Jim Rickards & Keith McCullough: The Collapse of Our Global Economy

Join Hedgeye CEO Keith McCullough and iconoclastic provocateur and bestselling author Jim Rickards for this special investing discussion on Hedgeye TV.

 They'll discuss Jim's forthcoming book, "Sold Out: How Broken Supply Chains, Surging Inflation, and Political Instability Will Sink the Global Economy." 

As always, Jim and Keith will dissect portfolio positioning, broader market and economic dynamics, and actionable investment ideas.

- Source, Hedgeye

Jim Rickards: The Recession That Wipes Out A Generation

Jim Rickards warns about the U.S. heading for a financial panic and a deep recession that may end up having an outsized impact on people trying to survive this economic hardship.

Jim Rickards Predicts A Horrible Economic Crisis Where EVERYTHING WILL COLLAPSE

Jim Rickards warns about the debt and supply chain problems in the U.S. and explains their impact on the economy.

James Rickards Last Warning: What's Coming Is WORSE Than A Recession

Jim Rickards warns about a dangerous crisis that will be much more than just a recession…

James Rickards Predicts The Fed's Next Move

Jim Rickards: 15% Inflation Ahead If Fed Pivots Too Soon

Jim returns for Part 2 of his interview with Stephanie Pomboy in which he explains that, should the Fed pivot back to easing before inflation is fully tamed, it risks re-igniting the CPI back up as high as a horrific 15%. 

He also shares his reasons for thinking that CBDCs are inevitable -- in fact, already in progress.

James Rickards: The Recession That Will Change A Generation

Jim Rickards explains the 2022 recession and the economic conditions right now. He also elaborates on the U.S. dollar reserve currency status and shares a few history lessons.

Jim Rickards: A 2008 Style Liquidity Crisis and Recession Are the Big Threats Now

A financial crisis spreads just like a virus does. The contagion equation is the same. Shifts in narrative/confidence can cause fear to spread quickly – sometimes creating the bad outcome it’s afraid of (e.g., a run on the bank). 

Or sometimes the opposite (e.g., asset bubbles). The Fed pivot narrative brought a lot of capital back into the market, which resulted in the July rally. But the “logic” behind this narrative wasn’t necessarily correct. 

But it drove prices higher…until Powell brought the hammer down at Jackson Hole. The fundamentals can’t be dismissed no matter how much the market would prefer they could. 

The markets are dreaming of a ‘soft landing’, but Jim thinks it’s going to be more like a plane crash. The rate of change of the Fed Funds Rate is staggering. Never has it risen by such a big % this fast. 

This WILL shock the system. 

For example, bonds & housing are going to get clobbered. The damage these fast-rising rates are going to cause is going to be severe.

- Source, Wealthion

Jim Rickards Explains Why America Is Entering A Horrific Financial Crisis

James Rickards: This is How The Fed Will Kill Inflation

Countdown To Crisis: How To Prepare for the Upcoming Economic Collapse

Jim Rickards is a former lawyer and investment banker turned economist and bestselling author who has correctly predicted a catalogue of unseen financial events that have taken place in recent decades.

James Rickards Live at Bretton Woods, Covering Inflation, Recession and Much More

"Highlight of my recent visit to Bretton Woods was a 90-minute moderated dialogue with the inimitable
Di Martino Booth. 

We covered Fed, inflation, recession, fiscal policy, supply chain, and more. Discussion was livestreamed to readers of Strategic Intelligence."

- Source, James Rickards

James Rickards: Garland's Impeachment Next Year Just Got That Much Easier to Accomplish

"Merrick Garland admits he "personally approved" the Stasi-style raid on Trump's home. Good. That will make Garland's impeachment next year much easier."

- Source, James Rickards via Twitter

James Rickards: Countdown To Crisis, How To Prepare for the Upcoming Economic Collapse

Jim Rickards is a former lawyer and investment banker turned economist and bestselling author who has correctly predicted a catalogue of unseen financial events that have taken place in recent decades discusses the coming global economic collapse that is set to unfold in the next few years.

