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It’s clear the world at large, and the US in particular, is heading into some seriously turbulent times.

The problem - your problem - is that any country can turn into a 1970s Rhodesia. Or a Russia in the '20s, Germany in the '30s, China in the '40s, Cuba in the '50s, the Congo in the '60s, Vietnam in the '70s, Afghanistan in the '80s, Bosnia in the '90s. These are just a few examples.

That's exactly why Doug Casey and his team have put together an exclusive special report to show you how how protect yourself - and even profit from - this volatile environment. Click here to get it now.

Until next time,

International Man Team

David Stockman on How the Deep State Really Works

by David Stockman

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International Man: Last year, President Trump took the unusual step of bypassing his advisors to announce his intention to withdraw all US troops from Syria quickly. The decision rattled Washington and the mainstream media. It caused former Defense Secretary Mattis to resign.

Almost a year later, the US has withdrawn only a token number of soldiers. It still has thousands of troops occupying the part of the country where oil fields are located. What is going on here?

David Stockman: Well, that’s the Deep State at work.

Donald Trump is all by his lonesome. He’s home alone in the Oval Office. Now, half of it, he can blame himself. If he hires someone, a known idiot like John Bolton, what does he expect is going to happen except that everything he wanted to do is going to be undermined.

Nevertheless, he can’t seem to find anybody who can articulate on a day-to-day basis a pathway to the more restrained America First posture that he had in mind.

He’s surrounded by people who constantly countermand his orders. You have James Jeffery, the US Ambassador and special envoy to Syria saying, "Well, Trump didn’t mean that when he said he wanted the troops out of Syria."

We have the same thing with North Korea. Trump finally said, here we are, 66 years after the armistice and we still don’t have a peace treaty, and we’re still occupying the Korean peninsula, which is of no interest to our national security one way or the other.

You have to do what I would call "contrafactual history." In other words, if you understand what could have happened the other way, then maybe you’re not going to be so impressed with all this threat inflation.

I go back to why the Korean War happened, because I think it’s important to this whole thing going on now, with Trump trying to make a deal with Kim Jong-un.

In the late ’40s, Washington officials said that Korea is outside our sphere of influence, the line between North and South hastily drawn at the Potsdam war conference in July 1945. Dean Acheson, the US secretary of state in the late 1940s, said it was a mere surveyor’s line; it’s of no strategic influence. What if common sense had prevailed, instead of the hot-headed advice that President Truman got?

What if Truman had said, "Okay, we’re vacating this damn peninsula"? Well, it would have become a quasi-province of China, just like all the rest of them.

They’d probably be making all kinds of stuff, sending it to Walmart today, and nobody would know the difference.

Instead, we had a war. If I remember right, 54,000 servicemen were killed. The whole peninsula was pummeled, carpet bombed, and literally destroyed. It was like a wasteland in the north. There are reasons why the Kim family has survived all these years, because they hate us for what happened. People remember. It was really scorched earth. I mean, it was in some sense genocide, even then.

So, all of that happened, and Eisenhower comes in and is astute enough to say that we don’t really have national security on the line. He negotiated an armistice, and yet the War Party kept tension on the DMZ for all those years because it had to be in the playbook of threats.

I remember well when I was fighting the big Reagan defense build-up, back when I was budget director. It was always, we need all these different new tanks and attack aircraft and resupply logistics capabilities, because we have to have the ability to fight two and a half wars.

Well, where was the half war? I knew where the other ones were. The half war was in Korea. Well, why did we have to have a half war in Korea? But nevertheless, that was part of the rationalization—justification—for this massive military force that really is a tool of empire and not a tool of homeland defense.

Today, we have Trump finally saying, let’s let the Koreans decide how to run the future of Korea—and back off this long-running, 65-year confrontation.

And yet as courageous in some ways as he has been, he’s constantly being undermined by his own people, who as soon as he’s not looking send real nasty messages to the North Koreans—that will only set Kim back on his heels—and therefore nothing gets done. Even though it could very easily be done.

When you have a regime change policy—and this was the one real positive thing Trump brought to the table. He said regime change has failed; we’re not going to do it under my policy.

Why do you think the North Koreans are quasi-starving? And I know the Communist elite and Kim’s family and so forth live a pretty fat life, but nevertheless they’re in dire straits economically.

Why do they invest all this money in developing nuclear capability and missile capability? Because they don’t want to be regime changed. Kim is a young man, he’s in his mid-30s, and he doesn’t want to be another Muammar Gaddafi or Saddam Hussein.

He knows what happens. You get hung on national TV if you’re a Hussein, or you get tortured and drugged behind a Jeep if you’re a Gaddafi.

Obviously, this stuff has consequences. These idiots in Washington and all these think tanks that talk about regime change and bringing democracy to the world and so forth—never even think about the consequence—the message that these violent episodes send—and the unfortunate reaction that people take in order to defend themselves.

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International Man: With John Bolton out of the picture, do you see US talks with North Korea bearing fruit for Trump?

David Stockman: I think it’s touch and go.

The problem is there’s lasting damage when you engage in all this regime change over so many years and episodes. They don’t trust you.

Trump has worked very hard, using an odd, idiosyncratic personal diplomacy to build up trust with Kim. It seems to be working, but there are just so many forces at work behind the scenes that are aiming to undermine that trust-building so that nothing happens.

They want to keep 29,000 troops in South Korea, in harm’s way, as a tripwire, so that the North Koreans obey us as we tell them to behave. It’s crazy.

I would give it a 50/50 chance. I know he wants a big victory, a foreign policy win. He’s desperate for one, because not much is happening elsewhere and what he intended to do is being totally undermined.

Maybe there’s a chance that something could happen here, but I am so distrusting of the Deep State machinery and their need for perennial threats.

If you take away the Korean threat, if you recognize the Iranians aren’t a threat, if you see that Russia is a tiny little country that’s not going to invade Western Europe and crash through the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, and so forth—

All of a sudden somebody is going to do the math as we get into the coming fiscal crisis and say, "We can’t afford all this defense that we don’t need. Let’s cut it back dramatically."

They don’t want this to happen. And so, they have to keep these hot spots burning and these threats maintained or inflated, because they know if the real truth of the world were considered by Congress, the defense budget would be slashed dramatically.

International Man: So far, President Trump has had a very different foreign policy than Candidate Trump. What will happen to Trump’s chances for re-election if he doesn’t make any progress on ending the war in Afghanistan, withdrawing from Syria, and bringing peace to Korea?

David Stockman: I think his re-election is binary.

If the stock market holds up and the economy manages to skirt recession, he’ll be in good shape. But I don’t think that’s going to happen.

I think the stock market is in its last days of bubble excess. I think the economy is slouching toward recession within a matter of a few quarters or months. If that happens, Trump is toast. Elizabeth Warren becomes president, and then that’ll be a whole new ball game that is hard to figure.

International Man: What kind of role do you see foreign policy playing in the 2020 election?

David Stockman: It won’t be the normal sense of debating policy—where there’s usually the bipartisan duopoly, with nuanced shades of difference that they like to debate and pretend are meaningful.

That isn’t even going to happen this time. Foreign policy has been totally taken over by the Democratic paranoia about Russia and Putin and meddling in our elections.

Now it’s extended to the whole impeachment inquiry and Ukraine-gate. That’s what the whole debate is going to be about. The debate is going to be about a sideshow.

The underlying issues are why we are constantly steaming warships into the Black Sea. That’s like the Gulf of Mexico to Russia.

Why are we sending warships into the Baltic?

Why are we constantly doing big maneuvers in Poland and in the Baltic states, right on Russia’s doorsteps with these tens of thousands of forces going through these maneuvers and exercises? What the hell are we doing all this for?

Those are the issues. But they’re not even going to get debated.

One last point: Trump had raised the question, isn’t NATO obsolete? The Soviet Union is gone. The 50,000 tanks allegedly on the central front facing western Europe have been melted down for scrap. And yet, he can’t even do anything about NATO.

He’s had to double-talk his way into saying, "Well, the other countries are going to commit some more money they don’t have. They’re going to waste more money on defense." That’s all that’s come of it.

The point is we ought to be debating what the hell are we doing with NATO 25 years after the Soviet Union disappeared from the face of the earth?

Why isn’t Washington and the president leading the world with this disarmament conference so that we can begin to reduce this massive expenditure for weapons that nobody can afford?

This is what Washington should be doing. The president of the United States should be leading the great global disarmament conference of 2021, and yet that won’t even come up. It’s not even on the radar screen.

It’s not even mentioned because, as I say, the Warfare State machinery essentially squelches any kind of debate, suffocates any kind of thought that at all deviates from the status quo.

The big issue in the world today is war and peace, and we’re facing a campaign in 2020 where it won’t even be mentioned.

Editor's Note: The amount of money the US government spends on foreign aid, wars, the so-called intelligence community, and other aspects of foreign policy is enormous and ever-growing.

It’s an established trend in motion that is accelerating, and now approaching a breaking point. At the same time, the world is facing a severe crisis on multiple fronts.

Gold is just about the only place to be. Gold tends to do well during periods of turmoil.

That's precisely why legendary speculator Doug Casey just released an urgent video, it includes how it will all play out, and how you can set yourself up for big profits. Click here to watch it now.

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All It Takes Is a Slipup or a Nudge

by Jeff Thomas

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Just prior to a war, the majority of people in the nations that are about to become involved tend to assume that another nation is threatening theirs, whist their own leaders are doing all they can to avoid conflict. This is almost never the case.

The "etiquette" of starting wars is for leaders to claim to their people that the last thing they want is war, but the enemy is goading them into armed conflict and, at some point, retaliation becomes "unavoidable."

The reason for this etiquette is that, almost invariably, the people of a nation have no desire to go to war.

But if that’s the case, why is world history filled with warfare taking place on a regular basis?

Well, truth be told, there are two groups of people who tend to relish war – the military and the political leaders.

I’ve often quoted Randolph Bourne as saying, "War is the health of the state." He was quite correct. The larger the nation, the greater the need political leaders have for warfare. After all, there’s no situation in which a people feel more greatly that they need their leaders to take charge, than in a time of war.

Political leaders, after all, thrive on taxation and the oppression of basic rights. And they can get away with taxing a people more heavily during a war. They can also remove basic freedoms "temporarily" in order to keep the people "safe."

Then, when the war is over, taxes never seem to return to their previous low and freedoms never fully return. With each conflict, the state ratchets up its power over the people.

And in modern times, there’s an additional incentive. Since the end of World War II, the US military-industrial complex has been displeased with the fact that peacetime means diminished revenue for them. Increasingly, they’ve contributed heavily to election campaigns for both major parties in every election.

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The repayment for those contributions has always been the same – the political class must find excuses to create a new conflict as soon as another one ends, ensuring the continued revenue of the complex.

This has resulted in the US becoming the first and only country that’s in a consciously created state of perpetual warfare. The cost of this, in 2018, was roughly $600 billion – 54% of all federal discretionary spending.

Much of that cost goes to the maintenance of some 800 military bases across the globe, but the military-industrial complex is forever seeking opportunities for expansion, and having been paid for it with campaign funds, political leaders need to find excuses for new conflicts with regularity.

Presently, world leaders are doing their best to deflect taunts by the US. The self-appointed "world’s policeman" is wagging its finger at North Korea with regard to nuclear weapons development, at Venezuela, seeking to replace their leader with an American puppet, at China with regard to islands in the South China Sea and at a host of countries in the Middle East. To each of these, US leaders have said that armed aggression by the US "cannot be ruled out." And, "All options are on the table."

As stated above, the peoples of these countries tend to have no desire to go to war. But political leaders have a vested interest in warfare. In addition, military leaders have a stake in the game.

Imagine having graduated from West Point and having spent your military career as an undistinguished desk jockey. By the time you’ve risen to the rank of general, all you’ve done is push pencils. And yet, the reason you joined up in the first place was to become a military leader, with a chest full of battle ribbons.

This is the conundrum that taunts the more sociopathic military leaders – the George Pattons and the Douglas MacArthurs – who, once they’ve been given a command, tend to become carried away in their zeal to create their own legacy through armed combat. The greater the bloodletting, the greater the victory.

In a leadup to active conflict, such generals tend to be like pit bulls on tight leashes – straining to be released so that they can fulfil their destiny.

In almost every case, there are players on both sides who fit this description. As a result, all that’s needed is a small spark to set off armed conflict.

And generally, the provocation that begins a war is a small one. For World War I, all that was necessary was for an archduke of Austria to be assassinated, by a Bosnian teenager, while riding in an open car.

Within a month, Austria-Hungary and Serbia entered into war. All over Europe, people were astonished at how quickly other countries took up sides. France, Russia, Great Britain and, later, Japan, Greece and the US all teamed up against Austria-Hungary, Germany, Italy and even the Ottoman Empire.

Before the war ended, some four years later, some seventy million military personnel had been involved, plus countless civilians – and all due to a shot fired by a young malcontent.

In most all such cases, when a military retaliates against a minor act of aggression, the people of the respective countries hope that the scuffle will be brief, and life can return to normal. But that’s almost never the way it plays out. Invariably, there are those political and military leaders on both sides who revel in the conflict and are determined to demonstrate that they themselves will emerge as the unquestioned victors.

The technical starting point of any major war is, in fact, incidental. Most any excuse will suffice. What’s necessary is two opponents, each of whom accuses the other of attempting to foment aggression. At that point, all that’s needed to light the spark is a young soldier or agitator with an itchy trigger finger, or a politician with a show of bravado, or a military leader who chooses to break from his orders to stand down.

In many cases, if the war does not start spontaneously, a false-flag incident suffices. One country creates an event which it purports is an act of aggression by its opponent. (The recent events in the Strait of Hormuz have a distinct false-flag odour about them.)

Again, the actual catalyst matters little. Once the rattling of sabres begins, as it has, presently, in the Middle East, all that’s required to create a major war is a slipup or a nudge.

Editor's Note: The US empire has overstretched itself across the world. Today, the US is actively at war in about half a dozen countries. But perhaps the biggest danger is the rivalry with China, which has the potential to dethrone the US as the top global power.

China has a secret weapon that could bring the US to its knees. China can cut off the supply of rare commodities that are crucial to powering modern life. The US is scrambling to find a way to neutralize this threat before it's too late.

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As spending skyrockets, governments around the world continue to finance it by money printing and debasing their currencies.

That’s why precious metals like gold and silver are going to play a much bigger role in the future of finance.

As central banks destroy paper currencies, it could cause a panic into gold and kick off an enormous bull market.

Doug Casey is one of the world’s greatest resource investors. He has made millions in the highly volatile—but very lucrative—precious metals mining space.

Today Doug believes there is presently a rare money-making opportunity in a niche of the market.

That's precisely why Doug and fellow resource expert Marin Katusa just released a critical video. In it they discuss an urgent opportunity unfolding right now, including how they get access to some of the most promising private placements, IPOs, and other investment deals.

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Until next time,

International Man Team

Doug Casey on How the Homeless Crisis Could Soon Become an Epidemic

by Doug Casey

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International Man: There is a growing homeless crisis in liberal West Coast cities, including San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and many others. People living on the street are overrunning these cities.

Residents must deal with human feces, syringes, disease, and filth every day. In some areas, it’s worse than the dirtiest slums of Brazil, Kenya, and India.

How did this happen?

Doug Casey: Well, taking a long-term view, I see it as part of the continuing decline of Western civilization.

The West has always been distinguished relative to the rest of the world by its order, its cleanliness, its respect for property rights. These things are all going by the wayside. We were a middle class society with "bourgeois" values, essentially Boy Scout virtues. But these things are now held in contempt, even while the middle class is being squeezed. "Ground between the millstones of taxation and inflation," as the phrase attributed to Lenin puts it.

Some members of the lower and middle classes are still moving up, but it’s easier to fall than to rise. Most of the homeless are whites who are headed down. We haven’t seen this since the 1930s.

This epidemic is concentrated in so-called sanctuary cities, which go out of their way to bring in people who are unwilling or unable to support themselves. But most of the newly minted "street people" aren’t migrants. They seem to mostly be failed ex-members of the middle class.

It’s quite novel to see people in camping tents on city sidewalks. It’s different from the occasional bum sleeping under newspapers on a park bench. A tent implies a measure of permanency. It stakes out a property right.

Let me pause over my use of the word "bum."

I learned a few things when I went on a couple of adventures "riding the rails." There were three classes of people you’d meet in and around the railyard, on the "wrong side of the tracks": hobos, tramps, and bums. They were all "homeless people," but that term wasn’t used. Hobos were people there for the lifestyle; often well-read, dropouts with wanderlust. Tramps were people down on their luck; they rode the rails to get someplace there might be work or where they had a friend. Bums were those with terminally bad habits: lazy, dirty, usually dishonest.

The distinction between hobos, tramps, and bums appears to have been lost. None of the new breed of street people are hobos, I promise you. They’re tramps at best, but mostly bums. But it’s now fashionable to call them "the homeless," because the PC world likes euphemisms. Not so long ago, these people used to be called "derelicts" or "vagrants."

Part of the Orwellian PC trend in language is that you can no longer call something what it is. You have to make up a softer and less accurate description of who or what they are. You’re not allowed to offend bums, derelicts, or vagrants. Even though they are, by their very nature, offensive.

Why is this happening? It’s no longer just the occasional lowlife just passing through, but whole communities of people who take over sections of cities and camp out on public sidewalks.

What’s caused that? The media says it’s because of alcohol, drugs, and mental problems. But as usual, the brain-dead and blow-dried media is wrong.

Where were these lowlifes before? And what’s drawn them out of the woodwork where they were apparently hiding? I question whether junkies and crazy people are the cause; I suspect they’re an effect.

In other words, it’s quite possible that the hard times that started in 2008 drove a lot of people, who were already psychologically unstable, into full-fledged psychosis. And caused others to take up alcohol and drugs as a way of hiding from an unpleasant reality.

On the largest scale, I blame it on government action. Which shocks most people, because they see the government as the solution, not the cause. They see a real or imagined problem, and they want the State, because it has a lot of power, to "do something." In fact, the only way the State can solve a problem is by undoing things that it’s already done, not doing more.

Even though it’s said that we have all-time low unemployment, these are mostly minimum-wage jobs. And the numbers are further disguised by the fact a lot of people who’d like to work as something other than a fast-food clerk or a Walmart greeter are what are called "discouraged workers." They’re not counted as unemployed if they’ve stopped looking for work. I suspect that very few of the street people are counted as unemployed.

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International Man: Cities like San Francisco spend tens of millions of dollars each year trying to keep the streets clean to no avail. Within hours, freshly cleaned streets are again covered in filth. Many people seem to think the city needs to throw more money at the problem.

What do you think? How should they address the problem?

Doug Casey: Cleaning up after these people isn’t a solution. It’s cosmetic, at best.

What we have are thousands on the streets who produce nothing, and only consume. They survive on food stamps, various welfare programs, handouts, petty theft, and the like. In other words, they’re not an asset either to themselves or to society. They’re an active liability, and they’re actually encouraged by being allowed to group together on other people’s property.

Will cleaning up after them solve the problem? No, it aggravates it.

It’s now an epidemic. It started in 2008 when lots of middle-class people lost their houses. And oddly, the trend toward people living on the street has been growing over the last 10 years of artificial boom.

We’re going to have a very real bust very soon. The high levels of debt that we have today have allowed the whole country to live above its means. When the economy adjusts to lower levels of consumption, a new avalanche of people will lose their jobs, and they’ll have no savings to fall back on. However, their debts will remain and keep them from getting back up.

Not so long ago, Americans saved up and bought their cars for cash. Your car was a small asset, but it was an asset. Then came two-year, then three-year, five-year, and now seven-year financing. In fact, most now lease their cars, because they can’t afford to buy them, even with seven-year financing. The things have gone from being a small asset into a major liability. With simple pickup trucks selling for upwards of $50,000, many are going to lose their transportation. Then they can’t get to their job, can’t pay their rent or mortgage, and they’re out on the street. It’s easy to see how an ex-member of the middle class could become mentally unbalanced and start doing drugs.

People could lose houses they bought with mortgages they can’t afford but think they can because of today’s very low floating interest rates. Just like back in 2008 and 2009. Plus, real estate taxes keep going up—partly because local governments are in good measure responsible for supporting lowlifes forced to live on the street, ironically due to high real estate taxes.

Utilities are going to go up because commodities are very, very low now. They’re going higher—good for commodity speculators; not good for Joe and Jane Consumer.

So, you’re going to see more people moving onto the streets. And let me reemphasize this: They’re not—now—necessarily junkies or mentally disabled. But they may be, once they lose everything they thought they had. Their numbers are going to grow as the economy goes downhill.

This is an explosive problem. These are people who will have nothing to lose. They’re going to be overcome by envy of and resentment against the rich. You can count on them to vote Democratic in 2020. There’s no question the state of the economy will be by far the biggest influence in the election.

All the while, because of the financialization of the economy, the rich are getting richer. This isn’t just unfair—it’s dangerous. Incidentally, "unfair" is a word I hate to use, because it often implies a whole set of assumptions. But that’s another topic. Anyway, the situation is setting up the United States for class warfare, the haves against the have-nots. Middle class societies are stable; we’re becoming less middle class.

International Man: The Fed has reflated the housing bubble with years of easy money. It has distorted the housing market and artificially increased real estate prices. How does the Fed relate to the homeless crisis?

Doug Casey: One indirect and delayed consequence of their creating all this money out of nothing—in order to keep the big banks, brokers, and insurers from failing during the crisis that began in 2007—is the creation of bubbles. The biggest bubble is in tech stocks. But the real estate bubble that busted in ’08 and ’09 has been re-inflating, at least until the last year.

International Man: California politicians have implemented rent controls and more regulations in the hope of solving the problem. The situation has only gotten worse, and the calls for the government to "do something!" only grow stronger.

If the inclination is to ask for more government, what do you expect the outcome to be?

Doug Casey: Rent control, like other forms of wage and price controls, seems logical to someone who doesn’t understand economics. It always sounds good to politicians—they like "bold action" to keep prices down, appear to help the little guy, and punish rich landlords all at once. What’s not to like?

In addition to their crime of initiating force, stealing, and destroying the moral tenor of society, they’re looking only at the immediate and direct consequences, not the delayed and indirect ones. Namely that nobody will build new buildings or even maintain old ones if they can’t make money doing so.

Rent controls result in housing shortages, run-down neighborhoods, and an atmosphere of class warfare. Rent controls are usually a consequence of money printing, which is actually the root cause of homelessness. But government is prone to disguise symptoms, not cure the disease itself—which they cause. Nobody learns anything. It’s why historians tend to be pessimistic.

International Man: Elizabeth Warren and other notable Democrats have called affordable housing a "basic human right." They suggest that the federal government should make housing affordable or even free. It seems this will be a new plank for the party. What do you make of this?

Doug Casey: The only real human right is the right to be left alone.

You don’t have a right to free housing or free medical or free education or free food or a guaranteed income. You don’t have a right to any of these things because the question is: At whose expense? You’ve got zero right to make anybody give you things or do things for you. Warren’s policies will turn the US into a dog-eat-dog nightmare.

What’s going on today will overturn the foundations that made the progress we’ve had in the US possible. Once you start thinking like a Third World or Soviet country, you’re going to get their results.

The fact that the US still has a lot of wealth means nothing. That wealth can be destroyed very quickly. Practically overnight, as happened in places like Venezuela and Zimbabwe. I’ve spent time in both, and they used to be quite nice. Now they’re full of people sleeping on the streets, under bridges, and in cardboard shacks. For exactly the same reasons we’re seeing this in the US.

International Man: The homeless crisis is a trend in motion. It’s picking up momentum and spreading to new cities. What do you think happens next?

Doug Casey: One of the best definitions of a depression is a period of time when most people’s standard of living drops significantly.

As the Greater Depression deepens, for the reasons we mentioned earlier, you’re going to see more people living on the street.

What’s going to be done about it?

It can’t be solved by the government pushing them off the streets. Where are they going to go—outside the city limits to empty lots and fields? Actually, that’s just what Austin, Texas, did a few weeks ago. They set aside a five-acre plot near downtown where people can camp. Vagrants and their possessions were forcibly relocated to it.

Of course that temporarily solves the esthetics problem of bums camping on the street. But this is exactly how what are called "favelas" in Brazil and "ranchos" in Venezuela got started. The indigent move to state property, start out by camping, then start building informal houses out of trash and stolen building materials.

It’s an unsolvable problem, unless the country returns to prosperity. Will the government bulldoze the camps and then build high rise ghettos like they did for blacks in all the big US cities? That didn’t work really well… You only make the problem worse by putting these people in what amounts to zoos.

The interesting twist here is that today’s street people are mostly whites who’ve lost their middle class status—not blacks, not Latino migrants. This is a huge straw in the wind. So much for White Privilege…

International Man: What are the bigger implications of the homeless crisis for the future of the US economy and political system?

Doug Casey: It’s going to be very hard for everybody, especially as the government inflates more, taxes more, and regulates more. They’ll do massive amounts of all three. The situation will necessarily get worse for most people. The people who are benefiting from this one way or another—the rich and politically well-connected—will increasingly be in barrio cerrados (gated communities) to protect themselves.

It’s another sign that the state of civilization in the United States is changing radically. So far it’s been a slow slide down. But when the economy falls apart this time, it’s going to look like we’ve fallen off a cliff. We’re going to have to adjust to a whole new reality politically, socially, and economically. I’m not looking forward to it.

Editor's Note: The homeless crisis is a trend that's in motion—it will be further exacerbated by the coming economic storm that's approaching.

