I’ve been working at the same bar for about four months now. One of my shifts is lunch and during that time I get the occasional person who comes in to fill out a job application. My record for most applications I gave out in a day was five.

Well I go in on Monday night and there is a stack of paper by the bar. Turns out the day bartender collected over 15 job applications for server and bartender positions during her shift, and gave out half-a-dozen more. She said she felt like an HR person, answering questions and giving out pens. At one point six people were simultaneously filling out applications at the bar. Quite a few papers were actual resumes, with years of professional experience but no restaurant experience. Many graduated from very expensive private colleges (Duke, UVA).

And this is Washington DC we’re taking about, a city with supposedly the strongest job market in the country. It seemed like a giant factory closed down on Friday.

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It is the first major recession of our generation (I’m the same age as you). Ask your parents about the recession in the early 80′s or when inflation was at 15% in the late 70′s. Rampant tech growth of the 90′s which yielded tax surpluses came to a crashing halt as the tech bubble burst and people predicted the end of venture capital. It didn’t happen. We are constantly in a boom bust cycle.

Are times hard? Yes. Are individuals caught up in the worst of it, losing jobs, having their life savings (at least temporarily) devalued? Yes. Will it get worse before they get better? Probably. Is this the end of capitalism and economic growth foreverrrrr? Doubtful.

If any of those Duke and UVA applications had any real talent, they’d be out hustling instead of relying on their crutch pedigree. When I graduated from college, I left behind my bs credentials and travelled the world seeking truth. I found that there’s very little that separates the fiction of USA from, say, Zimbabwe… except maybe, say, 3,000 rounds per person. Things fall apart; the center cannot hold.

This shit terrifies me and reminds me I should actually be a better employee.

Lemmonex’s last blog post: On Nature.

Hilarious. In the same breath, you knock someone who’s actually trying to get a job for not “hustling,” and then tell us how you traveled the world when you graduated from college (presumably, spending even more of your parent’s money) seeking “truth.” Is that your idea of hustling?

If there’s one good thing that can come of this recession, it’s that privileged fucks like yourself will finally have to face the music.

It is pretty scary these days, especially when you get sobering reminders like that sudden surge in applications.

I do believe it’s going to get worse before it gets better, but the country will eventually find a way out of it.

ListenToLeon’s last blog post: Your Dream Lover.

UVa is not a private college, it’s a public university.

By travelling the world, you learn how to hustle. Everything is negotiable. You learn that pretty quick. What’s my idea of hustling? Try figuring out a way to buy a telecom company in a former Soviet state without a dime because their “corporateness” is entirely disorganized. Hustling is getting everyone in line so that when you do get a deal (usually with someone else’s money cause you landed in-country without a cent), you don’t have the Ministry-of-Take-Dollar-To-the-bank coming at you for “tax” and “fees”. Hustling is building organizations from nothing with nothing than your skills and talent. I came home to find that everyone likes to drop something like “Harvard Business School” and they don’t know a damn about getting deals to critical mass.

What in God’s name is this anonymous idiot babbling about?

Not to worry dude, the reality check of the new generation that has never wanted for anything never expects to wait for anything and always expects mommy and daddy to lend another hand whenever the thought crosses their mind is now going to be replaced by the biggest sugar daddy of them all: the government.

The government is your daddy. And now all the “yuts” of America (which means everybody under 30 basically) will get to know what government really means outside of waiting in ridiculous lines at the motor vehicles dept.

But hey, it’ll be a nice smiling dude versed in The Chicago Way who will make you feel better while you are bending over and getting it crammed to the max.

You ain’t seen nothing yet.

Like the person earlier who cited the Carter years, there’s nothing more jarring and that goes especially for the poor and underemployed than double digit unemployment coupled with same with inflation followed by economy crushing interest rates in double digits to boot.

Was saying not very long ago before the election when the self anointed 0ne had the media, youth and every barely literate person entranced that we would not be hearing another bad word about deficits if he won.

But the trillion dollar deficits they are talking about now, it’s far beyond anything I imagined.

One, two trillion dollar deficits, no problem. The media will be telling us how necessary and good it is. For at least a year or so and then if the results are really bad, they’ll fall to their old standby blaming you know who.

There is of course plenty of room for blame. And the folks who made tens of millions of Fannie & Freddie well they will be laughing all the way to the bank.

