82 Comments
User's avatar
Paul Murray's avatar

My late father-in-law said it best: "Give people some kind of roof over their heads and guaranteed access to food, and 90% of them will not get out of bed in the morning." The politicians know this and trade on it. It's called "welfare", but it's actually vote-buying, and it's why our deficits are so totally out of control. All of the social "programs" assure votes. Best always. PM

Expand full comment
Abe Porter's avatar

Paul-your father in law was 100% correct. The politicians ONLY concern is to be re-elected. I get 10 emails a day from people running for office or reelection asking for donations.

Expand full comment
john.usher's avatar

Only 10?

Expand full comment
Gone Fishin’'s avatar

Hi Abe,

As my dad would say, “Son, do you know how to double your money?” The humor only works 1 time… “…fold it in half and put it back in your wallet”. I’m hard pressed to give a politician even a buck folded in half.

My BPR subscription ends soon. I will welcome a hello from you on my Random Ricochets substack under this same user name.

Cheers,

Mark

Expand full comment
Paul Murray's avatar

Mark, please tell me how to use a substack, and I will be happy to join you over there. I beg and plead with all substackers to tell me how it works, and nobody answers. Many thanks. PM

Expand full comment
Clem Devine's avatar

Hi Paul, You could start by clicking on the name Gone Fishin' on any of Mark's posts. That will take you to Mark's substack page.

Expand full comment
Gone Fishin’'s avatar

Hi Paul,

Just dropped you a (DM) direct message with introductory information.

Expand full comment
John P Gallien's avatar

Don't blame you!

Expand full comment
Bill's avatar

Yes and as far as gutting medicaid; Able bodyied people, screwing the medicaid system with fake disabilities, rather rich or poor, tend not to vote.

Making them work contribute to the GDP. The resulting savings should go to those who are truly in need.

Expand full comment
John P Gallien's avatar

....savings should go to paying down the deficit. Those "truly in need" should rely on charity, not theft from productive people. ....just saying.

Expand full comment
Mike Ware's avatar

If this is all going to fall on children, grandchildren or beyond, why the hell are we in Maximum Safety Mode? Sounds kind of ridiculous.

Expand full comment
Mike Ware's avatar

Why have such a huge cash position if the dollar bill is going to be worthless?!?

Expand full comment
Gone Fishin’'s avatar

I ask myself the same question Mike.

Then, from time to time, I will “convert” some paper IOU greenbacks monopoly “currency” into real (sound) “money” gold, silver or platinum (& Pt is about 1/2 the price of Au and 10X more scarce in the earths crust)…Byron King can fact check me on that, please.

Regards,

M

Expand full comment
Mike Ware's avatar

I’ve been converting those worthless greenbacks into silver bullion and gold for the past 5yrs or so. The wife loves jewelry and we have a great jeweler who sells us some really great pieces before he melts them down, so that’s been fun for her!!!

Expand full comment
Bill's avatar

What's your address?

Just kidding. Stay safe.

Expand full comment
Mike Ware's avatar

😂 instead of jewelry they’ll be collecting lead!

Expand full comment
Paul Murray's avatar

I excel there. Do I get points? Best always. PM

Expand full comment
Paul Murray's avatar

Because it sells subscriptions; that's why. You have to have a hook for someone to hang a hat! There are four basic "buying" emotions: 1) desire for profit, 2) fear of loss, 3) satisfaction of ego, and 4) comfort and convenience. Mr. Bonner is a past master at combining the first two. Best always. PM

P.S. For the record, I am in most all buying situations a #4, a comfort and convenience buyer. I want what I buy to cover most, if not all, the bases. I want a turn-key, no-hassle experience. I'll pay more to get it. PM

Expand full comment
Gone Fishin’'s avatar

Hi Paul, Mark here. I unpaused my BPR subscription to say hello. You always have a good comments and an eye for the rational explanation.

My BPR subscription ends soon. If you want to stay in touch, say hello on my Random Ricochets substack on this same user name.

