A Dire Warning About the Socialist Movement Crushing Venezuela

Here's an interesting insight into what's really going on in a country that is rapidly devolving into total dictatorship and the oppression of its people still living there.

Further reporting reveals just how bad things have become in Venezuela recently.

Yet, the mainstream media is trying to ignore this and, if they do say anything about it, claims that this is what will become of nationalism and populism that's swept the nation with the election of Trump. Yea, right!

How Regulations Hurt Small Businesses

 I'll be the first to admit that I've never run a small business; my career was in education. (Sadly, I'm embarrassed to admit this given how it has clearly been taken over by the NEA.)

So, watching this video explain how bureaucracies which, for whatever reasons, which are a mystery to me, are imposing regulations on them, it may take re-watching a few times to follow this fast paced, complex issue on what impact those regulations have on fostering a strong business climate.

What's Really Going on in the Economy?

Let's hope this time it's not nuclear.

If you're an optimistic when it comes to our national economics outlook, then you most likely accept what the mainstream media is telling the public about our economic outlook. 

However, if your a pessimist regarding the current economic situation, then you might agree with Peter Schiff's view that we're on the verge of another "bubble bursting" like we've seen too many times before. (Let's not forget that, during his campaign, then candidate Trump spoke about this very "bubble" issue.)

To understand why I state the above points, I recommend watching these two videos here:

1. CNBC's Scott Nations and Peter Schiff go at each other over financial perspectives; see this video.
2. Stepping into the "time machine" of YouTube, let see how Schiff was right; see this video.

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Here's another article that you might find rather informative on this topic:

Editor’s Note: The following is a guest post by Adam Taggart with PeakProsperity.com. 

 

I don’t talk to my classmates from business school anymore, many of whom went to work in the financial industry. 

 

Why? 

 

Because, through the lens we use here at PeakProsperity.com to look at the world, I’ve increasingly come to see the financial industry — with the big banks at its core — as the root cause of injustice in today’s society. I can no longer separate any personal affections I might have for my fellow alumni from the evil that their companies perpetrate. 

 

And I’m choosing that word deliberately: Evil. 

 

In my opinion, it’s long past time we be brutally honest about the banks. Their influence and reach has metastasized to the point where we now live under a captive system. From our retirement accounts, to our homes, to the laws we live under — the banks control it all. And they run the system for their benefit, not ours. 

 

While the banks spent much of the past century consolidating their power, the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act in 1999 emboldened them to accelerate their efforts. Since then, the key trends in the financial industry have been to dismantle regulation and defang those responsible for enforcing it, to manipulate market prices (an ambition tremendously helped by the rise of high-frequency trading algorithms), and to push downside risk onto “muppets” and taxpayers. 

 

Oh, and of course, this hasn’t hurt either: having the ability to print up trillions in thin-air money and then get first-at-the-trough access to it. Don’t forget, the Federal Reserve is made up of and run by — drum roll, please — the banks. 

 

How much ‘thin air’ money are we talking about? The Fed and the rest of the world’s central banking cartel has printed over $12 Trillion since the Great Recession. Between the ECB and the DOJ, nearly $200 Billion of additional liquidity has been — and continues to be — injected into world markets each month(!) since the beginning of 2016:

With their first-in-line access to this money tsunami, as well as their stranglehold on the financial system that it all runs through, the banks are like a parasite feasting from a gusher on the mother-lode artery. 

 

It should come as little surprise that, with all this advantage they’ve amassed, the banks have enriched themselves and their cronies spectacularly. They have made themselves too big to fail, and too big to jail. Remember that their reckless greed caused the 2008 financial crisis, and yet, in 2009, not only did bankers avoid criminal prosecutions, not only did the banks receive hundreds of billions in government bailouts, but they paid themselves record bonuses? 

 

And the bonanza continues unabated today. By being able to borrow capital for essentially free today from the Fed, the banks simply lever that money up and buy Treasurys. Voila! Risk-free profits. That giveaway has been going on for years. 

