Tag Archives: De-Banking

Jul 29 2023

CBDC & the Fall of Western Society


Armstrong Economics Blog/Cryptocurrency Re-Posted Jul 28, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: You said that when Rome fell it took 700 years before gold coins reappeared. Are we facing something like that again?

PO

ANSWER: Yes, when Rome fell, gold continued in the East under the Byzantine and Islamic Empires. However, in Europe, the last Western emperor was Romulus Augustus (475-476AD) who was a puppet anyhow. He was a young son, whereas today, we have senile leaders who are puppets and incapable of independent rational thought. The first gold coin to reappear in Western Europe was that of Frederick II of Sicily (1231-1250AD). The Augustale was a gold denomination of about 5 and a half grams which Frederick II introduced to Sicily in 1231AD, and it was primarily issued for international trade.

Fibonacci-1

Actually, Fibonacci (1170-1240 AD) published in 1202 his “Liber Abaci” (Book of Abacus). He introduced Hindu-Arabic numerals into Western culture. Suddenly, this allowed the calculation of numbers that were not taught in schools and was unknown in Christian circles. Only a very small group of intellectuals had access to translations of the Arab mathematician al-Khwarizmi (780-850 AD). The techniques that Fibonacci introduced were groundbreaking to re-establish a culture that lost its identity with the fall of Rome. Fibonacci illustrated practical problems on how to calculate profit margin, money changing, barter, conversion of weights and measures, partnerships, and, last but not least, interest. He also introduced some geometry and algebra.

However, Fibonacci’s work was so earth-shattering it became the topic of discussion and caught the attention of King Frederick II of Sicily. I believe it was Fibonacci’s introduction to mathematics that also inspired Frederick II to even reintroduce gold coinage in order to trade with the outside world. At the time, that included the Arabs as well as the Byzantines. The gold dinar was the Islamic medieval gold coin first issued in 696–697AD by Caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan with a weight of 4.25 grams. Frederick II made his coin about 1 gram heavier in order to project economic power.

The introduction of CBDC is highly dangerous in war; even a nuclear blast also sends out an EM pulse that will destroy electronics. If I were Russia or China, I would NOT move to any sort of digital currency and then use an EMP against the United States. The entire economy would collapse. People would not even be able to buy anything. We have idiots in power who are so greedy, looking at the power this will place in their hands, they are ignoring the risks. This could mark the collapse of Western society, sending us back to the days of Barter.

The Post-2032 era would most likely be fragmented rather than national states as we know them today. There will most likely emerge regional currencies, as we have witnessed throughout history many times. Even during the Great Depression, over 200 US cities resorted to issuing their own money.

Jul 28 2023

The Bankers Who Are De-Banking Those They Just Disagree With


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics Re-Posted Jul 28, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

I want to stress that I have been getting emails that the same trend is emerging in the United States. Some banks have embraced WOKE, and with it, they are engaging in DISCRIMINATION. This equality only works when you agree with them. If you disagree, you are to be cast out of society, de-banked, and unable to even survive, pay a mortgage, or food.

Chase had debanked Dr. Mercola. I too was debanked by Chase after sending bonuses to our overseas employees. They did not ask for any explanation – they just closed the account. This is becoming common these days.

Jul 28 2023

Powell Understands the Inflation was Created by COVID


Armstrong Economics Blog/Inflation Re-Posted Jul 26, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Jul 26 2023

The CDBD Crisis of 2025


Armstrong Economics Blog/Cryptocurrency Re-Posted Jul 26, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION:

1. Due to the draconian rules the US digital currency shall operate under, would you consider the coming US digital currency to be the worst form of currency—worst store of value—worst asset to hold, and if so would it be better to get entirely out of cash before the US Dollar is canceled and the digital currency introduced?
2. When the US Dollar is canceled, will the entire value of all bank and brokerage accounts be automatically converted by banks and brokerage firms to the new digital currency?
3. Do you think there will be draconian rules, such as digital ID’s, instituted to be able to access the internet in 2025 to be able to access and cash out of bank and brokerage accounts?
4. What use will it be to invest in anything post 2024 if money in brokerage and bank accounts automatically becomes digital currency subject to draconian rules with draconian rules to access or take possession of the funds in one’s bank or brokerage account?
5. In the interview you did on May 20th you mentioned “they” are talking about bank bail-in’s. Aside from bank accounts, could bail-in’s be done from people’s brokerage accounts?
6. If one does not “opt in” to the new digital currency and if every legal financial transaction from the point the US introduces the digital currency must be made via the new digital currency, how will one be able to pay their taxes and property tax and will such a person lose their house and their assets be confiscated for not paying their taxes and property tax if they choose not to take part in the digital currency, digital ID and digital health pass?
7. Do you think inheritance will come under rules so draconian that sane children would prefer to forgo their inheritance rather than opt into anything that could harm their health and limit their freedom? Or do you think “they” will just abolish inheritance altogether?
Would you recommend putting all assets and accounts in one’s children’s names now, to avoid this possible scenario as far as it can be avoided?
8. During World War 3, if the US gets nuked or if at any time in the future there is an EMP attack or a severe cyber-attack and the grid goes down for an extended period of time, what shall become of bank and brokerage accounts?
Thank You Sir

D.I.

