally. He is the real deal; not one to waffle back and forth with the crowd. He believes the Baltic Dry Index is a key indicator. His view that the Feds see a market fall and is tapering QE to avoid blame seems to fit with those you have reported as shorting the market.
By the way, Brandon may not look like Grizzly Adams but he has written several awesome article on wilderness survival (not so much TEOTWAWKI). SurvivalBlog often links to them.
Thank you for adding this info about Smith!
Greg
“Smith predicts 2014 will reveal “the perfect storm of interconnectivity, and it is not a coincidence.”………. It’s not a coincidence because that has been Obama’s plan all along. Destroy the economy, dollar and country and hand it over to world rule……..The $10Bil taper is nothing but smoke and mirrors. There is no taper. Money is just being created and directed via other avenues. Purchasers of treasuries are coming from the most unlikely places (Belgium?). We are still printing $Trillions. What was originally a $800Bil original rescue package is really upwards of $17Trillion. Most going to overseas banks……So why are we focusing on $10Bil here or there Brandon ?
Hi Greg,
I’m one of your “Target” audience I guess, that being a bit older than your new guest by exactly 2x, but he sure seems to have his hat on straight! I don’t know if I’m THAT informed NOW, but I try to be, and watching USA WATCHDOG is certainly one of my mainstays as far as all of that goes. It is actually stimulating to know that there is at least ONE younger person who’s dialed into differentiating between truth and what we’re all fed by the government. Brandon’s a keeper!
Friends, I say it over and over again: $17 trillion in ACKNOWLEDGED debt seals the deal. Even if we NEVER borrow another dime (can you say “Obamacare”? Sure you can!), how do we get out from under $17 TRILLION? Oh yeah, that’s right! We can CUT the military so we have more money for VOTE-BUYING, I mean, social programs. The IMF coming in to “manage” the economy is an attempt to make the bail-in palatable! And with this comes the worst: LOSS OF SOVEREIGNTY. Get ready; our time is short. Best always to you and yours.
Case in point. Today’s 5 yr treasuries were taken down by foreign purchasers (51%). Just which countries today are flush with cash to buy a debt encumbered instrument paying 1.5% for yrs to a bankrupt, spending addict we call the US ? It’s all done with a wink-wink, I’ll scratch your back, you scratch mine……… We all know the relationship with Belgium (buyer) and the ECB……… We’ll send over a couple $Trillion to cover bank capital needs. You just need to purchase our $5Bil treasury auction……..A great deal if you can get it………. Not to stray too far but there’s also some political messages being sent out across the world with these announced tapers. Not unlike……you countries (emerging markets,ect) straying from the dollar will get your legs cut off. That’s what the US does. First they warn you, then they just blow up your country.
Greg,
I was sitting in the doctor’s office where there was a sign, effective Nov 1, we no longer accept Medicare/Medicaid. There was a patient sitting in the waiting room speaking on her phone asking her referring Doc why he sent her to someone who doesn’t accept Medicare? You could tell that the told her my doctor was on the list because the woman said, well they say they they aren’t accepting Medicare and they have a sign up saying they dont. They will see me but I have to pay in full up front.
Greg, this upset me. Not because the well dressed black lady had likely voted for Obama but because one could see she was in pain and that the doctor she could have seen last Jan couldn’t this year due to cuts in doctor reimbursement rates and extra paper work on top of that. How is any of this supposed to be better?
Obama stole money from black colleges to give to Hispanic ones in CA. Obama steal from the young to give to the old. He steals from the old to give to the illegals. You have to give it to Obama, he steals from people that worked all their lives to give to illegals or crack heads.
To top this off, I found out one of my meds are not covered by our new policy but I can get birth control pills or a breast exam for free. I think all men should avail themselves of these freebies so we can collapse Obamacare this year. After all, we are paying for this garbage that we will never need to make it cheaper for others. How utterly communist and unAmerican.
500,
Obama Care is not about care it’s about control. I think they want many to simply die off. Thank you for the real world reporting.
Greg
This ham handed attempt to gain control is going to bring the dems down. The problem is the republicans are cowards
Greg, interesting comment about (possibly) wanting many to simply die off. If your comment has even a drop of reality to it it would be the most stupendous planning of genocide in the history of the world, including, but not limited to, the “German Plan of the 30’s”. In some ways is makes sense as the elite, politicians, & the wealthy will get quality care and life saving drugs Obamacare or not, the others will have to suffer & possibly die. I heard a rumor that after 76 years of age under Obamacare you won’t get treated for cancer, I’ve been trying to find out if that is in the law anywhere, or maybe its just implied by the language of the bill.
Thanks Greg for turning us on to Braden Smith.
He does a great job of bringing it all together. It really resonated with our thoughts.
Great interview!!!!!!
Thank you Joe for your comment and kind words!
Greg
Our debt is going to explode? Has Mr Smith been paying attention the last five years? And I disagree with the default scenario and I am going with the inflation…hyper so. You see, as long as we can print paper how can we default? Especially since the only entity buying it is the Fed Reserve. Also, I think that we missed the opportunity to default in 2008. But what do I know?
Technically, debasement (via printing) is Default. That’s what gets hidden from the public. The Debtor Nations know it however….and they dont like it.
I don’t pay a lot of attention to the prognostications of 20 somethings who have not been out in the real world long enough to have a clue as to what will or will not happen in the near future. Give me soemoen who has been around long enough to see the ebbs and flows of the economic world over greater periods of time.
Brian,
Thank you for your feedback but I think Smith made some valid points.
Greg
You mean like David Stockman, Gerald Celente, Jim Willie, Eric Sprott, Jim Rogers, Jim Sinclair, Egon von Greyerz, Marc Faber, Paul Craig Roberts. I thought they (including Brandon) were all on the same page ? I may be wrong !
No one ever gets it 100% correct…..No One period. It pays to form your own opinion.
Like any respectable CEO…..the essence of adding value is the ability to separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to critical data points.
I’m afraid Brandon Smith gives the Fed much more credibility and acumen than it deserves. He says “they knew that those negative indicators were coming” and that was the reason for the taper. In my humble opinion, this is just so much wishful thinking.
First serious talk of taper by Ben Bernanke was almost one year ago. He knew then that QE was suffering from what all massive debt suffers from, and that is diminishing returns on amount issued. Less bang for the buck. He also desired to end his term as Fed Chair on a positive note, as not the one who blew up the dollar! History will be the final arbiter on that!
The new Fed Chair, Janet Yellin will hold the present level of QE, or even increase it. To decrease it will further expose the Fed to presure, not only from Wall Street but from international sovereign CB’s and governments. Who’s economies are beginning to stagger under the weight of supporting their currencies, as liquidity flees their countries.
I agree with Mr. Smith’s premis of a possible world military conflict, but this threat has been with mankind since forever! Nothing new there, except for the fact that this will possibly let the nuclear genie out of the bottle. Let us pray not.
The FED are not exactly exemplary citizens. Nor do they have the citizenry’s best interests in mind.
