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Join Us at the World Economic Conference in Orlando, Florida! Nov. 17-19, 2023

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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.

NEW BOOK Now Available : "Mark Antony & Cleopatra"

Mark Antony Cleopatra Cleopatra Proxy War

Now available at all major retailers!

The eBook will be available shortly.

"THE PLOT TO SEIZE RUSSIA - THE UNTOLD HISTORY"

The Plot to Seize Russia_3Dmockup_2 300x225

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.

Market Talk – June 1, 2026

Market Talk 2017

ASIA:
The major Asian stock markets had a mixed day today:
• NIKKEI 225 increased 604,83 points or 0.91% to 66,934.33
• Shanghai decreased 10.829 points or -0.27% to 4,057.74
• Hang Seng increased 215.79 points or 0.86% to 25,398.18
• ASX 200 decreased 2.30 points or -0.03% to 8,729.40
• SENSEX decreased 508.40 points or -0.68% to 74,267.34
• Nifty50 decreased 165.15 points or -0.70% to 23,382.60
The major Asian currency markets had a mixed day today:
• AUDUSD decreased 0.00216 or -0.30% to 0.71650
• NZDUSD decreased 0.00509 or -0.85% to 0.59391
• USDJPY increased 0.335 or 0.21% to 159.610
• USDCNY increased 0.0006 or 0.01% to 6.76491
The above data was collected around 13:33 EST.
Precious Metals:
•  Gold decreased 59.84 USD/t oz. or -1.32% to 4,481.57
•  Silver decreased 0.191 USD/t. oz. or -0.25% to 75.053
The above data was collected around 13:35 EST.
EUROPE/EMEA:
The major Europe stock markets had a negative day today:
•  CAC 40 decreased 36.75 points or -0.45% to 8,146.59
•  FTSE 100 decreased 70.33 points or -0.68% to 10,338.95
•  DAX 30 decreased 101.66 points or -0.40% to 25,003.04
The major Europe currency markets had a mixed day today:
• EURUSD decreased 0.00281 or -0.24% to 1.16317
• GBPUSD increased 0.00099 or 0.07% to 1.34635
• USDCHF increased 0.00536 or 0.69% to 0.78631
The above data was collected around 13:41 EST.

AMERICAS:

US Markets:

  • DJIA advanced by 46.42 points (0.09%) to 51,078.88
  • S&P 500 advanced by 19.9 points (0.26%) to 7,599.96
  • NASDAQ advanced by 114.188 points (0.42%) to 27,086.808
  • Russell 2000 declined by 13.581 points (-0.47%) to 2,905.757

Canada:

  • TSX Composite declined by 34.25 points (-0.1%) to 34,734.89
  • TSX 60 declined by 1.59 points (-0.08%) to 2,020.65

Brazil:

  • Bovespa declined by 1,576.2 points (-0.91%) to 172,211.29
ENERGY:
The oil markets had a mixed day today:
•  Crude Oil increased 4.461 USD/BBL or 5.11% to 91.821
•  Brent increased 3.955 USD/BBL or 4.34% to 95.075
•  Natural gas decreased 0.1224 USD/MMBtu or -3.72% to 3.1676
•  Gasoline increased 0.0488 USD/GAL 1.61% to 3.0832
•  Heating oil increased 0.1716 USD/GAL or 4.92% to 3.6602
The above data was collected around 13:43 EST.
•  Top commodity gainers: Crude Oil (5.11%), Heating Oil (4.92%), Brent (4.34%) and Bitumen (5.14%)
•  Top commodity losers: Orange Juice (-5.48%), Natural Gas (-3.72%), Coffee (-2.15%) and Oat (-2.36%)
The above data was collected around 13:49 EST.
BONDS:
Japan 2.6870% (+3.05bp), US 2’s 4.06% (+0.045%), US 10’s 4.4720% (+2.9bps); US 30’s 4.98 (+0.014%), Bunds 2.9836% (+5.08bp), France 3.6290% (+7.7bp), Italy 3.7600% (+8.8bp), Turkey 35.450% (-27bp), Greece 3.693% (+8.1bp), Portugal 3.388% (+7.6bp); Spain 3.464% (+10.4bp) and UK Gilts 4.8860% (+7.9bp)
The above data was collected around 13:59 EST.

