Posted originally on Aug 22, 2024 By Martin Armstrong
We tend to think of war as a national army against a national army. But wars have changed dramatically since Iraq. Mercenaries are more powerful than most realize, which is a grave oversight. Those who assume they are cheap imitations of national armed forces do not have a clue about what is taking place. For-profit warriors are a wholly different species of fighter. Private military companies like Russia’s Wagner Group were more like heavily armed multinational corporations than the Marine Corps. Their employees are recruited from different countries, and profitability is everything. Patriotism is unimportant, and sometimes a liability. Unsurprisingly, mercenaries do not fight conventionally, and traditional war strategies used against them often backfire.
If we look at the Iraq War, the US Department of Defense employed 155,826 private contractors in Iraq. In 2016, 1 in 4 U.S. armed personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan was a private contractor. This meant that the war was being outsourced, and neither scholars nor the media seemed to pay attention. Looking at the stats provides an interesting perspective. Between 2006 and 2016, 238 private contractors/mercenaries perished in Iraq. Looking at who does this work reveals that they are predominantly white man in their 40s. Most are veterans with significant military experience who were former officers, and about half of them are Special Forces veterans. They are more likely to have a college degree than their active-duty counterparts but less likely than their fellow veterans in the general population.
This degree of privatization of military troops is unprecedented in modern warfare. The Neocons used Biden to circumvent Congress to create World War III, deploying private armies to negate Congressional approval. If they are private contractors, then the Neocons can tell them to invade Russia or even New York City since they are NOT actually official military personnel.
In terms of Biden signing private contracts, one federal department reigned supreme. In 2020, the Department of Defense awarded more money in federal contracts than all other government agencies combined. And one study found that nearly half of defense spending for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan went to private contractors. President Joe Biden signed a record-shattering military budget in 2021, topping 2020. Even after America’s complicated withdrawal from Afghanistan, congress approved the biggest defense spending bill in history.
The cost of Iraq and Afghanistan directly was $1.6 trillion. Add the ongoing interest costs compounded, and by 2032, the costs of that war alone will reach more than $3 trillion. Why use private mercenaries? Guess what? There are no VA benefits and pensions. Some may earn even up to $2,000 per day. On March 19, 2003, Paul Wolfowitz, then deputy defense secretary and a leading proponent of the war, told a Congressional committee: “We are dealing with a country that can really finance its own reconstruction, and relatively soon.” That was not even close to being true. But these people love to sell war all the time.
While they Say Prostitution is the Oldest Profession, Mercenaries are certainly the second-oldest
The historian Arrian informs us that Greek mercenary hoplites served Persia in defending against Alexander the Great in the closing stages of the Battle of Granicus. Both Celtic and Greek mercenaries served in the Carthaginian garrison at Lilybaeum while it was besieged by the Romans during the First Punic War. Indeed, much of military history from ancient times includes privatized armies. The word “mercenary” comes from the Latin merces, “wages” or “pay.” Since ancient times, employing mercenaries to fight wars has been routine throughout most of military history. Xenophon’s famous army of Greek mercenaries known as the Ten Thousand (401–399 BC) were mostly mercenaries. Hannibal’s sixty-thousand-strong army, included Greek and Celtic mercenaries, who marched with elephants over the Alps to attack Rome from the north.
Here is a coin from central Italy depicting an African mercenary and an elephant. Rome also regularly employed mercenaries, and even by the European Middle Ages, mercenaries were part of armies. Machiavelli’s The Prince (1513) Chapter XII: How Many Kinds of Soldiery There are, and Concerning Mercenaries.
The fact, during the Middle Ages mercenaries were called condottieri or “contractors,” and they formed multinational companies, termed “free companies,” just like Blackwater and Aegis today. There was a backlash against war, and states began to cooperate to outlaw mercenaries. This effort came to an end with the rise of Communism and the Cold War. This is when the United States began to invest billions into the private military industry. General Eisenhower warned us when it was his last day in office.
The US has turned to private mercenaries to some extent because an All-Volunteer Force could not recruit enough Americans to maintain wars. In 2002, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the Iraq War would last: “Five days or five weeks or five months, but it certainly isn’t going to last any longer than that.” Sound familiar? Adam Kinzinger claims we could defeat Russia in three days. For publicity’s sake, when the Iraq War was not over in five weeks or even five months, the risk of a Vietnam-like draft to fill the ranks, or they would contract out for mercenaries. In Iraq, 50% of the US force was mercenaries. In Afghanistan, mercenaries reached 70%. In WW2, it was only 10% were mercenaries.
