It may be a bit uncomfortable, but there is an elephant in the room that needs to be addressed.
What am I talking about? The Seymour Hersh story that broke alleging the United States blew up the Nord Stream Pipelines. If you’re unaware of this story, this is the time to pay attention.
Now, before you click out and think, “Brad is going off the deep end with conspiracies,” hear me out.
I don’t care if you believe the United States committed this act or not.
That really doesn’t matter.
What does matter is what Russia believes – because its actions moving forward can pressure our finances.
And Russia clearly believes every word in Seymour Hersh’s article was true. The Kremlin has released multiple statements about the piece.
Seymour Hersh is also not a rinky-dink first-time journalist trying to make it out on his own via Substack. Hersh is the same journalist that broke the Mai Lai Massacre and Abu Ghraib stories that exposed the U.S. Military for murder and torture in violation of international law.
All of the above have huge implications on military decisions globally, and therefore, our finances. I would not be doing my job if I didn’t address this.
Here at the Intelligent Income Daily, we are not afraid to confront the elephant in the room for you. And more importantly, we stay up to date on the latest news to protect your portfolio and find you the best possible income opportunities.
So today, I am going to share three events that took place after the Seymour Hersh piece, why they matter, and how being well-informed about the nature of this elephant will help you protect your finances.
Three Escalating Events
While everyone has been paying attention to the Chinese spy balloon and other UFO sightings, three significant events occurred after the release of Seymour Hersh’s article, How America Took Out The Nord Stream Pipeline, published on February 8.
On February 9 as a result of the piece, the Kremlin Press Secretary, Dmitry Peskov held a press conference. Regarding Hersh’s bombshell, he stated, “it’s a very important piece, which… must provoke the acceleration of the international probe. But we, on the contrary, witness attempts to silently wind down such international investigation.”
He added that “There aren’t that many countries in the world that are capable of carrying out such sabotage.”
Significant event number two occurred this week.
On Monday (Feb. 13) and Tuesday (Feb. 14), four Russian aircraft that included fighter jets and a strategic bomber entered international airspace off the coast of Alaska.
As a result, U.S. fighter jets were launched to monitor and escort them out of the area. One of these events occurred just after a formation of three Russian aircraft was intercepted over Poland.
Yesterday, significant event number three took place.
On Feb. 16, Russia launched a new offensive in the Ukraine just one week before the one-year anniversary of its invasion on February 24, 2023.
So why does this matter?
The Implications
Tensions with Russia are directly impacting our national debt crisis.
The publication of Seymour Hersh’s article dramatically escalated those tensions and we will feel the impact in our wallets if we do not prepare.
For example, the U.S. military sent several fighter jets to intercept the Russian aircraft on Monday and Tuesday. The cost of a one-hour flight for a U.S. fighter jet can start at $28,000, according to Business Insider. And the U.S. responded with multiple aircraft.
And right now, that amount is nothing in comparison to what the United States is currently spending on the war in Ukraine.
Again, it doesn’t matter what side you are on.
I am not cold and uncaring. I have neighbors who are from Ukraine, and I am praying for the Ukrainian people on a regular basis.
But facts are facts, and our funding of this war is impacting our national debt.
Right now, the U.S. is on track to add around $19 trillion to its national debt over the next decade, or around $3 trillion more than previously forecasted.
This could impact investors as well as rising social security and Medicare benefits.
Around $550 billion of that figure is related to increased military spending, and as Speaker Kevin McCarthy points out “a blank check for more spending will destroy our country. That’s why we must negotiate a responsible debt limit increase that gets our fiscal house back in order.”
Remember, I lived the blank-check lifestyle when I was a developer during the Great Recession. I would love to say this has no bearing on us. But as I learned in 2008, I must address the elephant in the room and face it head-on.
Black SWAN Event
2008 and 2009 were full of the most sleepless nights of my entire life, which is why I am such a proponent SWAN (sleep well at night) investment strategies.
The looming national debt crisis is the opposite. It’s a Black SWAN event, an unpredictable event that has severe consequences and will keep you up at night.
The recent article by Seymour Hersh dramatically escalated tensions entrenching us deeper into the Russian-Ukrainian conflict that is currently increasing our national debt.
We can’t pretend it’s not happening… and we are going to have to face the consequences eventually as a nation. It is on the horizon.
That is why it is so important to take a good hard look at your finances right now and why Adam Galas, my colleague and analyst at Intelligent Income Daily, talked about the strength of a company’s balance sheet yesterday.
So today what am I offering?
The chance to take this weight completely off of your shoulders.
I created the SWAN portfolio for a time such as this to ensure that I am prepared for any and all Black SWAN events. I have no desire to go back to sleepless nights and neither should you even in this environment.
At Wide Moat Research, our Intelligent Income Investor subscribers have full access to this portfolio, which consists of defensive “battle-tested” stocks and high-quality companies that consistently increase dividends.
If you’re interested in becoming a member and let us do the work for you, click here. And if you want a free SWAN stock pick, watch to the end of this video. I want to make sure you have something set up for the future that will not be impacted by the looming Black SWAN.
Believe me, you’ll always be grateful you decided to face the elephant in the room rather than pretending it doesn’t exist, and so will your portfolio.
Happy SWAN investing,
Brad Thomas
Editor, Intelligent Income Daily