The Zealous Pursuit of State Sponsored Wealth Destruction

Posted on November 30, 2018 by MN Gordon

The lifecycle of capital follows a wide-ranging succession.  It is imagined, produced, consumed, and destroyed.  How exactly this all takes place involves varying and infinite undulations.

One generation may produce wealth.  While the next generation burns through it.  Various facets of a person’s capabilities, understanding, industry, and character can determine if they’re producers or consumers.  The most determinant facet of this, however, is how one approaches their unique circumstances.

The July 21, 2014, edition of Forbes Magazine documented the Stroh family’s methodical rise and swift disappearance from the beer brewing business.  The print edition of the article titled, How to Blow $9 Billion, began with the following summation:

“It took the Stroh family over a century to build the largest private beer fortune in America.  And it took just a few bad decisions to lose the entire thing.”

What worked for the Stroh family was taking a long time horizon.  Wealth was built by incrementally acquiring and growing a loyal and devoted regional customer base.  What didn’t work for the Stroh family was its debt financed acquisitions of Schaefer and Schlitz, and the costly bid to become a national brand. Continue reading →

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How To Give Thanks Like Socrates

Posted on November 22, 2018 by MN Gordon

Ordinary ideals of Americana range as far and wide as the North American continent.  The valued conviction of one American vastly differs from that of another.  For example, someone from the Mid-Atlantic may have little connection with someone from the Midwest.  Their connection with Cascadia may be even less.

Next door neighbors often find their similarities to be sparse.  One may celebrate adventures in mysticisms.  Another may find inspiration sitting in a college football grandstand.  While a third struggles to free himself of the orthodox hobgoblins that suffocate his soul.

In the midst of this, the fake news media recites the story of the national struggle with delicate and excruciating regularity.  They frame all happenings from the locus of the two party political system…any diverging views are carefully sifted out.  What’s reported is only what the story script editors allow to pass through their single micron particulate filters.

We are told a never ending Marxian tale of the evil rich exploiting the noble poor. Continue reading →

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The Intolerable Scourge of Fake Capitalism

Posted on November 16, 2018 by MN Gordon

All is now bustle and hubbub in the late months of the year.  This goes for the stock market too.

If you recall, on September 22nd the S&P 500 hit an all-time high of 2,940.  This was nearly 100 points above the prior high of 2,847, which was notched on January 26th.  For a brief moment, it appeared the stock market had resumed its near decade long upward trend.

Chartists witnessed the take out of the January high and affirmed all was clear for the S&P 500 to continue its ascent.  They called it a text book confirmation that the bull market was still intact.  Now, just two months later, a great breakdown may be transpiring.

Obviously, this certain fate will be revealed in good time.  Still, as we wait for confirmation, one very important fact is clear.  The Federal Reserve is currently executing the rug yank phase of its monetary policy.  As the Fed simultaneously raises the federal funds rate and reduces its balance sheet, credit markets are slipping and tripping all over themselves. Continue reading →

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When Fake Money Becomes Scarce

Posted on November 9, 2018 by MN Gordon

A rousing display of diversions this week assured the American populace was looking every which way but right under its collective nose.  Midterm elections.  White House spats with purveyors of fake news.  The forced resignation of Attorney General Sessions…

Sideshows like these, and many more, offered near limitless opportunities to focus on matters of insignificance.  Why stop to really understand what’s behind a headline when hundreds of new headlines pop up by the minute?  Why bother to try and figure things out when real thinking is such an inconvenience?

What’s more, the S&P 500 jumped nearly 3 percent between market open Monday and market close Thursday.  Clearly, the October mini-panic is now a distant memory.  At this rate, we’ll all be rich off stocks by the New Year.

Yet while the mob stampeded from one distraction to the next, we remained focused on the real story: The outright pilfering of the nation’s time, talent, and treasure.  This isn’t the story that’s readily presented by the headlines.  But it is readily evident for those willing to open their eyes and look around at the world before them. Continue reading →

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