Saturday, December 31, 2011

CATA Study On Federal Reserve

The CATO think-tank released a study of the the Federal Reserve.  Has The Fed Been A Failure?

CATA concludes there is a need for competition in the field of central banking, "We conclude that the need for a systematic exploration of alternatives to the established monetary system is as pressing today as it was a century ago."

Friday, December 30, 2011

Michael Scheuer

Michael Scheuer is the former head of the Bin Laden unit for the CIA. He was with the CIA for 22 years.  Michael discusses the choice of Republican candidates for President.

Senator John McCain was reading Washington’s clear warnings about the dangers of foreign intervention and the fatal impact of mindlessly favoring one country over another. To hear this from McCain’s interventionist, war-mongering, and Israel-is-always-right mouth was sound evidence of his hypocrisy and deceitfulness, as well as his and his senatorial colleagues’ ignorance of Washington’s ideas, and U.S. history in general.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Banks Profited From Secret Fed Loans

Secret loans from the Federal Reserve allowed risk-free profits by the bankers. The bank bosses took over-sized bonuses for their success at turning risk-free money into profits.

Ron Paul is right, we need a full and complete audit of the Federal Reserve.

Secret Fed Loans Helped Banks Net $13 Billion
The Federal Reserve and the big banks fought for more than two years to keep details of the largest bailout in U.S. history a secret. Now, the rest of the world can see what it was missing.
The Fed didn’t tell anyone which banks were in trouble so deep they required a combined $1.2 trillion on Dec. 5, 2008, their single neediest day. Bankers didn’t mention that they took tens of billions of dollars in emergency loans at the same time they were assuring investors their firms were healthy.
...
“TARP at least had some strings attached,” says Brad Miller, a North Carolina Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, referring to the program’s executive-pay ceiling. “With the Fed programs, there was nothing.”
...

Thursday, November 10, 2011

One Of The Few Sane Voices

Think about losing 98% of your wealth. Or having 98% of your wealth stolen by the banksters.  Now consider the following.

Ron Paul is called one of the few sane voices:
One of the few sane voices for many years regarding the dangers of excessive private and public debt has been Presidential candidate Ron Paul.

Gold Could Go to ‘Infinity’ Says Presidential Candidate Ron Paul
Ron Paul gave another perceptive interview to CNBC yesterday and warned of hyperinflation and the possibility that the dollar could become worthless.
...
When asked how high the gold price would go and why, he responded:
“Well, the question is how much lower is the dollar going to go in purchasing power? And I said to infinity unless we change our ways. Because if you look at the gold/dollar in 1913 when the fed started, we've lost about 98% of its value.“

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Government Regulation Failed

Government financial regulation seems strict, and it effectively limits competitors. The politically well-connected receive regulation waivers, then proceed to bankrupt their companies and steal from their clients.

FINRA Gave Corzine Waiver to Run MF Global
When Jon Corzine returned to the securities business to run MF Global, he did so without requalifying or registering, as required by FINRA. Apparently FINRA waived the requirements for the former New Jersey governor, who resigned from the now-bankrupt MF Global last week.

According to a story in Forbes, a search on FINRA’s BrokerCheck failed to turn up the former head of Goldman Sachs ...

FINRA is generally insistent on the need for registration ...

Government Backstops

Nassim Nicholas Taleb authored the article End Bonuses for Bankers.

While Mr. Taleb adequately describes some of the symptoms of the current banking problems, his suggestion of ending bonuses radically departs from a workable solution.

Mr. Taleb's proposal:
Any person who works for a company that, regardless of its current financial health, would require a taxpayer-financed bailout if it failed should not get a bonus, ever.

He continues:
The asymmetric nature of the bonus (an incentive for success without a corresponding disincentive for failure) causes hidden risks to accumulate in the financial system and become a catalyst for disaster.

If risk of failure is completely put on the owners and investors, the owners and investors will create adequate risk management systems or they will quickly fail. The problem occurs when the costs of failure are taken by the government. Remove the government backstops and insurance, and there will be no need for limiting free market bonuses.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

GAO and the Federal Reserve

Ron Paul has been calling for a full and complete audit of the Federal Reserve. Ron Paul's bill H.R. 459, to allow the GAO to conduct a full audit, has 191 co-sponsors.

Barron's reports that a recent limited review by the GAO found conflict of interest and self-dealing at the Federal Reserve:
The history of this cozy arrangement between the regulators and the regulated is outlined in a 266-page, July 2011 audit by the Government Accountability Office that came to light during an Oct. 4 hearing by the House Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology, which is chaired by Texas Republican Rep. Ron Paul. The story is also contained in a companion 127-page GAO audit, released Oct. 19, attacking the Fed's inadequate safeguards against potential conflicts of interest among board members at its regional banks. Both reports are one-time audits required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law.

