Debt Rattle February 21 2025
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Pablo Picasso Nude on a beach 1929 • Trump Officially Signs Kash Patel In As FBI Director (ZH) • Trump’s Goal Is To ‘Abolish The IRS’ As Layoff
[See the full post at: Debt Rattle February 21 2025]Sooo…Apparently EU/UK have totally taken up the Ukraine war. Well, don’t really care, but didn’t see that coming. I mean, in the sense of a logic tree: oh THAT branch? THAT game-play branch is even shorter than the other one, your choice!
So that’s even better than anything ever. They would dump this on Trump, but not if Europe just takes it up! Once they get good and deep and collapses, it’s on them. So I guess all our moles taking EU temperature have it right.
This was all in reference to Zelensky throwing hands on Trump which INSURES this happens, and happens well. Trump in public: “We gave them $300 BILLION, have no assurances, and THIS is how he treats you, the American People? THIS is the gratitude we get?” American People: “Yeah!”
BTW, look back on that “Europe got all payback securities while Biden did not, giving it all for free, putting us on the bottom of the claimholders, certain not to get paid while EUROPE is first.” Just repeating. It’s more relevant than it seems.
Well, anyway, UK and their 3,000 men and 18 whole guns are really gonna get Russia now!
I did mention the throwaway whisper – that is, a trial balloon – for the U.S., China, etc to all cut our militarizes 50%? Open the books and cut military 50%, it’s what fascists do!
Trump: Not only him, he had to get (mostly) buy-in from his family as well. Who would also all be shot and may still be. Maybe they had the same thought me and so many others did: If we don’t, we’ll all be shot later anyway.
“• Trump Officially Signs Kash Patel In As FBI Director (ZH)
Why does Trump work so slowly? Isn’t he going to do something?
Epstein list: Okay, where’s the P Diddy story? Whatever happened to that?
“• Zelensky Would Lose If Elections Were Held Now – Economist (RT)
Ze would lose if elections were held ever. Since day one of the war he ran on a platform of peace and unity as a Russian-speaker, to stop all the division and outside capture of their government.
“• Trump ‘Very Upset’ With Zelensky – Rubio (RT)
Incredibly convenient and well-timed, as said. Since Ze is incapable of drinking water without orders, then somebody put this plan as a good idea into his head. Like tell him doing this will get Europe on board even if can’t quite get Trump by embarrassment.
“• Zelensky ‘Fooled’ Trump With Rare-Earth Mineral Prospect – Ukrainian MP (RT)
Sort of. Rumor has it, Ze was making yet-more-stupid-s**t-up, and offered this yet-another-thing-he-doesn’t-have…you know, so he won’t get murdered by his own Nazis. America was like, “Huh.” So that’s why they handed him a contract to sell all these deposits he offered-to-sell, which Ze then refused to consider, much less sign. …So we can all see what’s going on here. This was then spun as a BAD thing, mean ol’ Trump, but you see this would have worked great: get him into this contract, then post in the news how Ze just sold us $300B in a mine that doesn’t exist…again.
Sadly, some of this was avoided, but here we are.
“Trump was “right to ignore” Zelensky and should pursue a deal with Russia independently.”
Duran had a different take, related to mine. Why Saudi Arabia? Their take was “Because the U.S. and Russia aren’t talking about Ukraine at all.” That’s just a cover. They’re talking about actually important things. Like how NOT to collapse the US$ and cause a financial panic that leads to a world war? Which Europe is trying to cause to get themselves off the hook?
“British scientists are pushing to politicize the society and expel Elon Musk because they disagree with his political views.”
That’s awesome: show everyone who you are. And that’ll teach Vance about how free speech and full of Liberal Western values Europe is!
“the US that has fallen foul of federal courts.”
