I’m closing with this thought. Your statement is almost proof positive that you worship at the alter of the State / the Liberal Left possess your heart first and foremost. YOu can deny it all you want, but the evidence is clear. You have rejected what the Bible says about diverse weights and measures, because you must believe in the principle foundation of the State which is fiat money. Keynesians hate gold because it puts restrictions on the size of the state. It is no wonder that Communists, Socialists, and Fascist regimes have ALWAYS OUTLAWED GOLD AND SILVER. The penalties for trading in these metals has always been severe. FDR did much of the same, when the penalty for trading in gold or possessing gold as money (numismatic coins were not included) resulted in a fine of $10,000 and 5 years in prison.

My question to you was, “Why will the US find it difficult if not impossible to develope ‘Clean Technology’?” Your answer, “MIke, some of the government will try to impede the industry in the US – the ones who get their contributions from oil. But Obama is trying for it anyway,” is the one I would expect from someone who only reads the liberal left ideology. Big Oil is bad and evil. They are the ones that have prevented the clean technology we so desperately need in order to rake in billions from their dirty oil. What you fail to realize is that these companies are engaged in alternative energy research and development. Exxon Mobile is an energy company. They make their money by selling BTUs, mostly in the form of liquid fuels and natural gas. But they recognize that peak oil is here and the number of available land for development is shrinking rapidly, especially as countries nationalize oil fields. Where once the 7 sisters controlled over 70% of the world’s oil, the big independents now control less than 15%. They want to stay in business and that means transitioning to alternatives.

YOU WERE 100% WRONG IN YOUR STATEMENT. You credited Obama and the Democrats as the ones that are promoting Clean / Alternative energy, when in fact they stand in the way of such development. These morons you support think that all one has to do is build a structure that looks like windmill and presto you have wind energy. Just as the Leftist wackos have hyjacked the environmental movement and obstruct wind projects and solar projects based on environmental impact. For example check this out: “Across the desert flatlands of southeastern California, dozens of companies have flooded federal offices with applications to place solar mirrors on more than a million acres of public land. But just as some of those projects appear headed toward fruition, environmental hurdles threaten to jeopardize efforts to further tap the region’s renewable energy potential. ”

You cannot build a solar farm where the SUN DOES NOT SHINE, just as you cannot build a wind farm where the WIND DOES NOT BLOW. For example: “Rep. Oberstar has complained that the Cape Wind project is being considered “without the benefit of a uniform set of national navigational safety standards.”

The wind farm’s supporters have accused him of attempting to derail the project at the eleventh hour, and some have suggested he is acting at the behest of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D., Mass.). Sen. Kennedy, whose family compound is in Hyannis Port, Mass., has long opposed the project.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123181056426575945.html

I will close with this question. Who really owns your heart? Is is the Lord Jesus Christ or the State. The evidence, in my opinion points more to the State. The worship of the State as god is a religion that many ascribe to. Those that worship the state believe it can solve all problems and should be the arbiter of who gets what in society. You even support a return to a 70% tax rate, with few deductions. The Alternative Minimum Tax that now traps many middle income Americans did not exist in the 60s – 70s when the top marginal rate was 70%. The social security tax was also much lower and medicare taxes were nonexistent. State income taxes were lower and there were fewer states collecting taxes on income. Property taxes were also lower back then, and there were fewer government regulations.

In your socialist / fascist world, the producers would be taxed to such an extent that many would stop producing, set up tax shelters wherever they could, or just leave the country.

There is nothing Biblical about what you believe regarding economics and wealth creation. By your own words you have labeled yourself a Devout Fundamentalist Statist and given the fact that you are not one of the elites, it makes you a Useful Idiot.

Definition of Useful Idiot: “In political jargon, the term useful idiot was used to describe Soviet sympathizers in western countries and the attitude of the Soviet government towards them. The implication was that though the person in question naïvely thought themselves an ally of the Soviets or other Communists, they were actually held in contempt by them, and being cynically used.

The term is now used more broadly to describe someone who is perceived to be manipulated by a political movement, terrorist group, hostile government, or business, whether or not the group is Communist in nature.”

