CBDC & the Fall of Western Society


Armstrong Economics Blog/Cryptocurrency Re-Posted Jul 28, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: You said that when Rome fell it took 700 years before gold coins reappeared. Are we facing something like that again?

PO

ANSWER: Yes, when Rome fell, gold continued in the East under the Byzantine and Islamic Empires. However, in Europe, the last Western emperor was Romulus Augustus (475-476AD) who was a puppet anyhow. He was a young son, whereas today, we have senile leaders who are puppets and incapable of independent rational thought. The first gold coin to reappear in Western Europe was that of Frederick II of Sicily (1231-1250AD). The Augustale was a gold denomination of about 5 and a half grams which Frederick II introduced to Sicily in 1231AD, and it was primarily issued for international trade.

Fibonacci-1

Actually, Fibonacci (1170-1240 AD) published in 1202 his “Liber Abaci” (Book of Abacus). He introduced Hindu-Arabic numerals into Western culture. Suddenly, this allowed the calculation of numbers that were not taught in schools and was unknown in Christian circles. Only a very small group of intellectuals had access to translations of the Arab mathematician al-Khwarizmi (780-850 AD). The techniques that Fibonacci introduced were groundbreaking to re-establish a culture that lost its identity with the fall of Rome. Fibonacci illustrated practical problems on how to calculate profit margin, money changing, barter, conversion of weights and measures, partnerships, and, last but not least, interest. He also introduced some geometry and algebra.

However, Fibonacci’s work was so earth-shattering it became the topic of discussion and caught the attention of King Frederick II of Sicily. I believe it was Fibonacci’s introduction to mathematics that also inspired Frederick II to even reintroduce gold coinage in order to trade with the outside world. At the time, that included the Arabs as well as the Byzantines. The gold dinar was the Islamic medieval gold coin first issued in 696–697AD by Caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan with a weight of 4.25 grams. Frederick II made his coin about 1 gram heavier in order to project economic power.

The introduction of CBDC is highly dangerous in war; even a nuclear blast also sends out an EM pulse that will destroy electronics. If I were Russia or China, I would NOT move to any sort of digital currency and then use an EMP against the United States. The entire economy would collapse. People would not even be able to buy anything. We have idiots in power who are so greedy, looking at the power this will place in their hands, they are ignoring the risks. This could mark the collapse of Western society, sending us back to the days of Barter.

The Post-2032 era would most likely be fragmented rather than national states as we know them today. There will most likely emerge regional currencies, as we have witnessed throughout history many times. Even during the Great Depression, over 200 US cities resorted to issuing their own money.

There is no Rule of Law


Armstrong Economics Blog/Rule of Law Re-Posted Jul 28, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Anyone who thinks there is a rule of law in any country is a fool. When the movie The Forecaster came out, and I did a tour of major cities, I was in Frankfurt, and there was a question and answer period after the film. A woman stood up and said this is what is wrong with America after what they did to me. A German attorney rose and said, Germany does this to people here all the time. In Japan, they, too, have a 99% conviction rate. In all of these countries, there is no real rule of law – it is always the self-interest of the government in power. So this is why anyone else would go to prison for 20 years, whereas Hunter Biden will do no time. The Justice Department know the Hunter Laptop was real, and they have been hiding the evidence that showed that Biden takes bribes and has engaged in actual treason.

While the Constitution is supposed to be the supreme law of the land, it is circumvented ALL THE TIME. We are being stripped of our rights to free speech under the fiction that the Constitution only prohibits the government from interfering – not social media. It is a complete joke to think that you have any rights whatsoever. They are there ONLY for propaganda and to get soldiers to die on a foreign battlefield under the delusion that they are defending something worthwhile.

They are going after Trump because they fear he would fire all the Neocons and stop the war while they do nothing to Biden and put on a show for Hunter. There is no equal protection of the law – that is all just fantasies to make you think you are special when you are looked down upon as scum.

Crickets For Protein


Armstrong Economics Blog/Climate Re-Posted Jul 26, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

According to World Wild Life, they claim that the production of beef effects “climate change due to emissions of greenhouse gasses such as methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide. Research shows that ruminant livestock account for between 7% and 18% of global methane emissions from human related activities.” In February of this year, the US Forest Service had gotten approval to fly helicopters over land in southwestern NM to hunt down 150 cattle from the air and shoot them down. This was said to save the threatened habitats and other species. Cattle is supposedly ruining the environment from bodily gasses that are released and causing climate change but no worries- they have already figured out a solution: crickets.

