"Discipline, Romans, And Spending All The Money"

"Discipline, Romans, And Spending All The Money"

By John Wilder

"Self-discipline is hard, but it starts with the smallest step. Even (the dead) Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius in his book "Meditations" talked about how hard it was to get out of bed in the morning. Marcus talked about how warm and comfy he was under the covers, and how he’d like to stay there, curled up. In then end, though, he got up because he had responsibility to govern the Empire that was a bit more important than his desire to be comfy.

Me? There are some mornings I would have given up Gaul for another fifteen minutes. Okay, maybe not Gaul because of the food, but definitely Judea.

Marcus did the tough (maybe he had a hangover?) thing because he had a responsibility to millions of citizens to do his very best for them, and as nearly as I can determine, he took that seriously. Plus? It’s good to be the Emperor. I hear they didn’t have to wait in the drive through for Chicken McNuggets® and always got enough Hot Mustard™ sauce.

The difficult part of discipline is that it requires, well, discipline. Getting good things in life is difficult – that’s why we work for them. And that’s why it’s called work. It’s tough. But when the seeds are planted, cared for, and weeded, then at harvest it’s time to reap the rewards. Discipline is like that. Heck, some sort of east Asian place that I can’t be bothered to look up has a proverb that says that, “A woman who marries a man who works hard every day will never starve.”

I don’t think that was China, because if it was China, they have been starving every century by the tens of millions, especially when they embarked on the Chinese Diet Plan called Communism. Maybe it was Puerto Rico? Or Applebee’s™? Probably not. But I think it might have ended in a vowel, but not Y, because that’s sometimes only a vowel, and I don’t think that Asians use the same fonts.

So, if even a dead Roman can figure it out, why can’t we? The latest bouts of fiscal insanity in the United States have made me think that none of them have read Marcus Aurelius, or maybe even can read. What triggered this post is the recent Supreme Court Case about ghosts. Oh, wait, that’s later. No, student loans.

Student loans in the United States are a particularly horrible thing that gives money to Leftist professors so that they can indoctrinate youth but the youth has to pay for it until they lose all their teeth or pay it off. I think that was in the terms and conditions of my student loans, but I can’t be exactly sure, since after I signed my name, they gave me $7,500. Duh.

The most pernicious thing about student loans is that they live forever. I paid mine off in January, 2013. I paid ahead, but didn’t want to pay them off completely if the world ended in December, 2012 (which was a thing). Oddly, this is a true story, and illustrates how far I’m willing to take a joke.

But student loan forgiveness is just the tip of the iceberg. For the last five or so years of my life, the government (both Right and Left) has been like a fat girl who decides on a Tuesday night that the diet is over. That cookie dough? Sure. I can eat a tube or two. Covered in frosting. Oh, and I’ll just tidy up the frosting container so it doesn’t go bad. If you’ve given up, why not go all in?

The government (again, both Right and Left) has decided that there is no limit. Every Tuesday for them is time to give Ukraine more money for...(spins wheel) dental x-ray infrastructure. Will $23 billion cover that? Sure, if it were just Ukraine, that would be one thing. But it’s not just that. Biden’s Build Back Better means that we’ll just burn cash to make us warm if we run out of oil.

If I seem a bit cynical, it’s because that at every single turn in my life, that I’ve seen fiscal discipline further erode, and money fly a bit freer each day. At no point have I ever seen (outside of Ron and Rand Paul) and politician say, “stop”. Apparently, when elected to Congress, the “spend money on everything light” blinks on the dashboard of their cars.

There is no discipline. There is no pretending to have discipline. It’s all just comfy warm covers and Chicken McNuggies™ while every sense of fiscal discipline is overridden by another trip of the spoon in the Pillsbury™ chocolate frosting.

But that’s okay. I’m sure it will end fine. Where’s the frosting? I think I want to sleep late today. Oh, but have we spent enough money on Ukraine?"

- https://wilderwealthywise.com/

"Of All Tyrannies..."

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. They may be more likely to go to Heaven yet at the same time likelier to make a Hell of earth. This very kindness stings with intolerable insult. To be "cured" against one's will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level of those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals." 

- C.S. Lewis

"Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n' Roll"

"Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n' Roll"

by Jeff Thomas

"The baby-boomer generation were perhaps the most privileged generation that the US has ever spawned. Their fathers returned from World War II, eager to get married, buy a house and start a family. The economy was booming, as, during the early years of the war, the US wisely stayed out, but provided tanks, helmets and even toothbrushes to those who were directly involved in the fray.

What’s more, they didn’t accept pound notes or francs; they accepted only gold. So, at the end of the war, when the manufacturing cities of Europe had been destroyed by bombs, the male populations decimated and the governments broke, the US was on a roll. They had most of the world’s gold and had first-rate manufacturing facilities that only had to switch from making jeeps and rifles to making cars and televisions. That wave of wealth allowed the young married couples to spoil their children with whatever they wanted.

