One of the charms of democracy is that its elections and succession rules avoid murderous power struggles. But once the rules go out the window, violence tends to come in the front door.
WELL A FEW THINGS. One, Maduro was not kidnapped he was arrested and was under indictment. Second, being willfully ignorant and non interested and dismissive of the brutal dictatorship in Nicaragua while you vacation in elitist expensive climes is hypocritical, if you ask me. The killings of the French communists/jacobins et al after they murdered the King and Queen and others was a precursor to the tens of thousands murdered slaughtered and "removed" by the wars in Latin America in the 80s. The United States is not perfect, and we made mistakes, some say the bomb in Japan (twice) was a mistake. But we are a good nation, the greatest on earth in human history. The Turks btw, also slaughtered MILLIONS during and after WW1 in Azerbaijan and Armenia for being "NON MUSLIM" aka Christian, Catholic and Jewish or other minorities. The TURKS deny it but its very very real. Stalin murdered so many we lost count even before the war but he was a convenient "ally" for the allies in our fight against Nazi Germany who murdered 6 million Jews (and some Christians as well) and that set up Mao, AT YALTA, and Mao murdered how many? 50 million? I dont know. But MORE than Stalin and Hitler. Is Bill AMBIVALENT about them? Maybe if Bill had a beach condo or vacation home in "SUNNY China or Sunny Russia he might". What about Rwanda Bill? History is dirty complex and vexing and vociferous and vomit inducing and its all HUMAN. I am a REALIST first. Then Republican. I support the Administratoin when they do good or I try to influence them from my peanut gallery position when I can, at least tell them what I think and why. I castigate them (and TRUMP) when they fail or do nothing. The latest crisis in Iran is on point. Up to 35,000 murdered by the regime and we dont know if Trump will act or not. Enjoy your "stay" in Sunny Nicaragua. I like their cigars. A lot. And their coffee. Trump wont intervene in Cuba. And he wont intervene in Nicaragua. Trust me. He wants change there, but he is too busy in Ukraine and Iran. Larger nations and more at stake.
Finally everyone knows following Cramer is a fools errand. My opinion too. I do like Dyson however.
There has never been a time in recorded history when one group of our species hasn't killed another.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine whereby both sides slaughter each other; Jews killing Palestinians and vice versa; Sudanese killing each other; Trump killing Venezuelans, Trump's private army, ICE, killing unarmed civilians, etc. are the major but far from the only current killing events on this planet.
And everything we eat we must first kill. Hunters even kill hapless animals for pleasure; not need.
I voted for silver on the poll because it is both an industrial metal and a precious metal. I believe it will do better than gold because the available stocks of silver have been greatly depleted, and demand is about 20% above new mine production plus recycling. And demand is growing, both in the industrial arena, and from investors who realize that they need to have some in their account. We'll see at the end of this year if I am right or not.
I voted for Rare Earths and critical minerals as an investment strategy - and yes, I am aware that the question only relates to a 2026 investment strategy. I do always try to buy on weakness and am currently hard pressed to find a Valuation rationale anywhere. I also understand that I'm particularly inept a catching falling knives.
Therefore, I just extend my horizon ...beyond 2026... beyond the mid-terms. I can afford to wait.
You are correct the Rare Earths for I think one cannot go wrong with them as a long term investment!! Physical Gold and Silver has also been good to me and I will continue to hold them, at least for the time!
In my experience, there is always a "flight to safety" impulse at late market stages. Traditionally, safe investments would be anything from investment in consumer staples or utilities ( yawn..) to the more adventurous investments in Real Estate and precious metals. Bonds, dividend stocks, somewhere in between.
At this point I'm puzzled as to why RE home prices haven't dropped precipitously. I sense we're on the cusp there and am contemplating shorting REITs.
Note the WSJ editorial written by (I think) the provost at Dartmouth, acknowledging the precarious nature of college degrees resulting from cost burden. It all feels to me, as though we're teetering...and some basic realities are soon to be acknowledged in the markets.