Cheers,

Mark

Expand full comment
Paul Murray's avatar

Remember the old Buddy Holly song "Tell Me How"? Tell me how to use a substack and the rationale for it! It's taken me all of my life to understand a website and e-mail! Please help. Best always. PM

Expand full comment
Paul Murray's avatar

And indeed I did. That was always a real toe-tapper. Buddy Holly just always seemed to be having such a good time on his recordings. I think that innocent joy he conveyed was a big part of his draw. Thanks for sending. Best always. PM

Expand full comment
Sluggo's avatar
2dEdited

My thoughts exactly, Mike…feeling like a fool now for being in that “mode”

Expand full comment
Mike Ware's avatar

😂 and our shipping stocks can’t even take advantage of it because those precious metals aren’t going anywhere, other than the USA 🇺🇸

Expand full comment
Clem Devine's avatar

I guess that once the tarrifs kick in and manufacturing returns to the USA there will be much less shipping?

I'm only being half sarcastic...

Expand full comment
Sluggo's avatar

Yup….

Expand full comment
Mike Ware's avatar

MP has doubled since last week and tripled since May. How is that helpful to us today by even bringing it up? To rub our noses in it? Maximum Safety Fools, Full Speed Ahead!!!

Expand full comment
Sluggo's avatar

Exactly. I just went and looked at. Lovely…Another missed ship that has sailed…siggghhhh

Expand full comment
Mike Ware's avatar

Hey Sluggo, we should start a newsletter. Even a dummy like me can tout stocks that have already tripled!!!

Expand full comment
Sluggo's avatar

LOLOL

Expand full comment
Bill's avatar

How do you think that phone call went after the federal government took a fiur million dollar position. And somebody later called apple suggesting they participate. Who could have known how that stock would break out.

Can't save for sure.But he might be an orange man

Expand full comment
Dave J's avatar

"President Trump Challenges the Congress to Balance the Budget

Now that the One Big Beautiful Bill has passed, Congress has set its sights on an even more ambitious long-term project. This new project will require five to seven years of creativity, thoughtfulness, and ingenuity: balancing the federal budget and beginning to pay down the national debt." -- From Gingrich 360 this morning

It looks like Bill's shtick might hit a bump in the road.

Expand full comment
Gone Fishin’'s avatar

Howdy Brother, I unpaused my BPR subscription to say hello to you and some others.

As an aside, I think it regrettable (albeit expedient) that our Congress delivered to us an omnibus bill. I understand what POTUS 47 (Disruptor Donald) is up to and mostly agree.

Congress ought to stick to its business in "regular session" as mandated by the Constitution (or law).

Most of the public doesn’t realize, these (reconciliation) sessions are “special or extraordinary” sessions, which are convened to address specific issues (because our lawmaker legislator reps and senators) are a bickering henhouse outside the regular schedule do not or cannot get s#%! done for the American people due to ideology.

Best Regards

Mark

P.S. my BPR subscription ends in about a week and if you (and others) want, feel free to say hello on my Random Ricochets substack.

Expand full comment
Mike Ware's avatar

Thanks Mark, will do. I think my BPR ends in August or September. Be nice to keep in touch

Expand full comment
Paul Murray's avatar

Sounds like a party getting ready to blow over at Random Ricochets. I think we've got enough for a dice game already. Best always. PM

Expand full comment
Gone Fishin’'s avatar

Yup, for those dice rollers (who are lucky enough), can sell back GI rations of cigarettes and pogey bait with a small [60%] bump 😳😅🤣🙄

Expand full comment
Bill's avatar

Maybe that's why the japanese aren't having children. No problem!

Expand full comment
Paul Murray's avatar

Thanks for my laugh of the day! Somebody ALWAYS comes through. Best always. PM

Expand full comment
Sluggo's avatar
2dEdited

“Deportations will lower the supply of labor.”…ok, fine. Can we compromise and at least deport to the point where we don’t have to “Press 1 for English” anymore?

Expand full comment
Steven Lezman's avatar

For those old enough to have enjoyed the Popeye cartoon, I quote the philosopher Wimpy. “I would gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today!”

