Crassus was one of the richest and most powerful men in Rome. He rose to the top alongside Julius Caesar and Pompey as part of the First Triumvirate, an informal three-man alliance that dominated Roman politics even though it was not an official office. Crassus wanted military glory to match […]
There are eight key indicators to watch as the US government falls deeper into the self-perpetuating debt spiral. Indicator #1: Federal Budget Deficits The chart below shows the actual and projected federal budget deficits. It’s important to note that these projections rest on the ridiculous assumption that there will be no […]
“Whenever governments are granted power to purchase their own debt, they never fail to do so, eventually destroying the value of the currency.” – Ron Paul Let’s take a step back and look at the big picture so we can assess the US government’s financial situation, where it’s likely headed, and […]
The Trump administration has made no secret of its desire to push the monetary easing pedal to the metal, even as the engine is already near the red line. They intend to push the system as hard as possible today and worry about the consequences later. One reason may be […]
The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index is one of the clearest windows into how the average American actually feels about the economy. Each month, the university surveys households across the country, asking straightforward questions about personal finances, job prospects, inflation, and expectations for the future. Those responses are distilled […]
“You can’t taper a Ponzi scheme.” Financial commentator Max Keiser originally said these simple yet profound words. A Ponzi scheme is an unsustainable scam that relies on a continuous influx of new money to keep it going. The scheme collapses if the flow of new money slows down or tapers. […]
Below is a geopolitical map of the Western Hemisphere as I see it today. The principal geopolitical foes of the US in the Western Hemisphere—Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua—are firmly in the China and Russia camp. Other countries can shift depending on the outcome of recent elections. Here’s an overview of […]
For more than a century, the United States has treated Latin America as its sphere of influence—its so-called “backyard.” Research by Columbia University historian John Coatsworth shows that the US has overthrown or intervened in at least 41 governments across the region, often using military force or covert operations to […]
It’s hard to believe the United States government was ever debt-free. But it happened once—in 1835—thanks to President Andrew Jackson. He was the first and only president to pay off the national debt completely. One biographer says the former president viewed debt as a “moral failing,” a sort of “black […]
1913 was a terrible year for America and human freedom. It was the year Congress passed the Federal Reserve Act and ratified the 16th Amendment to the US Constitution, which authorized a federal income tax. At first glance, these two unfortunate developments may seem unrelated. Yet what are the odds […]