Wealth Will Go Poof in Next Crash – Chris Martenson

By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com

Economic researcher and futurist Chris Martenson says if you believe everything is great with the economic turnaround, you have to believe “fundamentals don’t matter.” Martenson explains, “Of course, fundamentals matter, but they don’t seem to these days.  Take every company that has a market cap of $2 billion or higher and a price to earnings (P/E) of more than 50 or higher and what do you get?  You get a list of 236 companies.  These are not small companies . . . these are big companies.  We saw a number of these things that showed up in 2000, but they were really concentrated in the tech sector.  This time . . . you’ve got bio tech, food companies, Yelp, 21 companies from the oil and gas sector.  These are all sorts of different sectors, and what we are seeing is caution to the wind and fundamentals don’t matter.  That means if you buy a company with a 50 P/E, you are willing to wait 50 years at current earnings to earn that dollar back.  I also found page after page of companies with 200, 300 and 400 P/E.  It’s astonishing.”

Martenson points out that things like stocks and bonds are not wealth, but claims on wealth. Martenson says the paper side of the equation has “been growing twice as fast as the real stuff.”  Martenson goes on to say, “So, there always has to be a relationship to the claims we are making and the amount of real stuff. For now, let’s call the real stuff the GDP of nations of the world.  When you see the claims and GDP get really out of alignment, that’s historically always resulted in the claims going poof. That’s happened lots of times in history.”

Martenson contends markets were not allowed to take their natural course in the 2008 financial meltdown. Martenson says, “In 2008, it broke.  It wasn’t just a housing bubble that broke.  That doesn’t explain why Greece went down.  Greece didn’t have exposure to the U.S. housing market.  Something else broke, and it was too much debt. . . . The Fed said we will fix that by adding more debt.  That was a crazy idea.  In 2008, it was like we fell off a 6 foot ladder.  It was kind of painful.  We should have allowed big institutions that made bad decisions to go bust, to allow the debt to burn itself out of the system.  We would be already rebuilding in a way younger generations could believe in.  Instead, the Federal Reserve tried to deny that reality . . . and triple down, and I fear now we are 22 rungs up an extension ladder.  This next fall is going to be really scary.  I am very worried when that next fall comes, we are going to see the destruction of quite a few things that are going to be worrisome. . . . It will blow at some point. . . . When this next downturn comes, it will be very, very rapid because we don’t have people in the markets anymore.  It’s all computers.  It will be very quick and very sudden and impossible for all those people to get out.”

Martenson says, “Trim back your risk and expenses now . . . and get a buy plan together because there are going to be great opportunities. There are not many out there right now.”

What is going to cause this financial bubble to pop? Martenson says, “The price of oil is likely going to be the pin that pricks these bubbles.  No central banker is going to do it.  They are deathly afraid of these markets they have created. . . . They are afraid of a downturn in the markets, and they won’t willingly go there.  What could force that is the price of oil. . . . The higher price of oil is going to really harm some weak players out there. . . . The chain reaction always starts with somebody not being able to pay their debt back.”

Join Greg Hunter as he goes One-on-One with Chris Martenson, co-founder of PeakProsperity.com.

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After the Interview:

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Comments
  1. Silence is Golden

    If I can paraphrase…..”Fundamentals do matter”…..in a freely operating Capitalist Market. “Fundamentals dont matter”….in a command style Economy …where the Government / CB’s take ownership/control of the markets. This is the new norm…..we cant revert to old world metrics…they just arent relevant. If they were…the markets would have blown up years ago.
    This Bubble ends when the majority shareholders of the “Multinationals” (those that remain intact)….will be the Government/ CB’s. Thats spells trouble with a capital F …..Fascism.

    • brvalentine

      Bingo! And, the Global Financial Structure is already there.

  2. JC Davis

    Shortage, shortage , shortage. That is what it will look like for the man on the street. When the trucks don’t roll, hungry, homeless people will roam.
    Greg with the revealing text messages that came out yesterday I told Allen Ols , Greg has nailed it again. The untouchable heart of the swamp must be starting to worry. This unfolding could be the biggest exposure to the oligarchy in the history of America.
    Love your interviews, but your personal views are better IMHO.

  3. Paul ...

    Martinson says he is “very worried” when the fall comes as PE’s are very high … Hillary should also be “very worried” when her fall comes … as her PE (Prison Experience) will also be very high … likely she will have to wait 50 years to earn her freedom back (if she is not simply executed for treason) … when the market’s execution day arrives … everyone better have some gold or silver coins … a one ounce gold coin (or 10 one ounce silver coins) for each $10,000 dollars of debt you currently have (silver is the cheaper way to insure all your debt will be forgiven)!!

    • Paul ...

      Martenson is like the little dog Toto pulling the curtain back exposing the PhD Wizards at the Fed manipulating the levers just as they were taught at the Zimbabwe School of Economics to pile their shit (fiat paper) high and deep … they can give as much “paper assets” to the 1% as they like … but the inflation of the fiat paper money supply … is driving the dollar lower and lower … so the shit fiat paper assets they are transferring to the 1% is “not wealth” at all … what “is wealth” is the OZ these Wizards know nothing about … OZ’s of Silver and Gold … real wealth that ordinary people (without highfalutin Zimbabwe Phd Degree’s) are buying hand over fist “to insure” they are included in the great Debt Jubilee (re-set) to come!!

      • Paul ...

