Business Insider has published a map of the top 10 most expensive places to live and work and guess what – Seattle is in the list even before they impose this new outrageous tax of $275 per employee for companies that do more than $20 million in business annually. They claim it is for the homeless people which is really nonsnse. It’s like New York City taxing cigarettes to make people stop and when they do, they taxed the electronic cigarettes because their revenue declines. Once a government gets its hand on a tax, it is used wherever they need money and they never let it go. Like tolls on bridges and tunnels that were said to be there just to pay for the construction. The tunnels into NYC made so much money, the Port Authority then used it to build the World Trade Center. Then because it was government, they did not put sprinklers in the stairwells to save money where anyone else would have gone to prison for life.
The number of businesses being hit is not just Amazon. These cities are becoming the place to avoid and they just never stop with the taxes. They go through money like it is water to be flushed down the toilet.
Seattle has certainly reached the top our the list of where NOT to recommend any business establishment. This is how empires, states, and cities die. They just keep imposing more and more taxes without end so it simply becomes less burdensome to pick up and leave. The top states where there is now a net migration out are California, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey. Cities that are dying rapidly are like Chicago. Seattle’s homeless tax will most likely be the straw that breaks the back of that city as well.
What is astonishing is the fact that Amazon put a hold on its development of offices there, and the city wanted to call this extortion justifying criminally charging Amazon? Clearly, nobody should even consider Seattle as a place for business and the aggressiveness and insanity of taxation in that city will not end here. California is also in the same direction. This “liberalism” is actually totalitarianism for they then justify punitive actions against anyone who disagrees. DO NOT set up businesses in California up to Washington State. It just may be time to leave before it is too late and it becomes a crime to migrate. New Jersey put in an EXIT TAX. You have paid your taxes in that state all your life. You reach the point you cannot afford to retire there. They then impose a tax to leave the stat
Erdogan has asked all the Turkish people to convert their dollars to Turkish Lira. This is a desperate act. The rumors behind the curtain are running wild. Many are concerned that Erdogan’s policies have just destroyed the confidence in his government both internally and externally. Turkey is now on watch for a possible monetary collapse. The key monthly closing resistance stands at 42425.
QUESTION: Martin
Thanks again for all you do.
The subtext of most of what you talk about is overwhelmingly negative. Inflation, deflation, earthquakes, disease, government default, over taxation….. etc. Am I correct in thinking that despite your advice you anticipate most of your readers, even the most wealthy, will be left with little to hand over to their children and grandchildren by the time we get through to 2032 +/- ?
Regards
P
ANSWER: If someone stands in front of you and says they are going to punch you in the face, do you
(1) just stand there and let me hit you,
(2) move, or
(3) put up a guard and defend yourself?
Yes, the climate is turning back to cold. Yes, a single volcano can result in worldwide famine if it is big enough to block the sun for a few months as was the case with Huaynaputina which is a stratovolcano in Peru that erupted in 1600. Then there was the Year without a Summerwhen it was snowing in New York City during July. This may sound horrible, but it is also an OPPORTUNITY to shift investment money at the right time into commodities to survive. That is aside from the fact that you should be wise and stock up on some supplies and canned food in case that event unfolds. Just look at it as buying fire insurance just in case.
A disease is often a lifeform. Viruses mutate and we can think we are clever and create drugs to kill them, but then they mutate and defend themselves against our defenses with the object of infecting humans or killing us. That is their role in nature and we all have our purpose in this environment. There is the Nipah virus so far confined to southern India for which there is no cure and it kills 75% of the people infected. This is nature out to get us. That is simply who the workd works. We cannot pretend it does not exit. It’s just best we know where it is and stay out of that region.
Sweden has issued a booklet to its people telling them what to do in a crisis or in war comes with Russia. An economic crisis is coming and the question becomes do you only want to hear the nice things and then find out your pension is gone as they are in Illinois, or do you want to prepare for the worst (buying life insurance) but hoping for the best (not collecting on it)? The government employees in Decatur, Illinois may soon find that they have no jobs because the town can’t pay those on pensions sucking up the money that prevents current employees from earning a living.
