What are your forecasts for 2010?
Where will the greatest profit opportunities be?
Click here to join the discussion!
I know it’s Sunday.
It’s a chance to put your feet up … share some quality time with friends and family … and recharge for the week ahead.
But I wanted to send you a friendly reminder that time is quickly running out …
The Weiss Forecast Contest for 2010 will be ending soon, and I’d hate for you to miss out on your opportunity to get a free, no-strings-attached subscription to any one of the FIVE wealth-building newsletters we publish.
Nearly 15,000 of our readers have now given us their forecasts for 2010 and are already winners. Plus, TEN lucky subscribers will also win one of three incredible prizes, including a luxury 7-day Caribbean cruise!
So if you haven’t done so already, why not take a few seconds now to click this link and use the handy form to tell us what you see ahead for key investments next year.
There is zero cost to enter … nothing for you to buy …
and no obligation whatsoever on your part.
Better yet, you win just by entering! Just for sharing your predictions for the year ahead, you get a complimentary three-month membership to any one of our flagship investment services:
You can choose my Safe Money investment service … Larry Edelson’s Real Wealth Report… Nilus Mattive’s Dividend Superstars… Tony Sagami’s Asia Stock Alert… or Bryan Rich’s World Currency Alert. And no matter which service you choose, you’ll also receive bonus profit guides worth hundreds of dollars.
Then, if your forecasts prove to be among the most accurate submitted by our readers, you could win one of ten valuable prizes:
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Grand Prize (one winner): A luxury 7-day Eastern Caribbean cruise for two aboard Royal Caribbean’s spectacular Liberty of the Seas.
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Honorable Mention (six winners): A 64GB iPod Touch that holds 14,000 songs or 80 hours of video, including earphones, remote control and microphone.
You can enter The Weiss Forecast Contest and reap the rewards in three, easy steps:
STEP #1: Click this link now and use the handy form to give us your forecasts for 2010. We’ve made it easy for you — participating only takes a few seconds.
STEP #2:Watch your email inbox on Monday for your free gift certificate and click the appropriate link to select the free service you prefer.
STEP #3: Click this link and leave a comment to join us in a lively and enlightening discussion on the financial threats and profit opportunities ahead.
Simply by participating, you’ll be taking a giant step towards preparing yourself for the greatest financial dangers and profit opportunities of 2010. And later, if you’re one of our contest winners, I’ll personally contact you to tell you what you’ve won.
Good luck and God bless!
Martin
For complete contest rules and regulations, please go to: http://www.moneyandmarkets.com/tc/rules.html.
{ 81 comments… read them below or add one }
It’s impossible to know what products might never have come to market without patent protection, but tech companies say these patents have played a critical role in keeping the U.S. at the cutting edge by giving people control over their inventions for nearly 20 years. I believe this situation will save the tech market in a future battles as well.
I can honestly say I’ve had my eye on this massive wealth transfer-from west to east- since I was in college back in the mid 1990’s. The economics behind it are plain as day and anyone who denies it is living a pipe dream. The American Economy has not hit bottom because there are no sustainable fundamentals behind the recent growth. People may indicate “Green” initiatives, etc. but a country like the US with it’s massive budgets for unrealistic foreign and domestic policies cannot be a true engine of economic growth. Business opportunities are based on finding inefficiencies in the markets to capitalize on, disposible income to invest in said inefficiencies, and good credit to secure funding for longterm growth. Without these ingredients it’s next to impossible to sustain growth-I’ve probably missed a few but basically there it is. I’d like to say that with the weakening dollar US manufacturing could make a comeback but with the impending taxation and current credit issues I can only summize that any reinvestment in US manufacturing would be slow at best. Another threat of this is the strength of inter-asian trade. The east has seem to have developed a self-sustaining model with the west-to a certain extent- left out in the cold-economically speaking.
My thoughts on profit opportunities are as follows:
Capitalize on the Inter-Asian Trade (mid to long-term)
Dollar Carry Trades (short to mid term)
U.S. Manufacturing (over time with quality companies like Ford)
Resources i.e. gold, silver, and oil (Mid-Term to protect agains continue fall of the Dollar and US Economy)
For the US Market we basically need to wait for the US to implode like the Soviet Union did before we begin large investing in US Manufacturing.
One more opportunity-mid to long term- are Asian manufacturers poised to capitalize on weak/cheap labor markets in the west. ;-)
with all of the forward growth in gold, oil, and other commodities, why is Clause so hesitant to respond to these opportunities to invest.
Dr. W ………… What are your thoughts on the future of what is called Socially Responsible Investing and Philanthropic Returns. In other words, returns that are generated from xxx investment vehicle but have a certain percentage of those returns taken out to donate to non profits. That part of the return is still generated for the investor under the banner of a “do good / humanitarian” return to the investor.
