Category: Economics & Investing

Courtesy of reader J.D.D.: Why the U.S. can’t inflate its way out of debt Some Tough Love from the editors of Der Spiegel: Built on a Lie; The Fundamental Flaw of Europe’s Common Currency Larry T. suggested this Powerline piece: Buy Gold. Items from The Economatrix: Why Italy Faces a Derivatives Time Bomb Why California is Doomed Double Dip is Coming in 2011 Welcome to the United States of Iceland Big Ax Looming at FDNY: More than 1,000 Layoffs, 62 Fire Companies to be Closed It’s Going to Implode, Buy Physical Gold Now $2,000/oz. Gold by the End of the …

Trent and J.D.D. were the first of several readers to send this: Faber and Mish: We’re Doomed and Washington Can’t Do Anything About It A.P. sent us some more gloomy news: World faces a day of financial reckoning Canadian dollar likely to trump US greenback: experts. More FDIC Follies: Four more banks bit the dust in the past couple of days. Items from The Economatrix: OPEC Raises 2010 Oil Demand Forecast US Sales Tax Rates Hit Record High US Dollar Gains as Rating Agencies Warn on Europe Toledo, Ohio Likely to Face “Fiscal Emergency” Robbing The Old to Pay the …

Over at Zero Hedge, Tyler Durden asks: Is The Federal Reserve Insolvent? (He’s warning that monetization is the logical next step. So beware of inflation ahead!) Ben in Tennessee sent us this from The Market Oracle: The Coming Dark Ages. GG suggested this one: Bernanke’s Dilemma: Hyperinflation and the U.S. Dollar. Also from GG: Doug Casey on Surviving Financial Apocalypse Now Items from The Economatrix: Are Unemployment Benefits No Longer Temporary? Jobs Outlook May Be Too Optimistic Public Pension Funds are “Going to Vegas” National Debt to be Higher than White House Forecast, Says CBO Senate To Pass Jobless Aid, …

Paul W. mentioned an insightful article by Janet Tavakoli: Washington Must Ban U.S. Credit Derivatives as Traders Demand Gold. (Long-time SurvivalBlog readers are already familiar with my strong warnings about the derivatives time bomb. Newbies, please take a look.) Eric S. suggested this piece by Chris Nelder: Peak Oil Demand Is Coming, But Here’s Why It’s Not Good News Reader David D. spotted this Wall Street Journal article: Commercial Real Estate Owners Beginning To Walk Away From Properties Items from The Economatrix: Job Openings Up Sharply in January to 2.7 Million Failed Banks May Get Pension-Fund Backing as FDIC Seeks …

From The Appenzell Daily Bell: More Sovereign Defaults Loom? Brett pointed us to some great Afterburner commentary on the “carbon credits” nonsense as well as personal initiative versus Nanny Statism: Flying Solo: Choose Freedom Over the Nanny State. I warned you, folks! U.S. Sales Tax Rates Hit Record High. (Thanks to Loren for the link. OBTW, I expect even more tax rate increases as the recession deepens, and more states face crises.) Williams: Expect Hyperinflation Within The Next Five Years. (Thanks to H.H. for the link.) S.M. liked this piece of commentary about the national debt and precious metals by …

JDD sent this item: China ready to end dollar peg. The article begins: “The head of China’s central bank has given the strongest signal yet that the country will move away from pegging its currency to the dollar, but he said any changes would be gradual.” Brian B. sent this news story that illustrates that the Mother of All Bailouts (MOAB) won’t stop growing: Program Will Pay Homeowners to Sell at a Loss. I found this linked at The Drudge Report: Congressional estimates show grim deficit picture. Jeff B. offered this for the No Great Surprise Department: IRS to Track …

Chad S. suggested this commentary by economist Bill Bonner: Losing Control of the US Debt Machine EMB sent this: Iceland Voters Set to Reject Debt Deal. Items from The Economatrix: Our World Balances on a Sea of Debt More Consumers File for Bankruptcy Protection

