Saturday, April 30, 2016

Deutsche Bank Unveils The Next Step: "QE Has Run Its Course, It's Time To Tax Wealth"



"It is becoming increasingly clear to us that the level of yields at which credit expansion in Europe and Japan will pick up in earnest is probably negative, and substantially so. Therefore, the ECB and BoJ should move more strongly toward penalizing savings via negative retail deposit rates or perhaps wealth taxes. With this stick would also come a carrot – for example, negative mortgage rates."






Nothing Is Real: "It's All Being Played To Keep People Believing The System Is Working"

"We exist, beyond any shadow of any doubt, in an environment of absolute fakery where nothing is real... All of this is being played in a way to keep people believing, once again, that the system is working and will continue to work."



State-Sanctioned Theft - The Failed War On Drugs And Cops' Abuse Of Civil Forfeiture

The ugly unspoken truth is that the War on Drugs is a massive jobs and funding program for law enforcement that is operated under the guise of saving people from the evils of substance abuse. More than 40 years after it was started, we know that it has been a colossally-expensive epic failure on its stated goals, was intentionally designed to further disenfranchise marginalized groups, and has become a full-fledged assault on our civil liberties.



Visualizing The Market Cycle

Like many controversial topics in investing, there is no real professional consensus on market timing. Academics claim that it’s not possible, while traders and chartists swear by the idea. That said, as VisualCapitalist's Jeff Desjardins notes, one thing that everyone can probably agree on is that markets are cyclical and that securities do have recurring chart patterns. They aren’t predictable all of the time, but learning the fundamentals around market cycles can only help an investor in furthering their understanding of how things work.



China Takes Drastic Measures To Save The Regime

Chinese President Xi Jinping recently announced that he would take command of all of China’s armed forces, including the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Xi is already chairman of the Central Military Commission that oversees the army. He is now taking a more direct role as head of the new Joint Operations Command Center, which puts him in operational command of the PLA in times of war. The new title in all likelihood means little in terms of actual command, but it has tremendous political significance. Officially, the Chinese are reforming their military, which is logical (read why here). The roots of this change, however, lie in China’s economic crisis and the need to preserve the regime.



What Are The Three Signs Of A "Disorderly" Currency Market: Richard Koo Explains

First sign of disorderly market: widening bid-offer spreads
Second sign: gapping
In extreme cases, dealers stop answering their phones




Taking The 'Petro' Out Of The Dollar


While the Arab countries floated themselves on oceans of petro-dollars forty years ago, they have little need for them now. So we must now turn our attention to China, which is well positioned to act as white knight to Saudi Arabia. China’s SAFE sovereign wealth fund could easily swallow the Aramco stake, and there are good strategic reasons why it should. A quick deal would help stabilise a desperate financial and political situation on the edges of China’s rapidly growing Asian interests, and keep Saudi Arabia onside as an energy supplier. China has dollars to dispose, and a mutual arrangement would herald a new era of tangible cooperation. The US can only stand and stare as China teases Saudi Arabia away from America’s sphere of influence.



It's A Trap!

We (the people) love the smell of 'free stuff' in the morning...

ADL Targets Trump: Saying “America First” is Anti-Semitic

by Paul Joseph Watson, Infowars:
According to the Anti-Defamation League, Trump needs to stop using the phrase “America First” because it’s “anti-Semitic.”
The ADL press release shared yesterday urged Trump “to reconsider his use of the phrase ‘America First’,” saying it was used by so-called anti-Semites “seeking to keep the nation out of World War II.”
“The most noteworthy leader of the ‘America First Committee’ was Charles Lindbergh,” the ADL said, “who sympathized with the Nazis and whose rhetoric was characterized by anti-Semitism and offensive stereotypes.”
Read More…

Forget the NY Times — Here’s Obama’s Real Legacy

from The Daily Bell:
One day we’re saving the banks; the next day we’re saving the auto industry; the next day we’re trying to see whether we can have some impact on the housing market. – President Barack Obama

