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Episode-725- Mike Gasior on the Current Economic Mess

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Mike Gasior is with us today, Mike is a consummate expert, he has authored ten textbooks on investments and the investment markets, and over 700,000 people worldwide read his monthly newsletter.

His breakthrough radio program “Big Money with Mike Gasior”, which aired worldwide on the VoiceAmerica Radio Network, was one the first shows ever to focus on the needs, concerns and issues faced by the world’s largest investors and Mike is a regular guest on the “Naked Short Club” show in London.

He is also the founder of AFS Seminars in 1989 after spending time with several Wall Street firms and a major European bank. In his teaching he uses anecdotes and lessons drawn from his lifetime of experience with economics, investments and the financial markets to deliver knowledge with a dynamic, interactive teaching style that I find to be among the best in the industry.

And we are fortunate to have him here with us today on The Survival Podcast.

Please Note – Mike’s voice became somewhat distorted at the very end of today’s show.  During the recording session he sounded fine on my end and there was no way to correct it after the fact.  I did my best to clean it up but there are limits to what can be done with such distortions.  I am going to suggest to Mike that he come fully into the 21st century and get a Skype account for future interviews.

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.

 

Comments

Episode-725- Mike Gasior on the Current Economic Mess — 57 Comments

  1. Why should he come fully into the 21st century when you’re still back in the 18th century with your hokum anti-science beliefs, Fester?

    • @Bargio, you are clearly an idiot as you spend your time listening to a person you clearly think is backwards thinking. I am not anti science, I am anti dangerous application of science and anti cult pseudo science.

      Real science allows for disagreement and doesn’t result to calling those who disagree deniers when they can no longer argue facts. Real science also acknowledges the dangers of evolving technologies and doesn’t feed people proven poisons in the name of progress.

      I never understand why bitter little trolls such as yourself bother listening to people you so disagree with. Must be the internal desire for truth overriding your outward anger.

  2. Uncle Jack,

    No offense to any of the other fine guests you have on but Mike Gaisor opens my eyes to things like you did when I stumbled upon you almost two years ago. 2%!?!!? That’s it!?!?! Show’s you just how broken both parties are that not one single politician has the vision to introduce legislation to a) cut the budget by 2% across the board and b) introduce a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.

    Thank you for a great show.

  3. How could you not mention Ron Paul yesterday? He can win through the actions of the people and the Real Media. End the defeatism Jack, please. Liberty is worth it right?
    Your largely right about Perry, who is not a Republican (most others are not either). He coward in the face of threats of the TSA, worked and Campaign for Al Gore, and sold out Texas to Merck
    I posted this here too because it is vital that the message of Liberty needs to be heard.

    • @Scott I didn’t mention Paul because I do not think he can win. I vote for him, I contribute money to his campaign. I think he is the best man in the running for the job but I don’t believe he can win because the media will tell the sheep he is a loon who wants their kids to have heroin and enough of them are dumb enough to believe it. You really need to think about the mindset of the main stream GOP here.

      I don’t like saying Paul can’t win, I really don’t and that is why I left him out, it pains me to accept how dumbed down my nation has become. Sorry but I called Perry as the next president after Obama in September of 2008. Nothing has changed in my view since then. In this boxing match the promoters decides who gets in the ring, they are not going to let Paul in and not enough of us are awake to change that yet.

      This is one time I would thank God over and over if I am proven wrong.

  4. I agree with Scott. The MSM’s fear of Ron Paul is laughable – indeed Jon Stewart laughed about it last night. See it here:
    http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/198657/20110816/jon-stewart-ron-paul.htm

    I am a Texan and I have never voted for Rick Perry. He may have deep pocketed supporters, but enthusiasm for Perry in Texas runs VERY shallow here. He’s won these multiple terms in office only because his opponents have been utterly pathetic.

    Americans profess they are tired of business as usual in Washington. Well, it will be exactly business as usual with President Rick Perry.