And no I am not talking about the private sector. I’m talking about the government “employees” like Raines, Jamie Gorelick (who brought us the wall between intel that allowed 9-11) and others who collected tens of millions in bonuses for their labors to destroy the housing market.

And that doesn’t even get into the wonderful work of Barney Frank, Christopher “Countrywide Sweetheart Loans” Dodd, Maxine Waters and all the others who fought to keep the gravy train going.

Shoot even illegal aliens were getting no money down mortgages!

Yes, your story is an indicator. It’s rough seas ahead.

Why don’t you tell us how to use PUA skills to get a job?

I would love to see an unexperienced Duke grad on his first shift.

Arjewtino’s last blog post: When Jewish American Princesses attack.

most likely it’s up to the private sector’s innovation of the next big thing….

i’ve been hitting the bars/restaurants/others out here in SF – trying to avoid computer/office work. same story. bartender yesterday collected resumes from ‘a few people’ before i showed up around 4 pm.

other places announce ‘we just had layoffs’. a local bookstore is closing shop. my old company and my buddy’s new company (both computer-based) both went through layoffs. california has a hiring freeze as does another of my old companies (computer), as does one of the local drugstore outlet chains (i forget if it was Walgreen’s, CVS, or other). i can hear people talking about it on the streets, now — “boss is cutting hours again”.

so, yeah, it’s all going down.

except for the ‘no work, no monay’ thing, though, i’m kinda loving it.

I work in a restaurant part-time, and in the financial world full-time. Needless to say, I’m pretty much fucked.

My company, Citigroup, is about to collapse. The restaurant business, from a server’s POV, is dire as well. Restaurants get the overflow from laid off workers in the area. This means fewer shifts and a crowded floor during the shifts you do work. Mix that w/ smaller tips, and its hard not to believe in trickle-down economics.

Chuck’s last blog post: More on the Hotness Scale.

it’s too bad being a douche doesn’t pay

lance’s last blog post: Go Here:.

#4 must have been one of the applicants….

this is not encouraging to me since i am one of those recently unemployed professionals you are talking about…i was hoping retail/serving would be a temporary back-up…guess its escort services next.

dmb5_libra’s last blog post: Interior Designer, I Am Not…..

Roosh, what are you worried about? You have no debt, no overhead, and you’re sitting on cash. You couldn’t possibly be positioned better to snatch up every over-leveraged moron’s assets at fire-sale prices.

RW – It’s so funny watching butt-hurt Republicans flailing about and desperately trying to blame our current problems on Democrats, when we’ve had a Republican controlled Congress for 12 years and a Republican president who governed with complete disregard for consensus for the last 8. Sure man, all we need is a lax regulatory environment and some good ol’ trickle down economics to pull us out of this mess. P.S. – when Republicans are screwing things up, is it the responsibility of a “fair” media to make it look like they aren’t? Would that make you feel like the media was unbiased? If they lied?

Chuck, it’s not wise to name your employer online while bragging about all the time you have to spare, even when you’re working in the back office in Wichita doing sales support for GWM.

That’s why I’m not going to travel anymore this year, I was very excited to live there, but now stayin’ in Brazil sounds a lot better.

============================
Arjewtino

I would love to see an unexperienced Duke grad on his first shift.
============================

Well, he would probably use real words. Way to show the world your brilliance though — “unexperienced,” really?

Man I’ve been telling friends that selling assets and going to live in Costa Rica or Brazil would be on my list of options. From some of the movies I’ve seen of Brazil lately, I’m not so sure a gringo is welcome there long term. Costa Rica I hear is really nice with both oceans accessible an hour apart. My high school Spanish would also be easier to retool than my non-existent Portuguese.

Re: #17 – If you liked the last two years, (led by Queen Nancy of Syria and Dopey Harry) you are going to love the next four. Enjoy!
And I voted for the guy with almost no experience over the shrill, cold one who can not be named who trumpeted her husband’s resume for the record.

As an independent, it always makes me laugh when folks like you trot out with the Republican stuff when anyone points to the facts. Don’t feel bad, I see that pretty often.

“It’s not corruption when we do it.” Should be the campaign motto for 2010. And don’t worry, the media will cooperate.

To RW-

Costa Rica may have 2 oceans, but they are certainly far greater than an hour apart, not that you have any reason to visit the eastern side anyway.

Bragging about a 3 hour lunch break is obviously an exaggeration. Responding to blog comments, from my Blackberry during my lunch break is no crime. Posting that Citigroup is about to break up is something that is all over the news.