ANSWER: Undoubtedly, this entire scheme of digital currencies will be the death of Western Civilization. The Founding Fathers prohibited Direct Taxation which was repealed during the Marxist movement toward creating the Income Tax. Once the income tax was imposed, the government then needed to know everything you did. That is why the Founding Fathers prohibited any form of direct taxation. Now even a journalist, if he fails to comply with the demands of the government, is targeted by the IRS. This allows them to go after anyone unless you are the son of a senile president who does as he is told. So yes, this will be the WORST currency in human history and it will be the final nail in the coffin of freedom.

They will most likely cancel all currencies AFTER the US 2024 election. It will need to be coordinated to prevent capital flight. Whatever is in bank accounts or brokerage accounts will be re-denominated in the new digital currency. The IMF is pushing hard to replace the dollar with its version. The likelihood of the collapse of the IMF and world institutions will probably arrive in 2031.

Big Tech will comply. They are already stripping us of our freedom of speech. This will become IMPERATIVE to oppress all freedom in hopes that they can establish this new totalitarian state which is the dream of Klaus Schwab and his band of merry thieves at the World Economic Forum. So the Internet will be highly monitored and restricted.

The point of investments post-2024 will be to hold on to tangible assets. They will make the transition from one currency to the next.

Glenn

As far as bail-in’s being applied to people’s brokerage accounts the answer is yes. That was already done by Judge Martin Glenn who presided over M.F. Global bankruptcy and created the first BAIL-IN without Congressional Authority. He was the first one to engage in FORCED LOANS by abandoning the rule of law to help the bankers and protect Corzine from losses by taking client accounts to cover M.F. Global’s losses. That is no different from what we saw in Cyprus. He simply allowed the confiscation of client funds when in fact, the rule of law should have been that the bankers were responsible and M.F. Global’s losses, and it should have been reversed. Never should the client’s funds be taken for M.F. Global’s losses to the NY Bankers.

You will have NO “opt out” avenue. Taxes and commerce will all be digital. This is why they are pushing 5G in order to create instant transfers to enable them to replace cash transactions.

Regarding inheritance, the LEFT is also ready to push behind the curtain that upon death, everything should belong to the state. I fear this will only unleash civil war. Nevertheless, there is the crazy leftist in Australia proposing just that. It is unfair for one person to have wealth and another nothing. Concerning putting all assets and accounts in one’s children’s names now, avoiding this possible scenario as far as it can be avoided carries tremendous risk. It all depends on your country. When I bought a house 30 years ago, I simply added my children’s names. Today, you can’t do that, for it becomes taxable to them.

While we cannot rule out tactical nuclear weapons, the risk of an EMP attack will be devastating. That will wipe out the economy and take down the internet. The prospect of whatever you have in an account could simply vanish. That is one primary reason I am against the whole crypto-CBDC agenda, for in times of war, an EMP could devastate an adversary. I think this simply warns you should have some old silver coins pre-1965.

Jul 24 2023

The CBDCs Are Coming


Armstrong Economics Blog/Cryptocurrency

Posted Jul 23, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

COMMENT #1: Hi Marty
I forgot to mention the ATMS nearby where I live right now.. I use a Credit Union and their withdrawal limit at the ATM at the branch no less has always been $400 these past couple of years. So I would go to the Wells Fargo ATM nearby down the road where I could withdraw $1000 in cash. The machine would ask you if you wanted a mix of 50s and 20s or all 20s.
Well, this past week I went to the WF ATM where I have not gone for quite some time, many months. To my surprise, the withdrawal limit has been reduced from $1000 to $600.
So there you go they are slowly turning the screws to try to cage us all in.
Best
Alice

REPLY: I opened an account at one of the top 5 just for convenience since it was down the street from me. Since COVID, I noticed they closed that branch and many others.  If you move to CBDCs, then banks no longer need branches for you can deposit a check on your phone, and they want to eliminate safe deposit boxes because they think people hide cash there.