Part of this migration crisis is their hope to fill the military ranks, offering them citizenship. Today’s mercenaries are from all over the world: Mexico, Ghana, Australia, Canada, and Africa. Private military companies are just like any other multinational corporation: they recruit globally.
More mercenaries were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan than soldiers. The actual number of contractors killed is probably higher than we know since the US government doesn’t collect such data, and the companies generally do report that figure since it would clearly be bad for recruiting. We now see private military operations in Russia and other countries in Europe. This has become a multi-billion-dollar industry. Even the United Arab Emirates hired mercenaries to fight in Yemen. Nigeria has also turned to hiring mercenaries.
The side-effect is that by turning to mercenaries; history shows they have also turned on the hand that fed them. The Neocons can use mercenaries and send them to invade without Congressional Acts of War since they are no officially American troops. This dangerously creates a strategic dependency on the private sector to sustain war, and those in power then have “plausible deniability” since Americans are not coming home in body bags.
It is also NOT a war crime if a mercenary rather than a government carries it out. Contractors don’t count as “boots on the ground” sending in their mercenaries. This actually undermines all accountability of the armed forces. Congress typically has no idea of who’s being contracted. They do not see the details.
The Neocons love mercenaries, for they do not need a Declaration of War from Congress and can order an invasion of Russia, as they have just done, with no accountability. They can start and expand wars for profit and personal vengeance. Out of work, mercenaries are so accustomed to violence that they are not easily re-emerged into a society where law and conduct are accountable. There’s a lot of historical evidence for this from the European Middle Ages when mercenaries were routinely used, and when unemployed, they did not return nicely to society.
With the Neocons turning to mercenaries, they can wage war without approval from Congress or oversight from anyone. Private military companies must generally self-report crimes, which they won’t. Mercenaries are a symptom of something far more serious as we move into 2032. Mercenaries have completely changed war and threatened world order. Mercenaries are becoming more common, and this presents a serious problem looking ahead.
Posted originally on Aug 21, 2024 By Martin Armstrong
Last June, Biden lifted the ban on American contractors sending mercenaries into Ukraine. When he lifted the ban on American weapons, allowing them to be deployed inside Russia, this was another step that de facto allowed these private American military operations to invade Russia pretending it is not the official United States. I have warned that the Neocons are scared to death of Trump, and if RFK joins Trump as the Attorney General, as I have been arguing behind the curtain, they are desperate to start World War III before the election.
Sources are reporting that Stephanie Holmes, the US Chargé d’Affaires in Russia, was summoned to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to explain why Americans have invaded Russia with the invasion of the Ukrainian Army into the Kursk region. By 2008, the US Department of Defense employed 155,826 private contractors in Iraq — and 152,275 troops. This degree of privatization is unprecedented in modern warfare. The Neocons used Biden to circumvent Congress to create World War III, deploying private armies to negate Congressional approval.
Indeed, Russia has an opportunity to now annihilate the entire invading force, including Americans, by deploying a small tactical nuclear weapon inside its own borders. Nobody can say anything about that, and Russia would be within its right to do so just as if Chinese, Russian, or North Korean private military invaded the United States.
September has been a significant target on our computer all year for civil unrest and international war. Gold’s performance appears linked to this action, whereas silver and platinum have not responded. While gold may peak by next week, September remains a major Panic Cycle in many markets, including gold. Russia is certainly within its right to use whatever means necessary to eradicate this invading force. If it does not respond on its own territory, then it would only invite a full-scale NATO invasion.
These Neocons are traitors to the United States and the future of our nation,
Posted originally on Aug 21, 2024 By Martin Armstrong
The exodus from blue states has not waned since the pandemic. Americans are seeking lower taxes, crime, and tyranny as half of our nation descends into utter chaos. A recent poll by SmartAsset found that Americans earning $200,000 or more have been the most eager to flee states like New York and California.
California and New York have lost more high-earners, and therefore higher taxpayers, than any other states. California is the least desirable state with an average outflow of 24,670 high-income households with an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $1.3m. New York is not far behind, with a net outflow of 12,040 high-earning households worth an average AGI of $1.1m.
