Doug Casey, the international speculator
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Best selling author Doug Casey created the International Speculator newsletter.
I have followed Doug Casey and the famous Doug Casey speculation picks since the early eighties. He has both a great record and marvelous insights into investing and speculation.
Several years ago I asked Doug to create a course for Bastiat Free University, not one based on his best selling books, but a course based on what books most influenced his success. The result was a fine master's course called: The Foundations of a Free Society.
I have obviously learned and profited from Doug Casey's insights. His eccentric wisdom has helped me, it has helped others. I believe it can also help you, increasing abundance. As in all non-coercive trades, Doug and I created and shared because we both believed we would gain. By our sharing value with each other, you also gain -- win-win-win.
"By virtue of exchange, one man's prosperity is beneficial to all others." - C. F. Bastiat
The International Speculator news letter is just the tip of an iceberg (click that link to find many fee and free publications) for the versatile Doug Casey. It is however a quality learning experience for those that follow its advice and wisdom. (of course there is a risk free trial offer)
Rick Rule Talks About Doug Casey
Finding answers to questions you didn't know to ask. From a free Casey Research newsletter:
"I remember very, very well 15 years ago, in the wars that followed the breakup of Yugoslavia, when the Serbians were shelling Dubrovnik. I got a call from Doug, saying, "We have to go to Dubrovnik!" I said, "You know, Doug, there are fireworks closer to home. It's probably safer." He said, "No, no, no. We could probably buy a villa on the Adriatic now that the shells are falling, for $50,000-60,000. Only one of two things could happen: it could be blown up, and we'd lose that sum, or it could survive, and in a few years it'd probably be worth $2-3 million." It's that type of contrarian attitude that makes for a great speculator." - Rick Rule in the free newsletter Conversations With Casey
Have any of Doug Casey's Books influenced you?
They are all out of print but it is worth finding used copies.
My favorite Douglas R. Casey book is the most difficult to find, The International Man - a decade or two ago I paid over a hundred dollars (with taxes) for a copy on the used book market; it was worth it. I would love to have Doug update it. You might also want to try Jim Rogers' best selling Adventure Capitalist or other books to get a more current world view.
An up-to-date International Man surrogate was published by Casey Research. It explores the reasons for and current ability to intelligently diversify globally. And it costs a dollar less than I paid for the International Man a decade or two ago. A bargain. I bought a copy.
Much of what I have written in Speculation Rules owes a debt to the nonconformist views Doug Casey has presented. A valuable byproduct of his books and news letters has been the opportunity to view the world from a different perspective. I may not always agree with him, but his positions are consistently well thought out and intelligently presented.
One of Casey's investment strategies I identify with -- identify and profit from politically caused distortions in the economy.
Doug is an international man and a renaissance person - He is a good example of the great things that can be accomplished by a well informed generalist. His versatility speaks well for avoiding the suffocating specialization into which the fading industrial age society forces its subjects.
Due to his investment success in the turbulent resources industry, I consider Doug Casey a jack of all trades, a master of one.
Doug may not talk about becoming a Sovereign Individual, but he seems to live the dream. Having traveled the world from hot spots to blighted countries there is also a lot of the perpetual tourist in him.
Books Recommended By Doug Casey
Here are some books Doug values -- books he has said helped build his insights and success. You can find his books used at Amazon.
While preparing his Master's Course for Bastiat Free University Doug suggested the following books as personally influential and useful to others seeking their own success and understanding
Doug did not include his own books in the curriculum of his master's course at BFU.
Use these books to help develop your own philosophy of success.
In A Future
Doug Casey
"In Spanish they don't say 'in the future,' as we do in English, which implies a definite outcome.
Instead they say 'en un futuro' - in a future - which implies many possible outcomes. It's a better way of assessing reality, I think."
Here are three 20-year futures to consider: in a future.
It's time we opened this discussion to the internet.
Not everyone is a fan of Doug Casey.
Communications has faults in both the speaker and the hearer, it is easy to take one thought and run too far with it. Both critics and sycophants overstate their cases, overextend their assumptions, imagine correlations that don't exist.
As just one example are misunderstandings when service provider and user have different methodologies. Casey Research explores the available information, talks to principles, and walks the properties "kicking rocks" -- they will suggest several opportunities expecting their readers to spread their risk by choosing several. If someone reads Casey's research and then buys only one stock because they like the story, they're not following the advice they paid for. Eventually one of the stories will turn out bad, you want it balanced by other stocks that do better than expected. Over investing in one dangerous speculation eventually leads to gamblers ruin.
If someone goes broke, following only part of good advise, they will still blame the advisor. If they over-invest in just one idea and get burned they might write about a Doug Casey Scam. In the opening module from Rick Rule; if someone spent their life savings buying that villa in Dubrovnik and it got blown up -- they shouldn't blame Casey, but they probably would.
Doug Casey takes stands - many of them unpopular or willingly misunderstood.
Doug Casey makes claims of high returns - that brings anger from those that want to believe the bankster's hype. Banksters want you to give them your money so they can speculate with it -- they call that investing. Check your inflation adjusted returns for the last ten years. Is it time to learn how to manage your own money?
At times Doug can be painfully honest. I Trust Doug, but I'm sure there are others that don't. I know some pretend to quote Doug so they can pump their own stocks or stocks they're paid to promote. If you want to consider Doug's advise -- get it directly from him. It's okay to try a free service first,
Rather than my picking a video about Doug Casey, we will let YouTube pick current videos based on his name. These videos will change as YouTube finds new ones.
