Are we on the brink of a worldwide nightmare? Many have described what we are currently experiencing as a “perfect storm”. We have been getting hit with one crisis after another as global events have greatly accelerated in recent months. But now it feels like the next chapter that we are entering is going to take things to an entirely different level.

On New Year’s Eve, something very unexpected happened at our most important landmark in the middle of the country.  You will want to read all the way to the end of this article to see what I am talking about.  This year is already off to a very unusual start, and I fully expect a lot more craziness in the months ahead.  The following are 10 very important trends to watch as we enter 2026…

#1 The Price Of Silver

The price of silver is telling us that there is big trouble under the surface of the global financial system.  Even though there was a dramatic attempt to suppress the price of silver this week, it was still up about 140 percent in 2025.

And the difference between the price of paper silver and the prices that physical silver is going for around the world has become extremely alarming…

Silver at $130 in Japan, $106 in Kuwait, $97 in Korea, and “$71” on Western screens is not a market; it is a confession. The numbers read like a crime scene diagram: in the real world where bars change hands and coins disappear into safes, silver has quietly migrated into triple‑digit pricing, while the supposed “global benchmark” in New York and London is still stuck in a fantasyland of leveraged promises.​

In Tokyo shops and Japanese bullion counters, you are not buying silver in the 70s; you are paying the equivalent of $120–130 an ounce because that is what it costs to replace inventory once you factor in tight wholesale supply, shipping, insurance, currency chaos, and the growing sense that the next shipment might not show up on time, or at all. Kuwait tells the same story in a different language: retail bars priced around $100+ an ounce are not a fat merchant’s greed; they are the market’s answer to a simple question—what will it really take to pry physical metal out of the pipeline in a world where everyone suddenly wants the same scarce asset at the same time.​

#2 The Affordability Crisis

In 2025, I wrote about the affordability crisis in the United States a lot.

Sadly, at this stage approximately two-thirds of the entire U.S. population is struggling to even pay for the basics…

About 7 in 10 Americans polled by CBS News in December said they were struggling to pay for food, housing and health care, underscoring the affordability issues affecting millions of households.

#3 Israel And Iran

This is a big one.

Once Israel and Iran start fighting again, global events will go into overdrive.

Apparently a new round of airstrikes on Iran was discussed during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with President Trump on Monday, and I am convinced that it won’t be too long before those airstrikes actually begin…

On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, during which the two leaders discussed efforts by Iran to reconstitute its nuclear program following the Israeli and American airstrikes in June, and to expand its ballistic missile arsenal.

During the meeting, Netanyahu shared with Trump details regarding Israel’s planning for a possible follow-up air campaign against Iran, should Tehran continue to refuse to halt its efforts to enrich uranium.

According to a US official and two other American sources, Israel is considering airstrikes in 2026.

#4 The War In Ukraine

Russian forces are steadily moving forward on the eastern and southern fronts in Ukraine, and so the Russians will not be inclined to give the Ukrainians and our European allies what they are demanding…

• Russian President Vladimir Putin inspected a command post of the Russian Armed Forces
• Putin received reports from Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov and the commanders of Russia’s Center and East groupings of forces.
• Russian commanders told Putin that their army has captured the cities of Mirnohrad, Rodynske, and Artemivka in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, as well as Huliaipole and Steponohirsk in the Zaporizhzhia region.

#5 Europe Preparing For War

Russia has made it very clear that it does not intend to attack any other European countries.

But for some reason, the Europeans are feverishly preparing for war anyway.

In fact, Germany is now requiring all 18-year-old males to complete a compulsory survey about military service…

Germany is stepping up preparations for war – starting with its teenage boys.

From this week, every German male will be legally required to answer questions from the army the moment he turns 18, as part of a sweeping new military service scheme approved amid mounting fears of a major conflict in Europe.

Tens of thousands of teenagers will be sent a compulsory 14-question survey by the Bundeswehr, asking not only how interested they are in joining the military, but how fit they are to fight and how quickly they could be ready for service.

Ignoring the form is not an option. Young men who refuse to complete the questionnaire – or repeatedly ignore follow-up demands from the army – face fines of up to €1,000 (£800), even though ministers insist the scheme falls short of full conscription.

#6 Venezuela

The Trump administration has been bombing drug boats, seizing oil tankers and threatening the regime of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

This could put the U.S. on a collision course with China.

China does not intend to stop buying oil from Venezuela.  If the U.S. starts seizing Chinese oil tankers that approach Venezuela, that could cause a major international incident.  According to Newsweek, there are two Chinese oil tankers that are expected to arrive in Venezuela very soon…

Chinese oil tankers are pressing ahead with Venezuela-linked voyages despite a U.S. blockade and an escalating campaign of tanker seizures.