California is rushing to implement legislation to punish those who dare to leave Newsom’s socialist utopia. I’ve discussed the exit tax on this blog in detail as businesses and individuals seeking to leave the Golden State must pay a fine. The government will look at all of your assets and investments to determine how much you will need to pay, which is usually 0.4% of someone’s net worth. Wealth historically flees when taxes rise, and to combat this issue, California plans to tax anyone with an income for $30 million for up to a full decade after they leave the state. Someone leaving the country entirely will still be forced to pay California for the privilege of leaving.
Other states will likely adopt an exit tax. New York’s state budget toppled, fueled by the migrant crisis, and they will begin to hunt their own citizens for funds because that is what governments have ALWAYS done when they find themselves insolvent.
California also has one of the highest tax brackets for income tax, often reaching 14.4%, while New York slaps a 10.9% tax on the highest earners.
Average home prices in California has reached $746,667 but it is difficult to compile an average price on such a large state and the average home in a DESIRABLE relatively safe neighborhood is much higher. The same could be said about New York as we have a vastly different landscape from the city to the north, and stating the average home price of $450,000 grossly understates what someone will pay if they live near the city or in a relatively safe desirable neighborhood.
Where is everyone moving?
Florida: 29,771 net inflow of high-earning households
Texas: 8,260 net inflow of high-earning households
North Carolina: 5,792 net inflow of high-earning households
South Carolina: 5,270 net inflow of high-earning households
Arizona: 4,365 net inflow of high-earning households
Americans are fleeing to red states with lower taxes and crime. Property prices in desirable neighborhoods may be high, but you have a much lower property tax. Florida and Texas continue to be the safe havens within America for both businesses and individuals. The average AGI for those moving to Florida from the aforementioned states is $907,013 while California’s new residents have an average AGI of $579,207. Consequently, lower earners have been forced to leave these states.
Inflation has already caused every American to spend more while living on less. High-income households are being punished under these socialistic eat the rich policies that invalidly claim they are responsible for the financial hardships of others. This trend will continue as Democrat-run states continue to adopt hardline policies that penalize monetary success.
Posted originally on the CTH on August 21, 2024 | Sundance
It started with Senator Lindsey Graham previously saying that perhaps electronic encryption programs needed a legislative ban as an outcome of the Trump assassination attempt.
The “never let a crisis go to waste” narrative continues advancing today with Congressman Mike Waltz.
CHICAGO — Trump rally gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks used encrypted messaging accounts on various platforms located in Belgium, New Zealand and Germany, according to a member of a congressional task force investigating his assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.
Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), one of 13 lawmakers tapped to serve on the House bipartisan task force, told reporters at a Wednesday press conference at the Trump Hotel Chicago that the “overseas accounts” piqued his suspicion immediately regarding the shooter’s motives.”
“Why does a 19-year-old kid who is a health care aid need encrypted platforms not even based in the United States, but based abroad – where most terrorist organizations know it is harder for our law enforcement to get into?” asked Waltz. (read more)
If you do not choose to give up some private communication tools in order to make the USA a safer place, then you don’t care about the security of President Trump or something. That’s the rapidly approaching talking point from the professionally republican.
The Deep State loves unilateral transparency where We The People are transparent, and they remain opaque. Sorry, but look where we are now. We never should have agreed to start taking off our shoes at the airport.
Now all we hear is how banks are suddenly investing in things like BITCOIN. The propaganda is just stunning, for it has once again proven that Julius Caesar was right more than 2000 years ago, and nothing has ever changed.
Things like BITCOIN are a religion, and that is the problem. It would be best never to marry any trade, for you will never look at the world objectively. The code for the BITCOIN programmer was known to have come from the NSA. In 1996, the US government released a white paper entitled, “How to make a mint: the cryptography of anonymous electronic cash.” Released by the National Security Agency Office of Information Security Research and Technology, this document basically explains how a government agency could create something like Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency.
The Federal Reserve is not going to issue a CDBC. All the big banks are creating their own, and then they will be regulated by the Fed. The banks must already report suspicious activity to the Feds. The banks will create the digital currency since they will report “suspicious” activity to the Fed and IRS. If the Fed created a CBDC, they need a search warrant to you into an account where the banks do not.
OPEN YOUR EYES
This is the same scheme they used with covid. Private companies like Facebook and YouTube can regulate free speech that the government cannot. They will then report all suspicious activity and your cash flow to the IRS. Wake up! Janet Yellen wanted to audit $600 transaction of Ebay. They are broken and they believe ending cash will result in 35%+ more in tax collections.
