Posts by Brian Nelson4

FYI: Inflation vs. Deflation - The rise and fall of the Dollar: 1800-2009 (.JPG - high res - zoom in if you want)

Maria Thomas48 said:I agree that not everyone can pull a monetary profit. The issue is that a lack of cash prevents those who actually could from doing so. You have business owners going bankrupt because of bad management or poor investments, regardless of anything else.

People always say: "I would be making money if I just had work." But you can only get work if someone else has the money to pay you for it. When there's a total liquidity crunch, everything falls apart. And we definitely know why. The profiteers just keep accumulating all that cash profit.

It’s especially clear when you look at banks. For them, money is just a tool for operation. The richer a bank gets, the bigger the deficit for everyone else, which means they need more cash. So, it’s pretty obvious that bankers don't want people having a free source of money; they want people to get it through them via loans, essentially staying in a cycle of endless debt.

Going back to the gold standard is pure science fiction. The demand for new money keeps growing because we make lower-quality, disposable goods now. The cost of mining gold is massive and would just add unnecessary expense. Gold and other precious metals are commodities, and they should stay that way. You shouldn't bring them into the main flow of trade. Doing that could trigger deflation and recession. History shows us this happened in the US after the gold rushes ended. And how do you climb out of a recession like that? Only with a sufficient influx of gold, maybe?!

I've already pointed out that the way this system treats increasing the money supply is as credit, which leads to infinite debt. I've shown that the community has a path toward lasting monetary profit by leveraging the budget deficit, provided that deficit isn't credited—because credit isn't easily paid back (except through exports or endless foreign investment).

We have two very strong reasons to scrap the credit-only system and introduce non-credit money. I'm not talking about printing money whenever the government feels like it, but rather using a scientific method of calculation.

Sure, we might run into issues maintaining the exchange rate, but it all comes down to unity and understanding the flow of money. The public needs to learn to buy domestic products and stop traveling abroad for summer vacations or skiing trips. Buying unnecessary foreign goods repeatedly hits our exchange rate stability. We need energy and food independence to be our top priority. We also need to fix the waste in the budget (both in agencies and director salaries). We need to overhaul public bidding processes to prevent those unrealistically high prices being tacked on, because that devalues the dollar and leads to inflation and economic crises—basically an undeserved transfer of wealth to a small minority. Stuff like that.

Let's not kid ourselves. All these problems need to be solved right now, not just waiting for some influx of non-credit money.

The tragedy is that economists and politicians won't tell us this. You can see the influence of nearly a century of control over education and politics here.

Simply swapping out the ruling party doesn't lead anywhere. The public has to realize that politicians, whether intentionally or out of ignorance, are leading us toward ruin. Without that realization, nothing changes. Until the people start demanding the end of this credit-only system, there is no way out.

Regards

So, despite knowing how humans work, people actually believe that introducing a scientific method for printing new money will somehow change the behavior of those same flawed individuals. Do you realize, that a scientific method is still subject to change by the same people in charge now??

I'm not even going to touch the gold comments, though I disagree with your arguments entirely.

A few questions here:

• How does this new currency actually enter the system? Does the "government" pay for services using it? Sounds fine on paper. It could potentially replace taxes. But there's the catch: government equals politicians equals the elite equals human nature equals manipulation equals inflation equals shit..."
• What stops whoever is issuing any kind of unbacked currency from overprinting during a war under the guise of "national interest"? History shows us exactly how that ends. Even if you have some percentage of gold backing, or carbon "units," or whatever... it’s still too easy to overdo the issuance through political decrees or simple manipulation.

Maria Thomas48 said:Right now, you can't really equate money with gold because the gold standard was abandoned for several different reasons.

Non-credit money could potentially replace the gold standard, provided there is controlled issuance—meaning it actually has real backing.

Money acting as credit, which is how things work today, just hides an even larger debt behind itself and leads straight to ruin. I don't see much point in explaining that again.

Politicians aren't going to provide the solution. We saw that at the G20 meeting. When trying to reach out to various parties here in America, the result is zero. I suppose there are two possible explanations. Either they trust their economists blindly, or they simply don't care about the nation's well-being. Personally, I'm more inclined to believe the second one is true, though intelligence plays a role too. I reached out to a local Republican who is just a small-timer but active within the party. He passed my evidence along to an economist acquaintance, and then everything just stopped. That economist never contacted me, and the Republican never got back to me either. It’s obvious the guy just isn't smart enough to connect all the evidence, like a puzzle, into one final picture to understand what's happening. It doesn't surprise me, since my old college classmates had similar issues with perception, even though they were all top-tier students.