I live in Cosrta Rica and have for 30 years ..
I am thinking of starting a Real estate Investment
Fund to take advantage of the currently existing buyers market due to the motivated sellers generated by the financial crisis. CR is consuidered on of the top tropical dream vacation and second home ownership locations on the planet and will bouce back price wise over the next 3
to 4 years …
2010 will represent my called ” bottom feeders with heart ” fund buying window.
I am trying to set this up. Your input would be greatly appreciated.
Do you think it will appeal to the socially responsible USA market place … ??
I have target treturn of 10% annual avaergared out ad the fund will be non leveraged and close
out in 5 to 6 years …. so easy exit strategy and low risk investment strategy.
I am thinking of floating the fund on the Panama Stock exchange as I dont have the capital for the North American exchanges.
Any thoughts … ?? Anyone ???
Have a good Sunday everyone ..
Steve L
Costa Rica
During defaltion all things must go down.
With over 7 trillion US Dollars being pilfered from strawn-man (the people) and with the massive obliteration of our true wealth and buying power in the USA, it would appear that the US Dollar is in for a very rough slide. On the positive side is the gigantic holdings of China in this very currency. What are they doing with dollars? Buying Gold and precious metals.
The stock market will go sidewise and then, slide down, small recovery and then sidewise and slip down. The whole scenario is to deflate the dollar and bring the market to a range where another “recovery” and bubble can be launched.
William Davis
I’ve taken your advice, on commodities, and am now a partner in a mining operation in Peru. So far the outlook is wonderful as we are about to ship 500 tonnes of lead/silver ore. I will keep you posted as we ramp up production and look for additional mining opportunities in Peru.
With the tremendous deficit spending, I expect strong inflationary pressure begin to have effect by the end of 2010
My Summary of whats going on.
Real GDP is still falling, Government can’t stimulate forever and what they have stimulated is not sustainable nor job creatable with out continuing to take from the have’s and giving to the have not’s. > Higher Tax’s coming, I predict this to take center stage starting the second half of 2010 >Even the Fed Head is sounding the alarm of pending doom if we don’t reign in Fiscal stupidity. Highly unlikely since they passed the death care reform and are hell bent and determined to push cap and trade and drive up energy cost. > Residential realestate foreclosures continuing with commercial on the heels.> Banking bankrupcies, State bankrupcies, FDIC, Freddie, Fannae needing 3 -5 hundred billion more to survive.> US equity markets topped out, Oil Topped out, possbily Gold??? 30yr treasury Yields heading up^ > 3 – 5 yrs before this deflationary mess is hopefully cleaned up in the US. Foriegn Equities is where the future returns will be albiet a choppy rocky ride, but if you have the stomach to stay the course I believe it will pay off and I’m putting my $ where my mouth is. Mind ya I”m just a working Joe and don’t know much about all this so my licensed broker tells me. I’m not buying CNBC and main stream media, What think ya’ll ???? My God, just think about the cost of saving or creating those 600K jobs Obama is boasting about. Giving every working American in Dec 08 a ONE year Tax holiday would have done more I thinks and coast a whole lot less.
Doug in Houston Tx.
Normally these changes would involve years to occur. Change though, as I’ve said for over a decade , is increasing at an increasing rate. One event, spark if you will, is going to ignite a firestorm of events fueling the inferno of vast amounts of immensely(sp?) depreciating $’s and other printing press compatriots currencies chasing natural resources(water, land, etc)., infrastructure, precious metals, agricutural products, and military hardware.
Because of our laws and unabashed worship of the almighty $, the US will(is) being invaded with other countries currencies and we will sell (our selves/souls?) gladly.
Capitalism has conquered the world !!! The trouble with this is the law of economics.
Capitalism only thrives with constant expansion. Without it the demand or ability to purchase is lost. Because of the world’s overpopulation(labor supply), equal itelectuality(IT superhighway). access to resources(21st century shipping technology) and global monetary system the very rich(certain countries & corporations) will get vastly richer, the middle class will(is) disappearing and serfs will abound.
COMPETION WILL VASTLY DISAPPEAR !!!
But in the minute meantime we will delude ourselves that all is well and we as Americans will come out on top, happy and richer…….DAAAAAAAAAAAA
Exactly as the Romans and countless other dynasties have !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My bank (Citi) tell me that 13 week Treasuries have just gone negative! ie Money invested today will be redeemed at less than the amount that was invested! Is that true? If so, when was the last time this happened in US financial history & and why isnt the media saying anything about it?
