Episode-1147- Portrait of a Financial Collapse — 53 Comments

  1. civil war: a war between opposing groups of citizens of the same country

    The definition of civil war doesn’t go on to mention anything about one side trying to gain control of anything. I was told about the “war between the states” as you described the definition since I was raised in SC. When I finally looked it up one day it just said what it says above…nothing about control. Great show btw.

    • But it wasn’t between citizens of the same country was it. The south formally succeeded and did so by procedure. When they did they formed a new Confederacy. Said confederacy made no initial attempt to invade their northern neighbors it was the north that refused to recognize the constitutional right of succession and invaded what at the time was a new independent nation.

    • @Jack
      Leave it to a non-southerner to get the story correct…..
      The war would have been immediately one as well if they pushed on from the battle of manassas. (what a cool battle field by the way, minus the ticks).

      • Just to be clear I am not defending the action by the South to protect slavery, only their right of succession. Membership in a Republic must be consensual or it ISN’T really a republic. It was the states that formed the union not the union that formed the states after all.

        The slavery issue is a blight that forever muddied the water and due to that the Union was able to sell the idea of more federal power to the people.

        I don’t mean this in a religious way, but we are all still paying for the sin of slavery. Call it karma or call it a past timeline that cannot be altered but it allowed for incredible federal abuse of power. And those that still buy into the lie need to remember that the emancipation proclamation was signed over two years after the war began and that the Union believed the war would only of lasted weeks in the beginning. They should also remember this…


        Lincoln did what he did to preserve a government! Not to free a people and this is by his own hand, from a letter he wrote to Horace Greeeley.

        He also said this, http://www.etymonline.com/cw/lincoln.htm

        Basically that white and black can’t coexist in the US and all freed blacks should leave.

        So much for the supposed great emancipator.

        • Right.
          Lincoln is one of the biggest turds in American history. He is without a doubt about the biggest hidden black eye, and it pisses me off when people fall all over him. Lincoln was one and only one thing. A politician. Everything that Lincoln valued and actually did shows the kind of political snake he was. The only thing that the civil war has shown is that “he who wins writes history.” I love how liberals LOOOOOVE this guy, yet he was one of the biggest corporatist to go to washington. One of his major political tenants was corporate welfare. “The civil war solved the issue about succession.” No it didn’t. All it said was that people with more guns and money make the rules, and yes, we don’t live in a republic, we live in a tyranny.

          The civil war was never about slavery for Lincoln. Purely about preserving his government and his control over it. In fact some of the biggest supporters of breaking up were NORTHERN STATES. Overwhelmingly many Northern States were calling for succession.

          I heard about a year ago or two about I think Southern Arizona wanting to break away from “rogue right wing” Arizona. I couldn’t help but think… damn I couldn’t support them more. Why should anybody, particularly a geographical boundary be tied, involuntarily, to another geographical boundary? Nonsense. That’s the government of one, oppressing and preventing the government of another. If super liberal Southern Arizona, wants to create a government, then its not a matter they should be “allowed to” they have a fundamental human right to it.

        • @Jack
          By the way, don’t think I don’t have your opinions already pegged on probably every government related issue haha. Those who believe that freemen should exist amongst other freemen… more or less have to view the world in a particular way. While the details may not necessarily always match up, the overall view is pretty much rock solid.

          By the way you don’t need to read Atlas Shrugged, you need to read Ayn Rand’s “The Virtue Of Selfishness”. Significantly smaller, less repetitive. It’s the pure practical philosophy and clears the air on what Ayn Rand supports and doesn’t support, and its a lot less shocking or ridiculous like a lot of people might assume. I don’t consider myself a Randite, I don’t lock stop follow anybody, but her observation on force is quite impressive. (I think i heard you mention before that she supports force, which is VERY much the opposite, in fact she shows how force is applied in speech through guilt/etc which people just pass over without thinking about).

          But now i’m rambling…

        • @The New Mike – (wrong reply level)
          I think you can start at the mustard seed of ‘..all men are created equal..’ and logically deduce the whole of libertarian philosophy.

          Every moral crime is a violation of this single principle.