Two Chinese-flagged VLCCs are operating near Venezuelan waters, with the Thousand Sunny due to arrive in mid-January and the Xing Ye waiting off French Guiana, according to a new report by Lloyd’s List.

Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. State Department for comment.

#7 Taiwan

The Chinese just concluded military exercises that practiced what a full-blown blockade of Taiwan would look like.

At this stage, tensions between China and Taiwan are higher “than at any point in recent years”…

As 2025 ends, tensions between China and Taiwan are higher — and more overt — than at any point in recent years, fueled by expanded U.S. military support for Taipei, increasingly bold warnings from regional allies, and Chinese military drills that look less like symbolism and more like rehearsal.

Beijing has spent the year steadily increasing pressure on Taiwan through large-scale military exercises, air and naval incursions, and pointed political messaging, while Washington and its allies have responded with sharper deterrence signals that China now openly labels as interference.

#8 Pestilences

The bird flu continues to kill millions of birds all over the globe, various strains of mpox continue to circulate, and the pestilence that erupted in 2020 is still making people sick throughout the world.  Meanwhile, some U.S. states are seeing a historic spike in flu cases…

The ‘super flu’ is exploding across the US, with some states seeing more cases than ever before.

The latest CDC data for the week ending December 20 shows positive flu tests are up 53 percent compared to the week prior. Positive tests are up nearly 75 percent from this time last year.

During the week ending December 20, the number of people hospitalized surged 51 percent, and the number already in hospital has nearly doubled compared to the same period last year.

It is just a matter of time before the next great global pandemic arrives, and scientists are warning us that it could come from a multitude of potential directions…

Scientists continue to discover viruses with worrisome characteristics (Chen et al. 2025). Some experts worry about the potential for a leak from pathogen research labs (Palacios, Garcia-Sastre, and Relman 2025), or AI’s ability, in the wrong hands, to help with the creation of a bioweapon (Tjandra 2025). Out in the open, H5N1 avian influenza continues to spread and infect a wide range of animal species—the virus perhaps just a mutation away from becoming a human threat (Lin et al. 2024). Another pathogen, most likely an influenza or another coronavirus is waiting to break out.

#9 Seismic Activity Along The Pacific Ring Of Fire

Seismic activity along the Pacific Ring of Fire increased dramatically in 2025.

And as we enter 2026, the state of California is being shaken by significant earthquakes on an almost daily basis.

In fact, we just witnessed a magnitude 4.9 quake that really shook a lot of people up…

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake was recorded near the town of Susanville in Lassen County on Tuesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake was centered around nine miles northwest of Susanville at 9:49 p.m. It was downgraded from an initial magnitude of 5.3.

#10 The Greatest Global Food Crisis In Modern History

We are in the midst of the greatest global food crisis in modern history.

But don’t just take my word for it.

The following comes from the official website of the UN’s World Food program…

Yes. Right now, there is a global food crisis – the largest one in modern history. Since the United Nations World Food Program’s (WFP) creation in 1963, never has hunger reached such devastating highs. From the eruption of new conflicts and the escalating impacts of the climate crisis to soaring food and fuel costs, millions of people are being driven closer to starvation each day.

Nearly 350 million people around the world are experiencing the most extreme forms of hunger right now. Of those, nearly 49 million people are on the brink of famine. Behind these massive statistics are individual children, women and men suffering from the dire effects of such severe hunger. Malnourished mothers give birth to malnourished babies, passing hunger from one generation to the next. Children’s physical and cognitive growth is stunted. Farmers are unable to grow enough food to provide for their families and communities. Entire towns are forced to leave their homes in search of food.

We really are living in apocalyptic times.

Sadly, many in the western world don’t seem to understand this since we don’t have war or famine on our own soil.

But for those that are watching carefully, it is exceedingly clear that we have arrived at a truly unique chapter in human history.

So many incredibly strange things are occurring all around us.

On New Year’s Eve, a green meteor dramatically flew past the most important landmark in the center of the United States…

A shimmering meteor was spotted cutting across the sky over the famed Gateway Arch in Missouri hours before revelers rushed to a New Year’s Eve celebration at the monument’s base.

“HEY LOOK, it’s… A meteor saying hi to the Gateway Arch on New Year’s Eve!” The St. Louis Gateway Arch’s X account wrote in a post shared with the breathtaking video.