Feminine approach of GOSSIP. “everybody knows”. GSR, used along with “Ties to” or “Associated with” That is, a reporter who interviews someone naughty is now “Associated with” and has “Ties to” eg NeoNazis. Being a reporter means you’re a neoNazi yourself! …If you’re an enemy. If you’re a FRIEND, of course, the rules are all the #Opposite. Then you were #Fighting neoNazis. You understand.
Anyway, so “Falling foul” means what exactly, legally? Literally nothing. “A lawsuit was filed,” which is why they didn’t say, like a journalist, “A lawsuit was filed” because that would reveal how empty and slanderous you are from the moment you draw breath in the morning, to when you shut your eyes at night.
So the “Expert” opinion of 2.700 top scientists worldwide is that we can’t have free speech because a lawsuit was filed. …And they wonder why we scorn all experts and everything they say in their fields, and want to run them all out of town on a rail as a warning to others. They make the word “contemptible” contemptible.
…A group that was breathless with joy about “Gain of function” bioweapons lab research on humans and beagles with their vocal cords cut. I mean, if it doesn’t torture animals, is it really Science?
• Whose Gold, if Anyone’s, Is in Ft. Knox? (Paul Craig Roberts)”
PCR being just straightforward and factual, like a young person. I hadn’t realized what a contrast this is for him. Okay, yes to everything, but also, this is exactly the system they’ve mostly set up in Bitcoin, with all the market being super happy about it. …Nevermind. What if: What IF the UST has been buying gold back out of London since ‘08 being well aware this would happen? Let’s say they’re even the same gold bars (Note London delivery is very, very different bar weight and format) the same serial numbers from before: all NY has to do is print money, re-own it, and nothing happens. Possibly the gold never left Knox to begin with. So we’ve been sapping LBMA, London, but in a different way. With $36T and like $1Million dollars a second? Or something? Would you even be able to tell? That’s where he says “We printed the money”.
I can guess this, 1) because it’s pissed me off so long the insider banks have been continuing to rig the price for decades, CLEARLY with the support of astonishing accounting fraud enthusiastically supported by the U.S. government. 2) They would never even HINT at auditing Ft. Knox if the gold wasn’t there. They wouldn’t open their mouths unless it was a scam. So Team Europe, the Atlanticists, were going to Civil War Russian Rev 2.0 here, tank the country and U.S. dollar, leaving only Euro standing, and to do that needed the US$ not to have any backing. One backing is our economy and taxpayers, but the other is assets like oil (Green energy CO2) and gold (Ft. Knox). So while they’re running it, they claim the U.S. has no gold, we’re going to go bankrupt, and all the patriot gold bugs (like me or Luongo) lap it up like syrup.
However, “Ownership” has a very, very different meaning at that level. Like Ze and his $300 Million and 10 houses in Miami. He will own them…until the minute we say he doesn’t. That is, he doesn’t own anything at all. He’s thinking like a middle class wage slave, a PMC who takes vacations. He thinks if you sign something you “own” it. Hahahahaha! Any lawyer, anywhere worldwide will tell you different!
So sure, maybe we bought it back and or maybe London and the EU still own every bar in there. COME AND TAKE IT. Molon Labe. We’re going to say “Huh, lookee this: Looks like MI6 Dearlove, and King Chuckie tried to topple the United States altogether, not just under Trump, but as far back as Kennedy, they stole $100 Trillion in that time, got us in five wars, and owe us a gazillion-illion dollars. Hey American people, world south, should we give them back their gold here, or whut?”
ZAP! Nope, no one will ever support London’s claim to all the gold in Fort Knox…EVEN IF IT’S REAL.
That’s “Ownership” in the geopolitical sense, just like the treasury Bonds we “Owe” China we wanted them to be aggressive over so we could excuse to not pay. New meaning – or very old meaning to – “We Make S—t Up!” Fully we owed Germany as much as England, but then the Lusitania and wow! Too bad so sad! …Even as the Lusitania was (now officially) stuffed to the gills with totally illegal weapons on an open human rights violation of endangering civilian ships.