The boomer generation reached their teens in the 1960s, and having grown accustomed to receiving whatever they wanted in life, they were young adults and wanted to party. The phrase, "sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll" was coined and it was an apt one. Young Americans opted for plenty of all three. But of course, somewhere in their twenties, most boomers got married themselves and settled into a new life in which they took on professions and sought wealth. Many became bankers, lawyers, trust officers and politicians.

But, although they were now adults, they were not always responsible adults. There was a new objective – money – and they wanted lots of it. The party was to continue, but on a much more extravagant scale. And again, they were in luck, since back in 1944, the US had strong-armed Europe into accepting the Bretton Woods agreement, which made the US dollar the default currency.

Later, in the 1970s, the US was successful in making the dollar the petrodollar – the currency through which oil was traded. And in 1973, the SWIFT system was created, which, although centered in Brussels, was controlled primarily by the US.

If a national leader did not play ball with the US, he could be sanctioned. The US would threaten to cut him out of SWIFT, making international trade impossible for him. And if a small country did not tax its people as the US did, it could also be threatened with the loss of SWIFT.

The US was rolling in dough, as the saying goes, but it wasn’t sufficient for the boomers. Through the creation of debt, they were able to make the party bigger and better. The boomers, who were now older and had become financiers, changed the US from the biggest creditor nation in the 1950s, to the biggest debtor nation a few decades later. By the 1990s, the boomers had financed the party with a powerful trio of financial weapons: the default currency, the petrodollar and SWIFT.

But all parties must end. Along the way, Europe had grown tired of being dictated to by its war ally and was fed up with being expected to support US sanctions against other countries, that were often their trading partners. Instead of the US being the helpful rich friend, it was becoming a liability. Further, Russia had recovered from its 1991 Soviet debacle and was very much on the rise – leaner, meaner, and ready to stand toe-to-toe with the US.

And China had awoken from its Maoist slumber and was charging ahead both productively and economically at a faster rate than the world had ever seen. By 2015, it had overtaken the US as the world’s foremost producer.

But this had zero impact on US bluster. Its leaders continued to act like the big boy on the block and, if anything, became more militarily aggressive and economically threatening. Then the world at large began, slowly but deliberately, to prune the US domination.

A rift began to grow between the US and Saudi Arabia, an alliance that made the petrodollar possible. Soon, Iraq, Libya and other Middle Eastern countries began to accept other currencies and/or gold in payment for oil. This caused the US to invade them in the hope of creating puppet regimes that would stick to the US rules. But after decades of war in a host of Middle Eastern countries, with no end in sight, the US has not gained any petrodollar ground. It has, however, trashed several countries, made the US hated worldwide for its aggression and gotten itself into a level of debt that is now beyond repayment.

Still, the US controlled SWIFT, but in 2014, Russia began to develop its own payment system, SPFS, in response to Washington’s threats to cut Russia from the SWIFT system. Then, in 2015, China introduced its own international payments system – CIPS – and began to offer it to Russia, India and others for trade. In 2019, the EU made a surprise move, announcing its own payment system, INSTEX, into which all of Europe was invited, but the US was not. Only months later, when the US cut Iran from SWIFT, Russia jumped in and offered SPFS to them, so that they could trade throughout the world, if not with the US.

If it appears that the US has gone out on a limb and is now in the process of sawing off that limb, that would be an accurate perception. Still, for the moment, the US retains the third leg of its economic strength. The dollar is still the default currency in the world and the US news media eagerly provide updates that confirm that the dollar is rising against the other major currencies in the world. The decline of these currencies is due to the fact that the countries that produce them have also attended the party for decades and have also gotten heavily into debt. The ability to expand that debt is beginning to crumble, resulting in currency devaluations.

So, will the default dollar save the US, and allow the party to continue? Well, no. In fact the dollar is in far greater trouble than the other major currencies, but it has a bit more lead time before it collapses. I often describe the dollar as being "the best-looking horse in the glue factory." It will be the last to fall, but will most assuredly do so.

When this particular party ends, it will be one for the record books. In its wake, it will leave a generation of now-aging Americans who have always been able to have their cake and eat it, too. As a result, they’ll be unable to cope with the economic hangover that they’ll be facing. This suggests that the recovery will take a very long time – a generation or more. For those who plan long-term, the US will be a poor choice as regards progress and prosperity for a long time to come."

- https://internationalman.com/

"Grand Crusades and Deep State Clusters"

"Grand Crusades and Deep State Clusters"

How war and inflation are dragging 

the US Empire to rack and ruin

by Bill Bonner

"For the first time in US history, an ex-president described the heavy hand of the “Deep State” on America’s main institutions, and denounced the sinister influence of the war lobby on the situation in the Ukraine."