        To those who bought a bitcoin at $10,000 dollars … at least cover yourself with some insurance … scrounge up $1350 and buy yourself one ounce of gold … this way if bitcoin goes to zero and gold goes to $10,000 you get out without a loss … you don’t have to sell your bitcoin as people are now doing in the UK … you can hold bitcoin (if you think it is going to the moon) without fear of loss … but you must buy some gold or silver insurance protection … the cheapest insurance protection is to buy 10 ounces of silver for every bitcoin you bought at $10,000 dollars!! … https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5396239/bitcoin-price-investors-selling-gold-value-collapse/

        • Paul ...

          For those sitting on the fence just holding cash for fear of a stock market crash … remember … the US dollar is losing value as the Fed and their bankster buddies print fiat at now more then twice the rate … the dollar index is heading to 70 … gold has moved up $113 dollars (over 9% in a month) it was at $1,237 mid December and is now $1,350 … gold has broken all resistance … the next target in 2018 is new highs (above $1,920) … thereafter gold will reach Jim Rickards forecast of at least $10,000 in today’s money (and multiples of that price in hyper-inflationary money) …
          silver will move “twice as fast” as gold as the gold/silver ratio comes down … eventually the ratio will plunge below its historical average of 15 to single digits … which would mean a one ounce silver coin will be priced at at least $1000 dollars when gold reaches $10,000 dollars per ounce!

  4. David

    A perfect explanation of where we are and the pitfalls that lay ahead. I am in full agreement. Thank you!

  5. (Rev) Andrew de Berry

    Thank you Greg – Primary, secondary, and tertiary wealth tells us all we need to know.

  6. JQP

    The markets are rigged no doubt. Trying to predict when the bubble of all-time will pop is futile. Oil prices are not going up because a shit-ton of oil is scheduled to come on the market (e.g., recent tax plan opens Alaskan wildlife refuge up for drilling… estimated there is as much oil there as all of Saudi Arabia).

    There is a reason President Trump has boys from Goldman Sachs close… he has the keys to the rigging machine. President Trump really wants to grow jobs in the U.S. and he knows if he makes two things cheaper it will happen… lower taxes and provide the cheapest energy in the world (first item – check, second item – working on it… it will happen).

    Bottom line – the rigging of the markets can continue for as long as the people who are in charge of the rigging want it to continue. As long as President Trump is in charge the hope is explosive growth will happen like never seen before and that growth will finally allow the rigging to subside.

    However, if President Trump doesn’t get a second term and a democrud gets in there all bets are off… our future will be markets collapse, war and FEMA death camps for the masses.

  7. Anthony Australia

    Great interview Greg,

    They, the Cartel, will want to squeeze as much possible before EV’s & Lithium Batteries take over.

    • AS

      Oil Cartel

  8. Rolf

    Go ahead and buy metals, seeds, freeze dried livestock feed and short the market. I laugh at these Doomsday Beggers on these fake news infomercial websites.

    • Jodyp

      I laugh at you.

    • Paul ...

      Are you also laughing at all the “missing” FBI e-mails explaining how they were going to kill Trump? … the missing texts called for physical harm against the President among other “frightening” communications like them creating an FBI “secret society” under Hilary and Obama’s control … former CIA agent Philip Mudd was quoted as saying “the government’s gonna kill” Trump! … here is something else to laugh about that is funny … a not-so-secret society is gathering now at Davos … and Trump is going to crash that party and listen in as they discuss all their worldwide sinister activities!

    • Frederick

      Doomsday Beggars I think not How about realists There’s absolutely nothing foolish about owning some gold and silver when the dollar is collapsing so quickly You are either a fool or a troll Mr Rolf

  9. This sceptred isle

    Fundamentals don’t matter short term but they do matter long term. The question is are you an investor or trader.

  10. John

    Richard Russell of Dow Theory Letters wrote the following in 2015;

    “A living organism cannot continue to inhale, organisms must exhale as well. This is the simple explanation that the Fed does not understand. The Fed inhales to the choking point and when the choking point is reached, instead of exhaling, the Fed inhales again. The Fed believes that it can inhale endlessly (bull market) and never exhale (bear market).”
    He also said;
    “One way of looking at gold is as the anti-dollar.”

    https://kingworldnews.com/richard-russell-this-grand-experiment-will-end-in-disaster/

  11. Mike

    Greg , I am one of the men on the street . I spend a lot of time studying , listening, trying to find out how to protect my family.
    The little guy is always beat up by the bankers, he is uninformed, the little guy needs to visit “Www.consumerwarningnetwork.com ” and read/study. “Produce the note”. This will help protect his home .there is also something very interesting in the mortgage section of “www.yourstrawman.com”. Concerning fraud which has no statue of limitations. You are doing a great service to those that have ears to listen. Mike

    • Greg Hunter

      Thank you Mike!!
      Greg

  12. Mohammad

    Greg,

    War is what is coming down the pipeline.
    In history any major shift in the world monetary system was with a major war.
    This time around is not an exception.
    I suspect N.K. war is 2018 with Iran, Syria hit simultaneously, if Russia, China step in then it will expand, i do not see a reason why they will sit back and take the hit.
    Can a magic wand avert?
    With the way the debt is accumulating at an exponential rate it tell me every party in the world is burning their ships so no going back.