Gold is just about the only place to be. It tends to do well during periods of turmoil.

Fortunately, the International Man team has found an ideal solution for keeping wealth safe even during the worst of times.

As you'll see, it's one of International Man contributor Jeff Thomas' preferred options. Click here to find out more.

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Just today, Pew Research Center released a new poll which shows 67% of Americans support legalizing cannabis. It’s a new all-time high.

Legal cannabis is one of the few issues politicians on both sides of the aisle can agree on in this highly-charged environment.

At this point, the momentum seems unstoppable.

Earlier this year, Illinois became the 11th state to legalize marijuana. Many more are moving in this direction.

The House recently passed a federal bill. It would protect banks that service legal cannabis companies.

Another bill is working through Congress to allow the interstate commerce of cannabis.

These are just a few of many examples.

The pieces are falling into place for the industry, and the floodgates are about to open.

President Trump knows which way the winds are blowing.

The 2020 election season is kicking into gear, and Trump has a crucial card to play.

A move by Trump towards legalization could swing the election in his favor.

It could also create a tidal wave of profits, create millions of new jobs, and unleash a new $194-billion-dollar industry.

Legendary speculator Doug Casey’s colleagues just released a timely video. It shows how Trump could legalize cannabis to win the election and how to position yourself for big profits. Click here to watch it now.

Until next time,

International Man Team

Cannabis Extracts Will Propel Industry's Rise

by Nick Giambruno

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Longtime readers will remember the first time I put cannabis investing on your radar.

That was over two years ago.

At the time, there were only a couple dozen publicly traded cannabis companies. Today, there are over 300.

New ones seem to be popping up each week. Others are merely adding "cannabis" or cannabis-related words to their company names to tap into the green gold rush.

It’s reminiscent of previous manias in crypto, uranium, and junior gold miners.

The truth is, most publicly traded cannabis companies are junk with abysmal financials.

It brings to mind Doug Casey’s saying: "When the wind blows, even a turkey can fly."

Just about anyone can grow a marijuana plant on his back porch, from a practical standpoint. The barrier to entry to producing dried cannabis is low.

It is called "weed" for a reason after all.

Gone are the days when you could invest in companies that only cultivated the plant – or otherwise didn’t have a competitive advantage – and make easy profits.

The legal cannabis trend is no longer in its infancy.

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-

Legal Cannabis – Where Are We Today?

I view the situation as a speculator, one who takes advantage of distortions – often politically caused – in the market.

And when you consider the effects of the near 80-year cannabis prohibition, it’s clear there are enormous distortions in the market. They are only just beginning to unwind.

Imagine what all the various industries that cannabis touches would look like had they developed in a free market – absent a long-term prohibition – and then think about where we are today.

For example, prohibition has needlessly stunted the research and study of cannabis’ obvious medicinal properties. I have little doubt research will unlock those in the months and years ahead.

But it’s not just medical.

According to a study the US Congress commissioned, there are around 25,000 hemp-based products – clothing, food and beverages, cosmetics, paper, fibers, and so forth. Remember, as large as the market for these 25,000 products is, hemp itself is just one aspect of the cannabis market (remember, hemp and marijuana are from the same plant species).

And the US federal government legalized hemp not even nine months ago.

Big Alcohol, Big Tobacco, and soft drink companies are just starting to get involved with cannabis and are developing entirely new categories of products.

It’s hard to wrap your mind around just how significant the total market potential of legal cannabis is.

It’s unprecedented.

I’ve compared it before to the repeal of alcohol prohibition in 1933. But let me remind you, alcohol use was primarily just a recreational market.

Legal cannabis will disrupt the alcohol, tobacco, and pharmaceutical industries, among others.

Together, we’re talking about a multiyear megatrend that could disrupt $5 trillion in global markets:

However, we are no longer in the earliest days of this exciting trend. The wind is blowing, and there are some turkeys flying.

But there are still big profits to be made with the right companies in the right niches.

And right now, that’s oils and extracts.

Thousands of Possibilities

There are over 113 chemical compounds in the cannabis plant. We only know a little bit about two of these, and just those two (THC and CBD) show enormous medical potential. That says nothing about the other therapeutic, recreational, and additional commercial value they may have.

THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the psychoactive component that gets users high and has medicinal properties. CBD (cannabidiol) has medicinal and therapeutic properties and no intoxicating effects.

Today, we are just scratching the surface of the incredible medicinal properties of THC and CBD.

Each of the 113 cannabinoids – and each combination – interacts with the human body in a different way to produce a different effect.

Selecting specific cannabinoids – and combinations of them – is crucial to studying how they can be used to treat diseases or have therapeutic, recreational, or other commercial value.

That’s why cannabis extracts are so crucial. They’re what allow us to isolate and study each of these 113 chemical compounds, and the thousands of combinations of them.

Below is a chart of the medicinal potential and applications of some of the more common cannabinoids:

I have no doubt there will be significant breakthroughs in the months and years ahead as THC, CBD, and especially the other 111 cannabinoids are thoroughly researched.

Just think of how big the cannabis boom has been so far, and that’s only with our minimal knowledge of just THC and CBD. The true potential of all 113 cannabinoids – and the thousands of combinations of them – is truly mind-boggling.

That’s the opportunity today. It’s the cutting edge of the cannabis industry and the key to the next wave of profits.

In sum, it will be years before the massive distortions that 80 years of prohibition has caused will be worked out, and the various markets mature to their full potential.

And readers of my Crisis Investing advisory have already had the chance to book gains of 220%… 248%… and 533%…

But there are still big profits to be made in this space… if you know where to look.

Editor's Note: Legal cannabis is one of the few issues politicians on both sides of the aisle can agree on in this highly-charged environment.

With the 2020 election season is kicking into gear, Trump has a crucial card to play. A move towards legalization could swing the election in his favor.

Share This Article With Your Friends

On the Ground in Hong Kong

by Jeff Thomas

-

Throughout the world, the media televise weekly reports on the protests in Hong Kong. Developments have remained highly visible, courtesy of regular demonstrations that take place like clockwork, every weekend in the business district of the city.

And these are not small demonstrations. A crowd of up to two million has gathered on at least one occasion. Although they began in the thoroughfare that divides the Admiralty from the government offices, they’ve spread east and west for a mile or more along the thoroughfares of Connaught Street, Harcourt Street and Gloucester Road.

Further, the demonstrations have occurred consistently, each weekend for several months, ensuring that the media have fodder each week for yet another update.

Normally, worldwide, demonstrations are a one-off, or at best, they begin with a major demonstration, then any repeat demonstrations slowly deteriorate to a trickle. But the Hong Kong demonstrations are a major event every weekend. Hundreds of thousands of protestors participate. All of them need to be bused in and kept fed. They need thousands of portable toilet facilities and medical stations. And someone, somewhere, must pay the enormous weekly bill to ensure that it’s all possible.

Who might that be?

Another interesting aspect of the demonstrations is that, although demonstrators pack the thoroughfares each Saturday and Sunday, they’ve all left by Sunday night. The cleanup crews then come in, and by the start of the business day on Monday, all traces of the latest demonstration are gone. The litter has been removed, traffic on the thoroughfares is moving smoothly, the taxis are flowing to the Exhibition Centre and travelling businessmen are in no way hindered in their visits.

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-

Each weekend, a major protest takes place but doesn’t impede the progress of business in a city that’s built upon business. Quite extraordinary.

So, what’s going on here? How is all this possible? Does it happen spontaneously?

Here, on the ground in Hong Kong, these questions are not immediately answered. Instead, the plot thickens, adding layers at every turn.

The leader of the demonstrators, or at least their self-appointed mouthpiece, is a college student, Joshua Wong. Although only twenty-two, he’s been an activist since he was seventeen. Interviews with him from those days show a very bright and well-informed young man who was very concerned about his native Hong Kong being transformed.

But since the demonstrations started, Mister Wong’s tone has changed dramatically. Where he once offered well-reasoned discussion, he now specializes in rhetoric and dogma, with revolutionary demands. He’s refused all requests to talk with the Special Administrative Region (SAR), Hong Kong’s territorial government, or its head, Carrie Lam. He instead has insisted repeatedly that a letter he once sent to the SAR government has never been answered, and unless his demands in that letter are fully met, no discussions will occur.

Further, although violence on the part of the protesters is steadily increasing, including attacks on police, the hurling of gasoline bombs, setting fires, the vandalizing of dozens of subway stations and assaults on those of differing opinions, Mister Wong declares that these occurrences are not an issue. Although these acts have provoked increased responses by police, Mister Wong insists that only the police retaliation is at issue.

This is not a diplomatic path to conciliation, but an assurance that the crisis will worsen.

On SAR’s side of the issue, we have the China Daily. The 18 September edition features a cover article that begins:

With his innocent schoolboy look, student activist Joshua Wong is attempting to woo the world into believing that Hong Kong is a city where the basic rights as stipulated in the Basic Law are eroding as fast as global warming is causing the ice caps to melt.

The more businesslike South China Morning Post features Carrie Lam’s Town Hall meeting in which she met with and addressed a large cross-section of individuals. She called attention to her withdrawal of Beijing’s Fugitive Offenders Ordinance, which originally sparked the demonstrations. But stating that she did not intend to cave in to other demands that have arisen since then, she has affirmed that, "Self-rule and autonomy for Hong Kong is not feasible." She does, however, state that China intends to maintain "one country, two systems."

And here we have the ongoing centre of concern of the people of Hong Kong. Having spent ninety-nine years as a British territory, they fully intend to dig in their heels on the 1997 reunification deal with the People’s Republic of China – that Hong Kong returns to the motherland but retains a separate system of governance for a further fifty years. Hong Kong is understandably suspicious of Beijing, as President Xi Jinping has repeatedly declared that he intends to reunify all of China to its former greatness, including both Taiwan and the city on the bay that was a British territory for ninety-nine years.

So, the key issues are somewhat complex but quite understandable, whether we, as individuals, sympathise with the goals of Beijing or the people of Hong Kong.

Most of us in the West would support the latter objective. However, there’s a rather large wrench in the works – that of US involvement. Although this is clearly a sovereign matter between Beijing and its Hong Kong territory, the US Congress has sought to pass a US law that decides what should occur in China, a separate sovereign state.

The proposed euphemistically titled Human Rights and Democracy Act, aims to amend the Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992, a Chinese law.

Coincidentally, Mister Wong has been on a road tour of Europe and America to promote the passage of such legislature, stating that the West must step in and take control.

The China Daily, in recent issues, has commented, "Needless to say, Washington very much intends to play the ‘Hong Kong card’ to contain China."

And this is quite so. Washington is doing all it can to place a wet blanket on China’s rise as the world’s foremost economic power, and this has not gone unnoticed in either Beijing or Hong Kong.

The China Daily further comments that "it would be nothing short of a fantasy to expect Washington to ‘liberate’ Hong Kong…."

And yet, it does appear that that may be the US objective. Certainly, the plethora of US flags and professionally produced Trump banners being carried by some groups of protesters had to be supplied by someone. And clearly, very substantial funding is covering the enormous cost of all the infrastructure that’s necessary to move and maintain hundreds of thousands of protesters each weekend.

A major portion of the protestors are students. Many of them here on the ground in Hong Kong state that they advise their parents that they’re going on weekend "basketball trips" or similar pursuits, then change their clothes into the black-masked outfits that have become the protesters’ uniforms.

While their sincerity is unquestionable, the students certainly lack the funding for their weekend activities.

As Deep Throat famously said in the film, All the President’s Men, "Follow the money." Indeed, almost invariably, the source of the money generally reveals the driving force behind the events.

Editor's Note: The escalating situation in Hong Kong is bringing to light China's growing dominance in the region—and more broadly in the world.

The rivalry between the US and China is getting intense. The battle for who will be the world's top power is playing out right before our eyes.

That's precisely why legendary speculator Doug Casey and his colleagues just released a new video on this crucial topic. Click here to watch it now.

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Here's What Could Destroy Retirement Funds... and What You Can Do About It

by Doug Casey

-

International Man: Back in the year 2000, a five-year CD would pay out about 6%. If you had $1 million, you could generate $60,000 per year with very little risk.

Fast forward to today. The average CD now pays less than 1%. That means you would now need at least $6,000,000 in retirement savings to generate that same $60,000 in annual income—six times as much as would have been needed back then.

There’s no question the Federal Reserve’s artificially low interest rates have eroded the quality of life for savers and retirees.

What do you make of all this?

Doug Casey: It’s one thing to compare today’s yields to what they were a few years ago. But if we go back to the early 1980s when CDs were yielding on the order of 15%, the situation is even more distorted. What happened 40 years ago is ancient history to a lot of newbies in the market, but it’s important—unless you’re a day trader. And day traders almost always wipe themselves out.

After a decades-long decline, rates reached lows just after the end of WW2, then all-time highs in the 15–18% area in the early ’80s. And they’ve declined ever since to new all-time lows. Interest rates—entirely apart from what central banks do to manipulate them—move in very long cycles. They’re now back on the way to new all-time highs—for many reasons.

One thing that surprises me is that there haven’t been massive protests from retirees about the lack of income they’re getting on their CDs, bonds, and the like.

I suspect they’ve all been sucked into the stock market bubble. Who cares about yield when your stocks are going up 15%+ per year?

International Man: Many savers and retirees have made up the difference by investing in riskier assets, like stocks. The stock market keeps hitting new record highs, and so far it has worked out well.

But it’s really the Fed’s currency creation and easy money that’s pumping up the stock market, and that can’t go on forever.

Doug, you’ve sounded the alarm about a coming economic crisis of historic proportions.

What does all this mean for saving for retirement?

Doug Casey: You’re quite correct. I hate to sound apocalyptic, but it’s actually much worse than just a stock market correction.

The stock market has been going up, but not because the economy’s booming and everything is rosy. It’s going up because—even now as we speak—of the Fed’s massive "quantitative easing" policy. Money printing. The Fed is buying hundreds of billions of dollars in government debt every month. They pay for it with newly created dollars, which they deposit in the government’s accounts at commercial banks. The government uses the money to pay its bills—mainly welfare and warfare.

Massive quantitative easing, or money printing—I’m amazed at how slavishly everyone adopts their euphemisms—started in 2008 to keep major banks, brokers, and insurers from going under. In those days the money was used to directly bail them out. It’s continued ever since, but mainly to fund the government’s deficits. Why? Because the Chinese, Japanese, Russians, and others are no longer buying US debt—they’re selling it. So the Fed has to buy it.

That flood of money has found its way into the stock market, the bond market, and real estate markets—all these things have ballooned.

Perhaps people aren’t complaining because they’re heavily invested in mutual funds, stocks, and ETFs—they’ve been going up, and so people aren’t worried.

At some point, the stock market is going to roll over. And what’s going to happen when people lose, not just 10% or 20%, but 30%, 40%, 50%, or more in the stock market?

What’s going to happen to these people when interest rates do finally start going up?

Now, you might think that’s great for people with short-term paper. But if interest rates double, the price of bonds will be cut almost in half. 10-year bonds are now yielding around 2%. At the beginning of this bond bull market, they were yielding over 15%. Remember that bond prices fluctuate inversely with interest rates.

Since real estate prices float on a sea of mortgage debt, when interest rates go up, it will kill the real estate market. Incidentally, the real estate market is rolling over now in major cities around the world.

But we’re facing problems with more than just asset prices. Eventually, and by that I mean soon, all this newly created money will seep into consumer prices. So, at the same time their financial assets are going down, their cost of living is going to go up.

We’re sitting on a financial and economic powder keg, and the fuse is lit. The Fed’s experiment in money creation will result in a massive explosion.

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-

International Man: What are your thoughts on the concept of Social Security? And what will happen to it in the future?

Doug Casey: Social Security was a so-called "pay as you go" Ponzi scheme from the very beginning. It has always relied on more contributors at higher rates to keep it going.

It’s actually antisocial insecurity. The forced extraction of money out of people’s paycheck has two effects.

Number one, it makes the public think that they really don’t have to save, because Social Security is going to be there to give them a proper retirement.

Number two, it makes it harder for them to save on their own. It started out at 2% to a max of $3,000 of income. But today, roughly 12% of earnings up to $137,000—$17,000—comes out of the employee’s pocket. Half of that is not even tax deductible. That makes it hard for people, especially with lower incomes, to save on their own. Since the ’80s, Social Security benefits have been taxable. It’s a horrible program from all points of view.

But it’s much worse than that, because all that Social Security money has always been invested in government securities, which are not really assets. They’re a financial liability of a bankrupt government.

There is no "lockbox"—a term its supporters once used—where those dollars are put aside. The money goes straight into general spending. It’s a giant swindle, a Ponzi scheme of giant proportions. It’s going to end badly.

If you were going to have a government social security program—which you should not have—it should at least be the property of individual account holders. An IRA-style account that can be invested into productive businesses, real assets.

As it is, Social Security is just a gigantic welfare program dependent upon the solvency of the US government. As things get worse, I expect only the indigent will still get their benefits.

International Man: Retirement savings are always a juicy target for governments in need of cash.

In recent years, politicians in Argentina, Poland, Portugal, and Hungary have plundered retirement savings.

In the US, there are over $9 trillion in individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and over $7 trillion in 401(k)s.

Are retirement savings in the US at risk? Would a potential socialist president look to loot them?

Doug Casey: They’re completely at risk, because poor people don’t have retirement savings and rich people tend to have a lot.

Outright confiscation is a longshot. When the going gets really tough, perhaps they’ll require all or part of IRAs and HR-10s to be placed in government securities. The argument will be that they’re "safer" and that lending the government money is patriotic.

It’s important to remember that the prime directive of all entities is "survive." It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about an amoeba, a man, a corporation, or a government. Nothing, therefore, is off the table.

International Man: With all this in mind, what can the average person do to save for retirement?

Doug Casey: It’s a real risk being in the stock market right now. It’s overpriced, driven up by record amounts of new money being created, record low interest rates, and trillions of corporate dollars being used to buy back stock. None of these things are sound fundamentals. Stock buyers could easily lose 50% or more and not get it back within their lifetimes. People forget that when the market crashed in 1929, investors weren’t even until 1954—and then it was in dollars that had lost half their value.

Is a credit collapse such as the one we had in 1929 possible today? The Fed and other central banks will try to prevent it by printing ever larger amounts of money, but it could happen. There’s vastly more debt now than there was then.

It’s perhaps an even bigger risk for bonds. I call them a "triple threat to capital." Interest rates are certainly going up. The currency they’re payable in is certainly going down. And the risk of default by many issuers is high and rising. It’s hard to imagine a more dangerous place for money.

For years we’ve been in an investment Twilight Zone, where there are no bargains. It seems impossible for absolutely everything to be overpriced.

So what do you do?

Since value is relative, something has to be cheap compared with other things. And indeed, that’s the case.

Commodities and commodity stocks in general, and mining stocks in particular. Nobody has any interest in them at all. In both relative and absolute terms they’re at around their lowest levels in history. That’s the good news from a buyer’s point of view.

The bad news is that it’s very hard to invest in that class of securities. That’s why neither Warren Buffet nor his mentor, Benjamin Graham, has ever considered mining stocks.

They’re too unpredictable from many directions. They’re not "growth" businesses.

They’re not investment vehicles. They’re speculative vehicles, because they’re extremely volatile, more volatile than any other class of securities. But they’re excellent speculative vehicles if your timing is right.

Right now, I think, is an excellent time to speculate in them. I say that for many reasons that are too lengthy to discuss now. Perhaps in a future conversation.

It’s unfortunate that anyone thinking of putting aside assets for retirement is almost forced to speculate today, to avoid being crushed by taxation, inflation, societal debt, and government fiat generally.

I wish I could just say, "Produce more than you consume, save the difference, and you’ll be just fine."

But that’s not the case—things are much more complex today. That being the case, if you’re talking about preserving wealth and saving, I think that you ought to be buying the monetary metals right now.

Gold and silver are the only financial assets that are not simultaneously somebody else’s liability.

It’s true they’re no longer at giveaway prices we saw in 2001, when both gold and silver, in real terms, were selling for less than they were before 1971, when the price of gold was controlled at $35 an ounce. But they’re reasonable values right now. And we’re still in the early stages of what should be a big and long-lasting bull market. Gold last peaked in 2011 at $1,900, and it’s going way beyond that, in my opinion.

You should be buying a lot of both metals, and at least a portion of the metals you buy should be stored outside of the US—because the government’s capable of absolutely anything.

You may recall that when Roosevelt illegalized ownership of gold for Americans in 1933, ownership of gold Americans had outside the US was exempted from that order.

It gives you an extra layer of safety, and storing your gold abroad is an extra layer of diversification. You’ve got to remember that, as great as your financial risks are today in all the markets, your political risks are even greater.

The world is full of risks today, and there aren’t a lot of intelligent alternatives. But owning physical gold and silver is one of them. And speculating in depressed mining stocks, though risky, is another one.

Editor's Note: As we get closer to a widespread economic collapse, choosing where to put your money is crucial to ensuring it doesn't get caught in the crosshairs.

The best you can and should do is to stay informed so that you can protect yourself in the best way possible, and even profit from the situation. We think everyone should own some physical gold.

Gold is the ultimate form of wealth insurance. It has preserved wealth through every kind of crisis imaginable. It will preserve wealth during the next crisis, too.

We've eliminated the guesswork and found an ideal solution that will help keep your gold safe and within your control, even during the worst of times. Best of all, it meets all the criteria for self-directed IRAs.

As you'll see, it's one of International Man contributor Jeff Thomas' preferred options. Click here to find out more.

Share This Article With Your Friends

Here's What Could Destroy Retirement Funds... and What You Can Do About It

by Doug Casey

-

International Man: Back in the year 2000, a five-year CD would pay out about 6%. If you had $1 million, you could generate $60,000 per year with very little risk.

Fast forward to today. The average CD now pays less than 1%. That means you would now need at least $6,000,000 in retirement savings to generate that same $60,000 in annual income—six times as much as would have been needed back then.

There’s no question the Federal Reserve’s artificially low interest rates have eroded the quality of life for savers and retirees.

What do you make of all this?

Doug Casey: It’s one thing to compare today’s yields to what they were a few years ago. But if we go back to the early 1980s when CDs were yielding on the order of 15%, the situation is even more distorted. What happened 40 years ago is ancient history to a lot of newbies in the market, but it’s important—unless you’re a day trader. And day traders almost always wipe themselves out.

After a decades-long decline, rates reached lows just after the end of WW2, then all-time highs in the 15–18% area in the early ’80s. And they’ve declined ever since to new all-time lows. Interest rates—entirely apart from what central banks do to manipulate them—move in very long cycles. They’re now back on the way to new all-time highs—for many reasons.

One thing that surprises me is that there haven’t been massive protests from retirees about the lack of income they’re getting on their CDs, bonds, and the like.

I suspect they’ve all been sucked into the stock market bubble. Who cares about yield when your stocks are going up 15%+ per year?

International Man: Many savers and retirees have made up the difference by investing in riskier assets, like stocks. The stock market keeps hitting new record highs, and so far it has worked out well.

But it’s really the Fed’s currency creation and easy money that’s pumping up the stock market, and that can’t go on forever.

Doug, you’ve sounded the alarm about a coming economic crisis of historic proportions.

What does all this mean for saving for retirement?

Doug Casey: You’re quite correct. I hate to sound apocalyptic, but it’s actually much worse than just a stock market correction.

The stock market has been going up, but not because the economy’s booming and everything is rosy. It’s going up because—even now as we speak—of the Fed’s massive "quantitative easing" policy. Money printing. The Fed is buying hundreds of billions of dollars in government debt every month. They pay for it with newly created dollars, which they deposit in the government’s accounts at commercial banks. The government uses the money to pay its bills—mainly welfare and warfare.

Massive quantitative easing, or money printing—I’m amazed at how slavishly everyone adopts their euphemisms—started in 2008 to keep major banks, brokers, and insurers from going under. In those days the money was used to directly bail them out. It’s continued ever since, but mainly to fund the government’s deficits. Why? Because the Chinese, Japanese, Russians, and others are no longer buying US debt—they’re selling it. So the Fed has to buy it.

That flood of money has found its way into the stock market, the bond market, and real estate markets—all these things have ballooned.

Perhaps people aren’t complaining because they’re heavily invested in mutual funds, stocks, and ETFs—they’ve been going up, and so people aren’t worried.

At some point, the stock market is going to roll over. And what’s going to happen when people lose, not just 10% or 20%, but 30%, 40%, 50%, or more in the stock market?

What’s going to happen to these people when interest rates do finally start going up?

Now, you might think that’s great for people with short-term paper. But if interest rates double, the price of bonds will be cut almost in half. 10-year bonds are now yielding around 2%. At the beginning of this bond bull market, they were yielding over 15%. Remember that bond prices fluctuate inversely with interest rates.

Since real estate prices float on a sea of mortgage debt, when interest rates go up, it will kill the real estate market. Incidentally, the real estate market is rolling over now in major cities around the world.

But we’re facing problems with more than just asset prices. Eventually, and by that I mean soon, all this newly created money will seep into consumer prices. So, at the same time their financial assets are going down, their cost of living is going to go up.

We’re sitting on a financial and economic powder keg, and the fuse is lit. The Fed’s experiment in money creation will result in a massive explosion.

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The Untold Story Behind the Biggest Tech Trend of 2019...

There is an important aspect of the 5G story the mainstream media isn’t covering. It has nothing to do with chips, cameras, and sensors—or even overvalued tech stocks. It’s much bigger than that… The key to winning the race for 5G has everything to do with access to rare metals. That's precisely why, Doug Casey’s metals expert just released an urgent new video on this topic. Click Here to See the Details

-

International Man: What are your thoughts on the concept of Social Security? And what will happen to it in the future?