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW: Understanding the World Economy – July 25

 

Understanding the World Economy with Martin Armstrong

How the world, its economies, and civilization are all connected.

Saturday, July 25  (2:00 PM – 6:00 PM)

Tampa Marriott Water Street

505 Water St, Tampa, FL 33602

Designed to introduce a broad and diverse audience to Martin Armstrong’s insights and perspectives on global events and society, based on his decades of research. The goal of this session is to introduce a unique way of thinking and encourage everyone to challenge conventional wisdom. We welcome all – past attendees and newcomers, including the next generation of workers and leaders!

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from Martin Armstrong himself!

For more information or to purchase your ticket today, click on the button below:

LearnMoreButton

 

Please note that minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Room blocks are not available for this event. Questions? Please fill out the contact form or email customerservice@armstrongeconomics.com.

Zelensky Betrays Poland

Poland, one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters, is openly condemning Zelensky for glorifying a movement associated with the slaughter of Polish civilians.

Poland absorbed millions of Ukrainian refugees. Poland became the primary logistical hub for Western weapons. Poland spent years standing shoulder to shoulder with Kiev. Then Zelensky signs a decree honoring a military unit tied to the traditions of the UPA, an organization remembered in Poland for massacres that claimed tens of thousands of civilian lives. Depending on the estimates used, the Volhynia massacres and related ethnic cleansing campaigns killed somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 Poles, including women, children, and entire villages wiped from existence.

People were hacked to death with axes, burned alive, and murdered specifically because they were Polish. The Polish parliament has repeatedly classified the atrocities as genocide. Yet somehow we are supposed to pretend this is merely a misunderstanding.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki has now stated that Zelensky is not acting like someone prepared to join the European family and has even called for stripping him of Poland’s highest state honor. Imagine how furious Polish officials must be to reach that point after everything they have done for Ukraine.

The Western press spent years screaming that anyone who discussed Ukrainian ultranationalist movements was spreading misinformation. Anyone who mentioned the legacy of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, Stepan Bandera, the UPA, or extremist factions inside Ukraine was immediately attacked. Now the permanent president of Ukraine himself is honoring genocidal organizations and suddenly everyone wants to look the other way.

Zelensky presents himself as the champion of democracy while elections remain suspended. He speaks about freedom while opposition parties have been banned. He lectures the world about human rights while draft officers drag men off the streets and force them into military service. He demands endless funding while Ukraine’s population continues shrinking and hundreds of thousands have fled abroad permanently.

What does that say about the man? The truth is that many Western politicians never cared about democracy. They cared about war. Zelensky became a useful idiot because he was the face they needed to sell a conflict to the public. As long as the money kept flowing and the weapons kept moving, uncomfortable questions were pushed aside.

The war cycle is now exposing everything. Governments always lose control of the narrative when conflicts drag on too long. Historical grievances return. Corruption surfaces. Alliances begin cracking. The truth starts leaking through the propaganda.

Poland’s outrage matters because Poland knows this history firsthand. Entire Polish communities disappeared during the massacres. Families still remember what happened. Graves still exist. The blood is real even if politicians would prefer everyone forget it.

The most disturbing aspect of all this is that Zelensky knew exactly what he was doing. Nobody accidentally honors a movement this controversial. Nobody accidentally signs a decree carrying this level of symbolism. This was a deliberate political choice to honor and uphold a genocide. And yet Western leaders who spend every waking moment condemning historical injustices will likely remain silent because acknowledging the truth would undermine the mythology they spent years creating.

The mask is slipping, and the more desperate this war becomes, the harder it will be to hide what has been standing in plain sight all along. ZELENSKY IS A FRAUD.