    Mohammad

    • Greg Hunter

      Mohammad,
      I think you are spot on!! Debt is the new four letter word.
      Greg

      • Diane

        Good post Mohammad
        Good reply by Greg.
        Wonder if the new insult will be..
        “Debt You”

    • freebrezer

      Mohammad – major shifts via war align with major shift in climate … i.e. cooling. All major civilizations have faltered when the Sun goes dormant. Rome, Ming Dynasty, etc.. Cooling causes crop losses which leads to starving people, that leads to very tough time. The French and American Revolutions were during sun dormant periods. My worry is that the perfect storm is going to hit … Currency collapse in addition with major crop failures, along with a whole bunch a young adults that only know how to look at a phone, and who have only been raised on socialism = real ugly! Basically the real science community is redoing it’s analysis and is confirming that solar forcing (energy from sun) does affect the climate … who would have thunk?!?! Here are a couple of technical links, and sorry about the technical paper – really deep, but very important: https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/26993800_1782578218460576_5228760927433785453_n.jpg?oh=288bba30c5884698ae1bbca87fab1857&oe=5AF5A7C6 … this graph is extrapolated from this paper: https://www.geosci-model-dev.net/10/2247/2017/gmd-10-2247-2017.pdf … you add this in with with Geo-engineering (spraying the atmosphere with unknown crap) and this could go real bad real quick!

  13. Julia

    Hi Mr Hunter: is anyone looking into the drilling which has been opened in Alaska?
    I also wanted to post this interview (about 45 minutes) explaining why President Trump hires who he does, the Deep State, Pedogate and a projection of who will be president after Mr. Trump. (Which frankly I would not be surprised).

    https://youtu.be/VUeNJhQOW5M

    • Mohammad

      WOW…!
      PROFOUND…!
      Thanks for the link.
      The civil wars in Libya/Syria/Yemen, is supplying a lot of children to those psychopaths.
      So so so sad, but i hope Ivanka nails those criminals, i wish she is sincere enough to have the determination to nail them, if she has the will god will be on her side.
      I hope we are not misled, and it turns out that we are dealing with another devil, i hope she is the real deal with her dad.

      Mohammad

      Mohammad

      • Diane

        Wow…I wish I knew a stronger word than WOW

  14. Russ

    Thanks Greg, as usual this was a good interview with Chris Martenson. Smart people interviewing other smart people. I smell a reset coming and all those people who think bonds (debt) are assets are going to be proved wrong in a painful way.

    Not much to add in the way of a comment, but as I type the DXY is at 89.26. Once it broke through support and then the psychological support of 90.00, it seems to have accelerated.

    • Paul ...

      Russ … the DXY may stop for a rest at 88.6 … but it is headed for 70!!

    • Russ

      “A Central Banker Just Admitted On The Record: Currencies Are Worthless… “
      https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-01-24/central-banker-just-admitted-record-currencies-are-worthless
      Quote: “…it doesn’t matter how much currency he prints: tens of billions of yen, hundreds of billions of yen, even trillions of yen… all that matters is where Japanese bond yields are trading.
      This is the literal textbook for Central Bankers around the world: devalue your currency in order to maintain the bond bubble. …” unquote

    • Corleone

      Meanwhile Janet Yellen is preparing her final heroin injection before she goes back to her batcave.

  15. Jerry

    It should be clear by now that the central banks are planning on using Gold backed Yuan as their backup plan when all else fails.
    https://www.bbhub.io/board/sites/2/2017/02/Owen-RMB-Intl-Update-30-Jan-17-RMB-Global-Advisors.pdf
    Even though this report is a year old, it still lays out the pieces that the international banking community are moving into place to accomplish this goal. The final nail in the coffin will be the Petro Yuan launch in March. Yes…..I know we were told it was going to happen in December, but something of this magnitude, that has never been done before, takes time and synchronization. Say what you want to about the Chinese, but they are masters when it comes to remaking something.

  16. Mohammad

    Greg,

    Notice please the crescendo in the tone of “Assad using chemical weapons in Syria” and blaming Russia for it. The is a precursor to a strike that could end the regime in Damascus.

    https://www.rt.com/news/416853-us-chemical-weapons-spin/
    “US mounts its moral high horse to spin yet another ‘convenient’ chemical attack”

    That should be seen in the light of the recent Turkish offensive against US backed Kurds in the northern part of Syria with the approval of the Russians:

    https://www.rt.com/news/416824-erdogan-manbij-syria-start/
    “Turkey will ‘thwart games’ along its borders, starting at Manbij in Syria – Erdogan”

    Attacking Minbij after Ifrin is serious since in Minbij there are US FORCES and the clash between the Turks and US can commence….

    Russia announced today at the security council that she fears a military action against Assad:

    https://www.alarabiya.net/ar/arab-and-world/syria/2018/01/24/روسيا-قلقة-من-توجيه-ضربة-عسكرية-لنظام-بشار-الأسد.html
    In this article in Arabic Russia showed on their national TV video of S400 arriving to Syria for a good reason.
    They know storms are brewing and a strike to Assad may take place under the pretext of using Chemical weapons.

    Nikki Haley in the security council put Russia on the spot and blamed Russia for covering Assad’s “chemical warfare crimes” and that may indicate expanding the war, if it starts, to include Russia.

    http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/nikki-haley-russia-impeding-progress-on-curbing-chemical-weapons/article/2646375

    There you have it Greg,
    Everything is shaping up to a hot 2018…..WATCH SYRIA YOU WILL FIND THE ANSWER to most of your questions to your quest on this great interview …

    Mohammad

    • Greg Hunter

      Mohammad,
      Good stuff and thank you for posting.
      Greg

      • freebrezer

        Mahammad – Good stuff … A thought … The last winter Olympics in Russia had Ukraine go in to major unrest/fighting … I wonder if Russia might think of payback?

        • Mohammad

          Trump now is about to arm Ukraine with lethal weapons, if he hasn’t signed it already:

          http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/sources-trump-expected-announce-approval-plan-sell-anti/story?id=51957745

          “President Donald Trump is expected to announce his approval of a plan to sell anti-tank missiles to the Ukrainian government, a move that would mark a significant escalation in lethal U.S. military support for Ukrainian forces battling Russian-aligned forces in the border region, four State Department sources tell ABC News.”