Northern Italy, which holds the largest Cricket Farm in the country, has figured out how to integrate crickets into foods like pasta, bread, energy bars, and even sports drinks. This is a powder form which the process of this is to just freeze the crickets, boil, dry, and then pulverize. According to the Italian Cricket Farms’ website, “One third of the world’s land is used to produce beef. On average, 200m2 of surface area is used to produce 1kg of beef. For insects you only need 15m2 for the same amount.” You will mostly find this is western societies for now, but I wouldn’t doubt that it starts making its way here. The Climate Change zealots have done studies where “a single burp from a cow releases 220 pounds of methane which is shorter lived than carbon dioxide but 28 times more potent in warming the atmosphere” so we should watch out for the gasses coming from cattle. I wouldn’t be surprised if you found 50% crickets in your hamburger, soon they won’t leave us with much of a choice.

1st Amendment is Slowly Being Taken Away


Armstrong Economics Blog/Freedom of Speech Re-Posted Jul 25, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”- This is our first amendment right which was signed in 1791. According to a recent poll, it is said that 55% of Americans believe that the government should have a say in restricting false information online and then 65% of Americans believe that Tech companies should remove content on what they believe is misinformation. I am not sure why anyone would think that this is a good idea. If our sources of information are regulated (which most of it is), and everything is being portrayed how the government wants us to see it- we are provoking the constitution ourselves. Basically, this would correlate as being brainwashed. The founders would roll over in their graves. This is a revoke of  what we ask our soldiers to die for- our Constitutional Rights.

Take the discovery of Obedience to Authority as an example. This discovery was made by Stanley Milgram who did experiments to show we are influenced by mob behavior. Meaning, that people would torture one another if ordered to do so. As I have said in a previous blog- “society swings back and further between public & private confidence. People canceling anyone who has ever said anything, even 30 years ago, is the swing of the pendulum excessively to the left. The swing is based upon the “sheep” who can be herded and they will move back and forth depending upon their influence.”

With that being said, people are very easily influenced towards a higher authority. Whatever the government thinks is good, most people will follow. There are some countries who already censor the content that they allow their citizens to view/ post, a few being North Korea, Vietnam, Iran, and China. In some countries, the fear of imprisonment for “spreading misinformation”- meaning if it’s criticism against their government, they will be dealt with severely.

This poll showing that 55% of Americans believe that the government should censor media content is very questionable. We have our First Amendment right put in place for a reason which doesn’t seem to mean anything these days since Tech companies such as Tik Tok have already limited, censored, or completely will remove videos of information that THEY find harmful or violent. The very argument that Russia censors what people can say is what we ask our own soldiers to fight against, yet the majority thinks that this is ok for our government to carry out. Our soldiers put their life on the line every day to fight to protect our rights, but doesn’t it seem a bit hypocritical that some think that the government should censor things that they believe shouldn’t be out there in the world. This is a direct rebuke to our Frist Amendment.

Federal Court Bars Biden from Banning Free Speech


Armstrong Economic Blog/Tyranny Re-Posted Jul 24, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Judge Terry Doughty favored the people in the Missouri v. Biden case. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear the case in the near future, but the ruling stands. This is pending an appeal because the current propaganda machine refuses to be dismissed. The Ministry of Truth is completely unconstitutional. The Biden Administration believes they have the authority to remove the first amendment, asking the public to believe whatever they claim is true blindly.

It is public information that Biden used strategic propaganda ahead of the last election. Social media companies silenced any negative new about Biden and his associates, and silenced anyone from speaking out against him. The COVID narrative shows just how far the propaganda powers will go to promote a single message to people that they are legally unable to deny. Judge Doughty banned the administration from meeting with “social-media companies for the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech posted on social-media platforms.”

Yet, social media companies routinely block the conservative narrative. Look at what they have done to RFK. You can no longer question government without the risk of being deplatformed and shunned as a conspiracy theorist. YouTube, Facebook, Google search results, and entire mainstream media silence ANYONE who speaks out against the status quo. So while this may be a step in the right direction, there is a long road to go to regain our freedom to speak, and therefore our freedom to think critically instead of blindly obeying like sheep.

