Which topic(s) would you most like to see covered more on this site?

I too would like to see more robust debate. One-sided arguments do no encourage me to think for myself. Obviously there are powerful influences at work in our economies and fresh insights would be beneficial to me.

I view this site on an iPad a majority of the time. Visually, the site is unparalleled. From a practical standpoint I share the same sentiment as many other members: it's a chore to quickly cycle through the frequent areas I visit compared to the old site. I therefore no longer spend my lunch break perusing comments because it takes too many taps.

Please consider allowing members to use a "classic" version of the site as many online brokerages do once they update their interface. Site traffic and time spent on site would likely increase significantly.

Thanks- Rob

Jim, with regards to cash as a hold, I do not want it frankly, not long term that's for sure, but...?. I mostly read Charles as saying the coming crisis and contraction is 'King Dollar rules', and short term I certainly agree with that.

However, what I glean from Charles and agree with as I process all information is that dollars still have a strong presence in my possession today because we will have events that give the dollar strength in purchasing power. The dollar goes up (safe haven), the market goes down, I use stashed cash for purchases of hard assets, mining and E&P after the dust settles from what could be a race to 666 again. Europe, Japan and China are today a dollar friendly crisis in the making are my thoughts. So Charles essays resonate with me in the short to medium term for sure. If Charles holds or slams Gold doesn't matter to me at all, and doesn't effect me in the least. However, he shows charts, and makes very intelligent observations that I can see and measure that I want as part of my overall research and due dills. 

It is the information I seek not so much the personal investment stratagies. I like Gold and look at its historical value. It has never gone to zero so I own it. Honestly, I don't even pay much attention to my Gold until I would need it. I basically let it gather dust and give no value to it at all, it is only an insurance policy. Like lending a brother money that I don't really care if I get back unless of course I need it (poor example?).

With Chris, I know he is right about printing, that Gold is a strong hold, I have also done quite a bit of research on Gold during Deflation and see no reason whatsoever to hedge with Gold during that cycle either but I am still wanting more Gold to add to what I have but only incrementally as I think I have enough, and TODAY it makes sense that I own the dollar. I look at 2008 as a model, and if I could duplicate what I made in 2008, I will have accumulated enough wealth that my portfolio would withstand any attack on its character. I want just one more 2008, and a bottom just like 2009 when the S&P hit 666. Give me that, and frankly I shut my lap top down and spend way more time golfing and enjoying my family. Then again I love this stuff and it would be hard to not work. I'll work and continue educating myself. Ilike it too much.

Well, this market is certainly rewarding and fulfilling from a learning sense. Chris speaks often of resiliency, and I can certainly relate 100% to what he says. Again, living hand to mouth with 15 individuals that was filled with a work ethic, can do, loving, and a together everyone achieves more (TEAM) attitude I am already prepared for what may or may not come as it relates to severity. Been there, done that. I just know we all can live tremendously happy lives with half of what we now think we must have. Guaranteed. 

Good Luck to All

Jim, I will call you friend, right along with Dog.

Go Tigers/Lions

Respectfully

BOB 

Great idea. And if the endorsements have no conflict of interest they will be much more legitimate.

This would open up great discussion on a micro level.

If building Community is a fundamental part of preparation, Peak Prosperity could help the cause by providing a place to make connections with other Martenson followers in nearby towns or cities.  The ability to have coffee and talk with like-minded people who perhaps can be counted on over the next few years would be valuable.

That feature exists in the groups area.  Click discuss, then click the groups button.  There may already be an existing group in your area, although I have to admit, the group for my area appears to be dead in the water after a brief flurry of interest.

Doug

Chris, Adam,

I joined the site after seeing the quality work given free to the public and reading the comments from the subscribing members. I appreciate that Chris can take complicated problems, reduce them to the basics, provide thinking points, and develop actionable conclusions. It is an amazing skill that I admire deeply. Since I've joined, I've gotten to appreciate most of the posters on this site. In cases, they've diced Chris' work in ways I didn't expect. That causes me to think about the implications and ramifications.

