In over a year of having a new President of the United States, the world has become very divided and angry, needing reassurance and answers that don’t come. Who is right? Who is wrong? How dare the other party think that way? Fake news! The answer to it all lies in educating ourselves, staying calm, identifying our own morals and keeping open minds. Going beyond the news to study history, psychology and the past biographies of political players.

To really understand why the other side is so mad at your President, read about how he came to power. His philosophies, methods of engaging an audience and treatment of other people. Do you think he is honest, empathetic and diplomatic? Does he encourage unity or dissent? Is he a rebel, blazing a new trail to a better life or a tyrant who uses psychological tactics to manipulate and control everyone around him? Do you agree with his methods or are they disturbing to you? Only you can decide what is right and wrong. Follow your true inner beliefs, not those of someone else. Keeping a calm mind allows us to think clearly and not become overwhelmed.

Reading history is a good way to understand styles of leadership of the past, to compare with how leaders are today. Really understanding the rise of World War II, how FDR, Churchill and Hitler ruled, helps us compare with modern leadership methods. Their styles were vastly different. It took countries banding together as a team to handle an aggressive dictator, who came to power based on manipulation, charisma and lies. Hitler’s rise to power is a study in psychology of mood disorders such as Sociopathy and Narcissism. Without judgement or anger, note how a person like this went from promising the sun and moon to the people then taking his country and others to the depths of destruction. What was his motivation? Power and control.

Studying psychological disorders helps to understand the motivations of mood disordered leaders. The most malevolent, the dictators, are cunning sociopaths and narcissists. They use brainwashing techniques such as charisma, constant repetition of lies and rallies to reinforce their beliefs over and over, until the most vulnerable public members believe them. They then build on this base of lies by using psychological techniques such as “gaslighting” to slowly gain control and acceptance. In time, they start to bully and attack those who don’t agree with them. Their tactics get more cruel and intense as time goes on. Just observe and compare/contrast past leaders with those of today. Who is a good and fair leader? Who isn’t? Ignoring partisan lines and what the news says, who do you believe is good for you and your family?

In the end, it is important to note that we cannot change other people’s minds when it comes to political parties. Our duty is to ourselves, knowing true facts and not relying on general chitchat being passed around by different sources. Remove the emotion of it all and just focus on facts. Read cited articles on history, psychology and understand that they are valid in helping us understand the mistakes of mood disordered and ultimately failed leaders of the past. Our future depends on us all standing up for honesty, diplomacy and fairness. Relying on unhealthy people is nothing more than a recipe for failure so we must be very prudent in our choices. Look beyond the glitz, charisma and glamour and see the true personality. In a world of fake news, relying on facts is our way out of chaos.

Common people mostly have fickle minds; they are always guided by what they want to believe, often to their advantage. When they are worried, frightened and clueless about the future they are most vulnerable to doubt and conspiracy theories. For the last six months people all over the globe are very disturbed by the COVID 19 pandemic, not so much because of the deadly effects of the virus than the restrictions and lock-downs derailing normal life it has brought in its wake. They desperately need to go back to the sweet normal times and live happily ever after, and therefore they jump to accept and believe fully when some motivated souls offer that ‘COVID 19 is a hoax, it’s nothing more than a ‘annual influenza’. Thus the ‘doubt virus’ is created and the social media as always helps it spread-at times much faster than the killer virus. Perhaps the basic impulses for skepticism stem from the facts that more than 80% of Coronavirus positive cases are mild in nature and recover easily, only the elderly with co-morbidity are most vulnerable and that on average the death rate is low at 1 to 4% except for some countries. However, facts also show that the dead includes young people too and anyone can be infected from this most contagious virus.

