The Beginning (of the End) of (Public) School

After 15 years of seeing public education at close range, it's time to make a few notes of what has happened during my tenure in the public school system.  I'm going to have to save this post as a draft, as I have my Tuesday meeting down the hall.  We'll talk about the same issues, real and contrived, and come up with solutions that will have no effect, as none of them go after the real culprits.  Even more nonsensical is the fact that the problems themselves are made out of whole cloth.  The 'issues' (no one says problems anymore in this age of euphemism) come down from on high as well.

------

It took me a while to get back to this post, as not only was our weekly 'meeting' the usual blast of hot air, I was taken in by a conversation with my colleagues about how our meetings are a colossal waste of time.  Interestingly, none of the people with whom I was speaking is as radical as I in terms of how to solve our 'school' problem.  None of them has read John Taylor Gatto, Charlotte Iserbyte or Murray Rothbard.  None of them has considered simply closing down the public school system, or advancing the home school movement.  Yet, even though my colleagues are not on the same page as I am philisophically, they all recognize that the system is broken, and something has gone horribly wrong.  Our students have world views that are extremely small, and they know little that we would consider basic knowledge.  One of the anecdotal bits I use to explain the average student is something I do when we read "To Build a Fire" by Jack London.  Because the protagonist is caught in -75 degree weather in the Yukon, I begin with a blank chart where the students have to fill in the degrees for the boiling and freezing temperatures of water in Fahrenheit, Celsius and Kelvin.  The idea is to help put the concept of -75 degrees in perspective.  Where this falls apart is the fact that fewer than 10 percent of my students know the freezing temperature of water.  One year, only 1 student knew for sure what was the correct temperature, and she was from Britain (yes she gave me the temperature in Celsius).  This is not hyperbole.

As my colleagues and I were discussing what to do, we laugh at the district's 'answers' to our problems.  We incorporate soon forgotten programs like PBIS, a program where you aren't allowed to say "no" to a student - that would hurt one's self esteem.  This is not some sort of cynical off the cuff comment.  We suggested that students be told on a bathroom sign to "not throw paper on the floor".  This idea was summarily rejected as we were saying "no" to students.  We also introduced  a program called "Write Traits" a few years ago.  The only thing remaining of that is a 3 ring binder with handouts and 4 posters.  We had the TDHS people in for about 6 months - they bolted under bizarre circumstances, even though their program was a solid one and it seemed to be working.  Prior to that we were a part of the ISA program - that too was effective and had wonderful staff development techniques.  Success seems to be part of the way to guarantee that your program will be bounced from a public district.  I'm reminded of a Thomas Sowell essay, where he correctly surmises that failure attracts government money, and success does not.  Were our district to infuse discipline and accountability for students and staff, and incorporate the things that have proven successful in creating independent thinkers, the money spigot would be shut off.

So what do we do?  I think it's time we do the things we talk about, but never actually try.  Let's have high levels of accountability for students and staff.  We have rampant lateness, people walking out of class, profanity, indomitable ignorance, excessive absences, sloth - and those are the teachers.  They aren't fired because the teacher's union and the tenure laws have made it nearly impossible to fire a teacher.  Behavior that wouldn't last a day in the private sector (the source of our funding) is allowed for, in some circumstances, three decades.

For students I think the writing is on the wall.  For the past few years I've had at least one student taken out of our school because the mother wants to either home school her child, or move her (it's usually the girls) to another district.  Parents are starting to question the status quo when it comes to school.  They see the abject failure permeating a building like mine and they decide to end the charade of "learning" going on in the HS.  Something else is happening as well.  Parents are starting to see tools like Khan Academy, Mises University, FFF, Robinson Curriculum, and the MIT course load online for either low cost or no cost.  How can a High School populated by profanity spewing, butt crack showing, misogyny promoting souls possibly compete against theses resources?  For too long the specter of political correctness has disallowed criticism of deviant behavior.  The "they're just angels with dirty faces" defense doesn't cut it anymore.  The change has begun, and the stigma attached with home schooling is one of the final barriers that needs to fall.  Once it does, schools like the one where I work will be centers for the most deviant of young people - nothing more, nothing less.  Hopefully they'll just close.

Next:  Independent Thinking and Student Debt

The Century of the Self

Go to school, get good grades, go to college, get good grades, get a job that pays well.  While you're following this (flawed) plan, buy ridiculous amounts of stuff you don't need, but that you want.  Follow the herd, the trend, the style - starting about age 5.  Your parents will see to it that you are following the latest trends in toys / clothes / books.  Make sure you consume many things, as you've been taught that it is consumption that drives the economy.  You're doing your part, right?

If you live on Park Ave. in Manhattan, buy a huge Land Rover or a Hummer for the rustic 'feel'.  If you live in the 'hood, buy throwback jerseys because you saw Sean Combs and Shaquille O'Neal wearing them at the Video Music Awards. Everyone else is watching Reality TV?  You should too.  Buying a home? - I hope so, it's your duty as an American.  Everyone knows renting is for suckers.   iPhone 4 not good enough? Get the 4S.  Get the latest brands, the latest styles, the things that make you feel wealthy, powerful, rich, famous - you deserve it and you feel better.  Most of all, get up at the crack of dawn and make sure to spend your money on Black Friday!

This 'brave new world' society is ours.  How did it get that way?  How did we go from a libertarian, independent, self reliant and hyper literate society to a bunch of consuming drones?  Why do people follow the crowd?  This nearly four hour BBC documentary looks into the fascinating world of the nascent behavioral psychology movement of the early 1900's, and follows it to the end of the century.  I have always wondered how George Orwell's 1984, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World,  Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 and H.G. Wells' The Time Machine were able to correctly and chillingly predict the future.  It turns out the "switch" was much closer in their rear view mirrors than it is in ours.  Regardless of the aforementioned authors disparate political beliefs, they were able to see how the people were becoming sheeple, and they wrote novels reflecting this massive and destructive trend.

Edward Bernays is the focus of the first episode, which shows the move from a society that spent and consumed according to need only, and moved to one that was convinced it should have the things that it wants.  How do you alter the minds of millions?  Bernays can show you how, sometimes with exceedingly destructive results.  Bernays had a direct influence on the move to make smoking acceptable for women, as well as influence on the Nazi propaganda machine.

Quick note:  The more I read and research, the more parallels I see between the works of Gatto, Garrett, Sutton, Iserbyt, Griffin and Rothbard.  I can see now how the educational aspect of America had to be attacked first by the Power Elite - starting in the 1840's.  None of these shifts could have been done with an educated, headstrong and independent populace.  It also lends credence to Charles Mackay's Extraordinary Delusions and the Madness of Crowds.