Doug Casey: Social Security was a so-called "pay as you go" Ponzi scheme from the very beginning. It has always relied on more contributors at higher rates to keep it going.

It’s actually antisocial insecurity. The forced extraction of money out of people’s paycheck has two effects.

Number one, it makes the public think that they really don’t have to save, because Social Security is going to be there to give them a proper retirement.

Number two, it makes it harder for them to save on their own. It started out at 2% to a max of $3,000 of income. But today, roughly 12% of earnings up to $137,000—$17,000—comes out of the employee’s pocket. Half of that is not even tax deductible. That makes it hard for people, especially with lower incomes, to save on their own. Since the ’80s, Social Security benefits have been taxable. It’s a horrible program from all points of view.

But it’s much worse than that, because all that Social Security money has always been invested in government securities, which are not really assets. They’re a financial liability of a bankrupt government.

There is no "lockbox"—a term its supporters once used—where those dollars are put aside. The money goes straight into general spending. It’s a giant swindle, a Ponzi scheme of giant proportions. It’s going to end badly.

If you were going to have a government social security program—which you should not have—it should at least be the property of individual account holders. An IRA-style account that can be invested into productive businesses, real assets.

As it is, Social Security is just a gigantic welfare program dependent upon the solvency of the US government. As things get worse, I expect only the indigent will still get their benefits.

International Man: Retirement savings are always a juicy target for governments in need of cash.

In recent years, politicians in Argentina, Poland, Portugal, and Hungary have plundered retirement savings.

In the US, there are over $9 trillion in individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and over $7 trillion in 401(k)s.

Are retirement savings in the US at risk? Would a potential socialist president look to loot them?

Doug Casey: They’re completely at risk, because poor people don’t have retirement savings and rich people tend to have a lot.

Outright confiscation is a longshot. When the going gets really tough, perhaps they’ll require all or part of IRAs and HR-10s to be placed in government securities. The argument will be that they’re "safer" and that lending the government money is patriotic.

It’s important to remember that the prime directive of all entities is "survive." It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about an amoeba, a man, a corporation, or a government. Nothing, therefore, is off the table.

International Man: With all this in mind, what can the average person do to save for retirement?

Doug Casey: It’s a real risk being in the stock market right now. It’s overpriced, driven up by record amounts of new money being created, record low interest rates, and trillions of corporate dollars being used to buy back stock. None of these things are sound fundamentals. Stock buyers could easily lose 50% or more and not get it back within their lifetimes. People forget that when the market crashed in 1929, investors weren’t even until 1954—and then it was in dollars that had lost half their value.

Is a credit collapse such as the one we had in 1929 possible today? The Fed and other central banks will try to prevent it by printing ever larger amounts of money, but it could happen. There’s vastly more debt now than there was then.

It’s perhaps an even bigger risk for bonds. I call them a "triple threat to capital." Interest rates are certainly going up. The currency they’re payable in is certainly going down. And the risk of default by many issuers is high and rising. It’s hard to imagine a more dangerous place for money.

For years we’ve been in an investment Twilight Zone, where there are no bargains. It seems impossible for absolutely everything to be overpriced.

So what do you do?

Since value is relative, something has to be cheap compared with other things. And indeed, that’s the case.

Commodities and commodity stocks in general, and mining stocks in particular. Nobody has any interest in them at all. In both relative and absolute terms they’re at around their lowest levels in history. That’s the good news from a buyer’s point of view.

The bad news is that it’s very hard to invest in that class of securities. That’s why neither Warren Buffet nor his mentor, Benjamin Graham, has ever considered mining stocks.

They’re too unpredictable from many directions. They’re not "growth" businesses.

They’re not investment vehicles. They’re speculative vehicles, because they’re extremely volatile, more volatile than any other class of securities. But they’re excellent speculative vehicles if your timing is right.

Right now, I think, is an excellent time to speculate in them. I say that for many reasons that are too lengthy to discuss now. Perhaps in a future conversation.

It’s unfortunate that anyone thinking of putting aside assets for retirement is almost forced to speculate today, to avoid being crushed by taxation, inflation, societal debt, and government fiat generally.

I wish I could just say, "Produce more than you consume, save the difference, and you’ll be just fine."

But that’s not the case—things are much more complex today. That being the case, if you’re talking about preserving wealth and saving, I think that you ought to be buying the monetary metals right now.

Gold and silver are the only financial assets that are not simultaneously somebody else’s liability.

It’s true they’re no longer at giveaway prices we saw in 2001, when both gold and silver, in real terms, were selling for less than they were before 1971, when the price of gold was controlled at $35 an ounce. But they’re reasonable values right now. And we’re still in the early stages of what should be a big and long-lasting bull market. Gold last peaked in 2011 at $1,900, and it’s going way beyond that, in my opinion.

You should be buying a lot of both metals, and at least a portion of the metals you buy should be stored outside of the US—because the government’s capable of absolutely anything.

You may recall that when Roosevelt illegalized ownership of gold for Americans in 1933, ownership of gold Americans had outside the US was exempted from that order.

It gives you an extra layer of safety, and storing your gold abroad is an extra layer of diversification. You’ve got to remember that, as great as your financial risks are today in all the markets, your political risks are even greater.

The world is full of risks today, and there aren’t a lot of intelligent alternatives. But owning physical gold and silver is one of them. And speculating in depressed mining stocks, though risky, is another one.

Editor's Note: As we get closer to a widespread economic collapse, choosing where to put your money is crucial to ensuring it doesn't get caught in the crosshairs.

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A revolutionary breakthrough that allows for the editing of human DNA has arrived.

It's changing the way hundreds of debilitating diseases like Alzheimer's and cancer are being treated forever.

Legendary speculator Doug Casey recently said:

Almost everyone will benefit from these changes, at least indirectly and eventually, if they live long enough. But you want to benefit as directly and immediately as possible. Having capital will put you first in line. Having capital allows you to be an early adopter, and that could be critical.

That's why we're sharing this urgent opportunity with you. So that you can get a seat at the table...

Our colleague and tech expert, Jeff Brown, believes it has created an urgent money-making opportunity that’s unfolding right now.

We’re sending this time-sensitive message because tomorrow, this story could be on the front page of the Wall Street Journal.

You may literally only have a few hours left to act.

According to Jeff, this small cap is about to make history. And it could happen as soon as this week.

This small cap is currently conducting the first in vivo CRISPR treatment in human patients as we speak, and by FDA mandate, they must report trial results.

This special situation is rare. 

But when it’s occurred in the past…

It’s ignited some of the fastest and largest gains in stock market history.

Over the first 24 hours, it’s sent tiny stocks soaring 400%, 566%, 900%, and up to a rare 1,762%. 

Over the next 12 months, extraordinary gains of 3,277%, 5,940%, or 10,645% followed.

Now it’s happening all over again… and you have the chance to get in on the ground floor. 

This situation opens the door to gain more than most folks have in their nest egg… in less than 12 months (and in rare cases… 24 hours).

Right now, you can make a move ahead of 99.99% of the people out there.

Tomorrow, literally, may be too late.

Click here before time runs out.

Until next time,

International Man Team

Did you know there is a secret investment available inside the gold sector that is essentially "off-limits" to regular investors? 

It’s not stocks, bonds, ETFs, options, mutual funds, coins, or bullion itself. 

In fact, these little-known securities are one of legendary speculator Doug Casey’s favorite ways to play gold.

It’s an investment only issued by a gold company directly to a wealthy investor or fund. 

The transaction completely sidesteps the open market, so most people never hear of these secret investments and never get the chance to buy them. 

But when you know how to find the secret code they trade under… 

You can buy them from the owner in less than a minute through any online broker. 

In a newly released video, Doug Casey’s colleague EB Tucker explains what it’s all about and how you can set yourself up for big profits.

In it, EB also shares the secret code to his favorite pick — for FREE. 

No strings attached.

Click here to check it out and get your FREE trade before it disappears.

Until next time,

International Man Team

Doug Casey on the Destruction of the Dollar

by Doug Casey

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"Inflation" occurs when the creation of currency outruns the creation of real wealth it can bid for… It isn’t caused by price increases; rather, it causes price increases.

Inflation is not caused by the butcher, the baker, or the auto maker, although they usually get blamed. On the contrary, by producing real wealth, they fight the effects of inflation. Inflation is the work of government alone, since government alone controls the creation of currency.

In a true free-market society, the only way a person or organization can legitimately obtain wealth is through production. "Making money" is no different from "creating wealth," and money is nothing but a certificate of production. In our world, however, the government can create currency at trivial cost, and spend it at full value in the marketplace. If taxation is the expropriation of wealth by force, then inflation is its expropriation by fraud.

To inflate, a government needs complete control of a country’s legal money. This has the widest possible implications, since money is much more than just a medium of exchange. Money is the means by which all other material goods are valued. It represents, in an objective way, the hours of one’s life spent in acquiring it. And if enough money allows one to live life as one wishes, it represents freedom as well. It represents all the good things one hopes to have, do, and provide for others. Money is life concentrated.

As the state becomes more powerful and is expected to provide more resources to selected groups, its demand for funds escalates. Government naturally prefers to avoid imposing more taxes as people become less able (or willing) to pay them. It runs greater budget deficits, choosing to borrow what it needs. As the market becomes less able (or willing) to lend it money, it turns to inflation, selling ever greater amounts of its debt to its central bank, which pays for the debt by printing more money.

As the supply of currency rises, it loses value relative to other things, and prices rise. The process is vastly more destructive than taxation, which merely dissipates wealth. Inflation undermines and destroys the basis for valuing all goods relative to others and the basis for allocating resources intelligently. It creates the business cycle and causes the resulting misallocations and distortions in the economy.

We know the old saw "The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer." No one ever said life had to be fair, but usually there is no a priori reason why the rich must get richer. In a free-market society the sayings "Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations" and "A fool and his money are soon parted" might be better descriptions of reality. We do not live in a free-market society, however.

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The rich and the poor do have a tendency to draw apart as a society becomes more bureaucratic, but not because of any cosmic law. It’s a consequence of any highly politicized system. Government, to paraphrase Willie Sutton, is where the money is. The bigger government becomes, the more effort the rich, and those who want to get that way, will put into making the government do things their way.

Only the rich can afford the legal counsel it takes to weave and dodge through the laws that restrict the masses. The rich can afford the accountants to chart a path through loopholes in the tax laws. The rich have the credit to borrow and thereby profit from inflation. The rich can pay to influence how the government distorts the economy, so that the distortions are profitable to them.

The point is not that rich people are bad guys (the political hacks who cater to them are a different question). It is just that in a heavily regulated, highly taxed, and inflationary society, there’s a strong tendency for the rich to get richer at the expense of the poor, who are hurt by the same actions of the government.

Always, and without exception, the most socialistic, or centrally planned, economies have the most unequal distribution of wealth. In those societies the unprincipled become rich, and the rich stay that way, through political power. In free societies, the rich can get richer only by providing goods and services others want at a price they can afford.

As inflation gets worse, there will be a growing public outcry for government to do something, anything, about it.

People will join political action committees, lobbying groups, and political parties in hopes of gaining leverage to impose their will on the country at large, ostensibly for its own good.

Possible government "solutions" will include wage and price controls, credit controls, restrictions on changing jobs, controls on withdrawing money from bank accounts, import and export restrictions, restrictions on the use of cash to prevent tax evasion, nationalization, even martial law—almost anything is possible. None of these "solutions" addresses the root cause—state intervention in the economy. Each will just make things worse rather than better.

What these solutions all share is their political nature; in order to work they require that some people be forced to obey the orders of others.

Whether you or I or a taxi driver on the street thinks a particular solution is good or not is irrelevant. All of the problems that are just beginning to crash down around society’s head (e.g., a bankrupt Social Security system, federally protected banks that are bankrupt, a monetary system gone haywire) used to be solutions, and they must have seemed "good" at the time, otherwise they’d never have been adopted.

The real problem is not what is done but rather how it is done: that is, through the political process or through the free market. The difference is that between coercion and voluntarism. It’s also the difference between getting excited, frustrated, and beating your head against a wall and taking positive action to improve your own standard of living, to live life the way you like it, and, by your own example, to influence society in the direction that you’d like to see it take—but without asking the government to hold a gun to anyone’s head.

Political action can change things. Russians in the ’20s, Germans in the ’30s, Chinese in the ’40s, Cubans in the ’50s, Congolese in the ’60s, South Vietnamese and Cambodians in the ’70s, then Rhodesians, Bosnians, Rwandans, and Venezuelans today are among those who certainly discovered it can. It’s just that the changes usually aren’t very constructive.

That’s the nature of government; it doesn’t create wealth, it only allocates what others have created. More typically, it either dissipates wealth or misallocates it, because it acts in ways that are politically productive (i.e., that gratify and enhance the power of politicians) rather than economically productive (i.e., that allow individuals to satisfy their desires in the ways they prefer).

It’s irresponsible to base your own life on what hundreds of millions of other people and their rulers may or may not do. The essence of being a free person is to be causative over your own actions and destiny, not to be the effect of others. You can’t control what others will do, but you can control yourself.

If you’re counting on other people, or political solutions of some type, most likely it will make you unwary and complacent, secure in the hope that "they" know what they’re doing and you needn’t get yourself all flustered with worries about the collapse of the economy.

Editor’s Note: Whether it’s groceries, medical care, tuition, or rent, it seems the cost of everything is rising.

It’s an established trend in motion that is accelerating, and now approaching a breaking point.

At the same time, the world is facing a severe crisis on multiple fronts.

Gold is just about the only place to be. Gold tends to do well during periods of turmoil—for both wealth preservation and speculative gains.

That's precisely why legendary speculator Doug Casey’s colleague just released an urgent video.

It reveals how it will all play out, and how you can set yourself up for big profits with a lesser-known way to invest in gold. Click here to watch it now.

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Yesterday, the US Congress took to a historic step toward the federal legalization of marijuana.

For the first time in history, a congressional committee has approved a bill to end federal cannabis prohibition.

It sets the stage for the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act to advance to a full vote in the House, where it’s likely to pass.

At this point, the legal cannabis trend is unstoppable. That's why alcohol, tobacco, pharma, and soft drink companies are all making significant moves into the space. Hundreds of billions of dollars are at stake.

President Trump surely understands this too. Cannabis legalization would boost the economy and his chances of reelection. There's an excellent chance Trump will legalize cannabis in the months ahead. It's not a story you'll hear about in the mainstream media.

That's why Doug Casey's colleagues just released an urgent video. It has all the details on what kind of surprises could be ahead as we get into the election season. Click here to watch it now.

Until next time,

International Man Team

How Inflation, Prudence, and Fundamentals Are Setting Up Gold to Soar

by Dave Forest

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Dave Forest is a geologist who has worked professionally in mining and petroleum over a 20-year career. He has also bridged his technical expertise into the finance and investment sector, originally joining Doug Casey in 2004 when he founded an advisory dedicated to finding high-potential investment opportunities in oil, natural gas, uranium and renewables globally.

International Man: Governments around the world, including the United States, are printing trillions of currency units. This will continue to significantly devalue these paper currencies and create inflation.

Doug Casey recently said:

With all the money that’s been created by governments and central banks, the chances are excellent we’re going to have a gigantic bull market. Maybe the last one, since I expect the world is going back to using gold as money—at which point we’ll have a stable gold price.

In the meantime, I think mining stocks could go absolutely insane. The prices will have no relation to fundamentals, because everybody will want to own them.

How do you think the situation is going to play out for gold and precious metals?

Dave Forest: Inflation is a given. I see it every day in commodities, although many mainstream investors don’t recognize it. Yet.

In the 2000s, investors were over the moon when gold broke above $1,000 per ounce and copper passed $1.50 per pound. During the previous commodities bear market, those levels were unthinkable.

But now, $1,000 gold is peanuts. Hardcore bullion investors were distraught in 2016 when gold "plunged" close to $1,000. That’s seen as a depressed and unsustainable price.

Same with copper. That sector’s been in the doldrums, because the price fell below $2.50 per pound. If you’d told a copper miner in 1999 they’d have $2.50 copper, they would have popped the champagne! Today, it’s seen as scraping the bottom of the barrel.

The thing is, back in the "old" days, you could mine and process an ounce of gold for $100. Today, production costs are more like $600 per ounce. Closer to $1,000 per ounce if you add in sustaining and expansion capital.

That’s the real reason metals, including gold, have to go higher. The gold price isn’t arbitrary. The price must exceed production costs—or mines will shut down and supply will run out.

The massive inflation in production costs is driven by lots of things: rising fuel prices, increasing wages and benefits for workers, and higher steel prices. Barrick Gold, the world’s largest public gold miner, saw costs for one of its new mines, Pascua Lama, rise by billions of dollars within just a few months!

Politicians can’t sleight-of-hand those costs away—they’re real. So, the only conclusion is gold—and all metals—need higher prices in order to keep supply coming.

International Man: What other factors are affecting gold right now?

Dave Forest: We think of gold as a "safe haven": Break glass and use when things really fall apart.

But many players in the financial sector are already using gold day-to-day, as a financial instrument.

In China, for example, many exporters don’t have access to currency hedging. They’re exposed to fluctuations in the exchange rate between the dollar and yuan while they’re waiting for dollar-denominated payments to come in.

If you can’t hedge currency rates through the banks, what do you do? Chinese firms found an alternative: Buy gold. The idea is, if the US dollar depreciates, the value of gold holdings will go up, because gold is globally sold in US currency.

In effect, these firms hold gold as a short-term hedging instrument. They could actually do the same thing with sheets of copper cathode or barrels of oil, but gold is the easiest major commodity to purchase, hold, and eventually sell once currency has been converted.

Of course, the root cause here is currency instability: people fearing a breakdown in the US dollar. So, it’s not far off the reasons doom-and-gloomers buy gold. Just that Chinese buyers are doing it in the short term, for purely commercial reasons.

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International Man: The mining business is extremely volatile and risky. There are thousands of mining companies out there, and most of them are junk. What is your approach to separating the winners from the losers?

Dave Forest: First off, recognize that "junk," in terms of mining stocks, comes in several forms.

There are of course, outright scams. That ranges from full-on fraud (not that common) to huckster promoters who legitimately take people’s money but then use it to pay themselves huge salaries while doing little or no technical work (much more common).

Looking at salaries is a good way to spot those latter cases. Public companies in Canada disclose their officers’ wages. It’s not uncommon to see CEOs of a company with $1 million in the bank making $400,000 per year. When 40% of your firm’s budget is going to pay one person, there’s not a chance the company is going to perform. Never mind that these people generally would be unemployable, even for $1 yearly, in any other industry.

A much more subtle form of junk is the "hobby farm" company. You know how people, often older, will buy a farm for the fun of being outdoors? They’ll putter around doing a little work here and there, but the whole thing is mainly for enjoyment rather than serious commercial endeavor.

A significant number of junior mining stocks are like this. Exploration companies, after all, are just a couple of guys with a pickup or maybe a helicopter walking around picking up rocks.

Older geologists will often do this for the fun of it. It’s nice to have shareholders pay for your summer fishing trip up north. While there, these "execs" might walk into the bush and grab a few samples, but they’re not pushing to run a real business. Those companies go absolutely nowhere, very slowly.

You have to really watch out for those, because the people will seem sincere and often credible. But their heart isn’t in it, so they never accomplish much.

Once you weed out those, you’re left with a small group of more-interesting stocks. These are the companies that have good ideas about where new mineral discoveries might be made. They’re motivated and hungry; they usually have their own money invested in the hunt.

They run the company like a business. That means they consider whether the cash they’re spending will add value to a project. It also means they know what value looks like in a mineral property!

International Man: As a geologist, you’re on the ground in obscure places like Colombia, Russia, Mongolia, etc., searching for new deposits and breakthroughs. What are some of the most interesting places on your radar right now and why?

Dave Forest: North America, minus Mexico. As you say, I’ve spent a lot of my career in obscure places. Ten years ago, you would go abroad, because it was tough to break into established spots like Ontario or Nevada.

But the recent downturn in exploration’s changed all that. I spend a lot of my time in Nevada now, and it’s astounding how little exploration work is going on, despite the state being ranked number one in the world for mining.

Today, you can get acreage and try new ideas. I’ve even seen companies stake out whole districts that were abandoned during the downturn.

Building a mine anywhere is tough these days. Environmental activism (or commercial interests masquerading as such) and "not in my backyard" (NIMBY) concerns are rising everywhere. Places like Nevada or northern Saskatchewan have the advantages of having established mining sectors, relatively stable governments, and—most importantly—very few people. No backyards, no NIMBY.

That said, I still love travel. And I do keep an eye out for emerging opportunities abroad—they just have to be big opportunities to make up for the increased political risk.

One spot I checked out recently was Uzbekistan. The country has the world’s largest gold mine, called Muruntau, which has something like 200 million ounces.

Uzbekistan’s dictator died in 2016, and the new prime minister seems very sincere in accelerating free-market reforms. That includes opening the mining sector to foreign exploration and development.

I visited last summer and couldn’t believe what’s happening. Government officials couldn’t meet until 10 PM, because they were too busy working at the office to get the prime minister’s orders done. There have been reported cases of government staff dying from overwork! These people are serious. It’s one to watch.

International Man: You recently came across a new technology that could change the way mining companies find gold deposits. What exactly is this and what is the potential?

Dave Forest: A few years ago, I was introduced to a PhD mathematician. He’d been an executive consultant for 25 years to one of the world’s largest mining companies. He had a corner office and a green light for three-hour, two-bottles-of-wine lunches whenever he wanted.

Why?

Because he could do something I’ve never seen before (and apparently this mega-mining firm never had either).

He could use satellite data to find gold, copper, or zinc.

Now, there are lots of geologists who try to use satellite data to pinpoint ore deposits. This "remote sensing" has been in use since the 1980s.

I’ve always been a skeptic. Most times, satellite geologists just torture the data until it fits their preconception of the target. I never saw a convincing case where satellite imaging revealed a new discovery.

But when I met this PhD, I was intrigued. It wasn’t just his impeccable credentials in the industry—his approach is elegantly simple in a mathematical sense. He didn’t torture the data with interpretations. He just ran his algorithm and let the results speak for themselves.

I wanted to find out more. So, I gave him a test. It was a gold project in dense jungle in eastern Myanmar. I knew the gold mines are there, only because I’d been on the ground, under the tree canopy. But from the satellite view, you couldn’t see anything. There was no way to cheat.

He used his techniques and sent me a "heat map" that pinpointed the mine locations almost exactly. I was floored.

Since then, we’ve used this "digital treasure map" in Mongolia, Colombia, Nevada, and eastern Canada. The results, when field checked, have been excellent.

We started thinking about how this could benefit investors. What if you knew about a big mineral find on a company’s property before the company did? That’s what we can do with this satellite system. We can scan anyone’s property, almost anywhere on Earth.

Using the system, we recommended three stocks to International Speculator readers. One stock was bought out by a larger gold company within months of our recommendation, for a 219% profit. Another stock has risen more than 200% since our recommendation, on excellent gold drill results.

The last stock is still moving toward drilling. I think we knew they had a potentially major discovery before they did!

This also shows why now’s the perfect time to invest in mineral exploration. Why was this PhD genius available and not squirreled away in the bowels of a major mining firm? Only because the company he was working for laid off their entire exploration department during the most recent industry downturn. Crisis = opportunity.

Editor's Note: Dave has just deployed this satellite technology to pinpoint gold mining deposits and identify a speculative opportunity with enormous upside.

That's exactly why, he released this new video where he shares all the details for how you could get in on the ground floor. Click here to watch it now.

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The Greatest Swindle in American History... And How They'll Try It Again Soon

by Jeff Thomas

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International Man: Before 1913 there was no income tax, and the United States was a much freer country. Initially, the government sold the federal income tax to the American people as something only the rich would have to pay.

Jeff Thomas: Yes, exactly. It always begins this way. The average person is always happy to see the rich taken down a peg, so this makes the introduction of the concept of theft by the government more palatable. Once people have gotten used to the concept and accept it as being perfectly reasonable, then it’s time to begin to drop the bar as to who "the rich" are. Ultimately, the middle class are always the real target.

International Man: The top bracket in 1913 kicked in at $500,000 (equivalent to around $12 million today), and the tax rate for it was only 7%. The government taxed those making up to $20,000 (equivalent to around $475,000 today) at only 1% – that’s one percent.

Jeff Thomas: Any good politician understands that you begin with the thin end of the wedge, then expand upon that as soon as you feel you can get away with it. The speed at which the tax rises is commensurate with the level of tolerance of the people. And in different eras, the same nation may have a different mindset. The more domination a people have come to accept from their government, the faster the pillaging can be expanded.

As an example, the Stamp Tax that King George III placed upon the American colonies in the eighteenth century was very small indeed – less than two percent – but the colonists were very independent people, asking little from the king in the way of assistance, and instead, relying upon themselves for their well-being. Such self-reliant people tend to be very touchy as regards confiscations by governments, and even two percent was more than they would tolerate.

By comparison, if today, say, Texas were to eliminate all state taxation and allow only two percent in federal taxation, Washington would come down on them like a ton of bricks, saying they were attempting to become a "tax haven." They’d be accused of money laundering and aiding terrorism and might well be cut out of the SWIFT system. The federal government would shut down the state government if necessary, but diminished tax would not be tolerated.

International Man: Of course, once the American people conceded the principle of an income tax in 1913, the politicians naturally couldn’t resist ramping it up. Just look at the monstrosity that exists today in the US tax code, which most Americans passively accept as "normal." It’s a typical example of giving an inch and taking a mile.

