The IRS and Another Multi-Billion-Dollar Mistake


Armstrong Economics Blog/Gov’t Incompetence Re-Posted Oct 3, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) continually makes multi-billion-dollar mistakes. The agency “accidentally” sent $1.1 billion in advanced child tax credits to the wrong families. If a private citizen were to make a mistake on their personal taxes, they’d feel the repercussions – especially with Biden’s 87,000 newly appointed and armed agents.

Now 1.5 million families who received the money “accidentally” will be on the hook to pay it back. As if that were not bad enough, the IRS failed to deliver $3.7 billion in tax credits to 4.1 million households! The tax credit was intended as part of the reckless American Rescue Plan to pay families earning under $150,000 annually and single parents earning under $112,500. This was the largest child tax credit in America’s history – basically, people received “free” money at the expense of the taxpayers simply for having children.

This is the same agency that sent countless stimulus checks to people who did not qualify. Even multi-billionaire George Soros received a stimulus check. They even sent out checks totaling over $267 billion to deceased individuals. The IRS also “accidentally” leaked 120,000 personal online files earlier in the month. The agency continually makes major mistakes. Knowing that there will be 87,000 additional agents, armed, working for this failed agency does not put one at ease.

Neocons – Climate Zealots – Ukrainian Neo-Nazis


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Oct 2, 2022 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: Martin, I am now becoming confused as to who or what is the instigator of the major global war that is transpiring. You have made the point that the Climate Change Zealots and their claims to end fossil fuels are the cause for inciting WW III. However, you have also made claims that the Neocons in the Deep State and their hatred of Russia are the instigators of this same conflict. Are these two forces one and the same or are they two different factions fighting for the same outcome?

Thanks for any clarification on this,

RB

ANSWER: John McCain, who was the leader of the pack of Neocons, was promoting Nuclear Power for climate change to end the US dependence on oil and that of Europe. McCain used climate change to cut off Russia whose 50% of GDP was energy. Thus, McCain could care less about the climate. He used it as a weapon against Russia.

McCain just simply hated Russians and that was before Putin as Politico documented back to 1996 – three years before Putin. McCain used climate change as a weapon to undermine Russia. We must understand that there are Neocons in America, Russia, and China. They may be small in number, but they tend to be very manipulative. What we have is the Climate Zealots who want to end all fossil fuels, where their goals support the Neocons who want to annihilate their enemies – Russia and China.

The information that is circulating is that the real instigator behind the pipeline destruction was the Ukrainian Neo-Nazis. Putin on September 7th, 2022 threatened to turn off the gas tied to lifting the sanctions. It was certainly not Russia who destroyed the pipeline for they no longer have that threat to turn it off. The Neo-Nazis have been supported by the Neocons from day one. The destruction of the pipelines benefited the Neo-Nazis for now they have eliminated any possibility that the EU will agree and lift the sanctions. Based on their actions in the past, the information pointing to them I believe makes them the most likely actor.

The waters are now polluted and the impact on fishing will be considerable. This was not the brainchild of the Climate Zealots yet it sparks a few champaign toasts in celebration. Russia has come out and said that the slaughter of civilians in Bucha was fake and propaganda. Based upon information and belief, this was also a staged event by the Neo-Nazis. There are even videos confirming that which are in the possession of NATO. It does not end there. The Neo-Nazis shot down the Malaysian Flight M17 using an old BUK Russian missile that was no longer in use in an effort to get the US to send in troops claiming it came from the Donbas. The Neo-Nazis are really willing to do anything to quench their thirst for the hatred of Russians.

The 2014 Massacre of Russian-speaking Ukrainians in Odessa where they killed them grabbing them on the streets was a Neo-Nazi event. That was the turning point. It revealed that the Donbas had to separate for the Neo-Nazis wanted their death, not their submission. That began the civil war. They set fire to the building and burned all the Russian-speaking Ukrainians alive. For the first time in history, an organized massacre of civilians was carried out and even filmed by numerous people. This has been documented in extraordinary detail and the Neo-Nazis did not even fear of any negative consequences in world opinion.