IMF TO REPLACE THE DOLLAR
The IMF has already quietly created its digital currency. They intend to use this war to not only default on debts, but the IMF will replace the dollar as the reserve currency in an attempt to bring the world back together and end the SWIFT vs BRICS.
Posted originally on the CTH on August 19, 2024 | Sundance
The video comes to my attention via the Twitter Account of Tony Seruga. The video appears to capture Thomas Crooks walking through the vendor section of the Butler rally at approximately 4:26pm, about one and a half hours before he began shooting.
If the 4:26pm time is accurate, this is interesting because President Trump was initially scheduled to begin speaking at 5:00pm.
New footage that appears to be Thomas Matthew Crooks at the Butler, PA rally before shooting President Trump. pic.twitter.com/5HCGUWh6Yl
Posted originally on Aug 19, 2024 By Martin Armstrong
Kamala Harris’ father was basically a radial communist. She is not far from her father’s ideas, and more than Bill Gates is different from his father’s fears of population and created Planned Parenthood and stuck them in minority areas to reduce the population of blacks. No matter how many times Socialism has been attempted, the same result has always taken place because it is against human nature and seeks to oppress those who work to reward those who do not under this theory that everyone should be equal in material wealth – not rights.
Capital Gains & Unrealized Profits Tax
As they say, the apple never falls far from the tree. Indeed, whatever Trump says, most Democrats will NEVER listen. He has warned the U.S. would suffer a “1929-style depression” under a Harris presidency. The only thing about Trump is that he is a businessman. All this talk of Doubling the Capital Gains Tax and imposing taxes on Unrealized Gains alone would cause the biggest stock market crash in history. People would have to sell everything before the tax is imposed.
Take Amazon, for example. sure, Bezos is a billionaire on paper based on the value of his shares, as is Bill Gates. It is not cash. Taxing unrealized gains means they would have to sell 25% of their stock the first year to pay the tax. Stocks will tumble, and then the same will take place the next year. I would have to advise you to sell everything NOW! People would be forced to STOP investing long-term, which would kill long-term growth and cause massive unemployment. Kamala’s response will be to nationalize companies at that point because NEVER will anyone in government EVER remotely consider that their policies are to blame.
This would get even worse. Once they legalize taxing unrealized gains, there goes the farming industry, small businesses, and real estate. That house you bought for $100,000 is now worth $500,000, they will demand $125,000 in taxes. You don’t have that cash, so suddenly, you now have to sell that house to pay the tax. This is how small farming has been destroyed because when the father dies, the government wants up to 40% of the value of the land. They have been forced to sell to people like Bill Gates.
Green New Deal
Now add this Green New Deal that she really wants to do, forcing carbon neutrality by 2030 so she can get in line and kiss the ring of Klaus Schwab. Just look at Europe and the economic decline unfolding there; people rose up against that in the EU elections. This Agenda 2030 would cause a deep recession and rising inflation with loss of jobs and major civil unrest. Perhaps this is what the computer is projecting will lead to the breakup of the United States. The World Economic Forum will then influence the United States as they have taken over Canada.
Carbon-neutral by 2030 is impossible. Just look at the stats: 75% of our electricity comes from burning fossil fuels. So how are they going to do that? They think they can just circumvent Congress and issue a dictatorial Executive Order requiring that 50% of all cars be electricby 20230. There is not enough power in the electric grid to accomplish this, and people are turning away from electric cars. And they call Putin a dictator? Executive Orders of this nature circumvent Congress and deny the people any right to object.
Executive Orders are NOT Democracy, which has become another propaganda label. Here is the World Economic Forum’s Agenda 2030, which includes ending Democracy and handing the Sovereignty of the United States to the United Nations. Harris co-sponsored the Green New Deal as a senator in 2019.
Counting On the Brainwash Women?
They are counting on especially the stupidity and myopic focus of women who will vote solely on the issue of abortion since they were successfully brainwashed as they turned racism into Women’s Rights to kill their children. Even Justice Ginsburg pointed out that Roe vs Wade had nothing to do with women’s rights. This was the Gates and Rockefeller Agenda to reduce the world’s population. They need those brainwashed women to vote only on Abortion and not pay attention to anything else.
Price Controls
As the New Times reported, Harris wants to impose price controls on food and blames corporations – never the government. The entire shortage began with their stupidity of locking down the economy. I had farmers sending emails that they had to kill 30,000 chickens because they could not get feed nor send them to market when trucks were not allowed to operate. Shortages took off and started this inflation. I would go to the store, and there would be no eggs. Next time, eggs were there, so you buy twice as many, for they may not be there next time. That is human nature.
