Guest Article: Gold – The Good, Bad, and Truly Ugly, by Gary Christenson

THE GOLD STANDARD: Although it may be unrealistically optimistic, I believe my paraphrase of a Churchill quote: “Central Bankers will eventually do the right thing and return to a gold standard after they have exhausted all other alternatives.” While central bankers are exhausting all other alternatives, I worry about the collateral damage to 90% of the population who are not first in line on the fiat money gravy train that benefits the financial and political elite. Clearly, central bankers will return to a gold standard only if forced by a financial implosion, economic collapse or equivalent disaster. Hence, the powers-that-be …




Economics and Investing:

Billionaire Warns Of Total Collapse End Game Scenario: ‘No Way Out… Your Money Will Be Worthless’. – B.B. o o o MARC FABER – World Economy Grinding to a Halt. Don’t Trade With Leverage o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Another Record: $4.235 Per Pound for Ground Beef Gold Falls From 2-Week High, Eyes US Policy Housing Bubble Redux: Subprime Auto Market Begins To Crack Mission Accomplished: Nasdaq 5000




February In Precious Metals, by Steven Cochran of Gainesville Coins

Welcome to SurvivalBlog’s Precious Metals Month in Review, where we take a look at “the month that was” in precious metals. Each month, we cover the price action of gold and silver and examine the “what” and “why” behind those numbers. Gold trended lower during February, after hitting multi-year highs in January, for several reasons. Physical demand from China was lower, after the habitual gold binge in January for the Lunar New Year. The Greek debt crisis tended to swing both gold and the U.S. dollar back and forth, but the warfare in Ukraine seemed to do little for gold …




Economics and Investing:

Russian Supermarkets Freeze Prices for Inflation-weary Shoppers. – H.L. o o o An interesting document describing the mechanics behind the fiat money creation machine: Modern Money Mechanics. – P.M. o o o US Will Never Gain Oil Market Crown Says IEA Head o o o Exposure To Falling Oil Prices Driving Global Defaults and Slowdown




Economics and Investing:

California Rental Armageddon: Nearly half of Los Angeles adults doubling up, working class moving out, or you have the option of simply living in poverty. o o o “That Couldn’t Possibly Be True”: The Startling Truth About the US Dollar. – T.F. o o o The long inflation con on the public: How the CPI severely underreports inflation and the slow erosion in the American standard of living. o o o Interview with Steve St. Angelo




Economics and Investing:

Check the cushions! Thieves loot $18,000 worth of nickels from Florida home. – P.M. JWR Adds: Saving nickels makes sense. However, they are bulky and you will need to find a secure place for them. A hidden walk-in vault would be ideal, but just a very well-hidden compartment will suffice. o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Fourth-Quarter GDP in U.S. Rose Less Than Prior Estimate Here Is What Americans Spent Their “Gas Savings” On Why Does Maryland Have The Most Millionaires Per Capita? The Answer Might Make You Angry Pending Home Sales Miss For 5th Month In A Row




Economics and Investing:

Take Your Money And Run!! Global Central Bank Conspiracy Exposed – Next Step: Confiscating Your Bank Deposits. – B.B. o o o Paranoia And Purges For Venezuela As Oil Misery Continues o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: This Is What Happens To Gold In A Hyperinflationary Currency Crisis: Ukraine Edition Consumer Comfort Falls to 2015 Low as View of U.S. Economy Dims David Stockman- The Pathetic ‘Talk Therapy’ Of Janet Yellen 100 Reasons Why Janet Yellen Is Freaking Out About ‘Audit The Fed’




Economics and Investing:

100 Reasons Why The Federal Reserve Should Be Shut Down o o o OPEC Considers Emergency Meeting On Oil Prices o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Bank of Israel Slashes Rates Video: Peter Schiff – Should We Have Bailed Out the Banks? The Next Debt Ceiling Crackup Is Coming Yellen: No Rate Hike for Next Couple FOMC Meetings – How long will the masses buy this nonsense of extend and pretend…




Economics and Investing:

The Day the ATMs Run Out… – D.S. o o o Goldman Sachs Acts as Economic Hitman Against Public School Districts. – H.L. o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Video: Is Another Recession Looming for the U.S.? – This is a must watch in my opinion. You have to bear through his delivery, but the information is very good. Banks Face U.S. Manipulation Probe Over Metals Pricing Oil Rebounds After Libya’s Largest Field Shuts Down European Commission Accepts Greek Economic Measures After Review




Economics and Investing:

Rent walkouts point to strains in U.S. farm economy. – P.M. o o o Local banks against Fed audit. – G.P. o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Greece’s Leaders Face a Revolt at Home as They Try to Appease Creditors Greece Misses 1st Commitment: Delays Reform List Delivery Until Tuesday 9 Countries Have Debt-To-GDP Over 300% – And I am sure this, like the U.S., does not count unfunded liabilities. Look Who’s Living on The Financial Edge – I’ve posted something similar to this many times, but it bears keeping in fore-front; things are not changing much.




Economics and Investing:

Americans are having more trouble paying off their student debt than their houses. – G.G. o o o Is the EU Finally Breaking Free of Russia’s Energy Grip? o o o Obama wants to tax your retirement accounts. – RBS o o o DANGER AHEAD FOR U.S. & WEST: Shown In These Gold Charts o o o Investors Have No Choice But To Own Gold After This Latest McKinsey Chart







Economics and Investing:

The revival of the American debt machine: auto loans, student debt, and credit card debt surge in latest report. Total non-housing debt now at $3.15 trillion. o o o Greece is a sideshow – watch US T-bonds instead. – A.D. o o o Infographic: Too Big to Fail o o o “When central banks print money nothing begins to make sense!”— “It is no longer a free market. Markets are now manipulated by governments and notably by their agents, the central bankers.”







Economics and Investing:

Federal benefit programs to support Apple Pay . – RBS o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Audio Interview: David Stockman: The Global Economy Has Entered The Crack-Up Phase I May Get Out of US Stocks: Nobel-Winner Shiller With Clock Ticking, Greece May Ask for More Time Why The Alarms Over A Slight Rate Hike? – While we should have market set rates and not central planners to “set” rates, what is a fact is the U.S. economy cannot withstand higher interest rates, as JWR and many others have pointed out. The author clearly doesn’t understand this.