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Claudio Grass

Claudio Grass

Claudio Grass is a passionate advocate of free-market thinking and libertarian philosophy. Following the teachings of the Austrian School of Economics he is convinced that sound money and human freedom are inextricably linked to each other. He is one of the founders of GoldAndLiberty.com.

Articles by Claudio Grass

Sound Individualism vs Toxic Collectivism

15 days ago

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Part II of II by Claudio Grass, Switzerland

When it comes to the State, however, and all its ministries, branches and institutions, a very different set of rules seems to apply – a much more lenient, flexible and liberal one.

For example, the core pledge of security, protection and stability has yet to be fulfilled: no government has ever delivered on any of these promises socially, economically, geopolitically, or monetarily for any meaningful period of time. No matter how consistently and how faithfully the people keep their end of the deal, those in power always seem to have a ready excuse as to why they failed to honor their own and a confident assurance that they definitely, absolutely and unquestionably will, if you reelect them of

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Sound Individualism vs Toxic Collectivism

15 days ago

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Part II of II by Claudio Grass, Switzerland

When it comes to the State, however, and all its ministries, branches and institutions, a very different set of rules seems to apply – a much more lenient, flexible and liberal one.

For example, the core pledge of security, protection and stability has yet to be fulfilled: no government has ever delivered on any of these promises socially, economically, geopolitically, or monetarily for any meaningful period of time. No matter how consistently and how faithfully the people keep their end of the deal, those in power always seem to have a ready excuse as to why they failed to honor their own and a confident assurance that they definitely, absolutely and unquestionably will, if you reelect them of course. 

It is such an

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Private property rights under siege 

18 days ago

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Part I of II by Claudio Grass, Switzerland

People invest in gold for many different reasons. Many do so out of concern over economic, monetary or political uncertainty. Others seek a hedge against inflation, a way to protect and preserve the real purchasing power of their savings. There are also those who simply seek some peace of mind, a dependable insurance, so that no matter what the future holds and no matter how bad the “worst case scenario” turns out to be, they would still have a solid “Plan B”.

All these are valid, sound and sensible reasons to invest in gold; at least for long-term investors, for those who truly understand the true value and the core purpose of physical precious metals. 

Yet ultimately, all these concerns share a common denominator.

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Private property rights under siege 

18 days ago

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Part I of II by Claudio Grass, Switzerland

People invest in gold for many different reasons. Many do so out of concern over economic, monetary or political uncertainty. Others seek a hedge against inflation, a way to protect and preserve the real purchasing power of their savings. There are also those who simply seek some peace of mind, a dependable insurance, so that no matter what the future holds and no matter how bad the “worst case scenario” turns out to be, they would still have a solid “Plan B”.

All these are valid, sound and sensible reasons to invest in gold; at least for long-term investors, for those who truly understand the true value and the core purpose of physical precious metals. 

Yet ultimately, all these concerns

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A perfect storm in the making 

February 15, 2024

The New Year is usually associated with a new beginning, a fresh start, or a “clean slate”. Unfortunately, for millions of Americans, these are wishes that are bound to remain unfulfilled – for them, the New Year has nothing “new” to offer at all: it will only perpetuate all the same burdens, obligations and worries of the past year and of the ones that came before.
One physical, practical manifestation of this (though it is certainly not a unique, or even a rare, example) is the fact that at the start of 2024, U.S. household debt reached a record high of $17.3 trillion, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. To most of us, this is probably a shocking and nearly inconceivable amount, and it becomes even more surreal once one also factors in

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A perfect storm in the making 

February 15, 2024

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The New Year is usually associated with a new beginning, a fresh start, or a “clean slate”. Unfortunately, for millions of Americans, these are wishes that are bound to remain unfulfilled – for them, the New Year has nothing “new” to offer at all: it will only perpetuate all the same burdens, obligations and worries of the past year and of the ones that came before.

One physical, practical manifestation of this (though it is certainly not a unique, or even a rare, example) is the fact that at the start of 2024, U.S. household debt reached a record high of $17.3 trillion, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. To most of us, this is probably a shocking and nearly inconceivable amount, and it becomes even more surreal once one also factors in the

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Europe’s Agrarian Uprisings: Brussels is reaping what it sowed 

February 1, 2024

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Across the European landscape, a disquiet rumbles beneath the surface of rolling hills and fertile plains. It emanates from the very backbone of the continent – its farmers. From the tractor rallies of France and Germany to the demonstrations in Poland and the Netherlands, a wave of agrarian protests has erupted, driven by a potent cocktail of frustration, betrayal, and a yearning for stability.