I watched a recent financial discussion on the boob tube where the question was housing affordability. A discussion about finding a path for younger people to buy homes while preserving housing valuations for existing homeowners. Reminded me of Winston Churchill's famous quote about "the man standing in a bucket, seeking to lift himself up by tugging on the handle".
The very sort of question that will remain unresolved by our pandering politicians but will surely be resolved by the markets - in due time and in classic terms.
Our country is currently in the eye of the tornado politically, financially and socially. I personally think we as citizens and a country are going to experience tremendous turmoil relative to all my aforementioned areas of concern and it is anyone’s guess as to how we will exit this turmoil. An individual must rely on their own understanding of where we currently are relative this turmoil and make wise decisions as to their individual approach to protect themselves and their families against the potential damage we will experience while sitting in the middle of this triangle of chaos of political, financial and social instability!! There are numerous avenues one can elect to take, hopefully we take the correct avenue!
And I wish you - and all of us - much luck as we work through all of this. We all have different investment horizons, I suspect, even though our end goal is the same.
Enjoy the ride and always keep in mind that you'll "never see a Hearse pulling a U-Haul"
And yours as well Bruce. We wouldn't be here, as very fortunate "first world" beneficiaries, without God's good grace so, we should always be mindful to "pay it forward" as we bounce along together on this big green & blue ball.
"Last week, out for a swim, we stepped on a string ray. It was very painful."
As my father taught me, when you go in the water, shuffle your feet. Do NOT walk/step. This way, if there is a sting ray buried in the sand, you'll kick it, not step on it. It'll swim away (and scare the crap out of you!), but it won't 'sting' you.
This has been a public service announcement for those unfamiliar with warm-water bays and seas.
well also if I may, yesterday and today are the anniversary dates of the conclusion/victory in the Battle of the Bulge in Ardennes, and what a feat that was. Churchill got it right, after that pompous ass Field Marshall Montgomery tried to claim the British bailed us out and saved our troops and helped us achieve victory. The Brits had about 2,000 men involved there. We had 500,000. Churchill correctly (and corrected Montgomery) stated "the Americans are a very brave and fierce fighting force and maybe the greatest in American History...." referencing this battle. Surely it was the largest battle we had in the War and suffered the most casualties, including 29,000 MIA. Brutal. But broke the back of the Nazis and then the retreat was on and we pushed them back to Berlin and the Soviets came in from the East, resulting in the carving up of Europe like a Thanksgiving Turkey. I was behind the Iron Curtain in 1977 when it was very dangerous to be there. Trust me. I read the declassified post mortem on the Battle produced by the Pentagon and with some British assistance, and what went wrong and what we missed....and how. Fascinating. How some American Generals and Ike himself ignored warnings of German buildup on the other side of the Ardennes Forest, believing they were "resting" like we were, following the push in from Normandy and later from Southern France, not to mention the earlier landing and fighting at Anzio (Bob Dole fought there and lost the use of his arm in the process...I knew Bob Dole...and Liddy, very well. FUNNY MAN, hilarious stories and jokes about "the Senior Senator from South Carolina" that had me in stitches.) and we planned to REST in Ardennes and get some hot chow and plan....then the winter rolled in and it got ugly and by early December the GERMANS in the Dead of Night came crashing through the Forest headed for Bastogne Belgium...and Antwerp....shocking many, who thought the Forest impenetrable by German Panzer Battalions of Tanks. Not so. I lost uncles in that war. I am sure you all did too. Congress and the imperious Libertarians wanted nothing to do with another "european conflict." Imagine if we stood by and did NOTHING. Churchill BEGGED FDR...who told him his hands were tied by Congress....but finally got in when Germany declared war on US.....a foolhardy thing to do, after we declared war on Japan following Pearl Harbor.
But I hand salute all those who perished, all those who served in WW2 but ESPECIALLY those in the First Army, Third Army and Fourth Army of the United States Army who did MOST of the fighting and dying in Ardennes. 30 days of hell.....But came out victorious. Yes, the British helped but Monty was known to be TEPID to engage...a known fact. Then tried to claim victory.