I suppose that I'm saying that I'd like to see more of the basic attraction to this site. There are the negative and positive aspects. Over the years, I've developed a list of topics that I think are most worrisome to me. They are:

1) Peak oil. (Sorry treemagnet.) Nearly everything of any physical consequence has portable energy at its root. It is either made, transported, and/or powered by oil. All the modern conveniences need energy to function and petroleum is the most portable, energy dense, stable option available. Without oil to power our machines, modern society ceases to exist as we know it. As it is so important to our societal existence, shouldn't we concentrate on the point where we have to deal with less? I personally want to have as much information (regardless of how depressing the information is) as I can get as to the timing and immediate consequences of the shortages. Any information on this subject will be greatly appreciated (at least by me.)

2) All levels of debt. Our society has embarked on a debt binge since the Baby Boomers came of age. The debt permeates all levels of society from individual balance sheets to the federal government. We are so awash in debt that we are no longer viable lendable candidates - at least, those who are willing to take on more debt aren't good risks. At some point, this bubble will be acknowledged and the fiat game will be over. Why wouldn't a sane person want information that gives a timely "watch out" concerning the end game?

3) Aging demographics. The Baby Boomers are getting old. Like it or not, it will affect all aspects society. As people age, their priorities change from growth and accumulation to conservatism and minimalism. The Boomers are chastised for squandering their productive years on glitch and glam. As a result, 3 out of 4 are woefully unprepared for retirement and late life challenges. Those folks will have to work until they can't. What happens then? Who will care for these people? How will society's resources be reallocated as a result?

4) Government intervention. As an example, I have seen several posts in this thread concerning climate change. Fossil fuels are simply too energy rich and therefore economically attractive to leave in the ground. If we don't burn them, someone else will. What are we going to do about it? Should we use our government's power to keep the "undeserving" from consuming "our oil?" Government comes with bureaucracies and bureaucrats that expect lucrative salaries, substantial benefits, and generous retirement packages. (When was the last time you saw a government bureaucracy dismantle voluntarily???) The bottom line is that it is an expensive (and mostly ineffectual) waste of resources. I understand why Chris doesn't chime on the controversial topics, but I'd like to see viable options to stop the incessant government takeovers.

5) Religious zealotry. People will commit heinous crimes against other humans in the name of their god. It doesn't matter if the god is religious, secular, economic, racial, or whatnot. The leaders will disdain any who oppose them so that the fervent followers believe the "others" are subhuman. Once a follower is convinced that the opposition doesn't deserve human rights, it is easy to treat them worse than a dog. Our leaders are pointing out the differences that exist between a common American and a Muslim, Russian, Chinese, etc. This is one of the first steps to denigration. Where is it happening and how do we stop it?

There are many more things to worry about in our society. These are my big categories. I'd like to read more about these and other categories. As I said earlier, Chris' style leading to actionable items is priceless.

On the other hand, gloom and doom is quite depressing if it isn't balanced. Knowing that a positive alternative exists that is within our grasp ... plants the seed that will eventually become a carrot. I actually have hope that I'll be able to have a community with rich personal interactions when the current "debt slave race for more of everything" finally dies of exhaustion. I want to hear about different ways to grow a community, how to find suitable land, where the local government respects individual rights, what to avoid, which direction to strive, etc. What areas should we invest our time into? I'm picking up as many "do it yourself" books as I can. They are incredibly out of style and therefore dirt cheap. What other treasures should we focus our attention toward?

I'm not totally enamored with the new site, but with a little patience, I can figure out how to make it work for me. Please focus on the content and deliverables rather than the interface.

Thanks for caring enough to embark on your need to educate us,

Grover

This isn't a topic, but I'd love for Chris to have Nate Hagens on the show again.  I've listened to the podcast from last summer with Nate probably 25 times.

I think having a "Groups" button on the Home page would be a good idea. Right now you get there through "Discuss" or "Prepare".

If you had it from the Home Page, then when a member clicks through he/she should have at least 2 choices:

1. Groups by geographical area - All people that would like to get together with other CM'ers in their area would join this group by entering their zip code. Anyone that wants to host a group would enter the zip code where they are based. The geographical groups that already exist would just add their zip to their "info". So now you have all interested people and all geographical groups in one database.