Yesterday’s New York Times devoted 6,000 words and a main feature to nothing short of an all-out defense of Obama’s economic legacy. In the process, they went full Keynesian.
From the opening paragraph that detailed Obama’s singlehanded efforts to rebuild the U.S. economy following the 2008 financial crisis, it was clear that author Andrew Ross Sorkin is more than simply a member of the lapdog media. Like a true believer, Sorkin bowed down at the altar of Obama’s government.
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Top 10 Amazing Benefits of Pink (Himalayan) Salt

by Alex Jordon, Natural News:
Salt is an essential mineral that our bodies require. Without it, our bodies develop deficiencies as it becomes chemically imbalanced. Our nervous system, muscles and the entire body eventually weaken.There are varieties of different kinds of salt from sea salt to white salt, but there is one that provides benefits to the body and it is known as, “Pink Himalayan Salt.” This salt has been found to contain many beneficial minerals that are essential to our bodies.
Origin of Pink Himalayan Salt
From its origin which is the Himalayan Mountain, about 200 million years back, crystallized sea beds of salt covered with lava were discovered.
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Obama’s Comments Are Mindblowing

by Dave Kranzler, Investment Research Dynamics:

I don’t know if he’s delusional and really believes what he’s saying or if he’s so used to saying the opposite of the truth that the lies just flow naturally out of his mouth. I just don’t know. But this I do know: the truth about anything is the opposite of what Obama claims to be the case. I just have to point to Obamacare to prove that point.
Fox News this morning is reporting that Obama’s Syria policy has failed. It’s more like Obama’s Presidency has failed.
Obama made the claim yesterday that the movie, “The Big Short” is a lie and that his Presidency reigned in Wall Street and made “the financial system more stable.” But the truth is that not only is “The Big Short” 110% true, the reality is that Wall Street’s fraud and criminality is worse now than it was during the housing bubble.
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Trump Nomination Odds Hit Record High As Rubio Urges GOP Not To "Ignore The Will Of The People"



The probability of The Donald becoming the Republican Presidential nominee has surged up to a record high 85% this week (as the odds of a brokered convention collapse) as a more mild-mannered and "can't we all get along" Trump begins to creep out of the shadows. As the inevitable event looms - no matter what the establishment tries - increasing numbers of #NeverTrump-ers are slowly but surely moving over to what they pictured before as the dark side. The latest, as The Hill reports, is none other than Marco Rubio who said "[Trump's] performance has improved significantly," urging GOP "let’s not ignore the will of the people or they’re going to be angry." Additionally, Rep. Jimmy Duncan (R-Tenn.) on Saturday endorsed Donald Trump for president, giving the GOP front-runner his 12th lawmaker endorsement.


UPS Braces For $3.8 Billion Charge As Treasury's Pension Benefit Decision Looms









NIRP Has Officially Arrived: Interactive Brokers Starts Charging 0.25% On Yen Cash Balances






Trump Responds To California Protesters: "Felt Like I Was Crossing The Border, But I Got Here"

"That was not the easiest entrance I've ever made. We went under a fence, and through a fence. Oh boy, it felt like I was crossing the border actually..."



The Real Story Behind The True Magnitude Of The New Home Sales Collapse

Comparing the growth in the number of full time jobs versus the growth in new home sales starkly illustrates both the horrible quality of the new jobs, and how badly ZIRP has served the US economy.



Gold And Negative Interest Rates

In Japan, the European Union and Switzerland, where negative nominal interest rates have already been adopted, it was observed that demand for safes and cash increased. At the same time, we learn that negative rates have boosted demand for gold in Japan (sales of gold to Japanese consumers rose to 32.8 metric tonnes in 2015 from 17.9 tonnes a year earlier). According to Takahiro Ito, chief manager at Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo K.K.’s store in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district, “Many customers are wagering that it’s better to turn their savings to gold as a safe asset rather than deposit money at banks that offer low interest rates."