The conspiracy theories originated in the United States, as always, where extraordinarily ‘democratic’ sections of the citizens opposed the lockdown and restrictions from the beginning symbolizing these with the ‘agenda’ of President Trump. Several conspiracy theories linking even the tragic murder of George Floyd started doing the rounds in the US of which we will not make a description here just to prevent vulnerable minds go through and inculcate doubts. We’d only like to mention here that this writer got a social media forward giving a link to an article by some ‘enlightened soul’ who took pains of great arguments to ‘prove’ that the pandemic is a ‘political hoax’. As we mentioned earlier a lot of vulnerable people got influenced by this, and none other than a medical surgeon of the Indian state of Assam who even lodged a FIR alleging that only a ‘annual influenza’ has been labeled as a pandemic and he wanted action against the concerned governments. This, naturally, created a chain of reactions in the state driving news channels asking the hapless common people about their ‘doubts’ on the COVID 19 infections rather than destroying the dilemma.

Now, this ‘annual influenza’ theory breaks down at the basic premise itself: if that is so then this phenomenon must be occurring every year, and why then this year should be so different! Governments need not have gone on an emergency drive to create more and more healthcare facilities including ICU beds just to tackle an annual event of flu. Then come the experiences of various affected countries and governments tackling this ‘annual influenza’ some of which we narrate below as arguments to break such kinds of fake and motivated views:

1. Let us take the example of the Chinese experiment. Ignoring a lot of conspiracy theories about China itself we just ask here why would China need absolute authoritarian measures to tackle the virus (well, even annual influenza is caused by a virus) in terms of continuous lockdown and rigorous enforcement. After being successful in keeping the infected numbers below 100,000 the country is still fearing a second outbreak, and risking its economic downswing again to prevent its spread. Its aggression against India can also be explained as a part of its apparent desperation. An annual flu cannot explain these.

2. Why would countries like UK, Italy, Spain, France, USA and Brazil suffer so much from an annual influenza that killed more than half a million so far and is still on its deadly prowls? Why would Italy reduce itself to a state of helplessness with dead bodies of Corona patients littered everywhere or why would a German finance minister commit suicide over Corona worries? How one is to account for a death rate of over 14% (seen in a few countries) for an annual influenza virus?

3. Why would the doctors and experts of the World Health Organization keep on telling ‘lies’ that the new Coronavirus is very dangerous that would probably stay for more than two years and the worst is yet to come despite whatever campaigns or actions going on or taken against it? We seemed to have accepted in the beginning that this pandemic is the biggest crisis ever faced by humankind. Now, why have second thoughts and doubts?

4. Why would countries across the world keep on taking huge risks for an economic crash with unprecedented unemployment and pave the way for a recession possibly even worse than the Great Depression? In particular, why a developing country and a most promising upcoming world power like India should risk whatever it has achieved in development so far.

5. Why is such a mad rush all over the globe to fast-track production of a vaccine against only an annual flu? At least such an intensive medical research cannot mask a hidden agenda whatever that may be.

In the last few days new cases in India have been rising at nearly 25000 per day with the only solace that daily recoveries increasing steadily and the death rate is fortunately still low; the concern being a rising positivity rate indicating community transmission. At this crucial juncture we should not pay heed to conspiracy theories and fake news. Such theories have obvious goals: to generate publicity for unknown persons or groups or to make a kill in terms of profit. For example, if a link for an article with sensational and terrifying headlines gets circulated across social media and motivated media outlets think of the kind of clicks being generated which directly translate into money.

Therefore, we must not fall prey to such propaganda at any cost. It is heartening to see that several social media platforms have taken steps to neutralize the conspiracy threads. In relation to India, we need to say here that the government should find time to brief the media frequently as it had been doing earlier to describe facts and quell doubts instead of crouching behind the rising numbers. Similarly, most respected bodies like the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) should desist from publicizing dates for production of vaccines. The announcement by the ICMR that a vaccine might be made possible by 15th of August 2020 has furthered the doubts already created with even sensible people and the media asking why should the ICMR be in such a hurry. The mantra at this hour must be to fight the killer virus with the combined might of the world and to defeat it preventing its possible second wave.