Jul 23 2023

British Banks Close Accounts for Political Views – Wait for CBDC Currency to Appear


Armstrong Economics Blog/Cryptocurrency Re-Posted Jul 23, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

We have a very serious problem. Banks, Media, and Tech Companies seem to be all pushing for the end of all our civil and human rights. The truth has come out now that the Coutts Bank closed down Nigel Farage’s accounts, and it had NOTHING to do with his finances that they told everyone. That seems to be a serious case of slander and libel. If they would do this to Nigel, how many others are finding their accounts closed?

Here in the good old USA, a gold dealer just informed me that his credit line has been terminated – not because he did not pay. The excuse was that they preferred it to go to zero, not back and forth. It seems as though rumbling of this nature in the USA is increasing. Others who have cash businesses like a bar are finding that they are being discriminated against because they take in cash. Even priests are having their accounts shut down for political reasons.

It appears that the bankers are gearing up for the new CBDC system where all cash is eliminated. The government seems likely to let the banks impose a social credit score and claim it is not the government doing that, so it is not unconstitutional. I suppose they intend to prevent people from paying for medicine or buying food if banks shut down their accounts for whatever pretend reason. I guess that will be the new slow-death penalty for disagreeing with the new narrative that COVID was just the trial run for these days.

Jul 23 2023

IRS SWAT Team – Hunt for Taxes


Armstrong Economics Blog/The Hunt for Taxes Re-Posted Jul 23, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

The story about what looked like a SWAT team was a swarm of armed IRS Agents that stormed into a business in Florida has gone viral. Many point to this as see what happens when you give IRS agents lethal power. I think this needs clarification, and everyone knows I am opposed to arming IRS agents. Nevertheless, there is a HUGE distinction between income taxes and payroll taxes.  One you owe personally, but the other is theft if you collected it from employees and did not send it to the IRS, which makes you a TRUSTEE.

Back in the 1970s, I had two armed IRS agents come in with guns and handcuffs. They said I owed payroll taxes. I said wait a minute; my accountant handles all of that. I called him on the phone, and he then said put me on with them. He said he writes the checks on payroll himself and sends them in. It just so happened I was getting refund checks often. One had just come in, and it was on my desk. I said if I owe you, people, money, why do I keep getting refund checks? They looked at the check, and it had some code they recognized that denoted it was a refund for payroll taxes. It turned out to be a computer error on their part, and every time we would send in the payroll taxes, it kept trying to apply it to one month where I owed $2 and something refunded the rest. But they were to me personally, so I had no idea there was any distinction. They left, and I had to pay interest for cashing the checks that I someone should have known was their mistake.

A few years ago, again, I got a refund check and just deposited it. Once more, I was charged interest and penalties this time because I should have known it was an IRS mistake. The third mistake was that they put a lien on my house, and I never even got a bill. Once again, they failed to credit a payment I had sent in the previous year, but it took months to get the lien lifted.

My three encounters with the IRS have always been mistakes on their part. Only the first involving payroll taxes was I confronted by armed IRS agents, and that was simply because payroll taxes puts you in a position as a trustee where you collected the money for the government. I hope that armed IRS agents are confined to this category. I no longer cash refund checks. I have to pay penalties and interest because knowing when the IRS makes a mistake is my burden.

To clarify this armed assault on a business, it was Elite Payroll Solutions. This was not a company that was behind in paying its taxes. This is why the assault was more of a SWAT team; in this case, they were supposed to collect payroll taxes for small businesses and send them to the IRS. That places this in the TRUSTEE category, which is different from simply not paying your income tax.

A word to the Wise – Use only the Big Payroll Companies, not a small one that beats the price.

Jul 20 2023

Freedom Flyers


Armstrong economics Blog/Real Estate Re-Posted Jul 20, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Have you ever noticed a decorative eagle plaque above a home in America? This was once a popular symbol back in the day to symbolize freedom from mortgage payments. Homeowners would adorn their houses with this symbol to indicate that they were free from the bank and owned their home free and clear. Around 40% of owner-occupied homes have been paid off, further adding to the housing inventory crisis.

The 2022 Federal Housing Finance Agency reported in 2022 that 84% of outstanding mortgages locked in a rate below 5%, while 63% secured a rate at or below 4%. Mortgage rates surpassed 8% last week and those who own are unlikely to sell. While some point to double-digit mortgage rates in the past, it was not difficult for buyers to put down 40% upfront since housing prices were low in comparison to wages. This was also a time when the cost of living supported a traditional lifestyle where only one partner was required to work.

Although COVID and low rates created strong demand, the underlying issue is the Great Reset. Institutions are set to own 40% of all single-family rentals by 2030, precisely on time for Agenda 2030. Regular buyers have been outbid by institutions coming in with cash payments. BlackRock is now the largest landowner in America. This is all by design. They do not want people to afford a home because then there would be no need for 15-minute cities, and forever renters living in ADUs. The inventory issue will not recover because no one can outbid the institutions who do not need to borrow money.