Expand full comment
Paul Murray's avatar

When I was a kid watching those in RE-RUNS (just saying...) I always thought Wimpy was running a scam, but little did I know he was prepping me for the "new reality"... LMAO Best always. PM

New occasions teach new duties; time makes ancient good uncouth. -- James Russell Lowell (1845)

Expand full comment
Abe Porter's avatar

I agree that the deficit is not a good thing. We should never spend more than we make. However, you mention the removal of ‘illegal’ immigrants having an effect on our GDP. How about reducing welfare by having work for welfare from our citizens. I still believe that the Trump administration is currently cleaning the mess of previous administrations and eventually will tackle the deficit. It is not an easy task as one of our colleagues mentioned that cutting welfare will actually cause you to lose your job in our government. We are between a rock and a hard place because the welfare recipients would never vote for people that want to take it away from them. Blame Lyndon Johnson for starting the rolling ball for our country going down hill.

Expand full comment
Lee Floyd's avatar

So let's see. Banning illegal aliens from receiving Medicaid and requiring able bodied Americans to work or show proof of attempting to obtain gainful employment to receive Medicaid is "kicking people off Medicaid"?

Winning. Sign me up. More please. MAGA baby.

Expand full comment
Xavier Narutowicz's avatar

It would be interesting to know what the Japanese spent their deficits on. They don’t have a big ludicrous defense budget.

Expand full comment
Byron King's avatar

Don't be misled by raw numbers... At first pass, yes... Japan spends "only" about 1.8% of GDP on defense, far less than USA... And has a very credible military force under arms for the money. See: https://english.kyodonews.net/articles/-/53294

One obvious angle on this is that Japan has significant US forces located there, so US "defense" is Japan defense as well.

Meanwhile, the industrial fact is that Japan has much of its defense sector hiding in plain sight within its "non-defense" economy. Eg... Excellent shipbuilding and aerospace capabilities. Large capacity for ground vehicles. All of the necessary enabling systems such as machinery and electronics. Long & deep supply chains that go back to mines & mills... although Japan imports much of its primary energy (oil, gas, coal, uranium), as well as almost all minerals & ores....

At the boots-on-deck level, Japan boasts of superb cadre officers and senior non-comms, with the ability to raise, train & equip larger armed forces if necessary. Routinely, Japanese forces confront Chinese military assets in the air, at sea, and under the waves. It's quite an advanced and evolved military ecosystem over there.

Expand full comment
Xavier Narutowicz's avatar

It seems to be the best defense, like America before WW2.

Expand full comment
Gone Fishin’'s avatar

Hello Byron, I unpaused my BPR subscription to say hello.

I’ve always enjoyed your perspectives.

I am following and look forward to reading from you on “The Daily FWD”.

Best Regards

Mark

P.S. my BPR subscription ends in about a week. If you are so inclined, say hello on my Random Ricochets substack.

Expand full comment
Xavier Narutowicz's avatar

Thanks!

Expand full comment
Prabir Talati's avatar

If MP is a clear signpost to future investment action by USG and others, what other rare earth investment opportunities are available? No point repeating ourselves about MP since there was no investment recommendation on it, shall we look ahead to other opportunities instead? For example, UAMY and PPTA are stibnite / antimony plays, what do Dan and Tom think of those?

Expand full comment
Mike Ware's avatar

Exactly, MP materials would have been a fantastic if it had been recommended back in May. Why bring it up now?

Expand full comment
Gone Fishin’'s avatar

I think this has 2 parts in the equation Mike. I follow several thought leaders & read on ✖️as follows:

▫️ Gov't looking to take direct equity in critical mineral miners, and MP’s CEO is calling for some kind of deal(s) as a model & for other companies too

▫️ Apple partnered with MP Materials on a $500M deal for rare earth materials, boosting stock momentum. This partnership aligns with their effort to diversify supply chains for strategic components.

Pretty much a repeat of Denning’s Research Note today.

Regards,

Mark

Expand full comment
Mike Ware's avatar

PPTA has been very good for me! You didn’t ever see it recommended here, as they’ve been in Maximum Safety Mode for years!

Expand full comment
Dave J's avatar

Hindsight is always 20-20 LOL.

Expand full comment
rjt's avatar

It is the USG involvement that concerns me. Consider the management of programs such as the F35 and 767 Tanker in the US, or the Canadian government's TMP cost.

