We have seen our :”money” conjured up in such massive amounts that it has led us to a point of national malaise that I have never seen. Never before have so few been so rich and so many been so dependent upon others for their support.
This is all part of the illusion that “printing money” can get you something for nothing. It is a perversion that has been exposed hundreds of times throughout history. This always ends the same. The currency gets debased and even the necessities of life are hard for many to secure.
This has taken FAR longer to play out here, but it appears our day of reconning is near.
First of all, if we had a moral society where we were all actually concerned about each other’s welfare and not just nosy about their business, we would not have let this take place. Any moral society would have recognized that there is never “something for nothing” and that any “Money” printed up or keystroked into existence should have an asset attached to it to provide a stable means of exchange over time. Since we left the gold standard in 1971 the US dollar has lost 98.25% of its purchasing power versus gold. Is that STABLE? Not in my book.
This is how this is affecting all of us:
Past : In the past, when our US dollar held its value, you could do just about any job and make a decent living. Whatever job you had could pretty much support your lifestyle. In most cases one salary was enough to raise a family. The economic pie was large enough that everyone could share the wealth and not be envious of everyone else. Most professions or jobs were treated with respect and dignity. Hard work was rewarded with advancement and loyalty from your employer. People had respect for themselves and others. They dressed well when they went out and took pride in their looks. While some people were able to amass fortunes pretty much everyone who wanted to get ahead could and anyone who needed help had it available.
This all started to change as politicians decided that they could raise taxes pretty much at will. This makes the economic pie smaller for everyone else. Litigation became a way for people to get sums of money rather than a mechanism of equity. It went from keeping society in balance to a way for attorneys to make a fortune by making everyone a victim in one way or another. This has also led to people being distrustful of each other and adversarial rather than being cordial and kind to each other.
Many have viewed lawsuits as lottery tickets. Of course, since insurance companies are the entities that pay most of the “damages” we all pay in the long run. This is a win-lose scenario. This is a far cry from the win-win scenarios of days past. It seems today, as the economic pie is contracting it is all about winning at any cost- even the opponents existence.
In the past there was a divide between the public and private sector. Today, it appears that the government and large businesses that support it, have teamed up to destroy small businesses and put a barrier to entry that is so high many companies that could propel the economy higher are snuffed out before they can even begin. This leads to greater economic malaise and an attitude of what I mentioned in Part 1 of this article- “Why should I work harder and harder while getting nowhere”?
It appears that all the corporate profits are being corralled by the C Suite executives and the employees who make the enterprise run are left with the scraps. I notice the lack of service or attention each time I visit a big box store. The personal service of people who owned stores in the community are things of the past.
In the past it was a disgrace to accept help. Personal responsibility was a desired trait. Today, many boast about how they are gaming the system for their own benefit- at a cost to everyone- even themselves. This has likely taken place because so many people have become discouraged by working hard, getting nowhere and wondering why they are busting their butts and still can’t afford to get by. The fact that the government incentivizes laziness by, in some cases, making it more profitable to collect benefits than work, it leads to more laziness, debts and economic malaise.
Present : Because we have allowed those “in charge” to spend us into oblivion we are seeing more and more people with a lack of hope for the future and are acting out with crime, violence and any means necessary to “get ahead”. There is little, if any, respect for most other people and many are worried only about themselves. As the economic pie shrinks people are fighting each other for scraps while a chosen few get spectacularly rich on others misfortune.
It is not uncommon to go to the store and see people shopping in pajamas. It is not uncommon for young people to be addicted to video games, drugs, etc. to escape from the economic reality that is biting them.
In addition to the depression that many are feeling there is also a level of anger that is easy to see with road rage incidents, retail thefts, fights over ridiculous things like parking spaces- I could go on and on.
I guess what I am saying here is that while the implications of this “money printing” may not be easily discernable without some serious thought but we are all paying a tremendous price for our lack of fiscal responsibility. The bad news, in my opinion. Is that this is just the beginning, and there are a lot harder times to come. It appears to me that there will have to be a reset and that the central banks have been preparing in earnest for that reset in the past few years by buying record amounts of gold.
I can’t stress enough how important it is to have a plan to get through what is likely to be a period of great unrest as many “promises to pay” become nothing more than confetti and court cases to determine who wins and who loses. Since we appear to be a society not based upon equity or what is right and wrong, but appear to be ruled by those who are in the favored class (Banks, politicians, donors) I would fully expect that those “in charge” will take care of themselves and their benefactors and you and I will be left to figure out how to pick up the pieces left over.
It hurts me to say but I believe 90% or more of the residents of the USA have no idea what is coming let alone a plan to survive and hopefully thrive. Don’t let that be you!
Be Prepared!
Any opinions are those of Mike Savage and not necessarily of those of RJFS or Raymond James. Expressions of opinion are as of this date and are subject to change without notice. The information in this report does not purport to be a complete description of securities, markets or developments referred to in this material. The information has been obtained from sources deemed to be reliable but we do not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. Any information is not a complete summary or statement of all available data necessary for making an investment decision and does not constitute a recommendation. There is no guarantee that these statements, opinions or forecasts provided herein will prove to be correct.
Commodities are generally considered speculative because of the significant potential for investment loss. Commodities are volatile investments and should only be a small part of a diversified portfolio. There may be sharp price fluctuations even during periods when prices are overall rising.
Precious Metals, including gold, are subject to special risks including but not limited to: price may be subject to wide fluctuation, the market is relatively limited, the sources are concentrated in countries that have the potential for instability and the market is unregulated.
Diversification does not ensure gains nor protect against loss. Companies mentioned are being provided for information purposes only and is not a complete description, nor is it a recommendation. Investing involves risk regardless of strategy.
