The basic template of all organized societies is this: those that have want to have more. Elites find reasons for non-elites to hand over their wealth and power.
I have two conclusions based on observation throughout my life (I'm now 74). First: all government eventually goes bad. Second: no government is preferable to bad government. I'm contemplating adding a third: Mankind cannot sustain what it ordains. Best always. PM
Well, Paul, I have you by a year, but no matter. I do take somewhat of an issue with your second point. Since people have to defend themselves from criminals and those that will take the stuff that they've worked for (both of which should be the job of a legitimate government - that is, defense of individual rights), people will divide themselves into factions for protection - that is, governments, whether you can them that or not. These factions can be at peace depending on their mindset, or at war with each other. You may not call them governments, but that is the function they are performing. There is no way around this - it is what has happened throughout history. That's why people form governments.
The real issue is not to have a bad government, but to "fight" for a government that defends individual rights. That takes rational thought, something that seems to be in short supply these days especially with one party that is mixed in its ideas and the other that is a destroyer (that is, the democrat progressive, socialist, communist, fascist, enviro-nazi horde). It is not easy to be civilized these days especially with all the irrationality emanating from the left (and yes, some from the right, but to a much lesser degree). The Democrats have become destroyers - destroy everything. Some examples: destroy energy production, achievement, advanced industrial society, language and thought by calling things what they are not, gender, etc. - all for the sake of being in control.
Yes, frustration. I get it. As far as the Democrats becoming destroyers, it's from bad ideas, bad irrational (that is, not based on the facts of reality) ideology. Yet, most conservatives defend "public" (that is, government-controlled) education. People that believe the government is the center of all things (as opposed to individual creativity and action), are drawn to government agencies including education. They infiltrate these government organizations in order to gain control. The only solution is free-market education where competition will lead to a better and more efficient education system. The bloated bureaucracy of government education is what leads to the high cost of education. There needs to be a transition towards the free market in education, and for that matter, all sectors of the economy, including healthcare. I'm sure you know all this, but it is the education establishment (controlled by progressives) which is destroying the country because they are creating the people that work in the media, government, and for that matter, everywhere else.
Mr. Wood, I might add "publicly regulated" to "publicly funded" because in a classic fascist system where Big Government & Big Corporate collude to reign over the folks, some private criminals, such as corporate barons, steal like public criminals and risk nothing.
Breitbart's Finance Editor John Carney pointed this out today when analyzing the matter pertaining to Big Tech wanting A.I. to be "regulated." Or as Mr. Carney pointed out: regulation as cartelization. In other words, they want to be free of competition from small, innovative competitors. And Mr. Carney also indicated this could all be part of a more grand scheme of "too big to fail." If many of these data centers don't actually produce profits, and Big Tech starts to lose big money and their stock prices race downward, then if they are "regulated," as big banks have been, when they fail, they will scream for the feds to bail them out. And the feds will because they will be terrified of large and small investors taking enormous stock market hits and workers fired in large numbers. Similar to the 2008-2009 big bank bailouts? Maybe a few corporate barons will be sacrificed and go to jail; or, be fired or forced to retire (after banking tens of millions of course), but the overwhelming majority would roll right along unscathed.
So I guess if Mr. Carney turns out to be right (us and him hope he's not), your "publicly funded" criminals description would be entirely accurate, because "publicly regulated" would eventually turn out to be "publicly funded," just in a more circuitous way for the corporate barons on the backs of tens of millions of mostly U.S. middle-class taxpayers.
Again, nicely laid out. You have been beating this drum a very long time and seem to continue to refine the explanation. The vast majority of people can’t distinguish between money and currency. Which is precisely the way politicians want it and bankers need it. Please persist with your quest.