Jeff Thomas: Yes – the key to it is twofold: First, you have to be sensitive as to how quickly you can ramp up taxation, and second, that rate is directly proportional to the level that the public receive largesse from the government. They have to have become highly dependent upon a nanny state and thereby willing to take their whipping from nanny. The greater the dependency, the greater the whipping.

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International Man: Homeowners in the US – and most countries – must regularly pay property taxes, which are taxes on property that you supposedly own. Depending on where you live, they can be quite high and never seem to go down. What are your thoughts on the concept of property taxes?

Jeff Thomas: Well, my view would be biased, as my country of citizenship has never, in its 500-year history, had any direct taxation of any kind. The entire concept of direct taxation is therefore anathema to me. It’s easy for me to see, simply by looking around me, that a society operates best when it’s free of taxation and regulation and people have the opportunity to thrive within a free market.

Years ago, I built my first home from my savings alone, which had been sufficient, because my earnings were not purloined by my government. I never paid a penny on a mortgage and I never paid a penny on property tax. So, following the construction of my home, I was able to advance economically very quickly. And of course, I additionally had the knowledge that, unlike most people in the world, I actually owned my own home – I wasn’t in the process of buying it from my bank and/or government.

So, not surprisingly, I regard property tax as being as immoral and as insidious as any other form of direct taxation.

International Man: Not all countries have a property tax. How do they manage?

Jeff Thomas: I think it’s safe to say that political leaders don’t really have any particular concern over whether a tax is applied to income, property, capital gains, inheritance, or any other trumped-up excuse. Their sole concern is to tax.

Taxation is the lifeblood of any government. Once that’s understood, it becomes easier to understand that government is merely a parasite. It takes from the population but doesn’t give back anything that the population couldn’t have provided for itself, generally more efficiently and cheaply.

So, as to how a government can manage without a property tax, we can go back to your comment that the US actually had no permanent income tax until 1913. That means that they accomplished the entire western expansion and the creation of the industrial revolution without such taxation.

So, how was this possible? Well, the government was much smaller. Without major taxes, it could become only so large and dominant. The rest was left to private enterprise. And private enterprise is always more productive than any government can be.

Smaller government is inherently better for any nation. Governments must be kept anemic.

International Man: The Cayman Islands doesn’t have any form of direct taxation. What does that mean exactly?

Jeff Thomas: It means that the driving force behind the country is the private sector. We tend to be very involved in government decisions and, in fact, generate many of the decisions. Laws that I’ve written privately for the Cayman Islands have been adopted by the legislature with no change whatsoever to benefit government. As regards property tax, there are only three countries in the western hemisphere that have no property tax, and not surprisingly, all of them are island nations: The Turks and Caicos Islands, Dominica and the Cayman Islands.

I should mention that the very concept of property ownership without taxation goes beyond the concern for paying an annual fee to a government. Additionally, in times of economic crisis, governments have been known to dramatically increase property taxes. Further, they sometimes announce that your tax was not paid for the year (even if it was) and they confiscate your property as a penalty. This has been done in several countries.

What’s important here is that, with no tax obligation, the government in question is unable to simply raise an existing tax. If you have no reporting obligation, you truly own your property. And you can’t be the victim of a "legal" land-grab.

Instituting a new tax is more difficult than raising an existing one, and instituting any tax in a country where direct taxation has never existed is next to impossible.

International Man: How do Cayman’s tax policies relate to its position as a business-friendly jurisdiction?

Jeff Thomas: Well there are two answers to that. The first is that the Cayman Islands operates under English Common Law, as opposed to Civil Law. That means that as a non-Caymanian, you’re virtually my equal under the law. Your rights of property ownership are equal to mine. Therefore, an overseas investor, even if he never sets foot on Cayman, cannot have his property there taken from him by government, squatters, or any other entity such as can legally do so in many other countries.

The second answer is that, since we’re a small island group, the great majority of business revenue comes from overseas investors. Therefore, our politicians, even if they’re of no better character than politicians in other countries, understand that, if they change a law or create a tax that’s detrimental to foreign investors and depositors, wealth can be removed from Cayman in a keystroke of the computer. Before the ink is dried on the new legislation, billions of dollars can exit, on the knowledge that the legislation is taking place.

Now, our political leaders may not be any more compassionate than those of any other country. Their one concern is that their own bread gets buttered. But should they pass any legislation that’s significantly detrimental to overseas investors, their careers are over. They understand that and recognise that their future depends upon making sure that they understand and cater to investors’ needs.

International Man: Governments everywhere are squeezing their citizens through higher taxes and new taxes. And don’t forget that printing money, which debases the currency, is also a real, but somewhat hidden, tax too.

What do you suggest people do to protect themselves?

Jeff Thomas: Well, the first thing to understand is that many nations of the world grabbed onto the post-war coattails of the United States. The US was going to lead the world, and Europe, the UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, etc., all got on board for the big ride to prosperity. They followed all the moves the US made over the decades.

Unfortunately, once they were on board the train, they couldn’t get off. When the US went from being the largest creditor nation to the largest debtor nation, those same countries also got onto the debt heroin.

That big party is coming to an end, and when it does, all countries that are on the train will go over the cliff. So, what that means is that you, as an individual, do not want to be on that train. If you’re a resident of an at-risk country, you want to, first and foremost, liquidate your assets in that country and get the proceeds out. You may leave behind some spending money in a bank account – so that you have the convenience of chequing, ATMs, etc. – and that money should be regarded as sacrificial.

You then would want to move the proceeds to a jurisdiction that’s likely to not only survive the train wreck but prosper as a result of it. Once it’s there, you want to keep it outside of banks and in forms that are difficult to take from you – cash, real estate and precious metals.

After that, if you’re able to do so, it would be wise to also get yourself out before a crash, as the day will come when migration controls will be imposed and it will no longer be legal to exit.

It does take some doing, but if faced with a dramatic change in life, I’d want to be proactive in selecting what was best for me and my family, before the changing socio-economic landscape made that choice for me.

Editor's Note: Governments everywhere are squeezing their citizens through increased taxation and money printing–which is a hidden tax. This trend will only gain momentum as governments go broke and need more cash.

It’s an established trend in motion that is accelerating, and now approaching a breaking point. At the same time, the world is facing a severe crisis on multiple fronts. The good news is it will likely cause a panic into gold and gold mining stocks. Gold tends to do well during periods of turmoil.

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Democracy Is the Ideal Distraction

by Jeff Thomas

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In the days of yore, there were kings. Everybody could agree to hate the king because he was rich and well-fed, when most of his minions were not.

Then, a more effective system was invented: democracy. Its originators had in mind a system whereby the populace could choose their leader from amongst themselves – thereby gaining a leader who understood them and represented them.

In short order, those amongst the populace who wished to rule found a way to game the new system in a way that would allow them to, in effect, be kings, but to do so from behind the scenes, whilst retaining the illusion of democracy.

The formula is to create two opposing political parties. Each is led by someone who’s presented as being a "representative of the people."

You then present the two parties as having opposing views on governance. It matters little what the differences are. In fact, you can have the differences be as obscure and arbitrary as, say, gay rights or abortion, and they will work as well as any other differences. What matters is that your two parties object to each other strenuously on the declared issues, working the electorate into a lather.

Once you have each group hating the other group "on principle," you’re home free. At that point, you’ve successfully completed the distraction. The electorate now believe that, whatever the trumped-up issues are, they’re critical to the ethical governance of the country.

Most importantly, the electorate actually believe that their future well-being depends on the outcome of the next election – that it will decide whether their own view on the issues will prevail.

In a dictatorship, the leaders try to convince the people to support the dictatorship by claiming that more than 90% of the people voted for the dictator. But this is primitive thinking. It results in the same focused anti-leader sentiment that plagued the kings.

Far better to have the people fail to recognise who their actual rulers are and focus on the candidates, who are mere bit players and are changed as needed.

And, in a country where the illusion of democracy has become refined, the rulers come to understand that elections should not result in an overwhelming victory for one party or the other. Quite the opposite. If it can be arranged effectively, the best election is one that results in a 51% to 49% split.

This ensures that the 49% will not lose hope – that they’ll be both frustrated and angry at their near-miss, and redouble their efforts in the next election in order to have a win. And the 51% will wipe their collective brow in relief at having won, but will fear losing their slim advantage next time around.

Both parties must remain both hopeful and fearful. Keep them focused on each other – hating each other – and they’ll never figure out that you control both candidates like marionettes. The focus should never be on you, the real ruling class.

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It’s also quite important to switch winners often. The ball should bounce back and forth from one party to the other frequently, allowing each winning party to dump the other party’s actual accomplishments when they take over.

However, just as important, the new winning party does not rescind the more oppressive accomplishments of the previous party. In this way, it becomes possible for the only long-term accomplishments to be the growing power of the government over the population, not advances for the populace.

And of course, this, by definition, means that the real rulers, the perennial group of individuals who control those who are elected – continually expand their power and wealth at the expense of the electorate.

But what of the candidates themselves? Do they recognise that they’re mere foot soldiers in the game?

Ideally, no. At any given time in any society, there are sufficient people whose egos exceed their abilities. Such individuals are ideal as candidates, as they tend to love the limelight, but will easily cave to the desires of those who made their candidacy possible. No candidate at the higher levels ever attains office without owing his soul to his backers. That ensures that, in spite of their public bravado, they remain controllable by their masters.

What’s extraordinary in this picture is that it’s possible for the populace to figure out the scam and yet, still believe that they live in a democratic system in which their vote may decide the future of the country.

Increasingly, particularly in Europe and North America, the citizenry are becoming aware that the Deep State collectively rule the countries. They understand that this largely invisible group of people are the true rulers, yet they vainly imagine that somehow the puppet leaders that they elect have the power to effect a solution.

In the UK, the electorate imagine that Boris Johnson will actually take them out of the European Union.

Instead, he delivers a Brexit deal that’s a reheated version of the Theresa May Brexit deal, which is not Brexit at all, but a perverse form of remain.

The Brexit debate is mere window dressing for democracy, whilst the Deep State carries on, according to its plan – the unelected EU government rules the UK.

In America, Donald Trump tweets in the morning that he will take US troops out of Syria. No doubt, as an individual, this is what he hopes he’ll be allowed to do.

But he’s immediately castigated by the media. He’s given his marching orders from the Deep State that, once again, he’s to do as he’s told. By the next day, Mister Trump announces a reversal of his decision.

There will be no end to the Middle East war for the US. It’s far too profitable. The discussion is mere window dressing for democracy, whilst the Deep State carries on, according to its plan.

Time after time, regardless of how adamant the marionettes are that they’ll follow the will of the people and save the day, in every case, the people’s hopes are dashed and the national policy reverts to business as usual.

In every case, the true leaders create the problems, cash in on them, then present the government as the solution to the problems, then cash in again.

In every case, the electorate pick up the tab and, rather than rebel, vainly hope that the next election will provide them with a group of marionettes who will actually deliver them from evil.

What’s astonishing is not that the Deep State lives only for its own ends, but that the populace recognise that it exists and still imagine that change from the status quo is possible.

Voting is not intended to count. It’s meant to be the pacifier that’s inserted into the public mouth periodically, when the public become grumpy that they must submit to kings.

Editor’s Note: Democracy offers a false sense of hope that things will change for the better. In all likelihood, the public will vote itself more and more "free stuff" until it causes an economic crisis.

The good news is it will likely cause a panic into gold and gold mining stocks. Gold tends to do well during periods of turmoil.

In this newly released video, legendary speculator Doug Casey's colleagues outline a lesser-known and highly advantageous way to profit from gold stocks. Click here to watch it now.

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Betting on a Pair of Deuces

by Jeff Thomas

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I’ve never been much of a gambler. On the rare occasions I’ve played poker, I almost always came out ahead, but I almost never bluffed and, probably more important, I always played with amateurs like myself, never with players who really knew what they were doing.

Of course, the business of governance is far more important than a friendly poker game between friends. All the more reason why, when political leaders are making their assessments as to the national future, they should make sure they have a winning hand, prior to betting heavily.

Every day, we’re reminded that the Asian powerhouse is moving ahead at a pace that’s unheard of in the West. It’s almost as though the clocks stopped in the West ten years ago, but Asia kept on advancing in every way.

This is clear to anyone who has had feet on the ground in Asia in recent years. Yet, every day in the Western media, the illusion is presented that the West is still running the show, and Asia is a lesser player.

And of course, whenever an East/West summit takes place, yet nothing substantial is resolved, the Western media reiterate that Asians have failed again to understand that, if they want to play ball, they’d better accept the Western rules and recognize who’s the king of the mountain: the USA.

Here in South Korea, there’s a very different picture in evidence.

An illustration of this may be a poker game in which Asia is holding a royal flush, and the West is holding a pair of deuces but keeps throwing more money into the pot, repeatedly raising the ante.

In such a game, the fellow holding the royal flush already knows he’s won. He may be amazed that his opponent keeps raising what’s in the pot but is happy to keep matching him. The more patience he has, the bigger his win will be.

His opponent, of course, is nearing the end of a long run in which he had been a consistent winner but then spent several decades borrowing in order to keep the game going.

The West is nearing the end of that run. The debt bubble is the largest in history and is overdue to pop.

Continued borrowing in order to stay in the game has allowed the West to remain at the table awhile longer, but the writing is on the wall.

Nowhere is this realisation clearer than here in South Korea.

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The government and people of South Korea are keenly aware that the game has changed dramatically to their advantage in recent years.

For generations, they’ve had to accept the position of poor stepsister to Japan, as the Japanese, with both provocation and assistance from the US, have invaded and/or repressed their neighbor to the west for over 100 years.

But for the last 30 of those years, Japan has been in an economic Bermuda Triangle, unable to move forward economically and unable to take advantage of the Great Move East in manufacturing.

Although Japan continues the posture of the dominant neighbour, it now only serves as a reminder that Japan is not to be trusted, as Korea advances as a producing nation.

Elsewhere in Asia, we see the same development. As the West approaches insolvency, Asia is in the catbird seat. It’s a truism that economy does not allow a void. If one or more players takes a lesser position in the game, others will always move to fill the vacancy.

All of the more productive countries here in Asia are aware that a sea change is on the verge of taking place. Each Asian country is more preoccupied with how they can make their own slice of the pie as large as possible than with worrying over how much of the pie the West will be able to retain.

As such, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and other countries are ramping up their ability to produce as quickly as possible.

The on-the-ground evidence of that sea change is highly visible, and yet, the Western perception of it is filtered through Western perceptions of reality, not Asian perceptions.

Unfortunately, when people in the West are seeking to understand anything Asian, they tend to make the mistake of talking amongst themselves – westerner to westerner. They assume that any act by an Asian is undertaken for the reasons that a Westerner would undertake it.

They additionally assume that, whatever a Westerner’s priorities would be, they must be the same for Asians.

Not so. Asian culture is the world’s oldest, going back some 5,000 years. Their perceptions about how things work, or should work – society, government, economics, etc. – are very different from dominant perceptions in the West.

To understand the course Asians will take in creating their future, we must do so through their eyes, by understanding their perceptions and outlook.

One example is the thousands of apartment blocks erected around Seoul in recent years. Only ten years ago, the outskirts of the city were fields and rice paddies. Today, they’re the home of major residential developments. All apartment blocks being erected are at the legal maximum: 30 storeys. A given development may have over 100 such blocks and be located next to another development of the same scope.

Presently, it’s common for 20% or more of the apartments to be empty and, in fact, never having been lived in. But from the Asian perspective, this is not a problem. In fact, more are under construction. The Asian concern is not whether every apartment can be occupied shortly after construction, but rather whether the pace of construction will meet the need that will exist several years from now, when the manufacturing boom will be in full swing.

And indeed, an inspection of manufacturing districts reveals the same thinking: the construction of factories being built in advance of the need for products to roll through them.

South Korean industry fully recognizes that, when the vacuum occurs that will be left by the West, the window of opportunity will be brief. Within a five-to-ten-year period, each country in Asia that intends to be a player in the 21st century will have to have already prepared for its share of business.

When that time comes, they each intend to have as strong a hand as possible.

They face an opponent who is, in effect, bluffing with a pair of deuces, in what may prove to be the game of the century.

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Legendary speculator Doug Casey has said:

Manipulation of genes will be to biology what computers have been to things like physics and chemistry. It’s part of the rush towards the Singularity. In some ways it’s the most important development yet. Among other things, it may cure the most persistent of all diseases: aging.

That’s why technological advancements like CRISPR are a game-changer.

With a simple snip of DNA, it allows for the editing of mutations and problematic parts of human genes.

In fact, it has the potential to treat 6,000 types of conditions.

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International Man Team

Doug Casey on the Crisis "Medicare for All" Will Cause

by Doug Casey

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International Man: Medical-care spending in the United States is more than double that of any other developed country. The extra spending doesn’t amount to better quality care or a healthier American population.

What’s your take on the US system as a whole?

Doug Casey: It’s full of problems. And they’re likely to get worse.

First of all, it’s highly politicized. Almost nothing can be done without government approval. It’s becoming more and more like your local DMV.

The system revolves around the FDA. In theory, it should protect the consumer, but in fact it does the opposite. The FDA should be renamed the Federal Death Authority, because it kills more people every year than the Defense Department does in a typical decade.

Why do I say that? For one thing, it takes 10 years for a new drug to be approved, and it averages not just $1 billion dollars, but now more than $2 billion for the typical drug to be approved—and only very few are ever approved. That’s because there’s only a minimal risk to the FDA in not approving them but a huge risk that they’ll be embarrassed if something goes wrong with one that is approved.

Second, the whole system is very bureaucratized. When you go to a doctor’s office, you’ll notice that probably half the staff is not engaged in delivering medical services. They’re shuffling papers: insurance forms, regulatory forms, and various cover-your-ass records.

Third, the medical system is law driven more than science driven. Doctors have to be very careful about what they say and do; the society has become very litigious. One of the major expenses of being a doctor is malpractice insurance. Particularly for some specialties.

There are thousands of lawyers in the US who specialize in suing doctors for real or imagined mistakes. For that reason, some specialists pay hundreds of thousands of dollars per year for their malpractice insurance.

Because of the dangers of being sued, doctors are practically forced to engage in defensive medicine. They prescribe all kinds of tests that don’t make sense, but they figure that it’s better to be safe than sorry—not for the patient’s sake but for the sake of a potential lawsuit.

All of this started with Franklin Delano Roosevelt. During World War II, he installed wage and price controls, and it was impossible for companies to give raises to workers. So they substituted benefits for cash, namely employer-paid medical insurance. One of the many disastrous distortions FDR cranked into the US economy.

On the bright side, despite these things, medical care has gotten much better because of advances in science and technology. The cost of medical care should have and would have been dropping—like the cost of computers—if not for State intervention. But that’s beside the point we’re discussing.

International Man: You’ve often emphasized the importance of using words properly. What are your thoughts on the term "health care?"

Doug Casey: Health care is something that you provide for yourself with proper diet, exercise, and lifestyle choices. Nobody—certainly not an insurer or the government—can provide health care. What they can do, at most, is cover a portion of your medical expenses should you have a serious injury or illness.

There’s a big difference.

It’s a subtle corruption of the language to call "medical insurance" "health insurance." It doesn’t insure your health. All it does is cover medical expenses. But they like to use the term "health care" because it sounds friendly and loving. "We’ll care for your health." That sounds great! Sign me up! "Medical," however, implies surgery, dangerous drugs, hospitals, and pain.

It’s a euphemism, and like all euphemisms, it’s dishonest. Health care or health insurance should always be called "medical insurance," because it will at best cover your medical expenses. Calling it "health care" and saying it’s "free" is just dishonest marketing.

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International Man: Most Americans are insured privately by their employer or through self-purchased coverage.

About 34% of Americans are insured through a government plan such as Medicare or Medicaid.

If the quality of medical care in the US is unsatisfactory, why is the conversation centered on insurance? Are we missing the point?

Doug Casey: To start with, the 34% of Americans who are "insured" through a government plan aren’t actually insured. They’re not paying market-based premiums based on actuarial tables—considering age, preexisting conditions, and the like—intended to spread the risk of serious sickness or injury.

Medicare and Medicaid are actually welfare programs. They have nothing to do with insurance. Using that term gives them and those who use them undeserved respect.

Medicaid is one hundred percent welfare, and Medicare is mostly a welfare program. They shouldn’t be termed "insurance."

The important point is that they shouldn’t exist. Why should the State cover a person’s medical costs? If it should, maybe it should also cover their food, shelter, and clothing—oh, wait, I forgot, it does. And even the cost of their cellphones. But cars are also important. When someone’s car stops working, shouldn’t that be covered as well?

How about their dog? How about farm animals?

Is somebody else’s bad health a mortgage on my life?

Bad things happen. That’s why you buy insurance. If you can’t afford insurance, that means you managed your life badly. It’s not up to strangers to kiss it all and make it better for you.

Most diseases and many injuries are a result of people not taking care of themselves. They overeat, don’t exercise, use alcohol and drugs, and engage in bad lifestyles. Those are moral failures. I don’t want to pay for those people’s moral failures. Neither should you.

International Man: Over 59 million Americans are on Medicare. Bernie Sanders and other presidential candidates have made "Medicare for all" one of their biggest campaign promises.

What type of care can Americans expect to receive in a single-player system, with national coverage for all?

Doug Casey: It would mean disastrous and degenerating care.

They like to bring up Canada and Britain as examples—and they’re very good examples.

The medical systems of both countries are in crisis. If you need an operation, it can be delayed for many months, sometimes more than a year. Forget about something that’s noncritical. The reason is simple: When you have scarce commodities like a doctor’s time and medical equipment, they have to be rationed.

There are three ways you can ration a commodity. By dollars, time, or political connections. In other words, you can pay for it and get it when you want it. Or you can wait in line—for who knows for how long. Or if you’re a VIP with friends in high places, you’re moved to the front of the line.

In places like Canada and Britain, you hardly have a choice. The single payer determines if you get treated, when you get treated, and how you get treated.

Furthermore, if something is "free," which care from a single payer supposedly is—although it’s paid for by taxes—everybody wants as much as they can get. And as with any free good, people won’t economize.

Certain people are going to live at the doctor’s office. It’s going to turn some people into hypochondriacs. The idea of Medicare for all—or for that matter, Medicare for oldsters—is stupid and uneconomic from every point of view. More important, it’s morally depraved, because it uses the State to force some people—namely doctors and productive people—to pay for those who were too imprudent to provide for their own care.

As a fringe benefit, it will destroy the medical system. Doctors will wind up as veritable government employees. That will discourage them from spending six years and hundreds of thousands to learn their trade. There will be a lot more demand but a much smaller supply of doctors. At the same time, the amount of capital available for developing new drugs, new technology, and basic research will collapse. Why? All governments today are running gigantic deficits. This is likely to get much worse. They’ll put off the important in favor of the urgent, and the results are inevitable.

International Man: Bernie Sanders’ Medicare-for-all plan would cost $97.5 trillion over the next decade.

The US government debt has already reached astronomical levels. How is it possible to pay for this?

Doug Casey: It’s not possible. It’s a swindle and a lie.

There are three possible explanations. These people can’t do simple arithmetic, they’re purposefully lying, or they’re crazy. It may be all three.

Let’s look at this, however, not from a philosophical but from a practical point of view. If you’re sick or get into an accident and you don’t have your own insurance, what are your options?

If you need an expensive procedure and can’t afford US prices, there are lots of places where you can get high quality medical care other than the in United States. Lots of Americans routinely go to Latin America for dental work at from 10% to 50% of US costs.

It’s called "medical tourism."

Thailand is probably the best location for serious stuff. The medical care you can get there is equal in quality to that in the US, more pleasant, and about 20–25% of the cost. If I needed a serious operation and I didn’t have insurance, I’d get on a plane to Bangkok.

If I were paying for insurance myself, I would get the highest possible deductible. I don’t want to trade dollars with an insurance company for basic and trivial things. I’m interested in insurance for only truly major medical expenses. That’s what most people should do.

But suppose you just don’t have any money. One possibility is to hope that charity will cover your bills.

Incidentally, before Social Security and welfare programs like Medicaid, there were hundreds of beneficial societies in the US. They sorted out which of the afflicted were deserving and helped them. Few, like Lions, Rotary, and Kiwanis, remain. Most of them were made redundant by government welfare programs.

If you don’t have money or insurance, and charity isn’t a practical option? If you have friends, maybe your friends will help you.

If you don’t have friends, why not? I’d suggest it may be because you’re actually not a good person or at least not a very valuable person. If someone is without friends, it’s because they are viewed as liabilities, not assets, by those who know them. They suffer from serious moral flaws—they lie, cheat, steal, are violent, lazy, or have other vices. If they have no friends to help them out, why should a stranger?

We all have to die at some point. Nobody wants to think about it, of course. Or perhaps even believe it will happen to us personally. From a strictly ethical point of view, nobody should be narcissistic enough to try to make the continuation of his life a mortgage on everybody else’s life.

Let me give you an example of what I mean. If you see a person, a bum, dying on a street corner, would you give a dollar to save his life? Many people would. Would you?

How about $10? OK, what about $100? I’m not so sure.

Maybe the world’s better off if the bum dies—there’s a reason he’s a bum. The reason will have something to do with a bad character. Would you give him $1,000? Some would, I suppose, out of some kind of guilt or perhaps to make themselves feel righteous. $10,000? Nobody would do it, unless they were both wealthy and interested in conducting a social experiment.