My Predictions for 2010 are as follows:
1 Unemployment will continue to fall to fifteen percent
2 Gold will rise to at least fifteen hundred dollars and could go much higher
3 There will be some early improvement in residental real estate sales but won’t last without government money.
4 New housing starts will remain flat depending on government money
5 People will come to realize that the govenment stimulus in failing to produce realgrowth
6 The stock market will fall by forty percent or better and people will lose confidence in the market for years to come
7 The Fed will not raise interest rates because it is their plan to enflate their way out of the deflation and spread the cost to everyone in the world……if you think about it, Berneke is either and idot or a genious and I prefer the latter. He is the only one who is smart enought to know that the dollar will never be replace by any other medium of exchange… ever, I don’t think it is possible to kill the dollar because everyone in the world has them and yes….some will by gold but not that many because thay have alway had dollars and that will never change….believe me. Burneke is a genious and I hope I am right because if I am not, the world financial system will be domed.
Thank you Martin, I like your messages and look forward t them. It has given me solid advice that I appreciate.
Thanks again,
Jane
Commodities (materials and energy) and related services will be the stocks to profit during 2010 due to the growth of emerging markets and the de-value of the U.S. dollar. Financial stocks will improve during later half of 2010.
I believe once the commericial foreclosure wave begins that will be enough to pull down many financial institutions doing even further damage to our economy. No one thought the roman empire would fall but it did and the three major reasons it did fall apart are present today in the US.
1. The military forces are spread all over the world making us weak at home.
2. Multiple forms of religion
3. Entitlement programs for the masses (No one wants or needs to work)
My forcast is:
The dollar will become the carry trade currency.
Banks will further help to crush our economy at the with out of control service charges and interest rates as our goverment looks on……….
The wave of commerical foreclosures will cripple many banks
Food prices will double along with other goods and services so invest in commodities
The stock market and gold prices will double with extreem volatility puting that type of investing out of reach for the little guy (Only the wealthy can play in that game)
Unemployment will top 20-25%
China cashes in on all of their US investments…..but I’m not sure who will buy them yet
We will have health care and all the entitlements necessary from our goverment to exist from day to day so that is the good news for all of us
Real estate investing will no longer be a good investment except for raw land
Farming and living off the land will become necessary
You probably think “This guy is out there” but look what happened to the Roman Emprie………..
UUP UNDER 22 SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 75.772 DOWN TO 74.46/50 WHERE
THERE ARE A CLUSTER OF NUMBERS. DON,T BET THE FARM.
Ed
Martin, Richard and Larry:
Your commentary and stock investment recommendations help me keep
informed on stock market trends. Money & Markets reports, The Foundation
Alliance & Weiss Research webinars provide insight on world economic
developments which guide my stock investment decisions.
I am interested in your Safe Money Investments information.
David F Pearce
We will year highs in all US, Bovespa indices before the dollar carry trade unravels. Commodity prices will temporarily collapse bringing down all stocks worldwide. After this event cleans itself up we will resume climb to higher gold prices, strong performance of foreign currencies, and agricultural commodity price increases.
It is exciting to live in a free and prosperous society full of opportunities and excitment…..my bigger challange “IS” to free myself and my sense of perfection to the point where i give myself permission to make mistakes, and in doing so,open up my horizon and my future…..so….”life is for the living and investing is a wonderful endevour”and if you think you are in trouble….”count your blessings,as many times as you need …..to forgive yourself….and move foreword”
Dear Martin,
I have some wonderful friends in Canada; A young engineer and his wife. The wife is from Russia. We were talking about the economic situation around the world and my friend told me his wife had seen her families life savings, which they labored long and hard to rebuild, go from a tidy sum to zero Three Separate Times due to devaluation. I had previously come to the conclusion that the personal wealth of middle America would suffer the same fate. Hearing of her personal experience really drove home what is going to happen in The United States. I can’t forecast times and dates as you can, but I firmly believe The United States is going to see “Massive And Devastating Inflation” due to the continuing depreciation of our Dollars. I am also concerned that the process will Not be linear, but the process will accelerate as it gets further along. I would be interested in hearing forecasts from you and your staff as to specific time lines of these events, and would ask that you revise or update us on a regular schedule. I know you don’t have a crystal ball. But, You have been on the mark all along the way to this point. Keep up the great work!
John In Texas.
I like this kind of activities and hope we can do it more often in 2010.
My forcast for 2010 predicts rising commodity prices after a short deflationary period. Natural gas will be coming on especially strong.
Martin–Your contest of the 2010 Dow forecast is a great idea and I am glad to join. I await the chance to choose one of the free subscription newsletters you have offered. It iis going to be very interesting to see what happens next in our economy and other national issues before us. I’m staying tuned to Weiss advice nd projects.
Cheers!