There have been several books written in regards to this in the last 55 years, since Nixon removed the backing of the US dollar by gold holdings. That dwarfed the Watergate scandal, but few recognized it for what it was. The biggest swindle of all time. You can be sure the central banks of the world, and all of the major commercial banks of the world clearly saw it for what it was, the birth of their golden goose! And after they have reaped the rewards, they have come to the point where they may have finally killed the goose. They couldn't control their greed. And now they are trapped. The goose is dying. Few recognize it. The best book I've read that helps clarify what has taken place is The Creature From Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin. I have read it several times. I needed to do that to fully understand the swindle that has been taking place since 1913. It explains how the birth of the US Federal Reserve took place, who was involved, and the results that have followed. Since then most all countries in the world have created their own Central Banks in one form or another, and the same results follow in most if not all of those countries. The Central Banks and the big commercials own everything, by indebting all of us up to our necks, and now finally our governments are captured as well. This has been happening in front of our eyes, and very few have recognized it. We are all owned by the bankers of the world we live in. Sad state of affairs. What will happen next. Who knows. But you can be sure the big banks will come out of it smelling like a rose. Levi
So true. I also love the creature from Jekyll Island. Our country is so hopelessly dumped down. The people understand none of this. This is going to be quite a mess. I literally built a house in the amount of West Va, Virginia five hours from my home to escape what’s coming. May God bless us all.
A perfect picture as to why we should NEVER sell our gold. Someday when the bubble pops, each little piece of the yellow relic is going to be the last man standing. The powers to be will revalue the currency to the new "official price" and we little people will be glad we held on.
From my point of view, there seems to be a significant omission as to who/what caused the current run-up in fuel prices. That is (hedge fund) manipulation. To this point I have heard no good reason as to why the price of fuel - including/especially diesel - in this country should be materially affected by what the Iranians and their proxies are doing. Even without Canada, our supply - especially if one includes Venezuela as a captive supplier - should be more than enough to have maintained WTI and therefore retail prices at the pump at pre-"crisis" levels or at least kept them close. The runup in North America is overwhelmingly, it would seem, the result of rampant speculation and market manipulation, for which the perpetrators should be punished.
US refineries are running at near-full capacity (97.4% utilization in late August 2026).
Yet diesel and gasoline inventories remain critically low.
This means refineries can't increase overall production.
They can only shift what they make based on profit signals.
-
The fundamental constraint is that 2-3 million barrels per day of products are missing from global supplies due to Middle East and Russian disruptions, and the US refinery fleet simply doesn't have extra spare capacity to fill that gap.
"Tom sent us the startling proof on Saturday. As part of a huge study, involving 167 nations over 67 years, researchers found the US had a long-term money supply growth rate of 7.4% — or more than 2x GDP itself..." Where is Tom's communication referred to here (apparently published on Saturday)?
Dear Bill as we reach the zenith of our now almost fifty (50) years together each morning reading your thoughts about human life on earth and particularly the exchange of goods and services and how that should be best facilitated this article represents the BEST of all these past 50 years !!! I wrote to you in 2008 & 2012 and asked you to support Dr Ron Paul now in his 92 second year of life, who was the LAST GREAT American HOPE for a decent and honest president, and the last possible individual who could alter the course of the ship USA. Yes Copernicus was pivotal in human history but in today's world our current generation can't even spell his name or have any idea what he offered to humankind. So now we have to lament weep and regret for ever the dream of what the USA might have been had enough of us flown to TAMPA FLORIDA for his final convention, but then the entire FAKE money empire was literally trying to make his message invisible and unheard as they quaked in their miserable portfolio's of fake assets/money/wealth .. and now they have the opposite which they sadly elected and DESERVE as you have very often stated in these your daily comments and missive's. So now just enjoy watching this once great nation go to hell in a basket even as the hypnotised addicted RED Hat MAGA addicts scream and rave for their beautiful saviour sent by their FAKE GOD/MONEY and his supposedly chosen people who have always destroyed the truth of the only living GOD who selected his messenger and anointed him to enter the temple of his own people and begged them to alter their ways .. and what did the High Priests of the Sanhedrin do ..? they laughed at him as an ignorant itinerant preacher who could not possibly be the Messiah since he would arrive from the clouds of heaven in a golden chariot with Angels Gabriel & Michael on each side of his golden chariot and save the people of Israel BUT what did they get a simple preacher riding on the ass of a donkey with a bunch of poor folks waving Palm leaves and announcing his arrival .. so very Ironic that it was EXACTLY at this time of year during what is now called Jewish High Holidays and the week of Yom Kippur .. oh what a cosmic tragedy to witness but then pride greed and hate goeth before the FALL of those who shall pervert HIS laws of turning the other cheek and doing unto others as you wish to be treated. Yes the Tyranny of this simple trespass will now continue for millennia but we had a chance to change the course of human kind yet as before humans need much greater SUFFERING before they will repent of their stupidity of worshiping FAKE IDOLS who destroy everything that comes near them inc the people they are supposed to serve but only serve themselves and so the trumpet of hell has destroyed the USA whilst supposed saving Palestine ! but for WHO? all those folks in Florida ?