The indicators that Brandon refers to are leading indicators, ones that are demonstrating trends as opposed to the ones that get lost in translation – lagging indicators (unemployments for example) which as we know, are manipulated to the nth degree.
Yields on Stocks used to provide a source of financial / economic trouble ahead (leading indicator). In fact it used to spell trouble (by way of declines in stock market) before the economy displayed symptoms of recession (or worse).
I suspect Brandon believes the FED is aware of the real situation with regard Consumer Confidence, Housing Starts, Manufacturing Orders and Money Supply.
What I truly believe though, is that the FED is predicting that the yield curve is about to go inverted. That is absolutely the best forward predictor of trouble ahead.
Gregg, great interview. I think it is important to allow young folks like Brandon to express their views. Very smart young man.
Got to love Yahoo News. They never let the facts get in the way of Obama’s propaganda. Here is an excerpt from a story:
The controversial film, billed as a film trailer, depicted the Prophet Mohammed as a fool and a sexual deviant. It sparked a torrent of anti-American unrest among Muslims in Egypt, Libya and other countries in 2012.
That outbreak coincided with an attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi that killed four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya. U.S. and other foreign embassies were also stormed in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
http://news.yahoo.com/google-ordered-remove-anti-islamic-film-youtube-165609763–sector.html;_ylt=AwrBJR7wKg5TB2cAqR3QtDMD
Reading this garbage one would think Bengazi was the result of this film about Mohammed being a child molester.
How is the IMF and the U.N., both of which derive the majority their funding from the USA going to rebuild anything? Are they going to loan us our own gold or perhaps they will get in touch with Karen Hudes and borrow 171,000 tons of gold from her?
Just asking. We go down, Europe and Asia goes down…who does it that leave exactly to save us? New Zealand? Australia? Norway?
Thanks for having Mr Smith back.
Thank you for getting this guest on the show. I actually agree with his calls that it is this year for the major changes to come. (its refreshing for an analyst to back up what he is seeing with timeframes) Though I disagree with his take on the IMF/U.N. taking over the U. S., I think that is a good argument for getting people to getting engaged. His take on people his age his accurate; since I know when you are young you want to believe there is a bright future for you, your children & family. That said, my 26 yo son is looking to escape to Wyoming because of what he sees happening to our country. (he did 4 yrs in the Marines & sees peoples plight working at T.R. Price).
Fyi…I don’t see a IMF/U.N. takeover but a revolution to take back our country or…certain states having a constitutional form of govt. I am hearing people talk of acts of civil unrest & how they will respond. There seems to be a lot more organization to this end than people realize.
Again, thank you Greg for providing this type of discussion. And God bless you.
I don’t follow the logic. If the fed is pulling back on the taper because they don’t want to be blamed if a crash occurs while the taper is in effect then, if the market crashed and there was no taper wouldn’t people then conclude the fed wasnt aggressive enough and cut the taper too soon and thats why the market crashed and hence get blamed….Maybe someone can shed light on this…..
Just heresay……
The FED created the bubble in the stock market (like they have with the Bond, Real Estate and Currency markets). The question is why did it do that ? What purpose was it trying to serve. Intentions may have been hijacked by greed.
The Stock Market hasnt been operating on fundamentals for some time now (since 2001).
The market is showing signs of exhaustion on the buying side commensurate with a disengenuous lack of fear. All this implies that the FED has to keep propping up an unsustainable market. To do so runs the risk of a flight of capital out of the USD which will occur if QE is not finalised. The risk is far greater for the USD than it is for the stock market….as the signs (indicators) are already telling the FED …it makes little sense to persist.
The Money Manipulators always have a plan to divert attention away from themselves for engineering the coming economic collapse, and in the process, robbing the herd. I’m quite certain this Parasitic Banking Mafia has their boys in shadow labs bioengineering a freak virus to be unleashed on the masses. The beta-tests and pre-cursors are H7N9, H10N8 and MERS-CoV. Perhaps a mutated version of these viruses will be used, or a virus with a much different genomic structure. Either way, it will used to cull the herd and deflect angst away from themselves.
Everything is coming together for this pandemic. All one has to do is connect the dots. Research the numerous and comprehensive preps for a pandemic the U.S. government has undertaken within the past year, as if, at the very least, they’re expecting it to happen, or they (certain elements in the govt) are, indeed, complicit in the emergence of the pandemic. One might ask, “why undertake preps for a pandemic if you are going to help cause it?”…. The answer is simple and two-fold – 1) it’s mere posturing (a quasi-alibi of sorts – “you see, we took precautions to combat this virus, why would be create it and cause a pandemic?”), and 2) to build an apparatus used to impose order and control people when the virus emerges.
I wonder if the H7N9 cases in China, and the MERS-CoV cases in the Middle East, are basically the USS Coles and Khobar Towers of the viral world. That is, if they’re the prelude to the big event – the 9/11 of the viral world – which will be the global pandemic. This means the cases in China and the ME are psychological conditioners of expecting something far worse to come in the future; or, after the culling of the herd by the pandemic, in “20/20 hindsight”, it will be referenced, by the liars who write the “history” books, as the “warning signs” of, or “preludes” to, this virus, or a mutated version emerging from the current ones, causing this global pandemic. This pandemic will be used to cast blame on the failing economy because everything will come to a standstill as a result from it. Or, a very similar scenario, such as releasing the virus on the masses during, or shortly after, the collapse of the dollar and stock market, and the ensuing hyperinflation. Such pandemic will act as a decompression event, whereby, the herd’s built-up angst towards the Vampire Bankers, and their puppet governments, will quickly turn into fear of this ominous, unseen killer. Such fear will cause the remaining survivors to gladly turn themselves in to FEMA camps under the guise of “preventing more infections”, and forfeit their remaining rights and liberties to a more centralized govt that is “combating the pandemic while maintaining order”.
These International Financial Protozoa do NOT want to cause WW 3 as a diversion from the themselves robbing the masses and manufacturing an economic collapse, because they do not want the earth tainted with radiation indefinitely. They will use a virus or other pathogen, which they and their most loyal, paid-off shills will be vaccinated /inoculated against. This virus will be highly pathogenic with a very high mortality rate, yet, have a certain shelf-life, hence, it burns itself out after a period of time. Subsequently, all is well again, after they have reduced the global population by 50% – 98%. Remember, global depopulation is essential in helping finalize world hegemony for this cabal.
Again, it’s not just about distracting the masses from an engineered economic collapse and the robbery of the herd associated with it (bail-ins, gold confiscation, property and land seizure, etc.) , but it’s also about depopulation. Less people means they’re more controllable, and such a cataclysmic event – a global pandemic unlike any other – will evoke so much fear in the remaining survivors they will easily go along with the new order (which is really the final stages of the NWO), thus, a more centralized one-world government, economy and religion, with a certain cabal at the hub of this hegemony.
“Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature” ~ Anonymous – Georgia Guidestone
The only thing about a mans attempt to create bio toxins is that they change in the wild in unpredictable ways that thwart the attempt to vaccinate. Doesn’t mean they wont try. The best laid plans of mice and men of go astray
Sandman, you make a good point, and I hope such threats will be an aversion to the PTB for attempting such crime against humanity; however, I’m sorry to say these psychopaths will attempt it.