To me, this like more like Joseph warning the Pharaoh that there is a cycle of 7 years of plenty followed by 7 years of drought. If you know what is coming and prepare for it, you survive. It is as simple as that. We can hide our head in the sand and pretend nothing will every happen or go wong. Then we are unprepared and we will fail. I get called into crisis management problems because the people so close to it are emotionally blinded and cannot see the solution.
What is left at the end of 2032? The British Empire fell but Britain is still there. The fall of the United States may end in the breakup of the country into regions based upon huge cultural differences. One example that illustrated the vast differences in culture between regions of the United States is when California agreed to pay for a sex change of a convicted murderer who is serving a life sentence no less. It is hard to imagine any state in the South or Mid-West agreeing to such a procedure. California is raising taxes because its state employee pensions are underfunded. They have the money to pay for sex changes for people they have no intention of ever releasing? Many in the USA regard California as being just so far left, it should indeed just separate and become its own country.
The monetary system will change. That is beyond question. It is also beyond question that the dollar will rise and the rest of the world begins to crumble from its economic mismanagement of government. That dollar rise will break the back of the monetary system and the NUMBER one thing to survive will be tangible assets – stay away from government bonds. So will you have something left at the end of the day to leave your grandchildren? Yes, if you listen and understand the shifts underway and realize that there is a difference between assets and cash.
The system will break. I am doing what I can for my grandchildren. I have an expiration date so I will not have to be here after 2032. By exposing the problems and showing what the solutions are, just maybe when the money tree comes crashing down, we can all speak up and be heard to make sure what comes thereafter will be a reset in the proper direction compared to totalitarianism. EVERY Republic and Democracy has collapsed because of corruption. If you really care about your grandchildren, then understanding which direction we have to push this falling money tree to create an OPPORTUNITY for them will be extremely important.
This is WHY I have continued to do the WEC events. We have to stay on top of what is happening globally to survive the future. If there is an urgent change in anything discussed at these events I will send an email notifying attendees of what has taken place. These events are never about my OPINION. They are about reviewing the entire world to enable us to see the trend and have CONFIDENCE in acting accordingly.
So what I highlight may seem negative, but we learn from our mistakes, not our victories when we think we can walk on water. Some governments listen and take action, but they are the rising stars not the dominants ones now!
QUESTION: I am just a little guy who invests in mutual funds and a few stocks. Ever since I started reading your blog, I have felt a sense of comfort in knowing that eventually, everything will work out because all this has happened before. It is also nice not to feel like I am swinging blindly. Thank you for the peace of mind you have given me.
For a guy like me, is there a date that I should pull all my money out of the US stock market and invest in a mutual fund that is specific to China and the far east?
Or is it not that simple?
KB
ANSWER: Not yet. We have to first get through this readjustment through the Monetary Crisis Cycle. China will rise, but it is just not quite ready for prime time. Just stay away from bonds right now. Interest rates can soar faster than anyone can imagine. We see Italian rates rise from 0.3% to 2.5% in a single day. I have tried very hard to explain that sometimes it is the private sector in trouble, and at other times, the crisis is in government. You have the dollar soaring. So be mindful that the US stock market has not broken out in US dollars and the consolidation for the first half is not yet finished. Of course, if you are not US$ based, chances are you are now watching the US share market make new record highs.
COMMENT: I spoke this “pretend” analyst who use to be a goldbug and is now a cryptobug. Boy does he hate you. I really had to laugh for he said your computer is a fraud and your forecast on the euro was only correct because you organized it with central banks. I asked him who write more than 500 reports on every market around the world each and every day? He said you did with staff. I asked him, how many people would it take to do that? He had no answer.
I probably would have lost an equal amount in BitCoin buying it at the high based on his emails. Thank you for opening my eyes to see everything globally. It really has helped.
GHH
REPLY: I know. I use to get real hate mail from the goldbugs. Not it is the crypto people. Here is the S&P500 express in various currencies. You will note that the market is consolidating in US$ terms, but it is starting to breakout and make all time new highs in various currencies. This is what I mean that each and every one of us will act according to our own self-interest. That is Smith’s invisible hand.
