lewrockwell--2020-07-09--Racism Has Become A Buzzword. Here’s Why That’s Important

A buzzword is a word or phrase that is added to a statement in order to say “ Look at me !
” It ’ s a flourish , a bit of panache , a stylistic note meant to evoke emotion and get people to perk up their ears .
Let ’ s take a look at a few notable buzzwords in greater depth : global warming , blockchain , and racism .
Astute researchers who have been active in their fields since the late 1990s and early 2000s , before global warming became a popularized concept that attracted passionate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special insight on this topic .
The Bitcoin Manifesto Allan J Stevo Best Price : $ 7.54 Buy New $ 12.73 Researchers have always had to answer the question of how to fund their research .
The competition for research funding can be exhausting .
From time to time , one can identify an agenda to latch onto in order to help the research money flow more smoothly .
Global warming , as such an agenda , has been big money in academia and beyond .
If you were an ethologist studying snowy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ add global warming to the title of your paper , dedicate a fraction of the paper to the topic superficially , and suddenly a new area of funding was available to you .
The individual financial benefit around favorable climate change research has long been evident in academia and has long been ignored outside of academia when evaluating the integrity of research .
Though funding for global warming research has become more sophisticated , appending this , or any other buzzword to research , remains an avenue for opening up additional funding .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding on global warming in the social sciences is generously given without rigorous methodology .
“ In an examination of 15 years of energy research ( 1999–2013 ) , it was found that almost one-third ( 29 % ) of 4,444 studies examined had no research design—or method—whatsoever.
” • To stay trendy and effective , The Guardian recommends these synonymous buzzwords to communicate urgency to an audience : global heating , climate crisis , climate emergency , climate breakdown , climate and wildlife crisis , ecological breakdown , ecological crisis , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also be a useful technique .
Additional funding sources can be unlocked by researchers “ challenging incumbent ways of thinking ” through global warming research “ promoting gender diversity in research ( fighting patriarchy ) , ” or “ highlighting the value of trans-disciplinary research designs ( fighting dogmatism and elitism ) .
” Climate science and energy studies remain fields where the application of superficial buzzwords can attract serious funding .
Many writers know editor-specific tweaks are needed to get writing published .
Many employees know the same about proposing projects to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ selling products and services to their customer base .
The ideal situation is to work with counterparts who allow you to express yourself genuinely .
If you do not have that , you are working with the wrong counterpart .
Many take shortcuts in finding their counterparts and instead shortchange their values to make life more tenable .
While this may be a useful short term solution for a person in a bind , this behavior is instead treated as a long term norm across society .
Buzzword Buy New $ 16.25 The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and amounts to a fundamental deceit undergirding much dysfunction .
This deceit is harmful to all involved : society gets lied to , employers don ’ t get their best employee , and the individual never develops the ability to push himself to his potential because so much of his energy is spent in lying and complying .
Sometimes a shortcut is the longest distance between two points .
Being a sell-out is not about the money , being a sell-out is about betraying your values .
An important notion behind buzzwords @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people fall for a buzzword , that buzzword gets the job done .
Even funders who will hand out a billion dollars in funding this year have bosses , donors , or other authority figures they report to , and even if the funder realizes the superficial nature of global warming in a piece of research , it still allows the funder to turn around and brag to others that they are funding research about some buzzword that others may have seen getting a lot of attention lately .
They get to mention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the resume , get media coverage when the mainstream media finally starts reporting on the topic , and generally get to be the person in a friend group that does the most interesting and trendy work .
This is the way of the technocrat .
This does not even consider the powerful incentive to appear virtuous .
Virtue signaling is one of the ways we demonstrate our value to our social circle .
To demonstrate value to those we most want to fit in with is a powerful drive .
The Cynical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environmentalist called a watermelon ?
Because they are green on the outside , but so very red on the inside .
Marxists , decades ago , figured out how to greenwash their anti-market sentiments and to con people into going along .
Two or three generations into the process , some naively believe buzzwords to be more than buzzwords .
As new indoctrinated young folks come of age in this cynical system , they approach the system with sincerity , and buy into its established truths rather than sorting through axioms themselves from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thoughtless buzzwords and jargon that they have not themselves examined the veracity of becomes the norm .
Bitcoin USA Flag Distr ... Buy New $ 19.99 Every person seeking to be intellectually honest in life must sort through axioms from the ground up themselves .
That is part of the heroes journey that we are called to take in western culture .
There is nothing heroic about preferring buzzwords to hard-earned victories .
Blockchain is a buzzword that I am intimately familiar with , having worked seven years in the eleven-year-old cryptocurrency industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Manifesto .
The blockchain is a technological underpinning of Bitcoin , an influential free market currency that is difficult to censor and difficult for governments to regulate .
The Bitcoin Manifesto Allan J Stevo Best Price : $ 7.54 Buy New $ 12.73 A blockchain is also a synonym for a database , though in the case of Bitcoin there are some significant differences .
When the word blockchain is dropped into conversation , the astute listener can simply ask “ Why is a blockchain needed , won ’ t a database suffice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will have hit the nail on the head better than 9 out of 10 times .
As in the matter of global warming , superficially plastering the buzzword blockchain on a project you are already passionate about , will attract additional funding and attention to your work .
Very few people will be able to recognize the word as superficial rather than integral .
Racism , once an important example of the logically flawed notion of determinism , has become yet another buzzword .
The loss of the word will spell decades of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ word to describe the pernicious concept , English speakers will likely setback human freedom around race decades .
The word has become a buzzword and a calumny devoid of specific meaning .
Buzzwords are marketing .
When we sacrifice the important meaning of a word at the altar of marketing and influence , we really do burn up the substance of the word as it is presently understood .
It grows overused and loses its meaning .
Some 5 million technocrats globally are now superficially attaching the word racism to work they had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conversation as much as possible .
This is work that previously had no direct connection to race .
The most veteran among them have been through this song and dance a dozen times .
Donald Trump 2020 Coll ... Buy New $ 37.94 Willing to claim plausible deniability , the harm done to their small area of influence in society , when they follow this trend , is ignored .
The urge to claim powerlessness or even default to the Nuremberg defense is overwhelming to some : “ I ’ m just following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t change a thing , so why not ride the wave , ” or “ I can ’ t speak up , because if I do , I ’ ll be a barista at Starbucks by the end of the month with third-rate , off-the-beaten path , community colleges refusing to answer my job inquiries.
” The Saddest Thing About Racism As A Buzzword Use of racism as a buzzword makes the identification of actual racism nearly impossible .
This is not a problem in a one-on-one conversation , as one should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but this is a massive problem for larger conversations .
The English language no longer has a useful term for this that can be understood societally .
This is an attack on language and reason .
It is an attack on opposition to determinism based on race that western culture has so vehemently developed tools against .
Denying the English language a word for racism , allows the true racists in the room to continue their racism unopposed , and allows the true anti-racists in the room to be silenced by whatever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ silencing often happens because the speaker has the clarity to see and express how many times Marxism has destroyed countries .
The speaker does not want it for their own country , so they potently denounce it in all its forms .
Unconcerned with intellectual dishonesty , Marxists shamelessly practice racial discrimination , alongside other forms of determinism , and do not desire to have a mirror turned on them , least of all by someone who is not a repentant member of the coalition of the oppressed .
The consistent speaker may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , advocating across the board for the same principle of voluntary association that makes slavery or rape immoral .
Of course the Marxist doesn ’ t want to be compared to the rapist or slaver that they are the moral equivalent of .
The more clearly a speaker can express this moral failure of Marxism to those who will listen , the more the Marxist seeks to silence them .
Other statists too may appreciate the Marxists for ridding them of the persistent gadfly .
To have such a person silenced , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the perpetrators villains in the most evil sense .
Attacking language silences such a fighter for human freedom and incisive thought , while empowering the dullard , the bully , the mob , and the racist .
And you know what , the Marxists don ’ t care .
No part of them feels bad .
So stop treating them like they do .
Stop pretending that they care about the moral turpitude of racism or any other form of determinism .
It is merely a momentarily useful tool to the Marxist .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ others define this powerful term identically to you .
That way , at least , there is no moralizing agony for you related to the term .
When someone says “ racist , ” or “ racism , ” you must only ever hear “ look at me !
” That ’ s all it means .
That ’ s all that a buzzword is , a call for attention , an attempt to seize an extra newton of power — the impact on society be damned .
The Best of Allan Stevo

