Liberty and Finance

"Markets have been distracted by silver's 38% crash and gold's correction. But according to Dr. Mark Thornton, the real economic shock from the war hasn't even arrived yet."
In this urgent episode, Dr. Mark Thornton—Senior Fellow at the Mises Institute and host of Minor Issues—joins us to explain why the Persian Gulf war's deepest economic impacts are still ahead. While headlines have focused on price volatility, Thornton argues the structural damage to global supply chains, energy markets, and monetary confidence is only beginning to surface.
The World Bank projects global commodity prices will rise 16% in 2026—the first annual increase since 2022—with energy prices up 24% and precious metals surging 42% [citation:4]. Brent crude surged 65% in March alone, the largest monthly increase on record, and remains over 50% above pre-war levels [citation:4]. But Thornton warns that official projections assume the war ends quickly. If it doesn't, the shock will be far worse.
The Federal Reserve is trapped. Inflation hit 3.5% in March (PCE) and could breach 5% under a re-escalation scenario [citation:1][citation:6]. St. Louis Fed President Musalem warns rate hikes may be back on the table [citation:6]. Chicago Fed's Goolsbee notes businesses are already seeing shortages of industrial chemicals, while gasoline prices have surged past $4.50/gallon—the highest since 2022 [citation:8].
Thornton's Austrian perspective cuts through the noise: "Fiat is in the ICU," and central banks signaling they don't trust each other are buying physical gold at historic rates [citation:10]. Poland alone added 150 tons. The yield curve is threatening to un-invert—a reliable recession signal [citation:2]. And with $160 trillion in combined federal obligations against just $170 trillion in private net worth, the only "resolution" is a dishonest default through inflation [citation:10].
The correction in metals may be a buying opportunity. But the coming shock—supply chain ruptures, energy rationing, and a Fed that's lost control—is still ahead. Press play before it's too late.

"Private property isn't just being regulated—it's being reinterpreted out of existence."
In this urgent constitutional episode, Edwin Vieira Jr., PhD, JD—a constitutional attorney with both a PhD and a JD, author of the seminal two-volume work *Pieces of Eight: The Monetary Powers and Disabilities of the United States Constitution*—returns to Liberty and Finance to expose the steady erosion of private property rights through regulation, court decisions, and global influence [citation:1][citation:2].
Vieira argues that this erosion isn't an accident. He traces the philosophical roots back to early twentieth-century thinkers like John Dewey and institutions such as the National Education Association, which reframed property as a "social construct" rather than a natural right [citation:2]. Combined with modern legal interpretations of eminent domain and administrative power, the result is a systematic shift of control away from individuals toward centralized authority [citation:2].
But the most disturbing layer? Vieira connects this legal erosion to the World Economic Forum's famous "you'll own nothing and be happy" framework—not as a prediction, but as a policy blueprint. When property rights disappear, so does the foundation for individual autonomy, financial privacy, and resistance to state control.
Vieira closes with urgent questions about public awareness, civic action, and what ordinary citizens can do to protect their rights before the collapse becomes permanent [citation:2]. Press play for the constitutional wake-up call you didn't know you needed.

"The pullback was violent. The headlines screamed panic. And according to Michael Oliver, it meant absolutely nothing."
In this urgent episode, we sit down with Michael Oliver — founder of Momentum Structural Analysis (MSA) and the analyst who correctly called the 1987 crash — to explain why silver's 47% collapse from $121 to $61 was a textbook shakeout, not a broken bull market [citation:7][citation:8].
Oliver argues that silver's multi-decade breach of the $50 ceiling has fundamentally changed the market's structure. Pullbacks that once took months to resolve now unfold in days, confirming a parabolic acceleration phase [citation:10]. Using his proprietary momentum oscillator, he identifies silver's current readings as stronger than copper's 2003 breakout (which went from below $1 to over $4) and lead's 2007 breakout (which nearly tripled in 18 months) [citation:7].
His next target? $300 to $500 per ounce in 2026 [citation:1][citation:7].
The mechanics: historical gold/silver ratio analysis suggests a "lightning form repricing" is underway. Oliver notes that silver reached just 1% of gold's price in 2024, doubled to 2% by spring 2025, and could reach 3-6% this cycle. With gold potentially hitting $8,000–$8,500, that ratio would place silver between $240 and $500 [citation:1][citation:2].
But Oliver's deeper argument is structural. The long bond is crumbling, central bank independence is eroding (the DOJ investigation into Powell, China's naked short ban via the Shanghai Futures Exchange), and currencies are losing credibility daily. In that environment, silver isn't speculation — it's preservation. Press play for Oliver's full roadmap.

