Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, North Korea, Russia, China ……..
In the 1960s Peter, Paul and Mary popularized a song written by Pete Seeger – “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?”
The short version is:
Where have all the flowers gone?
Young girls have picked them.
Where have all the young girls gone?
Gone to husbands.
Where have all the husbands gone?
Gone for soldiers.
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Gone to graveyards.
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Gone to flowers.
And repeat.
When will they ever learn?
Another version of this “cycle of life” is:
Where has all the money gone?
Gone to taxes.
Where have all the taxes gone?
Gone to governments.
Where have all the governments gone?
Gone to bankers for more money.
Where have all the bankers gone?
Gone to buy politicians.
Where have all the politicians gone?
Gone to buy voters.
Where have all the voters gone?
Gone to work for money.
Where has all the money gone?
Gone to taxes.
And repeat.
When will we learn?
Fifty years ago we were bombing North Vietnam “back into the stone age.” That worked out well for the military contractors, killed many, and raised prices for the US people.
Twenty-five years ago we were fighting Iraq and Saddam Hussein. That worked out well for the military contractors, killed many, and raised prices for the US people.
Ten years ago we were fighting in Iraq. That worked out well for the military contractors, killed many, and raised prices for the US people.
Today we are still fighting in the Middle-East and bombing Syria. A taskforce of ships is threatening North Korea. Who benefits?
When will we learn?
Looking ahead:
- War: Not to win, never to end.
- Debt and currency in circulation are rising exponentially.
- Consumer prices will increase… and increase.
- Gold, silver, gasoline and food will become more expensive.
- Voters will continue voting for politicians and wars even though both are expensive and destructive.
- The political and financial elite will be fine. Tough luck for rest of us…
When will we learn?
Gary Christenson
The Deviant Investor
