Palisades Gold Radio

Stijn Schmitz welcomes back Colonel Douglas Macgregor to the show. Doug is a Retired U.S. Army Colonel and Decorated Combat Veteran. He offers a stark assessment that the Middle East conflict is fundamentally a Jewish war with no vital strategic interest for the United States, describing it as already regional and increasingly merging with other global flashpoints. He argues that the recent halt in hostilities is merely a pause, not a resolution, as no underlying issues have been settled.

The conversation highlights how three conflicts—Ukraine, the Gulf region, and the cold war with China—are converging into a larger, dangerous alignment of Russia, China, and Iran against US and Israeli interests. Macgregor warns that Iran has effectively weaponized the Strait of Hormuz, and a potential Houthi blockade could cripple Saudi Arabia’s ability to export oil, threatening the existence of Gulf states unless they expel American forces.

He contends that the US has been militarily defeated by Iran’s strategic use of new technology and space-based surveillance, yet political pressure from Zionist billionaires and the Israel lobby prevents President Trump from disengaging. This dynamic, he argues, will likely restart the bombing campaigns.

The discussion shifts to the profound economic implications, with Macgregor predicting severe market fragility, potential bank runs, and even a depression. Against this backdrop, he sees gold becoming more valuable than ever, propelled by central bank buying, de-dollarization, and monstrous US debt. He cites predictions of gold reaching $13,000 to $15,000 per ounce, possibly sooner than 2031 if conflict reignites.

Macgregor reveals his personal investment philosophy of holding cash and precious metals exclusively, emulating J.D. Rockefeller’s strategy of maintaining liquidity to capitalize on distressed opportunities. He praises Palisades Goldcorp for its strong cash position and strategic investments in gold, uranium, and other critical minerals, positioning it for substantial upside in a deteriorating global economy. He concludes by emphasizing the decline of US hegemony and the urgent, yet ignored, need to accept a new world order.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:01:22 – Israel Iran Conflict Update

00:03:02 – Three Merging Global Conflicts

00:09:08 – China Cold War Risks

00:12:28 – Houthi Implications

00:14:30 – A Jewish War

00:23:36 – Conflicts & Impacts on Oil

00:30:44 – Joining Palisades Gold Board

00:32:37 – Gold Price Predictions 2031

00:38:12 – Gold Vs. Aliens/Other Commodities

00:44:41 – Doug’s Personal Finance Strategy

00:48:09 – Wrap Up and Resources

Guest Links:

Website: https://douglasmacgregor.com

X: https://x.com/DougAMacgregor

Substack: https://substack.com/@coloneldoug

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@macgregorwarriordiplomacy

Articles: https://breakingdefense.com/author/doug-macgregor/

Douglas Macgregor is a decorated combat veteran, an author of five books, a PhD, and a defense and foreign policy consultant.

Macgregor was commissioned in the Regular Army in 1976 after 1 year at VMI and 4 years at West Point. In 2004, Macgregor retired with the rank of Colonel. In 2020, the President appointed Macgregor to serve as Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defense, a post he held until President Trump left office. He holds an MA in comparative politics and a PhD in international relations from the University of Virginia.

Macgregor is widely known inside the U.S., Europe, Israel, Russia, China and Korea for both his leadership in the Battle of 73 Easting, the U.S. Army’s largest tank battle since World War II, and for his ground breaking books on military transformation: Breaking the Phalanx (Praeger, 1997) and Transformation under Fire (Praeger, 2003). Macgregor’s recommendations for change in Force Design and “integrated all arms-all effects” operations have profoundly influenced force development in Israel, Russia and China. In 2010, Macgregor traveled to Seoul, Korea to advise the ROK Ministry of Defense on force design. In 2019, Transformation under Fire was selected by Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, Chief of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), as the intellectual basis for IDF transformation. His fifth book, Margin of Victory: Five Battles that Changed the Face of Modern War from Naval Institute Press is available in Chinese, as well as, English and will soon appear in Hebrew.

In 28 years of service Macgregor taught in the Department of Social Sciences at West Point, commanded the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry, and served as the Director of the Joint Operations Center at SHAPE during the 1999 Kosovo Air Campaign for which he was awarded the Defense Superior Service medal. In January 2002, at Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s insistence the USCENTCOM Commander listened to Colonel Macgregor’s concept for the offensive to seize Baghdad. The plan was largely adopted, but assumed no occupation of Iraq by U.S. Forces.

