•The primary reason why the equities indexes remain aloft is the enormous debt burden added to the balance sheets of the Fed, since 2008.
•But unlike 2008, 2000, 1987 and even 1929, the US is now the largest debtor nation in the world, putting the country at elevated risk of default.
•This anomaly presents the most precarious economic quagmire in national history.
•He's currently long the US dollar (from much lower levels), the Yuan, Chinese stocks, short US shares, long agricultural futures and holding on tightly to gold / silver.
•Poised like a praying mantis, the ever vigilant investor is anticipating the right opportunity to increase his gold / silver exposure.
•With an established knack for identifying profit opportunities outside the scope of the mainstream media he recently developed a penchant for undervalued Russian bonds and rubles.
•Unlike the West, Russia is not a debtor nation but a creditor, for instance, Cuba owes Russia $25 billion as of 2013 figures.
•Economist John Williams of Shadowstats.com returns to the show with a characteristically non-sanguine stance on the economy.
•Global QE operations are detrimental, meant only for temporary banking system support, as a result long-term QE operations have caused economic dependence.
•The low rate methodology is particularly deleterious for retiree's, many of whom
•House loans are challenging to procure; 25% of existing house sales are cash transactions, indicating nervousness on the part of lenders.
•Our guest expects Fed policymakers to revamp QE operations to prevent a systemic collapse in the US dollar.
•Anything to avoid a Great Deflation - sending inflation to much higher levels.
•The action fails to address the Fiscal spending / monetary debt issues. John Williams favors physical bullion, gold / silver sovereign coins over bullion bars.
•The host / guest agree that as the dollar slide begins in earnest, WTIC, crude oil prices will rebound in spectacular fashion.
•When the unscrupulous share buyback effects are removed from US stock indexes, clearly market momentum has stalled.
•The US economy never truly recovered from the 2008 Great Recession and could roll over into a similar scenario.
•The host notes that the US has been in a recession since the year 2000, when the GDP is properly adjusted for inflation - the guest responds that the current economic quagmire is comparable to the Great Depression (Figure 1.1.).
•The reason why it has not been recognized by the mainline media as a Great Depression, is due to government subsidies.
•Without such programs, lines would form miles long around national soup kitchens.
•John Williams views gold and silver as the ultimate investment portfolio hedging components - essential balancing mechanisms.
•Our guest not only joins the chorus of leading financial pundits, but projects the voice above them all, calling for $100,000-$1,000,000 per ounce gold.