A buzzword is a word or phrase that is added to a statement in order to say “Look at me!” It’s a flourish, a bit of panache, a stylistic note meant to evoke emotion and get people to perk up their ears.
Popular vapid buzzwords have included: robust, synergy, proactive, sunset, bandwidth, lockstep, and learnings.
Let’s take a look at a few notable buzzwords in greater depth: global warming, blockchain, and racism.
Buzzword #1: Global Warming
Astute researchers who have been active in their fields since the late 1990s and early 2000s, before global warming became a popularized concept that attracted passionate mass protest and wider funding, have special insight on this topic. The Bitcoin Manifesto Allan J Stevo Best Price: $7.54 Buy New $12.73 (as of 05:50 UTC - Details)
Researchers have always had to answer the question of how to fund their research. The competition for research funding can be exhausting. From time to time, one can identify an agenda to latch onto in order to help the research money flow more smoothly.
Global warming, as such an agenda, has been big money in academia and beyond. If you were an ethologist studying snowy owl habitats, you needed to only add global warming to the title of your paper, dedicate a fraction of the paper to the topic superficially, and suddenly a new area of funding was available to you.
The individual financial benefit around favorable climate change research has long been evident in academia and has long been ignored outside of academia when evaluating the integrity of research. Though funding for global warming research has become more sophisticated, appending this, or any other buzzword to research, remains an avenue for opening up additional funding.
To further sweeten this honeypot, funding on global warming in the social sciences is generously given without rigorous methodology. “In an examination of 15 years of energy research (1999–2013), it was found that almost one-third (29%) of 4,444 studies examined had no research design—or method—whatsoever.”
To stay trendy and effective, The Guardian recommends these synonymous buzzwords to communicate urgency to an audience: global heating, climate crisis, climate emergency, climate breakdown, climate and wildlife crisis, ecological breakdown, ecological crisis, and ecological emergency.
Layering buzzwords can also be a useful technique. Additional funding sources can be unlocked by researchers “challenging incumbent ways of thinking” through global warming research “promoting gender diversity in research (fighting patriarchy),” or “highlighting the value of trans-disciplinary research designs (fighting dogmatism and elitism).”
Climate science and energy studies remain fields where the application of superficial buzzwords can attract serious funding.
A Toxic Shortcut To Take
Many writers know editor-specific tweaks are needed to get writing published. Many employees know the same about proposing projects to a boss. Entrepreneurs know that about selling products and services to their customer base. The ideal situation is to work with counterparts who allow you to express yourself genuinely. If you do not have that, you are working with the wrong counterpart.
Many take shortcuts in finding their counterparts and instead shortchange their values to make life more tenable. While this may be a useful short term solution for a person in a bind, this behavior is instead treated as a long term norm across society. Buzzword Buy New $16.25 (as of 03:11 UTC - Details)
The distinction is integral to how society functions, and amounts to a fundamental deceit undergirding much dysfunction. This deceit is harmful to all involved: society gets lied to, employers don’t get their best employee, and the individual never develops the ability to push himself to his potential because so much of his energy is spent in lying and complying.
Sometimes a shortcut is the longest distance between two points. Being a sell-out is not about the money, being a sell-out is about betraying your values.
The Network Effects Of Buzzwords
An important notion behind buzzwords is their network effect: if enough people fall for a buzzword, that buzzword gets the job done. Even funders who will hand out a billion dollars in funding this year have bosses, donors, or other authority figures they report to, and even if the funder realizes the superficial nature of global warming in a piece of research, it still allows the funder to turn around and brag to others that they are funding research about some buzzword that others may have seen getting a lot of attention lately.
They get to mention it at cocktail parties, put it on the resume, get media coverage when the mainstream media finally starts reporting on the topic, and generally get to be the person in a friend group that does the most interesting and trendy work.
This is the way of the technocrat.
This does not even consider the powerful incentive to appear virtuous. Virtue signaling is one of the ways we demonstrate our value to our social circle. To demonstrate value to those we most want to fit in with is a powerful drive.
The Cynical Use Of Buzzwords
There’s more. There’s a cynical political aspect to buzzwords.
Why is a liberal environmentalist called a watermelon? Because they are green on the outside, but so very red on the inside.
Marxists, decades ago, figured out how to greenwash their anti-market sentiments and to con people into going along. Two or three generations into the process, some naively believe buzzwords to be more than buzzwords. As new indoctrinated young folks come of age in this cynical system, they approach the system with sincerity, and buy into its established truths rather than sorting through axioms themselves from the ground up. Peppering speech with thoughtless buzzwords and jargon that they have not themselves examined the veracity of becomes the norm. Bitcoin USA Flag Distr... Buy New $19.99 (as of 03:11 UTC - Details)
Every person seeking to be intellectually honest in life must sort through axioms from the ground up themselves. That is part of the heroes journey that we are called to take in western culture. There is nothing heroic about preferring buzzwords to hard-earned victories.
Buzzword #2: Blockchain
Blockchain is a buzzword that I am intimately familiar with, having worked seven years in the eleven-year-old cryptocurrency industry and having authored the book The Bitcoin Manifesto. The blockchain is a technological underpinning of Bitcoin, an influential free market currency that is difficult to censor and difficult for governments to regulate. The Bitcoin Manifesto Allan J Stevo Best Price: $7.54 Buy New $12.73 (as of 05:50 UTC - Details)
A blockchain is also a synonym for a database, though in the case of Bitcoin there are some significant differences. When the word blockchain is dropped into conversation, the astute listener can simply ask “Why is a blockchain needed, won’t a database suffice?” and in our current environment will have hit the nail on the head better than 9 out of 10 times.
As in the matter of global warming, superficially plastering the buzzword blockchain on a project you are already passionate about, will attract additional funding and attention to your work. Very few people will be able to recognize the word as superficial rather than integral.
Buzzword #3: Racism
Racism, once an important example of the logically flawed notion of determinism, has become yet another buzzword. The loss of the word will spell decades of woe to English-speaking people. Without a word to describe the pernicious concept, English speakers will likely setback human freedom around race decades.
The word has become a buzzword and a calumny devoid of specific meaning.
Buzzwords are marketing. When we sacrifice the important meaning of a word at the altar of marketing and influence, we really do burn up the substance of the word as it is presently understood. It grows overused and loses its meaning.
Some 5 million technocrats globally are now superficially attaching the word racism to work they had already been doing and dropping it into conversation as much as possible. This is work that previously had no direct connection to race.
The most veteran among them have been through this song and dance a dozen times. Donald Trump 2020 Coll... Buy New $37.94 (as of 05:17 UTC - Details)
Willing to claim plausible deniability, the harm done to their small area of influence in society, when they follow this trend, is ignored. The urge to claim powerlessness or even default to the Nuremberg defense is overwhelming to some: “I’m just following orders,” or “I can’t change a thing, so why not ride the wave,” or “I can’t speak up, because if I do, I’ll be a barista at Starbucks by the end of the month with third-rate, off-the-beaten path, community colleges refusing to answer my job inquiries.”
The Saddest Thing About Racism As A Buzzword
Use of racism as a buzzword makes the identification of actual racism nearly impossible.
This is not a problem in a one-on-one conversation, as one should define key terms in all such conversations, but this is a massive problem for larger conversations.
The English language no longer has a useful term for this that can be understood societally. This is an attack on language and reason. It is an attack on opposition to determinism based on race that western culture has so vehemently developed tools against.
Denying the English language a word for racism, allows the true racists in the room to continue their racism unopposed, and allows the true anti-racists in the room to be silenced by whatever mob can shout the loudest.
This silencing often happens because the speaker has the clarity to see and express how many times Marxism has destroyed countries. The speaker does not want it for their own country, so they potently denounce it in all its forms.
Unconcerned with intellectual dishonesty, Marxists shamelessly practice racial discrimination, alongside other forms of determinism, and do not desire to have a mirror turned on them, least of all by someone who is not a repentant member of the coalition of the oppressed.
The consistent speaker may take this further and oppose all statism, advocating across the board for the same principle of voluntary association that makes slavery or rape immoral. Of course the Marxist doesn’t want to be compared to the rapist or slaver that they are the moral equivalent of. The more clearly a speaker can express this moral failure of Marxism to those who will listen, the more the Marxist seeks to silence them. Other statists too may appreciate the Marxists for ridding them of the persistent gadfly.
To have such a person silenced, is an injustice in the world and makes the perpetrators villains in the most evil sense. Attacking language silences such a fighter for human freedom and incisive thought, while empowering the dullard, the bully, the mob, and the racist.
And you know what, the Marxists don’t care. No part of them feels bad. So stop treating them like they do. Stop pretending that they care about the moral turpitude of racism or any other form of determinism. It is merely a momentarily useful tool to the Marxist. Stop having the arrogance of assuming that others define this powerful term identically to you. That way, at least, there is no moralizing agony for you related to the term.
Conclusion
When someone says “racist,” or “racism,” you must only ever hear “look at me!”
That’s all it means. That’s all that a buzzword is, a call for attention, an attempt to seize an extra newton of power — the impact on society be damned.
The Best of Allan Stevo