I fully agree with your non-critical thinking being taught. Back when I was in school, we had a 6 week course on propaganda technics used by governments and advertising. I think I was in the 9th grade, when it was considered Junior High School, and was taught as part of Civics. The preparation for that course was the 8th grade where I was required to memorize the Preamble to the Constitution, the first half of the Declaration- we also analyzed its components and how it tied into the Constitution, and the Gettysberg Address. I recall my history teacher sitting at her desk while I recited these documents in American History. I dare say not one in 10 students graduating from high school today even know what these documents are.

BTW, I recall my English teachers making us memorize certain poems, some Shakespeare, and other works of literature. All this before we graduated to what was then high school. I still remember most of what I had to memorize way back in the early 60s.

I think you pegged it, when you said, “To be a liberal you have to be a very lazy thinker.” I would add that you have to live in an idealized world that does not exist, which is why liberals promote programs that sound good but do not work and many cause more harm than good. Bankrupting the nation is justified because the intentions are good….never mind the catastrophic results of massive debts and a debauched currency.

kash seems to think that we can never return to a gold back currency, yet she ignores the fact that China, India, and even Vietnam are adding to gold reserves. As a matter of fact most of the world central banks are doing the same. Why? Because they know their history. They are fully aware that fiat currency brings on inflation and loss of confidence in the paper garbage the CBs have been printing. The end game is always a reset to a new currency, which will be backed by gold, because the people will have lost all confidence in paper. Unfortunately those that do not prepare will get crushed the fiat collapse. Since the US dollar is still, for now the world’s reserve currency, its demise will bring others that have used it as a gold substitute down with it. Eventually all will be forced to dispose of those dollars, which they will do so on our shores. The inflation we have exported will then come home to roost just as the flood gates of dollars in the US break loose.

Kash refuses to believe it because it will destroy the State god she worships. MattF is so intellectual, that I wonder if he can tie his shoes. Thank heaven for velcro straps and slip on loafers.

Seriously, I do hope this debate has been helpful for some. I’ve tried to provide at least the basic information and websites people can visit to become educated on the critical topic of “the US dollar and its future.”

If nothing else people need to read the Zimbabwe story. It is not new. This has been repeated over and over again for thousands of years.

Kash once said that nations revert back to fiat currencies. Of course they do, man never learns and besides politicians, be they elected or granted authority through the devine right of kings, love the power of controlling the money supply. Through monetary debasement they can expand empires and pay for all sorts of pet projects like building monuments to themselves or bailing out their buddies on Wall Street. The end game is always suffering for the vast majority of the population. Only those that understand the process and know history protect themselves and their loved ones. The rest of the Sheeple just buy into whatever the government is telling them. Most of these Sheeple are unaware, while some like kash, are nothing but Useful Idiots.

“An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before, but had failed an entire class. That class had insisted that socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.

The professor then said, “OK, we will have an experiment in this class on the present administration’s plan”.

All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A.

After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy.

As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little.

The second test average was a D! No one was happy.

When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F.

The scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.

All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.

Could not be any simpler than that”.

Big government is a form of Socialism. Redistribution of weath makes everyone poorer. Only creation of new wealth lifts all in a society. Government’s role should be limited to providing a just and level playing field for all. Big government promotes big business over small business as those with economies of scale are able to influence and deal with burdensome government regulations. Large corporations have the resources to deal with burdensome regulations while the start up companies cannot. With declining competition, the large corporations become the dominant players with the most influence on government. THIS IS THE SYSTEM KASH and maybe MATTF SUPPORT. I just don’t understand these people….I really don’t.

Let me take your statement sentence by sentence.

kash: ‘You’ve always been mean and dismissive, but you used to at least be consistent and stick to your area of expertise: gold and your Austrian economics.”
Not true. Way back last January, Doug and I tried to reason with you but you blocked every point. Blocked not by providing evidence to support your conclusions but blocked as in “I will not change my mind no matter what you say or prove to me.” You used the Bible even though your interpretations of passages were completely wrong as Doug and I have pointed out. Maybe I have been mean……make that I have been mean, but that is because I see a person who claims to be a Christian that does not give a rat’s behind that people are suffering and will suffer like no one can imagine due to government actions, and that I do not understand, and despise.

