In one of the little ironies of history, Edward Gibbons began publishing a six-volume writing project, “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” in 1776, just as what would become the American Empire was being launched with a revolution against a powerful British Empire still in its ascendency. His final book in the series was published in 1788 as America was in the middle of its two-year transition from a confederacy to a constitutional republic. The British Empire peaked around 1914 and was surpassed by the United States as the world’s foremost superpower in World War II, becoming the sole superpower upon the success of the Anglo-American partnership in collapsing its chief rival, the Soviet Union, during the Reagan and Thatcher administrations.
Studying the history of geopolitical upheavals is fascinating, but living through one makes the topic personal and often painful. Today the world is in the midst of a new upheaval involving many of the ancient powers seeking a new global order, led by a coalition called BRICS, which is an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. On Aug. 22-24, 2023, the BRICS coalition doubled in size, adding Iran, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt and Ethiopia, effective Jan. 1, 2024.
The dominant powers of this group are primarily Russia and China, with Russia providing the executive and military leadership and China providing both the financial stability of an economic giant and the political leverage of holding most of deeply indebted America’s loans. But all 12 of these countries are developed nations with a common interest in ending Anglo-American hegemony – which largely translates into ending U.S./British control of global trade and banking, and defanging NATO as its global enforcer.
For decades, rival elites on both sides of this divide have been engaged in a global chess-match set mostly along the imaginary boundary line of Europe and Asia – because apparently most of them accept Mackinder’s maxim that whoever controls Eurasia controls the world. But adding to the complexity of this equation, and bringing in other regions, especially the Middle East, is the importance of trade routes, including oil pipelines.
If you start with this premise and look back over geopolitics since WWII, all the subsequent lesser wars and “police actions” initiated mostly by the U.S. fit easily into the chess-match paradigm. Syria is about rival oil pipeline routes. Iraq and Libya were about global banking dependency. Iran is about control of the Suez Canal. The Ukraine war is both about oil pipelines and creating an “Israel” on Russia’s border – meaning a heavily militarized forward base to represent Western interests on a mostly hostile frontier.
It is also about gaining a tighter political and economic grip on Europe through energy dependency, of which the U.S. destruction of the Nord Stream II pipeline was an essential component: to prevent a Russian/German economic alliance that would have also supplied all of Europe with cheap, abundant energy.
U.S. domestic policy is being heavily affected by these geopolitical moves. For example, I contend that the sudden move to ban natural gas stoves is to free more supply for Europe, which is building gigantic transfer terminals to receive liquified natural gas from U.S. tankers to offset the loss from Russia (none of which is getting U.S. media coverage).
Indeed, the entire frantic “climate crisis” over carbon emissions – while also a means of increasing globalists power – seems to be an acknowledgment by “our” elites that the BRICS alliance might very well wrest control of the oil-based global economy away from us, and we need to be positioned to survive a global ban on carbon-based fuels that we would attempt to impose as a counter-measure. While that goal may prove unattainable given the growing clout of the BRICS alliance, it does at least provide an emerging narrative theme to justify future wars and police actions to “save the planet” from “criminally carbon-spewing nations.”
This chess-game framework also explains why we’re being conditioned to prepare for a Great Reset. We already have no ability to pay back China and other holders of our massive debt, but that problem will become exponentially worse if/when the dollar loses its globally exclusive reserve currency status. The best chance for retaining our hegemony would be the announcement of a global debt jubilee in conjunction with the launch of a completely new economic system which we control. Think of the Great Reset like geopolitical chemotherapy: a dose of poison designed to kill off the “cancer” in the world (i.e., non-submissive regimes), which theoretically would not kill the host body in the process but leave it stronger in the end.
As much as the extreme moral degeneracy of our elites makes the thought of a new global order more appealing, I don’t think BRICS can beat the West in this worsening conflict, and I believe the example of Brazil shows why. Brazil’s recently coup-reinstalled President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is as much a creation of the American left as any of our homegrown blue-state tyrants, but he’s also a highly ambitious political animal who presumably would rather not be under the American thumb. He was one of the original founders of BRICS and is the only one of the original heads of state who were in the coalition at its founding.
The BRICS threat to U.S. hegemony during Lula’s first administration was nominal, but by last month’s meeting in South Africa it was massive and growing. Lula’s participation in that meeting suggests to me he now is either serving as a U.S. mole in the BRICS leadership, or he believes BRICS represents a realistic opportunity to break his country free from U.S. control. Perhaps it was only for managing public perceptions but concurrent with the BRICS summit, the Brazilian Supreme Court (which staged the coup that reinstalled him) passed one of the world’s first anti-homophobia laws with actual criminal penalties.
That fascist law was a major bone for Lula to throw to the American leftists who helped rig the Brazilian election for him, in essence saying, “I’m still your boy.” But it also exposes the weakness of the glue holding BRICS together – the LGBT agenda is anathema to Russia and the other members. There is really nothing but a mutual desire to escape U.S. control that keeps them aligned – and THAT makes it extremely vulnerable to the British side of the Anglo-American pact, who are history’s greatest masters of “divide and conquer.” Watch and see.
