If you aren't familiar Charlie Munger from Berkshire Hathaway (Buffet company) said "Civilized people don't buy gold." on CNBC earlier this week and Bill Gates agreed.
When I watched the above interview, I simply shook my head. It seems those who are trying to control are bringing out their big guns all over the place to get people to stay away from metals. I noticed how the reporter would mention the word "Gold" with distaste in the having to say the word. It all seemed like such an elaborate set up. Bill Gates saying that those that buy it are the ones "Afraid of everything and live in fear." They sure did use a lot of psychological negative phrases and words against those who buy metals.
Miles Franklin Mint emailed out a commentary about the "Civilized People Don't buy Gold" comment. Along with thoughts on Bill Gates Interview. I am inserting that commentary, as it is too good not to reproduce.
Bill Holter offers his take on Munger's idiotic statement:
The comedy team of Buffett and Munger! (lemetropolecafe.com)
I had planned on penning a piece regarding the Treasury and Fed "floating" trial balloons for issuing Treasury Bills with negative interest rates (dumb) and issuing floating rate Treasury securities (dumber), but no, the comedy team of Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger have put this on hold. Friday, Munger was on CNBC being interviewed by Becky Quick and really stuck his foot in his mouth. When I first read it I thought it was a joke but lo and behold, Charlie Munger said and I quote..."Gold is a great thing to sew into your garments if you are a Jewish family in Vienna in 1939. But civilized people don't buy Gold, they invest in productive businesses". REALLY? Civilized people? This is dumber than dumb's (Mr. Buffett) saying that Gold is stupid, men dig it up in one place just to put it in a hole in the ground somewhere else.
OK, I want to start with a disclaimer that the following is my opinion only and in the United States of America (where "civilized people" live), we are entitled to our opinions AND to voice them (so far that is). I must apologize ahead of time because my blood is on full boil and I feel "full rant mode" coming on. "Civilized people don't buy Gold"? You pompous, arrogant and lying horses ass! Gold, is THE money of Kings, it is the only real reserve of central banks, which hold it and are buying more. Gold is BIBLICAL money and has a monetary history of 5,000 years. Your comedy partner's father, Congressman Howard Buffett warned about going off of the Gold standard as far back as 1948 so Warren has no excuse and can't claim "dumb", maybe you really believe your own babble but to bring into the conversation "pre Holocaust Jewish families"? Does "dumber" ring a bell?
Is America immune to the reasons that a "civilized" person might want to own Gold as a store of wealth? Is it "uncivilized" to accumulate Gold (real money) to provide for future generations? What would you tell the Russians from 1990? Or the Argentines of 2002, the Iraqi people or many South Americans from the 1970's, 80'and 90's? Are all these people uncivilized slobs in your book? Is it impossible that the Dollar, a totally fiat, unbacked and grossly over issued (not to mention future issuance) currency could collapse and become worthless just like EVERY SINGLE FIAT CURRENCY IN HISTORY before it has? Have you read the newspapers (since you and Warren don't like the internet) that on a daily basis inform us of the latest civil liberties to be infringed upon or taken away for our "safety" and reminiscent of what era in past history? Hint, it rhymes with "yahtzee". Hell, answer just this one question, were the framers of the Constitution who defined the Dollar in grams of Silver, ÜNCIVILIZED? You probably already knew this shrouded tidbit of information when you first entered into a huge Silver position in the late '90's. That is ...until TPTB informed you that "certain regulatory agencies" might become especially stringent with some of your businesses unless 130 million ounces of Silver (Constitutional money) were divested.
OK, so don't answer, just look at your own track record vs. Gold. Berkshire stock has underperformed Gold while receiving all sorts of help. TARP saved your sorry wrinkled asses in 2008; you were GIVEN sweetheart deals with Goldman, GE and others while the Treasury has slowly emptied out their vaults to suppress the price of Gold. Even with shackles on, Gold has outperformed your "portfolio of productive businesses" better than 4 or 5 fold for at least 10+ years now! You have no legs to stand on. Badmouthing Gold and spreading false information to the masses? Are you trying to imitate the "Black Knight" on Monty Python?
The definition of "civilized" per Merriam Webster's dictionary is as follows: 1. marked by well-organized rules and laws about how people behave with each other. 2. polite, reasonable, respectful. 3. a, pleasant and comfortable. b. showing concern for what is correct according to social rules.
If the above is the definition of "civilized" then I have a few more questions. Would the leaders of a truly "civilized society" set up a "never pay system" where their intent is to welch on their debts? Would they import oil, cars, widgets or whatever and send in return pieces of paper that have absolutely no real value, are not backed by anything and can be created with virtually no effort or cost at all? Would this "civilized society" extract labor from its "subjects" and in effect, not pay them? Is this "civilized"? Would a civilized society allow the banking and financial system to reap profits yet saddle their citizens with the losses of irresponsible and reckless traders? Would a "civilized society" have allowed MF Global to steal from their clients or Greek CDS not be paid after a clear default is ruled otherwise? Is this YOUR "civilization" where the little guy be damned for what you are portraying as the "greater good". As for the "Jewish family in Vienna" part, I don't even want to go there. Was it supposed to be a joke? Did you think the viewers were going to laugh? Were you trying to tie the "barbarous relic" to a barbaric chapter in history? Bad Charlie, really BAD!
As for Gold being "barbaric", John Maynard Keynes (who coined the phrase) has been thoroughly discredited. He clearly advocated a system that can only lead to eventual bankruptcy if fiat money is used. In a system, which uses Gold for money, no government can use fiscal stimulus to excess for very long because they will run out of Gold. Yes, a nation can bankrupt but it cannot create the mammoth black holes of debt that now exist, this is the beauty of it. Gold acts as a restraint on government, which is exactly why government trots out the Buffetts and Mungers of the world to attempt to discredit it. The use of Gold, as Warren Buffett's father wrote, helps preserve the civil liberties described in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Charlie Munger either knows this or he is so old he has forgotten it. In either case he is in the process of ruining his "inflation aided" legacy.
THE United States of America has been degraded into a (bankrupt) socialist, fascist system where "in the loop" businessmen like Charlie Munger get inside help and information while true entrepreneurs are pissed on at every turn. The inside track apparently is not good enough; the comedic team of Buffett and Munger seem to believe that they need to misdirect the populace of peons away from the only asset, which will provide safety and liberty. For their sake, I hope that they keep their act under tighter wraps because 'ole Charlie needs a pry bar to get his foot out of his mouth on this one!
Eric Sprott responds in the interview below with CNBC, regarding that statement saying "I don't think I should respect their opinion at this time." He says "Silver is the investment of the next decade. Gold will be at $2000 and Silver at $50 by years end."