SILVER & SILVER STOCKS: Top Performing Assets In 2016

by Steve St. Angelo, SRS Rocco:

Silver and the silver mining stocks are some of the top performing assets in 2016. Silver was the top performing physical asset in the metal-commodity basket gaining 27% since the beginning of the year. Silver’s gains surpassed West Texas Oil which increased 24%, zinc at 20% and gold at 19%:
As we scroll down the chart we can see that copper, the king base metal, placed towards the bottom of the list at a mere 5% gain, while lead recorded a 2% loss and natural gas declined the most at 8%.
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WTF Chart Of The Day: Speculative Frenzy '101'

In the new normal, where bad news is good news, stagnation is growth, and depression is a buying opportunity, it should be no surprise that the so-called "safety stocks" of the Consumer Staples sector have never been more risky. At a P/E valuation of 22x, food, beverage, and tobacco companies have never been more expensive. But, "safety stocks" are not the most expensive stocks in the US equity market...



Let's Stop Pretending Nuclear Power Is Commercially Viable

Nuclear power is not commercially viable but has become a state-sponsored technology. There is nothing wrong with state supported technology. But we could save a lot of time and money by not pretending that it is something else.



The Cult Of Central Banking Is Dead In The Water

So what is to be done, as Lenin once queried? In a word it is this. Fire the Fed. Attend to supply side policy. Let market capitalism do the rest. The cult of central banking is dead in the water.



Caught On Tape: The Last Minutes Of Life Of A Bumbling ISIS Fighter

"I need a rocket for firing at people! .. Careful not to shoot at our brothers! ... I've been shot!"



Bernie Sanders' Wife: "It Would be Nice If The FBI Moved Along Hillary's Email Probe"

"We said right from the beginning, right after the debate where he said, 'enough of your damn emails,' he also said, 'there's a process...it's going forward,'" Jane Sanders said Thursday on Fox Business. "It's an FBI investigation...we want to let it go through without politicizing it and then we'll find out what the situation is and that's how we still feel. I mean, it would be nice if the FBI moved it along," she said with a laugh.



The Full Story Behind Bloomberg's Attempt To "Unmask" Zero Hedge

Over the years, Zero Hedge has proven to be a magnet for media attention. Today, it is Bloomberg's turn.



Why We're So Unhealthy

..because our system makes (and keeps) us sick.



"Don't Fly Near Our Borders" - U.S. Spy Plane Again Intercepted By Russian Jet

Yet another close encounter took place between the U.S. and Russia yesterday, as a Russian SU-27 allegedly conducted a barrel roll over top of a U.S. Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance plane flying over the Baltic sea. There appears to be more to the story however, as Russia's defense ministry claims that the U.S. plane had turned off its transponder, which is needed for identification.."The US Air Force has two solutions: either not to fly near our borders or to turn the transponder on for identification."



Lies, Lies, & OMG More Lies...

"I have certain rules that I live by... My first rule - I don't believe anything the government tells me." - George Carlin


Daisy Luther: Real World Collapse – You May Not Have Two Years

from The Daily Coin:

For those that have been following the unfolding nightmare that is the total collapse of Venezuela you have been witness to a full blown economic collapse. We could go into all the reasons it is happening or we can review what has happened in real time. As you may be aware this began almost two years ago and we are just getting to the point of a complete and absolute totalitarian state. With all the propaganda, rationing and police state tactics that go along with a totalitarian state. Some of you are probably thinking, ‘what does this have to do with me?’ Everything. If you compare what is happening in Venezuela to what is happening right here in the U.S. you can see eerie similarities.
Two years ago the people of Venezuela were made aware their government was in trouble and the “bills” had become due. The only problem was, the government did not have the money to pay the bills. This put the government in situation that, to this day, can not be very easily resolved.
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EU Commission Plays Brussels Roulette On Glyphosate – F. William Engdahl

by F. William Engdahl, The News Doctors:

The EU Commission is clearly determined to approve a “probable human carcinogen, glyphosate, despite overwhelming evidence of its toxicity. They are clearly content to side with Monsanto and the agribusiness chemical weed-killer lobby and with Washington above the health and safety concerns of EU citizens. A legal mind might call this criminal negligence. The issue is the upcoming renewal of the license to use the probable carcinogen, glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto’s widely-used weed-killer, Roundup®. The intensity of the lies and attempted deception by EU faceless bureaucrats on the controversial glyphosate issue is indicative why more EU citizens are demanding an “opt-out” entirely from the European Union.
Earlier this year, the EU Commission had recommended re-approval for another 15-years of the license for the controversial glyphosate. They declared that their “yes” decision was based on the determination by the EU’s European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) that there was no reason to believe glyphosate is a carcinogen.
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Brzezinski’s ‘GRAND CHESSBOARD’ Is Imploding: US-Created System In Iraq Is Collapsing: Protesters Storm Parliament, State of Emergency Declared – Live Webcast

from Zero Hedge:
Less than two years ago, the US set up another puppet government in the mid-east this time in the state of Iraq when following substantial US pressure, on August 14, 2014 then prime minister al-Maliki agreed to stepped down and be replaced with Haider al-Abadi. Today, the regime is in chaos and the system set up in Iraq by the US is collapsing when protesters loyal to popular Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr breached the heavily fortified Green Zone, home to government buildings and foreign embassies, and stormed the Iraqi parliament forcing MPs to flee and unleashing a state of emergency for all of Baghdad.
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“NESTLÉ IS TRYING TO BREAK US” TOWN FIGHTS TO STOP BOTTLED WATER MEGACORP FROM STEALING THEIR WATER

from The Daily Sheeple:

A small town in Pennsylvania is the latest to be targeted by Nestlé Waters North America, which, in typical fashion, is seeking to extract millions of gallons of freshwater to bottle and sell for an obscene profit — whether or not local residents approve.
Nestlé sneakily began testing waters in the Kunkeltown area as far back as 2012; but residents wouldn’t have discovered the desire for its water at all had the mega-corporation not rented an office in the community center, as Truthout reported. In fact, Nestlé’s plans comprise no small operation, as Truthout explained:
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Venezuela’s Slow, Painful Death

from The Sleuth Journal:

Venezuela is a rare case of a nation condemned to die a slow painful death by self-destruction and foreign intervention at the same time.
The last shoe to drop for the Bolivarian nation is the sharp decline in oil prices, which was the only lifeline for a country that, despite its natural riches, is still 100% dependent on crude oil sales to finance its gargantuan government-run bureaucracy.
Venezuela’s economic activity has collapsed since the decline of oil prices and, despite major attacks from Washington and its sponsored organizations inside the country, the Maduro-led government is the most egregious aggressor against the ever-dependent population.
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The Race to the Bottom Will Reignite Gold

by Jason Simpkins, Outsider Club:

Six of the world’s central banks (Europe, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, and Hungary) representing 29 countries have taken interest rates negative. They range from -0.05% in Hungary to -1.25% basis points in Sweden.
As a result, other countries, plagued by the same low commodities prices and a soft global economy, are now under growing pressure to take the same action.
Defend your currency and suffer the consequences, or devalue it and play catch up. In many cases the decision is difficult, but seemingly inevitable.
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Gold And Silver – A Clarion Alarm Call For All Paper Assets

by Michael Noonan, Edge Trader Plus:

Perhaps the most successful Ponzi scheme of all has been the Rothschild-led takeover and sapping of the entire United States since the American Civil War that started in 1861. The final stages were set with the not-so-lawfully-passed but fully implemented Federal Reserve Act on 23 December 1913. The fact that it purportedly passed two days before Christmas, when the custom was for no legislation to be enacted, while most politicians were en route or already home for the holidays, and the main opponents for this specific Act were indeed absent when the vote was made before a select skeleton group that stayed in Washington to ensure “passage” of the Act, this was all a huge red flag that was kept hidden from the public.
Read More


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US-Created System In Iraq Is Collapsing: Protesters Storm Parliament, State of Emergency Declared - Live Webcast



Less than two years ago, the US set up another puppet government in the mid-east this time in the state of Iraq when following substantial US pressure, on August 14, 2014 then prime minister al-Maliki agreed to stepped down and be replaced with Haider al-Abadi. Today, the regime is in chaos and the system set up in Iraq by the US is collapsing when protesters loyal to popular Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr breached the heavily fortified Green Zone, home to government buildings and foreign embassiesm and stormed the Iraqi parliament, forcing MPs to flee and resulting in a state of emergency being declared for all of Baghdad.



