Part II of II

The big picture here is clear and it is essential to understand that it represents a very significant paradigm shift. Whether it is online or offline, whether it is through a mobile app, an exchange or even through physical contracts, ownership titles to gold holdings keep changing hands. And thus, no matter the vehicle that is used to facilitate these transactions, the fact of the matter is that it acts as a gold-backed currency. This alone is remarkable: After eons of having to put up with fiat money, with all our other choices effectively and forcefully removed by decree, an increasing number of people is now once again reclaiming their right to execute voluntary trades with their peers, using what they understand to be real money.

Part II of II

The big picture here is clear and it is essential to understand that it represents a very significant paradigm shift. Whether it is online or offline, whether it is through a mobile app, an exchange or even through physical contracts, ownership titles to gold holdings keep changing hands. And thus, no matter the vehicle that is used to facilitate these transactions, the fact of the matter is that it acts as a gold-backed currency. This alone is remarkable: After eons of having to put up with fiat money, with all our other choices effectively and forcefully removed by decree, an increasing number of people is now once again reclaiming their right to execute voluntary trades with their peers, using what they understand to be real money. 

What’s even more striking

Part I of II

For decades, physical gold investors have had to contend with superficial, naive and wholly ahistorical “arguments” from the mainstream financial press, from economists and experts of all stripes, claiming that gold is nothing but a barbarous relic. To them, the yellow metal is akin to investment superstition. It has no yield, it serves no practical purpose and the only attraction they could conceive of is merely symbolic, or perhaps, political. Thus, who in their right mind would “imprison” their perfectly good and functional fiat money in a gold bar, and then just let it gather dust in a vault for a decade or two? Well, it might have taken a little longer than many of us expected, but now we have an answer that even the most ignorant and unread of mainstream gamblers

Part I of II

For decades, physical gold investors have had to contend with superficial, naive and wholly ahistorical “arguments” from the mainstream financial press, from economists and experts of all stripes, claiming that gold is nothing but a barbarous relic. To them, the yellow metal is akin to investment superstition. It has no yield, it serves no practical purpose and the only attraction they could conceive of is merely symbolic, or perhaps, political. Thus, who in their right mind would “imprison” their perfectly good and functional fiat money in a gold bar, and then just let it gather dust in a vault for a decade or two? Well, it might have taken a little longer than many of us expected, but now we have an answer that even the most ignorant and

Over the last two years, we’ve all witnessed state abuses of power and extreme overreaches the likes of which many average citizens had never imagined they’d see in their own lifetimes. This caused a great part of the body politic in many Western nations to revisit their previously held beliefs about what is and isn’t possible for their governments to do and to question whether there really is such a thing as going “too far” or whether anyone in the political class is subject to the same rules as them. 

For the majority, this was a lesson learned the hard way and a very surprising one at that. But even for those of us who understand the lessons of history and who never harbored any delusions about the nature of the State and the character of anyone who claims to know what’s best

Over the last two years, we’ve all witnessed state abuses of power and extreme overreaches the likes of which many average citizens had never imagined they’d see in their own lifetimes. This caused a great part of the body politic in many Western nations to revisit their previously held beliefs about what is and isn’t possible for their governments to do and to question whether there really is such a thing as going “too far” or whether anyone in the political class is subject to the same rules as them. 

For the majority, this was a lesson learned the hard way and a very surprising one at that. But even for those of us who understand the lessons of history and who never harbored any delusions about the nature of the State and the character of anyone who

It is undeniable that the ongoing crisis in Ukraine has polarized Western societies to an extent unseen in decades in any other foreign conflict. For over a month, we have been bombarded unceasingly by all mainstream media sources with reports and stories about Russia’s invasion and this conflict has already created deep social rifts in many other nations, and EU members in particular. No matter where one stands on this topic and no matter how passionate one might feel about it, I believe we can all agree that Western media has been far from unbiased in reporting relevant developments from the front. Neither has Russia state media naturally, as we might have expected, especially in the context of an ongoing conflict.
This considerable “gap” between the two

It is undeniable that the ongoing crisis in Ukraine has polarized Western societies to an extent unseen in decades in any other foreign conflict. For over a month, we have been bombarded unceasingly by all mainstream media sources with reports and stories about Russia’s invasion and this conflict has already created deep social rifts in many other nations, and EU members in particular. No matter where one stands on this topic and no matter how passionate one might feel about it, I believe we can all agree that Western media has been far from unbiased in reporting relevant developments from the front. Neither has Russia state media naturally, as we might have expected, especially in the context of an ongoing conflict. 

