The U.S. Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged on Wednesday and signaled it still planned to raise rates twice in 2016, though it said slower economic growth would crimp the pace of monetary policy tightening in future years.  The central bank's decision to stick with its 2016 rate path, however, appeared shakier, with six of its 17 policymakers projecting just one increase this year. -Reuters

We remember late last year that the Fed was confident of raising rates four times in a row. Now at some point in 2016 there may be another tiny hike of 25 basis points But perhaps not.

Many in the alternative media knew better than Janet Yellen, who kept suggesting that the US economy was improving.

Janet Yellen probably received her prestigious position because she is willing to say anything.

The US is in a depression. The economy is not improving.

Half of Europe is bankrupt. The Chinese are so desperate to get their newfound wealth out of the country that they've bid up bitcoin from $400 to $700 in about a month.

Half the West's banks are actively involved with negative interest rates of some sort.

This is what always happens when you engage in prolonged price fixing.

Central banks fix the value and volume of "money."

Central banking doesn't work. Over time it causes tremendous dysfunction and mayhem.

This upcoming economic crash is going to be the worst ever. It may wipe out whole countries.

But Janet Yellen is still suggesting that the US economy may somehow improve and necessitate further interest rate hikes.

As if that would somehow make a difference.

It won't. More from Reuters:

The Fed also said the economy would grow only 2 percent this year and in 2017, 0.1 percentage point lower than previously forecast for each year.  It also cut its longer-term view of the appropriate federal funds rate, its benchmark lending rate, by a quarter point to 3 percent and indicated it would be less aggressive in raising rates after the end of this year.

All around the world, savvy investors are doing their best to protect themselves from the upcoming storm. The levels of debt held by corporations, sovereigns and private citizens is unsupportable.

This growing realization has bid-up bitcoin, gold and silver alike. Anything not directly associated with the dollar or central bank fiat currencies generally.

Junior Miners are benefiting as well from a renewed interest in gold and silver because the upside leverage can be significant in a "hot" market. Also, you don't have to store or take delivery of actual metals.

Here at DB, we've taken on our first sponsor, Golden Arrow, which has made a silver discovery that it may mine jointly with an industry leader, Silver Standard.

Silver is increasingly in demand currently not only for its industrial uses but because people are realizing that silver is woefully lagging when it comes to the silver-gold ratio. Both metals are often mined together and in modern times the expected price ratio has been something like 15-to-1.

It's not nearly there today. As a result, silver is receiving more scrutiny in an increasingly powerful mining market.