Chuck’s last blog post: More on the Hotness Scale.

as great as traveling is… they’re still not giving away plane tickets for free. or health insurance. or food… or vouchers to pay off student loans.

Arjewtino is such a tool.

RW is trying a little too hard. Spouting talk radio insults and claiming you are an independent is absurd. Go sell it somewhere else you Gary.

“its hard not to believe in trickle-down economics.”

Sic on “its”. And it’s very easy not to believe if you have a salaried job and pay hasn’t increased in the last eight years. The cost of goods and services has skyrocketed, and the richest few control a higher percentage of the nation’s wealth than ever.

I think the bank executives, those who can easily bear the consequences of their incompetence, should be in prison. Yet, somehow, they’re taking our tax dollars. That is the reason this country if fucked. Here’s hoping for real class warfare.

Roosh – you were admantly opposed to the TARP plan and the bailout.

Manhattan would be a ghost town if that thing wasn’t passed.

It could be much worse. 7.2% unemployment is bad, but it isn’t historic. Call me when the number hits 11%. Thats when shit is really bad.

The country is alright. We just need to wash out these 2 trillion dollars in Alt-A Arms and the pay option arms – work off the 3 years of excess inventory in the housing market – get the federal deficit under control and things should shake out.

Should see something positive in the summer of 2011.

HA!

Canada isn’t so bad off.

It’s cuz we’re the shit and our games tight.

maybe you guys should do like your brothers did during Vietnam.
this time you could call yourselves shitty government, fucked up economy dodgers. lol

have you guys ever watched the documentary Zietgiest. makes you wonder how much the your federal reserve might have to do with this.

Living in Connecticut at the time, I (barely) survived the Great Recession that utterly devastated the state’s economy at the beginning of the 1990′s. It was so unspeakably bad a time that I still inwardly shudder upon thinking about it.

A few anecdotes should suffice. I had bought a condominium in the summer of 1988, and two years later it was worth less than half – actually, more like a third – of what I had paid for it. Having a fairly high interest rate on my mortgage certainly didn’t make things any better. Coming up with each month’s payment was a tremendous struggle.

In late 1990, having been jobless for months and with my savings almost depleted, I spotted an advertisement in the local paper’s (extremely thin) help wanted section seeking two or three people for work at a lawn-and-garden products warehouse. The ad made it clear that the work was very physically demanding and paid the minimum wage. When I drove to the warehouse a couple hours later to apply, it was absolutely mobbed with desperate applicants. I would guess that the number was at least 250 to 300. In the half-hour or so it took for me to fill out the application at least another 200 people arrived. Needless to say, I didn’t get the job.

Things were just as bad a couple months later when I applied for a part time, temporary job, yet another minimum-wage gig, at a mail order company. This company was in such a strong market position, what with the huge influx of applicants, that it was demanding everyone take a long, pointless “personality profile” test just to be considered for the job. I didn’t get it either.

And this isn’t to mention all the things that didn’t affect me directly, for example well-known local stores and restaurants and other companies closing after decades in business, rampant bank failures, vacant buildings everywhere, and so on.

My life is very different and much better today, but I really don’t think I’ll ever get over what I experienced back in that horrible time.

Peter’s last blog post: Tuesday, January 13.

Yeah, where I live it is usually super easy to find a job. Right now though, it is near impossible. I have about 5 Brazilian friends who came out here, and now have to go back to Brazil because they can’t find a job out here. I live in one of the richest counties in the country too.

The Fed has EVERYTHING to do with this. Greenspan was for years lauded as the maestro who had done away with the business cycle. This is the penultimate capitalist fantasy, perpetual increasing growth without limit. Unfortunately this violates economic laws like perpetual motion machines violate the laws of entropy. There will always be business cycles. Greenspan merely put off the final reckoning by keeping interest rates artificially low and expanding the money supply. The cheap credit allowed for easy spending of the money we didn’t have, collateralized by asset values increased by the hidden inflation. Deregulation also allowed the hiding and shifting of risk, further increasing the paper values of assets such as houses. While we all share some of the blame, I place the lion’s share directly on Greenspan’s shoulders. I write on the decline of America here: http://alphadominance.com/?p=66
and if you want a great synopsis of how we got here, watch “The Ascent of Money” that recently aired on PBS, available online.

alphadominance’s last blog post: Dating capital: Beauty and infidelity have the same basis.