Japan, land of the rising sun… A country so popular we often relate to Voltes V, an anime so popular way back in the 1970’s featuring a giant robot fighting to save the earth from alien forces invading our planet.

While it is true that Japan creates various anime’s that feature heroes that save humanity and mankind, there is also a deep dark secret connected with the portrayal of these heroes.

Japan is one of several destinations and transit countries to which men, women, and children are trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation… Most officially identified trafficking victims are foreign women who migrate willingly to Japan seeking work, but are later subjected to debts of up to $50,000 that make them vulnerable to trafficking for sexual exploitation or labor exploitation. A significant number of Japanese women and girls have also been reported as sex trafficking victims.

Many women trafficked into the sex trade had their movements strictly controlled by their employers and were threatened with reprisals, sometimes through members of organized crime groups, to themselves or their families if they tried to escape.

Employers often isolated the women, subjected them to constant surveillance, and used violence to punish them for disobedience. There were reports that some brokers used drugs to subjugate victims. Many trafficked women also knew that they were subject to arrest if found without their passports or other identification documents. Few spoke Japanese well, making escape even more difficult.

Trafficking in Persons refer to the recruitment, transportation, transfer or harboring, or receipt of persons with or without the victim’s consent or knowledge, within or across national borders by means of threat or use of force, or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud or deception, abuse of power or disposition, taking advantage of the vulnerability of the person, or the giving and receiving of payments to achieve the consent of the person having control over the other person for the purpose of exploitation which includes at a minimum, the exploitation or prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor, slavery, servitude, or sale of human organs.

Consent of the victim is not an issue when there is coercion or deception.

There are many factors that contribute to the trafficking of women and children in Japan such as globalization or immigrant labor from the Philippines or any other country; the demand for entertainment services, the role of the Yakuza in obtaining the victims through deceit either through the government or agencies within the government.

We may never realize that some of these victims are led to this situation with promises of a better future from certain recruitment agencies or persons, having connections with the Yakuza, who recruit them as household helpers, waitresses or even caregivers for some families in Japan.

These people in turn receive favors from the Yakuza as payment for their services.

We should promote in extent the laws which will protect our brethren from being used as sex slaves in Japan.

In addition, due to the government infrastructure, there are hundreds of independent and government-licensed recruitment agencies that arrange migrant workers travel and employment.

Many of these recruitment agencies operate outside the law.

Some knowingly used false documents but were unaware of the degree to which these documents could later be used as leverage against them.

This practice of traveling undocumented or with false documents potentially blurs the line between smuggling and trafficking as in some cases, women appear to have agreed to be smuggled into Japan and perhaps they have. They have been trafficked, however, if when they reach their destination, their traffickers’ deceptions are revealed, and they lose control of their situation.

The Philippine Government is aware that Filipino women are being trafficked.

In early 2000, the Deputy Executive Director of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas acknowledged that trafficked Filipinos include women who are “legitimately” recruited, promised high-paying jobs, but end up as prostitutes; women who leave as tourists and end up as domestic helpers, exotic dancers, or bar girls; and women who are willing or coerced victims of the mail-order bride trade

The enormous size of the migrant worker “industry”, its highly structured operation and the fact that it is government instigated, provide some rationale for why women might accept job offers for overseas work.

Additionally, many Filipino women are faced with a profound lack of job opportunities and little or no opportunity to improve their circumstances. Poverty is widespread and sections of the population are undernourished.

Many trafficking victims fall prey to deception because they seek a better life or enhanced economic opportunities. They are vulnerable to false promises of good jobs and higher wages.

Criminal groups are the culprits when it comes to trafficking women into Japan. “The reality is that human trafficking has become a big business for organized crime

The United Nations must perform its role to stop the trafficking of persons in Japan.

It is a moral obligation imposed upon them as protector of the world.

The ICRC or International Committee of the Red Cross, as promoter of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, as well should, do their task in implementing the laws for the protection of these victims of abuse.

