Tag Archives: CIS

May 10 2023

The 14th Amendment & the Destruction of the United States


Armstrong Economics Blog/Sovereign Debt Crisis Re-Posted May 10, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Interpretation of the Constitution is often caught up in controversy. What is beautiful to one person is average or ugly to another. The best construction regarding law was the cornerstone of Justice Scalia who I regard as probably one of the most brilliant minds that ever sat on the bench. Of course, the left will send me hate mail on that one because they did not like the outcome. But Scalia held to what is known as Strict Construction which requires a judge to apply the text only as it is written. Once the court has a clear meaning of the text, no further investigation is required.

I will give you an example of the “liberal” wing and how they want to interpret the Constitution. They cannot even define what is a WOMAN anymore. I am waiting for them to declare the LGBQT have been so disadvantaged, that they will be exempt from also paying taxes since they are exempt from all social regulations. Since I like women, then I should “identify” as a Lesbian and enjoy all sorts of protection and be exempt from taxation.

This entire WOKE agenda has gone nuts. Just because some guy has a sex change does not justify changing all the definitions of everything and changing all social norms. Women’s sports have been completely destroyed.  What about the girls that hoped to break records and win scholarships? Nothing works anymore. Just because a guy changes his sex does not make him a woman who can have biological children which is different from carrying a child because they now have a uterus. There is still a difference! Why must a woman surrender her identity? The simple solution was there are males and females, and in Thailand, the transgenders simply identify as a ladyboy.

This is precisely the same irrational interpretation they are using to justify the 14th Amendment which will destroy everything and this is far more serious than just suspending debt payments. By invoking this 14th Amendment, there will never be a debt ceiling and then you will have runaway inflation, taxation, and a complete breakdown in all liberty. The executive can then use executive orders to deny Congress even the opportunity to vote on any spending. The head of the EU did that to buy 3 times the number of vaccines from Pfizer than the population of Europe. And Ukraine put out the propaganda that they are fighting to preserve democracy yet refuse to honor the Minsk Agreement to allow the Donbas to vote! Our Western governments have killed democracy long ago and executive order circumvents everything – it is the tool of choice for dictators.

To illustrate the constitutional crisis, Garrett Epps, who was a professor of law at the University of Baltimore until his retirement in June 2020, wrote back on November 22, 2022, claiming that the Constitution’s text bars the federal government from defaulting on the debt  “even a little, even for a short while.” Epps claims that “[t]here’s a case to be made that if Congress decides to default on the debt, the president has the power and the obligation to pay it without congressional permission, even if that requires borrowing more money to do so.” I tried really hard to follow his legal argument and I could not with any Strict  Construction Interpretation. Quite frankly, he also probably cannot define what is a woman either.

The “Intent” behind the 14th Amendment has nothing to do with this argument of default. Britain suspended the gold standard and declared a moratorium on debt during the Great Depression – they resumed. The City of Detroit suspended its debt payments in 1937 and resumed in 1963. Yet people insist there was no default. What is the definition of “default”? That traditionally means the abandonment of all obligations on a permanent basis. There is NOTHING in the statutory construction nor in the Constitution that would bar a “suspension” of debt payments. Ukraine suspended its debt until the US paid everything for them so they did not default.

Looking at the 14th Amendment, Section 4 provides that “the validity of the public debt of the United States … shall not be questioned.” The “intent” of that was that the debt incurred by the North was to be the national debt and the Confederate States would not question having to pay those debts. But it continued and made it clear that it would not honor any debts incurred by the Confederate States to fund their side of the war.

In order to understand what this means, we must turn to Statutory Construction which begins by FIRST looking at the plain language of the Amendment to determine its original intent. We must look at the words to determine the original intent and apply their usual and ordinary meanings. If after looking at the language and the meaning remains unclear, then we must attempt to ascertain what was the intent of the legislature by looking at legislative history and other related sources. Normally, a court must not create an interpretation that would create an absurd result that would be counter to the original Legislature’s intent.

Epps claims that “Shall not be questioned” doesn’t mean “shall be paid most of the time unless you can score political points against the other party by not paying it.” That is creating an absurd result and opening the door to the total collapse of the United States. Article I, Section 8 is pretty clear that borrowing and repaying indebtedness are congressional, not executive, powers! Article I would be nullified if the 14th Amendment granted the power to the president to spend as he wants and to pay all debts when that is expressly the power of Congress.

