The Weekly Watch
End of Empire
Slowly, Slowly, Then All at Once
Slowly, Slowly, Then All at Once
The decay of US empire is all around us...crumbling infrastructure, increasing poverty and homelessness, and an economic system in decline. We used the power of the dollar to sanction and bully other countries to the point they united and developed a new means of exchange (BRICS pay) bypassing the USD and SWIFT system. The FED has for decades cranked up the presses to over produce dollars, increasing the debt to the point the interest on the debt is about equal to our GDP. Much of the currency creation has been to finance the endless war - profiting the MIC, the bankers, the oil industry, and the elite. In fact, over spending on the Vietnam war caused Nixon to take the USD off a gold standard because we didn't have the gold to back all the dollars created. Since then it has gotten worse, and the wars more numerous in an effort to prop up the failing system.
Ending the empire might bring in the "Great Reset" or perhaps usher in a new multinodal cooperative world.
Have you noticed the explosion of gold and silver prices? Ironically the dollar is gaining strength at the same time. Among the fiat currencies, the dollar is the cleanest dirty shirt in the basket. Year's ago I asked my friend, the local Judge, if he had gold. He said yes, but if the SHTF, it will be useful things like tools and the skill to use them that will hold the real value.
Gold’s Run to $5,000, Silver $50 Isn’t a Rally: It’s Proof of a Dying Financial System
(37 min) “It’s really theft. And it's not mistaken theft or stupid theft. It's deliberate policy theft,” says Matthew Piepenburg, author of Rigged to Fail, of the current fiscal environment. He warns we are at a “Stalingrad moment” for the U.S. dollar, driven by unsustainable debt and central banks “net stacking gold and net dumping U.S. Treasuries.”
This historic shift, he explains, is because “policymakers are not your friends” and are deliberately debasing currency. “When that debt credit balloon approaches a popping moment… the currency used to monetize that debt… melts like an ice cube.” In this environment, “gold just tells the truth,” acting as a vital lifeboat. “Gold has almost a supernatural, historical, and inherent quality that's simply unmatched. And that's why it's in such demand, and it will always get the last laugh over dying fiat paper money. It just always does.”
Silver is playing a role as well...
Understand the 'Silver Squeeze' - Your Ultimate Guide | Mike Maloney (20 min)
He reveals that silver lease rates have skyrocketed, SLV shares are scarce or unavailable for borrowing, and the paper markets are cracking under pressure.
He argues that we’ve just completed a 45-year “cup and handle” technical breakout, and that backwardation is signaling that physical demand is overwhelming speculative instruments.
But the fight is far from over — Maloney also warns of margin hikes, exchange intervention, and manipulation as key tools being used to hold down the price.
If you want to understand whether silver is on the verge of a historic run, or whether this is just another cycle that fizzles out — watch this now.
00:00 - Global Silver Lease Rates Skyrocket
00:22 - Completion of 45-Year Cup and Handle
00:37 - JP Morgan Executive on No Free Silver
00:49 - Canadian Dealer Halts US Shipments
01:16 - SLV Borrow Fee Reaches Nearly 12%
02:22 - Mechanism of Share Borrowing Explained
03:29 - Paper Market Disintegration Cited
03:54 - Stop quoting of the silver spot
04:14 - Unprecedented Futures Backwardation
05:04 - Rapid Widening of Spot/Futures Spread
06:31 - Historical Price Chart Analysis
07:15 - London Closes at Record Highs
08:27 - Price Drop and Technical Omen
09:11 - Margin Requirement Increase Linked to Drop
11:31 - Linear vs. Logarithmic Chart Comparison
13:35 - JP Morgan Executive's Shortage Confirmation
14:40 - Refineries as Physical Bottleneck
16:08 - Paper Dump Correlated with Free Float Drop
16:39 - Price Suppression Creates Shortages
17:54 - Physical Demand in Sydney, Australia
19:11 - Crowd Demand Overwhelms Manipulation
19:51 - Final Thought: Dog Meme Philosophy
For thousands of years gold and silver has been money. At the end of the Roman empire, there was plenty of silver in their mines, but they were out of wood/trees to smelt the ore. So commodities and real estate are of value also. Central banks around the world are dumping US treasuries and buying gold and some (Russia, Saudi Arabia, India...) are buying silver too.