Lastly, for us, the challenge is enormous. At the very least, progress to reduce the number of women trafficked into Japan cannot be made without debate about: migration and the need for skilled labor who require appropriate rights and protective mechanisms.

The role of government of Japan is to ensure appropriate legislation, policies, enforcement and support for victims is in place.

Just like the way they promote it by the creation of these anime’s involving robots that protect the human race, Japan should move to eradicate organized crime that is solely responsible for these inhuman acts.

One afternoon, after a grueling math exam, Ayomah’s math teacher, the old and lean Mr. Jacksotto Tobacco, smoking a thin hand-rolled cigarette, sat them together to recount a news story he’d read from a newspaper. It was a heart-warming piece of news. Between puffs on his cigarette, he narrated to the class how, a thirty year-old woman gave birth to a baby free of her family’s curse of Alzheimer’s disease – thanks to the wonders of medical science. To his young mind, it was hard not to feel the joy of the baby’s family, or the hope of the many others who feel helpless by their genetic inheritance.

The breakthrough, according to Mr. Tobacco, occurred when doctors in Chicago, in the US, applied genetic tests to batches of human eggs, helping the woman to have a baby free of her family’s early Alzheimer’s disease. According to him, without such intervention, the baby would have had a 50-50 odds of becoming senile by the time she was 40. But he had a terrible feeling as he thought about the implication of this seemingly wonderful evolution of medical engineering. Before long, the rich will be able to buy not only better education for their kids but also better genes! This thought was especially troubling for someone who didn’t know his father’s whereabouts, and who was being raised by a struggling single parent.

As a child, Ayomah was taught this in school: given a chance between being rich and being smart one should always choose the latter, for smart people will always be able to find a way to get rich and foolish people could easily lose the wealth someone else had worked so hard to accumulate on their behalf. This simple proposition was powerful for those of us growing up with less and whose hopes were derived from the knowledge that if even poor, talented individuals will have a shot in an otherwise unequal world. But after listening to Mr. Tobacco’s story, it turned out that money will buy smarts, too! After the class was over, Ayomah left home thinking that, the prospects for his family, which was already daunting, will, in the future, become almost hopeless. He couldn’t have narrated what he heard from Mr. Tobacco to his Mama. She would be crestfallen.

Ayomah had a great story to tell, he decided to put it in the form of a book. He failed to publish it because he was restricted by money. Later on, he managed to get some money, published the book but yet another challenge – he is unable to advertise it. He is again restricted by money. He thinks of abandoning the whole idea of writing altogether and start a business. Here too, he was restricted by money. He finally decided to go back to school to acquire marketable skills. Hoping that after his graduation he will be able to find a good job. Here too, he was required to first pay some tuition in order to be accepted into that institution. He got restricted again by money.

He failed to get enrolment. He then came to a very powerful conclusion: In Today’s Commercialized World, Money Is Everything!

The basic instinct for survival has always been the dominate force in life. A God given trait to survive is embedded in all living things. Humans are not natures rarest creatures. But, what we do have is a higher level of intellectual abilities. There again you would never know it by the actions of some others. It is our ability to gain intellectual powers through parental guidance and influence, by the way we adapt to our surrounding environment, and through the education we receive as we age. Unfortunately, today there remains a few that have shown a retardation, a decline of their mental faculties in responses to event, crisis, and circumstances that sometimes are beyond their control.

It is no more apparent in the leadership we have and or about to have. In anticipation of the 2020 Presidential election amidst this current Global health crisis there are many factors that could display mans ability to rise above adversity and yet all we have seen by the actions of our leaders is a contraction of intellectual abilities. The case of survival has already been made. Still the responses being made have shown our chances slipping away. The world is a tinder box while too many are kept in the dark not knowing decisions that are made for us doesn’t and won’t ease the suffering of so many millions.