Situational Awareness is simply knowing what is happening. Information enables us to make more intelligent or informed decisions. Informed decisions could be the difference between surviving or not surviving. Communications is the exchange of information between a sender and receiver. It could be a simple shout, Morse telegraph or a complex computer network. This article will focus on using radios that are available to the general public. All frequencies listed in the following, except AM broadcasting, are in megahertz (MHz) or million cycles/second. Radio and Television Broadcasting There is usually a radio playing in my home and vehicle. The radio …

“Card House” sent us this: CBO: National Deficit to Hit Nearly $10 Trillion Over Upcoming Decade GG flagged the latest Friday Follies news: Regulators shut down banks in 4 states, making 26 US bank failures this year Also from GG: National debt to be higher than White House forecast, CBO says Another from GG: Greece is a harbinger of austerity for all–The effects of the stimulus are wearing off, leaving us with a nasty hangover, says Jeremy Warner. E.M.B. sent us this piece by Mish Shedlock: Construction Developer Says Banks Suddenly Playing Hardball, Asks “Mish, What’s Going On?” Items from …

GG flagged this piece over at Zero Hedge: CLSA’s Chris Wood “In Five Years The US Dollar Paper Standard Will Collapse” Greg C. suggested a piece posted at Money News: Rogoff: U.S. Has Defaulted Before, May Do So Again Bob G. liked this piece: ‘Buy some gold every month’ as protection against falling currencies, says Marc Faber Items from The Economatrix: Gold Going Higher: Even George Soros Agrees With Marc Faber Is Moving Out of the US A Way to Escape the Coming Economic Collapse? Gold and Silver Supply: Get Some While You Can (The Mogambo Guru)

Economists: Another Financial Crisis on the Way. (Thanks to “Straycat” for the link.) Fronm Brett G.: Greenhouse Gas Taxes to Push Gasoline to $7 a Gallon? Items from The Economatrix: Stocks Falter After Drop in Pending Homes Sales US Economy Continues to Slow Pending US Home Sales Fall 7.6% in January Investing In Gold: Protection From Runaway Inflation Karl Denninger: Speculative Premium and Why the Markets Will Crash Darryl Robert Schoon: Will the US Devalue the Dollar?

C.M. suggested this alarming opinion piece by Niall Ferguson that ran in the Los Angeles Times: America, the fragile empire–Here today, gone tomorrow — could the United States fall that fast? Items from The Economatrix: Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: Don’t Go Wobbly on Us Now, Ben Bernanke The Sovereigns and the Serfs Peter Schiff: Don’t Bet on a Recovery The Financial Battle For The Middle Class: Underemployment At 20%; 38 Million Americans On Food Stamps; Little Hiring; Can It Be A Recovery With No Jobs For This Long?

Reader John S. spotted this: California is a greater risk than Greece, warns JP Morgan chief I found an article linked in a piece by Dr. Gary North that illustrates just how deep a hole the Federal government is digging: $126.9 Billion and Counting. The charts in Nathan’s recent blog piece tell a thousand words. This is no ordinary recession. We’ve fallen off a cliff. George Gordon spotted this: Gold Hits Record High In Euros, Pound. Items from The Economatrix: Ron Paul Discusses Coming US Collapse Jim Rogers: Pound Could Collapse Within Weeks Housing Recovery Looking Shakier than Expected Consumer …

GG flagged this: WTO says global trade shrank 12 percent in 2009, biggest collapse since Second World War From Brian B.: Head of IMF Proposes New Reserve Currency – ABC News Another from GG: American reliance on government at all-time high Items from The Economatrix: Manufacturing Grows in February, Jobs Gauge Rises January Spending Increases But Income Growth Slows January Construction Spending Slides IMF Says New Reserve Currency to Replace Dollar is Possible Mish Shedlock: Short-Selling Restrictions “A Great Indicator of Imminent Market Crashes” Temporary Hiring: A Different Kind of Signal Jobless Benefits Begin Ending on Sunday