For a 1938 essay on this phenomenon, see Garet Garrett's "The Revolution Was".

 

On OWS

I've been getting many requests from current and former students about the Occupy Wall St. (OWS) movement.  There seem to be a few things going on with OWS: hypocrisy, planning and cognitive dissonance.

The hypocrisy is almost off the charts.  Much of the protesters seem to be against "big corporations".  However, Apple Computer and Google don't seem to 'count'.  Many of the protesters have iPhones, and use them to record the events at the protests.  The videos get uploaded to YouTube (owned by Google), and are seen by many.  One has to wonder why AAPL and GOOG don't seem to count as "big corporations".  I have a good friend, Mr. Topgun Technologist himself, who works at the Apple Store.  I've asked him many times over the past few weeks if there have been any protests in front of the Apple Store, but there have been none.  If Wall St. is the epicenter of Big Corporate, then why do some corporations get a pass?  And what about the people who make the criminal decisions within the corporation?  Why are they not named?  How about the people who make the horrid decisions getting prosecuted?  Treating the corporation as a monolithic entity rife with evil is childish and ignorant.  The people at the top of these companies don't work on Wall St. anyway - they work remotely or from their homes.  How about we have an "Occupy Greenwich, Connecticut"?

There seems to be a bit of planning here.  There are simply too many coincidences.  The medieval monk style of chanting that the OWS uses in ALL of the protests is simply too much to take.  This type of repetitious babble went out of style in the 1200's.  To have it reincarnated now in 2011 - all over the world is simply too fantastic to take seriously.  They ALL decide to use the same form of chant?  Really?  All of the major Democratic politicians are also endorsing the OWS movement.  The independent journalists (please ignore the MSM) who have followed the money with regard to OWS have all come to the same conclusion.  To think that this is an 'organic' movement, a spontaneous event that 'happened' is the product of a limited intellect.

My main issue with this is the cognitive dissonance inherent in the supporters of OWS.  Many of the supporters and participants are left leaning statists who look to the government for healthcare, education, security, and retirement.  Now that the police have gone into places like Zuccotti Park and forcibly removed the protesters and their paraphernalia, people are accusing the NYPD of police brutality.  What did they expect from The State?  The government does everything by force: taxes, compulsory schooling, speed limits, TSA grope - why would this be different?  We've gotten to the PFC Santiago part of this debate. If you look to the government for all things, why are you surprised when it uses its enforcement arm against you?  You simply cannot have it both ways.

I guess this is the part that is most surprising to me, that the people do not realize what The State is.  They shouldn't be surprised.  Perhaps they are less naive now that their master has put them in their place.  If you take the government's nickel, you also take its noose.

4th Amendment

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."


Not today.  Not anymore.  You are guilty until proven innocent. You have no 4th amendment rights. You pay 35% of your wages to oafs in DC. Your lives are controlled in almost every way. You believe politicians depending upon whether they have a "D" or an "R" after their name. Your education, health, legal, media and financial systems are rigged against you and corrupt to the core. You don't look at facts or take the extra time to read to determine if you believe what you do because you want to, or because you were taught to. The efforts to keep you sick, stupid, broke and afraid are staring you in the face.

Jesse isn't having it anymore. I don't blame him.

Lessons at OWS

Peter Schiff went down to Wall St. with a sign that read "I am the 1% - Let's Talk". Schiff runs a successful investment firm and he makes great money. Deciding to go to Wall St. and discuss his situation with young people was a move that should have positive repercussions. What we can get out of his discussion with some of the people there is to see how ignorance is the enemy. If you look closely at the people discussing things with Mr. Schiff, you'll see that they think they know things, but they really don't. You also see that when some of the 'protesters' are backed into a corner they resort to calling Mr. Schiff names, or interrupting him. This is not debating or arguing or learning. You'll see as you get older that the people who are not well read, not historically aware, not well versed in economics - these are the ones who want the power to control the dialogue and run the debate. Schiff simply won't allow that. The two most egregious examples of this are the guy with the Guy Fawkes mask who calls Mr. Schiff an 'idiot', and the older woman who says she is part of the 1 percent. They do not offer a counter argument. The clown mask guy simply resorts to calling names. Don't take people like that seriously. If you decide to follow that type of intellect, then you get what you deserve. The older woman says that Mr. Schiff's facts were 'wrong', yet she does not offer any other facts. She brings nothing to the table. She admittedly pays 10% in tax - I pay close to 40% and Mr. Schiff pays over 40%, yet she is down there with the protesters feeling morally superior as she is "down" with them. Notice how Schiff tells her she can pay more if she wants and she dodges the comment. She never addresses the point.  Her hypocrisy is astounding.  This is common among liberals.

Again, Schiff is right.  Actual capitalism and the free market (not the 'market' we have now) provide the toughest regulations, provide the best wages, lowest priced products, and wealthiest society.  This may sound unbelievable to you.  Without sounding sinister and conspiritorial, the evidence is there, it just isn't ballyhooed because the Power Elite would rather you continue to have your wealth siphoned off and the status quo continued.  One last noteworthy point.  There was a man who asked Mr. Schiff about FDR and his "saving" the country.  Schiff said that FDR didn't save anything, and he was correct.  Notice how the other guy didn't even question - he just dismissed it as crazy.  That exchange epitomizes the lack of education today.  The person who is correct gets dismissed by the factually bereft person in the wrong.  Thankfully the web is changing this.  It can't happen quickly enough.

Downright Frightening

I'm not sure who is the more scary, the woman at the end who simply stops talking to Adam Kokesh, or the sash wearing young Stalin who accepts "the use of force" for people who will not conform to his version 'social justice'.  Notice how both are brainwashed to the point that when Mr. Kokesh asks about impeaching Pres. Obama, they equivocate (sash guy) or ignore (ill informed woman) the question. 

This shows you the state of much of young America today.  I think the Sash Guy is more frightening - he sounds to me how I expect a young Stalin would sound.  Advocating the use of force to adhere to HIS principles is much of what Stalin (and Mao, and Castro et al) did to dissenters.  Firing squads, the Gulag, secret prisons - these were all tools of these socialist dictators.  I found this video truly frightening, and not a little depressing.  Left unsaid is how Sash Guy would feel if someone ELSE used force to make him adhere to their view of 'social justice'.