Expand full comment
Prabir Talati's avatar

Fair points. Here though management has to provide a standardised product with objective quality parameters and USG is a financier and price and supply terms are fixed so should derisk substantially?

Expand full comment
Don Hrehirchek's avatar

Now I do not quite know how to take this that government is investing in business . Maybe I am old fashioned, but is this not contrary to free markets and capitalism. Somebody help Me out here!

Expand full comment
Bill's avatar

It's for national defense. The Chinese have cornered the market.

When the auto makers in the u.S started building airplanes and tanks.Was that a free market capitalism? Of course not. I agree that government at any level should not be choosing winners and losers. There is a gaping wound however, it must be dressed

Expand full comment
Prabir Talati's avatar

I agree with you, under normal circumstances. I’d say however that non-market methods and mercantilist practices deployed by one nation to drive out all competition from all nations to seize control of critical materials requires other nations to respond to revive these industries. Just my two cents

Expand full comment
Don Hrehirchek's avatar

Better raise that to a nickel as pennies are not available now , Inflation!. Normal circumstances never seem to be around any where on this planet anymore. Normally caused by Our know it all politicians. So their solution is to interfere in the market place. Still does not quite sit that well with Me. I am am sure that You have heard the saying "give the government an inch and they will take a mile".

Expand full comment
Paul Murray's avatar

"Don't look, Ethel!" (Ray Stevens, "The Streak") Best always. PM

Expand full comment
NK's avatar

Family wealth is usually lost by the third generation unless you are very careful. Japan may be at the cusp of such a situation. My parents and our generation experienced and remember the dire conditions after losing the war. Unfortunately, our children, the third generation, were born during the economic bubble with undeserved luxury and entitlement.

The past 30 plus years have been a true blessing, though deemed otherwise. We acknowledged how lucky we were to be living in Japan and kept quiet about it so that the world would not know. The crash enabled us to buy homes in desirable areas and live a fairly comfortable life. Everything is changing I guess. The coming election will be the time for some of us to express our concerns over Japan increasing becoming a welfare state.

Expand full comment
Frank Westmoreland's avatar

Bill, I'm still waiting for you to provide specifics about how you think the country's leaders should balance the budget. All you do is criticize. What programs should be slashed and over how many years? How many jobs will thus be eliminated? One million? Five million? Ten million? How long do you think this austerity situation will have to last? How would you weather the political storm that would almost certainly occur?

In the corporate world where I worked for decades, when you criticized the way another department ran something, your boss would always want you to provide alternative solutions with details before he or she ran with that criticism. You were the CEO of your company(ies), and I don't know how many departments you had, but you were okay with one department head blasting another department head over a problem without him/her providing alternative solutions to solve the problem?

Expand full comment
John S's avatar

Closing 60/70 military bases around the world might be a good place to start, Frank

Expand full comment
Mackinac's avatar

Besides your sources are in dire question, Bill. Who cares about main stream media's ideas which are primarily to take your money and freedoms.

Expand full comment
Abe Porter's avatar

P.S. if I read correctly 30% of our country is on some kind of welfare. That is more than 100 million people.

Expand full comment
Paul Murray's avatar

If it is ADMITTED to be 30%, you KNOW it's 50% more at least. "A billion here, and a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking real money." (attributed to Everett Dirksen (1896-1969) former Senate Minority Leader from Illinois. Dirksen was a Republican! How long ago must that have been? Best always. PM

Expand full comment
Steve L's avatar

More leftist BS by Bills ghost writer, but as far as truth and common sense goes, Dan is spot on! Hopefully some of our sweet dear readers heard my METC recommendations a few weeks ago. You are happy, happy camper’s today🤑

Expand full comment
Mike Ware's avatar

MP materials would have been a fantastic recommendation, BACK IN MAY!!! For the record, I believe Doug Casey DID recommend it!!!

Expand full comment
Steve L's avatar

He definitely did! Just doing what his readers pay him for, unlike the mostly BS Bills writers spew. I think Dan spoke about MP and METC many months ago also. Still enjoy BPR when Bill and Dan write, and always enjoy most of our fellow readers.

