Alternative News

Obama: No warrantless wiretaps if you elect me [2008]

"For one thing, under an Obama presidency, Americans will be able to leave behind the era of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and 'wiretaps without warrants,' he said. (He was referring to the lingering legal fallout over reports that the National Security Agency scooped up Americans' phone and Internet activities without court orders, ostensibly to monitor terrorist plots, in the years after the September 11 attacks.) In our own Technology Voters' Guide, when asked whether he supports shielding telecommunications and Internet companies from lawsuits accusing them of illegal spying, Obama gave us a one-word response: 'No.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama: No warrantless wiretaps if you elect me [2008]

Peter Schiff on Bullion Banks, and the Hidden Trove of QE Money

"Perianne talks about the Fed and gold with Peter Schiff. Justine Underhill presents a chart to explain just exactly what the Fed has been doing vis a vis QE. Also, in the US, the big banks have had to submit 'living wills' to regulators -- basically, a blueprint for their wind-down should they become insolvent -- or, more insolvent, we guess. But the central bank of central banks, which is the Bank for International Settlements, just came out with its own plan for how to deal with too-big-to-fail. It's 'simple,' they say. Just let the creditors and depositors take losses -- a la Cyprus -- and force the creditors to recapitalize a new banking entity." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPeter Schiff on Bullion Banks, and the Hidden Trove of QE Money

Three key lessons from recent travels around the world

"One member is a sharp, contrarian hedge fund manager. He gave a brief presentation on why Greek stocks are a tremendous bargain right now, despite almost every other world market being overpriced near their all-time highs. Another friend of mine who is a real estate mogul said that much of the price rise we’re seeing in US housing is due to a wave of hedge funds that are buying vacant properties. He said he expects most of these hedge funds will liquidate within 18-24 months, flooding the market with homes and driving prices back down. When it came my turn to make some remarks, I told the group three things I’ve learned in my recent travels." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThree key lessons from recent travels around the world

Clean bills or bust in Myanmar

"When traveling in Myanmar, the last thing you want to put in your money pouch is your actual money. Across the country, the slightest tear, stain, corner crease or any imperfection will render a United States dollar-denominated bill unacceptable. The practice can be a special source of anxiety for travelers who have flocked to Myanmar since the country's recent political reform and opening to the wider world. Only in the past year or so has Myanmar's tourism economy matured beyond anything other than cash. With no access to overseas banks, a traveler who accidentally sat on their wallet and creased all the bills within had little recourse." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingClean bills or bust in Myanmar

How China Spawned a Bitcoin Industry in Three Months (and Why it Might be Doomed)

"Techweb reports that China’s bitcoin scene now has everything from professional bitcoin investment services to customized bitcoin mining chip manufacturing. And indeed, wherever we looked, it seems services have sprung up, or grown significantly in popularity. For example, where the West has Mt. Gox, China now has a variety of its own platforms including btcchina, btctrade, FXBTC, and Bter (among others). And while some of those have been around for quite a while, their popularity over the past few months has skyrocketed. The big question mark surrounding all of this, of course, is what China’s government will ultimately say about the all-digital currency." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHow China Spawned a Bitcoin Industry in Three Months (and Why it Might be Doomed)

“Entrapment” by the IRS resulted in “ruinous penalties” for ordinary Americans

"The Geneva-based international group says that the 2009 OVDP in particular was 'extremely prejudicial to Americans living overseas who sought to become compliant with their taxes due to errors or omissions under the OVDP. Believing they could come back into the system by simply filing the appropriate paperwork and paying any outstanding tax burden, these individuals were later told they would be hit with a standard penalty of 20% of the highest value of their bank accounts over a five-year period.'" Continue reading →

Continue Reading“Entrapment” by the IRS resulted in “ruinous penalties” for ordinary Americans

“Entrapment” by the IRS resulted in “ruinous penalties” for ordinary Americans

"The Geneva-based international group says that the 2009 OVDP in particular was 'extremely prejudicial to Americans living overseas who sought to become compliant with their taxes due to errors or omissions under the OVDP. Believing they could come back into the system by simply filing the appropriate paperwork and paying any outstanding tax burden, these individuals were later told they would be hit with a standard penalty of 20% of the highest value of their bank accounts over a five-year period.'" Continue reading →

Continue Reading“Entrapment” by the IRS resulted in “ruinous penalties” for ordinary Americans

“Entrapment” by the IRS resulted in “ruinous penalties” for ordinary Americans

"The Geneva-based international group says that the 2009 OVDP in particular was 'extremely prejudicial to Americans living overseas who sought to become compliant with their taxes due to errors or omissions under the OVDP. Believing they could come back into the system by simply filing the appropriate paperwork and paying any outstanding tax burden, these individuals were later told they would be hit with a standard penalty of 20% of the highest value of their bank accounts over a five-year period.'" Continue reading →

Continue Reading“Entrapment” by the IRS resulted in “ruinous penalties” for ordinary Americans

“Entrapment” by the IRS resulted in “ruinous penalties” for ordinary Americans

"The Geneva-based international group says that the 2009 OVDP in particular was 'extremely prejudicial to Americans living overseas who sought to become compliant with their taxes due to errors or omissions under the OVDP. Believing they could come back into the system by simply filing the appropriate paperwork and paying any outstanding tax burden, these individuals were later told they would be hit with a standard penalty of 20% of the highest value of their bank accounts over a five-year period.'" Continue reading →

Continue Reading“Entrapment” by the IRS resulted in “ruinous penalties” for ordinary Americans