It Will ALL Collapse... - Andy Schectman | Gold Silver Price
(8.5 min) Andy Schectman is the president of Miles Franklin Precious Metals. He has 25+ years experience in the financial services industry. Andy is an expert in economics, global investing, foreign currencies, and precious metals investments.
END of US Hegemony: America's Global Military, Economic & Credibility Crisis - Explained
(10 min) Lena Petrova's analysis
From military overreach and economic decline to ideological fragmentation at home, the pillars of Pax Americana are cracking. As the U.S. faces internal division, massive national debt, and rising global rivals like China, Russia, and the BRICS alliance, one thing becomes clear: the world is moving toward multipolarity—with or without American leadership.
In this video, we break down:
How endless wars and military overextension have undermined U.S. deterrence
Why the dollar's supremacy is under serious threat
The impact of de-dollarization and BRICS economic alternatives
How domestic political chaos is weakening U.S. soft power abroad
The structural breakdown of the American-led global order
And what a post-American world might actually look like
This isn’t just a decline. It may be a systemic transformation—one that Western commentators often fear, but one that could empower nations to reclaim sovereignty, build regional alliances, and challenge decades of Western dominance.
So much for the failing economy. Why is it failing? We squandered our wealth on expanding the empire and endless wars. It is the pattern of the end of empires.
The Endless Wars
Think about all the conflicts we are promoting...The Ukraine proxy war with Russia, a likely war with Iran, a hot coup against Venezuela, a cold war with China, and multiple intrusions and coups using NGO's all over the world...including inside the US.
Max Blumenthal : Charlie Kirk and Zionist Billionaires
(39 min)
This doesn't sound like a good idea...
US Sending 200 Troops to Israel To ‘Support and Monitor’ Gaza Ceasefire Deal
It is easy to see the US is NOT a democracy/republic because it doesn't matter what the people want
Most Americans don't want troops deployed without an external threat, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
Most support bringing US troops home from Iraq, Syria: Survey
Alastair Crooke: Fake Peace in Gaza & Full-Scale War With Iran
(55 min) Alastair Crooke is a former British diplomat and the Founder of Conflicts Forum based in Beirut. He was formerly an advisor on Middle East issues to Javier Solana, the EU Foreign Policy Chief. Crooke argues that the strategy of peace through subjugation has set the US and Israel on the path to another war with Iran.
I will be surprised to see the ceasefire hold...
Thoughts On The Ceasefire News
Israel continued to hammer Gaza with military explosives on Thursday despite the announcement of the first stages of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
Israel always does this. When normal people get a ceasefire agreement they think “Good, this means we can finally stop fighting and killing.” Whenever Israelis get a ceasefire agreement they go, “This means we have to hurry up and kill as many people as possible before it takes effect.”
But it does appear that the killing and abuse will at least diminish for a time, which is an objectively good thing no matter how you slice it.
...
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in a statement that Israel has a “tremendous responsibility to ensure that this is not, God forbid, a deal of ‘hostages in exchange for stopping the war,’ as Hamas thinks and boasts,” and that “immediately after the hostages return home, the State of Israel will continue to strive with all its might for the true eradication of Hamas and the genuine disarmament of Gaza.”
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir issued similar remarks, saying that he and his Jewish Power party will use their leverage to dismantle the Netanyahu government if it “allows the continued existence of Hamas rule in Gaza.”
Douglas Macgregor: Toward War with Russia, Iran & Venezuela
(43 min) Douglas Macgregor is a retired Colonel and former senior advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Defense. Col. Macgregor argues that the Tomahawks would be another step toward a direct war with Russia, Gaza is being destroyed, another war with Iran may be imminent, and the US is also preparing an invasion of Venezuela.
And one more interview from Glenn Diesen...
