Tag Archives: dictators

Jun 9 2016

Can the USA Break Apart Legally?


Armstrong Economics Blog

Re-Posted Jun 9, 2016 by Martin Armstrong

Civil War

Within the US Federal Constitution, there is what many refer to as the Republican Guarantee Clause of Article Four; Section 4; Clause 1: Obligations of the United States Federal Government:

The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government…

This Republican Guarantee Clause has long been at the forefront of the debate about the rights of citizens vis-à-vis the government for decades. The Republican Guarantee Clause mandates that all U.S. states must be grounded in republican structures, whereby people elect “representatives” of the government, and, in theory, afford the consent of the governed. The Republican Guarantee Clause is one of several portions of the Constitution that mandates the political structure of the nation composed of individual states. This ensures that all states must have the same type of republican government based on the ancient Roman model.

The Constitution does not actually define what exactly constitutes a “republican government,” however, within several places we find implications. Article Seven stipulated that the Constitution, before it could become established as the “Law of the Land,” must obtain the consent of the people by being ratified by popular conventions within the several states.

The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same.

Law & LibertiesAdditionally, as it required the ratification of only nine states in order to be established rather than the unanimous consent required by the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution was more “republican” in this design. A Republic protects the majority from effectively being ruled or held captive by the minority. That is the fundamental structural implementation.

Does a state have the right to secede from the union? The United States Constitution does not prohibit or permit secession. Initially, each of the colonies originated through separate “grants” from the British Crown and evolved with separate political and cultural institutions prior to national independence. For example, the “Laws and Liberties” of Massachusetts, enacted in 1648, was the first body of law created in America. This legal code covered civil and criminal law and was actually a revision of a 1641 code known as “The Body of Liberties,” which was written by Nathaniel Ward, a Puritan minister and teacher. In its preamble we find the best example of why law is necessary:

For a Commonwealth without lawes [sic] is like a ship without rigging and steerage.

Others have claimed that the Federal Constitution’s Supremacy Clause (Article VI) should be interpreted as weighing against a right of secession.

All debts contracted and engagements entered into, before the adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation.

This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding.

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States. (U.S. Constitution, Article VI)

Those who argue that no state can secede from the United States based on the Supremacy Clause are clearly in conflict with the Republican Guarantee Clause. If the people of any state were to vote for secession, then to employ the Supremacy Clause to deny that right would nullify the Republican Guarantee Clause. Nevertheless, President Abraham Lincoln argued that states were not sovereign before the Constitution because the Constitution created the states.

Current legal precedent, as decided by the Supreme Court in Texas v. White, 74 U.S. 700 (1869), rendered the previous debate moot by holding that states cannot secede from the union by an act of the state. Texas v White involved a claim by the Reconstruction government of Texas that United States bonds owned by Texas since 1850 had been illegally sold by the Confederate state legislature during the American Civil War. The court ruled that Texas had always been a United States state ever since it first joined the Union, despite its joining the Confederate States of America. Texas was under military rule at the time of the decision. The Supreme Court held that the Constitution did not permit states to unilaterally secede from the United States, and the ordinances of secession and acts of the legislatures within seceding states intended to give effect to such ordinances were “absolutely null” and void.

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in a letter to Daniel Turkewitz dated October 31, 2006, wrote: “If there was any constitutional issue resolved by the Civil War, it is that there is no right to secede.” (Hence, the “Pledge of Allegiance” says, “One nation, indivisible…”)

Therefore, as far as the courts have ruled, states have no right to secede. This clearly appears to be in tension with the Republican Guarantee Clause. However, the Civil War was won by sheer force and not well-reasoned law. So it does not appear that the break-up of the United States can take place in a peaceful manner without the federal government losing power.

Jun 9 2016

Oklahoma Police Can Seize Your Entire Bank Account on a Traffic Stop Without Any Charges At All


Armstrong Economics Blog

Re-Posted Jun 9, 2016 by Martin Armstrong

Oklahoma Highway Patrol

 

 

The one state that has gone complete anti-democratic is Oklahoma. It is wise not to travel in that state at all. Oklahoma should be on a no fly zone. Now Oklahoma police can outright just seize everything you have from debt cards to bank accounts on a traffic stop without any criminal charges being filed – just some policeman “thinks” and your life is over. With no money, you cannot hire a lawyer so they can now just rob everything you have on a whim.