Now we turn to 31 USC §3101 which some try to claim is UNCONSTITUTIONAL and therefore there should be no debt limit. Up to now, this statute has proved to be a good tool for forcing budgetary reform aimed at debt reduction.

The statute was passed in 1982 and became law. The ORIGINAL intent was to do precisely what it has been used for. The only grounds for it to be unconstitutional is if Congress did not have the power to limit the debt. Looking at Article I, this entire argument that Biden can just pay debt and spend without the approval of Congress is the death knell to the Constitution. This is a direct assault upon the separation of powers between the President (Executive branch) and Congress. Since Article I delegates all questions of debt to Congress, I cannot rationally see where Congress lacked the power to curtail the debt when that was the original intent as well.

The ONLY person who wants those provisions to be UNCONSTITUTIONAL so they can spend whatever is left-wing and they have ZERO intention of EVER paying off the national debt. This is really a fraud on their part because you borrow with only the intent to repay the debt. Lacking that, their actions are totally UNCONSTITUTIONAL and a fraud upon the people of the United States and the world.

May 10 2023

The Largest Landlord in the US


Armstrong Economics Blog/Real Estate Re-Posted May 10, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Anyone familiar with the housing market conditions post-pandemic knows that cash buyers and institutions consistently outbid the average buyer. I know a realtor who has spoken primarily to consultants working on behalf of companies, and they’re willing to purchase properties over-market on a consistent basis. They know they can buy these properties and rent them out for a fraction of what they paid because they have the liquidity to do so. Currently, BlackRock is the largest landlord in America, with over $120 billion in residential real estate.

BlackRock has invested significantly in mortgage securities since the pandemic. The company insists that they are not purchasing single-family homes, meaning they’re not flipping homes to resell. “Our focus is on building single-family rental housing that can be managed and operated similar to multifamily properties with dedicated property management, leasing and amenities,” the company’s website states. “Additionally, BlackRock invests in multifamily properties, apartment complexes, and other residential real estate.”

The goal is to own as much land as possible so that the people can become perpetual renters. BlackRock also is part of the World Economic Forum and promises “sustainability” and “ESG integration,” and is a member of GRESB (formerly the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark). GRESB is the global standard for providing and acquiring real estate and infrastructure in a sustainable way.

BlackRock noted that “displacement” from the pandemic and other economic downturns will provide a great investment opportunity. “In the near-term, we expect dislocation and opportunity, yet there is greater dispersion between markets and sectors with logistics of storage, high-quality residential, and data centers having emerged as clear winners, while hotel, retail, and student housing will likely face a longer road to recovery.” They’ve been on top of the downturn in real estate since the beginning. This is not limited to the US as they have investments and branches worldwide.

BlackRock is one of many institutions purchasing land and real estate at a rapid pace. Invitation Homes, a BlackRock investor, owns over 80,000 single-family rentals in the US alone. Again, the goal is to profit off of rental income. This is another reason inventory is at a historic low and will remain tight since most institutions do not plan to sell the real estate they have acquired.

May 10 2023

US City to Roll Out Guaranteed Basic Income


Armstrong Economics Blog/USA Current Events Re-Posted May 10, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

The “Rise Up Cambridge: Cash Payments for Families with Kids” will provide low-income households with a monthly check for $500 to test guaranteed basic income. Those eligible are families with children who earn under 250% of the federal poverty level ($75K for a family of four). The 18-month program will not be based on a lottery like other guaranteed basic income rollouts, and anyone eligible may apply. The city has allotted $22 million for the initiative and expects around 2,000 families to apply.

The money to fund the program will primarily come from the American Rescue Plan, distributing our Federal tax dollars to others, and some independent donors will pitch in too. This program is only eligible for people with children under 21 and will not make a noticeable dent in the homeless population, nor will it help the elderly who live alone. That said, families with children already receive the most in Federal funds and if they’re living in high-cost Cambridge, chances are they’re receiving income elsewhere. The cost of living in Cambridge is 73% higher than the national average. The median rental price is around $4,277 per month, and the median home price is over $1.4 million.

“We want to stabilize as many households as possible and make sure that they have a chance to continue to stay in our city that, you know, is not easy to stay in,” Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui stated. A $500 payment in a high-cost city will never financially stabilize families. Instead, it will increase inflation and bypasses the middle class. Unlike traditional welfare programs, those eligible will receive direct deposit payments that they may spend as they see fit.

