The Cost of the US Govt Shutdown


Posted originally on Oct 2, 2025 by Martin Armstrong |  

Swamp

The US government shut down once again as our public servants refused to work in a partisan fashion. Over 2.1 million civilian federal employees will be affected, with 750,000 furloughed without pay. Naturally, Congress will still receive a paycheck and their lobbying checks. The duration of the shutdown is unknown, but estimates state the bickering could cost the US economy up to $2 billion per week.

Non-essential offices, websites, and services are unavailable. National parks and museums are closed to visitors. Passport processing will be delayed. The daily cost of compensating the furloughed workers is $400 million. Military members may face delayed pay, while contractors face layoffs.

Most concerning is the data blackout—the Bureau of Labor Statistics will be unable to release its September non-farm payroll report slated for October 4. Data regarding the consumer price index and producer price index will be delayed. Retail sales, housing starts, every piece of data compiled by the federal government will be delayed and amplify uncertainty. The key information the Federal Reserve and investors rely on will be unavailable, and if the shutdown carries on for more than two weeks, there will be a massive spike in volatility and a potential delay in rate cuts. The Fed will be forced to rely on private estimates like the ADP jobs report that are less reliable.

The Democrats insist on expanding COVID-era funding for Obamacare, and insist the GOP reverse the decision to cut the Medicaid budget. Neither side is willing to compromise. Leaders are begging Congress to simply stay in Washington until a decision is reached.

“There isn’t any substantive reason why there ought to be a government shutdown. This is something that has been done routinely, as I said, 13 different times when the Democrats had the majority. But we are not going to be held hostage for over $1 trillion in new spending on a continuing resolution,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said ahead of the vote.

The Medicaid cuts alone are expected to save the government $840 billion over the next decade. Cutting the premium tax credit extension could save $350 billion over the same period, and work and eligibility restrictions could save another $344 billion. Additional recessions and funding cuts to government agencies are expected to save up to $9 billion in 2025 alone.

Non-citizens without access to other coverage DO benefit from these extensions. US taxpayers have spent billions on providing health coverage to migrants. Those earning between 100% to 400% of the federal poverty level will also benefit, as will anyone earning 400% above the threshold if their premiums exceed 8.5%.

“It is unclear how long Democrats will maintain their untenable posture, making the duration of the shutdown difficult to predict,” Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought penned in a memo. “Regardless, employees should report to work for their next regularly scheduled tour of duty to undertake orderly shutdown activities.”

“We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them and irreversible by them, like cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like,” President Trump warned.

Trump could possibly lay off more federal employees in non-essential roles, and a hiring freeze is already in place. The president has the authority to cut funding to programs favored by the Democrats such as social services and environmental programs. Sanctuary cities or jurisdictions could see funding withheld. The federal government will not spend on non-essentials during this shutdown, but that will only anger Democrats who refuse to budge.

Congress serves no purpose. They represent private lobbying interest groups and serve the invisible hand rather than the people of the United States. A private company would never shutter its office over a fiscal budget disagreement. Our public servants must reach a resolution immediately, and I see no reason why they deserve pay during a deadlock. These individuals are on taxpayer-funded vacation for the majority of the year and refuse to perform the minimal work they are expected to do. It seems they are unfit for the job. Fire everyone and start fresh.

The Safest EU Nation According to Residents


Posted originally on Sep 29, 2025 by Martin Armstrong |  

Croatia

A new report by Eurostat has found that Croatians feel safer than people in any other European Union nation, with only 1.4% of the population reporting anti-social activity. Lithuania and Poland ranked close behind Croatia. In contrast, Greeks feared the most for their safety with over 20% of citizens reporting crime. What is the common denominator?

Citizens in EU nations with stricter immigration policies feel safer than those with open borders or whose nations are situated as a landing point. Croatia cracked down on immigration policies this year, leading to a 70% decline in work permit approvals. Yet, that is not the population in question. Over 26,000 migrants passed through Croatia in 2024, but most continued on to other EU nations. The border with Bosnia is monitored with drones and an active police force. “Only 3.6% of the people who declared their intention to apply for international protection in the Republic of Croatia actually make a formal application,” the Interior Ministry in Zagreb told DW. “We have no information about the countries to which these people went.”

Then you have Greece, unfortunately, a landing spot for migrants arriving by boat. The EU Pact was intended to provide safeguards to migrants to streamline the process. Brussels provided Greece with over 5 billion euros in funding over the past decade to manage migration, but the off is no longer worth the risk. Greece finally took a hardline on migration in 2025 and began implementing harsh penalties including imprisonment and ankle tag monitoring for those awaiting deportation. The EU has accused Greece of violating international law by returning migrants to Turkish waters and operating detention centers. Yet, due to the extreme nature of open border policies, these measures were crucial to regain control over the nation.

