Synopses & Reviews
"The Golden Age of American capitalism is over. . . . In the space of half a century it passed from gold, to silver, to paper, and is now somewhere between plastic and navel lint."
From The New Empire of Debt
In the last half of 2008, the Empire of Debt received the margin call from Hell. Now, all of its citizens are asked to pay up as the U.S. economy stumbles down a dangerous path of financial turmoil. What exactly went wrong?
When things are good, people tend to believe the most outrageous thingsthat the financial sector could get rich by lending money to people who couldn't pay it back, and that a whole economy could flourish by luring consumers to spend more than they could afford. These hallucinations created an immense worldwide bubble of debt and dollars. And nowwith the U.S. government inflating the biggest bubble in public debt the world has ever seena financial whirlpool has formed and threatens to drag the entire country down the drain.
In The New Empire of Debt, the internationally acclaimed author team of William Bonner and Addison Wiggin return to reveal how the epic financial bubble that is plaguing the United States will soon bring an end to this once-great empire. Throughout the book, they offer a frightening look atthe United States' precarious position and discuss how government control of the economy and financial systemcombined with unfettered deficit spending and gluttonous consumptionhas ravaged the business environment, devastated consumer confidence, and pushed the global economy to the brink.
Along the way, Bonner and Wiggin warn of the dangers that lie ahead and offer practical advice to protect your financial well-being as the American empire collapses upon itself. You'll discover that you don't have to tie your own fate to the inevitable destruction of America's system of imperial finance. Instead, you can take some simple steps to weather the crisis.
Bonner and Wiggin have been studying the financial landscape for more than twenty years. With The New Empire of Debt, they not only show you how we got into this mess, but how to get yourself out of it.
Review
"How deficit spending, gluttonous consumption and military adventurism, they say, will bring America to its knees…"
— The Economist
"This is a powerful book. In addition to its depth, it is well written, well documented, and vastly readable. I had the feeling of seeing an X-ray of economic reality with the crust removed. It should be made mandatory reading in most circles. Read it, and your views of the world around you will no longer be the same."
—Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of The Black Swan and Fooled by Randomness
"Now perhaps someone will finally listen!"
—Jim Rogers, author of Investment Biker, Adventure Capitalist, and Hot Commodities
"Instead of trade and work, imperialism breeds militarism, inflation, and debt, as Bonner and Wiggin show. Yet there is a golden hope in freedom and honest money."
—Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr., President, Ludwig von Mises Institute
"[Empire of Debt] is a fantastic book. It's thoughtful, erudite, witty, well written, practical . . . and spot-on. If you value your financial health, you'll read it from cover to cover. Now!"
—Doug Casey, Chairman, Casey Research, LLC, and author of Crisis Investing
"I laughed, I cried, I renewed my passport. . . . Bonner and Wiggin deliver a steady diet of insight and wit that terrifies the reader, even as it amuses. Empire of Debt is not for everyone, only for those of us who hope to enjoy continuing prosperity amidst difficult conditions."
—Eric Fry, Editor, The Rude Awakening
Synopsis
Second edition of the bestselling Empire of Debt by authors William Bonner (Mobs, Mesiahs, and Markets) and Addison Wiggin (I.O.U.S.A, Demise of the Dollar). In clear, almost literary prose, the authors cast a wide angel lens that looks back in history and ahead to the coming century. At the heart of the book is the United States, which for years has positioned itself and its people as the greatest country from which other countries sought advice, money, investments, etc. The authors give an updated look at the United States' precarious position given the recent financial turmoil, a situation that threatens the standard of living of most Americans. The US has been transformed from the largest creditor to the world's greatest debtor. Americans are by far the biggest consumers around the world. Furthermore, the West has used up nearly half of the world's ready oil supply, in just a few generations. This is not the same as other cycles in economic history with a declining stock market and then a sharp uptick. The authors argue that there will be a dramatic change in the economic power of the US that will inevitably impact every American. Understanding this trend is important for a range of readers from government to corporate leaders to individual investors wanting advice on the safest place to keep their savings.
Synopsis
An updated look at the United States' precarious position given the recent financial turmoil
In The New Empire of Debt, financial writers Bill Bonner and Addison Wiggin return to reveal how the financial crisis that has plagued the United States will soon bring an end to this once great empire.