lewrockwell--2020-07-09--Money—How To Get It and Keep It

Money—How To Get It and Keep It

Even if you are already wealthy , some thought on this topic is worthwhile .
What would you do if some act of God or of government , a catastrophic lawsuit , or a really serious misjudgment took you back to square one ?
One thing about a real depression is that everybody loses .
As Richard Russell has quipped , the winners are those who lose the least .
As far as I ’ m concerned , the Greater Depression is not just another cyclical downturn .
You may find that although you ’ re far ahead of your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ ve diversified internationally , and you don ’ t believe much of what you hear from official sources ) , you ’ re still not as prepared as you ’ d like .
I think a good plan would be to approach the problem in four steps : Liquidate , Consolidate , Create , and Speculate .
The Reality of Being : ... De Salzmann , Jeanne Best Price : $ 16.62 Buy New $ 17.77 Chances are high that you have too much “ stuff.
” Your garage , basement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possessions that you may be renting a storage unit for the overflow .
That stuff is costing you money in storage fees , in depreciation , and in the weight of psychological baggage .
It ’ s limiting your options… It ’ s weighing you down .
Get rid of it .
Right now , it has a market value .
Perhaps to a friend you can call .
Or to a neighbor who might buy it if you have a yard sale .
Or to some of the millions of people on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when we ’ re out of the eye of the financial hurricane and back into the storm , it will likely have much less value .
But right now , there ’ s a market .
Even if most people are no longer wearing those “ He who dies with the most toys , wins ” T-shirts that were popular at the height of the boom , there are still buyers .
But the general standard of living is dropping , and mass psychology is changing .
In a year or two , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any bids and the psychology of the country has changed radically .
People will be desperate for cash , and they ’ ll all be cleaning out their storage units ( partly because they can ’ t afford the rent on them ) .
Liquidate whatever you don ’ t actually need – clothes , furniture , tools , cars , bikes , collections , electronics , properties , you name it .
You ’ ll be able to rebuy something like it , or better and cheaper .
Just as important , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , unburdened by a bunch of possessions that own you and weigh you down .
It will definitely improve your psychology , which is critical to the next stage .
And the cash it generates will be helpful for the rest of the plan .
Take stock of your assets .
After Step 1 , that should be a lot easier because you ’ ll have less junk but a lot more cash .
You ’ ll already feel more in control and empowered .
And definitely richer .
But your main assets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s the knowledge , skills , and connections you possess .
Take stock of them .
What do you know ?
What can you do ?
Whom do you know ?
Make lists and think about these things , with an eye to maximizing their value .
If you ’ re light on knowledge , skills , and connections , then do something about it – although if you ’ re reading this , you probably already live life in a way that builds all of those assets daily .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Think the Count of Monte Cristo .
Or if you ’ re not so classically oriented , think Sarah Connor after she met the Terminator .
Part of this process is to look at what you ’ re now doing .
The chances are excellent there ’ s a better and more profitable allocation of your time .
Even successful rock stars tend to reinvent themselves every few years .
You don ’ t want to get stale .
That leads to Step 3 .
Speculator ( High Groun ... Hunt , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New $ 18.00 Remember , the essence of becoming wealthy is to produce more than you consume and save the difference .
But it ’ s hard to maximize value working for somebody else .
And when you ’ re given a job , it can be taken away for any number of reasons .
There is cause , and there is effect .
You don ’ t want to be the effect of somebody else ’ s cause .
You want to be the cause for everything in your life .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turn your present employer into a partner or an associate .
Perhaps go through the Yellow Pages ( while they still exist ) , page by page , line by line , and see what you can provide as a service for the businesses advertising there .
I promise you , they ’ re all looking for someone to come along , kiss their world , and make it better .
Think like an entrepreneur at all times .
Remember that there is an infinite desire for goods and services on the part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the planet .
Find out how you can give them what they want , and the money will roll in .
I ’ ve said many times that I believe you could airdrop me naked and penniless into the heart of the Congo , and by the time I emerged , I ’ d not just have survived , I ’ d come out wealthy .
And believe me , I don ’ t think wealth is by any means the most important thing in life ; it ’ s important but should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imperative .
Not that I ’ d want to be airdropped into the Congo at the moment ; I ’ ve gotten a bit lazy , I have other interests , and you can ’ t be everywhere and do everything .
But now that I think about it , if I wanted to make a real fortune today from a small base , I might prefer Africa to any other continent .
As an educated Westerner , you can quickly meet anyone on an equal level much more easily than you could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason that makes any sense at all , you can be in the office of the president within a week .
These countries are all plagued with incompetence and corruption , they need everything , and they ’ re full of untapped resources and talent .
This all inures to the great advantage of a foreign entrepreneur .
Here ’ s an idea .
For your next vacation , book a trip to Cameroon , Togo , Gabon , Zimbabwe , or Angola .
Go through the Yellow Pages in the capital and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chances are good you ’ ll come up with several deals in the first week alone .
If you can ’ t find the time , send your kid who ’ s just out of school and idiotically thinks he may want to misallocate time and money getting an MBA .
This idea alone should be worth a million dollars .
Or as I would prefer to think of it , 555 ounces of gold .
But to an economist , money , like all goods , has “ declining marginal utility.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something you have , the less you need or want the next unit .
Of course , more is always better , but it ’ s unseemly , even degrading , to pursue anything beyond a certain point .
Drug Lord ( High Ground ... Doug Casey , John Hunt Best Price : $ 16.00 Buy New $ 18.08 When I was in Toronto one time , I spoke with a Chinese friend who , I believe , is worth at least $ 250 million .
As he waxed philosophic , he allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really needed more than 30 extra-large to live exactly as he liked .
I agreed , in that meals in the best restaurants , as well as the finest clothes , cars , and houses only cost so much .
And it ’ s well within a conservative return on that capital , without ever even touching the principal .
Is it worth it to get more ?
Perhaps not , unless your interests in the rest of life are entirely too narrow .
The point of money is to allow you freedom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more .
That doesn ’ t rule out speculation as an avocation , however .
More – everything else being equal – is still better .
You ’ ve got money .
Now , you have to keep it and make it grow , because staying in the same place amounts to going backwards .
That ’ s partially because the world at large will continue getting wealthier , even as the dollars you own lose value .
In the past , I ’ ve discussed why a lot of old rules for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the next few years .
Saving with dollars will be foolish as they dry up and blow away .
Investing according to classic rules will be very tricky in a radically changing economy .
Most people will try to outrun inflation by trading or gambling .
The markets , which are the natural friend of productive people , will perversely prove very destructive to them in the years to come .
You ’ ll know when the final bottom in the stock market has come : The average guy won ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if he even remembers it exists .
And if he does , he ’ ll want it abolished .
Instead of becoming a victim of inflation and other politically caused distortions in the marketplace , you can profit from these things .
Rational speculation is the optimum approach .
What to Do if You ’ re Already Wealthy ?
Perhaps , however , you ’ ve already covered all the financial bases to your satisfaction .
Quo vadis ?
I have several thoughts on the meaning of wealth .
You may find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of everything fluctuate radically in the years ahead .
First , recognize that wealth is a high moral good .
Don ’ t feel guilty about having it or about wanting more .
Right on the Money Casey , Doug Best Price : $ 7.46 Buy New $ 13.68 If you ’ ve already accumulated and deployed enough capital to allow you to jump off the golden treadmill , congratulations : Chances are high that you are an exceptional human being .
I say that because the moral value of being wealthy is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that in a Calvinistic way , in that Calvin believed Yahweh rewarded the righteous by making them rich .
But I do believe that productive people – people who work hard to provide goods and services for others – definitely tend to be wealthier than unproductive people .
They deserve to be .
And since we don ’ t live in a malevolent universe , people generally get what they deserve .
So yes , wealth is definitely one indicator of moral excellence .
Sure , some wealthy people got that way by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But they ’ re exceptions .
It ’ s much easier to become wealthy if ( in addition to having virtues like diligence , competence , and judgment ) you are known to be truthful and honest .
Those who automatically think ill of the rich are , at best , paranoid fools .
Put it this way : Rich people may lack some virtues , but they definitely have at least a few that made them rich .
Poor people , on the other hand , will certainly lack some virtues , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vices that kept them poor .
I ’ m a fan of some aspects of George Gurdjieff , the late-19th to mid-20th century Russian mystic , who was also a merchant adventurer at some points in his colorful life .
He said that anyone who successfully employed at least 20 other people must be considered at least partially enlightened and a type of guru .
That viewpoint always resonated with me .
Self-made wealthy people may not be saints , mystics , intellectuals , or even especially thoughtful or moral .
But they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the average bear in at least one important way : They can create and conserve wealth .
And they ’ ve thereby eased everyone ’ s path to further accomplishments .
Second , figure out your purpose in having money .
Sure , money makes life easier .
And it ’ s nice how it enables you to assist people you like with material things .
But I strongly suggest that you not take too short a view on this matter .
Accelerating advances in medical science are not only lengthening human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the works have the potential to vastly improve your capability and health as well .
Is it possible to live to age 200 , with all the wealth , knowledge , and wisdom that implies , while maintaining the body of a 30-year-old ?
Not yet .
But the prospect is on the horizon .
It will , however , be available only to those who can afford it .
Ray Kurzweil makes a case that the Singularity is near , and I buy his reasoning .
It would be tragic if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he wouldn ’ t live very long , and then succumbed to a self-fulfilling prophecy , not because of medical difficulties , but because of financial difficulties .
Third , don ’ t give your money to charity .
Entirely apart from showing a lack of both imagination and foresight , it ’ s a complete waste of good money , pure and simple .
Contrary to popular opinion , it rarely does any good ; it often does great harm .
The whole concept of charitable giving is corrupt and desperately in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if you do care about posterity ( who knows , you might be reincarnated… ) , and on the chance you don ’ t make it to the Singularity , carefully consider how to dispose of your estate .
For one thing , there ’ s no reason to automatically leave anything to your children – unless they deserve it .
The notion that someone should inherit your money just because he shares your genes is flawed and thoughtless .
The example of Marcus Aurelius leaving the Roman Empire to his worthless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Wealth should be left to someone who is most capable of increasing it – at least if you want to benefit humanity in general .
And yes , I ’ m quite aware that humanity in general may deserve absolutely nothing .
At a minimum , consider that memes are far more important than genes .
It ’ s wiser , therefore , to leave your wealth only to individuals ( related to you or not ) who will carry forth values you hold dear and are worthy of the wealth .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ disinherit the government .
Also consider that dividing wealth dissipates it and generally makes it less useful .
If you have $ 1 million , you could leave $ 1,000 to each of 1,000 people .
But , apart from the fact that it ’ s unlikely anyone knows 1,000 worthy people , that much money is only enough for a modest vacation or a few baubles .
The larger the pool of capital , the more ways it can be used , the more creative power it has , and the more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creatively .
I favor the Roman system , in which one could adopt children of any age – but always after you could see what their character was .
You might want to do that if your own kids don ’ t make the grade .
If you want serious money , you have to get serious about money .
You need to understand these fundamentals and never forget them .
Don ’ t let all the garbage reported in the financial media you read , see , or hear confuse you about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t consume more than you make : save !
Don ’ t spend : invest !
The Best of Doug Casey