The Death of Free Speech Is the Beginning


Armstron Economics Blog/Freedom of Speech RE-Posted Jul 21, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Tunisia is actually criminalizing free speech under the claim that it is spreading “fake news” to end free speech in the country. The problem is this is the trend in the aftermath of COVID. Anything disagreeing with the government narrative is increasingly moving toward criminalization. This was the very same trend that the LEFT took under Marxism. I find it ironic that all we hear is that China is this horrible communist government that suppresses free speech when the United States is doing the same. I went behind the Berlin Wall before it fell with a friend to visit his family trapped there. If anyone was close to us, the rhetoric of how wonderful the government was became the speech. Then came the truth when we were alone. This is where we are headed.

The number of people censored and de-platformed under COVID was the launch pad for the termination of the First Amendment in the United States once and for all. The government has been directing private platforms to censor and remove people and then claim that the First Amendment only applies to the government – not to private companies. Robert F Kennedy, Jr. came out and also told the Democrats that they were weaponizing the government. Yet even the military has come out and confirmed that the COVID vaccines were causing serious side effects in the military. They hate RFK as much as Trump, for he, too, threatens their authoritarian style of government. Meanwhile, Congressman Jordan has put Pfizer on Tight Timeline to produce all evidence of Collusion with the Executive Branch and Social Media. This is going to be VERY interesting.

The Biden Administration taking its orders from the Neocons, has sent a letter advising Trump he is now a target in the January 6th nonsense, calling it sedition so they can bar him from ever holding any political office under the 14th Amendment. This outright interferes with the 2024 election, but nobody can indict the Department of Justice.  Meanwhile, Edward Snowden is in Russia because they would prosecute him for treason for telling the people that the government is violating the Constitution. We have lost the Rule of Law, which is one of the last straws before the decline and fall of any nation. Senator Chuck Grassley released the FD-1023 form, alleging that Mykola Zlochevsky, Burisma’s founder, paid a $5,000,000 bribe each to Vice President Joe Biden and Hunter Biden to have Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin fired.

I seriously doubt we will hear this story on CNN, MSNBC, Washington Post, New York Times, other than perhaps claiming it is a conspiracy theory. The media is now AGAINST the people and have formally crossed over into the camp of totalitarianism, refusing to report the truth about anything from election fraud to the war in Ukraine. The days of honest independent journalism are over. FOX fired Tucker for this very reason – they were given their marching orders.

It is confirmed that the FBI has circumvented the Constitution and violated the civil rights of everyone in this country by colluding with social media to censor citizens, which the First Amendment states that they cannot do under the rule of law. When the FBI raided my office and home, they NEVER produced any inventory. Things were missing I have never located ever since, and the lawyers will tell you you “cannot accuse the FBI of theft,” plain and simple. They then can claim they found whatever they want on a raid when they do not make an inventory. A former VP of the NY Post told me personally that the government calls the press or a journalist and starts they have a “favor” to ask. If you refuse, they send the IRS after you and tear your personal life apart. The government dictates even Wikipedia. That is why universities now tell students Wikipedia is NOT to be used as a source. It is not trustworthy. NOTHING is safe anymore. Even the pretend Fact-Checkers are not independent and are just part of the whole scheme.

Freedom of speech is only free when it applies to everyone.  I must defend the right of free speech even when disagreeing. True freedom of speech is incredibly dangerous for those in power when they have abused that power and are desperate to retain that power. This is what we face going into 2032. Those in power are losing their grip. I warned that our computer was projecting a rise in civil unrest and international war post-2014 at our 2011 World Economic Conference. That is now becoming obvious to many, including those in power.

It was Free Speech that was under attack in England. Remember the English Civil War between Royalists and Parliamentarians raged from 1642 to 1651. The Puritans won, beheaded the King, and imposed their religious beliefs upon everyone. It became a felony to kiss your wife in public. They outlawed all sports and Christmas and authorized spies to look in people’s windows to ensure they were not celebrating Christmas. Against this backdrop, in 1668, William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania, was imprisoned in the Tower of London for writing pamphlets Truth Exalted: To Princes, Priests, and People and The Sandy Foundation Shaken. This was all about protesting religion. The Bishop of London ordered that Penn be held indefinitely in prison without bail until he publicly recanted his written statements. I know how that goes also for Free Speech.

