The Alternative Media: A Cause for Optimism

Diversify like the rich, so your cash isn’t at risk. [The Rude Awakening] September 15, 2023 [WEBSITE]( | [UNSUBSCRIBE]( How to Protect Yourself from the Coming Banking Tornado - If you’re concerned with the banks, there are many ways to minimize your risk. - But the best ways are the ways rich people protect their wealth. - You can mimic the rich even if you have less resources and capital. [There is MASSIVE change happening within our company.]( And I want you to [hear about this – from me]( – otherwise this new policy could blindside you. This has gone into effect immeditaly, so I want you to understand exactly what it will mean for you. [So please, watch this video for my full announcement.]( [Click Here To Learn More]( [Sean Ring] SEAN RING Good morning from overcast Asti! And Happy Friday! May you break out a cold one tonight and enjoy it. You deserve it. In this edition of the Rude, I re-answer a question I was asked about two years ago. If Jim Rickards is right, and we’re in the “eye of the storm” banking-wise, you must protect yourself. I’ll give you some ideas on how to do it. The Question Rude reader Geoffrey H. wrote me this great question: Now that most banks have adopted "bail-in" rules for their used-to-be depositors, now-lenders, is it wise to spread deposits around multiple banks, have lower deposits in the banks, keep cash or gold or silver out of the banks or some combination? Or am I just an alarmist? P.S. I enjoy your work! Thank you, Geoffrey, and you are by no means an alarmist! Let me tell you about my time in Hong Kong. From Sales and Trading to Private Banking I spent most of my banking career in an investment bank’s sales and trading division. That means I had hedge fund managers and other institutional money managers shouting down the phone at me all day. It's not as glamorous as you think, trust me. But the intellectual caliber of the workforce there, amoral though they may be, is staggering. Almost everyone has a top degree - which used to mean much more to me than it does now - and is incredibly intense. So, you can imagine my shock when I got to the private banking side, where relationship managers know almost nothing about the products they sell. Now, I’m not claiming all investment bank traders and salespeople knew that CDOs-cubed were a terrible idea. Watch The Big Short for confirmation on that. However, private bankers, known inside the industry as relationship managers (RMs), are not known for their product knowledge. As their title says, it’s all about the relationships with them. In Asia, guanxi is the most essential thing an RM can have with a client. That’s the network and connections that create mutually beneficial business opportunities. From Investopedia: Guanxi is closely intertwined with the Confucian philosophy - a philosophy that has shaped many Asian cultures - that self is extended to family, friends, and society to create a harmonious community. Guanxi implies an obligation that one has to another. In China, it is stated that the wheels of business are lubricated with guanxi. To be fair, the Chinese coined the term, but the West expanded upon the idea. Through English Common Law, the West built a legal system that extended this trust to entire nations. That’s one of the reasons what we may call “bribery” is just “a gift to a friend” in the East. Interestingly, the distributed ledger technology upon which the blockchain is built extends trust without custodians. There need not be a middleman like a banker if the peer-to-peer networks work independently. It eliminates the age-old question, Quis custodiet ipsos custodes, or “Who watches the watchmen?” Eliminating some go-betweens would free up valuable resources regarding fees and time. After all, you probably don’t need an RM if you can articulate your wants to a client advisor. Or, if you’re expert enough, you can do much of this yourself. Not knowing more about your position, I can’t offer advice. (Well, I’m not allowed to provide advice anyway.) With all this in mind, let’s discuss five ways to protect yourself. [Urgent Notice From Paradigm CIO Zach Scheidt!]