Who Raises Taxes During a Pandemic Already Creating Economic Turmoil? JoeBama, That’s Who


Posted originally on the conservative tree house March 30, 2021 | Sundance | 243 Comments

Think about the logical insanity of this position for a moment….  According to the Biden administration the economy is in trouble, people are struggling, and congress needs to spend trillions to bail out state, local and federal governments along with sending income subsidies to all Americans as the economic crisis around COVID continues.

Due to policies on energy, regulation and the COVID virus, simultaneously food prices are going higher, fuel prices are up 30 percent, overall energy prices are rising, transportation costs increasing and the inflationary impact on the middle-class is eating up their limited paychecks.

AT THIS EXACT MOMENT the same administration is now proposing a tax increase.

THINK ABOUT THE LACK OF LOGIC HERE.

(VIA AXIOS) […] The biggest-ticket item would raise the corporate rate from 21% to 28%. That’s worth $730 billion over 10 years, according to the Tax Policy Center.  The other three would:

  • Impose a global minimum tax on profits from foreign subsidiaries: $550 billion.
  • Tax capital gains as regular income for the wealthy and tax unrealized capital gains at death: $370 billion.
  • Return the top individual rate for those making more than $400,000 to the pre-Trump rate of 39.6%: $110 billion.

[..]  Democrats close to the White House don’t expect Biden to fight as hard for other expected proposals, including one that could raise some $740 billion by imposing new Social Security taxes on the wealthy.

  • His campaign plan to impose a 28% minimum rate on the wealthy, which would raise $220 billion, is unlikely to cross the finish line.
  • And making it harder for small businesses to claim deductions, which would bring in $140 billion, will likely encounter serious roadblocks.
  • Changing the ways estates are taxed, which would raise $220 billion, may not make it into the final legislation. (read more)

Supreme Court Continues to Protect Politicians


Armstrong Economics Blog/Rule of Law Re-Posted Mar 29, 2021 by Martin Armstrong

Supreme Court protects Hillary Clinton as expected. The Supreme Court refused to compel Hillary Clinton to testify about her email server rejecting a move by Judicial Watch. This is further proof that the Supreme Court is refusing to enforce the law when it comes to politicians.

Terrorism Charges Dismissed by Judge Against Three Men Accused of Plotting to Kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer


Posted Originally on the conservative tree house March 29, 2021 | Sundance | 95 Comments

Jackson County District Judge Michael Klaeren (Michigan 12th District) has removed charges of terrorism against three men accused in a plot to kidnap governor Gretchen Whitmer.  According to the Detroit News, judge Klaeren said: ” “There has to be some form of intent here to incite mayhem”, and no evidence in that regard has been presented.  The terrorism charges fail for lack of evidence.

MICHIGAN – […] The charges were dismissed against Paul Bellar of Milford and Joseph Morrison and Pete Musico of Munith. They are among seven men accused of having ties to the militia group Wolverine Watchmen who are charged in the alleged plot. The others include Shawn Fix of Belleville, Eric Molitor of Cadillac, Michael Null of Plainwell and William Null of Shelbyville. The men had faced a total of 19 felony charges for firearms and terror-related acts.

After onboarding new members through mediums such as Facebook, the group’s conversations took place in encrypted chats. The limited nature of those chats is why the threat charge was dismissed, Klaeren said.

[…] The three will stand trial on the three remaining charges, Klaeren said. Each are charged with gang membership and providing material support for terrorism, both punishable by up to 20 years in prison, as well as felony firearm, punishable by up to two years in prison.

The gang membership charge and the felony firearms charge were dependent on the material support for terrorism charge, Klaeren said. (read more)

Day One – The Trial of Police Officer Derek Chauvin Begins – Open Discussion Thread


Posted originally on the conservative tree house March 29, 2021 | Sundance | 208 Comments

The trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd, began today with opening arguments. Officer Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, who died in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Forensic evidence showed that George Floyd died from a “cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression.” Other significant conditions were listed as “arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease; fentanyl intoxication; recent methamphetamine use.” (link)

A memorandum filed by the Hennepin County Attorney’s office on June 1 indicated that chief medical examiner Dr. Andrew Baker, who listed Floyd’s death as a homicide, thought the amount of fentanyl in Floyd’s blood was “pretty high” and could be “a fatal level of fentanyl under normal circumstances.” “[Dr. Baker] said that if Mr. Floyd had been found dead in his home (or anywhere else) and there were no other contributing factors he would conclude that it was an overdose death,” the memo said.

Opening statements began this morning.  The trial in in recess until 12:15pm ET / 11:15am CT  [Livestream Links Below]

Fox News Livestream – Global News Livestream – Alternate Livestream Link

Australia Committing Economic Suicide – Turning Hard Left


Armstrong Economics Blog/Regulation Re-Posted Mar 29, 2021 by Martin Armstrong

The Greens in Australia want to tax Billionaires 6% Wealth Tax annually (in addition to INCOME) as a property tax on everything this own from art right down to the watch they wear. They claim it will raise $11.2 billion over its first two years, it will cost the Australian Tax Office an extra $110 million to implement the policy and enforce compliance. But it does not stop there. It would apply to Australians who hold more than $1 billion in assets, no matter where they live, and non-residents who hold Australian assets worth more than $1 billion. Therefore, you can see how stupid these people are for they assume those they target would just remain in Australia and that foreign investment would certainly abandon Australia. This is on top of income taxes, and property taxes that already are in place.