Joey,
aside from wow!, the first thing I’ll question is financially why would the controllers be better off with a mass reduction in world population? Isn’t a ponzi scheme financial system (money=debt) predicated on an ever increasing money supply hence an ever increasing population to support it?
Sorry, Greg, I think might have posted this reply in the wrong place.
Glenn, it’s really a matter of quality, not quantity, for the Money Manipulators to maintain, and even increase, their lavish standard of living. Centuries ago, the world was far less populated, but the ruling elite still had as good of a quality of life as the ruling cabal of today, especially when you put it in the proper context of the time periods. The disparity of wealth and income between the elite and the herd will not shrink with a reduction of the global population. On the contrary, the vast difference will remain the same, or even widen more… The only difference will be statistical, that is, the numbers in the accounting & data books on both ends of the spectrum. But those are just mere, superficial numbers logged on paper and digitally recorded in data bases. The elites’ lavish QUALITY of life and power certainly will NOT be reduced. Furthermore, their ponzi scheme that has robbed and enslaved much of the world is descending quickly for absolute destruction, thus, they are not counting on this current scheme to further enrich themselves for much longer. It has always been a system designed to inevitably fail, while in the interim of its existence, the elite who drafted it and control it made themselves extremely wealthy and powerful. Therefore, not if, but WHEN it fails, a population of 7 billion angry, destitute people, or “useless eaters” as the elite like to call us, will not fair well for this cabal’s ability to remain in power while keeping the herd in a slumber. They will reduce the global population because less people are more controllable, hence, being less of a threat to them and allowing the cabal to effect their NWO; and their method of depopulation will be the aforementioned in my earlier comment as to finalize their world hegemony, both directly and by proxy.
Looks like Joey Romanus was correct in his analysis and prediction that the Bankers will use a scapegoat to deflect from themselves who will crash the economy. Their scapegoat, as Joey Romanus predicts, is an engineered pandemic (happening now with the Wuhan virus) that will take the blame. Incredible foresight by Joey Romanus.
Greg, thanks for having Brandon on. I follow his site and recomend others to do the same. Among other things, it has a great forum for sharing ideas, insights and stories to help survive what looks like is coming to our country. Thanks again Greg and Brandon.
Brandons site “Alt Market.com”
Thank you Ken!
Greg
Glenn, it’s really a matter of quality, not quantity, for the Money Manipulators to maintain, and even increase, their lavish standard of living. Centuries ago, the world was far less populated, but the ruling elite still had as good of a quality of life as the ruling cabal of today, especially when you put it in the proper context of the time periods. The disparity of wealth and income between the elite and the herd will not shrink with a reduction of the global population. On the contrary, the vast difference will remain the same, or even widen more… The only difference will be statistical, that is, the numbers in the accounting & data books on both ends of the spectrum. But those are just mere, superficial numbers logged on paper and digitally recorded in data bases. The elites’ lavish QUALITY of life and power certainly will NOT be reduced. Furthermore, their ponzi scheme that has robbed and enslaved much of the world is descending quickly for absolute destruction, thus, they are not counting on this current scheme to further enrich themselves for much longer. It has always been a system designed to inevitably fail, while in the interim of its existence, the elite who drafted it and control it made themselves extremely wealthy and powerful. Therefore, not if, but WHEN it fails, a population of 7 billion angry, destitute people, or “useless eaters” as the elite like to call us, will not fair well for this cabal’s ability to remain in power while keeping the herd in a slumber. They will reduce the global population because less people are more controllable, hence, being less of a threat to them and allowing the cabal to effect their NWO; and their method of depopulation will be the aforementioned in my earlier comment as to finalize their world hegemony, both directly and by proxy.
Second question, would defaulting on the debt be constitutional given the 14 amendment, if not would that be treason for whoever ordered it. The default scenario would have implication so far reaching to be unpredictable with massive social unrest. At this point, even the important people are affected and we can’t have that can we? The inflation route just seems to be the path of least resistance and by far the easiest to maintain stability.
I don’t know? Did we try FDR for treason when he defaulted?
In case you were sleeping….The USD debasement for the last 100 years is in fact a default by inflation. Containment of the devaluation is essential to the rate of default.
I thought that I had a plan for the difficulties that lie ahead for our country but if Brandon is correct in his assessment I am lost and don’t even know how to rationally plan for such a future.
Dale,
Please do not give up. You can always improve your position and you will be better off for it. The Bible says 365 times the phrase “Fear Not.”
Greg
Fear not…
thanks for the reminder…
A feeling of entrapment is not to be disregarded. It is well within their plans. In fact it will get a whole lot worse for those unprepared souls. Therefore making yourself as least reliant on the things we take for granted, is your best play. Self sufficiency will become the norm in the years ahead. The system is so traumat
traumatised and stressed, that it no longer can support the demands being put upon it. Something will give….it starts with over population. Energy dependency, food / water shortages, diesease control…will become even bigger issues. Corporations will drive government agendas in turn, making the vast masses less important and entirely redundant.
Greg, this is one hell of an interesting interview. It jives with JC Collin’s blog views (http://philosophyofmetrics.com/). Smiths views seem to make more sense than not.
Hope you might get JC Collins interviewed also.
Thx
Glenn,
I cannot find out any history of JC Collins. I also cannot find a contact email. Who is he and how do I contact him?
Greg
Greg,
Beware of people on websites that hide there domain info like this guy. Nice looking blog, he is hiding from the public because as we now know, you cant hide from the NSA or Google
Greg,
JC Collins writes
http://philosophyofmetrics.com/
I’d be ALL OVER the info there if I were you.
Thanks for having Brandon on – he’s a heck of a writer and thinker – wise beyond his years.
Before Alt-Market, Brandon operated under the name ‘neithercorp’ and produced a brilliant and stunning short film about collectivism. The first time I watched it, I was literally brought to tears toward the end. So moved by it, I asked my mother to sit and watch it with me, and by the end we both had tears on our faces – yeah, it got me again! The short film (roughly 30 min.) is called “Sons of Darkness, Sons of Light” (SDSL) and can be viewed on the neithercorp youtube channel found here: http://www.youtube.com/user/neithercorp?feature=watch
Enjoy!
Nice interview, Greg! I’m finally glad the people are connecting the dots with the U.N. Small Arms Treaty and how it will impact us down the road. In my mind, if you are of the mindset that the Arms Treaty will not be played against the citizenry than your are deluded and deserve what you get. For the left, it is just a waiting game; a death by a thousand paper-cuts. The progressives have been slowly marching their agenda forward since Wilson. Sure they move a little too fast every now and again and they get pushed back a little, but their goals are still in play, they change their tack, and they are now closer to bringing America to its knees. It only took about 100 years. They know they win in the end. Nothing changes for them. It’s a slow march. All of America is unprepared and believe the gov’t won’t take their firearms. Just like 25-years ago, I would never have believed we would be on the threshold of an economic collapse. But here we are. Just connect the dots. It IS just a matter of time, but the longer we wait the harder it is to pull back. Our police force is already starting to look like 1930s brown shirts. How many more examples do we need? How long before there is another Ruby Ridge incident justifying federal force trumped up in the media? Keep up the good work, Greg! You and your interviewees are the only ones connecting the dots.