Do you still have time to prepare accordingly, can the West avoid it, or have we pass the Rubicon already?

- Video Source

Currency Wars & Trade Wars explained by Jim Rickards

Jim Rickards Predicts Rising Interest Rates Back in 2019

Jim Rickards Paying a High Price in the West

Barbell Investment Strategy explained by Jim Rickards

Jim Rickards: If You Put Your Money in the Bank it's Not Your Money Anymore

Jim Rickards breaks down the current state of the financial system and explains how if you place your money in a bank, it is no longer legally your money anymore.

This could have dire consequences as we move forward and as the global financial systems around the globe begin to collapse.

Is your money safe? Are you investing in hard assets such as gold and silver bullion, physical, that is in your hands and that you can touch?

- Video Source

What Would Jim Rickards Be Buying Right Now?

Jim Rickards: We Entered The Most Dangerous Crisis...

Jim Rickards: The Global Elites Secret Plan for the Next Financial Crisis

Jim Rickards discusses the global elites plans for the next major financial crisis, which many argue we are now already within.

What are they going to be doing with their money and what does Jim Rickards recommend we do to protect ourselves as well?

Listen in to find out this information, plus much more.

Jim Rickards: This Is Starting Already! Severe Food Shortage

Jim Rickards: This Has Erased The Concept Of Money!

James Rickards: What is Going to Happen to the US Dollar? Will it Plunge and Gold Soar?

Trading partners won’t stand still while you cheapen your currency. They will react by cheapening their own currencies in tit-for-tat devaluations. That’s the nature of currency wars and it was a major reason why the Great Depression lasted so long instead of just a year or two.

Countries can retaliate against trading partners to get a cheap currency by intervening in foreign exchange markets, lowering their interest rates (to discourage capital inflows), imposing capital controls and using other forms of manipulation.

As I said earlier, the world is now in an acute phase of a long-standing currency war.

The yen (JPY) is collapsing because the Bank of Japan needs help with exports to fend off another recession. The euro (EUR) has crashed because the ECB also wants to keep interest rates low and exports high to help member economies.

The Chinese yuan (CNY) is falling rapidly because China’s economy is suffering from the effects of its ridiculous zero-COVID policies and softer demand from the U.S., the EU and Japan. The same is true in pounds sterling (GBP) because the U.K. is on the brink of a recession.

In effect, the second-, third-, fourth-, sixth- and seventh-largest economies in the world (China, Japan, Germany, the U.K. and France) and others comprising over 40% of global GDP are free-riding on a strong dollar by pursuing cheap-currency policies.

The question is how long will the U.S. stand for this? The U.S. clearly does not mind the strong dollar for the time being. The Fed’s interest rate and quantitative tightening policies point toward an even stronger dollar ahead.

As long as U.S. growth is solid, the U.S. might not mind being a financial life preserver for the rest of the world by allowing its trading partners to pursue cheap currency policies. This can help fight inflation in the U.S. by making foreign imports cheaper when paid for in strong dollars.

History shows this won’t last. The Fed’s policies will put the U.S. into a recession by late this year or early 2023. That may help kill inflation, but it’s a nightmare for politicians running for reelection in 2024. Suddenly, the Fed may slam the brakes on rate hikes and even begin rate cuts as they did in 2019.

When that happens, the U.S. dollar will plunge and the dollar price of gold will soar. Currency wars don’t end quickly. They do take time to play out. The U.S. is propping up the world today with its strong dollar approach because policymakers think we can afford it.

When a recession hits the U.S., that policy will change fast. It always does.

- Source, James Rickards

Currency Wars: A Race to the Bottom

What are the benefits of a cheap currency relative to the currencies of major trading partners? The answer depends on whether you are considering political benefits or economic benefits.

The political benefits are obvious and explain why currency wars (the act of cheapening your currency) have broken out periodically over the past 100 years. A cheaper currency makes your exports cheaper from the perspective of a foreign buyer.

