Jim Rogers says planet is ‘overdue’ for a severe crisis, urges people to ‘be prepared’

With all of the global unrest, struggling economies and crazy politicians, the world today is facing many similarities from the 1920s and 1930s, when communism and fascism became very popular worldwide, says Jim Rogers, the famous billionaire investor and bestselling author of “Hot Commodities.”

Writing in an op-ed in The Daily Reckoning entitled “What’s Coming Is Going to Be a Mess,” Rogers warned that even with the sinking European Union (EU) ship, the latest wave of terrorist attacks, cop killings and a whole lot of anger, we still haven’t seen the worst of it.

In fact, according to Rogers, that’s “nothing compared to what’s coming.”

“But over the next couple of years, it’s going to get a whole lot worse,” he wrote. “As economies worsen, there will be more social unrest, more angry people, and crazier politicians. Somebody will try to come along on a white horse to save us all, but she usually makes it worse.”

Many of the issues that dominated the 1920s and 1930s are popping up again, and these are what helped contribute to the surge in communism and fascism all over the world.

Rogers is unsure what will start the global unrest. He averred that Brexit may have been “a triggering moment,” but there could be other aspects that may be added to the never ending pile of “ongoing deterioration of events.” Whatever happens, you can be sure the central banks will still have the printing press on that will help keep the markets soaring in the short-term.

“We have a strange economy. Markets look like they’re fine. But underneath the surface, most stocks are not doing well. Most stocks around the world are down. Most stocks in the United States are down. In 2015, when the market averages were flat, twice as many stocks were down on the New York stock exchange as were up. And in the last nine months, earnings are down in the United States. A recession is starting, it is already in place. But if you look at the averages and the bond market, they still go up.”

According to Rogers, the planet is “overdue” for a substantial crisis. As history has shown, there are many periods of “severe crisis,” unlike 2008, but rather a crisis of huge unemployment, the rise of dictators, world war and bankruptcies all over the place.

“Societies around the world are already falling apart, or nearly so,” opined Rogers. “Look at all the recent terrorist attacks and mass shooting incidents in America and Europe. And look at what’s happening in Venezuela right now. People are literally starving. Even the most basic necessities of life are impossible to find in stores. Hundreds of thousands of people are trying to get into Colombia to buy food.”

In the end, government will only make matters worse and compound the problems. Ultimately, as Rogers notes, you will need to learn about history and “be prepared.” When you are prepared, he says, you will survive no matter what happens.