This considerable “gap” between the two versions of reality

Every time we hear government officials announce their big spending plans, their new welfare programs and their ambitious “job creating” schemes, they always present them as being in defense of the poorest and the most marginalized members of our societies. In coordination with their central bankers, they print and spend new money at will, claiming that it is all for the benefit of the weakest among us and that all the freshly created funds will support them without further burdening the taxpayer. According to them, this is the best way to prosperity and its a simple one, really: if we want to help those that don’t have enough money, why don’t we just print some and give it to them?

While the fallacy in this line of “reasoning” might be obvious even to a

Every time we hear government officials announce their big spending plans, their new welfare programs and their ambitious “job creating” schemes, they always present them as being in defense of the poorest and the most marginalized members of our societies. In coordination with their central bankers, they print and spend new money at will, claiming that it is all for the benefit of the weakest among us and that all the freshly created funds will support them without further burdening the taxpayer. According to them, this is the best way to prosperity and its a simple one, really: if we want to help those that don’t have enough money, why don’t we just print some and give it to them?

While the fallacy in this line of “reasoning” might be obvious even to a child, it still escapes

I realize that I shouldn’t be surprised at the way the crisis in Ukraine has divided our societies or at the blind fanaticism the conversations around it have provoked. After all, virtually every other development of consequence has tuned out exactly the same. From covid to the economy and from freedom of speech to science itself, rational, respectful and productive debates are nowhere to be found. Dogma, propaganda, and zealotry have prevailed, with the unrelenting help of the mainstream media and online platforms. Citizens are turned against each other and there is no common ground for any adult conversation to take place on.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine is no different. Both sides, Russia and the West, have developed their own narratives, arguably equally

I realize that I shouldn’t be surprised at the way the crisis in Ukraine has divided our societies or at the blind fanaticism the conversations around it have provoked. After all, virtually every other development of consequence has tuned out exactly the same. From covid to the economy and from freedom of speech to science itself, rational, respectful and productive debates are nowhere to be found. Dogma, propaganda, and zealotry have prevailed, with the unrelenting help of the mainstream media and online platforms. Citizens are turned against each other and there is no common ground for any adult conversation to take place on. 

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine is no different. Both sides, Russia and the West, have developed their own narratives, arguably equally divorced from

Over the last couple of years we witnessed quite an extraordinary ride in gold prices. An impressive ascent until the last quarter of 2020 was followed by a pullback that scared many speculators away, which in turn transformed into a period of strength and then came another ebb… And recently, once again, we saw the yellow metal shoot up, fueled by inflation fears and the situation in Ukraine. Given that the fundamentals remain unchanged and that the only way is up for gold, another short-lived consolidation is to be expected, before a much bigger leg up, and on and on it goes. For those focusing on the short-term price moves, trying to make a buck off a 2% fluctuation from today to tomorrow, I’m sure these patterns are fascinating. But for those of us who

Over the last couple of years we witnessed quite an extraordinary ride in gold prices. An impressive ascent until the last quarter of 2020 was followed by a pullback that scared many speculators away, which in turn transformed into a period of strength and then came another ebb… And recently, once again, we saw the yellow metal shoot up, fueled by inflation fears and the situation in Ukraine. Given that the fundamentals remain unchanged and that the only way is up for gold, another short-lived consolidation is to be expected, before a much bigger leg up, and on and on it goes. For those focusing on the short-term price moves, trying to make a buck off a 2% fluctuation from today to tomorrow, I’m sure these patterns are fascinating. But for those of us who have a time horizon that

