Inflation: Killer of Kings, Breaker of Empires

Gird your loins and pray to thine gods… August 09, 2021 [UNSUBSCRIBE]( | [WEBSITE]( [Altucher Confidential] [Warning] Do you enjoy receiving Altucher Confidential? Please [Click Here Now]( so we know to continue sending you Altucher Confidential for free! “What happens when great nations fall, when empires inevitably end? Where will you be?” - Classical Wisdom, End of Empires and Fall of Nations [Email Masthead] [Editor’s Note: We’re going to do something a little different today. I’d like to start featuring content from a writer that I admire. His name is Chris Campbell. If you don’t know Chris, he’s one of the most interesting people you’ll ever meet. He’s visited over 30 countries on the hunt for ways to live a freer, healthier, more abundant, and satisfying life. He’s been on the bleeding edge of bitcoin, medical tourism, decentralization, Big Brother, and much more. He lived as a digital nomad with no possessions (sound familiar??)… He’s even tried his hand as a farmer in the Midwest. I hope you enjoy his ideas as much as I do!] Inflation: Killer of Kings, Breaker of Empires By Chris Campbell FDA Calls Controversial New Therapy “Breakthrough” [[Molecule]This molecule]( was BANNED by medical science for 70 years… But after trailblazing research, the gates are open and investment dollars are starting to pour into [a controversial biotech niche.]( It’s not cannabis or stem cells— you won’t believe what it is when you see it. [Click here to see what might become “a $100 billion investment opportunity,” according to analysts.]( “Are you worried about the rising cost of fuel? Can’t afford that used pickup truck you’ve been eyeing? Wondering why the lumber down at the Home Depot seems so pricey?” Those are the rhetorical questions posed by our featured guest, Van Bryan of Classical Wisdom, in his article below. If it’s any consolation, he writes, the ancients wondered the same things: “The topic of rising prices—what we will broadly define as ‘inflation’—is as old as money itself.” As is, by no coincidence, the rise and fall of empires and nations. After all, throughout history inflation is perhaps the most persistent king killer. The End of All Eras Today, I’d like to introduce something a little different from what you might be used to in these pages of Altucher Confidential. It’s an upcoming exclusive event being held by our friends at Classical Wisdom. The theme, as mentioned, is as timely as it is timeless: End of Empires and the Fall of Nations. If you’re panicked about the present state of affairs, perhaps it’s time to zoom out a bit. This is where this event can help. In it, you’ll discover a deep dive into the fall of nations and empires throughout history, and how these events relate to today. And, in the spirit of the ancient Greek symposiums… [you’ll receive a small batch of wine expertly curated for this event](. As far as the speakers go, Classical Wisdom doesn’t disappoint: [Symposium] And, of course… the wine. [Three Wine Bottles] All wines are curated by the Bonner Private Wine Partnership. This exclusive wine club usually reserves its wines for members only (and there’s actually a waitlist to join). The wines they source are mostly small-batch, from traditional winemakers -- no overbearing industrial wines. Some of the wines you’ll get -- delivered right to your doorstep -- have never been sold in the United States. And may never again. So enjoy them while you can! The link below has all the details. → The full lineup of speakers → The full list of wines → And everything to expect Today is last call. So if this event piques your interest: [Click here and reserve your seat, your wine, before time (and the wine) runs out.]( And read on. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Recommended Article] [The 21st Century Alchemist: Turn Your Ideas into Gold | Laissez Faire Today]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Federal Ruling does WHAT? Federal Government just passed an obscure new ruling. It could change your life in ways you’ve never thought possible. And help some Americans make a small fortune in the process. [Here’s how.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Recommended Article] [How to Survive Hyperinflation | Laissez Faire Today]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Inflation: The Breaker of Empires By Van Bryan PANIC! For there, before us, stands the breaker of empires. The scourge of dynasties. He who would make fools of kings… and who would laugh at the plans of man. But sheathe those swords, dear reader. The barbarians are not at the gate. We have our sights set upon a different enemy today. For lo, cometh the word from the Empire’s esteemed Bureau of Labor Statistics: [Cost of living surge] Gird your loins and to pray to thine gods. The consumer price index—what most folks take to mean “inflation”—came ticking in at 5.4% this month. Put another way, you can now buy 5.4% less stuff than you could last year. Even excluding the notoriously volatile food and energy items, the index clocked in at 4.5%. We haven’t seen a reading this