          P.S. Rand stole all her ideas from Bastiat.. IMO =p

        • @Insidious
          Look who is posting again. =)

          I don’t disagree WHAT SO EVER with your statements. Its really not hard to understand the pinnacle (in my opinion) of western thought and efforts (founders generation). I realize now just how much of a Renaissance era that really was and the educated (the real sense) of the founders generation is impressive to say the least.

          I am a VERY philosophically minded person, but I do not ever take things that are traditional for granted (which mainstream philosophical thought would wish you to do). Anything that has taken hundreds or even thousands of years to develop and be sustained is something to consider very very carefully before going “I can’t think of a logical reason to continue doing this, therefore I won’t.” I acknowledge that there are… uhm many before me who have spent more time, energy, effort, and treasure to come to various conclusions.

          Reading Bastiat is great because you’re like… dude is he talking about right now today? AGAIN with our over the top friggin hubristic thinking that WE ARE SO ENLIGHTED, THIS WORLD IS SO DIFFERENT. Nonsense. The exact issues we have today, are absolutely no different than in the past. The only difference is the unbelieveable power entrusted into individuals, and organizations. Particularly those who do not use principle, or historical (deep history) thought in their decisions.

        • I just have to say further, that in general, the world over has absolutely rejected historic wisdom, and the histories learned by many past generations. What do they know, they lived in a different time? I think the 60s generation REALLY started that. My parents, for example, are morons on so many things and are completely out of scope and knowledge of the world that is around them, and the world as it has existed for hundreds/thousands of years.

          Its like jack says all the time about the teacup generation. There is this nonsense belief that its better that our children have no resistance and no trials in their life via false sheltering and illusions. Absolute Bullshit. That’s what I was growing up and I’ve since gone and rejected the lifestyle (As best as possible) of those of my parents, (whom intentionally sheltered me from learning anything difficult or useful like fixing a car, doing anything handy or having to do work as a kid).

  2. PRISM has comprised our entire government.

    Any government official that has broadcasted compromising information is now blackmailable by those that hold this information.

    So yeah, I think everyone should consider this a big deal.

  3. Nice mention of startpage.com. Of course, we have to trust what they say about not storing our data…and this goes to the heart of the matter: who can I trust? Online privacy is probably a pipe dream. Hushmail was mentioned. The links below help make my point:

    The “privacy” portal you trust just may be a honey pot for those with “something to hide”. (many believe that Tor is just this) We can stop looking for a hole in the ground to hide in and start doing what Jack suggests: go about your business of making this a better place and don’t worry about apologies, asking for forgiveness, etc.

    As far as where to go for documentation of just how far this has all gone and where it came from, I find James Corbett sticks to mostly the facts of what is documented and seems to understand its limitations:


    The sight is searchable which helps as he has covered a lot over the years. His show note links are very helpful. One can disagree with his conclusions, but he usually has an issue researched and puts it out there for you.

  4. Jack,

    For an interesting look (a 32 yr old) version of how a financial collapse would look if the US couldn’t rollover its debt, watch this section from the movie Rollover from 1981

  5. “Common Core” is the latest iteration of our public schools and the Fed Gov’t s attempt to scrutinize, collect, catogaize and data mine every bit of info it can our our children in school. There is evidence of a Florida school system implementing “iris scans.”

    Thankfully, there is a grass roots movement to raise awareness and fight local school boards to remove “Common Core” and there have already been many successes but there is much more work to do..

  6. OK Jack, you got me to break my own self-imposed no posting ban.. =)

    I’m sick of fearing ‘them’ and worrying about what ‘they’ are going to do when the house of cards comes tumbling down. They’ve made their plans, and its time for us to make ours.

    We need to change our thinking, and our tactics, and instead of preparing for defense.. we need to go 100% offensive and crush these ass****s.

    They have us believing, and acting like, we’re weak, defenseless, poor and stupid.. and that needs to stop.

    Yes, fifty federal agents can drag you from your home.. but they can’t drag us all from our homes.. unless we let them come for us one at a time.

    If we really do have ten years to prepare.. there’s an awful lot we can do.

    Make our neighborhoods riot proof, by making them resilient. Have ‘our people’ in control of the local government, and ‘our Sheriffs’ in charge of our counties. Build communities that are working towards the type of world that we WANT to live in.

    The ass clowns have NO POWER that we’re not granting them TODAY with our thoughts and actions. Its time to remove our support.