Next you could have a zip code entry box and a miles radius box. The member would enter their zip code and then a number of miles they are willing to go to connect with others. All groups and all members within that radius would then pop up.

Then you could join one or more of these groups if you wanted, or an even more useful option would be a "contact all" feature. Let's say you typed in a radius of 60 miles. Let's say 4 members popped up. You hit the "contact all" button and send out a private message to all.

"I'm planning a meeting to discuss __________ in 2 weeks at _______________. Would you be interested in attending?

2. Groups by topic - Here you would have 2 options: a "List of Groups" option i.e., Firearms, Raising GMO Free Hamsters, etc. or a "Search by Keyword" option.

Just my 2 cents. Without the Groups on the Home Page I (and probably others) don't think to check them.

SS

It is interesting that we the people still have a say in what the present political arena that makes it seem like we the people have no vote and no voice. A very small group, probably less than 5-7% of the entire US population is being exagerated to the extreme for the Demobublicans and Repoblocrats to defuse all our civil rights and the Constitution. OH, never mind, Who cares any way.

My goal for the second half of the year is to set up a small solar pv system in our backyard that we can use to charge a battery or two.  I'm also researching a solar pump for our rainwater collection system.

On a side note, our neighbors have asked us to help them layout a garden in their backyard!  We even talked about a co-op for our neighborhood.  I see more people putting in gardens and we have two huge community gardens that have been started over the past two years.

There was a time when we were a nation of farmers.  We may not all be able to have five, ten or one hundred acres to work on but for every garden that gets put in we take a step closer to improved food security for our families and our communities.

Maybe this site isn't for everyone.  Sometimes I feel like a chicken in Chris Martenson's chicken coop aka Peak Prosperity.  I've consulted with the man twice, he's rarely commented on member comments - out of touch is what I would say, but who am I?  Nobody, thats who I am.  Chris, its time for you to lay it down - boil those beautiful scrips down to say.....half.  I was once told by  Aaron "do you talk to people like that face to face" and truthfully, yes, I do.  But text steals so much, the most innocent of phrases can be taken completely wrong.....everybody here knows what I'm saying.  I think Chris should expand on this newfound specificity, which I appreciate more than most.   I've no doubt that you're reading this in bed next to your wife.  She knows what I'm "throwin down" here.  Ask her - wives are famous for their honest opinions, I'll bet she's seen you sometimes, from now and then.....a bit, well....like - stuffy, but you've recently made HUGE strides so keep it comin!   So Chris, stop writing like a university prof....you're smarter than me and most, we get it.  We want what you've got to sell, so just say it already.  These podcasts are awesome if you've got the time - I don't, and many don't.  Alot has changed here for the good, and I'm appreciative of that......truly I am.  But this Peak Prosperity thing isn't doin it, so from one business person to another.....try harder.  You're attempt to appeal to the intellectuals and such is lost on the rest of us who clicked on the crash course.  You're mind is beautiful, but we need to know what to do, when to do it, and how to do it.  We want a cerebral source to guide us, but reading you're pieces is like listening to a smart prof. who just after nearly everyone nods off says something so profound and dramtatic sends everyone scrambling for "what did he say...!!??"  I mean NO disrespect, I admire your work - and truly, if you're one of the CM or PP "Kool Aid" elite who wish to engage me.....I would reconsider.   I'm tenacious.  Yeah, I've had a few drinks tonight.  I'm mostly tired after spending the week being the first guy to work and the last leave - but its all good, I get to work tomorrrow (Saturday!!!)...... after just finishing P90X abs and some truly sadistic "Insanity" exercie video four out of five nights (prepping......I has it).  Actually, bring it.....I'm tired of this p.c. crap - I'd love to argue with you union loving liberals.....aaaaah there it is.........you've no idea the house I was raised in..........Go Ron Paul! 

Doug,

I apologize for trying to cover too much ground in such a short message. First off, I do not blame government workers. They are doing the job they were hired to perform. If it weren't for them, other people would fill the void left behind. The problem is much more sinister and at a higher level.