( [James Altucher]( Hi, Zach Scheidt here… I’m the Chief Income Officer at Paradigm Press. With inflation raging (and showing no signs of coming to an end any time soon), almost everyone in America is feeling the pain in a big way. Which is why, several months ago, I set out on a big mission… my goal was to create a [complete, step-by-step plan to surviving and beating inflation]( one that anyone could take advantage of. Today, after hundreds of hours of research, I’m revealing all of my findings. [Simply click here now to see how to survive America’s deadly inflation crisis](. [Click Here To Learn More]( Keeping Your Cash on Hand You’ll set off alarm bells at your bank if you withdraw $20,000. That’s for sure. But you certainly want to keep a certain amount you feel comfortable with in your safe. And put that safe underground. (The first place thieves will look is behind a painting.) You don’t need to go all John Wick, but my parents had a cool safe in our old house. It was small, but they put it under the rug in their closet. [John wick] If there’s a master thief in the world that would look there, kudos to him. I wouldn’t. Besides the cool factor, you’ll know your notes are as safe as possible. Keeping Your Cash in Multiple Banks The average high-net-worth individual in Asia has at least five bankers. On average, one banker gets half his “wallet.” “Wallet share” is bankerspeak for how much of a client’s assets they manage. The bankers never know for sure, but they can guess. The next four bankers will get a piece of the rest. So, it’s essential to be a good banker. What does this mean for you? First, retail and mass affluent clients often think one bank is enough… and the banks count on it. When I teach retail banking during the graduate season, I teach that retail deposits are “sticky.” That means ordinary folk pick one bank and put all their money in it. This isn’t an issue since the average American has about $500 to their name. But if you’ve got a chunk of cash, you should spread it between 3 to 5 institutions. I know opening bank accounts isn’t as easy as it used to be, but it’s certainly something you should invest time in. That way, you can keep up to $250,000 in each bank, and all those deposits will be insured. But even if you only stick $10,000 in each bank, you’re much better diversified. Keeping Your Gold and Silver in a Safe Place I could be wrong, but I don’t see why anyone would keep their gold and silver in a bank. Maybe a safe deposit shop that’s separate from a bank. But I wouldn’t even do that. My good friend Michael once mentioned he has enough gold, silver, and ammo to defend his keep until the end of his days. I’d keep my gold and silver in a super safe under the floorboards in my house and never mention it to anyone. Or dig a hole in your backyard. Just don’t forget where you dug it! If Biden or his successors outlaw privately owned gold and silver in the coming years, and your stash is in a bank, it’s game over - at whatever price they decide. Investing in Crypto We’ve talked about this a lot. Owning crypto is an intelligent bet, even if it’s just 2% of your portfolio. You can’t lose your house but can participate in the upside. And that currency is practically untouchable. Especially if you plan to live abroad, just keep the crypto in cold storage. “Cold storage” is cryptospeak for a device that resembles an old USB stick where your crypto can be kept off-exchange. Just always remember your password and key - and never lose it! You don’t want to wind up like this guy: [Click here to learn more] Credit: [CNBC]( Wrapping Your Assets in a Company This is too little spoken about. If you own a company and structure it correctly with the help of your lawyer and accountant, you can use it to shield your assets. Remember, you control your company, but the company owns your assets. It’s one of the best ways to protect yourself from lawsuits. It also keeps away unwanted bankers who’ll try to manage your wealth. I’ve long written in this newsletter that you ought to start an internet business that grooves with your passions. Once it starts to make money, leave the money in there until you need it. You can use the company as a savings vehicle. If you build it big enough, you can sell it for a chunk and move to Switzerland, whose private bankers understand the meaning of “discretion.” I hope that helps. Have a wonderful weekend! All the best, [Sean Ring] Sean Ring Editor, Rude Awakening X (formerly Twitter): [@seaniechaos]( In Case You Missed It… The Alternative Media: A Cause for Optimism [Sean Ring] SEAN RING Good morning from sunny, cool Il Piemonte! Have you ever wondered why the grape that produces such great wines like Barolo and Barbaresco is called Nebbiolo? Nebbia is Italian for “fog.” So Nebbiolo grapes are those that grow in valleys that become shrouded in fog. [The Rude] Credit: [Consiglio Regionale del Piemonte]( “It’s a real peasouper, Watson,” Jeremy Brett’s Sherlock Holmes once said to Edward Hardwicke’s Watson. Today, I’ve got my first sign of the upcoming autumn thanks to the thin film of fog in Asti this morning. And yet, things are clearing up. The stock market may still be in trouble, and our credit troubles are going nowhere. But one incredibly positive trend is happening: the “woke” economy is getting exposed as the ridiculous imposter it is. Living in Europe, I’m particularly pleased about this. Europe’s economy is in the toilet thanks to the German government’s suicidal choice to embrace deindustrialization. The knock-on effects are being felt all over Europe. Luckily for America, its