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Guest Post: In Case It Wasn't Obvious...
Via Simon Black of Sovereign Man blog,
Sometimes the writing on the wall seems painfully obvious. But occasionally it's a good idea to step back and look at the big picture:
1) The Land of the Free is set to impose fresh restrictions on firearm ownership... to include a ban on assault weapons, increased background checks, psychological screenings, and criminalizing ammunition magazine clips with a capacity beyond ten rounds.
And if they can't pass these measures by law, the President is prepared to enforce them by royal decree, i.e. executive order.
It's amazing that people have become so fearful, they are now abdicating one of the most fundamental responsibilities of humanity-- protecting and safeguarding our families.
Instead, many Americans are choosing to outsource this responsibility to the same folks who bathe them in radiation at airports, spy on their phone calls and emails, wage senseless wars in foreign lands... and have a horrible track record of screwing up everything they try to do.
Great idea, seems like a hell of a trade-off.
2) The German central bank has announced that they will begin withdrawing their massive gold holdings from the United States.
In what is likely to be the first move among many other sovereign nations, it's clear that governments no longer trust each other, and that the goodwill of the United States is being viewed with increasing suspicion.
As gold holdings flee the United States, how long will it be before they 'close the window' and ban gold exports? Do you really want to find out first hand?
3) The United States government is just weeks away from defaulting on its mountain of debt. Having already technically breached the debt ceiling, their only temporary fix is to seize federal pensions and engage in fraudulent accounting tricks.
Obviously this forebodes a number of potential consequences-- seizure of private retirement accounts, capital controls, etc. And yet, people in US will merely trust that their government is going to 'fix it', and do absolutely nothing to hedge their bets.
4) European politicians have declared an end to the euro crisis. Notwithstanding the wave of riots across the continent, or the record level of unemployment that was just reached this month, politicians are engaging in self-congratulatory back-slapping for their courageous handling of the crisis.
At this point, Europe has almost become a caricature... its politicians like monocled cartoon villains, twirling their moustaches in dark room.
Absolutely nothing has changed on a fundamental level. Most countries still have massively high debt burdens, pension obgliations, and deficits. And they're still living hand to mouth on the backs of German taxpayers and quantitative easing.
Pretending that the situation has magically resolved itself is either the height of incompetence or intellectual dishonesty.
Curiously, most people seem to know this. Yet they will do absolutely nothing.
They know, for example, that a US default is an entirely feasible option on the table. They understand that the consequences would be disastrous. And yet, most folks will do nothing and simply hope for the best.
The best response is to take steps which make sense in either scenario... no matter what happens.
You won't be worse off for taking control of your retirement account. You won't be worse off for holding some of your hard-earned savings in a strong, stable bank overseas, in a jurisdiction where your politicians can't seize it. You won't be worse off for having some precious metals stashed away overseas... or owning productive land abroad.
All of these steps make sense no matter what. And it's an important strategy to adopt.
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Meh...
Shit happens...
I'm still having a problem understanding people in this country.
If they watched that press conference and weren't disgusted by those ghoulish, lying vampires then they really need an intervention.
I feel like throwing up as soon as they open their mouths
"You won't be worse off for holding some of your hard-earned savings in a strong, stable bank overseas, "
So those living in countries other then the US, should store their wealth in US Banks?
Name one place US jurisdiction doesn't reach these days - it's as if we think we own the planet and act on that assumption. Remember DVD Jon - their courts finally woke up and realized what he did wasn't illegal where he lived, but it was a close call.
Remember secret swiss bank accounts? No longer secret.
If you can't hold it, you don't own it. It's a farce to think somewhere else on this planet, most of it in even worse shape, is safer. Wish on, I just heard hope is actually a viable invesetment strategy, and since it was in print, it must be true, right?
banks can provide you what you want but it's going to cost you.
Identity is available for a price, everywhere.
Property taxes force you to be a slave no matter where you live.
Devil Patrick has proposed an increase in income tax and sales tax. Increase in gas tax to .51 cents and 2.4 cent per mile tax on mileage. WTF! Most of do not live in or around Boston. Nor do we give a shit about rail service to Hyannis. I hope Obomba has a place for him in DC.