Even if you are already wealthy, some thought on this topic is worthwhile. What would you do if some act of God or of government, a catastrophic lawsuit, or a really serious misjudgment took you back to square one?
One thing about a real depression is that everybody loses. As Richard Russell has quipped, the winners are those who lose the least.
As far as I’m concerned, the Greater Depression is not just another cyclical downturn. You may find that although you’re far ahead of your neighbors (you own precious metals, you’ve diversified internationally, and you don’t believe much of what you hear from official sources), you’re still not as prepared as you’d like.
I think a good plan would be to approach the problem in four steps: Liquidate, Consolidate, Create, and Speculate. The Reality of Being: ... De Salzmann, Jeanne Best Price: $16.62 Buy New $17.77 (as of 03:14 UTC - Details)
Step 1: Liquidate
Chances are high that you have too much “stuff.” Your garage, basement, and attic are so full of possessions that you may be renting a storage unit for the overflow. That stuff is costing you money in storage fees, in depreciation, and in the weight of psychological baggage. It’s limiting your options… It’s weighing you down. Get rid of it.
Right now, it has a market value. Perhaps to a friend you can call. Or to a neighbor who might buy it if you have a yard sale. Or to some of the millions of people on eBay. A year from now, when we’re out of the eye of the financial hurricane and back into the storm, it will likely have much less value. But right now, there’s a market. Even if most people are no longer wearing those “He who dies with the most toys, wins” T-shirts that were popular at the height of the boom, there are still buyers. But the general standard of living is dropping, and mass psychology is changing. In a year or two, you may find there aren’t any bids and the psychology of the country has changed radically. People will be desperate for cash, and they’ll all be cleaning out their storage units (partly because they can’t afford the rent on them).
Liquidate whatever you don’t actually need – clothes, furniture, tools, cars, bikes, collections, electronics, properties, you name it. You’ll be able to rebuy something like it, or better and cheaper. Just as important, you’ll feel light and mobile, unburdened by a bunch of possessions that own you and weigh you down. It will definitely improve your psychology, which is critical to the next stage. And the cash it generates will be helpful for the rest of the plan.
Step 2: Consolidate
Take stock of your assets. After Step 1, that should be a lot easier because you’ll have less junk but a lot more cash. You’ll already feel more in control and empowered. And definitely richer. But your main assets aren’t money or things. It’s the knowledge, skills, and connections you possess. Take stock of them. What do you know? What can you do? Whom do you know? Make lists and think about these things, with an eye to maximizing their value.
If you’re light on knowledge, skills, and connections, then do something about it – although if you’re reading this, you probably already live life in a way that builds all of those assets daily. But there’s always room for improvement. Think the Count of Monte Cristo. Or if you’re not so classically oriented, think Sarah Connor after she met the Terminator.
Part of this process is to look at what you’re now doing. The chances are excellent there’s a better and more profitable allocation of your time. Even successful rock stars tend to reinvent themselves every few years. You don’t want to get stale. That leads to Step 3. Speculator (High Groun... Hunt, John Best Price: $6.35 Buy New $18.00 (as of 10:10 UTC - Details)
Step 3: Create
Remember, the essence of becoming wealthy is to produce more than you consume and save the difference. But it’s hard to maximize value working for somebody else. And when you’re given a job, it can be taken away for any number of reasons. There is cause, and there is effect. You don’t want to be the effect of somebody else’s cause. You want to be the cause for everything in your life. That implies working for yourself. At least turn your present employer into a partner or an associate.
Perhaps go through the Yellow Pages (while they still exist), page by page, line by line, and see what you can provide as a service for the businesses advertising there. I promise you, they’re all looking for someone to come along, kiss their world, and make it better. Think like an entrepreneur at all times. Remember that there is an infinite desire for goods and services on the part of the 7.5 billion other people on the planet. Find out how you can give them what they want, and the money will roll in.
I’ve said many times that I believe you could airdrop me naked and penniless into the heart of the Congo, and by the time I emerged, I’d not just have survived, I’d come out wealthy. And believe me, I don’t think wealth is by any means the most important thing in life; it’s important but should be considered a convenience, not an imperative. Not that I’d want to be airdropped into the Congo at the moment; I’ve gotten a bit lazy, I have other interests, and you can’t be everywhere and do everything.
But now that I think about it, if I wanted to make a real fortune today from a small base, I might prefer Africa to any other continent. As an educated Westerner, you can quickly meet anyone on an equal level much more easily than you could at home. If you have a reason that makes any sense at all, you can be in the office of the president within a week. These countries are all plagued with incompetence and corruption, they need everything, and they’re full of untapped resources and talent. This all inures to the great advantage of a foreign entrepreneur.
Here’s an idea. For your next vacation, book a trip to Cameroon, Togo, Gabon, Zimbabwe, or Angola. Go through the Yellow Pages in the capital and meet everybody who is anybody. The chances are good you’ll come up with several deals in the first week alone. If you can’t find the time, send your kid who’s just out of school and idiotically thinks he may want to misallocate time and money getting an MBA. This idea alone should be worth a million dollars. Or as I would prefer to think of it, 555 ounces of gold.
But to an economist, money, like all goods, has “declining marginal utility.” In other words, the more of something you have, the less you need or want the next unit. Of course, more is always better, but it’s unseemly, even degrading, to pursue anything beyond a certain point. Drug Lord (High Ground... Doug Casey, John Hunt Best Price: $16.00 Buy New $18.08 (as of 05:55 UTC - Details)
When I was in Toronto one time, I spoke with a Chinese friend who, I believe, is worth at least $250 million. As he waxed philosophic, he allowed that he didn’t feel he really needed more than 30 extra-large to live exactly as he liked. I agreed, in that meals in the best restaurants, as well as the finest clothes, cars, and houses only cost so much. And it’s well within a conservative return on that capital, without ever even touching the principal. Is it worth it to get more? Perhaps not, unless your interests in the rest of life are entirely too narrow. The point of money is to allow you freedom, not make you crazy with getting more.