To B-Rad, you clearly have never been to Puerto Viejo or Cahuita beach, two gems on the eastern coast of Costa Rica.

Simon’s last blog post: Coming Soon!*.

Its the same story in europe.

Just like Peter said, compare to the recession that happened in the 70s,80s, and 90s, what happening right now it’s not that bad but it’s not good either! We’ll be alright! It’s just right now we’re like in the “eye of the storm”…on second thought make it “an eye of an hurricane.” Like the hurricane that passed thru here in Houston back in September.

All i can say is take a shelter and hold on! Hopefully the worst will pass! We’ll survived this one. We have to!

The problem with today versus what was the last really rough time, post 9-11 in NYC is that there is no clear sight to things improving. As many indicators are showing problems ahead, the confidence factor is producing an added impact. In our region, there was a forecast that home prices would not stabilize for several quarters ahead at a minimum into 2010.

27 – I did the best I could to stop the shrill cold one and gambled on the Chicago Way. Yesterday’s hearings were hilarious with our future Secretary of State even refusing to reply to the suggestion there be no further “collections” made to the Clintons from Middle East and other countries.

Well at least they don’t have to mail the money. All these countries can just have pickup service for the next HALF A BILLION dollars to the Clintons.

Do I need to listen to a radio to see that’s a problem? Which newspaper revealed the six interventions on behalf of “donors” by a certain would be Secretary of State? Did I read that on the radio?

Yeah, this country is fucked alright.

http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/13/news/economy/executive.jobs.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2009011509

“(Fortune) — Friends, let’s not sugarcoat it: This is an exceptionally lousy time to be looking for a job. We’ve all heard by now (repeatedly) that about 2 million of them vanished in 2008, more than 250,000 in the financial sector alone, and that hiring at most companies has slowed to a crawl or stopped altogether.

But don’t give up. If you happen to belong to the broad category of employees the Bureau of Labor Statistics identifies as “management, business, and financial occupations” – a group that includes white-collar folk whose titles range from office manager to CEO – there may well be a job opening out there somewhere with your name on it.

That’s partly because grim reports about mounting unemployment usually neglect to mention that job losses don’t fall equally across all categories of workers. The overall unemployment rate, now at 7.2%, includes people of all ages and occupations. But joblessness tends to be more widespread among very young workers, no matter what the economy is doing, points out Karen Kosanovich, an economist at the BLS. If you look only at Americans aged 25 or older, the rate is 6%. Narrow it to only people with four-year college degrees, and the unemployment rate is 3.3%. That’s much higher than it was in 2006 and 2007, when unemployment among college grads hovered around 2%, but it’s still far below the 7.2% national average.

(Conversely, unemployment rates among construction workers and factory employees are much higher than average, at 13% and 10% respectively.)”

(Conversely, unemployment rates among construction workers and factory employees are much higher than average, at 13% and 10% respectively.)”

si se puede!

(who do you think is gutting the wages and job prospects of those blue collar workers? Swiss illegals?)

roissy’s last blog post: Girls Rip Each Other To Shreds Behind Smiles.

This country IS fucked in a way – I mean it voted W. Bush in AGAIN in 2004 – after they knew we were tricked into Iraq and that he stole the election in 2000 and after 4 years of clear misinformation and cageyness.

It gives me no pleasure to see they extent of horrible problems we face because of the cheating, lying bastards who cheated their way into office , lied the whole time about f***ing EVERYTHING, and then shot their “friend” in the the face while drunk.

They were the enemies of the state and the Americans that sat around ignoring everything and voting for them are now whining their asses off.

And it’s not like the W. Bush voters will shut up with the whining about the economy when they were key players in making the problem bigger by voting the problem in again. They are the biggest group of hippocrates out there – clowns without knowledge – in charge of the country. No wonder we’re fucked. . Let’s see some elbows thrown in the faces of the Party That Ruined America – the GOP.

Yeah and like Obama will fix it instantly? Don’t delude yourselves. It took home prices 7 years to recover after the first Reagan / Bush S&L Crisis. See the pattern? Scandal make huge mountains of capital for Republican insiders / who also manipulate the tax code so they don’t pay taxes of the capital – the rest of the country applies for bartending jobs and digs in for a 7 year rebound.