Schiff Before Congress

Peter Schiff testified before congress not too long ago.  He had no notes, no teleprompter, and no one there to provide any refutation of his arguments.  Listening to the following 22+ minutes will give you a very good grasp of what bad government does to our economy.  I'll let the video speak for itself.

On a more sinister note, the video was eventually taken down after a week or so.  Mr. Schiff has since re-posted it via his Youtube channel.  Was there a conspiracy?  Probably not, but who knows.  I got this email from Europac (Schiff's company), which I will post in its entirety.  Read and then analyze his testimony for what actually happens in the business world, instead of getting distorted "news" from the paid off quislings of the mainstream media.

Pay particular attention to the last 3.5 minutes.  You'll see how everything you've been taught about the gold standard and income and life in the United States was wrong.

The email was as follows:

Friends,
 Many of you know that last month I was in Washington to testify in front of the House Subcommittee on Government Reform and Stimulus Oversight. I argued that bad monetary and fiscal policies had combined with excessive taxation and regulation to stifle job creation in America. As a result of a Youtube video of the hearings that was in the process of "going viral" many in the media and political establishment began to take notice. In the aftermath of the testimony, I was invited to discuss my testimony with Greta Van Susteren, Mike Huckabee, and many others.
Unfortunately, the "viral" video that news and media sites had linked to most often, and which I had mentioned on my radio show, was inexplicably removed from Youtube by the individual who posted it in the first place. There is no conspiracy here, just an unfortunate string of events that have left many people disappointed that a video that could have reached into the cyber stratosphere, has instead simply disappeared. And while there are dozens of other versions of the testimony online, in today's world there is no substitute to a big view count.

And so, in an attempt to roll another snowball down the same hill, I have posted a new version of the video on my Youtube Channel. In order to comply with securities regulations I elected to delete a very small portion of my testimony, but plenty of other versions are available online that have all my remarks. But in order to make up the lost view counts I urge you to click on this link and send it to as many people you know who may appreciate my message to Congress.

If enough people watch, the video will go to the top of the charts and more people, many of whom may still be completely unfamiliar with the benefits of capitalism, will be exposed to our ideas. If you want to move the needle and impact the debate, here is a way to do it. All you need to do is click.

Sincerely, Peter Schiff CEO and Chief Global Strategist Euro Pacific Capital

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs died yesterday. This commencement speech at Stanford University in 2005 explains why he will be remembered and how he was able to be successful. If you'll notice throughout the speech he talks about time orientation. I don't think it was happenstance that Jobs continuously stressed focusing on the future. One of the major differences between the cultures and classes of people isn't birthright - it's future orientation vs. present orientation. By continually focusing on the future and making sound decisions regarding that future, a person can pursue a level of success that the hedonistic person cannot. People and cultures often determine their levels of success by how they regard time. Being future oriented has been shown repeatedly to breed more wealth and a higher station in life.

The second thing that is glaringly obvious, as Jobs mentions it at the beginning of the speech, is the irony of a college dropout speaking to the graduating class of Stanford. In yet another example of Steve Jobs being ahead of his time, he personifies the overemphasis of a college education in our society. Think about it - a college dropout, billionaire, entrepreneur - lecturing young people graduating from one of the most prestigious universities in the world. None of those graduates will have the impact on the planet that Jobs has had. Probably none of them will be as rich. We are taught that Steve Jobs relegated himself to a life of failure because he didn't finish college, and he explains how that decision caused his success. Jobs success was spectacular, but the decentralization that is happening will make dropping out of college and breaking away from the debt servitude universities promote more common. This is obvious now, Jobs was at least 6 years ahead of his time. Again.

Stay focused on the future.

Explore and find out what you love to do.

Pursue your calling with a passion.

Thank you Steve Jobs.

Mainstream Media - you're seeing the end.

The process of decentralization, due mainly to the WWW, is now starting to become patently obvious. For decades, the "mainstream media" was a convenient tool of the power elite to control much of the opinion making. What do I mean by this? As our political system began to be forced into two sides (democrat or republican), the media began to 'create' or 'make' the opinions that were to be regurgitated and spouted endlessly by the media outlets. The best example of this the artificial "New York Times vs. Wall St. Journal" debate. Supposedly the Republican Conservative crowd followed the WSJ, and the Democratic Liberal crowd followed the NYTimes. For the most part, that was how things went. The editors vetted the editorial pages and the stories and their spin, and little was left up to the imagination, and people looked to these outlets for their 'expert' opinions.
This is quickly coming to an end. Watching this video is one of many proofs. Ron Paul finished second in the Iowa Straw Poll in the Republican primary. Agreeing or disagreeing with R Paul is irrelevant, theoretically it is news that he did so. Jon Stewart noticed that the MSM simply IGNORED this fact. On the big Sunday talk shows, Ron Paul was just not mentioned. How can supposed "news" organizations do this? They do this because they are slow moving sedated dinosaurs. They think this is 1991 - not 2011. Why do they do this? Because they are serfs to the large corporations that own them. Ron Paul has a 30 year history of voting NO to corporate welfare and corporate handouts. The MSM refuses to allow someone of his beliefs a platform. Unfortunately for them, the horse is out of the barn and people are noticing their absurd bias. You should break away from the MSM and use the WWW for most of your news. I use zerohedge and lewrockwell, as well as mises.org and RT.

Recommended reading: The New Media Monopoly, by Ben Bagdikian

A lesson in History, Economics, and Public Speaking

"Archived from the live Mises.tv broadcast, this talk by Tom Woods was presented at the 2011 Mises University in Auburn, Alabama. Introduction by Mises Institute founder and chairman, Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr."

Tom Woods explains here his personal journey for truth and intellectual and moral legitimacy. Remembering that much of the information we learn in school and via the MSM is patently false, or incomplete, it is easy to see how an intellectually curious and avid reader like Woods gets to where he is. In this video, Woods talks about his intellectual journey, his father, his college experiences and a host of other topics. I can relate to him because he is my age, and I too have had an awakening of sorts as I read and learn about our country and our world. Unfortunately for me, my 'awakening' occurred in 2007 - 2008, whereas Woods' was in 1993. Imagine you at the stage of 'getting it' right now, as a young person, how far ahead you'd be. Woods and his references can get you there, and your intellectual journey can proceed at warp speed.

Everything you thought....

you knew was wrong case # 348,882.

Tom Woods and Damon Root show (again) how the things you were shown is school are simply incorrect. It would be smart to show up to 'class' in September realizing that much of what you are being shown is either half true, or pure propaganda. This topic deals with FDR "saving" the economy by instituting the New Deal. This is completely false. FDR not only did an unconstitutional gold grab, he continued the Great Depression with the New Deal policies. The record is clear - if you do your own research and find credible sources, NOT the ones in the textbook.