The Full Story Behind Bloomberg's Attempt To "Unmask" Zero Hedge

Over the years, Zero Hedge has proven to be a magnet for media attention. Today, it is Bloomberg's turn.



"Don't Fly Near Our Borders" - U.S. Spy Plane Again Intercepted By Russian Jet

Yet another close encounter took place between the U.S. and Russia yesterday, as a Russian SU-27 allegedly conducted a barrel roll over top of a U.S. Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance plane flying over the Baltic sea. There appears to be more to the story however, as Russia's defense ministry claims that the U.S. plane had turned off its transponder, which is needed for identification.."The US Air Force has two solutions: either not to fly near our borders or to turn the transponder on for identification."



Lies, Lies, & OMG More Lies...

"I have certain rules that I live by... My first rule - I don't believe anything the government tells me." - George Carlin



Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting Live Stream

For the first time ever, Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting in Omaha goes digital and is being webcast live on Yahoo Finance. Those so inclined can watch Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger's deep thoughts in real time from the Woodstock of Crony Capitalism at the webcast link below.



Oil's Latest Casualty: Saudi Binladin Group Fires 50,000, A Quarter Of Its Workforce

In the latest clear sign that low oil prices are taking their indirect toll not only the US shale sector, leading to billions in capex cuts and hundreds of thousands of lost oil and gas jobs, on Friday Saudi newspaper al-Watan reported that the multinational construction conglomerate Saudi Binladin Group (which was founded in 1931 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Laden Sayyid, father of Osama bin Laden who was removed as a shareholder in the business in 1993 and disowned by the family) has laid off 50,000 staff as pressure on the industry rises amid government spending cuts to survive an era of cheap oil.



Why We're So Unhealthy

..because our system makes (and keeps) us sick.



"We Want Them Dead" - ISIS Releases "Hit List" Of 3,600 New Yorkers

The FBI is notifying unsuspecting targets after the release of an ISIS hit list that includes thousands of New Yorkers. The names on the list were released last week. ISIS has urged urged followers of the militant group to target these 3,600 individuals and to facilitate that the hacker group has posted their personal information with the demand that "we want them #Dead."



The Oligarchy Is Tottering - Trump Tramples The Neocons' "False Song Of Globalism"

For the past twenty years, movements have arisen to challenge American imperialism. The Trump movement is different: it is massive, and it is capable of winning. That’s what has the Establishment in such a panic. If we step back from the daily news cycle, and consider the larger significance of the Trump phenomenon, the meaning of it all is unmistakable: we haven’t seen anything like this in American politics – not ever. Revolution is in the air. The oligarchy is tottering. The American people are waking up, and rising up – and those who try to ignore it or disdain it as mere “populism” will be left behind.


Gold And Silver – A Clarion Alarm Call For All Paper Assets

by Michael Noonan, Edge Trader Plus:

Perhaps the most successful Ponzi scheme of all has been the Rothschild-led takeover and sapping of the entire United States since the American Civil War that started in 1861. The final stages were set with the not-so-lawfully-passed but fully implemented Federal Reserve Act on 23 December 1913. The fact that it purportedly passed two days before Christmas, when the custom was for no legislation to be enacted, while most politicians were en route or already home for the holidays, and the main opponents for this specific Act were indeed absent when the vote was made before a select skeleton group that stayed in Washington to ensure “passage” of the Act, this was all a huge red flag that was kept hidden from the public.
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9/11 Commission Did Not Exonerate Saudis

from Washington’s Blog:

Americans are not used to reading investigative pieces of journalism. We like to tweet and text in small bites. But here’s the thing. Sometimes, the most important things can’t be explained in 15 bites or less. Sometimes, it takes more space and time. And so I ask everyone who is reading this blog to please read it in its entirety — especially the bold parts. And, if you care about our country, if you care about peace, and keeping American lives safe from terrorists, pay attention to what is being said here — and never forget it.
The time has come to clarify some inaccuracies and misleading statements being made in the media regarding the 28 pages, the 9/11 attacks, the investigation of the 9/11 attacks, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
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SILVER & SILVER STOCKS: Top Performing Assets In 2016

by Steve St. Angelo, SRS Rocco:

Silver and the silver mining stocks are some of the top performing assets in 2016. Silver was the top performing physical asset in the metal-commodity basket gaining 27% since the beginning of the year. Silver’s gains surpassed West Texas Oil which increased 24%, zinc at 20% and gold at 19%:
As we scroll down the chart we can see that copper, the king base metal, placed towards the bottom of the list at a mere 5% gain, while lead recorded a 2% loss and natural gas declined the most at 8%.
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The Hong Kong Housing Bubble Implodes

from Wolf Street:
Everything suddenly goes the wrong way.
As in so many housing bubbles, soaring apartment prices feed epic high-rise construction booms with the promise of big profits backed by easy money. Years can pass between initial plan and completion, and now the fruits of Hong Kong’s epic construction boom are hitting the market just when prices are crashing and sales collapsing.
In the first quarter, the number of housing units under construction set a new frenetic record: 13,300, the South China Morning Post reported, citing the Transport and Housing Bureau. By comparison, in all of last year, 14,200 homes were under construction. In 2015, 11,300 new homes were completed. This year, the number will jump 61% to 18,200! Over the next three to four years, 92,000 new homes will hit the market.
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Is the World Getting Crazier, But We No Longer Notice?

by Charles Hugh Smith, Washington’s Blog:
If we step back and look at what’s happened since the Global Financial Crisis of 2008-09, it’s easy to see that the global leadership has chosen to do more of what’s failed spectacularly.
Since the Global Financial Meltdown, central bankers and planners have pursued policies designed to boost global stock markets to create a wealth effect in which people will be psychologically inclined to borrow and spend more because their stock market/IRA portfolios are rising. This supposedly encourages them to spend this “paper wealth.”
But the policy runs aground on two realities: 1) only the top 5% of the households own enough stocks to make a difference to their wealth (and their perception of wealth, i.e. the wealth effect), and 2) the wealth effect only occurs in “good times” when people feel the economy is healthy and their prospects are improving.
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Doug Casey: Why Do We Need Government?

by Doug Casey, International Man:
Rousseau was perhaps the first to popularize the fiction now taught in civics classes about how government was created. It holds that men sat down together and rationally thought out the concept of government as a solution to problems that confronted them. The government of the United States was, however, the first to be formed in any way remotely like Rousseau’s ideal. Even then, it had far from universal support from the three million colonials whom it claimed to represent. The U.S. government, after all, grew out of an illegal conspiracy to overthrow and replace the existing government.
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Securing Our Money Through Currency Competition

by JP Cortez, Activist Post:
Competition is a good thing.
It brings out the best in athletes. It brings out the best in students. It brings out the best in companies.
Since monopolies remove the positive effects of competition, however, it makes sense to reexamine one of the most detrimental monopolies that ever existed.
Most folks would probably agree that government-run monopolies like the United States Postal Service and the Department of Motor Vehicles do a lousy job of serving the public, so why should we give bureaucrats a monopoly over our money as well?
It wasn’t always this way in America. And a few states are finally taking steps toward breaking the money monopoly that’s developed, thereby fostering viable alternatives to the U.S. dollar.
Read More


What Happens If Everybody Pulls Their Money Out Of The Bank Today?

For every dollar that you have in the bank there is actually 0.00061 dollars available...in other words, there's 6 cents for every $100 dollars of deposits that you have at the bank. As Mike Maloney explains in this brief clip, we live in an economic system that is made complicated by design. Basically, it’s set up so most people don’t even try to understand it. Got Gold?



The Woodstock Of Crony Capitalism

In Davos, they chug bottles of Chateau Lafite Rothschild and plot how to pillage small nations. At Berkshire, we will eat Dilly bars and plot how to pillage the middle class. Capitalism is beautiful and crony capitalism is the end product of politicians who prostitute the laws. I don’t have the power to change the current rules, but I can certainly learn to thrive within them.



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