    • Stop hoarding nickels and hiding under the bed.

      The boogie man is our own creation, and its time to grow up.

      The founders were great men, but they were not supermen.. they were human beings, just like us. Its time for us to stop living in fear and follow their example.

      And we have a huge advantage.. they, and other great men since, have done all the intellectual heavy lifting for us. The blueprint of what we want has already been created, tried and proven.

      Its time to return to it.

      • Great post insidious, you’re absolutely right. It’s as simple as standing up to a bully, they’ll motor on until someone puts a five knuckle shuffle across their lips!

      • First why the hell did you ban yourself and secondly I wish it was that simple. While I am the first to say stand up this is just one example of when the boogy man was actually a merchant of death by the tens of thousands.


        There are many more and this can’t be ignored. Can’t pull us all out hey? That ain’t the point the point is how many can they pull out and how many of your fellow Americans will be saying these words,


        Think it can’t happen in America? Really?

        • I’m not saying its simple.. and I’m not saying history isn’t full of examples of governments slaughtering, looting and oppressing their citizenry, nor am I myopic enough to think America is ‘special’ and it ‘could never happen here.’

          My point is that fear is THE mechanism of control. I fear the IRS. I fear the government. I fear being jailed and raped. Of being shot and killed by some BATF or FBI agent for some supposed infraction. I fear being stripped of my wealth and land and being thrown into the street, for the benefit of some connected corporation or political crony.

          And frankly, that sucks. I’m sick of it.

          And here we have Snowden letting people know that the government IS watching EVERYTHING you do.

          And the response from freedom loving people? You better be careful and do x to cover your tracks.. because in the future, your actions might be used against you.. in other words..

          Be afraid. Curtail your actions. Submit.

          The ‘opposition’ is doing the governments work for them.. creating more fear, and therefore more control.

          So I figure their are two options.. try and keep Hitler from coming to power. Or get the hell out.

          There are other places in the world that are NOT being run by a tyrannical police state. Where the people don’t live everyday in fear of their government.

          So either the fear needs to go away.. or WTF has to go international.


          p.s. self ban is because I get all fired up and start spending too much time commenting instead of prepping.. 😉

        • I think we agree more then we disagree. I ain’t living in fear, every time I get on a plane I expect to be pulled aside and it has never happened YET but damn well I know it could. That doesn’t mean I am going to shut up though, stop talking about this stuff, etc.

          We do need people to stand up but man they got to know why. This is a damn good reason to do it. If I had my way 250 million people would be standing up and posting, saying etc. tons of crap that would get flagged right now and would do it until the damn servers melted.

          It is the brain dead segment of society that I fear more then the overlords. They empower the overlords. My hope is this type of thing begins to shake some of them from their slumber because right now man, their ain’t enough of us.

        • P.S.S Sorry I’m getting so fired up.. been listening to too much Lew Rockwell and reading too much Bastiat, Mises and Rothbard.

          Makes you think more about human freedom and human rights as opposed to ‘American’ freedom and ‘American’ rights.

        • Your right Jack it really can happen here. In fact there are times in our history when it did (trail of tears) repeatedly (Japanese Americans rounded up during WW 2)

          But there were also times when it could have but didn’t. (American Revolution) What would have happened if all the founding fathers did was write the declaration of independence but not back it up with action? The Great Purge would be known as the second Great Purge. The British would have rolled through and hung half the citizens of the colonies for treason.

          Funny that the current Tyrants are calling Edward Snowden a traitor. I’m not certain yet but it appears he may be a very courageous hero and patriot on a level with Paul Revere.

          If there are enough Edward Snowdens left in this country, then there is hope.

          Thank you Jack, for being a voice of reason and hope, and thank you for keeping us focused on the things that matter the most.

        • Already did. The precedent was set at the onset of WWII with the internment of west coast Japanese Americans, although no evidence was ever found that even intimated that they were a threat. Of course, this was a kinder, gentler internment. They were even allowed to leave after the war, sans their homes, business’s and wealth. I find it disturbing that the Supreme Court upheld FDR’s illegal incarceration as being constitutionally valid. What? That amendment in the Bill of Rights must have been removed because I sure don’t remember seeing the “Bill of Rights Will Not Be Infringed Except When They Are Japanese Americans” clause. Can it happen? You better believe it. Will it happen? I am thinking so. Why waste a perfectly good precedent? Excellent Podcast, Jack, even if it gives me nightmares, lol.