Kash: ” Now you just take pot shots at whatever I say on any subject.”

Again, NOT TRUE. I do NOT just take pot shots, I provide details / facts / links to other experts to back up everyone of my opinions. You on the other hand either just believe what the Liberal Left says or just believe things because you establish the foundations of your opinions. No rational or reasoned arguments are sufficient for you to change your mind. When it comes to issues like the age of the earth, it doesn’t matter much what a person believes. When it comes to the economic system we as a nation adopt, it makes all the difference in the world. You teach/ influence your children and people you come into contact with every day. If they adopt a political ideology that is harmful, then their votes will reflect that philosophy. In my opinion, which is not humble, you are doing great harm. I have provided volumes of data and thus far I have been 100% correct in my predictions. I have been percise, even giving some investment advice to abc. If you wish you can track my performance in that area alone. You will see that my picks will beat the market and most experts hands down. I know what I am talking about. I’ve proven it. You on the other hand are clueless and do everything possible to remain ignorant. You say I am an expert on gold and Austrian economics (I’m really common sense economics) and yet you have not accepted A SINGLE POINT….A GRAIN OF FACT….A KERNAL OF TRUTH of anything I or Doug, who is the real expert on the subject, have said.
You claim to be open minded and enlightened yet all the evidence point to a mind that is slammed shut. Sort of like the Pharisees, who Jesus witnessed to and provided all the evidence in the world to His diety and yet they rejected Him. Finally in Matt.23, He had had it and finally let go by calling them “Blind guides and vipers.” I know exactly how Jesus felt, and before you take my words and say I am proclaiming to be Jesus, I am merely using it as an example. You are like the Pharisees, where no amount of proof or evidence will convince you of a truth you refuse to accept.

kash: “You no longer deserve my efforts to make rational responses to your ranting and raving. This is a waste of my time and space on this blog (not to mention you always get off topic).”

I’m glad you are through with me, I do not have the time either. Over the next few years, I pray you will be able to write on some message board, “Mike is a complete idiot. He predicted the dollars demise and gold would go to $3500. The dollar is alive and well and gold has fallen to $350. What a complete fool the man was to predict all this doom and gloom.” This is what I pray for every day. It gives me no pleasure knowing that gold hit another high at $1124 this morning. I’m not making any money in my gold, I am merely preserving my purchasing power and not letting the government rob me of ALL THAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO ME FINANCIALLY. I am profitting handsomely in my natural resource stocks and continue to use my bounty to support my church and help wherever and whenever I can. I wonder how the market is treating your portfolio of stock and bonds as well as your real estate investments. I’m sure they have recovered some but in light of inflation your investments in these areas have been hammered hard. I’ve only had one down year since 2000. I’m giving 3 times more to my church than I did just 6 years ago. I am stewarding God’s provisions as best I can and according to HIS WORD, which hates a diverse measure.

As for being off topic, the issue was government’s involvement in health care. I said, “We can’t afford it. The government is BROKE.” Government’s continued debt and money printing is going to destroy the dollar and will send prices skyrocketing. An eight year old can understand this, but not you. You claim that a collapsing currency will bring on lower prices; deflation. Only in the Bizarro world does a collapsing currency make it more desireable. You said that Germany first went through a deflation before the hyperinflation. I proved to you that such was not the case (I provided a table of exchange rates in message #31), but that makes no difference to you as you create your own reality. Unfortunately your delusional reality will not be the rest of America’s reality. A collapsing currency brings on shortages, high prices for necessities, hunger, cold, crime, violence, and death. This is what you promote kash by supporting the very people that are bringing this on us and you and your family, which is why I call you a useful idiot.

The discussion between you and I should be over….you have chosen to remain blind and at some point you and your family will pay dearly for your blindness. How I pray I am wrong. This is what you do not understand.

Once again you only quoted part of what I quoted from your message.