“Mr. Franklin, what have you given us?” His reply, “A Republic, madam, if you can keep it.”
Greg: Brandon Smith is correct- my CIA freind told me years ago that the USA Congress knows that the US “WILL” default on the national debt. It has been planned behind closed doors. Saudi Arabia and China know this- they are reacting to this now. China is buying up assets and most of the available gold– getting out of US dollars. Just plain smart thing to do.
Al,
We can print all the candy wrappers we owe anyone. If we have a printing press as we do now, how can we default? The only way I see default is that we run out of paper and ink. They wont be worth anything but we can pay all the dollars we owe anyone.
I do see 401K plans being robbed by Congress as they haven’t seen a dollar the middle class owned that they didn’t envy and tried to steal
Need a laugh or a good cry? You’ll roll on the floor laughing until you realize this is real news.
http://weaselzippers.us/176860-schumer-joins-harry-reid-in-declaring-obamacare-horror-stories-not-true/
http://weaselzippers.us/176908-too-funny-moonbat-ucla-student-bursts-into-tears-shrieks-hysterically-after-anti-israel-resolution-is-voted-down/
http://weaselzippers.us/176745-southern-poverty-law-center-says-farrakhans-nation-of-islam-is-no-longer-a-hate-group/
http://weaselzippers.us/176887-new-york-hate-crimes-unit-called-in-after-koran-among-other-items-are-damaged-during-burglary-on-long-island-home/
Please pray for Obama’s safety and health! I just saw Joe Bin Biden telling his black audience that voter ID laws are racist. What a dumb a$$!
We must be surround by racists. Those racists bastards at the grocery store ask for my ID when I write a check. Those racist SOBs at the airlines won’t let me past check in without an ID. And heaven forbid, I go to the liquor store and dont have an ID and friends, NC law prohibits dispensing certain prescriptions without valid ID. I am going to leave this racist state immediately…damn…can’t drive without ID. Please some body, anybody with ID come get me and save me from these racist people
The US no longer uses “dollars” for its currency. What we now have are Federal Reserve notes that masquerade as dollars. We have a system that was purposely designed and legalized in order to defraud the populace while extracting the fruits & products of their labors and transferring them into the hands of the few who run and understand its workings. This system is enforced with the full force of the federal government…
In the words of a person who will remain unnamed: “If the IRS determines that you owe them taxes it does not matter where you are. You can be hiding in the middle of the Brazilian rainforest and they will parachute agents in there to get you…”
The dollar is gone. What is failing or “dying” is the fraudulent system that has replaced it.
http://www.constitution.org/uslaw/coinage1792.txt
Dollars or Units DOLLARS OR UNITS–each to be of the value of
a Spanish milled dollar as the same is now
current, and to contain three hundred and
seventy-one grains and four sixteenth parts
of a grain of pure, or four hundred and
sixteen grains of standard silver.
Crushing the middle class and destroying the dollar is being done with intent, on purpose. Why? “They” want a One World Government and a cashless banking system run out of the United Nations. And this WILL happen. America is finished. We have been subverted from within. What did you think would happen when morality, love of country, and a belief in god were taken out [slowly] of our lives? We are captured from within——
From what I understand, the Fed is inventing some $130 billion every month… out of thin air… and placed directly onto balance sheets. They aren’t “printing” currency per se, just doing data entry.
The Chinese quit buying US treasuries, and the Fed has been taking up that slack.
MyRA is for laundering crap derivatives (real estate backed securities) that the Fed has been spending $40 billion a month on, and the Treasuries the Fed has been spending $45 billion a month buying.
Go back to your interview with Jim Willie.
IMF, UN and whatever else taking over America? Nope. They might get halfway down one block trying to confiscate guns, but they’ll be mowed down in the streets. IMF has nothing but other people’s money.
Greg,
What a smart and savvy young man! GREAT interview. Bankers wanting a geo-political black-swan to divert away from their principle part in crashing the US economy. That puts a real face on the train wreck to come… soon. Totally Blue-Pill territory. UN and IMF collusion in disarming and overtaking the government; loss of sovereignty. Government is the best form of monopoly; and after a few Nukes – it looks like the world will get an un-holy Round Table of a NWO, and One World Government. Coalescence of power has begun. How quickly the Bulwark of Freedom that America has served as: is being removed.
Our thanks to Brandon Smith. Great job! USAWD is really distinguishing itself.
Greg,
I have been reading your site assiduously for the past year and a half, and to say that you are doing great work is a huge understatement. In fact, those such as yourself who courageously speak the truth in these perilous times are ultimately saving lives, in my opinion.
Today’s guest, Brandon Smith, brings a new and refreshing voice to the chorus, and gives another perspective as to the path that the PTB may very well follow, especially with recent reports within the last year of import of Russian troops onto this continent under the auspices of the UN.
Many of your guests, with the exception of Karl Denninger, advocate the purchase of PM, but the nagging prospect of confiscation and/or of utterly absolute taxation exist. Would like to hear a deep and many sided discussion of this, since ordinary Americans can not leave the country with their PM. Also, will there be a time when it’s wise to be divested of PM, and, if so, when?
Again, many thanks for all that YOU Do and for the counsel that others share on this site!
–Truth seeker
Truthseeker,
The simple answer from me is you are better off with Au and Ag than without it. When you ask: “will there be a time when it’s wise to be divested of PM, and, if so, when?” tells me you are looking at this as some sort of trade. This is insurance and survival plan and nothing less. It is not a money making trade. I shutter to think what the world will look like when gold it $10,000 per ounce. Thank you for your comment and question. I hope other’s will add their perspective.
Greg
TS…IMO, the only reason for divesting in pm’s.
Purchasing other tangible items that you will absolutely need for survival. Food storage, a greenhouse, a bulk stash of good compost, bulk fuel storage, firearms, ammo, a wood stove, tillable/useable land, water storage tanks, water filter, garden seeds, additional clothing/foot ware, good hand tool, wind/solar setup for your home, canning jars/setup, etc., etc. etc. I bet you get what I am saying.
Divesting is dependent on what you believe is most valuable to you right now at this moment. No one wants to cut anything loose at a loss. We are all gambling on the time frame at this moment. A day will come when certain things maybe most things that one will need to survive will not be attainable. Many of us struggle with that one daily.
Finally, if “divesting” make every attempt to do it with someone in your community who will keep it or use it elsewhere in your community. Turning it to fiat or back to the beast should be a LAST RESORT.
Please choose wisely. lms.
I don’t think it’s a good idea to take financial advice from a kid who doesn’t look like he’s old enough to shave.
Lewis Forro
ditkofan,
The old saying “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover” comes to mind.