Of course, a good communist blames the private sector, and that is what Kamal is doing. Sadly, that message “polls well with swing voters. It has been embraced by progressive groups, which regularly point to price gouging as a driver of rapid inflation or at least something that contributes to rapid price increases. Those groups cheered the announcement late Wednesday that Ms. Harris would call for a federal ban on corporate price gouging on groceries.”
There are numerous examples from history that warn every time the government has attempted to impose wage and/or price controls, it has failed. If the cost of labor and production rises in the face of shortages and the final price is controlled by the government, guess what? You end up with starvation, riots, and revolution.
Diocletian (284-305AD) enters the scene where you see a game without silver coins being minted. Diocletian created the silver argentius around 293/94AD, which was not pure silver but at least 90% – 93.5%, and they were struck at 96 to the Roman pound, the weight of a post-reform denarius of Nero (54 to 68AD). This effort to restore the glory of Rome and its economy was not ready for such a utopian reform. The argentei began to vanish from circulation, being hoarded or exported to the East in foreign trade. Within 15 to 17 years, the debasement suddenly reduced the silver content to less than 50%. It was not until the civil war began again and the rise of Constantine I the Great (307 -337AD) that we once again found a monetary reform with the return of silver once again. Even if we look at Hammurabi Legal Code 1780BC, we will find wage and price controls. There were shortages that drove inflation at that time as well.
While we understand that the gold standard collapsed and President Nixon closed the gold window, ending the convertibility of the US dollar, President Richard Nixon also showed us just how dangerous unchecked executive power can be to the free-enterprise system and what awaits us ahead. At the same time as closing the gold window on August 15, 1971, Nixon also announced;
“I am today ordering a freeze on all prices and wages throughout the United States.”
After a 90-day freeze, increases would have to be approved by a “Pay Board” and a “Price Commission.” The restrictions were conveniently lifted after the 1972 election. Nixon did understand that his solution was not really a solution. He acknowledged that putting the economy with price controls
“into a permanent straitjacket would … stifle the expansion of our free enterprise system.”
The national emergency in the summer of ’71 was that the failure of the gold standard was in its last dying throes. They had fixed gold at $35 an ounce, but the Neocons kept sending money for endless wars. The Neocon’s lies take us into Veit Nam because, as Macnamara admitted, they thought Russia was involved, but it was just a civil war. Unemployment stood at 6 percent in 1971; inflation was only about 4%-5%. Yet, after Nixon’s announcement, the markets rallied, the press cheered being leftists as always, and even though his speech pre-empted the popular Western Bonanza, the people loved it, too — 75 percent backed the plan in polls just as we see today with most cheering Kamala’s price controls.
I knew Milton Friedman as he tried to warn Nixon that this venture would end “in utter failure and the emergence into the open of the suppressed inflation.” It worked for the 1972 election, as Kamala is hoping this time as well. It was the aftermath that nobody in the Democratic camp wanted to look at. Nixon was forced to then reimpose a temporary price freeze in June 1973, for it became obvious that the first round of price controls created shortages.
Agriculture entered a critical shortage as ranchers stopped shipping their cattle to the market, farmers could not make a profit and gave up, and once again, shortages took place, and consumers emptied the shelves of supermarkets. The stock market crashed, and as the dollar declined, there was the 1973 OPEC Embargo, which sent inflation soaring for energy touches everything.
I have expressed my opinion that Executive Orders by a president create an imperial presidency with unconstitutional delegations of authority to the executive branch. The economic damage presidents do with economic powers wielded for political gain undermines the economy, and nobody will ever accept blame in government. Presidents should NEVER have such economic powers. Price hikes from the 1973 Arab oil embargo made it politically difficult to unwind controls on gasoline, which led to the gas lines of the late 1970s. I remember those days. You were only allowed to get gas on an even and odd basis, and you were not allowed to buy more than $2.
At the time, I lived about 35 miles from work. There was no way I could make it to work and back two days in a row. I ran out and paid over the list price for the last Ford Pinto Stationwagon so that I could drive to work. I eventually sold my house to move closer, all because of OPEC and the shortages.
Kamala Using the Soviet Union As Her Model?
