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The world's financial and economic systems are clearly in a state of stress as individual insolvency brought on by an inability to service debt, has in turn severely impacted asset values. Credit creation in reverse manifests itself as deleveraging. Since 2003 the United States Government's on-budget interest expenses have been met TOTALLY by additional borrowings. In other words, the interest expenses of the U.S. Government are being capitalized and responsibility for these expenses is being passed on to whoever is employed or solvent in the future. The worst part is that this situation is expected to continue. The table below of actual and forecasted figures paints the picture quite clearly.  The U.S. Government can neither pay the interest nor repay the debt and should therefore have been deleveraging itself of all its wasteful and unproductive activities. Instead it has sought to become the surrogate consumer to the economy (through housing, auto and other stimulus), surrogate depositor to the banking system (through 0% money and purchase of toxic debt) and surrogate "policeman" of the world (to Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran.) As a result it will end up being the mother of all catastrophes until it ceases to suffer from "Attention Deficit Disorder". In fact the USA reminds me of the following quotation by Richard Brinsley Sheridan who uttered these words over 200 years ago: "You know it is not in my Interest to pay the Principal;
nor is it my Principal to pay the Interest" There is no doubt that a calamitous unwinding lies ahead and when the great unfolding takes place, gold, silver and other precious metals, will best serve as stores of value. All other assets, whether they be bonds, stocks, deposits, real estate etc are largely reliant on computers and ledgers. Furthermore, the institutions that record them or with whom they are deposited must remain open and willing to transact business. Gold however is universally acceptable, transportable and can exist and function outside of institutional bureaucracies. Will there be a bank run? Probably not. They will either declare a bank holiday or your paper currency will be worthless. If anything, it will be the bankers of the world that will be on the run. The USA and China are nothing more and nothing less than Siamese twins. Each would like to be rid of the other but they are both cautious about separation as it could prove fatal in the region of the trigger finger and the hip pocket nerve. In the meantime, they are both preparing for the inevitable spat to determine who achieves dominance without risking a split which could result in fatal haemorrhaging.  Oil, food and security will be the new requirements for national and individual well-being. These will no longer be sold or exchanged for paper promises that constantly leak value. The great unwind impacts mercilessly those assets that are underpinned by debt. Gold and silver have no debt attached and will therefore withstand the ravages of the long overdue liquidation that is bound to happen.
Governments worldwide will attempt one last massive reflation which will at least destroy the paper debt that is currently jamming the gears of commerce. The inevitable conclusion will perhaps be a pay-as-you-go world where leverage and fiat currencies are anchored to precise multiples of precious metal stocks. This will hopefully be accompanied by vastly reduced government where it is no longer the rapacious "custodian" of workers' retirement contributions, a little more" trickle up" economics as well as a world that is content in and intent on restoring peace, quality and value in all transactions. In the meantime the cheerful herd is waxing lyrical about a US stock market that since last August has staged an amazing comeback of 15% despite the nation being swamped by unemployment, foreclosures and bankruptcies. At the same time the public herd fails to notice that the Chinese stock market has been literally flat since August last year despite China being the powerhouse of growth and activity. Is something going on? Maybe the Plunge Protection Team has not opened offices in China as yet. Or maybe China Inc is Dubai times a 1000 as Jim Chanos has said. Time, against the backdrop of the universe, moves at a constant speed. The price of gold and calamity however, will outrun you if dollars are your running shoes. PETER SOULELES B. Com LLB Email this Article to a Friend 426733074 |
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