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.

I just returned from Canada, where I spoke in Calgary and in Vancouver. I found the support for Alberta separation rising rapidly. There is no doubt that Alberta will separate. The only question is how and when. I explained that while this may be an emotional issue in Canada, it is part of the GLOBAL SEPARATION TREND! This is simply a part of the reality behind the rise and fall of all nation-states. It is primarily driven by the age-old problem that centralized governments, once established, constantly seek to expand their power. Since Marxism, they have gone into socialism under the pretense that they care about you, but in fact, it is always about expanding their power.

The 177,000-signature threshold has now been passed. This has now officially cleared the requirement for an Alberta independence referendum on October 19th. As I said, given the model’s forecast from May through September, rising global tensions will increase the potential for Alberta to vote for separation during the October elections.

Here are the conservative GDP growth estimates for 2025. The greater the regulation, the lower the economic growth. This is what is the driver behind the rising separatist movements. Throw in the politics of rising LEFTIST-WOKE agendas, and this increases the pressure on separation. Then add in the migration issue, which has been driven to a large extent by the LEFT seeking to dilute the population with migrants who will always vote for free handouts, further reducing productivity and freedom.

I have stated that I had a mandate from Hong Kong to negotiate with Australia to buy back an island in the 1990s, since Hong Kong was to be handed back to China in 1998. I met with then Prime Minister Paul Keating, and no matter what I said, he would not allow the people of Hong Kong to migrate to Australia. I finally asked bluntly if this was racist. He said no, but if they allowed them to enter Australia, they would vote Conservative, and he was a Labour government.

Here we have Angela Merkel, who has also just ADMITTED that she deliberately flooded Germany with third-world migrants to “stop the far right.” It was demographic warfare. It is outright TREASON that seeks to engage in economic warfare to alter the very culture of a country, all to retain power. Merkel stands as a traitor to all of Europe, demonstrating this by rejecting the people’s right to vote on her policy of opening the borders unilaterally, where the European people were never given the right to be heard on immigration, and they were lied to about the very purpose of allowing massive immigration without language or skills.

Joe Biden adopted the very same policy I wrote about before, which allowed all of the migrants to flood the United States, and now you have the Democrats led by Chuck claiming that minorities are too stupid to have an ID, so requiring ID will deprive them of the right to vote. This is pure TREASON, so the LEFT can suppress and subject those who want freedom and produce all so they can impose their Marxist agendas, no matter how many times they have always failed.

Chuck Schumer is also protecting non-Americans to retain power, and his insulting remarks that minorities are too stupid to have IDs when you cannot get anything, even food stamps, without an ID, let alone travel or drive, demonstrate that he does not care about the country or Americans. This is all about suppressing the RIGHT just as Merkel has publicly admitted. They want people to be economic slaves dependent on free handouts, all to retain personal power. It appears that Schumer’s career is going to end in destroying his reputation and legacy.

The stats are in, revealing that Biden has flooded the nation with over 6.4 million illegal immigrants who have entered the U.S., bringing the total to 13.7 million that the government must support. They are bankrupting cities, raising crime like never before, since countries are emptying their prisons and shipping them to Bidenville. The number of recorded immigrants flowing through the border is about 172,000 per month, and that does not count those whom Biden has been secretly flying in to hide the actual NUMBER.

The true crisis is that the Democrats are allowing these people in to change the politics of this country because their policies have been unpopular and are as destructive as Communism once was to China and Russia. These new arrivals are less educated and lack skills other than raw manual labor. In 2018, 55% of immigrants had a bachelor’s degree. You will not find that among the flood of illegals today. Today, nearly 50% lack any high school training. Aside from their limited English skills, they are certainly not equipped for the new age of computers.  The scuttlebutt in Marxville (Washington, DC) is that the majority of these illegal immigrants are male, approaching 55%.

Trump continues to escalate pressure on U.S. allies and Iran, having recently claimed that Tehran’s new leadership had privately requested a ceasefire. He has warned that American trikes would continue until the Strait of Hormuz is fully reopened.

Civilian death tolls in the conflict continue to rise, with at least 1,598 in Iran, 1,2600 in Lebanon, and at least 50 across Gulf nations. Israel has reported at least 17 killed, and the U.S. death toll stands at 13 service members.