Good post Roosh

Roosh, you are hillarious. Did it not occur for a minute that we are about to have an administration change over? That a new congress and senate session has begun, and that many staffers need to now find jobs? If people want to stay in DC, I bet they would look for short term work (e.g. in bars, etc) while looking for another position in their field. Surely the change will not account for all resumes, but in a manner of speaking, a huge factory did close down, and a new one is opening on Jan 20, which won’t employ the same workers…

Also, have to love the jump from 15 job applications to “this country is fucked”…and UVA is a public school, moron.

yeah i work on a popular florida beach and a friend who works at the Shereton Hotel here says they get 30-40 apps a day for all kinda of positions.yeah if that isnt proof we are in a reccesion i dont know what is.

Yeah I know a girlfiend Who is 25 and she is stripping and sleeping with her clients now for money.she is taking home 1000.on some nights.of course she is propably fucking 3 guys a days to do that but its another way to beat the reccesion.huh?

@45

Maybe this country will become like 3rd world nation where everyone is hustling, scrambling for the few legit jobs and half the women are working as prostitutes on the side.

Damn talk about a lot of comments.

Awesome. Does this mean we can look forward to another flotilla of wikipedia-based economics screeds?

none of those tax breaks will make gas more affordable, student loans tolerable, or keep homes from foreclosing like Obama said. No matter who won, those of us not at the top of the pyramid are going to get fucked while PAYING FOR MORE TAXES to aid large companies and overpaid executives and banks who aren’t extending credit any more than before the bailout.
- “if you gave the federal gov’t control of the sahara desert, they’d be running low on sand in five years.”

Love how someone attacks Roosh with their “insider view” on DC government jobs and Roosh lives there.

The government is hiring though. Every illegal in the US will be given a good paying job and a shovel to start digging new infrastructure.

Those damn Swiss!

Please join me in welcoming our new amnesty American citizens and their families who will be joining them shortly thereafter.

And welcome these tens of millions of “Americans” to the All American Sellout Party, I mean voting polls.

As for the rest of you unemployed screaming yahoos, let me quote the great Luis Tiant, pitcher for the NY Yankess who once said to an injured Reggie Jackson, “We dun nee you.”

Those words you will now be hearing from the great Amnesty Senator of NJ, Menendez.

Roosh doesn’t live in DC, he lives in his parent’s basement in Maryland. DC’s version of bridge and tunnel.

“Maybe this country will become like 3rd world nation where everyone is hustling, scrambling for the few legit jobs and half the women are working as prostitutes on the side.”

Well at least they will be getting paid for what they now do for free as members of a first world nation – sleeping with lots of men.

Yes , your country is well and trully fucked and it can only get worse.
For too long , the rest of the world has been propping up your countries ridiculous way of life.
Cheap fuel, cheap consumer goods and still millions of your population live in poverty.

Welcome to the real world.

yes john c our country is in a recession. But chances are very likely the country you live in blows and will never have the opportunity the US has.

54, where the hell are you from?

54 – you nor any of your pals have propped the US up, not our nation, our freedoms, our success or our way of life.

The US has however given more money to other countries, more support for the scourge of AIDS in Africa, more money to the hapless and witless corrupt minions at the UN and that’s just for starters.

And when the US gets a head cold, the rest of the world comes down with a bad case of malaria or worse.

And btw poverty here is not relative to poverty elsewhere in the world. People struggle to get into the US so they can live with poverty where the poor are fat.

I like strippers that actually go the distance…..such hard workers.

RW – don’t front like the US is helping the rest of the world. You should read a book called Economic Hitmen. written by an american dude, i forget his name. google it.

make that Confessions of an Economic Hitman.

Roosh, with all due respect, you SHOULD be worried about yourself. Game is your strength, but economics is mine, and I can tell you that if you’re not worried for yourself, you don’t understand what’s happening. You might have no debt and plenty of money saved, but that isn’t nearly enough to weather this storm (especially if your savings are in U.S. dollars). If you choose to ride out the coming economic collapse of the United States (yes, you read that correctly) within the U.S., you MUST have supplies to get you through the inevitable supply disruptions that will likely start this year.

Some of the responses to this post liken what’s occurring now to the 70′s or the early 90′s. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this is a depression, NOT a recession, and it’s just barely getting started. And this depression will likely be referred to in future textbooks as The Greater Depression, since it’s going to dwarf the depression of the 1930′s in severity and scope.

