The Billionaire They Call Dr. Doom

My guest in this interview is Dr Marc Faber. Dr. Faber was born in Zurich, Switzerland. He went to school in Geneva and Zurich and finished high school with the Matura. 

He studied Economics at the University of Zurich and, at the age of 24, obtained a PhD in Economics magna cum laude. Between 1970 and 1978, Dr Faber worked for White Weld & Company Limited in New York, Zurich and Hong Kong. Since 1973, he has lived in Hong Kong. From 1978 to February 1990, he was the Managing Director of Drexel Burnham Lambert (HK) Ltd. 

In June 1990, he set up his own business, MARC FABER LIMITED which acts as an investment advisor and fund manager.

- Source

Marc Faber Discusses What’s Going on in Our Economy and Markets

Jason Hartman talks with Marc Faber, editor at Gloom, Boom, Doom, about what’s going on in our economy with the massive asset inflation that’s hit in the past few years. 

The two examine what central banks will have to do in order to deal with the looming shortages and what investments can buck that trend when it arises.

- Source, The Hartman Media Company

Marc Faber: Global Economy is on the Cusp of a Recession

• According to Dr. Faber, the global economy is on the cusp of a recession. Investors are advised to batten down the hatches.

• A global / domestic economic maelstrom of epic proportions where paper assets denominated in the reserve currency lose up to 80% is possible.

• Few asset classes will endure the economic storm ahead, however, safe havens include gold, silver, PMs shares and cryptocurrencies.

• Despite the remarkable increases in modern productivity given quantum leaps in access to technology and information, living standards are sagging.

• Incomes have not matched increases in the cost of living.

• The duo concur that the erosion of the standard of living is directly correlated to profligate money expansion, which acts as a reverse “Invisible Hand.”

• Both the guest/host advocate diversification of asset classes, increasing the weighting of safe haven, hard money assets in the coming years to shield wealth from potential economic volatility.

- Source, Gold Seek Radio

Politicians Like to Blame Everyone Else For the Problems They Created

Referring to China, Kyle Bass claimed at a recent investment conference that, “Right now, there is no trust and no rule of law. The Chinese government lies, cheats, and steals as a national ideology.”

I heard that the audience rewarded his candid statements with applause.

Blaming the Chinese for everything appeals to the Democrats and the Republicans alike, and that is what counts for President Trump ahead of the 2020 elections. In fact, I find the applause following Bass' accusations deeply disturbing given the relatively high social standing and knowledge of the conference attendees. It also reminds me of so many other occasions in history when leaders blamed other people (usually minority groups and foreigners, or whosoever is convenient at the time) for their own shortcomings and failures.

Not long ago, Elaine Chao (the current US Secretary of Transportation) opined that, "Smoot and Hawley ginned up the Tariff Act of 1930 to get America back to work after the Stock Market Crash of ’29. Instead, it destroyed trade so effectively that by 1932, American exports to Europe were just a third of what they had been in 1929. World trade fell two-thirds as other nations retaliated. Jobs evaporated."

I think it is fair to say that the Smoot–Hawley Tariff did not cause the depression (there were numerous other factors at play), but it certainly accelerated the downturn and prolonged the global economic slump as global trade collapsed. Currently, the global economy (including the US) is already weakening badly (many sectors are already in recession) and the trade war will aggravate the economic downturn. US economic weakness is indicated by strengthening US Treasuries. It is also confirmed by the decline in oil and lumber prices. Furthermore, the US Markit manufacturing PMI just dropped by 2 points to a near-recession 50.6 level.

In general, I believe that Wall Street strategists and economists grossly underestimate the downside risk of equities. I concede that the US stock market is becoming near-term oversold and, therefore, could rebound in June and July (traditional summer rally). The US stock market is, however, far from oversold from a longer-term perspective. My advice: Sell the rallies and reduce equity positions.

Finally, remember regarding the constant China bashing that, as Daniel Kahneman observed, “A reliable way to make people believe in falsehoods is frequent repetition, because familiarity is not easily distinguished from truth. Authoritarian institutions and marketers have always known this fact.”

- Source, Marc Faber

Marc Faber: Massive Asset Inflation, Central Banks Confusion

Jason Hartman talks with Marc Faber, editor at Gloom, Boom & Doom Report, about what's going on in our economy with the massive asset inflation that's hit in the past few years. The two examine what central banks will have to do in order to deal with the looming shortages and what investments can buck that trend when it arises.

- Source, The Hartman Media Company