Greg
My wife’s financial adviser, when we met was an attractive , middle aged intellegent woman whom lost 2/3 of her investments. Not sure age has much to do with it.
Living in a narrow tunnel isn’t a good idea either. Peoples opinions and ideas (regardless of age) are what I look for everywhere, everyday. I once worked with a young who is my sons age. I taught him a lot…he taught me more.
This young man has hung his ass further out the limb than many of us. His site is very good and he is an example of what America needs more of.
Great guest Greg, Eureka Mt. not that far away. I like his insight and candor! Not many 30 somethings with that kind of clarity. He would be a good one to have on from time to time when things hit the fan.
Greg, how long until they transition social security into MyRA under the guise of “what’s best for the people”? Do you see a devaluation of the dollar with the coming reset? I mean, where else can it go, right?
Bobby,
I have long said we would never pay our debts with the buying power of the dollar that we have now. A devaluation must be done and will be done. It is all just a matter of process and timing.
Greg
GREG,
I would like to add my thanks to you for all you do in spreading the truth & finding great guests like Brandon. Although I didn’t agree with everything he said (esp. re: IMF), I appreciated his fresh insight. Everyone who can’t see past his age to judge his message on it’s merits appear quite foolish. Of course, NOONE knows with certainty what the future holds, but one can make educated predictions based on the facts known. One thing is certain – we are headed for a huge calamity, economic or otherwise in the very near future! With the amount of our debt, the continued spending & the Fed printing, I can only foresee two options – either an outright default or an extreme devaluation of the dollar (I mean the Fed could start printing trillion dollar bills & pay off the debt, right? The problem is we would still owe the Fed because it is a PRIVATE entity). Unfortunately, there is actually an all-too-probable third option – a black swan event leading to WAR. Of course, GOD would be on our side, RIGHT vs. WRONG, US vs. THEM (be it Russia, China or some other “commie” threat). You’d either be “with us” (“U-S-A, U-S-A”) or Unamerican or maybe even a terrorist! Then we can blame THEM instead of our elected representatives who continue to spend more money than is generated in revenue each year (in direct opposition to the people’s wishes whom they’re supposed to be representing) & the UNCONSTITUTIONAL Federal Reserve that keeps supplying the debt notes to feed their addiction! Finally, thanks also for always asking your guests about a timeline for their prediction as well as what they think about gold & silver. Keep up the good work!
Warmest Regards,
Dan
Dan,
Thank you for your comment and feedback. I hope we can hold America together. To do that all must be awake. Mr. Smith is providing us all with another wakeup call.
Greg
Greg, I am thankful that you are trying to help so many people get the truth and real, useful information. We all owe you a debt of gratitude. Nevertheless, I am not sure it is in our best interest to “hold America together”.
The anti-constitutionalists currently in power and continually bolstering their numbers via deficit spending (vote-buying) are ruining the greatest bastion of freedom ever attempted. It may be more productive to let them go their way and fail and for us to form, as our forefathers said, a more perfect union. We have forgotten the great challenge: from every mountainside, let freedom ring.
Paul from Indiana,
Just help your family and neighbors when this all blows up. That’s how you can repay me. Thank you for your comment and kind words.
Greg
Greg,
I said it before and am saying it again,
WATCH UKRAINE!
This is a game changer big time, Huge geo political gambit Obama is playing and it will likely materializes as such:
If Russia intervenes militarily in Ukraine (and likely she will do) then that opens the door wide to the western intervention in Syria (If Russia breaks the international laws and goes in Ukraine solo ala Georgia before, that gives the excuse the west was waiting for to get into Syria solo, and next to it IRAN).
So here is the next Russian chess move:
If they let Ukraine go to the west ….. They are SCREWED!
If they get Ukraine back they will lose Syria/Iran …… They are SCREWED!
As i said before Obama and his admin are playing a brilliant foreign policy game contrary to the main stream thinking (IRON FIST WITH A VELVET GLOVE!)
As far as the guest he is brilliant no doubt, but i am on the opposite camp, NO CENTRAL BANK WILL GIVE UP THEIR ULTIMATE MONETARY TOOL AND CHOOSE DEFAULT, they will never give it up voluntarily, …… QE TO INFINITY until they hit the wall. That wall is hyperinflation.
Mohammad,
The EU and the West are playing with nuclear fire. Before it’s over I would not be surprised to see a full Russian invasion of the Ukraine. It will be bloody. Thank you for weighing in here my friend!
Greg
Greg,
I agree. Russia and the US are playing a high-stakes game of “Who’s pushing Who”. Russia cannot and will not allow the Ukraine go to the West. Audacity borders on stupidity. Putin will not forget or forgive these dangerous maneuvers – so on top of all our domestic troubles: Russia will give a good swift kick back, when the moment is right.
As far as the guest again he is smart, I like his views and the way he connects dots that are outside the box, on a second thought am leaning more to study what he says more even though am convinced that they will never taper, they will make it look like they are tapering and that is their school of thought (Management of perspective economics) so the work on the way people perceive things is what they are masters at, but nevertheless the guest’s views deserve factoring in!
Doc, This is genius! Say “we are tapering” but keep building the balance sheet, just off the books. Why not? Who will know? In the end, it doesn’t matter, as the “stimulus” is a merely a delaying tactic anyway.
Mohammad, another great analysis, enjoy your deductions, but this time I think you are wrong on this admin foreign policy. I think these are very shortsighted people.
Russia CAN NOT AND WILL NOT loose the Ukraine, it would devastate them( too much to list). Remember the west is teetering on a currency implosion, that would be a disaster. I also believe Putin has been planning on this for years.
Russia can easily cripple a fragile EU. They are ready for conflict. They can cut EU offat the knees. Remember John Kerry is the Secretary of State, an absolute narcissist and a weak fool.
These people are playing with fire. The Ukraine situation stems from a very desperate West and EU. Russia is going to the matt on this one, they smell blood in the water…
WD Deni,
Russia fell in the trap!
I know they will not lose Ukraine, and i know they will do like what they did in Georgia IF THEY HAVE TO and that is what the US and EU (Germany?… am not sure) are waiting for.
Russia choices are bitter,
If they choose to intervene openly ala what they did in Georgia they will give the US the excuse to intervene in Syria, please keep in mind in this complicated chess game the eyes are on Syria, then IRAN and eventually once the Syrian link is broken Hizbullah is history and so Hamas. That is the core around which the game of Ukraine is played BRILLIANTLY.
If Russia will do it covertly then it is a grinding civil war in Ukraine that both parties will fuel it with fire to win and eventually will lead to the change in the demographic composition of minority Russian community that RUSSIA CANNOT AFFORD.
So no doubt it will be a decisive military move by the Russians ,
OR:
A deal to be struck to soften Russian’s position on Syria to preserve Ukraine.
US is not so naive to entertain the possibility of taking Ukraine from Russia, they want Syria!
You see, They hit Russia under the belt. and that soft flank is screaming at the top of her lung.
SYRIA is the compass of all you see in Ukraine for now at least and Russia is in a position that no one should envy!