I am not denigrating British troops or their service in WW1 or WW2 or any war. They are fierce and brave fighters. Longstanding. Suffered horrific losses in Verdun WW1. And again in France, Holland, Belgium and Italy and North Africa in WW2. I am a HUGE fan of Lawrence of Arabia, btw, perhaps the GREATEST FILM EVER MADE. And very very poignant and prescient still today. I am castigating Montgomery only. I also GREATLY admire Churchill. BTW in Yalta he was essentially locked in his quarters, given scotch and cigars and FDR and Stalin arranged everything.....they wanted Churchill left out because he differed on what to do post war and also about China and Indo China. FDR was dying and in fact they worried he would die at Yalta! He barely made it home before dying in Georgia. But the damage of Yalta was done. HORRIFIC CONFERENCE if you ask me. And then at Pottsdam, Truman wanted NOTHING to do with Asians, he hated Chiang Kai Shek PERSONALLY and focused instead on Europe. We sold Chiang out. Fact.
Btw, General MacArthur got his Medal of Honor at Verdun, as an infantry officer. He also, btw was married to the daughter of the very Confederate General who fought MacArthur's Union Army Father and General at Battle of Chickamauga. She NEVER left Mac's side. EVEN IN BATTLE. SHE WAS DEVOTED TO HIM. Incredible love story. I digress.
Very interesting comments on Nicaragua, Bongo. Don't know how accurate they are coming from you. But the thing that really got me was you equating Trump's election in 2024 to the communist revolution in Russia in 1917. Seems to be a stretch. But I will admit, one good thing came out of that revolution. A women escaped Russia in 1926 and came to America and learned our language (she was born in 1905). Since she was 11 years old, she wanted to be a writer. To be the type of writer she wanted to be, she needed to learn history and philosophy. History she could learn, but she found philosophy to be a wasteland. She realized if she wrote the things she wanted to write in Russia after the revolution, she would be dead within a year. That woman was Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum and took the name Ayn Rand in the US to protect her relatives still in Russia.
Focusing on our developing formerly hidden insurrection
Being reported on two disjoint Narrative Screens: Pro-neo-Confederate and Pro-Fed
The neo-Confederates are well organized, well-funded and apparently well-armed, with the Mpls PD and Minnesota National Guard having joined the party. This episode will probably be seen in retrospect as analogous to the firing on Fort Sumter SC, depending on how the Feds respond to the Walz-Frey-Ellison and national Democrat in-effect declaration of war on the Federal government. "Interesting Times" indeed. I recommend remaining observers rather than members of the cast in either drama and praying for the enchantment of both narratives to be broken and the un-spun truth to emerge. It will not be comforting to either set of players.
James O'Keefe's Trip to Minneapolis Was Insane. Here's What Caught His Attention.
I voted for gold, based upon the "more debasement" theory.
Silver will have more volatility. There are some substitutes for copper in industry, like using aluminum for electric lines. Rare earths will be dependent upon finding sites to develop, and also refining capacity. Bitcoin appears to be a contrarian bet now.
WELL A FEW THINGS. One, Maduro was not kidnapped he was arrested and was under indictment. Second, being willfully ignorant and non interested and dismissive of the brutal dictatorship in Nicaragua while you vacation in elitist expensive climes is hypocritical, if you ask me. The killings of the French communists/jacobins et al after they murdered the King and Queen and others was a precursor to the tens of thousands murdered slaughtered and "removed" by the wars in Latin America in the 80s. The United States is not perfect, and we made mistakes, some say the bomb in Japan (twice) was a mistake. But we are a good nation, the greatest on earth in human history. The Turks btw, also slaughtered MILLIONS during and after WW1 in Azerbaijan and Armenia for being "NON MUSLIM" aka Christian, Catholic and Jewish or other minorities. The TURKS deny it but its very very real. Stalin murdered so many we lost count even before the war but he was a convenient "ally" for the allies in our fight against Nazi Germany who murdered 6 million Jews (and some Christians as well) and that set up Mao, AT YALTA, and Mao murdered how many? 50 million? I dont know. But MORE than Stalin and Hitler. Is Bill AMBIVALENT about them? Maybe if Bill had a beach condo or vacation home in "SUNNY China or Sunny Russia he might". What about Rwanda Bill? History is dirty complex and vexing and vociferous and vomit inducing and its all HUMAN. I am a REALIST first. Then Republican. I support the Administratoin when they do good or I try to influence them from my peanut gallery position when I can, at least tell them what I think and why. I castigate them (and TRUMP) when they fail or do nothing. The latest crisis in Iran is on point. Up to 35,000 murdered by the regime and we dont know if Trump will act or not. Enjoy your "stay" in Sunny Nicaragua. I like their cigars. A lot. And their coffee. Trump wont intervene in Cuba. And he wont intervene in Nicaragua. Trust me. He wants change there, but he is too busy in Ukraine and Iran. Larger nations and more at stake.