If Indonesia is considering buying wide-body jets for their national airline, they can look at the Boeing 787 or the Airbus A350 among other choices. Manufacturing costs for Boeing are primarily in U.S. dollars while Airbus manufacturing costs are mostly in euros (although both manufacturers source various components and inputs from around the world).

If the euro is weak against the U.S. dollar, it means that Indonesia will probably get a better deal from Airbus. A sale by Airbus ripples through the supply chain and helps create export-related jobs and produces other exogenous economic benefits to the company and its host countries (primarily Germany and France).

The perceived benefits of a cheap currency are not limited to more exports and export-related jobs. A cheap currency is also a way to import inflation. This happens because citizens of the cheap-currency country need more of their currency to buy imports from trading partners.

For example, if a U.S. computer costs $1,500 and the euro is valued at $1.20, then it takes €1,250 to buy the computer. If the euro drops to $1.05 (about where it is today), it takes €1,430 to buy the same computer, a 14% price increase relative to the stronger euro.

Of course, actual supply chains of global manufacturers are more sophisticated than this simple example. Manufacturers will often maintain a set price in both currencies and absorb any profit or loss against their margins or hedge the exchange rate fluctuations in futures markets. Still, the basic dynamic remains and does play out over time.

It sounds strange for a country to import inflation at a time when inflation is surging in many places. But the inflation wave is relatively recent. From 2008–2021, disinflation and outright deflation were serious problems in many developed economies.

Deflation is still a problem in Japan and may become a worldwide problem if higher interest rates used to fight today’s inflation result in a global recession. In any case, the art of fighting deflation with a cheap currency is tried and true.

So the political benefits of a cheap currency are clear. Political leaders can claim that exports are up, imports are down (which helps the balance of trade and GDP), export-related jobs are being created and the risks of deflation are being mitigated. That’s a nice package of accomplishments for any politician to run on.

But is any of this true? The claims are clear but what about the economic reality?

It turns out most of the claims about a cheap currency are illusory, temporary or both. It may appear that the finished prices of exports look cheaper to a foreign buyer when the seller’s currency is cheaper. But this ignores the nature of global supply chains.

Labor costs and technology research and development for an Airbus may be incurred in euros, but the aluminum for the airframe comes from Russia, subcomponents may come from Southeast Asia, avionics may come from the United States and so on.

A cheaper currency means that the prices of those inputs go up since it takes more local currency to buy the components. That’s crucial. Very few sophisticated big-ticket exports are made entirely in one country. A cheap currency makes foreign inputs more expensive, and those costs offset the benefits of a cheap currency in terms of labor and local inputs.

It’s also the case that many commodities have global markets and are priced in dollars. To the extent that local demand is inelastic (as is the case for food and energy), a country with a cheap currency simply has to pay more for those goods.

A cheap currency is like a hidden tax (that’s what inflation is) that is paid for dollar-denominated imports. That leads to demand destruction in other categories of goods and services and may lead to job losses in local industries as consumers spend more on unavoidable imports...

- Source, James Rickards

Jim Rickards: Insolvency, Quantitative Tightening and the Gold Price

In this video, Jim Rickards unpacks what it means for investors if central banks are trading insolvent. 

Jim argues while it is certainly a possibility, it ultimately won't have much of an effect, due to the Fed's hidden asset, the gold certificate.

- Source, Fat Tail Investment Research

James Rickards: Biden’s Loose Lips May Sink Ship

There’s already one going on in Ukraine. But did President Biden just increase the chances of another shooting war, this one with China? Let’s get started, first in Ukraine…

Russia’s assault is slow and brutal, but it is proving effective in achieving Russia’s goals.

Those objectives include building a land bridge from Russian territory to Crimea (and possibly beyond to Odessa), cutting Ukraine off from access to the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea and surrounding Ukrainian troops in the east behind a wall of control that runs roughly from Kharkiv to Kherson and Mykolaiv.

Once that wall of control is established, the Ukrainian army trapped behind the line will have no choice but to surrender or face annihilation.

Media Silence

It is estimated 10,000 or more Ukrainian army troops in eastern Ukraine are under Russian artillery barrage. This battle may take weeks to play out, but Russian victory is likely given the extent to which the Ukrainians are outnumbered and outgunned.