In the six-second clip, a small white speck appears over one end of the arch. It grows into a green blaze that pulses once before disappearing back into the dark obscurity provided by the predawn sky — right as it reaches the arch’s peak.

The viral video was captured on an Earth Cam situated at Malcolm Martin Memorial Park in east St. Louis. The camera is angled directly towards the city’s skyline all day, every day.

That is something that you don’t see every day.

Of course so many weird things have been happening in the heavens over the last couple of years, and most of the population simply doesn’t care.

Most of us have an unbreakable addiction to entertainment at this point, and getting people to focus on anything other than entertainment is becoming exceedingly difficult.

Most people are just going to continue to stare at their screens as the world falls apart all around them, and that is extremely unfortunate.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written nine other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post 10 Very Important Trends To Watch As We Enter 2026 appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

Is it just a coincidence that a massive protest movement has erupted in Tehran at the same time that the U.S. and Israel are warning that new military action against Iran may be needed soon?  Without a doubt, the Islamic radicals that are ruling Iran are one of the most oppressive regimes on the entire planet, and so it is perfectly understandable that people that live under that regime would want to go out into the streets and protest.  But what we have been witnessing in Tehran this week doesn’t feel spontaneous to me.  Could it be possible that starting a revolution in the capital is part of the overall plan for the next stage of the war with Iran?

Following his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, President Trump issued quite an ominous threat to the Iranians…

President Donald Trump issued new warnings against Iran and Hamas after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida on Monday to try to advance the ceasefire deal that Trump brokered in Gaza.

Trump threatened Iran with unspecified consequences, saying Iran “may be behaving badly” and suggesting it was trying to rebuild nuclear sites after the U.S. struck three of them this year.

“If it’s confirmed, look, there will be consequences,” he said. “Consequences will be very powerful, maybe more powerful than last time.”

The day before Trump’s threat, protests against the Iranian regime suddenly erupted in central Tehran…

Protests began on Sunday after shopkeepers in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar staged a strike when the rial hit a record low, plummeting to 1.42 million to the U.S. dollar.

Demonstrations spread to the cities of Karaj, Hamedan, Qeshm, Malard, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Shiraz and Yazd, where police used tear gas to disperse the protesters, BBC Persian reported. One video showed a protester curled up on the ground in Tehran, blocking a gang of black-clad police officers on motorcycles.

University students chanted slogans including “death to the dictator,” referring to Khamenei. Other slogans backed Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

If the nuts currently running Iran were removed, it is quite likely that Reza Pahlavi would serve as interim leader until new elections could be held.

On Tuesday, he posted a very long message on X which called on the entire population of Iran to go into the streets and join the protests…

My courageous compatriots,

Your presence in the streets across Iran has kindled the flame of a national revolution. The continuation and expansion of your presence, and taking control of the streets, is today our foremost, vital priority.

I call upon the people of Iran to join in with the nationwide strikes and protests: government employees, workers in the energy and transportation sectors, truck drivers, nurses, teachers and academics, artisans and entrepreneurs, retirees and those who have lost their savings—everyone, unite and join this national movement.

Across Iran: Tehran, Karaj, Qazvin, Rasht, Sari, Gorgan, Semnan, Bojnord, Mashhad, Birjand, Zahedan, Kerman, Yazd, Shiraz, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Yasuj, Ahvaz, Shahrekord, Isfahan, Khorramabad, Ilam, Kermanshah, Sanandaj, Urmia, Tabriz, Ardabil, Zanjan, Hamedan, Arak, and Qom.

I ask Iranians abroad—from Australia and East Asia to Europe and North America—to redouble your activities within the framework of the “Rise Iran” campaign to amplify the voice of the Iranian people to the media, international institutions, foreign governments, and parliaments.

Iran and its streets belong to the Iranian nation. And we will be victorious, because we are united and we are many.

Long live Iran,
Reza Pahlavi

He knows exactly what he is doing.

And he was probably encouraged to post such a message.

After months of economic pressure from the United States and Europe, the Iranian economy is a giant mess.

The overall inflation rate is up to 42 percent, and food prices have risen by 72 percent over the past year…

According to the state statistics center, the inflation rate in December rose to 42.2% from the same period last year and is 1.8% higher than in November. Food prices rose 72% and health and medical items were up 50% from December last year, according to the statistics center. Many critics see the rate as a sign of approaching hyperinflation.

When people can’t afford to buy enough food for their families, they tend to get very desperate.

One local merchant told a British news source that he was concerned that he would soon “have to bring suitcases of cash to simply buy bread”…

“What will my children eat? Do we have to bring suitcases of cash to simply buy bread? Do you find that normal?” Alborz told the Guardian over the phone, speaking under a pseudonym for fear of security reprisals.

