From Charles Hugh Smith:

You can fool Mother Nature for awhile, but not over the long term. That's the theme of the week. Every day, I will take a look at a segment of American life that is currently based on the supposition that we can dodge reality essentially forever.

Correspondent Chad D. recently summarized the profound lack of authenticity in the American experience:

Have you noticed that Americans often don't experience REAL things: REAL food, REAL water, REAL relationships, REAL money, REAL freedom, REAL peace of mind, REAL living, REAL leaders, etc. I know you've gotten flack for your extensive use of "simulacrum," but it's so true. Most Americans have no idea what REAL is.

Thank you, Chad. Let's ask just how real our financial markets really are. We can start our inquiry with this thought experiment: where would the stock, bond, and commodity markets be if...

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More on the markets:

Why Ben Bernanke has been a total failure

Richard Russell: "PLEASE MOVE INTO GOLD"

"History will prove this to be one of the biggest boondoggles in the history of financial regulation"