I’m saying this idea that human life is priceless is ridiculous and destructive. We put a price on human life all the time, depending on who it is and the circumstances. And we should. In the example of the bum I just gave, we’ve determined that some stranger is likely worth only a few dollars.

Just the other day I got an email from someone in Aspen who’s a member of a luncheon group I attend. Most of the guys are typical Aspen rich guys. One member, who’s in temporary (I presume) financial straits, wrote that his dog has a type of operable cancer. But it’s an expensive operation, and he can’t afford to pay for it.

He’s asked the guys at the luncheon group and his other friends to contribute to the cost of the surgery.

I have zero doubt he’ll raise the money. I don’t believe in charity, for reasons I’ve spelled out in the past. But I sent him a hundred dollars.

I wouldn’t, however, send anything to someone in the Third World with a problem (not to mention the fact it’s probably a scam run by some Nigerians). There are roughly 7.5 billion people on this planet. They all have problems and would all like $100.

But I sent him $100 for his dog. Why?

The fact that I did might generate further good feelings between us. (He seems like a decent guy, although I don’t know him well.) If I had just sent it into the ether for the medical care of some person in Africa, as opposed to this man’s dog, I know I’d be getting nothing back for it. In fact, maybe the African is a member of Boko Haram and would want to kill me just on general principles. This is one of many reasons giving money to "charity" is usually a mistake. Giving to an individual, even as a test of their character, is much wiser

Frankly, sometimes you value the life of a dog more than the life of some poor person outside of your circle. And sometimes you should. If it were my dog, there’d be no question about it.

That’s what this whole thing about insurance, Medicare, and a single-payer system is all about. It’s up to individuals—not State bureaucrats, not "the system"—to decide who lives and who dies. Including you yourself.

Editor's Note: Despite the folly of US politicians, science and technology are advancing rapidly.

In fact, A revolutionary breakthrough that allows for the editing of human DNA has arrived.

It's changing the way hundreds of debilitating diseases like Alzheimer's and cancer are being treated forever.

Our colleague and tech expert, Jeff Brown, just released an new video with all the details. In it, he shares an urgent money-making opportunity involving a small cap that's making history right now. Click here to watch it now.

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Gold is up over $17 today and seems to be headed higher, imminently.

Here’s why…

Governments around the world are racing to debase their currencies.

It’s all part of the wrongheaded notion that inflation is good for an economy.

President Trump has repeatedly pushed the Federal Reserve to devalue the dollar.

Just yesterday he said this:

Whether it’s groceries, medical care, tuition, or rent, it seems the cost of everything is rising. It could get much worse and soon.

More easy money from the Fed would be terrible news for anyone holding US dollars—including savers and retirees.

Owning gold is the best way to protect yourself. 

Gold tends to do well during periods of inflation—for both wealth preservation and speculative gains.

That’s precisely why legendary speculator Doug Casey’s colleague just released this new video.

It explains a little-known method for leveraged upside to the price of gold and big profits.

As you’ll see, it’s one of Doug’s favorite ways to play gold. With the price of gold rising, it could soon be too late.

Click here to see what it’s all about now.

Until next time,

International Man Team

Dave Forest is a geologist and one of legendary speculator Doug
Casey's most trusted colleagues.

He risks his life to find gold…

In the dense jungles of Laos, he dodged landmines left over from the Vietnam War.

But that wasn’t the worst part…

Because he got chased by a stampede of triple-jawed, bloodthirsty land leeches.

Dave sprinted away, but his partner wasn’t so lucky.

On an expedition in Mongolia, his guides got roaring drunk on the 560-mile drive to the site.

He is like the "Indiana Jones" of gold exploration.

Because, like "Indy," he risks his life to discover treasure — in Dave’s case, to discover gold deposits.

In another jungle — this time in Colombia — Dave had to avoid cocaine fields and FARC commandos…

Just to cross a rickety old rope bridge in a downpour.

If it broke, he would’ve plunged into a dark raging river 40 meters below.

But it was worth it because he discovered an 11-million-ounce gold deposit.

At today’s prices, that’s $16.5 billion worth of gold.

So Dave co-founded a company to develop the resource, raising $80 million.

The stock went up 4,800% before Dave’s company got bought out.

How the heck does he keep hitting pay dirt?

Here’s how: Dave has a "secret weapon" that helps him pinpoint undiscovered gold deposits.

His unfair advantage is a $1.3 billion NASA satellite with cutting edge "long wave" optics.

Dave taps into the satellite’s readings with a reclusive PhD’s proprietary algorithmic system.

He used this satellite method to bag 5,205% in 49 days from a big find in Northwest Nevada.

And today, he’s found the 3 best penny gold stocks for right now.

Who knows, one of these stocks could go up 4,800% like the Colombian gold stock…

Or even 5,205% like Dave’s Nevada play.

One of these tiny stocks trades for just 58¢ per share.

So you should act soon. It could double — or triple — in the coming months.

Click here for the full story on Dave’s satellite method…

And how he used it to find the three best penny gold stocks for right now.

Until next time,

International Man Team

P.S. We’re in the first innings of a historic gold bull market.

Dave predicts that gold will surpass its all-time highs. To get an idea of the profit potential, please take a look at these past gold stock gains from actual recommendations from Dave's firm:

• 4,329% Altius Minerals
• 667% Anatolia
• 154% Alberta Star
• 390% AuEx
• 243% First Majestic Silver
• 434% Gammon
• 233% Golden Queen
• 118% JNR Resources
• 711% Northland Resources
• 260% Osisko Mining Corp.
• 106% Sanu
• 155% Strathmore Minerals
• 158% Virginia Mines
• 487% Wolfden Resources
• 193% Brett Resources
• 104% Bear Creek Mining
• 681% Glamis Gold
• 176% Iam Gold
• 258% Lundin Mining
• 282% Northern Peru Copper
• 622% Quest Capital Corp.
• 129% Sherwood Copper
• 102% West Timmins
  

Keep in mind: Those are real recommendations sent to real readers.

They have already helped 3 people become millionaires with penny gold stocks.

Here’s how you could become the 4th millionaire…

Starting with this 58¢ gold stock.

With the price of gold rising, it could soon be too late.

On Becoming a Permanent Tourist, a Perpetual Traveler, and a Prior Taxpayer

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Doug Casey’s Note: I’ve been emphasizing the importance of making the world your oyster for many years. Most people—and this is especially true of North Americans—tend to stay pretty much where they were born. Acting like medieval serfs or even vegetables rooted to where they were planted. Neither is a good strategy for a person. Certainly not today.

You want to broaden your horizons and keep your options open. Like Gert Mulder.

Gert is a former bank director who’s opened offices all over South America, even though he’s Dutch. He’s become a friend I enjoy spending time with when I’m in Punta Del Este. I don’t even hold it against him that he’s an MBA and a PhD in Finance. It adds weight to his recommendation about being a perpetual traveler (PT)...

Even though he’s been in a wheelchair for the last decade from mild muscular dystrophy, he’s very active and has six children.

He’s an example of putting into practice the theory about being an international man. And is surprisingly typical of the type of person you can meet in Punta or in Argentina just across the Plate River.

By Dr. Gert Jan Mulder

I just hung up with a European politician with whom I have been friends for many years. He has been extremely successful in a very short period of time and may even run the risk of becoming prime minister at some point, yet he surprises me at regular intervals when he speculates that he may have to emigrate from Europe one day soon.

This reminds me of a meeting I just had yesterday with an Argentine acquaintance. He mentioned a businessman and close friend in Argentina who has been very successful in the brokerage business but feels he’s in a trap, because the Argentine Peronists have won the elections and this will undoubtedly bring that country back to a darker period. Argentina is very likely to close down its economy further, heading for yet another default and increasing government regulations. Even before the new president is to assume office, restrictions have been set that individuals cannot buy more than $200 a month in US currency.

A point to make with both the politician and the Argentine businessman—and so many others, actually millions of others—is that they do not make contingency plans. Most people wait until their problems become imminent before making alternative plans of where to live, which second or third passport to have, or what to do with their business, their family, and ultimately their savings. Being a former banker, hundreds of people have asked me in the past what to do with their savings. The more money they had, the bigger their problems became, resulting in sleepless nights and never-ending analysis of their circumstances. My favourite answer has always been to spend it.

The world has not become an easier place in recent decades, and everything points towards this process of accelerating complexity and uncertainties. The urgency to have proper alternatives for each individual becomes more and more apparent. The bad news is that nothing is certain, and disastrous events do occur.

One day I was talking to a very wealthy and very nice, warm person, when he told me, all of a sudden and out of the blue, that I was a "PT". This abbreviation, PT, can mean a lot of things but usually refers to someone who is a perpetual traveler. These people are always on the move and are truly global citizens, no longer belonging to a certain place that most of us call home. Some also use the abbreviation PT to refer to a prior taxpayer.

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The advice that people should take to heart in this ever-changing global village is to prepare alternatives: alternative places to reside, alternative places to stock savings, alternative travel documents, alternative places to register one’s business, and alternative places to find a roof over one’s head. Also to be aware of the fact that property, real estate as well as land, cannot be moved from one place to the other. These things can get you stuck.

So, let’s say you find yourself living in the United States or somewhere in Europe, mostly in one of those member states of the EUSSR, where your prospects to a free and happy life are becoming dimmer and dimmer. This brings the question, "If I have to leave, where do I go?"

This is a tough one, which Doug Casey and I answered a long time ago. These decisions are never easy and are always very personal. Doug and I just happened to end up in Uruguay, South America, a little country tucked away between Brazil and Argentina. Doug calls it "a small, relatively insignificant backward socialist country".

And yet it does bring with it an attractive laundry list of positive features: generally speaking and with the exception of a few months of winter, a mild climate; a country that is nearly empty with less than 20 people per square kilometer; a tax system that is based on the territorial principle, meaning that you pay taxes only on income that is generated in Uruguay; relatively stable political, economic, and social conditions; a population that is predominantly of European origin, namely Spanish and Italian; and people that seem to have struck a good balance between work and pleasure, although the latter qualification depends entirely on taste and personal judgment. Some may find them on average to lack ambition and discipline.

For us libertarians, freedom and especially personal freedom is the highest value we try to achieve, and by doing so I personally fail to see how people can manage their lives, with all the controls and all the limitations in so-called first-world countries. Every sign seems to suggest that people in these countries are about to lose whatever is left of their personal freedom at an alarming rate.

So, if freedom is dear to you, stop hesitating and start thinking about moving out of your first-world country if you can and focusing on the alternatives and advantages of so-called third-world countries. Chances are that you will be able to manage your life, preserving what is most dear to you—personal freedom—by relocating to a place on this planet that is not about to turn into George Orwell’s nightmare, 1984.

And while considering this, please do remember the suggestions on how to become a PT.

Editor's Note: The world is facing a severe crisis on multiple fronts.

Gold is just about the only place to be. Gold tends to do well during periods of turmoil—for both wealth preservation and speculative gains.

That's precisely why legendary speculator Doug Casey’s colleague just released an urgent video.

It reveals how it will all play out, and how you can set yourself up for big profits with a lesser-known way to invest in gold. It's one of Doug's favorite ways to invest in gold. Click here to watch it now.

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"The Fight Started When He Hit Me Back"

by Jeff Thomas

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There’s an old joke about an adult asking two boys how a fight started between them and one boy responded as stated above.

When two children are involved, we might choose to lecture them both and possibly punish the one who instigated the fight. But when nations are guilty of the same behaviour, we tend to simply accept the rather absurd explanation as being reasonable.

Back in the 1950s, the US sought to establish a presence in Vietnam. First, "military advisors" were sent in, then armaments. But soon, US troops were added. When the US public objected to their country instigating a war halfway around the world, where it had no business being, President Johnson made the announcement that the destroyer USS Maddox had just been attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin.

As it turned out, the Maddox had sailed into the North Vietnamese harbour uninvited and began firing on North Vietnamese ships. The ships returned fire. Although only one bullet actually hit the Maddox, several North Vietnamese ships were damaged and Vietnamese sailors were killed.

President Johnson used this incident to convince the American people that North Vietnam had attacked a US ship and they needed to be taught a lesson. It was at that point that the US began the Vietnam War in earnest. It ended in defeat for the US, but not before over 1.3 million deaths were totted up.

In 2001, the US was spoiling for war with Iraq. Although US public opinion favoured a diplomatic approach, President George Bush stated emphatically that Iraq had had a hand in the 2001 attack on the US and that Iraq possessed "weapons of mass destruction" that may have been intended for use against the US.

The US then invaded Iraq, made possible the assassination of its leader and devastated the country. It was only later that the American people learned that there were no weapons of mass destruction and never had been.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia bombed Yemen, aided by US armaments, logistical support and military personnel. Yemen fought back, aided by Iran. The US immediately cried, "Foul!" and vowed retaliation against the Yemeni-Iranian aggressors.

The attacks on Yemen have been described as a "humanitarian catastrophe" and even "genocide." Some thirteen million Yemenis face starvation in what the United Nations has described as the "worst famine in one hundred years."

As a result of the bad press it’s received, the US has since backed off from its active invasion of Yemen but still supports the Saudi invasion through weapons sales.

And of course, these are just a few examples. History is filled with such scenarios.

Possibly the first US use of the explanation, "The fight started when he hit me back," came when Teddy Roosevelt sought to create the Spanish American War in order to gain control of Cuba and the Philippines. And whilst the US has since used this approach repeatedly since it began its quest for empire in 1889, it certainly did not invent this insupportable excuse for the invasion of other nations. It’s been used for millennia by leaders seeking to convince their peoples to go to war.

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The US does, however, take the award for creating the most proxy wars in other nations. They have been unusually adept at creating wars in other people’s backyards, leaving American soil almost invariably untouched.

Around the world, governments that don’t cooperate with the US have been toppled, cities destroyed and populations decimated.

Alarmingly, this trend has become rampant in recent decades. Never has the US invaded so many countries, in so many parts of the world at the same time.

But why should this be? Who benefits?

Well, certainly not the people of the US. Wars are the costliest activity that governments have ever invented. But governments tend to be lavish in supporting wars, once they’ve begun. And of course, warfare is supported by a single-payer system: the taxpayer. The more wars, the more tax must be extracted from the populace.

So, again, who does benefit?

Well, the one entity that invariably benefits from warfare is the military-industrial complex – the group of companies that supply planes, tanks, rifles and even the socks that the soldiers wear. All for inflated prices that would never be tolerated if the same goods were sold in stores.

The tab from the military-industrial complex rises each year. This has been made possible through the creation of perpetual warfare. The more countries the US is at war with at any given time, the greater the sales to the US government by the complex.

Of course, in order for this to occur, political leaders must continue to start wars with regularity and keep them going as long as possible, even to the point of pointlessness, as in the eighteen-year old War in Afghanistan, in which the US has not yet achieved a victory of any kind against the poorly armed, untrained, unorganized Afghani sheepherders.

But it has cost the taxpayer $975 billion so far.

And it wouldn’t be surprising if the military-industrial complex were to show its gratitude to political leaders with monetary rewards. Indeed, it would help to explain why congressmen who receive an annual salary of only $174,000 never seem to leave office without having become millionaires during their tenure.

Of course, the average American can have no effect on the way in which his country is run. Certainly, whilst each party promises to change the system and end corruption, there is never any change for the better, regardless of which party is in power at any given time.

However, an understanding of how the system really functions increases the citizen’s awareness of his own role in it. His government regards him as a milk cow, one that’s regularly required to provide more milk to support the ever-increasing demand within the "system."

And the next time a political leader pontificates that a foreign country poses a threat to the US and the US needs to "hit back," he may wish to question the validity of the claim.

Editor's Note: The US empire has overstretched itself across the world. Today, the US is actively at war in about half a dozen countries. But perhaps the biggest danger is the rivalry with China, which has the potential to dethrone the US as the top global power.

China has a secret weapon that could bring the US to its knees. China can cut off the supply of rare commodities that are crucial to powering modern life. The US is scrambling to find a way to neutralize this threat before it's too late.

Click here to watch it now.

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Every year, a small group of investors take advantage of a big disruption in the stock market.

This disruption causes shares prices to washout and then rally higher very quickly.

Why is this happening?

Investors, fund managers and venture capitalists are forced to sell some fantastic companies to avoid devastating last minute tax liabilities.

But tax avoidance and panic selling are not the story here, it's what comes next that's the real bombshell.

Doug Casey’s close friend and resource expert Marin Katusa has watched these venture markets every year like clockwork for almost two decades now.

Even better, he’s found a way to turn this tax selling to his advantage and to the advantage of his subscribers…

It involves exploiting a short window of opportunity to pull a quick 105%… 240%… 630%…even 1,116% during arguably the best 60 day window to buy venture stocks.

It's the same strategy he used just last year in early December 2018 with Sun Metals, a junior mining explorer he's been watching closely for this exact scenario to play out.

As expected, the stock began dropping as wealthy investors quietly dumped shares of this quality stock to offset tax liabilities.

Marin recommended that his subscribers be patient and wait for the price target. Eventually pulling the trigger at $.22 a share.

Over the next five months, shares of Sun Metals climbed to $.64 a share…a 291% rally.

Even better, this is just one stock.

This happens to a handful of stocks every year.

And right now, he’s identified his top three stock picks targeted for explosive triple-digit rallies over the next few months just like the Sun Metals play.

This profit window won’t stay open long.

In fact, the opportunity to establish positions could slam shut at anytime as we get closer to the December 15^th deadline.

Marin will explain to you why that date is so crucial…

Click here to find out more.

Until next time,

International Man Team

It''s incredibly tempting to buy gold right now.?

It's already broken its all-time high and many analysts are calling for $5,000 and even $10,000 gold.?

And with all the craziness going on in America-the insane money printing by the Fed, chants of "eat the rich" ringing in the streets-it is a perfect storm for soaring gold prices.?

But as tempting as it is to load up on gold right now, we urge you to not pull the trigger until you hear what Doug Casey''s colleague and gold expert, Dave Forest has to say about it.?

Dave?is one of the leading gold analysts and he knows that gold is headed higher...?

But?Dave also knows that the best way to profit off the rise in gold isn't to simply load up on physical metal.

It''s through an unusual investment that 99.99% of Americans have never heard of. And it even trades under a secret code.

He will show you how to make these same types of trades for serious gains as gold begins to rise.

Click here to watch the video now.

Until next time,

International Man Team

Doug Casey on America''s Ideological Divide and What Comes Next

by Doug Casey

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International Man: Throughout his presidential campaign, Joe Biden said that this would be a "dark winter" in the US.

What would a Biden/Harris administration do next?

Doug Casey: When Joe Biden was in his basement, he must've watched Game of Thrones again and again. Biden thinks he's John Snow saying, "Winter is coming." He's right about that. But he's no John Snow.

The government can definitely make it into a dark winter, indeed, so it's interesting that he said that. The government can create huge economic destruction just by continuing their foolish lockdowns. But, as they say, "we can do more!" Biden wants more regulations. He wants more money printing. He's said that he wants much higher taxes.

We can expect the economy to get a lot worse. Joe's prediction about a dark winter is absolutely right from an economic point of view. And, even more important, from a personal freedom point of view. We're going to have a lot more State control and less personal freedom. The COVID hysteria is a godsend for them.

What will Biden do if and when he's sworn in? In addition to the things I just mentioned, he'll try to clamp down on gun ownership. That, however, would likely be the red line. It could really set things off. Especially since something like 75% of Republicans, and even 25% of Democrats, think the election was rigged. It would serve to delegitimize the whole political process.

What will happen if he tries to confiscate people's guns? Will members of the police and military actually do as they're told? Most of them will, for lots of reasons, but mainly because they're paid to do what they're told, whether they agree with it or not. The chain of command still exists. And no cop wants to lose his job in today's economic environment.

What will the gun owners do? Will they resist violently? Some will. And then what happens? Gun confiscation could be the spark that lights the flame in this country. That's especially the case if they make Beto O'Rourke the gun czar.

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International Man: Ideologically, the US is split. Half of Americans believe exactly what the politicians, media, and the "experts" tell them. On the other hand, there is a growing number of Americans that are skeptical and distrustful of the mainstream COVID narrative and the restrictions.

How do you see this playing out in the months ahead?

Doug Casey: The temperature is rising in the pressure cooker. I've said before; it makes no sense at all to have two or more groups with radically different views of ethics-what's right and wrong, and what should or shouldn't be done-in the same political entity. One group or another is going to get control of the central government and will use it to make the other group as mad as hell. This is why countries split up.

Ideally, the US will split up peacefully the way Czechoslovakia did into two countries, or Yugoslavia into six countries, or the Soviet Union into 15 countries. But the last time we had a serious secession movement in the US was from 1861 to 1865. It didn't end well.

Let me repeat what I said since March about COVID. This virus is no more serious than the bird flu, swine flu, Asian flu, or the Hong Kong flu. It's not even remotely as serious as the Spanish flu. It basically only affects people over 70 or those who have a major illness. And even then, the survival rate is very high. The average age of death from COVID is 78. Contracting it is no more than a trivial inconvenience for younger people. It's perhaps the greatest mass hysteria in world history. There's much more to say about this hysteria, and it all reflects badly on the authorities and the media. As well as the average American for acting like a sheep. The situation is accentuated by the fact that we have entered the Greater Depression. When the economic times get really tough, people feel they have little to lose, and, as Gerald Celente says, they "lose it."

A big near-term problem is that the forbearance of payment of rent and mortgage payments is slated to end about Jan 1. There will be a lot of people-about 12 million renters and four million homeowners-who aren''t going to be able to make those payments. In addition to the fact that a lot of landlords and lenders are already under pressure because of the forbearance.

Although consequences will likely be pushed forward by another round of money from the Fed.

International Man: Is it possible that in an attempt to regulate and restrict the movement and lives of the population that the "masters of the universe" will overplay their hand?

Doug Casey: It's very possible. They're playing with a lit stick of dynamite.

But when the "cadres" get control of the government, they're extremely hard to dislodge. They'll have not only the government's moral force but its physical force-the army, the police, and the judicial system.?

Remember, the Bolsheviks were a tiny number of people, but once they captured the apparatus of the Russian State in 1917, it was all over. If the Marxist factions of the Democrat Party take over, they'll prove very hard to evict from power. Here's the question: is the average American who dislikes the collectivist Democrat Party willing to go into the streets the way BLM and Antifa did, and get violent?

I don''t know. This is a witch''s brew. It''s much more serious than the average person thinks or even wants to think. The possibility isn't mentioned in the media. I really don''t see any way out of this, however. Serious violence is likely.

If there''s going to be a confrontation, however, it''s better that one occurs sooner rather than later from the point of view of the cultural conservatives. The longer it's put off, the more people indoctrinated with every college and high school graduating class in what the Biden-Harris team are promoting.

And every year that goes by, there are more people recruited to work for the government who align against pro-freedom forces. Inevitably, the pot''s going to boil over. It's better to get it over with sooner rather than later. The only thing that can defuse the situation is a major war, probably with China, but that would be an even greater disaster.

Editor's Note: There's no question the elite are eager to promote policies like negative interest rates, the abolition of cash and more.

If you want to know what the central bankers and the Deep State have planned, then you need to see this newly released dispatch from legendary investor Doug Casey and the ultimate DC insider David Stockman.

It reveals what''s coming down the pike from Washington DC and Wall Street, and what you could do to stay one step ahead.

Click here to see it now.

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Gold and Silver Melt, or Meltdown?

by Marin Katusa

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Since early July, I''ve told my subscribers in the precious metals markets to take a Katusa Free Ride on all our gold stocks.

Thus, all but one stock in our portfolio has a zero-cost base, and we are flush with cash.

Is it time to jump in right now?

Before we get into what to do now, let''s do a quick review of the gold market for the last nine months.

Gold and silver were fresh off of multi-year highs.

Retail and institutional interest was at a multi-year high.

And volumes were through the roof.

New buying and market interest led to a large number of new gold and silver exploration companies. Promoters know that when the ducks are quacking, they must be fed.

On the back of a 20% rise in the gold price in 2020, there were a massive number of financings and raises.

There was approximately $5.4 billion in resource financings YTD and 28 new gold companies.

While that may sound like a lot, it''s still the lowest amount of capital raised in the sector in over a decade. Take a look at the chart below.

Many of the restricted shares from those financings have become free trading. The large issuance of new paper has put a temporary ceiling on the underlying issuers.

Selling pressure was caused by this paper hitting the market, with early investors looking to lock in gains.

Then, the generalist funds were quick to move to lock in their gains in gold stocks post-vaccine news. Gold stocks were sold off by many of these funds to buy oil stocks as the economy was expected to reopen in 2021.

Couple that with falling prices for the precious metals, and you have a recipe for a washout of weak hands.

I''m not a "told you so" kind of guy, but I did warn that this could happen and laid it all out for you in a previous article.

The Precious Metals Paper Wall

And it''s not over yet.

We haven''t seen the end of the selling pressure yet.

As you can see in the next chart, there is still A LOT of new paper that will come free trading in December.

This too shall pass, but it could get uglier first.

And don''t forget that we''re now entering the season of:

Tax Loss Tango

Tax loss selling in the precious metal sector will be vicious this year.

As I do every year, I create my Tax Loss List of the best stocks I want to buy and the prices I''m willing to load up on in the open market. Last year I had my list, and I didn''t get hit on any of my target prices.

But I got more than my fill on the best stocks in the March Meltdown just three months later.

Fortune favors the prepared.

This December will provide some incredible deals in companies that are trading under NAV.

What I''m going to say next will anger many of the gold bugs, but I need to remind everyone - I''m a profit bug.