 

Couple that with the banks’ ability to push market prices around using their wide arsenal of unfair tactics — frontrunning, HFT spoofing and quote stuffing, stop-running, insider knowledge, collusion, etc — the list is long. James Howard Kunstler is dead on: we don’t have a free market anymore. Instead, we have rackets, run by racketeers. The rest of us are simply suckers to be fleeced. 

 

Nobel Prize-winning economist Angus Deaton recently agreed: 

 

Income inequality is not killing capitalism in the United States, but rent-seekers like the banking and the health-care sectors just might, said Nobel-winning economist Angus Deaton on Monday. 

 

If an entrepreneur invents something on the order of another Facebook, Deaton said he has no problem with that person becoming wealthy. “What is not OK is for rent-seekers to get rich,” Deaton said in a luncheon speech to the National Association for Business Economics. 

 

Rent seekers lobby and persuade governments to give them special favors. 

 

Bankers during the financial crisis, and much of the health-care system, are two prime examples, Deaton said. 

 

Rent-seeking not only does not generate new product, it actually slows down economic growth, Deaton said. 

 

“All that talent is devoted to stealing things, instead of making things,” he said. 

 

As further proof, let’s look at this data recently obtained by Zero Hedge. In the past 4 years, JP Morgan’s in-house trading group has had exactly 2 days of losses: 

 

 

That’s not trading. Trading involves uncertainty and risk. This situation has none. It’s an extraction process — siphoning value from the market day after day with ironclad dependability. 

 

And it’s not just a few dollars here and there. In 2016, JP Morgan’s daily average trading revenues were $80 million. Per day! That’s nearly $20 billion for the year. 

 

So if not “trading,” what should we call it when a bank can extract tens of billions of dollars a year from the markets, with no downside risk? “Sanctioned theft” sounds about right. 

 

Because for every trade there is a buyer and a seller. If JP Morgan is the winner every day, who is losing? Turns out, it’s the big pools of “dumb money” that don’t have the cheat codes for the system the way the banks do. These are the pension funds, the index funds, the retirement accounts — the aggregated money of all the ‘little people’ out there. Little people who don’t have visibility into how they’re being constantly fleeced; nor do they have agency to do anything about it even if they did. 

 

So yeah, “theft” feels like a pretty accurate term. 

 

And it has reached the point where the banks don’t even care about hiding it anymore. If you had a nice inside racket going on, wouldn’t you at least pretend to hide your advantage, to avoid drawing attention? Not the banks. They’re either too proud or too obtuse to conceal it. Look at our string of perfect trading days! Look at our record bonuses! 

 

These boasts fall on the ears of everyday Americans as the modern version of Let them eat cake! 

 

And just like the out-of-touch French monarchs, the banks have positioned themselves as the enemy of the public. For as I claimed at the beginning of this article, a tremendous amount of the injustice in this country can be laid at the feet of the banks directly, or indirectly via the Federal Reserve. 

 

Are you a senior who can’t afford to retire because you can’t live off your fixed-income savings? Thank the Fed’s 0% interest rates for that. 

 

Are you a millennial who can’t afford to buy a home? Again, thank the Fed’s policy of suppressing interest rates and thereby blowing another housing bubble. 

 

Are you struggling to get out of poverty? Are you finding it hard to remain in the middle class? Whatever your income, are you having to work harder and harder to just stay in the same place? See here how the Fed’s money printing, and the banks’ first-position access to it, has created the most concentrated imbalance of wealth in our country’s history: 

 

Wealth Inequality In America

 

Are you frustrated with how our lawmakers seem to serve corporations instead of the people? Listen to this mind-blowing podcast of how gobs of lobbyist money, much of it provided by Wall Street, dictates how our politicians legislate: 

 

Whether it’s social equity, the security of your job or retirement, your day-to-day existence, or the fairness of the laws we live under — our fate is currently in the hands of the banks. And, of course, should their behavior trigger another meltdown of the global economy — something we warn about often here at PeakProsperity.com — we’ll have them to thank for that, too. 

 

Yes, the banks are going to keep writing the rules in their favor; and yes, there’s little agency any of us has individually to do much about it. But as a society, we need to start addressing the dire situation we’re in honestly and openly. By whatever path, we have granted the banks far too much control over our lives, and they are taking gross advantage of that. Exactly like a parasite, the banking system is siphoning off our wealth and limiting our freedoms and future prospects — all for the benefit of an elite few. 