~ France Soir

San Martin, Argentina - "The market is mostly calm. The general thinking seems to be that the Fed will muddle towards higher rates and the economy will muddle towards adjusting to them. No crash yet! But investors are slowly getting the message: don’t fight the Fed.

Cluster Incoming: As we saw yesterday, when you look at stocks priced in gold, the whole boom of the last 22 years disappears. And now, with more debt than ever before…more inflation than we’ve seen in 40 years (which doesn’t seem to be going away)…higher deficits, higher stock prices, lower earnings, less productivity, and more quackery, incompetence and nonsense than ever…and now that the Fed is no longer supporting the stock market…and both stocks and bonds seem to have entered a new Primary Trend…both downward…you could easily come to the conclusion that the foreseeable future is not likely to be a picnic for investors.

That is the investment outlook as it is today. But wait…there’s more. And here is where the ‘cluster’ comes into view. For while the stock market gets whacked by an unpleasant spell of financial reckoning, there are other things ready to whack the economy and the whole nation.

One is, of course, the Great Crusade to ‘save the planet.’ The planet is in absolutely no danger. But many of the people who live on it – particularly, the elite who control its major governments, media, and universities – believe that we would be better off if we stop ‘global warming’ before we are all burned to a crisp.

Whether there is a real problem or not is open to some question…as is the cost…and the benefit. China’s Great Leap Forward cost some 50 million lives. The Covid lockdowns cost unknown trillions in lost output. How much collateral damage this Green Crusade will inflict, we will find out anon. Today we will look at another part of the cluster, that is: the decline and fall of the US empire.

Graceless Indignity: All empires must die. In our view, the US is now in decline, and has been losing muscle mass since 1999. Of course, a national renewal is not out of the question; a few major policy changes – major cuts to Social Security, Medicaid, and the Pentagon, balanced budgets, a solid dollar, honest interest rates, and a more modest foreign policy – could restore real growth and prosperity. But for now, if there’s one thing our elites all agree about, it’s that no major changes are urgently needed. They like the system as it is. No redistribution of power…or money…required.

All of us eventually get feeble. The best we can hope for is that we are able to do it with grace and dignity. Empires are no different. As long-term sufferers know, we are no fans of Donald Trump. When in office, we often used the words of his own subordinates to mock him as a ‘moron’ or a ‘jackass.’ And while we don’t recant, we recognize that sometimes the fool is the wisest of all.

No, we are not joining the Trump Worshippers…nor have we been infected with Trump Derangement Syndrome. But Trump has just said something important. And if we relied exclusively on the US mainstream press we wouldn’t even know it.

It was only a couple of weeks ago that the press drowned the biggest story to come along in many years: Sy Hersh reported that the Biden team had pulled off the most reckless, irresponsible, and lawless caper in US history. It blew up the Nord Stream pipeline. Was Hersh right? The feds have made no attempt, so far, to put Hersh in prison with other whistleblowers – after all, he claimed to have revealed their most sensitive, super classified information – for an obvious reason. They’d have to admit he was right.

War Be With You: We bring it up, because the complicity of the press is a big part of the cluster story. Here’s a report from a Knight Foundation survey: "…findings from the American Views 2020 report showed that Americans were “very concerned” about increasing political bias in news coverage and the perception that news organizations “push an agenda.”

Do they have an agenda? You bet. None of the major media dare to challenge the empire’s ‘war and inflation’ agenda. None cared to investigate Sy Hersh’s charges more carefully…or even mention them. Nor do they bother to present a balanced, impartial view of the Ukraine conflict. And now, they join in with the imperial jingo-buskers to designate China as the Next Big Enemy.

Even someone as dim as Donald Trump can see that this program will be a disaster. But when he gave one of the most important foreign policy rants of any president since Dwight Eisenhower…we didn’t see a word about it…except in the French press, via American journalist Gilbert Doctorow.

In an amazing tweet, Trump goes on the attack…against the Deep State, the Pentagon, the globalists, NATO, Victoria Nuland, the warmongers and the “America Last” politicians.

From a political perspective, Trump – whose instincts for popular sentiment are as keen as anyone’s – is betting that a large segment of the US population agrees with him. The warmongers have spent trillions, getting us into unwinnable, dangerous wars. ‘The People’ may be getting sick of paying for them.  

But most likely, with the collusion of the press…almost no opposition in Congress…and the irresistible lobbying power of the military/industrial complex…a contrary point of view will never even get a hearing…and the dangerous cluster will develop…unmolested.   

