Slope of Hope Blog Posts

Slope initially began as a blog, so this is where most of the website’s content resides. Here we have tens of thousands of posts dating back over a decade. These are listed in reverse chronological order. Click on any category icon below to see posts tagged with that particular subject, or click on a word in the category cloud on the right side of the screen for more specific choices.

Gold Bug Psychology Must be Neutered

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The precious metals bear market, beginning with silver’s blow out in early 2011 and the general top in the commodity and ‘inflation trade’ along with gold’s lesser blow out later that summer amidst Euro crisis hysterics, has been all about psychology. Well, every bear or bull market is about psychology, but the intensity of this dynamic has been something to behold in the gold sector over these last few years.

Psych 101

In early 2011 long-term interest rates were rising in response to inflationary pressures, ‘Bond King’ Bill Gross famously shorted the long bond, virtual mobs with pitchforks were storming the Fed’s castle calling for Ben Bernanke’s head and silver went to $50 an ounce, with calls for $100, $200, etc. All psychology my friends. (more…)

Why It Was So Easy

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In future years, when historians try to ascertain why on earth the massive middle class of the United States (and other industrialized nations) willingly allowed itself to be completely hollowed out so that the rich could become uber-rich, they need look no farther than this video. The simple fact is that what’s going on around us is fairly complex (most Slopers are pretty sharp, and it’s tough for many of them – – – for me, at least – – to really comprehend all the moving parts). And the video below represents the mentality of most Americans; indeed, that is probably a generous assessment, since this woman has actually achieved a level of fame and fortune in her 20s. So she’s probably rather above-average compared to other fellow citizens. Watch the video. Please. (more…)