A recent poll by Quantus Insights indicates that 74% of registered US voters believe photo ID should be required by law to vote. Nearly half (49.3%) “strongly support” the measure, while only 16% stated they “strongly” or “somewhat” oppose such legislation.

This is a war against those who actually produce all for personal power. This is what is behind the separation trend we are witnessing everywhere, from the Middle East and Europe to Canada and the United States.

The latest JOLTS report for February 2026 is being interpreted by the mainstream press as a “cooling” labor market, but they are once again missing the broader cyclical picture. What we are looking at here is not simply a softening in hiring. This is a transition phase that aligns directly with the turning point structure we have been warning about going into 2026 as a Panic Cycle year.

Job openings declined by 358,000 to 6.882 million, falling below expectations and continuing a downward trend from 7.2 million in January. Hiring collapsed by nearly 500,000 to just 4.849 million, marking the lowest level since the COVID shutdowns in 2020. The hiring rate dropped to 3.1%, again the weakest since April 2020, while layoffs ticked up modestly to 1.7 million. Meanwhile, quits, which remain the clearest measure of worker confidence, fell to roughly 3.0 million, the lowest since 2020, showing that workers no longer believe opportunities are improving.

What they are calling a “low-hire, low-fire” environment is in reality something far more important. This is stagnation. Even Jerome Powell admitted the labor market is approaching what he described as a “zero-employment growth equilibrium,” which is simply a polite way of saying the system is freezing up.

When you step back and look at this through the lens of the Economic Confidence Model, the timing is not random. We are moving into the 2026 ECM turning point where confidence in government and economic management begins to fracture. The critical detail here is that the number of unemployed workers has now exceeded job openings for seven consecutive months. That reverses the entire post-COVID narrative where there were more jobs than workers.

At the same time, the decline in openings is widespread across industries. Leisure and hospitality alone saw a drop of more than 200,000 openings, while manufacturing, construction, and even healthcare sectors that had been resilient are now beginning to contract. This confirms that the slowdown is not isolated.

Now layer on top the geopolitical environment, which the press continues to treat as secondary rather than causal. Rising tensions globally have already pushed energy prices higher, feeding directly into business costs and hiring decisions. Companies do not expand when they cannot forecast input costs, and right now uncertainty is dominating everything.

You also have a structural shift taking place beneath the surface. Corporations are cutting jobs not simply because demand has slowed, but because technology is replacing roles outright. That distinction matters because it means even if growth stabilizes, those jobs are not returning. That is a long-term contraction in labor demand masked as efficiency.

This is why the mainstream models are failing. They are still looking at employment through a linear lens, assuming demand drives hiring in a predictable way. What they refuse to acknowledge is that capital flows and confidence drive everything. When confidence turns, hiring freezes regardless of interest rates or policy intervention.

Going forward, the ECM suggests that volatility will increase into 2027, which aligns with rising geopolitical tensions and the risk of broader conflict. The labor market does not implode overnight. It transitions from expansion to stagnation, and then from stagnation to contraction. February’s JOLTS data confirms we are now firmly in that middle phase.

The latest IRS data makes one thing clear. The United States is undergoing a massive redistribution of wealth between states, and it is being driven almost entirely by tax policy. California lost $11.9 billion and New York lost $9.9 billion in income in a single year, while Florida gained $20.6 billion.

This is not random migration. This is capital responding to incentives. States like Florida, Texas, and Tennessee have positioned themselves as low-tax environments, and they are now absorbing wealth at an unprecedented pace. Florida alone has become the primary destination for high-income earners exiting high-tax jurisdictions.

What is important here is not just the scale but the composition. Higher-income individuals are disproportionately represented in these moves. In Florida’s Palm Beach County, incoming residents reported significantly higher average incomes than those leaving. This is not just population growth. This is the migration of wealth concentration.

States gaining population are also building housing and infrastructure to support that growth. Those losing population are constrained by regulation, cost, and policy inertia. That divergence is becoming more pronounced, and it is creating two very different economic paths within the same country.

There is also a broader implication. As wealth concentrates in certain regions, political influence follows. The balance of economic power is shifting toward the Southeast and away from traditional financial hubs in the Northeast and on the West Coast.