“• Trump Cannot Allow a Declining Europe to Drag the US Down (O’Keeffe)
True, and you see this with China and Russia. As said, China will NOT, refuses to, damage our world-bending trade. Russia the same, SELLING TO THEIR ENEMY DURING A WAR. Why? Because if the KPop guys can get a financial collapse, they get a world war where they can escape again. But we don’t want them to throw the Jews at us and escape. We want them exposed for what they’re doing and what they are, and how they use the Jews as cannon fodder more or less constantly, as seen today but also with their +90% vaccine rate.
To STOP that economic collapse into utter ruin in a technocratic state, and the unbelieveable like 6B man death world war behind it, they have to NOT collapse the world economy. …Or at least not if they can help it. Same thing here. WHY has Russia STILL dealing with, selling to Europe? Because they NEED Europe not to collapse more than is necessary. Same with us. Remember “Ending” the Cold War under Reagan, not “Winning” it? We need to DEFEAT EUROPE, (or really the WEF Black Hat nobility there) without “Winning”, or flattening it. We need them to transform. Don’t be Evil. And we can only do that by revealing the evil that was going on in the first place, and who they really are.
Europe was very good at that, claiming they were poor battered victims of the U.S., who only wanted peace and brotherly love. …Until the U.S. stops bombing Moscow, then they all pop up and say MOAR DEATH!!!!” But the world needs to SEE this. Live it. Feel it. Europe needs to face it, choose otherwise, and remove the WEF Death Cult as is happening in say AfD and other elections right now.
All part of “We can’t let Europe collapse” into the violent mass murdering, racist, genocidal maniacs they are, worse than any African nation. …Much as it pains me to not let that happen. But we’ve already had like 20 periods in Europe that make the machete-wielding Rwandans look sane, like a white dress church social, and no one notices or remembers, still acting like AFRICA is savage and Europe is the “Garden”, so I guess we already tried that.
We’ll just have to boa-constrictor them until they want to transform into NON mass murderers.
“does one not recall the fate of the Afghan government? Or President Mubarak? Or the South Vietnamese?”
Are you slow learners? The U.S., Anglos ALWAYS BETRAY EVERY ALLY. Duhhhhhhhhhhh.
We’re withdrawing from Europe and camping out on Greenland for defense.
“The truth is that none of the major EU states – Germany, France, or Italy – wants to engage in a war with Russia. Their citizens have no appetite for it.”
True. Okay, WHO DOES THEN? Let’s see: …none of the people. …None of the migrants. …None of the workers. …None of the businessmen. …There are no churches anywhere. …Uhhh, that leaves the WEF and Black Nobility, a list of like 90 billionaires. That’s it.
“The reopening of US-Russia dialogue has triggered alarm, especially in Western Europe, where many see it as a potential repeat of Yalta”
We talk about MacKinder because we don’t have a snappy phrase like for separating Germany and Russia (there may be one). The same “MacKinder” is expended BY the British at keeping the United States and Russia separated, as we are natural allies and always were. Look at who started, paid for, and insured Lenin and the USSR. This was true, or maybe more poignant, under Reagan and the fear of instant annihilation. We look and act the same, and ask “What’s going on?” What’s going on is Europe is too small unless they can tie down the Gullivers and make them destroy themselves as Europe’s puppet.
Now this – wot a coincidence – not only forces Germany and Russia together, all BRIICS, Iran China, all the worst nightmare, although delayed ; But the U.S. and Russia into alliance as well. Nice going.
““..he had proposed talks with China and Russia to discuss reducing all three nations’ nuclear stockpiles and cutting defense budgets in half..”
Could that save some money and finally get us a peace dividend?
I think I’ve seen that train video and it’s northern NY.
I guess leopards can close their jowls against water somehow.
Yeah – Fort Knox. I agree with the good Doctor – there is no way on earth that Trump/Musk would contemplate a scenario where the doors are opened to reveal a big empty room where all the gold used to be. There are some questions that are never asked unless the answer is already known.
