statism

Beware the man on the white horse…

"As far back as ancient times, whenever civilizations fell into great crisis, people in desperation have almost invariably turned to a single individual who promised them better times. Of course, history is full of examples of men who did not give up power willingly once the crisis passed. The ancient historian Herodotus lists as many as fifty ‘tyrants’ in his writings, a word that has its origins in ancient Greek despotic rulers. For thousands of years, ambitious men have always taken advantage of crisis, social turmoil, and economic downturns to solidify their positions and take control… often creating even more destruction in their wake." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBeware the man on the white horse…

Lessons from Economic Crises in Argentina

"Just about every single thing that you could do to screw up a country, they have done. It is comical to see the extremes they have gone to. They are really completely out of control and the country is spinning off into la-la-land. Frankly, I love living right in the midst of all of it. There is a lesson to be learned from all of this, and I think it is a very important one. When it comes right down to it, any government – not just the Argentine government, but the US government as well – will simply do whatever it thinks it needs to do to keep the status quo intact, with no moral or ethical considerations." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLessons from Economic Crises in Argentina

Illegal gold mining costs Uganda millions in lost revenue

"As a result of Uganda's central bank deregulating gold sales, local production has increased. The precious metal accounts for 30% of Uganda's export revenue. Illegal mining is having such an impact that experts say it must be stopped in order to shore up revenue collection. A government official said the issue is so alarming that the country exported none of its own gold in April, while Kenya exported 40 kilograms of smuggled Ugandan gold. Some citizens have said police are not responding to calls for them to act on illegal activities. Other reports indicate government officials are profiting from illegal operations through illicit tax collection." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIllegal gold mining costs Uganda millions in lost revenue

India finance minister to countrymen: Contain ‘uncontrolled passion’ for gold

"Finance Minister P Chidambaram today asked countrymen to contain their 'uncontrolled passion' for gold and instead save in financial instruments. 'Have faith in our financial sector. Unfortunately, we have difficulty shedding our old habits and put our money in gold,' he said while speaking at an event to mark the platinum anniversary celebrations of state-run Dena Bank. 'The uncontrolled passion for gold must be contained,' Chidambaram said. People should rather switch to financial products to funnel their savings, the Minister said and added the soon to be launched inflation indexed bonds is a very lucrative option." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIndia finance minister to countrymen: Contain ‘uncontrolled passion’ for gold

Granny’s Gold Bars Are Key to Vietnam Push to Boost Dong

"The target of Vietnam’s campaign to stabilize its currency is in the locked bedroom wardrobe of retired civil servant Vu Thi Huong: gold bars. Huong is among millions of Vietnamese who hold an estimated 300 tons to 400 tons of bullion to store their wealth -- valued at as much as $19 billion at domestic prices and equal to official U.K. holdings -- a legacy of more than a century of war, revolution and economic turbulence. The central bank wants to convert the hoard, much of it smuggled in, into dong deposits to strengthen the currency, which has slid 21 percent against the dollar in five years." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGranny’s Gold Bars Are Key to Vietnam Push to Boost Dong

Germany fears revolution if Europe scraps welfare model

"German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble warned on Tuesday that failure to win the battle against youth unemployment could tear Europe apart, and dropping the continent's welfare model in favor of tougher U.S. standards would spark a revolution. Germany, along with France, Spain and Italy, backed urgent action to rescue a generation of young Europeans who fear they will not find jobs, with youth unemployment in the EU standing at nearly one in four, more than twice the adult rate. If U.S. welfare standards were introduced in Europe, 'we would have revolution, not tomorrow, but on the very same day,' Schaeuble told a conference in Paris." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGermany fears revolution if Europe scraps welfare model

Europe’s ‘new deal’ for jobless dismissed as rhetoric

"The Prado in Madrid has become the unlikely symbol of Europe’s unemployment curse. The museum recently advertised for 11 low-level jobs, mostly guarding paintings by Velasquez, El Greco and Picasso from enthusiastic tourists. The starting salaries were just €13,000 (£11,100) a year yet, to the astonishment of the curators, 18,524 people applied. The print-out list of applicants runs for 357 pages. This is the 'white heat' of a youth jobs crisis that has crept up on EU leaders and now threatens to set off a volcanic political eruption. Francois Hollande, the French president, warned on Tuesday that failure to offer these people hope risks destroying the EU altogether." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEurope’s ‘new deal’ for jobless dismissed as rhetoric

Shocker: Only 1% of So Called Terrorists Nabbed by the FBI Were Real

"An undercover informant or agent posing as an Al-Qaeda operative gives them everything they need… gives them the transportation, gives them the money if they need it, and then gives them the bomb and even the idea for the terrorist attack. And then when that person pushes a button to detonate the bomb that they believe will explode—a bomb that was provided to them in whole by the FBI—agents rush in, arrest them and charge them with conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and then parade that person out to the public saying, 'Look at us. We caught a terrorist. This is us keeping you safe.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingShocker: Only 1% of So Called Terrorists Nabbed by the FBI Were Real

Propaganda Ban Repealed As Government-Made News Floods U.S.

"For decades, a so-called anti-propaganda law prevented the U.S. government’s mammoth broadcasting arm from delivering programming to American audiences. But on July 2, that came silently to an end with the implementation of a new reform passed in January. The result: an unleashing of thousands of hours per week of government-funded radio and TV programs for domestic U.S. consumption in a reform initially criticized as a green light for U.S. domestic propaganda efforts. The law, the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012, was passed as part of the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act. The repeal of the propaganda ban went into effect this month." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPropaganda Ban Repealed As Government-Made News Floods U.S.

Obama Agrees with Hitler on Schooling Children

"In a legal case that seems headed to the US Supreme Court, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has sided with Hitler against parental rights. Romeike v. Holder involves a German family which is seeking asylum in America because Germany has threatened to remove the Romeike's younger children if they continue to homeschool. In 1938, Adolf Hitler ordered all German children to be educated either in state schools or in government-approved private schools that strictly followed the Nazi blueprint. The Reichsschulpflichtgesetz (Compulsory Education Law), which specifically banned home schooling, remains in force in Germany today." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama Agrees with Hitler on Schooling Children