I find the World Health Organizatios pipublications less biased than the CDC, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association or AMA publications. Perhaps they get less funding from US agriculture, food manufacturing and drug industries.
Here’s a portion of their US diabetes chart, including the percent of people overweight and obese:
Les,
I think you and I are mostly in violent agreement. It is socialism and it dies when the scheme runs out of other peoples’ money. Ponzi schemes do not invest the funds to grow for the inevitable promised payouts. Instead, current contributions (whether voluntary or mandatory) are used to pay dividends (or entitlements) to earlier participants. The system was designed as a socialist Ponzi scheme. It is doomed to failure.
Eventually, the money will run out. At that point, there will be massive changes everywhere. Those who are currently ‘living large’ will have the biggest transition. As you say, many won’t be able to do so. That will be the new reality when it hits.
We talk about planning for the future … but nobody really wants to consider the harshness that accompanies chaos.
Grover
I post this particular address, in its complete form, as it addresses exactly how the social safety net will collapse over the coming years. Les Phelps has cogently pointed in the correct direction on subject. Dr. Lustig gives a complete and vehement explaination on how this will play out over the next decade. Worth every minute of your time to consider the reality of what he is saying.
When it's forced on an entire country, it's name is changed to Socalism.Sorry, Les, I just couldn't pass this up... : )
Excellent video and terrific presenter, IMO; thank you for passing it along.
I promise to watch this diet affects pension video in near future, but happen to already be familiar with Lustig’s work/talks on the intersection of the Standard American Diet (SAD) and social networks focused on pressing our dopamine buttons, all for the detriment of our society. Here’s an interview related to his most recent book.
None of this surprises me. Money isn’t real and never has been. Even gold and silver are just lumps of metal, with zero intrinsic value. I still have have and use money, of course, but only because its necessary in the current system. We are no different than any other animal walking the planet. We derive all of our material goods and sustenance from the resources of the earth that are available around our local environment (some of which is currently imported). All money has ever done was induce humans to productive work and divvy up the spoils. With the exceptions of non-perishable food stuffs, perennial plants, and the constantly decaying stock of “stuff” in the built environment, all wealth is produced and consumed the year it is made.
Fossil fuels have enabled us to keep the year over year amount of wealth increasing for a couple hundred years. The cost has been depletion of stocks of every physical thing we need, and huge population overshoot. When the conventional fields come off the bumpy plateau and unconventional oil becomes unable to cover for the accelerating decline rates, it’ll be jigs up for fiat currency. Probaly jigs up for precious metals too, at least until after die off and a new equilibrium population is reached.
I’m betting the only REAL sources of wealth during the collapse are going to be food and tools necessary for physical survival (garden implements, clothes, weapons, etc.). We are going to see the truth as it has been all along: We live hand to mouth just as every other creature on this planet. When we get too old to meet our own needs, we had better have children (or their equivalent) to care for us.
As you mentioned, I think clothing may be an infrequently thought of item for some folks when it comes to SHTF planning. So, my “anecdotal” suggestions are: buying new jeans or pants you like, buy two. Got some great, long lasting shoes that fit well; buy two pairs. Same with underwear. If you’re like me and wear shoes (or underwear) until they almost fall apart, you might be surprised when you go to replace your favorite pair of knotted undies. Assuming they are still available, chances are they’re made somewhere else, of poorer materials and quality, more expensive, and don’t fit as well. Bonne chance pour la suite.
Great article! Just another reason you should consider rolling your funds into an Elite Income Account before it is too late. Not all pensions are the same, but most are underfunded based on lower than expected returns as mentioned.
When I ran a hedge fund we set it up so that we got a smaller base management fee and we didn’t get our performance fee unless the S&P 500 after all fees and expenses were paid. If we didn’t outperform the S&P 500 after everybody was paid, we got nothing! So there was enough money from the management fee to keep the operation going but nothing really in terms of profit for us. Our focus was making sure we made our clients money, and that’s the only way we really made a profit.
“Here’s a free tip for all the journalists that can’t seem to connect the dots; a country that kills its children by making insulin unafordable, prints up billionaires by handing them free central bank money, and kills its seniors by legally stealing their retirement money is not a civilization. Not by any measure of that word.
It’s a horror show.”
Calling it a ‘horror show’ is too generous.
It’s a death cult.
Les, there is another issue around social security. Since the beginning, the cap on income taxed made this an obscenely regressive tax. Add to that, we have given spousal benefits to trophy wives with no funding, while requiring single working moms to fork over 14% of income to pay for it.
Now, while people live into their 90’s, we still allow SS for healthy people at 62. We encourage companies to force retire (lay off) people at 62, not only hitting social security payments, but also no more company match for the next 5 years. As people live longer and longer, this is NEVER actuarially counted quite correctly, since it’s based on last decade’s lifespans. Pensions also often require withdrawals at 65 and medicare is required at 65, even though full retirement is now 67. What a crock.
The truth is nobody in the bottom 80%, regardless of how frugal can possibly afford to retire at 62, so this is a gift to the rich. Perhaps it makes sense for those in the 50-80% to actually take SS the minute they hit 62 [while still working], so as to get a little of their money back before the system collapses. Maybe same with pensions. I was furious when my mini-pension required distributions at 65, since it would be taxed. After reading this and looking at the last couple of years, I may be glad of those few hundred dollars I got out before it went defunct.
For those of you born before 1/1/1954 and your spouse is receiving benefits under their own account, if you are still working and not collecting, go in and check if you can file for spousal benefits on their account. It’s a loophole that is closed for those younger. When you are ready to retire, you switch to your larger benefit. You can back date collections 9 months. Sorry young guys, no free lunch for you.
https://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/retirement/articles/2015/03/06/how-to-maximize-social-security-with-spousal-benefits