Over the past few years, farmers in Western Europe have increasingly vehemently opposed policies designed to protect the environment, arguing that such measures incur excessive costs. Environmental regulations, lauded as “Farm to Fork” by the EU, are perceived by many as constricting livelihoods and punishing hardworking farmers and producers. Quotas, restrictions, and a

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Corrupt Money = Corrupt Society

January 19, 2024

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Discussion with Sean from SGT Report about the corruption of our money which has led to the corruption of society.

to watch the video click on this link: https://rumble.com/v44t52f-corrupt-money-corrupt-world-claudio-grass.html

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2024 outlook: Gold Shines Bright in the Gathering Storm

December 31, 2023

The year 2024 is poised to be a critical period for the global economy and it already appears to be fraught with economic and geopolitical challenges, casting a dark shadow over the global landscape. Signs of a looming economic downturn are becoming increasingly evident and the many challenges we faced over the past year will certainly remain with us for many months to come.

Economic and monetary landscape 

Central bankers in most advanced economies have already all but announced their intentions for 2024. After claiming that inflation is under control, arguably very prematurely, they are clearly in a hurry to return to expansionary monetary policies. This is because the cracks in the global economy are becoming blatantly obvious. However, their go-to

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2024 outlook: Gold Shines Bright in the Gathering Storm

December 31, 2023

The year 2024 is poised to be a critical period for the global economy and it already appears to be fraught with economic and geopolitical challenges, casting a dark shadow over the global landscape. Signs of a looming economic downturn are becoming increasingly evident and the many challenges we faced over the past year will certainly remain with us for many months to come.

Economic and monetary landscape 

Central bankers in most advanced economies have already all but announced their intentions for 2024. After claiming that inflation is under control, arguably very prematurely, they are clearly in a hurry to return to expansionary monetary policies. This is because the cracks in the global economy are becoming blatantly obvious. However, their go-to panacea of ultra-low rates

Read More »

2023: A year in review

December 30, 2023

After the catastrophic covid crisis of 2020 and 2021, the extremely impactful and consequential Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many hoped that 2023 would break this terrible bad spell and finally present us all with some hope, economically, geopolitically, socially, technologically. Unfortunately, it only offered further reasons for serious concerns on all these fronts. 

Economically, even though the official inflation rate followed a downward trajectory, in most major economies it still failed to reach the 2% target. To the contrary, in real, practical terms, most households continued to struggle with high prices for daily necessities and bills and obligations (especially those ordinary expenses that are not included in the official CPI

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2023: A year in review

December 30, 2023

After the catastrophic covid crisis of 2020 and 2021, the extremely impactful and consequential Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many hoped that 2023 would break this terrible bad spell and finally present us all with some hope, economically, geopolitically, socially, technologically. Unfortunately, it only offered further reasons for serious concerns on all these fronts. 

Economically, even though the official inflation rate followed a downward trajectory, in most major economies it still failed to reach the 2% target. To the contrary, in real, practical terms, most households continued to struggle with high prices for daily necessities and bills and obligations (especially those ordinary expenses that are not included in the official CPI calculations). Higher interest rates

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The awakening of the working class 

December 7, 2023

Part II of II, by Claudio Grass, Switzerland

One of the maxims I tend to mention quite often in sociopolitical debates or in response to arguments about the flawlessness of the democratic process is “the smallest minority is the individual”. To some, it might sound trite or banal, and perhaps it is; but it does carry a meaning that I believe is an essential human value and a fundamental building block for any civilized, productive and prosperous society. Any group of people, any social structure, and any political system that does not recognize the uniqueness, the potential, the invaluable unpredictability and the sheer beauty of the individual human mind and instead seeks to cage it, to tame it, or to force it to conform and to “fit in”, is certainly and demonstrably doomed to

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The awakening of the working class 

December 5, 2023

Part I of II, by Claudio Grass, Switzerland

It is a worn-out cliché that many (if not most) political zealots meet their downfall because of their arrogance. “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall,” the proverb goes, and it does prove true more often than not. The specific kind of pride, or haughty spirit, or plain hubris in this case, has to do with the certainty that some people have (one can’t imagine how and why it could have been originally acquired, so it must have been bestowed) that they are smarter, wiser, or just simply better than their fellow humans. 

Perhaps they seek to dominate, to subjugate, to tyrannize and to oppress – to bully others, for no conceivable reason, merely for bullying’s sake. Or perhaps

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The awakening of the working class 

December 5, 2023

Part I of II, by Claudio Grass, Switzerland

It is a worn-out cliché that many (if not most) political zealots meet their downfall because of their arrogance. “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall,” the proverb goes, and it does prove true more often than not. The specific kind of pride, or haughty spirit, or plain hubris in this case, has to do with the certainty that some people have (one can’t imagine how and why it could have been originally acquired, so it must have been bestowed) that they are smarter, wiser, or just simply better than their fellow humans. 

