UK Council Tax Hike – Britain’s Glory Days are Gone


Posted originally on Jan 28, 2025 by Martin Armstrong

Britain Big Ben Flag

Revolutions have begun over less. UK lawmakers plan to raise taxes on over four million households to cover a portion of their fiscal mismanagement. Homeowners may see their bills raise by a full 25% in certain areas as councils plan to use a loophole in the law to exploit the people.

Local government is not allowed to raise taxes over 4.99% without an election and approved referendum. To bypass the law and will of the people, councils plan to invoke Section 114 to declare themselves bankrupt. Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner of the Labour Party would need to approve the measure. Rayner has been pushing to eliminate local government authority. Rules for thee but not for me apply to Rayner as she managed to avoid paying taxes on her own home sale by looking for a loophole and simply feigning or, more likely, admitting stupidity.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, Lib Dem-run, is naturally pushing for the largest increase of 25%. They claim it is a wealthy area and the people can afford to pay over five times the usual maximum. The party’s North Somerset Council believes homeowners should face a 15% penalty as well. Labour-run Bradford council pleaded with the UK government last year for a bail out worth £220 million, but even that was not sufficient as they are seeking to increase taxes by 15%. The party’s authority in Birmingham would like to raise taxes for a second consecutive year to 9.99%. Eight authorities in total are seeking to abuse the legal loophole of Section 114 to rob citizens.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government attempted to deflect any responsibility. “Councils are ultimately responsible for setting their own council tax, and we will put taxpayers at the forefront of any decision,” they told the Daily Mail.

Did I mention that these tax hikes will NOT cover each council deficit? Governments are absolutely ravenous for funding and do not care how hard the people are hit.

I recall when Maggie Thatcher was under fire for proposing a poll or head tax whereby each taxpayer would pay the same fixed sum dictated by the local authority. I warned Maggie about imposing a poll tax. She thought the people would take the supervisory role as a check on the government if they had skin in the game. But I knew from history it would not unfold as she had hoped.

In Britain overall, aside from this proposal, the tax hike as a percentage of gross domestic product to a record 38.2% will be the highest in modern British history, resulting in government spending not seen outside an emergency or war. While he claims that the additional £40 billion ($80 billion) is to invest in the future, it will undermine the future of Britain.

Britain UK GDP Y 6 4 24

Our computer has been projecting that the British pound will collapse and penetrate the 1985 low as we move into the years ahead. Last year saw a Double-Directional Change on the yearly level for the pound, and we are looking at an unprecedented economic decline into 2026. This is what the LEFT refuses ever to comprehend. They are Marxists until the end – Britain’s glory days are gone.

Tariff Threats Successful – Colombia to Accept Returned Citizens


Posted originally on Jan 28, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

Immigrants

Tariffs never work, but threats often do when it is known they will be carried out. Donald Trump threatened Colombia with massive tariffs, sanctions, and travel bans if the nation refused to take back thousands of illegal Colombian migrants. Within ONE HOUR, Colombia agreed to all terms and conditions.

Two repatriation flights to Colombia were denied entry, leading Trump to take action. The initial threat would have raised tariffs by 25% instantly, with tariffs doubling to 50% within a week if the order was not restored. Trump threatened to place numerous sanctions on Colombia and certain politicians. Colombian officials and allies would have had their visas removed immediately. “These measures are just the beginning. We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the criminals they forced into the United States,” Trump warned.

The Colombian government responded within an hour. “The Government of Colombia has agreed to all of President Trump’s terms, including the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on U.S. military aircraft, without limitation or delay. Based on this agreement, the fully drafted IEEPA tariffs and sanctions will be held in reserve, and not signed, unless Colombia fails to honor this agreement,” the White House reported. Visa sanctions will remain in place “until the first planeload of Colombian deportees is successfully returned.”