Macgregor has also testified as an expert witness before the Senate and House Armed Services Committees and appeared as a defense analyst on Fox News, CNN, BBC, Sky News and public radio. He is fluent in German.

Stijn Schmitz welcomes Martin Armstrong to the show. Martin Armstrong is CEO and Chairman of Armstrong Economics Ltd. Martin argues that the conflict with Iran was a strategic miscalculation driven by Neocons and Benjamin Netanyahu’s flawed strategy of decapitation leadership, which historically never works. Contrary to assumptions, Iran is highly organized, has planned for this war for a decade, and is playing “3D chess” by targeting the Gulf states’ financial stability through attacks on Dubai and by threatening to shut down the Strait of Hormuz. This strategy is designed not just to raise oil prices but to trigger a sovereign debt crisis in the Gulf, which took on massive debts when oil prices collapsed during COVID.

Armstrong connects this to the Ukraine conflict, where he describes Volodymyr Zelensky as deliberately escalating to draw NATO into a broader war, attacking Russian energy facilities and Iranian ships to merge the two conflicts. This geopolitical turmoil is occurring amid a steep global recession expected to bottom between 2026 and 2028. He identifies Japan and the Middle East as the most at-risk regions for a sovereign debt crisis, while Europe is already economically crippled, with pension funds wiped out by years of negative interest rates. This desperation is why leaders like Macron seek war.

Despite the short-term bearish outlook for metals, Armstrong’s computer models forecast a strong bull market from 2027 into 2032, with gold potentially reaching $7,000 to $8,000, possibly spiking to $11,000. This corresponds with his prediction that 2032 will mark the collapse of republican forms of government, driven by systemic corruption. He also expects oil prices to rise due to physical supply shortages, fueling a stagflationary environment where traditional Keynesian economics fails. Capital fleeing war zones will continue flowing into the U.S., supporting both stocks and gold.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:00:33 – Guest Introduction and Background

00:01:08 – Iran Conflict Analysis

00:03:40 – Netanyahu Strategy and Failures

00:08:47 – Iran Geopolitical Strategy

00:12:00 – Historical Biases in Conflicts

00:21:10 – Ukraine War and Zelensky

00:28:00 – Sovereign Debt and Europe

00:35:00 – US Dollar and Capital Flows

00:42:37 – Gold Price Predictions

00:46:00 – 2032 Political Collapse Forecast

01:00:00 – Oil Prices and Stagflation

01:10:00 – Economic Theories Critique

01:14:30 – Concluding Thoughts

Guest Links:

Website: https://armstrongeconomics.com

X: https://x.com/strongeconomics

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/martin.armstrong.167

Amazon Book: https://tinyurl.com/ybtrslr9

Martin Armstrong is the Owner and Researcher for the website Armstrong Economics. He is the former chairman of Princeton Economics International Ltd. He is best known for his economic predictions based on the Economic Confidence Model, which he developed.

At age 13, Armstrong began working at a coin and stamp dealership in Pennsauken, New Jersey. After buying a bag of rare Canadian pennies, he became a millionaire in 1965 at the age of 15. He continued to work on weekends through high school, finding the real-world exciting, for this was the beginning of the collapse of the gold standard. Martin became captivated by this shocking revelation that there were not just booms and busts, but also peaks and valleys that would last centuries.

Armstrong progressed from gold coin investments to following commodity prices for precious metals. In 1973, he began publishing commodity market predictions as a hobby, and in 1983 Armstrong began accepting paid subscriptions for a forecast newsletter.

“In Armstrong’s view of the world where boom-bust cycles occur like clockwork every 8.6 years, what matters is his record as a forecaster. He called Russia’s financial collapse in 1998, using a model that also pointed to a peak just before the Japanese stock market crashed in 1989. These days, as the European sovereign-debt crisis roils markets worldwide, he reminds readers of his October 1997 prediction that the creation of the euro “will merely transform currency speculation into bond speculation,” leading to the system’s eventual collapse.”

His Website Armstrong Economics offers a unique perspective intended to educate the public and organizations on the global economic and political environment’s underlying trends. Their mission is to research historical cyclical trends.

Stijn Schmitz welcomes Joel Salatin to the show. Joel Salatin is a self described Christian Libertarian Environmentalist Capitalist Lunatic Farmer. Salatin describes a deeply distorted US agricultural landscape, where massive oversupply of corn and soybeans coexists with a historic cattle shortage. Half of domestic corn goes to ethanol, not food, and China’s pursuit of self-sufficiency is eroding soybean exports, yet government bailouts keep older, risk-averse farmers locked into unprofitable cropping cycles. This parasitic dependence on subsidies props up unneeded production while stifling the market signals that would otherwise push farmers toward cattle, a switch he demonstrated could be highly profitable and capital-efficient.

