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.

Noor Bin Ladin: “Apparently Now Just Like Bill Gates, Larry Ellison Is A Doctor”


Posted originally on Rumble By Bannons War Room on: Jan 22, 2025 at 7:00 pm EST

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

Canada Created its Own Trade Barriers


Posted originally on Jan 21, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

CanadaTradeRestrictions

Stéfane Marion, chief economist of the National Bank of Canada, has urged the Canadian government to reconsider their own trade barriers amid criticism of Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) stated in a 2019 study that Canada’s own restrictions are “regarded as the most comprehensive analysis of internal trade barriers.” Rather than tariffs, Canada’s eagerness to attract foreign investments has proved to be a barrier for domestic corporations.

Canada has trade agreements with over 40 nations as it has sought to attract international capital since 1989 since its first free trade deal with the USA. “[C]ompared to an ambitious and successful international trade strategy, progress in reducing internal trade barriers across Canada has not kept pace,” the IMF noted. The astounding amount of red tape has simply made it more expensive for Canadian companies to conduct business. Some estimates believe non-geographical internal trade barriers in Canada are equivalent to a 21% tariff. On the contrary, those barriers amount to a 3% tariff for the United States.

Marion noted that interprovincial trade relevant to international trade has declined from 50% to 40% in recent decades. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has long fought for government to stop taxing its own corporations into oblivion. “It’s ridiculous that it’s still easier for Canadian small firms to do business overseas or across the border than within their own country,” said Chorine Pohlmann, CFIB’s executive vice president of advocacy.

Canadians are ready to welcome fresh leadership after Trudeau’s failure. Trump’s proposed 25% tariffs on Canadian goods would be disastrous for both economies. However, the Canadian government has shot itself in the foot with policies aimed at boosting international trade while ignoring domestic objectives. We have seen that happen countless times throughout history when nations are so focused on world trade that they end up dampening their own competitiveness. Canada must consider the steps it can currently take to boost business domestically without punishing companies from operating within Canada.

Interview: Turkey is the Biggest Threat in the Middle East


Posted originally on Jan 20, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

Listening to Fools


Posted originally on Jan 20, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

Its the Economy Stupid

COMMENT: I had assumed you were just a Trump supporter. It has been emphasized that I was wrong and that you are in the middle of forecasting the events economically. I was told you recently said that Trump could go down as Herbert Hoover and that he cannot prevent the recession from occurring. Would you please elaborate on this and why you are in the middle to begin with. That is rare these days.

Thank you for your time.

Doug

IntRate Manipulate

ANSWER: The computer forecasts all of these elections worldwide, and it has never been wrong because it is not partisan; it just follows the economics. Plain and simple. Any unbiased analysis will always show that if you turn the economy down, the people will vote them out of power regardless of the party. It has always been as they say, it’s the economy stupid.

I am anti-Marxist. I went  behind the Berlin Wall before it fell, and I was called in by China during the 1997 Asian Currency Crisis. So, what I have seen has shaped my personal beliefs. Like weather, too much heat or too much cold and you will die. The same is true in economics. Go into hyperinflation and you get Germany turning to Hitler, or deflation you get the Great That is why I am in the middle of the road, I suppose. I see government as always the problem, for they presume they can manipulate We the People always to retain power. They are dead wrong.

923 ECM 11925.45 1934.05 Detailed

Now, as for Trump becoming Herbert Hoover II, I am by no means a Democrat and at times, I am barely a Republican. We are heading into a recession that will turn into a Depression for some countries because we have a Sovereign Debt Crisis that will not remain silent for long. Trump and his people have grabbed the scepter, and they become mesmerized by the power and think they, too, can dictate the economy. Sorry, there is something we call the business cycle, which is global. The first recognized global contagion was the Panic of 1857. We cannot ignore the economic conditions externally. Trump wants these tariffs to end the trade deficits. That is old-school thinking, and it will fail. Raising tariffs will cause deeper recessions outside the USA and that means the US exports will decline. As that declines, it will create a global economic contagion and that will come back to engulf the US economy.

I can preach until I am blue in the face. They will NEVER listen to me BECAUSE they are all caught up in their own power. It is like a guy has a gun, and he says your money or your life. Are you going to lecture him that guns are illegal without a permit? Good luck on that one.

Swamp

With all due respect for Trump, this is just the wrong time with the bad ideas because the crisis is beyond just the United States. Unless you understand the world economy as a whole, this will not end well. Trump will hit the ground running and may score some success into 2026. Thereafter, things will get serious. Yes, the political system and the rule of law is complete garbage. This will help post-2032 with the reform and creation of a better political-economic system.

935 ECM 2020 2028

This is how the business cycle will unfold. It really does not matter who is president. The global economy will turn down. Kamala and the Democrats would have been a total disaster and we would be in World War III very fast. The Democrats said they were defending democracy against Trump. They were actually stating their own agenda.

Blinken Anthony
Biden Interregnum

Biden was a placeholder – nothing more. He was not the president making the decisions – that was, I believe, the Neocons led by Antony Blinken no different that Dick Cheney was really president under Bush Jr. The Neocons have usurped American foreign policy and did everything to push us into World War III. This was a coup against the American people that the press would NEVER cover, no less investigate. Biden was in a role for which he was unfit because he could be controlled by the Neocons. They picked him, which is why you had Republicans for Kamala to keep that power play. The Democrats replace Biden with Kamala who would be another placeholder who never one a single delegate in the previous presidential primary. She lost every battleground state. All the time, the Democrats pushed Biden off the ticket and made her the nominee without giving voters the slightest say, yet had the audacity to claim this election was about Democracy.

Milgrim

The Democrats would lie to your face that Biden was OK. Had the shoe been on the other foot, the Republicans would have done the same. Rule #1 in politics is NEVER admit a mistake. I have dealt with more governments than probably any analyst or all of them combined. I have seen inside the belly of the beast, and I cannot mindlessly be in either party. It will always come down to the realization at the end of the day that it will be government vs. people, and history will attest to that statement. If a commentator only supports one party, you are listening to a fool.