<sarcasm> You may find this shocking, but there are groups out there who have considerable resources and are willing to "support" congressmen who vote according to their preferences. To make matters worse, these folks "suggest" language that is to be inserted into Bills that will grant them special favors at everyone's expense. They really don't care about the morality or sustainability as long as it pads their particular bottom line. </sarcasm>

When I look at the costs of all the "do gooder" legislation (social security, medicare, medicaid, welfare, unfunded mandates to save the world, etc.) I see that we simply can't afford it! Congress requires every entity bigger than a few-person shop to abide by GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.) My interpretation of GAAP is that an employer who promises a future benefit (pension, health care, etc.) must set aside enough money during the year with a credible plan to grow those funds in time to cover those promises. Congress requires States, counties, cities, large corps, small corps, non-profits, and large family owned businesses to follow this standard. Curiously, they exempt the Federal Government from these regulations.

If Congress applied the same standards to the Federal promises, the Federal GAAP deficit in FY 2011 would amount to approximately $5 trillion. That number is hard to fathom, so to put it in more meaningful terms, there are approximately 110 million households in the country. If the $5T was split evenly amongst those families, each family would owe another $43,000 more in 2011 taxes. The problem is that the median family income in 2011 was slightly more than $49,000. (I can provide references if you'd like, but I don't want to look it up now.) Does that seem sustainable to you? Can we afford to pile on more unfunded commitments?

I used climate change as an example of what we cannot afford to worry about. On the Global climate change thread, I posted this message in December, 2011 http://www.peakprosperity.com/comment/124681#comment-124681

Quite frankly, I don't think there is an option where we can save the populace from themselves. The worst thing we can do is to simply "try something" for the sake of trying. Before I will climb on board the band wagon, you'll have to produce a credible plan that can be enforced worldwide.

I remember when Jimmy Carter told us to wear sweaters to conserve fuel. He even installed solar panels on the White House. Ronald Reagan painted him as a wimp and said "the American way of life is non-negotiable." One of the first things Ronnie did was rip out those solar panels. Do you think any presidential candidate will make the same mistake that Carter made? Will we actually do more than dress the windows with good intentions?

I see that all fossil fuels which can be economically extracted will be eventually consumed. Should we make it painful and more expensive to the populace while the special interests receive a pass? If it were all burned up today, there would be approximately 7 billion humans affected. If we're able to stretch it out to mid 21st century, some estimates say that the earth will have 9 billion inhabitants to suffer. Which plan is more humane?

Grover

I have to say that I am diametrically opposed to the core message of this post.

THANK GOD that Chris is not a participant in the vast "dumbing down America" conspiracy.  Maybe improving our education, challenging our minds, and getting the fluoride, apartame, statins, GMO grains, and other crap out of our food chain would allow our brains to function as they were designed and elevate our society. 

P.S. Better not to drink before writing something like this.  It shows.

P.P.S. Doing high intensity exercise four out of five days in a row is counterproductive to both health and physical improvement.

P.P.P.S. I see the positive benefit of unions and support their existence (with reasonable internal and exteernal controls in place) and I'm NOT a liberal.  Look at the historical pre-union exploitation of the working class and see if you would like being treated that way.

Thank you all for participating in this conversation and for letting us know what topics you'd most like to have covered and ways we might improve the site.

Believe me, we take everything to heart.

It's a crazy world out there and there's always too much to cover, and both of those features seem to be increasing with every passing day.

Thanks again and keep it coming!

Best,
Chris M.

Lots of great ideas on this thread!

I like CHM's "Collapse Reports from the Ground" suggestion. The few first hand descriptions I've run into have been quite eye-opening.

Re: T.Tanner's and others’ comments on Climate Change.... All true. We are definitely having to re-learn gardening in a new climate where I live. The new long, wet, cold springs have made crop covers non-optional, for example. If I were depending on my winter squash for winter food this year I'd starve. However, I LOVE this site for its intelligent, civil interactions and am fine for now with having Climate Change threads live in the basement even if it is a compromise. We can share and brainstorm down there too.  I suppose another possible approach to the CC topic would be rigorous moderation, with no tolerence for the rudeness it tends to bring out. (Why is that, anyway?  Maybe because the implications of Climate Change, should it prove to be actual and factual, are undie-soiling terrifying?)