To make our point of view clear…we believe that just as the powers-that-be will not permit the Fed to stop inflation…nor will they allow the US to take its place among the world’s peaceful nations.  Too much of their money, reputations and status depends on war and inflation. War keeps the money headed to their main industries. Inflation is how they pay for it.  And the mainstream press – a vital part of the elite – keeps quiet. More to come..."

- https://bonnerprivateresearch.substack.com/

"How It Really Is"

"If only"... you don't stop because you can't stop.

If you do it's all over. It's all over anyway, you're just buying time.

Tell me I'm wrong...

Gregory Mannarino, "Meltdown: The Economy Is Breaking Faster, Undeniable Proof!"

Gregory Mannarino, AM 3/1/23:

"Meltdown: The Economy Is Breaking Faster, 

Undeniable Proof!"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

"Homes Are Not Selling"

Full screen recommended.

Dan, iAllegedly 3/1/23:

"Homes Are Not Selling"

"It’s happening much faster than expected. The housing market is crashing at a record pace. Here in Orange County California the number of transactions dropped by a staggering 42%."

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

"Massive Price Increases At Target! This Is Ridiculous! What's Next!?"

Full screen recommended.

Adventures With Danno, 3/1/23:

"Massive Price Increases At Target! 

This Is Ridiculous! What's Next!?"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

o

Full screen recommended.

Travelling with Russell, 3/1/23:

"Trying the Russian Big Mac (Hit) 

for the First Time: How Was It?"

"After 9 months of waiting Vkusna/Tochka finally released the Russian Big Mac, known as the Big Hit, a play on the original Big Mac made famous by McDonalds for so many years. How does it taste? Together we're going to find out."

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

"20 Prepping Items That Will Skyrocket In Price This Year"

Full screen recommended.

"20 Prepping Items That Will 

Skyrocket In Price This Year"

by Epic Economist

"We all need to get ready for the challenges ahead because the combination of trouble in financial markets, an economic downturn, and supply chain shortages are going to cause us more than just a headache in the near future. The ongoing recession may be the beginning of something much bigger, that can change life as we know it. However, it’s also been a challenge to get by month by month. With the price of everyday essentials shooting up due to persistent inflation, surviving in today’s world can be tough, as explained by prepper and collaborator at Ask A Prepper.com, Katherine Paterson. But knowing which items will likely increase in price allow us to make more informed decisions and choose what to prioritize, and where we can save some money. Being prepared is about planning in advance, budgeting, and anticipating our future needs.

You must know by now that cereal-based foods like oats, rice, wheat, and corn are in short supply globally. The combination of extreme weather events that devastated crops in California and in many other parts of the world, including India and Pakistan, as well as the ripple effects of the Ukraine crisis, which led to sanctions on Russian exports and a collapse in production in Ukraine, have resulted in shortages of these basic staples that are so important for preppers and non-preppers. Cereals are rich in fiber, protein, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, and a diet rich in cereals helps our bodies to stay in balance and our metabolism to have a better performance. They also have a long shelf life if you store them properly, so they are perfect to stockpile for the long run. However, demand is staying strong while supplies continue to shrink, so we are already seeing some disturbing price fluctuations right now, and they are likely to intensify as inventories get smaller in the coming months. So if you’re running low, take the chance to replenish your pantry before prices go even higher, because they will remain like that for quite some time.

The global industry is facing a severe shortage of raw materials, amongst them, aluminum has been particularly hard hit by supply and demand imbalances. That is affecting many food makers, which are having to pay higher costs for aluminum cans in this tight environment. Canned foods are very practical, easy to store, and a perfect alternative for those who are planning for the longer term. But don’t expect them to be any cheaper than they are right now. With production failing to keep pace with the needs of the industry, the cost of all canned foods and beverages is likely to increase even more than it already did last year.

Getting ready before the worst happens will allow you to be safe from all the craziness that may ensue out there, when the dominoes start to fall. We hope these list has been helpful to you, and you're welcome to share your prepping insights in the comment section down below. Our society will certainly need all the help it can get after chaos start to take over our streets. A day of reckoning is at the door and the collapse will be brutal. That’s why in today’s video, we listed several products that will be crucial for your survival now and later on that are about to face significant price hikes over the next few weeks and months. So take notes, be on the lookout for sales, and stock up when possible."

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

"Breaking News: US Nuclear Base Purged; Moscow Air Raid; ICBMs On The Move; Bakhmut Collapse"

Full screen recommended.

Canadian Prepper, 2/28/23:

"Breaking News: US Nuclear Base Purged; 

Moscow Air Raid; ICBMs On The Move; Bakhmut Collapse"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

"If You Can't Afford A Car You Can't Afford A House - Home Prices Are Only Going Down"

Jeremiah Babe, 2/28/23:

"If You Can't Afford A Car You Can't Afford A House -

 Home Prices Are Only Going Down"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

Musical Interlude: 2002, "Wait For Me"

Full screen recommended.