 

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol has introduced a device that also allows them to seize money in your bank account or on prepaid cards, which they call ERAD, or Electronic Recovery and Access to Data machine. State police began using 16 of theses last month and this is a state now where the police have become literally the highway robbers. This makes the traffic cops in Russia pulling you over for speeding and you just pay them and they go away as a far more civilized arrangement. Here, they can rob you of everything.Let’s say a state trooper “suspects” or just “thinks” you may have money tied to some type of crime – any crime. He can now scan any cards you have and seize the money in your wallet. He does not have to charge you with any crime. He just “thinks” you might be connected to anything he can imagine. There is no right to remain silent, for he is not charging you. He is after all your money because they are broke.

 

Oklahoma Highway Patrol Lt. John Vincent said. “We’re gonna look for if there’s a difference in your story. If there’s someway that we can prove that you’re falsifying information to us about your business.” So all he has to do is “believe” you lied about anything and he has the right to take everything you have. They justify this claiming it is not about seizing money. Of course not. It is criminal prosecution but there is no crime. Forget innocent until proven guilty. That will not apply. They pretend the money committed the crime – not you.

 

This is simply nullifying the Constitution. You have absolutely ZERO rights. He can rob you of everything and leave you with no money even for gas. The police have become the criminals. This is precisely how Rome fell. When they could not could not pay the army, they began sacking their own cities. This is exactly what the police are doing now and there is nobody to defend us against this new criminal organization.

 

Just stay out of Oklahoma at all costs. If other states follow, you better migrate to another country and fast. One not based on common law (English countries). This will destroy the freedom to even travel for broke police are highway criminals with guns.

Jun 6 2016

Brexit Poll: Latest Trend Finds “Leave” Group Now Ahead of “Remain”…


I really do hope that the Brits leave the EU as I would hate to seem them go down when the EU collapses in the next couple of years. Lets get it over with and at least try and save the United Kingdom.

Jun 6 2016

BREXIT v Yellen


Armstrong Economics Blog

Re-Posted Jun 6, 2016 by Martin Armstrong

 

BREXIT v Yellen

The debate shifted following the Jobs Report, and people now assume that the Fed will not raise rates. Hence, we have a bounce in gold and the euro. That makes no fundamental sense regarding gold since higher rates indicate inflation and lower rates warn of deflation. The real confusion has been that most only focus on domestic issues. The euro would bounce if BREXIT won, giving a bit of a bid there. Nevertheless, the typical US analysts and newspapers pay no attention to BREXIT and just assume it is a European thing.

To the contrary, BREXIT is a huge deal for if the “real” vote prevails if we do see an exit that the establishment cannot prevent. Sure, the pound will get hit at first, but thereafter, a contagion of separation movements will appear and contribute to the demise of the euro. That will have a broader long-term influence on capital flows pouring into the USA.

Two-bedroom condos in Brooklyn are now going for over $1 million. This is all foreign capital pouring into the USA on cash deals. The same is taking place in Miami, and this is why the IRS demands title companies to pierce corporate veils to get at the real owners only in New York and Miami.

Fed Excess Reserves

BREXIT can have a profound impact on the dollar because it has the potential to send mountains of cash fleeing Europe to the USA.

Then we have Donald Trump, and a victory there would really change America. Trump is talking about a 15% corporate tax rate that would match Hong Kong. If this policy were to happen, we would see $2 trillion in offshore corporate cash return to USA. Then if the Fed wisens up and fails to raise the 0.5 rate on excess reserves or eliminates it, as it should, there will be another $2 trillion freed up.

With $4 trillion free, the only place will be equities. We will see the Dow come into that sweet spot where you can buy it with two hands and watch it rally to test the 23,000 level in the years ahead. Nobody seems to expect a rally and that makes this even more explosive.

So for all the Fed watchers worried about a quarter point change in rates, they are missing the international picture. We have issued a special report on BREXIT for one simple reason:

 

BREXIT IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN A RATE CHANGE

Jun 6 2016

Hillary Clinton Refuses To Say If “right to bear arms” Is A Constitutional Right…


Hillary has never told the truth about anything in her entire life; and getting rid of all private guns is at the top of her to do list; since she like the rest of the progressives want the power to remake society into a form that makes them rulers without checks and balances — or a means to vote them out.