Iran’s prosecutor general is acknowledging that Iranians that are hurting economically have a right to protest.

But he is also warning that if any protesters are engaged in the “implementation of externally designed scenarios”, they will face a “decisive response”…

“Peaceful livelihood protests are part of social and understandable realities,” Mohammad Movahedi-Azad told state media after protests started by shopkeepers in the capital city Tehran, which were joined by students and others in several cities across the country.

“Any attempt to turn economic protests into a tool of insecurity, destruction of public property, or implementation of externally designed scenarios will inevitably be met with a legal, proportionate and decisive response,” warned Movahedi-Azad.

The Iranians have seen this before.

During the 12 Day War, internal unrest suddenly erupted, and many were hoping that it would lead to the overthrow of the Iranian regime at that time.

And now that we are seemingly on the verge of more military conflict between Israel and Iran, the Israelis are publicly urging Iranians to “go out into the streets”…

His comments came days after the Mossad intelligence agency of Iran’s arch-foe Israel posted on social media that it was “with you on the ground,” in a message to Iranian protesters. Posting on its Persian-language X account, the spy agency encouraged Iranians to “go out into the streets together.”

The U.S. State Department also seems quite eager to add fuel to the fire…

In a post shared via its own Farsi language account on X, the U.S. State Department said Wednesday that it was “deeply concerned by reports and videos that peaceful protesters in Iran are facing intimidation, violence, and arrests.”

“Demanding basic rights is not a crime. The Islamic Republic must respect the rights of the Iranian people and end the repression,” the U.S. government said in the post.

“First the bazaars. Then the students. Now the whole country. Iranians are united. Different lives, one demand: respect our voices and our rights,” the State Department said in a subsequent post.

Over the past several decades, the U.S. has been involved in organizing and funding revolutions against anti-western governments all over the world.

So it would not surprise me at all to learn that our fingerprints are all over this one.

Of course the Iranians don’t exactly have a right to complain, because they have been attempting to spread revolution all over the Middle East since 1979.

Let’s watch Iran very closely and see what happens next.

Already, there are reports that Iranian security forces have gotten violent with some of the protesters…

“You must be naive to think Iranians trust this government or the regime,” said Farhad, a 19-year-old university student active in the protest movement who spoke under a pseudonym.

He and other students described how security services had confiscated student IDs and beaten and arrested some protesters. A protester in Tehran sent the Guardian a picture of a metal pellet, which they said was shot at them by security forces. The Guardian could not independently verify the claim of the protester.

“If the administration wanted to talk, they wouldn’t fire teargas, shoot at protesters and if dialogue is what they wanted, they would not have executed protesters in 2023. There is no willingness from any of us to talk to them, we want the mullahs gone and we want democracy,” Farhad added.

As footage of violence circulates on social media, that may inspire some protesters to take more extreme action.

On Wednesday, one group of protesters actually attempted to break into a local government building in Fasa…

Iranian protesters demonstrating over economic hardship and a plummeting currency attempted to break into a local government building as the unrest continued for a fourth day.

State media reported on Wednesday an organised group of “rioters” attempted to get into the local governorate building in Fasa in the southern province of Fars. Footage broadcast showed a group of people trying to break open the gate of the building.

“Their attack failed with the intervention of security forces,” state media said. “The leader of these rioters, a 28-year-old woman, was arrested.”

The semi-official Tasnim news agency cited a local official ‍as saying three members of the security forces were wounded during the incident while four “attackers” had been detained.

A revolution that removes the Iranian regime from power may be one of the only ways that a cataclysmic military showdown between Israel and Iran can be avoided at this stage.

Newsweek is reporting that the Iranians are currently developing “unconventional warheads” that would have the capability of delivering chemical or biological weapons to Israeli targets…

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is working on the unconventional warheads for ballistic missiles while also repositioning missile launchers to the country’s eastern regions outlet Iran International quoted military sources as saying in a Monday report. The sources, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said these activities have accelerated in recent months.

The warheads are designed to carry and disperse chemical or biological agents when delivered by ballistic missiles, rather than conventional explosives, as an added form of deterrence alongside Iran’s existing missile force.

While the report noted that if confirmed, the move could drastically alter the region’s deterrence balance, it could trigger more intensified pressure on Tehran. Chemical and biological weapons are prohibited under international conventions to which Iran is a signatory.

The Israelis aren’t just going to sit there and allow the Iranians to do this.

They will strike first and ask questions later.