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Don''t Fall for the Hype: Gold and Silver are Still in the Minor Leagues

Gold and silver investors love using the metaphor of baseball innings to indicate where we are in the cycle.

Yes, well-known investment figures such as Ray Dalio, Stanley Druckenmiller and even Warren Buffett have recently made heavy investments in gold and gold equities.

However, Buffett did pull a bit of a head fake when he sold 8.9 million shares of his 20 million share position in Barrick Gold.

This was only a few short months after taking the position.

So much for the buy and hold strategy. Maybe he just pulled the biggest troll job on gold bugs.

Sorry, I laughed when I saw the news since the gold bugs thought Buffett had been converted to one of them. Nope, he''s a profit bug.

Buffett, like others, sold some of their gold to put that capital to work in other sectors.

I still believe that gold stocks have not started their first inning in the big leagues.

This will be hard for most to fathom, considering that many of us saw large runs in many of our gold equities and took profits and free rides in 2020.

But gold remains in the minor leagues when seen as an investment on the global stage. Yes, as important as it is to us-the gold speculators, investors and gold bugs-the gold sector is not at all important yet to the global flow of capital.

Do you think the to-be-appointed Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen wants to talk about gold? Hell, no.

She''ll continue with the strategy that the government balance sheet can handle much more stimulus, and stimulus will continue.

Before I get into why gold is still in the minor leagues, I want everyone to focus on the chart below.

Yes, 21% of all U.S. Dollars that exist were "digitally created" in 2020. But focus on the chart for a minute.

Has anything changed for the better?

I''d say Biden has made it very clear that more stimulus will come.

Do you really think Powell and Janet Yellen won''t work together and "do whatever it takes" under a Democratic president? This means that the printing we saw in 2020 is just the beginning of what''s to come.

Gold''s time will come.

But before it does, and before it gets promoted to the Big Leagues (which it will), if you''re savvy enough, you can get the best "Big League" companies at AAA ball pricing.

Consider this.

Vancouver, B.C., Canada is the financing hub for global gold exploration.

Yet, the established money management firms don''t even include gold equities as an option for their high-net-worth individuals. They''re still touting bank stocks and REITs (with 1 percent cap rates paying out terrible 3 percent yields).

Gold isn''t even taught in most business schools, CFA classes, or portfolio management courses. Gold investors are seen as outdated and irrelevant-a barbarous relic.

The earth under Canadian soil might hold some of the world''s most prominent gold reserves; yet, the Bank of Canada, Canada''s central bank, holds zero gold bullion.

The biggest funds in Canada, such as the Canadian Pension Plan, have much lower exposure to gold and gold equities than the percentage of Canada''s GDP that comes from mining gold. U.S. pension funds'' exposure to gold is even lower.

But that''s all good news.

As we approach gold''s transition into the major leagues, we will see an increase in both passive and active funds positioning themselves into gold equities.

The gold sector won''t start playing major league ball until the professionally managed funds in the U.S. start deploying capital into gold equities.

It''s All About the Flow of Capital.

As you can see in the graph below, there are 1,357 mining companies listed in Canada and 100 mining companies listed in the U.S.

Of those, 428 are gold companies listed in Canada, and 44 are gold companies listed in the U.S.

Here''s the interesting part: all but four of the gold stocks listed in the U.S. are also listed in Canada. But the dollar volume on U.S. exchanges absolutely dwarfs the volume on Canadian exchanges.

Accounting for currency exchange, the 44 gold stocks listed on the U.S. exchange trade $150 million more a day than all 428 gold stocks listed in Canada.

I''m Canadian, so I can say this: Canada is a small fry when it comes to the global flow of capital. I love Canada. I''m a proud Canadian. But changes are happening, and as usual, the Canadian market is oblivious to it all.

Management teams don''t want to talk about the fact that the "flow of funds" into the Canadian mining sector isn''t growing.

In fact, it''s shrinking.

Thus, investors buying gold companies listed on the Canadian exchange usually end up selling shares they own of another company to come up with the capital.

It''s mainly a rotation of capital, not an inflow of new capital.

More importantly, the federal government of Canada is rumored to be raising the capital gains tax rate by at least 100%. This will make it equal to the tax rate of the highest income bracket in Canada.

This will reduce the flow of funds to higher-risk, early-stage exploration companies.

The risk/reward just won''t make sense for Canadian investors due to the higher potential tax rates.

In addition, with all the new regulations and taxes, the big U.S. funds (active and passive) can''t and won''t buy gold companies in Canadian dollars.

The rules for American investors, quite frankly, suck.

The legend removal process on Canadian exchanges is difficult, and it''s hard for American investors to put Canadian certificates into their U.S.-managed brokerage accounts.

I''ve been advocating for years that the Canadian investment industry needs to adapt to its customer-the U.S. investor-instead of forcing U.S. investors to jump through hoops to invest in Canadian-listed mining stocks.

And there are big things afoot that Katusa Research is working feverishly on.

Greedy When Others Are Fearful: The Coming Katusa Alligator Stock Watchlist

I''ve been very cautious these last few months. I''ve stated as clearly as I could for my subscribers to reduce as much risk as they can and lock in their Katusa Free Rides.

In retrospect, our timing on the calls has been very good.

I hold a very high cash position in USD, and anyone following our portfolio should be high in cash. Even with the incredible gains in our portfolio, I''m over 55% cash.

I hold this high amount of cash (of which 70% is in USD) because I believe we''ll see some rocky markets in the months ahead. Whenever the markets have a sell-off, the USD performs well.

As I''ve stated before, even gold sells off initially, and then the tidal wave of selling on gold miners and explorers starts (as you see right now).

The U.S. election will come and go, and eventually, there will be a victor.

In the end, it won''t matter who''s in the White House with respect to the price of gold.

Twenty-four months from the election, gold will be higher than it is today.

There''s one simple reason why: Both parties are completely committed to unprecedented stimulus.

And I''m very close to pulling the trigger on a few opportunities that have been many months and hundreds of hours in the making.

I''ve been very patient since this summer and took lots of criticism for it.

But I didn''t catch a 586%, 664% and even a 1,044% win in the last 24 months by chasing every opportunity and day-trading.

This isn''t armchair investing. I eat my own cooking and buy exactly what I write about. at the same price and terms as my subscribers.

Look, you may not like my style or my personality. But I''m not here to be liked - that''s what bankers are for. I''m here to educate and to deliver the best returns on precious metal, base metal and energy stocks in the business.

And so far, I''ve delivered.

Editor''s Note: Doug Casey''s longtime friend and resource expert Marin Katusa is revealing his top five stock picks primed for double and even triple-digit potential gains over the next two to nine months.

Marin is taking advantage of this short window right now, and his research shows that window slams shut on December 15th.

Fail to act, and you could miss out on an incredible profit opportunity. Click here for all the details, including Marin''s top five stocks.

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Gridlock Is Good-Except In The Jaws Of Massive Public Debts

by David Stockman

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James Madison is surely smiling from his grave.

Pursuant to his constitutional design, a badly divided electorate got an utterly gridlocked government-with the Supreme Court and Senate in the hands of one party and the House of Representatives and White House marginally in the hands of the other. That's as good an RX against tyranny as it gets.

Vlad Putin is probably smiling, too. His economy is being battered by Washington's bully-boy sanctions because he has been falsely accused of throwing the election to Trump in 2016. This time, even by the lights of the Dem and Deep State Russophobes, however, Putin appears to have been AWOL.

Yet the natural Blue Wave that was allegedly aborted in 2016 by Putin's hackers and social media trolls didn't happen. What we got, instead, is Sleepy Joe (apparently) stumbling into the Oval Office with few electoral college votes to spare. That is, the real people of Flyover America, not the Kremlin's trolls, again voted for the Donald and came up but a whisker short.

Ordinarily, conservatives should be smiling most of all. Donald Trump is no friend of liberty, small government or fiscal and monetary rectitude, and he's now (almost) gone.

More broadly, large, fully mobilized governmental majorities are the handmaids of Leviathan. Always and everywhere the expansion of state power gets abused by ambitious politicians and government apparatchiks for the benefit of the few at the expense of the many. So paralyzed government is just the thing to safeguard personal liberty and private prosperity.

Nor are we talking just, or even mainly, about the threat of old-fashioned mailed fists and boot-heel tyranny where citizens are rounded up and jailed. Today's Leviathan presents more often than not as the Nanny State, wielding a velvet glove of regulation, taxation and fiscal subvention in the name of the public welfare and protection of citizens from themselves.

But the result is tyranny just the same.

The War on Drugs is a 50-year old example, while the swift, shocking and economically catastrophic imposition of economic martial law last spring to eradicate a super-flu is but the latest. Yet now this eight-month old excrescence of Nanny State oppression threatens constitutional government and capitalist prosperity like rarely before.

So the fact that the Dem majority in the US House has been cut and the Senate will likely remain Republican is in many respects all to the good.

For one thing, all the hobgoblins that have terrified Mark Levin and Sean Hannity-Supreme Court packing, elimination of the Senate filibuster rule, sacking the Electoral College, making Washington DC and Puerto Rico (Dem) states, prohibition of fracking and outlawing of fossil fuels, Medicare-for-all, legalization of millions of new immigrant (Dem) voters-are now absolute dead letters.

Even better, Sleepy Joe may well abdicate to a Kamala Harris Regency, but it will be one shorn of the Progressive/Left part of the equation. That's because on substantive legislation it will take 60 votes to break a Senate GOP filibuster, but it will be a rare day inside the beltway when 100% of the Senate Dems including Manchin (WV) and Tester (MT) and 11 Republicans are corralled in favor of the kind of Bernie/AOC stuff that got stuffed into the Dem platform.

To the contrary, we can already hear the cries of "sell-out" and "betrayal" coming from the Progressive-Left whenever Sleepy Joe or Kamala, as the case may prove to be, send their equivalent of Stevie Mnuchin, knee pads in hand, up to Capitol Hill to pleasure with compromises Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, who is now secure in another six year term and a guaranteed 60-years on the public teat.

Indeed, we suspect the Washington Republicans-as undeserving and feckless as they have been for years-may end up with the best of all worlds. That is, being handed a cornucopia of attackable red meat for the 2022 mid-terms owing to the tabling of leftist agenda measures by a Biden Administration chok-a-block with progressives and woksters, even as they would have odds-on capacity to block Senate passage or even serious consideration.

So far, but, finally, not so good.

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Alas, the one great flaw in James Madison's design for a democracy hobbled with checks and balances is the case where the horse manages to get out the barn door, anyway. Then you need strong majorities on both sides of Capitol Hill aligned with White House policies in order to enact positive measures to put the horse back in its stable.

We are referring, of course, to the calamitous fiscal estate that has resulted from 40-years of deficits-don't-matter drift and four years of the Trumpian fiscal bacchanalia.

The whole thing is now one giant Doomsday Machine driven by trillions per year of automatic entitlements, a rapidly swelling retirement-based Welfare State and a deeply embedded military-industrial-surveillance complex and its counter-part domestic pork barrels.

That all was bad enough, but the Lockdown Nation economic calamity and the Coast-to-Coast soup lines that have been enacted by the bipartisan duopoly to indemnify 150 million households and millions of businesses, almost certainly guarantee that the fiscal equation will now go tilt.

That is, a perpetually weak debt-entombed economy and the resulting depleted government revenues (including state and local government, which are the one thing Biden will get funded in the coming Everything Bailouts) will result in double-digit Federal deficits as far as the eye can see, as we will quantify on another occasion.

Needless to say, our newly-elected gridlocked government is not about to do anything to ameliorate this embedded fiscal calamity.

You can be sure that the GOP Senate won't enact any material Biden tax increases; and by the same token, a Biden Administration already failing to make progress on the Progressive-Left agenda won't be embracing social security, medicare and other entitlement reforms. And, of course, the merchants of war own the Congress regardless of party, election results or actual national security needs.

But here's the thing. Under any circumstance, these now guaranteed?double-digit annual deficits (i.e. $2 trillion plus at current GDP levels) aren't sustainable because compounding interest expense eventually sends the ship-of-state into the fiscal drink.

In fact, in an economy that has been systematically and brutally stripped of private savings for decades by central bank financial repression, the only way to finance persistent double digit fiscal deficits and keep interest rates from lurching upward is via 100% monetization of new debt issues.

Undoubtedly, Wall Street's talking heads might initially find that prospect untroubling, and perhaps even indulge in more insanity on the apparent theory that the great 2020 election uncertainty is coming to a imminent end, and that a nice, pro-stimulus 47-year Swamp Creature will be shuffling into the Oval Office.

Yes, the uncertainty about the name of the next president is ending soon, even as the Donald's desperate effort to reverse his loss in Michigan, Wisconsin and elsewhere comes a cropper in a Supreme Court of his own making.

At the same time, a far more consequential uncertainty is just beginning. No known laws of economics or experiences of history permit 100% of massive public debts to be monetized indefinitely at the central bank's printing press.

It is only a matter of time until the Fed's prodigious money-printing blows the nation's egregiously inflated and speculation-ridden financial markets sky high.

That's the real end game of the gridlock that emerged from the vote on November 3. And it's most definitely not the good kind imagined by the wise men who wrote the nation's constitution.

Editor''s Note: No matter what happens in the corridors of Washington DC, the Fed''s money printing will continue at a breathtaking speed.

For savers, retirees, and anyone earning in US dollars, this massive increase in currency creation and inflation is the single biggest threat to their financial future.

If you want to understand how to protect yourself from the biggest swindle that''s taking place right before our eyes, then you need to see the latest dispatch from legendary investor Doug Casey and "Father of Reaganomics" David Stockman.

Click here to see it now.

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Are you wondering what could happen after the US presidential election and how it will impact your financial and personal well-being?

Then you need to look beyond the mainstream media and understand what is really going on.

URGENT VIDEO: How to Prepare for What''s Coming After the 2020 Election

The election is TODAY, and time is short.

We are imminently headed toward a crisis on multiple fronts.

The situation is truly urgent. You need to take action RIGHT NOW ahead of what could be the most chaotic time in US history.

Click here to watch this video now.

Until next time,

International Man Team

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Deciding When to Jump from the Boiling Pot

by Jeff Thomas

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My friend Ratimir came from Serbia, where, in the 1930s, he narrowly escaped the totalitarian regime as it took power. He then settled in Paris and prospered. But in 1939, he accepted the fact that the Nazis were coming and would, at some point, confiscate both his wealth and his freedom.

Although the invasion would not occur until the following year, he decided not to wait until the last minute. He walked away from his business, taking only those things that he could carry in his luggage.

He boarded a ship bound for the West and settled into Havana, Cuba, which, at that time, was very prosperous. With the wealth that he had been able to expatriate, he set up a new business and again prospered.

Then, in 1959, it happened again. On the first day of January, the Cuban president made his escape and left Cuba to be taken over by the rebels.

The Castro brothers, Che Guevara, Camilo Cienfuegos, etc., were the Bernies and the AOCs of their day. They won over the hearts of the people with promises of largesse from the government. The actual violence in the revolution was minimal. The majority of Cubans, and even much of the army, supported the rebels. They marched into Havana with minimal opposition.

The collectivist rebels championed the disadvantaged - those who had not had a part in the Cuban prosperity of the 1950s. They promised equality for all.

However, the minority - those who had prospered - were now worried. Would they be allowed to keep their wealth, their homes, their businesses under the new regime?

Well, no. Almost immediately, Fidel Castro set about moving the disadvantaged into wealthy neighbourhoods, much as has recently been done in New York by the mayor.

There was violence in the streets and a new disregard for private property. Once unleashed, those who sought to burn and loot became "empowered," and the disruption continued for months on end.

Of course, we tend to say that such a thing could only exist in a banana republic. The reason it couldn't happen in a civilised country is that police exist. The police, along with mayors and governors, would never allow such violence and destruction to go unchecked.

And yet, that's exactly what's happening in the US.

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Since 1959, Americans have looked at the overthrow of Cuba in 1959 and asked, "Why didn't the business class just leave? Didn't they see the writing on the wall?"

Well, of course, hundreds did get out, as quickly as possible. But the great majority remained.

Many were unwilling to just walk away from their homes and businesses. Many others imagined that they might appeal to the new government to be allowed to keep their wealth, even though the national mood had shifted to a more collectivist paradigm.

In the end, they were all swallowed up. Those who objected were threatened with imprisonment. The others learned to be quiet and submit.

And this is just what's unfolding in the US today. Those who are filmed defending their homes against rioters find that no charges are brought against the rioters. Those who protect themselves and their property are the ones being charged.

Increasingly, the political authorities are on the side of the collectivist mob.

In such a transfer of "rights," it's unlikely that the shift in national belief can be overcome. Once the majority realise that they can take what belongs to "the greedy rich" with impunity, they'll learn to do just that.

And who are the greedy rich? Well, if we observe how events are playing out, if you possess something I do not, I decide that you are the rich. And, of course, I feel I deserve to take it from you.

It should be said that the Cuban situation was a bit different from the present one in the US. In Cuba, the president got on a plane and left. In the US, the president remains in office but is powerless to take charge of events across the nation, no matter how often he tweets his displeasure.

No election will change the degree to which the US has declined. The Rule of Law has already become a casualty. The US has entered the post-Constitutional era. From here on in, the decline is merely a question of degree and velocity.

So, is that it? Should the people of what was formerly the freest nation on earth just accept that life as they knew it is over?

Well, as in Cuba 1959, yes, that will be the case.

But let's return to my friend Ratimir.

Once he observed that the Rule of Law had broken down, he understood that he was witnessing a pattern that he'd seen before.

Although he would have liked to have had time to sell his home and his business in Havana, he realised that time was short.

He and his family packed their bags, went outside to the front walkway and looked up at their beautiful house for the last time.

They didn't bother to lock the door as they left, since they knew they'd never return to it. The family just got into the waiting taxi and headed for the airport.

Their situation was unusual in only one sense: They had already moved twice in order to escape tyranny. This was fortunate, as having done so, they had no hesitation the third time around.

Ratimir was amongst the few who got out early and was able to take some of his wealth with him. Once he'd arrived at his destination, his ability to provide for his family was undiminished, so he once again prospered.

He was able to live out the remainder of his life in peace and, most importantly, free from tyranny.

There's an old saying that the way to boil a frog is to put it in a pot of cool water, then turn up the heat. It remains in the pot because there's no single increase in temperature that's startling enough to make it jump out.

For Ratimir, the jumping point was when the Rule of Law that protected his liberty began to break down - that is, when the political authorities supported the cessation of the Rule of Law - that was the time to pack up and go.

That jumping point is just as true today.

Editor's Note: There are so many momentous events unfolding right now-including a contentious US presidential election, social unrest, and a global pandemic.

We are all facing enormous risks to our future prosperity, and the coming volatility will be unlike anything we've ever seen before.

That's precisely why legendary investor Doug Casey, the world's top economists, geopolitical analysts, investors, military experts, historians, and Washington, DC insiders have come together for the first time to reveal exactly what you can do to protect yourself in what could be the most volatile time of our lives.

Click here for all the details now.

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The Price of Freedom Comes Down

by Jeff Thomas

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In 1984, St. Kitts & Nevis offered, for the first time, Citizenship by Investment, or CBI.

The idea was that, through an on-island real estate investment of $400,000, or a one-time "donation" of $250,000 to the government, a non-Kittitian could receive citizenship within a few short months. To gain citizenship, he would not be required to live in the islands, nor even to visit them. But his new citizenship would allow him to live there if he chose to do so, without obligation to pay any income or capital gains taxes locally. In addition, his new passport would be honoured in 132 countries, providing him with tremendous freedom.

Not surprisingly, the programme was inspired by the knowledge that many countries in the former "Free World" have become increasingly rapacious as regards their citizenries.

As is always the case historically, when once-powerful nations find themselves in a state of decline, rather than correct the problems they have created, governments tend to squeeze their people even harder. Many of those people then seek a means by which they can exit the clutches of their governments, but the lack of a second passport often enslaves them to the country of their birth.

Not surprisingly, the Kittitian CBIs were frowned upon by those countries that people hoped to be freed from. Canada and the US in particular sought means to claim that the programme was somehow illegal under international law or that it violated humanitarian principles.

Interestingly, although there have been repeated attempts to stop the islands from providing CBIs, they have repeatedly failed. Although St Kitts & Nevis is a small nation, its powerful neighbours to the north were unable to defeat the programme. The only success they achieved was to demand that, after 2012, the Kittitian passports contain the birthplace of the holder so that, should he return to his native country, Immigration would be alerted to the possibility that he might still retain his first citizenship.

This fact is important, as it informs us that the great countries to the north accept that to attempt to freeze out the little island country or come down heavily upon it would be a non-starter internationally. Therefore, the programme has been and remains a valid national policy in diplomatic terms and the possession of a Kittitian passport is likely to continue to provide a layer of freedom to those who possess it.

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From my own experience in St. Kitts & Nevis, my advice to their government has been that they consider awarding a variety of citizenships - voting and non-voting - with a different cost associated with each. Those citizenships that carried fewer rights would cost less.

The reasoning for this is that very few potential takers will be able to plunk down the $400,000, but many more could afford $100,000 and great numbers of people could manage $50,000.

Although the Kittitian government has been reluctant to follow this path, for fear of having large numbers of foreigners gain the vote in a country of only 52,000 people, my belief was that the CBI concept would catch on elsewhere. Other islands would offer CBIs and, as is always the case when several entities offer a similar product, prices will come down.

We have now reached that juncture. Some twenty countries offer some form of CBI, including some of the powerful nations that once objected to it. (If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.)

In particular, four additional Caribbean nations now offer CBIs.

And that's what has triggered the drop in price.

Dominica - a country with a minimalist economy, became the first country to offer citizenship for $100,000. After all, they really had very little to offer as a place of residence, so they compensated for that fact by offering a bargain price on their CBI.

This has changed the rules dramatically. Prices have dropped in the other islands.

Today, a quick look at five Caribbean citizenships reveals the following:

CBIs are available in some European countries but tend to be pricier. For those who are not seeking to become a part of the EU, the Caribbean countries tend to offer greater independence from political turmoil.

In addition to reviewing the above, those who seek the freedom provided by a second passport would be advised to research each of the above nations (and others who provide CBIs) to examine social climate, stability of government, taxation, crime level and amenities available. If possible, a bit of island-hopping would provide a fuller grasp of local pros and cons.

Whether or not you wish to live in your new country, the livability of it may determine whether it has a promising future in a world that's presently undergoing great upheaval. This is particularly relevant for those considering the real estate option.

The decision to shell out $100,000 or more for a second passport may, at present, seem to be rather extravagant, but considering the increasingly totalitarian direction that many of the former Free World countries have been taking as their economic structures unravel, a CBI may one day soon prove to be essential if an exit from your birth country becomes advisable.

Editor's Note: The political and economic climate is constantly changing... and not always for the better. It''s clear the situation in the US, Europe, and other parts of the world will continue to deteriorate. Obtaining the political diversification benefits of a second passport is crucial to ensuring you won''t fall victim to a desperate government.

Fortunately, there are numerous options to obtain a second passport or residency. However, the menu of options is constantly changing, and there is no-one-size-fits-all solution.

To get started and to help you navigate, we suggest you get in contact with our friends at Henley & Partners, the most trusted and experienced people in this space. Specifically, you can reach out to Yat Wan Yeung at yatwan.yeung@henleyglobal.com for more information.

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Did you know there is a secret investment available inside the gold sector that is essentially "off-limits" to regular investors??

It's not stocks, bonds, ETFs, options, mutual funds, coins, or bullion itself.?

In fact, these little-known securities are one of legendary speculator Doug Casey's favorite ways to play gold.

It's an investment only issued by a gold company directly to a wealthy investor or fund.?

The transaction completely sidesteps the open market, so most people never hear of these secret investments and never get the chance to buy them.?

But when you know how to find the secret code they trade under.

You can buy them from the owner in less than a minute through any online broker.?

Doug Casey's colleague and gold expert, Dave Forest has personally used this secret gold investment to see gains like:?

218%, 220%, 277%, 350%, 420%, 433%, 650%, 1,054%, 2,450%, 3,922%, 5,509%, and 6,200%.

In this newly released video, he explains what it's all about and how you can set yourself up for big profits-including how to find the secret code that they trade under.?

Best of all, they're incredibly easy to trade. (You can do it in any online brokerage account in a few minutes.)

Click here to watch it now.

Until next time,

International Man Team

Winding Up Americans

by Jeff Thomas

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For the last four years, Americans have become increasingly polarised - divided between Democrat crusaders who are determined to save America from becoming a racist, sexist Nazi dictatorship under Donald Trump, versus Republican crusaders who are determined to save America from becoming a liberal Marxist state under a Democratic reign.

This fervour has become so extreme that families can no longer meet for the holidays without a conversational blow-up. No longer are people "entitled to their opinions." This has become a crusade between Good and Evil. ("I'm good. You're evil.")

The absurd nature of this dichotomy has reached the point that even Dr. Phil is increasing his viewership by featuring disputes between siblings who are on opposite sides of the political divide and are no longer speaking to each other.

At this point, all that remains to be done by the networks would be to air a Red versus Blue television game show in which contestants compete with their own family members to "Win the White House."

Until November, the great majority of Americans appear to have been hoping that the November election would end this strife one way or the other.

My take on this has been that the opposite would happen after 3rd November. The fireworks would increase exponentially after the election. The election would be hotly contested by whomever was the apparent loser.

This should easily have been foreseen, as the media on the right have insisted for months that the Democrat encouragement for mail-in ballots was a precursor to election fraud.

Similarly, the media on the left have insisted for months that Donald Trump's suggestion that he may not accept the election results meant that he was planning a coup after he (presumably inevitably) lost the election.

