Tag Archives: Russia

Jan 8 2025

Congestion Tax in Place in NYC – A Reason to Celebrate?


Posted originally on Jan 8, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

NYC Tax

Foreign concept but there are people who enjoy big government and welcome additional taxation. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) held a celebration to kickoff New York City’s new congestion toll fees. That’s right – people gathered around a sign announcing the “Congestion Relief Zone” at 60th Street and held a countdown as if it were New Year’s Eve.

Motorists entering Manhattan at 60th Street or below will be charged $9 if in a car or SUV, $14.40 for non-commuter buses, $21.60 for big rigs, and $4.50 for motorcycles. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority needs to cover a $33 billion budget deficit, and per usual, the people are on the hook for the bill. The MTA is seeking to generate $68 billion over the next five years, and this congestion tax is one of many new fees coming to NYC area as the new toll tax is expected to generate a mere $15 billion.

Governor Kathy Hochul is utterly clueless. She plans to bribe families with an “inflation refund” by shelling out $500 checks to households in a move that will cost the state $3 billion. We saw this fail during the pandemic when citizens earning beneath a certain threshold were bribed to stay complacent. Hochul said she would not raise the income tax in 2025, but nothing is ever off the table.

“Your tolls pay for: better transit, cleaner air, safer streets, a livable NYC. Thanks!” one resident shared on a sign that they brought to the opening ceremony. Seriously, these people have no idea what they are celebrating. Commuters who cannot afford the tax will be forced to take the trains which are notoriously unsafe. In fact, there was a stabbing on the Metro-North on the very day that the congestion relief zone was implemented.

Rideshare programs have been lobbying for this tax for years. Uber paid $2 million from 2015 to 2019 to encourage congestion taxes. Lyft personally donated $18,500 to Kathy Hochul’s campaign to champion congestion taxes. Both companies plan to raise fees to cover the cost of the tax. “We spent millions of dollars funding message testing, research, lobbyists and grassroots organizing to help those that have been fighting for congestion pricing for decades,” Uber admits in a statement on its website, later stating, “We do this because we are a for-profit company and good, robust, public transportation is good for business, reducing the need for car ownership and increasing use cases for Uber.”

“Congestion relief” is political rhetoric. It’s NEW YORK CITY — one of the busiest cities in the world! Goods and people must still enter the city, and these fees quickly add up. The people are on the hook for the budget deficit and the people are also on the hook to cover the fees that will ultimately be passed down to consumers. It is absolutely astounding that there are people who cheer higher fees as a result of government mismanagement.

Jan 8 2025

The Libs of Canada Did Not Get the Message


Posted originally on Jan 7, 2025 by Martin Armstrong

Jan 8 2025

Horrific Pacific Palisades Wildfire Destroys Hundreds of Homes, Fire Jumps PCH Toward Malibu – State of Emergency Declared


Posted originally on the CTH on January 8, 2025 | Sundance

A massive California wildfire is consuming some of the most valuable property around Los Angeles.  The Pacific Palisades fire is expanding rapidly due to high winds and dry conditions.  Making matters worse, firefighters are having a problem with water shortages to fight the fire due to California environmental standards.

An ariel shot shows the extent of the fire last night, and the situation is rapidly worsening.  Firefighters are now focused on rescue efforts.

CALIFORNIA – A state of emergency has been declared in Los Angeles after a huge wildfire swept through hillsides dotted with celebrity homes.

The fire forced the evacuation of 30,000 people, some of whom abandoned their cars and fled on foot to safety.

Nearly 3,000 acres of the Pacific Palisades area between the coastal towns of Santa Monica and Malibu had burned by the Palisades Fire, officials said.  Fire officials said that several people were injured, some with burns to faces and hands.

A second blaze dubbed the Eaton Fire broke out some 30 miles inland near Pasadena and doubled in size to 400 acres in a few hours, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, who was in Southern California to attend the naming of a national monument by US President Joe Biden, made a detour to the area to see “first hand the impact of these swirling winds and the embers”.

[…] Witnesses reported a number of homes on fire with flames nearly scorching their cars when people fled the hills of Topanga Canyon, as the fire spread from there down to the Pacific Ocean.

Firefighters in aircraft scooped water from the sea to drop it on the nearby flames. Flames engulfed homes and bulldozers cleared abandoned vehicles from roads so emergency vehicles could pass.

The fire burned some trees on the grounds of the Getty Villa, a museum loaded with priceless works of art, but the collection remained safe, the museum said.

Before the fire started, the National Weather Service had issued its highest alert for extreme fire conditions for much of Los Angeles County from Tuesday through Thursday, predicting wind gusts of 50 to 80 mph.

[…] Actor Steve Guttenberg told a local television station that friends of his were impeded from evacuating because others had abandoned their cars in the road.

