GOLD: Cash is not a “store of value”

Sunday, October 13, 2013

http://news.yahoo.com/ap-impact-families-hoard-cash-5-yrs-crisis-042042926.html

AP IMPACT: Families hoard cash 5 yrs after crisis

Associated Press BERNARD CONDON 3 hours ago

*** begin quote ***

NEW YORK (AP) — Five years after U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers collapsed, triggering a global financial crisis and shattering confidence worldwide, families in major countries around the world are still hunkered down, too spooked and distrustful to take chances with their money.

An Associated Press analysis of households in the 10 biggest economies shows that families continue to spend cautiously and have pulled hundreds of billions of dollars out of stocks, cut borrowing for the first time in decades and poured money into savings and bonds that offer puny interest payments, often too low to keep up with inflation.

“It doesn’t take very much to destroy confidence, but it takes an awful lot to build it back,” says Ian Bright, senior economist at ING, a global bank based in Amsterdam. “The attitude toward risk is permanently reset.”

A flight to safety on such a global scale is unprecedented since the end of World War II.

The implications are huge: Shunning debt and spending less can be good for one family’s finances. When hundreds of millions do it together, it can starve the global economy.

Weak growth around the world means wages in the United States, which aren’t keeping up with inflation, will continue to rise slowly. Record unemployment in parts of Europe, higher than 35 percent among youth in several countries, won’t fall quickly. Another wave of Chinese, Brazilians and Indians rising into the middle class, as hundreds of millions did during the boom years last decade, is unlikely.

*** end quote ***

“Money is a matter of functions four, a medium, a measure, a standard, a store.” He repeated that four times like poetry. “Six Characters in Money: Portable – Durable – Divisible – Uniformity – Limited Supply – Acceptability.” — CHURCH 10●19●62 (Vol 1) 978-0-557-08387-9 page 110

Sorry, but “cash” isn’t money these days. While it is a “medium of exchange” and “measure”, it fails as a “standard” or “store”.

And maybe if it fails “standard”, it may be failing “measure”.

OK, it does serve as a “medium of exchange”. 

But that’s it.

Note that in disasters and civil unrest, there is no exchange.

And, the TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It) preppers point out you can eat money. But you can make an expensive fire and poor quality toilet paper out of it.

Let’s tackle “standard” next. What is a “dollar”? It’s got no measure. It’s purchasing power decreases year over year due to inflation. An ounce, a gallon, a meter — they don’t change.

Back to “measure”, a 100 is still a 100. But it’s like baseball and football records. How do we measure if every year they change the definition of distance?

And cash is certainly not a “store”. The “rats” are eating the “seed corn” of value.

Argh!

I suggest the preppers’ mantra — beans, bullets, bandaids, and then bullion!

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POLITICAL: the Rosa Parks of alternative money

Thursday, October 10, 2013

http://dailyreckoning.com/the-domestic-terrorist-you-can-call-a-hero/

Daily Reckoning
The “Domestic Terrorist” You Can Call a Hero
Jeffrey Tucker
Posted Sep 10, 2013.

*** begin quote ***

I dreamed I saw Bernard von NotHaus, alive as you or me.

Said I, “But Bernard, you’ve been jailed two years.”

“I never was,” said he.

Bernard has been the called the Rosa Parks of the alternative money movement. More than 10 years ago, he had this idea that he would make his own money — not the fake stuff we are used to, but the real stuff made of actual silver. He called his currency the Liberty Dollar (and why not, since there is no trademark on the word dollar?).

The feds raided him in in 2006. In 2007, the government outright stole 2 tons of coins from him, many of them featuring an image of Ron Paul, plus 500 silver coins and 50 gold coins. They threw him in jail and dragged his name through the mud many times.

He was later convicted of making counterfeit coins — an ironic conviction given that he was making silver coins to compete with official coins made out of scrap metal. That conviction was in March 2011, fully 2½ years ago. The government labeled him a “domestic terrorist.” Yet — and this is what amazed me — he still hasn’t been sentenced. He walks around as free as you or me.

*** end quote ***

It’s all about keeping the Sheeple sleeping.

I bought Liberty Dollars.

As a hedge.

The two silver discs are a little tarnished, but retain their value.

I forget what I paid for them but they have “held” their value.

The only mistake Bernard made was to put the word “dollar” on them. 

(Even though it’s not a restricted term.)

He should have just stuck to the weight.

But they are no more “counterfeit” than they are “worthless”.

Argh!

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RANT: Free Competition in Currency Act of 2013

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Letterhead
August 23, 2013
Mr. Ferdinand Reinke
1641 International Dr Unit 414
McLean, VA 22102-4831

Dear Mr. Reinke:

Thank you for contacting me about H.R. 77. I appreciate hearing from you.