Current Day Economics

This post will be obsolete in terms of current events in about 2 weeks. It has eternal relevancy because the economics discussed by P. Schiff are for all time. He cuts through the nonsense and instructs the (oddly simpleminded for RT) hostess about the economics. This is a great way to understand the issues / economics of today and not get distracted by the presstitutes in the MSM who are self aggrandizing boobs.

Recommended reading: Crash Proof 2.0 by Peter Schiff / How and Economy Grows and Why it Crashes by P. Schiff and Andrew Schiff.

Ron Paul to Congress: If Debt Is the Problem, Why Do You Want More of It?

You may have been hearing a lot about the "debt ceiling" and the issues surrounding it. It is pure theater. Washington DC is so far gone you should watch it with the same mindset you'd watch 'Glee'. National politics has become something of a soap opera. Hopefully you'll realize a few things:
1 - The Republican v. Democrat battle is pure nonsense.
2 - The Establishment believes that you have the intelligence of a deformed cockroach.
3 - 97% of congress doesn't "care" about you or any of your opinions.
4 - Congress is run by the big banks.
5 - Campaign contributions would be called bribes if we were honest about it.
6 - The biggest campaign donors get what they want from Congress (see #4).

There are a few exceptions to these points. Justin Amash, Rand Paul, Ron Paul and Mike Lee are the only names I can come up with without looking at the list, but there aren't too many other congressmembers based in reality.

The National Debt is a whopping 14.3 trillion dollars. The US Gov't has put a 'cap' on the amount it spends, this is the 'debt ceiling'. Because the federal gov't wants more warfare, more welfare, and more wasted money, they need to 'raise the ceiling'. This would be like you having 14 thousand dollars in Visa debt, and using your MasterCard to pay it off. The worst part of all of this is that there are people correctly saying that debt is a problem, but we should raise the ceiling. What?

Rep. Ron Paul correctly calls them out on this joke of a position. I can think of the moment in 'A Few Good Men' when Lt. Caffey asks "if Santiago wasn't in any danger - why did he have to be moved off the base?" I guess we've reached the "Pfc. Santiago" moment in the debate. Naturally only Ron Paul has what it takes to call our Federal Gov't out for the worldwide joke that it has become.

Rupert Murdoch's Failing Attempts to Control the Internet Reformation by Anthony Wile

Rupert Murdoch's Failing Attempts to Control the Internet Reformation by Anthony Wile

This is a useful article looking at the role and influence of the media. What happened to MySpace? Why do the Power Elite hate the www? Well written and thoughtful - doesn't purport to have all of the answers but uses some historical trends to try to map out and guess what will happen next in these trying times.

The Same Message - Different Source

I have often spoken to many of my students about independent thinking.  The 'thought journey' that I've been on for the past 15 years is starting to come full circle.  What I mean is that the more I read / learn / watch / listen to the non mainstream sources of intelligent ideas, the more commonalities I find.  This German economist is talking about gold and economics, but after about 6 minutes he talks about the education of the German youth.  It is fascinating that in a country where the education of its' children is vastly more rigorous than ours, they still don't learn about economics.  The key point made here that caught my attention and made me want to share is the fact that he asks rhetorically about who would have an interest in keeping the young people of Germany economically ignorant.

This has been one of the tenets of my last few years as a teacher.  There are people who like to control others, and they realize that it is easier to control YOU if you are unaware of the world around you.  Our education system was libertarian and free (and very good) until the late 1800's.  Then the public school system was spectacular so that had to be disemboweled in the late 1960's.  Unfortunately, some of these attributes have affected the German system as well, according to this man.  Watch the whole video to get more of an economic education, but pay particular attention past the 6 minute mark.  You'll be glad you did.

Is The Mainstream Media Covering Up the Truth at Los Alamos, Ft. Calhoun, and Fukushima?

Is The Mainstream Media Covering Up the Truth at Los Alamos, Ft. Calhoun, and Fukushima?

What in the world is really going on at Los Alamos, Ft. Calhoun and Fukushima? There are millions of Americans that would like the truth about what is happening at these nuclear facilities, but the mainstream media has been strangely quiet. Instead, the mainstream media is running headlines such as "10 Dirtiest U.S. Beaches Named" and "Pole Dance Stops Times Square Cold". Yes, those are actually headlines that appeared on the front pages of major mainstream news websites in the United States today. Sadly, you really have to dig to find anything about the problems that are currently happening at nuclear facilities in the United States, and the mainstream media seems to have gotten really tired of talking about Fukushima. It is almost as if the mainstream media actually prefers to talk about mindless things rather than focus on the truly important events that are happening all around us.

Internet Kill Switch

You should know about this. You've already heard about "net neutrality". It is a smokescreen, a ruse, a fake, an artificial trojan horse intended to get you prepped and ready for the WWW to get shut off. When gov't doesn't like what it hears or reads, and the sheeple start figuring out what is really going on, the regime has to shut the information source down. I don't think they'll be successful, but they are ALREADY TRYING. In school you learn silly things like 'freedom of the press'. The Bill of Rights has been under attack since the founding of the republic, and they have just about ended it. This is one of the last power grabs. Wake up people, let others know, and call your representatives and let them know you're a young person who is paying attention. Be a part of real change.

Susie Castillo, Miss USA 2003 - Ban the Scan!

One of the most obvious signs of the War on The Bill of Rights is the TSA airport backscatter / grope phenomenon. You are innocent until proven guilty - except at the airport. There, you are guilty until proven innocent. 6 year old girls, mentally disabled men with plastic hammers, grandmothers in wheelchairs - all guilty of terrorism, until proven innocent. This is your country. This is how it's done. This should be an affront to you. It is not the government's job to 'keep you safe'. It is the government's job to ensure liberty, property and contract rights. That's it. You really can't have it both ways. The specter of 'terror' is now being used as a new bogeyman. It used to be the communists, before that it was black people, before that it was European immigration from Ireland and Italy - it's a long list. The 'terror' idea is so useful because it is so amorphous. All of these 'wars' on terror, drugs, bullying, obesity, communism et al are simply ways to take your FREEDOM away and TELL YOU WHAT TO DO. At some point you have to say enough, especially when the 'cause' is the underwear bomber - a completely fraudulent and staged episode. Look it up.