Well, you'll certainly be pissed when Deval runs for President and wins. All the morons that voted for the Vote-Buyer-in-Chief are most certainly going to vote for the Gubnah of Massive-Two-Shits.
+1000
I'd tell ya, as I've done my own dilligence during the years I worked for a "Fortune 50" and collected many airmiles to far away places, but then we'd both have the Fed trolls going after that place too. Screw 'em! B4 they screw you.
But yes, young Paduan, there ARE places. Big, mothertrucking :-)
I'll name one place US jurisdiction doesn't reach these days - Russia
North Korea?
Cuba?
Albania?
[of course; I wouldn't want my money in any of those places...]
Just got back from two weeks in Cuba (Awesome) was there in Feb 2012 and the tourist peso (CUC) was par to Canadian Dollar.
Now for Canadian Dollar gets 96 CUC and get this.... the Big Dollar (USD) gets 86!
Fidel says bend over Yankee's
I'm pretty sure the Cook Islands still thumb their noses at the US authorities, but good luck trying to move there...
I want to know which foreign jurisdiction besides Switzerland that will allow either citizens or non citizens to own military style firearms such as the AR or AK, or handguns. I've been to most third world shi'ite holes in the Middle East, Far East and Central America, and so far haven't found any that will do so without jumping through many .gov hoops, and it's usually the upper class wealthy that get the proper permissions. As bad as the USA gets, at least here I own the means to defend myself already, and can understand them when they say "Let's kill him".
Jersey. You can pretty much own any weapon, there, but good luck relocate, unless you're (very) loaded - you need a permit (not likely) and even if you get it, housing (renting, owning) is, to put it mildly, expensive as shit.
why wouldn't those overseas governments just do the same thing the US government will do? seize assets to pay for business as usual?
Some aren't as desperate.
I wonder, at what point did Romans begin to despise their citizenship? Was it during inflation? Invasion? The Chirstian revolution? But what was the tipping point??? I can only imagine what histoy books will tell in 25 years....because I'm beginning to despise my US passport and everything it represnts.
Just now? Have you been asleep for the last decade?
Dispise the govt not the passport and certainly not the country.
It doesn't represent ANYTHING! That's all just one giant, indoctrinated fiction existing wholly within your own mind.
Did it ever occur to you that there's nothing real about citizenship, other than you consenting to your own enslavement?
Meanwhile, you're likely blaming everyone but yourself for this trauma.
Consent of the governed, bitchez!
A nation and citizenship meant something (blood links and a common culture) until the cultural Marxists/parasites who control most of the media, academia, big businesses, and politicians decided all white countries would be flop houses for the third world until they replaced the natives (the definition of genocide by the way). So, yes, a US passport has very little meaning today but it wasn't always so and who knows how things may shake out over the next decade or two as the current process of economic and cultural implosion plays out.
Bingo!
That is exactly what a passport represents: the holder's obligations to the country of issue.
in enlightened circles passports are called slave cards...
and while we are at it, up until WWI practically pretty much no passports were needed to travel around, and when needed it was "a means of helping his subjects prove who they were in foreign lands". (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passport#History)
"Bingo", said the troll with a passport.
Thanks for remiding me.A couple of mine are due for renewal.
Yes - but some slave owners are more civil than others
"Did it ever occur to you that there's nothing real about citizenship, other than you consenting to your own enslavement?"
There is a basis for that in nature. Male hunter-gatherers were stuck in their tribes whether they wanted to be there or not. If a male left his tribe, he was likely to be killed by another tribe, or not be able to reproduce. Maybe that's why there is so much support for whatever hellhole one is stuck in - there wasn't a viable choice and that belief is still with us.
The outcome wasn't so bad for wandering females.
Love "European leaders declare an end to the debt crisis."
With falling real GDP across the board? It looks like it is just beginning!
http://confoundedinterest.wordpress.com/2013/01/15/game-of-thrones-gold-...
You know, you could be a little more subtle with your constant fucking spamming.
If you've got something to say to us, at least make an effort to say it here.
Nobody respects a blog pimp.
No I don't either!