2002, "Wait For Me"

"A Look to the Heavens"

“Point your telescope toward the high flying constellation Pegasus and you can find this expanse of Milky Way stars and distant galaxies. Centered on NGC 7814, the pretty field of view would almost be covered by a full moon. NGC 7814 is sometimes called the Little Sombrero for its resemblance to the brighter more famous M104, the Sombrero Galaxy.

Both Sombrero and Little Sombrero are spiral galaxies seen edge-on, and both have extensive central bulges cut by a thinner disk with dust lanes in silhouette. In fact, NGC 7814 is some 40 million light-years away and an estimated 60,000 light-years across. That actually makes the Little Sombrero about the same physical size as its better known namesake, appearing to be smaller and fainter only because it is farther away. A very faint dwarf galaxy, potentially a satellite of NGC 7814, is revealed in the deep exposure just below the Little Sombrero.”

- http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap131025.html

Chet Raymo, "On Saying 'I Don't Know'"

"On Saying 'I Don't Know'"

by Chet Raymo

“Johannes Kepler is best known for figuring out the laws of planetary motion. In 1610, he published a little book called “The Six-Cornered Snowflake” that asked an even more fundamental question: How do visible forms arise? He wrote: "There must be some definite reason why, whenever snow begins to fall, its initial formation is invariably in the shape of a six-pointed starlet. For if it happens by chance, why do they not fall just as well with five corners or with seven?"

All around him Kepler saw beautiful shapes in nature: six-pointed snowflakes, the elliptical orbits of the planets, the hexagonal honeycombs of bees, the twelve-sided shape of pomegranate seeds. Why? he asks. Why does the stuff of the universe arrange itself into five-petaled flowers, spiral galaxies, double-helix DNA, rhomboid crystals, the rainbow's arc? Why the five-fingered, five-toed, bilaterally symmetric beauty of the newborn child? Why?

Kepler struggles with the problem, and along the way he stumbles onto sphere-packing. Why do pomegranate seeds have twelve flat sides? Because in the growing pomegranate fruit the seeds are squeezed into the smallest possible space. Start with spherical seeds, pack them as efficiently as possible with each sphere touching twelve neighbors. Then squeeze. Voila! And so he goes, convincing us, for example, that the bee's honeycomb has six sides because that's the way to make honey cells with the least amount of wax. His book is a tour-de-force of playful mathematics.

In the end, Kepler admits defeat in understanding the snowflake's six points, but he thinks he knows what's behind all of the beautiful forms of nature: A universal spirit pervading and shaping everything that exists. He calls it nature's "formative capacity." We would be inclined to say that Kepler was just giving a fancy name to something he couldn't explain. To the modern mind, "formative capacity" sounds like empty words. 

We can do somewhat better. For example, we explain the shape of snowflakes by the shape of water molecules, and we explain the shape of water molecules with the mathematical laws of quantum physics. Since Kepler's time, we have made impressive progress towards understanding the visible forms of snowflakes, crystals, rainbows, and newborn babes by probing ever deeper into the heart of matter. But we are probably no closer than Kepler to answering the ultimate questions: What is the reason for the curious connection between nature and mathematics? Why are the mathematical laws of nature one thing rather than another? Why does the universe exist at all? Like Kepler, we can give it a name, but the most forthright answer is simply: I don't know.”

- http://blog.sciencemusings.com/

"What Keeps You Going..."

"What keeps you going isn't some fine destination but just the road you're on, and the fact that you know how to drive. You keep your eyes open, you see this damned-to-hell world you got born into, and you ask yourself, 'What life can I live that will let me breathe in and out and love somebody or something and not run off screaming into the woods?'"

 - Barbara Kingsolver

The Poet: Edward Hirsch, "I Was Never Able To Pray"

"I Was Never Able To Pray"

"Wheel me down to the shore 

where the lighthouse was abandoned 

and the moon tolls in the rafters.

Let me hear the wind paging through the trees,

and see the stars flaring out, one by one, 

like the forgotten faces of the dead.

I was never able to pray, 

but let me inscribe my name 

in the book of waves,

and then stare into the dome 

of a sky that never ends, 

and see my voice sail into the night."

- Edward Hirsch

The Daily "Near You?"

Dysart, Iowa, USA. Thanks or stopping by!

"Listen..."

Free Download: Barbara W. Tuchman, "The Guns of August"

“Before the Leaves Fall From the Trees”

by Simon Black

"The morning of June 28, 1914 began like any other normal day. It was a Sunday, so a lot of people went to church. Others prepared large meals for family gatherings, played with their children, or thumbed through the Sunday papers.