Perhaps they seek to dominate, to subjugate, to tyrannize and to oppress – to bully others, for no conceivable reason, merely for bullying’s sake. Or perhaps their motivations are not

Read More »

War is the health of the State

November 24, 2023

Part II of II by Claudio Grass, Hünenberg See, Switzerland

This is precisely what the State is doing. The idea of war, mayhem and destruction being economic boosters is exactly what has supported the thin facade that politicians like to place over their greed and their personal gain that they derive from the military industrial complex. “It’s good for the country”, is certainly easier to sell than “it’s good for me and my reelection campaign”.

The taxpayer will not see a penny’s worth of their “investment” in the military aid budget, which is essentially a forced wealth transfer, a bailout for defense contractors. The public’s hard-earned money will simply go to the pockets of the State and its cronies, to produce tools of destruction instead of anything that could

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War is the health of the State

November 24, 2023

Part II of II by Claudio Grass, Hünenberg See, Switzerland

This is precisely what the State is doing. The idea of war, mayhem and destruction being economic boosters is exactly what has supported the thin facade that politicians like to place over their greed and their personal gain that they derive from the military industrial complex. “It’s good for the country”, is certainly easier to sell than “it’s good for me and my reelection campaign”.

The taxpayer will not see a penny’s worth of their “investment” in the military aid budget, which is essentially a forced wealth transfer, a bailout for defense contractors. The public’s hard-earned money will simply go to the pockets of the State and its cronies, to produce tools of destruction instead of

Read More »

War is the health of the State

November 22, 2023

Part I of II by Claudio Grass

For any reasonably well read adult, any amateur student of history or any responsible citizen for that matter, the idea that ”war is the health of the State” should be adjacent to a truism. After all, literally nobody benefits from violence and bloodshed apart from those at the heart of any State that is directly or indirectly involved and their cronies. In fact, the more horrific the violence and the more protracted the bloodshed, the greater the profit they reap. Even if they find themselves on the losing side of a particular conflict, they are still the “winners”, compared to the mere mortals, the innocent civilians that die, starve and suffer as a direct result of choices that “their betters” made for them. 

However, no matter how

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War is the health of the State

November 22, 2023

Part I of II by Claudio Grass

For any reasonably well read adult, any amateur student of history or any responsible citizen for that matter, the idea that ”war is the health of the State” should be adjacent to a truism. After all, literally nobody benefits from violence and bloodshed apart from those at the heart of any State that is directly or indirectly involved and their cronies. In fact, the more horrific the violence and the more protracted the bloodshed, the greater the profit they reap. Even if they find themselves on the losing side of a particular conflict, they are still the “winners”, compared to the mere mortals, the innocent civilians that die, starve and suffer as a direct result of choices that “their betters” made for them.

Read More »

“Sound money must be anchored to and backed by real, tangible assets”

November 16, 2023

Dani Stüssi interview with Claudio Grass

Over the last few years, the financial woes and daily pressures that have been unleashed upon the average citizen, saver and taxpayer have put the spotlight on money itself. Countless ordinary people who have otherwise never seriously pondered these questions, began to question basic principles like: what makes their paycheck shrink from month to month, what or who actually responsible of it and what, if anything, they can do to protect their savings themselves.

The recent turmoil in the banking industry also shook the faith of the public and raised serious and much wider concerns about the stability and the very future of the current system. Now more than ever, it is imperative to find solutions, “ways out” and establish back up

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Rethinking “safe” investments

November 5, 2023

Part II of II by Claudio Grass, Hünenberg See, Switzerland

For those of us who have studied history, these Ingenuous beliefs and expectations likely bring a smirk to our face. However, these are entirely reasonable assumptions for most citizens, as the majority of the population is blissfully unaware of the numerous real-life examples that clearly demonstrate just how capable and how eager the government is to do these things – to fail, or to lie, or much more habitually, to do the latter to cover up the former. 

This is the point where my sympathy and my compassion and all my excuses run out though. Unlike the “good old days”, in recent years, the folly of trusting government debt has been quite obvious. It has been demonstrated in painful detail, repeatedly and consistently

Read More »

Rethinking “safe” investments

November 5, 2023

Part II of II by Claudio Grass, Hünenberg See, Switzerland
For those of us who have studied history, these Ingenuous beliefs and expectations likely bring a smirk to our face. However, these are entirely reasonable assumptions for most citizens, as the majority of the population is blissfully unaware of the numerous real-life examples that clearly demonstrate just how capable and how eager the government is to do these things – to fail, or to lie, or much more habitually, to do the latter to cover up the former.
This is the point where my sympathy and my compassion and all my excuses run out though. Unlike the “good old days”, in recent years, the folly of trusting government debt has been quite obvious. It has been demonstrated in painful detail, repeatedly and

Read More »

Rethinking “safe” investments

November 2, 2023

Part I of II by Claudio Grass, Hünenberg See, Switzerland

To most observant citizens and diligent investors it is surely quite obvious that the current monetary, fiscal and banking system is inherently flawed, hopelessly unjust, corrupt, unsustainable and simply destined to collapse sooner or later. With every (predictable) recession and every (foreseeable) crisis, this structure gets weaker; its very own architects increasingly second-guess it, mistrust and question it and the wider public sees ever more clearly its fundamental defects, its inadequacies and its fatal flaws.