Canada Slips Into Recession

How likely is a Canada-wide recession in 2023? | Canadian Mortgage  Professional

Statistics Canada reported that Canadian GDP contracted by 0.1% in the first quarter of 2026 after a revised 1.0% contraction in the fourth quarter of 2025. That marks two consecutive quarters of decline and places Canada in what economists call a technical recession. More importantly, the economy performed dramatically worse than forecasts that had expected growth of roughly 1.5%.

The numbers beneath the surface are even more troubling. Business capital investment fell 0.7% during the quarter. That was not an isolated event. It was the fifth consecutive quarterly decline. When businesses stop investing, they stop hiring. When hiring slows, wage growth weakens. When incomes stagnate, consumption eventually follows. The economy is now moving through that sequence exactly as one would expect.

Government spending dropped 2.5% while domestic demand slipped 0.1%. Imports surged 2.9% while exports edged lower. Vehicle exports were particularly weak as manufacturers continued dealing with trade disruptions and tariff uncertainty. Business confidence has been deteriorating for months.

Household spending managed to rise 0.4%, but consumers cannot carry an economy indefinitely. Governments around the world always assume the consumer is some endless source of growth. The reality is that consumers spend only when they feel secure about employment and future income. Once confidence declines, spending follows.

Canada’s economy grew only 1.7% in all of 2025, the weakest pace since the pandemic period. The Bank of Canada now expects growth to slow further to only 1.2% in 2026.

Youth unemployment has been climbing, business closures remain above historical averages, and investment continues flowing toward the United States despite political tensions. Statistics Canada reported business closure rates running above pre-2020 norms, another indication that small and medium-sized enterprises are struggling under rising costs and economic uncertainty.

What many analysts miss is that recessions are not merely about GDP. They are confidence events. Once businesses begin postponing investment projects, capital starts searching for safer jurisdictions. Canada has spent years increasing regulatory burdens, raising taxes, restricting resource development, and discouraging private investment. At the same time, housing affordability has collapsed, household debt remains among the highest in the developed world, and productivity growth has stagnated.

Canada possesses some of the world’s largest reserves of energy, minerals, farmland, timber, and fresh water. It should be one of the strongest economies in the Western world. Instead, policymakers have spent years trying to engineer growth through government spending while simultaneously undermining the productive sectors that generate wealth.

There are signs of a short-term rebound. Statistics Canada estimates GDP may have increased by 0.4% in April, helped by oil and gas production and manufacturing activity. Yet one month does not reverse a trend. The issue is not whether Canada can produce a positive quarter here or there. The issue is whether businesses believe the future is worth investing in.

Top AI Experts Forbidden to Leave China without Approval

AI Forecasting Future I put Myself Into It

China is now reportedly requiring leading AI experts at private firms to obtain government approval before traveling internationally. Beijing fears that top researchers could leak sensitive information, defect, or become targets for foreign intelligence agencies as the AI race intensifies. This policy is now expanding beyond government-linked entities directly into the private sector itself. That tells you everything about how seriously Beijing views artificial intelligence strategically.

People still think AI is just about chatbots, search engines, or replacing office jobs. Nonsense. AI is becoming military infrastructure, financial infrastructure, surveillance infrastructure, cyberwarfare infrastructure, and economic infrastructure simultaneously. Whoever dominates AI gains enormous advantages not only economically but also militarily and geopolitically.

China understands this perfectly. That is why Beijing is treating AI talent almost like strategic state assets. During the Cold War, nuclear scientists could not simply move freely because governments feared technological leakage. Now, AI engineers are entering the same category because advanced models increasingly intersect with military targeting systems, drone warfare, cyber operations, financial surveillance, intelligence gathering, and autonomous weapons development.