Expand full comment
peter stumpf's avatar

Dan mentioned DLTR and PLTR and they exploded. He also likes and uses RSI for trading.

Expand full comment
Gone Fishin’'s avatar

Howdy Brother, I unpaused my BPR subscription to say hello & to wish you well.

Best Regards

Mark

P.S. my BPR subscription ends in about a week and if you (and others) want, feel free to say hello on my Random Ricochets substack.

Expand full comment
Steve L's avatar

Hey brother, wishing you a comeback here, as we need more intelligent views in a quickly changing environment here on BPR. Seems more and more leftist are finding Bills ghost writer on par with their demented views. Losing more and more good Americans monthly here, and I think brother Starboard has finally had enough. I’ll stick around for Dan and the few times a month Bill hits his keyboard. Still enjoy our fellow Americans that continue to find it all entertaining. Hope all is well with you and yours and doing some fishing while we still can 🎣🎣

Expand full comment
Gone Fishin’'s avatar

I’m with you re: Dinning & Dyson.

Indeed Steve, changes are coming at us all at scale, momentum and tempo which are a few of my reason for self publishing some actionable and some OSInt on my Random Ricochets substack.

Expand full comment
Steven King's avatar

You obviously don't understand our Welfare system. If you have a job and subsidized housing a hundred dollar raise will abruptly end the subsidy. Likewise, if you give people a job and don't watch them, many will do NOTHING. It doesn't matter whether they are on Welfare or not. Laziness is one of our cultural traits. I once took over for a well thought of manager and I discovered every employees performance plan had identical wording. It didn't matter that you were a new hire or had 10 years experience. I've seen this again and again in middle to upper management.

It is fair to say that some recipients have been institutionalized by the Welfare system. The issue is those on Medicaid will go to the Emergency room for none life threatening treatment. When uninsured or underinsured patients cannot pay, hospitals absorbs these costs. The Federal government has privatized Medicaid. I fully expect many hospitals to close.

Expand full comment
RCW's avatar

Having been a bean-counter, in accounting jargon, an error is an honest mistake; on the other hand (probably the sinister left one) an irregularity is a dishonest one, indicating intent to sidestep internal controls to purloin company assets, almost always cash.

Expand full comment
Bill's avatar

To extend your thought,

An old Ziggy cartoon. Ziggy sees the sign in the window that says "All you can eat." Upon receiving his bill, his shocked eyes turn to the sign in the window from behind. "FOR ALL YOU CAN PAY."

Expand full comment
Gone Fishin’'s avatar

Mr Bonner is right about this in his closing remark, “The poor lawmakers had to decide. Which error, which sin, which mistake to make. Being fair about it, they make them all.”

“We all know what to do, but we don’t know how to get re-elected once we have done it.”

― Jean-Claude Juncker

And btw, it was a California (D) Assemblyman who coined the phrase, “…money is the mother’s milk of politics…”.

Nothing new about the aforementioned constructs.

The debt and deficit spending of countries all around the globe are unsustainable. A fact. Period

Governments everywhere are spendthrifts, right. And, the elected will NOT change until there is pain. That’s telegraphed in lots of different ways. I suppose, the examples are like a.) the French Revolution or b.) the American Revolution style. There are indeed others.

And oddly enough “leftists” in France sat on the left side of the room in France’s pre-revolution government. Those who desired more change, including supporters of the revolution and advocates for limiting the King's power, sat on the left side. This positioning of their seats became the origin of the terms "left" and "right" in political discourse.

If any of our fellow BPR readers are so inclined, take a detour to tuning into these which I (more or less) randomly post up to Random Ricochets substack under this same user name.

▫️ Jeff Deist: How the Big Beautiful Bill Fuels the Gold Trade...(July 14, 2025)

Monetary Metals...

https://youtu.be/AVeb4V_ZCmE

▫️ Ray Dalio on X re: USA debt @ 7-7.5 times government revenue…in 10 years. https://x.com/RayDalio/status/1945154546134659178

▫️ This Dollar Setup Has Only Happened Twice in 20 Years on Brent Johnson Milkshakes Podcast - https://youtu.be/hf5kF-wBx8Q

Sayonara, for now.

Mark

Expand full comment