New York illustrates the problem perfectly. With a combined state and local tax rate approaching 14.8%, it has become one of the most expensive places in the country to generate income. The assumption behind these policies is that the wealthy will stay regardless. That assumption is now being proven false.

What matters here is not just the dollars moving, but the direction. Capital is consolidating in regions that promote growth while leaving those that penalize it. This creates a widening gap between states, not just economically but structurally.

The long-term consequence is clear. States losing wealth will face increasing fiscal pressure, while those gaining it will expand their influence. This is how economic power shifts internally within a country. It does not happen through legislation. It happens through capital movement.

??Ireland, mainly Northern Ireland, has seen rising tensions over rapid immigration, asylum accommodation & integration issues. Many ordinary citizens have legitimate concerns about housing shortages, crime, and cultural change. Those deserve open, democratic debate & not armed… pic.twitter.com/q1hrcEkvjr

— Mantrashree (@DivyaParihar007) March 31, 2026

An armed group identifying itself as the “New Republican Movement” has issued warnings to Irish politicians, accusing them of flooding communities with what they describe as military-age men and claiming that cultural and religious identity is under threat, and while governments will immediately dismiss such statements as fringe or extreme, the existence of these groups is not the cause of the problem but a symptom of something that has already been building beneath the surface.

The core issue is not simply immigration. It is illegal immigration layered on top of an economy that is already under strain, where housing shortages, rising costs of living, and pressure on public services have left many citizens feeling that their own needs are being ignored while policy priorities are directed elsewhere, and that is where the anger originates.

I have said many times that governments make a critical mistake when they assume people will tolerate unlimited inflows without regard to economic capacity, because immigration has always functioned best when it aligns with economic expansion, yet when it is introduced during contraction or stagnation, it becomes a point of conflict rather than growth. What makes this situation particularly volatile is the refusal of political leadership to even acknowledge the economic dimension of the issue.

That is when you begin to see the formation of groups like this who not only distrust government but see the political establishment as an enemy. From the standpoint of the Economic Confidence Model, this is exactly how civil unrest begins, because when confidence in government declines, people stop believing that the system represents them, and once that trust breaks down, opposition moves outside traditional political channels and begins to organize in ways that are more confrontational.

This is not unique to Ireland. It is happening across Europe, where migration pressures combined with economic stagnation are creating similar tensions, and governments continue to underestimate how quickly sentiment can shift when people feel that policy is being imposed without consent. The outrage you are seeing is not manufactured. It is the result of a population that believes it is being forced to absorb the consequences of decisions made at a higher level without regard for local impact, and when that perception takes hold, it becomes very difficult to reverse.

What governments also fail to understand is that labeling all opposition as extremist only accelerates the problem, because it removes any legitimate avenue for dissent, and when people feel they have no voice within the system, they begin to create alternatives outside of it. This is where the risk escalates, because once movements begin to frame their position in terms of cultural survival, compromise becomes increasingly unlikely, and the situation shifts from political disagreement to something far more entrenched.

From a cyclical perspective, this is precisely the phase where social cohesion begins to fracture, and once that process starts, it rarely remains contained, because economic pressure, political division, and demographic change reinforce each other. This is not about one group issuing a warning, but rather, this is a warning to governments worldwide that the people will eventually reach a breaking point.

The latest statements coming out of Washington are the result of a structural imbalance that has existed for decades. President Donald Trump is now openly considering pulling the United States out of NATO, calling the alliance a “paper tiger” and questioning its value after European allies failed to align with US policy beyond their immediate interests.

To understand this, you have to start with the numbers because they expose the reality far better than any political statement. NATO’s total defense spending is estimated at roughly $1.5 to $1.6 trillion, yet the United States alone accounts for about 62% of that total. That means Washington is effectively funding the majority of the alliance while the remaining members collectively contribute less than half. In 2025, US defense spending approached $980 billion, dwarfing every other member combined.

Europe, by contrast, has only recently begun increasing spending after years of underinvestment. EU defense expenditures reached about €381 billion in 2025, which equates to roughly 2.1% of GDP, barely meeting the long-standing NATO guideline. Trump threatened to withdraw from the lopsided alliance in his first term, warning that Europe was relying on American taxpayers to subsidize its security.