Where there is smoke there is fire, and where there is one cockroach there are many more. When the Government Accountability Office is allowed to do a full and complete audit of the Federal Reserve, there will be fire and cockroaches.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Conflicts At The Fed

Bernie Sanders press release recounts how the Government Accountability Office has found conflicts of interest at the Federal Reserve.

GAO Finds Serious Conflicts at the Fed
A new audit of the Federal Reserve released today detailed widespread conflicts of interest involving directors of its regional banks.

"The most powerful entity in the United States is riddled with conflicts of interest," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said after reviewing the Government Accountability Office report. The study required by a Sanders Amendment to last year's Wall Street reform law examined Fed practices never before subjected to such independent, expert scrutiny.


The GAO found the conflicts of interest at the Fed when they looked into a small part of the Fed. Ron Paul's bill to allow the GAO to conduct a full and complete audit of the Federal Reserve should be signed into law.

Sarah Palin Agrees With Limiting Foreign Military Interventions

Regarding Ron Paul's view on limited foreign interventions and nation building, Sarah Palin recently said, "You have to hand it to Ron Paul." "Congress does have a role to play in these foreign policies that are made and Ron Paul has hit the nail on the head when he says the President must be careful when he interjects ourselves into other nation's business."

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

"Ron Paul has a good idea"

Rush Limbaugh says Ron Paul's idea for balancing the budget is a "good idea".

Ron Paul Has a Good Idea
RUSH: ... Ron Paul has a good idea.

CALLER: Really?

RUSH: ... Kevin Williamson writing at The Corner, National Review Online: "Politico reports that Ron Paul is about to show the Republican presidential field what a serious fiscal-reform plan looks like, proposing $1 trillion in real spending cuts. I look forward to seeing the detailed version of the plan, but the summary sounds promising: He’ll propose immediately freezing spending by numerous government agencies at 2006 levels, the last time Republicans had complete control of the federal budget, and drastically reducing spending elsewhere.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Big Nanny Federal Government vs State's Rights

Ron Paul's proposal to cut $1 trillion in federal government spending is a bold plan that fits with our economic realities. While this is rightly receiving significant press, I found this interesting article published earlier this year in The Oklahoma Daily.

The editorial compares so-called states right's vs federal oversight on the issue of regulation of medical marijuana:
The federal government spends $26 billion a year on the war on drugs ...
The U.S. has traditionally focused on law enforcement rather than treatment. ...
The benefits organized crime received from our attempted crackdown on drugs should have been predictable. ...
Not only have our policies given great profits to drug cartels, they also have tended to stigmatize drug users in such a way that they are less likely to seek treatment
. ...
... Global Commission on Drug Policy concluded the global war on drugs is “an abject disaster” ...

By making marijuana regulation an issue for the states rather than simply decriminalizing it, the senators are taking advantage of a certain level of hypocrisy in many conservative politicians.
This is a constitutional 10th amendment issue. The federal government should allow the states to decide. Instead of following the constitution, President Obama had directed more medical marijuana dispensary raids in California.

As a 10th amendment issue, the state of California will be able to test the bounds of an overbearing federal government.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

You Want Him

A local army base newspaper has a front page Ron Paul article. The article highlights that Ron Paul receives the most military donations.

RON PAUL: YOU WANT HIM
He believes hundreds of thousands of U.S. Servicemembers have been stretched thin all across the globe in more than 135 countries - often without a clear mission, any sense of what defines victory, or the knowledge of when they'll be permanently reunited with their families.

He believes acting as the world's policeman and nation-building weakens the U.S., puts our troops in harm's way, and sends precious resources to other nations in the midst of a historic economic crisis.












Unrelated to the newspaper article, this chart conveniently shows Ron Paul's donations compared to other candidates.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

10th Amendment

Ron Paul received the loudest applause of the night when he promised to veto any bill that violates the 10th amendment (so-called "state's rights").

The mood of the country has substantially shifted to a desire to adhere to the foundations of our country.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

McKinnon Says Ron Paul Can Be GOP Nominee

Interesting how a well-connected political adviser says Ron Paul can take the Republican nomination:
Mark McKinnon, a former adviser to President George W. Bush and Sen. John McCain in their presidential campaigns ...

McKinnon also complained that Texas Rep. Ron Paul "gets ignored by the media" but has a great deal of popularity.

"If the economy doesn't get better than it is right now, Ron Paul can be the nominee and win this nomination," McKinnon said.

Unaffordable Luxury

Last night MSNBC had a Republican Presidential candidate debate (didn't look anything like a debate ... more like Romney/Perry glamour show).

During the session, Ron Paul was the only candidate who spoke of the unending mandates. Ron Paul also advocated for reducing foreign excursions and to spend half of the saved funds on reducing the national debt and the other half on social programs at home.

Ron Paul is right. Military adventurism is a luxury we can no longer afford
[Ron Paul] remarked in the latest Republican presidential candidate debate in the Ronald Reagan Library:
I was astonished! We are spending twenty billion dollars on air conditioning for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. I would take all that away, use ten billion to pay down the debt, and use the other ten toward FEMA and any other agency that we really need. And if you took that air conditioning away, those troops would come home very quickly, and I’d be happy with that.
...

