Join Us at the 2023 World Economic Conference in Orlando, Florida!

? Dates: November 17, 18, and 19 ? Location: Orlando, Florida, USA (or tune in from home with our virtual ticket options)

Are you ready to unlock the future of economics and finance? Prepare for an unforgettable World Economic Conference experience in sunny Orlando, Florida! This premier event is your gateway to insights, networking, and valuable resources that will supercharge your understanding of the global economy.

?️ What’s Included for In-Person Attendees:

1. Event Admission: Enjoy reserved seating assigned based on the order of ticket sales, ensuring you have a prime view of every presentation.
2. Presentation Slides: Gain access to the presentation slides from all speakers, allowing you to delve deeper into the topics discussed.
3. Video Recording: Can’t make it to a session? No worries! You’ll receive access to video recordings of all conference presentations, so you can catch up at your convenience.
4. WEC Event App: Connect with the conference on a whole new level. Access presentation slides, bonus reports, recordings, and more via the official WEC Event App.
5. Bonus Conference Materials: Get a package of bonus conference-related materials, including exclusive bonus reports and videos (as provided by Martin Armstrong).
6. Morning Information Sessions: Don’t miss out on important morning information sessions, screened on-site in the meeting room on Saturday and Sunday.
7. Networking Opportunities: Exclusive access to the Event App Networking Feature allows you to connect with fellow attendees, both in-person and virtual, fostering valuable professional relationships.
8. Culinary Delights: Savor delicious breakfast and lunch on Saturday and Sunday, prepared to keep you energized throughout the day.
9. Cocktail Reception: Kick off the conference in style at our Friday evening cocktail reception. Meet and mingle with fellow attendees while enjoying refreshing drinks.
10. Swag Bag: As a token of our appreciation, each in-person attendee will receive a swag bag filled with goodies, including an Armstrong Economics notebook, pen, and an event collector’s mug!

Unable to travel? We also have two different ticket options for those wishing to attend virtually! 

Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of a global gathering of economic and financial minds. Secure your spot at the World Economic Conference in Orlando, Florida, and gain the knowledge, connections, and resources you need to thrive in the world of finance and economics.

Space is limited, so act now and reserve your seat! Visit our Events page to register and join us in sunny Orlando this November.

Now available at all major retailers!

The eBook will be available shortly.

The second edition of “The Plot to Seize Russia – The Untold History” is now available for purchase in paperback and hardcover on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The ebook will be available shortly.

Book description:

“Take care of Russia,” Boris Yeltsin said as he departed his presidency in August 1999. These words were directed at current Russian president, Vladimir Putin. Yeltsin specifically picked Putin as his predecessor to prevent the takeover of Russia.

So, who was Yeltsin warning against? Newly declassified documents from the Clinton Administration prove that there was a plot to rig the Russian election of 2000. These never-before-seen documents confirm numerous attempts to implement pro-Western policies using the Russian oligarchy headed by Boris Berezovsky.

On the other side were the communists who desired a return to the glory days of the Soviet Union. As one of the largest international hedge fund managers, author Martin Armstrong found himself in the middle of perhaps the greatest espionage, or attempt at a regime change for Russia, in modern history.

The Plot to Seize Russia pulls back the curtain to expose the most extraordinary attempt to seize power in modern history, but with the pen rather than armies. These declassified documents reveal a plot that has altered our thinking about the relations between the United States and Russia. The thirst for power comes seething through every line of these papers that alter our perception of reality, change the course of history, and now threaten us with World War III.

The Bank of France has just completed a major restructuring of its gold reserves, selling 129 tonnes of gold previously stored at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and replacing it with newly refined, internationally compliant bullion now held entirely within its vaults in Paris. This operation represented roughly 5% of France’s total gold reserves and was not a reduction in holdings but a transformation in form and location. By taking advantage of the surge in gold prices, the central bank realized a capital gain of approximately €13 billion, reversing a €7.7 billion loss in 2024 into a reported profit of €8.1 billion for 2025.

The stated objective was to upgrade older, non-standard bars into London Good Delivery format, but the deeper implication is unmistakable, France has eliminated foreign custodial risk and consolidated full physical control over one of the largest sovereign gold reserves in the world.

France holds approximately 2,436-2,437 tonnes of gold, making it the fourth-largest official holder globally, behind the United States, Germany, and Italy. At current market prices hovering near record highs, that stockpile is valued in excess of €140 billion to €150 billion, depending on pricing fluctuations. What matters here is that this was not diversification or liquidation. This was repatriation combined with standardization, and those are two very different signals when viewed through the lens of capital flows and confidence.

