Normal Times Are Over, West Has Lost Its Mind | Doug Casey

In this intense and thought-provoking episode of *Soar Financially*, host Kai welcomes back legendary investor and author Doug Casey to dissect the unraveling of Western society and the end of 'normal times.' Casey argues that the world is in a state of mass psychosis, driven by ideological extremism, political polarization, and the collapse of rational discourse—evident in the rise of wokeism, cultural fragmentation, and the escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran. He warns that the U.S. is on the brink of a civil war, not in the traditional sense, but as a deep societal fracture between 'red' and 'blue' America, with the nation’s artificial borders increasingly untenable. Casey predicts a 'greater depression'—a prolonged, systemic collapse fueled by unsustainable global debt, currency debasement, and the failure of fiat money. While technology offers hope, he cautions that it cannot save us without abundant, cheap energy, which he believes is now under threat due to green hysteria and geopolitical instability. He advocates for radical personal preparedness: moving away from cities, diversifying assets beyond stocks and bonds, and investing in gold, silver, and mining stocks as hedges against systemic collapse. Despite the grim outlook, Casey ends on a hopeful note—emphasizing the importance of building communities of like-minded individuals grounded in individualism, free markets, and self-reliance, and recommending his book *The Preparation* as a guide for personal empowerment over traditional college education.