And once the missiles start flying again, things will get really insane in the Middle East.

I realize that most prominent voices are focused on other matters as we enter 2026.

But I believe that the drama that is unfolding in the Middle East has the potential to be one of the biggest stories during the year ahead, and so I will be monitoring developments very, very closely.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written nine other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post Is A Revolution In Iran Part Of The Plan? appeared first on End Of The American Dream.

When it comes to our pistol-dot-style optics, the default has been red for decades. It is easier to power and, in most cases, work well. However, green dots are easier to see because they sit in the middle of the visible light spectrum, hitting more of our eye’s photoreceptor cells than red light does, making them pop more in bright daylight, feel less straining, and appear clearer to people with astigmatism. With advances in technology, more and more companies are now adding green dots to their lineups. A great example of that is C&H Precision.

Adding Green – C&H Expands Their Reticle Options

C&H Precision (CHPWS) has announced an expansion of its pistol optics lineup, adding green-reticle variants across several of its most popular models. The new options are now available for the COMP, COMP Max, EDC, and DUTY XL optics, as well as for all Direct Mount Optics designed for select SIG SAUER, HK, GLOCK, CZ, Walther, Taurus, and Smith & Wesson pistols.

Previously, these optics had only red reticles. The addition of green provides shooters an option that may be more visible in some lighting, especially for those who find it easier to see against bright or complex backgrounds.

EDC Enclosed Optic

While not yet available, C&H Precision also confirmed that its EDC Enclosed optic will receive a green-reticle variant. That model is expected to launch on the company’s website and through its authorized dealer network in the near future.

“The expansion to green-reticle options across both our core optics and direct-mount models is a direct response to customer demand,” stated Buck Holly, founder and president of C&H Precision, in the press release. “This line extension allows shooters to choose the reticle color that best fits their vision and shooting conditions without sacrificing durability or performance.”

Adding Green

C&H Precision is a family-owned manufacturer in Richmond Hill, Georgia, specializing in pistol optics and mounting solutions. The company recently moved into a single 50,000-square-foot facility to boost capacity and efficiency.

For more information, visit C&H Precision.

WHY OUR ARTICLES/REVIEWS DO NOT HAVE AFFILIATE LINKS

Affiliate links create a financial incentive for writers to promote certain products, which can lead to biased recommendations. This blurs the line between genuine advice and marketing, reducing trust in the content.

The post Adding Green-C&H Precision Expands Their Lineup appeared first on Athlon Outdoors Exclusive Firearm Updates, Reviews & News.

This article was originally published by Michael Snyder at The Economic Collapse Blog. 

This year, silver has been on the greatest bull run that we have ever seen.  It is up an astounding 166 percent since January 1st, and so those who purchased it long ago and stuck with it are really loving life right now.  When the price of silver reached the 50 dollar mark earlier this year, I thought that it would be some time before it hit the 60 dollar mark.  But of course, the truth is that it didn’t take long at all.

Once the price of silver reached 60 dollars, I thought that it might hit 70 dollars sometime in early 2026.  If you check the latest numbers, you will see that we have easily blown past that threshold, and the price of silver has already surpassed 80 dollars in Shanghai.  I know that I have been using the word “crazy” a lot lately, but without a doubt, what we are witnessing at this moment is truly “crazy.”

So why is this happening?

In a previous article, I discussed factors such as the AI boom, strong industrial demand, new technologies, and a spike in demand for physical silver in Asia.

But let’s step back for a moment and take a look at the bigger picture.

To me, it is not a coincidence that the price of silver is exploding at the exact same time that we are reaching the terminal phase of the largest global debt super cycle in history…

Global debt has climbed to an all-time high of $337.7 trillion by the end of the second quarter of 2025, according to the latest Global Debt Monitor from the Institute of International Finance (IIF). The first half of 2025 alone saw an increase of over $21 trillion, largely driven by accommodative financial conditions, a softer US dollar, and continued government borrowing.

This jump is comparable to the COVID-era debt explosion in 2020, when governments and corporations worldwide dramatically ramped up spending to tackle the pandemic.

This is the first time in world history that all of the major powers are facing a nightmarish debt crisis simultaneously.

As this 337.7 trillion dollar debt bubble bursts, it is going to be so important to have your money somewhere safe.

So it makes all the sense in the world that there is so much demand for silver right now.

Long-term bond yields have been surging all over the globe, and this is even happening in nations that were once considered to be “safe havens” such as Japan and Germany…

Long-term yields are rising sharply across many countries, including in Germany and Japan, which in the past used to be safe havens. That puts huge pressure on fiscally distressed countries like Italy and France and incentivizes short-termism. If the EU wants to become a geopolitical player, it can’t allow high-debt countries to dictate foreign policy. This has to stop.