The formula for individual investors (until not too long ago) used to be a simple one – at least for those reasonable, sensible investors that sought stable, predictable and reliable returns: the classic

Read More »

Rethinking “safe” investments

November 2, 2023

Part I of II by Claudio Grass, Hünenberg See, Switzerland
To most observant citizens and diligent investors it is surely quite obvious that the current monetary, fiscal and banking system is inherently flawed, hopelessly unjust, corrupt, unsustainable and simply destined to collapse sooner or later. With every (predictable) recession and every (foreseeable) crisis, this structure gets weaker; its very own architects increasingly second-guess it, mistrust and question it and the wider public sees ever more clearly its fundamental defects, its inadequacies and its fatal flaws.
The formula for individual investors (until not too long ago) used to be a simple one – at least for those reasonable, sensible investors that sought stable, predictable and reliable returns:

Read More »

Gold for the people

October 11, 2023

At the end of September, a very interesting story made the rounds in the media and caught my attention. Apparently, the US big box giant Costco added one rather surprising product to its range and it proved immensely popular. Next to humongous multipacks of cereal, buckets of peanut butter, mattresses and air fryers, customers were offered the opportunity to throw a gold bar in their carts as well. 

Selling like hotcakes 

According to a recent CBS report: “The discount retailer said this week it has started selling 1-ounce bars of gold, but that demand is so strong it can’t keep them in stock even with a limit of two bars per member. The company is selling two types of bars: a 1-ounce gold PAMP Suisse Lady Fortuna Veriscan bar, which bears the imprint

Read More »

Gold for the people

October 11, 2023

At the end of September, a very interesting story made the rounds in the media and caught my attention. Apparently, the US big box giant Costco added one rather surprising product to its range and it proved immensely popular. Next to humongous multipacks of cereal, buckets of peanut butter, mattresses and air fryers, customers were offered the opportunity to throw a gold bar in their carts as well. 

Selling like hotcakes 

According to a recent CBS report: “The discount retailer said this week it has started selling 1-ounce bars of gold, but that demand is so strong it can’t keep them in stock even with a limit of two bars per member. The company is selling two types of bars: a 1-ounce gold PAMP Suisse Lady Fortuna Veriscan bar, which bears the imprint of a silhouette of the

Read More »

The slow, stealthy but steady spread of absolutism 

October 1, 2023

Part II of II by Claudio Grass, Switzerland

Over the last couple of years, we saw countless examples of free speech suppression and of the steep price paid by those who chose to exercise that right. Divergent ideas and thoughts contradicting the government narrative were silenced and often punished in ways that would have been entirely unimaginable before the covid outbreak. 

No matter what one thinks about the pandemic, about the policies and the measures that were imposed and whether they were justified or not, it is still near impossible to refute that, at least in recent memory, we have never seen such an aggressive enforcement of a state dictum and such brutal retaliation against those who dared question its wisdom or even those who merely asked

Read More »

The slow, stealthy but steady spread of absolutism 

October 1, 2023

Part II of II by Claudio Grass, Switzerland

Over the last couple of years, we saw countless examples of free speech suppression and of the steep price paid by those who chose to exercise that right. Divergent ideas and thoughts contradicting the government narrative were silenced and often punished in ways that would have been entirely unimaginable before the covid outbreak. 

No matter what one thinks about the pandemic, about the policies and the measures that were imposed and whether they were justified or not, it is still near impossible to refute that, at least in recent memory, we have never seen such an aggressive enforcement of a state dictum and such brutal retaliation against those who dared question its wisdom or even those who merely asked for any factual, rational

Read More »

The slow, stealthy but steady spread of absolutism 

September 29, 2023

Part I of II by Claudio Grass, Switzerland

The struggle and rivalry between the “West and the rest” might be grabbing news headlines due to the Ukraine war these days, but in truth, it is anything but newsworthy. This antagonism, this battle for geopolitical, physical dominance, for moral supremacy, and this clash of ideas and fundamental values has been raging for much longer than that, perhaps longer than most of us can recall. 

It sowed the seeds of bloody and even genocidal strife many a time in the past. It stood in the way of peace and harmony, it undermined and impaired human compassion and it impeded progress and productive collaboration. Throughout history and through our modern conflicts, be they military or merely political, there has always been this great divide; no

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