If the Ukrainian forces fall, there will be little left in the east to stop a Russian consolidation that would give control of about a third of Ukraine to Russia.

This unfolding battle is not what you’ll be hearing about in legacy media outlets in the West. But don’t be lulled into false confidence by propaganda and bad reporting.

Russia is winning the financial war, and they’re winning on the ground. Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to pursue a policy of escalation against Russia.

Poking the Bear Even Harder

Biden and the Pentagon seem to have no understanding of the dangers of escalation and no capacity to act with the needed restraint. We’ve seen this play out already in Ukraine where the U.S. has first supplied weapons, then money, then intelligence, then financial sanctions and more.

Russia has responded in kind with its own countersanctions and its own advanced weaponry including anti-drone missiles and precision artillery strikes. The latest move in the wrong direction comes from Biden.

Biden announced Tuesday that he intends to send advanced rocket artillery systems to Ukraine. That’s a complete reversal from the day before, when he said the U.S. would not deliver the rockets to Ukraine.

The administration justified its initial refusal to send them on the grounds that Russia may perceive the move as a step too far, a serious provocation. What changed in the course of a day? Did they suddenly decide that it wasn’t that provocative after all?

Regardless, this type of vacillation is indicative of a policy team that doesn’t really know what it’s doing from one day to the next...

- Source, The Daily Reckoning via James Rickards

Jim Rickards: Has Russia Created a Massive Energy Investment Opportunity?

In this interview, Jim Rickards is asked whether an energy investment opportunity is on the horizon as a result of the onshore sanctions imposed on Russia. 

Rickards explains while that is a logical prediction, it is somewhat clouded by the green push to renewable energy sources.

- Source, Fat Tail Investment Research

David Brady: The Dollar is Scheduled for Demolition

Tom welcomes back David Brady, CEO, and Co-Founder of Global Pro Traders. 

David discusses the changes that have occurred in the markets since his last appearance on the show nearly two years ago. 

He believes another massive rally is coming for gold and that the Fed will reverse course. 

Countries never chose to default they always inflate their debts away. 

Markets today are centrally managed. What we have is not free-market capitalism.

- Source, Palisade Radio

Jim Rickards Hits Back at Peak Inflation Criticism; Talks Bitcoin Erasing Money

In Jim Rickards' discussion with our Daniela Cambone, the NYT best-selling author said, "inflation can go a lot higher," because the Fed cannot do anything about supply shortages ranging from food to oil. 

Real wages are, "negative, they're going down," and with rising inflation, people will not spend money elsewhere which can slow the economy further, he asserts. 

If the Fed continues down its projected path of rate hikes, "then they will cause a recession, it will absolutely happen," Rickards predicts. 

He paints a grim picture of the coming digital dollar that can be seen as a, "totalitarian mechanism," comparing the new technology to a full surveillance state which is already being played out in China. 

"Bitcoin is part of a larger digital environment that has erased the concept of money," Rickards concludes, saying we are in a current state of "moneyness," due to the definition of money being unknown.

- Source, Stansberry Research

Bitcoin Vs Gold: One Year Later, Which Is King? Jim Rickards and Max Keiser Reflect

It's been one year since gold financier Frank Giustra debated MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor in the ultimate gold vs. bitcoin standoff.  

New York Times best-selling author Jim Rickards, and Max Keiser from the Keiser Report and Orange Pill Podcast, reflect back on the unsettled debate. 

They discuss whether gold or bitcoin has a stronger case one year later.

- Source

Rickards says the minimum gold price is $15000 per ounce in the not too distant future

James Rickards: The World is Moving Towards Gold

Five-time, best-selling financial author James G. Rickards says, “We could be in a recession right now,” but the title of his most recent book “The New Great Depression” says where we are definitely going soon. Rickards says, “The current crisis is not like 2008 or even 1929. 

The New Depression that has emerged from the COVID pandemic is the worst economic crisis in U.S. history.