Meanwhile, fiat currencies are rapidly losing value, and that has particularly been true for the U.S. dollar…

The U.S. dollar was on the back foot on Wednesday and set for its biggest yearly fall since 2017, possibly with more to come, as investors wagered the Federal Reserve would have room to cut rates further next year even as most of its peers look finished with easing.

Tuesday’s solid U.S. GDP reading failed to move the dial on the rate outlook, leaving investors pricing in roughly two more Fed cuts in 2026.

This has been a horrible year for the U.S. dollar.

That is one of the reasons why the purchasing power of your money doesn’t stretch as far as it once did.

For the year, the U.S. dollar index is down about 10 percent…

Against a basket of currencies, the dollar index fell to a 2-1/2-month low of 97.767. It was on track to lose 9.8% for the year, which would mark its steepest annual drop since 2017. Any further weakness in the last week of the year would take its fall to its greatest since 2003.

Please keep in mind that the other currencies that the U.S. dollar is being measured against are rapidly losing value as well.

It is just that the U.S. dollar is losing value even faster.

One of the reasons why the U.S. dollar is losing value so rapidly is that global central banks are becoming less dependent on it…

The share of USD-denominated assets held by other central banks dropped to 56.9% of total foreign exchange reserves in Q3, the lowest since 1994, from 57.1% in Q2 and 58.5% in Q1, according to the IMF’s new data on Currency Composition of Official Foreign Exchange Reserves.

USD-denominated foreign exchange reserves include US Treasury securities, US mortgage-backed securities (MBS), US agency securities, US corporate bonds, and other USD-denominated assets held by central banks other than the Fed.

This is not good news at all.

Because, as Wolf Richter has aptly pointed out, having the reserve currency of the world has been a massive advantage for us…

Foreign central banks buying USD-denominated assets, such as Treasury securities, helps push up prices and push down yields of those assets. Being the dominant reserve currency had the effect of helping the US borrow more cheaply to fund its huge twin deficits – the trade deficit and the budget deficit – and thereby has enabled the US to run those huge twin deficits for decades. At some point, this continued decline as a reserve currency, as it reduces demand for USD debt, would make the trade deficit and the budget deficit more difficult to sustain.

People have been talking about the death of the U.S. dollar for a long time.

The U.S. dollar is certainly not dead yet, but the fact that it is in the process of dying should deeply alarm us.

The entire global financial system is shifting, and right now there is a global race to accumulate precious metals.  This is particularly true for silver…

Silver has been designated critical by the United States. Russia has increased accumulation. India has discouraged selling while encouraging the use of silver as collateral. The Middle East is preparing silver-linked tokenized instruments. Demand is rising across jurisdictions.

At the same time, there have been some things going on behind the scenes that have caused the price of silver to go parabolic over the last couple of months…

Here’s the next dot: over the last two months, there has been a massive inflow of silver from Latin America into the United States. Not into China. Into the U.S.

Who is one clearinghouse? JPMorgan.

On Black Friday, JPMorgan effectively pulled silver off the market. That removal of available supply triggered a forced response elsewhere. Someone in China who was structurally short silver had to cover, and cover aggressively. That wasn’t a trade. That was a scramble.

I don’t see how the price of silver can keep going up at this rate.

At some point, it will stabilize.

But of course, silver is not the only precious metal that is in great demand right now.

On Friday, the price of platinum and the price of palladium both went absolutely haywire…

Elsewhere, spot platinum rose 8.7% to $2,411.46 per ounce, having earlier hit a record high of $2,448.25, ⁠while palladium climbed nearly 10% to $1,850.76.

For those who have invested in precious metals, what we are witnessing at this moment is such good news.

Conversely, unprecedented volatility in the prices of precious metals is a major red flag for the global financial system.

Bond yields are going nuts, cryptocurrencies have already crashed, and global stock markets are flashing huge warning signs.

Many are anticipating a great deal of financial chaos in 2026, and at this stage it is hard to argue that they are wrong.

Michael’s new book, entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next,” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book, entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next,” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written nine other books that are available on Amazon.com, including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books, you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The world remembers the first clash of ironclad warships on March 9, 1862, as the battle between “Monitor and Merrimac.” Technically, their duel was part of the Battle of Hampton Roads and the Merrimac was renamed the CSS Virginia; but in fairness, “Monitor and Merrimac” is appealing to the ear and it was documented at the time that the Confederate ironclad was frequently referred to by her old U.S. Navy name in the press, and even among her own crew.