economy is flexible enough to shake off this nonsense. And yet, one can argue American companies suffered the most, twisting themselves into knots to appease The Woke. But let’s not argue who’s suffered the most today. Instead, let’s look at how the environMENTALS and other woke fanatics are losing the arguments, thanks to the alternative media. [The #1 Crypto SECRET No One’s Telling You]( This ordinary package hides a surprising crypto secret… [Click here to learn more]( [CLICK HERE to See What’s In the Box]( It’s a little-known device with the power to deliver you FREE crypto income… Every day, with ZERO work! In fact, Stacy H. reportedly made a staggering $10,000 in just ONE YEAR thanks to this device! [Click here now]( to discover what it is, and how YOU can get your hands on one yourself. [Click Here To Learn More]( Methanol Ships Today, I happened upon this tweet from Ursula “Broomsticks” von der Leyen: [The Rude] Credit: [@vonderleyen]( I admit, I thought, “Wow, I wonder how they managed to do that…” Luckily, I clicked on the tweet and scrolled down. I saw this article posted: [The Rude] Credit: [CleanTechnica.com]( In the article, Michael Barnard writes (bolds mine): The methanol industry likes to assert that manufacturing methanol is relatively low carbon, at 20 grams CO2e per MJ or 400 grams CO2e per kg, but independent modern assessments put it at 110 grams CO2e per MJ and about 1.4 kg CO2e per kg methanol. So that’s problem one with methanol as a shipping fuel, or even as an industrial feedstock. It’s not nearly as bad as pure hydrogen, but still, more CO2e to manufacture than is created of useful product. And, of course, when you burn it, CO2 is released into the atmosphere. It only creates about 43% of the CO2 that diesel does when equivalent masses are burned, so that seems good. And as an alcohol, it burns much more cleanly than diesel with a lot fewer pollutants, so that seems good too. And it’s a liquid at room temperature, and in fact, at any temperature range that it’s likely to be used as a fuel on earth or sea, which is also a useful characteristic. But there’s a catch there, as well. The energy density by mass is lower as well, with about 45% of the energy density of diesel. So, when you burn it, you have to burn over twice as much to get the same energy. And that means that burning it results in virtually the same CO2 as diesel, about 97%. Doesn’t seem so good after all, does it? And methanol is about the same price as diesel per gallon or liter in normal times, about $1.80 per US gallon or $0.48 per liter, although spiking recently with the energy crisis. At 45% of the energy density, you need more of it, so the actual cost for the equivalent of diesel is about $4.00 for the equivalent of a gallon and about $1.07 for the equivalent of a liter. More than doubling the price of fuel seems a bit problematic, and that’s for the cheapest form of methanol, stuff that’s produced from natural gas with the atmosphere used as an open sewer. Everything lower carbon costs more, sometimes a lot more. We should consider ourselves lucky that someone is crunching the numbers. Articles like this are turning the ESG narrative on its head. Stakeholder Capitalism is Dying First, let’s define “stakeholder capitalism.” The term refers to an economic model in which businesses prioritize the needs of their employees, customers, suppliers, local communities, and the environment. Long-term value creation for all stakeholders, not just shareholders, is the focus. Or, as I like to put it, stakeholder capitalism gives non-shareholders a seat on the board. Stakeholder capitalism is based on the following core beliefs: - Companies should care about more than just their bottom line. - Decision-makers owe it to all those with a vested interest in an organization's success to consider their concerns. - Value development over the long run is prioritized over earnings in the short term. - Long-term prosperity requires a focus on sustainability. Though I don’t buy them, here are the main arguments in favor of stakeholder capitalism: - Allegedly, it has the potential to improve one's judgment. Businesses can better make decisions that benefit the company and the community at large when they consider the views of all relevant parties. - It has the potential to raise morale and output in the workplace. If workers believe their efforts are helping others, they are more likely to care about their jobs and perform well. - Customer and public confidence can be bolstered in this way. Businesses that demonstrate social responsibility and long-term viability are more likely to succeed financially and earn public approval. - It can aid in the formation of a more long-lasting future. Businesses may do their part to protect the earth by reducing pollution by considering the effects of their actions on the environment. There are, however, counterarguments