  5. It is not often that i listen to a show almost as soon as it is posted. I am glad that I did for this one.
    Thank you for the approach of,’I need to warn you but there are things that you can do.’ I have been considering how to invest in my family and what we will need for the future. So far the funding has been going to our suburban gardening efforts and canning. We have an extensive paper library of ‘how to do it books’ on a large number of subjects. My home is filled with my hand made blankets, hats, mittens, sweaters, scarves and socks. There are quilts slacks and tops that have come off my sewing machine. We play a number of musical instruments and there are lots of board games for non-electronic amusement.
    The pantry is stocked as is the medicine cabinet. These are all things that more people need to realize that they not only can do but should do.

    Thanks for your program

  6. Hey Jack, great podcast. Every time we go further and further in debt the Federal Reserve and Goldman Sachs makes money . Every administration is full of ex or soon to be goldman or fed employees. It is disgusting. And instead of printing our own money we cower to the FED for mercy.. something is wrong.. very wrong. The end game is that they will ultimately own the United states and our future generations.

  7. I loved this episode, but I’m struggling to understand how cutting 2% across the board will balance the budget? The total revenues budgeted for 2011 are $2.17 trillion, and the total expenditures budgeted for 2011 are $3.82 trillion, for a deficit of $1.65 trillion. Expenditures would have to be cut over 43% to make up that deficit. The numbers for 2012 are $2.627 trillion in revenue, $3.729 trillion in expenditures, for a deficit of $1.101 trillion, so a 29.5% reduction would be required to make up the debt.

    How would the 2% figure work to get us to a balanced budget?

    • Have to say Sparky, I’m with you. I mean no disrespect to Mike here, but I’ve got to see his math on how he says that thing would work. The only thing I could think of is if you KEEP cutting 2% year after year, then EVENTUALLY you will balance the budget. Maybe that’s what he’s saying? But it sure as heck sounded like he was saying 2% across the board and – bam! – balanced budget in 2012. I just have a hard time buying it.

  8. With regard to the 2% cut in EVERYTHING balancing the budget….the numbers quoted Sparky…please remember that Iraq, Afghanistan, Social Security, Medicare, Medicade and more aren’t included in the Federal budget.

    So….if the 2% cut was applied to ALL those items not included…we’d comfortably be balanced. Just as Jack I discussed on the show.

    It’s not rocket science. It’s just something politicians don’t have the nerve to suggest.

    Cheers!

    Mike

    • Thanks for the reply Mike. Do you have any links to numbers and/or charts that illustrate this? I’m interested in knowing more about it, but am having a hard time understanding how the numbers work (and I’m a numbers guy). Maybe I just need a visual kick in the pants!

      Thanks,

      Sparky

    • Mike,
      Your reply doesn’t make any sense. The shortfall is still over $1.1 trillion with an income of only $2.2 trillion. As much as I don’t care for government accounting, yours doesn’t add up either. Here’s the numbers as I see them (2010). How does 2% anywhere or everywhere add up to a $1.1 trillion dollar savings.

      Mandatory spending: $2.173 trillion
      $695 billion – Social Security
      $571 billion – Other mandatory programs
      $453 billion – Medicare
      $290 billion – Medicaid
      $164 billion – Interest on National Debt
      +
      Discretionary spending: $1.378 trillion
      $663.7 billion – Department of Defense (including Overseas Contingency Operations)
      $78.7 billion – Department of Health and Human Services
      $72.5 billion – Department of Transportation
      $52.5 billion – Department of Veterans Affairs
      $51.7 billion – Department of State and Other International Programs
      $47.5 billion – Department of Housing and Urban Development
      $46.7 billion – Department of Education
      $42.7 billion – Department of Homeland Security
      $26.3 billion – Department of Energy
      $26.0 billion – Department of Agriculture
      $23.9 billion – Department of Justice
      $18.7 billion – National Aeronautics and Space Administration
      $13.8 billion – Department of Commerce
      $13.3 billion – Department of Labor
      $13.3 billion – Department of the Treasury
      $12.0 billion – Department of the Interior
      $10.5 billion – Environmental Protection Agency
      $9.7 billion – Social Security Administration
      $7.0 billion – National Science Foundation
      $5.1 billion – Corps of Engineers
      $5.0 billion – National Infrastructure Bank
      $1.1 billion – Corporation for National and Community Service
      $0.7 billion – Small Business Administration
      $0.6 billion – General Services Administration
      $0 billion – Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP)
      $0 billion – Financial stabilization efforts
      $11 billion – Potential disaster costs
      $19.8 billion – Other Agencies
      $105 billion – Other

    • @endure2survive

      First Mike is talking about the public debt. That DOES NOT INCLUDE Iraq, Afghanistan, Social Security, Medicare, Medicade as he told you.

