It’s been an interesting week, though nothing unexpected has happened. Europe still seems to be imploding. Congress agrees that we need more debt in order to survive (okay, I twisted that one a little for impact). Policemen are finding new ways to intimidate and bully us serfs. Airports are continuing to offer us radiation treatments in exchange for entry to the airline holding area.
I’ll be honest. It’s incredibly difficult to be grateful for these changes in our world. The growing decadence in the U.S. has become more than discouraging. The things we read about today are outright scary. TSA agents are now screening bus passengers, as well as being placed strategically along roads. It appears that trains are on their radar as well. As police with military training are now instruments in the hands of politicians, crushing the rights that they once were our greatest defenders of, it seems there’s nowhere to turn.
Here’s one tidbit that might be of value to you, depending on where you live. The local Sheriff has ultimate authority within his county. No Federal agent has the right to even question citizens within the county without the Sheriff’s permission. This is part of due process. However, most Sheriff’s in our nation today will not stand up to the Feds. Whether they know or not, they refuse to protect those they’ve sworn to protect. Depending upon where you life, it is entirely possible that you could call, or visit, the local Sheriff and get his perspective on this. There might come a day when you will need to rely upon him to perform his duty, if he’s willing. I really don’t know if he can do anything about the local police though. This could bear some investigation.
However, regardless of our circumstances, how bleak the state of our nation appears, or even how tough our personal lives are, we still have much to be grateful for. Most of us have family. We’re looking forward to a Thanksgiving celebration of the Joe family. It’s a time of reflecting on the goodness of God for us. We are grateful for wives that love us and support us as husbands. We’re grateful for children who are striving to honor their parents and God. We are thankful for in-laws who love us and bless us. And we are grateful for grandchildren to bounce on our knees, make us laugh, act silly and roll around on the floor, as if our bodies wouldn’t make us pay for doing so.
These are all precious treasures. So, for the weekend, though our hearts are burdened for their futures in what appear to be darkening times, we will focus on our gratitude for what we have today. We’ll try to set cynicism aside and enjoy the love that will flow in our home for a few days. And we will praise God for His wondrous blessings, realizing that we deserve none of them. We don’t even deserve the blessing of a decadent country, for that matter. So, we will worship, praise and thank God for blessing our family greatly. Returning to Keynes, Austria, politics and economics next week will be soon enough, though I might strike up a letter between now and then if something grabs my attention.
So, until then, may you and yours be blessed as well. Enjoy your loved ones this Thanksgiving. Be blessed. And be a blessing.
Sincerely,
Another Joe
Since it’s a long weekend, I’d like to leave you with a rather long read, if you have time and are interested. Bud Conrad of Casey Research seems like a pretty sharp feller to me. Every now and then I get to read something he wrote. And, every single time I’m impressed with his grasp of events and markets. Hopefully by reading this you’ll gain more knowledge of how economic dynamics work. Through this kind of knowledge comes freedom to pursue what will preserve any wealth you may have, and build upon it. So I’d encourage you to read Is Gold Still the Answer for Investors? this weekend if you can work it in.
But, of course, better to spend time with family and loved ones than reading financial commentary any ol’ day.