President Fernando De la Rua resigned and fled the government palace in a helicopter, driven from office by a devastating economic crisis and days of rioting that left 22 people dead and homes and supermarkets across Argentina ransacked.
De la Rua's sudden downfall yesterday came amid Argentina's worst unrest in a decade. Screeching tear gas canisters arced across the capital and police fired rubber bullets at thousands of anti-government protesters in the runup to his fall.
Rioters looted houses and stores in other cities, and more than 200 people were injured nationwide.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-91169/President-resigns-riots-leave-22-dead-Argentina.html#ixzz2IAXylsoKBush administration? From the article...
Before De la Rua's resignation, a senior White House official said President George W. Bush's administration would wait for the dust to settle before deciding what, if any, action to take to help Argentina recover.
The official said limited direct financial assistance has not been completely ruled out, although the Bush administration still wants Argentina to resolve its problems through the International Monetary Fund.
Earlier, U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill said the Bush administration, the IMF and the World Bank would continue working with Argentina to pull it back from the brink of economic collapse.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-91169/President-resigns-riots-leave-22-dead-Argentina.html#ixzz2IAbwlCKt
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Is this today's news or old news? Seems like old news, but then I'm not following Argentina right now...
This happened in 2001...
I believe the Lady president of Argentina now is Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.
Flying around the world in a rented jet begging for money, if I remember correctly.
"You won't be worse off for holding some of your hard-earned savings in a strong, stable bank overseas, "
Because the banks overseas are far more trustworthy than the banks over hear. I only have faith in one bank...and that's the bank of Engali.....I'm still looking for my bailout though.
I only have faith in one bank as well: The Bank of Sealy Posturepedic
Yep that's a great bank. And it serves 3 valuable purposes: safely holding your cash, comfortably getting your sleep and screwing your chick like a mad dog.....
I use AnyBank. ;-)
Their motto: We're AnyBank. We're richer than you think
http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/anybank_60_second_ad/
If you have a bed buddy it will hold your second best friend as well. 12 gauge tactical,...ready to hand.
Yeah, where the fuck is MY helicopter full of money!
"Yeah, where the fuck is MY helicopter full of money!"
Well, the helicopters were replaced with B-52's to provide liquidity to the TBTF banks. Unfortunately the TBTF need so much money, that there is no chance of your delivery.. Unless your TBTF!
In Engali he trusts.
Banks in overseas will not talk to you, but point to the door.
http://genevalunch.com/blog/2012/06/21/swiss-banks-step-up-efforts-to-id...
Not if you present a US passort to open them.
No problem with another.
Ya know, he's right!
I'll quit my 12-dollar-an-hour part-time job and take my $52.68 in savings, sell my 10-year old Minivan (it IS a Honda...), and with that cash go start my new life in some south american padagonian paradise! I'm sure I can get acres and acres of productive land for pennies, and the local's will no doubt welcome a gringo like me w/ open arms and unilateral trust, because, ya know, American's are perceived as being soooo trustworthy.
Lucky you. I moved to beautiful Jamaica... (Queens)
I sympathise with your current (?) fiscal position. But I hope you've at least figured out that YOU are not Simon's target-prospect. Never spoke to the guy, but I figured out some time ago, that he's looking to help people with 5-7 figure investment region.
You know, "Money talks ... walks."
Yeah, poor bastards like us can't really use the "action items" from this article at all.
But there HAVE been other tidbits here on ZH that we can use on occasion.
I stepped so far back...I fell over the cliff.......
All these things you mentioned...are facts...truths..but yet it still seems to be plugging along..gold and silver down..bonds at all time highs and people...things still buying them...stocks to the moon...and everyone on welfare...and the New York Tribe gets huge bonuses
I moved to Colombia..own land...had a bank account the the Feds made that just to hard to keep open....waiting for that some day when " the shot heard round the world " happens....
I'm relieved that there Eurocrisis has ended. I was beginning to worry.
only ended in the media
Yeah, for a while there it looked like Greece, and maybe even Spain might be in some trouble. Lucky they got it all worked out.