      Secondly, your number for “interest on the debt” is way and I mean WAY to low, you are off by about 300 million. That does go to the public debt and it is why I myself struggle with Mike’s number and must believe that the 2% real cut also includes a future growth of spending freeze.

      I don’t think most people get this, there are three sets of government books.

      1. The general budget (this is what we can balance with 2%)

      2. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are a second set of books. These programs can’t be sustained, we have a 100 plus trillion dollar hole in them, they must be solved separately. Remember the “Clinton Surplus” this is PART of why it wasn’t a surplus. These programs must be individually reformed and they won’t do it, they are all doomed long term. We can pander to the grandmaw voting block all we want, these programs are like a dead man walking.

      3. There is a secret set of books, one we don’t get to see, lots of secret military and intelligence spending. The truth is while people try to estimate this number no one has any idea what it is or how out of whack I think it is.

      That at least is my take, Mike, did I get it right?

      • Don’t get me wrong, if a 2% cut helps the bottom line, let’s do it. I’ll take my part, but the conversation in the podcast made it sound like a 2% cut meant problem solved, done deal, it’s fixed and congress is just incompetent. When you say a 2% cut across the board wouldn’t make grandma eat alpo it sounds like you’re talking about a 2% cut to Social Security, so that problem is solved, too. This was very unclear in the podcast and that’s the source of my frustration. Grandma isn’t even taking a cut with the 2%, so why confuse the issue?

        The interest numbers are from Wiki, so take it for what it’s worth. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s that number or higher, but at 1-3% interest, it’s not much more. The problem comes when that interest rate hits historic norms of 8%. You were just talking about the sub-1% rates on short-term T-bills, so I wouldn’t doubt the numbers myself.

        The problem is medicare/medicaid were never properly funded in the first place, but now the majority of Americans are relying on this program in their retirement. There is no simple solution. These are the political third rail and it’s that third rail that needs to be solved today. While dickering about 2% to preserve pet programs and not re-hire when there are agency retirements is where the talk is, the debt is from Social Security, Medicare/medicaid and the wars. If you want to solve the issue, 2% won’t do bupkiss. You gotta be willing to piss off grandma.

        • @endure2survive

          I agree that we didn’t do as good a job as we could have explaining which budget it ballanced. On the debt interest expense though the number for fiscal year 2011 $412,517,504,466.06 that is 412 Billion dollars.

          Source of the number is the US Treasury, http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/ir/ir_expense.htm

          By 2016 this number will be 800+ billion. Keep in mind that there is a lot of “long” debt out there. Also the fed setting the rates DOESN’T effect the Treasury rate at all. While new treasuries are not paying much right now as we need more money we will have to pay more to lure investors. Keep in mind also the compounding nature of this interest. If we stay the exact course we are on right now, by 2016 the interest on the debt will be the largest line item of any of the three budgets.

          On MedicAid, SSI and MediCare, yes they all must be slashed.

          MedicAid and MediCare are easy to fix, cut by 30%, provide the funds in block grants to the states and tell them to sort it out and oh yea repeal Obamacare which is pilfering MedicAid and MediCare of billions of dollars in funding.

          Social Security, create a kill it plan. Everyone on it gets what they are getting (no raises) until they die. Those 10 years out get 70%. Raise retirement age for those 10 years out by 5 years, making them 15 out. Those 20 years or more out get to stop paying in 7 years but get no SSI ever (they an also buy their way out by paying 4 years in a lump sum up front if they choose to), we kill the plan as a retirement program. Replace it with a program for the truly disabled, locked rate of 1.5% (50-50 split with the employer as it is now) each only pay 3/4th of one percent. This would be the “safety net” for the legitimately disabled, and it would fund it easily.

          Lastly replace the entire IRS and all the shit with it with a 10% (LOCKED on the upside) national sales tax. Do this with a constitutional amendment along with a balanced budget amendment and all problems solved. Well other than our currency is a debt instrument.

