Andrew Hughes

U.S. Debt Default, Dollar Collapse Altogether Likely

Well argued James. The Chinese have become more pragmatic with regard to Treasuries and have their own problems to deal with. The recent Treasuries auction, I believe, only confirms that Uncle Sam's debtors are beginning to choke on the debt they already have. There have been numerous articles on a Treasury pop that have so far been greeted with general disbelief but reality is setting in and it will become more difficult for mainstream financial journalism to spin their way out of this mess.
As far as confiscation of Gold is concerned, there is a rapidly growing market worldwide for physical gold as a store of value and on examination of U.S. Government actions so far in the economic crisis, it would not be surprising in the least if there was a 1933 redux.

Is the Second Great Depression Imminent?

Peak Oil has been on the investigative horizon for quite a while now. Mike Ruppert of Fromthewilderness.com did some excellent research which is still available on the website. The one aspect that needs to be carefully thought through is the alternative energy scenario. Hydrogen costs more energy in production than it delivers to the end user. Etahanol cannot replace oil as a means of transportation fuel because it would take too much land away from food production. But the really important point to remember is that Oil derived products comprise a huge percentage of the raw materials that run the modern economy. Plastics, fertilizers, insecticides. Bottom line, if we did not have Oil tomorrow, all industrial production would stop, people would starve. There should have been much more serious research done to pre-empt a supply shortage but not enough has been done. Whether Peak oil has arrived or is on the short or long term horizon, should not deter the urgent investment in realistic alternatives. The golden rule here is simply that energy creation is just a part of the whole system. Any development has to take in to account the effect it has on all parts of this sytem.

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

With Consumer spending in freefall, credit card debt spiralling upwards along with unemployment, who is GM going to sell cars to even if they survive long enough to retool and reorganise ? If they get their bailout and eliminate all unnecessary costs, reduce workers wages, pensions etc. and make it , still standing, to end of 2009, the last thing on consumers' minds will be an overexpensive hybrid like a Torus lookalike.