Do not under estimate the foreign policy of US they know a lot of old fox’s tricks.
Henry Kissinger is still alive and kicking!!!!
mohammed,
a most interesting strategic view, and I have to echo GH’s view that they are playing with fire.
As to the banks never giving up? Well aren’t the big ones technically bust and hiding it now? If they had a profitable way to move out of debt (SDRs), a large scale consolidation/restructuring, would they not go that direction (vs hitting the wall and kaboom?)
Glenn,
The banks and their CEO are just a mask on the face of the real few elite players, and my point was they will not allow default and DEFLATION.
They want to destroy middle class which is the back bone of any society, deflation is good for middle class and that is the last thing they want.
Inflation and eventually hyperinflation is what will prompt the move to the new monetary system and this point where i meet with the guest but we differ in the route that will destroy the middle class.
They are targeting now nominal GDP
so for example lets say they want a target of 4 GDP (just an example), and they have 2 real GDP then they will make sure that will get inflation enough to add to the 2 to reach 4 that is 2 inflationary GDP.
lets say next year they want a target of 5 GDP and the real one dropped to 1.5, then the inflation should be 3.5 to reach the target and so forth.
Since our real GDP is not going up then no way the inflation will be dialed down.
That leads to conclude we will get to the point of hyperinflation at a certain point, and any BS tapering they talk about is just smoke and mirrors!
“Obama and his admin are playing a brilliant foreign policy game”
WOW! What game are you watching???
Thats it DAN, you nailed it …. I do not watch games, that is why my mind is inshaallah clear!
Mohammad,
The “Game of Chess” is being played at a much higher level than the political puppets (you mention)..who are merely the face of the unseen and unheard crowd of wannabe rulers in the NWO. At this stage of the play its no more than brinkmanship between super powers. Casualties (collateral damage) are a given in these circumstances.
Make no mistake nonetheless, these moves are the beginnings of what will trigger ultimate revenge. It will be devasting and those who think they are in control will prove to be very mistaken and in fact will be wiped off the board.
If you think the Politicians have it wrong in fiscally managing(destroying) the Economy and avoiding prosecution of the REAL criminals, they also are working feverishly to bring destruction to the whole country by way of indirectly engaging an enemy on their own territory. That is tantamount to pulling the trigger on the USA.
Please, stop giving credit or in this instance….pushing the blame onto Obama and his administration. They are all fingered and working towards the objective as designated by their masters…who reside in the great City.
LM,
It is obvious that there is a factional in-fight among the elites, who misses seeing that needs to reexamine their views.
Those masters you referred to are not on the same page.
Their division gets more and more obvious the more we get closer to the endgame.
There is also a faction that is defusing those tension points and spots and here i give credit to Karen Hudes views.
Obama is playing a very cunning game with Russia, (I am not that naive to think that he is alone, there has to be some major elites behind him) . he is not using direct intervention like Bush did, but he is more LETHAL.
You have to give the man the credit where it is deserved.
Am not justifying what is he doing rather as an observer i can see the blows he is delivering to Russia and am pointing to it no more no less.
At least it is the way i see it and am not imposing my views on others.
I could be wrong.
Dear Mr. Hunter,
I just found your website recently. I am very impressed with what you and your guests say and find it usually aligns closely with my research and observations over the past several years. I want to address one issue I have in regards the comment section, but before I get to that, I would like to give you a little information, which I believe is relevant to that topic, on myself. I am a devout follower of Christ’s teachings, but belong to no church. I am what everyone would call a “liberal”, as I think that the only reason for a society to have a formal government is to serve the benefit of that society – all of it – not just the rich – and that we have a duty as humans to help care for the less fortunate. I did not vote for Obama, who is no liberal, much less the socialist that many in the Republican party want him to be labeled. He is most correctly identified as a neoliberal warmonger. That being said, I will add that I think this country only has one political party in office now, and that party serves the monied interests.
To get to the point of my comment, I just want to say it distresses me to see so many of your commenters reflexively bash or condemn “liberals”, whom they apparently see as “ruining the country”. I am not sure where the source of this hatred stems from, as I can see that many of the people here are not only Christians, but also very smart. Liberals as a whole aren’t looking for free handouts, they are looking for fairness in the distribution of tax monies to the whole of society. (Social Security and Medicare are not handouts, BTW; they are taxes that one pays and one should receive benefit from them, is my view, and the view of all the liberals I know.) That is, the ones who even think that the entire system of taxation shouldn’t be abolished. Liberals want an end to the meaningless wars, think Oblahblah has done grave disservice to the US, think the Fed should at least be fully audited (if not dismantled), see clearly the damage wrought by the financial sector and are very angry that none of the blood-suckers who caused the crash in ’08 have been punished. Liberals also strongly believe in the amendments, including the second, and the Constitution. They see the police state that has developed in the US. Etc., etc. You get the idea.
I think perhaps some of your readers have confused websites that support Obama (such as dailykos, which is a really crappy website – am I allowed to say ‘crappy’?) with the actuality of most liberals’ positions. I think if we were to speak to one another without an identifying political badge on our shirts, we would see that both the “right” and the “left” have much more in common than our politicians want us to realize. This is being done deliberately to divide the country, I believe, so that we will not join as a united group for the good of all.
I have to stress that I find myself nodding in agreement with most of the comments left here; the ones that sneer at “liberals” make me cringe, however. We need to get past the labels. This is a time of crisis in the US and we should not let the PTB turn us one against the other through the use of these dog whistles.
I guess I don’t dare leave another comment after this, and if you choose not to publish this one, I understand. I will continue to visit your website daily, as I find it to be a great resource and spot-on in analysis. I am glad to have found your writing and want you to know that this “liberal” thanks you for your time and effort in presenting the truth.
All the best,
Teri
Teri,
I have said many times, I wish the real liberals would stand up. Real liberals would be against the drone murder program, the NDAA, NSA spying and the general gutting of the Constitution. We do not have many real liberals. We also do not have many real conservatives. If we did both parties would be jailing bankers and not bail them out. Liberals and Libertarians are much closer than you think. I think the so-called liberals are not liberals at all. They are “Social Fascists” and mean harm to the country. That said, I think both parties do not work in the best interests of the country. I am sorry if you have been offended. Your point is well made and well taken. Please come back, and yes you can use the word “crappy.” Thank you for your comment and support.
Greg
Teri, and Greg. I had to post. Teri you are so very right. By conservative’s I am called liberal. By liberal’s I am called conservative. I call myself a constitutionalist. The land of plenty is in repentance of wrong direction.
Thank you Teri Thank you.
Greg,
Don’t worry. If the Republicans win the Senate and keep the House then you will see the real Liberals show up again. They seem to show up when they lose control and ‘their’ agendas are not being kept upheld. They will have protests marches and sleep in Capitals and etc….
Greg,
The Real Liberals have shown up. The last 5 years are their results.