Foreign military adventures are a luxury the free West can no longer afford.

To put Paul's remarks into perspective, consider these shocking figures from Mark Steyn's terminally bleak new masterpiece After America.
In 2010 the US spent about $663 billion on its military; China about $78 billion. How is it financing this massive expenditure? By borrowing money, mainly from China. Within a decade the US will be spending more of the federal budget on interest payments than it does on its armed services.

...

If things are going to get as bad as I think they're going to get, we need to start taking Ron Paul and his ideas much, much more seriously.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

"Jobs Plan"

While a big-government candidate announced his "jobs plan" that contains a mountain of tweaks of the existing system, Ron Paul's "jobs plan" comes from the Constitution:
Rep. Paul’s “jobs plan” was similarly large in scope, as his reply involved a long explanation of Keynesian economics and a suggestion to “let the troops come home and spend their money here,” instead of “subsidizing the welfare state of Germany and Japan as well as South Korea.”

Friday, September 2, 2011

Military Supports Ron Paul

Based on donations, active military overwhelmingly support Ron Paul.

"The one telltale sign of the support I'm getting is because of my foreign policy. I get more donations from active military duty people than all the other candidates put together, which tells me a lot and tells the American people a lot," Paul said.

...

"Military people wanted to defend this country but they don't want perpetual war when they are
undeclared and you don't see the end and you don't know who the enemy is and it's too many
restrictions on how they retaliate against the enemies ... Our (National) Guard units should be here taking care of us when we have floods, but no, they're overseas and the military is worn out, it's time for a change if for no reason than we're flat out broke," he said.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Foreign Intervention Makes Us Less Safe

For years Ron Paul has said that foreign intervention and continuous wars makes us less safe at home.

Vermont has a Guard to provide services in time of need. The people of Vermont are in a time of need due to the damage from hurricane Irene. Vermont's Guard owns eight helicopters that could be used to transport food and water to suffering people in Vermont.

Where are Vermont's helicopters?


Outside assistance from other state's National Guard units is needed because the Vermont National Guard's helicopter fleet is deployed on a mission in Iraq.
Eight helicopters on loan from the Illinois National Guard were expected to arrive Tuesday night in Vermont to help the Vermont National Guard deliver food, medicine, water and other supplies to 13 Vermont towns cut off from the rest of the state in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene.

The outside helicopter support is needed because all six of the Vermont Guard’s Black Hawk helicopters are still in Iraq, where they and 55 Vermont soldiers are wrapping up a yearlong hospital transport mission, said Lt. Lloyd Goodrow, spokesman for the Vermont Guard.

The eight helicopters being sent in include six massive, double-bladed Chinook choppers and two smaller Black Hawk helicopters, said Vermont Guard Capt. Doran Metzger.
...

Conspiracy Of Counterfeiters

Pat Buchanan has an article on the Keynesians and Bernanke printing money.

Perry and Ron Paul deserve the nation's gratitude for putting this issue of the unfettered power and the amorality of our unelected Federal Reserve on the political docket.



Meanwhile, we are getting more information about the secret bailouts by the Federal Reserve:

"From late 2007 through mid-2010, Reserve Banks provided more than a trillion dollars… in emergency loans to the financial sector to address strains in credit markets and to avert failures of individual institutions believed to be a threat to the stability of the financial system," the audit report states.

"The scale and nature of this assistance amounted to an unprecedented expansion of the Federal Reserve System’s traditional role as lender-of-last-resort to depository institutions," according to the report.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Tea Party takes the Iowa Straw Poll

Michelle Bachman won the straw poll, 1% ahead of Ron Paul. As unofficial representatives of the Tea Party, the Tea Party took 1st and 2nd place.

Rand Paul discussed his father's second place finish in the Iowa Straw Poll. Rand Paul was able to discuss many economic issues and said about the Treasury Secretary, "It is time for Timothy Geithner to go."

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Is Gold Money?

Today Ron Paul asked Ben Bernanke, "Do you think gold is money?" Ben answered, "No."

Gold is clearly used as money and central banks and people are busy buying gold. In 1912, J.P. Morgan told Congress, "Gold is money. Everything else is credit."

Ben Bernanke is delusional:


Ron Paul also highlighted the banks were bailed out and the consumers were ignored.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Americans Fund Spanish Company

American taxpayers, through the Department of Energy, are guaranteeing $1.2 billion in loans to the Spanish company Abengoa.

Why are Americans subsidizing European companies? Maybe we should spend our money on Americans first.

In 2007, Ron Paul called for ending the Department of Energy. "We don't need a Department of Energy. It serves the interests of big business." Other than growing the size of their budget and staff, how much energy has the DoE created? It's time to defund the Department of Energy.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

New Hampshire GOP Debate

Early in the race for the GOP nomination for President, many actors are testing their talking points. A couple credible newspapers published stories indicating Ron Paul won the New Hampshire GOP debate last night.