"The dollar's reserve status isn't collapsing overnight. It's eroding—structurally, systematically, and deliberately—one central bank transaction at a time."
In this episode, Matthew Piepenburg—Partner at Matterhorn Asset Management and author of The Zombie Economy—returns to Liberty and Finance to deliver his 2026 outlook . Piepenburg argues that the currency system is undergoing a "structural breakdown," not a crash, driven by the weaponization of the dollar (sanctions, frozen assets), central bank diversification (gold purchases by China, Russia, Turkey, Poland), and the accelerating move toward bilateral trade agreements bypassing the SWIFT system .
He links this crisis to gold's violent January 2026 correction. The "Warsh Shock"—President Trump's nomination of Kevin Warsh as Fed Chair—temporarily strengthened the dollar and crushed gold . But Piepenburg warns this was a head fake, not a reversal. Central banks continue accumulating physical metal while Western investors panic-sell paper products, widening a divide that can only end one way.
His advice: dollar-cost-average into physical gold and silver stored outside the banking system. Prepare for volatility, but recognize that the fiat system's stability is an illusion sustained by ever-larger doses of debt and political intervention. The breakdown is structural—and 2026 could be the year the illusion cracks.

"The stock market is crashing. Bonds are collapsing. Wars are escalating. And according to Don Durrett, the precious metals bull market—may only be getting started."
In this urgent episode, Don Durrett—founder of Goldstockdata.com and a veteran resource investor—delivers a stark assessment of the current financial landscape. Durrett calls 2026 "the last year of American greatness" and predicts a historic new gold price record is imminent [citation:2].
He explains his investment strategy: using market corrections to accumulate gold and mining stocks. After gold's sharp pullback from $5,600 to $4,100, Durrett invested heavily—and is now benefiting from the recovery toward $4,600 [citation:2]. He attributes the extreme volatility to geopolitical tensions (Middle East escalation, the Iran war), record-high US debt, and persistent inflation that shows no signs of abating [citation:2].
But Durrett's core message is structural: the bond market is signaling a debt crisis, the stock market is rolling over, and wars are draining global resources. In this environment, he argues that gold, silver, and quality mining stocks have already "won"—and the real bull market hasn't even peaked. For investors, he says now is the time to strategically position before the next leg up.
Press play for Durrett's full crisis roadmap and his specific recommendations for navigating the perfect storm.

"Silver crashed 30% in a single day. Gold plunged 11%. And according to Dr. Mark Thornton, this wasn't just a market correction—it was a psychological shockwave triggered by one name: Kevin Warsh."
In this urgent episode, we analyze the January 30, 2026 "Warsh Shock"—the violent precious metals collapse that followed President Trump's nomination of former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh as the next Federal Reserve Chair [citation:4][citation:10]. Silver futures plummeted from over $115 to an intraday low of $80.55, while gold dropped from record territory above $5,600 to approximately $4,800 per ounce [citation:4][citation:5].
Joining us is Dr. Mark Thornton, Senior Fellow at the Mises Institute and renowned Austrian economist. Thornton has been tracking the gold-silver ratio's historic divergence—reaching over 100 at its peak, compared to the historical 15:1 ratio—and warns that fiat currency is effectively "on life support" [citation:3][citation:6]. He explains why Warsh's reputation as an inflation hawk (prioritizing price stability over growth) gutted the "debasement trade"—the hedge against a politicized, inflation-friendly Fed [citation:1][citation:4].
But Thornton argues the crash was a temporary shakeout, not a bear market reversal. Central banks continue accumulating physical metal (Poland alone bought 150 tons of gold), while ongoing supply deficits (the sixth consecutive year) and surging industrial demand from AI and solar energy will drive prices higher [citation:6][citation:7]. The Warsh nomination removed short-term political risk—but the structural crisis remains.
Press play for Thornton's analysis of what comes next: a stronger dollar in the short term, but a deeper fiat crisis looming on the horizon.