Colombia’s President Petro replied to Trump’s initial threats by claiming the US president would attempt to invoke a coup against him. Petro called the US “boring” and Trump a racist who considered him “an inferior race.” Petro spoke of seeing “blacks and Latinos” in Washington fighting and urged them to ban together. Clearly, he was hoping to invoke a racial war when that was NEVER the premise. Why do you not want to accept back your own people, President Petro? Why are you unable to control the drug cartels who rule your nation? He knows that those who fled under Biden are some of the worst the nation had to offer.

“You can try to carry out a coup with your economic strength and your arrogance, like then did with Allendale. But I will die in my law, I resisted torture and I resist you. I don’t want slavers next to Colombia, we already had many and freed ourselves,” Petro continued, saying Trump does not want Colombia to be free and he would not “shake hands with white slavers.” He then threatened to force 50% tariffs on the US in retaliation.

Democrats in the US sided with Petro immediately and claimed that asking illegal residents to return home was undignified. These politicians are demanding that American citizens pay for illegal migrants. There is no ongoing war in Colombia, and they did not come here for asylum. America has a legal immigration process that people can follow if they’d like to reside here.

Petro’s tantrum ended in defeat. We now have a president who is not afraid of confrontation. Trump has been thrown to the wolves so many times that any attempt to villainize him is met with apathy. America will no longer be made to feel like an antihero for its economic success nor will its people be subject to the sins of their forefathers. America finally has a leader who demands respect and is not afraid to raise hell for America First policies.

Germany’s AfD Calls for “Remigration”


Posted originally on Jan 28, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) Party is prepared to break with the European Union’s policy of open borders and implement a mass deportation operation. This is yet another reason why the establishment is attempting to ban the party and brand it as “far-right.”

Europe’s open border policies began in Germany under former Chancellor Angela Merkel who urged Syrians to flee and seek asylum within Germany in 2015. That same year, Germany experienced a massive uptick of 2.14 million arrivals. Other figures believe the number is far higher. There are now an estimated 14 million immigrants in Germany, most of whom are not there legally.

It became brutally apparent that there was major difference in cultures, and migrants, primarily single men, were unprepared for the Western world. Women in once safe cities feared walking alone. The German government created pamphlets and courses on how to properly flirt with a woman without sexual harassment. The continual rise in crime was not enough to deter the globalist government who insisted the rest of Europe adopt open border policies as well.

Germany How 2 Get Lucky

Violent crimes in Germany reached a 15-year high last year, a 5.5% YoY rise, and MIGRANTS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR 40% OF THOSE CRIMES. It is not racist or xenophobic to state FACTS – these unvetted migrants from a completely different social background are ruining Germany. Lamya Kaddor, a Green Party MP, said that migrants were simply over-represented in crime statistics. “The crime rate is higher among socio-economically disadvantaged groups, which very often include foreign nationals,” they coldly said. None of the Build Back Better leaders are concerned with the welfare of their own citizens.

The cost on the welfare state is astounding. Germany spend at least 23.2 billion euros on supporting refugees last year after spending 29.7 billion euros the year prior. In fact, the government as admitted to spending over 20 billion euros each year since open borders were implemented. We are talking about over 5% of the federal budget going directly toward illegal residents.

The AfD would like to reclaim Germany, with leader Alice Weidel coining a new term, “remigration.” Migrants would be redirected back to their country of origin. She also called many of Germany’s migrants “un-assimilated” residents which is precisely the problem. Thousands have protested in favor of keeping the borders wide open. Will they pay the price to support these people? Migrants committed 40% of all violent crimes last year, are draining social programs, yet people are fighting for them to stay? Perhaps there are some citizens who have also failed to assimilate to German culture.

Hungary May Not Renew Russian Sanctions


Posted originally on Jan 27, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

viktor orban

Brussels has been eager to oust Hungarian leader Viktor Orban. The prime minister has grown bolder in his battle against Ukraine regarding the nation blocking gas imports from Russia. Orban has not declared that he may not renew the European Union’s required sanction on Russia unless Ukraine renews the Russian pipeline deal. A final decision will be made today.