Here is a woman who is fighting back. She does some damage to the beauty queen stereotype because she has a message, proof, and solid delivery. She needs a lapel microphone, but I forgive her for that because she is more appealing to look at than I am by a factor of about 99 zillion.

What Happened to the Antiwar Movement?

"I will end the war as we understand it". Barack Obama.

No, I don't know what happened to the antiwar movement, but Reason.TV tries to find out. Some of you remember the fervent anti war protests during the Bush years. They were correct. Where are they now? How come the Mainstream Media is AWOL on the issue, as well as Hollywood and the anti war Left? This should serve as EDUCATION to you that most people are more loyal to their 'team' or their 'side' than anything else. They have the herd mentality - the sheeple factor - and they really don't think at all. Now that someone from their 'team' is president, well, he can do no wrong. Make sure you have principles, independent thought, courage and the ability to see the world around you clearly. If you are anti war, as many people are, then stay that way. The political party should have no factor in those beliefs. The Left and the Right are guilty of being part of the 'herd', and you should not fall into that trap. One of the reasons I have fallen into the libertarian camp (after being on both sides of the political spectrum) is because I realized the left / right paradigm is totally fake, and it is there to keep us unfocused and distracted from the real enemy - the Federal Reserve. See some of the previous videos on this site for more on the FED.

Recommended reading: Andrew Napolitano's A Nation of Sheep

Time for the Thought Police?

www.lewrockwell.com/shaffer/shaffer238.html

Copy and paste this into your browser. George Orwell was right - - - unfortunately.

Activist Post: 10 Most Influential People in the Alternative Media (2011)

Activist Post: 10 Most Influential People in the Alternative Media (2011)

This is a great list of alternative media. "Where do I get real news"? Well, here is a great list to start. I use Rockwell's site and Roberts' site often. The MSM is a joke, time to break the chains. If the NY Times cheerleading for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wasn't proof of the pusillanimous nature of the MSM, I don't know what was. Bookmark these sites in your favorites.

Pieces of Eight

No, we're not reading Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island - although that would be fun.  We're talking about money.  It is one of those topics that has intentionally been left of the list of "things to learn" in school.  Actually, it is pretty high on the very LONG list of things not to be discussed in school.  Edwin Vieira, the author of the book Pieces of Eight, speaks with James Turk of GoldMoney about the irrationality of our money, and its blatant unconstitutionality.  Our constitution clearly states that the Federal Gov't cannot emit "bills of credit" (paper money), and that the states can use "NOTHING BUT gold and silver coin" in the repayment of debts.  Why do we use neither?  Who gains from this obvious fraud upon the people?  Who loses?  Why is there a war on gold?
To make it short (and because E. Vieira does a much better job), the gold standard limits government.  Ok, big deal - gov't can't fund endless wars (Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen etc). But the part that the overlord elites really dislike is the power gold puts in the hands of the people.  That is the part that your gov't masters hate.  You should be a sheep.  You should have your wealth confiscated, and the Power Elite should strive for a medieval manor style world, with you as one of the serfs.  Gold stops all of that.  With gold money your wealth is stored, prices go down, entrepreneurship skyrockets and people have control over their lives.
Do you see now why it isn't even discussed?  Why gold and silver and the constitution and dozens of other things are NOT on the list of things for you to learn in "school".  It didn't happen overnight, but over a few sinister decades these topics were removed from schools and universities.  Don't think you will get lessons in gold and free market economics in college.  They've been bought off as well.  The best part is you can learn about all of the forgotten things at mises.org and from Tom Woods.  Oh yes, you can get a 44 minute lesson on constitutional money from a guy with 4 degrees from Harvard right here for FREE.

James Grant: "We'll see a gold standard again"

Gold is seen as some sort of rogue investment. Jim Grant, of Grant's Interest Rate Observer, actually says the unthinkable when discussing a gold standard. He thinks we'll have a gold standard in the USA again. I think he's right. Why am I lending his opinion credence? Because he's been right repeatedly. Why does anyone listen to the FED, or politicians (except the Libertarians), or the talking heads on the Mainstream Channels? Grant is very good, very smart, and he sells his opinions at Grant's for big money. You'll continue your education in economics by following this man.

AMBUSHED: Socialist Senator Sanders Hawks His Book Like an Evil Capitalist

The hypocrisy is unending. Jason Mattera, of Obama Zombies fame, ambushes Bernie Sanders, a Socialist Senator from Vermont. Now being a Socialist means that the government is there to siphon off all of your hard earned capital, and redistribute the wealth via the State. Odd how Sanders is selling his book, in a for profit institution (Barnes and Noble) and he isn't sure where the $$$ will be headed. My guess is that it will go into his coffers. That's how these guys operate. They promise all of this free nonsense via the gov't, and then they line their pockets. Sanders should be ashamed of himself - he's a disgrace to all of the old world Brooklynites from whom he sprang.

Renegades of American History

Thaddeus Russell has a premise that is wonderful - the history you've been taught is too narrow in its scope. You've figured that out already, or you wouldn't be here, but Russell goes even further - he has researched early American History and found that the people we don't hear about are the ones responsible for many of the freedoms that we (theoretically) have here today. Note his willingness to speak the truth about the present day anti-war movement. It is this kind of speech that got him FIRED from the 'liberal' 'tolerant' Columbia University.

This is one of the most historically unique ten minutes you'll ever listen to. I was introduced to Russell's work on a lewrockwell.com podcast, and he's been on my radar ever since.

His book - A Renegade History of the United States is on my short list.

Everything you thought was right was wrong

Tom Woods is a great teacher.  His site is a useful tool in your education, and it shows how the market for learning and education has changed.  It will be seen as one of the bellwethers for the ending of schools as we know it.

This is an excerpt from a longer speech on American History - his specialty.  He talks about child labor.  We learned that we needed government agencies and the do-gooders to eliminate the evil of child labor.  Without the Federal Gov't and the high minded elites in it, children would be working in sweatshops for 17 hours a day, earning pennies.

No.

That isn't how it goes, and that is NEVER how it works.  Our government schools have a vested interest in  you thinking that they are the do all end all answer to every ill and evil in the world.  Haven't you noticed that our entire system is crumbling, and our government is the reason?  Everything they touch has turned to garbage.  Here is a snippet explaining just one of the topics that you learned incorrectly in "school".

Druckenmiller Calls Out The Treasury Ponzi Scheme

Fiat currencies have a 100% record of failure.  Money backed by nothing WILL fail.  Always.  The longest run was in China centuries ago, it lasted around 90 yrs.  Email DH for the details, I'm sure he has them.  
 