H.R. 77, the Free Competition in Currency Act of 2013, was introduced by Representative Paul Broun on January 3, 2013 and was referred to the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law. This legislation would allow any metal coins issued by a government or individual to be legally accepted currency.

The Federal Reserve System was established in 1913 to provide stability in the banking system through the regulation of bank reserves. It is the central bank of the United States and formulates the nation’s monetary policy, with a dual mandate of fostering maximum employment and price stability. It is also the “lender of last resort” in our nation’s financial system. Its record reflects its commitment to promoting low levels of inflation and unemployment, as well as maintaining economic stability.

The Fed is purchasing $85 billion in assets each month in an effort to stimulate spending and spur investment in businesses and homes. These asset purchases are known as quantitative easing (QE). There is uncertainty about the Fed’s ability to unwind from QE without some financial or economic disruption, including inflation. However, currently inflation and inflation expectations remain low; consumer prices rose 2% in July 2013, compared to a year earlier.

Since August 2012, the Fed has released quarterly financial statements in addition to its annual reports, in response to demands for accountability and openness. I think this is an important step and believe we will continue to see such measures from the Fed in the future.

Thank you again for contacting me with your views.

Sincerely,

Signature

Tim Kaine

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Notice that he never addresses the issue.

I know what the fluff says.

But the dollar has lost 99% of its purchasing power in my life time.

Argh!

Why bother writing these goes?

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GOLDBUG: Gold, Silver, and Oil

Monday, July 22, 2013

http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article41457.html

Gold and Silver Investors Greatest Secret Weapon
Commodities / Gold and Silver 2013 Jul 18, 2013 – 04:01 AM GMT

By: Steve_St_Angelo

*** begin quote ***

As the FED turns up the heat in the central bank frying pan, the frogs (public) don’t realize they are being cooked to death by inflation. I am quite amazed how loud the sizzling sound has become, but for some odd reason hardly anyone notices it.

Unfortunately, we are well past the point of no return. It’s only a matter of time now before the whole “Financial Cliff” falls off the mountain side. Until then, gold and silver investors will have to put up with some of the worst analysis ever to come out of government and MSM.

*** end quote ***

Another indication that “someone” is cooking the books.

In a free market, commodities don’t diverge from glacial trends.

Of course, as a tin foil hat, I suspect manipulation.

The FED can print “dollars”, but they can’t print gold, silver, oil, land, food, water, bandaids, or bullets.

This is all a fraud being pulled on the Sheeple and Clovers.

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MONEY: Default is unavoildable

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

http://lewrockwell.com/north/north1264.html

—  begin quote —

Will the federal government default? Yes. Will investors learn their lesson? Not for long. But for a time, yes.

Here is the lesson: Do not trust a politician who says America cannot, must not, and will not default.

Here is the rule: “Never believe a rumor until it is officially denied by the government.”

Obama has officially denied it.

It’s coming.

— end quote —

Regardless of how you define “default”, what the FED is doing in buying debt with more paper, is de facto default.

So what the individual to do?

Buy assets that are not dollar denominated.

Bullion coins are my favorite. Nickles too.

Diversify. Pay off debt. And “get small in your hole”. (Any vet knows what that means!)

–30–

 

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MONEY: Financial planning with old memes

Sunday, October 21, 2012

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-coming-retiree-crisis-2012-10

Take Action Now To Prepare For The Great Retiree Crisis

Jeff Voudrie, See It Market | Oct. 10, 2012, 8:30 AM

***** begin quote *****

The financial planning community has largely relied on assumptions regarding equity, debt and inflation percentages that have been experienced over the last 30 years.

There are 3 problems with these assumptions:

Equity returns the last 30 years have been extraordinarily high as a result of the longest and greatest Bull market in the history of U.S. stock markets. Accordingly, many financial plans used projections that assumed equity returns of 8-10% a year.

Debt returns over the same period are equally skewed. Remember the double-digit interest rates of the 1980’s? In 1989, as a young broker, I was selling 30-year TVA bonds yielding 10%! Financial plans the last 5-10 years have used interest rate assumptions around 5-6% a year.

The scenarios that led to the historic markets the last 30 years are very unlikely to EVER be repeated in today’s retiree’s lifetime. And those who are taking distributions based on these outdated assumptions may soon run out of money.

For instance, let’s assume that someone retired 5 years ago at age 60 with a $500,000 investment portfolio. Based on financial plans popular at that time, the retiree is taking $2500 a month in distributions—money they need to maintain their current standard of living. Since the plan anticipated the ability to average a 7% return on a portfolio with close to 50% in equities, the retiree expects to be able to take those distributions and never run out of money.

