• Introduces guest Dr. Mark Skousen, macro strategist at Oxford Club, ahead of SpaceX IPO news.
    Jeremy Saffron
  • Mark Skousen
    SpaceX filing is largest IPO in history (1.5-1.7T). We are in a 'golden age of technology' like a roaring 20s. SpaceX growth is unprecedented (0 to $10B in 3 years).
    Cites SpaceX's 50% profit margin, Starlink's global reach, and Elon Musk's broader ventures (AI chips, robots) as evidence of a remarkable technological era.
  • Asks if SpaceX IPO validates a productivity thesis or just reflects extreme market liquidity.
    Jeremy Saffron
  • Mark Skousen
    Technology is real but markets get frothy. Tech stocks have pulled back to more reasonable levels due to the war. 'I'm still very bullish. I think these are opportunities to buy.' Expects SpaceX to go to a premium, then pull back, creating another buying opportunity.
    Draws parallel to dot-com boom/bust but emphasizes the underlying technology is genuine. The recent correction has created value.
  • Asks if the SpaceX/tech buildout strengthens the case for metals and energy.
    Jeremy Saffron
  • Mark Skousen
    Data centers are linked to energy, recommends specific energy pipeline companies. Gold, silver, copper are useful industrial commodities, not just monetary metals. 'We've entered an era of permanent inflation.' Supplies of metals are restricted (secular decline in mine discovery). Bullish on uranium stocks.
    Argues everything is moving to higher levels due to increasing demand and restricted supply. Inflation is not transitory.
  • Asks which commodity markets are underpriced given the permanent inflation regime.
    Jeremy Saffron
  • Mark Skousen
    Silver has a major bull market due to industrial use in AI chips. Copper has real potential. Uranium has more room to grow (at $85 vs previous $120 high).
    Silver is no longer just for photography. Copper is used in many applications. Uranium prices have not yet peaked.
  • Asks if silver's 100% gain means a new permanent price regime or risk of deeper pullback.
    Jeremy Saffron
  • Mark Skousen
    'My prediction is that it's back over $50 headed to 100 again. It's never going to go back under 50.' Industrial demand (data centers, self-driving cars) and inflation will support prices.
    Cites historical squeezes (1980, 2011) but argues fundamentals are stronger now due to industrial use and supply limitations (silver is a by-product).
  • Asks if the copper thesis depends on growth holding up, or if history has changed due to supply/demand imbalance.
    Jeremy Saffron
  • Mark Skousen
    Longer war leads toward recession. Economy is struggling with stagflation; only tech is pushing productivity. Copper price drop is short-term anticipation of recession. Expects recovery once war is resolved.
    GDP driven only by consumer spending; B2B spending is lackluster. War increases costs and is a laggard, not a boom. Upcoming CPI will be 'substantially higher.'
  • Asks about the 'toll booth' in Strait of Hormuz (payments in yuan/crypto) and what it says about the US dollar.
    Jeremy Saffron
  • Mark Skousen
    Legitimate uses for crypto exist. 'The dollar is reducing and losing its world currency status very gradually.' Central banks are buying gold; stablecoins are large and real (e.g., Tether gold).
    People are looking for alternatives to the dollar. This is part of a broader trend away from dollar dominance.
  • Asks if the Hormuz situation solidifies the thesis of permanent inflation the Fed can't control.
    Jeremy Saffron
  • Mark Skousen
    Zero interest rate policy (ZIRP) created bubbles and boom/bust cycles. It was a mistake.
    Cites Austrian School economics: 'there's no free lunch when it comes to money.'
  • Plays Warren Buffett clip on 2% inflation target forcing savers backwards. Asks if hard assets are the only way for savers to stay ahead.
    Jeremy Saffron
  • Mark Skousen
    Buffett is right. 2% target means 'we're entering an era of permanent inflation.' Fed is cutting rates despite not hitting target. 'You need to earn 10% a year just to keep up.' Can't cut rates with higher inflation.
    CPI understates true cost of living. The 2% rule itself is inflationary and contradicts the Fed's price stability mandate.
  • Asks about his Gross Output metric vs. GDP, and what the production side says that retail sales miss.
    Jeremy Saffron
  • Mark Skousen
    Gross Output measures all stages of production. Business spending is twice as big as consumer spending. The economy is 'consumer spending only stimulative' due to pandemic free money. Business spending is struggling with supply chain issues, trade war, and AI reducing job creation.
    AI and trade war create uncertainty, slowing job growth. The real driver is AI/tech from Musk and others, which 'covers a multitude of sins.'
  • Asks if Fed rate cuts are realistic with tariffs, energy risks, and strong gold.
    Jeremy Saffron
  • Mark Skousen
    'Cutting interest rates are off the table. Because inflation is going to be worse.' March CPI will be elevated. 'How can you cut interest rates when inflation's going up? That doesn't make sense.'
    Agrees with JPow's pushback against rate cuts. Higher rates are a possibility.
  • Asks why add Bitcoin/crypto exposure when gold is a proven monetary hedge.
    Jeremy Saffron
  • Mark Skousen
    'You have to go wherever the trend is.' Bitcoin/crypto have bottomed and are moving higher. They provide a currency alternative and private transfers. Blockchain technology has future use in financial transactions. Recommends BLOK ETF for blockchain exposure.
    BLOK outperformed Bitcoin last year. The underlying blockchain tech is significant beyond just currencies.
  • Asks if his portfolio is shifting from bullion to businesses tied to infrastructure/rearmament.
    Jeremy Saffron
  • Mark Skousen
    Yes. Recommends defense tech stocks (e.g., SHLD ETF) due to increased defense spending and never-ending war as part of inflation. 'Make sure you make 10% a year just to keep up with inflation.'
    Trump plans to increase defense budget. Military is running out of ammunition/tech, needing replenishment.
  • Asks about Adam Smith's model functioning in a politicized world with potential NATO withdrawal.
    Jeremy Saffron
  • Mark Skousen
    Economic freedom index shows more freedom = higher standard of living. We need lower tariffs, regulations, and taxes. World economic freedom is in decline due to crises (9/11, 2008, pandemic).
    The Adam Smith model of 'system of natural liberty' (size of govt, taxation, free trade, rule of law) still works but is under pressure.
  • Asks for a Benjamin Franklin maxim for investors watching silver and gold.
    Jeremy Saffron
  • Mark Skousen
    'A penny saved is a penny earned.' Need to save during good times, not go into debt. Franklin survived crises by having multiple income sources and holding gold/silver.
    Franklin's strategy: retain earnings in good times, diversify assets. Quotes Franklin: 'commerce with all and war with none' – which we are violating.
  • Asks for one indicator to watch to separate a relief rally from something more serious.
    Jeremy Saffron
  • Mark Skousen
    US market outperforms because we invite entrepreneurs. Need to keep borders open to the 'best and brightest' foreigners to achieve the American dream.
    Cites Jeremy Siegel's 'Stocks for the Long Run.' The biggest companies (Amazon, Google, Nvidia) are US-based, often founded by immigrants.
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