Tag Archives: economics

Episode-545- Five More Lies that Attack Individual Freedom and Liberty

Today’s show expands on yesterday’s and gives you five more lies that most American’s believe to be true. No conspiracy theories or tin foil hat concepts here. This stuff is all wide open and easy to verify as fact by reading simple history and looking at current realities.  Again think about the fact that this show was done in advance of the economic recession.  Before the election of Barack Obama and the fully commanding take over of the House and Senate by the democrats.

At the time I did this show the Dow Jones was still hovering around 12,000 and was a few weeks away from the massive October crash and later the February of 09 cliff dive.   There were no Tea Parties, the unemployment rate was about 5.5%.  People like me at that time were being publicly called nuts for saying that now was the time to protect yourself and that bad times were on the way.

Sorry for the background noise in today’s show, while I think the audio is over all much better my mobile studio seemed to attract every semi truck on the highway on that day.

Tune in today to get my thoughts on,

  • The lie that the “governments role is to solve the problems of the people”
  • How ridiculous the concept of a “government that would solve individual problems” would be in a discussion among the Founding Fathers
  • The lie that “America is the freest nation in the world”
  • One thing that you can do in many countries that will get you arrested at gun point in America
  • The lie that we need to “spend more on national defense”
  • The fact that the U.S. spends more money on our military then the combined military budgets of every other nation in the world combined
  • The reality that the U.S. economic system is now best defined as fascist
  • The lie that it is “normal for the price of goods and cost of living to continually rise over time”
  • The effect of having a false paper currency backed by nothing and what a 1935 silver quarter still buys today
  • The lie that “politicians should be experienced”
  • How a government of “career politicians” have destroyed our freedom, yet not had to live with the consequences of their decisions as private citizens
  • Why a Kansas farmer, Texas rough necker or Detroit auto worker would all be better as our senators then the people we have in office today

Additional Resources for Today’s Show

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air.

Episode-539- A New Understanding of Money – Part Two

Today we shall continue with Part Two of  “A New Understanding of Money”.  This subject is deep and complex yet once we peal back the layers it is remarkably simple.  Yesterdays show set up the fundamental underlying knowledge necessary to comprehend the real mess that has been made of our monetary system.

Today we will learn about the way our money is supposed to be created and managed and the common misconceptions about gold and currency in relation to the United States dollar.  We will build a fictional currency of our own to work in a barter economy, this will be like studying Latin to actually understand the structure of English but a lot more entertaining.

When you finish with today’s show and add it to yesterday’s you will know more about our currency than 99% of Americans with Bachelors Degrees.    Indeed you will know more about what really maters then may with degrees in economics and finance.

Join me today to learn…

  • The real issue is the private control of public money
    • Money creation and control is one of the Federal Governments few assigned constitutional roles
    • Why the House should be the most powerful force in government
    • Why the House was designed to be subject to the will of the people
    • How the Senate is supposed to be a “States check” on the House
    • More to 1913 then just the Federal Reserve
    • To correct the system Congress must retake control of the creation of money
  • What is money really?
  • Creating a barter currency to understand reality
  • Requirements for a functional currency
    • Total quantity must be limited
    • Expansion of the supply must be possible
    • Durable
    • Divisible
    • Backed by an intrinsic value
    • Have greater face value then its physical worth
    • Difficult or impractical to counterfeit
    • Able to be exchanged for goods and or services
    • Convertible into external currencies (useful outside its internal economy)
    • Have the confidence of its users
  • Fixing our current monetary system
    • A gold standard alone is not the answer, perhaps no answer at all
    • How moving both to and from gold have both been used to steal public wealth
    • What do we really need our currency to do and what value should it reflect
  • What you can do for yourself and your nation
    • Be an informed, educated and polite evangelist
    • Understand the money supply is not about politics
    • Accept that the current system will change but that we can’t know how
    • Exist outside the system where you can
    • Base your personal economy on value

Additional Resources for Today’s Show

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air.

Episode-538- A New Understanding of Money – Part One

My hope today is to help you understand money from as many new perspectives as possible.  If you think about it nothing in general has a greater effect on the lives of most Americans than money.  Money is why we work, how we provide our housing and food, how we are taxed and how our class structure is defined.  We can deny this if we choose to but a family with a gross income of 100,000 dollars a year lives a much more comfortable life than one with a gross income of say 25,000  a year.

Yet if you ask most people, “what is money” they really have no idea.  Now if you are going to answer that question with something like, “gold and silver” you really don’t have the answer either.  Money is far deeper than to try to simply define it with a group of commodities.  I promise you that no matter what you think about money from its constitional basis, national purpose or method of creation that today’s show will expand your horizons.  It may also challenge you.

As always, I reserve the right to be wrong and that includes today, but I have spent more effort on gaining a new perspective on this issue than any other in the past year.  So tune in with an open mind today and when you feel challenged really think about what I have to say, examine and re examine it but please don’t dismiss anything due to political allegiance or personal bias, that is all I ask.