Throughout the book, the authors offer an updated look at the United States' precarious position given the recent financial turmoil, and discuss how government control of the economy and financial system-combined with unfettered deficit spending and gluttonous consumption-has ravaged the business environment, devastated consumer confidence, and pushed the global economy to the brink. Along the way, Bonner and Wiggin cast a wide angle lens that looks back in history and ahead to the coming century: showing how dramatic changes in the economic power of the United States will inevitably impact every American.
- Reveals the financial realities the United States currently faces and what the ultimate outcome may be
- Weaves together the worlds of politics, economics, and personal finance in a way that underscores the severity of the situation
- Addresses the events leading up to the implosion of the U.S. financial system
- Looks ahead to help you avoid the pitfalls presented by a weaker United States
- Other titles by Bonner: Empire of Debt, Financial Reckoning Day, and Mobs, Messiahs, and Markets
- Other titles by Wiggin: I.O.U.S.A., Demise of the Dollar, and Financial Reckoning Day
The United States is heading down a difficult path. The New Empire of Debt clearly shows how this has happened and discusses what you can do to overcome the financial challenges that will arise as the situation deteriorates.
Synopsis
Two financial writers offer an updated look at the United States' precarious position, given the recent financial turmoil, and discuss how government control of the economy and financial system has ravaged the business environment and pushed the global economy to the brink.
Synopsis
PRAISE FOR THE PREVIOUS EDITION
"This is a powerful book. In addition to its depth, it is well written, well documented, and vastly readable. I had the feeling of seeing an X-ray of economic reality with the crust removed. It should be made mandatory reading in most circles. Read it, and your views of the world around you will no longer be the same."
Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of The Black Swan and Fooled by Randomness
"Now perhaps someone will finally listen!"
Jim Rogers, author of Investment Biker, Adventure Capitalist, and Hot Commodities
"Instead of trade and work, imperialism breeds militarism, inflation, and debt, as Bonner and Wiggin show. Yet there is a golden hope in freedom and honest money."
Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr., President, Ludwig von Mises Institute
"[Empire of Debt] is a fantastic book. It's thoughtful, erudite, witty, well written, practical . . . and spot-on. If you value your financial health, you'll read it from cover to cover. Now!"
Doug Casey, Chairman, Casey Research, LLC, and author of Crisis Investing
"I laughed, I cried, I renewed my passport. . . . Bonner and Wiggin deliver a steady diet of insight and wit that terrifies the reader, even as it amuses. Empire of Debt is not for everyone, only for those of us who hope to enjoy continuing prosperity amidst difficult conditions."
Eric Fry, Editor, The Rude Awakening
About the Author
William Bonner is President and CEO of Agora Inc., one of the world's largest financial newsletter companies (www.agorafinancial.com). He is the creator of the
Daily Reckoning (www.dailyreckoning.com), a financial newsletter with more than 500,000 readers in the United States, Great Britain, and Australia, and is translated daily into French and German. Mr. Bonner is also the coauthor, with Addison Wiggin, of the international bestsellers
Financial Reckoning Day and
Empire of Debt.Addison Wiggin is the Executive Publisher of Agora Financial. He is also the Executive Producer and a writer of the feature-length documentary film I.O.U.S.A., which was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Mr. Wiggin is the coauthor, with Mr. Bonner, of the international bestsellers Financial Reckoning Day and Empire of Debt, and author of The Demise of the Dollar . . . And Why It's Even Better for Your Investments.
Table of Contents
Introduction: The Bubble Empire.
Part I. Imperia Absurdum.
1. Dead Men Talking.
2. Empires of Dirt.
3. How Empires Work.
4. As We Go Marching.
Part II. Woodrow Crosses the Rubicon.
5. The Road to Hell.
6. The Revolution of 1913 and the Great Depression.
7. MacNamara’s War.
8. Nixon’s the One.
Part III. Evening in America.
9. Reagan’s Legacy.
10. America’s Glorious Empire of Debt.
11. Modern Imperial Finance.
12. Something Wicked This Way Comes.
Part IV. Fin De Bubble.
13. Welcome to Squanderville.
14. Still Turning Japanese.
15. The Mighty Fallen.
16. What to Do When the Barbarians Arrive.
Notes.
Index.