      • @Modern Survival (sorry, wrong reply level) –

        I think the point I’m trying to make is this.. if ‘they’ want to ‘get you’ they can do that right now.

        For example, the CEO of QWest refused to tap his customers for the NSA.. he’s in prison on ‘unrelated’ charges:

        By worrying about what ‘they’ may do.. now, or in the future.. we allow our behavior to be shaped in a way that benefits ‘them’.

        I agree, there aren’t enough of us now. We need to get to 4%. But those of us that are, need to yell, and bellow, and kick and scream at every infraction of our liberty. It may not save us, but it might plant seeds in those around us.

        Quietly and meekly continuing up the ramp to the slaughterhouse won’t save us.. nor will it wake up the ‘sheeple’ we mock, while meekly hiding our own actions.

        OPSEC has its place, but holding your tongue while the noose tightens around your neck.. isn’t it.

        (this is all IMHO x 10) 🙂

    • Another way to say this..

      If ‘they’ are too powerful to oppose.. then ‘we’ need to become more powerful.

      Their power comes from ‘us’. Our ‘blood’ needs to nourish ‘us’ first.

      How do we keep it for ourselves.. until ‘they’ (the leaches) starve, die, and drop off?

      What are the stacking functions?

  7. so if I worry things go to crap as you suggest might happen, would you recommend buying land in Texas now? I dont want to live there, but I would if the US falls apart. Thanks

    • Depends on where you live and where you want to live. Look I ain’t promising all will be sunshine and roses here but yea I could see a day when people are scrambling to come here. Being a property owner MIGHT and again I say MIGHT help you with being able to come here if say too many wanted to at once.

      This is a big massive huge gigantic MIGHT mind you. What state do you live in now, if you say NY or IL all I can say is TX or not find something somewhere.

    • I personally believe Texas is a big government state that doesn’t like the US government cutting in on their action. I think walking to freedom is an awesome concept because like Jack has said, some places may fit you better than others. Trust me, not everybody is going to want to move to Texas.

      Louisiana has a corrupt government and just as broke as the rest, but the people and environment here I believe suit me much better. They have stupid laws here, but people don’t follow them or care.

      • =)
        Rather have your government run by petty crooks rather than megalomaniacs and psychopaths?

        Reminds me of:
        Heaven Is Where:
        The French are the chefs
        The Italians are the lovers
        The British are the police
        The Germans are the mechanics
        And the Swiss make everything run on time

        Hell is Where:
        The British are the chefs
        The Swiss are the lovers
        The French are the mechanics
        The Italians make everything run on time
        And the Germans are the police

  8. One of your best, man. You and I are on the same page more than I realized. Keep it coming. I’m feeling pretty goddamn proud right now to be part of this community.

  9. Thank you for your integredity, Jack. I’ve been trying to drill into my childrens’ heads (and co workers) that when you screw up, you stop, you say “I screwed up,” you appologize, then look for ways to make it right. Imagine our country if people in power could admit their mistakes instead of initiating the snowball of cover-ups and “least untruthful” (did Clapper really say that!?!) rhetoric to backpedal and confuse. Kudos

  10. Question I’ve been wondering with all this gun debate going on and Sheriffs making a stand against the Fed govt and enforcing new gun laws – If a Sheriff says he will not enforce or not allow to be enforced a particular law in his county, but a City Police Chief inside that county decides otherwise, who prevails? Can one override the other?

    • That would go to a jurisdictional issue. If the Chief or one of his officers arrest you on a charge then they can pursue charges. Keep in mind though it isn’t the police or the sheriff that actually prosecute you, it is the DA.

      Frankly though say you were arrested by Denver PD for having a high cap mag. The Sheriff of the county can’t do anything to help you. Denver PD will submit charges to the DA who will decide if the evidence merits pursuit.

      Generally the lines where the Sheriff is in charge and the City PD are well known. Now can an officer conduct an arrest if you make it “past the line” like the old TV myth, you bet. Thing then would be though what should happen is he SHOULD hold you and contact the folks in charge so out in the county it should then be this PD officer who was past his line for what ever reason but had reasonable cause and made a lawful arrest, should turn the arrested over to the county sheriff.