And now, the battle has been met.

It's been estimated that 93% of all Fox watchers are Republicans and 95% of MSNBC watchers are Democrats. Since neither side watches the other's news programme, each side is cognizant of only its own team's heavily slanted rhetoric.

The conservative media is awash with details of voter fraud by Democrats, whilst the liberal media states with equal conviction that Mister Trump and his lawyers have provided no details whatever.

Therefore, those who voted Republican will conclude by watching their own "unbiased" news channel that Democrats have tried to steal the election and thereby steal control of the country.

And those who voted Democrat will conclude by watching their own "unbiased" news channel that Republicans have tried to steal the election and thereby steal control of the country.

But how did this get to be so bad? Americans have not been so wound up - nor so polarised - since 1861, at the beginning of the Civil War.

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Indeed, the post-election fervour is as strong as though Fort Sumter had just been fired upon.

More importantly, what will be the outcome?

Will the courts rule against the claims of Mister Trump?

If so, that decision will enrage an already angry right-wing crowd, refusing to vacate the White House and defending it against the pinko mob.

Or will the courts rule in favour of Mister Trump?

If so, that decision will unleash nationwide riots, intent on bringing down the evil dictator.

Either way, we can anticipate that the US will be in flames. If for any reason the level of strife is insufficient, those with deep pockets will hire squads of shills as mercenary soldiers.

The populace will be in terror. Republican voters will beg the federal government to bring in the troops to contain Antifa and the BLM mob.

Democratic voters will beg the federal government to bring in the troops to quell the Republican militias.

In such an upheaval, the one thing both sides will have in common is that they will both beg for the creation of a police state.

And the federal government will answer that call. Martial law would be declared, possibly as a "temporary measure," until normalcy has returned.

But what if normalcy does not return? What if pockets of violence continue to pop up all over the map with regularity?

If that occurs, martial law would need to continue for as long as it was deemed necessary, which would be likely to translate into a permanent police state.

At one time, the media was for the most part impartial and benign, but in recent decades it has been bought out by four large corporations. And some of those corporations own and direct both liberal and conservative networks, which would seem to be at odds with each other.

However, they are not. Today, the objective of the media is not to offer news. It is to create strife - to pit one half of the electorate against the other. In doing so, the ruling elite have the justification to lock down the entire USA under martial law.

Once that has been accomplished, the elite may do as they please. As in all countries where a police state has been achieved - such as Nazi Germany, Mao's China or Stalin's Russia - once military control has been put into place nationwide, meaningful protest ends.

In each of the above cases, the populace was whipped up into a frenzy of hate and violence against the Jews or the aristocracy or whatever other demon had been invented. But the real objective and the result were the subjugation of the populace.

The American populace has been programmed like windup toys, with the ruling elite winding up the keys on their backs as tightly as they will go. When the levers are released, Americans will act dramatically and, in many cases, blindly.

At this point, it's not too late for people to stand back, take a deep breath and ask themselves if they're not being conned into their own subjugation. But it would appear that they've been wound up so tightly that such objectivity is unlikely to occur.

However, if they do not, they risk losing what remains of their once-proud democracy.

Editor''s Note: Economically, politically, and socially, the United States seems to be headed down a path that's not only inconsistent with the founding principles of the country, but accelerating quickly toward boundless decay.

In the years ahead, there will likely be much less stability of any kind.

That''s precisely why, Doug Casey and his team just released this new report with all on details on how to play your cards-both for prudence and profit. Click here to get the details now.

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With just 43 days until inauguration day, Joe Biden has begun announcing his cabinet picks-and the consequences could be drastic.

Here's what the Biden/Harris administration is signaling:

• Increased bailouts and stimulus pumped into every corner of the economy
• Massive spending to address nebulous issues like climate change, inequality, and more
• And unlimited money printing from the Federal Reserve to pay for it all

The road ahead ensures exploding government deficits, an economy ravaged by lockdowns, and growing COVID restrictions with louder calls for the government to do something about it.

The real source of funding for all this madness will come from YOUR savings-through taxation, devaluation of the dollar, and negative interest rates.

Do you want to know what you can do to preserve your savings and even profit from this monetary insanity?

Then you need to see this newly released report from legendary speculator Doug Casey and "Father of Reaganomics" David Stockman.

It reveals how the central bankers and the Deep State plan to devalue your savings and investments, and crucially, what you can do about it.

Click here to see what you need to do to stay one step ahead.

Until next time,

International Man Team

Doug Casey on the COVID Thanksgiving Restrictions and the "Great Reset"

by Doug Casey

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International Man: Thanksgiving and the holiday season are here. The COVID hysteria has justified a new wave of government restrictions.?

Many governors and mayors are ordering citizens to "stay at home" and cancel their traditional plans.

Is this a "new normal" in which local officials feel emboldened to dictate more and more of what people can do in their own homes?

Doug Casey: There''s not much question about it. First, let me draw your attention to an important fundamental: the type of people who go into government. It doesn''t matter if it''s national, state, county, or city government.

They''re the kind of people who think they know what''s best for others and like bossing them around. They see the virus as a great opportunity to make themselves important and to cement themselves in power. They want to deconstruct America. The phrase "build back better" is being used not just by people in the new Biden regime but by people all over the world.

These people see the COVID hysteria as an excuse for a "Great Reset." They don''t describe exactly what the elements of the Great Reset might be, but they''re hitting the same notes sung by the people that go to the World Economic Forum in Davos. They''re promoting a great change in the world at large and America in particular.

It appears the world is ready for it; however, it''s for the same reasons that Biden won the election. I listed six factors why I thought Biden would win in our interview a couple of months ago: the virus hysteria, a pending economic collapse, negative demographics, the moral collapse of the old order, and the Deep State, and, of course, cheating-which was critical in the short term. There''s no question that stormy times are ahead.

We're headed for a great leap forward-to borrow a phrase from Mao-in State power. Much higher taxes, much higher inflation, much more regulation, a big drop in the general standard of living, and a fair measure of social chaos.

International Man: Among the most extreme examples of this dystopian power trip is from California's governor Gavin Newsom.

Recently, he issued a list of nine mandatory requirements for Thanksgiving social gatherings. The ridiculous list includes things like "no more than three households" at Thanksgiving, mandatory masks at all times except when eating, and no shared family-style dishes for guests.

Has the COVID hysteria generated a serious new political threat to individual freedoms?

Doug Casey: It seems like the world is mimicking the dystopian movie, V for Vendetta, in which a virus played a major role.

If it''s not this virus, which is trivial for everyone except very old or very sick people, there will be another virus. In addition to the seasonal flu, about every decade, there's something new-Hong Kong flu, Asian flu, swine flu, bird flu, SARS. all of them about as deadly as COVID, and none of them even remotely comparable to the Spanish flu of 1918.

None of them, even the Spanish flu, had serious economic consequences. This flu is only serious because of the hysteria surrounding it.

Consequences? Testing will be mandatory, and you''ll need a health passport. At some point that may include being chipped, like your dog. What shocks me is that the average person is all for it. Everybody is a "Karen" today. They shame people who don''t wear their masks, despite the fact that masks are of little or no value. Masks, social distancing, lockdowns, and non-gathering are doing immense damage to society at every level-health-wise, socially, and financially. This nonsense is rupturing the social fabric everywhere. That's extremely dangerous.

The fact is that people are looking for guidance from the government-not independent scientists, who are being "canceled" and de-platformed. This is more serious than the hysteria that started with 9/11, which is ongoing. The COVID hysteria can best be compared to the Salem Witch Trials, the Orson Wells Martian Invasion Hoax, or an end-of-the-world prediction in a religious cult.

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International Man: California''s Governor Newsom was recently busted at one of that state's fanciest restaurants for breaking the exact rules he imposed on everyone else.

When asked to comment, he said it was "an error in judgment."

What''s your take on politicians like Newsom and others who are revealing that the lockdowns are "for thee and not for me"?

Doug Casey: I don''t think there''s a cure for it. You''ve got to remember that California has elected insane politicians for decades now-one after another after another, each one worse than the one before. Why should that trend change? The voters are clearly getting what they want.

In fact, the trend is accelerating towards more authoritarian leaders at every level. Fear is ruling the public psyche. And when people are afraid-whether of the virus, economic turbulence, a foreign or domestic enemy, or a hundred other things-they want "strong leadership." Elected politicians have become an elected aristocracy, a new ruling class. And they like it.

The best thing that can happen to California is that it breaks up into several states.

Southern California around Los Angeles is one culture; San Francisco and Oakland are another culture. In the far north-places like Humboldt, Trinity, Siskiyou counties-are totally different cultures again. The farming areas are yet another culture. There''s absolutely no reason for California to be one state. Dividing it would be a way of limiting the damage.

But that''s not going to happen for a lot of reasons. Of course, as I''ve pointed out before, the best thing that can happen to the United States at this point is to break up into several different countries.

Politicians like Gavin Newsom live in their own silos. They''re like medieval royalty. They don''t know and don''t really care what the little people do as long as the little people pay their taxes and do what they''re told.

The plebs are so indoctrinated and browbeaten that they''re happy to pay their taxes and follow orders. They''re told it''s the cost of civilization when it''s actually a sign of how uncivilized the world is becoming, and how different the US is from the ideas that once made America unique. I don''t see any solution because trends stay in motion until they reach a crisis point.

A crisis is coming, and at that point, anything can happen. Generally speaking, when you have a crisis due to bad times, things usually get worse, because the most aggressive liars and power-grabbers take control. So, I''m not terribly optimistic about the near-term future.?

Editor's Note: There's no question the elite are eager to promote policies like negative interest rates, the abolition of cash and more.

If you want to know what the central bankers and the Deep State have planned, then you need to see this newly released dispatch from legendary investor Doug Casey and the ultimate DC insider David Stockman.

It reveals what''s coming down the pike from Washington DC and Wall Street, and what you could do to stay one step ahead.

Click here to see it now.

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Dear Reader,

Doug Casey''s longtime friend and resource expert, Marin Katusa just released his newest stock watch list.

Here's why.

Tax loss selling season is here. And it allows savvy investors to exploit a window of opportunity in order to pick up high-quality companies for fire-sale prices.

In the chart below, you'll see that tax loss selling accelerates later in the calendar year and starts to take a major turn in December.

The major date things change is right around December 15^th.

After that, you'll have to wait another year for this particular profit window to open again.

That's why Marin is uncovering the details to his extensive research and revealing his top five stocks primed for triple-digit rallies over the next three to nine months.

Click here see the details on how you can set yourself up for enormous gains before it''s too late.

Until next time,

International Man Team

P.S. Fail to act and you could miss out on an incredible profit opportunity. Click here to get access now.

The Noble Metals: Hard Money and the 79th Element

by Marin Katusa

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We've all heard the macroeconomic arguments in favor of owning gold.? Today I want to talk about the scientific (chemical) reasons that separate gold from all of the other metals in the periodic table.

First, gold is inert, which means it's very inactive. It does not react with oxygen like iron does (think rust).

That makes gold an?excellent?store of value.

If all the elements in the periodic table were characters in a reality TV show, gold would easily be the most boring.

Why? Because gold is inert. It doesn't hook up with anyone.

Yes, gold is the ultimate celibate element.

Let me explain why this is important-chemically speaking.

The Alchemist's History of Hard Money

There are 118 elements in the periodic table, of which gold is one.

Take away the 17 gases (gases are of no value for this exercise).

Also remove the six metalloids, which are elements that don't know whether they are metals or non-metals since they have traits of both (e.g., antimony, arsenic, silicon).

Thus, we end up with ninety-five elemental metal contestants on our Currency Reality Show.

Note: For the chemistry nerds among us, I don't count Oganesson and antimony as metals-call me old school. There are ninety-five metal elements in the periodic table.

Of the ninety-five metals in the periodic table, eighty-five are "active." This means they are fun to watch on our reality TV show because they are always hooking up with other elements.

But remember that activity always results in oxidation?or?corrosion.

If you want a metal for long-term storage value, you don't want it to change. You want it to hold its own, maintain its integrity, and not degrade.

Iron, for example, has many useful applications, but it oxidizes and then rusts. Iron is active, and it would be fun to watch its decay on a reality TV show for entertainment value.

But it's bad if you want to use it as a currency. The coinage will rust away. And the last thing you want is a metal that debases itself.

Politicians and central bankers don't need any help doing that; they do a wonderful job of debasing currency on their own.

The Noble Metals - Gold, Silver, Platinum, Palladium.

So that leaves us with what are known as?the "noble" metals. Just like there are noble gases (noble meaning "inert"), these metals are not active.

I want you to think of the noble metals as the?royalty of all metals. They don't interact with the peasants-the other elements on the periodic table that are always "interacting" with others and debasing themselves.

The noble metals in chemistry are the following:

• Copper,
• Silver,
• Gold,
• Platinum,
• Palladium,
• Ruthenium, Rhodium, Osmium, and Iridium.

Historically, copper, silver, and gold have been known as the coinage metals. And scientists deem these three the "real" noble metals because of their electronic structure.

Copper does react with oxygen, which is where the Statue of Liberty got its bluish-green color.

But the result of copper interacting with oxygen is not corrosion, like rust. It's the exact opposite. The process is called "passivation," and the bluish-green color is actually a layer of protection that protects the copper from natural debasement.

That is why copper is included in the noble metals. It does "interact," but it doesn't corrode. This interaction acts as a protective barrier for the copper but changes its appearance.

Silver is a bit kinky, too. It reacts with sulfide gas in the atmosphere, which causes it to look tarnished.

Removing the tarnish is natural debasement. Every time you polish the silver to get rid of the tarnish, you will be removing some silver, thus debasing it.

The remaining noble metals just aren't practical for use as a store of value.

Not only are they hard to smelt and difficult to work with, but they are also too scarce in nature to be able to meet the need as a store of value.

And they all look kind of ugly. Think silver, but without the sexiness and brightness.

A blah gray is what the platinum group of noble metals look like.?

In fact, all the metals on the periodic table of elements except copper and gold are a variation of gray. Silver is at least a sexy version of gray. The rest are just variations of a dull gray.

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So That Leaves Us With Gold.

Gold's beautiful color is not only unique on the periodic table, but it also will not change. Gold doesn't mess with the peasant metals or with the other nobles. Gold does not react with any other element.

And ultimately, that is why gold will always be the king of all metals-and the currency of kings.

Everyone loves gold. Nobody dreams of winning a bronze medal at the Olympics. It's the gold medal they want! There are thousands of analogies engrained in our subconscious, passed down to us through our families and societies, why gold is the king of metals.

And it's the only metal that serves its purpose as the best store of value.

Gold Market Update

As I have written several times over the past few months, I did not expect gold to be a one-way trip.

Gold has risen 47 percent, or $600 per ounce, in fewer than two years. Taking some time to consolidate before moving higher is important.

In Katusa's Resource Opportunities, we've highlighted three resistance points above $1,900 per ounce that gold needed to hold above, which it failed to do so.

In addition, $1,900 per ounce was a line in the sand, which gold has broken below.

In the graph below, you can see that the red trendline remains intact and has acted as resistance since August.

So what's going on?

The USD continues to play its role in the price of gold.

On the heels of enormous stimulus packages, the USD has faced high-short sales pressures. The graph below shows the current USD positioning.

According to the CFTC, over 9,000 contracts are currently short the USD.

This has only happened two other times since 2014. Both times, the USD has subsequently experienced a sharp rally.

A rally in the USD would be a headwind for short-term gold prices.

Regardless, I expect the gold market to remain volatile over the coming weeks.

Make no mistake; you can use this volatility to your advantage.

If the USD rallies and takes the wind out of the supercharged gold and silver markets, are you prepared?

Back in Q2 of this year, there were screaming bargains in some of the best companies in the resource world.

Subscribers and I were prepared, picking up world-class companies and stocks in price swings that a junior or small-cap company normally sees.

In markets exactly like you see today, it's important that you know which stocks you're holding are liquid - and which ones are illiquid.

We are not even halfway through the share-printing spree that resource companies (explorers and developers) went on. These companies are giving central bankers a run for their money (printing).

Editor's Note: Doug Casey and Marin Katusa just released an urgent video which outlines exactly how they''re positioned to profit from a rare opportunity in the gold market.

They discuss how this situation has played out numerous times and why even a small amount of money put into the right mining stocks today could deliver life-changing rewards. Click here to watch it now and see how you could join them in making enormous profits.

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Doug Casey on the End of Western Civilization

by Doug Casey

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International Man: The decline of Western Civilization is on a lot of people's minds.

Let's talk about this trend.

Doug Casey:?Western Civilization has its origins in ancient Greece. It's unique among the world's civilizations in putting the individual-as opposed to the collective-in a central position. It enshrined logic and rational thought-as opposed to mysticism and superstition-as the way to deal with the world. It's because of this that we have science, technology, great literature and art, capitalism, personal freedom, the concept of progress, and much, much more. In fact, almost everything worth having in the material world is due to Western Civilization.

Ayn Rand once said "East minus West equals zero." I think she went a bit too far, as a rhetorical device, but she was essentially right. When you look at what the world's other civilizations have brought to the party, at least over the last 2,500 years, it's trivial.

I lived in the Orient for years. There are many things I love about it-martial arts, yoga, and the cuisine among them. But all the progress they've made is due to adopting the fruits of the West.

International Man: There are so many things degrading Western Civilization. Where do we begin?

Doug Casey:?It's been said, correctly, that a civilization always collapses from within. World War 1, in 1914, signaled the start of the long collapse of Western Civilization. Of course, termites were already eating away at the foundations, with the writings of people like Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Karl Marx. It's been on an accelerating downward path ever since, even though technology and science have been improving at a quantum pace. They are, however, like delayed action flywheels, operating on stored energy and accumulated capital. Without capital, intellectual freedom, and entrepreneurialism, science and technology will slow down. I'm optimistic we'll make it to?Kurzweil's Singularity, but there are no guarantees.

Things also changed with the creation of the Federal Reserve in 1913. Before that, the US used gold coinage for money. "The dollar" was just a name for 1/20th of an ounce of gold. That is what the dollar was. Paper dollars were just receipts for gold on deposit in the Treasury. The income tax, enacted the same year, threw more sand in the gears of civilization. The world was much freer before the events of 1913 and 1914, which acted to put the State at the center of everything.

The Fed and the income tax are both disastrous and unnecessary things, enemies of the common man in every way. Unfortunately, people have come to believe they're fixtures in the cosmic firmament. They're the main reasons-there are many other reasons, though, unfortunately-why the average American's standard of living has been dropping since the early 1970s. In fact, were it not for these things, and the immense amount of capital destroyed during the numerous wars of the last 100 years, I expect we'd have already colonized the moon and Mars. Among many other things.

But I want to re-emphasize that the science, the technology, and all the wonderful toys we have are not the essence of Western Civilization. They're consequences of individualism, capitalism, rational thought, and personal freedom. It's critical not to confuse cause and effect.

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International Man: You mentioned that the average American's standard of living has dropped since the early 1970s. This is directly related to the US government abandoning the dollar's last link to gold in 1971. Since then, the Federal Reserve has been able to debase the US dollar without limit.

I think the dollar's transformation into a purely fiat currency has eroded the rule of law and morality in the US. It's similar to what happened in the Roman Empire after it started debasing its currency.

What do you think, Doug?

Doug Casey:?All the world's governments and central banks share a common philosophy, which drives these policies. They believe that you create economic activity by stimulating demand, and you stimulate demand by printing money. And, of course, it's true, in a way. Roughly the same way a counterfeiter can stimulate a local economy.

Unfortunately, they ignore that, and completely ignore that the way a person or a society becomes wealthy is by producing more than they consume and saving the difference. That difference, savings, is how you create capital. Without capital you're reduced to subsistence, scratching at the earth with a stick. These people think that by inflating-which is to say destroying-the currency, they can create prosperity. But what they're really doing, is destroying capital: When you destroy the value of the currency, that discourages people from saving it. And when people don't save, they can't build capital, and the vicious cycle goes on.

This is destructive for civilization itself, in both the long term and the short term. The more paper money, the more credit, they create, the more society focuses on finance, as opposed to production. It's why there are many times more people studying finance than science. The focus is increasingly on speculation, not production. Financial engineering, not mechanical, electrical, or chemical engineering. And lots of laws and regulations to keep the unstable structure from collapsing.

What keeps a truly civil society together isn't laws, regulations, and police. It's peer pressure, social opprobrium, moral approbation, and your reputation. These are the four elements that keep things together. Western Civilization is built on voluntarism. But, as the State grows, that's being replaced by coercion in every aspect of society. There are regulations on the most obscure areas of life. As Harvey Silverglate pointed out in his book, the average American commits three felonies a day. Whether he's caught and prosecuted is a subject of luck and the arbitrary will of some functionary. That's antithetical to the core values of Western Civilization.

International Man: Speaking of ancient civilizations like Rome, interest rates are about the lowest they've been in 5,000 years of recorded history. Trillions of dollars' worth of government bonds trade at?negative?yields.

Of course, this couldn't happen in a free market. It's only possible because of central bank manipulation.

How will artificially low interest rates affect the collapse of Western Civilization?

Doug Casey:?It's really, really serious. I previously thought it was metaphysically impossible to have negative interest rates but, in the Bizarro World central banks have created, it's happened.

Negative interest rates discourage saving. Once again, saving is what builds capital. Without capital you wind up as an empty shell-Rome in 450 A.D., or Detroit today-lots of wonderful but empty buildings and no economic activity. Worse, it forces people to desperately put their money in all manner of idiotic speculations in an effort to stay ahead of inflation. They wind up chasing the bubbles the funny money creates.

Let me re-emphasize something: in order for science and technology to advance you need capital. Where does capital come from? It comes from people producing more than they consume and saving the difference. Debt, on the other hand, means you're living above your means. You're either consuming the capital others have saved, or you're mortgaging your future.

Zero and negative interest rate policies, and the creation of money out of nowhere, are actually destructive of civilization itself. It makes the average guy feel that he's not in control of his own destiny. He starts believing that the State, or luck, or Allah will provide for him. That attitude is typical of people from backward parts of the world-not Western Civilization.

International Man:?What does it say about the economy and society that people work so hard to interpret what officials from the Federal Reserve and other central banks say?

Doug Casey:?It's a shameful waste of time. They remind me of primitives seeking the counsel of witch doctors. One hundred years ago, the richest people in the country-the Rockefellers, the Carnegies, and such-made their money creating industries that actually made stuff. Now, the richest people in the country just shuffle money around. They get rich because they're close to the government and the hydrant of currency materialized by the Federal Reserve. I'd say it's a sign that society in the US has become quite degraded.

The world revolves much less around actual production, but around guessing the direction of financial markets. Negative interest rates are creating bubbles, and will eventually result in an economic collapse.

International Man:?Negative interest rates are essentially a tax on savings. A lot of people would rather pull their money out of the bank and stuff it under a mattress than suffer that sting.

The economic central planners know this. It's why they're using negative interest rates to ramp up the War on Cash-the push to eliminate paper currency and create a cashless society.

The banking system is very fragile. Banks don't hold much paper cash. It's mostly digital bytes on a computer. If people start withdrawing paper money en masse, it won't take much to bring the whole system down.

Their solution is to make accessing cash harder, and in some cases, illegal. That's why the economic witch doctors at Harvard are pounding the table to get rid of the $100 bill.

Take France, for example. It's now illegal to make cash transactions over ?1,000 without documenting them properly.

Negative interest rates have turbocharged the War on Cash. If the central planners win this war, it would be the final deathblow to financial privacy.

How does this all relate to the collapse of Western Civilization?

Doug Casey:?I believe the next step in their idiotic plan is to abolish cash. Decades ago they got rid of gold coinage, which used to circulate day to day in people's pockets. Then they got rid of silver coinage. Now, they're planning to get rid of cash altogether. So you won't even have euros or dollars or pounds in your wallet anymore, or if you do, it will only be very small denominations. Everything else is going to have to be done through electronic payment processing.

This is a huge disaster for the average person: absolutely everything that you buy or sell, other than perhaps a candy bar or a hamburger, is going to have to go through the banking system. Thus, the government will be able to monitor every transaction and payment. Financial privacy, even what's left of it today, will literally cease to exist.

Privacy is one of the big differences between a civilized society and a primitive society. In a primitive society, in your little dirt hut village, anybody can look through your window or pull back the flap on your tent. You have no privacy. Everybody can hear everything; see anything. This was one of the marvelous things about Western Civilization-privacy was valued, and respected. But that concept, like so many others, is on its way out.

International Man: You've?mentioned before?that language and words provide important clues to the collapse of Western Civilization. How so?

Doug Casey:?Many of the words you hear, especially on television and other media, are confused, conflated, or completely misused. Many recent changes in the way words are used are corrupting the language. As George Orwell liked to point out, to control language is to control thought. The corruption of language is adding to the corruption of civilization itself. This is not a trivial factor in the degradation of Western Civilization.

Words-their exact meanings, and how they're used-are critically important. If you don't mean what you say and say what you mean, then it's impossible to communicate accurately. Forget about transmitting philosophical concepts.

Take for example?shareholders?and?stakeholders. We all know that a shareholder actually owns a share in a company, but have you noticed that over the last generation shareholders have become less important than?stakeholders? Even though stakeholders are just hangers-on, employees, or people who are looking to get in on a shakedown. But everybody slavishly acknowledges, "Yes, we've got to look out for the stakeholders."

Where did that concept come from? It's a recent creation, but?Boobus americanus seems to think it was carved in stone at the country's founding.