For years, most NATO members failed to meet even the 2% GDP target agreed upon in 2014. It was not until after the Ukraine conflict escalated that spending began to rise meaningfully. Even now, only a handful of countries, such as Poland and the Baltic states, exceed 3% of GDP, while many others hover just above the minimum threshold.

Europe has shown no hesitation when it comes to Ukraine. Defense spending across European NATO members and Canada has surged by roughly 50% between 2022 and 2025, driven almost entirely by the war in Ukraine. Arms imports into Europe have more than tripled in response to the conflict, with the United States supplying approximately 58% of those imports. This is where the contradiction becomes impossible to ignore. Europe is willing to spend when the conflict is on its doorstep, yet it continues to rely on the United States for both funding and military capability.

This is exactly why I have said there is no real benefit for the United States in NATO in its current form. It has evolved into an institution where the burden is not shared equally. It has also become a political structure dominated by career policymakers who continue to push interventionist agendas without bearing proportional responsibility. NATO has become a retirement home for Neocons, a place where the same foreign policy ideas persist regardless of outcomes. The illusion of safety is a fallacy, as NATO is a globalist organization that promotes war and acts on the offense.

The discussion about increasing defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035 only reinforces the problem. To reach that level, NATO members would need to add trillions in additional spending. Estimates suggest total NATO expenditures could rise to over $4 trillion annually under such targets, a figure that would place enormous strain on European economies. For many countries, this would require either massive borrowing or cuts to social programs, neither of which is politically sustainable.

Europe talks about strategic autonomy and independence, yet it continues to depend on the United States for both security and military hardware. Even now, more than half of European NATO arms imports come from the United States, highlighting just how reliant the continent remains.

What we are witnessing is the slow breakdown of a post-World War II structure that no longer reflects the current geopolitical reality. NATO was created for a different era, one where the United States was willing to underwrite global security without question. That era is ending. The financial burden is becoming too large, and the political return is becoming too small.

Trump is not creating this issue. He is articulating what the numbers already show. If the United States is paying the majority of the costs while receiving inconsistent support in return, then the value of the alliance is called into question. This is not about isolationism. It is about cost versus benefit.

Ukraine was neither a NATO member nor part of the EU. In fact, both alliances rejected Ukraine’s request to join. Europe went ahead and financed their entire war; meanwhile, those same leaders refuse to assist the US against Iran because it is “not their war.” Europe effectively bit the hand that has been feeding it by loudly rebuking US military action.

If the United States steps back, Europe will be forced to confront a reality it has avoided for decades. It will have to fund its own defense, build its own capabilities, and manage its own conflicts without relying on Washington as a backstop. That transition will expose just how fragile the current structure has become.

ISRAEL CRACKS DOWN ON LARGE ANTI-WAR PROTEST

POLICE CLASH WITH HUNDREDS

‘LARGEST PROTEST TO DATE’ pic.twitter.com/KHu3J7c8um

— RT (@RT_com) March 28, 2026

Thousands of Israelis are now taking to the streets demanding an end to the war, gathering in Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem under the banner “For all of our lives.” The protests are organized, backed by former lawmakers, and supported by civil society groups openly opposing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Demonstrators are warning against what they describe as a “forever war” and raising concerns about damage to democracy, even as arrests have already taken place during these rallies.

Netanyahu has built his entire political career around security, presenting himself as the only figure capable of protecting Israel from existential threats. That narrative worked for decades. But once war drags on without a clear resolution, the same narrative begins to turn against him. People may believe that this is Israel’s war, but in truth, this is Netanyahu’s crusade. Civilians on both sides are guaranteed to lose in times of war.

Netanyahu has made it clear that this is not a limited operation. He has repeatedly framed the conflict as part of a broader regional struggle, targeting not just Hamas, but Hezbollah, Syria, and ultimately Iran. He described the war as entering a “decisive phase” and emphasized the need for total victory. This is not a short-term engagement. This is an expanding conflict with no clear endpoint.

At the same time, the economic consequences are beginning to surface. Discussions within his government now include increasing the defense budget for 2026, even if it means expanding the deficit. You cannot wage an extended war, increase military spending, and maintain economic stability indefinitely. That pressure shows up in the currency, in the bond markets, and eventually in civil unrest.