“Now the issue of extending sanctions is on the agenda, I have put on the handbrake and asked European leaders to understand that this cannot continue,” said Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, speaking to state broadcaster Kossuth Radio. “Hungary cannot be made to pay the price of sanctions in such proportions.”

Current EU criteria demand that all 27 EU nations increase penalties against Russia every six months so long as the war continues. The bloc has already frozen €200 billion in sovereign assets and nearly eliminated all trade. The problem is that neighboring nations are more reliant on Russian energy and have been disproportionately affected by these sanctions. Ukraine’s Zelensky recently failed to renew a critical pipeline deal that all but halted Russian gas imports to the EU.

Fico Robert Slovakian PM

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has also spoken out repeatedly, citing the need for Russian energy and warning that his nation will face an energy crisis if Ukraine prevents the flow of gas. “There is no EU legislation or system of sanctions that would hinder Ukraine from continuing the gas transit,” Fico said earlier in the month. “We can’t ignore this topic because everyone knows ignoring it means escalating tensions in the EU and in bilateral relations.”

“The Ukrainians, while it is in their interests to impose sanctions, are now poking their nose into the flour and tampering with the Hungarians, even on the energy side, because they are not allowing gas to flow from Russia to Hungary,” Orbán said.

The Hungarian government asked to delay the penalty renewal process until after the US election. Trump’s decision to threaten Russia with sanctions boldened EU leaders to call out Hungary and demand they follow the lead.

The European Union cannot possibly act in the best interest of all member states. The entire premise of this alliance was doomed from the start. Members are growing increasingly frustrated as Brussels hinders their individual economies and this political instability will be one of the many reasons the EU will cease to exist.

Germany Considers Banning AfD Party


Posted originally on Jan 23, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

AfD logo

Democracy has no place in the European Union. Brussels has complete control and each nation must present a puppet leader who adheres to the EU agenda. We saw it in Romania as they simply dismissed the election results. Now, Germany is considering a ban on one of the most influential parties that is growing in popularity.

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) has grown in recent years. Recent polls suggest that the AfD is the second most supported party in all of Germany. There is a correlation with AfD’s growing support and number of undocumented migrants infiltrating the German welfare state and causing crime to skyrocket. AfD has vowed to restore Germany for the people of Germany and implement mass deportation campaigns. The group does not want to adhere to the EU’s open border policy.

The party acknowledges the economic challenges facing the nation, like the ongoing housing and energy crises, and does not want their tax funds spent on climate change or war. In fact, the group is entirely skeptical of Germany’s place in the European Union. The party has repeatedly questioned Germany’s place in the alliance. Brussels cannot afford to lose its top economy.

Therefore, the establishment is considering an outright ban on the AfD party and 124 of 733 members of Bundestag support the application. Article 21 of the German constitution forbids political parties that “seek to undermine or abolish the free democratic basic order or to endanger the existence of the Federal Republic of Germany shall be unconstitutional.”

Article 21

[Political parties]

(1) Political parties shall participate in the formation of the political will of the people. They may be freely established. Their internal organisation must conform to democratic principles. They must publicly account for their assets and for the sources and use of their funds.

(2) Parties that, by reason of their aims or the behaviour of their adherents, seek to undermine or abolish the free democratic basic order or to endanger the existence of the Federal Republic of Germany shall be unconstitutional.

(3) Parties that, by reason of their aims or the behaviour of their adherents, are oriented towards an undermining or abolition of the free democratic basic order or an endangerment of the existence of the Federal Republic of Germany shall be excluded from state financing. If such exclusion is determined, any favourable fiscal treatment of these parties and of payments made to those parties shall cease.

(4) The Federal Constitutional Court shall rule on the question of unconstitutionality within the meaning of paragraph (2) of this Article and on exclusion from state financing within the meaning of paragraph (3).

(5) Details shall be regulated by federal laws.

So despite nearly 20% of the country supporting this political party, the establishment believes they need to dissolve. Critics consistently make the claim that the party is the next Third Reich and will produce the next Hitler.