Raymond Lutz, Taos, New Mexico
I am a new invester and need to lean quickly
DEAR MARTIN WEISS
I BELEIVE INDIA &CHINA WILL EVENTUALLY CONTROL THE WORLD WIDE ECONOMY
INDIA SMART IN TECHNOLOGY AND CHINA ARE PERSEVERENCE AND STRICT
I see continued unemployment, a Government that is destined to destroy America as we know it, hyper inflation, more Government controls of our lives and money, for 2010.
Also I think the stock market will continue to lose value.
I believe the US dollar may rally back by default. Gold will reach a high of $1350.00 before retreating back down to $1100. 00. I expect the unemployment rate in both US and Canada to get worse. The government statistics indicate the unemployment rate is 10%, the real stat is closer to 18 or 19%. You cannot expect to have real recovery if your unemployment rate is so high. If the unemployment rate reaches over 25% I expect total chaos including the possibility of civil unrest. This market is false and I expect a lot people are going to get hurt. My advice is buy gold as a wild card and keep the rest of your money in safe investments including some cash. If you are a gambler you can short the market and perhaps make some money. For most people I suggest they wait for the market to correct. How do you really know what anything is worth based on these new accounting rules that allow corporations to hide there toxic debt and derivatives. We can only hope real accounting will be required on Jan 1 2010. however, I am doubtful this will happen. The federal reserve audit lead by Ron Paul is the key to finding out what is really going on. How a private institution since 1913 is able to control the printing of money in the US and charge interest to the American people is beyond comprehension. This ponzi scheme is the biggest scam ever considering the US$ is the world fiat currency. Any attemps to make a new world currency based on fiat money will only make the problem worse. I am concerned now, but even more so for our children around the world. We should all be concerned.
God Bless
Dean
We outsourced millions of jobs. Thousands of factories moved out and will not return. We were warned for 10 years to stop it, but our government said this is one world and if Americans do not work for lower wages we cannot compete. I only look foreward to men like Martin Weiss for a new direction.
Interest rates will be reduced to about 0. Then High inflation will set it and unemployment will be at an all time high. The stock market will fall drastically and the only safe haven will be gold and silver
Keep up the the good work!!!
Hi I was wondering what is a good time to buy gold and silver and is silver better
buy?
Martin!
I’m no economist, and I have no particular expertise in financial matters. However, I feel very pessimistic about our economy because of the high levels of federal debt being accumulated daily. The government is not telling us how we can repay this debt. Their focus is on spending and borrowing in order to spend more. The debt service alone is astronomical and unsustainable. Though I have no crystal ball, I believe we are headed for a major economic collapse, which will bring about a worldwide depression.
America will look more like Japan 1990, the Fed will try to keep rates low to recapitalize the banks, the banks will shrink lending, and the US Gov will pass laws that restrict withdraws from retirement accounts “to stabilize the economy” but really to continue the status quo. Financial institutions will stop proper legistative constraints, big pharma will get richer as will big oil as they grab control of the remaining natural resources. NYS AG Cuomo is probably the only person left in the US than can slow or stop this as the Federal Gov has proven it can not. Our long term future now looks to be truly capitalist; only the strong physically and financially will survive, the gutters fill with those least able to fend for themselves. As history and the bible show we will eventually discover that we are all weak and need help so I often wonder who will be our “white knight in shinning armour” that will “rescue” America the benign.
I think silver is so far under valued that it has to break out from it price of the last couple of years .
The price range is out of wack as the normal is 16 oz silver buys 1 oz gold at the monent it is around the 60 oz silver to 1 oz gold.
I see big profits in 2010 for silver as gold is now at too high a price for the average person to buy any meaningful amount of gold but silver is still very affordable here in Australia at just under $19 Aus an oz.
Regards Dennis
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVISE OF INVESTING IN FOREIGN CURRENCY
THANKS
I see a limited rise in food commodity prices due to more stringent quality requirements. A GRADUAL RISE IN GOLD PRICES WITH SMALL DIPS ALONG THE WAY. A consolidation in oil prices with small longer term gain. A long term stagnation in the natural gas market.
watch silver
Sirs,
I appreciate your offer/contest, but I broke my neck and was in a coma for three months: therefore, I am not able to prognasticate accurately – anything would be a guess and my guesses would be because of what you’ve already stated. I will just continue reading your articles, which I really enjoy! I am really big on SMART MONEY and have re-adjusted my savings, investment and spending habits because of you!
Thankyou,
Bill
I am making the following predictions for 2010:
1. The price of gold will reach $1,500 per ounce by year’ s end.
2. The price of oil and gasoline will double by June 2010 and then decline to levels unseen for the last five years.
If the USA continues with the present policy meaning attacking the USD, it opens a struggle with the rest of the world.