Dear Teri,
I wish to thank you and express my appreciation for your forthright comment. How refreshing; and in the main: well said and correct. And by all means, speaking for myself, do come back and contribute your perspective. We may be a little rough around the edges; but most the folks around here are pretty fair and square.
By first impression, I would say that you are somewhere near the middle, leaning Left; decently schooled, and well raised. My parents were both staunch Democrat and Liberal: but despite my upbringing – I have swung way Right. If a Bell Curve were to be used to represent our relative positions – I would be down by the bottom curve; while I figure you to be just over the top somewhere. And I use this illustration also suggest that the farther you are from the middle or top, down the curve – the more conviction is represented, in either direction, Liberal or Conservative.
Another clue I can pass along is age. The older commenters here have a background garnered from not only the bulk of experience; but the nature of change that time has made. My thinking is that most people under thirty years old don’t have the experience to recognize the great changes that have come about; which is in itself a great source of conviction. Older people have way different reference and perspective; and will display a resistance to change that is common to the phase of life – you know: old farts. (Can I say farts?) Generally, old-timers have experienced WAY more change than the youngsters; and change for young people is more natural and customary; whereas for the oldsters, there comes a point where so much change becomes absurd.
Even though you are a middle or moderate: you cannot speak for all Liberals any more than I can speak for all Conservatives. And you are correct that there is a tendency to “reflectively bash’ or reflectively react in a ‘knee-jerk’ fashion to sensitive issues or remarks. Taking people with a grain of salt or giving them the benefit of the doubt is a good general rule. And it IS a poor and sometimes sad reality of having to deal in labels: but the universe works between Polar Opposites; and labels are the way to identify and reference our own perspective. What often lacks is the poor use of them in definite tone, or twist, or outright derogatory expression. Please consider that many of us older folk have by extensive experience been badly bashed and abused ourselves; although such conditioning is no excuse: time often proportions callouses and even scars. And the longer you stand for something: the more the more ‘incoming’ you will be subject to.
Finally, … a real paradigm shift has occurred in America, where philosophical ideals and values have drastically changed. “Fairness in the distribution of tax monies to the whole of society” is a seemingly laudable goal: but it also reveals the very fault of the shift itself. Income Tax is not even an hundred years old; and it didn’t form a part in MOST of America’s history: it is a TERRIBLE power, that is being used to the point of enslavement. And the Robin Hood egalitarian ‘distribution to the whole of society’ is an attractive and seemingly philanthropic approach to life: but it is completely faulty by nature: because it punishes those who work in rewarding those who don’t. That is – it goes against the very Work Ethic which is the basis of “Christian” principle. The nature of life is the need to work. Not everybody can do the same thing: that’s not fair. Not everyone can rise to certain accomplishments: that’s not fair. What is “fair” is that everybody works, to their own ability, to pull their own weight.
I get people knocking on my front door regularly asking for money, food, clothes or shoes – everything. Most are practiced, professional beggars: and I usually send them away empty. Those who have papers showing hospital bills and funeral emergencies – I’ll help. One middle-aged man, who drank adulterated wine and lost his sight – gets out over much of the city and shines shoes: I’ll give him something whether I have something for him to work on or not. In this – I have the say-so where and if my money goes anywhere: but NOT so with taxes. It may be foreign and maybe hard for you to realize that people DO operate from an opposing viewpoint. You think taxes are cool, and a fairness of some kind of method: but I view taxes as confiscation; and an injustice in an imperfect world, only to some bearable point.
Also, please bear in mind – that many good intentioned people, who lean to the Left have used such tactics as to induce compromise on the part of Right-wingers, to move their position toward more moderation, only to find that they are rewarded by the Left swinging farther Left and making more demands for the Right to change even more. I don’t believe that you tend to use such tactics: but many of us (Conservatives) have been so used. Feeling that their good faith had been betrayed: the Conservatives retrenched further Right. The result has been extreme polarizations in both directions: and this is now the lay of the land or field you are entering. It is what it is. We all must live and move within the extremes of Polar Opposites. And you will have to deal with all types and levels of polarization. I hope this helps you.
I, for one, will agree to disagree – and look forward to your contributions. C.H.
Greg
I’m fascinated by those who speculate that Obama has his eye on “retirement funds.” I’d really like one or two of your experts to expand on this a bit. Considering the available mechanisms for such haircuts, I wonder which retirement assets are most and least vulnerable. Stocks, bonds for sure. But what about annunities that are paying out? What about whole life cash values? Of course these kinds of assets will get automatic haircuts with inflation, but I’m wondering about more sinister and direct attacks like bank holidays, “myira,” and so on.
Mr. Hunter,
Oh, dear, no – I am not offended. I am sorry if I sounded so. I actually don’t think I have the right to come on someone else’s website and be offended. (I can always just not return if it is too much for me, right?) I only meant in perhaps a too school-marmish way to suggest that we should not just assume there are only two sorts of people in the country and that one side is always bad or wrong. Believe me, I have said the same sort of thing to people on liberal web sites, too. I used to participate in the comment section of a very “liberal” website and noticed that the posters there would always defend the Muslims’ right to practice their faith. That was fine and as it should be, but if anyone left a comment that even hinted that he was a Christian, the rest of the gang would tear into him/her and go on about the silliness of believing in the “great spaghetti monster” or refer to God as “doG”. I finally said something about the hypocrisy of people who claim to be defenders of free speech and freedom of religion yet who mock American Christians for practicing their faith. If one of us had made fun of Muslims or Buddhists that way, we would have been banned from the site. The responses I got were pretty telling. And awful. I don’t much bother to comment anywhere any more. My comment here was more to suggest that we need to listen and think about what others are saying before dismissing them out of hand. It seems everyone now is getting hardened into their perspectives and few want to listen. Thank you for answering me and I assure you that I not only do not take offense, I meant none.
Ugly,
There are only about two real liberals in Washington and they have no power. Obama ain’t one of them.
As Mr. Hunter said, “Real liberals would be against the drone murder program, the NDAA, NSA spying and the general gutting of the Constitution.” He is correct. Sadly, it seems the majority of our representatives have no problem with any of it no matter what they call themselves. Obama seems to glory in it.
Charles H,
You have given me so much to think about. I won’t even go into all of it, as it would take a ridiculous amount of space, but know that I really appreciate your thoughtful response and that it has made an impact on me. I do need to take people with a few more grains of salt, as you say. And upon re-reading my own comment, I have to say that I sound full of myself. Yuck. Sad thing is, I am 57; way too old for that sort of nonsense. Thank you for pulling me up in such a decent and kind manner.
-Teri
Sorry, but a 32 year old has near zero perspective, and all sorts of hubris.
Absolutely nobody, and I mean nobody can predict what is going to happen in the economy for 2014. I’m in the energy business, and so I can comment that he is absolutely wrong on energy prices skyrocketing. What’s happening now with natural gas for instance, is an abberation due solely to the extreme winter weather, which nobody predicted that, but the fundamentals for supply have never been better, and you’ll see price stabilize once we get past may. Also, your not so friendly energy traders are predators as are those on wallstreet, and they are exacerbating volatility. Certainly some modest increases in electric prices will occur, but that can be solely attributed to folks like Obama and his ilk seeking to destroy coal fired power plants. We’ve got far worse pollution going into our drinking water, that you can’t taste or smell coming from all of the pharma and drugs being pumped in via waste, and medications people are taking. Our air is cleaner than it ever has been in the US. Its not due to destroying coal plants either.
