Article says Gold and Oil are killing the Dollar and the Economy.

[DeltaBoy]

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/131798/20110407/gold-oil-dollar-economy-us-treasuries-quantitative-easing-collapse-value-silver.htm

[Silver Hog]

We're pretty screwed if we ONLY have stocks and bank accounts in US banks in US dollars.

[OldPoop]

It's sad that 99% of the population is totally unaware of how badly the banksters and our wonderful "we only want to help you" government is robbing them blind through purposeful dollar devaluation.

10 years ago it took 265 pieces of #1 denomination green fiat gov. toilet paper to buy one ounce of gold.  At the end of Friday trading it took 1487.  The gold hasn't changed.  It's the same size, weight, and purity today as it was 10 years ago, and believe it or not, it's real value has barely changed.  However, in the same amount of time the fiat gov. toilet paper has lost 82% of its purchasing power when compared to gold. 

This seems to be too difficult of a concept for most people to grasp.   We have been successfully brainwashed over recent generations by our masters into believing that 1000s of years of human monetary history is irrelevant, "you can't eat gold or silver", and pretty pieces of colored paper with different numbers on them are what really has value.

Unfortunately, after the dollar tanks, whether you understand the concept or not, we will all suffer through the consequences.

[LRHawg]

I've been reading zerohedge more and more, lately. Normally I feel that site is a little too Debbie Downer for me, but  they were right about a lot of things and that is scary considering where things appear to be heading. Do something meaningful with your dollars before they're no better than toilet paper, my friends.

[snoblind]

I've been reading zerohedge more and more, lately. Normally I feel that site is a little too Debbie Downer for me, but  they were right about a lot of things and that is scary considering where things appear to be heading. Do something meaningful with your dollars before they're no better than toilet paper, my friends.

I read zerohedge also.

I was reading an article the other day written circa 1980 about securing one's retirement.  With the inflation of the day his emphasis was on investing in "real assets" as opposed to banks, stock market, etc.  Putting, say, $10000 today in long term storage food, TP and other household goods seems stupid to most people.  But if those goods would cost one $20000 or $30000 over the years then seems like it's a pretty good investment.

[LRHawg]

Snoblind, that reminds me of an article I read where the guy was talking about investing in real goods and in goods that people will always need. He joked that buying a crate of tampons might be good idea especially with inflation but do you really want do deal with crate of tampons? 

[HoginChiTown]

Snoblind, that reminds me of an article I read where the guy was talking about investing in real goods and in goods that people will always need. He joked that buying a crate of tampons might be good idea especially with inflation but do you really want do deal with crate of tampons? 

Save yourself the storage space required for tampons and get involved in managed futures.  Portfolios with managed futures, bonds and stocks have less risk than ones with stocks and bonds alone and historically provide better returns.  Just make sure the CTAs you choose aren't correlated with your current portfolio.  Invest in real assets without having to purchase 20 pallets of Tampax (That'd be one hell of a phone call. "Um, yes, I'd like to purchase 20 pallets of Tampax tampons please.").

[Hawgndaaz]

Snoblind, that reminds me of an article I read where the guy was talking about investing in real goods and in goods that people will always need. He joked that buying a crate of tampons might be good idea especially with inflation but do you really want do deal with crate of tampons? 

do you really want to deal with the women that find out you're stowing a crate of tampons? it will be like Resident Evil. Thousands of bleeding crazy women coming at you from every direction.

[LRHawg]

(That'd be one hell of a phone call. "Um, yes, I'd like to purchase 20 pallets of Tampax tampons please.").

I guess that's an easier phone call than 20 pallets of KY Jelly.

[LRHawg]

do you really want to deal with the women that find out you're stowing a crate of tampons? it will be like Resident Evil. Thousands of bleeding crazy women coming at you from every direction.

That was his joke

[HoginChiTown]

I guess that's an easier phone call than 20 pallets of KY Jelly.

Haha, that'd be one hell of a wrestling match! 

[HotlantaHog]

Gold has had a HUGE run based on lots of fears -- fears of hyper inflation, crises, etc ...

Lots of bad things could happen but it is also possible the U.S. could muddle through, Congress could address fiscal issues and inflation could stay, largely, under control. A conservative Republican and Congress could be elected, and a new president would appoint the leader of the Fed. There are lots of reasonable scenarios.

It's not bad to hold a little gold as a long-term holding, as a store of value, but I wouldn't would to be too overweight here. The trading is highly volatile, and big swings down can be really painful. Just my two cents.

[JAHOGS]

Ron Paul is the answer if we want someone in charge to fix the problem(economy) that we are in.

The people in charge are smart, but if you break things down I always second guess that. Let's see.....Congress, Senate, etc.....Let's cut the budget, how about 33 billion? Sounds great. Oh yeah two weeks later those same people are talking about raising the debt ceiling. Sounds F#C%D up to me

[JAHOGS]

On the issue of Gold and oil killing the economy. How about our over seas spending, or our entitlement programs, 1000's of army bases around the world, printing money left and right, bailing out companies that have made bad decisions. Maybe that is what is hurting our economy.

[OldPoop]

it is also possible the U.S. could muddle through, Congress could address fiscal issues and inflation could stay, largely, under control. A conservative Republican and Congress could be elected, and a new president would appoint the leader of the Fed. There are lots of reasonable scenarios.

We probably could have turned it around 10 or 20 years ago.
We might even have had a chance if Bush had not been concerned about his legacy and had refused to pay off the banksters with QE1.  We would have immediately plunged into a terrible depression and he would have been universally hated and blamed, but without government intervention we would probably now be starting to come out of it, and future generations would have seen that as the right thing to have done.