Finally everyone knows following Cramer is a fools errand. My opinion too. I do like Dyson however.
Very nicely done, thank you
and I am long GOLD and holding. For prolly two more years. When Dyson sells then I will sell.
Well thought out response, I am in agreement with your assessment and summation!
Excellent comments! Thanks.
Our species are killers.
There has never been a time in recorded history when one group of our species hasn't killed another.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine whereby both sides slaughter each other; Jews killing Palestinians and vice versa; Sudanese killing each other; Trump killing Venezuelans, Trump's private army, ICE, killing unarmed civilians, etc. are the major but far from the only current killing events on this planet.
And everything we eat we must first kill. Hunters even kill hapless animals for pleasure; not need.
Killing is us; we are killers.
It not the species rather, it is the species' governments. There is a difference.
I voted for silver on the poll because it is both an industrial metal and a precious metal. I believe it will do better than gold because the available stocks of silver have been greatly depleted, and demand is about 20% above new mine production plus recycling. And demand is growing, both in the industrial arena, and from investors who realize that they need to have some in their account. We'll see at the end of this year if I am right or not.
I voted for Rare Earths and critical minerals as an investment strategy - and yes, I am aware that the question only relates to a 2026 investment strategy. I do always try to buy on weakness and am currently hard pressed to find a Valuation rationale anywhere. I also understand that I'm particularly inept a catching falling knives.
Therefore, I just extend my horizon ...beyond 2026... beyond the mid-terms. I can afford to wait.
You are correct the Rare Earths for I think one cannot go wrong with them as a long term investment!! Physical Gold and Silver has also been good to me and I will continue to hold them, at least for the time!
In my experience, there is always a "flight to safety" impulse at late market stages. Traditionally, safe investments would be anything from investment in consumer staples or utilities ( yawn..) to the more adventurous investments in Real Estate and precious metals. Bonds, dividend stocks, somewhere in between.
At this point I'm puzzled as to why RE home prices haven't dropped precipitously. I sense we're on the cusp there and am contemplating shorting REITs.
Note the WSJ editorial written by (I think) the provost at Dartmouth, acknowledging the precarious nature of college degrees resulting from cost burden. It all feels to me, as though we're teetering...and some basic realities are soon to be acknowledged in the markets.
I watched a recent financial discussion on the boob tube where the question was housing affordability. A discussion about finding a path for younger people to buy homes while preserving housing valuations for existing homeowners. Reminded me of Winston Churchill's famous quote about "the man standing in a bucket, seeking to lift himself up by tugging on the handle".
The very sort of question that will remain unresolved by our pandering politicians but will surely be resolved by the markets - in due time and in classic terms.
Our country is currently in the eye of the tornado politically, financially and socially. I personally think we as citizens and a country are going to experience tremendous turmoil relative to all my aforementioned areas of concern and it is anyone’s guess as to how we will exit this turmoil. An individual must rely on their own understanding of where we currently are relative this turmoil and make wise decisions as to their individual approach to protect themselves and their families against the potential damage we will experience while sitting in the middle of this triangle of chaos of political, financial and social instability!! There are numerous avenues one can elect to take, hopefully we take the correct avenue!
