Armstrong Economics Blog
Re-Posted Apr 11, 2016 by Martin Armstrong
Airlines in the United States, including Delta, American, and United, are engaging in outright criminal behavior under the anti-trust laws. They charge a $200 fee to change a ticket, even if the ticket itself costs $200, and if you complain they respond by saying that all of the airlines charge the same fee. That proves that they are violating the anti-trust laws for they are not competing. Instead, they have all agreed to treat their passengers as victims.
Granted, the airlines had a bad decade after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Terrorism fears, security costs, and rising fuel prices along with hidden taxes caused revenues to decline and some U.S. carriers were even forced into bankruptcy. The airlines have tried to improve their situation by screwing their passengers to the point that it’s just unpleasant to fly on them anymore. Personally, I never use American carriers overseas anymore as they nickel and dime customers in ways big and small. I even bought a first-class ticket domestically in case I had to change it, but I later found out that only applies internationally. So, no matter what class you fly, they will screw you and leave a bad taste in your mouth. These policies do not inspire loyal customers.
Abusive bag fees and refusing to provide refunds, even when they resell the seat at double the revenue, would be fraud in any other industry. The airlines in America have been ramping up federal lobbying efforts on a grand scale. The airlines, like the bankers, buy both sides, and in doing so, exempt themselves from anti-trust prosecution. The airlines are following the course of the bankers — just buy Congress and you get to do anything.







By 2020, it just looks completely nuts. Here is our chart on this from 1995. We can see that the spike in the third party is rising. This is in line with the War Model that is projecting a rise in civil unrest. By 2032, the West should capitulate and the financial capitol of the world will move to Asia. China should bottom in 2020, so the other side of that target will be the rise of Asia. The damage we are looking at here is the collapse of socialism from Social Security to pensions.




ANSWER: Unfortunately, the two go hand-in-hand. George Orwell simply too the past and laid out what government ALWAYS gravitates toward – total control. We live in a delusion with our brains filled with propaganda. Over the years, I have encountered comments from people who ask why would you want to live outside the USA? We are the greatest nation on earth! I typically reply, have you ever traveled outside the country? The response is telling: No. What’s the point? Perhaps I am the doubting Thomas. I went through Check-Point Charlie into East Germany before the Wall Fell because I really wanted to see what was true and what was false. You cannot just accept the indoctrination of society and it is systemic.