We're told to protect them, as if they were a valuable and endangered species. I say, "A pox upon stakeholders." If they want a vote in what a company does, then they ought to become shareholders. Stakeholders are a class of being created out of nothing by Cultural Marxists for the purpose of shaking down shareholders.

Editor''s Note: Right now, the US is the most polarized it has been since the Civil War.

The next couple of weeks could be the most chaotic period in US history. The stakes are higher than they've ever been in living memory.

Do you want to know how you can protect your family and your portfolio in these volatile times?

The consequences of this could be crippling to the average person.

That's exactly why legendary speculator Doug Casey, David Stockman, and the top experts in finance, geopolitics, investing, and politics are revealing exactly what's happening and how it will impact all of us.

They also reveal what you can do to avoid becoming financial roadkill and how you can protect your family from what comes next.

Click here to see the urgent video now.

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5 Important Gold Charts to Watch Right Now

by Marin Katusa

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In such volatile times, let's see if gold is whispering anything to us.

Chart 1: The Gold to S&P 500 Ratio

In this chart, you'll see how the price ratio of one ounce of gold to the price level of the S&P 500 has varied over the years based on the monthly high closing price of gold.

The higher the ratio, the "more" expensive gold is relative to the S&P 500. The opposite is true when the ratio is below one.

A return to the 50-year average ratio would mean a gold price of $2,176.84, which would be a 14% increase over the current spot price of gold. This means gold is undervalued by 14%, relative to its 50-year average ratio to the S&P 500.

In other words, gold has a long way to run before it gets to its multi-generational average level with the S&P 500.

Even at an all-time high price of $2,063.02 an ounce:

• The Gold/S&P 500 ratio is still lower than the 50-year average, and
• it's still 4.5-9.6x lower than it was during periods of double-digit inflation.

While the S&P 500 continues pushing its own all-time highs, it's worth noting that only 239 of its 500 components-less than half-are up year-to-date.

Only 72 of the S&P 500 companies have outperformed gold, and only 52 have outperformed the VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX).

Miners Freeport-McMoran (NYSE:FCX) and Newmont (NYSE:NEM) are the 50th and 51st best-performing stocks in the index, both up over 39% year-to-date. They are the only two base and precious metals mining companies in the S&P 500.

Chart 2: Inflation-Adjusted Gold Price

When gold hit its nominal all-time high of $2,063.02/oz on August 6th, 2020, it was only its 24th best closing price when adjusted for inflation (indexed to 2012 dollars).

Real, or inflation-adjusted, prices can be calculated simply by using an inflation indicator.

The most well-known measure is the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

In this case, we'll use the GDP Price Deflator, which is considered a more robust measure of inflation.

If we look at gold's top 10 daily closing prices after adjusting for inflation, we can see that they were all either in January 1980 or between August and September 2011.

In 2012 dollars, spot gold would need to hit $2,349.01/oz to match its inflation-adjusted all-time high set on January 21, 1980.

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Chart 3: Relative Valuation of Gold Miners

It's no secret that mining stocks provide great leverage to the underlying metal they produce.

But are gold miners still a bargain in this market?

The short answer is yes, they are, when compared to almost every other industry in the stock market.

This is especially true when you consider that the long-term outlook for gold is bullish.

In the chart below, we look at Price to Forward Cash Flow Per Share (Forward CFPS) multiples, which tell us where stock prices are relative to the cash flows they're expected to generate over the next 12 months.

Gold miners, and especially senior producers, have benefitted greatly in this bull market.

Yet, the multiples for the GDX and GDXJ, the VanEck Gold Senior and Junior Gold Miner ETFs, haven't shot up as much as the other major market indices.

In fact, GDXJ is below its 10-year average.

When you hear the words "frothy market," just look at the NASDAQ and how its Price/Forward CFPS multiple is almost double its 10-year average; or how the big six tech stocks (FAANMG) make up 42% of the NASDAQ Composite's market cap and 25% of the S&P 500, as of this writing.

Chart 4: Gold Price vs. Fed Balance Sheet

It's not the most correlated data set, especially since the Federal Reserve hasn't changed its gold holdings since April 2006; but the growth in the Fed's balance sheet shows the extent of the massive stimulus packages.

Unlimited QE drives down yields. Thus, the Fed's exploding balance sheet can be viewed as a key supporter of increasing gold prices. Gold becomes a more attractive safe-haven investment when Treasury's have historically low yields.

While the Fed has continued to disappoint many investors by not committing to a policy of yield curve control and rejecting a negative interest rate policy, low rates will likely persist until the end of 2022 at the earliest.

The Fed has staked its entire credibility on that timeline.

As a gold investor, it's worth keeping an eye on central bank balance sheets as well as inflation expectations and real yields.

Chart 5: "Paper Gold ETF Fund Flows"

It's been a record year for gold and also a defining year for gold-backed ETFs like the SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) or Sprott Physical Gold Trust.

In a year of economic devastation, rampant speculation in financial markets, rock bottom yields, and unprecedented changes to monetary policy orthodoxy-gold ETFs have been the vehicle of choice for major hedge funds and individual investors to de-risk and also benefit from surging gold prices.

With less than two months left in the year, gold ETFs across the world have already surpassed the previous annual record of gold ounces purchased, 20.7 million ounces (set in 2009), by over 45%.

In fact, that record had already been surpassed mid-way through the year, by June 30th. The additional 11 million ounces purchased since then have been icing on the cake.

Going for Gold

Based on all of the charts we've shown so far, all signs point to a bullish long-term outlook for gold and gold companies in the coming years.

Of course, that doesn't preclude a reversal and consolidation of gold prices in the short-term.

If that does happen, there will be an incredible opportunity to build up your portfolio for the upcoming gold bull cycle.

Editor's Note: A small amount of money put into mining stocks right now could give you life-changing rewards.

For a limited time, Marin is revealing how you can get positioned alongside him as the bull market kicks off in earnest. Click here to get the details now.

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You''ll Own Nothing and You''ll Be Happy

by Jeff Thomas

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Klaus Schwab was born in Nazi Germany in 1938. Little information is available as to his upbringing - i.e., the degree to which he was educated to believe in Nazi doctrine - but whatever he was taught in his youth, he is, today, one of the most ardent believers in, and proponents of, totalitarian rule.

The term "Nazi" refers to Nationalsozialistisch, or "National Socialism," and its overall concept was fascism - a concept that encompassed a corporatist economic system, socialist political system and totalitarian rule.

Whilst this description may seem rather convoluted, the concept was believed by Wall Street and much of the US government in the 1930s as the way of the future. So much so that they provided considerable financial and logistical support for Nazi Germany during the 1930s and even into the 1940s.

Following the war, only a handful of Germans were prosecuted for war crimes at the Nuremburg trials. Countless others were taken on board by both US industry and the government following the war, to educate American industry in German methodology.

For many years following the war, Nazi concepts remained under the radar, but in recent years, they've become a major force within not only the US, but also US ally states: Canada, Australia, the UK and, most notably, the EU.

The basic concepts are perennial in their attraction to those who seek to dominate:

1. Create an uber class of those who are highly positioned in both industry and politics.
2. Cripple the middle class economically, so that they no longer have the power to make their own life decisions.
3. Offer dramatically increased dependency on the State as a relief from the economic hardship created by the state.
4. Remove freedoms, in trade for the promise of largesse from the State.
5. Institute a police state and totalitarian rule to ensure that the new paradigm will be lasting.
6. Once controls are fully implemented and the populace has become dependent on the new system, begin to remove the promised entitlements.

The idea behind this final bullet point is that, once the population is thoroughly dependent upon the state, they will have lost the power to object or rebel if entitlements are removed. They are then fully dominated.

Of course, if any individual were to read the above menu, he would immediately say, "No way!" and reject the programme outright. Therefore, if such an oppressive regime were to be imposed upon a people, it would need to be sold to them as a benefit, not as virtual enslavement.

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Joseph Goebbels was proud of saying, "Make the lie big. Keep it simple. Keep saying it and eventually, they will believe it."

Quite so. Fortunately, Mister Hitler and his friends were removed from the firmament before the final stages of the programme could be implemented.

But today, the jurisdictions listed above are now solidly in the completion stage of bullet point #2 and have begun to provide the offer of bullet point #3: the promised solution to the populace.

And so, we return to our poster boy for totalitarianism: Klaus Schwab.

His fame has been earned through his creation and chairmanship of the World Economic Forum (WEF). Over the last half century, the WEF has grown in influence to become one of the foremost leaders in the proposition of a New World Order.

As with Mister Hitler, in order to sell Totalitarianism 201 to the people of the countries in question, the technique once again is to "Make the lie big."

Professor Schwab's video offers an idyllic state in which people can rid themselves of all the personal debt, the political upheaval and the social unrest that is now expanding so rapidly.

The proposed solution is that you sign over your right to own possessions on a permanent basis, in trade for a life in which there is minimal responsibility. The world government will provide you with a basic income. You will rent whatever you need - a residence, a vehicle, appliances, even your clothing.

Most importantly, as can be seen from the countenance of the citizen in the image above, you'll be happy.

There will be no more wars. A "handful of countries" will rule the world cooperatively. There will be no waiting for medical attention. "There will be a global price on carbon" emissions. (This states that those who use fossil fuels - everyone - will be taxed for its use, although no explanation is given as to how this keeps the world from ending in twelve years due to emissions, as globalists claim.)

The government will have full control of every aspect of your life, plus the task of removing any obstacles to your happiness.

Sounds wonderful. Where do I sign up?

But if we stop and think for a moment, we might wish to ask a few questions.

For one thing, you give up all rights at the beginning of the deal. You will have lost all your possessions and all your freedoms. You will be 100% dependent upon the state. Their part of the deal is to be delivered on the back end.

But once you're totally dependent and can no longer extricate yourself from the deal, there's nothing to stop them from removing the punch bowl... Oh-oh.

All the things that were promised may be withdrawn one at a time, until you're both subservient and impoverished. You will lack the ability to rebel or even to complain.

For generations, political leaders have offered empty promises that were never kept. Conservative and liberal political leaders alike have consistently made a grand show of disagreeing with each other on what form of governance might serve the people best. Yet, somehow, the result, no matter which group theoretically holds the reins of power at any given time, has always been a larger, more powerful government and a populace that was increasingly robbed of its freedoms - social, political and economic.

We are now at the very turning point at which much of the former Free World is being tempted to make the leap into the "Brave New World."

All the social, political and economic problems that presently exist have been caused by political leaders. They are now asking you to trust them to end those problems.

The promise is a simple one: You'll own nothing. And you'll be happy.

But you're not required to sign up. All you need do is sit still and accept the transformation to totalitarianism as it plays out.

Nothing could be simpler.

EXCLUSIVE REPORT: How Central Bankers and the Deep State Plan to Devalue Your Savings and Investments

Click here to get the details now.

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David Stockman on Janet Yellen''s Return and the Financial Storm Ahead...

by David Stockman

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Janet Yellen is back.?

Naturally, the follies of Keynesian central banking come to mind.

In many ways, Yellen's tenure as Fed chairman was far worse than Ben Bernanke's. At least Bernanke's money-printing madness was undergirded by his credentials as a misguided scholar of the Great Depression and the mistaken conclusion that the Wall Street meltdown of September 2008 was the prelude to another such occurrence.

The Great Depression of the 1930s was caused by way too much Fed-fostered foreign borrowing on Wall Street during the roaring twenties. It stimulated an unsustainable boom in US exports, soaring domestic CapEx in order to expand production capacity, and a stock bubble fueled consumer-spending boom in cars, radios, and appliances.
Therefore, when the Wall Street bubble burst in October 1929, foreign borrowing dried up, US exports and CapEx crashed and spending on consumer durables plummeted.

This was the cause of the massive contraction in 1930-1933, which took the GDP down from $95 billion to $58 billion in dollars of the day. By contrast, it had nothing to do with Milton Friedman's crashing M-1 (money supply), which was a consequence of unavoidable and necessary bad debt liquidation by the banking system. Nor did it stem from any lack of credit availability to solvent borrowers, as demonstrated by market interest rates that remained ultra-low (under 2%) throughout the downturn.

The depression of 1930-1933 wasn't owing to the stinginess of the Fed, which actually expanded its balance sheet by 72% between August 1929 and early 1933.?

Consequently, Bernanke's maneuver of flooding the zone with fiat credit during 2009-2013 was a mistaken page from Milton Friedman's counterfactual playbook, which was wrong the day it was written in the early 1960s and even more wrong when Bernanke cut and pasted it into his PhD thesis at MIT in 1979.

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By the time Yellen became Fed Chairman in February 2014, however, there was no plausible excuse for keeping Bernanke's bloated Fed balance sheet in place or continuing to keep interest rates at the zero bound. If there was ever a chance to normalize Bernanke's misbegotten Depression-fighting policy, it was during the 48 months of Yellen's term.

Needless to say, Yellen's Fed did no such thing. After 45 years of devotion to the 1960s Keynesian bathtub theory of full employment economics, Yellen kept real interest rates buried in negative territory during the entirety of her term, and not just marginally.

The 16% Trimmed Mean CPI increased by an average of 1.90% per annum during that four-year period, while the Fed's target interest rate averaged just 0.40%.

During the sweet spot of the longest business cycle expansion in history-from month #55 to month #103-when the economy should have been left to expand on its own without "stimulus" from the central banking branch of the state, Yellen kept real money market rates pinned at an unprecedented -150 basis points.

The justification for such economic insanity was the claim that the US economy was not at its full-employment level as measured by the dubious U-3 unemployment rate and that the job of the central bank was to keep injecting "demand" into the economy until the bathtub was full to the brim and 100% of "potential GDP" was attained.

But here's the thing. Potential GDP and full-employment labor markets are Keynesian malarkey.

In a world in which domestic labor competes with China's price for goods, India's price for internet-based services and Mexico's price for manufactured goods assembly, full employment cannot be measured by the headcount metrics of the BLS, nor can it be achieved by injecting massive amounts of fiat credit into the bank accounts of Wall Street dealers.

In fact, with total outstanding credit now at $81 trillion, or 382% of GDP, the Fed's liquidity injections never really leave the canyons of Wall Street. The result is increased speculation on Wall Street and accelerating inflation of financial asset prices.

After all, money markets do not finance the working capital or fixed asset investments of business, nor do they fund consumer borrowing for automobiles and durables. Instead, short-term money markets are where Wall Street dealers finance their inventory and where speculators fund their positions in the options markets-or via margin and repo credit against stocks and bonds held outright.

Consequently, negative real interest rates are the mother's milk of financial speculation and the resulting asset price bubbles.

Yellen's policies constituted an epic monetary error that has fueled bond- and stock -market bubbles that are off the charts, thereby sending erroneous price signals to Wall Street gamblers, corporate C-suites and spendthrift politicians alike.

The yawning gap below between the purple line, signifying (the running inflation rate) and the brown line (the money market rate) connotes the massive subsidy Yellen's Fed conferred on speculators and day traders.?

Real Cost of Money Market Borrowings, 2014-2018: 16% Trimmed Mean CPI Less Fed Funds Rate

In short, Yellen sowed the wind of monetary excess, and now we are reaping the whirlwind of a gargantuan Wall Street bubble that is a clear and present danger to the economic future-because it will crash, and the resulting financial and economic damage will be biblical.

Ironically, Janet Yellen may be sitting in the captain's chair when the most violent and destructive financial storm in history finally comes ashore. It would serve her right.

Editor's Note: There''s no question the elite are eager to promote policies like negative interest rates, the abolition of cash and more.

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Watch Out for the Shoeshine Boys

by Jeff Thomas

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There's an investment legend that, in 1929, Joseph Kennedy (father of the late US President), living in New York City, stopped on the street to get his shoes shined.

At that time, shoeshine boys were ubiquitous in the business district of New York.

The shoeshine boy offered Joe some stock tips. Joe decided that, when even shoeshine boys are offering stock tips, it's time to get out of the market. He sold off his entire portfolio immediately, and the crash came soon after, leaving him with his wealth intact, at a time when so many others had lost theirs.

Is the story true?

Well, this is one of those instances in life in which it doesn't really matter whether the incident actually happened. The lesson to be learned from it is true, either way.

In 1929, stocks were so frothy that countless brokers and investors believed that that the market was unstoppable - that the old laws of economics had been repealed and a new era was blossoming.

Today we see that same blind optimism. The only difference between 1929 and now is that technology and sales tools are more advanced, making unwise investments in the stock market far easier.

To those who are successful in investing, the traditional method for success is to pick a field that you know and have a talent for understanding, then study that field as much as possible. Find out who the principals are and study their track records over an extended period of time. Study the fundamentals of the investment and how well-funded the company is. Examine the market demand for its products or services and the political future of the countries that affect the company.

Then, even if it passes muster, think carefully as to how much of your money you're willing to lose if you make a mistake.

And here's the fun-killer: Avoid any investment for which you have not fulfilled the prerequisites in the previous paragraph.

That doesn't mean that you can't spend money on something that doesn't pass your due diligence; it just means that you shouldn't regard that expenditure as an "investment." It may not be a true investment because you haven't done your homework.

Any such expenditure should be regarded as gambling, not investing.

But this is difficult to remember in times such as the present one.

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Never in our lifetimes have stocks headed north so quickly and persistently. Never have we seen mega stocks rise this way, such as the amazing FANGs (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google) or some equally-impressive other examples, such as Alibaba, Apple and Tesla.

So, let's have a quick look at one of these: Tesla.

On the plus side, Tesla is up nearly 800% over the last twelve months alone. Its market value is greater than the next five largest automakers combined. As many as 40,000 Robinhood users bought Tesla in just four hours in July. It has made its founder the seventh richest person in the world, recently passing Warren Buffet. How can you not buy Tesla? Don't you also want to get rich quick?

But on the questionable side, it has a debt load of $13 billion. It loses $14,000 on every Model 3 it sells. It ploughs all its income back into expansion and has never paid a dividend. It doesn't turn a profit and has been fined $20 million for market abuse.

So, what does the average purchaser of Tesla stock think of this seemingly impossible mix of factors when he studies the company?

Well, in fact, the average purchaser never sees the above information. The average purchaser may dispense with the study of stocks, as new technology has made it easy to buy and sell with just the aid of a smartphone.

Robinhood, a company that was only created seven years ago, has become a cornucopia for such purchasers.

A potential investor may simply go online, type in "TSLA," receive some thumbnail details about the company plus its price today, and with one click, can purchase stock online. It's as easy as buying an item on Amazon.

And, best of all, it's commission-free.

It's now possible to be like the big boys in the market - to pursue wealth through stock trading. Even better, it can be accomplished right on your phone whilst you drink your morning pumpkin spice latte. What's not to like?

Well, unfortunately, in the present era, as in all previous eras, the laws of economics have not been repealed. They are the same as they always have been.

Periodically, there are minor crashes, and at longer intervals, there are major crashes.

The world is presently overdue for a major one - very likely one for the record books.

And, as if on cue, the shoeshine boys are out in record numbers. They can be seen staring at their smartphones, pressing "Buy."

Joe Kennedy may not have been the most admirable individual from his age, but his advice might be prophetic right now.

Editor''s Note: As we get closer to a widespread economic collapse, choosing where to put your money is crucial to ensuring it doesn''t get caught in the crosshairs.

The best you can and should do is to stay informed so that you can protect yourself in the best way possible. We think everyone should own some physical gold.

Gold is the ultimate form of wealth insurance. It has preserved wealth through every kind of crisis imaginable. It will preserve wealth during the next crisis, too.

We''ve eliminated the guesswork and found an ideal solution that will help keep your gold safe and within your control, even during the worst of times. Best of all, it meets all the criteria for self-directed IRAs.

As you''ll see, it''s one of International Man contributor Jeff Thomas'' preferred options. Click here to find out more.

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Did you know there is a secret investment available inside the gold sector that is essentially "off-limits" to regular investors?

These secret investments are almost exclusively offered only to very wealthy investors directly from a company.?

And, the chance of a regular person being offered this secret investment is slim to none.?

In fact, these little-known securities are one of legendary speculator Doug Casey's favorite ways to play gold.

Doug''s colleague and gold expert, Dave Forest has created a way to get you access.?

In this newly released video, he will reveal how you take advantage of this unique investment opportunity and set yourself up for big profits-including how to find the secret code that they trade under.?

Click here to watch it now.

Until next time,

International Man Team

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How to Get a Second Passport

by Nick Giambruno

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The biggest threat to your personal freedom and financial security is the government, hands down.

Today, skyrocketing government debt is only making that threat worse. In the US, the bill amounts to more than $220,130 per taxpayer.

At some point soon-in a desperate attempt to squeeze citizens for every penny-politicians will try to further restrict people's movements. They may even prohibit people from leaving outright.

Wealthy people are always the first they trap. New Jersey already hits certain taxpayers fleeing that sinking ship with an "exit tax."

There's also a federal exit tax. It's a significant blow to wealthy people giving up their US citizenship.

But wealthy people (and Americans across the board) are not the only ones at risk.

Many countries have notoriously turned to people controls at one point or another. For example, the Soviet Union routinely revoked the citizenship of its perceived internal enemies.

In Castro's Cuba, the government made citizens apply for exit visas to leave the island. It did not grant them easily.

Or look at how the US government revoked Edward Snowden's passport with the stroke of a pen.

This all reinforces a grave truth. You don't own your passport or your citizenship. The government does. And it can use that as a weapon.

If you hold unpopular political views, don't be surprised if the government restricts your travel options. The same goes for wealthy people who want to leave a country in financial trouble.

The good news is, you can do something about this problem.

A second passport is your best insurance against any out-of-control government.

You probably know the benefits of diversifying your investment portfolio. If you put all of your asset "eggs" in one basket, you could lose your entire portfolio if that basket breaks.

The same idea applies to political risk. the risk bureaucrats and politicians pose to you.

Most people have medical, life, fire, and car insurance policies. You hope you never have to use these policies. But you have them anyway. They give you peace of mind and protection if the worst comes to pass.

International diversification is the ultimate insurance policy.

I call it "freedom insurance."

It frees you from dependence on any one country. Achieve that freedom, and it becomes extremely difficult for any one group of bureaucrats to control you. The results can be life-changing.

A second passport is a crucial piece of the puzzle. Among other things, it lets you invest, bank, travel, live, and do business in places you otherwise couldn't.

Unfortunately, there is no route to a genuine second passport that is fast, easy, and cheap. Deciding the best place and way to get one is not necessarily simple. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.

But today I'll show you the path of least resistance.

It helps to view the whole world as your hunting ground. Don't dismiss the idea of becoming a citizen of a small or backward country. Unlike most mega-government countries, these places generally lack the capacity and desire to monitor their citizens or treat them as milk cows.

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How to Get a Second Passport: The Four Roads

There are exactly four legitimate routes to a valid second citizenship and passport. If you hear about a fifth route, assume it's a scam.

To find the best route for you, start with the decision tree below.

No matter the country or method, you should be able to point to specific naturalization laws with explicit requirements. Everything should be clearly spelled out in black and white. You'll usually find this information on a government, consulate, or embassy website.

Route No. 1: Citizenship by Ancestry

If you qualify, a citizenship-by-ancestry program is the fastest and cheapest route.

Each country has its own eligibility requirements and procedures. If you have an ancestor from one of these countries (usually no more remote than a great-grandparent), you should find citizenship information on the country's website. Or you can visit the consulate.

If you're eligible, you will need to give the consulate official legal and translated documents (birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, naturalization records, etc.) proving lineage to the relevant ancestor when you apply.

Route No. 2: Economic Citizenship Programs

Economic citizenship is the most expensive route to a second passport. But it's also the quickest.

You make a substantial payment or investment, and in return, the government grants you full and permanent citizenship. You can often complete the process in a matter of weeks. And you don't ever need to live in the country.

Currently, the governments of Dominica and St. Kitts & Nevis (two English-speaking countries in the Caribbean) offer the only established and reliable economic citizenship programs. A passport from either government enables visa-free entry to most of Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe.

Dominica is currently the cheapest option. It requires a donation to the government starting at $100,000. You should also expect additional administrative costs for due diligence, background checks, processing, and other fees. That can amount to at least $10,000.

Other countries also offer economic citizenship programs. But they haven't been around nearly as long as the Dominica and St. Kitts programs.

A reliable and stable history is important. Ultimately, any government has the authority to revoke the passport and/or citizenship of any of its citizens at any time for any reason, real or concocted.

A shift in the political winds could mean that an economic citizenship program in favor today could be out of favor tomorrow. That could have negative consequences for foreigners who participated in the program.

Only the St. Kitts and Dominica programs have stood the test of time (decades) and been successfully used by thousands of people.

Route No. 3: Extreme Measures

If you're willing to take extreme measures, there are shortcuts.

You could marry a foreigner. Many countries will grant citizenship to foreign spouses after a period of time, usually at least two years.

France grants citizenship upon completion of military service.

Jews are eligible for Israeli citizenship. However, in most cases, military service is required of applicants over the age of 18.

Brazil offers a shortcut to citizenship for those who adopt a child.

Route No. 4: Residency

So, if the family bloodline leads to a dead end. and you aren't willing to marry a foreigner, serve in a foreign military, or take any other extreme measures. and you can't afford an economic citizenship program. the last route is permanent residency.

Most countries will grant citizenship after five or so years of permanent residency. Some take more time, some take less.

Here, again, the time requirement varies widely. And these requirements are constantly changing. Some countries require you to spend substantial time on the ground and build real connections to the country. Others are less stringent.

Some factors you should weigh in considering a country's program:

• Required length of residency
• Minimum time required in-country during the residency period
• Costs and/or mandatory investments
• Requirement to demonstrate language proficiency