Posted on 12/07/2009 10:50:13 AM PST by steve-b
For years a certain strain of conservative thought has held that there was one sure hedge against economic depression, civil disorder and liberal rule--gold. Now that belief has led to a kind of harmonic convergence between ideology and commerce.
Anyone tuning in to conservative talk radio or Fox News's Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck shows is bombarded by commercials for gold, mainly in the form of collectible coins, with announcers intoning that inflation and deficits caused by big government spending are devaluing the dollar and making gold the best investment money can buy....
Bill Haynes, president of CMI Gold & Silver, a Phoenix-based precious metal dealer believes prominent endorsers "are absolutely doing a disservice to their viewers, listeners, fans and supporters. There's a little bit of paranoia in all of us who like gold--a lot of paranoia in some people, a little bit in all of us--and they pander to people who are really afraid."
The Ripoff Report, a controversial website on which consumers can file anonymous posts alleging mistreatment at the hands of businesses, contains dozens of complaints filed since the beginning of last year against a handful of gold retailers alleging deceptively high premiums and misleading marketing techniques, some of which have prompted rebuttals from the companies themselves.
In one such complaint, Mary Sisak of New Castle, Pa., wrote in August that she contacted Goldline because she saw a television ad featuring Beck, and online endorsements from Levin and Thompson. After spending $5,000 on Swiss Francs, Mary said she learned she could have purchased the same number of coins for $1,600 less.
"How could I be mislead by Glenn Beck, Fred Thompson and Marvin [sic] Levin?" she wrote.
(Excerpt) Read more at hamptonroads.com ...
I think God, guns and lead make more sense.
Glenn “VAT TAX” Beck?
More in-depth, investigative reporting from the Virginian-Pravda/Red Star....
I am for anything the Communists don’t want us to have.
Everybody attack them from whatever angle you wish and do it often and thoroughly. Bring their House of Cards down. Drown them in their lies.
Have at them.
Go Glenn and go all you talk show hosts.
Yes, this is otherwise known as the Mel Tappan school of public policy.
I think the old saw is “A fool and his money are soon parted”.
If you take the word of any one person as the sole source of your information about financial decisions without doing your own intensive research on the subject, then you most certainly are a fool.
It’s hard to feel much pity for the brain dead.
And all of them refuse to discuss the BC issue even after Palin has brought it up.
For me they have all lost creds.
That's often how I feel about Americans.
I watched Glenn promote the VAT, now I know he is an idiot, with no creds until he addresses the BC issue in detail.
“BC issue”? What’s British Columbia have to do with anything?
I remember Mel. He was out there, but fun to read.
He never did tell his readers where to get the bucks for those coffee cans full of krugerrands and those HK-91s.
Check this comment out! Hilarious!
Comment #19@
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2401966/posts?page=19#19
Some of these gold companies are selling at a 40% premium which is outrageous! Caveat emptor....let the buyer beware.
“God, Gold and Guns”
Isn’t that a Country & Western song from the ‘70s?
It was kind of implied that you were still productively employed, which may or may not be hard to do if you holed up in Idaho.
In my area the rule is gold sells for forty dollars above/below the spot price, period. It’s more or less the rule in any coin shop around here.
I like the “send us your old jewelry” ads. Anybody but a burglar would be an idiot to fall for that one.
I suppose it is not a bad thing to own some gold, but in a total economic/societal meltdown, gold will not do anyone any good. I have always thought lead and powder will be more valuble than gold. How long will these chumps go without eating before they come to your house? Lead, a steady hand, and a willingness to defend your own, will be very valuble.
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