The Neo-Nazis have manipulated the news to foster hatred of all Russians. You see it in forums like on eBay how can any Russian be allowed to sell anything? This is the same hatred that Hitler inspired against the Jews. You constantly demonize a group and it works. I personally knew people there in Kyiv during Maidan. I also know people personally from Donetsk. You could never bring a simple bottle of Russian vodka to dinner in Kyiv – that was an insult.

Most have no understanding of the hatred in that entire region. It was a Serb who assassinated the Archduke in 1914 and that single act resulted in the death of about 7% of the entire world population during World War I. Those spouting out the hatred of Putin are simply brainwashed and they better turn and look at your family for there are always more civilians who die in these large-scale wars than soldiers.

Before the breakup of Yugoslavia, I was there and told how their opposition killed 600 and threw them and threw them in a mass grave. I thought I had missed something in the news. When I asked: When did this happen? I was expecting a matter of days, but I was told: “Oh, about 500 years ago.” I responded, oh yes – that one. The hatred runs so deep throughout that region, it will never be resolved.

We are only involved because our Neocons hate Russians. The CIA protected the Ukrainian Neo-Nazis. They were NEVER put on trial like the Germans ONLY because they hated Russians. They are still supported by the US Intelligence agencies just as McCain would openly meet with the Neo-Nazis. We are now paying the price for they have never been told this is even a violation of human rights. I support the common people, not government propaganda from either side. We are the people who gain absolutely NOTHING from war. The ONLY benefit is to survive – that’s it. So those cheering to unleash the dog of war, please, go volunteer to fight in Ukraine and put your actions where your mouth is. It is always easy to cheer on someone else’s death.

This will be a war not to end all wars, but to end civilization and our age of peace since World War II.

Human nature cannot be changed. There will always be wars.

Hurricane Ian Recovery Update Day 2


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on September 30, 2022 | Sundance

Hopefully this hotspot holds up.  First things first, we are surrounded by the grace of a loving God, and we are thankful.

To begin updating day #2 on the ground in Southwest Florida (SWFL) allow me to please remind everyone to take these storms seriously and take all the advanced preparations needed to protect yourself and your family.  You can never overprepare.   Additionally, if you did evacuate from the area, stay where you are.  There’s no need to come back into the recovery zone and there are virtually no utilities (electricity, water) operating in most areas.

Working today with a search and recovery team from Fort Walton Beach, Florida, there are multiple agencies from around the Southeast sending resources.  We are incredibly grateful, and every resource is a blessing.

Day 2, while efforts continue, there are parts of the barrier islands (Sanibel, Pine Island, Matlacha and Fort Myers Beach) that are still inaccessible by anything other than air.  There is an evacuation ferry operation running every 90 minutes from Sanibel (West side of where causeway used to be) to pull people from the island. 10am – 5pm

Matlacha (North end of Pine Island) is also a boat rescue operation after the bridge failed.

Incredibly, the historic Sanibel Lighthouse did survive the storm albeit with damage.  The lightkeepers house is gone as are all the buildings around the Southern tip of the Island, but the Lighthouse is standing.  There’s a metaphor and a message in that outcome.

Unfortunately, there are many people missing, and frantic out of state families looking for their loved ones.  Hopefully, those missing were just last-minute evacuees that don’t know people are looking for them, and/or people with no way to communicate their status.  Local radio stations are broadcasting names and addresses of missing persons in the hope that people can call in with information.  This is why a communication plan is so critical for anyone in an extreme weather impact zone.

Search and rescue units are still working throughout Southwest Florida by air, boat and house-to-house searches.  Some power and some water services have returned to the Eastern side of the impact zone, but as you go west (toward the coast) the power and water services are in much worse shape.  [Tip: This is why garbage cans full of water are a part of the proactive planning.  You can hydrate with bottled water, but you cannot clean without a stored potable water supply.]