Two years ago, when I started issuing serious warnings about the impending depression, people thought I was crazy. When the Dow crested 14,000 and I told people it was time to sell their stocks, they couldn’t understand why. Now let me say: it’s time to batten down the hatches and prepare for a category 5 hurricane.

The very fabric of society, especially in the U.S., is going to change and change drastically. Services that people take for granted are going to fail, and probably sooner rather than later (meaning this year at some point). That means there will come a time when it will be impossible to simply drive to the grocery store and buy food. Are you prepared for that? My family and many of my friends have been stocking up on non-perishable food and bottled water, at my urging. They’ve been looking for ways to augment their food supply as well, such as starting gardens in whatever land they have available, even if that means a tiny backyard. Are you taking those kinds of precautions?

Roosh, you say you’re planning to leave the U.S. and head to South America. I recommend you do so very soon. The economic collapse will be very sudden and catastrophic. It will likely be impossible to get on a plane and get out of harm’s way after the curtain truly comes down on the U.S. economy and financial system. Ask the Russians what happened in 1998; they’ll tell you all about what an economic collapse actually looks like. The average American has no clue.

And please don’t believe the government statistics. Unemployment is well north of 7%. John Williams of Shadow Government Statistics fame pegs unemployment at more like 12-14%, and he’s probably right on the money. Before this depression has run its course, unemployment will be somewhere north of 30%, at the very least. If the U.S. dollar completely collapses, and I’ll be shocked if it doesn’t, you can expect unemployment levels akin to somewhere like Zimbabwe, where hyperinflation currently rages out of control. What’s the unemployment in Zimbabwe you ask? Try 80%.

Some of you will no doubt say, “Well this is the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, not some godforsaken third world country in Africa,” but the idea that the U.S. is fundamentally different from Zimbabwe is an illusion, a “nube de humo” as they say here in Argentina. The idea that an economic collapse can’t happen in America is fallacious. It not only CAN happen, it’s inevitable.

Please take care of yourselves and your families. Do your best to prepare for what’s coming. Buy any and all supplies you think you’re going to need when basic services fail and/or prices shoot into the stratosphere. I’m sure you can think of many. Non-perishable food and bottled water are the most critical, as I keep saying. I say non-perishable because you won’t be able to count on your refrigerator running when electricity generation becomes inconstant and unreliable, and you’re going to need far more than will fit in a fridge anyway. Economic collapses take YEARS to recover from, not days or weeks.

In short, this is not a dress rehearsal; this is the real deal. We’re all going to need to be strong, no matter where we live, in order to survive what’s coming. We’re going to reconnect with our neighbors in ways we can’t imagine now. We’re going to have to unite and, most likely, fight. Luckily, though, what results will be something far better than what we have today. That much I can assure you.

61, people like you are half the reason the economy is not getting better. Do you think people are going to invest when you tell them things like this?

I understand your sentiment, Brandon, believe me, but please know that you and I are on the same team. Yours is a common response when I write or speak about the economy, but you’re blaming the messenger. When Roosh or Roissy write about game, their words are often extremely direct, even jarring. That is entirely intentional, in that it helps them get their point across. It’s the same with me and my explanation of the economy and where we’re headed. I want to shock people out of their complacency. I want to get them to ask the tough questions. I want to wake them up, because they are still so clearly sleepwalking through this thing. Well somnambulation won’t cut it here. We desperately need to be proactive, all of us.

Most people, especially in the U.S., have the mistaken belief that government will protect them, but that is not the function of government, nor has it ever been. You’ll hear many people say, for example, that Obama will be the one to right the economy, that he’ll restore economic prosperity and “turn things around.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Do you know who Obama’s nominating for all major economic posts? That’s right – the same people who got us into this mess in the first place. And, lest you think I’m being politically partisan, McCain would have done exactly the same thing.

You wrote, “Do you think people are going to invest when you tell them things like this?” If by “invest” you mean continue to blindly put money into the stock market without knowing what they’re doing, then no, I dearly hope they WON’T do that. If you have money above and beyond taking care of your survival needs, I can tell you how to invest it (it’s what my clients pay me for), but my focus will remain on explaining to people that this problem is far deeper and more profound than the prices of stocks going down. That is merely a symptom of the problem.