I quit managing money domestically in the United States back in 1985. They came in for an audit and government employees MUST find something wrong because their view is nobody is perfect. They said they were going to write me up for improper record keeping. I asked what was wrong. They said my tabs on files were PINK and they were supposed to be RED. I am not one to cower from the government. I demanded their names and told them I would be filing a lawsuit against them personally. They dropped the nonsense and left. I then informed all my American clients that I would no longer manage money inside the United States. I returned all the funds and moved offshore. That incident transformed me into one of the first Hedge Fund Managers. Stupid regulation has an impact and the idiots behind it are too stupid to understand the consequences.

The political left never gets it. If they raised income taxes back to 90% again, I would just quit. Out of principle, I would simply refuse to work as an economic slave. They never read Atlas Shrugged. They think robbing others because they have more than they have is perfectly fine. So if they are walking down the street and someone sticks a gun in their face and says give me everything or your life, they too are justified because whatever they have is still more than the person with the gun.

I find it very interesting that these left-wing policies are actually forbidden by the Ten Commandments for they are built upon avarice and envy. The Seven Deadly Sins are Pride, Anger, Greed, Gluttony, Lust, Envy, and Sloth. What is interesting is the fact that what is in the Ten Commandments can be found in just about every religion since the dawn of time. This appears to be a human problem and they always justify it by saying it is not fair that someone else has something they do not. But then again, then do not want to work for it – Sloth.

SNL Shows whoever is President – They are Fair Game


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics Re-Posted Mar 29, 2021 by Martin Armstrong

The Washington Post has never, at least that I recall, critiqued an SNL skit. They just could not help themselves to rush to the defense of Biden. This proves it is no longer about news – it is just about propaganda. It is True the “Democracy Dies in Darkness” and the Washington Post is doing everything they can to kill democracy.

Senators on Armed Services Committee Promote Expansion of NSA Domestic Data Gathering and Surveillance – NSA Response: “The Fourth Amendment is a “Key Obstacle” You Need to Remove


Posted originally on the conservative tree house March 28, 2021 | Sundance | 206 Comments

OK, before I blow a blood pressure cuff on this issue, please keep in mind the warnings provided on these pages about DHS now starting to assemble lists of dissident citizens under the guise of domestic extremists. {Go Deep}  Also remind yourself the same DHS and FBI are now using private contractors embedded in Big Tech to scour public information on social media and provide feedback to help DHS assemble those lists. {Go Deep}

Now, we take that foundation and build it one step further…. This well-written report about the recent Senate Armed Services Committee discussion with the National Security Agency (NSA) needs to be absorbed with the prior information as context.  These paragraphs are alarming in the extreme (emphasis mine):

[…] “Several members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday voiced their support for expanded authorities for the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command to conduct more intelligence gathering domestically, something that the Biden administration already is exploring, according to Gen. Paul Nakasone, who leads both agencies.”

“Former NSA general counsel Glenn Gertstell has argued that an expansion of NSA authorities to collect domestic intelligence is overdue. “It can’t possibly be the case that the Fourth Amendment ties our hands in such a way that we just have to sit there and watch the Chinese romp through our infrastructure,” he told the Wall Street Journal in March. The Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable searches and [NSA Director] Nakasone cited it as a key obstacle to potential expansion of the NSA’s powers domestically.” (read more)

The Fourth Amendment is an “obstacle“?….  WTF kind of outlook is that.

Despite their efforts, their ongoing efforts, to destroy what remaining privacy safeguards are in place…. I do not want to live in a nation that loses the fundamental protection of the Fourth Amendment:  “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” (citation)

Sunday Talks, A Frustrated Eric Trump Discusses How JoeBama Created The Border Crisis He Now Denies


Posted originally on the conservative tree house March 28, 2021 | Sundance | 71 Comments

Eric Trump expresses the frustrations felt by many Americans who are watching the JoeBama administration deconstruct the border protections and policies put into place by his father, President Trump.

Additionally, Maria Bartiromo asks for Trump’s perspective on the vaccine rollout, the hypocrisy of the Hunter Biden coverup and the potential for a Joe Biden executive order to initiate more gun control.

A wise quote from a friend today makes a lot of sense in the big picture…. “[A White House] memo goes out saying all communications must read “biden/harris admin” ….. [Biden publicly claims Kamala Harris in charge of “Border Crisis, but] now Kammy isn’t the border gal … but she’s doing the diplomat stuff with south of the border governments. She gets cred for that while fully insulated from the crisis that Biden won’t have to answer for in any way except preapproved questions….have to give the WH team credit for creating a perfectly bubbled environment around jumbled Joe. It’s so perfect why change it? With Joe at the helm, the WH can claim credit and deny responsibility with zero media pushback…couldn’t do that with Harris in charge. She is universally unlikeable, and so blatantly phony that her campaign couldn’t raise money….. Harris couldn’t get away with bumbling through a press conference or hiding from the world the way Joe does. I now think the WH team wants to keep pushing Joe out there for as long as possible.”