Adjusting those assumptions based on what many believe resembles more reasonable assumptions going forward requires decreasing the rate of return assumption for a similar-risk portfolio to around 4% and increasing the inflation assumption from 1-2% a year to 3-4% a year (which may still be too conservative). Suddenly, the portfolio that should last forever is now projected to be exhausted in only 16.8 years! That means that the entire nest egg and what it earns cannot sustain the current withdrawal rate. Since the retiree started the withdrawals five years ago, now they are down to 11.8 years—running out of money around age 76!

***** end quote *****

Clearly, the political class has screwed up the American economy.

Pity the poor, the elderly, the middle class, those on fixed income.

Inflation is grossly understated by the “official” stats.

Are we headed to be like Europe or pre-WW2 Germany?

Clearly, everyone needs to update their financial plans.

I’ve recommended to my turkeys that they adjust their “money reserve requirements”.

Everyone better plan to work for a longer time.

— 30 —

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POLITICAL: Morris on the Income Tax

Thursday, February 23, 2012

http://www.dickmorris.com/blog/the-history-of-the-income-tax-dick-morris-tv-history-video/

THE HISTORY OF THE INCOME TAX – DICK MORRIS TV: HISTORY VIDEO!
By Dick Morris
01.28.2012

*** begin quote ***

In this video History commentary, I discuss how income tax came to be, how tax cuts grew the economy, and how tax hikes hurt it.

*** end quote ***

The Stock Market Crash was due to the Smoot Hawley Tariff being passed in Congress.

That was the straw.

The FED and the politicians further made things worse by raising the interest rate and the tax rate.

The Dead Old White Guys had it right — tariffs and excise taxes.

That would have saved our manufacturing base or at least not allowed the export of jobs and the import of “stuff” minus the cost of our social welfare programs.

They’ve demonstrated that we don’t understand the impact of changing things. Especially when those things being changed are large complex economic systems with lost of moving parts.

Capitalism with economic freedom and personal liberty have lifted us out of poverty. We need to insist on that going forward. The economy and the political order is too complex for humans to “tinker with”. Especially when those humans attempting to “run” it are so corrupt and corruptible.

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POLITICAL: Why doesn’t EVERY State have their own version of BND?

Thursday, February 9, 2012

http://www.vtcommons.org/blog/taking-rich-and-giving-tothe-rich

Taking from the rich and giving to…the rich
Mike Krauss

*** begin quote ***

As I reported months ago in this column, the administration is preparing legislation to provide rental assistance to those who need housing.

In other words, those who still have jobs and a home will be taxed to support “home rentership,” to make sure that the 1 percent get paid for the homes they effectively stole and will now rent back to the 99 percent.

Who will, of course, have little left in their paychecks or unemployment checks to maintain those homes rented from suburban slumlords.

Kiss your neighborhood goodbye, Morrisville and Lower Makefield. The Ozarks are moving in.

Is there an alternative. Yes.

Cities and counties from California to Michigan, Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and even nearby Reading, are moving to use public funds — the common wealth — to form partnership banks that can not only get critically needed affordable credit flowing in local economies, but can also take vacant homes by eminent domain, and work with community banks, homebuilders, skilled trade workers, realtors and housing authorities to maintain these properties and put people back in them on affordable terms as owners, and rescue their communities from the pending Obama nation.

*** end quote ***

It would seem that everyone is forgetting the “Bank of North Dakota”.

It’s unique in all the States. And, only does business with Gooferment entities. Political subdivisions MUST bank with BND. And, it has specific programs to buy assets in North Dakota. So a farmer’s mortgage may be held by the BND. So to corporate loans, mortgages, and venture capital funding.

They are in essence a one state version of the Federal Reserve working for the benefit of “We, The People”.

Surprisingly, it works and is apolitical.

Why doesn’t EVERY “State” have one of these?

Cause the Federal Reserve System would be out of business in short order!

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MONEY: No meaningful way to save

Sunday, January 29, 2012

http://www.forbes.com/sites/charleskadlec/2012/01/23/gingrich-the-gold-standard-and-the-florida-primary

ForbesOp/Ed|1/23/2012 @ 4:33PM
Gingrich, The Gold Standard, And The Florida Primary Charles Kadlec, Contributor

*** begin quote ***

There is no meaningful way to save for your retirement, for your children’s education, or for the future if you don’t know what the dollar will be worth when you will need to spend it.  That makes us insecure and more dependent on government.  Sound money — a dollar that can buy the same amount 10, 20 or 30 years from now — increases our ability to take care of ourselves, our families and to be far less dependent on government.  That goes to the heart of our ability to live in liberty.

