Mad Statists

Europe’s new financial transaction tax missing projected revenues

"Tough taxes on financial transactions across Europe have devastated market activity and failed to raise as much as politicians hoped, according to new figures out yesterday. Hungary implemented a 0.1 per cent tax at the start of the year. But it raised less than half the revenue the state had hoped for, bringing in 13bn Hungarian Forints (£36m) in January. France forged ahead on its own, introducing a 0.2 per cent tax on sales of shares of major firms. But that only raised €200m (£169.4m) from August to November, well below to €530m expected. And Italy launched its FTT this month. Figures from TMF Group suggest it has cut trading volumes by 38 per cent already." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEurope’s new financial transaction tax missing projected revenues

The Great Super Fantastic Bank of Cyprus & Its Awards of Excellence

"The Bank of Cyprus, which is stealing up to 40% of deposits from those with more than 100k Euros, had quite a veil of legitimacy. Check out the prestigious awards that the bank recently earned. The Central Banking heart pumps propaganda with every single beat. The arteries in the U.S., including The New York Times, Slate, The Atlantic, BusinessInsider, WashingtonPost etc....carry the propaganda to the people in the U.S. in the exact same way that the publications listed above did in Cyprus." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Great Super Fantastic Bank of Cyprus & Its Awards of Excellence

Marc Faber: Not Even Gold Will Save You From What Is Coming

"When you print money, the money does not flow evenly into the economic system. It stays essentially in the financial service industry and among people that have access to these funds, mostly well-to-do people. It does not go to the worker. I just mentioned that it doesn't flow evenly into the system. So we are creating bubbles and bubbles and bubbles. This bubble will come to an end. My concern is that we are going to have a systemic crisis where it is going to be very difficult to hide. Even in gold, it will be difficult to hide." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMarc Faber: Not Even Gold Will Save You From What Is Coming

War Without End

"There has been much in the news over the past two weeks commemorating the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the pre-emptive Iraq War. The above YouTube video commemorates the ending of an even greater conflict, World War I, which began in 1914 and ended in 1918. This is one of the most powerful and heart-wrenching documentaries you will ever watch, especially the never-to-be-forgotten recitation of the Siegfried Sassoon poem, Aftermath, by actor Jeremy Irons at the end of the program (which garnered an Emmy Award)." Continue reading →

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Bauman’s Little Black Book of Buffoons

"Public servants who no longer serve the best interests of the public should always follow Sir Anthony Eden’s example and resign on moral grounds. And here in the U.S., the list of useless officials in our government is shocking and even demoralizing. Resign! What follows is just a small sample of them, albeit the top five in my little black book of who should fall on their swords – all of them buffoons." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBauman’s Little Black Book of Buffoons

Furor Growing Against Obama Over ‘Monsanto Protection Act’

"The protests come on the heels of a massive petition campaign organized by the advocacy group Food Democracy Now, which gathered the signatures of more than 200,000 people who wanted Obama to veto HR 933 in order to stop Section 735 -- the so-called 'Monsanto Protection Act' -- from being codified into law. But Obama ignored it, instead choosing to sign a bill that effectively bars federal courts from being able to halt the sale or planting of GMO or GE crops and seeds, no matter what health consequences from the consumption of these products may come to light in the future." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFuror Growing Against Obama Over ‘Monsanto Protection Act’

The Next Domino: Slovenia Government Bond Yields Spike

"The country, another relative newcomer to the euro, is struggling with its own banking problems. The IMF expects Slovenia will have to recapitalize its three largest banks this year, which could cost a billion euros. That will increase Slovenia's budget deficit, which is bad news because the country is already having trouble selling sovereign bonds on the open market in order to finance the government. So, the question is whether Slovenia will be the next EU member state to need a bailout. Slovenia's top central banker, Marjo Kranjec – who also sits on the ECB Governing Council – says it's not going to happen." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Next Domino: Slovenia Government Bond Yields Spike

Unwise Deepening of an Unnecessary Crisis

"It is difficult to avoid the conclusion we have made in past articles that much of what passes for solutions in the EU are actually being implemented to aggravate what is already injured. The idea perhaps is that a lingering crisis gives Brussels's Eurocrats the ability to further implement a 'deeper' political union. Are you an investor? Are you betting on the euro – or even the EU? In the era of the Internet, when people increasingly understand how the 'great game' is played, the deliberate (evolutionary) deepening of a crisis is perhaps unwise." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUnwise Deepening of an Unnecessary Crisis

Mike Bloomberg: “I do think there are certain times we should infringe on your freedom”

"'I do think there are certain times we should infringe on your freedom,' Mr. Bloomberg said, during an appearance on NBC. He made the statement during discussion of his soda ban — just shot down by the courts — and insistence that his fight to control sugary drink portion sizes in the city would go forth." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMike Bloomberg: “I do think there are certain times we should infringe on your freedom”

Europe’s Bailout Rebound Lasts Three Hours. Reverses Despite Panicked EU Minister Tweet.

"The faceless bureaucrat who heads the faceless, unnamed EuroGroup admitted the truth: the rescue of Cyprus would serve as a model for the next round of bailouts. That sent a clear message: anyone with a lot of money deposited in a bank of Italy or Spain or Portugal is at risk. He may wind up like all those rich Russians who thought their money was safe in Cyprus. Down went bank shares. Down went the stock markets. Down went the euro. Wait! Wait! He then reversed himself again. He tweeted a message that Cyprus was a one-time event after all. Too late. The truth was out. The damage was done. The stock markets did not reverse again. Neither did the euro." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEurope’s Bailout Rebound Lasts Three Hours. Reverses Despite Panicked EU Minister Tweet.