I can still clearly remember the day. The sun was shining and a light north easterly was blowing the clouds across a beautiful blue sky. I was driving my car back from inspecting some building jobs that my company was working on down the far South Coast of New South Wales.

It might have been a beautiful day on the outside, but inside my mind was racing. I was in turmoil. Creditors were pressing for payment and I was in the middle of refinancing my building company from the ANZ to another bank (I won't say 'which' bank, but let you guess). The trouble was that after promising the funds and activating an unsecured business overdraft they had suddenly decided to withdraw their support. That is a euphemism for 'sending us to the wall'. I was paying 20% interest on our bank overdraft and the same in interest on a number of unsold spec homes that were up for sale. To make matters worse there had been 3 months of almost continuous wet weather which, when there are millions of dollars on the line, is every builder's nightmare. Cash flow had evaporated and I was trying to restructure the business and banking arrangements to get into a more healthy financial position to work my way out of the hole. The bank in question never gave me the opportunity and effectively cut off the blood supply. It was a financial execution par excellence.

March 2009

The sky was blue. The sun was shining but all I could think about was that I was about to lose my business, my home and my good standing in the community. Most of all I was going to fail my family as a father. Aren't fathers supposed to be protectors and providers?

Where was my family going to live? How would my family survive if I lost my job and my ability to make money? I was a failure. That's when I thought about the $100,000 life insurance policy and the fact that the tree lined road would make a perfect place to stage an 'accident'. Suicide seemed an option in my unstable state of mind. The cry of my young sons in the baby seats in the back of the car thankfully interrupted my thought process, dragged me back to reality and helped restore my sanity. I could take my own life, but I could never take theirs, and besides they needed a live father not a dead one. Thank God I had taken them with me for a drive that day; otherwise I might not have returned.

Why am I telling you this story?

The world is experiencing a Global Financial Crisis (GFC). It is about to enter what the CEO of the IMF (International Monetary Fund) has euphemistically dubbed 'The Great Recession'. Many commentators are predicting massive job losses and the crash of many companies, even countries, going broke as a direct result of the GFC. Iceland was the first and it is predicted that many others will follow. This will cause enormous challenges for families and fathers in particular. Will we all be out of work? No, even in the Great Depression 7 out of 10 people had jobs. The trouble is that as men we identify with our job and our ability to be successful in our jobs. When we lose our jobs through no fault of our own we can often feel like a failure. The world crashes in on us and in our depression and condemnation we start to think crazy thoughts.

You need to know now, that no matter what happens, your life is not your job, and whether you have a job or not, you are still a successful father and together with God's help you can make it through. You may not own or be able to buy all you want, but you can have all you need providing you are able to reduce your needs to the bare necessities.

I have been watching the Global Financial Crisis closely over the past few months. Firstly I read Peter Schiff's book, 'Crashproof: How to Profit from the Coming Crash' written in 2006. Schiff foretold what was going to happen in the global meltdown with stunning accuracy. Next I read a book first published in 1994 by G Edward Griffin, 'The Creature from Jekyll Island', which is really the history of money and banking over the last few centuries with a particular focus on the USA Federal Reserve. Edward Griffin's accurate prophetic analysis of today's GFC was even more amazing considering the date of publication 15 years ago. I would highly recommend it if you don't mind being assaulted by the truth.

If you want to find out what's happening in the GFC, there is no point in talking to people who didn't see it coming. You have to talk to those who could see it coming. They are those who are far better able to pass accurate comments today.

We have listed some links and articles in Special Feature below which we will also put on the Fatherhood Foundation website under "Fathers in Crisis" for your further information. Compare them with each other and make your own decisions.

Another interesting viewpoint is articulated on YouTube () by Gerald Celente. Celente foretold the 1987 Crash, the Dotcom Bubble and the current crisis. His batting average is excellent but his synopsis is not something you will hear about in most mainstream media.

This information is not intended to frighten anyone but to prepare for the coming storm. Storms are part of life. When we build our life on the rock (as Jesus said), the storms of life will not affect us as much because our investment is beyond the world we live in and is based on the truth, and no-one can take the truth away from you.

Yours for more Words of Love
Warwick Marsh

LINKS:

The following links and articles will be place on the Fatherhood Foundation website under 'Fathers in Crisis' and are a resource for fathers to help them better understand and cope with the Global Financial Crisis.

Many commentators believe the world has a long period of financial instability ahead of it that could result in significant job losses for fathers in many parts of the world, and resulting in hardship for families.

It is imperative that individuals do their own analysis and make their own judgements.

The Fatherhood Foundation does not agree with every commentator's views or opinions but provides the following information in order for the general public to make up their own mind about their personal course of action on what is best for them and their own family.

Vanity Fair: Wall Street Lays Another Egg by Niall Ferguson -

Niall Ferguson is Laurence A. Tisch, Professor of History at Harvard University and a Senior Fellow of the Hoover Institution at Stanford. This is an excellent article to provide an overview of the GFC from an historical point of view.

Economic Brief: 'Solving the economic crisis: what will replace the ideology of globalism?' by Patrick J Byrne, NCC National Vice-President. This paper gives an interesting outline of the GFC and its ramifications from an Australian point of view.

Associate Professor Steve Keen, Western Sydney University.

This website has some very pertinent economic information for Australia and the GFC.

Gerald Celente YouTube Interview on mainstream USA TV is both revealing and challenging.

Please check it out and make up your own mind.

Trends Research Institute: Gerald Celente - The world leader in trend forecasting delivers concise, deployable success strategies to corporate clients.

Peter Schiff, author of 'Crashproof', is a financial forecaster and investment adviser prepared to be different. This is an interview recorded in 2006 which shows his ability for accuracy.

Peter Schiff: 'Why the Meltdown Should have Surprised No One.'

G Edward Griffin is the author of 'The Creature from Jekyll Island', first published in 1994. This book foretells our current situation in great detail. It is really a book about the history of banking over the last couple of centuries with a particular focus on the USA Federal Reserve.

G Edward Griffin website.

If you have read any of the above articles or watched the YouTube links you will no doubt be looking for a practical plan of action to cope with the Global Financial Crisis.

Here are some ideas:

1. Do your own research, think for yourself, make your own judgements and keep abreast with developments with the GFC.
2. Get out of debt or at least reduce debt to a manageable level.
3. Work out your own budget and consider ways you could reduce your expenditure as a family, and how you could live on less (most of us were doing this before the GFC appeared).
4. Work on becoming more valuable to those who employ your services. Job security is now the major issue in employment.
5. Build up a reserve of storable food.
6. Grow your own vegies.
7. Expect the worst and believe for the best.
8. Keep an attitude of gratitude and don't stop giving.

Link-Zone does not necessarily endorse the views held by contributors, or by authors of linked websites. The material in the Link-Zone site is provided for your information to assist you in forming your own opinion. It is Link-Zone's hope that you are able to find quality resources that will help you in your research of contemporary debates and issues. We are also unable to endorse the content of external sites linked to via Link-Zone pages & advise that you exercise proper caution when visiting websites you are unfamiliar with.

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