Our money and economic system is going down.  Every gov't move since the founding of the FED (with a few exceptions in the 1920's) has moved us toward the disintegration of the greatest experiment in libertarian freedom known to human history.  Trying not to sound tinfoil hattish, the attempt at world gov't needed the US to have a fiat currency to cause the economic catastrophe we are staring at now.  With a gold backed dollar you can't have the endless wars and welfare / social programs. Since the founding of the FED the dollar has lost 94% of its value.  There has been no move to stop this.  Buy precious metals, farmland, whatever you can that has intrinsic value, and have a network of like minded resourceful people near you.  


"Mr. Druckenmiller had already recognized that the government had embarked on a long-term march to financial ruin. So he publicly opposed the hysterical warnings from financial eminences, similar to those we hear today. He recalls that then-Secretary of the Treasury Robert Rubin warned that if the political stand-off forced the government to delay a debt payment, the Treasury bond market would be impaired for 20 years. "Excuse me? Russia had a realdefault and two or three years later they had all-time low interest rates," says Mr. Druckenmiller. In the future, he says, "People aren't going to wonder whether 20 years ago we delayed an interest payment for six days. They're going to wonder whether we got our house in order." Which begs the question: if interest rates are so low today, is the market not appreciating the current path of "financial ruin"? And here is where Druckenmiller joins the Grosses and the Granthams of the world. Asked if the future is not so bad judging by today's low bond rates he says, "Complete nonsense. It's not a free market. It's not a clean market." The Federal Reserve is doing much of the buying of Treasury bonds lately through its "quantitative easing" (QE) program, he points out. "The market isn't saying anything about the future. It's saying there's a phony buyer of $19 billion of Treasurys a week." 


Here's the article from ZeroHedge:


http://www.zerohedge.com/article/druckenmiller-calls-out-treasury-ponzi-scheme-its-not-free-market-its-not-clean-market-ident

http://www.lewrockwell.com/slavo/slavo36.1.html

http://www.lewrockwell.com/slavo/slavo36.1.html

"Fellow Americans, everything you do is being monitored."

"What You Do Online Is No Secret"

"We can see you. We can hear you"

"Your cell phone is a mobile monitoring device"

"Phone Conversation and Email Analysis"

"Your pictures are not private"

Whatever the case, it's clear that almost everything we do, whether it's in the privacy of our own homes or on public streets, can be tracked, monitored, and logged.

The Agendas Behind the bin Laden News Event by Paul Craig Roberts

The Agendas Behind the bin Laden News Event by Paul Craig Roberts

This is the best article I've seen on the Osama Bin Laden "death" so far. In order to be an independent thinker, you CANNOT simply buy the tales of an entity (the US gov't) that has consistently lied to you. Did you not believe "WMD's"? Then why do you buy this? OBL has been either declared or mentioned or suggested to be dead in major outlets at least 9 times. Why are you buying this one? Because the volume is louder? Think, question authority and do some research.

Why John Taylor Gatto's message works

I am about 2/3 of the way through The Underground History of American Education.  It is incredibly informative.  Often the question is asked: why are schools today so terrible?  Why are public schools that as recently as 25 years ago were great, so horrible now?  What happened?  Some think that things just 'happen'.  As I get older, I now see that almost nothing just 'happens', especially such a large scale disemboweling of a once proud educational system.  One of the things bandied about in the colleges of Education is the excuse that it is the 'culture of poverty' - but that doesn't make sense, and Thomas Sowell has dismantled that myth repeatedly. 

It is convenient that a person who researches these things and finds the answers is dismissed as a 'conspiracy theorist' or worse, a 'revisionist historian'.  By this time you should IMMEDIATELY wonder why the person with the uncomfortable answers is victimized by an 'ad hominem' (personal) attack.  Why attack the person?  Why not attack and refute the facts?  Oftentimes the Establishment doesn't want the grand players known.  It is easier to stay in the shadows while the American people, once a force to be reckoned with, are dumbed down.

Part 5 - The Silver Saga Story Continues

These 'silver bears', while silly, provide good information.  The precious metals world is very small.  The prices of gold and silver keep rising, not because the metals are getting MORE valuable, but because our fiat money is becoming LESS valuable.  The Establishment HATES gold and silver because it is a check on their power.

We were on a gold standard, with a free market from 1793 - 1913.  It worked very well.  We had an amazing expansion of wealth as a country.  You've been taught that that era of the USA was horrible and wretched.  You've been snookered yet again.

The moneyprinting house known as the FED is practically guaranteeing that PM's go up in price.  Pay attention and think about how a gold standard would work.
(warning - some mild profanity)

Inflation Explained

Ok, it's a cartoon, but it gets the job done.  Yet another thank you goes out to www.zerohedge.com

Inflation is the reason why prices go up.  Who gets hurt?  The poor and middle class, especially the poor.  The next time you hear a politician or an economist talking about 'helping the poor', ask them what they've done to END THE FED, the institution that creates inflation.

Heading at ZH - "Inflation explained. So easy that no Ivy League Ph.D. is guaranteed to understand it."


Recommended reading: How and Economy Grows and Why it Crashes - Peter Schiff

How Money is Created

I never really learned about money.  I remember hearing about the gold standard, I remember hearing that gold had been replaced by "the full faith and credit of the United States".  I never did totally understand how gold could be replaced by 'faith'.  I also had the fact that "Federal Reserve Note" was the labeling at the top of the dollar bills pointed out to me.  That's it.

About 2 years ago, a poster on another site whose opinion I respected pointed out a great presentation called The Crash Course on chrismartenson.com.  It is a detailed presentation about how our money is created and the debt scam that is our monetary backbone.  This system of money creation is truly corrupt.

Upon coming across Tom Wood's site, he mentions an article about the system of fiat (created from nothing) money we have.  In the article by Robert Murphy, a truly bright man, he mentions the first 30 minutes of this movie on YouTube.  The 30 minutes are truly eye opening.  Feel free to go past the first 30 minutes, but beware, you're in for a session of "everything I thought I knew was wrong".  The knowledge presented in this is something that the Establishment would prefer you not know.  Most of your peers have no idea that this is how the system is made.  Only the Remnant is truly aware of this.

Required viewing / visiting:  www.chrismartenson.com

Peter Schiff - teaching about economics yet again.

We have now practically guaranteed a government default.  The losers in DC have no real interest in cutting the deficit - they are on the take, and they have no skin in the game.  Inflation will ravage the US, prices will rise, and you'll be expected to become a serf of the gov't so that you are under their thumb.  If you don't feel fury about our "politicians", then you're not paying attention.  Peter Schiff, who is a master on the economics of the USA, explains and teaches you here what will happen, how, and why.