When confidence begins to erode, gold migrates home. We have been warning that the sovereign debt crisis is the true systemic threat, not inflation. Global sovereign debt has now exceeded $310 trillion, and governments have reached the point where they cannot realistically repay what they owe. Central banks have become the marginal buyers of their own government debt, absorbing issuance through balance sheet expansion and policy intervention.

France understands this dynamic perhaps better than most because it has lived through it. In the 1960s, Charles de Gaulle openly challenged the Bretton Woods system by demanding gold in exchange for US dollars, recognizing that persistent US deficits made the system unsustainable. That decision was rooted in arithmetic, not politics, and it contributed to the collapse of the gold exchange standard in 1971.

Today, the same imbalance exists on a far larger scale. The United States continues to run structural deficits exceeding $1.5 to $2 trillion annually, while total federal debt has surpassed $34 trillion. Yet the dollar remains strong because of capital inflows. Foreign institutions, sovereign wealth funds, and central banks continue to purchase US assets, particularly Treasuries, which offsets the current account deficit. But this is not a permanent endorsement of the dollar. It is a function of relative stability.

This is where gold becomes critical. Central banks collectively hold over 35,000 tonnes of gold globally, and in recent years, they have been net buyers at the fastest pace in decades. In 2022 and 2023 alone, central banks added more than 1,000 tonnes per year to their reserves, led by countries such as China, Turkey, India, and Russia. Even Western central banks, which had been net sellers for years, have halted that trend.

France’s decision fits squarely within this broader movement. It did not reduce exposure to gold. It maintained its reserve size while upgrading the quality and securing jurisdictional control. That is a strategic move, not a cosmetic one.

Gold has been rising not because of inflation, but because of declining confidence in government. This distinction is critical. During the 1970s, gold rose with inflation, but it peaked when confidence in policy began to stabilize. In contrast, during geopolitical crises or sovereign stress events, gold rises independently of consumer price trends. What we are witnessing now aligns far more closely with a confidence-driven cycle.

Central banks must continue to support sovereign debt markets through intervention, whether via direct purchases, liquidity facilities, or maintaining artificially low interest rates relative to inflation. Yet each intervention undermines confidence further.

Germany has repatriated hundreds of tonnes of gold from New York and Paris over the past decade, completing a major transfer of reserves back to Frankfurt. Other countries have either begun or quietly considered similar moves. The trend is unmistakable, control over physical reserves is being prioritized over convenience.

The weaponization of reserves in recent years, including the freezing of foreign central bank assets, has permanently altered the calculus. No nation can assume that assets held abroad are beyond political reach. This is why gold is rising and capital is shifting.

Russia is doing the opposite of many other central banks by selling gold, yet this behavior actually reinforces the fundamental role gold plays within the global financial system because it demonstrates that gold is the ultimate asset of last resort when access to traditional financial channels is restricted.

Since 2025, the Central Bank of Russia has been liquidating portions of its gold reserves to finance ongoing war expenditures, raising approximately $2.4 billion and reducing its holdings to a multi-year low, while simultaneously remaining largely cut off from Western capital markets due to sanctions.

This is not a signal that gold is losing relevance. This is evidence of its importance because when a country is excluded from global financial systems and cannot easily issue debt or access foreign reserves, it turns to gold as a source of liquidity. Unlike currency reserves held abroad, which can be frozen, gold held domestically remains accessible and can be converted into cash or used in trade arrangements, making it a critical component of financial resilience during periods of geopolitical stress.

Data from early 2026 shows that Russia has been among the largest net sellers of gold even as other central banks continue to accumulate, highlighting the divergence between nations under pressure and those preparing for future instability. This dynamic underscores a key point that is often misunderstood: gold is not merely a hedge against inflation but a strategic reserve asset. Gold may be accumulated during periods of uncertainty or liquidated during crises.

The broader trend remains intact because central banks globally continue to be net buyers of gold, and the selling we are seeing from countries like Russia is driven by necessity. This reinforces the argument that gold’s role within the monetary system is not diminishing but becoming more pronounced as geopolitical risks increase and access to traditional financial mechanisms becomes less certain.

This is a scene from the new Netflix show “The Sandman.” It depicts the Pope kissing a priest.

Here are the names of the executive producer and directors:

Neil Gaiman
David S. Goyer
Allan Heinberg
Samuel Kieth
Mike Dringenberg pic.twitter.com/W9NqwrSx1H

— Red Pill Media (@RedPillMediaX) April 6, 2026

Christianity represents one of the last pillars of resistance to centralized authority. Christianity has become the only religion that can be openly mocked and ridiculed in mainstream culture without consequence, and anyone who refuses to see that pattern is simply ignoring reality. There is no equal treatment here, and the idea that this is about “creative freedom” collapses the moment you ask why the same standards are never applied across the board.