The real issue here is that the economy today, especially in the U.S. and much of Europe, is entirely driven by its system of credit. But what happens when that system of credit fails, as it’s doing now? One major result is that farmers are unable to get lines of credit to purchase seeds and the other supplies they need in order to plant and harvest their crops. If that sounds far-fetched, please be aware that it started happening last year, meaning that this year’s crop of just about every major agricultural commodity will be drastically reduced. That is why I urge people to procure food supplies NOW.

When Roosh and Roissy write about game, some people respond angrily, but that anger stems from the fact that their beliefs about the world are being challenged. It’s a scary thing to have your worldview turned upside down. The interesting thing is that you often see the same angry people post again and again. Why? Because, deep down, they know that something about the world is very different than they thought it was, and they’re desperately trying to get their minds around just what that might be. When I talk about the current state of the economy, I likewise get some angry, accusatory reactions, but that comes with the territory. Not to trot out clichés, but if I can help one person, then I will wear the pariah label proudly, knowing I sacrificed something in order that someone else might benefit.

On that note, if you have any specific questions, Brandon, about what you can do to prepare or how to invest your money, I’d be more than happy to answer them. The same goes for anyone else. I post on this site occasionally, generally when Roosh broaches the topic I know best, since I respect him and the insight he provides. Likewise, I think he and some of his readers could benefit from my insight when it comes to the economy and financial matters. If that is the case, then I’ll go above and beyond to give more detailed advice to anyone who wants it.

Doonie,

I would appreciate some more detailed advice. Any ideas as far as “investments” and food are welcome.

55 Charles y.

Dude , I live in Australia.

A far better place than you could imagine.
The only problem is we are slowly and steadily being Americanised. Fuck that shit.

Which country has done more to aid a continent with a massive AIDS problem?

Oh and John Howard rules, not John C.

Well, so much bullshit being written that I actually don’t know where to start.

@Nationalistic idiots:
Saying that the US helps the world is bullshit. They give with a hand and take with the other. That’s one of the reason people in developing countries don’t really like the US. But all powers before were similar, you guys aren’t better nor worse.

@ John C

Mate, which country is better or worse is just a matter of perspective.

@ Donnie,

Tone down on the Doomsday prophecies, it’s old. Although it’s true, we’re in for a rough ride.

john c austrailia is a fine country. It’s just no it’s no US though. Stay down under, out of trouble, and out of harms way. It’s a great way to avoid the peaks, valleys and responsibilities of being THE global economic powerhouse on planet earth. Like all things this will not last forever. Casting stones from Australia emphasizes to me, the trully trivial nature of your continent. We will call upon your country should we need a crocidile dundee 3 movie, or if we are running low on kangaroo shit, thanks.

Donnie let’s hear some financial advice.

The following is some info I hope will be helpful.

Here’s an excellent site where you can order food and water purification products for very reasonable prices: http://www.readyreservefoods.com/ It should be possible to procure a year’s worth of food and water (buying pre-bottled water at places like Costco is still cheap at this point) for one person for less than $2,500, which is the cheapest insurance you can have right now. Buying an equivalent amount of food from your local supermarket would be far more expensive and cumbersome. The people at Ready Reserve are excellent to deal with, and can answer any questions you may have. If you can’t afford that much right now, buy as much as you can afford and add more as finances allow. If you can afford to buy more, by all means do so. Post-collapse, it will take a long time for things to return to some semblance of normalcy (meaning several years, most likely).

As I said in my previous posts, procuring food and water supplies is tantamount. Next you should address other immediate survival needs you anticipate having. For example, if you live in the upper midwest or northeastern regions of the U.S., you should definitely own a high-quality sleeping bag, good down to -20 or -30 degrees F, if at all possible. They do get significantly more expensive as the insulation level increases, but it’s worth it. If you have to go without home heating for a significant period of time, the sleeping bag will be priceless. Things like matches, candles, flashlights, plenty of extra batteries, etc. etc. are critical to have on hand. You can use Google to find out much more about what the most critical survival items are.

Also, where food is concerned, you’re likely to see lawns (which are silly and nonproductive anachronisms) torn up in favor of gardens, since people will seek to augment their food supplies. Planting a small garden of your own is a very wise idea. If you have any available space to do so, now is the time to learn about seeds and growing things for yourself. Start small and learn. It really isn’t that difficult to do.