Sunday Talks, Senator Ted Cruz Discusses GOP Border Visit and Ongoing Border Crisis


Posted originally on the conservative tree house March 28, 2021 | Sundance | 130 Comments

Sometimes it is difficult to bite your tongue and not respond negatively to the manipulative public positioning of well known sanctimonious hypocrites.  Today, as I watched this interview with Senator Ted Cruz, my prayers were for grace amid the face the stunning & historical hypocrisy.

You see, there’s a problem with Cruz’s current position of advocacy regarding the southern border crisis… a position he must first reconcile before any credibility can be given to any statements.  Back in 2014 Ted Cruz, Glenn Beck and Dana Loesch attacked anyone who challenged them on their ridiculous public spectacle at the U.S. southern border; during their Teddy Bears and Soccer Balls tour.  More on that in a moment….

Here is Ted Cruz discussing his ‘new found’ concern about illegal aliens under the Biden administration.

In 2014 Ted Cruz, Glenn Beck and Dana Loesch went to the Texas border to deliver gifts to the incoming illegal aliens during the first of many crisis involving “Unaccompanied Alien Children.” Yes the same Dana Loesch that went on to become the spokesperson for the NRA was at the border handing out gifts to illegal border crossers under the guise of a humanitarian crisis. {Full Details Here}

Beck and Cruz were passing out Teddy Bears and Soccer Balls, while Catholic Charities and Baptist Child and Family Services were getting millions. The inner-city American kids? Well, nothing for them…. not even a word from DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson. But, oh yeah, Black Lives Matter, right? I digress.  All of this is well documented in the links above. It’s all there for those who have eyes to see and a capability of being intellectually honest.

When Clarice Feldman, Thomas Lifson (American Thinker) and myself called-out their enabling conduct, the trio of Cruz, Beck and Loesch went bananas and launched a full-throated attack against us for calling them out. Seven years later Ted Cruz apparently wants everyone to forget what he did to create the environment that now exists as the UAC issue on steroids happens again.

♦ Ted Cruz was for South American Refugees (2014 – link) “Soccer Ball and Teddy Bear Delivery” before he was against SA/Mexican refugees and promoting a border wall (2015) – He cannot square that factual circle ~ Research Outline
♦ Ted Cruz was for Trade Promotion Authority (2015 – link), before he was against Trade Promotion Authority (2015) – He cannot square that factual circle. ~ Research Outline
♦ Ted Cruz was for Taking More Syrian Refugees (2014 – link), specifically dismissing the threat of terror embeds, before he was against taking Syrian Refugees (2015 – link) – He cannot square that factual circle. ~ Research Outline
♦ Ted Cruz was against Ethanol Subsidies (2013 – link), before he was for Ethanol Subsidies (2016 – link) – He cannot square that factual circle. ~ Research Outline
♦ Ted Cruz was for Anchor Baby Birthright Citizenship (2011 – link), before he was against “birthright citizenship” (2015 – link) – He cannot square that factual circle. ~ Research Outline
♦ Ted Cruz was for the Iran Deal “Corker Cardin Amendment” (2015 – link), before he was against the Iran Deal (2015 – link) – He cannot square that factual circle. ~ Research Outline
♦ Ted Cruz was for Mitch McConnell (2014 – link), before he was against Mitch McConnell (2014 link) – He cannot square that factual circle. ~ Research outline
♦ Ted Cruz was against Chris McDaniel (2014 – link), before he was for Chris McDaniel (2015) – He cannot square that factual circle – Research outline

Yes, we have a crisis at the southern border; however, it is a crisis that Ted Cruz has always wind-tested his response toward.

Senseless Violence Caught on Camera – Two Teenage Girls 13 and 15, Charged With Murder After Carjacking Uber Driver


Posted on the conservative tree house March 27, 2021 | Sundance | 177 Comments

A horrific crime as two black teenage girls in Washington DC are charged with murder following their attack on an Uber-eats driver.  The event was caught on camera by a bystander.  They assaulted 66-year old Mohammad Anwar with a stun gun and then proceeded to steal his car while he tried to stop them.

(Via New York Post) Two teenage girls were charged with murder Wednesday in the death of an Uber Eats driver who they allegedly carjacked and assaulted with a stun gun in Washington, DC, a new report said.

The suspects, ages 13 and 15, are accused of attacking the 66-year-old driver, Mohammad Anwar, inside his car on Tuesday as he was driving near Nationals Park in the southeast section of the city, NBC Washington reported.

Anwar’s gray sedan crashed and flipped on its side during the attempted robbery, the report said.

The victim was found by police on the sidewalk. He was taken to a nearby hospital, but could not be saved.

The two girls were pulled from the wreck by two National Guard troops who were in the area, according to the station. They were arrested at the scene.  The suspects are charged with murder and carjacking.  (read more)

CNN calls the murder an “accident