Posted originally on Jan 17, 2025 by Martin Armstrong
QUESTION: I made a bet that a friend was wrong that Roosevelt also confiscated silver. I never heard of that, only gold. He said I should write to you and you will decide who wins.
Thanks
FD
ANSWER: Sorry, you lose. He must have been at one of my conferences when we discussed that if he told you to ask me. Most people have never heard that Roosevelt also confiscated silver – not just gold. On August 9th, 1934, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt implemented the seizure of all silver situated in the continental United States with Executive Order 6814 – requiring the Delivery of All Silver to the United States for Coinage. This was the same abuse of executive power as Executive Order 6102, which FDR signed on April 5th, 1933, “forbidding the Hoarding of Gold Coin, Gold Bullion, and Gold Certificates within the continental United States” with some differences.
A key difference here with the silver Executive Order 6814 excluded the seizure of all silver coins, whether foreign or domestic. At the same time, Executive Order 6102 only exempted certain types of collectible or numismatic coins from seizure because Teddy Roosevelt had been an ancient coin collector and even J.P. Morgan. Franklin was a stamp collector.
In a famous letter to U.S. Secretary of the Treasury L.M. Shaw, dated December 27, 1904, Teddy Roosevelt stated, “I think the state of our coinage is artistically of atrocious hideousness. Would it be possible, without asking permission of Congress, to employ a man like [Augustus] Saint-Gaudens to give us a coinage which would have some beauty?” He saw the ancient coins as magnificent works of art unprecedented in numismatic history. Teddy saw the ancients as inspiration.
He had the $20 1907 gold struck in high relief with Roman numerals for the day. But modern machines could not handle this type of work. Only 11,250 were struck before being replaced with the flat-relief design with regular Arabic numbers.
There was a shortage of silver because people were also hoarding silver after confiscating the gold. There were no silver dollars minted after 1928. Only when Roosevelt confiscated the silver in 1934 did we see 1934 silver dollars being struck
Posted originally on Jan 16, 2025 by Martin Armstrong
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.
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.
Posted originally on Jan 15, 2025 by Martin Armstrong
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Valensallowed 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.
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.
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.
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.
Posted originally on the CTH on January 15, 2025 | Sundance
The top tier of our military being completely compromised must put a smile on the face of Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. However, the results of the last several years have proven that’s exactly our situation within the Department of Defense (DOD).
An undercover investigator with James O’Keefe group, exposes yet another contractor within the Pentagon network who admits he is working with generals on a stop-Trump effort. O’Keefe has released the video of the undercover operation with the commentary below. WATCH:
“I’ve been in conversation with a couple of retired generals to explore what we can do,” Jamie Mannina, advisor to the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon, former FBI Special Agent, and self-proclaimed “spy hunter,” disclosed to an undercover OMG Journalist his plans to utilize irregular strategies to undermine Donald Trump’s presidency.
Mannina also described his “ghost writing” with a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization, National Security Leaders for America, saying, “What we were doing was we were trying to explain to the American people the national security consequences of another Trump presidency.” He elaborated on his recent activities, saying, “Since the spring, I was working with these retired generals, retired ambassadors,” adding, “They’re like one, two, or three-star generals and admirals. You probably know maybe four stars.” He acknowledged the organization’s ultimate goal, emphasizing, “This organization tried to defeat Donald Trump.”
Mannina further revealed that he was participating in a “huge meeting with military leaders; in a very secure room called ‘The Tank.’” The Tank is a nickname for the Joint Chiefs of Staff Conference room which is a (SCIF), a Compartmentalized Information Facility. Discussing the focus of these meetings, Mannina shared that “the United States has specialized in artificial intelligence and emerging technology, quantum, [and] cybersecurity.” He elaborated on the potential of quantum technology, stating, “Quantum is incredibly fast, super-computing. That doesn’t yet exist, but will soon exist, and when it does, it will change everything.”