This is what Free Speach Was All About. Allowing the censorship of social media is outrageous. This is merely a sign that 2032 will be the collapse of governments. They know they have abused their power, and this is really the time for the Neocons. They care nothing about the country, or your future, only their insane hatred and cheer on the destruction of Western Society without ever considering what if they lose as they have consistently done since the 1960s.

The wisdom of those who rose to create a new way of government against monarchy is no longer revered. They tore down Jefferson’s statue until they claimed he was a slave owner. He inherited the slaves through his wife. Jefferson was the one who was against slavery and wrote the Declaration of Independence that stated all men were equal. But to free the slaves in 1776 would have been a death sentence. There was no employment at your local Starbucks. How would they survive? Those who judge others in the past by standards today are the greatest fools of all. Yet they preach hatred rather than bother to understand the core issues of freedom.

In 2013 a reporter asked Justin Trudeau which country he most admired. “There is a level of admiration I actually have for China because their basic dictatorship is allowing them to turn their economy around on a dime,” Trudeau smiled and stated with seriousness. He went on to say how he admired (i.e., envied) how dictators could implement laws on a whim without the people’s consent and added a nod to climate change policies, as the left does not see that as a problem yet. Trudeau is a graduate of Klaus Schwab’s authoritarian school and has strived to infiltrate the entire world and impose his social-economic doctrine to circumvent democracy and our personal freedom, all because we are too stupid to understand how the world should function according to what he believes everyone should bow down to him and gobble at his feet – herr führer (my leader).

The next 8-years going into 2032 will be the most difficult. History warns us that society will shed its skin like a snake. We will embark on a Great Reset, but many believe Schwab is using our model and trying to force this to go in his direction of totalitarianism. Democracy suddenly became Populism when Trump won in 2016. They will no longer tolerate our right to vote because we are not intelligent enough to understand that they are in power so shut up and sit down.

That Trump victory upset everyone at DAVOS. Suddenly they feared that they might be voted out of power. Thus, democracy became evil populism, and now Freedom of Speech also threatens their designs of indefinitely retaining power.

This UNELECTED Climate Tzar is also against democracy. He is using climate change for absolute control. They will attempt to use this to lock us down when things start to go against them. They are delusional to think that they can retain power but abuse and authoritarianism. History warns that NO GOVERNMENT has ever survived indefinitely. They all fall because of precisely what is taking place. The more they feel that power slipping between their fingers, the worse they will become.

Our computer warns that we are rapidly approaching 2032, when we just will have to turn out the lights on this failed political experiment. We have to start thinking about what type of government we will need to create and a monetary system since this is a global crisis that we are approaching where our republican forms of government will fall by their own weight of corruption just as monarchy did in the 18th century. It begins with the ending of free speech, as William Penn discovered, coupled with the collapse of the rule of law.

Edward Gibbon wrote of Emperor Commodus (177-192AD), with who historians agree began the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, that his abuse of the legal system denied any ability to obtain Due Process of Law. In the end, the ONLY recourse was a revolution because they simply assassinated him, which he then cast the Roman Empire into civil war.

distinction of every kind soon became criminal. The possession of wealth stimulated the diligence of the informers; rigid virtue implied a tacit censure of the irregularities of Commodus; important services implied a dangerous superiority of merit; and the friendship of the father always insured the aversion of the son. Suspicion was equivalent to proof; trial to condemnation. The execution of a considerable senator was attended with the death of all who might lament or revenge his fate; and when Commodus had once tasted human blood, he became incapable of pity or remorse

Spain’s Climate Minister Caught Faking Bike Transit for Cameras


Armstrong Economics Blog/Climate Re-Posted Jul 13, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

The above video is complete climate propaganda.

The climate zealots are laughing at us from their private jets. They swear doomsday is around the corner and the commoners must abandon all basic comforts to save the world. Their predictions have never come to fruition because they are based on nonsense. Spanish climate minister Teresa Ribera was caught faking a bike commute for cameras, and it is not the first time a climate tzar was caught pulling such an act.

Ribera flew on a private jet to attend a climate conference, where the elite decide what the Great Unwashed should forego. She hopped into a private car and drove 100 meters to the venue. Then, cameras captured her taking out a bicycle to ride the 100 meters to the venue. Pure propaganda.