Most fired employees will remain redundant. Bankruptcies will be common, and banks will buckle under the weight of bad debts. 

Deflation, debt and demography will wreck any chance of recovery, and social disorder will follow closely on the heels of market chaos.”

Rickards says there are many negatives to the current economy, Covid, inflation, war, sanctions, supply destruction, and on top of all that, Rickards says the Fed will ultimately kill the economy with a policy mistake. Rickards explains, “Probably in May they are going to have quantitative tightening, which means you actually reduce the money supply. 

So, this is triple tightening: Three interest rate hikes, no more taper and doing quantitative tightening at a very rapid rate. What just happened? We had a down quarter. 

 The economy was at recession levels in the first quarter, and the stock market is on the way down. So, here we go again. The Fed is tightening into weakness. It’s tightening into certainly a stock market bubble, and they are probably going to destroy the markets again.”

Inflation, according to Rickards, is very serious, and he explains, “It is the worst inflation in 40 years. You can’t argue about it, it’s there. The inflation we are seeing now does not come from the demand side.

It’s from the supply side. It’s because of the war in Ukraine. That’s a supply side disruption. It’s also from the ‘Zero Covid’ policy in China. 

 They locked down two of the biggest cities in the world. . . . There are multiple reasons for supply chain disruptions. By the time you pay for gas and groceries, if you can, there is not much left over. That’s going to kill discretionary spending.”

Rickards says the signs that gold is going way up are global. Rickards contends, “The world could not destroy the dollar, but we could.

If you are putting sanctions on dollars and kicking people out of dollar accounts why would I want dollars? The U.S. destroyed trust.

If you want to get away from the dollar, there is not a currency or bond market you can go to, but there is gold. Gold is money good, and it’s the only form of money the whole world can agree on.”

Rickards says the minimum gold price is $15,000 per ounce in the not-so-distant future. Rickards says depending on the backing and math, it could go up in value much higher. 

 Rickards likes silver, too, and food for the common guy. Food prices are going to go much higher according to Rickards, and in some places in the world, he expects out right starvation.

- Source, USA Watchdog

Jim Rickards: Insane War & Gold

Jim Rickards: Bold Economic Prediction For 2022

Jim Rickards: Russia's Gold Reserves, Are They a Threat to the Economic Apple Cart?

James Rickards discusses the current disaster that is geopolitics and delves into the Russian gold reserves, what we know of it and what can be speculated about what they truly have.

Are they a gold juggernaut that could destabilize the system, or are they able to be help in check, political, economically and militarily. 

James Rickards discuss the true state of the Russian gold reserves and much more.

Jim Rickards Most People Have No Idea What's Going On. The Best Way To Handle Your Investment ?

James Rickards: People Have No idea What They Have Planned

James Rickards: Fed Policy is Disastrous, the Rate Hikes Will Continue Until Morale Improves

This sums up Fed policy. Rate hikes will sink the economy, but they will continue until inflation is subdued. This year will be a challenging voyage with Captain Jay at the helm.

- James Rickards

James Rickards: Inflation Was Here Before the War in the Ukraine, Things Have Only Gotten Worse

"Memo to Jen: No one in America believes inflation has anything to do with Putin. 

It was here before the war and will remain after. Stop treating people as if they were stupid. 

Start treating people with respect and they might actually listen to you."

Article comments are referencing;

https://dailycaller.com/2022/04/11/jen-psaki-extraordinarily-elevated-inflation-putins-price-hike/

- Source, James Rickards

Jim Rickards on Russia's Gold Reserves, How Much Do They Actually Have?

James Rickards discusses the history of gold within Russian and the pivotal role it has played in their economy of the past couple of decades.

For years, Russia has been stockpiling gold in the anticipation of breaking away from the dollar reserve system. Do they believe that this day is rapidly approaching, or are they simply preparing for the worse as they continue to horde gold.

How much damage can be done to the financial system via Russia's massive gold reserves and will it be enough to weather the current storm they have found themselves in?

Lets find out.

