Child's Play
Take a Look Around, What do you See?
About 12 years ago I remember getting my son ready for bed while my wife worked evenings. After arranging his favorite grey rhino, spotted giraffe and ferocious lion we would start turning the colorful pages of "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?"
The books are genius they invite a call in response, use alliteration and once you get in a rhythm you child is able to predict what happens next and this repetition is a great way to foster learning and boost your kid’s self image.
(In our case Soren has a surplus of self confidence)
The rhyming refrain goes like this pattern:
"[Animal], [Animal], what do you see?
I see a [color] [animal] looking at me."
My boy Soren’s eyes would light up as we'd start our nightly ritual. "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see?" I'd ask, and he'd eagerly point to the vibrant red bird on the next page. We'd continue our page turning journey, meeting the blue horse, green frog, and purple cat along the way.
The repetitive rhythm became our shared language, a comforting call-and-response that filled our home with warmth. We explored each animal and color, his vocabulary grew, and his confidence blossomed.
Take a look around and what do you see?
The US has increased its debt ceiling 74 times since 1960
Central banks are increasingly buying gold
The silver-to-gold ratio is currently at 90 to 1
Monetary policy is broken, necessitating continuous currency printing
US Debt will hit 37 trillion When?
Green Frog, Green Frog, what do you see?
I see a debt of thirty-seven trill-i-on, drowning you and me.
As of January 2025, the U.S. national debt stands at approximately $36 trillion. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that the federal deficit will be $1.9 trillion for the fiscal year 2025. Assuming this rate of debt accumulation continues, we can estimate that the national debt will reach $37 trillion sometime in early to mid-2025.
What else do we spend money on in?
Hurricane Helene, which hit Florida and North Carolina about three months ago, caused extensive damage. Estimates vary, with some projections reaching $250 billion.
The damage spans multiple sectors, including infrastructure, housing, businesses, and agriculture across affected regions.
Something the mainstream media hides from us
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which operates under the Department of Homeland Security, is responsible for addressing disaster relief in the United States. Guess what FEMA knows that they are not talking about.
Let’s go back upstairs and discuss Hurricane Helene (Florida and North Carolina)
Blue Fish, Blue Fish, what do you see?
I see salt water creeping in, where Florida used to be.
The cost of Saltwater Intrusion is Astronomical
I was at the airport recently on a layover in Atlanta I met a smart chap who was on his way to Florida. He was an insurance adjuster and told me some facts that were mind boggling. He stated the $250 Billion dollar price tag is for housing, businesses, infrastructure and farms but the big money no one talks about is salt water intrusion.
The devastating impact of Hurricane Helene on Florida and North Carolina has left a trail of destruction, with damage estimates ranging from $60 billion to $250 billion. Yet, the storm's aftermath reveals an even more alarming long-term threat: saltwater intrusion into public water sources. This insidious problem is contaminating drinking water, damaging infrastructure, and wreaking havoc on coastal ecosystems.
The economic consequences are staggering. One study projects a jaw-dropping $5 trillion in damages to coastal property in the contiguous U.S. if left unchecked.
Addressing this crisis would require massive investments in sea walls, desalination plants, and ecosystem restoration, likely costing trillions.
This environmental catastrophe affects millions and could trigger mass migrations from coastal areas. As saltwater continues to poison freshwater resources, coastal communities face an uncertain future, grappling with a threat that extends far beyond the immediate aftermath of any single storm.
Let’s think about this with facts only
Just the Facts
Impact of Saltwater Intrusion
Saltwater intrusion is often described as a "slow poison" to freshwater resources
Its effects are widespread and severe:
Contamination of drinking water sources, affecting millions of people
Rendering groundwater wells unusable due to high chlorine concentrations
Damaging infrastructure and crops in coastal areas
Altering ecosystems and threatening wildlife habitats
In some areas, the problem is advancing rapidly. For example, in Hilton Head, North Carolina, saltwater is migrating at a rate of 400 feet per year from the Atlantic Ocean into freshwater drinking systems. Of the city's twelve original drinking water wells, six have been abandoned, and five more are expected to be contaminated by 2024.
Economic Impact and Mitigation Costs
The economic impact of saltwater intrusion is indeed staggering, potentially reaching into the trillions of dollars:
A study estimated that without adaptation, unmitigated climate change could result in $5.0 trillion in damages for coastal property in the contiguous U.S
In the Mekong Delta region alone, annual losses due to salt intrusion are estimated to exceed $2.96 billion. THIS MEANS EVERY YEAR, OUCH.
Adaptation measures such as treatment plants, water pipelines, and storage facilities can cost cities millions of dollars.
The cost of mitigation is extremely high due to the scale and complexity of the problem. Solutions may include:
Construction of sea walls and dykes
Development of desalination plants
Implementation of advanced monitoring systems
Relocation of water intakes and abandonment of contaminated wells
Large-scale ecosystem restoration projects
The Frequency of Fires, Fire Season starts in less than 2 months
Red Fox, Red Fox, what do you see?
Palisades ablaze , a fiery spending spree.
The recent wildfires surrounding Los Angeles have caused unprecedented economic damage, with estimates of total losses ranging from $250 billion to $275 billion.
This staggering figure includes the destruction of over 15,000 structures, including homes and commercial buildings, many of which are high-value properties in affluent areas like Pacific Palisades. Insured losses alone are projected to reach $30 billion to $40 billion. The fires have affected approximately 4.5 million square feet of commercial space.
Beyond property damage, the economic impact extends to business disruptions, healthcare costs, and infrastructure damage.
The US federal government will have to step up and bail out homeowners or banks or both
Floods, Fires and Wars
Black Bird Black Bird what do you see,
War profiteering fleecing you and me
US is projected to top 200 Billion on “Aid to Ukraine”
Apologies Ya’ll but I’m continuing with this Child Book theme for three more things on our spending plate
Trump wants Greenland, Really?
White Bear, White Bear, what do you see?
Goody Goody Greenland? another spending spree!
Trump wants Panama, Really?
Red Toucan, Red Toucan, what do you see?
Panama Invasion? A fiscal catastrophe!
Trump wants to add Canada as 51st state, Really?
Gray Moose, Gray Moose, what do you see?
Canada's big price tag, certainly ain't free.
None of these things seem like the Department of Government Efficiency more like Department of Spending Money We don’t have
In his first week back in office, President Trump stated during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 23, 2025, that he would "demand that interest rates drop immediately." This declaration came just days before the Federal Reserve's first policy meeting of 2025.
Gold Fox Gold Fox what do you See
Dollar almost Worthless, pretty much Debris
Gold typically rises when interest rates are cut because:
Lower rates reduce the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets like gold.
Rate cuts often increase money supply, potentially leading to currency devaluation.
Gold is seen as a safe-haven asset during economic uncertainty, which rate cuts may signal.
Investors may seek alternatives to lower-yielding fixed-income investments
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