Occasionally we may even get to hear from Douglas Casey himself.
Compare and contrast what you hear with what you have already learned.
Think - don't follow.
Doug Casey's Hobby
pitching ideas to world leaders on changing their corner of the world
"With The Correct Investment Structuring Any Nation Can Excel."
I went to Haiti several times in the early 70s, and seriously toyed with the idea of setting up a diving business. It seemed, as they say, like a good idea at the time. The natives were friendly, the climate super, and the country has hundreds of miles of some of the best beaches in the world, most of them deserted, with the exception of a few fishermen. If I'd done it, who knows where the future might have lead.
But Haiti was very different in those days ... (read more ...)
Give everyone your opinion
Misunderstandings can occur when service provider and user have different methodologies.
Casey Research explores available information, talks to principles, and walks properties "kicking rocks" -- they will suggest several opportunities expecting their readers to spread risk by choosing several. If someone reads Casey's research and then buys only one stock because they like the story, they're not following the advice they paid for. Eventually one of the stories will turn out bad, you want it balanced by other stocks that do better than expected. Over investing in one dangerous speculation eventually leads to gamblers ruin. If someone goes broke, following only part of good advise, they will still blame the advisor.
My take on the basic technique: try to find ten non-correlated speculations that have the potential to climb at least ten fold. Some will fail, some will maintain, and a few might climb to well over their 10X goal. If you put all your money into one or two correlated investments -- you're gambling.
Diversification: Going Global
The trend toward a massively connected world has both benefits and dangers.
Two obvious dangers: there are fewer locations to relax from surveillance, and fewer assets that are not correlated to all other global asset classes.
A benefit is the ability to enjoy the freedoms of an individual global presence. Just as you would not trust your entire wealth to a clay pot buried in your back yard, so you can no longer trust your future to election results.
Politician risks are too high.
Let us know if you have had memorable encounters with Doug Casey.
Study Doug for a while, his suggestions are well thought out and presented.
Take a look at the Doug Casey Biography.
Doug Casey is a frequently a speaker at major investment conferences, go give him a listen.
Not everything Doug Casey says is right, not all of his picks work out, but overall he has had a very positive influence on thoughtful and inquiring minds, and on their investment accounts. In fact you will find in Doug's investment philosophy that he expects some failure - he just expects his successes to be big enough to overwhelm those mis-steps.
No one can have great success without being willing to experience failure. We can't eliminate risk. My best opinion is to understand the danger and try to manage your risk. This is just one more lesson worth learning from Doug Casey.
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wolfie10
Nov 30, 2011 @ 10:46 pm | delete
- great lens. lots to ponder about. looking forward to read his book
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ikari1976
Oct 24, 2011 @ 8:14 am | delete
- Hey Allan,
I also love Doug Casey. Great lens.
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SquidooProductReviews
Sep 10, 2011 @ 10:55 am | delete
- We control our own destiny.
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inowits
Sep 7, 2011 @ 2:41 am | delete
- Great books and author. love reading his books.........
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GoldandSilverProfits
Jul 19, 2011 @ 1:11 pm | delete
- Good stuff! Economics in One Lesson is a great, short read - great book to open your mind to the immediate and delayed effects of all economic policies.
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Escaping the Great Depression
and Extending the Greater Depression
"The conventions for measuring GDP include government expenditures, so GDP is a poor measure of underlying economic health. The government might, for instance, hire 10 million people to dig ditches during the day, 10 million more to fill them in at night, and 5 million bureaucrats to monitor the work. That would pump up GDP and reduce unemployment, but it wouldn't increase society's wealth. It would decrease it." - Doug Casey
=> Read the full Doug Casey article on the Greater Depression.
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No wonder the US industry has had a massive die off:
"Intervention and regulation decrease diversity in the economic ecosystem, limiting natural selection within commerce." - Allan R. Wallace
In the novella Abacus Brief, We we gain insight into the heroine through her writings. In one short work Shawny gives credit to Ben Franklin for a quote; and then paraphrases his statement into a summary of hacktivist: intent.
"Where human rights reign, there is our country. When human rights are abused, there is our work".
I've just lifted a few paragraphs from a page I'm writing for a new book:
Behind me, nestled in a valley leading into the mountains, is a reminder of the hazards of rooting in places or things rather than in relationships. It must have been a magnificent resort. It had served as a focal point of escape for knowledgeable folk fleeing violence in once crowded cities. Its lovely grounds, natural springs and hot springs, and a wealth of lawns to convert into fields were seen as a God-send; but they didn't ask God. Hunting and foraging in the forests around them, along with farming the extensive grounds, allowed them to eat well in a time of almost universal lack.
They even established study centers to rediscover lost knowledge. They were destroyed by hoards of looters demanding they share everything they had with those less fortunate. Poverty for all was soon shared, and a beacon of reason was destroyed by gross overpopulation. My great grandparents were adaptable and left their home too soon - the others found out that once you have to leave, you've waited too long. Most of those that had worked the razed resort grounds, those that survived, ended up carrying deep emotional wounds and wandering with the cannibalistic hoards.
Prior to the die-offs they had many words for those that demanded a stealing from gifted creators and curators for distribution to uninspired consumers. The most colorful I've discovered was actually a phrase - "eating the goose that lays golden eggs."
by BFuniv.com
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Sparrow Swift #1
Sparrow Swift Is Born: The first ePulp in his first series, International Intrigue, in a twisted world: ours.
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After chaos;
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