Europe

standard Repent, The End May Be Near!

This religious advice might be appropriate for financial markets. That certainly was the way it felt over the last couple of days. Gold and silver, as well as other commodities, have been pummeled. Today the Dow is off about 200 points as I write. What happened to our economic recovery? If you have been reading this website, you know there is [...]

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standard For Investors — The New Normal

This morning’s pre-market report from MarketWatch leads with the following: FRANKFURT (MarketWatch) — Stock index futures pointed to an early dip for Wall Street on Wednesday, taking a cue from steep losses in Europe after efforts to form an Italian governing alliance stumbled. But strategists said downside may remain limited by further evidence of an improving U.S. economy. The news [...]

standard The Slow Death of Western Civilization

Massive economic change is sweeping the world. But, like the movement of glaciers, the change is slow, subtle and almost imperceptible. Few people are even aware of the change, no less its implications. In earlier writing I recommended that those under fifty explore alternatives to the US for living and working.  Western democracies are self-destructing under the weight of their [...]

standard Western Democracies Are In Collapse

Most people cannot conceive of an economic collapse. Normalcy bias is common and distorts expectations, especially in areas outside of personal expertise. If it didn’t happen yesterday or last month or in their lifetime, then many people consider the outcome “impossible.” Those who can conceive of such events may try to convince others, but proselytizing can be frustrating and usually fruitless. Most [...]

standard Euro as Dodo Bird

Don’t count on the survival of the Euro. It was a Frankenstein-type creation in the first place, forced by the political elites who wanted to expand their power base. That done, the fissures and cracks began almost immediately. Now, we are on the verge of a complete break-down, one that is unavoidable no matter how much political gobbledegook is used [...]

standard More on The Pathology of The Welfare State

There were several good responses to Welfare States R.I.P. The one below from SKull has been slightly edited for spelling and spacing, but otherwise remains as submitted. It is thoughtful and especially insightful. In essence, it is a confirmation of Albert J. Nock’s general observation on government: Taking the State wherever found, striking into its history at any point, one [...]

standard Gold, Central Banks and The Force of Arms

Gold has been a disappointment of late. Perhaps too much was expected from the precious metal. It is up 11 consecutive years, averaging double-digit gains per year. Recent performance, however, has not been good. Gold touched $1,900 in the third quarter of 2011 and currently sells below $1600. Kitco.com reports that gold is up .3% at the close on July 12 [...]

standard Slush Funds For Government

The complexities and deceptions of the government are impossible to fully comprehend. Programs with stated purposes are used in ways that have little relationship with their mission. Effectively, much of government is a giant slush fund with monies are shifted around by the political winds. The problem du jour rather than the cause for which money was allocated quickly takes precedent. [...]

standard How Europe Ends

The economic crisis around the world is worsening. The US economy shows no signs of recovering. With the fiscal cliff of tax increases coming in January, why should anyone expect it to. The imposition of a tax increase is not when the deleterious effects occur. They occur with the expectation of the increase. People alter the behavior in advance of [...]