By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com 

The world economy is in the tank, and the Federal Reserve’s decision to extend its zero interest rate policy to, at least, the end of 2014 proves it.  What will happen if the fragile world economy also has to deal with a war with Iran?  (more…)

I have long said the trouble in the U.S. economy will all eventually boil down to a currency crisis.  Meaning, the dollar is going to lose a whole lot more buying power before this chapter in American history is over.  This is not a matter of if but when, and we are not going to have to wait too much longer.  People call the buck a “safe haven” investment, but the buck is hardly safe.  Jim Willie from Goldenjackass.com agrees and has written a stellar post spelling out just how vulnerable the U.S. dollar really is.  Please enjoy his work below, and check out his PhD credentials after the post.—Greg Hunter. (more…)

A few weeks ago, the Telegraph UK did a story about the sharp drop in foreign holdings of U.S. Treasuries.  One of the big buyers of American debt is, of course, China.  There are those that think China is forced to buy our debt otherwise its economy will collapse.  Until the Treasury releases what is called “TIC” data  (Treasury International Capital) in November, we really will not know what is going on. (more…)

Even though silver and gold are both up around 25% for the year, silver has been lagging gold’s recent spike.  Plenty of folks have been asking what’s going on.  In the big picture, what is happening is fiat money is in the process of dying.  Can governments save the fiat system with austerity?  I don’t think so because there is simply too much debt in the world.  What I do know is the rich are turning to physical assets for protection from calamity and inflation.  Silver is used for storing wealth and industrial production.  It is only a matter of time before silver catches up with gold, and most experts say it will go up in price on a percentage basis much more than gold. (more…)

The U.S. debt downgrade is really more than a tiny one notch cut in the credit worthiness of the U.S.  One talking head on television said yesterday that there was never any question that the U.S. would repay its debt because the country can print money.  The talking head is correct but does not take into consideration the future buying power of the repayment dollars. Printing money at the rate the Fed has been doing devalues the currency and, in effect, allows the government to default with dollars with reduced buying power.  This is precisely why Bill Gross, head of the world’s biggest bond fund, PIMCO, said recently that people who invest in Treasuries will “get cooked.” (more…)

There have been a lot of naysayers when it comes to the gold bull market we are in right now.  I don’t see how anyone can deny it exists, but many who missed it, now say gold is in a bubble.  I just want to hold my sides and laugh because the facts, and experts who predicted this years ago, say just the opposite.   It is hard for many to see this, but gold is really just getting started.  To equal the previous 1980 high of $850 an ounce, gold would have to be more than $8,000 an ounce in today’s money. (more…)

Towards the end of June, the International Energy Agency (IEA) announced a plan to release 60 million barrels of oil to combat the high prices brought on by the Libyan crisis.  That’s about 2 million barrels a day since June 23.  It looks like prices have already hit bottom, and most think the cheap gasoline and diesel fuel will not last.  I think this could be a dress rehearsal for this time next year, just before the 2012 elections–but what do I know?  (more…)

I have consistently said since this site went on line that the only thing you can count on when it comes to the economy is inflation.  Economist John Williams of Shadowstats.com says inflation is now running at 11.2%.  To get that number, Williams computes the data the way Bureau of Labor Statistics did it in 1980 (or earlier.)  No accounting gimmicks–just a true measurement of the cost of living, not the cost of existence.  (more…)

Many people think that there is a big difference between Democrats and Republicans, but I think there’s not much difference at all.  I have long said, the left and the right are really one body with two heads–they just take turns ripping us off.  Both parties are not all bad.  There are a few good eggs on both sides of the isle but only a few. Gerald Celente, founder of Trends Research, thinks much the same way as I do.  Celente is famous for making many spot on predictions about the future based on trends of today.  He is predicting that Congressman Ron Paul could win the Presidency in 2012.  (more…)

There are those who feel some of the leadership of America has sold us down a river of ruin.  After all the bailouts, corruption and malfeasants that has brought a financial catastrophe to America, not a single financial elite has been indicted, let alone gone to jail.  Crimes have surely been committed, but it appears the U.S. Justice Department has turned its back on prosecuting anyone. (more…)

Last year, I wrote a piece called “We Don’t Have Honest Money.” It’s about how the Fed is debasing our currency.  I wrote, “It is said, when empires fall, one of the first signs of decline is a debasement of the currency.   Long before the Roman Empire fell, its leaders debased the currency.  The debasement was small at first, but over time, precious metals were watered down and coin sizes shrank.  For example, silver coins ended up having so little silver in them they became unpopular and shunned.  A debased Roman currency brought, what else, inflation.  Sound familiar?” (more…)

What is going on in the Middle East is breathtaking and frightening at the same time.  The unrest and outright middle east revolution is not going to be a pathway to peace and prosperity.   Libya is sliding into a bloody civil war.  The military is in control of Egypt.  Riots and protests are intensifying in other countries in the region.  Meanwhile, the price of oil is spiking because of fears of supply disruption. (more…)

You can write volumes on what is actually wrong with the economy.  We have record foreclosures, the FDIC closing banks every weekend, high unemployment, enormous deficits, food banks running out of money, sour mortgage-backed securities and the list goes on and on.  You could tie almost every financial problem together with one little ugly four letter word—DEBT.  Even our money is debt because, for the most part, it is loaned into existence.   (more…)

By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com 

Goldman Sachs was charged with fraud last week by the Securities and Exchange Commission.  The investment bank says the charges are “unfounded in law and fact.”  Regulators allege “Goldman wrongly permitted a client that was betting against the mortgage market to heavily influence which mortgage securities to include in an investment portfolio, while telling other investors that the securities were selected by an independent, objective third party,” SEC Enforcement Director Robert Khuzami said in a statement.  In other words

(more…)

By Brian Sussman

Guest Writer for Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com 

I love working in talk radio; the audience is so smart it’s scary.

President Obama’s 2010 budget had just been released, when, at the conclusion of a broadcast, a passionate caller named Madeline told me about the backdoor tax increase contained in our nation’s financial plan.    (more…)