Jul 12 2023

BRICS & The Gold Backed Currency Idea


Armstrong Economics Blog/Gold Re-Posted Jul 12, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: Marty,

Will the Brics launching a gold backed currency be the catalist for bankrupting 3rd world economies? Or is it rising interest rates on their debt?

Tks for all the light u share in a confusing economic landscape.

Cbeers
.baldy

ANSWER: It is unlikely that we are looking at a BRICS single currency like the euro, for that would require a central monetary authority, surrender of sovereignty as in Brussels, end any possibility of QE, etc. We would need to completely collapse the idea of Keynesian Economics insofar as it has evolved, allowing deficit spending.

There is no special magic to gold. It was first restricted to only kings, for it was considered to be the tears from the sun god. As more gold was discovered, it began to be used for the jewelry of wealthy aristocrats. Then it became used as money in its natural form, known as electrum, a natural alloy of gold mixed with silver.

Then they refined the gold electrum and created the first bimetallic coinage around 560 BC. This required a sufficient supply of gold to create a money supply. As the quantity increased, the value of gold declined relative to both silver as well as commodities in general – inflation.

The real argument behind gold as a backing is that its quantity is limited. However, over the centuries, the silver/gold ratio has fluctuated anywhere from 8:1 to 120:1. From this perspective, the real objective here is to prevent the government from creating money at will. Thanks to Keynesian Economics, governments have the power to create money at will, allowing them to retain power and exert it in their endless wars thanks to the Neocons.

The real objective here with the issue of BRICS is that both Russian and China object to the dollar being the reserve currency in the middle of geopolitical tension. Yet the Biden Administration has undermined everything by removing Russia from SWIFT. That set in motion the collapse of globalization, and it has shown to the world that the US now controls the SWIFT system, which renders it no longer politically neutral.

This is where the IMF is trying to desperately move in for the kill to replace the dollar with their electronic digital currency. This is really no better because the IMF will also play political games. Strauss-Kahn was appointed managing director of the IMF on September 28, 2007, with the backing of then–President of France Nicolas Sarkozy. He was set up, and in New York, they came up with a maid in a hotel who claimed he tried to rape her. They wanted to remove him became he was independent. He served in that capacity until he was forced to resign on May 18, 2011. All the charges were later dismissed for the lack of any credibility. Yet, his replacement was Obama’s friend Christine Legard, a board member of the economic terrorist organization, the World Economic Forum. She was installed in the IMF and immediately threatened all the tax havens to turn over all their secret accounts so they would be removed from SWIFT. She also threatened the Vatican.

We are clearly staring into the eyes of a major global sovereign debt default. This is also why they are pushing for war. They plan on holding another Bretton Woods II, and the IMF will make its pitch to rule the world. This is all part of the scheme for this one-world government.

Jul 12 2023

BoC Study: 59% of Canadians Willing to Accept CBDC


Armstrong Economics Blog/Central Banks Re-Posted Jul 12, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

The masses do not realize what CBDC really entails. It is marketed as a convenient and modern way to bank. In truth it is a tool for control, an important tool that governments need to usher in the Great Reset. A recent poll by the Bank of Canada aimed to see how willingly the public would accept a new digital currency. Surprisingly, the majority said they were willing to make the switch without hesitation.

An alarming 59% of respondents said they are willing to switch to CBDC once available. They do not realize that they won’t have a choice in the matter. Around 43% said they were “somewhat willing” to accept CBDC. Then 11% said they were “very willing” and 5% “extremely willing.” Only 25% said they would not make the switch, which again will not be optional. Only 16% admitted that they do not understand the concept.

It appears that the public does not understand the risks involved. Over half (51%) said they were confident the central bank would securely handle their transactions and data. Around 56% said they were concerned about the potential for fraud, cyber attacks (53%), personal data misuse (44%), and lack of anonymity (35%). The central bank, of course, did not ask the real question – Are you comfortable with the government controlling all of your financial transactions?

Eighteen of the G20 countries have already begun developing digital currencies. The real threat here is that CBDC will provide governments will full access to our finances. We see how easily private banks de-bank individuals. Trudeau was able to cancel accounts of protestors and their alleged supporters in an instant.

CBDC would allow government to deny people access to their finances entirely, especially since cash will not be an alternative. The WEF wants to link individual IDs to the banking system and throw in social credit scores for good measure. A WEF spokesman recently said during the Summer Davos that they would like to control what people buy and ban unapproved purchases. Then they will ensure no money goes off the grid as governments want to tax us into oblivion. Now is the time to show resistance to the idea. Once they implement these policies, there is no going back. They will give us a timeframe to convert our cash to a CBDC and then governments will have complete control over our finances.