That doesn’t rule out speculation as an avocation, however. More – everything else being equal – is still better.
Step 4: Speculate
You’ve got money. Now, you have to keep it and make it grow, because staying in the same place amounts to going backwards. That’s partially because the world at large will continue getting wealthier, even as the dollars you own lose value.
In the past, I’ve discussed why a lot of old rules for success are actually going to prove counterproductive over the next few years. Saving with dollars will be foolish as they dry up and blow away. Investing according to classic rules will be very tricky in a radically changing economy. Most people will try to outrun inflation by trading or gambling. The markets, which are the natural friend of productive people, will perversely prove very destructive to them in the years to come. You’ll know when the final bottom in the stock market has come: The average guy won’t want to hear about the stock market, if he even remembers it exists. And if he does, he’ll want it abolished.
Instead of becoming a victim of inflation and other politically caused distortions in the marketplace, you can profit from these things. Rational speculation is the optimum approach.
What to Do if You’re Already Wealthy?
Perhaps, however, you’ve already covered all the financial bases to your satisfaction. Quo vadis? I have several thoughts on the meaning of wealth. You may find some of them of value as prices of everything fluctuate radically in the years ahead.
First, recognize that wealth is a high moral good. Don’t feel guilty about having it or about wanting more. Right on the Money Casey, Doug Best Price: $7.46 Buy New $13.68 (as of 07:45 UTC - Details)
If you’ve already accumulated and deployed enough capital to allow you to jump off the golden treadmill, congratulations: Chances are high that you are an exceptional human being. I say that because the moral value of being wealthy is underrated. I don’t mean that in a Calvinistic way, in that Calvin believed Yahweh rewarded the righteous by making them rich. But I do believe that productive people – people who work hard to provide goods and services for others – definitely tend to be wealthier than unproductive people. They deserve to be. And since we don’t live in a malevolent universe, people generally get what they deserve. So yes, wealth is definitely one indicator of moral excellence.
Sure, some wealthy people got that way by lying, cheating, and stealing. But they’re exceptions. It’s much easier to become wealthy if (in addition to having virtues like diligence, competence, and judgment) you are known to be truthful and honest. Those who automatically think ill of the rich are, at best, paranoid fools. Put it this way: Rich people may lack some virtues, but they definitely have at least a few that made them rich. Poor people, on the other hand, will certainly lack some virtues, and they’ll definitely have some vices that kept them poor.
I’m a fan of some aspects of George Gurdjieff, the late-19th to mid-20th century Russian mystic, who was also a merchant adventurer at some points in his colorful life. He said that anyone who successfully employed at least 20 other people must be considered at least partially enlightened and a type of guru. That viewpoint always resonated with me. Self-made wealthy people may not be saints, mystics, intellectuals, or even especially thoughtful or moral. But they’ve proven they’re better than the average bear in at least one important way: They can create and conserve wealth. And they’ve thereby eased everyone’s path to further accomplishments.
Second, figure out your purpose in having money.
Sure, money makes life easier. And it’s nice how it enables you to assist people you like with material things. But I strongly suggest that you not take too short a view on this matter. Accelerating advances in medical science are not only lengthening human life expectancy, but new developments now in the works have the potential to vastly improve your capability and health as well.
Is it possible to live to age 200, with all the wealth, knowledge, and wisdom that implies, while maintaining the body of a 30-year-old? Not yet. But the prospect is on the horizon. It will, however, be available only to those who can afford it. Ray Kurzweil makes a case that the Singularity is near, and I buy his reasoning. It would be tragic if anyone frittered away his wealth, thinking he wouldn’t live very long, and then succumbed to a self-fulfilling prophecy, not because of medical difficulties, but because of financial difficulties.
Third, don’t give your money to charity.
Entirely apart from showing a lack of both imagination and foresight, it’s a complete waste of good money, pure and simple. Contrary to popular opinion, it rarely does any good; it often does great harm. The whole concept of charitable giving is corrupt and desperately in need of a complete rethinking.
Fourth, if you do care about posterity (who knows, you might be reincarnated…), and on the chance you don’t make it to the Singularity, carefully consider how to dispose of your estate.
For one thing, there’s no reason to automatically leave anything to your children – unless they deserve it. The notion that someone should inherit your money just because he shares your genes is flawed and thoughtless. The example of Marcus Aurelius leaving the Roman Empire to his worthless son, Commodus, should be instructive. Wealth should be left to someone who is most capable of increasing it – at least if you want to benefit humanity in general. And yes, I’m quite aware that humanity in general may deserve absolutely nothing.
At a minimum, consider that memes are far more important than genes. It’s wiser, therefore, to leave your wealth only to individuals (related to you or not) who will carry forth values you hold dear and are worthy of the wealth. If nothing else, make sure you disinherit the government.
Also consider that dividing wealth dissipates it and generally makes it less useful. If you have $1 million, you could leave $1,000 to each of 1,000 people. But, apart from the fact that it’s unlikely anyone knows 1,000 worthy people, that much money is only enough for a modest vacation or a few baubles. The larger the pool of capital, the more ways it can be used, the more creative power it has, and the more likely it will be conserved and used creatively. I favor the Roman system, in which one could adopt children of any age – but always after you could see what their character was. You might want to do that if your own kids don’t make the grade.
The Bottom Line
If you want serious money, you have to get serious about money. You need to understand these fundamentals and never forget them. Don’t let all the garbage reported in the financial media you read, see, or hear confuse you about what money really is. Don’t consume more than you make: save! Don’t spend: invest!
Reprinted with permission from International Man.
The Best of Doug Casey