Now, of course, there’s no way for Joe public to know for sure who actually owns the bars, if they are in fact still there, and indeed how many hundreds of owners there are for each bar. I’m wondering if the plan isn’t for DOGE to ‘Discover’ in the paperwork that the gold has all been pledged many times over since 1971 to contain the price vs the USD and then declare that since this was never authorized by the government, all those claims are immediately null and void. “Sorry – too bad LBMA members, all the gold is ours, you shouldn’t have relied on a paper promise”.
Cue utter chaos in the murky world of the OTC gold market, potentially resulting in a dramatic price increase as everyone scrambles to get hold of the gold they only own on paper. How convenient would it be, in this scenario, if all the gold just happened to be flown from London to NY immediately before such a thing occurred so that claims on available physical gold by US institutions are met before those of foreigners? Well, by coincidence……
Lots of analysts out there saying that even if the rumors of the US revaluing the gold on the balance sheet to the current market price, just under $3k/oz, are true it wouldn’t make any difference. The $750bn bump to the US balance sheet doesn’t even cover six months of deficit spending.
Now, if the price was a lot higher than $3k/oz, and US reserves were revalued at a much higher level, maybe that would make it worthwhile.
Something’s afoot anyway. There’s a disturbance in the force that I’ve not felt in the metals markets in decades. It’ll be interesting to find out what it is. What a time to be alive.
About Ft. Knox. Reagan discovered that ALL the gold was “owned” by the Federal Reserve, NOT the Treasury.
The issue, therefore, is Fed. collateral, is it not?
Can the Fed be nationalized?
What if it is found to be technically bankrupt, with zero or negative net assets?
I think they will audit Ft. Knox and the re-re-rehypothecations of all those assets. If they do it first, then they can push the crash onto European banking, perhaps… Tom Luongo’s take.Washington has no intention of loosening its grip on its European allies.
Recent scalding of an “ally” is like a pimp beating up a street walker because she’s a street walker
By the way, where did Ukraine’s gold go when it was flown out in 2014?
I can’t recall, and it may have moved again since then.Can the Fed be nationalized?
Stalin’s quote comes handy: “How many tanks the Fed has?”.
I frequently have a thoughts as how the Rothschild clan, or even Soros, have so much power to destroy the powerful States and are still walking the planet?
“I think they will audit Ft. Knox and the re-re-rehypothecations of all those assets. If they do it first, then they can push the crash onto European banking, perhaps… Tom Luongo’s take.”
Exactly my view. Would explain why the LBMA’s vaults are being drained to the bottom and all the metal has been arriving in the US over the past month. When they paper fraud goes up in flames, whoever has physical possession of the actual metal will call the shots.
I’ve seen claims and counter-claims about who (Officially) owns the US gold reserves. Some say the Govt. some say the Fed. Difficult to know given the opacity of everything connected with the subject.
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“Vice President Vance has access to better info/facts than what we do.”
You bet JD do.
Then it’s time to close shopVice president has more information on androgyny and mascara too says the androgynous one who gets a masculine run for his money from LtCol Tulsi versus Cpl Vance.
Look, the beard works for the camera.News flash: all prices are rigged by someone and all wars are caused by “a financial panic that leads to a world war” chicken or egg, first or second.
No gold in Fort Knoxxx?
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Androgyny is a term used in psychology to describe individuals with strong personality traits associated with both sexes. These individuals combine toughness and gentleness, assertiveness and nurturing behaviour, as called for by the situation. Androgynous individuals are more likely to engage in cross-sexual behaviour than those who maintain traditional sex roles. Some individuals use the word androgynous to refer to individuals who have both male and female biological characteristics
JD viceP: “Be Men, Not “Androgynous Idiots”
JD knows masculinity….right, Mike?
Author femme: “Well, JD Vance just gave all the other Tylers of the world permission to crawl out from under their rocks of submission and embrace their God-given masculinity.”
