The more you know, the better your plan

Former legendary talk show host Larry King died last month at 87 years. At first glance, he might not appear to have much in common with pop star Prince, who died in 2016...

In 1971, President Richard Nixon supposedly told an ABC News reporter that he was "now a Keynesian in economics." This statement was an acknowledgment that he agreed with the ideas put forward by British economist John Maynard Keynes. In his 1936 book The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money, Keynes recommended higher government spending and tax cuts to stimulate demand, aiming to pull the global economy out of the Great Depression.

Imagine a world where scarcity is no longer a concern, where homes can be printed in a day, and diseases are eradicated before they can spread. This may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but these are just some of the innovations on the horizon that are changing our world for the better.

The COVID-19 pandemic has irrevocably altered the fabric of American society. It has reshaped everything from our urban landscapes to how we work and play.

You might call it the “curse of good intentions”: an action we take upon ourselves or require others to take in the expectation it will improve things for us as individuals or for society.

An economic truth I revisit periodically is that every fiat currency (a medium of exchange without intrinsic value or backing by a commodity with intrinsic value, such as gold) will eventually become worthless.

The global economy is on the brink. Unemployment is soaring, and businesses across the country are closing. Even large-scale government relief won’t be enough to stop the economic fallout.

Do you remember the first time you realized that the government was lying to you?

A decade or so ago, a client I’ll call Will hired me to give him a list of tactics to prepare for an unforeseen natural or man-made disaster. I presented my research to him when we met a few weeks later.

Our planet’s climate has been changing for billions of years. It will continue to do so for billions more. Eventually, the sun will become a "Red Giant," consuming the inner planets in the solar system, including Earth.

In August 2018, an astonishing $17 trillion in global debt had negative yields. About 30% of investment-grade bonds had yields below zero. If you bought these bonds and held them to maturity, you were guaranteed to lose money.

Italy is an amazing country with a long history, outstanding food, great wines, and unsurpassed culture. But it’s facing an economic and political crisis that will lead to a global financial collapse.

I sleep better at night knowing that ever-vigilant defense contractors and the politicians they’ve bought and paid for are making certain that America won’t be overrun by Communists, Islamic terrorists, or anyone else.

Let’s face it, many forces are pushing for the abolition of – or at least serious restrictions on – cash.