The only point I disagree with is that the US has any chance of defaulting on its debt. GOP congress can posture all it wants, but at the end of the day, the debt ceiling is a "house rule", self–imposed by the GOP members of congress. It's an entirely unenforcable rule under the constitution. Congress cannot pass legislation that involves spending, and then refuse to pay for the spending.
if, and that's a big IF, they had balls they would start defunding programs
So, THEY promised us $210 billion spending cuts This Year.
"2011, when the debt limit was increased by $2.1 trillion in return for $2.1 trillion in spending cuts over ten years."
see
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-01-16/here-comes-sequester-and-another-1-cut-2013-gdp
What's the plan for 2013? Or, did the Gummint also IGNORE the promised cuts in 2012?
THEY also ignored the $100 billion suggested by CBO (Congressional Budget Office), also a yearly number!
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2009/10/50-examples-of-government-waste#_edn5
I'm sure other readers can add to this list!
While there are no budget cuts for 2013, you'll be happy to know that Washington did take action. They have choosen to raise your taxes for 2013. while this will not decrease the Budget deficit it will avoid the deficit from getting larger as out lays for Social Security,Medicare and Wealthfare. are rising. You should also be happy that your health insurance premiums will be increasing by about 20% in 2013 and another 40% by 2016 for ACA (O'bamacare). While this will not do anything to stem rising Medicare costs, it will help decrease the number of people able to afford Health Insurance.
Please be sure to complain to Washington as the will consider further tax increases to address your concerns. Thank you and have a nice day!
You do not appear to understand the Constitution. If the specific dollar amount is not stated in the legislation (and most legislation that results in spending does not authorize a specific dollar amount), then no appropriations have been authorized. Period.
It seems you don't understand it either...
Simon, we call that #winning here in 'Merka. I had someone point that out to me the other day.
I await the US Dollar devaluation scenario. Preceded of course, by a presidential announcement that we would "never devalue our currency." Maybe if they spin it right, they can fool everyone into thinking it reduces the debt.
I think you convinced Q99X2 to go back to work. Like quick.
no, sovereign man won't be grexiting anytime soon.
It's 9:30 am in Quito and it has only warmed up to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Must be global cooling. It is never too early to buy a parka, and you never know when you will need it.
Hey, lets try Communist Socialism, maybe that will save us....wait a minute....they tried that already....never mind.
Point #1, very well said.
so let's say I own productive land in botswanna or some place what the fuck good will that do? really do you plan to hire locals to work it and pay you from the profits or what? put down your rose colored laptop
locals in RSA tell me that mozambique and even nigeria are offering free land and money just please come here and farm.
Meanwhile, RSA and Zimbabwe remain in full reverse. My 2nd driver there was like every time they take a farm away, another 1000 people go unemployed. Yes, he was a bleck men.
"You won't be worse off for holding some of your hard-earned savings in a strong, stable bank overseas, in a jurisdiction where your politicians can't seize it. You won't be worse off for having some precious metals stashed away overseas... or owning productive land abroad."
Agreed. Uncommon 'common sense' advice to mitigate 3rd party risks, i.e. Monetary, Fiscal & Taxation, and Regulatory risks. All risks caused by TBTFail, TBTJail, BigBro.gov.
And yet, the frogs are not jumping, judging by the responses that will be forthcoming: They will be happy to co-bitch about the water being too warm, and would someone else please do something about it. Or how they are more clever, since they keep adding ice cubes to their part of the pot. Or what clever ideas they have and someone might want to act upon. Or just curse the 'pot-attendant' with some less-than-clever expletives, or, or, or... Anything but frikkin "jump".
/sarc off.
"Jump, you damn Frogs! JUMP!" I have...
80% of my Frog-assets are safer by being in several places on the globe (true global diversification). Places I've been to many times and know extremely well. No, not shilling for Simon, as my Frog-butt is in my own care, not his. But I agree 100% with his position and general advice.
And if they can't pass these measures by law, the President is prepared to enforce them by royal decree, i.e. executive order.
But just before that, expect Scalia to have a heart attack or to retire due to ``family matters``...
Point #1, unfortunately none of that is true.