Two major problems are raised:
a. How to unite its allies who also feel threatened by that policy.
Those countries may have no choice but to raise custom barriers.
b. How to cope with dominant rivals (e.g. Russia, China, Muslim countries) who
suppose to retaliate by raising basic materials price, by putting import barriers and
the most threatening action – buying companies in the USA (USD >> assets) and by
doing so, getting influence on the US policy.
To people who are affraid of Israeli policy ( I saw several remarks relating to that).
Israel tries to urge you to help mainly yourselves and so to help her also.
You are deceived by the Iranians. Their main goal is to conquer the Arab nations around them and so getting hands on the main oil reserve.
It is not the site for politics issues, but now you may see the connection to the above.
After USA leaves Iraq, and Iran having nuclear weapons and putting her hands on the oil, then can you guess what will be the reaction of USA rivals (Russia & China).
Try to locate “big” Israel on the map. One atomic bomb on Israel is enough to wipe also all Palestinians and espcially Jeruaslem (holy place for the Islam).
So those dooms-day weapons are intendeded to threaten European countries which are allies of the USA.
So now you may have a bigger picture of the American policy and the strategic dangerous consequences that are inherent in it.
So, the Dow or gold or oil prices are not the main issues.
It is the first time in American history that it endangers the stability of the world.
It is a shame to see what is coming in black and white and knowing exactly what to do unfortunately economic troubles whiped me out in 2007 and now I have nothing to invest …..any ideas for a person who has very little money to work with???
look forward to your news letter every day, all my financial decisions are made on this email from a global point , thank you
Great, I can not wait!
Tax revenues shortfalls in states and cities will reach critical level where social services and the safety net for citizens can no longer be matained. crime rates rise dramatically as unemployed youth realize system is overwhelmed and there are few consequences for lawless behavior. in November 2010 people realize government at all levels cannot meet needs of population. invest in food companies, seed companies, energy, companies that manufacturer tools for micro farms etc.
I look for 2010 to be a bad yeqar for the economy and the stock market.
I find your mails and webinars very educative. I feel you are doing a noble job by educating trader / investor community, and helping them take informed and profitable decisions in their effort to make money/ protect their capital.
Has anyone considered the concept of requiring that all products sold for use in the US be serviced and suppoted by persons physically in the US. I believe this would be more effective to reduce our unemployment than any stimulous plan. The boost to our ecenomy and long term stability for our workforce is well worth the extra cost to industry and higher prices.
Hi Guys. Why was the market so strong on Friday? There is no good news on the economic front. I think the gnomes in Washington are really scared of a market collapse, because this would put the lie to their phoney optimism, seethrough GDP # and boneheaded stimulus BILLIONS. Are they by any chance feeding money into the market when it appears to falter? I mean the printingpresses are going full bore as it is. My God, 1 out of 10 people is on foodstamps. Consumer debt is past your nose. Were will this end? Certainly not good. A gigantic debt bubble is being built. My goodness; the tech bubble blew. The housing bubble really exploded. so did the financial one. Now this! Heavens help us all. That includes us north of the border. Thanks for letting me say my piece. CHIN UP AND SMILE. Chris
i’ve really enjoyed receiving your newsletter.
thank you much .
My question is why is it recomened that no more than 10-20 percent of portfolio be invested in physical gold, even though gold is predicted to hit $2,300 an ounce? I know that there are other more lucrative investment opportunities, but nothing beats physical gold as true safety in case of ecomomic collaspe. Besides doubling your money is not a bad investment decision either.
thanks for your advice all the time God bless
Thanks for your insights and advice God bless
US Dollar will probably sink by approx. 33% by end of 2009 and with it the £ sterling.
A new international reserve currency unit will be established early in 2010 or Gold will resume
it’s previous place as an international reserve/ reference.
What seems is going to happen may or may not happen. Inflation and rising interest rates, probably. The economy, bullish or bearish, isn’t good. Somehow, as bizarre as it seems, the dollar will most likely prevail.
Since I can’t control the insanity of what Washington and the Fed are doing to the economy, I have used the advise of Marty and Claus to make a 40% return so far this year on my investments. When most people have lost money in their 401k, I have done very well and have helped my friends do the same. Regardless of what the predictions are, I am looking forward to more opportunities to profit.
Thank you Marty and Claus!!!
No empire last forever. Since 1913 the fed really runs this country through the rich
bankers and families that control them. Nixon dropping the gold standard destroyed
the nation leading to paper money inflation. For 2 decades thats the only way the
nation has paid its bills. At this point within the next few years we’ll experience
“unexpectingly” a nuclear financial crash, so big it will be one the world has
never seen before.
History proves our nation will be seeing one and it will be earthshattering!
Predictions?