Lawrence Wilkerson: The Path From Forever Wars to Nuclear War
(50 min) Lawrence Wilkerson is a retired Colonel in the US Army and the former Chief of Staff to the US Secretary of State. Colonel Wilkerson discusses the path from the decision to start the forever wars in 2001 to the current possibility of using nuclear weapons to destroy Iran
If it goes nuclear, We Will All Go Together When We Go
Tom Lehrer
Alex does his walk and talk from Moscow this week. Yesterday he covered China's rare earth "trump card", and tells the plans for a coup in Venezuela and explains the peace prize award.
Rare Earth-Tariff WAR. Odessa blackout. Rubio blocks Maduro deal. Trump thanks Putin. Lecornu 2.0
(38 min)
00:00 Export Controls Beyond Software
03:07 China Tightens Rare Earth Controls
06:09 Impact on U.S. and Military-Industrial Complex
10:09 Tariffs, Markets, and Global Shockwaves
13:51 Tariff Announcements & Crypto Market Crashes
16:54 U.S.-China-Russia Airline Tensions
20:20 Developments in Ukraine: Infrastructure Strikes
22:13 Melania Trump's Humanitarian Efforts
23:03 Venezuela Crisis & Regime Change Talk
27:00 Nobel Prize Controversy in Venezuela
31:10 Putin, Trump, and the Politics of Peace Prizes
35:34 Clown World: French Political Drama & Closing Thoughts
As to the war on us, the people, Alex Krainer sees it as the banks vs. the people
Europe’s Breaking Point: Banks vs. People w/ Alex Krainer
(53 min) Market analyst and geopolitical researcher Alex Krainer joins Andy Millette to break down Europe’s crisis, why Germany’s industrial engine is failing, how “people vs. the banks” defines this era, and why BRICS may be readying a fairer, non-fraud monetary alternative. We also cover Venezuela’s oil politics, and a potential pivot away from war with Iran that—if it holds—could be genuinely historic.
00:00 Europe’s heat: vassals, sovereignty, and revolt risk
06:41 Germany’s industrial slump & eurozone fallout
11:09 Unpayable debts & the missing bondholder haircut
16:13 BRICS monetary plan: toward a fair system?
24:24 Tariffs, industry, and the “American System” vs. “free trade”
29:21 Venezuela, oil flows, and the banking balance sheets
40:14 Israel, Iran, and a potential peace turn
47:30 If peace holds, what changes next?
49:31 Alex’s market letter & where to follow his work
The European minions want control...
U.K, France and Germany Organize Urgent Meeting to Take Control
International politics can be boring at times, but the one constant in an ever-changing universe is the hubris of the European Union. With President Trump outlining the breakthrough negotiations for a peace agreement in Gaza, Emmanuel Macron (France), Keir Starmer (U.K) and Friedrich Merz (Germany) call an urgent meeting of EU Foreign Ministers to organize their strategy to take over the Gaza “Board of Peace.”
INTEL Roundtable w/ Johnson & McGovern - Weekly Wrap 10-Oct
(28 min)
How about some positive news?
Pepe has been in central Asia seeing marvels. There is a promising new world evolving, but in our western-centric view most fail to appreciate the new world rising.
The China You've NEVER Seen: Pepe Escobar's Xinjiang Journey Will Stun You
(66 min) They told you one story about Xinjiang. Pepe Escobar went to see for himself. What he found was not oppression, but an economic and technological boom that will leave you speechless.
In this latest episode of Counter Currents, Pepe takes us on a journey across China's new Silk Road, revealing:
• The truth about development and life in Xinjiang.
How China built a highway with Wi-Fi across a deadly desert.
• Why Chinese brands are now BETTER than Western ones.
• The end of American dominance and the rise of a new world.
Forget everything you think you know. Watch to see the real China.
