Cycles in Demographics – Sex to no Sex (Free Love to No Love)
After every empire has peaked, there is a sharp decline in the birth and marriage rate. Part of this is caused by the lack of confidence in the economy. In Japan it has led to the lowest birthrate i their history with a shrinking population and tremendous problems of a lack of new workers to support the older generation. In Japan, the younger generation are giving up on relationship in general. The trend is now moving to the extreme point of what is called “celibacy syndrome”. (see Guardian)
In the USA, the marriages have dropped with the economy post-2007 and girls are marrying older men as the age difference is starting to climb back in the direction of the 19th century. It seems Hollywood created these fake images of love at first sight out of lust and the age difference plummeted to its lowest level while divorce soared to its highest level. The data will be provided in our upcoming report on the Pension Crisis. Very interesting demographic trends that map out cyclically.
IMF Proposed Expropriation for Europe
The IMF proposal to just take 10% of all European deposits would certainly not take place before the EU elections on May 25th. We do show higher volatility and a crazy period in 2014 in the September/October period. That will be the beginning of the crisis period that will not end until about 2020. We are preparing the 2014 Gold Report and the report on the Pension Crisis. There is a tremendous paradox that has the market befuddled. Why are long-term interest rates so low when the norm had been 8% for so long? Why has the financial system not collapsed? The answers will be in this report and the results of our study of both the Supply and Demand will shock many. Sometimes trends evolve right under our nose and we forget to look closely until it is too late.Roman Empire Sources
QUESTION: Hi Mr. Armstrong:
I’ve been following your blog, and I’m an activist in a local city called Baldwin Park. On a municipal level, I’ve seen everything you’re predicting happening.
Here’s my question. You often make reference to the fall of the Roman Empire. The most famous book on the topic is the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire. I’m wondering where you’re getting your sources for the fall of Rome. I’d like to read these sources too.
Keep on the good fight. I’ve had my problems with govt. too. You’re a hero to us all.
Cheers,
Read about how the ex-City Manager got caught forging the budget.
http://alchemistcook.blogspot.com/2013/12/city-manager-caugh-for-forging-budget.html
http://alchemistcook.blogspot.com/2013/12/city-manager-caugh-for-forging-budget.html
Read about how the new City Council fired three administrators. http://alchemistcook.blogspot.com/2013/12/baldwin-park-city-council-fires-its-ceo.html
Read about how the boxers stood up to the corrupt city.
ANSWER: Edward Gibon’s Decline and the Fall of Rome is quite good, but flawed in that it tends to get a bit too much into the religious aspects that is where his bias tends to show. Other sources are fragmented insofar as time. There is Suetonius, Virgil, Tacitus just for starters. But concerning the fall of the 3rd century, I would recommend Historia Augusta. Keep in mind that my sources are all contemporary of the period. There are many, many other authors such as Titus Flavius Josephus. These historians are all for specific periods writing during their own times. You have to bring them altogether.
This is one of the books I hope to have out this year. It is a project of pulling together the various contemporary historians and laying it all out. You can see how I use the ancient sources in the piece I did on Julius Caesar and the Debt Crisis. The monetary system is my own original research and was put together building perhaps the largest collection of ancient coins for the sole purpose of reconstructing the monetary history of the entire world. It cost tens of millions of dollars to produce this single chart. It is the product of my passion. I wanted to see how Rome collapsed was it like a 747 coming in for a landing, or was it what I called a Waterfall Event. To my shock, things happen much faster than people would ever suspect.
Global Market Watch January 2nd, 2014
The Global Market Watch has been posted for the close of January 2nd, 2014.
China Imports of Gold Drop by 42%
The South China Morning Post has reported a sharp drop by 42% in gold purchases coming from China. This is typical as we head into the lows. The idea that they will just keep buying as prices fall is wishful thinking. China should relax its demand as prices decline.
Europe’s Practice of Cancelling Currency – The Dirty Little Secret Everyone Overlooks
QUESTION: Dear Mr Armstrong,
What are the risks on cash savings under the mattress and the relation from the land serial codes on Euro notes and confiscations?..
Country codes on the first series of banknotes
The central bank that commissioned the printing of a banknote (but not necessarily the country of printing) is indicated by a letter or country code preceding the serial number, as shown here:
This particular banknote, bearing the letter ‘S’, was printed for the Banca d’Italia. The country codes are listed below.
COUNTRY CODES
| (1) Uncirculated euro banknotes issued by the Banque centrale du Luxembourg bear the code of the central banks of the countries where the banknotes for Luxembourg are produced. | |
| Belgium | Z |
| Germany | X |
| Estonia | D |
| Ireland | T |
| Greece | Y |
| Spain | V |
| France | U |
| Italy | S |
| Cyprus | G |
| Latvia | C |
| Luxembourg | (1) |
| Malta | F |
| Netherlands | P |
| Austria | N |
| Portugal | M |
| Slovenia | H |
| Slovakia | E |
| Finland | L |
Is Norway a refugee haven for europeans, the NOK and confiscations?
Best regards,
R, the Netherlands, code P
ANSWER: Again, opinions are worthless – we all have them. All I can do is qualify events based upon the past. For the American readers, it is important to comprehend a critical point. A US dollar bill from 1861 is still legal tender. That isnot the case in Europe – not even Britain. This goes to your question about stockpiling euro notes regardless of the codes. Europe routinely CANCELLEDcurrency with each new issue. They demonetize both previous coins and notes. This has been a socialistic trick. This is WHY the US dollar was favored even in Russia, China, and among drug dealers. The dollar haters do not understand this aspect. Watch the Fed Video below. Pay close attention. The state this is for domestic and international demand and they make it clear the old notes are still legal tender.
The tradition in Europe is always to cancel the previous notes. Old British pound notes are not legal tender. I would recommend old $100 bills while you can still get them. The new ones they can pick up on a scanner going through an airport these days.
So all I can suggest is based upon previous experience. Will they cancel the notes? They can do that. They always cancelled the notes to ensure peoplePAID TAXES. If you had a bundled of cash you didn’t pay taxes on, cancelling the old notes forced capital out of hiding and it was then taxed. This was one reason Say was correct – it made no sense to hoard cash.