But QE1 and Obama's QE2 have only dug our grave much, much deeper and made our punishment much worse. We have been pushed past the point of no return.  It can't be stopped, it can only be delayed for a while with QE3 and 4, etc., until we eventually collapse.  Then we will get our new form of government and currency.

We've already been pushed over the edge of the cliff, but everything should still be okay until we reach the bottom.

But other than for those couple of minor differences, I guess we basically agree. 

[LRHawg]

I've decided that when the bottom comes, having a big pile of metals to trade with isn't going to do me much good without firearms and an alliance between like minded gentlemen to defend our land and our assets. Anyone want to join my wtshtf alliance? 

[OldPoop]

I've decided that when the bottom comes, having a big pile of metals to trade with isn't going to do me much good without firearms and an alliance between like minded gentlemen to defend our land and our assets. Anyone want to join my wtshtf alliance? 

I have guns and ammo, and while I think that could save you against a lone criminal, or maybe 2 or 3 if you're trained or lucky, I don't think that would save you against an organized gang or a large mob.  The best defense is to blend in, disappear in plain sight.  Don't do anything to draw attention to yourself or show that you might have more than anyone else.  That could be hard if everyone else is losing weight and you're not (assuming you have stored some food and water).

The pile of metal is for afterward, when society is rebuilding.   That is IF the government doesn't make gold illegal to own again in order to increase it's power over it's subjects.  However gold will once again be money, or at least backing our currency, if not sooner, then it will be later.

[LRHawg]

I was thinking about how you have to give out your name, address, and other personal info at bullion dealers and online in order to purchase silver and gold ... I have a cold feeling this is all being collected by the banks in case they ever decide to make a run at everyone's pm's. I realize now why "bury it in the ground' isn't insane advice.

[snoblind]

On the issue of Gold and oil killing the economy. How about our over seas spending, or our entitlement programs, 1000's of army bases around the world, printing money left and right, bailing out companies that have made bad decisions. Maybe that is what is hurting our economy.

It is all of those things.  And it's a Catch 22 when looking at possible solutions to fix them. 

[snoblind]

I was thinking about how you have to give out your name, address, and other personal info at bullion dealers and online in order to purchase silver and gold ... I have a cold feeling this is all being collected by the banks in case they ever decide to make a run at everyone's pm's. I realize now why "bury it in the ground' isn't insane advice.

I think there is now or will be an IRS reporting requirement on PM purchases over a certain amount.

[snoblind]

Gold has had a HUGE run based on lots of fears -- fears of hyper inflation, crises, etc ...

Lots of bad things could happen but it is also possible the U.S. could muddle through, Congress could address fiscal issues and inflation could stay, largely, under control. A conservative Republican and Congress could be elected, and a new president would appoint the leader of the Fed. There are lots of reasonable scenarios.

It's not bad to hold a little gold as a long-term holding, as a store of value, but I wouldn't would to be too overweight here. The trading is highly volatile, and big swings down can be really painful. Just my two cents.

"Muddle through", a familar John Mauldin phrase!  And this is quite possible.  I read (OK, skimmed) through "This Time it's different", a study of sovereign debt crises and defaults over the past 800 years.  Yes, it's academic and dry.  What I took away was just how many there have been and especially over the past 30-50 years.  Total societal breakdown and chaos isn't a given even if we face a worst case scenario with the debt and the $.

I guess opinions here range from "nothing to see here, no problems" to country wide "civil war".  Seems the wise thing to do is realize that anything along the range is possible and prepare accordingly.

[LRHawg]

" Seems the wise thing to do is realize that anything along the range is possible and prepare accordingly."


Exactly. One thing's that's weighed heavily on my mind is how easily the banks got away with the destruction of Lehman and the increased concentration of their power. Seems to me they're putting the pieces in place for something big, and with the 100 year anniversary of the creation of the Federal Reserve coming soon, we are living in interesting times, for sure.

"Banking establishments are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. Already they have raised up a money aristocracy that has set the government at defiance. The issuing power of the money should be taken from the banks and returned to the people to whom it rightfully belongs." Thomas Jefferson

"You are a den of VIPERS. I intend to rout you out and by the ETERNAL GOD I will rout you out . . . The bank is trying to kill me - but I will kill it. If the people only understood the rank injustice of our money system, there would be a revolution before morning." President Andrew Jackson

"Despite my views about the value to society of greater publicity for the affairs of corporations, there was an occasion, near the close of 1910, when I was as secretive, indeed, as furtive, as any conspirator . . . our secret expedition to Jekyll Island as the occasion of the actual conception of what eventually became the Federal Reserve System." Frank Vanderbilt (Saturday Evening Post, Feb. 9, 1935)

[HognotinMemphis]

Federal Reserve Board and the President and killing the economy. Everything else is just a tool.

[IronHog]

  Total societal breakdown and chaos isn't a given even if we face a worst case scenario with the debt and the $.

I guess opinions here range from "nothing to see here, no problems" to country wide "civil war".  Seems the wise thing to do is realize that anything along the range is possible and prepare accordingly.

You can bet there are enough of us left that will try to remove ourselves from the control of the federal government if/when that time comes that the system will be placed under enormous stress.

[snoblind]

Federal Reserve Board and the President and killing the economy. Everything else is just a tool.

I think one would throw congress in there also.

HiM, I've read several articles atributing the Stock Market run to Fed manipulation.

[Silver Hog]

HiM, I've read several articles atributing the Stock Market run to Fed manipulation.

I totally believe this to be true.

[Cure]

HiM, I've read several articles atributing the Stock Market run to Fed manipulation.

Has been that way for quite some time.