          Under this the government would only have funds to help the truly in need, they would have plenty for the military (minus a ton of waste and foreign occupations), plenty for roads and infrastructure and then get the F out of the GD way and let us sort it out.

          That is really how simple it is!

        • I agree with you for the most part, particularly on the way to phase out social security but still retain some form of SSDI.

          As for the interest rate, the fed does have one option to control US treasuries; they can buy them in bulk. Mike did an accurate representation of how interest rates are set, essentially bidding $9500 on a $10k bond in a year. When the fed is buying them up left and right with QE 1 & 2 they effectively tighten supply, so there’s more competition in the auction. As QE 2.5 winds down, that could have upward pressure on interest rates and force them to reconsider QE 3 (or suffer the consequences of fewer buyers for more debt (as the chinese lose interest and the japanese have a whole myriad of reasons to stop buying)).

          I strongly urge you to read Endgame by John Mauldin. He does a hell of a job talking about the challenges going forward as the world deleverages from a 60 year long borrowing binge. The dual threats of deflation and hyperinflation are going to be an impossible line for the fed to walk in the next few years, and I suspect they’ll do everything in their power to prevent deflation. As a result, I expect we’ll see QE 4 & 5 by 2014.

          As for medicare/caid, Cutting alone isn’t the fix, it’s how you cut, where you cut and how you restructure the program. I wonder if something like the VA would be a better solution, but I know already what you’d think of that. Still, how are you going to cut 30% when many doctors already won’t take patients with medicare because it pays so little for their services? Of course, even from a relatively liberal perspective, I’m for repealing the Healthcare bill. It’s a doomed plan from the get go. Retaining the link to employers for health insurance managed to piss off even my most liberal friends, so it failed in it’s most basic of points. I’d go on, but I think we agree.

          Thanks for the conversation Jack. Despite our disagreements, you’ve had a remarkable impact on my life over the last 30 months. Debt free except for a reasonable mortgage on my 2.5 acre ‘stead, permaculture crops going in, increased my savings, changed the make up of my IRA and 401k, resumed hunting in 2009 after a decade-long hiatus… a very good impact indeed.

          Mark

        • Agree with the ideas in your plan, Jack. But it’s not just 2% cut across the board and bada-bing problem solved, which is how it came across. 😉

          At any rate it was a good episode, and thanks much for the followup explanation.

  10. Hi Jack,

    Another great show. I have been buying junk silver, but was looking for a pull back (1700) in Gold to buy into it. I have been reading a lot to the gold:silver ratio, and it seems to indicate that there is a range where gold rises to 80:1 going into a crisis, then silver follows it during a recovery to bring it back down to 35:1 with the median of 60:1. If we are heading back down, wouldn’t a $40 silver, make it $2400 for gold? Why do you like silver better at this point? If there is no QE3 like Mike suggests, then I think we will see the double dip sooner than later. We can bet on more debt/budget fighting, more loss of consumer confidence, and nothing but bad news from Euro/UK. Here is a link to a gold:silver cycle: http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2011/1/6/756196-129431961860655-Mike-Stall_origin.png

    Best Regards,
    Rex

  11. So, help my limited intellect out here. What is the real significance of the Bank not wanting the deposits? Obviously, it is because they would lose money on it. Is this because they know there is some massive deflation coming down the pipe?

    • @Tom NJ,

      Think about it this way, the bank is at this point saying we do not want large amounts of cash. You would think that banks would be scrambling for cash reserves right now but they are only useful for two things.

      1. Banks can buy A grade paper with reserves like US bonds but they can’t make enough money with it to even pay to do the wire transfers now. So the money is useless for direct gains.

      2. They can “print money” by loaning against it. Remember when you borrow money from a bank you do not get money from an account holder. If I put 500K in the bank and you borrow 100K against my 500K they don’t give you my money, they make a journal entry, they keep my money and your 100K is literally created out of thin air by you borrowing it. You now owe the bank 100K and they still have my full 500K. What this means is right now if you give a bank 50Million they don’t have anyone to loan money out too! They can’t manufacture and sell loans either.