Kinda defeats the purpose taking advice on masculinity from an androgynous Veep channeled through a woman.
Price-seeking magic!!https://www.zerohedge.com/political/jd-vance-young-men-be-men-not-androgynous-idiots
Trump Revolution
https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/
Bubbles, Secrets, lies, declassify, $36 trillion in debt
DOGE – Reduce the size of government
———–Congress Inches Towards Budget Reconciliation; FY 2025 Appropriations Remains Uncertain
Congress Inches Towards Budget Reconciliation; FY 2025 Appropriations Remains Uncertain
February 18, 2025 | Congressional NewsAs the Republican-controlled Congress seeks to push forward the Trump Administration’s policy goals, the House and Senate have proposed budget reconciliation packages relating to increasing funding for the border and defense as well as limiting spending and renewing tax cuts.
On February 13, House Republicans struck a deal within their conference to push forward the proposed 2025 budget reconciliation package.
The package would direct committees to find $1.5 trillion worth of budget cuts while simultaneously providing $4.5 trillion to the Ways and Means Committee for tax cuts.
The reconciliation bill would increase the deficit by up to $4 trillion over a decade.
On the other side of the Capitol, the Senate Republicans have released their proposed version of a budget reconciliation bill, which has been split into two packages—one focused on increasing funding for the border, defense, and the coast guard, and a separate package on tax proposals and spending limits.Shifting to fiscal year (FY) 2025 funding, the continuing resolution (CR) passed late December is set to lapse on March 14 (see previous COSSA coverage), it is unclear whether Congress plans to enact a year-long CR, pass the appropriations bills individually, or push appropriations through one large bill.
Top appropriators are pushing to finalize the bills and avoid a stopgap bill; however, time is running out as appropriations talks continue between the two chambers.Stay tuned to COSSA’s continued coverage on the appropriations process.
———-
The Ukraine rare earth story becomes bewildering.
Javier Blas says Ukraine has “no significant rare-earth deposits other than small scandium mines.”
Others say they do have deposits, but these cannot be “dug up” in a profitable manner.
The rare-earth minerals, are currently located on the territories with active combat.
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Problem #1, spending money that doesn’t exist & Problem # 2, Imaginary gold.Whose Gold, if anyone’s, Is in Ft. Knox
If there is gold in Ft. Knox, whose is it?
Paul Craig Roberts
—————-Collapsing of the US Empire…looking back historically at the Fall of past Empires, I envisioned a brutal collapse ahead for the US Empire.
Listening to all of the different voices now regarding team Trump, I’m seeing a dismantling of the Deep State Empire, not a collapse. A consistent focal point from Team Trump that the US has reached a- do or die pivotal crossroads…a going to hell in a hand basket hard and fast. An ultimatum of save the Republic now or it will be gone. The ultimate “draining of the swamp”.
Interesting conversation here w/Barnes regarding the depth of planning to “take it back”, which I think we are all now witnessing in real time. There is a strong sense that many Americans have just had enough and have been intricately planning the dismantling of corruption and a US Govt that has gone horribly wrong for decades.
I will admit- these past years led me to the conclusion that the US had become a failed State project that was unrecoverable. Sometimes it’s good to be wrong.
I keep thinking about the contrast between Smedley Butler, JFK, Assange, Snowden VS. Bernays, Soros, Rockefellors, Rothchilds, WEF, political deep state dynasties of Bush/ Clinton/ Obama..
Covid was certainly a dark turning point in Human History… this could be the turning back, away from the dark hell that nearly overtook all of us. Never underestimate the human Spirit to fight back for the truth, the good of humanity and each other.
Never underestimate the dark forces trying to drag you down either. Fight back…all life depends on it.
Identity disturbance at his core.
Vice President James Donald Bowman
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For people with borderline personality disorder (BPD), a lack of clear identity complicates greatly the telling of their story.
