Last night was the conclusion of Freedom Fest 2010 at the Bally’s Casino in Las Vegas. The quality of this program was astounding and I congratulate all who were involved. You haven’t lived until you see Steve Forbes dressed up as George Washington in one of the skits at the closing banquet.
We live in unique and dangerous times. As I’ve written to my clients on all too many occasions, the investment decisions that we make in the next couple of years will be the most decisions that we will ever make in our lifetimes. Get it wrong and we may be financially ruined, regardless of how many financial resources we have today. Get it right and even modest investors can make millions, securing the financial future for their families today and for generations to come.
If you have never heard of Freedom Fest, click on this link and see what you missed. Something like 160 presenters over three days. I’ve been to lots of conferences and heard lots of speakers. The quality of the speakers at this conference was impressive. And the conclusion is unmistakable: the United States and most of the major countries around the world are on the path to economic disaster.
Driven by unsustainable levels of debt, and leaders like President Obama who wish to continue to spend the country into poverty, “we the people of the United States” are in deep trouble. What is really scary is that when President Carter nearly took the country into economic oblivion, he did so out of ignorance and incompetence.
Today we have a man in the White House who is brilliant and knows exactly what he is doing. I’ve written before that the healthcare reform bill was designed to fail, because the real agenda is to have the people of the United States scream for government run healthcare, which they will before 2020. It is a brilliant strategy — pass a “reform” bill that will create an insurance structure that will be so horrible that the public decides the private enterprise can’t run healthcare — that only government can provide healthcare for after all it is a unique and basic service.
It is a very scary time. But instead of being scared — DO SOMETHING. But what? That’s what Freedom Fest was all about.
A special Thank You to Robert & Russell (the Real Estate Guys) for interviewing me and for recording an entire program on what we are doing in St. Kitts (see the St. Kitts Project tab of this blog). I look forward to seeing you in St. Kitts in April 2011. For Bert Dohmen, who in my view is the best and most accurate market timer. I’ve subscribed to his Wellington Letter service for over 20 years and he is by far the best. Bert — please never retire. To Eileen Kalsek for the laughs that we had together, and for checking out the Richard MacDonald Gallery. I left poorer but with a brilliant sculpture of a ballet dancer that reminds me of my daughter, who dances for the NY City Ballet. To Bob Thompson of Allied Energy who not only introduced me to a company with great prospects, but who also found my notebook and made sure he got it back to me. Thank you…thank you…thank you. All my brainstorming notes were in that notebook. To Peter Zipper, President of Caye International Bank in Belize who opened my eyes to international banking and gave me some insight into the state of healthcare on Belize. I look forward to seeing you soon. And lastly to Vernon Jacobs who provided me with greater insight into how to invest, work and live abroad.
I’m looking forward to Freedom Fest in the Bahamas early next year. It is worth the time and money to attend.