Netanyahu has always relied on external conflict to maintain internal cohesion. The moment that cohesion breaks, the political landscape shifts rapidly. We have already seen calls for early elections, internal divisions within his coalition, and rising dissatisfaction among the population. Governments that rely on war as a unifying force eventually face internal opposition when the cost outweighs the perceived benefit.

⛔️An Israeli protester admits on camera that their democracy is completely dead. He reveals the police have officially banned citizens from protesting against the war. The Zionist regime has gone full fascist to protect Netanyahu’s regime ‼️. pic.twitter.com/dpUsxcO00K

— Dr.Sam Youssef Ph.D.,M.Sc.,DPT. (@drhossamsamy65) March 28, 2026

There is also a deeper geopolitical layer to this. Netanyahu has long viewed Iran as the central threat and has consistently pushed for broader confrontation, even lobbying the United States to take a more aggressive stance. This aligns with what I have said about the Neocon agenda. It is not confined to one country. It is a network of policy decisions pushing toward prolonged conflict under the justification of security.

The danger is that once a nation commits to this path, it becomes very difficult to reverse course. Ending a war is often more politically dangerous than continuing it. Leaders who built their authority on conflict cannot easily pivot to peace without appearing weak.

What is unfolding now in Israel is the beginning of that turning point. Public protests are no longer fringe. They are organized, visible, and growing. That signals a shift in confidence.

This is where history becomes very clear. No government can sustain prolonged war, rising costs, and internal dissent indefinitely. At some point, the pressure forces change, either through elections, internal collapse, or a major policy reversal. Netanyahu has survived political crises for decades. But this is a convergence of war, economics, and public confidence. Israeli’s realized that the Iron Dome was impenetrable on October 7. They no longer feel fully protected by their government, and in turn, Bibi is no longer capable of guaranteeing safety to his people who now see he is actively leading them into danger.

California is now facing the consequences of policies that ignore reality. Between 2019 and 2023, the state lost a staggering $91.4 billion in income as residents relocated elsewhere, with another $11.9 billion leaving in just a single year. This is not a minor shift. This is a structural problem that is accelerating, not stabilizing.

What is driving this exodus is not complicated. California has one of the highest income tax rates in the country at 13.3%, and it treats capital gains as ordinary income. At the same time, housing costs remain among the highest in the nation, with median home prices still hovering well above $700,000 in many regions and far higher in major metro areas. When you combine taxation and cost of living, you create an environment where even high earners begin to question whether it is worth staying.

What is unfolding now is not just population loss. It is the migration of productive capital. Texas alone absorbed nearly $28 billion from California migrants. That represents businesses, investments, and long-term economic activity shifting away from California’s control. These are not low-income households leaving. These are higher earners, entrepreneurs, and investors who contribute disproportionately to the tax base.

You can see this reflected in the composition of those leaving. Higher-income households account for a significant share of outbound income, meaning a relatively small number of people are responsible for a very large portion of the loss. That is what makes this trend so dangerous. When even a small percentage of top earners relocate, the financial impact is magnified.

At the same time, California continues to face budget pressures despite high tax rates. The state has swung from large surpluses to deficits in a very short period, highlighting just how dependent it has become on a narrow base of high-income taxpayers. When that base begins to shrink or becomes more volatile, revenue becomes unpredictable.

There is also a broader business impact that is often overlooked. Companies are increasingly choosing to expand or relocate operations outside of California, citing regulatory burdens, energy costs, and taxation. When businesses leave or scale back, they take jobs and future investment with them, reinforcing the cycle of decline.

The danger is that once this process begins, it feeds on itself. As the tax base erodes, governments attempt to compensate by increasing taxes further or introducing new policies aimed at capturing more revenue. That approach does not solve the problem. It accelerates it. Each new measure signals to remaining taxpayers that conditions are unlikely to improve.

California is no longer operating in isolation. It is competing directly with other states that are actively positioning themselves to attract wealth. Lower taxes, lower costs, and fewer regulatory hurdles are not just policy choices. They are competitive advantages. This is why the trend continues despite efforts to counter it. Governments can pass new laws, increase spending, or attempt to attract investment, but if the underlying environment remains unfavorable, capital will continue to move. California is no longer the exception. It is becoming the example.

