| Ripple Effect — January 6, 2026
History is clear. The“warmth of collectivism,” as New York City Mayor Mamdani wants you to believe, doesn’t come from a healthy economy. Maybe from, burning books and buildings… but not from building a prosperous society. Let’s compare two countries. Poland, rising out of collectivism, and Venezuela, forced into the delusion: Twenty years ago, the economic prosperity of Poland and Venezuela were, all things being equal, identical. (Source: Our World Data) Poland spent decades behind the Iron Curtain as a vassal state as part of what Reagan called the “Evil Empire”, the USSR. Venezuela did not, enjoying growth and economic freedom to become one of the wealthiest countries in South America.
However, Venezuela’s shift towards collectivism in the early 2000s led to a massive decline in the standard of living.
Meanwhile, once the people of Poland unshackled themselves from the collectivist delusion, it has become a thriving success story.
Since 2000, Poland’s GDP per capita has more than doubled after adjusting for inflation. In 2025, Poland surpassed Switzerland on the global who’s who of thriving economies, joining the G20.
In the same time span, Venezuela’s GDP has declined by two-thirds.
~ Addison | Something strange is happening in America today… And it could lead to the most surprising political outcome in memory. If history repeats… We could look back on Donald Trump as one of the most pivotal presidents of all time. Not because of his personality or his 'mean Tweets.' And not for any of his sweeping Executive Orders. As you'll see, it ties back to one of his key campaign promises to 'make America wealthy again.' To most people, it might seem impossible… The idea of waking up and finding yourself in a totally different tax bracket… Thanks to a huge bump in salary… Yet – one expert says this is precisely what's about to happen. And while most folks will cheer this move… It will come at a cost many can't fathom. 4-time Emmy winner John Burke just uncovered the shocking details of this story. Millions of Americans are barreling toward a financial reckoning few people understand. And what it could mean for your wealth and retirement in the months ahead. For the full interview – condensed down to an easy to watch video – click the link here. | P.S. Grey Swan Live! returns from its holiday hiatus this week. Our guest this week will be Matt Smith, publisher at Casey Research. Matt and co-author Doug Casey have just released a new book titled "The Preparation." Quick hit: Both Matt and Doug are raising cattle in Uruguay. The Preparation has some very strong opinions on the value of Western education and how to prepare the next generation to participate in a strong, thriving economy. If you have requests for new guests you’d like to see join us for Grey Swan Live!, or have any questions for our guests, send them here. How did we get here? Find out in these riveting reads: Demise of the Dollar, Financial Reckoning Day, and Empire of Debt — all three books are now available in their third post-pandemic editions. You might enjoy one or all three.  (Or… simply pre-order Empire of Debt: We Came, We Saw, We Borrowed, now available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble or if you prefer one of these sites: Bookshop.org, Books-A-Million or Target.)
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