An analysis of audience reaction shows Paul was applauded twice as much as any other candidate on stage.
... Paul earned applause throughout the debate, on a variety of issues, including his opposition to "government assistance to private enterprise," his belief that people should be able to "opt out" of Medicare, his views on the separation of church and state, and his opposition to the United States' various wars.

"I'd bring them home as quickly impossible," he said of U.S. troops. "I'd quit bombing Yemen and Pakistan."



Ron Paul wins New Hampshire GOP debate
The winner of the night – who was also the winner of the first Republican debate – was Ron Paul. At least a few times, some of the candidates referenced Dr. Paul in their answers, and sounded their best when they used similar rhetoric as the Congressman from Texas.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Audit The Fed Gains Traction

Ron Paul's bill to do a full and complete audit of the Federal Reserve is gaining traction. The bill now has over 150 sponsors.

A recent letter to the editor in a California newspaper. The letter ends, "The Constitution does not begin 'We the Fed', but 'We the people'."

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Any Gold In Fort Knox?

Is there real gold in Fort Knox? If it is there, why is there so much secrecy and refusal of a legitimate audit?

Paul, a longtime critic of the Federal Reserve and U.S. monetary policy, said he believes it's "a possibility" that there might not actually be any gold in the vaults of Fort Knox or the New York Federal Reserve bank.

...

“Our Federal Reserve admits to nothing, and they should prove all the gold is there. There is a reason to be suspicious and even if you are not suspicious why wouldn’t you have an audit?

“I think it is a possibility," Paul said when asked if there was truth to rumors that there was actually no gold at Ft. Knox or the New York Fed.


Sunday, May 29, 2011

Medical Due Process

The Bush administration and the Obama administration have ignored legal due process by ignoring a petition to reclassify a drug under the Controlled Substance Act.
In the meantime, the Obama administration is protecting the pharmaceutical providers by allowing their equivalent synthetic product to be classified as a less risky drug. Why is Obama continuing the Bush-era policy of protecting the pharmaceutical cartel?

Ron Paul, acknowledging the "War On Drugs" is a failure says he would decriminalize drug possession, similar to the recent success in Portugal.

In the Bill Maher interview:
"What about when FDR came to office in '33," asked Maher. "One of the first things he did was repeal prohibition. He said we can't afford this anymore. Well, we have prohibition in this country. ... When he was making radical changes he said look, we're serious now. We're going to make serious changes and people like liquor."
Ron Paul reminds us:
"I don't like pot," said the congressman. "But I hate the drug war, so I would repeal all of prohibition. But, I wouldn't even bother taxing it. People have the right in a free country to make important decisions on their own lives. If they want to make mistakes, they can. They just can't come crawling to the government to get bailed out or taken care of if they get sick.
"I believe in freedom of choice in all that we do, as long as the individual never hurts anybody else."

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Federal Debt Ceiling

The excessive federal spending is enabled by the Federal Reserve, which buys (through the "primary dealers") the debt issued by the Treasury. This is the funding mechanism of outrageous deficits. If the dollar was backed by something tangible, this scheme of uncontrolled deficit spending would end. Since the dollar is backed by nothing, the attempt to control deficit spending is the debt ceiling which prohibits the Treasury from issuing debt beyond the debt ceiling. Politicians have found they can simply raise the debt ceiling.

In the following article, Ron Paul points out that future obligations are not included in the debt ceiling calculation.

Stop Raising the Debt Ceiling
The federal government once again has reached the limit of its legal ability to borrow money, meaning it cannot issue new Treasury debt without action by Congress to increase the debt ceiling limit. As of this month, our “official” national debt- which doesn’t include the staggering future payments promised to Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries- stands at $14.2 trillion.

The debt ceiling law, passed in 1917, enables Congress to place a statutory cap on the total amount of government debt rather than having to approve each individual Treasury bond offering. It also, however, forces Congress into an open and presumably somewhat shameful vote to approve more borrowing.
...

Monday, May 23, 2011

Iowa Endorsements

Endorsements for Ron Paul are starting.

ANKENY, Iowa (AP) — Texas congressman Ron Paul has collected his first endorsement from a sitting member of the Iowa Legislature.

At a news conference Monday at his campaign headquarters, Paul got the backing of Des Moines Republican legislator Glen Massie. Massie says he decided to endorse Paul because of the Texan's devotion to the Constitution.
...

Monday, May 16, 2011

IMF In Trouble

IMF chief Strauss-Kahn charged with attempted rape
IMF chief and possible French presidential candidate Dominique Strauss-Kahn was charged Sunday with a criminal sexual act, attempted rape, and unlawful imprisonment of a hotel maid in New York City.


This provides an opportunity to ask the obvious question, "Why does the IMF have so much influence?"