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Those facts are borne out in documentation provided by those entities upon request,
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James Vance, married into the McCoy-hating Hatfield family and committed a murder that “kicked off one of the most famous family feuds in American history,” Vance wrote in his book.
James Donald David Bowman Hamel Blanton Vance JD J.D.
citizenx: “I will admit- these past years led me to the conclusion that the US had become a failed State project that was unrecoverable. Sometimes it’s good to be wrong.”
I was there too. Three years ago I said if the US keeps tracking as it was then it would be the one balkanized by the end of the decade not Russia. Wow! What an amazing turn around. It now looks as if it will be the EU coming apart and NATO with it!
On another note; government workers do not pay taxes. The workers at all levels of .gov give some tax money back. Their pay checks add to the data points that make up GDP but most contribute zero to the real economy. They tend to put more drag into the system. Remove all government transactions from the GDP calculation and see what is going on.JB-hb
Convenience store robbery comparison
I get your point, but I don’t find it apropos. Although we may resent taxes, it isn’t the same as robbery — it is more akin to feudal rent, which was written into the fabric of feudal society. Robbery, on the other hand, is a rupture of a society’s rules.
What the gentleman was proposing, to carry out your analogy, was that the convenience store charged people to enter and transact business and get what they need. The system used was weird: the wealthy generally pay more, but not a direct percentage. The wealthy often also profit from the system Often, impoverished folks pay little, if any. Sometimes, it seems that the middle earners pay the most, as a percentage of what they earn. The poor folks don’t dare complain, because they get fee rebates every so often, and these rebates make it possible to keep a roof over their head and their children fed.
What a weird system!
One day the convenience store owner cuts costs and decides to cut costs and give an equal rebate of a portion of the cost savings to everyone who pays into the convenience store, except for the poor folks.
Still a very weird system.
It would make more sense to return amounts based on percentages paid in. However, that wouldn’t sit well with Trump’s base. Elon’s rebate would be very large, (probably the largest,) and many would say that he did his work at Doge to increase his own wealth — and it would look like that was true, whether it was Elon’s intention or not.
So then we get to the fact that populaces are appeased when politicians give them stuff. And, in a democracy, the inclination is very large to give the people stuff. There is a large incentive to give stuff away in a manner that does not piss off large segments of the population. The only way to make this fair, really, is to simply collect fewer taxes at the outset. Anything given away by government becomes political.
Although we may resent taxes, it isn’t the same as robbery — it is more akin to feudal rent, which was written into the fabric of feudal society.
That’s one theoretical way of perceiving it
Taxes are payments from citizens for services TO citizens by their government.
Money paid to a government that does NOT result in services rendered to the citizens, definitionally, is NOT taxes.
Instead, it is theft, with the main enablement of the theft being someone calling it “taxes” to get away with the crime.
Here’s the Federal Trade Commission website explaining that it is illegal to take money for goods that do not get provided
https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-youre-billed-things-you-never-got-or-you-get-unordered-productson Quora, this was a good answer:
What crime is it when a person sells a product that does not exist, requesting purchase orders only to fail the transaction as they have failed due diligence on the sellers part?There IS NO due diligence on the seller’s part if they knew they did not have the product for sale and sold it anyway. That’s fraud, theft, theft of services, I could go on.
A guy in Indiana about 10 years ago was on eBay selling recordings – he sold CD’s, he sold DVD’s, he sold VHS tapes…anything that would sell at that moment, he would list. It was fraud and theft by deception that he was charged with and got jail time, as well as having to pay back thousands in restitution to his victims.
but robbing all those people with DVD and CD orders that never get filled… think of that as feudal tax and remember it is The System?
Sometimes, theory can make you lose sight of simple, plain justice and common sense.
IRS
– Has anyone tried to actually *contact* the IRS in the past few years? The telephone wait queues are hours long — if you can even navigate the labyrinthine phone tree to get to a real person. In many instances, the only way to talk to a real person is to game the phone system, trying to figure out which prompts will lead to a real person. An$ now staff will be cut dramatically. Great. Can’t we instead reassign staff to the phone system and face-to-face appointments??