high since [checks notes]…last month. It appears that inflation—the great destroyer of empires—is upon us! Or is it? “Transitory,” say the pythia of the Eccles building. This too shall pass, assures Oracle Powell, after taking a big whiff of noxious fumes arising from that crevice in the earth. Oh, dear reader… These are strange and stressful times. But fear not. Your editor is a student of the classics... And like a dog to his warm bed, we return to the lessons of our classical ancestors to light the way… Ancient Inflation You will recall our mandate… We believe that classical wisdom can ring true for modern minds. There is a certain comfort in knowing that we are not alone. Are you worried about the rising cost of fuel? Can’t afford that used pickup truck you’ve been eyeing? Wondering why the lumber down at the Home Depot seems so pricey? Well, if it’s any consolation, the ancients wondered that too. The topic of rising prices—what we will broadly define as “inflation”—is as old as money itself. For instance… In 323 BC, Alexander the Great ordered his weary army to march to Babylon with the intent to start organizing and governing his massive empire, which stretched from Greece to modern India. The army arrived at the fabled city, plundered treasure in tow. Then, still a young man, Alexander suddenly died. In the aftermath, the Babylonian economy was crippled. Historical records suggest that the price of important items like mustard, dates, wool, sesame and barley roughly doubled over the next ten years. 2 The proximate cause? All the captured booty from conquest had grossly inflated the circulating money supply, leading to crippling inflation. Oops… Even more amusing, the ancients had their own group of crackpots with “solutions” to fix inflation. In the 400’s BC, Dionysus I of Syracuse devised a plan to manage his kingdom’s debt load, which had been used to fund military campaigns. Upon pain of death, he forced his citizens to hand over all their money—denominated in ancient drachmas. Once all the money was collected, he simply stamped every one drachma to represent two drachma. 3 An early MMT advocate! The war debts were halved, relatively speaking. Syracuse was rich again. There was —of course—the unfortunate result that the price of everything doubled. But honestly, dear reader, who could have possibly predicted that? But the grand prize for monetary chicanery must go to the Romans. Transitory Oh, but pish posh and poppycock, dear reader. Our ancestors were sad, backward people. Hadn’t they ever heard of Keynesian economics? Didn’t they listen to their Fed Chair? I bet they didn’t even watch CNBC. Morons! We wouldn’t make those same mistakes… right? We have no denarius to fiddle with, but we do have the Dollar. And dear readers may be interested to know that M2—a broad definition of “money supply”—has increased by 33% since the great plague did descend. [US Money Supply] More troubling, the price of key commodities is rising at an alarming rate. [One Year relative performance] And the CPI—previously mentioned—is clocking in at figures last seen during the great crisis of 2008. Oh, but we imagine dear readers’ hackles are properly raised by now. What gall your editor has. What nerve! Didn’t he listen to the emperor? The vast majority of the experts, including Wall Street, are suggesting that it’s highly unlikely that long-term inflation is going to get out of hand. – Joe Biden4 Call us a skeptic, but that feels like a good contender to join the “Famous Last Words” club. But it’s not just the big boss saying that. The soothsayers and oracles of the Federal Reserve have the same opinion. Inflation is temporary, they say, mere ghouls of the supply chain snafu caused by the lockdowns. Inflation… in other words… is transitory. Of that we have no doubt… After all, every creation of man is “transitory.” The Roman Empire, for all its glory, was transitory in the grand scope of human history. Is “transitory” six months? Twelve months? Two hundred and fifty months? Nobody asks. And no answers are given. But it hardly matters. It’s true, dear reader. So long as we have swords, money printers, and highly placed numbskulls with PHDs, we shall not run short of money. Just ignore the fact that your coins don’t seem to shine like they used to… Regards, Van Bryan Contributing Writer, Classical Wisdom P.S. If you are interested in the Rise and Fall of Nations then you Must join Classical Wisdom’s Symposium 2021: The End of Empires and the Fall of Nations, taking place August 21/22. We are bringing together the most brilliant minds to discuss this topic... Niall Ferguson, Victor Davis Hanson, Edith Hall and Paul Cartledge, to name a few. Find out how Empires Really Fall... and if that is happening today. [Get Your Tickets HERE]( World’s second richest man’s NEW world-changing disruption 1997, a relatively unknown man disrupted the retail industry. Today, as the world’s second richest man, he is all set to disrupt another $2 trillion industry. If you missed taking advantage of the retail disruption... Don’t miss this! 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