People often ask whether I am concerned about inflation, deflation, peak oil, or a global financial meltdown. My answer is as follows.
The future is something to be created, rather than feared. Allocating our time, networks, and resources to deal with a variety of high-risk scenarios frees us to become proactive and to build positive futures instead of negative ones. I like to understand what these scenarios mean in terms of managing risk and to know how we can succeed within all possible futures.
But my business is investment, not prophecy.
The risk scenario I weight most heavily is not listed above. I call it the “Slow Burn.”
The “slow burn” is a political culture and economy managed through principles of economic warfare in which insiders systematically protect themselves and centralize control and ownership of resources by using:
- Central banks
- Currency and lending systems
- Taxation
- Regulatory and enforcement policies
- Controlled media and entertainment
Insiders use these means to drain the time, resources, and life of people on the outside. Although insider cartels compete and jockey for power, they are able to settle their squabbles by increasing control and draining everyone and everything else. This is why the bubble economy continues to deplete the real economy. It is likely the reason why Dick Cheney said, “Deficits don’t matter.”
In a slow burn scenario, it is possible to prop up trillions of dollars in financial asset values by systematically arranging subsidies that ultimately liquidate life. This is what “managing” markets really means: de-populating people and places to maintain phony values created and necessitated by derivative bets.
The reason why it is difficult for sophisticated financial people to discern that a slow burn is taking place is because we have not yet collectively mastered the operational detail of how it is implemented. This is an extremely important subject.
One of the most important aspects of the Paulson Plan to re-engineer US financial regulation is the assertion of complete control of payment systems by the Federal Reserve and gaining access to the data of essentially any financial institution. Combined with 1) the ability to print money and 2) digital communication payment and surveillance technology (satellite), this will consolidate greater power into fewer hands than at any time in recorded history.
As Nicholas Negroponte said, “In a digital age, data about money is worth more than money.”
Winslow:
Potentially much worse…
Catherine
> this will consolidate greater power into fewer hands than at any time in recorded history.
Worse than Stalin’s Soviet Union or Hilter’s Germany?
Start pulling out your lawns and ornamentals and start planting food crops in your yards instead. We all can begin to lend a hand in the great transition from a consumer-victim economy to a sustainable-self-reliant economy. Learn how to live with less “stuff” and have more quality time to share with your loved ones. Peace
The next time someone calls this system “neo-liberalism,” tell them “NO! It is neo-feudalism.” Those in power now act just as those in power did in medieval times,controlling land,natural resources, the necessities of life, and labor, only more completely, until we organize in large and smart numbers. Don’t underestimate the chaos theory. They can’t control everything all the time, not even close! They have created a pressure cooker but keep adding heat and tightening the lid! Physics determines what comes next.
Catherine, back in the year 2000 when the market took Trillions from equity holders I feel as if the system-house is playing us again. The working class (me) are being placed with a blue ribbon approach once again by the almighty controllers @ system-sick connectors in the U.S.A. It now represents Useless.Stagnant.Aspartame for we the people have lost any sight of leadership in this country where integrity and loyalty can be mentioned and followed through in a single course of a business day. The Trillions which were harvested back in 2000 are now being fed back into the system as a bail-out with interest attached. The cycle never ends and the working class people keep being placed in the erosion cycle in order to maintain a world class order of the elite. I pray for us at night and hope for a future which is bright.
Catherine, thanks for being here and sharing your wisdom.
Robert:
Based on my relatively recent experience of trying to survive in America when I was out in the cold (at the worst, I had phone and power turned off, etc), my advice is to work full time being useful at things that people might not pay you for, but may barter with you or just appreciate you for and ultimately it can translated into a cash flow or goods and services.
For many years I would always help people, volunteer my time or answer questions etc. It took many years but it grew into two businesses that are now Solari and Solari Investment Advisory Services.
Believe you me, I know how scary it can be. So just start being useful in and around things like food, energy, the basic necessities of life.
You are in my prayers,
Catherine
David Icke started me on this particular road down the rabbit hole, now Catherine goes even deeper. Personally I protect myself by rereading Thoreau and the simplicity of life.
Food, fuel, clothing, shelter.
Live your life. All these suckers are going to die off anyway. So let them enjoy their fun and games. We can play them too, maybe even more deviously…and dangerously.