Kamala Harris unveiled her first economic agenda – price controls that not only failed since the days of Diocletian during the 3rd Century AD, but she is also drawing on the experience of the Soviet Union that her father supported. Her price controls are also reminiscent of the Soviet Union where the belief was that the government should invade the private sector and determine the price of goods. Kamala believed that corporate price gauging is to blame, particularly at the grocery store, and ignored the shortages of COVID. The Soviet Union’s experience should also be consulted. I had a Russian girl we hired as a programmer who came to the States perhaps 20 years ago. She was stunned going shopping because she had to make so many decisions. In Russia, she explained, there was only one toilet paper. Here, there are so many brands that she did not realize everything required a decision. Price controls led to nationalization and no choice.
The same disaster occurred in the Soviet Union under Gosplan. Whether it is communism or socialism, any method that decimates the free market ends in an economic collapse. The business cycle was ignored, as were factors that drove prices. The government knew best and usurped control over the private sector from the farm to the store. Shortages, unemployment, and starvation ensued. We are all familiar with the Soviet-era breadlines and the hardships that the people endured. There was no innovation, as there was no incentive for entrepreneurship or invention, and the nation was left behind in a time capsule of the past. People lost all confidence, and the government effectively suffocated the private sector to death. They took over every aspect of the economy and free market piece by piece until the entire economy shattered. By seizing private industry, there was nobody in government who understood agriculture. Stalin then had to take all the food from Ukraine, killing up to 7 million by starvation, all to pretend this socialistic theory could work. – See the movie – Mr. Jones.
Everyone I know from Eastern Europe and/or Russia who has come to America all say the same thing. What they fled is now taking place here in America under the same slogan – fairness and equality.
Venezuela – A Great Example
Let’s take a look at Venezuela. Hugo Chávez implemented price controls to combat inflation, but it backfired and caused the nation to experience one of the highest rates of inflation in the world. The government arbitrarily sets prices without taking note of demand, supply, or the cost taken on by the private sector. Businesses were no longer profitable, and small mom-and-pop stores disappeared. Those that remained could barely operate and experienced severe shortages of basic goods like food. The people panicked and began to hoard what they could as they did not know when the goods would be available again.
A black market emerged. People were forced to barter and smuggle goods from nearby nations. People stopped using Venezuela’s currency as they refused to accept it, as was the case during the German hyperinflation. People saw the value of the USD, and Venezuela’s currency soon became utterly worthless. The dying private sector was unable to hold on to staff, leading to a mass uptick in unemployment. Inflation spiraled, people completely lost confidence in their government and currency. Hyperinflation ensued, people’s life’s savings were wiped out as even the most financially literate citizen lost everything.
However, the government prevailed and insisted socialism was the only way to ensure fairness and equality. Klaud Schwab admires Lenin and still preaches fairness and equality, although it has failed every single time. Klaus keeps a bust of Lenin on his bookshelf. EVERY single nation that implemented price controls. This is the backbone of his Stakeholder Economics, which was not his original idea but also failed.
It was not until Stakeholder Economics collapsed with Bretton Woods that its failure was widely recognized.
Price Control During War
Another reason to instigate World War III is that it would allow the government to instigate rationing of food when the price controls fail. Because the government is now the biggest debtor in the system, the Federal Reserve can no longer control inflation by raising interest rates. The interest expenditure of the government increases, and nobody in government ever dares to suggest reducing spending to reduce inflation. Thus, central banks have been stripped of all power.
Price control authority during World War I was given to a variety of government agencies – not just one. Only the Fuel Administration and the Food Administration truly had express statutory authority for price-fixing. Maximum prices were regulated by the War Industries Board, the Price-Fixing Committee, the Food and Fuel Administrations, the Emergency Fleet Corporation, the Railway Administration, the War and Navy Departments, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of Agriculture.
Of these price-fixing agencies, the War Industries Board and its successor, the Price-Fixing Committee, were clearly the most important. On July 28th, 1917, the Council of National Defense, created by the National Defense Act of August 29th, 1916, established the War Industries Board to coordinate the war effort and gave it specific directions “to consider price factors.”
A famous case, Hegeman Farms Corp. v. Baldwin, 293 U.S. 163 (1934), showed how courts would rule against the private sector during war. We should not expect any fair treatment economically. The Supreme Court held that on orders issued under the New York Milk Control Statute, dealers were required to pay milk producers a minimum price per quart. They were subject to higher minimum resale prices. However, competition made it impossible for the dealer, in this case, to sell for more than the resale minimum – his cost. There was no profit “spread,” Thus, it could not make a profit to cover the cost of its operations. The Supreme Court turned a blind eye and held that upon these facts only, there was nothing to show the degree of efficiency with which its business was conducted. Therefore, there is no ground to conclude that the price limits are arbitrary and violate the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
There is NO RULE OF LAW when it comes to war. Remember that!