 

That’s wrong. It’s immoral. And it’s Evil. 

 

It’s far beyond time to call a spade and spade. The path to change always begins with an accurate assessment of the problem. We need to start using accurate language — like “evil” — when discussing the harm we’re being subjected to. We need to make it clear to our elected officials and to our communities that we understand what the banks are doing and that we find it unacceptable. 

 

We need to make the criticism specific and personal. To JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon. To Fed Chair Janet Yellen. We need to turn up the heat on the perpetrating decision-makers, so that the borg-like structure of the banking system no longer serves as a deflective shield to scrutiny and criticism. These people need to feel the disapproving stares when speaking to the public. They need to hear the disdainful boos, and see their faces on the protest signs and nightly media reports. 

 

And if you yourself work in the financial system, I’ll be blunt. You’re part of the problem. Just like my former classmates, I’m sure you’re a very nice person in many ways — but you’re complicit in the banks’ rapaciousness. 

 

I know it’s not pleasant to hear, or admit. I worked for an investment bank for a few years early on in my career. I was part of the problem, too. 

 

But we have a choice, both as individuals and as a society, to align our actions with our values. It’s not always easy. And likely not as profitable if you indeed end up leaving the financial industry (as I can tell you from personal experience). But it’s the only way we’ll ultimately gain back control of our destiny. 

 

Look, the banks’ dominion is going to end one day. Either due to collapsing under the weight of the stupendous amount of debt they’ve helped laden our economy with, or due to an uprising from the bottom 99% once it has become fully destitute. Neither path is appealing. 

 

So our best choice here as individuals is to position ourselves where we can be least subjected to the game the banks want to force us to play. 

 

The 3-part series we’ve just concluded: The Mother Of All Financial Bubbles, The Coming Great Wealth Transfer, and When This All Blows Up offers our best guidance for preserving wealth from the predation of the bankers. If you haven’t read them yet, make that your weekend reading assignment. 

 

Finally, as a society, we need to wake up and make some hard, courageous choices. Obviously, the banks will not relinquish their control willingly. But if we start speaking truthfully and openly about the evil we’re dealing with, we’ll start fearing it less. It’s time for us all to speak up.

Source: http://www.glennbeck.com/2017/04/25/banks-are-evil-and-its-time-to-get-painfully-honest-about-it/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20170425GBDaily&utm_term=GB-Control?utm_source=glennbeck&utm_medium=contentcopy_link

Killing O'Reilly

The spin over this story has been fascinating. IMHO, this development illustrates extremely well just how low our current media's bar has been lowered in stooping to gossip and salaciousness. And with the advent of social media we everyone chiming in on judging it. It isn't the first and won't be the last.

Here's an article which is a prime example. 

But, there's also mounting evidence that there were leftist forces at work - in the form of a highly organized campaign against the show's advertisers - behind O'Reilly's demise. 

On the other hand, here's a piece from someone who worked with O'Reilly while at FOX News that has a different perspective on the situation.

Then there's "Whacky Waters" who believes O'Reilly should go to jail for this. Oh really? Then she apparently hasn't been informed about all the women who came forward in the '90s and later, who asserted that Bill Clinton raped them, and deserves the same. Then, there's Rush Limbaugh's questions about all of this.

While I don't condone outright sexist behavior by anyone, I, personally, think it's a bit unrealistic for us to think that we can instantly overcome the tendencies of former generations (after all, they grew up in circumstances which were more accepting of such behavior) to suppress their desires - even if they're just verbal - especially when those men have parlayed their "A" type personalities to climb the corporate ladder and have their egos inflated by it, while at the same time be subjected to working with a cadre of extremely attractive women as there are at FOX News. (Roger Ailes did promote this for ratings, didn't he? So, in my view he's just as much a culprit as Bill.)

Given his long run of success as a New York Times "Best Selling" author and news anchor, Bill O'Reilly may have had his venue pulled and his reputation sullied, but at this man's age, he certainly will not be suffering financially; even if he is sued by any of the females involved. His book revenues alone has, I suspect, given more to charity than any other conservative to date. And regardless of the "Golden Parachute" he's been given for leaving FOX News, it would make any "Joe Sixpack" green with envy.