lewrockwell--2020-07-09--The US Economy Hasn’t Experienced Anything Like This Since the Great Depression of the 1930s

The recession of 2008 and 2009 was bad , but it was nothing like this .
Even though this new economic downturn is only a few months old , we are already seeing numbers that we haven ’ t seen since the worst parts of the Great Depression of the 1930s .
More than 48 million Americans have filed new claims for unemployment benefits over the past 15 weeks , well over 100,000 businesses have permanently closed their doors , and civil unrest has turned quite a few of our major cities into war zones .
But not all areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For example , there are rural areas that haven ’ t really seen a lot of COVID-19 cases where life seems to have changed very little from six months ago .
On the other hand , some urban areas that have been hit really hard by COVID-19 have been absolutely devastated economically .
For example , the New York Times is reporting that a million jobs have been lost in New York City , and the unemployment rate for NYC “ is hovering near 20 percent ” … We are going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Great Depression ” a lot in the coming months .
Unleashing Usury : How ... Westra , Richard Best Price : $ 12.61 Buy New $ 24.95 Fear of COVID-19 is going to paralyze our economy for the foreseeable future , and all of this fear is hitting some companies more severely than others .
On Tuesday , Levi Strauss announced that sales were down a whopping 62 percent during the second quarter… If Levi Strauss expected this to be just a temporary setback , they would probably try to keep all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they apparently believe that hard times are here to stay and they have just decided to eliminate “ about 700 jobs ” … Of course a whole lot of other companies are laying off workers right now too .
Another 1.427 million Americans filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week , and that is an absolutely catastrophic number .
Prior to 2020 , the worst week in all of U.S. history for new unemployment claims was in 1982 when 695,000 unemployed workers filed in a single week .
So what we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a “ tsunami of job losses ” , and even CNN is admitting that millions of the jobs that have been lost “ are never coming back ” … I couldn ’ t have said it better myself .
The Great Depression David A. Shannon Best Price : $ 4.95 Buy New $ 20.00 Since most Americans were living paycheck to paycheck before this pandemic erupted , millions of unemployed workers have found themselves in desperate need very suddenly .
I have written numerous articles about the massive lines that we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation , and we just witnessed another two mile long line at a food bank in Florida… This is not what a “ recovery ” looks like .
In fact , for certain sectors of the economy the numbers are rapidly getting a lot worse .
For instance , just check out what CNBC is reporting… And Fitch Ratings is warning that these numbers are going to get far worse in the months ahead .
I have said this before , and I will say it again .
We are on the verge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the history of the United States .
America ’ s Great ... Rothbard , Murray N. Buy New $ 9.74 Countless restaurants and retailers are getting way behind on their rent payments , and as a result many owners of commercial property are finding it increasingly difficult to make their mortgage payments .
The dominoes are starting to fall , and this is going to get really , really messy as we head into 2021 and beyond .
Of course the same thing could be said for the U.S. economy as a whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t been posting quite as often the last couple of weeks , and that is because I have been finishing my new book .
It is not too far from being completed , and it is going to be the most important thing that I have written so far .
We are right on the precipice of the most chaotic chapter in all of American history , and a collapsing economy is just going to be one element of “ the perfect storm ” that we are facing .
So please use the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is ahead , because even though things are bad right now , the truth is that we have only experienced the leading edge of “ the perfect storm ” so far .
Reprinted with permission from The Economic Collapse .
What Has Government Do ... Murray N. Rothbard Best Price : $ 7.04 Buy New $ 6.50 Anatomy of the State Murray Rothbard Best Price : $ 5.00 Buy New $ 5.82 Gods of Money : Wall St ... Engdahl , F. William Best Price : $ 8.98 Buy New $ 29.95 The @ @ @ @

The recession of 2008 and 2009 was bad, but it was nothing like this. Even though this new economic downturn is only a few months old, we are already seeing numbers that we haven’t seen since the worst parts of the Great Depression of the 1930s. More than 48 million Americans have filed new claims for unemployment benefits over the past 15 weeks, well over 100,000 businesses have permanently closed their doors, and civil unrest has turned quite a few of our major cities into war zones. But not all areas of the country are being affected equally. For example, there are rural areas that haven’t really seen a lot of COVID-19 cases where life seems to have changed very little from six months ago. On the other hand, some urban areas that have been hit really hard by COVID-19 have been absolutely devastated economically. For example, the New York Times is reporting that a million jobs have been lost in New York City, and the unemployment rate for NYC “is hovering near 20 percent”…
The city is staggering toward reopening with some workers back at their desks or behind cash registers, and on Monday, it began a new phase, allowing personal-care services like nail salons and some outdoor recreation to resume. Even so, the city’s unemployment rate is hovering near 20 percent — a figure not seen since the Great Depression.
We are going to be using the phrase “since the Great Depression” a lot in the coming months. Unleashing Usury: How ... Westra, Richard Best Price: $12.61 Buy New $24.95 (as of 03:15 UTC - Details)
Fear of COVID-19 is going to paralyze our economy for the foreseeable future, and all of this fear is hitting some companies more severely than others. On Tuesday, Levi Strauss announced that sales were down a whopping 62 percent during the second quarter…
The denim maker Levi Strauss & Co.’s sales fell 62% during its fiscal second quarter, the company announced Tuesday, as its online sales weren’t enough to make up for its stores being temporarily shut for roughly 10 weeks during the Covid-19 crisis.
If Levi Strauss expected this to be just a temporary setback, they would probably try to keep all of their employees on board.
But instead, they apparently believe that hard times are here to stay and they have just decided to eliminate “about 700 jobs”…
Levi’s also announced it will be slashing about 15% of its global corporate workforce, impacting about 700 jobs, in a bid to cut costs during the coronavirus pandemic. It said the move should generate annualized savings for Levi’s of $100 million.
Of course a whole lot of other companies are laying off workers right now too. Another 1.427 million Americans filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week, and that is an absolutely catastrophic number. Prior to 2020, the worst week in all of U.S. history for new unemployment claims was in 1982 when 695,000 unemployed workers filed in a single week. So what we are witnessing right now is nothing short of a “tsunami of job losses”, and even CNN is admitting that millions of the jobs that have been lost “are never coming back”…
The American economy’s unprecedented jobs rebound masks a difficult truth: For millions of people, the jobs they lost are never coming back. “It’s clear that the pandemic is doing some fundamental damage to the job market,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody’s Analytics. “A lot of the jobs lost aren’t coming back any time soon. The idea that the economy is going to snap back to where it was before the pandemic is clearly not going to happen.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself. The Great Depression David A. Shannon Best Price: $4.95 Buy New $20.00 (as of 03:15 UTC - Details)
Since most Americans were living paycheck to paycheck before this pandemic erupted, millions of unemployed workers have found themselves in desperate need very suddenly. I have written numerous articles about the massive lines that we have been witnessing at food banks around the nation, and we just witnessed another two mile long line at a food bank in Florida…
More than 700 cars were seen waiting in a two-mile long food bank line in Florida as the US grapples with nearly half of Americans being unemployed amid a spike in new coronavirus cases that has sparked fears of more shut downs and lay-offs. Sunrise Assistant Leisure Services Director Maria Little, who was put in charge of food distribution for the city when the coronavirus hit the US in March, said her group served about 720 cars in Miami on Wednesday.
This is not what a “recovery” looks like.
In fact, for certain sectors of the economy the numbers are rapidly getting a lot worse. For instance, just check out what CNBC is reporting…
Delinquencies in commercial mortgage-backed securities last month had their largest one-month surge since Fitch Ratings began tracking the metric nearly 16 years ago. The delinquency rate hit 3.59% in June, an increase from 1.46% in May. New delinquencies totaled $10.8 billion in June, raising the total delinquent pool to $17.2 billion.
And Fitch Ratings is warning that these numbers are going to get far worse in the months ahead.
And this is just the beginning. Fitch analysts are projecting that the impact from the coronavirus pandemic will drive the delinquency rate to between 8.25% and 8.75% by the end of the third quarter of this year.
I have said this before, and I will say it again.
We are on the verge of the biggest commercial mortgage meltdown in the history of the United States. America’s Great ... Rothbard, Murray N. Buy New $9.74 (as of 11:37 UTC - Details)
Countless restaurants and retailers are getting way behind on their rent payments, and as a result many owners of commercial property are finding it increasingly difficult to make their mortgage payments.
The dominoes are starting to fall, and this is going to get really, really messy as we head into 2021 and beyond.
Of course the same thing could be said for the U.S. economy as a whole.
I know that I haven’t been posting quite as often the last couple of weeks, and that is because I have been finishing my new book. It is not too far from being completed, and it is going to be the most important thing that I have written so far.
We are right on the precipice of the most chaotic chapter in all of American history, and a collapsing economy is just going to be one element of “the perfect storm” that we are facing.
So please use the summer months to get prepared for what is ahead, because even though things are bad right now, the truth is that we have only experienced the leading edge of “the perfect storm” so far.
Reprinted with permission from The Economic Collapse.
What Has Government Do... Murray N. Rothbard Best Price: $7.04 Buy New $6.50 (as of 05:50 UTC - Details) Anatomy of the State Murray Rothbard Best Price: $5.00 Buy New $5.82 (as of 05:45 UTC - Details) Gods of Money: Wall St... Engdahl, F. William Best Price: $8.98 Buy New $29.95 (as of 03:42 UTC - Details)
The Best of Michael Snyder