          Mohammad

  17. Max Meister

    I remember well and it’s not too long ago when some other “guests” here have called for an economic bust due to to low oil price. Now they call for one due to a rising oil prive.
    With other words. They always call for the bust no matter what.

    • Bob

      One doctor said if your blood pressure gets to high you might die.
      Another doctor said if it gets too low you might die too.

      They are both right.

  18. Jodyp

    Greg,to me,your last question was the best. And the response was most excellent!

  19. Paul Anthony

    I started watching and reading “Alternative” news on the economy and fiances in 2008 not because I thought the main stream media was lying to me — But I thought they (mainstream) didn’t have the time frame on networks to really go into precise and deep details of what was going on.

    So I found Gerald Centle and Peter Scheiff. My “conspiracy” list of things I read and watched grew over the years. I found out that mainstream media were liars and alternate media gave me more truth and detail. Greg has become and is my favorite alternate niews source on political fronts.

    Fast forward to now… 2018 – – that is ten years now I have been hearing good informed well educated experts on the good peoples side say .. says its coming — Be ready – TEN YEARS NOW!

    I cant watch financial people anymore.

    I am ready. I have stored food – some metal – and I am christian – I am as prayed up and saved up as I am going to get and still pay my bills.

    I just can’t … can’t watch anyone talking about economics on any channel from anyone any more – after ten years I heard all the angles and possibilities.

    My thought is this … I think God is going to give us a Jubilee – – or very had times – maybe even end times — are here

    One or the other – no inbetween

    I’ll take the “God is in control” over another finance guy say how out of wack things are.

    I FREAKING KNOW!! IT’S OUT OF WACK !!! I KNOW .. .. Bring it on all ready — But I can’t listen to it anymore – and on a side note – Typically I watch EVERY one of Greg’s video for years now – except the last two – I just cant deal with any more fiance people – Need to be positive and need good news

    Positive drives positive

    I think we’re going to have a jubilee – and an awakening that will be AMAZING … if not .. then I can’t even imagine

    That’s all –

    Thanks

    Paul

  20. Canadian Prepper

    This is Trump’s Achilles heel. He keeps taking credit and gloating about the Dow. When it falls the media will try to pin it on him.

  21. Paul ...

    For those who like to study gold and silver charts … here are a few … http://www.321gold.com/editorials/chan/chan012418.html … precious metals are currently in a new bull market … and remember those important words of Jesus … Believe in me [and my Father’s money “gold”] and you will enter the Kingdom of Heaven [where there is “no debt”]!!

    • Paul ...

      And if you believe in Trump … when he says he wants a lower US dollar (to help our exports) … you will understand why the US dollar lost 1% today … the Fed knows exactly what to do to push the US dollar lower … they simply manipulate the price of gold higher … so the Debt Jubilee (re-set) has begun!

      • Paul ...

        Hope everyone understands that a Debt Jubilee will only occur for people who had the good sense to own “physical” gold and silver … the people who don’t own physical precious metals will be screwed!!

      • Silence is Golden

        Currency Wars….Trade Wars….followed by ….Fighting Wars.
        If the last decade wasn’t painful enough….we are about to experience our worst nightmare.

      • Keith wilson

        Trump said at Davos he wants a stronger dollar. Mnuchin tells financial world he wants weaker dollar. Us dollar index is all over the place. Can anyone tell me who is running the us economy. What does Trump want. What does Mnuchin want. Who is running this clown show in Washington. Just hope to god they have a plan when North Korea fires another ICBM towards Japan. If Mnuchin doesn’t know what Trump wants he should find another job. Trump is going to make America great again with a strong dollar ?

  22. Mohammad

    US Index keeps falling .

    Mohammad

    • Silence is Golden

      How far does it go? We will have to wait and see.
      85 then 80….then down she goes….to 70…or lower. They did want Inflation….after all.
      Interest rates….Recession….then ….???

    • Paul from Indiana

      Doc, “they” say “80” is rock-bottom. Could get interesting. Best always. PM

  23. Michael Harvey

    The security of society is founded upon the morality of its members, and morality is founded upon religion.
    The Governments and Central banks of the Western world need to justify their immoral life by creating wars, printing money and manipulating the free markets.
    Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies, and that the principle of creating debt to monetize the debt in the hope that it will be paid by posterity, is but swindling futurity on a large scale
    Their actions have perverted religion.

  24. Elderlearner

    Greg
    Also this brings to mind that this massive investment to stocks through investment firms, this money is not under FDIC (and an investment firm could go bankrupt no matter what kind of safety they offer) is scary. The banks themselves are investing even though after the great depression laws were put in place to avoid this pitfall and now they were taken away so they can invest in stocks. We just went to a 36 foot ladder. One question that I would like to hear the answer to is not, what is a safe investment for the common person today but which investment will still be holding it’s value after the bubble pops. I’ve learned that when you are in mutual funds (bonds, metal stocks, etc) you buy “shares” . And if 90% of the investors want to cash in their shares the price still drops if you need your money at that same time even if you are invested in the safest bonds or gold stocks on earth, you lose your investment money (which I learned).
    Keep up the good work.

    • Greg Hunter

      “Elder”
      MF Global comes to mind, and if you have a great investment in a bankrupt brokerage you really have zero in a full on crash. SIPC has $3 billion for insurance and there is zero federal guarantee and no FDIC.
      Greg

      • Gary Canuck

        Greg, most Canadians & Americans, have no clue re SPIC, FDIC,here its CDIC, and they have 2 billion in reserves, plus a letter of credit
        drawn on a couple of major banks.