The American Rescue plan was not marketed as a guaranteed basic income initiative. Siddiqui is buying votes with Federal funds. The city is pricing out the middle class by providing handouts to those who cannot afford to live in an expensive city. Free money becomes like a drug and the people become hooked on receiving that monthly direct deposit. But, as with all drug, they will become dependent and will need more and more as the cost of living increases. This will only incentivize people to not work and vote for politicians who promise handouts at the expense of responsible taxpayers.

May 7 2023

5.6.23: CPAC Hungary MSG, Fall of the CROWN, EPSTEIN, TUCKER, Title 42 PRAY!


By And We Know Posted originally on Rumble Streamed on: May 6, 1:42 pm EDT

May 5 2023

The Great Reset King


Armstrong Economics Blog/Tyranny Re-Posted May 5, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

“There is a golden opportunity to seize something good from this crisis…global crises know no borders, and highlight how interdependent we are as one people sharing one planet,” the former Prince of Wales said during a World Economic Forum summit in January 2021. Ironic for the king of England to speak on an opportunity to “seize something.” This man has no idea what it means to live the life of a commoner and has riches beyond imagination, but he is asking US to sacrifice for THEM.

“Charles has been one of the highest-profile global proponents for protecting the planet in recent decades, from writing books and making speeches about nature to working with business to mobilise private finance to combat global warming,” the WEF wrote on its website in September 2022. Charles spoke about “entire new markets based on sustainability” at the WEF meeting in 2020, and asked private industries to begin thinking about how they will transition to net zero emissions. “Sustainable” to these people means using fewer fossil fuels. Incredible how a man whose monarchy exudes opulence and luxury would tell the people to consume less.

The video above is from the WEF’s Davos meeting in 2020. “We have the ability to tag, track, and trace the supply chain in unprecedented ways,” the king commented. That means they also have the ability to tag, track, and trace you. “We cannot expect consumers to make sustainable choices,” he continued.

In 2019, the UK agreed to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The elites began encouraging the people to consume less by traveling less often, eating less, and consuming less. The U.K.’s Climate Change Committee demanded that people eat 20% less meat by 2030, and then drop that down by an additional 15% over the next 20 years. They even discussed the possibility of carbon pricing to tax the people for existing. The people would be forced to pay for the losses businesses incurred after developing green initiatives.

The WEF has bought nearly everyone in a position of power. Do you think King Charles really cares about green initiatives, the environment, or the people in general? He would not last a day in the life of a commoner. Do you think the coronation this weekend will be sustainable by any means? The Great Reset is all about relinquishing all power to those at the very 

May 4 2023

Russia Did NOT Destroy Nord Stream


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted May 4, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Intelligence agencies backed by the mainstream media are still trying to blame Russia for the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines. A new BBC report claims that Russian ships and submarines were present when the blasts occurred. These “ghost ships” allegedly had their transmitters turned off, but they were not clever enough to encode their radio communications. The report admits that there is no conclusive evidence to pin the destruction on Moscow, but they’re seeking to create evidence.

Russia had no motive to destroy the pipeline that provided energy to the majority of Europe. The pipeline was Russia’s biggest tool of leverage, and they had the power to turn off the gas flow without destroying the entire thing. There is no possibility that Russia would have destroyed its biggest bargaining chip. There is a possibility, however, that Europe would have caved and continued purchasing Russian energy. Neocons like National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Victoria Nuland, the Undersecretary of State for Policy, and Secretary of State Tony Blinken openly stated that they did not approve of the pipelines and wanted them gone.

“If Russia invades, that means tanks and troops crossing the border of Ukraine again, then there will be, there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2,” Biden stated in February 2022 during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. “I promise you, we will be able to do it.”

It comes as no coincidence that politicians began thanking America after the explosions. Radek Sikorski, Poland’s former minister of national defense and EU Parliament member, posted an image on Twitter of the leak with the caption, “Thank you, USA.”

 Seymour Hersch won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the My Lai massacre in Vietnam and reported on the Nord Stream sabotage in detail.

“Last June, the Navy divers, operating under the cover of a widely publicized mid-summer NATO exercise known as BALTOPS 22, planted the remotely triggered explosives that, three months later, destroyed three of the four Nord Stream pipelines, according to a source with direct knowledge of the operational planning.

Two of the pipelines, which were known collectively as Nord Stream 1, had been providing Germany and much of Western Europe with cheap Russian natural gas for more than a decade. A second pair of pipelines, called Nord Stream 2, had been built but were not yet operational. Now, with Russian troops massing on the Ukrainian border and the bloodiest war in Europe since 1945 looming, President Joseph Biden saw the pipelines as a vehicle for Vladimir Putin to weaponize natural gas for his political and territorial ambitions.”