And I wish you - and all of us - much luck as we work through all of this. We all have different investment horizons, I suspect, even though our end goal is the same.
Enjoy the ride and always keep in mind that you'll "never see a Hearse pulling a U-Haul"
May God Bless you and your family!
And yours as well Bruce. We wouldn't be here, as very fortunate "first world" beneficiaries, without God's good grace so, we should always be mindful to "pay it forward" as we bounce along together on this big green & blue ball.
“Mankind is facing a crossroad -
One road leads to despair and utter hopelessness.
And the other to total extinction.-
I sincerely hope you graduates choose the right road”
― Woody Allen, Mere Anarchy
I think the poll was missing Oil as a choice. That would have been (and will be) my choice to hold value this year.
"In the US, worse is where we think things are headed. But not necessarily here in Central America"
Does Bill really believe Nicaragua, with its dying dictator Daniel Ortega and unreported crimes is poised for greater economic gains than the U.S.?
How many of us reading this have a maid?
What did Bill's maid put in his coffee?
What did the maid "putin" his coffee. Nothing. Bongo Bill was/is already an idiot.
"Last week, out for a swim, we stepped on a string ray. It was very painful."
As my father taught me, when you go in the water, shuffle your feet. Do NOT walk/step. This way, if there is a sting ray buried in the sand, you'll kick it, not step on it. It'll swim away (and scare the crap out of you!), but it won't 'sting' you.
This has been a public service announcement for those unfamiliar with warm-water bays and seas.
"Here at Bonner Private Research we maintain our sunny disposition by realizing that however bad things are they can always get worse."
Exactly! Things always look their darkest, their absolute worst...before they go COMPLETELY to Hell! :-)
well also if I may, yesterday and today are the anniversary dates of the conclusion/victory in the Battle of the Bulge in Ardennes, and what a feat that was. Churchill got it right, after that pompous ass Field Marshall Montgomery tried to claim the British bailed us out and saved our troops and helped us achieve victory. The Brits had about 2,000 men involved there. We had 500,000. Churchill correctly (and corrected Montgomery) stated "the Americans are a very brave and fierce fighting force and maybe the greatest in American History...." referencing this battle. Surely it was the largest battle we had in the War and suffered the most casualties, including 29,000 MIA. Brutal. But broke the back of the Nazis and then the retreat was on and we pushed them back to Berlin and the Soviets came in from the East, resulting in the carving up of Europe like a Thanksgiving Turkey. I was behind the Iron Curtain in 1977 when it was very dangerous to be there. Trust me. I read the declassified post mortem on the Battle produced by the Pentagon and with some British assistance, and what went wrong and what we missed....and how. Fascinating. How some American Generals and Ike himself ignored warnings of German buildup on the other side of the Ardennes Forest, believing they were "resting" like we were, following the push in from Normandy and later from Southern France, not to mention the earlier landing and fighting at Anzio (Bob Dole fought there and lost the use of his arm in the process...I knew Bob Dole...and Liddy, very well. FUNNY MAN, hilarious stories and jokes about "the Senior Senator from South Carolina" that had me in stitches.) and we planned to REST in Ardennes and get some hot chow and plan....then the winter rolled in and it got ugly and by early December the GERMANS in the Dead of Night came crashing through the Forest headed for Bastogne Belgium...and Antwerp....shocking many, who thought the Forest impenetrable by German Panzer Battalions of Tanks. Not so. I lost uncles in that war. I am sure you all did too. Congress and the imperious Libertarians wanted nothing to do with another "european conflict." Imagine if we stood by and did NOTHING. Churchill BEGGED FDR...who told him his hands were tied by Congress....but finally got in when Germany declared war on US.....a foolhardy thing to do, after we declared war on Japan following Pearl Harbor.
But I hand salute all those who perished, all those who served in WW2 but ESPECIALLY those in the First Army, Third Army and Fourth Army of the United States Army who did MOST of the fighting and dying in Ardennes. 30 days of hell.....But came out victorious. Yes, the British helped but Monty was known to be TEPID to engage...a known fact. Then tried to claim victory.