lewrockwell--2020-07-09--‘Hamilton’: The Obama Administration on Stage

Before I finally watched Hamilton , Lin-Manuel Miranda ’ s colossally popular Broadway musical depicting the Founding Fathers as rapping Men of Color , I had never heard that it ’ s so childish .
I don ’ t know how to judge hip-hop , but after a while the endless rhymes about the Constitutional Convention started sounding less like Eminem and more like Dr. Seuss .
Hamilton is like if The Butter Battle Book took two hours and 45 minutes to recite .
My guess is that Miranda originally conceived of Hamilton as filling a market niche for parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ruin the family ’ s costly evening out at the theater by constant eye-rolling .
While girls naturally adore musicals , there ’ s normally barely anything on Broadway that boys would want to sit through .
My Thoughts Have Been ... Buy New $ 20.24 So why not invent a musical about a boyish hero rising through war and politics only to die in a duel , a true story about the ambitious young man whose face is on the ten-dollar bill ?
( Granted , judging by that portrait , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it could carve roast beef , was just about the whitest man ever .
But who cares about racial reality ? )
In an age when Disney Princesses are vastly monetized on Broadway , why not a Disney Prince story about the first Treasury secretary ?
So , Miranda left out of his musical most of that girly stuff like melody and harmony , and retold the rivalry of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr as a Tupac vs. Biggie beef about New York City not being big enough for the two of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rare Broadway composer with a wife and kids .
Interestingly , the one all-white character in Hamilton is King George III , who is portrayed as a mincing flamer .
That ’ s a very old American stereotype about the English as gay that I haven ’ t seen much of lately .
Yet , the king is probably the most entertaining character in the show .
I can understand his diction and he is even given a mildly catchy tune to sing .
( There are reasons that gays have traditionally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Revolution McCarter , Jeremy Best Price : $ 18.98 Buy New $ 23.69 Miranda ’ s inspiration to write a little musical about American history that boys would tolerate when their sisters demand to be taken to a show was a not unworthy one .
And , who knows , Miranda perhaps thought his show might even attract that legendary unicorn , the Diverse audience .
Ironically , however , Hamilton so precisely tapped into the ever-growing vein of childishness flowing through American culture that its tickets wound up being outrageously too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ market selling for consistently four and supposedly even five figures ) for most families , much less Families of Color .
Superheroes Hamilton B ... Buy New $ 14.95 The Butter Battle Book ... Dr. Seuss Best Price : $ 2.81 Buy New $ 6.89 Concert Promoter Hamil ... Buy New $ 14.99

Before I finally watched Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s colossally popular Broadway musical depicting the Founding Fathers as rapping Men of Color, I had never heard that it’s so childish. I don’t know how to judge hip-hop, but after a while the endless rhymes about the Constitutional Convention started sounding less like Eminem and more like Dr. Seuss. Hamilton is like if The Butter Battle Book took two hours and 45 minutes to recite.
My guess is that Miranda originally conceived of Hamilton as filling a market niche for parents who don’t want their sons to ruin the family’s costly evening out at the theater by constant eye-rolling. While girls naturally adore musicals, there’s normally barely anything on Broadway that boys would want to sit through.
My Thoughts Have Been ... Buy New $20.24 (as of 03:16 UTC - Details) So why not invent a musical about a boyish hero rising through war and politics only to die in a duel, a true story about the ambitious young man whose face is on the ten-dollar bill? (Granted, judging by that portrait, Hamilton, with his nose so sharp it could carve roast beef, was just about the whitest man ever. But who cares about racial reality?) In an age when Disney Princesses are vastly monetized on Broadway, why not a Disney Prince story about the first Treasury secretary?
So, Miranda left out of his musical most of that girly stuff like melody and harmony, and retold the rivalry of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr as a Tupac vs. Biggie beef about New York City not being big enough for the two of them.
By the way, Miranda is a rare Broadway composer with a wife and kids. Interestingly, the one all-white character in Hamilton is King George III, who is portrayed as a mincing flamer. That’s a very old American stereotype about the English as gay that I haven’t seen much of lately. Yet, the king is probably the most entertaining character in the show. I can understand his diction and he is even given a mildly catchy tune to sing. (There are reasons that gays have traditionally dominated musical theater.) Hamilton: The Revolution McCarter, Jeremy Best Price: $18.98 Buy New $23.69 (as of 03:16 UTC - Details)
Miranda’s inspiration to write a little musical about American history that boys would tolerate when their sisters demand to be taken to a show was a not unworthy one.
And, who knows, Miranda perhaps thought his show might even attract that legendary unicorn, the Diverse audience.
Ironically, however, Hamilton so precisely tapped into the ever-growing vein of childishness flowing through American culture that its tickets wound up being outrageously too expensive (with tickets on the secondary market selling for consistently four and supposedly even five figures) for most families, much less Families of Color.
Read the Whole Article
Superheroes Hamilton B... Buy New $14.95 (as of 03:16 UTC - Details) The Butter Battle Book... Dr. Seuss Best Price: $2.81 Buy New $6.89 (as of 03:16 UTC - Details) Concert Promoter Hamil... Buy New $14.99 (as of 03:16 UTC - Details)