The United States is doing the exact same thing in a different form. Washington has aggressively restricted semiconductor exports to China, blocked advanced Nvidia AI chips, pressured allies like the Netherlands and Japan to limit lithography technology exports, and expanded investment restrictions tied to Chinese AI firms. The Biden and Trump administrations alike both viewed AI dominance as critical to national security because the geopolitical establishment in Washington now sees China as the primary long-term rival.

The AI race is replacing globalization itself. For decades the world operated under the assumption that economic integration would reduce geopolitical conflict. Instead, the exact opposite happened. Globalization created interdependence, but once relations deteriorated, every dependency became weaponized.

Semiconductors are weapons. Data is a weapon. Software is a weapon. Supply chains are weapons. Rare earth minerals are weapons. Financial systems are weapons. Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming one of the most valuable strategic assets on earth.

China knows it cannot afford a massive brain drain of elite engineers while competing directly against Silicon Valley and the U.S. defense establishment. Chinese firms like DeepSeek, Alibaba, Tencent, and Baidu are now central players in Beijing’s technological ambitions while the government pours enormous resources into AI development. China already graduates vastly more STEM students annually than the United States, and Beijing understands human capital is now as important as oil reserves were during the 20th century.

The United States helped create much of this situation through sanctions, export controls, financial warfare, and trade restrictions. Once Washington froze Russian reserves and weaponized SWIFT, every major power on earth understood the world had entered a new era where economic systems themselves had become geopolitical battlegrounds.

What we are witnessing is the slow division of the world into competing technological spheres. One side centered around the United States and Western allies. The other increasingly centered around China and alternative systems. AI will sit at the center of this divide because whoever controls advanced AI systems gains advantages across finance, intelligence, defense, medicine, robotics, and industrial production.

The naval arms race before World War I intensified tensions between Britain and Germany. The nuclear arms race defined the Cold War. Now the AI race risks becoming the defining geopolitical competition of the 21st century.

AI may ultimately centralize power further than any technology in human history. Whoever dominates AI infrastructure could potentially dominate information, finance, labor markets, surveillance, and warfare simultaneously.

The Real Reason Russia Would Invade Europe

Russia the Distraction 3

The press keeps insisting Russia is preparing to invade all of Europe as if Putin wakes up every morning dreaming about inheriting Germany’s industrial collapse and France’s pension protests.

The propaganda has become so absurd that perhaps we should finally discuss the REAL reasons Russia would supposedly invade Europe:

  1. To acquire Germany’s energy policy expertise and finally learn how to shut down functioning nuclear plants while importing expensive energy from everyone else.
  2. To seize Britain’s world-renowned knife-control strategy where criminals ignore the laws while grandmothers get arrested over tweets.
  3. To capture France’s revolutionary spirit, which now mostly consists of setting garbage piles on fire and blocking highways every few months over retirement age increases.
  4. To inherit the European Union’s debt structure because apparently Russia looked at its own sanctions and recession risks and thought, “You know what we really need? Italian debt too.”
  5. To revive the Dutch tulip market and reignite the original speculative bubble. At least tulips are tangible unlike modern sovereign bonds.
  6. To gain control over Europe’s magnificent demographic strategy where birth rates collapse while governments debate banning gas stoves and regulating pronouns.
  7. To seize all of Switzerland’s chocolates, since they’ve already soured their offshore banking.
  8. To experience the thrill of open borders and historic levels of crime in culturally enriched cities.
  9. To inherit Europe’s university system where students graduate with debt, activism experience, and no employable skills whatsoever.
  10. To inherit Europe’s industrial competitiveness, which now largely consists of closing factories and importing products from China while lecturing everyone about carbon emissions.
  11. To govern government’s government by overtaking the European Commission.
  12. To take control of the ECB’s brilliant strategy of printing trillions while pretending inflation was “transitory.”
  13. To secure Europe’s military stockpiles, assuming they can locate them first.
  14. To acquire London real estate prices so inflated they make Manhattan look reasonable.
  15. To learn from Brussels how to regulate artificial intelligence before figuring out how to generate reliable electricity.
  16. To seize Europe’s famous “green economy” where citizens pay some of the highest electricity prices on earth while China builds coal plants by the week.
  17. To inherit NATO procurement systems where a coffee machine probably requires six committees and seventeen consultants before approval.
  18. To finally gain access to Europe’s remaining middle class before they relocate outside of the EU.
  19. To experience firsthand the excitement of driving through fifteen countries while being investigated online for “hate speech” because someone made a joke.
  20. To save the euro before Brussels itself finishes destroying it.