- Video Source, Fat Tail Investment Research

James Rickards: Putin is Taking His Time in the Ukraine

"Remember the 3-day blitzkrieg of Kyiv? Putin never planned it. It was a way to set up a "failure." 

Now it's the "May 9 anniversary goal." Again, that's not the plan, it's a set-up for failure. 

Too bad we're not as good at fighting as we are at propaganda. Putin's taking his time."

- Source, James Rickards

James Rickards - Economic Sanctions on Russia and How it Will Affect the Global Markets

Jim Rickards: New Supply Shortages Coming, Liquidity Crisis Very Possible

A Global Liquidity Crisis with Massive Food Shortages Is Coming Warns Jim Rickards

In part one of Jim Rickards' discussion with our Daniela Cambone, the NYT best-selling author said "the coexistence of economic sanctions and kinetic warfare is nothing new." 

The rising tensions between the United States and Russia did not brew overnight, Rickards continues. 

Ukraine should be a "buffer state and should be neutral," Rickards says, emphasizing that economic sanctions not only punish Russian citizens, but also punish American citizens. 

Rickards implies that there will be massive food shortages as Russia occupies Ukraine, saying, "the impact is already here, and it's going to get a lot worse." 

The Chinese yuan and Russian ruble will not replace the dollar as the world reserve currency, he concludes.

- Source, Stansberry Research

Jim Rickards: Russia's Effect on Commodities and US Economy

Russia's Effect on Commodities and US Economy In this interview, Jim Rickards discusses how the Fed will position US interest rates in response to the current economy, given the drastic effect Russian sanctions have had on commodities.

Jim Rickards: The Russian and Ukraine Geopolitical Situation Explained in Depth

In this interview, Jim Rickards provides his latest analysis on the Russia-Ukraine situation. 

Jim goes back through the history of this conflict, and gives his explanation of what 'winning' this war will look like.

- Source, Fat Tail Investment Research

James Rickards: Putin May or May Not Win This War, But There is Zero Evidence of Mental Impairment

"White House is worried about Putin's mental health. Really? Putin may or may not win this war. 

But there's zero evidence of mental impairment. 

Dementia and physical decline are clearly evident in Biden not Putin. The White House is projecting not thinking."

- Source, James Rickards

Jim Rickards: Russia is Trapping Ukrainian Forces, Kyiv Will be the Last to Fall

Kherson has fallen, Kharkiv and Mariupol under siege. When they fall, Putin has line of control from Kherson to Kharkiv centered on Zaporizhzhia and a land bridge from Luhansk to Crimea. 

This traps Ukrainian forces behind the line. Odessa next. Kyiv is last objective not first.

- Source, James Rickards via Twitter

James Rickards: You Can't Hack Gold

Russia’s desire to break away from the hegemony of the U.S. dollar and the dollar payment system is well-known. Over 60% of global reserves and 80% of global payments are in dollars. The U.S. is the only country with veto power at the International Monetary Fund, the global lender of last resort.

So Russia has been building nondollar payments systems with regional trading partners and China.

The U.S. uses its influence at SWIFT, the central nervous system of global money transfer message traffic, to cut off nations it considers to be threats.

From a financial perspective, this is like cutting off oxygen to a patient in the intensive care unit. Russia understands its vulnerability to U.S. domination and wants to reduce that vulnerability.

But Russia has created an alternative to SWIFT.

The head of Russia’s central bank, Elvira Nabiullina, reported to Vladimir Putin that “There was the threat of being shut out of SWIFT. We updated our transaction system, and if anything happens, all SWIFT-format operations will continue to work. We created an analogous system.”

Another Russian strategy to bypass sanctions has been to stockpile gold.

You Can’t Hack Gold

Perhaps Russia’s most aggressive weapon in its war on dollars is gold. The first line of defense is to acquire physical gold, which cannot be frozen out of the international payments system or hacked.

With gold, you can always pay another country just by putting the gold on an airplane and shipping it to the counterparty. This is the 21st-century equivalent of how J.P. Morgan settled payments in gold by ship or railroad in the early 20th century.