      In other words the economy is locked currently in a sideways skid and no this will not create inflation. It will stall incomes and allow inflation to continue.

      In my view and I don’t speak for Mike here the ONLY thing currently holding back massive inflation is the velocity of money. If this money dam breaks the inflation you will see will be unbelievable.

    • Minor point, but they don’t have your full 500K available for any use anymore, since in theory they’re supposed to have the 10:1 (or whatever the ratio of the day is) between outstanding loans and hard deposits. So, while the money stays in their possession, 10K of it has to be in a “reserve” bucket. Otherwise, they wouldn’t need any money at all and could loan an infinite amount, which would be way worse than the fractional reserve plan (which is bad enough).

      • @Ralph, no they do have the full 500K, they just can only loan against 90% of it. While required to keep 10% as a reserve it doesn’t have to be cash, it can be A grade paper such as a Treasury Bond, as long as the instrument is considered safe and liquid it counts for the reserve requirement.

        Additionally with recycling my 500K can create about 5 million new dollars, not likely though the individual bank but that would be the overall effect as loans are spent and create new deposits.

      • When coming to grips with how fractional reserve banking *really* works, this is the biggest sticking point to get past. I remember finally getting it and it really was a “holy shit – they can’t do that….. can they?” moment. It is the hardest point to get across when trying to teach someone who doesn’t yet understand how the system works.

        Just like they say in Vegas “there’s a reason the casinos are so big, fancy, and well maintained – the house doesn’t lose”, there’s a reason bank buildings are usually the biggest & most modern & stunning in many cities, and it ain’t cuz they’re so great at investing 450k out of your 500k… 😉

      • Thanks for the follow-up. I admit that this whole magic of fractional reserve banking makes my head hurt. I understood when Jimmy Stewart was telling the folks in the “It’s A Wonderful Life” bank run that their money wasn’t in the vault, but in their neighbors mortgage, but that was probably the last part of high finance I really understood.

  12. Jack, your denial of the accepted science of human-induced global warming is just totally unacceptable to thinking people. You’ve been co-opted by right wing radio talk show hosts and denialists working for the big polluters. You’ve swallowed all their lies hook, line and sinker. Wake up! You’re not a scientist, pal, so what gives you the right to tell the world’s climatologists that they’re wrong?

    • Just because you mindlessly accept lies, despite the ever-increasing evidence regarding the fraud and errors behind your fake-science, doesn’t mean others should.

      You think it takes some special skill to identify a fraud? It isn’t that hard…if you actually VALUE science, instead of the politicized nonsense that you apparently swallow. I’m guessing that you aren’t a “climatologist” and probably don’t understand the first thing about any of the actual science behind this. Rather, you’re more likely just an amateur propagandist, out doing your duty to your cause.

      I’m staggered by the level of denial that someone such as yourself must maintain in order to identify yourself as “thinking people.” This level of self-delusion is really hard to understand. Perhaps, you are suffering from Projection. You’ve bought into a massive fraud, and probably feel really stupid for having been fooled, and you aren’t intellectually honest enough to own up to that, so instead you lash out at others accusing them of failures that you’re guilty of. You project your failings (of thinking) onto them, and create this comfortable little zone of denial where you are a righteous crusader, and others are “Deniers” and pawns of “big polluters” or whatever fantasy you adhere to.

      Listening to drones such as yourself, who are doing nothing more than parroting DISCREDITED PROPAGANDA, call people who ARE thinking “deniers” is really getting old.

      You think that “climatologists” aren’t susceptible to the same sorts of influences as other people? You don’t think that their “conclusions” aren’t DIRECTLY tied to their funding? Your statements are juvenile.

      Worst thing–is the damage to “science” that is being done by frauds and propagandists. Science is a wonderful thing, and people like you have turned it into a cheap propaganda tool. Congratulations.

        • This isn’t really for you, given that you won’t be able to respond, but I thought I would point something out.
          I don’t care how many people agree with a lie, if it’s still a lie. I don’t care how much propaganda you heap on people, or how loud you keep screaming the same tripe.

          If you’re wrong, you’re wrong, and the available information indicates you are wrong. Your group-think “consensus” isn’t worth the screen space you take up posting about it.