Start listening to people like this.  Find the experts who have a track record and some real world experience and judge for yourself whom to trust.

Required reading: Peter Schiff's Crash Proof 2.0

Paul Krugman’s 'Civil War' Fantasies by Thomas DiLorenzo

Paul Krugman’s 'Civil War' Fantasies by Thomas DiLorenzo This is the perfect example of "everything you've been taught is wrong". Paul Krugman is probably one of the more dense public intellectuals out there - and he proves it often. Tom DiLorenzo proves it here. Courtesy of www.lewrockwell.com

Eisenhower: War is Theft and Waste

Ike isn't really on my list of favorite presidents, but this post from the blog 'Southernbread' really hit home. I think you'll see some staggering differences between a past leader and our current 'leader'.

Eisenhower: War is Theft and Waste

Excel Breakdown Of All Discount Window Users Between March 2008 - 2009

In case you're wondering why Ron Paul wants to END THE FED - here's proof, courtesy of a lawsuit by Bloomberg News Corp. demanding the information of Federal Reserve activities during the real estate bust.  The FED sent what amounts to upwards of 15 TRILLION to banks - many of them overseas.

They are destroying our currency - yet we have to use Federal Reserve Notes.  That's like having to fly in a plane that you know will crash.  They are destroying lives, values and futures.  Here's the proof.

Educate yourself:

Courtesy of one of my favorite sites - zerohedge.com

Excel Breakdown Of All Discount Window Users Between March 2008 - 2009

The American Dream - Animated version

This half hour video shows how things have worked in the USA.  If you want the quick version of how the country was usurped - here it is.  About as recently as 5 years ago this would have been seen as 'conspiracy theory' oddness.  The word 'conspiracy' has become something like the word 'racist'.  It has been used so much that it lacks meaning.  This video focuses on the economic / financial aspects of the country's history.  You know something is wrong in the world - in the USA - here's the main reason.  Not the only reason, but the biggest part of it.

Required reading: G. E. Griffin - The Creature From Jekyll Island and Ron Paul's End the Fed

Your Life According To The Government

This video manages to do in 4 minutes what I try to do in 180 school days.

Tom Woods on Dennis Miller Show

Tom Woods on Dennis Miller Show

Tom Woods talking to Dennis Miller - great audio about our current affairs, and the problems with the Mainstream Left AS WELL AS the Mainstream Right. Woods shows you how a solid knowledge of history can allow you to parry 'conventional arguments'. Miller is one of the few entertainers who allows himself to listen and change his views - unlike many of the Zombies in the Mainstream Entertainment World.

A sad day for the USA - no privacy for you.

Your Facebook account is now open to government officials.  What is more disturbing about this awful news is the reaction to it.  The sheeple will be expected to, and from what I can tell mostly are, reacting with resignation.  "Oh, well if the parents can't stop bullying, then it's up to the schools".  That was a comment from one of the guidance counselors about this news.  Her reaction was one of total relaxation and calm.  I guess much of the population has been dumbed down to the point that an obvious power grab by the Power Elite is cause for - - no reaction at all.  People do get the government they deserve in a 'democracy' like ours.

A more sinister and sad, somewhat disgusting display is being put on by the group "Media Matters".  They are painting this as the "Right Wing Ginning up Hysteria" over this news.  This is the same group that would attack GW Bush for creating a 'police state' and other evils.  I guess when the person in the White House is 'on your side', all is well.  Invasions of privacy only happen when the President isn't one of 'your own'.  These were the same people who were (justifiably) crying about privacy and Civil Liberties during the post 9/11 GWB administration.  It's funny, because they were right then, and now that BHO is in office, they find the issue silly.  Look at the comments after the Media Matters article to see what I mean.

Here's how this works:
-Start a harmless White House initiative on anti-bullying (after all, who is Pro Bully?!?!).
-Create hysteria about bullying and cyber bullying / racism / gay bashing by putting it on the news EVERY MORNING like it is now.
-Justify another freedom / privacy grab by 'proving' it's necessary by pointing to your bought and paid for servile media bootlickers "reporting".
-Malign your critics by calling them 'racists' and 'insensitive bigots'.

This is exactly what the Mainstream Right did against the Left when they cried foul about the GWB police state initiatives post 9/11.  Remember "you're either for the terrorists or against the terrorists"?  That false choice is now being put toward your 4th amendment and privacy.  I don't know what upsets me more - that a "Liberal" administration would invade people's privacy in such a wanton manner, or the public would submit in so servile a manner.  I think it's the latter.  As usual, only the Libertarians are on to this horrible scam.

I find this news, and the reaction to it scary, sad and offensive.  If anything proves to you that there is a false Right vs. Left paradigm, then this is it.

"Keep the people / sheeple bickering and they'll take their eyes off the ball and ultimately give up all of their rights, freedoms and liberty".

Required Reading:  Behold a Pale Horse   - Bill Cooper  In this book all of these maneuvers were predicted in advance, and he provides hard proof of these liberty stifling moves.  Unbelievable and eye opening material.

Ron Paul - why he's different than the others

Most politicians are alike - they say one thing to get elected and then do something else when in office.  Ron Paul is different.  He has principles and he follows them.  His voting record reflects this, and his views are consistent.  He is anti - war, anti - state, pro free-market and pro liberty.  His views are viewed by the mainstream media as 'oddball' or 'extreme' or 'archaic'.  The mainstream media, which for decades delivered and controlled mainstream opinion, as well as played ball with gov't interests, hated Dr. Paul's ideas.  They represent liberty for the 'masses'.  The 'rabble' (that's you and me) doesn't deserve to make decisions for itself.  Your overlords should control your job, your salary, your healthcare, your banking, and your very life.  Any deviation from that is simply too strange to take seriously.

This is all ending.  The great decentralization is underway and Ron Paul is a gigantic part of that.  This hourlong talk is a lesson in how a citizen politician in the US should speak and believe.  He believes in the people, not in word, but in deed.  He sees the common denominator of all parts of a successful society as liberty.  The free market libertarian roots were what made the USA what it is today, and our gov't and the progressive corporate interests that work in tandem with it have been at work to destroy it since at least 1913.  He obliterates mainstream beliefs, and effectively answers the left leaning but refreshingly intellectually curious questions from the moderator and some of the audience.  As a side note, I noticed that this video has more views than the Obama version.  Thank God for that.