A year from now, the Dow will be at 6900 and oil will be $85 a barrel. The unemployment rate will be 10.9 per cent and the real rate of inflation/deflation will be running at 3 to 4 per cent rises per month, when the cost of food and energy are factored in. Foreclosures will be rising again, headed toward a peak in mid-2011.
Lending for construction will slowly improve in the second quater of 2010.
With all of the arms that are comming due in 2010 there is money to be made in bankruptcies. One of my trades is AVIS.I am also into long options in gold and silver.
I prefer silver since it has better growth potential than gold and there is less chance of governmental confiscation than gold.
I feel silver will actually do better than gold that is percentage wise
A year from now the DOW will be below 8,000. Oil will have soared to over $120 a barrel, gold will be over $2,500 oz. and the US will be almost bankrupt due to more bank failures and to much government money printed without backing. There will be many more unemployed and a government run health care system will bring the citizens to Obams’ feet at provider and god. God will not like what He sees and will begin to turn His back on America.
Inflation will be more evident in ‘10, the market will stall and if GOP plays their cards right, the Liberals will be on the run. DOW will hover around present levels.
I’m wondering if the fed would withdraw support of the commercial real estate market to control inflation if it got out of control. IE – As banks and other entities with large commercial real estate exposure started to fail it would continue to support deflation. Right now this is not happening because of governmental support. Thanks for your good work. Bruce
Will gold skyrocket to phenomenal highs as a fearful population reels under the weight of a plunging economy and soaring inflation in the near future? Will the dollar become virtually worthless, wiping out the savings and net worth of all Americans who hold their assets in dollars? Will our nation slide rapidly in a downard spriral toward fiscal and societal chaos? Will the very structure of our American way of life collapse?
Well, so far, every analysis I have seen attempts to prophesy the future by way of analyzing markets, currencies, jobless rates, and related items. The “experts” spin our heads around with multitudinous predictions, often dramatically conflicting.
The result is a massive collective and painful angst being felt by the American people. Confusion abounds. Uncertainty, fear, and insecurity are resulting in millions of stress-related illnesses and possibly even deaths. As people worry and wring their hands, lose sleep at night, and take more anti-anxiety pills, the confusion seems to deepen, exaccerbating the problems even more.
I see not one analyst or “expert” speaking of the second, and possibly primary, dimension to all this. Any deep student of history or science knows that things on this plane manifest in cycles. He also knows that the collective actions or habits of humans, as thinking evolved beings possessing the ability to make choices, can effectively initiate a sea change in the entire system then prevailing. So, what am I getting at?
We can quibble over market factors, currencies, and oil prices till the end of time, but, if we do not understand the fundamental reason why things are changing we are left in the dark.
Here are the facts: The people of America have changed. The men in the upper echelons of the corporate and political worlds have changed. The leaders in academia have changed. How so, you ask? Look around you. In recent decades the level of greed has grown so great you can smell it in the air. So many (not all) people think money is the end and the beginning. Get a nice big SUV. Who cares about the pollution it creates? Buy a bigger house, even if you really don’t need 7000 square feet of space (and all the natural resourses its building used up). Step on whoever you have to when you want to get ahead. It’s ok. Everybody’s doing it, right? Congressmen investigated for illicit gains, unscrupoulous religious leaders milking a gullible following, academia turned into a money-making business at the expense of hapless students, and on and on it goes.
People, this cannot continue. If it did where would we be, and what would we become? How far down can we slide as humans? If this persists and prevails we would be as good as walking zombies, totally devoid of heart, with no compassion for our fellow creatures and living empty lives of ceaseless consumerism, our health–mentally and physically–deteriorating continually. We can only kid ourselves for so long.
We are now trapped in an endless MATRIX of misery. The average person doesn’t have a clue. So, unfortunately, we will have to be “shaken” awake for our own good. Something hugely dramatic will assuredly take place that will rock our society to its very foundations. It has proven itself rotten to the core. The biggest proof of that is billionaire bankers laughing while they accept more billions from the legions of hapless taxpayers who feel they could not do a thing to stop it, while at the same time thousands of regular people are losing homes and livelihood, some even ending up on the streets in destitution.
You can be sure, this will not continue. It cannot. This rotten system must be dismantled before a better and more sustainable one can be set in place. And, what’s so wrong with that, if it means a citizenry who will once again be able to smile, give a friendly “hello,” live without fear, and take pride in who and what they are, and be able to look forward with hope?
Do you think for one moment the big banksters will cooperate in an overhaul of the financial system, when the current system facilitates their nefarious activities just fine? Will bandaid jobs work on a failing system, as patches are applied here and there?
Will anything, short of complete change really work?
Don’t assume I am speaking of some foreign action upon us. I am not. I speak primarily of what we are doing to ourselves.