Man maybe at the head of the food chain but, there again we would never know it by the way things are playing out today. The struggle to survive continues despite the reassurances by government that all is well and good. No consolation to those millions who have lost so much. For they will never recoup all that was lost. The charity of others to those who are less fortunate remain a bright spot in an otherwise dark world. But charity alone won’t solve what has amounted to bad decisions and policies of government.

For years now governmental policies specially in regards to our food supply chain has made millions of people having weakened immune systems. With weakened immune systems people are more prone to be susceptible to all sorts of diseases and afflictions. Other governmental policies that have a direct bearing on the publics ability to survive lies with the disastrous economic decisions over the years that have led millions of Americans not being able to afford even the basic necessities of living. If we had much of what is happening today could have been avoided.

The industrialization of the worlds food and limited access to clean pollutant free fresh water has made populations more prone to suffer from all forms of horrific and devastating diseases, aliments, and afflictions. The Pandemic the world is faced with today could very well have never gotten past an epidemic stage if government had in place the policies and reforms that ensures the publics health and safety as their major responsibility. Sadly though to many of the policies in place today are engineered for monetary concerns and not for the overall publics benefit.

All indications report the second half of 2009 saw oil prices continue to escalate and many experts believe triple digit prices per barrel will be the norm again. Oil futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange have risen more than 50% since the beginning of 2009. Higher gas prices should have pundits predicting the American public will jump back onto the green energy band wagon.

Surprisingly, financial gurus speculate that the rise in oil prices may not be the boon to green companies that many people expected.

First, prices will probably continue to rise as China’s economy becomes even more oil hungry, fueled by massive government stimulus measures. That means oil supplies are unlikely to be able to keep up with crushing demand as China ramps up its manufacturing activity to an unprecedented degree. Couple that with the fact that America’s oil inventories have been falling steadily and it has been a long, hard 2009 for U.S. consumers.

Why isn’t this all GOOD news for green energy companies?

A large part of the problem is stinginess on the part of lenders and venture capitalists as they nervously wait to see how the predicted oil crisis will play out. That means that green tech companies most in need of capital will have to wait, as well. There may be money available for the strongest green tech firms, but the economic uncertainties will likely be a tough time for smaller companies, and especially startups, which will mean some of the brightest ideas won’t be available to help America weather the newest oil storm.

To America’s credit, oil demand leveled off in 2009, but analysts predict that more expensive oil prices could put a damper on the fragile recovery process of the U.S. economy. That will trigger a domino effect that can further hurt America’s recovery as investors shy away from green energy startups… and from startups of all kinds as the country’s future outlook becomes more tenuous.

However, the future of green technology still looks bright in the long run. As oil and gas prices continue to rise, the world’s mindset will inevitably change, eventually making green energy a first choice in a wide variety of applications instead of the poor stepchild it has been considered for decades. Over time, expensive oil will lead to its demise as a fuel source.

The problem for green firms isn’t the future… it’s staying in business while they wait for the world to catch up.

Cyberocracy: Information As Power – Cyberocracy Rulership Is Coming?

Ruling with Information! According to futurology – the way that we are headed IS Cyberocracy. The effective use of information to essentially rule as ‘Alternative Responsible Government’.

A speculative system as up until now there has been no precedent of such a government. Although a rising number of models exist, Cyberocracy stands a very high chance of becoming the norm for many nations.

Information, and the control of information here is key. Next step in political evolution? Modern times have seen many new types of people being allowed into the ruling arena thanks to Democracy and Bureaucracy. Democracy and Bureaucracy are forms of government that took shape to replace Aristocracy – The High-Born in society ruling. Theocracy – society ruled by church. Can another change along the ruling timeline possibly be Cyberocracy? Through revolution comes change, revolution of information and communication technology can and will pave the way. Ultimately information technology will shape politics more than we have ever seen.

Living in a Post-Industrial Society, informing and communicating take the place of the once was before, the capital and labor devices of – Industrial Society. Information transforms and moulds power. Traditional modes of power are transformed and the physical/material parameters of before are replaced by the new non-physical and non-material intellectual currencies of Cyber-Enlightenment.