I wrote: “kash: “They have a rough row to hoe, as many African nations do, and we in the West are somewhat responsible for that because of the legacy of colonialism.”
”

I may have jumped to conclusions and if I am wrong I appologize. But your statement suggests that colonialism is responsible for Africa’s problems. It’s been 50 years since the former colonies were given their freedom. The problem many of the African countries are having entering the 21st century, many are not out of the 18th, is their government.

At one time or another all nations and peoples suffer through trials that they either recover from or disappear all together. The Jews that survived WW II were able to rebuild and took over a dessert region and have prospered inspite of constant attacks from larger neighbors. Many holocaust survivors went to other nations and rebuilt what was left of their lives. They were victims during the War but decided not to be victims after the war by living in the past.

The biggest problem the Black community in America has is its sense of victimhood. Far too many believe that their poor circumstances is the result of whiteman’s enslavement of the Black race. As long as a human being considers himself/ herself a victim they cannot move forward. Victimhood is like an anchor around the neck of a competitive swimmer. They just can’t win so they just don’t try.

Most liberals I come into contact with are very condesending towards blacks, and African nations. When the issue of foreign aid, which is welfare for nations, is brought up they say things like, “well its the West’s fault they have these problems and it’s our responsibility to help them.” I ask them to name on nation that has improved its lot through foreign aid?

The answer is silence. THE ONLY NATIONS TO IMPROVE THE LOT OF ITS PEOPLE ARE THOSE NATIONS THAT HAVE REASONABLE JUST GOVERNMENTS THAT GUARANTEE PROPERTY RIGHTS and therefore encourage business investments.

Foreign aid like welfare does little to help anyone and does more harm than good, as evidenced by its impact on the black family in America. But I will say that such redistribution of wealth does make the Liberal Left feel good…..very very good.

So I may have jumped to conclusions in your case and if I did I am sorry.

I knew you didn’t know the answer to this one because you do not track proposed mining legislation like I do, nor do you track commodities. But instead of asking someone that does know these things and is willing to provide the information, you stick to your liberal ideas and do not consider the facts for a second. You are devoted to a political ideology and that’s it.

Now for answer to the question. Green energy relies on small powerful motors and generators. You cannot build a reliable electric car without them.

Are you with me so far?

These motors are dependent on rare earth elements, which are abundant on the planet but only a few areas of the world have concentrations high enough to mine. Are you still with me kash or have you drifted off into your Polyanna Socialist dream world?

To build these small motors (electric – hybrid cars) / generators (wind power) you NEED RARE EARTH ELEMENTS. No rare earth elements means no small motors or reliable batteries and no small generators.

The US is 100% dependent on China for its rare earth elements. We use to mine rare earths in California but the environmentalists and government regulations shut it down. China has already announced that by 2014 they will no longer sell their rare earths outside of China because they will need all they produce for their own needs. That will only leave Australia, with its Mount Weld deposit as a producer.

So what is the US government doing about this situation? Passing legislation that will bring mineral exploration to a halt. As it stands now it takes over a decade to bring a mine into production due to the lengthy permitting process and lawsuits by the environmentalist (from what I know the movement was hijacked by the far left and is used to inhibit growth in America).

The antimining legislation has provisions in it that no mining company seeking to find new deposits can live with. For example there is a 6.5% tax off the top on any production. Mining is one of the riskiest most capital intensive businesses there is. Taking 6.5% off the top would put many out of business right off the bat. In addition and worst of all are provisions which state that at any time the government can cancel a permit. So just imagine, what company would spend tens of millions of dollars exploring, and going through the permiting process and just as it gets to production, the government shuts them down. The risks would be too great. Development of America’s mineral resources would come to a virtual standstill.

THIS IS YOUR BELOVED STATIST BIG GOVERNMENT AT WORK. One more thing, rare earths are used to crack oil. What is going to happen to the price of gasoline when the price of materials used to produce it go ballistic and are in very short supply.

Oh well, we can all take comfort that we are helping keep the environment clean as the US slides into 3rd world status……HMMM I forgot, third world countries are notoriously polluted.