Regards

But what counts as actual, real backing for this non-credit money? Just some political decree that's subject to change? 😁

crimsonfalcon10 said:Few economists truly grasp the core of their own field... what you've laid out here is the truth. Inflation is essentially a scam against savers, yet it remains a necessity for progress. It serves as a constant nudge, forcing people to work harder and refine their skills because it erodes accumulated value. You can't just sit back and rely on interest from old savings to fund a carefree retirement. People simply need to realize they have to stay active and keep learning throughout their entire lives; very few will ever be able to live solely off what they've already produced.

So, I guess thieves are also responsible for our "progress" now. 😬

One question on this topic: How does fiat currency actually differ from commodity-based money, like gold?

Lawrence Wright7:

Looks like you’ve finally made up your mind. Good luck with that. One reason I even bothered replying is because I know a thing or two about real estate, and because I went through my own divorce a year or two back. It hits you like a gut punch—even if you were the one who walked away—and staying rational afterward is a struggle. My advice? Do what I would do. Look at the situation for what it really is. Get the hard numbers, calculate the probabilities, put it all on paper, and then decide.

A lot can happen in six months, but I'll stick to what I actually understand. That apartment you're so attached to? It’s almost certainly going to lose value over the next few years along with the rest of the US housing market. Just to give you an idea, it could be worth 10% less by the end of the year. That means you could lose more in equity than you actually earn in a year. Pretty pathetic when you think about it. Also, instead of praying that your monthly mortgage payment goes down, I’d be more worried about interest rates climbing again in the coming years. If they do, your monthly bill goes up, regardless of what the bank promised you today. Plus, if selling property is a headache right now, just imagine how much longer it’ll take in a few years. With everyone drowning in debt just to maintain a lifestyle they can't afford, the market is drying up. You aren't the only one struggling; it's individuals, companies, and even the government. Most of the world is in the same boat. In short, these aren't the times to start hoping for the best.
And I should mention that over a year ago, after my marriage ended, I met a couple of women who owed banks way more than their "own" homes were worth. Since I follow real estate trends pretty closely, the fact that I’d essentially become a slave to her financial mess didn't exactly help things move forward, if I may politically correct express myself. 😁

Look, none of us know all the specifics needed to give you perfect advice, but from what I can tell, you’re in deep. It looks to me like you’re trying everything in your power to keep an unsustainable situation alive, which honestly feels like swimming with a lead weight tied to your waist. Unless some miracle happens, it’s just a matter of when that weight pulls you under.

By waiting for a "miracle," you’re basically gambling. If it doesn't happen—and let's be real—you'll pay for it with ballooning debt and an even messier situation down the road. What does that look like six months from now? Selling the house for pennies on the dollar? Losing it entirely? What if by then, the market crashes and you can't even cover what you owe the bank? You could end up working yourself to death just to pay for a place you eventually lose anyway. I hope you're following my logic here...

If I were in your shoes, I'd seriously consider getting that house off my plate as soon as possible. If you can get enough to settle the loan with the bank, do it. I don't believe interest rates are going to drop anytime soon, I don't see property values rising in the near future, and I certainly don't see the economy turning around overnight. In six months, there might be a whole crowd of people in the exact same hole you're in. What then?

Maybe you've got some plan to make extra cash over the summer, and maybe that works, but what happens after the season ends? Real estate trends are heading south, so the house will likely be worth even less than it is today. On top of that, your mortgage payments are set to climb—the bank already warned you about that if you opt for a "payment moratorium"—and your income will probably settle right back to where it is now once the summer rush dies down.
Losing the house isn't even the worst-case scenario. You could still end up owing the bank the difference between the loan balance and the actual value of the property. Just imagine how brutal life gets when 25% of your paycheck goes to child support and another huge chunk goes to a bank for a house you don't even own anymore. That's a nightmare. Think long and hard about this. Things aren't looking great out there...