One quick glance at different news headlines or just 5’ switching between TV networks suffice to convince even the most naive news consumer that there is something seriously wrong with the way public discourse was (d)evolved in our societies over the last years. Of course, journalism was never entirely devoid of bias, not even in its “golden age”. Reporters and editors are merely human after all and their own views, beliefs, hopes and opinions have always tainted the products of their work, consciously or not. However, this kind of bias is a million miles away from what we’ve been experiencing over the last decade and especially after the ascent of social media and the online dissemination of the news.
Today, we’re not just seeing slightly skewed reports and

One quick glance at different news headlines or just 5’ switching between TV networks suffice to convince even the most naive news consumer that there is something seriously wrong with the way public discourse was (d)evolved in our societies over the last years. Of course, journalism was never entirely devoid of bias, not even in its “golden age”. Reporters and editors are merely human after all and their own views, beliefs, hopes and opinions have always tainted the products of their work, consciously or not. However, this kind of bias is a million miles away from what we’ve been experiencing over the last decade and especially after the ascent of social media and the online dissemination of the news. 

Today, we’re not just seeing slightly skewed reports and partisan

Astrid Stuckelberger and Claudio Grass have been on my podcast before.
Both are from Switzerland, and both featured in the super documentary Planet Lockdown.
You can also see the video here: https://jermwarfare.com/blog/astrid-stuckelberger-claudio-grass (copy/past into browser). Feel free to share!
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Gold Gives You Personal Sovereignty
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Dave Lukas of Misfit Entrepreneur invites Stephen Flood, CEO of GoldCore, to the show. Dave and Stephen talk about what people should know before investing in gold and silver, the present state of inflation, central banking, and the monetary system.
Further, he explains why gold is still your safe-haven asset

Astrid Stuckelberger and Claudio Grass have been on my podcast before.

Both are from Switzerland, and both featured in the super documentary Planet Lockdown.

You can also see the video here: https://jermwarfare.com/blog/astrid-stuckelberger-claudio-grass (copy/past into browser). Feel free to share!

It is a regrettable fact, but a fact nonetheless, that too many students of economic and monetary history have no idea where the principles and theories they espouse really came from. So many important thinkers, with unconventional and truly inquisitive minds, have been shut out of mainstream textbooks and were robbed of the prominent place they deserved in all our memories to make room for those with more expedient ideas. 

One such man is Gordon Tullock, an economist and law professor, whose groundbreaking work on Public Choice Theory forever changed the way we think about the interaction between economics and political science. During his professional career spanning 65 years, he developed concepts and ideas we still rely on today, like rent seeking, and made invaluable

Interview with Simon Hunt: Part II of II

Claudio Grass (CG): Taken together, the moves by Russia and China, especially on the monetary front, with their plans of a gold-backed digital currency, appear to pose a direct challenge to the status quo and America’s central role in it. Do you think we might be witnessing a tectonic shift already, and do you expect to see the US and the USD decline in influence and relevance?

Simon Hunt (SH): As I shift through your questions, none can be answered in just a few lines so I am doing my best to summarize the key points as concisely as possible. This question especially deserves a full report, but I will do my best to confine my answer to a few paragraphs. 

 There are three interlocking themes for both China and Russia: 

To distance

Interview with Simon Hunt Part I of II

As my friends and clients know very well, but also anyone who has read any of my writings before, I always held that understanding history and geopolitics is one of the most important elements of sound investing. Most mainstream investors, “experts”, as well as the financial press tend to ignore these forces, as does the public at large, of course. “Who cares what happened decades ago in some faraway land? I just need someone from Wall Street to tell me if I should buy Netflix today ” – that’s the attitude. And this is why they are so often surprised when an escalation finally comes about and actually impacts them directly, and not just in terms of their portfolio.

But even for students of history and keen observers of current geopolitical

Part II of II, by Claudio Grass

Slippery slope 

However, interesting as those experiments and observations might be, they are still the result of specific parameters within a particular setting and an environment that doesn’t resemble real life. Serious and honest behavioral economists both understand and freely admit this. Just because there was one experiment in which 12 university students chose to receive 1 chocolate today rather than 2 tomorrow, one cannot extrapolate from it that the entire country needs a public pension system and a central authority to oversee it, since all citizens are clearly incapable of saving.