to the proponents of stakeholder capitalism. - Striking a middle ground between competing priorities is challenging. There may be occasions when one stakeholder group's interests are at odds with those of another. - Stakeholder capitalism is expensive to execute. To satisfy the needs of all parties involved, businesses may need to make investments in new technology or processes. - Stakeholder capitalism's effects aren’t always easy to quantify. The positive effects of stakeholder capitalism, such as increased employee morale and consumer loyalty, are challenging to measure. Here’s what Brandon Smith of Alt-Market.us[wrote about its failure]( ESG [Environmental, Social, and Governance] was intended to be the tool that globalists and governments would use to force companies into the stakeholder capitalism model. It is much like the Chinese communist social credit system, but for businesses rather than individuals. The higher a company’s ESG score, the more access lending and government funding they would have (easy money). It started out in 2005 focused on climate controls (influencing corporations to accept carbon credits and taxation). But, by 2016 it became something else; ESG widely adopted woke politics including Critical Race Theory, feminism, trans ideology, various elements of Marxism, etc. This was the modern ESG that all of us are aware of today. The goal was to incentivize corporations into bombarding the public with woke messaging 24/7. Every movie, every TV show, every book, every comic, every children’s cartoon, every commercial, every product, every major social media site, every employee handbook, every social interaction would be tainted with the poison of woke propaganda. There would be nowhere to hide, nowhere to escape the messaging. And it worked, for a little while… The exposure of ESG is perhaps one of the greatest triumphs of the alternative media. It was proof that the “wokification” of our economy and society was not the result of some grassroots activist movement or the natural evolution of civilization. No, everything woke was a rigged agenda, an astroturf movement forced into existence by corporations and globalists using ESG as the vehicle. And not a moment too soon for cash-strapped consumers and failing private businesses. Wrap Up I’m thrilled that the alternative media is bringing down stakeholder capitalism, ESG, and its newly Christened Frankenstein’s Monster, known as “inclusive capitalism.” No one asked for this nonsense, and it’s running the world economy into the ground. I’m all for using technology to create cleaner businesses. But it mustn’t come at the cost of people starving or freezing to death. Let plain old capitalism take care of the problems. It always comes through. All the best, [Sean Ring] Sean Ring Editor, Rude Awakening X (formerly Twitter): [@seaniechaos]( [Paradigm]( ☰ ⊗ [ARCHIVE]( [ABOUT]( [Contact Us]( © 2023 Paradigm Press, LLC. 808 Saint Paul Street, Baltimore MD 21202. By submitting your email address, you consent to Paradigm Press, LLC. delivering daily email issues and advertisements. To end your Rude Awakening e-mail subscription and associated external offers sent from Rude Awakening, feel free to [click here.]( Please note: the mailbox associated with this email address is not monitored, so do not reply to this message. We welcome comments or suggestions at feedback@rudeawakening.info. This address is for feedback only. For questions about your account or to speak with customer service, [contact us here]( or call (844)-731-0984. Although our employees may answer your general customer service questions, they are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular investment situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized financial advice. We allow the editors of our publications to recommend securities that they own themselves. However, our policy prohibits editors from exiting a personal trade while the recommendation to subscribers is open. In no circumstance may an editor sell a security before subscribers have a fair opportunity to exit. The length of time an editor must wait after subscribers have been advised to exit a play depends on the type of publication. All other employees and agents must wait 24 hours after on-line publication or 72 hours after the mailing of a printed-only publication prior to following an initial recommendation. Any investments recommended in this letter should be made only after consulting with your investment advisor and only after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company. Rude Awakening is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. We do not rent or share your email address. Please read our [Privacy Statement.]( If you are having trouble receiving your Rude Awakening subscription, you can ensure its arrival in your mailbox by [whitelisting Rude Awakening.](