The reality is that the political class in Europe needs Russia psychologically more than Russia needs Europe economically. Fear justifies military spending, centralized power, censorship laws, surveillance expansion, debt issuance, and political unity around failing leadership. Historically governments always need an external threat during periods of internal decline.

 

Interview: The Next War Flashpoints

Why Iran Can Win

Germany was defeated because we outproduced them 18:1 when Germany wanted the most sophisticated weapons that could not be mass produced. Today, the arrogance of the Neocons have transformed the United States into Germany of WWII. We spend millions in missiles to destroy a $30,000 drone. Iran is using a war of attrition against the US and Israel. I hate to point out that they still have 70%+ of their balistic missiles.

Then China can out produce the United States in a war the same as the US did to Hitler. We have become the arrogant power and assume we just win automatically because we have the most sophisticated weapons. But like Germany, we cannot mass produce them.

Market Talk – May 29, 2026

Market Talk 2017

ASIA:
The major Asian stock markets had a mixed day today:
• NIKKEI 225 increased 1,636,38 points or 2.53% to 66,329.50
• Shanghai decreased 30.067 points or -0.73% to 4,068.569
• Hang Seng increased 176.23 points or 0.70% to 25,182.39
• ASX 200 increased 138.80 points or 1.62% to 8,731.70
• SENSEX decreased 1,092.06 points or -1.44% to 74,775.74
• Nifty50 decreased 359.40 points or -1.50% to 23,547.75
The major Asian currency markets had a mixed day today:
• AUDUSD increased 0.0022 or 0.31% to 0.71848
• NZDUSD increased 0.00505 or 0.85% to 0.59855
• USDJPY increased 0.007 or 0.00% to 159.250
• USDCNY decreased 0.0082 or -0.12% to 6.76460
The above data was collected around 13:22 EST.
Precious Metals:
•  Gold increased 69.49 USD/t oz. or 1.55% to 4,564.99
•  Silver increased 0.009 USD/t. oz. or 0.01% to 75.599
The above data was collected around 13:25 EST.
EUROPE/EMEA:
The major Europe stock markets had a mixed day today:
•  CAC 40 decreased 5.53 points or -0.07% to 8,183.34
•  FTSE 100 decreased 16.68 points or -0.16% to 10,409.28
•  DAX 30 increased 12.45 points or 0.05% to 25,104.70
The major Europe currency markets had a mixed day today:
• EURUSD increased 0.00167 or 0.14% to 1.16679
• GBPUSD increased 0.00172 or 0.13% to 1.34625
• USDCHF decreased 0.00214 or -0.27% to 0.78177
The above data was collected around 13:30 EST.

AMERICAS:

US Markets:

  • DJIA advanced by 363.49 points (0.72%) to 51,032.46
  • S&P 500 advanced by 16.43 points (0.22%) to 7,580.06
  • NASDAQ advanced by 55.149 points (0.21%) to 26,972.62
  • Russell 2000 declined by 17.232 points (-0.59%) to 2,919.338

Canada:

  • TSX Composite advanced by 240.87 points (0.7%) to 34,758.57
  • TSX 60 advanced by 11.96 points (0.6%) to 2,021.47

Brazil:

