Global Snapshot
Global Snapshot Warning
Reading this page can be depressing - the news is not good. I use it as a reference point when I need a reality check about who I am and what role I can play in the global scheme of things. This is purely a collection of what I believe to be relevant metrics as to where the world is heading. I encourage you to contact me if you believe an important metric is missing.
The statistics are updated approximately every two weeks. I provide no analysis of the numbers. For an understanding of what they mean, I highly recommend a subscription to The Privateer.
For each metric I provide a reason for it’s importance, the latest available data and the source.
Take a deep breath…
Global Snapshot: Metrics Tracked
Click on each link to go directly to that section, or scroll down.
- US Dollar Metrics
- US$ Index
- US Debt
- US Debt Limit
- Other Statistics
- Valuations
- US Military
- Global Population
- Timeline of Ancient Civilizations
- Religious Adherents
US Dollar Index
Current Number: 77.34 | Back up to Index
Trend: Significantly Down. Currently at the lowest level in the history of the index since it was introduced in 1973 - the start of fiat currency.
Why Bother: The US$ Index is a measure of global confidence in the value of the world’s reserve currency. The global economic system relies on confidence, since it’s a confidence trick. When confidence ends and everyone runs for the exits, the Ponzi Scheme collapses. There are no supports left in this index of the world’s Reserve Currency. Every 0.01 point fall from here increases the chances of a rout for the US Dollar on world currency floors.
Sources: INO.com, Losing Cash, 321Gold, The Market Oracle
US Debt
Current Number: US$9,057 trillion | Back up to Index
Trend: Significantly up. Each US citizen’s share of this debt is $29,800. The National Debt has increased an average of $1.42 billion per day since September 29, 2006.
Why Bother? The current global economic system is based on a Ponzi Scheme - it relies on continual growth to maintain itself. In time it will reach a point where it can no longer sustain the required growth. As with all Ponzi Schemes, it has to collapse. While it cannot be predicted at what value the system will collapse, tracking this important metric provides an indication of the trend.
Indirectly, the debt figure is an indication of how much of a consumer society the West has become. In the East, where there is little concept of ‘property ownership’, it would be inconceivable to treat a home like an ATM.
Sources: US Treasury, US National Debt Clock (graphic), Mark TAW, Financial Sense, The Budget Graph
US Debt Limit
Current Number: US$9.815 trillion dollars, raised by $850 billion in October 2007 | Back up to Index
Trend: Significantly up.
Why Bother?
Gold & Silver
Gold Current Number: US$765 per ounce | Back up to Index
Trend: Significantly up.
Silver Current Number: US$13.51 per ounce | Back up to Index
Trend: Volatile but significantly up.
Why Bother? In recent years, we’ve seen the spectacular rise in the prices of office blocks, objets d’art, diamonds, autographs, metals, soft commodities, energy products, luxury motor vehicles and vast McMansions.
The question that needs to be asked is whether the prices of all these disparate entities are rising, or whether the price of money is falling. Nor must we ever forget that “capital” is not simply a digital entry, tapped effortlessly into the computer of some financial clearing house, but that it is a useful, productive resource that needs to be hewn from the earth, processed, and assembled — not in the hushed, marble halls of banking, but in the harsh and unforgiving environment of mines and quarries, fields and forests. The rise of the price of precious metals is directly related to the fall in the price (or value) of money.
Sources: Gal Marley, Silver Seek, von Mises Institute,
Oil
Current Number: US$88.60 per barrel, briefly exceeded $90 on Friday 26 October, 2007 | Back up to Index
Trend: Significantly up.
Why Bother? The booming economies of China and India rely increasingly on oil, and demand is rising fast, pushing up the price. The oil price rise over the last three years has been the steepest in 20 years. Since the cost of production is linked to the price of oil, a steep increase will result in steep inflation.
Sources: chron.com
US Military Bases
Current Number: 760 in 130 countries | Back up to Index
Trend: Up
Why Bother? The rise (and subsequent fall) of any empire always includes:
1) the attempted control of the world economy and its financial markets,
2) the attempted take over of all natural resources (primary resources and nonrenewable sources of energy).
This can only be accomplished militarily, and one of the most effective measurements of how far the empire has extended it’s reach is the count of international military bases.
Sources: Global Policy Forum, Global Research, Google Earth Community, Transnational Institute, GeoCommons, LibSci
US Military Expenditure
Current Number: US$ 643.9 billion for 2008 | Back up to Index
Trend: Significantly up (US$404 in 2001 to US$626 billion in 2007; 43% of global military spending and 7 times larger than China in Position 2; 41% of total US tax)
Sources: Global Issues, US Military Spending, Arms Control Center,
Global Population
Current Number: 6.62 billion | Back up to Index
Trend:Up
Why Bother? Used purely as a reference point to calculate ratios between important numbers.
Sources: Poodwaddle (for graphic), iBiblio, US Census, Princeton University
Timeline of Ancient Civilizations
Brief list of major civilizations | Back up to Index
- Egyptian Empire: 3100BC - 332BC, Duration: 2,768 years
- Minoan Empire: 2700BC - 1450BC, Duration: 1,250 years - Eruption of Thera: 1500BC
- China: 2200BC - 1500AD, Duration: 3,700 years
- Maya Civilization: 1800BC - 900AD, Duration: 2,700 years
- Babylonian Empire: 2000BC - 540BC, Duration: 1,460 years - Fall of Babylon: 539BC
- Assyrian Empire: 2000BC - 612BC, Duration: 1,388 years - Fall of Nineveh: 612BC
- Kingdom of Israel: 930BC - 70AD, Duration 1,000 years - Fall of Jerusalem: 70AD
- Roman Empire: 31BC - 476BC, Duration: 445 years - Fall of Rome: 476BC
- Ancient Greece: 750BC - 146BC, Duration: 604 years
- Persian Empire: 550BC - 1935AD, Duration: 2,485 years
- Byzantine Empire: 330 - 1453, Duration: 1,123 years - Fall of Constantinople: 1453
- British Empire: 1497 - 1997, Duration: 500 years - Handover of Hong Kong: 1997
- American Empire: 1898 - ?, Duration: 110 years
- See Also: Astrological Age and The Age of Pisces and the Age of Aquarius
Longest: China, 3,700 years
Shortest: Roman Empire, 445 years
Age of Modern West: 511 years in 2008
Average: 1,618 years
Why Bother? The rise and fall of civilizations is an important historical trend to watch, as it reminds us that this current civilization is due to end at some point.
Sources: image, Wikipedia, Saving Civilization, Societal Collapse,
Religious Adherents
Current Number: 5.76 billion, or 84% of the world’s population. | Back up to Index
Trend: No Change
Why Bother? The estimates of the number of individuals formally following a particular religion varies widely. Most studies found on the Internet refer to Adherents.com (link below). For my purposes, a general indication of the percentage of global population following any organised religion is an indication of how effectively thought processes can be influenced. The meaningful figure would be the number of deists, but it is unlikely that this number will ever be known.
Sources: adherents.com, Rich Lee Bruce
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