“It’s really important for everybody to band together and don’t worry about your personal property. Just get out,” Guttenberg said. “Get your loved ones and get out. (read more)

[DAILY MAIL – STORY HERE]

Jan 7 2025

Justin from Canada Expected to Resign This Week


Posted originally on the CTH onJanuary 6, 2025 | Sundance 

It’s not just the United States of America standing up and electing President Donald J. Trump.  The nationalist vessels are being identified in many countries right now as each regional nuance and difference is working through a process.

Germany, France, the U.K, Georgia, Romania, El Salvador and Argentina are small examples where the organizing of commonsense people is also navigating through the systems of control.  The voices of the people are rising organically.

In Canada one of the modern WEF globalists is now indicating his exit.  Justin Trudeau is expected to resign.

NY POST – […] Three sources told the Globe and Mail, a Canadian outlet, on Sunday that Trudeau, 53, could reveal he’s leaving as Liberal Party Leader before a critical national caucus meeting on Wednesday.

It was unclear what day he could announce his resignation, but it reportedly could happen as early as Monday, the sources said.

The bombshell report comes as an embattled Trudeau has faced increasing calls for his resignation as a Donald Trump presidency – and the threat of 25% tariffs on all products north of the border – looms large.

The prime minister was struck with a devastating blow after his then-finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, quit last month over a deepening divide between the two over the future of Canada’s economy. (read more)

Justin from Canada has been an unstable boy-child with a speech impediment and an emotionally unstable disposition for a long time.  He personifies the leftist hero for modern feminists.

Jan 6 2025

Slovakia v Ukraine and the EU on Energy


Posted originally on Jan 3, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

Slovakia Parliament

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has nearly accepted that his country will be forced to pay an additional €500 million for energy due to Ukraine’s refusal to renew the Russian gas transit treaty. Zelensky believes Fico is Putin’s puppet, but the man is simply looking for a way to provide his people energy. Tensions are worsening between Zelensky and Fico, and now, Fico is threatening to cut aid to Ukraine.

“On behalf of Smer (the ruling party), I announce that we are ready to negotiate and agree in a coalition to cut off electricity supplies and significantly reduce support for Ukrainian citizens staying in the territory of the Slovak Republic,” Fico noted a day after the existing transit treaty expired.

Leaders from Ukraine, Slovakia, and the unelected leaders of the European Union will meet next week to determine the proper steps which likely means they will find a way to pressure Slovakia to continue aiding Ukraine without compromise.

Zelensky with EU leaders

Fico threatened to cut off energy supplies to Ukraine, but Zelensky basically stated he knew that he would be overpowered by the EU and prevented from doing so. “Any arbitrary decisions in Bratislava or instructions from Moscow to Fico regarding electricity will not lead to a halt in electricity imports to Ukraine,” Zelensky said, adding: “Slovakia is part of the unified European energy market, and Fico must abide by pan-European regulations.” Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry chimed in to say that Slovakia would stand to lose hundreds of millions annually if they stopped selling to Ukraine. “Slovakia’s supply of critical amounts of electricity to Ukraine is not charity: Ukraine pays Slovakia a significant amount for it,” the ministry stated.

Moscow is not strengthened by this gas transit deal and granting transit would show good faith to Slovakia, who has provided Ukraine with millions in assistance since the war began. The underlying issue is that Fico wishes to remain neutral in this war. The European Union wants every member state to fear Russia and prepare for an escalation of warfare. The unelected officials at Brussels consistently undermine their own member states and it is only a matter of time before members wake up and realize that this alliance is working against them.

Jan 6 2025

Retail Closures in US Hit Pandemic Levels


Posted originally onJan 2, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

StoreClosuresRetail

Over 6,481 retailers have closed their doors since the beginning of the new year, according to data from Coresight Research in November, but that figure is expected to reach 7,327, marking a 57.8% increase in closures since 2023.

During the pandemic, closures exceeded openings by 180 stores in 2020, with the gap widening in 2021 to 6,000 retailers. There were 5,919 store openings in 2023, barely easing the burden. While online shopping has nulled the need for many brick and mortars, the types of retailers that experienced the steepest declines are telling.

Nothing at the dollar store costs a dollar. That changed years ago during the pandemic, thanks to tariffs and supply chain issues. Retailers had to mark up these cheap goods to make a meager profit. As a result, Family Dollar shut their door to 677 locations and 99 Cents Only stores shed 371. Big Lots, also known for selling discounted items, has been forced to close 580 locations, although the bankruptcy played a larger role.

Rite Aid also experienced bankruptcy in 2024, closing 408 locations. Pharmacies, in general, took a major hit this past year. Walgreens plans to close 1,200 locations over the next three years and lost 259 locations in 259. CVS closed 586 locations as well. The convenience of picking up items while at the pharmacy does not overshadow the need for a discount. People are not willing to pay more for essentials at the pharmacy when they can receive them for a discounted price elsewhere. The same goes for convenience stores like 7-Eleven which shed 492 locations in 2024 with plans to close another 400 worldwide.

Another major contributing factor is the workforce – people do not want to work low-wage jobs that do not support their cost of living. Enter any pharmacy or low-end store, and you will find a severe shortage of workers. One pharmacy by me that is part of a major chain is only open two days a week because they simply do not have the staff to keep it operating.

