Notes from the edge of civilization: Feb. 4, 2024
The parallel media system; Tucker goes to the Kremlin; Elon's take on the border; and why gold is... GOLD!
If you need proof the mainstream media is dying, look no further than Joe Rogan’s new Spotify deal, worth some $250 million.
Rogan represents the sharp tip of the spear for independent content creators. He, and many other pioneers (Greenwald, Taibbi, Weiss, Shapiro to name a few) showcase how the free hand of the market is supposed to work. Put out a great product and people follow you. Keep putting out a great product, and you can ink deals worth one-quarter of a billion dollars.
Congratulations to Rogan and to independent content creators here on Substack and other similar platforms who are performing actual, useful journalism in order to expand minds and broaden discourse. We here at Collapse Life are honored to have you on this journey with us and never take your support — paid or otherwise — for granted. We can’t promise you Joe Rogan levels of interviews, but we’re sure as heck trying. Thank you for your confidence and trust in us.
Speaking of dying legacy media, leave it to the rising phoenix of mainstream-to-independent journalism, Tucker Carlson, to set off yet another firestorm of panic. Love him or hate him, he certainly knows how to play his role. First it was an interview with Alex Jones — and WOW was that ever a deep rabbit hole. But, in a move sure to have Biden administration and deep state knickers in a knot, Carlson is headed to Moscow. Why?
You have to give credit where credit is due. Carlson’s chat with the Russian president, while undoubtedly controversial, is both necessary and refreshing. After all, February 24, 2024 will mark the second anniversary of direct hostilities between Russia and Ukraine and no one from a Western media outlet has had a frank conversation with Putin. That’s to say nothing of a proper deep dive into where $112 billion sent from the US to Ukraine has gone. (Forgive us for that BBC link—we said PROPER deep dive.)
News we consume in the Five Eyes countries from legacy media has been largely one-sided and couched in the most simplistic terms possible: Putin bad; Zelenskyy good. Russia bad; Ukraine good. What kind of idiots do they take us for?
Carlson’s attempt to shed light on how the Russian leader and his administration is thinking might be helpful insight into avoiding… oh, I don’t know, maybe a Third World War? After all, as the U.S. continues to ante-up weapons for Ukrainian forces, it’s possible something erroneous, egregious, or downright demented could set off a domino effect from which there might be no return. Let’s open up a dialog to try and avoid that.
Hmmmm, no return. No return… You know who’s not returning? People crossing illegally into the U.S.
Do you know why? Well, our favorite South African multi-billionaire charlatan X owner posits a theory.
In his tweet from Feb. 2, he links to an Associated Press story from 2021 that suggests the Biden administration is going to prioritize legal status for illegal immigrants. To us, the more pressing question is whether Musk would change his tune if all the illegal immigrants were to get Teslas as part of their welcome package to the US?
Cell phone? Check. Credit card with $3,000 preloaded? Check. Tesla Model 3? Check.
Ah yes, what a clown world we live in.
And finally, federal border agents may be handing out credit cards denominated in increasingly worthless fiat money, but that doesn’t mean you have to sit idly by and accept that each passing day hastens the dollar’s demise.
Our podcast guest this week is none other than Egon von Greyerz, founder and chairman of Von Greyerz A.G. He’s a man who knows and loves gold for its many remarkable properties and in this 40-minute chat, he shares his concerns about potential currency collapse, bank failures, and unsustainable debt. His overarching message comes through loud and clear: protect yourself and your family by owning physical gold and storing it outside the banking system.
In his warm avuncular way, von Greyerz also reminds us that the best things in life, which are free, are actually the real forms of wealth we need to focus on: family, friends, and the beauty of nature (among other things). We hope you enjoy this chat as much as we enjoyed recording it.