I am not denigrating British troops or their service in WW1 or WW2 or any war. They are fierce and brave fighters. Longstanding. Suffered horrific losses in Verdun WW1. And again in France, Holland, Belgium and Italy and North Africa in WW2. I am a HUGE fan of Lawrence of Arabia, btw, perhaps the GREATEST FILM EVER MADE. And very very poignant and prescient still today. I am castigating Montgomery only. I also GREATLY admire Churchill. BTW in Yalta he was essentially locked in his quarters, given scotch and cigars and FDR and Stalin arranged everything.....they wanted Churchill left out because he differed on what to do post war and also about China and Indo China. FDR was dying and in fact they worried he would die at Yalta! He barely made it home before dying in Georgia. But the damage of Yalta was done. HORRIFIC CONFERENCE if you ask me. And then at Pottsdam, Truman wanted NOTHING to do with Asians, he hated Chiang Kai Shek PERSONALLY and focused instead on Europe. We sold Chiang out. Fact.
Btw, General MacArthur got his Medal of Honor at Verdun, as an infantry officer. He also, btw was married to the daughter of the very Confederate General who fought MacArthur's Union Army Father and General at Battle of Chickamauga. She NEVER left Mac's side. EVEN IN BATTLE. SHE WAS DEVOTED TO HIM. Incredible love story. I digress.
All depends on the Orange Sphincter (POTUS)
Very interesting comments on Nicaragua, Bongo. Don't know how accurate they are coming from you. But the thing that really got me was you equating Trump's election in 2024 to the communist revolution in Russia in 1917. Seems to be a stretch. But I will admit, one good thing came out of that revolution. A women escaped Russia in 1926 and came to America and learned our language (she was born in 1905). Since she was 11 years old, she wanted to be a writer. To be the type of writer she wanted to be, she needed to learn history and philosophy. History she could learn, but she found philosophy to be a wasteland. She realized if she wrote the things she wanted to write in Russia after the revolution, she would be dead within a year. That woman was Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum and took the name Ayn Rand in the US to protect her relatives still in Russia.
Focusing on our developing formerly hidden insurrection
Being reported on two disjoint Narrative Screens: Pro-neo-Confederate and Pro-Fed
The neo-Confederates are well organized, well-funded and apparently well-armed, with the Mpls PD and Minnesota National Guard having joined the party. This episode will probably be seen in retrospect as analogous to the firing on Fort Sumter SC, depending on how the Feds respond to the Walz-Frey-Ellison and national Democrat in-effect declaration of war on the Federal government. "Interesting Times" indeed. I recommend remaining observers rather than members of the cast in either drama and praying for the enchantment of both narratives to be broken and the un-spun truth to emerge. It will not be comforting to either set of players.
James O'Keefe's Trip to Minneapolis Was Insane. Here's What Caught His Attention.
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2026/01/26/james-okeefes-wild-trip-to-minneapolis-n2670038
Irony: ICE Incident At One Epicenter of Welfare Fraud
https://hotair.com/david-strom/2026/01/25/irony-ice-incident-at-one-epicenter-of-welfare-fraud-n3811204
Minnesota: Let's Not Forget The Crisis Before The Crisis
https://hotair.com/mitch_berg/2026/01/26/minnesota-lets-not-forget-the-crisis-before-the-crisis-n3811195
Minneapolis Police Chief: Yes, the Mob Should Rule
https://hotair.com/david-strom/2026/01/26/minneapolis-police-chief-yes-the-mob-should-rule-n3811206
Sometimes people accidentally say the quiet part out loud.
I voted for gold, based upon the "more debasement" theory.
Silver will have more volatility. There are some substitutes for copper in industry, like using aluminum for electric lines. Rare earths will be dependent upon finding sites to develop, and also refining capacity. Bitcoin appears to be a contrarian bet now.
Sometimes opinionated, but always in doubt.
Finally! I didn't vote with crowd. Time for me to buy more Bitcoin. :-)