Entertainment has now crossed into territory that is not satire but outright provocation, targeting Christian symbols, clergy, and beliefs in ways that would trigger immediate cancellation if directed at any other religion. You are allowed to mock Christianity because it has been deemed politically safe to attack, and that designation comes from the very institutions that claim to defend tolerance. The hypocrisy is staggering, but it serves a purpose.

This ties directly into what I have warned about repeatedly, which is that governments will always move to eliminate competing sources of authority when they are trying to consolidate power. Christianity historically shaped the moral, legal, and cultural framework of Western civilization, and that independence from the state makes it a threat in a world where governments are expanding control over every aspect of life. When you want to reshape society, you first have to dismantle the institutions that people look to for guidance outside of government.

The push toward what is being labeled as “woke” ideology is not simply a cultural trend, it is being reinforced at every level, from education to corporate policy to media, and now increasingly through government alignment. Compliance is no longer optional, and those who refuse are marginalized or silenced. Christianity stands in direct opposition to many of these imposed narratives, which is precisely why it is being singled out. It is far easier to force conformity when you remove or weaken the belief systems that encourage independent thought and moral accountability beyond state-defined standards.

Look at the timing of these cultural attacks as well, because they rarely occur in isolation. When religious leaders speak out on geopolitical issues, including war and humanitarian crises, the response is not to engage with their arguments but to undermine the institution itself through parallel cultural messaging. Discredit the messenger, and you no longer have to address the message. This is a tactic that has been used throughout history, and it is being deployed again in a modern context through media and entertainment.

There is also a far more dangerous layer to this that people are ignoring, and it ties into the broader expansion of surveillance and digital control. Governments are already moving toward systems that monitor financial transactions, online behavior, and even speech, and once those systems are fully integrated, the ability to enforce ideological compliance becomes unprecedented. If you can track what people believe, what they say, and what they spend, you can control behavior in ways that were never possible before. Undermining Christianity is part of that process because it removes a competing moral authority that cannot be easily controlled or rewritten.

The pattern is clear when you step back and connect the dots. Christianity is being isolated as the acceptable target because weakening it makes it easier to reshape society in alignment with centralized control. This is not about protecting other religions, it is about eliminating resistance. Once you remove the foundational belief systems that guided Western civilization, you create a vacuum that can be filled with whatever ideology those in power choose to promote.

People need to understand that this is not random, and it is not harmless. It is part of a broader shift toward control that is being implemented gradually so that it is not immediately recognized. By the time most people realize what has happened, the infrastructure will already be in place, and reversing it will not be simple. The real question is not why Christianity is being targeted, but whether anyone is willing to acknowledge what that targeting is intended to achieve.

The data coming out of Massachusetts confirms exactly what I have been warning about for years. You cannot raise taxes on a shrinking base and expect the system to hold together. According to new IRS migration data, the state lost roughly $4.18 billion in adjusted gross income to other states in 2023, a dramatic increase from about $900 million a decade earlier. This came immediately after the implementation of a 4% surtax on income over $1 million, a policy sold as a way to fund education and infrastructure but which has instead accelerated the exit of high-income earners.

What stands out is not just the number of people leaving, but who is leaving. High earners now account for about 70% of the outbound income, meaning the very group being targeted for revenue is the one walking out the door. That is the fatal flaw in these policies. Governments assume the wealthy are trapped. They are not. Capital is mobile, and when you create an environment that penalizes productivity, investment, and success, it simply relocates.

About half of those leaving Massachusetts are heading to states like Florida and New Hampshire, jurisdictions that impose far lower tax burdens or none at all on income. This is not random movement. This is deliberate. People are voting with their feet, and more importantly, they are taking their income, businesses, and long-term investment potential with them. The idea that you can isolate taxation within state borders without consequence is simply false.

This is part of a broader trend across the United States. High-tax states are experiencing outflows, while low-tax states are absorbing both people and capital. I have said repeatedly that governments do not seem to understand that capital flows are the dominant force, not policy intentions. You can pass whatever legislation you want, but if confidence declines and the environment becomes hostile to wealth creation, the money leaves. It is that simple.

The real danger is what happens next. As the tax base shrinks, governments are forced to extract more from those who remain to maintain spending levels. One analyst put it bluntly: “We are trying to make money on a smaller tax base. It’s going to be harder.” That is the spiral. First, taxes rise. Then capital leaves. Then taxes must rise again to compensate. It becomes a self-reinforcing cycle that ultimately undermines the entire fiscal structure.

Massachusetts is now a case study in what happens when policymakers ignore these dynamics. They are collecting billions in new surtax revenue, yet simultaneously losing billions in taxable income. That is not success. That is cannibalization of the future for short-term gain.