Point #2, they have the right and it's not really all that shocking
Point #3, no default will happen on the debt. Interest is only like 300b a year and easily paid for with taxes. what WILL happen is payment freezes for everything else
Point #4, meh, everything's fucked anyway... enjoy the ride.
3) The United States government is just weeks away from defaulting on its mountain of debt. Having already technically breached the debt ceiling, their only temporary fix is to seize federal pensions and engage in fraudulent accounting tricks.
DC will be raised. And guys like this will be saying, "Well, everyone knew they would raise it". Instead of saying, "Well. i certainly had my head up my ass on that one. Do not listen to my BS anymore. Thanks"
The DC is not the operative issue.
The Continuing Resolution is. It would be combined in any DC deal, and it is IT which defines spending.
It expires March 31, defined during the Aug 2011 DC agreement to ensure it went past the election.
I have a simple plan. Raze DC.
Speaking of D.C. --I live here, and in the past month got nailed for an insane $500 in "speed cam" tickets ---turns out they mounted the cam in the K Street tunnel. There's a natural dip there, and everyone picks up speed w/out trying.
Sick greedy bastards.
The question is why now? Why do they want the guns now. Surely the sandy incident didn't have anything to do with it. If that were the case we would have been doing this during columbine, virginia tech, aurora, whatever. So there is more to this. I think once they seize the weapons then the real drama unfolds.
Ditto. I smell the mother of all False Flags coming. A lot of Bushama's team are bailing. Family, health...
The 23 executive orders were a whole bunch of nothing. Some of the actually make sense--encouraging schools to create resource officer programs, for example. The public health stuff is just bs--they tried to make gun violence a public health issue in the past and those who didn't lie, found out pretty quickly that violence in the US has very little to do with middle class people and that gun accidents happen, but they are nothing compared to really big killers like, oh, car accidents.
Obama receives a lot of ire from the gun lovers, but sometimes I think he is a double-agent and that he needs to appease his base, but that he really doesn't want this fight at all. We shall see. Andrew Cuomo, on the other hand, must be a full-on fanatic freak.
-1 for thinking obammy is on my side.
Let's take a step back and look at the insanity of just today.
Apple surges 5% because analysts who still have a $750+ target on the stock say concerns are overblown. Yeah right. Of course all the bad news may just be cover to make more dough when Apple creates the world greatest fudge in a week or so. Imagine the stock shooting up $300 in a couple days.
Google drops close to 2% because Farcebook announces an internal search engine and partnership with Bing. Wow, Farcebook will let me search my friends likes and dislikes and let me find out what my friends like. WOW BECAUSE I DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MY FRIENDS AT ALL!!!
Obama announces gun control that is almost completely tied to health care. Letting hospitals know there isn't a law that says they can't ask patients about guns. Also that there isn't a law that prevents them from reporting threats. From what it looks like there will be about 13 new agencies crated to monitor health care gun control.
I think we need to monitor and enact dental control. Those guys are always poking people with sharp objects and torturing poor souls by drilling holes in their teeth. I'm pretty sure waterboarding isn't even close to a root canal with a dose of novacaine that was too small.
While we're at it. Doctors keep cutting up patients, removing vital organs. Sure they claim they are saving lives, but how do we really know. If I'm unconscious and George Soros needs a new liver, and I'm a match...
Adr: Apple surged 5%, tOmBama's gun control is tied to health care: Apple and health care have a future together:
http://www.pakalertpress.com/2012/07/24/all-americans-will-receive-a-mic...
Every person will be tracked via his 'smartphone'. All payments will be made that way. They will know where you are at all times, what you think (that's why Farcebook is setting up its 'own' search engine, to more closely monitor your thinking habits) and how much money you have, where you spend it, and so forth.
Stopped reading at "ammunition magazine clips". What is this guy, a limey? If so, thanks for your input, but you people proved you don't know shit about shit. Bye.
Japan is still the black swan. Everybody forgets about Japan. I hope Kyle lets me in his bunker when the SHTF.
