CLibertyC

A New “Global Standard” Takes Shape

"Financial privacy should not be viewed in a negative light, as it is often portrayed. The Swiss view it as a fundamental human right to preserve dignity, akin to medical privacy. How would you feel if the government snooped into your medical records and automatically shared those records with foreign governments? While it would appear the primary objective of this new 'global standard' is to rake in more money for bankrupt governments, it seems another motive is at play here. The optimistic estimate for FATCA is that it will bring in around $9 billion over 10 years or $900 million on average per year. It appears the primary motivation here is control." Continue reading →

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Four Reasons Why American Tax Laws Make U.S. Expats Suffer

"As any student of American history can tell you, one of the reasons behind the American Revolution was 'no taxation without representation.' Since then, America has striven to ensure that the government is responsive and fair. Until now. Sadly, the United States seems to be straying from her heritage, as millions of unrepresented American expats are being subjected to extra reporting requirements simply because they live overseas. To add insult to injury, the American government isn't the only body discriminating against Americans living overseas. Banks (both foreign and American), insurance companies, and credit/debit card companies are joining in." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFour Reasons Why American Tax Laws Make U.S. Expats Suffer

Judge Gives ’5 Second Probation’ In Widow’s $21M Tax Case

"Consider 79 year-old Mary Estelle Curran of Palm Beach who inherited Swiss and Liechtenstein accounts when her husband died in 2000. She failed to report them and the IRS lost out on approximately $667,716 in taxes. That’s a lot of money to be sure, but the size of her penalty was, well, enormous: 50% of the highest balance: $21,666,929. And that’s not all. She was facing serious jail time too. And it seemed doubly unfair that she was unsophisticated and had tried to come forward to the IRS long before. Fortunately, though, U.S. District Judge Kenneth Ryskamp eased up, even suggesting that the government could probably use a little more discretion." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJudge Gives ’5 Second Probation’ In Widow’s $21M Tax Case

U.S. Bill Seeks Steel Cents, Nickels, Dimes, and Quarters

"On April 25, 2013, Rep. Steve Stivers of Ohio introduced a bill in the House of Representatives which seeks to immediately alter the metallic composition of the one-cent, five cent, ten-cent, and twenty-five cent coins. The legislation would require all four coins to be minted in American steel, with the cent coated in copper to preserve the current appearance. The cent costs the United States Mint 2.0 cents to produce and distribute. The five-cent coin or 'nickel' cost the US Mint 10.09 cents to produce and distribute in the latest fiscal year. The bill would specifically require the coins be made of American steel going forward." Continue reading →

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Argentina’s Mad Dash for U.S. Dollars

"If you find yourself driving through the suddenly packed condo canyons of Miami—lamenting not having bought during the property crash—shake a fist or two at the Argentines. So many of them ponied up 80 percent cash down payments on units that South Florida’s condo depression rather abruptly turned into another boom. Their thinking was defensive: Swap iffy pesos for dollars and store that value in U.S. property, out of the prying hands of the government back home. Now, with Buenos Aires finding some rather innovative ways to crack down on the flight to dollars, that spirit of capital preservation has morphed into a panic." Continue reading →

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The Coming ObamaCare Shock

"In total, it appears that there will be 30 million to 40 million people damaged in some fashion by the Affordable Care Act—more than one in 10 Americans. When that reality becomes clearer, the law is going to start losing its friends in the media, who are inclined to support the president and his initiatives. We'll hear about innocent victims who saw their premiums skyrocket, who were barred from seeing their usual doctor, who had their hours cut or lost their insurance entirely—all thanks to the faceless bureaucracy administering a federal law." Continue reading →

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Labour joins Tories in blocking UK Independence Party members from debates

"Labour leader Ed Miliband wants to block the UK Independence Party from having a role in the TV leader's debates, it emerged today. The Tories were already opposed to the idea of giving UKIP leader Nigel Farage equal status ahead of the 2015 general election. Labour had thought UKIP would only damage the Tories' election hopes. But strategists now fear UKIP's 'brand of anti-politics could damage all three main parties in unpredictable ways,' The Guardian reported." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLabour joins Tories in blocking UK Independence Party members from debates

Who Are the Monarchs of Money?

"Quietly, without much public fuss or discussion, a new ruling class has risen in the richer nations. These men and women are unelected and tend to shun the publicity hogged by the politicians with whom they co-exist. They are the world's central bankers. Every six weeks or so, they gather in Basel, Switzerland, for secret discussions and, to an extent at least, they act in concert. The decisions that emerge from those meetings affect the entire world. And yet the broad public has a dim understanding, if any, of the job they do. In fact, these individuals now wield at least as much influence over the lives of ordinary citizens as prime ministers and presidents." Continue reading →

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4 Things to Buy Before Congress Passes the Sales-Tax Law

"Last week, Congress cleared the way for a May vote on the Marketplace Fairness Act, which requires online retailers to collect sales tax on all purchases. Under current law, states can only require online sellers to collect sales tax if they have a physical presence in that state. E-books are exempt. Marketwatch says these 4 things should be bought before the bill becomes law: 1. Electronics; 2. Jewelry; 3. Designer clothes and accessories; 4. Furniture and fixtures." Continue reading →

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Did the Southern Poverty Law Center Instigate an Attempted Murder?

"The man arrested for shooting a security guard at the Family Research Council headquarters in Washington, D.C. has said in court that he got the idea by reading the Southern Poverty Law Center's 'Hate Map.' Interestingly, every time there's a multiple shooting the Southern Poverty Law Center is the first to spread the (baseless) rumor in the media that the shooter is 'thought to have links to right-wing hate groups.' There is no group of individuals more devoted to spreading hate and intolerance than the Southern Poverty Law Center. Their schtick is to label anyone who disagrees with their left-wing extremism as a 'hate group' or 'linked to' a hate group." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDid the Southern Poverty Law Center Instigate an Attempted Murder?