At that point, tensions had been high in Europe for several years; the continent was bitterly divided by a series of complex diplomatic and military alliances, and small wars had recently broken out. Italy and the Ottoman Empire went to war in 1912 in a limited, 13-month conflict. And the First Balkan War was waged in early 1913. Overall, though, the continent clung to a delicate peace. And hardly anyone expected that most of the next three decades would be filled with chaos, poverty, and destruction. And then it happened.

That Sunday afternoon, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire was assassinated during an official visit to Sarajevo. And the world changed forever. Five weeks later the entire continent was at war with itself. But even still, most of the ‘experts’ thought it would be a simple, speedy conflict. Germany’s emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm II, famously told his troops who were being shipped off to the front line in August 1914, “You will be home before the leaves fall from the trees...” It took four years and an estimated 68 million casualties to bring the war to a close. But that was only the prelude.

Following (and even during) World War I, a series of bloody revolutionary movements took hold in Europe, including in Russia, Greece, Spain, Turkey, and Ireland. Then came the Spanish flu, which claimed the lives of tens of millions of people. Later, Germany sunk into one of the worst episodes of hyperinflation in human history.

Communism began rapidly spreading across the world almost as quickly as the Spanish flu, often through violent fanatics who engaged in murder and arson in order to intimidate their opponents; this became known as the ‘Red Scare’ in the United States.

Of course there were some good years during the 1920s when people generally felt prosperous and happy; but it all came crashing down at the end of the decade when a severe economic depression strangled the entire world. It lasted for more than ten years, during which time the world was once again brought to an even more destructive war that didn’t end until atomic weapons obliterated the civilian populations of two Japanese cities.

Again – go back to June 1914. Who would have thought that the next 30+ years would play out so destructively? Even for the people who did predict that Europe would go to war in 1914, most leaders thought it would be over quickly. And almost no one expected it would spawn decades of chaos.

Today we’re obviously living in different times and under different circumstances. But we may be standing at a similar precipice as in 1914, staring at enormous trends that could shape our lives for years to come. Covid only scratches the surface.

We now know without a doubt, for example, how governments will respond the next time they feel there’s a threat to public health. They’ll say, “We’re listening to the scientists.” Really? The same scientists who told people they couldn’t go to work, school, or church, but it was perfectly fine for peaceful protesters to pack together like sardines without wearing masks because they’re apparently protected from the virus by their own righteousness? The same scientists who wanted to lock everyone down to prevent Covid, but are happy to accept skyrocketing rates of cancer, depression, suicide, heart disease, and domestic abuse as a result of those very lockdowns and so-called "vaccines'?

The public health consequences from this pandemic and "vaccine" will reverberate for years to come. And that doesn’t even begin to take the economic consequences into consideration. Western governments have taken on trillions of dollars in new debt this year and central banks have printed trillions more. Even with all that stimulus, however, there are still hundreds of millions of people worldwide who lost their jobs, and countless businesses that have closed.

Future generations who haven’t even been born yet will spend their entire working lives paying interest on the debts that are being accumulated today. The long-term consequences of all this are incalculable.

And then there are the social trends – the rise of neo-Marxism that’s sweeping the world so fast. It’s the Red Scare of the 21st century. They despise talented, successful people. They believe it’s greedy for you to keep a healthy portion of what you earn, but it’s not greedy for them to take it from you and spend it on themselves.

Many of the people in this movement, of course, are violent fanatics who routinely engage in arson, assault, and vandalism. Same for the social justice warriors who are just as quick to violence and intimidation; plus they’ve already commandeered the decision-making of some of the largest, most powerful companies in the world. You can’t even watch a football game or a TV commercial anymore without some commentary on oppression and victimization. And any intellectual dissent is met with intimidation or censorship.

In fact the largest consumer technology companies in the world have become our censors. We’re not allowed to share scientific information that doesn’t conform to the Chinese-controlled World Health Organization’s guidance. And news articles that don’t match their ideology are blocked.

Let’s not kid ourselves – these trends are not going away any time soon. It’s great to be optimistic, hope for the best, and enjoy the good years as they come. But it makes sense to at least be prepared for the possibility that we could be at the very beginning of a period of enormous instability that may last a very long time."

- https://www.theburningplatform.com/

○

"The Guns of August" 

"In this landmark, Pulitzer Prize–winning account, renowned historian Barbara W. Tuchman re-creates the first month of World War I: thirty days in the summer of 1914 that determined the course of the conflict, the century, and ultimately our present world. Beginning with the funeral of Edward VII, Tuchman traces each step that led to the inevitable clash. And inevitable it was, with all sides plotting their war for a generation. Dizzyingly comprehensive and spectacularly portrayed with her famous talent for evoking the characters of the war’s key players."