Get out while you still can. The sooner you do, the sooner you'll actually have some breathing room. Rent a room, start fresh, and just take it one step at a time.

stormyangler12 said:It’s not that I’m a skeptic, but when I study this chart, that one, and let’s say this one, I can’t help but feel we're looking at nothing more than a temporary blip
.
I mean, look, it’s not like it won't eventually leave us all high and dry—and as someone working in American agriculture, I know exactly how fast things can go south
.

The era of the farmer is finally here. Big names like Warren Buffett and Jim Rogers have been pivoting into agriculture for a while now, whether it’s buying up tool manufacturers or investing heavily in fertilizer production. These aren't just chasing hype; they're value investors looking for long-term plays, not passing trends. Even if you don't follow ag, you can see bread prices climbing. Personally, I don't touch farming. I usually hit these conferences for precious metals and mining. Back in the early 80s, commodities were a joke, but we're seeing a massive macro shift starting around 200x. Paper pushers are out; real assets are back in. That was pretty much the mantra of the conference.

stormyangler12 said:Can I get a link?

Not happening. I was actually on the ground at the World Economic Forum in Phoenix, AZ this past weekend.

I won't bore you with the details, but if you look at the wheat futures charts, things start making sense. We're looking at astronomical growth. And this isn't some overnight flash in the pan. More people in China are eating better these days, and a huge chunk of that demand eventually trickles down to wheat—both for people and for livestock feed. It’s basic math: wheat prices are going to stay elevated for the long haul (think 10 years).

CNN from this weekend's resource investment conference... Turns out, the future is in wheat.

Douglas Allen79 said:The Inevitable Hyperinflationary Explosion
January 22, 2008

LaRouche Warns of Imminent Hyperinflationary Blowout
The frantic efforts currently being deployed to rescue the financial system—typified by the Federal Reserve’s panicked three-quarter percentage point interest rate cut and the stimulus plans put forth by Bush and Paulson—are not merely destined to fail; they are certain to backfire spectacularly and very soon, warns economist Lyndon LaRouche. The financial system has already effectively collapsed, and any attempt to resuscitate trillions of dollars in worthless financial paper is not only futile but will lead to the total destruction of any nation foolish enough to attempt it, LaRouche asserted.

The global financial system, and the United States in particular, is entering a period comparable to that of Weimar Germany in the autumn of 1923, though the current crisis is unfolding on a far more massive scale. While the devastation wrought by uncontrolled hyperinflation in Weimar Germany was largely confined to its own borders, today's crisis is global in scope. No national system will emerge unscathed from its consequences, and some nations may not even survive the year, he warned.

Under the crushing weight of the Treaty of Versailles signed at the close of World War I, Germany was hit with war reparations so immense that the nation was rendered incapable of basic functioning. In a desperate bid to meet these obligations, Germany began printing money, attempting to cover both its indemnity payments and domestic economic needs at the cost of completely annihilating the value of its currency. This monetary stimulation escalated to such unprecedented heights that it birthed a new term, "hyperinflation," to distinguish its soul-crushing horror from mere inflation.

As the German economy began its death spiral, the government sought a remedy through the continuous printing of money as a stimulant, causing the value of the Reichsmark to plummet. Between 1913 and 1915, the exchange rate stood at 4 Reichsmarks to the dollar, sliding to 6 to 1 in 1917 and 1918. The situation deteriorated sharply thereafter, falling from 20 to 1 against the dollar in 1919, to 63 to 1 in 1920, and 105 to 1 in 1921. Then, the floor fell away entirely, skyrocketing to 1,866 to 1 in 1922 and reaching a staggering 535 billion to 1 in 1923. During this same window, according to the German Bureau of Statistics, the cost-of-living index surged from 100 in 1913 to 1,019 in 1920, and finally to a mind-boggling 657 billion by November 23, 1923.

The world is now approaching a similar state of hyperinflationary disintegration due to analogous circumstances. The actions taken by the Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank, and other central banks and governments—their stubborn determination to breathe life back into this decaying financial system and their blind refusal to face reality—is essentially the writing of a new classical tragedy. Driven by fear, these modern-day Hamlets choose to destroy everything they hold dear rather than shake their faith in a failed monetary policy.