From the Daily Bell:
Our view, extreme as many might think it, is that if every UN agency vanished from the face of the earth, the globe would be a much better place. That includes non-UN agencies like the World Bank and BIS. The IMF in particular does nothing but wreak havoc on people unlucky enough to be living in nations where their psychopathic leaders have squirreled away billions leaving their countries unable to pay their bills.

The IMF's prescriptions are always the same – and never work. Taxes are raised, services are cut and national assets are sold off to favored (Anglo-American) bidders. If leaders don't go along, their countries are bullied.



Paul, who makes no secret about his disgust of IMF policies, said Strauss-Kahn demonstrates why the Fund has problems.

"These are the kind of people that are running the IMF and we want to turn the world finances and the control of the money supply to them," Paul said. "That should awaken everybody to the fact that they ought to look into the IMF and find out why we shouldn't be sacrificing more sovereignty to an organization like that and an individual like he was."

Short History of Monetary Debasement

Ron Paul has been speaking of corruption of monetary policy and the Federal Reserve for decades.

Here is a great article on the Cara Community about monetary policy, debased money, and the Coinage Act of 1792. It describes how Treasury employees were required to post a bond equivalent to ten years of salary, and misdeeds could be punished by death.
Here you have employees who had to put a bond to cover 5-10 years of their service (pay) in advance and if that was not enough they faced this …

“… falsification of weight, debasing currency and or embezzlement of metals under said officer’s charge … every such officer or person who shall commit any or either of the said offences shall be deemed guilty of felony, and shall suffer death.” Chap 16, Section 19

There has been no attempt whatsoever to restore sound money to our Nation in the past 40 years. By allowing debt to increase by using a monetary system based on increasing debt we have rubber stamped the misery of global Wars and poverty. We now have 1 in 7 Americans who can no longer afford to feed themselves.

America defaulted on the gold standard in order to continue the Vietnam War and to assume the mantle of World Police. Mr. Geithner you are wrong. America did default and America defaulted when you were alive. In 1971 America could no longer fulfill our monetary and trade obligations to foreign creditors under the gold standard. Since that default the “store of value” of a US Dollar has been radically debased.

Any way you slice it the US Treasury is mismanaged, which is just a reflection of our entire government … its all been mismanaged, not by just the Democrats or the Republicans, but by the American people who continue to fail in their voting responsibilities. America is run by two gigantic rampaging monopolies … one political and one monetary.

The Young & Ron Paul

NPR has a story about the young who frequently attend Ron Paul's events and want to talk about monetary policy and individual liberty.


The NPR page has a link to the audio version of the story.

Why The Young Flock To An Old Idealist
Sixteen-year-old Rob Gray says the age of the crowd doesn't seem odd to him.
It's "the old canard of the young being more open-minded than the old," he says.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Finland Is Awake, Wall Street Journal Is Asleep

It has come to my attention The Wall Street Journal has changed the original article.

Link to full original article.
Link to newly revised Wall Street Journal article.
Link to prior comments on this blog about the article.

In the spirit of secretive government, many sentences and entire paragraphs have been redacted. Even the harmless sentence, "Let's follow the money." was removed!

Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal can not be trusted. Ironically, I received a mailer today asking me to subscribe to their fraudulent shill of a newspaper.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Finland Is Awake

Finland is not going along with the forced EU banker bailouts. The leader of the True Finn Party, which gained in recent elections, had an article published in WSJ that shows he understands the people have the power and the elected govern by the consent of the people.

When I had the honor of leading the True Finn Party to electoral victory in April, we made a solemn promise to oppose the so-called bailouts of euro-zone member states. These bailouts are patently bad for Europe, bad for Finland and bad for the countries that have been forced to accept them. Europe is suffering from the economic gangrene of insolvency—both public and private. And unless we amputate that which cannot be saved, we risk poisoning the whole body.

...

To understand the real nature and purpose of the bailouts, we first have to understand who really benefits from them. Let's follow the money.

... We'll begin with the obvious: It is not the little guy that benefits. He is being milked and lied to in order to keep the insolvent system running. He is paid less and taxed more to provide the money needed to keep this Ponzi scheme going.

...

In a true market economy, bad choices get penalized. Not here. When the inevitable failure of overindebted euro-zone countries came to light, a secret pact was made.

Instead of accepting losses on unsound investments—which would have led to the probable collapse and national bailout of some banks—it was decided to transfer the losses to taxpayers via loans, guarantees and opaque constructs ...

In a democracy, where we govern under the consent of the people, power is on loan.
...


Amazing to come from a modern politician: we govern under the consent of the people, power is on loan.

Read the entire article here.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

The Ron Paul Moment

This week was the first GOP debate, and Ron Paul ranked highest in competition with Obama. Ron Paul also raised over $1 million to support a 2012 campaign, which dwarfs every other potential candidate.