During World War II, the United States took a radically different approach to fighting inflation when price controls would not work. They embarked on rationing under the claim of fairness and equality. It is clear that the Harris Administration and its policymakers will use war to arrest inflation with rationing. The threat of inflation loomed over WWII as it did under World War I than it does today. As America became an “arsenal of democracy,” we spent massively on machines and supplies for war. The federal deficit skyrocketed, from about 3 percent of GDP in 1939 to almost 27 percent of GDP in 1943 — which is far and away the worst the deficit has ever been. Meanwhile, factories, workers, and materials were all repurposed for the war. Millions of productive workers left the labor force to enlist in the armed services.
When the federal government began eliminating free-market pricing on goods in short supply in the early 1940s, it had to allocate these scarce resources differently. It created a rationing system in which the government assigned ration stamps to citizens. Rationing also took place in Britain. What this time? To further fairness and equality, they will take food from citizens to hand to the illegal aliens. The Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project conducted a survey in which it was revealed that 10% of illegal aliens and non-citizens are already registered to vote in the 2024 election. I fear that a Harris victory will lead to a major Supreme Court battle where, legally, they will be compelled to declare the 2024 election void.
Germany & Hyperinflation Caused In Part By Price Controls
Germans had little experience of inflation before World War I. As this First World War raged, it resulted in shortages of food, fuel, clothing, and other supplies. Naturally, prices began to rise. The German Empire’s fiscal policy accelerated the situation for to pay its bills, the state took out loans, sold bonds and printed more currency. Through the process, the value of the German mark collapsed by 50% over the course of the war. Inflation would have been even higher had the government not instituted price controls.
However, the price controls ended when the government collapsed in defeat in November 1918, and a Communist Revolution led to the birth of the Weimar Republic. Because the German Communists wanted even Russia to come and take Germany to be part of this great Utopian Marxist World, anyone with wealth moved out of Germany, fearing the same result as took place in Russia. Prices shot up unbelievably, but the new Weimar Republic continued the fiscal policy of the old German Empire. To fund the transition to a peacetime economy and welfare programs for ex-soldiers and impoverished civilians, the Weimar Republic continued to print money. In 1921 and 1922, policymakers even purposefully fanned inflation to show the former Allies that Germany was too weak to pay the reparations it owed.
Then, in December 1922, the Weimar Republic confiscated 10% of people’s assets and issued bonds that quickly became worthless. As we can see from this chart, the hyperinflation began. It was up 10fold from pre-December confiscation levels.
No matter what country we look at, we see the same result. The French Revolution began over food shortages. Marie Antoinette’s famous line—“Let them eat cake,” which was the crust on the pan after making bread—is doubtful that she ever said that, but it stirred people and helped to create the revolution.
The examples are endless. PRICE CONTROLS DO NOT WORK. SOCIALISM DOES NOT WORK. This policy is absolute insanity. Do people realize that this is only the beginning of what we would see under a Harris presidency?
She is financially illiterate, and no one on her team has any working knowledge of how the world functions. All they do is always blame the rich, and people with little intelligence love to be portrayed as victims since nothing is ever their fault or that of the government. Blaming higher prices at the grocery store solely on corporate greed is utterly ignorant. This policy is DANGEROUS and would push the once great democracy of America into the hells of socialism. Worse yet, it will lead to food shortages as it always had and starvation, which may make Bill Gates excited.
NOBODY ever seems to consult history. This episode with price controls from the ’70s was best illustrated by the famous cartoonist at the time, Walt Kelly, whose classic cartoon – “We have met the enemy and he is us.” We have come full circle with the Democrats advocating price controls that will lead to starvation and food shortages. They REFUSE to ever look at history.
So, as they say, here we go again. History repeats because those in politics only care about winning, and to hell with history, for that is the past—not the present. This time, it will somehow be different because Kamala will be in charge.
Posted originally on Aug 18, 2024 By Martin Armstrong
When we look at precious metals, one would expect this is the long-awaited breakout for gold. Yet there is something amiss. The Yearly Array still points to a Turning Point here: 2024 with a Directional Change. That would imply that we may be looking at an important high come Monday if we reach at least 2673, or making highs after Monday may lead to the final high on August 28th, which may be more likely. The major resistance stands at the 2800 level. However, the initial target resistance for this coming week stands at 2573, 2589, 2695, and 2705.
