Peter Schiff is a mensch

I enjoy the tenacity of Peter Schiff and his willingness to speak against the consensus. Schiff has been consistently critical of the debt bubble in the US and he predicted the fall of housing prices in the face of mocking and shouting down by other “experts”.  Consider this 2006 video from Fox News:

For a long time, Schiff has recommended precious metals and continues to do so despite many who say that gold is “hyper-overbought” (Dennis Gartman, September 29–when gold was trading at $1300).  Against those who think that there is a gold bubble, Eric Sprott claims, “I am pretty convinced that gold will go a lot higher because it is under-owned as only 1 per cent of people’s money is in it.”  Now, there is a new Tech Ticker debate between Peter Schiff and Gary Schilling.  If it is appropriate to call people who insist that gold is the best investment as “gold bugs”, then Gary Schilling is a “bond bug” because he is inflicted with a disease now appropriately named as “Fiat Currency Fever“, the irrational view that the US dollar is a the best and safest investment–despite the severe and secular bear market that the dollar has suffered since 1971 when it was taken off the gold standard.  At a certain point, Gary Schilling claims that the Federal Reserve doesn’t create money–a trillion dollars that banks have received from the Fed is just sitting in the banks.  But unfortunately Schilling seems to be dead wrong on this point, because the banks have been lending this money to the US government, and it has actually gone out into circulation in the form of food stamps, federal employee wages, unemployment benefits, Social Security benefits, etc.  There is some serious monetization of debt going on in America (cf. Monty Pelerin), for Bernanke is trying to re-inflate all the bubbles.

Despite being right most of the time, Peter Schiff still faces fierce opposition from critics, including economists–you know the guys with PhDs, who claim that gold is barbarous relic.  I agree with Schiff.  For I believe that only God can create something out of nothing, and when a central bank expands the volume of fiat money inflation is the inevitable result.  This is an immutable law of economics.  When hyperinflation hits in earnest, then all those who own precious metals will be very thankful that they listened to Peter Schiff.

Thank you Ben: in celebration of $90 oil

Today oil is above $90.  Last night I paid $1.119 (CDN) per litre for gasoline to fill my wife’s RAV4.  Unlike most people, I actually have a smile on my face when filling up.

I really owe a debt of gratitude to Ben Bernanke; you see he told 60 Minutes that he won’t stop with QE2–600 billion.  Quantitative easing is a fluid concept.  It is really as much as you need to make everything happy again.  And this is really like pouring money into my portfolio:  my positions are short the US dollar.  I’ve sold put options in US dollars against Barrick Gold (ABX), Gold Corp (GG), New Gold (NGD), Penn West (PWE), Pengrowth (PGH): gold and oil.  I hold long positions in most of these companies too.  Thanks Ben.  You have provided me with the Bernanke put so that I can invest in these companies virtually risk-free; if the economy sucks, you have decided to poor gas (QE) on the fire, and they are assured to explode in price.  Dear Ben, have I told you recently that you’re my best friend?  Now I know you think you can control inflation.  As long as you believe you can, you will continue to put money in my portfolio.  So please, by all means, just keep it up.

Nota Bene to my esteemed readers:  I may be just a little ironic in my tone above–I’m yanking Bernanke’s chain–not that that important man has either the time or the inclination to read my humble blog.  What I actually believe is this (does this scenario seem unreasonable today?):

hat tip: Monty Pelerin, “How inflation occurs”