Monitor And Merrimac Early On

Like a lot of boys in my generation, I became intimately interested in Monitor and Merrimac through a Lindberg plastic model kit they introduced in 1962 on the 100^th anniversary of the battle. They were delightful for bathtub combat and the Merrimac even had a little battery powered motor.

When the wreck of the Monitor was discovered in the early 1970s and documented in National Geographic magazine, I poured over the montaged photos of its collapsing 5/8” thick hull plating and broken ribs through a magnifying glass with profound disappointment. She lay upside down, the rear of her port side resting on her dislodged turret with her starboard side buried. Though only 213 feet down, the vessel that once sailed through more than a score of hits from the Merrimac’s 9-inch smoothbore and 7-inch and 6.4-inch Brooke rifled guns hardly worse for the wear, appeared too delicate from deterioration to be raised from her watery grave. 

Monitor Recovery Efforts

Fortunately, some people love history so much, they can’t take no for an answer. They concluded that if they couldn’t recover the whole Monitor, they should at least recover some of it. To date, over 1,500 artifacts have been brought to the surface! You can see her 9-foot tall screw still attached to a section of the propellor shaft, and the bronze engine register bearing her name that recorded its revolutions. Monitor was the first U.S. Navy vessel to have flushing toilets, five in total (two for officers, two for enlisted, and a private one for the captain) and the plumbing for one is on exhibit. A mistake in the sequence of valve opening demonstrated to the ship’s surgeon that the toilet could become a most unsanitary fountain.

Also on display is the anchor and chain that her captain dropped in desperation on the night of December 30, 1862, in a vain attempt to stabilize the flat bottomed vessel as it pitched and rolled through the heavy waves in a severe storm 16 miles off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. You can see the red lantern that signaled the Monitor’s tow ship, the USS Rhode Island, that the ironclad was sinking. Hours after the surviving crew were rescued, witnesses recalled that red lantern atop the turret mast tossed around by the violent sea, disappearing under the waves, then reappearing again and again, until finally disappearing for good.

Personal Effects

Sixteen of the Monitor’s crew were lost. The remains of two of them were discovered entombed in the turret, one possibly crushed under the cannon when the vessel capsized. You can see their personal effects: a pocket knife, wedding ring, mismatched shoes, perhaps hastily pulled on in the dark before that unlucky sailor began his life or death transit of the ship’s flooding interior, praying to reach the turret and escape out its roof hatch.

Mariners Museum

The Mariners Museum at Newport News, Virginia, in addition to being a first class nautical museum, is home to the USS Monitor Center and responsible for the care of over 200 tons of artifacts recovered from the wreck of the Civil War ironclad, including its massive revolving gun turret, 11-inch Dahlgren cannons, and steam engine. The preservation of these artifacts at the co-located,15,000 square foot, state-of-the-art, Batten Conservation Complex, is the world’s largest marine archaeological metals conservation project. Because the process of desalinization can take decades, the big and most spectacular pieces in this collection won’t be on display for years to come. However, I can say from experience, I found their Ironclad Revolution exhibit so engaging I didn’t even realize the real turret, cannons and engine weren’t on display until I saw them through the windows of the conservation complex submerged in their desalinization tanks.

Ironclad Revolution Exhibit

Whatever your level of scholarship, the multi-faceted Ironclad Revolution exhibit offers engaging insights into the technological, economic, political and strategic forces that shaped naval combat into the first year of Civil War, and ultimately led to the frenzied construction of the ironclad Monitor and Merrimac. These completely new and untested vessels went from drawing board to battle in about 10 months, and both went to the bottom before the end of 1862.

Their two days in battle demonstrated that wooden warships, whether propelled by wind or steam, were no match for armored ships (the Merrimac destroyed the USS Cumberland and Congress with ease), and armor protected revolving gun turrets (Monitor had the first) made all previous gun mountings obsolete. The exhibit also explains the who’s-who of this story. From presidents, engineers, and admirals down to common sailors and cooks, you’ll find just the right amount of biographical information enhanced with their actual words (drawn from records and personal correspondence) to humanize this larger-than-life legend and allow visitors to connect with the people who lived it. I stayed four hours (it seemed like one) and could have stayed the whole day.

Full-Scale Replica

If your time is limited, start your visit by walking around the full-scale replica of the USS Monitor displayed outside to the left of the lobby doors. The 1720foot long, 41.5-foot wide, iron hulled ship had only 18 inches of freeboard above the water and its most notable feature was a cylindrical turret, about 20 feet in diameter, protruding above its flat, 1-inch thick, iron deck plates. Confederate sailors mockingly described it as a “Yankee cheese box on a raft.”