I promised I would not leave anyone behind. Nevertheless, we do not do ANY advertising and prefer to keep the individual readership small. Our bread & butter is institutions. They, on the other hand, prefer no interviews with mainstream media and to shun advertising, It is a difficult road to following through the raindrops.
QUESTION: Mr. Armstrong; FX Street named you forecaster of the year for your Swiss franc euro peg forecast that also nobody else saw coming. I remember you were named here in Canada as Economist of the Decade for your calls during the 1980s with the 1987 crash and the crash in Japan. I by no means want to be on the opposite side of Socrates. My question is this. You have said that 2018 is just the beginning. This is all coming unglued very rapidly. Is this the Monetary Crisis Cycle and how the world will be torn apart is just a few years?
EM, Vancouver
ANSWER: Thanks for that magazine article. Can’t believe you saved it that long. Yes, when I say we can see a monetary reset as soon as 2021, this is no joke. There are critical points in a number of markets that I will reveal in Singapore. These are the lines in the sand. Once we cross them, there is no going back. This is a global systemic collapse. I cannot emphasize how serious this is going to be.
As long as you understand what is coming and we can draw that line very clearly without personal OPINION, then you will be just fine. Those who constantly believe in fairytales, well that will be a different story. I am not trying to sell you any investment be it land, gold, cryptocurrencies, or stocks. This is about INDEPENDENT research computer driven by just the facts – no agendas.
This is NOT some new age of KNOWLEDGE or Artificial Intelligence ruling the world. Those are complete nonsense. We have to crash and burn before we every reach some new age of reform.
The Euro Crisis is emerging rapidly. The 2Yr BTP Italy debt has jumped 150bp and is now wider by 2.50%. The ECB has been intervening BECAUSE as we have warned, there is NO BID. Interest rates for Italian debt have almost doubled in a matter of days. Who in their right mind will buy government debt when there is such uncertainty? I have warned that interest rates in Europe can skyrocket beyond anyone’s imagination.
The Euro is now down to 115 zone where critical support now lies. The dollar bears are getting slaughtered as usual for they have had their head in the sand and cannot see anything come from outside the country.
The absolute ONLY way to SURVIVE is to maintain a GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE. Yes, we schedule WECs around the cycles to make sure they are more interesting. Singapore will be no different. Welcome to the Euro Crisis, the fall of the West, and the rise of Asia.
Attendees will be receiving a very special report on the Rise of China
COMMENT: Mr. Armstrong; You do know that you have been the only analyst who has outlined how, why, and when the euro would go into crisis. You said 2018 would be the beginning. Well, it looks to be absolutely correct along with your political models.
Thank you for saving me a fortune
Cheers
JWP
REPLY: What you have to understand is that there are analysts who also saw this coming as well as many traders working in the banks of Europe. I was asked to do a short documentary of the crack of the Euro a few months back. I agreed. They could not find a SINGLE analyst in Europe willing to join me. Not that they disagreed, but for political reasons, they did not want to stand up and say the Eurozone dream was coming undone. No analysts at the top banks would dare come out and say what I have said and still hold a job. The ECM would have been on the phone and that analyst would be fired. Banks have to play the game and cannot rebel for if they do, the ECB will shut them off.
This is why we probably have MORE major Institutions who take our services than just about everyone else combined. They know we are INDEPENDENT and have no CONFLICT OF INTEREST. They need that critical view regardless if they agree or disagree. That is part of the course of being responsible. You must cover your ass as they say in this world. Major institutions cannot afford NOT to take our services if they hope to survive the years ahead. Only an INDEPENDENT worldview will survive the future. Personal OPINIONS will always fail because humans cannot track everything everywhere all the time. It is consistency that counts. Institutions do not follow he said she said nonsense.