The gold standard also reinforces the constitutional limits on the power of the federal government.  When the dollar is linked to gold, the Federal Reserve cannot finance federal government deficits by printing excessive amounts of money.  If it were to try to do so, holders of dollars could over-rule the Fed by turning in the extra dollars for gold, forcing the Fed to reverse its policies.  Except in times of war, the Federal budget deficits were tiny.  From 1947 to 1967, they averaged just 0.1% a year.  In today’s economy, that would be the equivalent of $15 billion.

Finally, making the dollar as good as gold, and restoring gold to the center of the international monetary system, will give the Unites States an enormous boost in soft power.  According to a recent study by the Bank of England, when compared to even the flawed, post World War II gold standard, the paper dollar standard has been a disaster whose true dimensions have been disguised by the time over which it has been inflicted on people all over the world.   Since 1971, real per capital growth rates have been cut by 1 percentage point a year, even as world inflation increased 1.5 percentage points to average 4.8% per year.  Meanwhile, the frequency and severity of economic downturns have increased, as have the number of banking crises.

*** end quote ***

As far as I know, Gingrich doesn’t support a Gold Standard; only Ron Paul wants to start the process. And, it would have to be a process. A complete process of unwinding the “Era of Big Government”.

There’s a TV commercial on about the old couple at the bank being congratulated about their retirement. The teller is counting out blank pieces of paper. How true is that? In my mind, very.

Social Security was sold to “We, The Sheeple” as “insurance”. Unlike real “insurance”, the politicians and bureaucrats took the “contributions” and spent them on the welfare / warfare state. And, put IOUs in the “lockbox”. What a joke! A fraud. At least Ponzi didn’t force people to participate. If MetLife did what the Gooferment did, all the executives would be jail. The politicians and bureaucrats collect a big Gooferment pension for <synonym for the act of procreation in real time> us.

And, Social Security was never supposed to be taxable. And, inflation adjusted. Until the Gooferment decided that energy and food shouldn’t count towards inflation. Right!

And, good luck saving on your own for your retirement. The FED, to hold down the Gooferment’s borrowing costs, has by diktat keeps interest rates at zero. Or pretty close to it.

401Ks and IRA were introduced to induce savings for retirement and take pressure off Social Security. Since “it was never intended to entirely fund a person’s retirement”. That would surprise “We, The Sheeple” circa 1935.

But then a lot would surprise them!

So, perhaps, youngsters might be better off saving for their retirement in gold or silver bullion coins.

Remember that in ancient Rome two gold coins would buy a fine man’s outfit. Pretty much the same today.

Remember that in 1964, three silver dimes would but a gallon of gas. I can PERSONALLY attest to that. And, they cleaned your window, gave you a free class, and trading stamps. Today, those three silver dimes would be worth about SIX DOLLARS; enough for almost TWO gallons of gas.

So, what has changed?

The dollar!

So returning to that old couple at the bank with a lifetime of paper savings. They’ve been defrauded by society. Hard to imagine, but visualize if they’d put those savings into gold bullion coins that they kept in a kitchen pot. Each week, instead of “saving” with paper, they put some gold or silver away in that pot. Hard to imagine that they would nt be better off.

Finally, returning to Gingrich, I agree he could ignite a fire of reality. But, that’s not going to happen. Because at the end of the road, these guys are all suits who want to control people.

Vote Ron Paul. A return to sanity begines with a single step.

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MONEY: Kill the FED; save the Republic

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/s_777634.html

Kill the FedBy Eric Heyl, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEWSaturday, January 21, 2012
Read more: Kill the Fed – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

*** begin quote ***

John Allison is the former chairman and CEO of BB&T, the nation’s 10th-largest financial holding company. He was named one of the 100 most successful CEOs by the Harvard Business Review and since 2009 has been on the Wake Forest University Schools of Business faculty as Distinguished Professor of Practice.

*** and ***

Q: In the long term, what do you think should be done with the Fed?

A: If I were in charge, I would get rid of the Fed. I believe that as long as the Fed exists, Congress can effectively print money. And it doesn’t matter whether they are Democrats or Republicans, they would rather print money than tax people. They want to spend because that effectively buys votes, and they don’t want to tax people because that loses votes.

I think the Fed provides the temptation for massive government deficits. If the federal government couldn’t print money, it would have to have better financial discipline than it has today.

*** end quote ***

Vote Ron Paul.

There’s no other candidate on the horizon that understands or articulates that the FED is the problem.

It gives the duopoly — the D’s and the R’s are two sides of the same coin intended to give “We, The Sheeple” the illusion of a choice — an unlimited checkbook to borrow and spend.

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