Russia’s reserve position has hit a new all-time high of $640 billion, of which $140 billion (22%) is in physical gold bullion held inside Russia. We’ll see how Biden’s digital sanctions would do against Russia’s physical gold. Once again, you can’t hack gold.

So will Russia invade? As I said earlier, I’m skeptical that Putin will invade. It seems he can get much of what he wants just with the threat to invade.

Still, the arguments for invasion are well reasoned, and it’s still a legitimate possibility. You might want to stock up on gold yourself just in case.

- Source, The Daily Reckoning via James Rickards

James Rickards: The $64,000 Question

By now, you probably understand the situation on the Russia-Ukraine border. Close to 100,000 Russian troops have been deployed along Ukraine’s eastern border.

Will Putin invade? What would be the U.S. and NATO response? Those are the $64,000 questions. The answers have massive implications for the economy, markets and potentially civilization itself. That’s not hyperbole.

Russia is the largest nuclear war power on Earth, with about 4,500 warheads. Besides its intercontinental missiles, Russia has intercontinental nuclear bombers and ballistic missile submarines that it can park just off U.S. coasts.

Does the U.S. really want to risk a military confrontation with Russia over Ukraine, a country that the U.S. has never considered a vital strategic interest? The experts seem to think any confrontation would be contained. But wars are unpredictable and are a lot easier to start than to stop.

Here’s how we got here…

Poking the Russian Bear

The problems began in 2008 when George W. Bush nominated Ukraine for membership in NATO. Ukraine shares a border with Russia and parts of Ukraine are actually east of Moscow, making an attack from the east feasible for the first time since Genghis Khan.

The problems grew worse in 2014 when the CIA and MI6 incited a “color revolution” that caused the democratically elected president to leave office. He was replaced in June 2014 by a pro-NATO puppet who was able to keep the money flowing to Hillary Clinton and Hunter Biden.

Putin responded by annexing Crimea and infiltrating eastern Ukraine. There’s been some fighting since then, but mostly an unstable status quo with pro-Russian elements in the east and a pro-NATO government in Kyiv.

Now Putin has moved over 100,000 troops to the border with Ukraine, backed up with air power, naval power, drones, special forces and cyberwarfare capabilities.

NATO’s response has been disordered, with Germany reluctant to intervene and the U.S. threatening “severe” sanctions. In fact, the German navy chief resigned because he said Putin deserves respect and that Ukraine would never get Crimea back.

He was right on both counts, but his comments ran afoul of official rhetoric, so he had to go.

Will Putin Invade or Not?

In the event of an invasion, you should expect a cut-off of Russian natural gas to Europe, skyrocketing natural gas and oil prices, a shutdown of European industry, disruption of supply chains as the U.S. tries to surge natural gas to Europe and the breakdown of critical infrastructure in the U.S. due to Russian cyberwarfare.

Stocks will crash and commodities like oil, natural gas and gold will soar.

All of this is easy to predict. What is not easy is to predict whether Putin will invade or not. It’s impossible to predict with any certainty, but right now my analysis leads me to believe he won’t invade.

That’s because the threat of invasion will win him the concessions he wants. Other reasons include the difficulty of actually holding onto Ukrainian territory after the initial invasion, and the possibility of guerrilla warfare by Ukrainians against a Russian occupation.

On the other hand, the pro-invasion argument is based on a variety of factors, including Biden’s weakness as a leader, American weakness as a result of the Afghanistan surrender, lack of unity in NATO, dependence on Russian gas and the failure of the West to do anything significant after the Crimean annexation in 2014.

Sanctions

What about sanctions? Sanctions are a deterrent, but the sanctions will be imposed by both sides.

Biden wants “severe” sanctions on Russia. The best way to penalize Russia is to build natural gas pipelines not controlled by Russia. The U.S. was building one with Israel, but Biden just shut down the pipeline project.

The White House is talking about what they call “non-Russian natural gas.” But natural gas is fungible, like oil. That’s why they call them commodities. If you take it from one source, there’s less somewhere else.