Addressing the broader challenges in advancing these technologies, Mannina stressed, “We need to overcome a lot of bureaucratic obstacles.” He underscored the importance of fostering international cooperation, stating, “We need to work better with partners.” He added, “International partners need to, you know, think creatively to avoid overclassification, which really prohibits the ability to share information across their retailer.”
Mannina also made critical remarks about Pete Hegseth, a Fox News correspondent and rumored candidate for Secretary of Defense. Mannina alleged that Hegseth has “a drinking problem,” claimed he “cheated on all his wives,” and referenced unspecified sexual assault allegations. When questioned about Hegseth’s qualifications, Mannina expressed skepticism about his potential role in government, describing him as “an alcoholic” with a history of troubling behavior. (source)
Top Pentagon Advisor Jamie Mannina has just been FIRED per email to OMG from Joint Staff Public Affairs Spokesman:
Posted originally on Jan 14, 2025 by Martin Armstrong
The TikTok ban is a complete disregard for the rights and freedoms of the American people. The ban is NOT about national security, but rather, the final attempt to prevent the people from connecting on an uncensored platform without backdoor government censorship. The law in question goes beyond TikTok as the government will only permit social platforms based in the US, therefore controlling the narrative and information the people can receive.
It is not about privacy from the Chinese government. TikTok is not even available in mainland China as their version is heavily censored. TikTok is a subsidiary of ByteDance, a private company that is not owned by the Chinese government. About 60% of the company is owned by institutional investors, 20% is owned by the founder, and the other 20% is owned by employees. ByteDance has five board members and three of them are American. Their headquarters are in Singapore and Los Angeles, and they have 7,000 employees in the US.
Congress has been unable to comprehend that TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is Singaporean and not a member of the Chinese Communist Party or even Chinese. Unbelievable.
Over 170 million Americans currently use TikTok. TikTok contributed $24.3 billion to the US economy in 2023, with 2024 estimates coming in higher. The majority of that money comes from 6 MILLION SMALL BUSINESSES that rely on TikTok to generate sales. Those 7 million businesses compose 20% of ALL BUSINESSES IN THE US.
Media outlets claim the Supreme Court is strongly siding with Congress, but that is simply not the case. The Supreme Court questioned whether this new law would infringe on the First Amendment. Government claims it is about national security and data. Yet, Chinese-owned online stores are allowed to operate in the US, for example, and they compile user data. Certain stores like SHEIN collect user’s social media data as well. Lawyers for TikTok believe they are being singled out because the people are posting content on the app, therefore, exercising their 1A rights.Video
(RFK discussed the potential ban back in 2023. EVERY LIBERTY WE SURRENDER IS IN THE NAME OF NATIONAL SECURITY)
Government claims that the Chinese could influence the content to influence the American people. In that case, the concern is truly the content creation and not the data collection.
It is OK when the US government collects your data without warning. Mark Zuckerberg has been lobbying to ban TikTok for years. He permitted the establishment to use META/Facebook as a massive propaganda tool to influence politics and the overall narrative. The government was permitted to use his app to silence the people instantaneously.
It is of no coincidence that the ban will take place one day before Donald Trump takes office. Trump had asked the Supreme Court to hold off on the ruling until he had time to sort things out. Simply put, you cannot take away the circus before the people can afford bread. People cannot afford basic living essentials, and the government is prioritizing taking away one of the last forms of free entertainment and education that the people have left. Countless readers of this blog have sent me videos over the years of on-the-ground footage of events that the media fails to cover. People may speak freely on TikTok and that threatens the establishment.
We are not so different from North Korea. Our government is taking extreme measures to censor our ability to connect with others and share information. The government tells us what is real and false. “Misinformation” is the information that goes against the current narrative. We are not to question our leaders. The US market is only a fraction of TikTok’s international audience and it may not be in their best interest to sell. It also seems as if the current CEO would rather have his platform go dark for US users than allow Washington to use his platform as yet another propaganda tool.
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.
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.
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