China’s Great Wall, built over dynasties, had its secrets.

Big, fat secrets.

Failures during its construction or breaches by invaders were inevitable, but always shunned into silence.

In fact, the Qing dynasty (ending in 1912) had an official policy of withholding information about border incidents.

They feared knowledge of successful invasions might embolden more tribes to attack.

Result? A public blindsided by real (and real deadly) threats.

There were other examples.

1959…

Mao aimed for a communist utopia through swift industrialization.

Instead, millions starved.

The truth? Hidden.

Whistleblowers: silenced.

1976…

Tangshan, rocked by a massive quake, lost a staggering 242,769 people.

Mao's regime? Downplayed the tragedy and turned down outside help.

Result? Situation ended up far worse for the victims.

2016…

China suffered a historic devaluation and capital flight, draining over $1 trillion in Chinese reserves.

Response? Government officials threatened its analysts and reporters against being bearish on the economy.

Result? Made things worse.

Also, coincidentally, Bitcoin soared from $400 to $20,000.

Finally, 2023…

Now, China teeters again.

Amid financial strains in consumer demand, exports, and housing, the 2016 script returns: silence the bears and censor the economists.

Speak positive or not at all.

The result? Probably not good.

But before you think it’s “just over there”...

America’s Next?

One might think the “bastion of free speech” would resist such economic censorship, but the past few years have seen a concerning drift.

There's alarming potential for social media platforms, under pressure or otherwise, to suppress dissenting voices.

Such suppression not only affects those who want to voice concerns…

But it also misleads the unsuspecting public into a false sense of security.

History has shown that blinding people to potentially harsh economic realities has devastating consequences.

Instead of silencing the heralds, it's essential to understand what they’re saying.

Whether it's an individual or a nation, preparation and a clear-eyed understanding of the financial landscape is the key to weathering any storm.

And as China tightens its grip on economic narratives, Americans should tread carefully.

It can happen here.

And, according to our colleague Jim Rickards, it will.