Is This the Ron Paul Moment?
Representative Ron Paul established himself at the forefront of the Tea Party movement in the first Republican Presidential debate in Greenville, South Carolina. The debate has more and more establishment figures wondering if this might be the perfect political storm for the Texas congressman and obstetrician.


NPR wrote:
Asked if they would authorize use of the torture technique, candidates Pawlenty, Cain and Santorum raised their hands to signal that they were cool with violating the 8th amendment to the Constitution.

Santorum chirped, "Sure!"

The crowd applauded the supporters of waterboarding.

But Johnson and Paul refused to shred the Constitution, with Paul arguing that so-called "enhanced interrogation" techniques. The Texas congressman said waterboarding hasn't accomplished anything — and won't. Santorum disagreed, claiming that torture helped "get" Osama bin Laden.

Paul was right. Santorum was wrong.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

The Tea Parties Now Have Their Man

Will the Tea Parties compromise for a big government neo-con such as Newt Gingrich or Mitt Romney? Chuck Baldwin says the Tea Parties now have their man:
We need to get this straight: the Tea Party movement was never about electing Republicans–especially neocon Republicans!

Many GOP shills and toadies have jumped on the Tea Party bandwagon and have attempted to redefine its goals and objectives, including many of the talking heads on FOX News.

Here we are four years later. And, once again, the man who was responsible for the Tea Party movement coming into existence has entered the 2012 race for President.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

America's Econony

The Economist has an article about what is wrong with America's economy. The article has some great points to usefully redefine the debate about competitiveness. The article also points out how most politicians are failing to promote changes that will truly improve the economy of the majority of working people.

He [Obama] likes to frame America’s challenges in terms of “competitiveness”, particularly versus China. America’s prosperity, he argues, depends on “out-innovating, out-educating and out-building” China. This is mostly nonsense. America’s prosperity depends not on other countries’ productivity growth, but on its own (actually pretty fast) pace.


The system of corporate taxation is a mess and deters domestic investment. Mr Obama is right that America’s infrastructure is creaking. But the solution there has as much to do with reforming Neanderthal funding systems as it does with the greater public spending he advocates.


The budget deficit is huge and public debt, at over 90% of GDP when measured in an internationally comparable manner, is high and rising fast. Apart from Japan, America is the only big rich economy that does not have a plan for getting its public finances under control.

The bad news—and the second reason for gloom about what the politicians are up to—is that neither party is prepared to make the basic compromises that are essential to a deal.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Across The Atlantic ...

A manifesto from Ireland.

What is sovereignty? What is freedom?

To be truly free, we must each cultivate complete autonomy over our individual Self, so that regardless of the external circumstances we do not react in the old habitual manner which is predictable and easily controlled. Sovereignty means understanding ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually.


When we know ourselves and realise that freedom lies within, then no tyrant nor conman can take that freedom away. It is untouchable, inalienable and absolute. And it is inside each and every one of us. This is the great truth that the masters of war work so hard to keep us from revealing. We are kept on an endless threadmill of manufactured shocks, threats and disasters, perpetually focused on the external so that we never reveal the truth within.


What we seek – freedom, sovereignty, power, truth, even God, whatever label we choose to use – lies inside each of us. Not in some book or information or group or movement. These things can all help, but it is up to each of us to locate it, reveal it, nurture it and ultimately be it.


Read the entire article here.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Big Government Is King

Ron Paul speaks truth when he comments on Paul Ryans's big government budget and a government that is becoming like a monarchy.

Potential 2012 GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul (Texas) on Monday panned Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) budget proposal, telling a crowd in Iowa that the Ryan plan will not end big government, which he said is becoming like a monarchy.

Speaking at a forum organized by the Family Leader, a local Christian and socially conservative group, the Texas congressman referred to a passage in the Old Testament where the Israelite people asked the prophet Samuel for a king to rule over them. He used the story a parable to illustrate where he believes the once self-reliant American culture is headed.

...

"It goes on and on," the congressman said. "The king will take care of us.”

...

He said the budgets proposed by Rep. Ryan and President Obama wouldn't put Washington on a path to limited government.

“Neither of those budgets will solve our problems, or even come close," Paul said.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Ron Paul Returns Funds To Treasury

Ron Paul again returns unspent funds to the government. Ron Paul saved 10% of his budget to help pay down the national debt. Will other Congressmen follow Ron Paul's lead?

Taking another step forward in 2011, the Texas congressman and darling of the more libertarian, Tea Party wing of the Republican Party is continuing to walk the walk, returning a whopping $140,000 in unused office funds to the U.S. Treasury for the purpose of paying down the national debt. The sum is nearly 10% of his office funds and a 40% increase over the $100,000 he returned last year.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Close The Federal Reserve

Jim Rogers, famed investor and author, says "Close the Federal Reserve."

Jim says about Ben Bernanke, "The man has never been right about anything."

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Inflated

Barron's magazine reviewed the book Inflated.

