The threats facing life as we know it in the United States are plentiful, and Chris points out, that in the end, the status of the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency will come into question. Among other things, if China’s real estate market collapses, or Europe’s debt crisis expands to Spain and Italy, or Japan has to sell their treasury holdings to pay for reconstruction, Martenson asks “Who will buy our bonds?” and fund our never-ending appetite for debt? You can probably guess the answer, as well as the end result.

If we’re only one shock away from a full blown crisis, then we can’t help but suggest that we can expect complete economic pandemonium very soon. The underlying problems, which the government and financial elites have tried to cover up from some time, will come to a head – in fact, they are coming to a head right before our eyes in real-time.

The cause is not exactly clear, and numerous theories have emerged. Some suggest we’re dealing with natural occurrences, while others have a more sinister undertone, pointing at man-made causes.

Throughout history there has been one asset that, regardless of the type of crisis, has always been turned to in times of confusion and panic. Whether the crisis was financial, energy related, or involved global confrontation, individuals and governments alike have always turned to gold as a last resort. When currencies collapse, when governments lose credibility, and when people panic, precious metals have always been the sought after wealth preservation mechanism.

America doesn’t stand a chance, in our opinion, of mitigating the crisis. Our political system at this time has devolved into a cleptocracy that will only maintain until every last penny and credit limit has been used up. Only then, once the thieves in government and quasi-private industry can steal no more, will real change occur.

As we did in the summer of 2008, we may now be approaching another breaking point.

If there’s one asset that’s heated up over the last several months amid tensions in the middle east and a second round of the Federal Reserve’s quantitative easing, it’s silver. The price has risen so dramatically, some 20% since January 1, 2011 through today, that investors may be wondering what actions they should take.

I think the focus people need to have right now is the dollar is toast. And, when that happens, when the dollar collapses, our way of life is going to change. And at that moment, when that happens, there will only be one question that will matter. And, that question is, are you ready?

It’s been a tough market for those who bought homes circa 2005 and 2006, at the very peak of the housing real estate bubble that would eventually decimate, multiple times over, those who though they could flip a quick profit or generate wealth through a longer term asset. Times were booming, money was cheap, prices were rising, the population was growing and land was a finite resource (unless you happened to be in Dubai, where the Sheikhs were busy building artificial islands).

Gloom, Boom & Doom Report publisher Dr. Marc Faber joins Infowars’ Alex Jones to discuss non-traditional investment strategies, global inflation, social response and repercussions, and the phases to expect as the crisis deepens.

Most choose not to disturb their preconceived notions of the American Dream – many are simply non-contemplative, meaning they don’t even realize that there is a problem or that what they are seeing are warning signs of what’s to come.

Damon Vickers is the author of The Day After the Dollar Crashes: A Survival Guide for the Rise of the New World Order, and he’s recently put together a micro-documentary detailing what the global coup d’etat may look like once the dollar takes it’s final catastrophic plunge to oblivion.

We want to be positive about all this spending, monetary expansion and economic malaise – we really do. But when we read expert analysis from the likes of David Galland of Casey Research, we really can’t help but be pessimistic and alarmed about the survivability of the world as we know it.

Trend forecaster Gerald Celente says that economically, socially, politically and financially things will continue to get worse, not just in the United States, but around the world. And, before the clock strikes January 1, 2012, most everyone will know we’re in the Greatest Depression.

Regardless of what we’re told by our government officials and Federal Reserve Chairman in media soundbites, or what a large portion of our fellow Americans want to believe after they’re done smoking or injecting their daily dose of hopium, the reality is that the world, especially the United States, is about to enter a time unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.

A global move away from the US Dollar is afoot. This latest micro-documentary outlines the case for the coming hyperinflationary depression. According to many experts, it can’t be avoided and the only thing you can do now is prepare for it.

Mr. Bernanke just told us exactly how this is going to play out – but you have to know how to read his forecasts.

Now, more than ever, it is important to take the immediate necessary precautions to protect yourself and your families and friends.

Ever since the current economic downturn started a few years ago, there has been a constant debate of whether or not we’re moving into an inflationary environment or deflationary environment. The argument has taken up much of our focus. The reality is that this debate is nothing more than a distraction to a bigger, harsher reality.

For now, it seems deflation is taking hold (though it never really let go), but there remains a very powerful variable within the debate, and that is the government and how they will act going forward.

As global stock markets are seemingly slipping back into crash mode, imprisoned global forecaster Martin Armstrong suggests that not everything is as clear cut as we may think.

This is rather interesting. Can anyone guess what happens next?

While nothing is set in stone just yet, signs are pointing to the possibility that Germany is ready to just pull the plug and let Greece take it on the chin, as it should. After Greece falls, expect to see similar defaults across the PIIGS in Europe as well as eastern European countries…But make no mistake, Greece and Europe are nothing compared to what’s in store for the United States.

So the question becomes, “Given that America’s severe fiscal crisis undoubtedly is well-known to Big Money, why on earth is Big Money flooding into the risky fiat currency known as the Dollar?” The answer is: because Big Money does not know what else to do with itself right now. Therefore, hundreds of billions of Euros and other currencies perceived to be at-risk are flowing into what Big Money views as the “least worst” currency at the present time: the Dollar.

Self interest, with no regard for the lives of others, drives those like the bankers funding the wars, the corporate interests profiting from the natural resources that are conquered, and the politicians who use war as a way to scare the population into keeping themselves in power.