Remembering Bob Chapman

Stephen Lendman

On June 4, longtime market expert, analyst, Progressive Radio News Hour regular, International Forecaster owner and editor, and valued friend succumbed to pancreatic cancer.

He endured a protracted struggle to recover from what took him. He'll be sorely missed.

He's survived by his wife Judy, son Robert Michael, daughter Jeni, their spouses, and four grandchildren.

On June 6, committal services were held.

Twice weekly, Bob published the International Forecaster (IF). For over 50 years, he wrote on business, economics, finance and politics. He provided invaluable information for readers and investors. He covered what media scoundrels ignore and supress.

Born in Boston, he attended Northeastern University. He majored in business management. He served with US Army Counterintelligence in Europe and elsewhere. He spoke German, French and Spanish. He travelled the world.

From 1960 - 1988, he owned and ran his own brokerage firm. At retirement, he had over 6,000 clients. "He was probably the largest gold and silver stockbroker in the world...."

He lived in Europe, Africa, Canada, the Bahamas and America. In Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe) and Johannesburg, South Africa, he specialized in South African gold shares from 1962 - 1976. He gained expert knowledge about South Africa's mining industry.

For 25 years, he belonged to The Traders Association. He did his own trading. Through the years, he gained valued contacts. They proved invaluable sources for Forecaster issues.

In 1967, Bob began writing on business, economics, finance, and politics. Material he produced has been published in over 200 print and online publications. He owned and wrote the Gary Allen Report. It had about 30,000 subscribers.

IF debuted in June 1991. It "reaches 10,000 investors and brokers monthly directly...." Material from it is published by dozens of web sites. Exposure reaches over 10 million readers weekly.

For decades, Bob often spoke publicly. He participated in over 200 business conferences globally. He gave numerous workshops. He appeared on radio and television hundreds of times. He was a Progressive Radio News Hour regular.

Loyal readers and listeners considered him one of their most valued sources. So did this writer/radio host. His analysis and commentaries were invaluable. 

He gave followers information not available elsewhere. His forecasts were accurate. He understood issues and explained them. 

At a time of fiat currency debasement, he strongly recommended gold and silver for safety and capital appreciation.

On June 3, Bob published his most recent IF issue. He called plans by China and Japan to trade yuan and yen bilaterally bad news for dollar hegemony.

It's in decline. For decades, America stayed economically dominant. Most other nations agreed to a Washington controlled WTO/IMF/World Bank/Bank for International Settlements system. Under it the dollar remained dominant as the world's reserve currency.

Other countries now balk. In June 2009, China, Russia and other Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) nations met in Yekaterinburg, Russia. They took the first step to end dollar supremacy. They discussed replacing it with a single global currency or basket of major ones.

In July 2009, then President Dmitri Medvedev advocated a supranational currency. In September, the UN Conference on Trade and Development proposed an artificial one to replace the dollar. 

Other alliances include Latin American countries supporting a regional currency. China wants its yuan protected. Russia trades its ruble bilaterally with other currencies.

Washington depends on global dollar hegemony. Slippage harms its dominance. China and Russia exclude dollar transactions in numerous bilateral deals. So do other countries. They include Brazil, India, Argentina, Indonesia, Iran, UAE, South Korea, Malaysia, Syria, Cuba, Belarus, and Venezuela.

Swap arrangements are proliferating. In 2009, seven Latin American countries established the Bank of the South. They include Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and Ecuador.

Plans are to include all regional countries. At issue is operating outside dollar/IMF/World Bank hegemony. Establishing a new SUCRE currency was proposed. So was a Union of South American Nations, independent of America.

Middle East countries considered their own monetary union and common currency. Gaddafi proposed pan-African unity. He also advocated a new gold standard. He supported replacing dollars with gold dinars. 

Regional states backed the idea to provide real monetary wealth and value. They'd be free from predatory lending agencies and depreciating fiat currencies. Gaddifi's vision may have died with him.

Asia's Chiang Mai Initiative (CMI) promoted financial cooperation among Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

ASEAN swap agreements expanded to the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization (CMIM), regional bond markets, and bilateral swap deals. 

China's arrangement with Japan is especially significant. They're the world's second and third largest economies. Before decade's end, China's likely to replace America as number one.

For years, Chapman predicted dollar decline. He advocated gold and silver for safe haven protection. In early June, he called precious metals "severely undervalued." He also explained how markets are manipulated to suppress their value.

For months he predicted QE III. More money printing means higher gold and silver prices.

America's in protracted terminal decline. Imperial wars are waged to delay it. Earlier Chapman said the nation is effectively bankrupt. He saw it in the early 1980s. Post-9/11, it's especially evident. 

The illuminists went to far, he explained. They know it. They're waging a losing rear guard action. We've seen it before historically. It never worked. It won't now. Mindless money creation assures bad endings. Only buying time is possible.

Bob informed readers well. His advice always proved sound. Without him around to remind us, we're on our own to heed what he advised. Doing so means not going wrong.

A Final Comment

On June 2, Bob's daughter Jeni emailed about his health. She wanted friends who inquired to know.

In January, Bob underwent medical tests. He was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. It metastasized to his liver.

Surgery wasn't possible. He tried alternative treatments. He stopped getting medical attention. His condition worsened. Concern for his health affected his wife Judy. She developed a brain aneurism and required hospitalization. It was treated in time. She's all right.

New CT scans showed Bob deteriorated further. By late May he was hospitalized. He needed intensive care. His condition was grave. His cancer further metastasized. He developed a urinary tract infection, a blood clot in one leg, and multiple ones in the other.

His kidneys were failing. His liver shut down. He was dying. He called family and childhood friends to say goodbye. 

On May 28, he came home to spend his remaining time with loved ones. He wants the IF to continue in his absence. Efforts will be made to do it. Others sharing Bob's views will contribute. Subscribers will be told when relaunch is ready.

Jeni thanked everyone expressing support in emails and other communications. She told Bob. She's so proud of him, she said. His wife, Judy, has been with him throughout it all over the years.

His shoes are big ones to fill. Jeni said "we are willing to try. I hope you will continue to support the IF and keep Bob's dream alive." 

Hopefully it will continue being an invaluable resource. Contributors will try to keep it that way.