Jun 6 2016

Judge Hanen Holds Hearing Tomorrow – DOJ To Argue Against Sanctions and Court Order…


The legal battle for the country goes on but i fear we have gone way to far in the wrong direction for this to be turned around. The very fact this this issue exists proves that the federal government is no long with the people but is, in fact, out the remake the country into a mold the people to not want and that kind of action never turns out well.

Jun 6 2016

Switzerland to Vote of Universal Free Income for Life


Armstrong Economics Blog

Re-Posted Jun 6, 2016 by Martin Armstrong

No WOrk

Well, believe it or not, the younger generation is extremely socialistic. Just tell them they will get something for nothing and they are on board. I suppose this is what we get for telling them to pay for schooling that they cannot find a job with. Now in Switzerland, they pushed for an actual vote on Universal Income where they will get a monthly payment of 2500 Swiss Francs paid to every citizen, for their whole life, no matter where they live, and they do not have to work to get anything nor did they ever have to earn anything. This is more than most people earn in retirement check after a lifetime of work. The solution, just give’m the money now. Why work for it? Seems like a waste of a life. They just want to cut to the end. This is the legal way to just rob your neighbor so you do not ever have to work.

Well, the proposal to guarantee a minimum monthly income of 2500 Swiss francs lost 76.9% to 23.1%. It could have, over time, lead to scrapping unemployment, social and pension payments, but it would have been in a dead-heat race with bankrupting the state, which probably would have came first. It was promoted by Daniel Haeni and Enno Schmidt who are really out of touch with how an economy even functions. This same idea has been talked about in Canada and the USA.

Jun 6 2016

ECB Begins Buying Corporate Bonds


Armstrong Economics Blog

Re-Posted Jun 6, 2016 by Martin Armstrong

ECB European Central Bank

The European Central Bank (ECB) will start buying corporate bonds as officials’ stimulus program announced in March. This will broaden the Quantitative Easing expanding it to a new asset class in their desperate struggle against deflation. The Governing Council, meeting in Vienna, left the main refinancing rate at zero, the deposit rate at minus -0.4 percent, and as a component of its asset purchases of 80 billion euros per month, the ECB will begin buying corporate bonds beginning on June 8.

This type of stimulus is at least far better than buying government debt. Governments do not create jobs that truly contribute to economic growth because government produces nothing. Unfortunately, buying the corporate bonds from bankers will only means they are relieving the banks of paper they do not want. The ECB is hopelessly fighting against the head wind of deflation because they do not control the fiscal side of the balance sheet. That means which they try to stimulate the economy, we have the European Commission plotting against the economy by attempting to enforce taxation and raise taxes at every possible turn on top of creating a Byzantine system of serious over-regulation that prevent business expansion and formation.

The superficial view of how this will stimulate the economy is always good for a bounce as people trade within the noise of a market defines by resistance and support. However, the long-term prospects to this actually reversing the trend or “stimulating” anything is hopeless.

Jun 6 2016

Comments from France


Armstrong Economics Blog

Re-Posted Jun 6, 2016 by Martin Armstrong

June 2nd Protest France

COMMENT #1: 

The current protests are not “The People against the State” and therefore it is not a revolution. It is the Left (CGT union and alike) against the Left (Presidency); it is a family affair like currently between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp.
When these people rioted in my street, the REAL PEOPLE on their balcony INSULTED them. How could the real people walk in the streets with these bastards to make a revolution? They gather 2-3% of the votes in elections ! They ravaged everything for 20 minutes including a bank. We called the police who’s station is just 100 meters always and they didn’t show up until 20 minutes after their departure ! The police is not using water cannons and they are releasing within hours those who burn police cars and injure policemen.
The real risk is when the REAL PEOPLE clash with the PROTESTERS. That would bring an interim military cabinet who would delay the 2017 election. There is already General Didier Tauzin who announced he is running for President.
REPLY: They are calling this the Second French Revolution, but you are correct, it is not the people so much as the left unions. We have the same problem in the States. It is government workers against the people.
French Polls
COMMENT #2: 

Hello Mr Armstrong,

A single image that would suffice to understand the situation in France : Hollande is at a historical low approval rate, 11%.

The common reaction is : “How come he enjoys so much support ?”.

Honestly, I think Hollande does not get it. He likes to show how satisfied and proud of his achievements he is, which people see as a permanent provocation. He’s as clueless as you can get.