Germany vs France
5 6 24 Germany to_deploy_35_000_troops
Germany Scholz extremists farmers

AfD co-head Alice Weidel has recently come under fire for mentioning Hitler in an interview with Elon Musk published on X. “[The National Socialists] nationalized the entire industry. … The biggest success after that terrible era in our history was to label Adolf Hitler as right and conservative. He was exactly the opposite. He wasn’t a conservative. … He was a communist, socialist guy. “I don’t deviate from this either: Adolf Hitler was a leftist,” she further added. Hitler was a crazed totalitarian dictator who came to power after Germany was left in shambles in the wake of World War I. He was neither a socialist nor a communist. Regardless, absolutely no one is attempting to revive the party of Nazis. The current path Germany is on will leave their economy in a destitute state once again as they are heading into a recession that will pull down all of Europe.

The people of Germany would like to abandon the initiatives set by Brussels that have contributed to the cost of living crisis. Olaf Scholz has fallen out of favor and left Germany with a massive hole in its budget. He is doing everything in his power to assist the neocons in creating the next world war that is certain to lead to inflation and worse conditions for the people. The establishment can ban a political party but it cannot ban ideologies. People will STILL continue to support anti-progressive policies and they’ll simply need to ban the entire democratic process of voting if they want to eliminate dissent.

Baron Glasman Breaks Down The History Of The Labour Party In The United Kingdom


Posted originally on Rumble By Bannons War Room on: Jan 21, 2025 at 7:00 pm EST

Interview: Turkey is the Biggest Threat in the Middle East


Posted originally on Jan 20, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

Spain Introduces 100% Real Estate Tax for Non-EU Residents


Posted originally on Jan 16, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

Spain.Houses.RealEstate

Governments worldwide are at a loss on how to solve the housing crisis. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain believes placing a 100% tax on properties purchase by non-European Union residents will solve the crisis. He’s wrong.

“The West faces a decisive challenge: To not become a society divided into two classes, the rich landlords and poor tenants,” Sánchez said. An estimated 700,000 properties sold throughout the nation in Spain, the second-highest volume of sold homes in over 15 years. Non-EU residents accounted for a mere 27,000 home purchases. News outlets like BBC are stating that foreigners composed 15% of the Spanish housing market in 2023 but they are also including EU residents who will not be burdened by this tax. The German and French, for example, are large purchasers of properties in Spain.

The government has not said when this will go into effect. What they fail to realize is that the average real estate investor may purchase a handful of properties and rent a few out. They are not buying anywhere near the level of massive funds like BlackRock who have taken over the residential real estate market globally in recent years. The government is not calling out these funds because they partner with them to create new housing, student residences, and co-living options. BlackRock and others can be considered a necessary evil to some extent as there is a severe housing shortage in comparison to demand. However, the president said he wanted to target those looking to profit from real estate but failed to target actual investment funds. The government always targets higher net-worth INDIVIDUALS looking for passive income.

BlackRock

Then at the same time, Spain is eliminating a fast-tracked residency program called the “golden visa.” This program was intended to attract high-net-worth individuals who are able to spend a minimum of €500,000 on housing. These individuals would have paid taxes into the economy and likely intended to live there for a portion of the year, spending more money in Spain.

Let us not count out okupa laws that not only legally permit squatting, but it forbids homeowners from evicting squatters. Over 55,000 complaints regarding illegal occupation have been filed in the last four years. Not only are squatters permitted to stay in unoccupied housing, but the landlord has an obligation to keep the utilities on AND pay for them.

Open borders certainly are not helping, as 63,970 new migrants entered the nation last year, a 12.5% increase from the year prior. The government says they are curbing migration since figures are down from the 2018 high of 64,298, but nations, especially coastal nations, cannot truly calculate everyone who illegally enters.