Some great lines from Mark Calabria's review:
When Whalen describes the workings of the first and second Banks of the United States, much of it feels like a precursor to later debates regarding the Federal Reserve. In this light, Rep. Ron Paul comes across as a modern-day Andrew Jackson, whose battle with the Bank of the United States is retold while also placed in the context of current events.

The book reminds us that most wars are financed not by direct taxation, but through inflation and debt. The American experience has been little different from the experiences of other countries. Beginning with the financing of the Civil War and ending with the Cold War, Whalen draws out the connections between paying for war and its broader impacts on the financial markets.


In fact, the history surrounding the creation of the national banking system offers a useful reminder that much of it was expressly designed with the intention of providing a ready source of demand for government debt.

Self-Evident Problems

A Daily Bell interview of John Perkins, a self-proclaimed economic hit man, has some interesting ideas.

Daily Bell: What do you think of the Bank for International Settlements? Is it true that it has worldwide and absolute immunity? Why does a central bank for central banks need sovereign immunity? How is that even enforceable?
John Perkins: It's enforceable because that's the way the laws are written in all the various countries that we inhabit. As long as the people who are running the banks and corporations also control politicians, which today they do around the world, then they get to write the laws.


John Perkins: The problems are pretty self-evident; we have created a world where 5% of us in the United States consume about 30% of the world's resources. The system that we created is a total failure and it causes tremendous misery. People often talk about the prophet of 2012 and Mayan prophecy of doomsday, but I think more than half the people of the world have already met doomsday. They are living in dire poverty and starving to death or on the verge of starvation, so we have created a world that is its own doomsday.


John Perkins: ... we have been sending a very strong message that says we want cheap goods and services even if it means being socially and environmentally irresponsible. We have to send a new message. We have to send the message that we want a just and peaceful world. Stop the desperation and the exploitation

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Fed Economist Attacks

David Andolfatto, Vice President in the Research Division of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, found it easier to call Ron Paul names than to construct a rational argument based on facts. Even over-payed Fed economists can't compete with Ron Paul's economic knowledge.

David Andolfatto wrote, "The guy can be a real pinhead at times."

Starting an article by calling a person names is biased. And working for the third central bank of the United States also makes David. Those who work for the Fed know their cushy high-paying jobs are nearing the end. Therefore, they are attacking the messenger. It would be more productive to attack the failings of a command-and-control private monopoly bank known as the Federal Reserve.

Friday, March 4, 2011

What Is A Dollar?

Ron Paul asks Ben Bernanke what is a dollar. This is a very important question.

Ron Paul: "What is your definition of a dollar."
Ben Bernanke: "My definition of a dollar is what it can buy."



Bernanke's answer says the dollar is backed by nothing. Meanwhile, Bernanke blames the rising price of oil for causing inflation. Actually, The Federal Reserve and Ben Bernanke are causing inflation, which causes the higher oil price. Bernanke is causing the problem, and then blames inflation on the problem he created!

Sunday, February 20, 2011

"The state was to serve the people"

Interesting interview of an informed ex-banker. He discusses democracy, deflation, hyperinflation, the Middle East, war, and spiritual awakening.

Jay Taylor: I think the West is on a steep and slippery downward slope. If when we talk about the West, we talk about free markets and freedom and liberty and the importance of the individual. The individual is here now to serve the state and not the other way around. When the U.S. Constitution was formed, the idea was that the state was to serve the people. So every time there is another bailout that bails out the large banks that are bedfellows with the government, every time that happens a bit more of our freedom escapes us.

The West is heading away from a democratic environment, where individuals matter, and is moving more and more toward statism, where the individuals are here to serve the state. I would also like to mention that democracy was never mentioned in the U.S. Constitution; it was to be a republic, a limited government republic, so that the markets would rule, not politicians. But that has been turned on its end.

... you have to predict when the velocity of money is going to change; when will people finally decide and have enough confidence to stop sitting on their savings or start spending it in the United States?

More about Jay Taylor.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Rand Paul CPAC 2011 Speech

Note how Rand Paul ties the unconstitutionality of the health care bill into potentially broad implications for the Commerce Clause.

For government debt, "We are approaching the point of no return." Rand says the Republican budget proposal is not enough. "It is too timid and we must be more bold." "We must cut the unconstitutional programs." "We believe in abolishing the Department of Education."

"The most important constitutional thing our government does is our national defense. You can not say the doubling of the military budget in the past ten years has all been spent wisely and there is not any waste. If you refuse to acknowledge there is any waste that can be culled from the military budget, you are a big government conservative and you can not lay claim to balancing the budget."

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Rand Paul's First Speech On Senate Floor

Rand Paul begins his first speech by describing Henry Clay "The Great Compromiser".

One sentence from Rand's speech:
"The problem we face is not a revenue problem, it is a spending problem."

Iceland Did It Right

In 2008 while the banks were failing, Congress passed a law that Bush signed to bail out the banks. Both Obama and McCain supported this banker bailout.