There is a reason that retail closures are at their highest level since the pandemic. Americans are spending more on less and their spending habits are shifting from convenience to practicality.

Dec 31 2024

The Second US State to Tax Fossil Fuel Companies


Posted originally on Dec 31, 2024 by Martin Armstrong 

Oil Tanker

New York state has enacted a bill to extort fossil fuel companies in the name of climate change. Governor Kathy Hochul believes the bill will generate $75 billion in funds for the state over the next 25 years, which she claims will be used to fight climate change.

Why would any energy company want to operate out of New York? The fines for merely existing are unclear, but the New York Department of Environmental Conservation will begin determining the extent of each company’s greenhouse gas emissions. Worse, they will begin fining companies for the amount they began releasing 24 years ago in 2000. ANY company that the department deems “responsible” for greenhouse gas emissions is subject to a fine.

Vermont was the first state to enact such a law under the Climate Superfund Act. Oil and energy companies are mandated to pay into a climate change fund if they have released over 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases from 1995 – nearly 30 years ago – until now.

“This bill represents a major step forward in ensuring that responsible parties, like Big Oil – companies like ExxonMobil and Shell that have known for decades that their products are disrupting the climate – be required to also pay a fair share of the cleanup costs,” the Vermont Natural Resources Council said after blaming the industry for the catastrophic flooding that occurred earlier in the year.

American Petroleum Institute declared that this tax unjustifiably violated due process of rights. Society at large is dependent on fossil fuels, but these taxes aim to extort profitable companies that have been providing a service to the public. Both Vermont and New York have also failed to explain how they will calculate emissions or the true costs involved.

Imagine if the government told you that you needed to pay additional taxes spanning back decades. This is absolute insanity and yet another brain-dead policy aimed at punishing fossil fuels. Stepping on the neck of a crucial sector is not how to generate state revenue. Anyone cheering that these laws punish Big Oil fails to understand that these fees will simply be passed down to the consumer as residents of New York and Vermont should expect to pay more in energy costs in the near term.

Dec 30 2024

Can Britain be Saved form Extinction?


Posted originally on Dec 30, 2024 by Martin Armstrong 

British Extinction 2025

QUESTION: Dear Martin,

Merry Christmas to you, your family, and the Armstrong Economic team. All of you have worked tirelessly to help humanity.

A question about the UK: you have discussed saving the USA and that your proposal would always work in the EU. What about the UK? You say Trump is married to old theories. What about Nigel Farage?

Thank you for everything you do.

Ash

ANSWER: Starmer’s approval rating has crashed. Now, 61% of Britain disapprove of his policies.  Even though Labour has an overwhelming majority and can pass anything they want, the reality is that our computer does not show Starmer will survive until the next election in 2029. This is a special report with the proposal to save Britain, and it can be done if Nigel Farage dares to lead the entire world to a new economic freedom. Once one nation rejects the old theories that not even central banks can use anymore, the rest will follow. I would say the two countries that could show the way forward for the future are Britain and Argentina.

I will let everyone know when this report is ready for prime time.

Dec 30 2024

Diamond Dust to End Climate Change?


Posted Dec 30, 2024 by Martin Armstrong 

Stratospheric aerosol injection is the latest proposed method to save civilization from human-induced climate change. I jokingly say that the climate change agenda believes they can simply throw money at the sky to change the weather, and I suppose there is a little truth in every “just kidding” as this method is precisely that.

Volcanoes produce clouds of sulfur dioxide, naturally injecting converted gas into the stratosphere, forming sulfate aerosols that reflect sunlight back to space. Scientists believe that this naturally occurring phenomenon can be replicated. Simply sending sulfur dioxide into the air would not work as it produces solar and terrestrial heat and would actually create a warming effect. Scientists proposed an alternative that involves diamond dust.

As explained in Life Science: “The team compared the cooling efficiency of diamond particles with that of aluminum and calcite particles using an Earth system model that simulates the full climate response of an intervention. They found that the quantity of diamond dust needed to cool the planet by 1.8 F — 5.5 million tons per year — was about one-third the amount of other materials needed to achieve the same cooling effect.”

Therefore, high-altitude aircrafts would need to fly around Earth’s orbit to sprinkle diamond dust constantly. The costs would be outrageous and scientists say this method would merely “buy us time” as no amount is enough to change mother nature. A 2020 study drastically underestimated the cost of this ridiculous idea, stating it would cost $175 trillion over a 65-year period. They could use SAI with sulfur dioxide as an alternative for a mere $18 billion per year.

No amount of funding will allow governments to play God with the universe. The climate is changing on target, as weather has always and will always be a naturally occurring phenomenon. It is downright shameful that these “scientists” are imagining outrageous scenarios fueled by fear-mongering to alter the planet at our expense.

Dec 28 2024

Police Officer Dressed as the Grinch Makes Drug Bust in Peru


Published originally on Rumble By The Gateway Pundit on Dec 27, 2024 at 7:30 pm EST