No one in government will ever question, “Has this been done before? If so, what was the outcome?” Canada attempted to charge an albeit smaller 25% entry tax on real estate for foreign buyers, but good luck finding a home there. I believe these measures are simply smoke and mirrors. The concept appeases the people who are struggling to afford housing and the government can say that they attempted to combat the problem.

Destroying the World Economy ASAP


Posted originally on Jan 15, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

World Economy 3

The two positions in life that require ZERO experience are (1) politician and (2) becoming a parent. We often hear blaming foreign buyers in real estate for the rise in prices. I listened to that in Miami, with all the foreigners buying condos, but I also heard in Florida how all these people from New England were buying up the East Coast, and the MidWesterners were buying the West Coast. In Canada, they blamed the Chinese for pushing up property values in Vancouver. In Singapore, it was turning ugly, with even protests against foreigners.

Peid Piper

The world economy expands and flourishes when we all get along. The problem today is that governments have abused their power following Karl Marx and this socialized agenda, believing in fairness and equality that not even God bestowed upon humanity. They follow Marxism blindly no matter how many times it has been proven to fail, for it is anti-religious and anti-humanity. We are equal only in rights – not in passions or talents. Some men find robust women attractive, others thin. Women, the joke is, prefer fixer-uppers compared to men, which is typically a yes or no. We are all simply not the same – sorry! Governments have abused this socialistic power, and capital normally flees.

The latest is the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, announcing 12 reforms amid an ongoing debate over the impact of foreigners on local housing prices. The proposal is to introduce a tax rate for those outside the European Union (EU) who do not currently live in Spain, with a tax rate of up to 100% of the property value. Real estate purchases in Spain are subject to a 10% tax on newly-built homes and 6% on old properties. He is brain-dead. If this policy is imposed, housing prices will decline, which means RECESSION for people spending less when they think their house has declined.

Public v Private

As we move into 2032, more and more people are starting to realize that the problem we all face is government. There is ZERO hope of preventing this crash and burn. Not even Trump will be able to stop this trend largely because the SWAMP surrounds him, and people with self-interests preaching their own agenda have his ear. Capital is moving, and then you have to be mindful that the average person will blame foreigners, which becomes a prevalent response regardless of the culture or century.

1844 Phila Nativism Riot Againt Irish

In China, there was the Boxer Rebellion, which was an anti-foreign, anti-imperialist, and anti-Christian uprising in North China between 1899 and 1901. During the Hard Times of the 1840s, there were riots and gun battles against the immigrants coming in from Ireland in Philadelphia, taking local jobs and property.

Britannicus B 1

The Romans first invaded Britain in 55 BC under Julius Caesar, but it was not until the reign of Emperor Claudius in 43AD that a full-scale conquest was launched. He even named his son – Britannicus. Over the next few decades, the Romans gradually extended their control over the island, establishing a network of forts, roads, and settlements that would form the backbone of Roman Britain.

Queen Boudicca 61 AD. AR Unit

In 60-61AD, the Roman province of Britannia was shaken by a massive rebellion led by Queen Boudicca of the Iceni tribe. The Boudiccan Revolt, was an uprising also against foreigners nearly 20 years after Rome Conquered Britain.

Valens 1.5 Siliqua Head Left

This is a tiny list of examples of domestic civil unrest against foreigners. Immigration has often sparked major uprisings and the downfall of empires, nations, and city-states. As I have written before, Emperor Valens allowed the Barbarian tribes to enter the Empire. He even trained them in Roman military tactics, assuming he could boost his army against rising external threats. They came, they saw, they learned, but they did not assimilate. They then conquered and killed Emperor Valens on the battlefield.

1683 Siege of Vienna Medal

Our politicians have made the same mistake, especially in Europe. The previous attempt by the Muslims to conquer Europe was the Siege of Vienna in 1683. It is no exaggeration to describe the Battle of Tours, which took place on October 10, 732, as one of the single most important battles in European history. Charles Martel, the father of Charlemagne, saved Europe from the Muslim invasion. The exact location of the battlefield is unknown, but the fight occurred somewhere between Tours and Poitiers. It was a decisive battle in the Umayyad Caliphate’s invasion of Gaul. They were defeated by a combined Kingdom of the Franks force led by the legendary Charles ‘the Hammer’ Martel. There were two attempts to conquer Europe; this time, many wonder if the politicians made the same mistake as Emperor Valens.