Join me today to discuss…

  • How money is created today in the US
    • The birth of dollars
    • The dollars have children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and so on
    • Buying nothing, with nothing and creating something
  • How does money derive worth
    • Inflation
    • Deflation
    • Monetary Velocity
  • Vanishing dollars
    • Paying off debt eliminates money
    • Defaults on debt eliminate money
    • The shrinking M3 Supply – how is it possible
  • The Monetary Systems Traps
    • Total debt is always bigger than total supply
    • Elimination of debt contracts the money supply
  • The income tax exists to service the debt not primary spending
    • New Federal Debt in 2009 was 1.1 Trillion
    • The expense of interest alone in 2009 was 383 Billion
    • Personal Income Tax Receipts in 2009 where 1.21 Trillion
    • We spent 1.48 Trillion to service debt in 2009 about 200 Billion more than income tax receipts

Resources for Today’s Show

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air.

Resources for Today’s Show

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air.

Episode-530- Myth Busting Day on TSP

I was looking for a new fresh topic and one sort of landed in my lap, a friend trotted out the old, “if you ask a cop if he is a cop, he has to tell the truth” line in a recent conversation and it led me to put this show together.  Join me today as we discuss a variety of myths on everything from law enforcement to money and point out where they can get you into trouble or worse.  I think that nothing is more powerful than knowledge but nothing is more dangerous that a false belief that you have enough faith in to base your choices on it.

Join me today as we tackle myths like…

  • Law enforcement myths
    • Asking are you a cop will require a cop to tell you the truth
    • Threatening to “call your lawyer” will keep a cop at bay
    • Officers must read you your rights when you are arrested
    • Not telling police what you know is “obstruction of justice”
    • You get one phone call from jail
  • Money and Debt Myths
    • Inflation always punishes savers
    • The government is who creates our money
    • There isn’t enough gold to allow a return to the gold standard
    • If you are not happy with a mortgage you just “give the house back”
  • Gun Myths
    • The best way to increase range is increase velocity
    • People shot with big guns are “blown backwards”
    • Carrying a gun makes you 100% safe
    • If a sign says you can’t bring your gun into anywhere you legally can’t
    • “Military” guns, “Assault rifles”, are more powerful than “civilian sporting guns”
    • A gun is only a “weapon” when used as such
  • Survival and TEOTWAWKI Myths
    • The best place to “survive” during TEOTWAWKI is in the wilderness
    • TEOTWAWKI will be easy for the prepared, hell it might be fun
    • As long as you have enough ammo and food you will be okay
    • If you have a gun and know how to use it you can just take what you need from others
    • The biggest threat we face is  _____________.

Additional Resources for Today’s Show

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air

Episode-509- Listener Feedback 9-13-10

Well today is listener feedback Monday and we have some great questions, tips and articles submitted by listeners to discuss today.  Remember to have your question or story featured email jack at thesurvivalpodcast dot com with the words “question for jack” in the subject line.  Today I have audience questions on permaculture design, surplus firearms, the state of our economy, China’s economic endgame and more.

Join me today as we discuss…

  • A man is in trouble for growing to many vegetables WTF?
  • Thoughts on being a land lord the good, bad and ugly (it ain’t for me but might be for you)
  • Why I recommend cardboard over newspaper as a under mulch barrier in the garden
  • Would I hire and pay a permaculture designer, yes and I tell you why
  • A listener gives us feedback on great service from ShelfReliance.com
  • China begins unloading US Treasuries and what I think no one is seeing just yet
  • A listener grows Paw Paws to production from seed in only four years!
  • How to get cosmoline off that old surplus rifle especially out of the wood
  • Thoughts on prepping for the soon to be married, focus on the marriage not the wedding

Additional Resources for Today’s Show

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air

Episode-473- Listener Feedback 7-12-10

In is listener feedback Monday so I am back with another great round of your questions, comments and current event feed back.  Today we have some cool questions on things like a first gun for that woman in your life, storing guns on a budget, property tax freedom, storing food, dehydrating veggies and more.

Tune in today as we discuss…

  • Is a 22 a good first handgun for a new shooter, is it useful for self defense
  • What is the best budget friendly way to store and protect long arms
  • What is the big deal wit GMO food, one scientist says we are all nuts for even worrying about it
  • Will North Dakota soon get rid of property taxes, it could happen
  • What are the paint style cans I use for storing food, where do you get them
  • What are the penalties for withdrawal from ROTH 401Ks and ROTH IRAs
  • How good is High Mowing Organic Seed’s service, one listener says AWESOME
  • When is it time to begin ignoring laws in favor of practical preparedness
  • Any downside to “universal” rechargeable batteries
  • What is the difference between inflation and supply and demand, one “expert” doesn’t have a clue
  • How do you know when to buy, sell or refinance a house (an answer no economist will ever give you)

Resources for Today’s Show

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show.