The nations who openly welcomed migrants are facing the highest rates of migrant-related crime. Migrants tend to be lone males who do not integrate well into European society. Take Germany, for example, the hub for migrants thanks to Angela Merkel’s policies some ten years ago. Violent crime peaked to a 15-year high in 2023, and migrants were responsible for 40% of all violent crimes. Nationalist sentiments are growing throughout Europe because the people are experiencing the repercussions of open borders.

Why Britain Has Destroyed the English Bill of Rights & is Doomed


Posted originally on Sep 28, 2025 by Martin Armstrong |

The entire English Legal System has abandoned everything that once made Britain the beacon of human rights and liberty in the world. There is absolutely nothing left for Britain even to hold its head upright. This man, pretending to be a judge, ASSUMES what he said is racist, without acknowledging that the immigrants are NOT all of a particular race. Then he PRESUMES that those words instigated someone else to violence with ZERO evidence of that being the case at all. This is NOT the rule of law, and when that crumbles, the ONLY solution becomes revolution and violence, for there is no court of law that can ensure that society remains civilized.

Confucius

Perhaps this “judge” who is obviously violating the English Bill of Rights should turn to Confusus. His legal doctrines are far better than this nonsense. Even Jesus Christ addressed a gathering of Jews and told them: “And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” Not in Britain. The truth will get you tax-free living in prison for 7 years.

Mill John Stuart Legal Persecution
Juy Nullification
Trial William Penn
Wm Penn Trial

The most famous trial where a jury stood up refusing to find the defendant guilty in the face of a corrupt government was that of William Penn  (1644-1718), the founder of Pennsylvania. Penn was the leader of the Quakers in London, and you can see why people fled to America. The sect was not recognized by the government and was forbidden to meet in any building for the purpose of worship. In 1670, William Penn held a worship service on a quiet street, which a peaceful group of fellow Quakers attended. Penn and another Quaker, William Mead, were arrested for disturbing the king’s peace and summoned to stand trial.

As the two men entered the courtroom, a bailiff ordered them to put their hats, which they had removed, back on their heads. When they complied, they were called forward and held in contempt of court for being in the courtroom with their hats on. Penn discovered that contempt of court is a personal prerogative of the judge and an infliction of punishment by a judge who becomes the legislator, jury, and sentencing judge.

Penn demanded to know what crime he was being charged with preaching – the cornerstone of Due Process. The judge refused to supply any information as to his crime and instead referred vaguely to common law. When Penn protested that he was entitled to a specific indictment (NOTICE), he was removed from the presence of the judge and jury and confined in an enclosed corner of the room known as the bale dock.

Penn could neither confront the witnesses who accused him of preaching to the Quakers nor ask them questions about their charges against him. Several witnesses testified that Penn had preached to a gathering, which included Mead, but one showed some hesitancy as to whether Mead had been present. The judge turned to Mead and questioned him directly. In effect, the judge became the prosecutor, as he asked Mead if he was guilty. Mead invoked the common-law privilege against self-incrimination, which provoked hostile comments from the judge. The court then sent Mead to join Penn in the bale dock out of the sight of the jury and witnesses.

Finally, after the testimony, the court concluded that the judge had instructed the jury to find the defendants guilty as charged, dictating what verdict he had expected. Penn tried to protest but was silenced and again sent out of the courtroom. The jury, for its part, proved sympathetic to the two defendants and refused the judge’s command to find the defendants guilty.

At this point, the judge became so enraged, as I would expect from Judge Juan Merchan, and sent the jury back to reconsider their verdict. When they returned with the same verdict, the court criticized the jury’s leader, Bushnell, and demanded “a verdict that the court will accept, and you shall be locked up without meat, drink, fire, and tobacco…We will have a verdict by the help of God or you will starve for it.”

After that, the jury was sent back three more times but returned with the same verdict. Finally, the jury refused to reconsider. The judge then fined each jury member forty marks and ordered them imprisoned until the fine was paid. Penn and Mead went to prison anyway, held in contempt for obeying the bailiff’s order that they put on their hats.

Later, the jury members won a writ of habeas corpus and were released from prison. Penn and Mead left England after their release from prison, having a taste of English justice, and sailed to America. (Earl Warren, “A Republic, If You Can Keep It”, p. 113-115). Thus, Pennsylvania was founded. This was the Bushel’s Case (1670) 124 E.R. 1006, a famous English decision on the role of juries and that they possessed the independence to decide the validity of the law being prosecuted.

Where is the Magna Carta Right to a Trial by Jury of Your Peers?

This guy is forced to plead guilty to a non-crime because if he dares go to trial and the Judge refuses to allow the jury to nullify this insane Starmmer law, then he will be given the maximum time of 7 years+ for demanding a fair trial.