So Bill you have been stating and restating the governmental inflationary-theft scheme for years now. It is so abstract as to make the theft difficult to trace and assign a villain. However, with each interation of this theme you are bringing the villains from the shadows and into the light. Very good. But to be sure, Rand Paul is not a democrat. Other than that, great read today.
Bit this whole conversation began when you replied "bullshit" to my satirical remark that no matter who you vote for you get John McCain. I just wanted to know why this is bullshit.
Private criminals steal and risk going to jail.
Publicly funded criminals steal and risk nothing more than being replaced by another thief.
It’s expensive being a peasant.
That is a good observation.
Jim
I have two conclusions based on observation throughout my life (I'm now 74). First: all government eventually goes bad. Second: no government is preferable to bad government. I'm contemplating adding a third: Mankind cannot sustain what it ordains. Best always. PM
Well, Paul, I have you by a year, but no matter. I do take somewhat of an issue with your second point. Since people have to defend themselves from criminals and those that will take the stuff that they've worked for (both of which should be the job of a legitimate government - that is, defense of individual rights), people will divide themselves into factions for protection - that is, governments, whether you can them that or not. These factions can be at peace depending on their mindset, or at war with each other. You may not call them governments, but that is the function they are performing. There is no way around this - it is what has happened throughout history. That's why people form governments.
The real issue is not to have a bad government, but to "fight" for a government that defends individual rights. That takes rational thought, something that seems to be in short supply these days especially with one party that is mixed in its ideas and the other that is a destroyer (that is, the democrat progressive, socialist, communist, fascist, enviro-nazi horde). It is not easy to be civilized these days especially with all the irrationality emanating from the left (and yes, some from the right, but to a much lesser degree). The Democrats have become destroyers - destroy everything. Some examples: destroy energy production, achievement, advanced industrial society, language and thought by calling things what they are not, gender, etc. - all for the sake of being in control.
Who let the Democrats become destroyers? I'm frustrated, brother. Best always. PM
Yes, frustration. I get it. As far as the Democrats becoming destroyers, it's from bad ideas, bad irrational (that is, not based on the facts of reality) ideology. Yet, most conservatives defend "public" (that is, government-controlled) education. People that believe the government is the center of all things (as opposed to individual creativity and action), are drawn to government agencies including education. They infiltrate these government organizations in order to gain control. The only solution is free-market education where competition will lead to a better and more efficient education system. The bloated bureaucracy of government education is what leads to the high cost of education. There needs to be a transition towards the free market in education, and for that matter, all sectors of the economy, including healthcare. I'm sure you know all this, but it is the education establishment (controlled by progressives) which is destroying the country because they are creating the people that work in the media, government, and for that matter, everywhere else.
you and we get what we deserve .. enjoy it !
Mr. Wood, I might add "publicly regulated" to "publicly funded" because in a classic fascist system where Big Government & Big Corporate collude to reign over the folks, some private criminals, such as corporate barons, steal like public criminals and risk nothing.
