Many who are reading this may not remember watching the old variety shows that were on when I was a kid. One of the things I remember was an act that had long poles and they would attempt to keep a number of plates circulating on top all at once. As the number of plates grew it became more obvious that it was going to be difficult if not impossible to add any more plates as many were wobbling and had to be dealt with or they would come crashing down.

This reminds me of the “act” the Fed and many other central banks are taking. It appears that every time we turn around another (manipulated) plate is wobbling. It also appears that if there was a lapse in keeping control, (“printing, buying and manipulating”) many plates could come crashing down at the same time.

Just looking at the most obvious it appears that most, if not all fiat currencies are being questioned as the CURE for the last meltdown (“Printing, buying and manipulating”) has now become the DISEASE. Why? Because they have gone too far and the expense of carrying the massive amounts of debt issued are crushing the economy. In addition, since they are “printing up” cash from nowhere to even pay interest it is leading to a huge loss in purchasing power. This has led to what could be described as a Franken market. (Basically a “market” being kept propped up with cheap money and financial games rather than solid fundamentals and earnings). A “market” that has NO relation to the underlying economic engine.

The economy has been collapsing and has been hemorrhaging jobs while prices continue to rise. Even before all of the layoffs began 64% of people- REGARDLESS OF INCOME were living paycheck to paycheck. Those making the most may be hit the hardest because the unemployment insurance will not make much of a dent in their bills. We also have probably not seen the full impact of layoffs yet as many higher earners probably got buyouts that can float them for a while.

While we the people are in the crosshairs here there is one crisis after another that those “in charge” are trying to manage. Just think about:

· Japan. After years of “printing” the stuff seems to be hitting the fan. They are in a the position where they have to choose to either save the Yen from total implosion and destroy the bond “market” (hard to call anything a market when the central bank holds the majority of the bonds) or prop up the Yen by raising rates and cause their bonds to implode. There is a band-aid being put on in the short term with the Fed and Bank of Japan intervening (manipulating) to prop up the Yen. As is the case with all manipulation, this is a short-term fix and just makes the ultimate outcome that much more dangerous. How bad has the Japanese currency fallen? Using gold as a measurement, it costs 814,681 Yen to buy ONE OUNCE OF GOLD and 17,626 Yen to buy one ounce of silver. This is what conjuring up cash to pretend you are still solvent and productive does over time.

· Argentina is another plate on the pole as they are dealing with massive inflation, and the US Treasury has lent them $20 Billion. Of course, this “money” had to be conjured up from nowhere and the bill is passed on to us in the form of more inflation.

· Foreign governments and central banks are dumping our Treasuries at a pace I have never seen before. While I believe the Fed only lets us know what it wants us to know it appears to me that there may be TRILLIONS being conjured up from nowhere to keep particularly longer-term rates from exploding higher. All of the debt being dumped and bonds that are maturing have to be bought or rates would skyrocket leading to massive losses on those supposedly “safe” assets. According to Real Investment Advice, $10 TRILLION in Treasury debt matures in 2026. Add that to foreign dumping and you can imagine where my numbers come from. This puts the Fed in the same position as Japan- do they “print” and keep the bond prices artificially high- or stop to conserve the dollar’s purchasing power and watch the bonds tank and possibly take down the entire financial system with it? Let’s just say I believe FAR higher inflation is coming soon.

· Conflicts around the globe are causing massive spending on WAR. I don’t use defense because we appear not to be defending anything but seem hell-bent on stealing other’s resources and bullying anyone who dares get in our way. Maybe I am in the minority- maybe not- but I believe the world would be FAR better for everyone everywhere if we all worked together to maintain robust global trade rather than trying to restrict it- for whatever reason they make up next.

· There is TREMENDOUS pressure on those who have been manipulating the price of metals lower for decades. The paper games appear to be losing control over the price as demand for gold and silver in particular- and in PHYSICAL form-not paper promises are off the charts and supply is obviously severely limited. There are MAJOR unrealized losses in short positions that could have a negative effect on the entire economy if they can’t be resolved in an orderly manner.

There are many other plates being juggled at this time but these alone are enough to show what a precarious situation we are in.

While many are calling me and asking, “Is it time to sell?” (Particularly Silver) I have an answer. Keep in mind that everyone has different time horizons and goals, so this is my take.

The massive price difference from China and Asia- particularly in silver from the COMEX paper price is VERY telling. As of 1-28-2026 the difference is that in China and much of Asia the price is $17.00 HIGHER in Asia than here in the USA. This suggests that those buyers in Asia want physical metal and are willing to pay a higher price than the paper price in NY.

Since silver is used in almost all electronics, bombs, EVs, solar panels, computers, etc. demand is extremely high. On the supply side there have been 5 years of UNDERSUPPLY. In 2025 the supply deficit was 149 MILLION OUNCES. That means demand outpaced supply for the fifth year in a row. Keep in mind about eight hundred million ounces of silver are mined in a year. It appears the deficits are now causing major pain to manufacturers who NEED that metal to produce goods.

To those who ask if now is a good time to sell- answer me this:

If supply is constrained with no end in sight and demand is rising tell me how the price falls.

Having said that, a severe economic crash would be the only answer I see at this time. Since that COULD happen at any time it is always a good idea to keep your eyes on the economic environment and act accordingly.

Be Prepared!

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