Ron Paul opposed any bailout and called for other type of reforms to remedy the crisis. Ron Paul also said, "I find it difficult to muster much sympathy for the CEO's of Lockheed Martin and Goldman Sachs."

In the US, the banks had huge bailouts which they leveraged to pay massive bonuses to their failed executives while continuing to use mark-to-fantasy accounting to cover up their imploding balance sheets. The banks haven't fixed their capital problems.

In terms of multiples of GDP, Iceland had a much larger bank problem than the US, and Iceland put the banks into receivership. This wiped out the owners and creditors of the banks, which is the proper and legal process. Just over a year later, Iceland had a stable economy and a rejuventated and sound banking system.

By bailing out the banks, the US and Ireland provided social welfare to failed bankers at the expense of the taxpayers. Iceland did the right thing.

Iceland Proves Ireland Did `Wrong Things' Sacrificing Taxpayers
Unlike other nations, including the U.S. and Ireland, which injected billions of dollars of capital into their financial institutions to keep them afloat, Iceland placed its biggest lenders in receivership. It chose not to protect creditors of the country’s banks, whose assets had ballooned to $209 billion, 11 times gross domestic product.
With the economy projected to grow 3 percent this year, Iceland’s decision to let the banks fail is looking smart -- and may prove to be a model for others.
“If we’d guaranteed all the banks’ liabilities, we’d be in the same situation as Ireland,” says Arnason, whose Social Democratic Alliance was a junior coalition partner in the Haarde government.
By guaranteeing bank liabilities, Ireland faces a public debt burden as high as 12 times the country’s GDP. Iceland’s is about 85 percent.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

How To Fix Capitalism

The Harvard Business Review magazine contains the article How To Fix Capitalism. In this audio interview about the article ideas such as health, sustainability, and profits without jobs are mentioned and brushed off to instead discuss "what is good for society is good for business" and "shared value" while missing the elephant in the room - we don't have free-market capitalism. Instead we have a system of corruption led by the private cartel Federal Reserve with protection by the corrupt financial system regulators in the malfeasant SEC.


While 71% of the people understand we need to change, government will likely continue to support the economic fraud.

Some 71 percent of those surveyed oppose increasing the borrowing authority, the focus of a brewing political battle over federal spending. Only 18 percent support an increase.


Familiar faces such as those of Reps. Michelle Bachmann (R., Minn.) and Ron Paul (R., Texas) have been joined by a chorus of freshman members, many of whom explicitly campaigned against raising the debt limit.

However, most Republicans, bowing to reality (and remembering the blow that the GOP’s reputation suffered as a result of the 1995 shutdown), have decided on a more pragmatic approach.


The media conspire with government and corrupt financial services companies to push for unsustainable deficit spending by calling it "pragmatic". Advocating for what has failed is not pragmatic, it is crazy.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

GATA Lawsuit To Audit The Gold

GATA's lawsuit to force the Federal Reseve to disclose their holdings of America's gold is proceeding. A judge has ordered the Fed to produce 20 gold-related documents the Fed has sought to keep secret.

This is a small, important step in bringing transparency to the private banker cartel known as the Federal Reserve.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

2012 Presidential Race Starts Now

Ron Paul has been invited to a couple early Presidential forums.

Both CPAC 2011 and Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition have invited Ron Paul.

CPAC 2011 is February 10 - 12 in Washington D.C.
Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition is March 2 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Ron & Rand On The Hill

Ron Paul and his son Rand Paul will be sworn in today
Rand Paul will be sworn in as the next Republican U.S. Senator from Kentucky, joining his representative father, Republican Ron Paul of Texas, in Washington.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Investing In Forever Stamps

Peter Schiff wrote an interesting commentary on the USPS moving toward selling only "Forever Stamps" (stamps without numerical denomination).

If Forever Stamps are a store of wealth and begin to trade like currency, will the Federal Government accuse the USPS of creating unlawful money?

Peter Schiff says:
Over the past fifty years, the USPS has raised the rates on first class postage 20 times. During that time the stamp prices have gone up more than 1,100%.

Those individuals and institutions who hoard the stamps now could offer them for sale in competition with the Post Office. Even though the Post Office will not redeem forever stamps for cash, there is no law against reselling them for whatever price the market will bear. How many forever stamps will the Post Office be able to sell at full price if customers can buy them at a discount on Ebay?

On that note, forever stamps provide the most conservative investors with a much more attractive alternative to zero interest checking accounts, low yielding Treasury bonds, or even inflation protected government securities (known as TIPS).

Given these stamps will always be completely liquid, the only way an investor can lose money on forever stamps is if the price of postage goes down.

Over the past 10 years stamps are up 29%, while the S&P 500 is up a measly .1%.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Abolish & Audit

Karl Denninger writes about the original intent of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the need to abolish the TSA.

Ron Paul writes about the need for a full audit of the Federal Reserve.