"The price crashed. The headlines screamed. The weak hands panicked. And according to Gregory Mannarino, that was exactly the plan—because silver's real move hasn't even started."
In this urgent episode, Gregory Mannarino—former Bear Stearns trader and host of TradersChoice—returns to expose why the January 2026 silver collapse was a deliberate shakeout, not a bear market reversal. The CME's 300% margin hike triggered leveraged liquidations, wiping out 38% of value in days . But Mannarino argues the physical market has completely divorced from paper fiction. China aggressively accumulated while Western panic selling drained COMEX inventories to levels covering just 13% of open interest—a structural setup for a violent squeeze.
Mannarino points to a much bigger picture: the commodity market is signaling a global economic crisis far beyond silver. He warns of systemic outages incoming in energy, food, and credit systems, driven by escalating Middle East conflict and the weaponization of the dollar .
His advice? "Silver's move hasn't even started—the commodities that will break the global economy are copper, oil, and uranium . Silver is just the alarm. The crisis is what comes after."
Press play for Mannarino's full case that the shakeout was preparation, not destruction.

"Silver went up like a rocket—and came back down like a rock." That's exactly what Clem Chambers expected. And now that he's sold into the blow-off top, he's revealing exactly what comes next.
In this episode, veteran market commentator and Forbes contributor Clem Chambers explains why he sold his entire silver position near $100—not because the bull market is over, but because disciplined investors sell into vertical spikes, not panic. The CME's aggressive margin hikes triggered cascading liquidations, turning silver's "hockey stick" rally into a textbook correction [citation:3]. But Chambers remains bullish on the longer-term commodity cycle.
What's he buying now? Platinum and palladium (historically undervalued versus gold), copper (critical for AI infrastructure and electrification), and liquid large-cap miners like Glencore and Freeport-McMoRan. He's skeptical of most juniors—the failure rate is the norm—and prefers metal-backed ETFs and big miners [citation:3].
Chambers warns we're entering a "mass disruption" economy marked by persistent inflation, currency devaluation, and capital rotating into hard, irreplaceable assets [citation:5]. His message: "Size positions so volatility can't force you into dumb decisions." The silver trade resumes when volatility compresses. Until then, he's watching the de-noised trend and waiting.

"The rocket went up. Then it came back down like a rock." That's Clem Chambers describing silver's $121 peak and subsequent collapse—and explaining exactly why he sold his entire position into that blow-off top.
In this episode, veteran market commentator and Forbes contributor Clem Chambers breaks down the disciplined strategy behind his February 2026 silver exit [citation:1][citation:6]. Chambers describes silver's surge as a classic "hockey stick" blow-off—vertical price action driven by retail emotion rather than value discovery [citation:1]. He sold not because the long-term thesis broke, but because extreme volatility and crowded positioning created a tactical exit opportunity. The CME's aggressive margin hikes forced leveraged liquidations, turning silver's fractal into a textbook "sell the rips" pattern [citation:1][citation:6].
But Chambers remains bullish on commodities broadly. He argues gold's strength flows from strategic central bank buying tied to geopolitical stress—not inflation hedging [citation:1][citation:4]. He sees a potential multi-year to decade-plus commodity supercycle driven by fractured supply chains, global stockpiling, and AI's enormous appetite for energy and raw materials [citation:1]. His next targets include copper, oil, and platinum-group metals accessed via liquid large-cap miners like Glencore, Freeport-McMoRan, and Sibanye-Stillwater [citation:1][citation:9].
The lesson? "Size positions so volatility can't force you into dumb decisions," he warns [citation:1]. Sell into vertical spikes. Accumulate during quiet. And never mistake FOMO for analysis. Press play for Chambers' full playbook on what comes after silver.

"The biggest collapse in silver history—38% in a single trading session—and yet, the financial world didn't end. No major banks failed. No margin calls spiraled into systemic contagion. According to Robert Kientz, that's not an accident—that's the design."
In this urgent episode, Robert Kientz—founder of GoldSilverPros.com and author of Drop Shadow: The Truth About the Economy—returns to Liberty and Finance to expose why the January 2026 silver crash was engineered precisely to avoid casualties [citation:3]. While silver plummeted from $121 to below $64, triggering margin calls that would have bankrupted ordinary traders in previous decades, the CME's aggressive 18% margin requirements and percentage-based calculation system ensured that forced liquidations happened in a controlled cascade rather than a catastrophic chain reaction [citation:4].
Kientz argues the crash wasn't a market failure—it was a surgical strike designed to flush out extreme leverage without toppling the financial system. We analyze how the "deleveraging event" removed speculative excess while leaving physical fundamentals intact: six consecutive years of supply deficits, China's new export controls on silver (60-70% of global supply), and COMEX inventories covering just 13% of open interest [citation:2][citation:5].
The real story isn't the 38% drop. It's that nobody went bankrupt—and what that silence means for the next, inevitable squeeze."