Hidden in Plain Sight: What to Look Out for in 2021

The world is changing, societies' fear and the response to the pandemic is directly and indirectly affecting our lifestyles, finances and childrens' future. The majority do not see it coming. 

"Never let a good crisis go to waste" (Winston Churchill) is opening the door for rapidly changing laws, incentives, actions and responses by big government, banks, main stream media (#MSM), corporations, small and medium businesses (#SME) and individuals - most hidden in plain sight.

It is a challenge to maintain awareness of the changes and dig deeper into "the news" mass media; to have an agile mindset and position financially to capitalize; but be cognizant to personally limit anxiety, cynicism and distrust.

This is a list of 18 key macro themes (somewhat ordered by time) to maintain awareness of as they progress where "conspiracy theory" become conspiracy fact:

1. Personal freedom limitations (possibly requiring 'state of emergency' powers and branded as the #newnormal) such as repeated/extended lockdown, quarantine, mask mandates, social distancing, travel restrictions (e.g. flight restrictions, travel permission) and/or movement monitoring (e.g. surveillance, contact tracing)

2. Price inflation (due to supply chain restrictions and commodity price increases), #shrinkflation or local shortage of essential consumer items esp. food and medication (with deflation of official CPI) prompting populous reliance on the state for #stimmys incl. Universal Basic Income (#UBI), #JobSeeker, #JobKeeper etc

3. Physical cash withdrawal limitations or cash restrictions (incl. coin/note shortages, cash ban and possibly precious metal shortages)

4. Protests / civil unrest / division / overt political correctness (for sponsored disruption and anarchy - follow the money and virtue signalling incl #antifa, #blm) and opposition to the state labelled as 'domestic terrorism'

5. Mandatory vaccination (with preference skewed to mRNA), coercion and/or exclusion (via 'state of emergency' powers) incl. quarantine

6. Pandemic second, third, fourth wave etc and mutations (each perceived more "deadly" or requiring annual vaccine "booster")

7. Individual test and/or vaccination "passport" linked to government health records or digital ID #ID2020 and movement tracking (e.g. contact tracing)

8. World Economic Forum Davos January 2021 - increasing media attention (e.g. #greatreset or #buildbackbetter) or national signatories (deferred to August 2021 in Singapore)

9. Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) introduced esp. for Universal Basic Income (UBI), #JobSeeker, #Jobkeeper and direct benefits, advantages or subsidies to minority groups

10. Zero Interest Rate Policy (#ZIRP), then Negative nominal interest policy (#NIRP) rates (likely first as bank fees, then pending Central Bank Digital Currency (#CBDC or #FedCoin) to go lower than -0.5%)

11. International carbon credit trading markets and mandatory participation by all nations and businesses (Paris Accord and Net Zero by 2030) then individuals' carbon footprints (e.g. meat restrictions, #WFH, transportation and commute)

12. US stock market crash (nominal terms i.e. adjusted for inflation) and significant commodities, precious metal (i.e. gold / silver) and/or #Bitcoin price increases

13. Significant house prices drop > 10% in a year (due to reduced immigration, investor liquidation, supply chain restrictions) and/or mortgage defaults (with likely negative equity)

14. IMF (via a Bretton Woods 2 moment) and/or a China & Russia pact (likely with Iran, Venezuala); leave the USD reserve currency

15. USD currency crash, then introduction of a new reserve currency e.g. adoption of IMF eSDR or similar

16. Hot war or escalation with China / Russia incl. cyber security events

17. Debt forgiveness or jubilee (or asset buyback) e.g. property mortgages, student loans

18. Ubiquitous access to reliable and secure data and energy via state-sponsored or subsidized investments in telecommunications networks and energy systems incl. 5G and extraterrestrial systems (e.g. starlink); required for CDBC provision of UBI, cashless economy, surveillance and digital tracing

These items will progress regardless of the 2020 US Election results, but the current outcome(s) will accelerate most of them.

Keep an eye out for developments in these areas and for now hypothesize how to pivot your wealth and lifestyle in readiness.

KangoFIRE