          Majority rules isn’t how science works, and if you had even the most basic understanding of science you’d know that.

          This bastardization of science is a crime against humanity. You’ve turned a method for discovering our world into a joke.

    • @Bargio,

      You showed your true colors here, “your denial of the accepted science of human-induced global warming is just totally unacceptable”. Only a socialist would tell another human being the way they think is “unacceptable”. What the hell qualifies you to police the thoughts of another person?

      I don’t need to be a scientist to

      1. Know the truth is that the real backer of the entire global warming movement is Maurice Strong who is a an OIL billionaire.

      2. Believe NASA when they have confirmed that the CO2 saturation limit is indeed scientific fact and that CO2 behaves the same way in the troposphere as it does in the lower atmosphere just like I have always said.

      3. Understand that when there are dozens of real pollutants from oil, gas and coal and the morons like you only seem to care about CO2, something is wrong and cap and tax ain’t the answer.

      Now go bow down to the statue of Obama in your bedroom, no one is looking I promise.

    • @Bargio as is typical of idiots who can’t argue facts you attack the messenger and ignore FACTS. You know that pesky little fact like the CO2 saturation limit, a scientific fact known to be true since the 1800s. The one confirmed by the most recent NASA study on the amount of heat released by the atmosphere. The one you idiots say doesn’t matter but can’t refute?

      The problem with this global warming nonsense is how much damage it is doing to the real environmental movement. I bet you any amount you want at 1000 to 1 odds that I create less pollution and use less water than you do my idiotic friend. You talk a good talk but what do you actually do other than vote for the D over the R and post to blogs you disagree with? You say I am a “right wing shill” but I don’t support the republican party and anyone that listens to me know that.

      You don’t do shit and you know you don’t do shit! I just put in solar panels, I am setting up a system to reduce my electrical usage by watering my roof and using the run off to water my garden. I shower with a bucket and use the excess water to water my plants. I installed a radiant barrier. All my lights are CFL or LED. I cook at least once a week with a sun oven. I speak out constantly against the coal industry. I drive a clean diesel that gets 44MPG. I am building huglekultur beds to eliminate the need for irrigation for many of my crops. I grow my own food, I buy local produce, I practice and teach permaculture. Exactly what other than fucking annoying me and voting for democrats and worshiping at the alter of NPR do you actually do for the environment? My guess is not a damn thing!

      • @Jack,

        These propagandists aren’t just hurting legitimate environmental causes–they are eroding the credibility of science as a whole. They’ve made science a mockery in many ways. The fact that these whack-jobs have co-opted people with actual scientific backgrounds is a horror story, and a true scandal.

        Thank goodness for the few scientists that didn’t back down to the unrelenting pressure from their “consensus” brethren.

  13. Jack,

    Is Bargio one of those turds you talk about when looking to buy a house in a new neighborhood? Me thinks so.

      • @Bargio,

        Typical of the global warming cult. When it is hot outside it is climate and proof you are right, when it is cold it is just weather and you say we can’t think for ourselves. What a tool you really are. You say I am co-opted by right wing radio which I don’t even listen to but you are clearly co-opted by NPR and the liberal media. Sad really that you can’t think independently.

  14. Great show Jack. Hopefully more people will get the message soon, but it seems unlikely.

    @Bargio
    Blah, blah, blah… Al Gore… blah, blah… NPR… blah blah…

    Might I suggest you contribute your part to preventing global warming by divesting yourself of all things that use electricity or burn dinosaurs, and go live in a cave.

    • Jack, you seem to attract like-minded listeners, pal. It’s like an echo chamber, with your dittoheads following you off a cliff. Blind leading blind.

      • @Bargio,

        Only a complete idiot would expect that I would attract people that don’t think similarly. In fact only a mental midget such as yourself would spend time listening to a person they so disagree with.

        Anyway I have tolerated your shit long enough. Nothing in this episode was even remotely related to Global Warming. So I am done with your trolling. Further comments will be deleted, more that one further comment I have to delete will result in me banning your moronic ass from my entire server.