Required reading: The Revolution, by Ron Paul

Tom Woods - Rollback

Tom Woods in an Ivy League scholar and historian.  His book Rollback is worth a look, and it has vaulted to a  high spot on my list.  Use it to obliterate many of the myths you've been taught during your 'education' about your government.  Notice I didn't say 'your country'.  Your government and your country are NOT the same thing.

End of Liberty

Utah takes a first step against the PTB

The "Powers That Be" hate gold.  They hate silver too.  Gold and silver are 'sound money' - a leftover phrase from when people could hear the difference between real money and counterfeit money.  Why do the PTB hate gold and silver?  They represent freedom.  They represent the people.  Instead of a bunch of bureaucrats and members of the Superclass determining monetary policy, gold and silver put the power in YOUR hands.  If you don't like the direction of the country, or the monetary policy of the US Treasury, you used to be able to go to the bank, and turn in your paper for gold or silver.  That is real power.  It was a check on government spending,  now an out of control debt monster rambling to the tune of $14 trillion.  Gold and silver places power in the hands of the people.  By now you should realize that the PTB despise the people - they are the elites and we are the proles.

Utah has staked an early claim that they are thinking about this issue, and they have made an initial move toward the reinstitution of sound money for their state.  The video speaks for itself, so I won't do too much prep here.  I hope they succeed.  If they see this through, the reaction by the Feds will be fascinating.  It will also make Utah and its citizens exceedingly wealthy.  Spread the word.  End the FED.

Recommended reading:  Sutton, Antony The War on Gold.  Rothbard, Murray What Has the Government Done to Our Money?

Thomas Sowell - Basic Economics

Thomas Sowell is quite possibly the most prolific, most intelligent and least known economist in the country.  He writes and speaks on a wide range of topics, usually disemboweling some sacred cows along the way.  This has earned him the scorn of the establishment.  He has become one of my literary heroes, along with Gary North.  They make intelligently written and interesting to read prose look easy.

Here Prof. Sowell is talking about the latest release of his most famous book Basic Economics.  There are no charts, no graphs, and no jargon.  It qualifies as "heavy reading" coming in at 600 or so pages.  For a sampling of his work, try the best essay you'll read on education.

Note:  When Mr. Robinson asks Prof. Sowell about eliminating the FED - Sowell catches Robinson by surprise by saying that it should be eliminated.  Make a note of this.  Until very recently, the FED wasn't a topic, let alone having its removal advocated by one of the intellectuals of the 'right'.  Sowell, addicted to the truth, and armed with airtight logic and study, befuddles the interviewer, who has to regroup.  Interesting viewing.

Free Education!!

I joke often with my students that if I yell "fight" within seconds a stampede of humanity will arrive looking for the fight - wonderful entertainment.  Were I to yell "free books" I will have.....not much of a reaction at all, if anything.  Perhaps a soul who heard the word 'free' would stumble in the class to see what it was, but upon hearing that the 'free' material was books, well....

Would you like a degree from MIT?  You can go through some of the courses - only about 2000 are available.  That ought to keep you busy for about 4 years.

There is a paradigm shift afoot when it comes to education.  With the MIT doings, and the advent of KhanAcademy, the cost of delivery is now whatever it costs to access the www.  KhanAcademy has about 1800 videos available - from addition up to high end math, along with some eclectic things as well.

Are you looking for a good education?  Some self discipline, the www, paper for notes are about the only things you need.  Once the accreditation wall falls - we'll all be better off, more educated and be able to keep more of our money.

They're Baaaaack!

This is part 3 in a series. Keeping things short, the silver market is about to blow. These two, through their witty dialogue and tips from zerohedge.com will instruct you on what the silver market is doing, and how the banking commissars are destroying the world economy.  The delivery is silly, but informative and oddly prescient.  (beware, some light profanity)

Why should you care and what does this have to do with education?  Economic knowledge is sorely lacking, and this is a good start.  As the bear tells you, don't be a sheep and get slaughtered.  LEARN about what money is, what sound money is, and how you can be ahead of the economic crater in which we will soon live.

2 Essays

The two most impressive essays that I've read in my life are Albert Jay Nock's "Isaiah's Job" and C. S. Lewis' "The Inner Ring".  I find myself thinking of those two essays quite a bit.  An event today made me remember Nock's essay in particular.

I was in one of my school's smaller offices and a colleague came in.  She is looking for a secondary income stream and I told her she was smart for doing so.  I explained to her that I do some trading in the stock market, and by not following the herd, and with much research, I've done relatively well.  She mentioned that she was afraid of investing, and was prepared to lose some money.  I tried to assuage her fear by telling her that she should then decide to buy gold - there can't be much more of a risk free investment than that.  6000 years of history says gold will be valuable, and it is safer and easier than tinkering with stocks.

To make a long story short, this woman - a 20 plus year veteran teacher with multiple degrees, told me 'what if it goes down, these things always go in cycles'?  "What factors are in play that make you think that gold will go DOWN in value?" I calmly asked.  "Well these things always go in cycles, and I remember when gold was $200 an ounce" was the reply.  I tried to explain that the way things are going, gold and silver will explode in value and there is simply no reason that points to a lessening in value.

I actually tried.  I figured that I could get this rational person, entrusted with the education of the American youth, to see how a conservative gold investment could be in her best interest.  No luck, and it will be the last time.  I remembered 2 things afterward that I should have remembered in the first place.  One was Gary North's advice to never try to change the mind of the person sitting next to you at the lunch counter.  It is a colossal waste of time.  The second thing was Nock's essay, which is a magisterial work explaining that the group to try to reach is the 'Remnant'.

Don't waste your time with the majority, or the masses.  It is the Remnant that is worth your while - they will be society's saving grace.

Charles Goyette - Economics 101

I came across Goyette's work, but I didn't learn too much about him until recently on a Lew Rockwell podcast.  I knew he'd been fired from his job as a successful talk show host because he refused to push the war in the Middle East, but I didn't know that his main focus is economics.  Most of the immutable economic truths are kept from us.  Goyette talks about the 'government class' and if you pay attention, you'll notice that much of the policy that comes out of DC benefits this class exclusively.  I think it's time that the American people stop being so naive as to think that their every need will be taken care of, without cost, by their Economic Mandarins.  Notice the mention of David Walker - former Comptroller General under several presidents - and his message about debt.  I suggest you learn more about economics, begin with someone like Goyette, and then do some heavy lifting over at mises.org

Recommended reading:  The Dollar Meltdown,  Charles Goyette
Required Viewing:  IOUSA