The Great Unwashed must blindly obey why the fraudulent rulers mock us. Ribera boarded a private jet 17 times in 2022, costing taxpayers €170,000. She traveled via private jet 16 times in the past seven months, totaling €160,000. Do you think she cares about her carbon footprint?

Ribera is a World Economic Forum proponent, obviously, and participated in the C40 Cities Summit. She supports reducing air travel, meat consumption, and private car ownership. She said all cars must have zero emissions by 2040 to reach decarbonization by 2050. In fact, she believes all gas engines should be banned by 2035. As a former UN climate negotiator, she pressured the EU to abandon the Energy Charter Treaty. She pushed Spain to move away from coal and nuclear energy by 2030. She is simply another deep state minion hoping that the people are ignorant enough to believe that they are responsible for natural changes in the weather. Rules for thee but not for me will be more apparent than ever as we move toward the Great Reset goal.

BoC Study: 59% of Canadians Willing to Accept CBDC


Armstrong Economics Blog/Central Banks Re-Posted Jul 12, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

The masses do not realize what CBDC really entails. It is marketed as a convenient and modern way to bank. In truth it is a tool for control, an important tool that governments need to usher in the Great Reset. A recent poll by the Bank of Canada aimed to see how willingly the public would accept a new digital currency. Surprisingly, the majority said they were willing to make the switch without hesitation.

An alarming 59% of respondents said they are willing to switch to CBDC once available. They do not realize that they won’t have a choice in the matter. Around 43% said they were “somewhat willing” to accept CBDC. Then 11% said they were “very willing” and 5% “extremely willing.” Only 25% said they would not make the switch, which again will not be optional. Only 16% admitted that they do not understand the concept.

It appears that the public does not understand the risks involved. Over half (51%) said they were confident the central bank would securely handle their transactions and data. Around 56% said they were concerned about the potential for fraud, cyber attacks (53%), personal data misuse (44%), and lack of anonymity (35%). The central bank, of course, did not ask the real question – Are you comfortable with the government controlling all of your financial transactions?

Eighteen of the G20 countries have already begun developing digital currencies. The real threat here is that CBDC will provide governments will full access to our finances. We see how easily private banks de-bank individuals. Trudeau was able to cancel accounts of protestors and their alleged supporters in an instant.

CBDC would allow government to deny people access to their finances entirely, especially since cash will not be an alternative. The WEF wants to link individual IDs to the banking system and throw in social credit scores for good measure. A WEF spokesman recently said during the Summer Davos that they would like to control what people buy and ban unapproved purchases. Then they will ensure no money goes off the grid as governments want to tax us into oblivion. Now is the time to show resistance to the idea. Once they implement these policies, there is no going back. They will give us a timeframe to convert our cash to a CBDC and then governments will have complete control over our finances.

Bankruptcy on the Rise


Armstrong Economics Blog/USA Current Events Re-Posted Jul 12, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Chapter 11 bankruptcies in the US rose by 68% during the first six months of 2023, according to Equip Bankruptcy. You may have survived the pandemic, but surviving Bidenomics is proving too much for many businesses. There were 1,766 filings during the first six months of 2022, compared to the 2,973 businesses that went under this year. Chapter 13 personal bankruptcy also rose by 23% during this period.

Around 12,107 commercial filings were recorded during the first half of this year, marking an 18% increase year-on-year. Small businesses experienced a 55% increase in Chapter 11 filings during the same time period. Commercial bankruptcies increased 12% year-on-year in June alone, and small businesses saw a 111% spike. “The growth in filings is reflective of more families and businesses facing surging debt loads due to rising interest rates, inflation, and increased borrowing costs,” said ABI Executive Director Amy Quackenboss.

Everyone is in trouble here. This is becoming a trend as inflation is here to stay. Credit card debt has reached historical highs as people struggle to pay the basics. Businesses were already decimated by COVID policies, and some never regained the momentum. People have lost all confidence in the future and are less likely to spend. Many businesses attempted to recover from lockdowns and the supply chain disaster, but the increased regulations make it difficult for many to profit. It will only become more expensive to borrow money as Powell all but guaranteed additional hikes this year, and now many have no other option than to liquidate it all.