I would like to see more international content, and more understanding that the preoccupation citizens of affluent nations have with preserving tertiary wealth is neither a truly global concern nor perhaps a very long-lived one. Most of our species will be busy re-learning a sane way of working with primary and secondary wealth in the interest of surviving. I'm as interested in how people with no money all around the world are moving towards sustainability as I am in what's happening to middle class Euro holdings or the prices of silver and gold, gruesomely riveting though that all is. 

I also always love those posts where a bit of the author's vision, heart or soul shows through.  Hope alone is a terrible strategy, yes.  What we hope for and love though are very beautiful parts of us.  I don't dream of only surviving all this.  A long time ago, when I knew none of the 3-E info and only knew what I loved, I wrote this:

I look for unfoldment

of wet, wobbly wings

and sing praise for even uncertain

erratic flights

if they soar and plunge past

the blind rotten face

of our mass savage inertia

towards realms where all beings live

in open and unstopping

joy.

Still true, reams of difficult, worldview-changing information later. 

Could we share more of our visionary selves here somehow?

Many thanks to Chris, his team and all of you post-peak posters for the informing, stimulating, motivating conversations we have on this site.

Susan

Hi.,

See my other post...
http://www.stansberryradio.com/PorterStansberry/LatestEpisodes/Episode/63

:-)

ScubaRoo

Thanks for posting that link, I think.  That was painfull to listen to. "Capital determines oil production not geology".  "All farmers love gmo's", to bad those crazy europeans will not let them import the stuff.

This is why we are sleep walking off a cliff. We can have whatever we want because we want it.  We can continue to have a one sided relationship with the world, if things don't go well we can just keep pushing harder, and we'll have our way anyway.  We don't need introspection, or objective scientific observations that are not funded by multinationals.  There will never be any consequences to our actions that will require us to change our way of being, technology will always save us.  Solar doesn't work because we are never going to run out of oil.

Ouch, I guess it is good that Chris is willing to have conversations with pompous wind bags like that.  It was an interesting insight into a portion of the corporate mind set that is propelling us into oblivion. Kudos to Chris, he stayed calm and professional through the whole thing.

And guess who is connected with Agora Financial, one of the founding members of HHA?  And some people wonder why I'm uncomfortable with that arrangement?  Connect the dots people and exercise due diligence.

http://briandeer.com/vaxgen/stansberry-fraud.htm

P.S.  I'm not too enamored with some other founding members of HHA either.

https://rodgermmitchell.wordpress.com/2011/04/02/is-john-mauldin-winning-the-battle-with-barry-ritholtz-for-economic-ignorance/

Too much self promotion makes me uncomfortable.

Couldn't agree more Bob.  People like this Stansberry guy probably have never worked at a job that actually made something.  They think that capital comes out of thin air.  I live very close to that big hole in the ground that Chris has used in some of his presentation, the Bingham Canyon Copper Mine.  There will come a time with that hole that no matter how much capital is put into it, it won't produce any more copper.  That time is about 20 years away.  Maybe Stansberry should go dig some dirt in there and see how much copper he gets.

Hey Adam...  first, thanks to you and Chris and your organiztion for this outlet.

How about a section on TAXATION.

with financial repression coming (already here) as a way for the goverment to try to lower the debt (on the backs of the saves btw), taxation is going to be a HUGE story for any capital gains.

2013 - it WILL be the story with lower paychecks for nearly everyone!

thanks...

If such a debate is ever arranged between Mark Bahner and Chris Martenson, I want a ringside seat with butter popcorn and a Diet Coke Slurpee. This ought to be fascinating! And a very one-sided victory.

I salute your bravery, Mark. Although you could be nominally correct... Until a few years ago, per capita income in Zimbabwean dollars was shooting through the roof!

Poet

Not inflation, that's for sure.......!

Mike

The reason for my snide remark was this.....:

On my blog, and on the "Long Bets" website, I predicted that world per-capita GDP, which was about $7200 in 2000, will exceed the following values (in year 2000 dollars):

$13,000 in the year 2020

$31,000 in 2040

$130,000 in 2060

$1,000,000 in 2080, and

$10,000,000 in 2100.

Which looks an awful lot like inflation to me.

Mike