If Russia cuts off Europe’s energy, the U.S. says it will help Europe with Middle Eastern energy. That’s fine, but that energy was already bound for China. How do you think China would take to that?

In the end, the U.S. and Europe may suffer as much from sanctions as the Russians. Russia has been dealing with U.S. sanctions for years and has been working to inoculate itself against them.

- Source, James Rickards via the Daily Reckoning

Jim Rickards: Are Russian Stocks a Buy?

In light of the recent Russia-Ukraine conflict, Jim Rickards talks about the current opportunity being presented in Russian stocks, arguing "the US disparagement of Russia is ill-informed and biased".

- Source

Jim Rickards Last Warning: This is WORSE Than A Recession

Jim Rickards: Why isn't the Gold Price Climbing With Governments Buying? Here's Why

In this video, Jim Rickards answers a reader's question: Why hasn’t the gold price gone through the roof over the last few years with governments buying up tonnes of the metal? Jim explains it's not as simple as the gold price going up or down.

- Source

Jim Rickards: Most People Don't Know What's Coming

Jim Rickards: I’m Afraid Supply Chain Collapse Is Just Getting Started

Jim Rickards: THE BIGGEST THREAT IN 2022 - What Is Slowing Down The US Economy?

Massive Reversal: Don’t Call The Bull Market Dead Just Yet - Jim Grant, Jim Rickards, Grant Williams

Yesterday, Monday January 24, 2022, saw a historic reversal in the markets -- the 3rd largest on record for the S&p 500. 

But while extremely rare, it was quite predictable. 

Adam Taggart shares a compilation of expert analysts like James Grant, Jim Rickards, Grant Williams and Lance Roberts to explain why.

- Source, Wealthion

Jim Rickards Transitory Inflation Becomes Tighter Monetary Policy

Who is winning China’s trade war with Australia? 

Will central banks dare to tighten interest rates now that they’ve recognised inflation? 

Who is really to blame for all these shortages? 

And where did the term “throw in the towel” come from? Find out, from Jim Rickards himself…

- Source, Fat Tail Investments

What is the Real Risk in 2022? Robert Kiyosaki and the James Rickards Project

Consumers across the U.S. are feeling the effects of inflation through home prices, gas prices, and grocery prices which have all been rising in recent months. 

There are several answers as to what all of this means for consumers this year, but two lingering questions are: what will the Fed do? And will we experience the inflation of the 1970s? 

Today’s guest gives his opinion on where the U.S. is headed in 2022. Macro-economic expert, and the best-selling author of “The New Great Depression,” Jim Rickards, says, “I would look for disinflation, not inflation, from 6-7% annualized down to 4%," due to incoming rate hikes expected from the Federal Reserve.

- Source, The Rich Dad Channel

Jim Rogers, Jim Rickards & Other Top Money Experts Offer Warnings & Advice For 2022

What do top Money & Markets experts like Jim Rogers, Jim Rickards, John Hussman, Grant Williams, Michael Pento, George Gammon, Wolf Richter & Steen Jakobsen think about the state of the financial markets as we enter 2022? 

How worried are they about inflation, record high prices for stocks & real estate, Federal Reserve tapering &. interest rate hikes, or a market crash? 

What steps do they recommend today's investors consider taking now?

- Source, Wealthion

Jim Rickards: We’ve Reached Peak Inflation; The Real Risk in 2022 and Why Cash Is Critical

"Expect inflation to come down very quickly," due to incoming rate hikes expected from the Federal Reserve, says NYT best-selling author Jim Rickards. 

You could see severe, "tightening into weakness," with a potential of three rate hikes next year, he predicts with our Daniela Cambone during the premiere of this year's series, Outlook 2022: The Tipping Point. 

In order for gold to gain momentum and rise in price, "the dollar has to get weaker," he says. Having money on the sidelines is vital, according to Rickards, in order to be nimble into the coming year. 

When asked about the stored value of holding money in Bitcoin, he asserts that, "when you get to the center, the core of Bitcoin's apple there's nothing there."

- Source, Stansberry Research

James Rickards: How the 07-08 financial crisis should have been FIXED