      Even that is a may be though. Say you live in the City jurisdiction and they get a warrant based on the one mag in your car. While the Sheriff is processing you and deciding (if we have a pro 2A sheriff and not all are) to let you go and not pursue charges. Well at that time PD is searching your home and finds you have say 12 of them, they COULD bring 12 charges against you.

      Next they could call the Sheriff and say this man is wanted on other charges, please hold him for us.

      It ain’t simple!

      Mainly what these sheriffs are saying is in our jurisdiction if we find a person in violation of a law we see is unconstitutional we will not arrest them or pursue charges.

      It isn’t without risk to the Sheriff either! One in Florida is now facing charges for allegedly tampering with evidence. He let the guy go and didn’t pursue charges but apparently the state wanted to anyway. When they looked for evidence they didn’t find what they wanted and now say the Sheriff tampered with it.

      Who knows, this is why though if a Sheriff means what he says no arrest should be made by his officers. Once they take you in you are “in the system” and while generally the DA won’t file charges unless the arresting department wants them to, they don’t have to do it that way.

      In other words to really make a difference here we need pro second amendment DAs.

  11. Hey Jack, how do you think us Canadians will be affected?
    I know most of our oil is shipped south to the States and then refined and shipped back up, so I expect a disruption in the gas supply. Beyond that do you think we will be in for the same break down and the scenario from this show?


  12. Usually I say that America is too occupied with reality TV’s Housewives to worry about government agenda, but this PRISM issue is a slap to such people’s face, and as a result they’re waking up to the fact that THEY WERE the reality TV for said government’s agenda all along. And are continuing to be so unless something is done.

    Luckily now that the secret is out, there is fury and action starting to take place:


    Germans demand answers when Obama arrives in Germany next week

    European Parliament Up In Arms Over PRISM

    Online petition: https://act.demandprogress.org/act/nsa_internet/

  13. (to add to Laurence’s post) Its amazing. The latest Lew Rockwell show Anthony Gucciardi talks about and big banks funding illegal drug cartels and admitting to it. He says the NBC article is shared on facebook ELEVEN times! (at the time)

    Thats how little people care about this stuff, but if a Jersey Shore cast member got a pimple then we’d prob get it crammed down our throats.

    at my age, in my area, I see so many people care about so little but I also come across some smart ones.

  14. I agree with most of what you said. Some of the theory is debatable as all theory is. How is said the best plans go to shit on the battle field. Seen it time and time again. Hell in Iraq watching our op tempo and what was happening there were obviously people in power that wanted that war to continue and that’s why they would lower our op tempo and made many of the policy decisions they did.

    What I really wanted to do is comment on your last words. I would rather live free than safe. They offer safety for freedom. The irony is stout because when you trade freedom for safety you will NEVER be safe. When I studied Soviet bloc literature one of the things I learned from the writers that got their words out or later wrote about it is the threat was real. Writing the wrong word could bring about the black car. You are never safe when you could say the wrong thing even innocently, not meaning to be a threat the person who censored you might hear a threat and that was the end of you. We talk about apathy in our country now but imagine who strong that vine would grow when a fart in the wrong direction could whisp you away never to be seen or heard from again.

    • What is very interesting is how little people have actually researched and understood soviet socialism. I was shocked to learn just how…. seemingly logical and rational the entire political system was. Cold calculations, for the benefit of the party (in particular). Although if you made the slightest misstep as a party member, you got shwacked.

      Forget 1984, read Darkness at Noon.

  15. This isn’t a fiscal speed bump we’re heading for. It’s more like quicksand, and we need to be prepared – just like you, Jack. Thank you for teaching us to how to make the rope.

  16. “Rights were put in place by the founders”??? Really, Jack? Read the Declaration, I’m sure you’ve heard it quoted: “Endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights”

  17. Jack, I may be missing the elephant in the room but… Who exactly were you referring to when you spoke about the president ordering the assassination of an American citizen?

  18. For me, Dr. Stanley’s follow up book: The Millionaire Mind was a more valuable book. In it Dr. Stanley describes – in detail – the behavioral traits of the millionaires that actually live next door.