You also now can call in questions or comments for the host at 866-65-THINK, (866-658-4465) please read the suggestions for calling in before you do for the best chance of getting your comments on the air.

Episode-443- Change Your Nation By Changing Yourself

Today’s show notes are brief as I will let most of this show speak for itself.  While I will talk about “politics” today I won’t tell you what to think or how to vote.  Instead I will talk about the dark reality of America’s past and present, I will tell you some shocking facts about this nation, I will even admit that the views many have about things like the “New World Order” are grounded in a lot of fact in addition to a lot of fiction.

Today my hope is to tell you how we can fix America with the current system we have, why we can count on our fellow Americans and the common values I think we all share regardless of any political affiliation.  In short I will tell you how we can fix America but I will ask you only to liberate yourself and trust that America will know what to do with a new found liberty that will be the result of individual action.

Note - There is a discount in today’s show for the Members Support Brigade.  It is a really big one but you will have to listen to the show to get it.  The discount expires on midnight of the 31st.

Resources for today’s show…

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air.

Episode-438- What Debt Freedom Means

Yesterday I made my second large purchase of the year, a 2005 F-350 Diesel Super Duty I got for 30% under its Kelly Blue Book Value, I paid cash.  Earlier this year I bought a new RV (a Shamrock 21ss) I also paid cash.  I almost feel guilty about this but it got me thinking, 8 years ago my wife and I sate down face in hands looking at over 25K in credit card debt, medical bills (which grew before they shrank) and more.

We thought “how did we let this happen”, we thought about just letting things keep going and paying a “little bit more” on a few debts.  Our income was great, our house payment was low, it would all be okay, a meeting with a “financial liar” confirmed it wold be fine.  The liar even suggested we take out some home equity since we had so much if we were worried about low cash reserves.

In my head the wisdom of my grandmother screamed out over the words of this clown who had the arrogance to claim he understood money.  My wife and I began a journey, one many of you have followed as well.  I have discussed he journey and the how and why behind it, yet until today I have never discussed the freedom that lies on the other side.

In January I walked away from a six figure salary to do TSP full time.  It was a hard choice but we had paid all debt by that point and began saving money heavily.  We jumped from stocks before the crash and had not taken the hit.  Something totally unexpected occurred though, despite a massive reduction in my income, we actually seem to now have more money.

I have started to really understand why this is the case and a lot of your “post debt” emails took on a new meaning for me as of yesterday.  So today while I will talk a bit about debt, I am going to talk far more about what completing the journey will mean.  If you are going fight a difficult battle you need to realize what victory will mean.

Resources for today’s show…

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air.

Please Comment with Your Debt Stories Today!  – I want success stories, your stories about where you are on your journey and anything and everything in between.  Note – If you are a spammer that wants to plug some debt help bullshit, don’t bother posting.

Episode-435- The Revolution is You

We only occasionally dip into politics around here, time to time we focus on economics and that always by the very nature of out current state must include some political components as well.  Some members of the audience want more and some want less and wish we would stick 100% to practical pepping action.

The reality is the two are one in the same!  Make no mistake about it this is a revolution you and I are conducting together.  Today we discuss the multi-planked revolution where “taking this country back” isn’t  just about the next election or political topic “du jour”.  No this revolution is about how we live, how we prepare, how we self educate and above all how we impact those around us simply by living as who and what we are, human with sovereign rights bestowed upon us by our creator.

Today I also introduce our new long awaited custom bumper music, as you might have guessed the title of the song is “The Revolution is You”.  The song was written and performed by Gregg Yows of RevolutionRockAndRoll.com (I am actually a minor co writer as well) .  The final track was mastered by Matthew McCabe at Finley Sound.  Gregg and Matthew are both long time listeners to TSP which means this song is truly a creation of our community, I hope it inspires you to know the power you truly have, indeed YOU are the revolution.

I am also running a special on the Members Brigade that will run until Monday the 17th, you can get your first year of the MSB for only 35 dollars with the discount code “revolution”.

Additional Resources for Today’s Show

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air.

Episode-434- The Basic Financial Education We Never Get in School

By the time our children are in high school today they should be getting what I consider to be a basic financial education.  In fact our citizens in college today don’t get this education unless they specialize in economics or finance and even then it is slanted to the “Statist” or “Keynesian” model.

Join me today as we discuss the following…

  • What is money?
  • What is a backed currency?
  • What is a “fiat currency”?
  • Why does money exist?
  • What is M0, M1, M2 and M3?
  • What is inflation?
  • What is debt?
  • Can a currency also be a debt?
  • How are U.S. Dollars created?
  • What is fractional reserve?
  • How do banks create additional money?

Additional Resources for Today’s Show

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air.