Britain is No Longer a Free Society!

I will NEVER go to Britain ever again!

Interview: Insider Sources Reporting MASSIVE Global Event Imminent


Posted originally on Sep 28, 2025 by Martin Armstrong |  

HARNWELL: the third-world illegal INVASION is the engine of the transformation of British politics


Posted originally on Rumble on By Bannon’s War Room on: September, 26, 2025

British media legend Matt Goodwin breaks down three principal “revolutionary” phenomena in the UK


Posted originally on Rumble on By Bannon’s War Room on: September, 26, 2025

Secretary Hegseth Calls for All Top Generals and Flag Officers to Attend Meeting at Quantico


Posted originally on CTH on September 25, 2025 | Sundance

Other than the broad announcement to around 600 to 800 U.S. Generals and flag officers from around the world, no one is exactly sure why Secretary Pete Hegseth has requested they come to the U.S for a meeting.

According to reports from CNN and various news outlets, Secretary of the War Department, Pete Hegseth has sent a notice for all of them to travel back to the U.S. for a meeting in Virginia at the War Department’s Quantico facility.

WASHINGTON – Hundreds of US generals and admirals around the globe have been called to Virginia for a meeting with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth next Tuesday, several US officials told CNN, though the reason for the meeting is unclear.

The meeting is expected to be held at the military installation in Quantico, Virginia, multiple officials said, adding that no one seems to know what the meeting is about, including the general and flag officers themselves, or why it was suddenly added to the calendar.

One source familiar said they’d heard theories ranging from a group physical fitness test, to receiving a briefing on the state of the Defense Department, to a mass firing of officers, but regardless of the reason the sudden convening of so many senior military officers is highly unusual.

“It’s being referred to as the general squid games,” one official quipped. (read more)

ECB: Keep Calm and Carry Cash


Posted originally on Sep 25, 2025 by Martin Armstrong |  

War drummer_clear

The European Central Bank (ECB) is urging citizens to “keep calm and carry cash.” The ominous message is a warning of trouble ahead. Bank runs, defaults, war, grid failures, pandemics—the current banking system cannot rely on what’s ahead. “Cash provides essential redundancy – a ‘spare tire’ – for the payment system,” the study’s authors write. “This redundancy is vital for any system, as no system is infallible.”

Indeed, no system is infallible. I have been consistently warning for decades that tangible assets are a necessity. Cash is freedom, which is precisely the reason that governments want to transition to digital and CBDC. Cash is anonymous, untraceable, and outside the immediate reach of bureaucrats. The entire fight against “money laundering” and the push to link biometric data to bank accounts is a direct assault on cash. Every penny will be tracked, and if they decide you owe taxes, they can simply deduct it without a trial.

Hoarding Euros

However, you cannot simply flee with cash in a suitcase as the majority of nations consider that a crime and will seize your money. Customs agents do not need evidence of a crime, and even if the courts clear you of wrongdoing, there is no guarantee you will ever receive it back. Money is whatever someone is willing to accept as payment. I have long advocated for silver coinage that is easy to carry and identifiable as one such alternative, especially valuable if the currency fails.

“The sustained demand for banknotes has been amplified by sharp increases in public demand during major crises, which highlights the unique role and attributes of physical currency,” the ECB states. The 2014-15 sovereign debt crisis in Greece led to massive bank runs, and people had no access to their funds. There were surges in withdrawals during COVID and at the start of the Russia-Ukraine wa,r and the ECB knows that banks simply do not have the liquidity to provide customers with cash in the event of a true bank run.

Central banks are issuing specific instructions for civil protection. “For instance, authorities in the Netherlands, Austria and Finland suggest holding amounts ranging from approximately €70 to €100 per household member or enough to cover essential needs for about 72 hours. Some jurisdictions, like Finland, are even exploring “disruption-proof” ATMs to ensure access during digital failures.” The ECB is keenly aware that trouble is around the corner.

European ECB Banking Crisis

The recent power outages in Spain and Portugal led to a significant disruption in the financial system. Grids will be targeted during times of war. Nations bordering Russia have seen a much higher demand for cash withdrawals, “with issuance levels reaching six to ten standard deviations above their respective historical norms.” The ECB reports that this level of deviation is “highly unusual,” but in times of panic, people hoard as a survival tactic. There was a 36% spike in daily net banknote issuance during the first month of the war. Expect this figure to multiply when it becomes obvious that the war is expanding beyond Russia and Ukraine.

Keep cash on hand for day-to-day needs, but remember that its use will be increasingly limited, and its portability across borders almost impossible. The real hedge will remain tangible assets that cannot be canceled by government. Next year will be devastating. If you are in Europe, the best thing you can do is get your affairs in order and leave immediately.