Sometimes healing is very painful. But if the cancer is allowed to continue growing what then? Prepare yourselves, people, for a very very rough time ahead, but take heart, because it will not be meaningless suffering. Keep your eye on what comes after, and be sure you begin changing your heart and mind now to prepare for the time after.
If society as we know it collapsed, if food deliveries were disrupted, if infrastructure failed, if money became worthless, would you be able to cope? YOU ARE NOT WHAT YOU HAVE, YOU ARE WHO YOU ARE. Is your worth determined by what you own? If it is, I feel sorry for you, because where will you be when you lose your “things”?
I know, so many religions are fearful of some catastrophe soon to hit, others look to 2012 as the end of time, some see global warming as our self-induced executioner, and so on. But what I speak of is simple evolution. If we continued on our present path would we not be doomed to extinction? The startling fact (ask any anthropologist) is that 95% of all life that ever existed on planet earth is now extinct!
People, we do not have to resign ourselves to such a gloomy outlook. Man is a thinking being with immense powers to change things. But, changing only material circumstances won’t be enough.
We must make a sea change in our conscious connection to the things that really matter. When that is accomplished a bright new day will dawn. If we cannot do that on our own (which we certainly could if we really wanted to) then we will be forced by circumstances to make those changes. That’s where the pain comes in.
But, THE CHOICE IS ALWAYS OURS.
As I am on your website it goes without saying that I don’t trust this market, or should I say the US markets and Western European markets. On the other hand I do trust the fall of the dollar and the rise of gold. I do trust the coming changes that will occur i.e. the fall of the dollar from principal instrument of trade to the also ran amongst the world’s currencies.
I trust the growth of current third world countries as inevitable. I trust the rise of Latin America, China, India and Russia, and as useable oil, gas and other commodities are found, the development and eventual rise of more African countries. I aso trust the large and long cyclical movement of power, money, and eventually culture from the West to the East.
I also believe that most Americans have no clue of what is coming. Not so much the destruction of America as some predict, but certainly changes so drastic, that the entitlement attitude we carry leaves so many behind, that the problems created are indeed massive, eventually effecting most of us.
I believe in the relative safety of growth in the price of oil, gas and other commodities as the Third World begins to spend huge amounts of money to try to control their own destiny, just as we did. I also believe that our natural stores of natural gas will be the bridge from oil to independence. Hopefully, Congress will do at least one smart thing and allow increased drilling for natural gas.
I am irked by economists, stock pickers, talking heads, radio hosts, ad infinitum (Will Larry Kudlow please stop screaming), who have no sence of history! No idea that when Rome, France and England created too much debt managing the world, they never recovered and lost their place at the table. Not that they are irrelevant today, but their decline from Empire to also ran was created by debt and unwinable wars, over too much territory. (Who was it who defeated and maintained control over Afganistan and its people? Oh that’s right, NO ONE in the history of the world.)
We have lost a sense of who we are or better yet, who we could be! We do not recognise that the very capitalism we grew, nutured and exported has come home. We complain about losing jobs to foreign countries, not recognizing that the guy who will work for less to create more, will always take a job from the guy who demands pensions, healthcare, and job security even as those very demands destroy the machine that got them their jobs to begin with. They too have no sense of history.
Mr Geitner’s bold face lie about defending the dollar and laughing at the very idea that the United Sates of America’s currency could ever lose its place as the instrument of trade through out the world, again, lacks an undertanding of history.
The old Chinese curse: “May you live in interesting times,” is just that, a curse. “Interesting times” mean CHANGE and CHANGE on a massive scale is painful, scary and comes with great upheaval, and with opportunity. Our lack of understanding this period of change and the unwillingness of our large institutions to embace what may befall us, spells our fall from the favored, our sliding standard of living and our continued profigate ways.
This to shall pass, but maybe not as easily as we might think.
To opportunty, to thought, and to our understanding of history.
I am investing in GLD
I’m investing in mostly Penny Stocks right now until I can build some equity capital for my business. My current ticker symbols are: (1) CHFI, (2) MBCI, (3) XMDC, (4) CMIN, (5) XCEL and (6) BPAC.
I have worked hard my entire life in the industry I am in. Due to recent circumstances my company was swallowed whole (along with some personal assetts). In my new efforts to survive from here forward, I am forced to analyze what I am doing and how I am doing it. I feel comfortable using the information given by the Weiss Global Forum to explore the world of investments. I have also found that it is more in depth than I originally thought. Thank you for all of the information, I plan to try to join you in your endeavors.
I am very interested in what is going on in the economy and a friend has recommended your website as a place to get pertinent information
I just recently got back into the stock market. I am still very leery and would like to know just how long this will last before it crashes again.