Many current world leaders will go down in history as being of the last of their kind as this radical new form of government will surely take place of the old political models. Many nations and societies will experience new hybrid forms of rulership. Different blends that suit the current sociology of the time. Although many pending changes to rulership do not come without a dark side, and many in this field of speculation have very little or no idea just what this new form of rulership will even look like.

Cyberocracy is a form of government that redefines and builds new relations and roads between the public sector and the private sector. These new inroads of communication will ultimately be the dynamic that only cross-pollinating of Information/Technology between the people can achieve.

Decision making by Information becomes the heart and soul. Cultural, sociological, psychological, environmental and even new-age spiritualism will become the emphasis of new policy-making/opinions of the people – public or private. Being highly reactive to situations using the most relevant information at hand inevitably will lead to AI Technology for lightening speed help/decision making and even more closer, personable help/decision making that current systems just would not be able to compete with. Thinking alongside the AI’s. Eventually a government – machine-ruled, taking digital democracy to a new level – Cyberocracy!

Just as new combinations of old ideas are mixed to form new thinking, eventually the creation of entirely new thought takes place. Tools and platforms that have taken us through these changes are notably: The Printing Press, The Typewriter, The Abacus. Old thought goes through a process and comes out as new thought, whether we are mostly aware of this or not. Similarly, the ever-changing affect of people thinking and working together on new levels never seen before. Same is the concept of humans working and ‘thinking’ alongside Artificial Intelligence. Quite often a stand out difference (from human) will not even be noticed.

This increasingly interconnected world will always be on the build one way or another. Population levels, ever-changing occupational paths, habitation of other worlds getter closer – Information IS Key. Does this unequivocally mean that the ‘human condition’ is on the improve, or are we just going sideways? Nevertheless ‘information’ is inherently what humans all crave. Cyber-Speed Information could very well lead toward all individuals living in a Cyber-Bubble – electing their own personal-government that helps/decides crucial affairs minute by minute. Would this cause more political division in societies or would it merely leave everyone to their own devices/bubbles? We create our very own ’round table’ governments in our lives out of the AI Sphere.

The hierarchy and The Top Sight: Teams, whether human, non-human, (or mixed) from different levels and branches still rely on hierarchy. This hierarchy still needs to exist in any possible form of effective teams of leadership to be productive in any measure. Structures of the open kind, processes more fluid, more management at the ‘top sight’. More central understanding of the big picture. The most precious of all the commodities known to humans – IS the intellectual big picture.

It has been widely known that Communist States fear all stages of the information revolution, (especially being in the hands of the people). The revolution in communication forces nations to reconsider all they once knew, to open up and adapt to new systems.

As new technology favours democracy – so too Cybercracy embraces the Intellectual on the Open Forward Path in a Landscape of the Cyber.

https://ashdsolomon.wordpress.com

Ash Solomon

The history of religion is one of extreme torture, murder, and genocide. It is happening now and has done throughout the modern era. The Catholic Church is the worst culprit of all yet it survives with governments everywhere in agreement with it. The question is why? The head of terrorism is the Vatican while those who carry out the bombing, shootings, and murders are its puppets, and they are pulled along by lies and threats of hell.

The irony is stark and while the Pope supposedly prays for peace and embraces Muslims as brothers the facts are that the Vatican started the Muslim religion in the 5th C. Of course they are brothers but they are also the greatest killers.

The horror of the Inquisitions, during which brutality of a kind that would shock Isis fighters was conducted, is all but forgotten as its followers seek to escape hell and enter heaven. These so-called places of eternity hide the great lies and fraud that blinds people to reality.

With memory of reincarnation and a link to the Spirit of the Universe it made me aware of the extent of confusion that religions have placed over the world and how it happened. The Vatican was complicit in murder of hundreds of thousands at a time and during the 20th C it conducted massive annihilations (Michael de Semylen 1993).