        People forget that the G20 put through legislation IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT, of a crash the depositor gets to bail out the bank,know as Bail In, with YOUR money.
        FDIC & CDIC is a joke. If your money is in a bank or brokerage it is no longer your money,same with stocks unless you have direct share registration.
        A very good reason to own some gold, and not paper certificates issued by a bank

  25. Mohammad

    Greg,

    Looks like Mueller is going to the heart with investigating Trump himself, The latter was warned by a former ethics la​wyer to George W Bush, Richard Painter, ‘no more games, no more lies’ :

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-warned-apos-no-more-113934203.html

    Mohammad

  26. Mike R

    Thar she blows !!!

    USD breaks below critical support at $90….https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/index/dxy/charts $89 and small change, as of 1/14/2018 1:45 CST.

    Gold up more than $17… http://www.kitco.com/

    Gold has a long way to run, in this 3rd year of a gold bull market.
    (sure its not as exciting as the rapid gains in Bitcoin, but you can hold it in your hands, and know with a 5000 year history as real money, a power outage, or on-line hackers won’t be able to wipe out your gold ‘wallet’. This proves the adage, that the more things change, the more they stay the same. All sorts of fancy pants new fiats can come out, but the tried and true gold, is the standard which can never be beat in terms of retaining your buying power.)

    • Greg Hunter

      Mike R,
      This is a very big deal.
      Greg

      • JC

        Stock market hit another all time high yesterday.

  27. Mike R

    Lower dollar = much higher oil prices. Martenson is dead on right.

    Think of all those ‘claims’ against earnings on stocks, and what happens to those earnings when the world’s most important commodity and energy source, oil, goes up way higher than the financial models have baked in. In fact, I would argue that since at least 2014, oil has kept the dollar ‘propped’, by being so low, and affording our own nation a HUGE discount on the cost of many many goods and services. Our nation houses many of these large companies with P/E’s over 50, so those companies have been the benefactor more so, than the rest of the world, who has to exchange their currency for ours.

    Amazon is the bubble that will really collapse this whole charade, with its P/E north of 300, on 2017 earnings, and its entire business model based on ‘free shipping’, and literally just shipping people goods. Its just one big shipping contractor, in fact. It adds no other value. It doesn’t fix or repair anything it sells. It doesn’t make anything it sells. It consumes way too much energy for a very low value commodity called shipping. In the entire value chain its skimming away all the product maker margins. Its actually worse than any real retailer, and kills off so many jobs and businesses, its really just a destructive force in the economy. Perceived convenience by consumers, is literally just stealing from the future, and making those consumers mortgage their wealth to the point when Amazon does implode, consumers will have far fewer choices, far less businesses competing for their demands, and it will eventually result in run-away inflation. Amazon literally destroys innovation in product design, and services, making large corporations fatter on volume, stiffling out small businesses who are the only true incubators of innovative products.

    Most importantly, its volumes are so huge, and margins so razor thin, it truly cannot absorb the cost of oil going up much more than where its at now, trading around $65. When it starts to fall, and if it ever got back to a more ‘normal’ PE, where say like a grocer that has these same sorts of thin margins, its price could easily drop 90%.

    When it implodes, I argue the entire market will go poof along with it.

    • Diane

      Very Intersting theory Mike R
      You just might me right

  28. FC

    My greatest wealth is my health and no economic crash will take that away from me…….only God the Father can.

    • Greg Hunter

      Amen on that Brother FC.
      Greg

    • Diane

      Health IS wealth!
      I would trade all my wealth for my health.

      • Charles H

        Spot on. ‘Yeah, skin for skin – all will a man give for his life.’. Medicine becomes a skinning game.

      • Kenneth Alexander

        You are so right. I start my 15th cycle of chemo for Leukemia on Monday while I await a bone-marrow transplant with a 60% chance of survival. Good Health is wealth, indeed.

        • Greg Hunter

          Kenneth,
          I just said a prayer for you. Please pray the Jesus will heal you and giude your doctors.
          Greg

  29. Mitchell Bupp

    Hello Greg and Chris, Another great interview at USAWatchdog.com. Chris points out something I have said for years that the bankers keep blowing cash into the system hoping to keep the bubble partially blow up (as far as possible) until the real economy catches up. I don’t believe this will ever work since what we are really seeing is the transfer of national wealth in exports instead of building a local or national economy lifting up a Third-world country out of poverty. International trade has become a tool of the what I call, “new colonialism” and it is used to suppress and control individual countries.

  30. Jerry

    I don’t care what the markets are doing. They’re a dog and pony show put on by the central banks to continue the scam. NOTHING MORE. here’s the one chart you’d better pay attention to
    https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/M2V
    because once it bottoms out, liquidity will begin to seize up in the system and the banks will not have a reason to continue their Ponzi scheme. The Trump tax cuts will take to long to reverse the course. It should have been done ten years ago. But instead the globalist had a bigger dream. NWO.

  31. H. Craig Bradley

    THE RISE OF THE DOLLAR HATERS

    “Britain canceled the one pound coins last October. They estimated that £400-450 million pounds became worthless overnight. Europeans routinely cancel their currency. This is another reason why the US dollar is the RESERVE CURRENCY in the world. While you have these people who hate the dollar all the time in the USA, outside, it is the mainstay. The dollar is used worldwide because it is trusted while other countries routinely cancel currencies. India made headlines last year cancelling their high denomination notes overnight”. Martin A. Armstrong Blog, Jan. 22, 2018.