To the painful personal side of this crisis, it was Lula who, during his first term in 2007 first attempted to criminalize pro-family activism, and my great friend and ally Julio Severo had to flee Brazil for the jungles of Guatemala after leading the defeat of the law. He, his wife and their seven children lived in exile there until he died in 2021. My ministry has ever since provided financial support to keep them together in one home, fed and clothed. My point is that global changes always hit the “little people” hardest – but being aware of what’s really going on helps us to better prepare and adapt.
Note: To help Julio Severo’s widow and children survive and get their legal status resolved, donate here using the Emergency Help for the Severo Family option. To help carry on Julio’s work defending the biblical standard for marriage and family against LGBT bullying, choose the “Carry on his work” option.
Content created by the WND News Center is available for re-publication without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
Why Bullion Beats Numismatics and Collectible for Your Safe or IRA
Precious metals continue to attract Americans seeking reliable ways to protect their wealth amid inflation, geopolitical risks, and stock market swings. Whether stored in a home safe or held inside a self-directed IRA, physical gold and silver deliver tangible value that paper or digital assets often lack. Yet investors must choose carefully between bullion—pure bars and coins valued mainly for their metal content—and numismatics or collectibles, where rarity, history, and collector demand heavily influence pricing.
Advisor Bullion serves as a dependable source for straightforward, high-quality bullion. The company specializes in physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, emphasizing transparent pricing and products that deliver maximum metal content for every dollar spent. This approach makes it ideal for both personal holdings and retirement accounts.
Bullion consists of refined precious metals in standard forms like one-ounce coins (American Gold Eagles, Silver Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs) or bars. Their value tracks closely to the current spot price of the metal. A typical gold bullion coin trades near the live gold spot price plus a small premium. This structure keeps costs clear and predictable.
Numismatic coins and collectibles add substantial value from factors such as age, rarity, minting errors, or historical significance. A pre-1933 U.S. gold coin or graded proof piece can carry premiums of 30%, 50%, or even 200% above melt value. While this appeals to hobbyists, it creates complexity. Pricing depends on subjective grading, collector trends, and auction results instead of daily spot prices.
For investors focused on wealth preservation and retirement security rather than building a collection, bullion often delivers better results.
Lower Costs and Better Liquidity for Home Storage
When keeping metals in a home safe or private vault, liquidity and efficiency count. Bullion offers clear benefits:
- You acquire more actual gold or silver per dollar invested. Numismatics divert a large share of your money into rarity premiums and massive sales commission, reducing your metal exposure.
- Selling bullion involves tight bid-ask spreads, so you recover nearly full spot value with minimal fees. Collectibles require finding the right buyer and may sell at a discount if demand for that specific item weakens.
- Bullion prices remain transparent and update with global spot markets. You can track gold near current levels or silver accordingly and know exactly where your holdings stand. Numismatic values are priced by the Gold IRA companies with hefty margins applied.
- Standardized coins and bars store efficiently and divide easily for partial sales. Rare coins often need protective slabs and controlled conditions, adding hassle and expense.
- Bullion enjoys worldwide acceptance. A 1-oz Gold Maple Leaf or Silver Eagle sells quickly to dealers anywhere. Niche numismatic pieces may appeal only to limited buyers, slowing liquidation when speed matters.
In times when quick access to value becomes important, bullion’s simplicity stands out.
Stronger Fit for Precious Metals IRAs
Precious metals IRAs continue gaining traction as investors diversify retirement portfolios beyond stocks and bonds. IRS rules permit certain bullion products in self-directed IRAs if they meet purity standards (.995 fine for gold, .999 for silver) and are held by an approved custodian. Eligible items include American Gold and Silver Eagles plus many generic bars and rounds from recognized mints.
Numismatic and most collectible coins generally face heavy scrutiny from custodians due to valuation disputes and elevated markups. These higher premiums mean less actual metal ends up working inside the account.
Bullion avoids these issues. Its value links directly to verifiable spot prices, which simplifies reporting and lowers the risk of regulatory challenges. More of your IRA contribution purchases real metal instead of dealer profits or speculative upside. Over time, owning additional ounces that appreciate with the metal itself can create meaningful outperformance compared with high-premium alternatives that deliver fewer ounces.
Regulatory guidance from the CFTC and state securities offices repeatedly cautions against aggressive sales of expensive numismatics or “semi-numismatic” coins for IRAs. For retirement planning, transparent bullion from established providers reduces risk and aligns better with long-term goals.
How to Get Started with Bullion
Begin by clarifying your goals. Are you protecting savings in a safe, or moving part of a retirement account into a precious metals IRA? Focus on the number of ounces you can acquire at current prices rather than chasing marked-up collectibles.
Diversify sensibly: use gold for core preservation and silver for its blend of industrial and monetary qualities. Mix coins for easier divisibility with bars for lower per-ounce costs on larger buys. Arrange secure storage—whether at home with proper insurance or through professional facilities.
As economic uncertainties linger and faith in conventional assets erodes, bullion continues proving its worth as a dependable store of value. Its direct approach avoids the hype that sometimes surrounds collectible markets and keeps the focus on the metal itself.
For investors prepared to strengthen their portfolios, Advisor Bullion supplies the expertise and selection needed to acquire high-quality bullion efficiently. Whether building personal holdings or integrating metals into an IRA, their emphasis on transparent, investment-grade products helps secure more ounces today that support greater financial security tomorrow. In a complicated financial landscape, bullion’s clarity and reliability make it the smarter foundation for protecting what matters most.