The fertilizer and energy shocks from Middle East conflicts further expose the fragility of input-dependent farming. Salatin noted that rising fuel costs drive farm bankruptcies and accelerate land consolidation into the hands of patient capital, including family offices and billionaires. He emphasized that genuine food security is not threatened by lack of production but by water scarcity and desertification driven by vegetative loss from overgrazing and continuous cropping. Instead, he champions a biological paradigm of farming that builds soil through cover crops, intensive rotational grazing, and on-farm composting to eliminate synthetic inputs.

His own Polyface Farms exemplifies this model, integrating livestock, forest, and direct marketing to create a resilient, local carbon economy. Salatin contends that the path forward lies not in propping up the failing industrial system but in entrepreneurial adoption of regenerative practices that mimic nature’s nutrient cycles and restore hydrological balance.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:00:51 – State of North American Agriculture

00:02:04 – Financial Struggles and Bailouts

00:03:02 – Cattle Herd Shortage Issues

00:03:55 – China Food Self-Sufficiency Plans

00:08:26 – Transitioning Soybean Farms to Cattle

00:11:40 – Conversion Costs and Payback

00:18:49 – Bailouts and Market Disconnect

00:24:20 – Screw Worm and Cattle Imports

00:29:00 – Localized Fertilizer and Carbon Cycles

00:35:15 – Impact of Fertilizer Shortages

00:41:23 – Water Issues and Vegetation

00:45:55 – Corn To Soybeans

00:47:00 – Energy Impacts on Farmers

00:55:00 – Water Rights & Investors

01:03:10 – Polyface Farms Operations

Guest Links:

Website: https://www.thelunaticfarmer.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/polyfacefarm

X: https://x.com/JoelSalatin

Joel Salatin, 68, dubs himself a Christian libertarian environmentalist capitalist lunatic farmer. Admirers hail him as the world’s most famous farmer, the high priest of the pasture, and Virginia’s most eclectic thinker since Thomas Jefferson. Detractors label him a bio-terrorist, Typhoid Mary, charlatan, and starvation advocate.

Armed with high school and college debate trophies, 16 published books, and a thriving multi-generational family farm, Salatin draws on decades of food, farming, and fantasy to captivate global audiences. Equally at home herding cows or keynoting for Wall Street CEOs, he covers profitable regenerative farming techniques alongside cultural debates like orthodoxy versus heresy.

A staple on radio and podcasts for preppers, homesteaders, ecological farmers, and foodies, Salatin blends practical, can-do entrepreneurial solutions with passionate sustainability advocacy.

Stijn Schmitz welcomes Josef Schachter to the show. Josef is the Founder of Schachter Asset Management Inc. Josef clarifies that the current energy market tightness is not a crude oil shortage but a severe refining capacity problem, particularly impacting Asia. While US production has surged to 24 million barrels daily, allowing for exports, a lack of refined products in Asia has driven local prices to the equivalent of over $150 per barrel. He attributes the volatility to geopolitical tensions, noting that oil prices swung from the high $90s to $67 before rebounding into the mid-$80s on renewed conflict fears.

Schachter outlines three potential scenarios for oil prices. If peace talks succeed and the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab reopen, prices could fall back below $70, aided by China’s massive strategic reserves and floating storage. If the conflict remains contained, a trading range between $70 and $94 is likely. However, a significant escalation involving Iran and key shipping lanes could push prices past the previous high of $119, potentially reaching $141.50. He warns that such a sustained spike above $120 would trigger severe global economic headwinds, combining with AI-driven job losses and high government debt to potentially cause a deep recession.

From an investment perspective, Schachter sees energy producers as undervalued, trading on long-term price assumptions of $60-$65 oil despite his forecast of $80 average for the year and $90 in 2027. He highlights Canada as a particularly attractive region due to a new, supportive political stance toward fossil fuels, vast undrilled reserves, and discounted valuations compared to US peers. He advises that higher prices will economically transform lower-tier drilling inventory into highly profitable assets, offering significant upside for investors across the energy and service sectors.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:00:42 – Current energy market conditions

00:02:46 – Crude oil supply analysis

00:04:23 – Refined product shortages

00:09:28 – Floating storage discussion

00:14:40 – Oil Shortage Debunking Thesis

00:17:47 – Dire Straits, Situation

00:21:08 – Asia refining crisis

00:25:42 – Asian Demand & Implications

00:29:05 – Recession and price scenarios

00:31:58 – Oil producer investment opportunities

00:35:48 – Canada energy sector outlook

00:41:10 – Other Opportunities?