New Revelations of Who's Behind Spying Efforts

For months the public has been fed - via the now obvious head of the Democrat Party; the mainstream media outlets - news that Trump has supposedly been a puppet of Putin in order to manipulate the outcome of the election. Doing its best to push the Hitlarian maxim that if one pushes a big enough lie, hard and long enough, it will, over time, become its own truth, there are many who are completely convinced that this is a fact, and not the assertion it is of the left in attempting to justify why Hillary lost.

News from persistent and patient investigations has revealed that there was an Obama appointed cabinet position that was behind the wiretapping of Trump Tower and campaign officials. Here's a paragraph from the article exposing who committed the act of political espionage as an operative of the Obama administration's efforts to help Hillary win. (Note the first sentence reveals the personal motivation for this individual to carry out the spying.)

"Seeking to retain his position as CIA director under Hillary, Brennan teamed up with British spies and Estonian spies to cripple Trump’s candidacy. He used their phony intelligence as a pretext for a multi-agency investigation into Trump, which led the FBI to probe a computer server connected to Trump Tower and gave cover to Susan Rice, among other Hillary supporters, to spy on Trump and his people."

What's even more interesting, but not surprising; really, is what's disclosed in the fourth paragraph of this article about his background.

I wonder just how much we will learn of any serious investigations in Congress regarding this matter, let alone that any actual prosecution and conviction of espionage will result. I hope my low level of expectations are proven wrong, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

A Different View on Immigration

In juxtaposition to my previous post titled entry, "Is Europe's Current Problem A Portent For America?" I provide this letter from my Congressman about this same topic to show how most liberals see the issue. I realize it's a long letter, but it provides some fascinating assertions that makes me realize how, being in a predominantly liberal state, he just doesn't seem to care about those who have a differing view on it. 

The paragraph in his letter that I've highlighted is completely void of any concern for the safety of his constituents. Apparently he feels that not only are they a completely passive & non-threatening people, but he also believes that we have an endless treasury to support those who come here having not contributed one dime to the welfare funds they will draw from.

Never mind that the country gave an ultimatum that it was concerned about the past eight years of policies from the administration he supports. So, now their strategy is to claim that the system must be reformed - How, by their standards to allow them to stay in the country and make demands that we change our culture and vote for their candidates? - to keep their party from losing even more than it already has (over 1,000 seats - from Congress to town mayor - have been lost to conservative candidates over the past several elections.)? Oh, let's also not forget that, while the Democrats were in power in Congress, THEY were the ones who stalled on reforming the Immigration policies which have long been a high level issue of concern for the country.