Breitbart's Finance Editor John Carney pointed this out today when analyzing the matter pertaining to Big Tech wanting A.I. to be "regulated." Or as Mr. Carney pointed out: regulation as cartelization. In other words, they want to be free of competition from small, innovative competitors. And Mr. Carney also indicated this could all be part of a more grand scheme of "too big to fail." If many of these data centers don't actually produce profits, and Big Tech starts to lose big money and their stock prices race downward, then if they are "regulated," as big banks have been, when they fail, they will scream for the feds to bail them out. And the feds will because they will be terrified of large and small investors taking enormous stock market hits and workers fired in large numbers. Similar to the 2008-2009 big bank bailouts? Maybe a few corporate barons will be sacrificed and go to jail; or, be fired or forced to retire (after banking tens of millions of course), but the overwhelming majority would roll right along unscathed.
So I guess if Mr. Carney turns out to be right (us and him hope he's not), your "publicly funded" criminals description would be entirely accurate, because "publicly regulated" would eventually turn out to be "publicly funded," just in a more circuitous way for the corporate barons on the backs of tens of millions of mostly U.S. middle-class taxpayers.
Kevin
Excellent succinct statement of our national problem.
Bill's a master too of explaining this predicament, one that if unchecked has the potential to unwind the strings that bind us.
What I await is for practical steps to abate what our "funny money" is causing.
Again, nicely laid out. You have been beating this drum a very long time and seem to continue to refine the explanation. The vast majority of people can’t distinguish between money and currency. Which is precisely the way politicians want it and bankers need it. Please persist with your quest.
There have been several books written in regards to this in the last 55 years, since Nixon removed the backing of the US dollar by gold holdings. That dwarfed the Watergate scandal, but few recognized it for what it was. The biggest swindle of all time. You can be sure the central banks of the world, and all of the major commercial banks of the world clearly saw it for what it was, the birth of their golden goose! And after they have reaped the rewards, they have come to the point where they may have finally killed the goose. They couldn't control their greed. And now they are trapped. The goose is dying. Few recognize it. The best book I've read that helps clarify what has taken place is The Creature From Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin. I have read it several times. I needed to do that to fully understand the swindle that has been taking place since 1913. It explains how the birth of the US Federal Reserve took place, who was involved, and the results that have followed. Since then most all countries in the world have created their own Central Banks in one form or another, and the same results follow in most if not all of those countries. The Central Banks and the big commercials own everything, by indebting all of us up to our necks, and now finally our governments are captured as well. This has been happening in front of our eyes, and very few have recognized it. We are all owned by the bankers of the world we live in. Sad state of affairs. What will happen next. Who knows. But you can be sure the big banks will come out of it smelling like a rose. Levi
So true. I also love the creature from Jekyll Island. Our country is so hopelessly dumped down. The people understand none of this. This is going to be quite a mess. I literally built a house in the amount of West Va, Virginia five hours from my home to escape what’s coming. May God bless us all.
A perfect picture as to why we should NEVER sell our gold. Someday when the bubble pops, each little piece of the yellow relic is going to be the last man standing. The powers to be will revalue the currency to the new "official price" and we little people will be glad we held on.
Jim Marshall
Every time, without exception, and even when forced by exigency, whenever I have sold gold, or silver, I have regretted it. Best always. PM
From my point of view, there seems to be a significant omission as to who/what caused the current run-up in fuel prices. That is (hedge fund) manipulation. To this point I have heard no good reason as to why the price of fuel - including/especially diesel - in this country should be materially affected by what the Iranians and their proxies are doing. Even without Canada, our supply - especially if one includes Venezuela as a captive supplier - should be more than enough to have maintained WTI and therefore retail prices at the pump at pre-"crisis" levels or at least kept them close. The runup in North America is overwhelmingly, it would seem, the result of rampant speculation and market manipulation, for which the perpetrators should be punished.
James , I have wondered about that also. Thanks for being the first to bring it up in these pages.
US refineries are running at near-full capacity (97.4% utilization in late August 2026).
Yet diesel and gasoline inventories remain critically low.
This means refineries can't increase overall production.
They can only shift what they make based on profit signals.
-
The fundamental constraint is that 2-3 million barrels per day of products are missing from global supplies due to Middle East and Russian disruptions, and the US refinery fleet simply doesn't have extra spare capacity to fill that gap.