TIMELINE:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Pepe Escobar’s Trip to China
00:01:19 - Journey Planning and Reflections
00:02:44 - Xi Jinping's Influence and Modernization
00:03:05 - Tianjin Summit and Major Events
00:05:07 - Silk Road Journey Begins in Xi'an
00:06:20 - China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)
00:10:18 - Exploration of Xinjiang’s Silk Road
00:11:06 - Modernization in Remote Areas of Xinjiang
00:13:56 - Crossing the Taklamakan Desert
00:15:05 - Lost Tribe of the Taklamakan and Uyghur Life
00:17:15 - Modernization and Infrastructure in Xinjiang
00:27:11 - Energy Hub of China
00:29:31 - Economic Transformation of China and Belt and Road
00:48:28 - Chinese Meritocracy and Central Planning
00:51:21 - Technology Leadership and National Development
00:56:17 - Decline of Western Influence
00:59:16 - The Future of Global Relations
01:02:34 - Final Thoughts on China's Development and US Relations
Pepe also discusses his trip with the Judge and shows pictures of his trip toward the end, after they discuss the current geopolitical scene.
Pepe Escobar : Is the Kremlin Losing Patience? (24 min)
The Roman empire took hundreds of years to fall. I suspect it will only take another decade or two for the US empire to collapse. Alex Krainer suggests the US has been played by the Brits who continue their empire vicariously through the US empire. The end of Western Neo-colonial imperialism can't come soon enough for me. However, in the meantime expect more conflict in our dying grasp on power.
The holler a few falls ago...
To end on a more positive note, I hope your Autumn is colorful and mild. We are just beginning to get some color, but the weather has been cool and beautiful. The wildflowers are fading and going to seed for next year. I wait till a killing frost before I mow or burn the fields.
So another week has passed and WWIII hasn't erupted (yet?). Something to be grateful about.
The thread is open to any thoughts, stories, and insights you would like to share. Have a good Sunday!
Comments
This clip fits today's theme
What to Buy Before Your Money Becomes Worthless (History Warns Us)
(15 min) Every empire swore its money was safe. Every generation trusted their savings would last. And every time, history proved them wrong.
From the Byzantine Empire debasing its solidus, to the Black Death reshaping Europe’s economy, to the American Civil War’s worthless paper, the French Revolution’s collapsing assignats, the Asian Financial Crisis, and modern Lebanon’s frozen banks — history shows us what really survives when money fails.
This video isn’t financial advice. It’s financial education through economic history. We uncover the timeless lessons of collapse: why paper promises vanish, why debt traps destroy nations, why “too big to fail” is a lie, and why real wealth comes from what cannot be printed away. Skills, production, assets, and liquidity — these are the constants that carried survivors through every global crisis.
If you want to understand money and power, if you want to see the patterns of financial mistakes we keep repeating, and if you want to know what actually survives collapse — this is the story you need to hear.
Moral of the story? Have tools and skills to produce/create the things people need...food, building, transportation, and so on. If you have the where with all, a little gold and silver would be a good idea too. If you think it is currently too expensive, consider triple digit silver and $10 k gold may be coming.
I consider our place/land to be our real wealth, in part because we love being here.
Take care and prepare, friends.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
tools and skills
.
have plenty of both
money not so much
debt weighs heavy
on the mind
Enjoy your Sunday.
Zionism is a social disease
You're right, debt puts you two steps behind...
Especially credit card debt. My sister got way behind on hers and it took years to get out from under it. The push for consumerism is enticing for many. Fortunately I escaped the need for things I don't need or use.
Had to borrow to buy our property and build our house, but as DINKs (double income no kids) we were able to pay it of within a few years. Being debt free allowed us to accumulate for retirement.
Hope all is well and the boats are all afloat or stored for winter. Take care friend!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
without American leadership
.
the world seems to develop
organically. Imagine that.
Larry with Pepe explains.
Very good.
Thanks for the WW!
Zionism is a social disease
my pleasure...
...thanks for coming by and reading!
Interesting times alright!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Good morning Lookout, et. al. Thanx for the WW, Lookout.
