PodCasts Archives - McAlvany Weekly Commentary

A Look at This Week’s Show: - Germany is anticipating the worst with plans for an aid package for its banks (assuming an imminent default in Greece). - Rumor has it that a new Greek currency has already been printed awaiting “the news.” - How long/high will gold continue in this bull market? The duration of the gold bull market will endure as long as Keynesian bias dominates the halls of the Fed, Treasury and educational academia.

A Look at This Weeks Show: - There is a shallow appreciation for how grave the threat is to the European Union as it exists now. -Germany has and will hold the key to a continued EU project. - Just as in 2008 in the United States, banks are leading on the downside in Europe (since the end of July, 7 trillion in equity values have disappeared).

A Look At This Weeks Show: -  Let’s get real, the US is bankrupt. Neither spending more nor taxing less will solve the problem. -  What it can and must do is radically simplify its tax, health-care, financial and retirement systems, each of which is a complete mess. -  The good news is that with a complete redesign we can lower our current costs and bring in more revenue. About the guest: Laurence Kotlikoff  is a William Warren FairField Professor at Boston University, a Professor of Economics at Boston University, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research, a Fellow of the Econometric Society, a former Senior Economist, President’s Council of Economic Advisers, and President of Economic Security Planning. Purchase Jimmy Stewart is Dead Here   

A Look at This Week’s Show: - Argentina was once an engine of economic prosperity that destroyed itself with debt and worthless currency (multiple times). - The United States will not outright default on it’s debt but can and will print it’s way to the same outcome. - The current debt market crises cannot be isolated from the much larger derivative leviathan.

 About This Week’s Show: - It’s a myth that speculators run up the price of oil. Only 20% of the oil is hedged at one time. - The concept of “Peak Energy” is currently non-existent due to the abundance of coal and it’s many uses. - Real inflation is running at 9.6% (Using the index from when Volker was chairman of the Fed) therefore, forcing money into paper oil as a hedge against currency devaluation. About the Guest: Alexander Landia, Chairman of the Nominations and Compensation Committee, member of the Strategy Committee. Landia worked for Accenture, the largest consulting company in the world. As the partner of Accenture, he was General Director of Accenture Russia until 2006. In 2004 he was appointed Global Gas Lead Partner, responsible for Accenture’s global business in the gas industry while based in Moscow.

How the downgrade of U.S. Treasury Debt will cascade to Mortgage Backed Securities, Fannie & Freddie as well as Municipal Bonds. I scream, you scream we all scream Double Dip! Old habits die hard: Americans get scared due to downgrade in bonds and then run into the same (recently downgraded) bonds for protection!? The rest of the world sees the paradox and runs to gold and German bonds.  

A Look At This Weeks Show: -Exponential growth is different from linear growth. We naturally think linear yet the current situation is exponential. -Growth and prosperity are also different. You can have growth or prosperity, but not both perpetually. -Problems and predicaments are different as well. A problem can be solved to avoid a certain outcome. A predicament has no solution, only an outcome. We currently have a predicament that we must adjust to. About the Guest: Dr. Chris Martenson is an independent economist and author of a popular website, ChrisMartenson.com. His Crash Course video series explores the intertwining significance of the “three E’s”—the economy, energy, and environment and offers articulate, dynamic insight into the workings of our monetary system. Click Here to Purchase The Crash Course

A Look At This Weeks Show: -Debt ceiling arguments in Washington are merely a political game to distract us from the real structural issue (a 77 trillion dollar funding gap). -Contrary to the propaganda, not raising the debt ceiling does not mandate a U.S. Debt default. -A default by any other name is still a default and Greece DID default. Now what happens?

A Look At This Weeks Show: -  “Gold is not money,” says Bernanke. Tell that to the Chinese as gold tops $1,600. -  Bond markets indicating what the “New European Union” will look like after the shakeout. -  The conflict of statists and individual liberty that is at hand.

A Look at This Weeks Show:   -The middle class: “When they feel the heat, they’ll see the light.” -Replace the flawed U.S. tax code with a national sales tax. -Work toward a gold standard.

A Look At This Weeks Show: -Austerity measures cannot work in a democracy. -Gold is a currency, not a commodity. -Prepare for an inflationary depression over the next 3 to 5 years. About the Guest: ZULAUF ASSET MANAGEMENT AG was founded in 1990 and is fully owned by Felix W. Zulauf as an independent investment manager seeking absolute return. The firm manages a global fund seeking absolute return in a conservative way and invests worldwide in liquid assets only. www.zuam.ch    

A Look At This Weeks Show: -Central bankers worldwide see a “phase out” of the U.S. Dollar reserve currency status. -The history of central banks in America—Or, the third time’s a charm (actually a curse). -Hamilton and Jefferson: Two founders competing views of U.S. Money that impact us still today. Be Sure to Visit: McAlvany Financial’s You Tube Channel – Click Here

Show Highlights: -We are currently seeing the Collapse of Western Socialism in Europe. -A Greek default is the first phase of a chain reaction involving Portugal, Spain, Italy…and ultimately most sovereign debt. -During this debt “end game” scenario, it’s critical for the investor to be postured in a defensive strategy – including physical gold and cash. About the Guest: Bill King, has authored “The King Report” for over 18 years. It is an independent view on global, political, financial, and economic factors that influence world markets. As author of the firm’s daily research, Bill’s candid observations and forecast on the economic, financial, and political forces that are impacting the markets have been extremely accurate.

A Look At This Weeks Show: -Ottoman Empire Redux – Turkey moving toward radical Islam. -Are we at the end of the age of paper assets? -Is history (monetary and natural) a long, gradual, uniform progression or rather a series of unpredictable game changing catastrophes? Or both?

-Sometime in the next 5 years the government will shut down the futures markets. -This current bull market in gold could last another 20 years (according to Bert’s technical analysis.) -The next financial tsunami will be in China.