Have you ever heard of the Baltic Dry Index?

Once again, I turn to my e-mail inbox for more information, this time about the Baltic Dry Index. Using the wonders of cut and paste, I present for your consideration an e-mail I received via five other people about this index, and the news, if accurate, is not good. Since the author, a Mr. Dan Mullen, a gentleman that I do not know, provided links for further information, I leave it to you to decide if it's something to worry about. It truly sounds pretty dire to me, though I don't claim to understand everything in the articles, some of which are more recent than others. I hope you are already preparing in terms of food storage and other emergency supplies, but if not, this may give you the motivation you need. I am titling it what was in the subject headline of Mr. Mullen's e-mail, and providing said links under the title of the article rather than just the website link, which is how I originally received it. Because, as Mr. Mullen states in his e-mail, he has " been e-mailing everyone I can think of ", I hope that he doesn't mind that I am reproducing it in this forum, and that I had to work with the format after cutting and pasting it.

Thus, and at long last, a look at the BDI:

Shortages On Store Shelves Next 12 months/new links

Dan Mullen

The Baltic Dry Index (BDI) is an indicator of how much product is actually out for delivery throughout the world. It cannot be cheated or manipulated because it deals with actual products that are either actively being shipped, or are on docks awaiting to be shipped as Freight On Board (FOB). Back in June, 2008 the BDI stood at a reasonably healthy 11,600. As of today, the BDI has plummeted to 791. That's about a 94% drop in goods actually being shipped worldwide.

This portends unprecedented disaster around the world, especially as it relates to food. Products are simply not being shipped. They aren't being shipped because there aren't any orders for them. This will translate into massive, unprecedented unemployment worldwide and, as things get worse, massive food shortages.

I have urgently asked each member of my family to stock up on dry foods like 50 lb bags of rice, 50 lb bags of oatmeal, beans, powdered milk, canned foods, canned vegetables and such to assure your family will have enough to eat when the world economy totally collapses. Many of my acquaintances laughed me off as some sort of kook for making those suggestions, with some of my friends going so far as to call me "chicken little, the sky is falling." Well, it appears I'm having the last laugh.

I correctly forecast the economic meltdown which took place in September. For over a year prior to that meltdown, I warned it was coming and, in March of 2008, I actually pinpointed the month the meltdown would take place, warning you it would happen in ( with help from LADP77) September. It did. Now I am once again warning you about food shortages because the facts are irrefutable. The BDI proves that goods are not being shipped.

There has been a 94% reduction in shipped goods since Dec. of last year and it is only going to get worse. If you do not have food stored up for your family, you will starve to death. If you do not own guns and ammunition, any food you DO have will be stolen by roving bands of savages who are trying not to starve to death.

The social breakdown that is coming is unparalleled in modern history. We are going to suffer on an order of magnitude greater than folks suffered during the Great Depression. Please, I urge you, prepare. There are only a few precious months left before it all goes to h---. So, as I said, I have been e-mailing everyone I can think of and here's a very interesting email I received back from a friend tonight. He's a senior level electrical engineer for a large engineering and construction firm in Denver and designs and builds large power plants for a living. A mid-to high-level executive with a logistics/cargo firm. His company (as well as all other shipping companies) have seen huge dives in the amount of business they do. The main point that many people do not understand is that without trade between states and nations no one prospers!

___________Believe or don't, the choice is yours but at the very least I suggest you start doing the research on this subject or you may be starving in a few short months.

Here is the new link with the charted collapse of the BDI. Notice the lack of significant improvement since October 2008

Baltic Exchange Dry Index (BDI) & Freight Rates

More links to articles on the growing Trade collapse and world trade crisis. I urge every reader to read them all.

Bleak Monday turns into Black Monday as world markets collapse; US equities in late recovery; dollar surges, gold up; corn, soy, ethanol hit daily trading limits

Hot Trading News! article

Firefighters better save shipping next

Shipping rates hit zero as trade sinks

From the Baltic dry: Are we seeing the collapse of trade?

Depression and the next crisis-Global Trade Collapse

Shipping rates hit zero as trade sinks

The Baltic Dry Index-Troubled Waters Ahead?

The Collapse in Global Trade and Japanese Shippers

From the Baltic dry: Are we seeing the collapse of trade?

End of e-mail. It gives me something to think about. Maybe you already knew about this, but I didn't, and from what I understand about it, it's all the more reason to be prepared for hard times...