In terms of investing advice, no matter what I say will probably prove divisive, mostly, I feel, because there is so much disinformation out there. Most financial planners and stockbrokers have zero knowledge of financial matters, being glorified mutual fund salesmen or outright con men (or both). When I try to explain to them the intricacies of monetary theory, their eyes glaze over. Many of them continue to tell people, “Don’t worry. The stock market always goes up over time. So just keep putting your money in there.” That is absolute and total bullshit. The stock market is the more well-known version of Las Vegas. It’s a casino, and if you don’t know when to take your winnings and go home, you’re sure to give them back (and then some).

With that caveat, the single most critical thing you should invest in right now is gold, preferably in the form of coins that you keep close to hand (at home in a safe, for example). Definitely do NOT keep anything of value in a safe deposit box at your local bank, since with the passage of the Patriot Act the bank can open your safe deposit box without you being present any time it chooses.

Gold proves a surprisingly divisive recommendation, mostly because economics is something that isn’t taught in schools. The “economics” that econ majors learn in universities in the U.S. isn’t economics at all; it’s a pale, Keynesian reflection of what economics actually is. If you want to learn more about what’s currently happening to our financial system (and by extension our economy), I suggest you read up on Ludwig von Mises and Austrian Economics, which is the economics which SHOULD be taught in schools, but isn’t.

But back to gold. Gold is money and has been for thousands of years. No government mandate can or will change that. The government can tell you all day long that little pieces of green paper are money, but money and legal tender are two different things. That fact will become clear to everyone over the next few years.

The best way to buy gold coins is to find a local coin shop and pay cash, but many shops are already having a hard time getting inventory replenished. Here’s a good way to find a coin shop near you: http://coininfo.com/index.php?op=searchDealers. A secondary option is to buy online from a reputable outfit like Apmex (www.apmex.com) or California Numismatic Investments (www.golddealer.com). Both deliver in a timely fashion and usually have stock on hand.

As for which coins to buy, Gold American Eagles and Gold Buffaloes are good, as are Gold Canadian Maple Leafs and the well-known South African Krugerrands. I recommend you stay away from no-name bars and generic rounds. There may well come a time when you need to use the coins to barter for other goods, and it’s best to have coins that are easily recognizable. Also, having different sizes of coins is wise. Having some one ounce, half ounce, quarter ounce, and even 1/10 ounce coins helps make sure your bases are covered, should you need to exchange them for different amounts of other goods.

When you buy gold coins, be aware that you will pay a premium over the “spot” price, which is the current price at the time. Since gold is traded during 23.5 out of every 24 hours, the spot price is almost always changing. This is a good reason to check the current spot price before you buy. Here’s a good link to use to do that: http://www.kitco.com/charts/livegold.html. If you’re able to buy on a day when the gold price has fallen quite a bit, so much the better, but even at ~$850 an ounce (as of this writing), gold is extremely undervalued. The price will increase considerably over the coming years. One last note: if you have disposable income, have already stocked up on food and water and the other supplies you’ll need and want to buy gold, don’t hesitate. At some point (likely this year), there will be a panic into gold that will be unprecedented. Buy before the panic starts in earnest; you’ll be glad you did.

I hope this info is helpful. I’ll try my best to answer any questions.

“62 Brandon
2 days, 17 hours ago

61, people like you are half the reason the economy is not getting better. Do you think people are going to invest when you tell them things like this?
”

you think this is about psychology???? Don’t you understand, all the banks are BANKRUPT. Iceland was just the tip of the iceberg. UK banks according to analysts are now insolvent/bankrupt, and according to Roubini, American banks will lose 2-3 trillion dollars when all is said and done which makes them also INSOLVENT. No amount of psychology can hide the numbers this time.

And the doomsday predictions are not out of the question yet.

@Charles y.

Don’t be so full of yourself. The US isn’t THE global economic powerhouse it once was.
Many analysts were surprised it took so long for the crisis to get out of the US. One of the reasons is because other countris and areas are slowly growing and taking a larger percentage of the global economy.

Europe, China, Brazil, India, etc. Not to say the world doesn’t need the US, it does. But not as much as it used to.

really zictor? No shit. You are reiterating what I said. The countries with well known economic growth potentials that you are referring to are comonly known to investors as “brics.”. Which stands for brazil russia India and china.

NYC is still the trading/commerce capital of the world. For how long who knows.

I’m just stating the facts if your feelings get hurt, I apologize in advance for you being a bitch. Incidentally brics have a poor 6 month chart, unless you think this is the bottom or your just looking for short term gain don’t buy any. A good defensive move is/was to change your currency to yen, if your worried about the us economy. Good luck.