  15. Oh Bargio,

    You’re right, we’re all kooks. You don’t need to prepare even though jacks 2+ year record has been spot on and Obamas well let’s just say, not so much. So everythings okay. Spend and play and point fingers for other people to fix things. That global warming thing should keep you nice warm when it all breaks down.

  16. Why are the grasshoppers always so angry? You’d think not having a clue would be at least put you in a happy place …

  17. @all

    As there is NOTHING in this episode about global warming and bargio is an idiot troll who would not shut the F up about it, he has been banned. I mean totally completely banned from the TSP server, at least for a little while.

    I will lift his ban in about a week and we will see if he can behave himself.

    Anyone that thinks this is censorship, go here and see section 4 http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/about-tspc/disclaimers-policies-2

    • Jack,
      I’m all for it to keep a civil and decent tone. While I think the planet is warmer now than it was 180 years ago, there’s far more evidence to support the heavy influence of volcanic activity at the time than there is evidence that CO2 alone could account for the change. Some people just don’t get the fact that there was a time when Alaska was warm enough to be tropical, where giant algae blooms turned into vast fields of oil, where now there is ice. Humans didn’t cause that warm period and it’s highly unlikely they’re causing this one.

      …and I have taken several semesters of climatology…
      Mark

    • @Jack,

      I am not sure if you can tell with your data(server reference or something), but is this the same stalker-type that’s been showing up with the same tripe every few weeks or so? Is this the same person using different names and repeating the same drivel again and again? The “signature” is surely the same, although who can tell when you’re dealing with a parrot.

      If it is the same person, then they clearly have no purpose here other than to harass this community with their propaganda. As you say–they aren’t even responding to something you said on the show.

      This is plain old kook behavior, plain and simple, not someone with an honest disagreement. You said it right–this is a troll–one who doesn’t seem all there.

      Just to be clear–this is NOT about people having opposing views, I just don’t believe for a second that this person has the intention or capacity to engage in any sort of rational discourse.

    • @endure2survive

      Civil debate with an assclown like bargio isn’t possible. First there was NOTHING in this episode about climate change, this shows his true colors alone. Second he spouts dogma and posts links and drops to the denier charge when facts can’t be argued. Lastly he believes that he has a right to consider the “THOUGHTS OF OTHERS UNACCEPTABLE”. People that think they have a right to tell others how to think need a home outside of the US in my opinion. I figure China would be a great place for Bargio.

  18. @KAM there are tons of loons out there, they really should think about who they screw with though. If I want to I can generally track a person right back to their home or place of business. This idiot is banned for the time being.

    The real issue here was this episode had not a damn thing to do with climate change, when he began pasting the same crap to multiple threads, I banned his ass.

    On occasion I give these trolls a bit of rope to hang themselves. This idiot is an idiot who has been here before though and I do think you are talking about the last time he showed up.

    • @Jack,

      If this guy is shifting names, that’s a sure sign of a dedicated troll, and one that has certainly earned a ban.

  19. I was waiting for Bargio to answer your question, and tell us what he’s personally doing to improve the environment. Maybe since he’s a “thinking person”, he’s thinking about it. lol

    • @LisaPainterGirl, well he came back with a bunch of cut and paste BS on a buch of threads with the name bugerio vs. bargio but he sure didn’t address this question. I banned his other IPs. I am done with this turd. Speaking his mind is one thing cutting and pasting the same shit to 5 different comment threads, all of which have nothing to do with the subject is clearly spamming. The maggot is no longer allowed on my server, anytime he comes back the new IP gets banned.

  20. Love when Mike comes on – Great info and no bull. So tired of talking heads with no clue…

    Thanks Jack and Mike

  21. 38:16; “HOLY SHIT!” Hahahaha, I don’t think I’ve ever heard Jack so flabbergasted. Great show.

  22. Too bad Bargio couldn’t keep his lid on. I was curious to hear his tit-for-tat reply to all the things Jack does for the environment. Would have been an interesting comparison.

    Jack, thanks for all you do from a left of center right-wing nutjob.
    ON-TOPIC Post Script: You mentioned a “Go” party during the show who is looking for “a few good men” to go do represent all of us in the middle of America, but there was no mention of it in the show notes. Could you either post some info (or send me an email) about this group and how to get in touch with them?

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