lewrockwell--2020-07-09--The Medical Examiner’s Report on George Floyd’s Death

Once again , here is the link to the official medical examiner ’ s report of the autopsy which was released “ with the consent and cooperation of Mr. George Floyd ’ s family and their legal representatives ” .
What is this telling us ?
According to the Oxford English Dictionary , subdual means overcoming or quietening .
The title says that the ability of the police to deal with Floyd was complicated by Floyd ’ s undergoing cardiopulmonary arrest and that the report investigates the issues of restraint and neck compression .
As for the restraint and neck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As for Floyd ’ s cardiopulmonary arrest , that is explained by the toxicology report .
Floyd was already experiencing breathing and cardiopulmonary arrest prior to police restraint .
Note the extensive heart disease that Floyd had : Fentanyl , Inc. : How Ro ... Westhoff , Ben Buy New $ 13.50 Note the finding of No life-threatening injuries : B .
No injuries of anterior muscles of neck or laryngeal C. No scalp soft tissue , skull , or brain injuries D. No chest wall soft tissue injuries , rib fractures ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gotzsche Best Price : $ 38.43 Buy New $ 33.29 Notice the fatal dose of the opioid fentanyl in the toxicology report : 9:00 p.m. at HHC and on postmortem urine ) Floyd died on May 25 , 2020 .
The autoopsy was done on May 26 , 2020 .
On June 1 , 2020 , a press release was issued from Hennepin County that lists “ Manner of death : Homicide.
” This is a puzzle .
Homicide is not supported by the medical examiner ’ s report .
When the autopsy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fentanyl and serious heart disease which would make the fentanyl even more lethal and “ no life-threatening injuries ” to neck or elsewhere , how was homicide committed ?
A press release is not a medical examiner ’ s report .
Who knows the biases of a PR person or the effect on the person of seeing the video .
I read an explanation that for medical examiner ’ s “ homicide ” has a meaning different from the normal meaning .
If this is the case , could a medical examiner or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
A lot of pressure has been put on the medical examiner , a young man whose report makes him a target .
He no doubt feels isolated .
Some readers report that the local newspaper , the Minneapolis Tribune Star , is creating a different position for him , with or without his consent .
To a rational objective person who is not emotionally involved , the issue is the irresponsibility of the media .
Not only are race relations at stake but also the fate of accused police officers who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial .
I find it very disturbing that no media has mentioned the fatal level of fentanyl in flood ’ s blood or the medical report itself except to lie that it supports the conclusion of a non-existent “ second autopsy ” that the police killed Floyd .
The Courageous Police ... Chaix , JC Best Price : $ 35.81 Buy New $ 18.99 It is clear that if the autopsy supported the media ’ s propagandistic account , the examiner ’ s report would be all over the news , not swept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such critical information from the public—especially when it is known that an overdose of fentanyl causes precisely Floyd ’ s symptoms—amounts to a lynching of the police officers .
From the little information we have , it seems that the police were careful with Floyd .
They recognized that he was in trouble from drugs , called for medics , and used restraint to keep him still on his stomach .
As far as I can ascertain , these are the prescribed procedures .
The reason for Floyd being kept on his stomach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include nausea ” .
A person on his back can choke on his own vomit .
This interpretation of police behavior seems to accord with the facts , but it does not fit the predetermined conclusion of “ white racist murder ” which the media have imposed on the event .
The irresponsibility of the American media has resulted in enormous death and destruction in the 21st century .
Seven countries have been destroyed in whole or part by transparent lies supported by the US media .
Millions of people have been killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and displaced by American invasions and bombings based entirely on lies .
Always the media withheld the real facts and gave us fake news .
The media did the same thing with Russiagate and impeachgate and again with Russian subsidies to the Taliban to kill American troops .
They have done the same thing yet again with their propagandistic coverage of George Floyd ’ s death .
A multi-racial country with a media that foments racial conflict has no future .
The Best of Paul Craig Roberts

Once again, here is the link to the official medical examiner’s report of the autopsy which was released “with the consent and cooperation of Mr. George Floyd’s family and their legal representatives”.
First notice the case title:
CARDIOPULMONARY ARREST COMPLICATING LAW ENFORCEMENT SUBDUAL, RESTRAINT, AND NECK COMPRESSION
What is this telling us? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, subdual means overcoming or quietening. The title says that the ability of the police to deal with Floyd was complicated by Floyd’s undergoing cardiopulmonary arrest and that the report investigates the issues of restraint and neck compression. As for the restraint and neck compression, no life-threatening injuries resulted. As for Floyd’s cardiopulmonary arrest, that is explained by the toxicology report. Floyd was already experiencing breathing and cardiopulmonary arrest prior to police restraint.
Note the extensive heart disease that Floyd had: Fentanyl, Inc.: How Ro... Westhoff, Ben Buy New $13.50 (as of 05:32 UTC - Details)
II. Natural diseases
A. Arteriosclerotic heart disease, multifocal, severe
B. Hypertensive heart disease
1. Cardiomegaly (540 g) with mild biventricular
dilatation
2. Clinical history of hypertension
Note the finding of No life-threatening injuries:
III. No life-threatening injuries identified
A. No facial, oral mucosal, or conjunctival petechiae
B. No injuries of anterior muscles of neck or laryngeal
structures
C. No scalp soft tissue, skull, or brain injuries
D. No chest wall soft tissue injuries, rib fractures (other Deadly Medicines and O... Peter Gotzsche Best Price: $38.43 Buy New $33.29 (as of 07:20 UTC - Details)
than a single rib fracture from CPR), vertebral column
injuries, or visceral injuries
Notice the fatal dose of the opioid fentanyl in the toxicology report:
VI. Toxicology (see attached report for full details; testing
performed on antemortem blood specimens collected 5/25/20 at
9:00 p.m. at HHC and on postmortem urine)
A. Blood drug and novel psychoactive substances screens:
1. Fentanyl 11 ng/mL
2. Norfentanyl 5.6 ng/mL
3. 4-ANPP 0.65 ng/mL
4. Methamphetamine 19 ng/mL
5. 11-Hydroxy Delta-9 THC 1.2 ng/mL;
Delta-9 Carboxy THC 42 ng/mL; Delta-9 THC 2.9 ng/mL
6. Cotinine positive
7. Caffeine positive Killer High: A History... Andreas, Peter Best Price: $19.48 Buy New $19.49 (as of 05:30 UTC - Details)
Floyd died on May 25, 2020. The autoopsy was done on May 26, 2020. On June 1, 2020, a press release was issued from Hennepin County that lists “Manner of death: Homicide.”
This is a puzzle. Homicide is not supported by the medical examiner’s report. When the autopsy finds Floyd with a fatal amount of fentanyl and serious heart disease which would make the fentanyl even more lethal and “no life-threatening injuries” to neck or elsewhere, how was homicide committed?
A press release is not a medical examiner’s report. Who knows the biases of a PR person or the effect on the person of seeing the video. I read an explanation that for medical examiner’s “homicide” has a meaning different from the normal meaning. If this is the case, could a medical examiner or expert speak up and clarify the issue?
A lot of pressure has been put on the medical examiner, a young man whose report makes him a target. He no doubt feels isolated. Some readers report that the local newspaper, the Minneapolis Tribune Star, is creating a different position for him, with or without his consent.
To a rational objective person who is not emotionally involved, the issue is the irresponsibility of the media. Not only are race relations at stake but also the fate of accused police officers who have been convicted in the media prior to trial. I find it very disturbing that no media has mentioned the fatal level of fentanyl in flood’s blood or the medical report itself except to lie that it supports the conclusion of a non-existent “second autopsy” that the police killed Floyd.
The Courageous Police ... Chaix, JC Best Price: $35.81 Buy New $18.99 (as of 04:27 UTC - Details) It is clear that if the autopsy supported the media’s propagandistic account, the examiner’s report would be all over the news, not swept under the rug. The withholding of such critical information from the public—especially when it is known that an overdose of fentanyl causes precisely Floyd’s symptoms—amounts to a lynching of the police officers. From the little information we have, it seems that the police were careful with Floyd. They recognized that he was in trouble from drugs, called for medics, and used restraint to keep him still on his stomach. As far as I can ascertain, these are the prescribed procedures. The reason for Floyd being kept on his stomach is that “fentanyl’s effects include nausea”.
A person on his back can choke on his own vomit.
This interpretation of police behavior seems to accord with the facts, but it does not fit the predetermined conclusion of “white racist murder” which the media have imposed on the event.
The irresponsibility of the American media has resulted in enormous death and destruction in the 21st century. Seven countries have been destroyed in whole or part by transparent lies supported by the US media. Millions of people have been killed, maimed, orphened, widowed, and displaced by American invasions and bombings based entirely on lies. Always the media withheld the real facts and gave us fake news.
The media did the same thing with Russiagate and impeachgate and again with Russian subsidies to the Taliban to kill American troops.
They have done the same thing yet again with their propagandistic coverage of George Floyd’s death.
A multi-racial country with a media that foments racial conflict has no future.
The Best of Paul Craig Roberts