  • Bovespa declined by 1,006.55 points (-0.57%) to 174,056.86
ENERGY:
The oil markets had a mixed day today:
•  Crude Oil decreased 2.02 USD/BBL or -2.27% to 86.880
•  Brent decreased 1.885 USD/BBL or -2.03% to 90.815
•  Natural gas increased 0.0354 USD/MMBtu or 1.08% to 3.3204
•  Gasoline decreased 0.0679 USD/GAL -2.19% to 3.0330
•  Heating oil decreased 0.0679 USD/GAL or -1.91% to 3.4842
The above data was collected around 13:33 EST.
•  Top commodity gainers: Gold (1.55%), Lithium (1.14%), Rubber (2.79%) and Natural Gas (1.08%)
•  Top commodity losers: Orange Juice (-5.38%), Cocoa (-4.79%), Coffee (-2.95%) and Oat (-3.12%)
The above data was collected around 13:38 EST.
BONDS:
Japan 2.6560% (-4.31bp), US 2’s 4.01% (-0.023%), US 10’s 4.4440% (-0.4bps); US 30’s 4.98 (+0.010%), Bunds 2.9441% (-1.55bp), France 3.5520% (-2.64bp), Italy 3.6500% (-4.29bp), Turkey 32.940% (+0bp), Greece 3.602% (-5.1bp), Portugal 3.305% (-2.6bp); Spain 3.356% (-2.7bp) and UK Gilts 4.8090% (-0.4bp)
The above data was collected around 13:41 EST.

NY Fed: 14% of US Households Experience Food Insecurity

What is food insecurity? | UrbanFootprint

The government keeps telling people the economy is strong because the stock market keeps making new highs. That is the great deception behind every bubble throughout history. Wall Street is not Main Street. You can have record highs in financial assets while society underneath is quietly rotting in real time.

The New York Federal Reserve now reports that 14% of American households are struggling with food insecurity. For families with children, the number rises to 17.5%. That means millions of Americans are literally worried about whether they can afford enough food while politicians stand in Washington congratulating themselves over manipulated statistics.

This is the direct result of monetary policy and the destruction of purchasing power. They printed trillions after 2020 and inflated everything. Housing exploded. Rent exploded. Insurance exploded. Food exploded. The people who owned assets got richer while the working class got trapped trying to survive inflation.

Meanwhile, household debt has surged above $18 trillion. Credit card balances are above $1.2 trillion. Americans are borrowing money just to maintain basic living standards. That is never sustainable historically. Rome did the same thing by debasing the currency until the middle class collapsed under rising costs. Weimar Germany also saw financial assets rise while ordinary citizens watched purchasing power evaporate.

The younger generation has been absolutely destroyed financially. In many cities rent now consumes nearly half of take-home pay. Home ownership has become almost unattainable for millions. Food prices remain dramatically above pre-2020 levels. Families are paying 30%, 40%, even 50% more for necessities than just a few years ago while wages never remotely kept pace.

r/coolguides - A cool guide: US states by food insecurity rate

This is why I have warned that the real crisis would not simply be inflation itself but the collapse in living standards. Governments always manipulate statistics to hide reality. They change CPI formulas, adjust baskets, and claim inflation is “cooling,” but people know the truth every time they walk into a grocery store.

This is also why civil unrest rises during the later stages of debt crises historically. The average person eventually realizes the system no longer works for them, while the financial elite continue accumulating wealth through asset inflation. The K-shaped economy becomes politically dangerous because one side of society feels abandoned entirely.

The French Revolution was not caused because people suddenly hated the aristocracy overnight. It was bread prices, hunger. It was watching elites continue living comfortably while ordinary families could no longer survive rising costs. History always repeats because human nature never changes.

The frightening part is that this is happening before the real sovereign debt crisis even begins. Governments worldwide are drowning in debt and they cannot raise rates forever without detonating the system. So they are trapped. Either they continue inflating the currency slowly to manage the debt, or they trigger a deflationary collapse. Politicians will always choose inflation because it delays the pain politically.

That means the middle class continues getting squeezed while the divide between financial wealth and real economic survival grows wider.

People do not eat stock portfolios. They eat food. They pay rent. They pay utilities. They buy gasoline. That is where the real economy is collapsing.