From the Publisher's Desk
April 2012

"Often the difference between a successful person and a failure is not one has better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on one's ideas, to take a calculated risk - and to act."
- Andre Malraux

When we first started researching articles for our missives 18 years, we were hard pressed for privacy related articles and articles about losing our freedoms in the main stream press. In fact we wrote most of the articles ourselves back then.

Fast forward 18 years and the main stream press today have articles titled:

* With H.R. 1981, the jaws of law will eat your Internet rights
* TSA 'apology' for conduct with two elderly women filled with lies, say victims
* Breaking News! Terror prevents seeing the truth
* ACTA rapporteur denounces ACTA masquerade
* Eye in the Sky Spying on Americans
* Flying The Fascist Skies
* The Violent Militarization Of Local Police
* Sick: Young, Undercover Cops Flirted With Students to Trick Them Into Selling Pot
* US presses EU to close SWIFT network to Iran
* Face Masks, Snipers and Aerial Surveillance: Chicago's Newest Anti-Protest Measures Revealed
* New school can't be Cougars because middle-aged women might be offended
* SOPA bill takes on new name in the Senate
* What Happens When the Court Demands You Decrypt a Document and You Forget the Key?
* Hackers to target and cyberattack high tech cars?

Whilst this makes putting each issue of PTBuzz a bit easier for us these days, clearly our freedoms are in ever greater peril. Every day there is increasing risk to our freedoms and civil liberties.

Clearly over the past 18 years the loss of our freedoms and our rights have been so dramatically eroded, it has reached the point where the main stream press, are forced to print articles about these glaring losses.

Whilst perusing old issues to see if we could locate an article relevant for this missive, I came along the following article from one of 1999 issues. Enjoy

PERSPECTIVE on the TAKING OF RISK.

Risk and the 'taking of a risk' is central to the decision process we all take with most situations in life that we are presented with. But what exactly is risk? Unfortunately, there is no simple or clear answer to this question, as risk is an extremely complex concept and requires an in-depth explanation.

This missive attempts to put this concept into perspective and describes the most important types of risk that every investor, PT or otherwise, must consider - whether you are interested in preserving your freedoms and rights along with the purchasing power of your capital or achieving an above-market return.

Before turning to the various descriptions of the forms of risk, it's important to know that a risk profile is not universal, it varies from one person to another, and the risk is linked to return. The higher the risk you are prepared to take, the higher the expectation of the return or your freedoms. It's one thing to receive a high return on your investment, but quite a bit different matter if you don't receive the return of your initial investment or capital, and maintain your freedoms.

Types of risk -- that you may have to consider.

* Ordinary market Risks.
* Country Risk. Political and economic instability within a country can cause market prices to fall.
* Liquidity Risk. If an asset is not traded on a regular basis because of poor demand, the price can fall considerably, in the event of a forced sale. At worst, the asset may be impossible to sell.
* Purchasing Power Risk. The return on an investment may be undermined by inflation.
* Foreign Currency Risks.
* Foreign Currency risk. In the event that an investor chooses to invest in an asset based in a currency other than that of his/her own country, the investor runs the risk that relates to the exchange-rate movement between the two currencies. A weakening of own currency in relation to the currency of the asset leads to an appreciation of the investment, whereas a strengthening of own currency, results in a depreciation of the investment.
* Bond Risk.
* Reinvestment risk. Upon maturity or the drawing of bonds, you are paid a certain amount, which may be reinvested. If the interest rates have decreased, your funds must be reinvested at a lower rate.
* Credit risk. There are two forms of credit risk: the risk of default by the issuer of a bond, whereby interest and/or principle is not repaid on time, or the risk of depreciation in the value of the bond, based on the markets perception of the issuer's current financial standing.
* Interest rate risk. Even the rate of high-ranking government bonds may fall, if interest rates soar. Equity markets may also be affected by interest rate developments.
* Equity Risk.
* Sector risk. A negative development within a particular sector of a given country may easily spread to other countries, and thus adversely affect the price of shares of all companies within a particular sector, regardless of geography.

* Company risk. The price of a particular company may fall, if the company faces financial difficulties such as declining earnings.
* Market risk. The value of a given investment may fall as a result of a general decline in share prices. This was precisely what happened in mid-October (Black Thursday,) when stock markets world-wide plunged.
* Privacy Risk

Financial risk aside, it takes more than a general awareness and understanding of the various forms of risk to your freedoms and privacy, as well as to maximise on the returns from any investment. In very simplistic terms; are you are prepared to take the necessary actions/risks to protect yourself from predatory government in order to secure a high level of privacy and freedom in order to retain your freedoms and what you can 'afford' to lose? You might seriously ponder this question as we believe your government, all governments, will over the years to come, continue to intentionally steal your freedoms and civil liberties in order to enslave you as their serf.

Placing a decent share of your capital offshore in a currency other than that of your home country may present some risk. But what is the risk for leaving all your capital in your home currency that is devaluing? Point in fact; If in 1913 you purchased an item for US$100, today (1999) that same item would cost: $1,682.83 or a rate of inflation change: 1,582.8%

The CPI inflation rate uses the average Consumer Price Index for a given calendar year. This data represents changes in prices of all goods and services purchased for consumption by urban households. This index value has been calculated every year since 1913. For the current year (1999,) the latest monthly index value is used.

In 1999, for example, it took $17.39 to buy what $1 bought in 1913. You can thank you're government for that devaluation, and we believe this trend will continue. Do You?

By PT'ing, or preparing thoroughly, in order to guard your rights and freedoms, you should always be in a position from which you can recover in the event the inevitable doo doo hits the fan, i.e. having a second or third passport for an emergency, having an offshore bank account, owning physical gold and silver coins, etc. and so forth.

[Editors note: See a forthcoming issue for a list of what we believe are essential items every PT should have.]

This is what PTBuzz is about; helping you to position yourself so you find ways to protect you and your love ones from the risk that governments present, i.e. their ever expanding tax tentacles and privacy encroaching intrusions into our everyday lives.

If you believe these erosions won't continue and increase in the future, that is your prerogative and we wish you well. For those reading these words who feel otherwise, perhaps its time to take some 'risk' in order to protect yourself and take action!

See you next issue

Shamrock

"The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion."
- Edmund Burke, 1784

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