Tom Bodrovics welcomes back the always forthright Chris Irons host of Quoth the Raven podcast host and author of QTR's Fringe Finance Substack. Irons shares his concerns about the deeply flawed economy, predicting that something substantial must occur for change. The discussion revolves around the mounting debt, potential deflationary depression, and the Federal Reserve's role in preventing this outcome. Irons raises apprehensions regarding the US as a declining empire. He points to signs of decay, such as flawed policies, immigration issues, and societal decadence. Irons expresses skepticism towards ongoing conflicts like Russia-Ukraine, believing prolonging war through substantial financial aid is irrational. Chris vents about political discourse, particularly between politicians Pierre Polivere and Justin Trudeau, and discusses the potential dangers of weaponized justice systems and media demonization. He urges both sides to be mindful of these issues. Chris and Tom explore the significance of understanding inflation's impact on purchasing power and propose a visual representation to help people grasp this concept. They emphasize that gold, with its fixed supply, can serve as a safeguard against purchasing power loss. While acknowledging Bitcoin's potential benefits, they caution about its risks compared to gold. Finally, Chris shares his approach to maintaining peace of mind and happiness amidst global challenges: detach from negative news sources and focus on personal interests, accepting that one cannot fix all the world's problems. The conversation ends with a lighthearted taco shop recommendation leading to a heated albeit pointless debate on social media about meat in tacos. Time Stamp References:0:00 - Introduction1:32 - Trends & Sentiment3:12 - Endgame & It's All Broken9:08 - Black Swan or Grey Rhino17:34 - War, Ukraine, & Democrats23:13 - Optimism Vs. Reality29:00 - Elections & Chaos38:10 - Questions, No Answers40:26 - Justice Weaponization51:00 - Important Visualizations57:00 - Finding Solutions1:01:09 - Perspective & Advice1:09:47 - Wrap Up Talking Points From This Episode Chris discusses economic concerns, including a deeply flawed system and potential for significant change due to mounting debt and deflationary depression. Irons raises warning signs of a declining US empire: flawed policies, societal decadence, and political instability. Importance of detaching from negative news sources and focusing on personal interests for peace of mind amidst global challenges. Guest Links:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxUo55-0ScpOQNdug8FCzzA/videosPodcast: https://quoththeraven.podbean.comSubstack + Discount: https://quoththeraven.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=92245385Twitter: https://twitter.com/QTRResearch Chris Irons is the host of The Quoth The Raven Podcast, a show dedicated to discussing Fringe Finance topics and exploring the boundaries of investment decisions. Irons has spent years reading the news and has developed a strong opinion on the mainstream media's ability to drive a narrative which serves the interests of a small minority. His focus is to provide content that is rarely found elsewhere and to curate content from people he respects. Irons is not afraid to challenge the mainstream narrative or succumb to it when it serves the collective best interests. Chris is not providing investment advice and the content on The Quoth The Raven podcast/substack is not meant to be taken as such. Anything mentioned should not be taken as a recommendation to buy or sell anything.