WWII saw collaboration between the Vatican and Hitler under Pius XII. While this has been spoken of many time it has done nothing to alert religious followers to the great fraud.

It is also a historical fact that the Vatican murdered some 700,000 Croatians during the latter 1940’s. Because they either refused to accept Catholicism or converted under duress. The latter were slain as they entered churches but these murders are largely unknown.

Ex-priests and others are coming forward with the stories that the Vatican has buried. My commission is to bring this information to the fore so that the wall of confusion breaks down. The tool given to me to do this job is the Internet, which is free for people of every religion, race, and country.

The Internet is the mountain of God promised for the last days (Micah 4). Other signs are the return of all who have lived before and are back in their bodies (Isaiah 26:19), thus the incredible rise in human populations. The Spirit is also back for those who have escaped the prison of their convictions and are seeking to know the truth. Heaven and hell exist only in their brainwashed imagination and they can easily escape from these lies if they want.

The destruction was astounding… and we didn’t even suffer the brunt of the storm.

My husband and I returned after evacuating South Florida, and the amount of damage we encountered was stunning.

Downed power lines. Uprooted trees. Broken windows. And millions of people without power.

Even now, nearly two weeks later, the area where we live and work is still attempting to recover. I continue to hear stories of people without power. The electric at our office cuts out randomly as workers repair area lines.

The recovery from the storm will be ongoing for the next several weeks – and for the Florida Keys, the next several months.

And there’s another storm ready to pummel the U.S. and leave behind a painfully slow recovery that could eat away at your wealth if you’re not prepared.

We’ve Got a Problem

The Great Recession left not only the United States but the entire globe in a financial crisis. And the first order of business: Spend!

Nearly every government latched onto the promise of spending their way out of the disaster.

Within the U.S., we fired up the printing presses and defined the era of “easy money” with ultralow interest rates.

And the price is that we’ve tallied up nearly $20 trillion in public debt. That debt is 107% of our gross domestic product (GDP).

But the U.S. isn’t the only country struggling with debt.

Japan has had a debt problem for decades. While its debt sits at only $11.4 trillion, it accounts for 239% of its GDP.

Greece, Italy, Portugal and Belgium also have public debt that exceeds their GDP.

Throughout the Great Recession, we saw numerous countries ratchet up their debt levels so that it stood at a higher percentage of their GDP.

And while we’ve managed to stay afloat despite all of this debt thanks to an economy that is slowly but steadily growing, we are facing a dangerous time ahead. It’s all thanks to the Federal Reserve.

Enter the Fed

The Federal Open Market Committee met recently. It was pretty much a nonevent, as everyone expected. Rates remained unchanged, hovering between 1% and 1.25%. That’s still the highest level since September 2008.

But we know that Fed Chair Janet Yellen and the rest of her team aren’t content to stop there.

More rate hikes are coming.

The headline unemployment rate is resting near its lows at 4.4%, the economy is humming along and the stock market remains hot.

Sure, low inflation figures are still troubling the Fed.

But I’m not so sure that’s going to stay the Fed’s hand from raising rates yet again when it meets in December.

And rising interest rates mean that interest payments on all that debt – both government and private – are going to rise.

Consumers and the government are going to have less to spend thanks to massive amounts of debt and rising interest rates.

We’ve seen too often that the Fed takes interest rates a step too far, and it’s always well after the damage is done that it realizes its mistake. It’s time to brace for the Fed going a step too far, too fast.

And the U.S. is no longer alone when it comes to lifting interest rates.

The Bank of Canada surprised the market when it hiked its key interest rate by 25 basis points earlier this month to 1%.

The Bank of England has recently started dropping some heavy hints that it plans to lift interest rates – the first increase in nearly a decade. The Bank of England’s key rate currently stands at 0.25%.