April 20, 2017

Mr. Jon M. Higley 5313 24th Avenue NE Tacoma, Washington 98422 (Redacted for privacy concerns.) Dear Jon, Thank you for contacting me regarding the immigration policies of the United States. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue, and I value this opportunity to respond. Immigration is one of the great strengths of our nation. People from all over the world have come to our country because they see opportunity in America, and a chance to build a better life for themselves and their families. The hard work and talent of immigrants have helped grow our economy and have strengthened our country for all Americans. Unfortunately, in this new Administration, we have seen significant efforts to dismantle or otherwise shut down immigration from certain parts of the world. Executive Orders signed by President Trump have sought to ban not only individuals from several majority-Muslim countries, but to also shut the door on refugees fleeing incredible hardship – even after lengthy, in-depth background screenings. While these and other orders will likely continue to be litigated, it is critical that we fight to protect vulnerable populations, support efforts to ensure families are not senselessly broken apart, and maintain policies that reflect a proud heritage of welcoming those in need. Reforming our immigration system is long overdue. Our current laws, regulations, and enforcement standards do not recognize the importance of sound immigration policies to our economy and national security. We must ensure that the United States remains welcoming to those from other countries who wish to visit, study, relocate or do other lawful business in our country – as well as for refugees fleeing conflict, violence, and instability. The current and future flow of immigrants through our ports of entry is in dire need of reform. The process by which individuals immigrate to the United States is incredibly complex and cumbersome. There are very limited opportunities to come here legally, next to no options for portability or transferability of visas, and it's even more difficult to bring family members to the United States. Wait times for individuals coming from countries with high immigration rates are approaching 20 or more years.  Of the 11 million individuals currently estimated to be in the United States without documentation, approximately 40 percent came here with a valid visa. If the legal immigration process works better, that value will go down. We have to make it easier and simpler for individuals who grow our economy and support greater creation of additional jobs for those already in the country to come and remain here legally. Adding barriers, physical or legal, is counterproductive and has historically led to opposite outcomes. That’s why I am an original cosponsor H.R. 724, the Statue of Liberty Values Act, which would bar any federal spending on the harmful Executive Orders blocking the entrance of refugees from Syria, as well as immigrants from several majority-Muslim nations. I am also a cosponsor of H.R. 852, the Freedom of Religion Act, which would prohibit the discrimination of travelers, refugees, and immigrants on the basis of religion. Legal immigration supports families, brings new ideas and vitality to our nation, and incentivizes economic competitiveness as well as the creation of American jobs by attracting needed workers, high-skilled entrepreneurs, and investors. This can all be accomplished in a way that is consistent with American values. We must provide a reasonable pathway to citizenship for those individuals in our country without documentation. The majority of people living in the United States without documentation are hard-working and valuable members of our communities, many of whom were brought to this country at a very young age through no fault of their own. It is time to reform our immigration system so that undocumented immigrants that have called the United States home for years can come out of the shadows and participate fully in American society. Millions of undocumented immigrants continue to live in fear of deportation.  Likewise, U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents, and DREAMers live in fear of being torn apart from their families, and our communities suffer due to the loss of vibrant contributors to our economy. I am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 1006, legislation that would require any individual facing potential deportation or removal proceedings to be guaranteed access to counsel. The immigration court system is complex – especially for those who may be non-native English proficient. Ensuring that these individuals can access legal assistance should they so choose should be a bare minimum standard. Additionally, I’m very supportive of legislation such as H.R. 469, the BRIDGE Act, which would create a new protected class of individuals, brought to the U.S. as children, who would be shielded from deportation. This would include current recipients of the Delayed Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.  In light of the potential for expanded immigration enforcement, more needs to be done to shield those who pose no threat to our communities from unnecessary actions.

I am also an original cosponsor of H.R. 748, the Safeguarding Sanctuary Cities Act of 2017. Introduced by Congressman Mike Quigley, this legislation would ensure that any state or local authority cannot lose federal grant funding if it limits or restricts compliance with an immigration detainer request. Seattle is at risk for having federal funds cut as a self-identified “sanctuary city.” Stripping sanctuary cities of funding for not complying with certain federal immigration laws is unconstitutional and would only harm our communities.  We are living in an increasingly globalized, competitive, and interconnected world, where the flow of people, goods, and services is not just a reality, but a necessity. The current Administration’s tactics of running and hiding when confronted with these challenges, closing borders and deporting those whose only crime was trying to find a better life, only weakens the global standing of the United States, harms our economy and national security, and runs contrary to long held values. We must do better.  Again, thank you for contacting me about this important issue. Should you have further questions or concerns about this or any other issue, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Adam Smith
Member of Congress

Is Europe's Current Problem A Portent For America?

Well, that title is actually a rhetorical question because, if you've been paying attention at all over the past several years, you know that this problem is already here in our country.
 
This 10 minute documentary of Sweden's "culture clash" is what our mainstream media has deliberately suppressed because it is considered "racist" to report the rape problem they've inherited as a result of bringing in over 190,000 foreigners from a completely different culture.

Is this situation in Sweden a portent of things to come soon in our country, or is the media merely doing its best to ignore the existence of the same problem here. I know I've come across documented instances over the past several years of such problems here in Cities like Dearborn, MI (a.k.a. Dearbornistan), so it's obvious to me that the only way the truth can be known is through alternative sources now. The left is, however, doing it's best to combat this by labeling such dissemination of information as "fake news". Even some search engines are suppressing one's ability to find such alternative information to become informed because political correctness is so rampant today.

The propaganda machine is in full force mode now!