"When the money goes, everything goes." -- Bill Bonner
"Tom sent us the startling proof on Saturday. As part of a huge study, involving 167 nations over 67 years, researchers found the US had a long-term money supply growth rate of 7.4% — or more than 2x GDP itself..." Where is Tom's communication referred to here (apparently published on Saturday)?
I hope dear author Bill Bonner really knows that Sen Rand Paul is not a Democrat from Kentucky as written.
Actually it's a mistake of the Washington Examiner and the author of article. Can't get good proof readers today.
Certainly Mr Bonner, et al, would read their article before posting it.
Actually what does it matter which team Rand Paul is on? As a wise man once said no matter who you vote for you get a John McCain.
bullshit
As a former Naval Aviator, John McCains era, some of us don't want to be like that. But teams do matter.
Nailed it, Bill.
Dear Bill as we reach the zenith of our now almost fifty (50) years together each morning reading your thoughts about human life on earth and particularly the exchange of goods and services and how that should be best facilitated this article represents the BEST of all these past 50 years !!! I wrote to you in 2008 & 2012 and asked you to support Dr Ron Paul now in his 92 second year of life, who was the LAST GREAT American HOPE for a decent and honest president, and the last possible individual who could alter the course of the ship USA. Yes Copernicus was pivotal in human history but in today's world our current generation can't even spell his name or have any idea what he offered to humankind. So now we have to lament weep and regret for ever the dream of what the USA might have been had enough of us flown to TAMPA FLORIDA for his final convention, but then the entire FAKE money empire was literally trying to make his message invisible and unheard as they quaked in their miserable portfolio's of fake assets/money/wealth .. and now they have the opposite which they sadly elected and DESERVE as you have very often stated in these your daily comments and missive's. So now just enjoy watching this once great nation go to hell in a basket even as the hypnotised addicted RED Hat MAGA addicts scream and rave for their beautiful saviour sent by their FAKE GOD/MONEY and his supposedly chosen people who have always destroyed the truth of the only living GOD who selected his messenger and anointed him to enter the temple of his own people and begged them to alter their ways .. and what did the High Priests of the Sanhedrin do ..? they laughed at him as an ignorant itinerant preacher who could not possibly be the Messiah since he would arrive from the clouds of heaven in a golden chariot with Angels Gabriel & Michael on each side of his golden chariot and save the people of Israel BUT what did they get a simple preacher riding on the ass of a donkey with a bunch of poor folks waving Palm leaves and announcing his arrival .. so very Ironic that it was EXACTLY at this time of year during what is now called Jewish High Holidays and the week of Yom Kippur .. oh what a cosmic tragedy to witness but then pride greed and hate goeth before the FALL of those who shall pervert HIS laws of turning the other cheek and doing unto others as you wish to be treated. Yes the Tyranny of this simple trespass will now continue for millennia but we had a chance to change the course of human kind yet as before humans need much greater SUFFERING before they will repent of their stupidity of worshiping FAKE IDOLS who destroy everything that comes near them inc the people they are supposed to serve but only serve themselves and so the trumpet of hell has destroyed the USA whilst supposed saving Palestine ! but for WHO? all those folks in Florida ?
Ron Paul was, and probably ever will be, the only politician I enthusiastically supported.
All the rest have been some level of begrudging.
So Bill you have been stating and restating the governmental inflationary-theft scheme for years now. It is so abstract as to make the theft difficult to trace and assign a villain. However, with each interation of this theme you are bringing the villains from the shadows and into the light. Very good. But to be sure, Rand Paul is not a democrat. Other than that, great read today.
Umm…when did Rand Paul become a Democrat?
Love the Copernicus quote and amazed by it's lasting accuracy. Most, I suspect think of Copernicus only as an early astronomer.
Bit this whole conversation began when you replied "bullshit" to my satirical remark that no matter who you vote for you get John McCain. I just wanted to know why this is bullshit.
Ok, we all understand the currency is headed to total worthlessness. Got it loud and clear.
So again I ask, how does a retiree live off of the income of all the gold in his/her retirement account? How does it generate dividends?