Many market commentators have talked about the market nearing a tipping point. While we’re watching for that big, flashy bang that could topple this house of cards, it could actually arrive as a slow, painful unraveling.

But you don’t have to watch your own wealth unwind with the rest of the market.

A Better Portfolio Balance

The turmoil that could roil the markets should the Fed continue to lift rates and squeeze spending doesn’t have to destroy your portfolio as well.

It’s important that you take steps now to make sure that your wealth is properly diversified against the uncertainty within the market.

One critical facet of your portfolio should be physical gold. The yellow metal has historically grown in value while the economy struggles. It’s insurance against a correction… or worse.

Another is to have exposure to a variety of different sectors.

The key is to take a hard look at your portfolio now and evaluate what could likely be hit by a significant market correction.

Are all your holdings in one sector?

Are all your holdings in aggressive positions?

Do you have trailing stops or an exit strategy in place to protect your gains?

Don’t be afraid to take some profits off the table and rebalance your holdings. It’s always better to lock in some gains than suffer the pain of getting out too late.

We’ve seen this before, but, perhaps, not at the scale/ level, we are presently witnessing! In the past half – century, this is, at least, the third – time, it’s been a politician’s weapon! Who can forget, Richard Nixon, using this rhetoric, in 1968, or Ronald Reagan, in his 1980’s campaign, and, perhaps, because, it seemed to be effective, then, Donald Trump’s campaign, has taken this, to new heights! Perhaps, a key difference, is, while Nixon and Reagan, used the words, Law and Order, repeatedly, when they were, first, running for office, and not when they were trying to be reelected, the current occupant of the White House, seems to be heavily, relying, on, appealing to Americans fears, anxieties, biases, etc, blaming and complaining, about his opponents, even though, he has been, the President, for these past four years! With that in mind, this article will attempt to, briefly, consider, examine, review, and discuss, 5 concerns, we should have, about this approach, and appeal.

1. Black Lives Matter/ systemic racism: Because of the recent exposure of what, appears to be, misbehavior, by a small number of police officers, primarily, targeting, men of color, we should not, have been surprised, the Black Lives Matter, movement, and the associated, protests, came, to the forefront! Because, there have been numerous incidents, of this behavior, and apparent evidence of systemic racism, in many areas of American life! Instead of trying to appeal, to bringing – about, a meeting – of – the – minds, for the greater good, President Trump has done, nearly, the opposite! Instead of showing, and demonstrating, any needed degree, of genuine empathy, he seems to be using, the unassociated, criminal activities, of looting, arson, etc, by a few, who, may, or may not, have also, been protestors, he appears, to be inciting his core supporters, by appealing to their fears, and anxieties!

2. Most police are good, but there are some, bad – apples: Although, the vast majority, of police, are good, dedicated, hard – working individuals, unfortunately, there are a few, bad – apples! Trump’s rhetoric has tended to defend all police, and accuse, all protestors, against police, which is divisive, and dangerous, to a harmonious, safer society!

3. Political rhetoric/ messaging: When a politician uses rhetoric, which seems to be negative messaging, and divisive, the so – called, appeal, to, Law and Order, is anything but!

4. Department of Justice/ AG Barr’s behavior/ No one above the law: Historically, the Attorney General, behaves, like, the people’s attorney, but, Mr. Barr’s behavior, seems, as if, he focuses on defending this President, and his personal interests! What happened to the concept, that, no one is above the law? If our Justice Department, fails to enforce, all laws, but, proceeds, with a selective emphasis, which appears, to coincide, with the President’s personal/ political agenda, and/ or, self – interest, it is a dangerous precedent, to the guarantees of our Constitution!

5. All Constitutional guarantees, not selective!: Women’s, civil, and human rights, appear, at risk! In the name of, Law and Order, we are witnessing, an emphasis on selective guarantees, etc, instead of, all of them!

Wake up, America, because, we are witnessing, a clear and present danger, to our way, of life! Demand changes, and, a more inclusive approach, before it’s too late!