According to the latest figures, rents in the UK have now reached 36.1% of average earnings, the highest level ever recorded. At the same time, average monthly rents have climbed toward roughly £1,300–£1,400 depending on the dataset, with London far exceeding that level. Once housing consumes more than one-third of income, discretionary spending collapses, and the broader economy stalls.

What the press consistently ignores is that this crisis is not being driven by “greedy landlords” or speculation. It is a supply crisis that has been building for decades. Britain now has roughly 1.6 million fewer affordable social homes than it did in 1981. That is a staggering figure. Governments have simply failed to replace what they once built, and then they layered on regulations, taxes, and energy mandates that drove private landlords out of the market.

We have already seen approximately 200,000 rental properties disappear in just a single year as smaller landlords exit due to rising costs, taxes, and regulatory burdens. This is exactly how governments create shortages. They attack the supply side and then pretend to be shocked when prices rise. It is the same pattern we see repeatedly throughout history, whether in Rome, France, or modern Europe.

At the same time, the cost of borrowing has risen sharply. Interest rates surged after 2022, making homeownership increasingly unattainable for many. That forced more people into the rental market, increasing demand precisely as supply was shrinking.

The situation is further complicated by the broader cost-of-living crisis. Real incomes have been under pressure for years, with essential expenses rising faster than wages. When you combine declining real income with rising housing costs, you are effectively squeezing the middle class out of existence. This is not sustainable, and it feeds directly into the civil unrest cycles we have been warning about going into 2026 and beyond.

Even when we see temporary relief, such as a slight slowdown in rent growth or a modest increase in housing supply, it does not solve the structural problem. The system is broken. You cannot regulate your way out of a supply shortage. You cannot tax your way to affordability. And you certainly cannot restore confidence by constantly shifting the rules.

What is unfolding in the UK real estate market is part of a much larger global trend. Governments are losing control of their economies because they refuse to address the real issue, which is the sovereign debt crisis and the need to maintain confidence. Instead, they are turning to regulation, digital oversight, and intervention, all of which only accelerate the decline.

Real estate has always been a reflection of confidence. When people believe in the future, they invest, they build, and they expand. When confidence collapses, they retreat, supply contracts, and prices rise in a distorted manner. That is precisely what we are witnessing today in Britain.

There are moments in history that expose the true nature of a regime, and what we are seeing now coming out of Iran is one of them. Reports indicate that the government is once again preparing for the possibility of deploying children into conflict, even going so far as to produce uniforms sized for minors. This is not propaganda, this is preparation. When a state begins organizing for the use of children in war, it is no longer operating within any civilized framework. It is operating purely on ideology and survival.

According to recent reports, Iran has been mobilizing youth structures tied to the regime, signaling that minors could be drawn into the conflict if escalation continues. The fact that children’s uniforms already exist tells you everything you need to know.

Iran is no stranger to putting children in harm’s way. During the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, the regime openly used child soldiers. They sent young boys to clear minefields, often with nothing more than a plastic or brass “Key to Heaven” around their necks, promising them entry into paradise if they died. Thousands of children were sacrificed under the banner of ideology.

Iran drove Iraqi forces out by 1982. The conflict could have ended years earlier, saving hundreds of thousands of lives. Instead, Ayatollah Khomeini chose to prolong the war in pursuit of a broader ideological goal, the overthrow of the Iraqi Baathist regime and the expansion of the revolution. That decision led to years of unnecessary bloodshed, including the deaths of countless children sent to the front lines.

And now we are seeing the same mindset re-emerge. When a government begins to prepare children for war, it is not because it has run out of options. It is because it prioritizes ideology over human life. It reflects a system that is willing to sacrifice its own population to maintain power or pursue a broader geopolitical objective. That is always the hallmark of regimes that are under extreme pressure, both internally and externally.

The Economic Confidence Model has been warning that we are entering a period of rising geopolitical instability into 2027 and beyond. What we are seeing in Iran fits that pattern precisely. As tensions escalate, governments begin to take more extreme measures, and the line between military necessity and ideological fanaticism begins to disappear. The use of children in war is not a sign of strength. It is a sign that a regime is willing to cross any boundary to survive.

Once a government begins sacrificing its own future generation, it has already entered a dangerous phase. Iran has done this before. The evidence is undeniable. The only question now is whether the world will recognize the warning signs, or once again look back years from now and ask how such a tragedy was allowed to happen again.