Doug Casey on how to Hedge Against Political Risk in the Greater Depression

"Welcome to Capital Account. Tonight, Mitt Romney and Barack Obama meet for their final Presidential debate, amid tightening polls. While the candidates face off on foreign policy, we talk to our guest, Doug Casey of Casey Research, about his own foreign policy strategy: the strategy of "the international man." We talk to Doug Casey about the increasing number of Americans who are moving their money and property off-shore, and about a smaller, albeit growing number of Americans choosing to renounce their citizenship entirely. What are these people afraid of, and who or what are they trying to hide from?" Continue reading

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Switzerland: The Other Currency Manipulator

"Switzerland is manipulating its currency for the exact same reason China does: to help exporters gain a price advantage. And Switzerland is a big net exporter, with a current account surplus (exports minus imports) of 12 percent of GDP, compared to just 3 percent for China. Why aren’t we freaking out about Swiss currency manipulation? Probably because Switzerland’s small scale helps us understand what a manipulated currency really means: cheaper Swiss goods for U.S. consumers. With China, we somehow get this backwards." Continue reading

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Tens of thousands rally in London against austerity

"Government spending cuts brought some tens of thousands of people onto the streets of London and other British cities on Saturday in protest, with union leaders expected to call for a general strike. Marchers carried signs reading 'No cuts' and 'Tax justice not tax havens', condemning the austerity measures introduced by Prime Minister David Cameron’s coalition government in a bid to reduce Britain’s huge deficit." Continue reading

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Revisiting The ’87 Crash

"The key is to pay attention to the Fed. Volcker put the Fed into inflation mode, and big-spending Reagan only helped the inflationary cause throughout the 80's. Fast forward to 1987, and in comes 'The Maestro' Alan Greenspan as Fed Chairman. Within weeks of his taking over, the Greenspan Fed began tightening credit to stem the Volcker inflation that began with the Mexican bailout in 1982. Now, those who understand the Austrian Business Cycle Theory, know what happens once interest rates start to rise after a long period of double-digit monetary expansion. In 1987 it was a steep decline." Continue reading

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1971: The Year That Nixon Chose Gold Over Paper

"The U.S. was now free from the shackles of that barbarous relic. It was high time for gold to get dumped into the dustbin of history. No longer were people supposed to think of it as money. And being that gold's industrial uses are minimal, its price was supposed to languish until the end of time. Also of note in 1971, Merrill Lynch went public. It was only the second brokerage firm to do so. That same year, it released its 'Merrill Lynch is bullish on America' ad during The World Series. Oh...and The Nasdaq was also launched in 1971. So as you can see, Paper Money America was about to be unleashed!" Continue reading

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The ‘Red Pill’ Of Economics

"More and more people are starting to wonder if central banks like the Bank of England and The Fed can just 'rip up' the debt that they've bought via Quantitative Easing, and reduce the national debt of these countries with the stroke of a key. Asking this question, and thinking about the implications of it, is the equivalent of taking the 'Red Pill' of economics. If you start thinking about the possibility that the central bank could just rip up a government's debt, with few negative ramifications, then you might start thinking about government finances in a totally new way that makes you uncomfortable." Continue reading

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French business erupts in fury against “disastrous” François Hollande

"France is sliding into a grave economic crisis and risks a full-blown 'hurricane' as investors flee rocketing tax rates, the country’s business federation has warned. Spending has risen to 55pc of GDP, similar to Sweden but without Nordic labour flexibility. French economic growth has been near zero for the past five quarters. It may have tipped into recession over the summer as the malaise spread from Italy and Spain. New car registrations were down 7.7pc in the third quarter from a year earlier. Unemployment has reached a post-euro high of 10.6pc. The fear is that a fiscal shock in 2013 will tip the economy into a sharp downward slide." Continue reading

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Honduras ‘Free Market Paradise’ Charter City

"This new Libertarian City-State, inspired by New York University economist Paul Romer, has the backing of the libertarian-minded government in Tegucigalpa. It has also received plaudits from noted economists, pundits, and policymakers across the globe since it emerged nearly two years ago." Continue reading

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