Furthermore, this tactic has been used in the past! In January 1982, Ronald Regan and the CIA planned to destroy the Soviet Union’s economy by using the technology available at the time to create a massive explosion. The US wanted to block Europe from importing Soviet Western gas amid the Cold War and was willing to take extreme measures. Thomas C. Reed, a former Air Force secretary who served in the National Security Council, wrote a book entitled “At the Abyss: An Insider’s History of the Cold War.”

“In order to disrupt the Soviet gas supply, its hard currency earnings from the West, and the internal Russian economy, the pipeline software that was to run the pumps, turbines, and valves was programmed to go haywire, after a decent interval, to reset pump speeds and valve settings to produce pressures far beyond those acceptable to pipeline joints and welds,” Reed writes. According to the Washington Post, Reed later commented that it was the “most monumental non-nuclear explosion and fire ever seen from space.”

The destruction of Nord Stream was an unauthorized act of war by the US, with the help of its Western alliance. Intelligence agencies are still attempting to pin the blame on Russia as a false flag, but their claims are invalid.

May 4 2023

Zelensky Tells just Too Many Lies To Keep Them All Straight


Armstrong Economics Blog/Ukraine Re-Posted May 4, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

The BBC reported Zelensky’s comment regarding the drone attack on the Kremlin: “We don’t attack Putin or Moscow. We fight on on our territory. We are defending our villages and cities,” he said, speaking on a visit to Finland.

Zelensky is such a liar this man should not be greeted by any head of state. The Leaked Pentagon Papers suggest Washington was secretly monitoring Kyiv’s military plans, amid fears an assault could trigger a major escalation. The Neocons told him to stand down because they want to provoke Putin to attack to justify the US getting involved in the war.

The US military has already been told to prepare for war. The US is sending troops and has been negotiating what is known as DCA “defense cooperation agreements” treaty which allows the US troops freely operate in foreign countries. The US is now preparing to send troops to Finland.

I think if Russia sent troops to Canada or Mexico to aid in their “protection” we would not be very happy.

This is going around now from KyivPost on the Kremlin Attack.

May 4 2023

As Ukraine Sends U.S. Supported Drones to Target Moscow, A Reminder of President Trump’s Warning About Biden Creating World War III


Posted originally on the CTH on May 3, 2023 | Sundance 

By now most Americans realize the United States government is conducting a proxy war against Russia in Ukraine.  The foundation for the U.S. effort started in 2014 with the buildup of weapons provided by the Obama-Biden administration, and the Russian response to the NATO encroachment in February 2022 was quickly framed as the Russian war against Ukraine.

As part of this effort, and after threatening to destroy Russian natural gas pipelines, the United States then followed through and destroyed a main artery in the Nordstream pipeline system.  The Biden administration then denied involvement and tried to blame Russia; as if Vladimir Putin would destroy his own infrastructure.  Keeping with this continuum of escalating conflict, NATO has sent depleted uranium weapons into Ukraine.  Then, last night, a drone attack on the Kremlin was carried out.

Ukraine is denying any involvement in the drone strike against Moscow, which would imply the United States -likely the CIA- carried out a direct attack against Russia without informing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.   Regardless of which partner is lying, Ukraine or the U.S, one of them carried out the attack.

This is a good time to remind everyone of President Trump’s words and policy toward this escalating conflict:

“Every day this proxy battle in Ukraine continues, we risk global war,” President Trump said. “We must be absolutely clear that our objective is to IMMEDIATELY have a total cessation of hostilities. All shooting has to stop. This is the central issue. We need PEACE without delay.”

We need peace without delay

[Transcript] – We have never been closer to World War III than we are today under Joe Biden. A global conflict between nuclear-armed powers would mean death and destruction on a scale unmatched in human history. It would be nuclear Armageddon. NOTHING is more important than avoiding that nightmare. We will avoid it. But we need new leadership.

Every day this proxy battle in Ukraine continues, we risk global war. We must be absolutely clear that our objective is to IMMEDIATELY have a total cessation of hostilities. All shooting has to stop. This is the central issue. We need PEACE without delay.

In addition, there must also be a complete commitment to dismantling the entire globalist neo-con establishment that is perpetually dragging us into endless wars, pretending to fight for freedom and democracy abroad, while they turn us into a third-world country and a third-world dictatorship right here at home.

