Saeculum
About this tool
Based on Strauss-Howe generational theory, this visualization tracks the ~80-year cycle of American history. We're currently in the Fourth Turning (Crisis era, 2008–2030)—the same phase as the Civil War, Great Depression, and WWII. Explore how gold, debt, inequality, and polarization behave across seasons.
The Fourth Turning: Economic Cycles
Gold price in USD measures purchasing power preservation against fiat debasement.
The Pattern
Crisis periods (highlighted zones) correlate with peaks in debt, gold, inequality, and polarization—and troughs in the Dow/Gold ratio. Real rates go deeply negative during financial repression. The pattern repeats roughly every 80 years.
Where We Are Now
2024 mirrors 1929 and 1864: debt at record highs, inequality back to Gilded Age peaks, and polarization at 0.96—near Civil War levels. History rhymes.