I know I sound like old record that just keeps repeating but, Title 18 Section 7 of the US code defines the territorial jurisdiction of the United States and says THREE TIMES, THAT IT DOES NOT EXTEND INTO THE SEVERAL STATES. Only land within a state that title and jurisdiction has been ceded by the state legislature is within that territorial jurisdiction. Look it up, it is only about one page. And then tell everyone you know!!!
but tell it to them softly. An 8' by 8' cell in a FEMA camp will definately make you a Citizen of the USA as opposed to a sovereign resident of these several states.
The Hague has a war criminal deficit, we (USA) have a war criminal surplus -- let's start there.
Don't you all get it, it doesn't matter what the crisis is, what laws are broken, there is know one on the opposite side to call them on it.
There are different rules to follow when playing poker, and we all entered a game called Open Stakes.
In Open stakes even if you hold a Royal Flush: Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10, U loose if you can't come up with the cash.
They can hold 7 5 4 3 2 and beat you all day.
People will play for only so long before the rules are changed or the six shooter comes out.
I have read on this thread and others at ZH about "confiscation of private retirement accounts". Can someone explain to this dim reader just how the fuck the gubmint can confiscate our 401Ks and IRA's (other than by taxing them to oblivion)?
when you take the benifit you take the poison. When putting your dough into these accounts you are taking a benifit to defer the taxes on that income contributed and income derived within the account. This keeps your money within the reach and grasp of the Federal Govt. and with certain controls placed upon it. As long as you have not paid the taxes on the money, it is not really yours. Nothing is given freely or for your well being if from our Govt. All benifits cost you some freedoms. To sum it all up, the Govt. can take, change, steal, confiscate the money in IRAs and 401Ks because you have left it in their pockets.
The short and simple answer is that they can define what is or is not a qualifying investment that can be held in your tax-qualified retirement account. You wake up one day to find out you can only invest in US Treasuries. If they are feeling really rambunctious, you wake up one day to find a button has been pressed and your funds are now on deposit in a LockBox somewhere and you now hold a virtual certificate that tells you you own an annuity that will be paid alongside your regular social security payment when you reach a qualifying retirement age.
"...you now hold a virtual certificate that tells you you own an annuity that will be paid alongside your regular social security payment when you reach a qualifying retirement age."
I believe that will end up as "...in lieu of your regular social security payment...".
most overseas banks won't open bank accounts for Americans, due to the massive red tape rolled out by Washington last year (to catch al queda, of course)
Bought 2 very large popcorn buckets for the kiddies for Christmas, I think I'll fill them with steamy hot buttery popcorn and sit back and watch Obama Drama, Amerika's newest and most popular reality show.
Europe, a caricature, its politicians like monocled cartoon villains,
Mr. Peanut? The Penguin? The Monopoly Banker? Scrooge McDuck? WHICH monocled cartoon villain, DAMMIT?
All of them, DAMMIT, except Mr. Peanut. He's no villain or everyone wouldn't invite him to their parties. As well, even though Kolonel Klink is a caricature of a villain his name has the sound of real money and should not be included.
So when America is a dead beat nation what makes people so sure that in these safe haven countries people won't be tempted to take your shit and poke you with sharp sticks?
Have I posted anything today about the U.S.S.A. being a banana republic of rampant fascists?
No? O.K. then, this is it.
Trust and credibility have been the key problem. At a higher level, there is no trust among the core and peripherial countries. The decision made by Merkel might be the best solution to Germany, but takes all other EMU countires as the victims. The trick to be a pleasing politican in the crisis is moving debt from today to tomorrow and from their bedroom to bathroom, and declares there is a huge improvement. Nothing has resolved and nothing has changed indeed.
In the society, there is a lack of credibility as well. There is no trust betwee the employer and the employee; no trust between the seller and the buyer; no trust between the young couple. The employee takes advantage of the employer to get what he/she wants, and the employer is always seeking new chance for the career move rather than growing in a particular company. The seller adds water in beer and makes the inferior looking like the superior, and the buyer uses the devalued cash and the credit which can not be repaid. Among the young couples, there is a game called who-cheats-the-first-who-wins. What a world we are living in! Maybe it is the time to have a think if our model of the morden world is fundamentally right.
Exactly - which is why I chose my name to reflect this. The writing has been there all along - it's just that some people CHOSE not to read it.