Platinum is not following gold and implies it may yet test support into 2025 before a rally unfolds. Note that we have a Directional Change here in 2024 as well. However, it appears to be a low forming in 2025 and a shift to the upside thereafter.
When we turn to the Silver/Gold Ratio, we see a Double-Directional Change in 2024. The Stochastic is starting to turn down, implying that gold may decline, but silver will gain on the ratio. This is pointing to a more sustainable bull market in the years ahead, which we will discuss at the upcoming World Economic Conference in November, just after the Presidential election.
Before a sustainable bull market exists, there is always the FALSE MOVE; in this case, it looks to be shaping up to the downside. This may present an important buying opportunity as we head into the election.
Posted originally on the CTH on August 18, 2024 | Sundance
A few weeks ago, former Senator Benn Sasse quit his job as President at University of Florida. The claimed reason given by Sasse was to care for his wife who has epilepsy, but the timing of things now looks very sketchy.
I’m going to outline the details in real time because this is going to become more critical as Ron DeSantis positions his future ambitions for the White House, again in 2028.
CTH noted a few years ago that Ron DeSantis was positioning for 2024 presidency. One of the supportive datapoints was a $20 million donation by the Republican Governor’s Association (RGA) to Ron DeSantis {LINK}. At the time of the donation to DeSantis, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts was the RGA chairman.
After the donation was made, Ron DeSantis then used the influence of his office to support Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse for the position of President of University of Florida {LINK}. As noted by Politico: “Sasse’s sherpa through the university search process was Gov. Ron DeSantis’ chief of staff James Uthmeier, who was put in contact with Sasse several months ago after he quietly expressed interest in becoming UF president.“ (link)
After Ben Sasse accepted the position as UF President, former Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts then became Senator {LINK}. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen announced Thursday that former Gov. Pete Rickettswill fill the Senate seat of Ben Sasse, who officially resigned from Congress this week to return to academia as president of the University of Florida. Ricketts, a Republican, like Pillen and Sasse, will serve two years ahead of a 2024 special Senate election.
The quid-pro-quo was complete. DeSantis took the $20 million from Chairman Ricketts, then opened the path for Ricketts to move to the Senate by using his office to support the movement of Senator Sasse. Despite the activity taking place over 2 years, the sequence of it was transparent to those who paid attention. However, now comes the problem.
Apparently, Ben Sasse knew there was going to be a serious problem with his first-year conduct in office as UF President. Ben Sasse announced he was quitting the job a few weeks ago {LINK}, and now comes the background issue:
WASHINGTON DC – Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has called for an inquiry into former University of Florida President Ben Sasse’s expenses following a report from the school’s student newspaper about spending tripling under his leadership.
Sasse reportedly spent $17.3 million in his first year as president of the university, which was up from the $5.6 million his predecessor, Kent Fuchs, spent in his last year. A majority of the spending came from big contracts with consulting firms and high-salaried remote positions for former staffers of Sasse while he was a senator.
Bryan Griffin, a communications director for DeSantis, said in a statement that discussions with the university and the Florida Board of Governors are underway.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said the “reports of UF’s exorbitant spending by Ben Sasse’s office are concerning,” and that his agency, the Florida Department of Financial Services, will “offer auditing services” to assist in the inquiry. (read more)
This entire story is so brutally Republican it’s almost laughable.
DeSantis moves from congress to FL Governor in 2018 with intent to run for White House in ’24. Everyone denied it.
DeSantis took $20 million from RGA in 2022 as seed money for his White House run in ’24. Everyone denied it.
DeSantis announced ’24 run, then uses legislature to rewrite rules allowing him to put $20 million into ‘2024 SuperPAC. Everyone denied it.
In the middle of all this, DeSantis shifts Sasse to UF President, RGA head who gave DeSantis $20 million replaces Sasse. Sasse then loots UF, quits and then DeSantis tries to back away from Sasse toward the exits.
After Sasse resigned due to his wife’s epilepsy diagnosis, DeSantis said he wasn’t “involved necessarily” in the selection of Sasse. He made clear that he would not be involved in the selection process for the new president. (more)
But Ron DeSantis is not a professional republican and sketchy, they say… lolol
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This is a library of News Events not reported by the Main Stream Media documenting & connecting the dots on How the Obama Marxist Liberal agenda is destroying America