Weird stuff this morning here. I've been testing some apps and features thereof to develop ability to take, transcribe and use various types of voice notes. This process has resulted in some .WAV files on my phone that it was time to get rid of so thie morning I fired up my file manager to do so. By default it initially shows most recently used files and there, at the top of the list was something named DISINFO.DOC, created or added at 3 am this morning while I was fast asleep. I, fwiw, seldom make or save doc files and definitely not at 3 am. When I read it with open office, it turned out to be a script, and my software also generated a a query as to whether or not I wished to run it. I immediately deleted it lest I run it by accident. Meanwhile, in today's Guardian there was an article about a huge botnet causing chaos on the internet. hmmm? Everybody mebbe check your phones.
Now, back on topic, the question of what to get before or while the empire crashes is an old one, Freewheeling Frank of the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers noted that 'Dope will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no dope.' Just sayin'
More seriously, medicines for chronic illnesses would be a concern. Seriously. Type 1 diabetics are gonna need an insulin supply and a quart jar full of prednisone tabs could never be laughed at.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
There are advantages to being a Ludite
I'm cell phoneless. Have a land line though.
I've been getting email spam saying my amazon account has been hacked...click here.
The senders address isn't amazon. Beware clicking on those kind of links and especially attachments. I'm sure you know that and are more more literate than me.
Hope your weather is pleasant! Thanks for the visit.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Good morning, LO!
As far as I know, I do not have to go anywhere today, so I can check out the videos.
Buying gold and silver makes sense. I might consider buying some real estate. I run across good deals all the time.
More and more, clients can't pay a retainer up front and need a payment schedule. When my office phone isn't ringing off the wall, it has nothing to do with my reputation, but everything to do with people not being able to afford an attorney.
We are in for a rough ride, friend. At least you have your beautiful holler, and I have mine. We are ahead of the game.
Ok, gotta watch some videos! Thanks for sharing them with us!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I expect a rough road ahead too.
We best treasure every day. I try to do that.
Been enjoying the weather and getting some projects done.
Y'all take care and enjoy you day! Thanks for coming by.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Virtually unemployable
.
.
Wouldn't mind working for peanuts at this point but
To paraphrase Jimmy Buffet ..
the problem with my occupation is it just
ain't around. Demand yes. Application no.
Oh well, getting a good saturation today.
Calling it a Nor'easter but is pretty mild.
Zionism is a social disease
My favorite line along that notion...
Come from skillet licker Fate Norris: "I'm drunkard by trade, but my boss man is out of materials."
They had some funny skits...
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
that is a hoot
not familiar with the idea
of skillet licker, but does
make me chuckle
never the less, hello
(Robinson Caruso)
Zionism is a social disease
The Skillet lickers...
were a local N. GA band that recorded many 78's in the 20's and 30's.
https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/gid-tanner-and...
Here's 75 min worth from several 78 recordings. They are a big influence on country music and for me.
Gid Tanner & His Skillet Lickers 1924-1926
Song List:
【00:00】01 - Boll Weevil Blues
【03:02】02 - I'm Satisfied
Musicians: New York City, March 7, 1924.
・Gid Tanner (Fiddle, Vocals)
・Riley Puckett (Guitar)
【05:19】03 - Chicken Don't Roost So High for MeI Don't Love Nobody
【08:14】04 - Hen Cackle
【11:23】05 - Buckin' Mule
【14:21】06 - Black Eyed Susie
【17:33】07 - Alabama Gal, Give the Fiddler a Dram
Musicians: New York City, March 8, 1924.
・Gid Tanner (Fiddle, Vocals)
・Riley Puckett (Guitar, Vocals)
【20:36】08 - Sourwood Mountain
【23:52】09 - Georgia Railroad
Musicians: New York City, September 11, 1924.
・Gid Tanner (Fiddle, Vocals)
・Riley Puckett (Banjo)
【26:59】10 - John Henry
【30:24】11 - The Arkansaw Traveler
【33:52】12 - Cumberland Gap
【37:06】13 - Be Kind to a Man When He Is Down
【40:11】14 - Fox Chase
【43:37】15 - Don't Grieve Your Mother
Musicians: New York City, September 12, 1924.