    • jim c

      Hay Craig Bradley, We are not dollar haters , we are globalist haters that turned our money into monopoly money, If your employer started paying you in monopoly money that you could only use in the game of monopoly , wouldn’t you find another game to play. WAKE UP!!!!

  32. Tad

    http://www.businessinsider.com/south-korea-strong-concerns-us-strike-north-korea-cia-korea-expert-says-2018-1

    How nice the South Koreans acknowledge that they have no military and diplomatic control over their country or the hopeful accession to peace with North Korea.

    Certainly, many and varied economic sanctions may have a way of mitigating North Korea’s military response should it become necessary. Perhaps for a brief moment we can assess civilian losses for a country with difficulties growing and importing, food.

    Rumors abound of North Korean soldiers going door-to-door searching for food. A few South Koreans, we’re told, are apparently protesting President Moon Jae In’s meetings with North Koran representatives.

    It’s possible, Greg, that North Korea’s economy all these decades has been geared primarily toward defense spending so as to avoid a US-induced slaughter that took out nearly 2.5 million North Koreans during the Korean War.

    I sense the pressure is being most acutely felt in South Korea. When the moment avails itself, an extremely reluctant Kim Jong-Un may have little choice but to unload on South Korea. If the US is intent on the North’s rare earth minerals, they can’t very well leave lingering radioactivity throughout the country.

    And while the North Korean army may be starving, I can only assume those that are better fed than most, will be manning the rockets pointed toward Seoul.

    • Greg Hunter

      Tad,
      If NK fires on South Korea expect it to be nuked with low radiation tactical nukes. NK will be obliterated over a weekend if it attacks and I hope it does not do what you say it might do.
      Greg

      • Tad

        The burden or choice is on the Americans. North Korea, in my opinion, wants peace–through strength. Sound familiar.

      • John

        Greg, here is something interesting from G.A. Stewarts’ Nostradamus site.

        “I have already posted The Games of Slaughter and my warning concerning the 2018 Winter Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.

        Since the 911 Quatrain is part of this series, it suggests that a false-flag terrorist attack will occur during the February 2018 Olympics, and it may be nuclear.”

        The Deep State is clearly on the defensive.”

        http://theageofdesolation.com/NOSTRADAMUS/index.php/2018/01/24/american-coup-detat-part-i/

    • Paul ...

      Tad … because the attempted “False Flag” missile attack on Hawaii (that would have given the US neocons an excuse to attack N. Korea) was thwarted … I don’t think these stealth bombers on Guam are going anywhere … besides … even with all these tactical nukes the US has … N.Korea is mostly “hard granite” (that can’t be penetrated easily even by nuclear weapons) and N. Korea has had 67 years to build hundreds of “deep underground military installations” that can’t be touched by any US nukes … so any US attack on Kim Jung-un will be like the 60 Tomahawks launched against Assad’s Syria … ineffectual … however unlike Syria … N. Korea has the ability to strike back in many various ways … so all the bluster doesn’t make any sense … except … as an excuse to sell more US missiles and military weapons to Japan and S. Korea so Trump can lower the US trade deficit … and ask for both Japan and S. Korea to provide funding for American infrastructure projects because we are such a good ally (who has their back against an evil tyrant)!!

    • Tad

      https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-01-25/north-korea-calls-koreans-push-unification

      I hope war does not break out, Greg. While the US is probably painting this article as propaganda, my question is this: if the US believes North Korea is going to strike the US mainland, why not launch a pre-emptive? No one wants to see it–outside of Washington and Brussels.

      My God, Kim Jong Un is delivering a peace overture? One may question his-and ours- credulity. All I see is a man, for all appearances, wanting reunification.

      Details will follow at some point, but the US should sit back and let familial roots become reacquainted.

  33. dchayden

    Greg I just seen you on The Official Hagmann Report, and I have never seen you fired up like that !!!…pure Gold my friend. Loved your show today as well !! God bless you sir ! Looking forward to your Friday wrap up!

    ~dchayden

  34. Sayonara

    Great interview with Chris Martensen. I enjoy his Peak Prosperity website and his candid assessment about the state of the world. I think I am going to attend his May conference in Sebastapol CA as it is only a 30 minute drive from my home. He picked a sensational venue and location for conference. Thank you as always for your sterling interviews, guests and reporting.
    Best,
    Sayonara

    • Greg Hunter

      Thank you “Say”!!
      Greg

  35. Mike R

    We have the Greenspan ‘wealth effect’, going on in high gear, mostly with respect to retirees. So the ECB, EoB, and BoJ pumping in at the rate of $2.5 trillion annually. That in turn is going mostly straight into US stocks, which is making the only people with stock portfolios left (typically retirees, via 401’s and of course pensions), feel ‘wealthy’ to keep spending on home renovations, improvements, RV’s, travel, second homes, etc. This is the 3rd time now, since 1999, where that wealth effect is keeping things looking hunky dory. The rest of the population, not retired, but with 20 years now of stagnant wages, is spending and racking up debt to ‘keep’ up with those ‘rich’ boomers and retirees.

    So the only way the Fed can raise rates, is VERY slowly, and only as long as others keep on pumping trillions. This magic show, has a major downside.

    None of those other central banks can EVER, stop or slow down their pumping and printing $2.5 trillion annually. If they did, not only would stocks drop super hard and super fast, but our interest rates would skyrocket literally over night.

