Discussion with Andrew Stack
This was recorded last month, but is still relevant. Andrew asked many of the questions I find being raised by ordinary people who are increasingly suspicious of their governments.
Andrew Stack was the only embedded television correspondent to enter Iraq without a support crew and the first to win an Emmy Award working alone. His series, "Stack in Iraq" won three regional Emmy Awards in 2004. Andrew's footage was featured in the acclaimed documentary "Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience," which won two National Emmy Awards and an Oscar Nomination in 2008. He recently appeared as a contributor on Croatia's CNN affiliate, N1.
“In this eye-opening discussion, geopolitical economist Alasdair Macleod delves into the looming threat of a global economic collapse, exploring the intricacies of the current credit bubble and its historical parallels to the Weimar Republic. He paints a sobering picture of the consequences average Americans will face as inflation continues to soar and digital currencies like Bitcoin and CBDCs evolve into instruments of control. Through a critical lens on geopolitical dynamics and monetary policy, the conversation challenges conventional perceptions, questioning the motivations behind government actions and the potential rise of authoritarian leadership in response to crisis. As friends and insiders share conflicting perspectives on the market’s future, one thing remains clear: the stakes have never been higher. Alasdair urges listeners to reconsider their financial strategies and warns of the dangers lurking in our financial systems. Tune in to grasp the massive shifts occurring in our economy and society, and why it’s crucial to stay informed in these uncertain times. What does the future hold, and how can we protect ourselves from the impending fallout? This discussion is a must-watch for anyone concerned about their financial security.
0:00 Cold open
01:10 Introduction
02:40 The most important story
08:00 The elephant in the room
13:00 Leftism 16:00 Central banking
17:00 Results of central planning
22:00 Elephant in the room
2:00 Fed vs.Treasury
36:00 Blockchain ownership
39:00 XRP - currency or investment
41:00 Cryptocurrency machinations
45:00 Biggest bubble ever
48:00 Modern Crackup-BOOM now
52:00 World Economic Forum
55:00 My father the spy
57:00 Super-bubble collapse
Some thoughts on conspiracy theories. As Alasdair rightly pointed out, the people who go to the WEF are actually not the brightest. Nassim Taleb describes that type of person as "Intellectual yet Idiot" (https://nassimtaleb.org/2016/09/intellectual-yet-idiot/). They think that they know better than everyone else, but are actually totally deluded.
None of this is new. Vaclav Havel describes this very well in his essay The Power of the Powerless:
"...ideology becomes at the same time an increasingly important component of power, a pillar providing it with both excusatory legitimacy and an inner coherence. As this aspect grows in importance, and as it gradually loses touch with reality, it acquires a peculiar but very real strength. It becomes reality itself, albeit a reality altogether self-contained, one that on certain levels (chiefly inside the power structure) may have even greater weight than reality as such. Increasingly, the virtuosity of the ritual becomes more important than the reality hidden behind it."
https://archive.org/details/vaclav-havel-power-of-the-powerless/page/12/mode/2up
I also find Matthias Desmet's theory on mass formation (https://words.mattiasdesmet.org/p/the-psychology-of-totalitarianism) very helpful to understand the world we are living in today and would recommend his book The Psychology of Totalitarianism to everyone who's interested in these things.
The work of Iain McGilchrist has been another eye-opener for me. He connects societal decline and our failing elites to neuroscience. I really enjoyed his books, but they aren't easy reads. Fortunately, many of his talks are available on Youtube, for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuQ4Hi7YdgU
I believe there are powerful people who push their agendas and try to misuse political power, but it's not a big coordinated plan to enslave the world. Most of it can be explained with human psychology. Many of the involved people are motivated by money, power and status and others are just totally deluded by their ideology.
Cheers Alasdair. He certainly has an inquisitive mind. As I've said before, same subject but from a different perspective. Keeps you on your toes and interesting for us. I hope he asks you back by the spring time to get a perspective of where we are going. Thanks for bringing it us.