The State Department, the defense bureaucracy, the intelligence services, and all the rest need to be completely overhauled and reconstituted to fire the Deep Staters and put America First. We have to put America First.

Finally, we have to finish the process we began under my Administration of fundamentally reevaluating NATO’s purpose and NATO’s mission. Our foreign policy establishment keeps trying to pull the world into conflict with a nuclear-armed Russia based on the lie that Russia represents our greatest threat. But the greatest threat to Western Civilization today is not Russia. It’s probably, more than anything else, ourselves and some of the horrible, U.S.A. hating people that represent us.

It’s the abolition of our national borders. It’s the failure to police our own cities. It’s the destruction of the rule of law from within. It’s the collapse of the nuclear family and fertility rates, like nobody can believe is happening. It’s the Marxists who would have us become a Godless nation worshipping at the altar of race, and gender, and environment. And it’s the globalist class that has made us totally dependent on China and other foreign countries that basically hate us.

These globalists want to squander all of America’s strength, blood and treasure, chasing monsters and phantoms overseas—while keeping us distracted from the havoc they’re creating right here at home. These forces are doing more damage to America than Russia and China could ever have dreamed. Evicting the sick and corrupt establishment is the monumental task for the next president. And I’m the only one who can do it.

I’m the only one that can get the job done. I know exactly what has to be done. (read more)

May 3 2023

The CIA Protected Epstein


Armstrong Economics Blog/Corruption Re-Posted May 3, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Jeffrey Epstein’s calendar was released and his connections go further than initially reported. He helped people reach the peak of their careers in law, banking, education, and politics. As I have said, he was operating a honey trap operation to blackmail the most powerful players on the world stage. He likely offered two big services, one being the most detestable crime known to man and the other would be offering the service of blackmail. He used his money and connections to grow his successful operation and was protected by his powerful clients.

(Burns is in the far-right of the above photo)

William Burns, director of the Central Intelligence Agency since 2021, met Epstein three times in 2014. Burns even visited Epstein’s personal residence in NYC. That means the nation’s top intelligence agency was likely using Epstein’s services for blackmail and protecting him from prosecution.

“The Director did not know anything about him, other than he was introduced as an expert in the financial services sector and offered general advice on transition to the private sector. The Director does not recall any further contact, including receiving a ride to the airport. They had no relationship,” a spokesperson for Burns told Fox News. The spokesperson also claims Burns, who only moved up in rank, was considering leaving the government at the time. LIES.

Numerous people with ties to the Clinton and Obama Administrations also solicited Epstein. Kathryn Ruemmler, a White House counsel under President Barack Obama, later became the top lawyer at Goldman Sachs. Yet another individual who met with Epstein and had their career propelled to the top. She met him dozens of times, and he introduced her to his good friend Bill Gates. According to a Goldman Sachs spokesperson, Epstein even asked Ruemmler if she would be interested in representing the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He also helped her network with Ariane de Rothschild, now chief executive of the Swiss private bank Edmond de Rothschild Group.

“Most of those people told the Journal they visited Epstein for reasons related to his wealth and connections. Several said they thought he had served his time and had rehabilitated himself,” the Wall Street Journal reported. Epstein had already served time for raping underaged girls. He registered as a sex offender in 2008 and his crimes were made public. They all knew. He did not face federal charges because the filth in power needed his services.

Epstein donated millions to MIT, Harvard, and Bard College. Botstein, Bard College’s president, admitted they knew Epstein was a sex offender, they even knew he raped a 14-year-old, but they wanted his money anyway. “We looked him up, and he was a convicted felon for a sex crime,” Botstein said. “We believe in rehabilitation.” Chomsky, a professor at MIT, told the WSJ that people “far worse” than Epstein had donated to the school but did not specify. “The reporting covered 2015-16, when what was known about Mr. Epstein was that he had been sentenced for a crime, served his sentence, which wiped the slate clean according to US law and norms,” Chomsky said. Interesting that those in charge of teaching America’s youth believe a pedophile can be rehabilitated. The slate is never wiped clean for sex offenders. The things people will do for money are deplorable.

Where did Epstein bank his dirty money? None other than JPMorgan Chase, the World Economic Forum’s favorite American bank.

Epstein has been dead for four years and they’re still protecting him because they do not want the public to see how deep his connections went. Ghislaine Maxwell is sitting in a jail cell right now for soliciting minors to no one in particular. Those in power do not want the public to know the full scope of Epstein’s web of lies and connections that go all the way up to the CIA.