    The Fed, could NOT raise rates fast enough. Though they’d be forced to do so. Worse though, is they could not do QE. You can’t do QE and raise rates. So what happens to the dollar. It completely goes kapoof. We are talking such rapid hyperinflation, right here in the US, that people’s heads would spin. Massive defaults would occur, especially on car loans, then home loans, and then every bank in the US would implode. There is nothing that could be done to bail out ANY US bank. Nothing.
    Meanwhile, derivatives would implode, and entire chains of businesses would literally collapse overnight too. Bonds would go into such a bear market, that every municipality, city, and state, with bond debt would implode over night too. They could not raise taxes fast enough.
    We’d be looking at 50 to 60% unemployment here in the US.

    The message here, which none of Greg’s guests can really say, without making every viewer go crazy insane, is that there is no way out of this mess. The very worst thing you can do right now, is pay off debt. What you need to do is squirrel away some form of wealth OUT OF THE SYSTEM. I would be converting US dollars to silver.

    I believe Trump has reduced corp taxes in the US’s last chance to do so, to as low as level possible, in anticipation of this coming devastation. Mostly of course for businesses. The USD continuing to crater, and breaking below $90 now, will accelerate to the downside, and this is the surest sign that the world is acknowledging the coming implosion. If anything, crypto’s exploding higher in 2017, are a BIG TELL, that people sense this disaster is coming. They may not even realize how fast the dollar might crash, but their guts are telling them that getting out the system is the thing to do.

    Also, giving these corps a way to bring back cash, is in effect the last gasp of a ‘life saver’ to forestall some of this coming devastation, and to help the largest multi-nationals to survive this on-slaught, and not only bring back the cash from overseas but to park into ‘real stuff’, and yes maybe pay off their own debt, which are at levels that are stratospheric.
    The weird part of all of this, is that the Dow could go really higher faster here this year, like to 40,000, before there are further signs on mainstreet, that this is all going to implode. Nobody will believe you if you try to tell them any of this negative stuff during the next 10 to 12 months. Like Chris says, the market is going to SCREAM at everyone to ‘get on board’ the rocket ship higher. It will suck people in harder than ever, more so than Bitcoin, 1999, or pre-2008. FOMO will be rampant. instead, the wise people, will be taking lots of money out of the casino as this goes higher, faster.

    • Paul ...

      Mike … don’t forget the most important last step … while taking depreciating “fiat paper cash” from the stock market casino game board will have some immediate benefit in preventing losses … to be “truly wise” … the “fake money chips” you get (US dollars) must then be turned into “real money” (gold and silver) before walking out the door of the mafia banksters rigged casino!

    • Bill

      Mike R: People are taking second mortgages on their homes to get into the stock market. The have been assured by their broker the market will soar above 30,000 soon.

    • tin foil hat

      Mike R,
      We are definitely on the same frequency. You took the words right out of my mind.
      One question, why convert dollars to silver rather than gold and silver?

    • Gary Canuck

      As Jim Dines wrote 30 years ago in his book “The Invible Crash” all governments wil
      race to devalue their currencies, and that prediction is coming true.
      Once the Dow hits 30K, it is game on, 35K then get ready for a system meltdown, 40k
      the 2008 crash will look minor, and you get your bank holiday.

      Ps You can’t get your money back from the banks, they invested it in the stock market.
      remember deregulation, Dodd Frank, etc.

  36. Tad

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2018/01/24/white-house-promises-new-immigration-framework-amid-stalled-negotiations-on-dreamers/?utm_term=.a6adaa14c23d

    I would say Trumpers are extremely disappointed. As Brit Hume would say, “It’s complicated.” Liberals have a wave of muddying arguments.

    Not really. Ask some white or black man or woman; a recent computer science grad looking for a job with a commensurate salary matching competence.

    If they go back home with a friend in similar circumstances, what could go wrong? Or by themselves?

    American citizens are moving to new cities and don’t give it much thought. They normally move for work, some for retirement.

    “Complicated” seems to ensnarl or mesh with “entitled.”

    The country is gone, Greg, but for one tiny financial collapse.

  37. Susan

    WOW! Chris is absolutely amazing. I had to back up and reread over and over again to understand everything he said, but thanks to reading your interviews etc. for awhile I was able to understand what he meant. Right now I am very happy because I think I am a very good position no matter what happens I am ready. He is a very intelligent person.

  38. Jodyp

    Paul,I’m with you brother. Serenity now!

  39. Silence is Golden

    To the Tin Foil Hat brigade n those that don’t believe in the existence of a hidden government or ”Establishment” …..former CIA agent just gave us unequivocal proof….
    https://www.infowars.com/cnn-analyst-on-trump-the-governments-gonna-kill-this-guy/
    It’s coming thick and fast now….the evidence that is.

  40. Colin - 'the farmer from NZ'

    Greg/WDers

    Sadly very little has changed under the Trump regime when it comes to ME policy.

    To quote PCR….
    “The accusations are clearly designed to ramp up tensions in the country to help the US to “justify its continued illegal military occupation of part of Syria,”

    Also to quote Matthew Hoh, a former US Marine and now a leader of Veterans For Peace….

    “The American government is first and foremost a political machine, and it will do anything it can to discredit anyone or anything that it deems adversarial. So, of course, peace talks that might bring relief from suffering and violence to the Syrian people will be discounted and unattended,”

    Sadly
    Col

    https://www.rt.com/news/416800-russia-syria-chemical-blame-game/ (This is Greg Hunter. PCR has said some good things about Trump too: https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2018/01/24/stupid-party-remains-stupid/ and https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2018/01/08/focus-shifts-trump-hillary-corrupt-fbi/ Point #2: RT Is Russian Propaganda. Nothing less and nothing more. Find me one story where RT criticizes Russia or Putin. Don’t bother — you can’t)

    • Colin - 'the farmer from NZ'

      Greg

      Have to say your reaction is a wee bit of a puzzle to me with… “RT Is Russian Propaganda. Nothing less and nothing more.”