History Repeats

Soros’ Open Society is nothing more than a fantasy. We ALWAYS decline economically when society divides and becomes fragmented. Just look at the Middle East. The people who live in Syria do not see themselves as Syrians first. They see themselves as tribal groups most delineated by religion. Allowing the influx of Muslims into Europe has not merely caused a major culture clash, as those who Valens let in also did not assimilate into Roman Society; this is the same process unfolding in Europe. Muslims who grew up in Europe were predominantly assimilated culturally, even though they retained their religion. This was no different from the Protestant vs Catholic, which at one time was a major confrontation throughout Northern Europe.

Julius Caesar divide and conquer

The influx of Muslims from the Middle East differs culturally from even Muslims born in Europe. This divides Europe and will contribute to the global decline in GDP, which we see up to 20% going into 2032. As Julius Caesar once said – Divide and Conquer/Rule.

Europe’s New Travel Restrictions – Schengen at Risk


Posted originally on Jan 13, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

airplan air travel airtravel

I have been warning for many years that the Schengen Agreement would fail. As I explained half a decade ago: “As the economy turns down very hard after 2015.75, we are more likely than not going to see the freedom of movement in Europe fragment and that will be the crack that signals the eventual risk of breaking up the EU idea of empire-building.” We saw things come to a head at the dawn of the refugee crisis when Merkel embarked on an open border policy. Nations began temporarily closing their borders to one another to curb migration. Brussels encouraged open borders but individual nations aimed to protect their sovereignty. Now, massive travel restrictions and requirements are underway.

The Schengen Agreement led to the creation of Europe’s borderless Schengen Area. The treaty was signed on June 14, 1985 by five of the ten member states of the European Economic Community near the town of Schengen in Luxembourg, but was not implemented (partially) until 1995. It proposed the gradual abolition of border checks at the signatories’ common borders. Measures proposed included: reduced speed vehicle checks that allowed vehicles to cross borders without stopping, allowed residents in border areas the freedom to cross borders away from fixed checkpoints, and the harmonization of visa policies.

Schengen Agreement

Germany and others are implementing the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) in May. Those wishing to travel to nations with ETIAS requirements must receive electronic pre-approval. Anyone traveling from a visa-free nation will be required to apply. This includes a background check, submitting biometric data, and answering questions in relation to health and criminal history. ETIAS will remain valid for three years or until an individual’s passport expires. It can take up to 96 hours to process according to estimates.

Italy will begin requesting Type D visa holders to undergo fingerprinting at consulates. France, Poland, and Portugal are implementing similar measures. Spain introduced CEHAT (Confederación Española de Hoteles y Alojamientos Turísticos) last month that reshaped the hospitality sector by requiring hotels, campgrounds, resorts, apartments, and short-term rentals to submit extensive traveler info. Travelers must provide a thorough 31-data point survey and hand over their personal information. Additionally, travelers must demonstrate financial independence by proving they have €100 per day of their stay.

One may believe that these restrictions are simply targeted at non-Europeans. However, countless nations have already begun to implement border security and become wary of their neighbor as they do not want their migrants passing through their borders. Brussels remains in a state of denial and tries to force the EU upon everyone while denying any democratic process in order to save the jobs of the Eurocrats. We saw nations like Hungary and Poland fight Brussels on its open border protocols.

Europe has witnessed their population alter entirely in recent years under open border policies that are completely destroying each nation’s traditions and culture, not to mention budgets as there is no way any nation can provide full government assistance to endless newcomers. The Schengen Agreement will fail, for it is an invitation that will bankrupt the governments, for they cannot afford to expand their welfare systems.