Blogs

James Dines has been in the business of making bold calls for over 50 years. In this deep-diving interview, he minces no words about the dire risks the US economy - and the world at large - faces at this juncture.

Simply put, he sees the excessive credit in the financial system as having placed the global economy on a collision-course with hyperinflation.

Unlike past periods of turmoil, there are no truly 'safe' places for investment capital to hide. Geographic markets and almost all asset classes are positively correlated these days. They share many of the same risks and if a systemic crash occurs, they will crash together.  read more »

• Fiat Currency Failure Means: ‘In Gold We Trust’
• Senate Approves Ban on Insider Trading by Congress
• Effort to Rebrand Arab Spring Backfires in Iran
• S.E.C. Is Avoiding Tough Sanctions for Large Banks
• An Abundant Supply of Cheap Oil is the Most Important Resource for Our Future
• Nepal and Bangladesh to Establish Joint Venture 3,000 Megawatt Power Plant
• Trading China’s Tight Grip On Rare Earths
• Pet Rescuers Venture Into Japan's Exclusion Zone

Follow our steps to prepare for a world after peak oil, such as how to store & filter water

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Know the facts about do-it-yourself packing

The purpose of this article is to present specific details and recommendations for packing your own shelf-stable foods for food storage. We will cover what works and what doesn’t in creating an oxygen-free atmosphere for long term food storage, and common misconceptions about how to do your own packing. While there are many different types of dried foods that can be stored for extended periods of time, most folks are interested in how best to store grain and bean products.

While I could write a book on every specific detail of every packing option and all of the technical specifications of all available packing containers, that is not the purpose of this article.  I will cover important highlights, facts, insights, and information gained from over 37 years in the preparedness and outdoor recreation industry.  It is important to keep in mind that I have not only been a retailer of preparedness and outdoor foods, I have also been a manufacturer, developer of hundreds of recipes, packaging and product  innovator, and researcher of shelf-stable foods.

Some of the material presented here will contradict and challenge information available on the Web or in some do-it-yourself circles.  Many people assume preparedness information to be accurate without careful consideration of the source's expertise or the validity of the facts.  I encourage you to research on your own any of the information presented in this article – or in any article, for that matter – and to use basic critical thinking skills to evaluate the evidence and data you are offered.  A little common sense goes a long way in assessing many of the claims being made about shelf life and do-it-yourself issues.   read more »

• MF Global Customer Funds Were Not "Vaporized" - Stanley Haar Takes WSJ to Task
• MF Global: Oops, They DID Find the Money After All As We Had Said, But...
• Holder & Obama’s Propaganda is “Belied by a Troublesome Little Thing Called Facts”
• Vicious Cycles Persist As Global Lending Standards Tighten
• Counterfeit Money, Counterfeit Policy
• International Pipelines - Peacemakers or Hostages to Fortune?
• Industry Experts Say Iranian Oil Sanctions Will Not Affect Supply
• Oil Rich Venezuela's Electricity Shortfalls Lose Economy $80 Billion
• Food Crisis as Drought and Cold Hit Mexico
• Increasing ocean acidity due to humans’ CO2

Own the Crash Course Special Edition Set with Presenter’s Pack (NTSC or PAL)

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• France faces 79-bn-euro charge for nuclear power: auditor
• Federal pension-insurance agency pressures American Airlines to save retirement plans
• Greek debt accord requires c.bank involvement - sources
• Euro zone jobless rate hits euro-era high
• If unions won't budge, Detroit may have to take drastic budget measures
• Government Health Care Spending To Reach $1.8T by 2022, CBO Predicts
• (CBO) The Budget and Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2012 to 2022
• Plaque, statue theft on rise across Palm Springs area
• Czech 'metal rush' sees theft of trains, bridges and statues
• Ga. college students: Without food stamps we wouldn't be able to eat
• National debt nears $15.3 trillion
• Many Californians have no emergency savings
• Public tells Quinn to halt speed-enforcement cameras
• New red light cameras target busy intersections
• U.S. Highway Trust Fund Faces Insolvency Next Year, CBO Says

Own the Crash Course Special Edition Set with Presenter’s Pack (NTSC or PAL)

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• 3 Months After The MF Global Bankruptcy, We Find That $1.2 Billion (Or More) In Client Money Has "Vaporized"
• Exposing Silver Mythology – Part III
• MF Global - A Despicable State Of Affairs
• MF Global 4-1-9
• Entering The Debt Dimension
• Countrywide Protected Fraudsters By Silencing Whistleblowers, Say Former Employees
• In 2011, Global Spending on Renewable Energy Rose 40 Percent
• Has Petroleum Production Peaked, Ending the Era of Easy Oil?
• Shortage of Rare Metals Could Threaten High-Tech Innovation
• Is a Reduction in Population Numbers the only Sustainable Solution?

Our 'What Should I Do?' guide has steps to cook, see & stay warm in times of power outage

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Growth. It's what every economist and politician wants. If we get 'back to growth,' servicing debts both private and sovereign becomes much easier. And life will return to normal (for a few more years).

There is growing evidence that a major US policy shift is underway to boost growth. Growth that will create millions of new jobs and raise real GDP.

While that's welcome news to just about everyone, the story is much less appealing when one understands the cost that come with such growth. Are we better off if a near-term recovery comes at the expense of our future security? The prudent among us would disagree.

Resurrecting American Export Strength

It’s easy to be skeptical that America could once again be a titan of global exports.

For a very long time, that role has mostly been relegated to countries in the developing world. America as an export economy? Somewhere along the 50-year transition from industrial manufacturer to voracious consumer, Americans have lost touch with such a remote possibility. Indeed, this phase of America's economic history is now quite settled.  read more »

• Greece plans orderly exit of the Eurozone
• Anxiety Mounts Over Maturing Real Estate Loans
• With Focus on Income Inequality, Albany Bill Will Seek $8.50 Minimum Wage
• U.S. Banks Tally Their Exposure to Europe’s Debt Maelstrom
• Greece - Between Iran and a Hard Place
• Transmission Line Under the Mediterranean to Supply Italy with Clean Power
• Texas's Electrical Power Predicament - Part 1
• Monsanto & Cancer Milk: Fox News Kills Story And Fires Reporters

Own the Crash Course Special Edition Set with Presenter’s Pack (NTSC or PAL)

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• 150 Arrested in Daylong Occupy Oakland Protests
• Elite Wall Street Donations Jumped 700% in the Last 20 Years
• When Will Housing Hit Bottom?
• Ex-Congressman Retreats on Energy Project
• New Report by Agency Lowers Estimates of Natural Gas in U.S.
• FirstEnergy closing 6 coal-fired power plants
• Penn. town blames contaminated water on fracking
• North Dakota Oil Boom Strains Roads, Schools

Own the Crash Course Special Edition Set with Presenter’s Pack (NTSC or PAL)

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We are pleased to announce that PrepareDirect is offering ChrisMartenson.com members a special discount of 5% off all GoalZero Components and kits.

GoalZero offers portable, expandable, and affordable backup and off-grid power solutions for lighting, communications and small 12V coolers. It's also great for powering smaller electronic devices when traveling, camping and backpacking. The GoalZero product line offers entry-level resilience building opportunities for your backup power needs.

Specifically, PrepareDirect is offering us:

• A 5% additional discount on all GoalZero Power Products and Kits
• Free shipping on orders $99 or more

Click here to take advantage of this offer and use Coupon Code: CHRISGOAL5, exclusive to ChrisMartenson.com readers. Offer will be valid through the month of February, 2012.  read more »