Given that serious and honest academics are usually overshadowed by their colleagues that have either political ambitions or a surplus of vanity, twisting

Part I of II, by Claudio Grass

The field of economics has long and often very embarrassing history of absurd theories, blatantly wrong assumptions and hypotheses, spectacularly wrong predictions and entirely avoidable policymaking blunders; a few of them hilarious, most of them catastrophic, some of them literally murderous. 

Overconfidence and a generous amount of hubris appear to be at the heart of the problem, as is so often the case nearly every time that “experts” and academics are relied upon to dictate what is best for everyone else and how a human being should behave, even if they really don’t want to. It would appear that throughout our history, the human race never suffered from a shortage of opinionated, arrogant and heavily presumptuous candidates to fill these

Over the second half of January, we witnessed a fresh wave of volatility in equity markets, culminating in a pullback that caused widespread concern and endless headlines in the mainstream financial press. There was speculation of a full blown correction, other “experts” disagreed and predicted that central bankers would never allow that to happen, while others still tried to account for the market’s moves by using the same explanations we’ve been hearing throughout the covid crisis every time there’s any sort of bad news in the financial press. 

Among the top explanations was, quite predictably, the virus itself and the “Omicron surge”. Of course, there’s little actual evidence to back that up, especially since the pullback happened after most of the world had realized that

According to recently released data by the World Gold Council (WGC), as of September 2021, the total amount of gold held in reserves by central banks globally exceeded 36,000 tons for the first time since 1990. This 31-year record was the result of the world’s central banks adding more that 4,500 tons of the precious metal to their holdings over the last decade and it provides ample support for the investment case for gold, in both directly performance-related terms, but also from a big picture perspective.
This new record went largely underreported in the mainstream financial press and almost entirely unmentioned in official central bank statements and their guidance or policy commentary. Quite to the contrary, policymakers in the US, the Eurozone and in most

According to recently released data by the World Gold Council (WGC), as of September 2021, the total amount of gold held in reserves by central banks globally exceeded 36,000 tons for the first time since 1990. This 31-year record was the result of the world’s central banks adding more that 4,500 tons of the precious metal to their holdings over the last decade and it provides ample support for the investment case for gold, in both directly performance-related terms, but also from a big picture perspective. 

This new record went largely underreported in the mainstream financial press and almost entirely unmentioned in official central bank statements and their guidance or policy commentary. Quite to the contrary, policymakers in the US, the Eurozone and in most other major

Planet Lockdown in the United States 🇺🇸 released their feature-length documentary in ten languages on the 15th of January 2022. 

“For Planet Lockdown we spoke to some of the brightest minds in the world including epidemiologists, scientists, doctors, lawyers, protesters, a statesman and a prince. These brave souls had the courage to speak truth against all odds and inspire us to do the same. We must have the courage to overcome our fears. And once we do, it gets easier every time.”  

TO WATCH CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK: https://brandnewtube.com/v/qNC2AR

Short Trailer to the international documentary PLANET LOCKDOWN.

WHERE ARE WE?

Full release in multiple languages January 15th:PlanetLockdownFilm.com

Subscribe to the email list for updates on the film and interviews:https://planetlockdownfilm.com/lists/?p=subscribe

Watch more full interviews and educate yourself!https://planetlockdownfilm.com/full-interviews/

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As we are all preparing to bid farewell to 2021, there is a general feeling that this year, much like its predecessor, will not be missed. To my mind, however, it is clear that even though the past 12 months didn’t really teach us anything new, they did help cement the lessons of 2020 and spread important ideas to people who might otherwise have never come to question anything about the status quo. To me, this is a crucial step forward and one that is absolutely essential if we are ever to emerge from this crisis whole, as individuals and as societies.
Back in March 2020, when this fundamental shift in our daily lives began, I remember my first “gut” reaction to it: I thought that the covid crisis could turn out to be an official invitation to leave this system.