This ties directly into what I have warned about regarding state-level fiscal crises. Governments assume they can control behavior through taxation, but they cannot control confidence. Once people begin to question whether a state is competitive, whether it is worth staying, whether their future is better elsewhere, the shift begins. It does not happen all at once, but once it starts, it is very difficult to reverse.

What Massachusetts is experiencing today is not isolated. It is a warning sign. The same policies being debated in California, New York, and other states will produce the same outcome. Capital does not stay where it is punished. It moves to where it is treated best. That is the fundamental rule governments continue to ignore, and until they understand that, this trend will only accelerate.

There has been an outpouring of recalls in the USA due to lead contamination in the food supply. Lead showing up in food in the United States is the result of overlapping structural problems that have been building for decades, and the recalls you are seeing now are simply the system reacting after the fact rather than preventing contamination in the first place.

At the core, lead is a naturally occurring heavy metal that exists in soil and water, but human activity has dramatically amplified its presence. The legacy of leaded gasoline, old paint, industrial emissions, and contaminated irrigation systems means that farmland across parts of the country still carries trace levels. Crops like root vegetables, grains, and even fruits can absorb lead directly from soil or water, so even “clean” farming practices cannot fully eliminate exposure.

Then you have the infrastructure problem. Much of the United States still relies on aging water systems, including old lead pipes. When that water is used in food processing or irrigation, it becomes another pathway for contamination. This is not theory, we have already seen this play out in places like Flint, and the same risk exists nationwide on a smaller scale.

Another major factor is imported ingredients. A significant portion of food sold in the U.S. relies on global supply chains where oversight is far weaker. Spices, chocolate, baby food ingredients, and supplements have repeatedly been flagged for elevated lead levels because they are sourced from regions with contaminated soil or less stringent regulation. Once those ingredients enter the U.S. supply chain, they are mixed into finished products that appear safe on the surface.

The recalls themselves happen because of how regulation is structured. Agencies like the FDA do not pre-approve every batch of food. Instead, companies are responsible for their own safety testing, and regulators step in when problems are detected through inspections, whistleblowers, or independent lab testing. That means contamination is often discovered after products are already on shelves.

What has changed recently is not necessarily the level of contamination, but the level of scrutiny. Testing methods are more sensitive, public awareness is higher, and lawsuits are increasing, especially around baby food. That is why you are seeing more recalls. The system is detecting what was always there.

From a broader perspective, this fits into a pattern that governments consistently overlook. They regulate the appearance of safety rather than the underlying infrastructure. You can pass stricter rules, but if the soil is contaminated, the pipes are old, and the supply chain is global and fragmented, the problem does not disappear. It simply surfaces in cycles, much like everything else. There is a growing distrust of the food supply in America. What was once a conspiracy is now generally accepted as a fact: America’s food supply is compromised. When people begin to question the safety of basic necessities like food and water, trust in institutions starts to erode, which is why “FDA Approved” does not equate to “safe for consumption.”

The March 2026 employment report is being celebrated by the press as a “blowout” number, yet once again they are focusing on the headline and ignoring what is actually taking place beneath the surface. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the U.S. economy added 178,000 jobs for the month, far exceeding expectations that were clustered around 60,000, while the unemployment rate ticked down to 4.3%.

The prior month was revised to a loss of 133,000 jobs, meaning what you are seeing is not acceleration but volatility. When you strip away the headline number, the first major warning sign is the collapse in labor force participation. Roughly 396,000 people exited the labor force in March alone, pushing participation below 62%, the lowest level since the pandemic era. This is precisely how governments manipulate unemployment statistics. If people stop looking for work, they are no longer counted as unemployed, so the rate declines even as the underlying economy weakens.

Then you look at wages, which rose only modestly, roughly 0.2% for the month and about 3.5% annually, marking the slowest pace in years. This is critical because it confirms what we have been warning about, this is not inflation driven by demand, this is cost-push inflation driven by war, energy, and policy. When wages stall while prices rise, that is the very definition of stagflation.

The composition of the jobs tells the same story. Healthcare accounted for roughly 76,000 of the gains, largely a rebound from strike activity, while construction and manufacturing added modest numbers. Government employment declined by about 18,000 and financial sectors also contracted, which is a red flag because those are forward-looking industries tied to capital formation.

Even more troubling is that hiring itself remains weak. The broader trend shows job growth averaging only a fraction of prior years, with some estimates suggesting as little as 15,000 to 20,000 per month over the past year. That is an economy treading water.

The Federal Reserve will likely sit on its hands, because it has no real control here. If it cuts rates, it risks fueling inflation through energy. If it raises rates, it risks accelerating the downturn. This is the trap created by sovereign debt and geopolitical mismanagement.

PRIVATE BLOG – Netanyahu’s Armageddon

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