・Gid Tanner (Fiddle, Vocals)
・Riley Puckett (Guitar, Banjo, Vocals)
【46:27】16 - Old Time Tunes
【49:27】17 - Just Give Me the Leavings
Musicians: Atlanta, October 3, 1925.
・Gid Tanner (Fiddle, Vocals)
・Fate Norris (Guitar?, Banjo, Vocals)
【52:34】18 - Hand Me Down My Walking Cane
【55:39】19 - Bully of the Town
【58:33】20 - Pass Around the Bottle and We'll All Take a Drink
【01:01:33】21 - Alabama Jubilee
【01:04:44】22 - Watermelon on the Vine
【01:07:40】23 - Don't You Hear Jerusalem Moan
【01:10:30】24 - Ya Gotta Quit Kickin' My Dog Aroun'
【01:13:37】25 - Turkey in the Straw
Musicians: Atlanta, April 17, 1926.
・Gid Tanner (Fiddle)
・Riley Puckett (Guitar)
・Fate Norris (Banjo, Vocals)
・Clayton McMichen (Fiddle, Vocals)
・Bert Layne (Fiddle)
・Frank Walker (Harmonica)
I leave this as my musical sign out.
Edit to say: to my mind, the best of the clip is the Atlanta full band recording starting at 52 min.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
The Weekly Watch
.
.... with so many rich and revealing interviews and passages... could really use a Tour Guide. I see several unique themed tours to follow — for people with special interests and limited time. That still yields an immersive experience.
On that note, the Pepe Escobar interview should not be missed! He describes an amazing journey covering the Old Silk Road, that he is still on. This is a must for anyone who who hasn't experienced the profound meaning for the BRI — and how Xi Jinping's incredible inspiration is going to change the world forevermore — and free all of humanity at last from the ancient Chains of poverty.
The other do-not-miss is the interview with Max Blumenthal, who recites an up to the minute list of the dangers that Americans, in particular, are facing for the next several years and beyond, as Israel completely transforms US society. Americans will be placed under full-spectrum surveillance within the next year, as the US becomes Greater Israel. (Israel is probably finished in the Middle East.) Our US tech giants possess every word you have ever written in email or on the internet. They have every phone conversation you have had in the past decade, and may have hundreds of hours of camera footage from inside your home. This is the only road open to Americans, and it happens to pass through a second Great Depression. (The Chinese seem to concur, but no one is saying it out loud yet.) Moving forward — be good, go to church, and step outside to have private conversations. Live without Smart TVs, Smart Phones, and Smart Lightbulbs.
More on all that later. Thanks, LO
PR, that is the video I will watch after dinner.
I have actually followed Marco Polo's Silk Road travel. It was amazing. The new Silk Road will be like nothing in modern history.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Those two are all star interviews...
...thanks for coming by and checking them out!
Are we becoming greater Israel? That was an insightful comment me thinks.
Nothing here but land lines and dumb TV's...none the less they know me from my internet activity. I read and watch lots of malinformation after all.
We spent the evening hanging out by the campfire, telling stories and playing music with friends. That's where it is at...spending time with your local friends...better than gold or silver. Use to be we would push dawn, but now we pack it in about 8pm. But hey we're still ticking!
Thanks for the kind comment!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
PR was right.
Pepe with Johnson is the video you should not miss.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
it is amazing...
...all the advances being made by China and Russia. What's the deal with the Afghan Paki conflict? My first thought was Trump's desire for Bagram base. Think it was for that and engineered by us? I don't doubt it, but can't say that is it.
Y'all be well!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
I must admit
....I am perplexed and alarmed by the Pakistan - Afghanistan hotspot. It is the hottest piece of geography in the world right now.
The US wants to permanently lock its presence there. From that location, the US imagines it could become the Master of the Universe. It could keep its thumb on China, control trade between India and Russia, tightly monitor India's shifting Democracy ideology, and attack FOUR nuclear-capable countries at the same time, in a matter of minutes.
I hope everyone involved can smell the espresso — and will resist the profound geopolitical danger they all face.