Fundamentally, I have been warning that the separatist tide has been growing. The political view in Italy is a distinct point of view. My sources there have expressed it best that they see Italy has been invaded and it is now an occupied country under the Eurozone. They have been forced to take in refugees that are completely altering the culture of the country. To lose one’s culture and identity is by no means something to take so lightly as Brussels has done.
The bulk of analysts in America have been so bearish the dollar calling for the end of everything. They too have been utterly blind to the trend outside the United States. This is how and why OPINION is a very dangerous thing. Far too often, people prejudge things and refuse to accept that they just may be wrong. They cannot see the tidal wave of change no matter how tall it rises before it hits shore.
In France, the Unions and opposition parties are rising up in protests denouncing a Macron-led overhaul of labor rules that would reduce worker protections and laws increasing police powers. They are alleging that Macron supports tax reform which favors France’s wealthiest and is working to tear down public services. They, of course, oppose any government plan making it harder for students to attend the public universities of their choice at government expense, more restrictive immigration laws, and the police methods the protesters consider “repressive.”
France has been the most socialistic country in Europe. Its laws have favored workers to the detriment of business. The result has simply been to lower economic growth and send its national debt higher. Macron realizes that France is headed into economic collapse. He is trying to modernize France and make it more competitive. Unions do not want to give up anything and are always demanding more.
It is not an easy task to try to bring reform in France. When uber showed up, the taxi drivers encircled Paris and barricaded the city blocking traffic and setting heaps of tires on fire until Uber was outlawed. Nobody ever looks at the other side. The consumer has a right to increase their living standard by choosing a cheaper service. These protests are all about maintaining uncompetitive advantages that lower the standard of living for the people as a whole and the economic growth of the nation.
QUESTION: Mr. Armstrong; You recently showed a coin of the emperor Hadrian burning tax records. Was there a tendency to always raise taxes as we have today to extreme levels? It seems that our government here in BC just assumes everything you have belongs to them. We should be grateful for what they allow us to retain. That is really the attitude here in Canada. Has this been the norm for governments in general?
KV
ANSWER: Actually no. This attitude toward tax level over 10% is the product of Socialism. Even the notorious Emperor Caligula abolished taxes placed on auctions. This was the norm was that estates were liquidated and the proceeds went to the family. Augustus put in this auction tax which was effectively like an Inheritance Tax. It caused a lot of tax protests. The tax level was the outrageous level of 1%. The next emperor Tiberius bowed to the pressure and cut the tax in half to just 0.5%. Then Caligula followed Tiberius and he issued this coin announcing that the abolished the auction tax altogether. Note that the coin has SC meaning it was sanctioned by the Senate.
Overall, Rome did not have any direct taxation on income and this was the model for the Founding Fathers of the United States where the Constitution forbid direct taxation. The Roman Empire only imposed indirect taxes. It was Augustus who added to the taxes on harbors and manumission the centesima rerum venalium. Augustus imposed the 1% tax on the price of articles sold at auctions. There was the quinta et vicesima mancipiorum, or 4% tax on the price of every slave purchased but a 5% if you freed a slave. Then there was the vicesima hereditatum et legatorum, of 5% on all inheritances above 100,000 sesterces, which did not fall to the nearest blood-relations, and on all legacies. The freedom of the citizens from direct taxation following the victory of the Punic Wars continued unimpaired. Emperor Caracalla in 212 AD granted to all free subjects of the Empire the right of citizenship, but it did not abolish taxation as was the case for those in Italy. The customs tax was 2.5% and there was a religious tax on Jews of an extra two denarii a year for not supporting the temples. Diocletian (284-305AD) removed the last distinctions between the inhabitants of Italy and of other parts of the Empire by introducing into Italy the same taxation as obtained in the provinces.
I think we all would prefer an Emperor with low taxation than career politicians who never leave office either and want everything we earn.
I have created this site to help people have fun in the kitchen. I write about enjoying life both in and out of my kitchen. Life is short! Make the most of it and enjoy!
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
The number of businesses being hit is not just Amazon. These cities are becoming the place to avoid and they just never stop with the taxes. They go through money like it is water to be flushed down the toilet.
Centinel2012 