00:46:47 – Concluding Thoughts

Guest Links:

Website: https://schachterenergyreport.ca

Subscription Discount for Palisade Listeners, $100 off the first year of our subscription, use coupon code “POD100”
https://schachterenergyreport.ca/subscriptions/

Josef Schachter is a 40+ year veteran of the Canadian Investment Management Industry, Josef Schachter has experienced several exceptional and turbulent global economic and stock market cycles. With his primary focus in the stock market and the energy sector, Josef is able to weave global political, economic and monetary issues with current energy data into a compelling story of what’s going on, what is to come, and why.

Josef is a frequent guest on Michael Campbell’s Podcast ‘Mikes Money Talks’ and other podcast and radio shows and is often quoted in the media. He is a regular Guest Speaker at the annual World Outlook Financial Conference in Vancouver and he delivers presentations to various companies and organizations. For several years, he was a frequent and notably colourful commentator on BNN Bloomberg’s Market Call.

Josef provided Oil and Gas research to Maison Placements Canada geared to their institutional clients for 15 years ending April 2017, and was acknowledged as the first analyst in Canada to predict the Oil Price Plunge of 2014.

Prior to establishing his firm Schachter Asset Management Inc. in 1996, Josef was the Chief Market Strategist at Richardson Greenshields, a Director of RGCL and a member of its Investment Policy Committee. He holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a past Chairman of the Canadian Council of Financial Analysts.

Stijn Schmitz welcomes back Bob Moriarty to the show. Bob Moriarty is an author, Founder of 321 Gold, and a former Marine Fighter Pilot. Moriarty outlines a deeply concerning global landscape, arguing that recent escalations—including Ukraine’s attack on Iranian vessels and Saudi Arabia’s strike on the Houthis—have rapidly transformed regional conflicts into what could become World War III. He contends that Israel is the primary driver of the war against Iran, with the United States under Donald Trump co-opting the conflict, potentially under duress from compromising information.

Despite the severe supply disruptions, including the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on Saudi refineries, oil prices have paradoxically fallen. Moriarty attributes this to widespread manipulation by governments draining strategic petroleum reserves and intervening in paper markets to suppress costs, a tactic he warns is unsustainable and risks permanently damaging storage infrastructure. He believes all the headwinds that previously kept prices low have become tailwinds, setting the stage for a sudden, explosive price spike that could devastate the global economy.

On precious metals, Moriarty notes gold’s resilience, referencing a forecast that it could trade between $4,000 and $6,000 this year due to currency debasement, though he emphasizes that manipulation exists across all markets. He advocates holding physical metals as insurance against chaos and sees extraordinary value in junior mining stocks, which he believes are historically undervalued relative to commodity prices. While acknowledging the high-risk nature of junior investments, he stresses that outsized gains from a few winners can offset losses.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:01:29 – War Escalation and WW3 Risks

00:04:40 – Oil Price Manipulation Explained

00:10:00 – Peace Talks and Hidden Agendas

00:14:32 – Infrastructure Strikes Analysis

00:19:22 – Oil Market Headwinds to Tailwinds

00:24:00 – SPR Depletion and Risks

00:27:00 – Crack Spreads and True Prices

00:32:08 – Perfect Storm in Energy Markets

00:35:36 – Imminent Petroleum Shortages

00:38:21 – Opportunities for Oil Producers

00:42:13 – Gold Prices and Investing

00:47:53 – Precious Metals Miners Outlook

00:54:32 – Wrap Up

Guest Links:

Website: http://www.321gold.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Moriarty/e/B01A9I4TJU?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3&qid=1599932580&sr=8-3

Bob Moriarty founded 321gold.com with his late wife, Barbara Moriarty, more than 16 years ago. They later added 321energy.com to cover oil, natural gas, gasoline, coal, solar, wind, and nuclear energy. Both sites feature articles, editorial opinions, pricing figures, and updates on both sectors’ current events. Previously, Moriarty was a Marine F-4B and O-1 pilot, with more than 832 missions in Vietnam. He holds fourteen international aviation records.