In my personal opinion, I believe Brazil and Russia will outgrow the United States. For example, I recently spoke with a Chinese exchange student here in America. She confided in me, and told me that ” We as Americans are lazy people; when it comes to daily work habits. She also informed me that in her Country (China) that if a son or daughter did not work, it was a disgrace to the father as well as the mother. I am sure there are people that don’t work either, however we as Americans do not have the “ambition” that we had in the early 70s, 80s, and 90’s. With that said, I believe Brazil and Russia will outgrow America in the upcoming years.
Thank You,
Steve Montgomery
Although I am a optimist by nature these are “to state the obvious” challenging and very uncertain times here in the US. Unlike the depression of the 1930’s the economic model has changed from one of self insulating IE manufacturing base to a service base economy dependent on a healthy global economy. So maybe, just maybe the pain & anxiety we have recently experienced along with the very serious challenges and pain yet to come will have a beneficial ancillary affect in forming the underpinnings to a stable global economic foundation.
My view is that the world has entered a new economic era where in the end innovation, cooperation and mutual respect will be the key drivers. As the quality of life improves globally so do the opportunities. Opportunities will if cultivated on these fore mentioned precepts provide more global stability and a better quality of life. Why? Because in the end one thing we all have in common is to provide stability and a better life for our families. Whether you are a family in Boston or Beijing quality of life is our common goal.
How we reach this destination remains to be seen but as stated I am a optimist by nature and as we get to know and work with our global neighbors we will inevitably find out we have more in common than we realize. So I leave you with this New Year and New Decade embracing the opportunities and hopefully learning from past mistakes. Life will get better as we explore these new opportunities and collectively start to realize what we have in common in stead of what makes us different.
Best Wishes,
Jmack
I’m 77 years old and have saved my pennies since the Great Depression. I have a good sized nest egg, but with the present group in Washington, its value is going down by leaps and bounds. I’ve always avoided the stock market (my gambling ability is so poor, I’d have to stand on the street corners with the usual sign: “will work….
My investments, primarily for safety, are with state and municipal bonds. My bonds are mateuring little by little and to re-invest in such things has been a big question. Gold, China, Brazil? All sound just great, but… Thoughts on this. Bill
I AM NOT A RICH MAN HOWEVER I DO LIKE TO DABBLE A BIT IN STOCKS YOUR INSIGHT AND KNOWLEDGE GIVE ME THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE I NEED TO SERVIVE THASKS MR WEISS
I use SAFEMONEY REPORT
Hi Martin
I am regularly reading yours as well as your team members e-mail, and finding it very interesting. A two to three year back I came to Canada, moved from India. When I was in India I use to play in Indian Stock Market and earned quite a bit. When I came here my money depleted by 42 times ( due to exchange rates difference), March 2009 I have lost around Can $ 25,000.00 (IRS. 1,050,000.00), and reading American news and World Economic news makes me more hesitant to invest in stock market. But yours articles boost me to start investing in stock market. I am not believing in Mutual Fund. In the beginning I have taken leverage loan of Can $ 50,000.00 and invested in Mutual Fund, the value of the same is around 30% down and paying interest every month for the same.
To make my story short, yours and your team members articles and e-mail help me a lot and leading me to right direction. Now again I have started investing my small saving in Canadian market only and reason for that I am holding Canadian $. If I invest in US market, currency conversion will deplete my money.
Any way, thanks a lot for your articles, emails.
Yours fan
Kamlesh
Iam not investing in any of these at this time. I have moved it in CD’s
These are really scary times and I’m pondering what to do right now with re-allocating some money. I have been eliminating U.S. stock holdings over the past year, and with the proceeds using ETF’s. Right now, I have about 25% each in ETF’s in the following areas: gold & precious metals, energy, agriculture, Mexico. There also have a long-tern investment in a Canadian pharmaceutical company which is in the final stages of bringing some important cardiovascular drugs to market. It’s been taking a while to come to fruition, but it looks pretty promising in the next couple of years. I’m thinking about selling the Mexico fund (which has actually done pretty well, but now slowed considerably), and investing either in an India or a Brazil ETF. I no longer hold any U.S. treasuries or corporate bonds. In the past some corporate bonds did pretty well, but after Obama taking over GM and Chrysler, I wouldn’t consider that any more. The agriculture ETF hasn’t done much, but I figure people have to eat, and the world is getting more people every day.
It appears that Britain has chosen deflation with thier announcement coming just weeks before the G8 and G20 meetings. Finally someone has a desire to stop the stimulus insanity! …. could be ulgy …… however much less ulgy than the alternative of hyper-inflation.
I changed my email address and now do not get your daily e mails which I valued so much. How can I get them sent to my new address?