Freely download here:

- https://epdf.pub/

○

"The Quick Guide to World War 1"

○

“It is history that teaches us to hope. It is well that war is 

so terrible, otherwise we should grow too fond of it.”

- Robert E. Lee

But we've learned nothing from history, nothing at all, 

and our fondness, no, love of war, has only improved the weapons...

"March Of Folly: Fall Of American Empire" (Excerpt)

"March Of Folly: 

Fall Of American Empire" (Excerpt)

By Jim Quinn

“Folly is a child of power.” - Barbara W. Tuchman, "The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam"

“A phenomenon noticeable throughout history regardless of place or period is the pursuit by governments of policies contrary to their own interests. Mankind, it seems, makes a poorer performance of government than of almost any other human activity. In this sphere, wisdom, which may be defined as the exercise of judgment acting on experience, common sense, and available information, is less operative and more frustrated than it should be. Why do holders of high office so often act contrary to the way reason points and enlightened self-interest suggests? Why does intelligent mental process seem so often not to function?” - Barbara W. Tuchman, "The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam"

Excerpt: "The term “folly” is particularly apt at this stage in the decline of the great American empire. Folly is defined as: criminally or tragically foolish actions or conduct; an excessively costly or unprofitable undertaking. If ever a word captured the actions of American political leaders in the 21st Century and reflect the tragic downfall of an empire borne out of the ashes of the Second World War, it is the term “folly”.

For the last two decades I’ve been befuddled by the inane foolishness of our leaders, as they have driven the nation into a bottomless pit of debt at an astoundingly ridiculous pace, initiated military conflict across the globe, and in the last three years initiated anti-human policies guaranteed to destroy our economic system, depopulate the planet, increase human suffering, and turn the world into a techno-gulag where we will own nothing, eat bugs, and bow down to the commands of globalist overlords.

None of what is being jammed down our throats is based upon reason, facts, or common sense. Why do governments initiate policies destined to destroy the nations they have been entrusted to administer? Is it purely incompetence and stupidity, or is it purposeful and evil?"

Full article here:

- https://www.theburningplatform.com/

Greg Hunter, "The Fed's Biggest Fear Is 'Complete Economic Collapse'

"The Fed's Biggest Fear Is 'Complete Economic Collapse' - 

Peter Schiff Warns 'You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet'"

By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com

"Money manager and economist Peter Schiff said in October the Federal Reserve “could NOT win the fight on inflation by raising interest rates.” As inflation just turned up anew, it looks like he was right - again. Schiff explains, “Based on the recent data we got the inflation curve has bent back up. The months of declining inflation are in the rearview mirror. Now, we are going to see accelerating inflation, and I think before the year is over, we are going to take out that 9% inflation high last year in year over year CPI (Consumer price Index), and what that is going to show is what the Fed has done thus far in its inflation fight is completely ineffective. If the Fed is serious about fighting inflation, and I do not believe it is, it’s going to have to fight a lot harder than it has. Interest rates need to go up much higher than anybody thinks, but that alone is not going to do the trick. We also have to see a big contraction in consumer credit and lending standards rising so consumers can’t keep spending. Consumers are running up credit card debt. That is inflationary. That is an expansion of the supply of credit.”

It gets worse when the Fed has to save the economy again. Schiff predicts, “I think the Fed is going to have to throw in the towel on the inflation fight because it will be fighting something it fears more, which is a complete economic collapse. The federal government may be legitimately forced to cut Medicare and Social Security instead of illegitimately cutting it through inflation. We have this collapsing standard of living, but think about it as a tax. This is what Americans are paying. This is the price of big government. Higher prices are the price we pay for big government, and inflation is a tax. Instead of raising our taxes, they are just printing money, and that devalues the money we have.”

What is the answer? Schiff says, “We have to let the phony economy collapse so we can build a real economy on the rubble of this economic house of cards.” There are going to be lots of losers in the coming collapse. Schiff says, “People are going to suffer the consequences of this experiment gone bad. We know how this experiment is going to end. They are not doing anything that Zimbabwe didn’t try, or Argentina didn’t try or the Weimar Republic. They didn’t reinvent inflation. It’s the same old thing.”

As a result, Schiff predicts big losses in many stocks (but not all), bonds and bank deposits. Schiff contends, “They can’t cover the deposits at the FDIC. They have to acknowledge that the FDIC is bankrupt and people are going to lose money at a bank. The losses are going to dwarf those in the Great Depression because we have a far more leveraged system now thanks to government intervention.”

In closing, Schiff says, “We already have inflation. So, prepare for the consequences of inflation. It is going to raise prices, but it is also a massive transfer of wealth. You have to position yourself to be a winner and not a loser. Creditors are going to get wiped out. People think they are playing it safe in a bond portfolio. Look how bad bonds did last year. It was the worst year in history, and you ain’t seen nothing yet.” There is much more in the 47-minute interview.