On the other hand, Manuel Valls is an arrogant, angry and brutal prime minister who often uses a martial rhetoric to silence anyone who questions his judgment. The man is known for having some serious mental problems. Be sure that if this man could, he would turn France into a dictatorship overnight.

Hopefully, Hollande is weak and unable to make decisions. He’s known to be a pathological liar, including in his private life. Being a natural born coward makes it impossible for him to take any responsability, even the smallest. When a problem occurs, he usually run away after having scapegoated someone else for the mistake.

Regards.

Elysée Palace
COMMENT #3:
Hello Mr Armstrong,

Some news from France where the global atmosphear is looking like a complete moral and political meltdown.

The french president François Hollande, his ministers, especially the head of the Ministry of the Economy Emmanuel Macron, can’t travel in France. Ministers have been ordered to reduced their trip to a “strict minimum”. The bill to reform the job market regulations is at the epicenter of the broader french society existential crisis.

Here is a link for the record related to the great difficulty the government experience to move within France :

I discuss extensively with thousands of French from various background and regions. I think the anger is at an all time high. It’s pure hatred for the government, politicians and, because the leading one, Hollande and his prime minister Valls. People are more and more convinced that France is becoming a “socialist dictatorship”.

Thanks to police forces, Hollande is still alive, but if it were not for the cops, the crowd would already be sitting in the Elysée Palace.

I talked with a a person from Belgium leaving in Romania with high levels connexions in Brussels. They’re terrified about 2017 for they know Alain Juppé (former Chirac Prime minister, crooked as possible) or Sarkozy won’t be able to lead France for it is more of the same and people are all too aware of it.

I remember you told me that your computers do not see Sarkozy winning. I don’t see Hollande winning. And i don’t think Le Pen can win. It looks like a dead end at this stage.

Regards.

REPLY: This is not just a French Revolution, it is an American one as well. We are seeing it in Britain, Spain, Germany, Italy, and Greece. Everyone has simply had enough of politics as usual. The elite around the world are in a complete state of denial.
Jun 6 2016

Bill Kristol – New Triumvirate – Fighting for the Establishment


Armstrong Economics Blog

Re-Posted Jun 5, 2016 by Martin Armstrong

kristol bill

QUESTION: Mr. Armstrong, You are friends with Bill Kristol.  So what is going on. He seems to be very much against Trump and is moving for an independent candidate. You know him. Any inside scoop?

ANSWER: Yes I know Bill. However, I would not say we are friends. Yes we have been to dinner many times and yes he spoke at one of our conferences back I think in 1996. Yes I helped him when he started the Weekly Standard. We took the back cover for the first 6 months or so. But beyond that, I would not say we are “friends” in the least and he was not so neo-conservative 20 years ago.

Now Kristol is in league with Mit Romney and Paul Ryan to create a Triumvirate in hopes of stealing the election away from Trump by forcing it into the House where they hope to save the establishment against the people. The scheme is not to win. The scheme is to prevent either candidate from winning enough electorial votes to throw the election back to the House.  House Speaker Paul Ryan was forced to begrudgingly endorse Trump. However, Ryan is part of the establishment and part of the problem in Washington. He may have endorsed Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, but his office just last week said that he will not encourage other Republicans to support their party’s presumptive nominee. The “establishment” is behind the curtain cheering Kristol, but they are so out of touch with reality it is sick. These people are fighting against the country, the people, and to maintain Washington as is. This Triumvirate is exactly why 86% of “Republicans” are voting for Trump against the elites funded by their oligarchy.

I do not agree with Kristol. Yes I know Bill. I would not endorse his view and I believe what he is trying to do with his oligarchy backers, Ryan and Romney, is against the best interest of the people of the United States and amounts to a denial of any democratic process. This is the phase transition or bubble top in their pretend “conservative” brand of politics that washes its hands in the blood of our soldiers. With respect to “conservative” policies, well they had two Republican presidents since Reagan and they did nothing to reform the system and the debt still exploded from $1 trillion under Reagan in 1980 to nearly $20 trillion.

I also know many other people in high profiles positions. I speak from experience – not from conspiracy theories. This is the end-game for neo-conservative people like Kristol and their oligarchy. They will lose all credibility and will be seen as dangerous people. They are in a state of denial exactly like Hillary and belong to an era that will be no more. They should go collect their Social Security checks and play golf.