for life and liberty

Obama May Levy Carbon Tax to Cut U.S. Deficit, HSBC Says

"Barack Obama may consider introducing a tax on carbon emissions to help cut the U.S. budget deficit after winning a second term as president, according to HSBC Holdings Plc. A tax starting at $20 a metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent and rising at about 6 percent a year could raise $154 billion by 2021, Nick Robins, an analyst at the bank in London, said today in an e-mailed research note, citing Congressional Research Service estimates. In China, the world’s biggest emitter, greenhouse gases from fuel use rose more than 9 percent in 2011." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama May Levy Carbon Tax to Cut U.S. Deficit, HSBC Says

Puerto Ricans push for U.S. statehood in referendum vote

"For the first time, a majority of Puerto Rican voters expressed support for changing their homeland’s status from a U.S. commonwealth to full statehood Tuesday night. According to CNN, the non-binding referendum on the issue was split into two questions. Residents voted against remaining a territory by a margin of 54 percent to 46 percent in the first part of the referendum, while 61 percent supported statehood in the second part. President Barack Obama expressed support for the referendum. Puerto Rican Secretary of State Kenneth McClintock said economic factors weighed heavily in statehood winning majority support." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPuerto Ricans push for U.S. statehood in referendum vote

Welfare States: Federal Grants Now a Third of State Revenue

"The Pew Center on the States has a great new illustration of how dependent states have become on federal dollars since the recession. States now count on the federal government for $1 out of every $3 in revenue, according the 2010 Census, which offers the most recent finalized data. That’s your stimulus money at work. And $1 out of every $3 is just the national average: In Arizona, 46.9 percent of state revenue came from federal grants; in Louisiana, 48 percent; and in Mississippi, a whopping 49.6 percent." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWelfare States: Federal Grants Now a Third of State Revenue

Preparing for the upcoming federal confrontation on legalized marijuana

"What seems to be pretty much a given is that the DEA will not go after consumers. They simply don’t have the staff to do it. 99% of possession arrests are by state and local police — if they’re not doing it under the new law, then the feds can’t do much about it. So, as with medical marijuana, they’ll go after the big suppliers. That’s almost impossible to defend against — the government’s ability to seize property and the visibility of large suppliers makes it easy picking. So the smart thing would be to push for a lot of small suppliers — make it hard for the DEA to go after them and less of a loss if they do." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPreparing for the upcoming federal confrontation on legalized marijuana

Julian Assange says victorious Obama ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’

" WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Wednesday described re-elected President Barack Obama was a 'wolf in sheep’s clothing' and said he expected the US government to keep attacking the anti-secrecy website. Speaking to AFP by telephone from Ecuador’s London embassy, where he sought asylum in June in a bid to avoid extradition to Sweden over sex crime allegations, Assange said Obama’s victory was no cause for celebration. 'Obama seems to be a nice man, and that is precisely the problem,' the 41-year-old Australian told AFP, after the president defeated Republican Mitt Romney on Tuesday night." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJulian Assange says victorious Obama ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’

Obama Wins A Second Term: Now What?

"The game will go on until the time is up for our nation. Austerity measures will dramatically increase, benefits and promises will be lost by the poor and remaining middle class citizens who really need them and taxes will rise, as will the risk of gold and wealth confiscation. Obama will be blamed, just as Romney would have been blamed had he been elected president, for this is how our regulatory/debt democracy works today in the 21st century. A failed system of central bank control leading a failed economy, a failing currency and a controlled system totally divorced from control or limitation by the citizens of America." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama Wins A Second Term: Now What?

Intrade Was Right: Obama, Senate, House

"I never doubted Intrade's results after the Senate fell from 53-47 for the Republicans to 20-80 against. There was no 'margin of error' worth talking about in any of the three betting markets: President, Senate, or House. There comes a time to face up to reality. The reality is this: the polls are no match for the accuracy of betting sites when a large number of people are betting. All of the money spent on polling was wasted. All of the emotion spent on assessing the polls was wasted." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIntrade Was Right: Obama, Senate, House