What we can see, and they couldn’t, is the Monitor had half the draft of the Merrimac allowing her more room to maneuver in the shallow harbor. The draft of Merrimac’s keel, nominally 21 feet, confined her to the narrow shipping channel which at its broadest point was just over two and half miles wide. Merrimac needed a mile to make a 180 degree turn. The Monitor sailed rings around her.

Seeing the Monitor replica outside gives you a frame of reference for the inside exhibit. Pay the $1 admission and find out when the next Battle of Hampton Roads documentary is playing in the theater. While you wait, check out the 9-inch Dahlgren smoothbore cannon with its muzzle shot off at the exhibit entrance. It was on the Merrimac, and the muzzle was shot away by the valiant crew of the USS Cumberland on the first day of the battle. 

Battle of Hampton Roads 

The 15 minute documentary is an excellent, dramatic, overview of the two day battle. You’ll see the havoc the Merrimac caused among the wooden ships on the first day, including how she sank the USS Cumberland with her 1,500 pound iron bow ram, set the USS Congress ablaze with red hot cannon projectiles heated in a furnace installed just for that purpose, and caused the remaining frigates to run aground before withdrawing from Hampton Roads for the night ahead of the falling tide that would have surely immobilized her.

 Monitor was on its way to Hampton Roads before the battle began. Delayed after nearly sinking in rough seas while sailing from New York, it dropped anchor around 1am, in time to witness the spectacular explosion of the USS Congress. The ironclads met the next morning, and fought each other to a confused draw four hours later. U.S. Navy casualties numbered over 261 dead and 108 wounded, nearly all from the first day. The Merrimac had only 25 wounded among her 320 man crew. Monitor had three.

Parts Of The Monitor And Merrimac

After the film, explore the life-size, cutaway, replicas of parts of the Monitor and Merrimac. The real meaning of the term ironclad is readily apparent. Both vessels made extensive use of wood. Merrimac’s entire hull was salvaged from the sunken USS Merrimack, and the new casement was 24 inches of wood with 4 inches of iron plating outside. The Monitor, though of more advanced design with an iron lower hull, had a wooden upper deck sheathed in heavy protective armor.

In these exhibits, you can appreciate how imaginative and technologically advanced these vessels were, and also how deeply flawed. The submerged hull of the Merrimac was a tremendous strain on the engines and leaked so badly, one has to wonder if it was always a failed bilge pump away from sinking. Monitor’s steam powered turret turned easily, but proved near impossible to stop on target, forcing the gun crew to fire on the fly. In addition, though nearly impervious to enemy fire, it was apparent immediately that the Monitor was not seaworthy.  

A great side trip if you plan on visiting Colonial Williamsburg or Yorktown Battlefield, The Mariner’s Museum, located at 100 Museum Drive, Newport News, Virginia, 23606, is open daily from 9-5pm.

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United States President Donald Trump wants to take over Greenland in the name of “national security.” Earlier, Trump appointed a special envoy to the Arctic island, triggering a backlash from Denmark’s ruling class.

Greenland is currently under Danish rulership, but it claims the U.S. needs it for its strategic location.  “You look up and down the coast, you have Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. We need it for national security. We have to have it,” he added.

He also wants it for the island’s mineral resources.

Trump has not ruled out annexation and taking the island by force. Earlier, Governor Jeff Landry of Louisiana was appointed as the US special envoy to Greenland, saying he chose Landry because “he’s a deal-maker-type guy.” Trump seems to think Landry can convince Denmark to hand over Greenland.

Landry later wrote on X that it was “an honor to serve” in the volunteer role “to make Greenland a part of the US,” saying it would not affect his duties as governor, according to a report by RT. 

Back in June, the U.S. backed off its efforts to acquire the Arctic island; however, it appears that the ruling class is once again determined.

U.S. Backs Off of the Takeover of Greenland

Denmark is not amused with the U.S.’s attempts to take over Greenland.

“Out of nowhere, there is now a special US presidential representative, who, according to himself, is tasked with taking over Greenland,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told the TV 2 channel, calling the development “completely unacceptable.”

If the ruling class of Denmark wanted, it could take this special envoy appointment as an act of war. The U.S. has previously admitted that military force would not be off the table when it comes to the takeover of Greenland.

U.S. Will Acquire Greenland “One Way Or The Other”

Is this an act of war? It seems like, at the bare minimum, it’s a threat. What do you think?