      Call RT propaganda, call it whatever you like, it remains utterly baffling to me that it has not dawned on you yet that they just happen to be your greatest ally.They do more to call out the disgracefull behaviour of global Neoliberalist movement and the MIE than the entire remainder of global media combined.

      State-sponsored or not RT is one of the fastest growing news organizations in the world…IMHO this is for a very good reason…simply put…they actually have the gall to attempt to counterbalance the massive juggernaut [AKA MSM] which constantly regurgitates the Neoliberal narrative.

      Because RT has access to such a wealth of factual material from all over the world they very rarely feature interviews of Russians with the exception perhaps of Lavrov. The perpetually disgraceful global behaviour of TPTB and the MIE is tenfold in volume what they could ever hope to cover…they actually have no need to make shite up!!

      Greg, you do realize I hope that this channel regularly interviews the majority of the same people that you do on RT [including to name just a few… PCR, Rickards, Hudes, etc]. Believe it or not, WD and RT fight the very same fight. If you genuinely see the major enemy of humanity as Neoliberalism then, like it or not, you guys are actually on the same fricken side!

      Col

      • Greg Hunter

        Col,
        RT IS NOT News. If it were it would be allowed to criticize Putin and Russia. YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. It may be fast growing but it is fast growing propaganda just like the stinking MSM on the opposite end of the spectrum. And SO WHAT to your last statement.
        Greg

  41. Mohammad

    Greg,

    Trade war has commenced already, obviously the weak dollar is the policy of US and is intentional, if you combine that with the trillions tax cuts that will bring capital to US and raises dollar, the intentional weakening of the dollar is in anticipation of such move, EU are freaking out, Lagarde of the IMF was screaming at Davos:

    “”I really hope that Secretary Mnuchin has a chance to clarify exactly what he said,” Lagarde said. “The dollar is of all currencies a floating currency and one where value is determined by markets and geared by the fundamentals of U.S. policy.”

    The latter confused the heck of them when he said that Trump is relaxed on the dollar status, meaning that he intends to weaken the dollar and start the trade war:

    “Mnuchin said in another panel discussion that he thinks that “Trump shares a relaxed view on the dollar” suggesting that a weaker dollar is in fact a matter of US policy.”

    I think Trump might of hit a home run, however , in history it does not take much longer to start the shooting war afterward the trade war:

    https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-01-25/mnuchin-backs-weak-currency-comments-after-lagarde-demands-clarification

    Mohammad

  42. Mohammad

    Greg,

    I think it is of big significance and importance:

    Trump signs an executive order to put a tariff on solar panels hitting China at the core and initiating the early steps of the trade war that already commenced:

    https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/01/23/bid-save-manufacturing-jobs-trump-signs-tariffs-washing-machines-solar-cells/1058293001/
    “In bid to save manufacturing jobs, Trump signs tariffs on washing machines, solar cells”
    That is a painful jab to china, it was on the 23d of this month.

    Then in Davos comes his secretary of commerce Wilbur Ross to say this:

    http://fortune.com/2018/01/24/davos-2018-trump-wilbur-ross-trade-war-tariff/
    “Wilbur Ross Tells Davos: U.S. Is Done ‘Being a Patsy’ on Trade”

    Add to it what the treasure secretary said about the dollar that i linked to in an earlier post.
    Add to it the dollar price action

    TRADE WAR HAS BEGUN ALREADY.

    Question is:

    WHEN THE SHOOTING WAR BEGINS?

    Mohammad

  43. Mohammad

    From your site a request to Trump,

    Please give the ranchers an executive order that will help them breath again and opens the land to their cattle so they can feed not only US but the whole world with the healthiest beef on this earth.

    Mohammad

  44. flattop

    GREG: A question:
    I read a headline that said ” Europe is back, rejects Trumpism. ‘
    Europe is back from WHAT.

  45. flattop

    GREG: One more thing;
    Just finished listening to a new interview with Mark Taylor. Says arrests will begin in February. Maybe time for a new interview with him on Watchdog

  46. Tim McGraw

    Sebastopol, CA is near my town of Healdsburg. I’ll check out the conference May 4-6th. I’m curious as to what the Santa Rosa Fire Marshall has to say about the wildfires of Oct. 8/9th 2017. Cal Fire STILL hasn’t told us the cause of the fires, especially the Tubbs Fire which burned down parts of Santa Rosa and almost killed my father-in-law in the Villa Capri nursing home in Fountaingrove.
    Thanks for the interview.

  47. Flattop

    GREG: The Justice Department
    One has to wonder if our Justice Department will ever become an honest organization!!
    Lets remember Ruby Ridge Idaho, The FBI killed a man, his wife and his children because they were labeled, ” anti government
    Lets remember Waco, where our Atty General ordered the death of so may religious people. who were labeled, ” anti government.
    Now we are learning of this latest DOJ/FBI illegal activities against our President.
    This does not bode well for us citizens of this USA

  48. Mohammad

    Greg,

    It is official the cryptoRuble is launched if the draft is signed by Russian parliament.

    https://www.rt.com/business-projects/417001-cryptocurrency-russia-law-ruble/

    “A draft law introducing the national cryptocurrency, CryptoRuble, as a means of payment in Russia has been submitted to parliament.
    “The amendments proposed by the draft law … codify the digital financial asset as a legal means of payment on the territory of Russia,” the document’s explanatory note reads.

    The draft law was submitted by a Communist Party MP, Rizvan Kurbanov. It is specified that the currency goes by the name of “CryptoRuble.”

    Mohammad

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