Bandit Gang Writ Large

Cyprus, lenders reach bailout deal; 40% deposit tax agreed

"Cyprus and its institutional lenders have reached a bailout deal, according to reports citing European Union officials. As part of the agreement the country will impose a 40% haircut on Bank of Cyprus depositors holding more than 100,000 euros ($129,760) in their accounts, Agence France Presse reported. The deal will now be put to the Eurogroup in Brussels for approval, the reports said. The weekend saw tense meetings between Cyprus and the Troika -- the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund -- to reach a deal before a Monday evening funding deadline." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCyprus, lenders reach bailout deal; 40% deposit tax agreed

IRS Star Trek Spoof (Cost To Taxpayers: $60,000)

"The US Internal Revenue Service spent $60,000+ of your money to produce this terrible Star Trek spoof. Despite being really bad, the film does demonstrate the culture of government: You, the citizens, are tax cattle to be farmed for the state. Without genius central planners civilization itself would fall." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIRS Star Trek Spoof (Cost To Taxpayers: $60,000)

Cyprus vs Bankocracy: ‘Mattress better place to keep cash than banks’

"Thousands of Cypriots are celebrating, after the country's Parliament gave a resounding no vote to the EU-IMF bailout package. The move could have seen the government take up to 10% of people's savings, from private bank accounts - as a precondition to securing the much needed 10 billion euro loan. Now that it's been rejected, the ailing Eurozone member will have to work out another plan to avoid bankruptcy." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCyprus vs Bankocracy: ‘Mattress better place to keep cash than banks’

Senate embraces Internet sales tax

"The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly today to endorse levying Internet sales taxes on American shoppers, despite warnings that the proposal is antibusiness, harmful to taxpayers, and will be a 'bureaucratic nightmare.' Senators adopted an amendment to a Democratic budget resolution that, by allowing states to 'collect taxes on remote sales,' ushers in the first national Internet sales tax. The vote follows a week of fierce lobbying from the National Retail Federation and the Retail Industry Leaders Association, which represent companies including Walmart, Target, AutoZone, Best Buy, Home Depot, OfficeMax, Macy's, and the Container Store." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSenate embraces Internet sales tax

Ben Swann Reality Check: Central Bankers Want Personal Savings Accounts To Pay For Bailouts?

"A stunning situation is unfolding on the island of Cyprus. Like other countries in Europe, Cyprus is in a debt crisis and is seeking a bailout from European central bankers. But it is the way the EU and Cyprus government has tried to help pay for the bailout that has the entire world paying attention. Ben Swann breaks this story down in Reality Check." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBen Swann Reality Check: Central Bankers Want Personal Savings Accounts To Pay For Bailouts?

Cyprus concedes big bank account tax, nationalizing pension funds

"As Cypriot party leaders met, a senior Cypriot official told Reuters that Nicosia had agreed with EU/IMF lenders on a 20 percent levy over and above 100,000 euros at No. 1 lender Bank of Cyprus, and four percent on deposits over the same level at others. Cypriot lawmakers voted in late-night session on Friday to nationalize state pensions and split failing lenders into good and bad banks. They also gave the government powers to impose capital controls, anticipating a run on banks when they reopen on Tuesday. A plan to nationalize semi-state pension funds has met with resistance, being possibly even more painful for ordinary Cypriots than a deposit levy." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCyprus concedes big bank account tax, nationalizing pension funds

New Zealand Plans Cyprus-Style Bank Confiscations

"Is it coincidence or something more? Globalists that are trying to create an international monetary solution often implement programs in various countries at once. The question arises as to whether Money Power itself – the banking entities and those behind them that control a good deal of the world's wealth – have decided to 'send a message' about the relationship between citizens and their banks. Cyprus and New Zealand are well down this road. Is a message being sent to savers? Is this going to become the new normal in the West?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNew Zealand Plans Cyprus-Style Bank Confiscations

Bernanke: ‘Bank Confiscation Unlikely In America’; ‘No Idea How Much Money We’re Giving The Banks’

"Ben Bernanke does not say bank or wealth confiscation, like we’re seeing in Cyprus, would be impossible here in the U.S. But rather he says it would be extremely unlikely. My question is; Would it have been extremely unlikely for such a thing to happen in Cyprus a few years ago?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBernanke: ‘Bank Confiscation Unlikely In America’; ‘No Idea How Much Money We’re Giving The Banks’

Second New York cop confirms illegal arrest and ticket ‘quota’ system

"A second New York Police Department officer confirmed Wednesday that the department’s management continued using a system of quotas for arrests and citations even after the legislature explicitly banned the practice. Officer Pedro Serrano, 43, said he was labeled a 'rat' for refusing to bring in the 20 citations and one arrest per month required of him. Serrano also confirmed that the police union had accepted the quota system. Audio published Tuesday features another witness, officer Adhyl Polanco, speaking to a representative of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, who says the union trustees are okay with the requirement." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSecond New York cop confirms illegal arrest and ticket ‘quota’ system

Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll resigns over Internet gambling scandal

"Florida’s Republican lieutenant governor on Tuesday resigned amid questions about her connection to an Internet gambling firm that that is being investigated for racketeering, money laundering and lying about how much it donated to veterans. Carroll submitted her resignation to Gov. Rick Scott (R) on Tuesday after she was interviewed about her links to Allied Veterans of the World, a nonprofit which operates Internet cafes in Florida. Allied Veterans co-owner Jerry Bass, his lawyer and two top officers from Jacksonville’s Fraternal Order of Police were arrested on Tuesday after a raid on Internet cafes run by the nonprofit." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFlorida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll resigns over Internet gambling scandal