- https://usawatchdog.com/

Join Greg Hunter on Rumble as he goes One-on-One with money manager and 

economic expert Peter Schiff, founder of Euro Pacific Asset Management.

- https://rumble.com/

"How It Really Is"

 

"Streets of Philadelphia, 2/28/23"

Full screen recommended.

kimgary, 2/28/23

"Streets of Philadelphia, 2/28/23"

"Problems with drugs and crime on Kensington Ave, Philadelphia's most dangerous street. In Philadelphia as a whole, violent crime and drug abuse are major issues. The city has a higher rate of violent crime than the national average and other similarly sized metropolitan areas. The drug overdose rate in Philadelphia is also concerning. Between 2013 and 2015, the number of drug overdose deaths in the city increased by 50%, with more than twice as many deaths from overdoses as homicides. Kensington's high crime rate and drug abuse contribute significantly to Philadelphia's problems.

Because of the high number of drugs in the neighborhood, Kensington has the third-highest drug crime rate by neighborhood in Philadelphia, at 3.57. The opioid epidemic has played a significant role in this problem, as it has in much of the rest of the country. Opioid abuse has skyrocketed in the United States over the last two decades, and Philadelphia is no exception. In addition to having a high rate of drug overdose deaths, 80% of Philadelphia's overdose deaths involved opioids, and Kensington is a significant contributor to this figure. This Philadelphia neighborhood is said to have the largest open-air heroin market on the East Coast, with many neighbors migrating to the area for heroin and other opioids. With such a high concentration of drugs in Kensington, many state and local officials have focused on the neighborhood in an attempt to address Philadelphia's problem."

o

Full screen recommended.

Bruce Springsteen, "Streets of Philadelphia"

"The Horrific Reality of the Ukrainian Government"

Scott Ritter, 2/28/23:

"The Horrific Reality of the Ukrainian Government"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

o

Full screen recommended.

Redacted, 2/28/23:

“'You have only 4 hours to live!' 

Ukraine Faces Crushing Truth As Putin Closes In"

"It’s over… those are the words being told to Ukrainian president Zelensky about the war… it’s over. While at the same time the US is openly admitting that the U.S. is actively attacking Russia using Ukrainians as cannon fodder to do it."

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

o

In Focus, 2/28/23:

"Douglas Macgregor: 

Unstoppable Russian Offensive in Ukraine"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

"Global Food Inflation Rises; Debts And Deficits Skyrocket; Market Risk Worsen"

Gregory Mannarino, AM 2/28/23:

"Global Food Inflation Rises; 

Debts And Deficits Skyrocket; Market Risk Worsen"

- https://traderschoice.net/

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

"Do What Rich People Do"

Full screen recommended.

Dan, iAllegedly, 2/28/23:

"Do What Rich People Do"

"All of a sudden, we are getting some serious advice from the billionaires again. Do you take this advice? The majority of them are giving their real estate and inflation advice."

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

"Massive Sales At Meijer! Stock Up Now! Don't Miss This!"

Full screen recommended.

Adventures With Danno, 2/28/23:

"Massive Sales At Meijer! 

Stock Up Now! Don't Miss This!"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

"Sorry You're Being Lied To, Prepare For A Bumpy Ride; Crazy Gas Bills; Subprime Auto Lender Done"

Jeremiah Babe, 2/27/23:

"Sorry You're Being Lied To, Prepare For A Bumpy Ride; 

Crazy Gas Bills; Subprime Auto Lender Done"

Comments here:

- https://www.youtube.com/

"HOLY $#!% Moldovan WW3 Front Conformed; Romania Prepares; China on High Alert"

Full screen recommended.

Canadian Prepper, 2/27/23:

"HOLY $#!% Moldovan WW3 Front Conformed; 

Romania Prepares; China on High Alert"

Comments here:

-https://www.youtube.com/

Musical Interlude: Alan Parsons Project, “Ammonia Avenue”

Full screen recommended.

Alan Parsons Project, “Ammonia Avenue”

"A Look to the Heavens"

"A gorgeous spiral galaxy some 100 million light-years distant, NGC 1309 lies on the banks of the constellation of the River (Eridanus). NGC 1309 spans about 30,000 light-years, making it about one third the size of our larger Milky Way galaxy. Bluish clusters of young stars and dust lanes are seen to trace out NGC 1309's spiral arms as they wind around an older yellowish star population at its core.

Not just another pretty face-on spiral galaxy, observations of NGC 1309's recent supernova and Cepheid variable stars contribute to the calibration of the expansion of the Universe. Still, after you get over this beautiful galaxy's grand design, check out the array of more distant background galaxies also recorded in this sharp, reprocessed, Hubble Space Telescope view.”

- http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130116.html