Everyone loves a conspiracy theory and so anyone who speaks about the Fed knows that and attracts an audience by doing so. People complained about all the QE, and said it was too much, yet now they are complaining that the taper is wrong too. Sheesh.
Mike,
At what age does one achieve “perspective”? I know plenty of young people who have a far greater perspective in life than those who are much older. Have you taken time to read anything that Brandon has written or watched any of the videos he has produced? I doubt it, because if you had, you would see someone with much (valuable) perspective. I also don’t see how you can view him as someone who has “all sorts of hubris”. Why? Because he has opinions and he seems confident in them? Is it not conceivable that those opinions could be based on his own research and life experiences? I think you are being a bit too quick to judge someone based solely on their age. That being said, I will agree with you, no one can predict anything that is going to happen in 2014 (or at any other time) but that doesn’t mean they can’t form an educated opinion. I’m certainly not trying to attack you in any way, I just want to point out that is seems you are judging someone based solely on his age and confidence level.
When you mentioned the extreme weather, it reminded me of an article I read yesterday on zerohedge.com, I thought you might be interested in a different perspective on that very topic:
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-03-08/peter-schiff-weather-or-not
Greg,
Another hot spot heating up some after Israel hit with drones hizbullah targets in Lebanon:
http://nsnbc.me/2014/02/27/israeli-army-at-lebanese-border-on-alert-after-drone-strike-in-lebanon/
“nsnbc : Israeli army units along the Israeli – Lebanese border have been put on alert on Wednesday evening, after Israel carried out a drone strike against a target in Lebanon and Hezbollah stated that it would retaliate at an appropriate time and in an appropriate manner. Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty and airspace have increased over the recent month, suggesting an increased Israeli support for primarily Saudi Arabia – backed mercenaries in Lebanon and Syria.”
What about the effect on other fiat currencies, particularly, GBP, Euro, SGD, AUD?
Great interview! The dollar has already collapsed, it’s only a confidence game now. Perception in the markets make the numbers change. The SP 500 topping and turning over now. I hope everyone buys some PMs. The action in Ukraine is all so that Russia can retain control. The coup is a con. There is no western backed revolt. It has all been staged by Russia to insert a regime that looks more western. There has been no build up of troops because they were always there. They will thank the IMF for the money and let the corruption roll.
Greg … do try to fill in the occasional blind spot for those who are ready, will you ? It would do mankind a nice justice. If the marketplace decides to monetize and CIRCULATE precious metals, as currency, the economic support (debt-free liquidity) will actually allow debt to be withdrawn through conventional debt servicing and the retirement of that existing debt. As such , the rising price of bullion and subsequent monetization will actually strengthen all fiat currencies by allowing for proper debt management in a relationship that evolves into one that is of a symbiotic nature. Think of in terms of a Yin-Yang where we are now emerging from the dark half (debt). Where can I send my invoice for my service ?
Let’s assume the FED does anticipate a significant financial downturn, and the great swindle of American middle class wealth is by default on US Treasuries. The dynamics could work something like this: FED taper scares the equity markets into the Treasury market. The demand for Treasuries allows the FED to unwind its portfolio. The demand also keeps interest rates near OR below zero %, so the US gov’t issues more debt to pensions and the middle class. The investors eventually want to sell and take profits, but nobody is there to buy. Prices are slashed until buyers step forward. Losses trigger losses and lower tax receipts. Now the Gov’t can’t repay debt. There is one more effort made by the Gov’t to stay solvent, confiscate by decree everyone’s pension or retirement account. Once that effort fails, default will conclude the swindle. I believe a market crash is imminent and will take 2 years to bottom. Then default takes place two years later.
This is laughable. I don’t agree with the idea the US will default on it’s debt. That would be impossible and absurd for several reasons but the most important would be that if the US Treasury did that that, it would instantly be the end of US hegemony around the world with the US effectively surrendering it’s power to the whole world. Think about what that means geopolitically and all the ramifications. US power is the US dollar and they will start WW3 before giving that up. Can you see the US Navy sailors busking and panhandling for gas/diesel money to get back to America. How about the US Ambassadors singing songs for spare change to get home because with a default, the US dollar will become instantly worthless. So how could the collapse slow to medium speed?
It would be like Israel saying okay we’re sorry. You Palestinians can have everything back. We’re going to move to somewhere in Africa and this land called Israel will be called Palestine again, Good bye. If the US defaulted Israeli power goes down.
I’m in the opinion of Dr Marc Faber, Peter Schiff, and Dr Paul Craig Roberts. They will print like it’s Weimar on electronic steroids until people figure it out and the game is over. A declared default would be far too honest. If they were honest they wouldn’t be were they are now with a dollar losing 98% of it’s value since 1913 and then say that’s fine and okay. Where’s the 8700 tons of gold? For sale from Rio to Lagos to Hong Kong?Are they honest?
If you think economic collapse will be slow to medium speed, take some time to look at or review and understand how the Exponential Equation works . That will be your mathematical model for economic collapse. That is self explanatory how collapse can be completely sudden and catastrophic.
Well green energy is being used as weapon against food why? I have a friend that is a union electrician and the only work he can get is building solar farms. They destroy a farm that produces food an turn it into GREEN energy which is a hoax.
When we are going to need those family farms ? Just in case the dollar collapses for local food sources.
Greg,
I was extremely pleased to see Brandon interviewed on your site. It was the blending of two of my favorite websites (and like superheroes joining forces!). I’ve been reading Brandon’s work for some time now and I have to say, I was very surprised (initially) to find out the author of some of my favorite online works was someone so young. I didn’t know anything about him when I first visited his websites, so I came at his articles (and views) with an open mind. Did his age impact my view of him (and his work)? In all honesty, yes. That someone of his age could have such wisdom and common sense, well, it made me respect him that much more. Thank you for the interview and for everything you do.
Also, someone above mentioned Brandon’s Baltic Index article (a great read), here is the link for anyone interested: http://www.alt-market.com/articles/540-baltic-dry-index-signals-renewed-market-collapse
Smith is a moron. If it say’s “Brandon Smith”, I stop reading, instantly. The reason being, he’s been consistently wrong, making prediction and never right. He also fails to understand politics, people, relationships. Why do you even publish anything he writes? Don’t you ever hold these charlatans accountable for their words? I do, because I have integrity, but it’s a rare day in hell you will see a website take a stand on the authors they publish.
J.R.
You are so noble to come on and give anonymous criticism. You are wrong about Smith and I think you are a paid troll.
Greg
If our government was aware of emerging markets like BRICS were determined to shift away from the US Dollar, would it also make sense to destroy our dollar in our own fashion or on our terms instead of it reacting to the beat of the emerging markets?