The nations of Europe, constrained by the Maastricht treaties, have effectively surrendered their ability to respond to this crisis, leaving the United States to shoulder the powers and responsibilities mandated by its Constitution to lead the rescue of both itself and the entire world. Rather than continuing these absurd attempts to stimulate a corpse, the United States government must exercise its sovereign authority and place its own financial system into a controlled bankruptcy, thereby setting a vital precedent and creating the necessary conditions for other nations to follow suit. The crucial first step would be the legislative adoption of LaRouche's proposal, the 'Homeowners and Bank Protection Act,' which would establish the essential firewalls needed to protect public interests and critical economic infrastructure, ensuring the economy keeps running while damages are sorted out based on importance and legitimacy.

Real, serious hyperinflation begins
January 22, 2008 (LPAC)

Following a review of the week's developments, Lyndon LaRouche has announced the launch of a new educational campaign. This initiative will focus on a single, central theme: hyperinflation.

The historical blueprint for our current predicament was drafted just under five generations ago in pre-war Germany. Hemmed in by French and British armies, the German government found itself coerced by the crushing demands of the Treaty of Versailles, forced to pay reparations that were mathematically designed to be impossible to settle. It was a brutal ultimatum: pay up, or face annihilation.

Today, we in the United States find ourselves staring down an almost identical set of circumstances. However, this time there is no foreign invading force demanding the settlement of impossible financial debts to drive the dollar into hyperinflation. Instead, we are grappling with an internal adversary that has been woven into the very moral fabric of our nation over the last forty years—a profound moral decay that has allowed citizens to tolerate predatory financial pyramid schemes, the largest of which, mortgages and their derivatives, is now collapsing.

There remains one crucial historical distinction between these two instances of hyperinflation. We possess the American dollar. We carry the responsibility to overhaul our own cultural habits, to exercise the sovereign power granted by our federal Constitution, and to place the American dollar into a state of bankruptcy reorganization. We stand as the only nation on Earth endowed with such unique agency.

Some might ask, "Well, where is our Hitler?" Open your eyes, people! Between Bloomberg and Arnie "my father was a Nazi" Schwarzenegger, we are seeing our own Hitlerian potential manifest. A brand of corporatism reminiscent of Mussolini is knocking at our door, alongside draconian measures that feel hauntingly familiar.

So, when you consider the utter fools pushing these so-called "economic stimulus packages," I ask you to pause and reflect: Is a march toward a firing squad really the kind of stimulation I’m looking for?
www.larouchepub.com

I’m mostly on board here. I’ve been writing about this for a while now, and it’s exactly how I’ve been moving my money.

Aside from a few minor points where I disagree, I don't think we're looking at the immediate hyperinflationary explosion the author is picturing. That said, I wouldn't rule out a total, absolute hyperinflationary collapse of the global financial system somewhere around 2011 or later. But even if we just get hit by double-digit inflation year after year—which is becoming impossible to stop—combined with stagnant wages, it’s going to wreck the lives of 95% of people.

My $.02

So, one of the two teeth holding up my three-tooth bridge just snapped, and now the whole thing is coming loose. Can I actually reuse the old bridge, or am I stuck getting a brand-new one? Right now, the dentist just cemented it back in place, but they’re telling me I need a full replacement because this is just a temporary fix. A $2,000 bill for a "small" issue? Seems steep. Is there really no way to just screw the existing bridge back onto that broken tooth? Thanks.

20/20 SICKO: America : Whose Body is IT Anyway?
- Part 1
- Part 2
- Part 3
- Part 4
- Part 5
- Part 6

talia said:Look, you haven't worked in this field. I have friends in IT who refuse to work overtime, but here’s the REALITY: while it isn't illegal, companies have way too much leeway to exploit people by expecting unpaid overtime. It’s just how they do it if they want to.
Listen, I laid it out clearly. Everyone else is playing it safe, staying quiet, and doing what they're told. What exactly are you going to build on your own?
Are you really the only one refusing overtime, especially when your company is going through mass layoffs?
Find another job?
She already tried that.
What would you actually do if you were stuck in a company like that?

Just a few thoughts on this... It happens. I'm sure plenty of people deal with this at some point. Especially in smaller firms or during a crisis or panic. So, what's the move? First, ask about their culture and overtime policy directly during the job interview. If you're already in, grit your teeth for a few days. You can always lean on personal commitments as an excuse. Try to negotiate some compensation—maybe trade those extra hours for a couple of days off later. Ultimately, if they push too hard, look for a different role within the company or jump ship entirely. Regardless, keep up appearances. Act like you're a hard worker and say you'll step up when needed, even if you're secretly planning your exit strategy. You have to be tactical... 😁