The origination and transfer stations for electricity have been hit hard.  There is no reason for linemen and pole diggers to be in the western zones because there is no infrastructure to trigger the origination of electricity.  That’s why power will return in a systematic way from East (inland) to West (coastal).  The thousands of power company employees are working on eastern impact areas where their efforts can restore power, while the longer engineering work of rebuilding transfer stations is happening in the west.  Power will likely be out for several weeks in multiple areas.

Debris removal is about 50% throughout the zone.  By ‘removal‘ I mean temporarily moved, shoved, pulled, cut or sawed out of the way.  Again, the further West the more debris remains.  Main roads are cleared, but local roads are blocked throughout.  Stay close to home if you don’t need to travel or secure critical supplies.

Some food retailers have begun limited operation to open for the community.  This will continue improving each day.  Publix Supermarkets have generators running primary store functions.

There are nighttime curfews in affect throughout the Southwest Florida impact zone.

Fuel is a major problem, in part driven by the absence of power.  A gas station without power is just a big underground gas tank.  Most recovery teams are traveling with their own fuel supply.

Unfortunately, the heavy rains from north Florida are still flowing downstream into rivers and the flooding inland continues.  The Peace River is expected to rise to a historic 24 ft above flood level; the previous record was just over 20 ft.  Additionally, the current Myakka River flood has caused I-75 to close from North Port to Englewood.

Evacuations along the increasingly flooded inland waterways continue.  Ian will be known as a storm carrying the deadly combination of wind and water as a storm event.  Wind damage extreme, storm surge extreme, and river flooding (rain) extreme.

Janet, a 40-year-old single mom in a wheelchair, who just moved to SWFL a week ago, stranded on the second floor of her apartment building without power and without a community of friends to call for assistance.  Her story is typical.  Delivering food and supplies to people like Janet is a relief service anyone can handle.  Radio networks are doing a great job using their format to organize local person to person assistance.  Listeners are responding to each request; it is inspiring to see/hear the community pulling together.   Fellowship lives here.

Alice, a 75-year-old woman without cash, and the only gas station she can find will only accept cash.  Within seconds she is in line at the station with cash in her hand.  This is what people do.  Define living and you will find the light left by these comfortably invisible community stars.  These are ordinary angels that defeat the looters by orders of magnitude.

There are many Janet’s and Alice’s right now, and fortunately there are overwhelming numbers of people responding to each call.

Yes, this is the fellowship part.  Sweaty, perhaps a little scruffy, often accompanied by the smell of fuel-oil mix in the hug, but when you remove all class distinctions the remarkable human spirit that surfaces makes the back pain and callouses insignificant.

Electricity is nice, potable water even better, but perhaps fellowship is the most important part of the restoration process.  At least, I think it is.

The desperation and worry on that unknown face tell me that you need my spot in line; here, take it.

I am not alone.

Every person reading this knows exactly what I am talking about without me even writing another word.

Life.

The best part.

Many people ponder the great universal questions of “why” these disaster events happen.  I don’t have any idea.

Perhaps it’s just the way I’m wired, but I can only look at the immediate task at hand.  Usually, I’m too busy focused on making the next the two feet of my immediate surroundings better, because looking at the hundreds of miles scares me.  If I can make these next two feet in front of me better, then I will have accomplished something; and then – another two – and another two.  Perhaps that’s my goofy way to deal with it.

However, when I think about fellowship and my community – perhaps we shouldn’t wait for hurricanes.

Love to all,

Sundance

Hurricane Ian Hits South Carolina


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on September 30, 2022 | Menagerie

For all our South Carolina Treepers, our prayers are with you. We hope all in the path of Ian are able to weather the storm well and safely. As you are able, check in and let us all know you guys are okay.

According to ABC news, Ian made landfall just after 2 p.m. today as a Cat 1 hurricane with winds at 85 mph.