Thailand Freezes Over 3 Million Bank Accounts


Posted originally on Sep 23, 2025 by Martin Armstrong |  

CardDeclined.Banking

Thailand has become a case study for the use of biometric data in every facet of life. Every banking transaction is monitored and scrutinized. Any perceived discrepancy is flagged as fraud and punished without due process. Regulations have overwhelmed the system, resulting in a full-fledged banking crisis. Over three million Thai bank accounts were frozen instantaneously without warning as a result of government overreach.

Transaction denied. You contact your bank to see why the payment failed only to learn that your account has been frozen–all of your accounts, for that matter. The bank is investigating you for suspicious activity and potential money laundering or fraud. There was no warning call or letter and there is no clarification as to what transaction was flagged. You’re completely locked out of your accounts and have lost the ability to purchase. You cannot fill your gas tank, you cannot purchase groceries, you’ve been completely removed from the financial system, and do not know when or if you’ll regain access to your funds.

This is the reality for millions of people banking in Thailand. The Bank of Thailand (BoT), with the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, began an excessive crackdown on perceived fraud and streamlined the process under the premise of safeguarding the banking sector. Thousands of accounts are frozen each week. Panic has ensued. Retailers are no longer accepting cards, demanding payment in cash as they, too, are worried that they will be removed from the banking system.

Assistant Governor of the BoT, Darunee Saeju, publicly stated that the central bank is working to “immediately unlock wrongly affected accounts.” Saeju insists that new measures will enable the banks to verify accounts in under 48 hours. Confidence in the government and the entire banking system evaporated. People rationally fear that their account will be targeted next, without warning. Government overreach has backfired, and the people are removing themselves from the banking system entirely.

This phenomenon is not limited to Thailand. Vietnam recently erased 86 million unverified bank accounts. Governments are demanding banks track every transaction, tracing each account back to individual citizens using biometric data. The government believes these provisions will prevent capital from leaving the radar and, therefore, taxation. Instead, governments are propelling the cycle amid this private wave, as the people cannot possibly trust the current financial system.

Watch Moldova


Posted originally on CTH on September 22, 2025 | Sundance

There is considerable anxiety afoot, as EU security elements begin bolstering the internal police force of Moldova. It appears their concern is widespread unrest could follow the election results. Why would the official government of Moldovan President Maia Sandu be concerned about post-election turmoil?

Well, consider that Maia Sandu’s election last year was not won by a vote of the majority of Moldovans who physically reside in Moldova, but by a reported half-million mail-in ballots that tipped the scales in her favor. Those same mail-in ballots also changed the results of the referendum that asked Moldovan citizens if they wanted to join the European Union.

The stakes are very high for the EU and NATO alignment. If the Moldova parliamentary election results in a more pro-Russian governing body, the best designed plans of the U.K/NATO/EU and global intelligence apparatus could be significantly damaged.

Maia Sandu’s Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) is in a tenuous position. Sandu and PAS are globalists, influenced a great deal by European money and promises of affluence. Their collective opposition within Moldova is an assembly of nationalist voices represented by Patriotic Bloc, a new group of existing pro-Russian opposition parties.

Polls have indicated that Sandu’s PAS is likely to lose the parliamentary election, but the European Union cannot accept this outcome. Thus, the issue of these mysterious mail-in ballots surfaces again, and that explains why the Moldovan police and EU security forces are preparing for civil unrest.

In August, the leaders of France (Macron), Germany (Merz) and Poland (Tusk) visited the capital city of Chisinau to proclaim their support for President Maia Sandu and the pro-EU movement. The trio, also called the ‘coalition of the willing’, represent fierce opposition to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

On the economic front, Moldovan citizens have been coping with high inflation, energy shortages and have seen little progress in the Sandu pledge to clean up internal bribery and govt corruption. Meanwhile, Sandu has been traveling around Europe and Great Britain seeking financial support that can deflect some of the economic issues.

The election next weekend represents a critical inflection point for Europe. If the EU loses the support of the Moldovan parliament, it would be much harder to utilize the Romanian NATO military base for a European war against Russia, a war they have been trying to provoke with increased aggressiveness.

Shortly before King Charles orchestrated the second state visit by President Trump, the U.K monarch met with Sandu to express his strategic support against a common enemy, Vladimir Putin (pictured below).  However, it can be reasonably argued the majority of the people who live within Moldova do not hold the same opinion. They do not want war with Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is watching this unfold, while hearing from the pro-Russian elements who live within the Moldavian region known as Transnistria. Indeed, much like the Donbas and eastern Ukraine region, where Western forces within Ukraine attacked the Russian enclaves, there are indications of the same dynamic within eastern Moldova.

If the EU security services think they will lose the election in Moldova, Sandu will cancel it.

Watch Moldova!