– The IRS collects more than income tax. They are also involved in collecting social security tax, Medicare tax, federal unemployment tax, etc. What about those?
– As I understand, it was in 1996 that “welfare as we know it” was discontinued. The replacement program, TANF, is one that I have never utilized, although I have often been eligible. (I found the requirements to be intrusive and controlling, and the amount and duration of the program to be very small — quite frankly, the requirements outweighed the monetary benefit.). Most impoverished folks with children receive monetary help from the government via the EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit.) This is administered via the IRS. If the IRS goes away, what happens to the refundable tax credits that benefit impoverished families with children?
– “Abolish the IRS” reminds me of when I learned that the author of the New Testament book of Matthew was a tax collector, and therefore despised by his peers. Well, he did a good job writing his book. We need to look a little deeper than gut-felt emotions when managing the affairs of the country.
Couldn’t the statement be simplified
“Those people having more money to steal in the first place, the circumstances that led to it, THAT was the theft”?
Re: Possible gold re-valuation –
It is worth noting that the US Federal Reserve currently has a deeply negative net worth, if all its assets are ‘marked-to-market’. If in fact, there is the stated amount (or close to it) of gold in Ft. Knox and it does belongs to the Fed, re-valuing it would alleviate that condition.@Mr. House: Thanks for finding the 2014 article about flying 40 tons of Ukrainian gold to the US under Nuland/Yatsenyuk for “safekeeping”.
https://news.metal.com/newscontent/100058331/ukraine-gold-reserves-reported-to-be-hastily-aircrafted-to-us/
@Phoenixvoice: Taxes “Hoover” money out of the economic system in the places where the managers want it removed to create scarcity, right?
Money is lent into the system variously and creatively, to juice the parts of the system that managers want juiced, or to lend at higher interest to extract value from them, not to the government, but to the financial system.
It is a very actively-managed set of flows, which is presented as static arrangements, which is a false presentation, right?If you can’t admit at this point that government spending is out of control, and you revert to sob stories, like we’re seeing in the media now, then you are part of the problem and probably getting something for nothing. Lots of people have been struggling for years since 2008, its time to let the protected classes get a taste.
Democrats have been using shaming tactics for decades to get everything they’ve wanted. Its funny when people complain about conservatism, what conservative measure has been enacted since the 90’s?
@Dr. Day
Ha the “40” tons, but the official records only showed 37. Fraud Fraud everywhere, but not a drop to drink 😉
You know how i knew the tea party was bullshit in 2009? I attended a rally, lots of thomas jefferson said this and George Washington said that. No plans from the speakers so i started talking to the people in the crowd. Everyone wanted to cut social spending, and i said good and fine but we should also cut military spending by an equal amount. The looks and responses were typical, what? are you crazy? blah blah blah. If Trump cuts it by 40% that is wonderful.
Does anyone here use facebook? And if so have you noticed lots of political shit flooding your feed for the past few weeks? That you never saw before? I have so i looked up a way to lessen it, and when i went to the option your only choices were default (what i’m getting) or more, every other category would let you select less. Someone needs to look into this.
A blast from the past: The first ever TAE Summary (called Noon Summary) was February 21, 2009, 16 years ago today. Things were so much simpler back then:
* What is really going on with Obama?
* Don’t buy a house yet; Much further to fall
* $25 Trillion in admitted debt; Banking system could fall apart in 2 years or tomorrow; T-bills are better than FDIC insured deposits (for now); Credit unions not necessarily safer than banks.
* Europe in more trouble than US; Expect bank failures; European failures will have ripple effect to US; Americans should concentrate on their own problems
* No rabbits in Peru; Blinky gets evicted and is lost, possible moved to Peru
* Gold and silver will fall back pretty soon; Dollar will rise for a while as a safe haven; Expect currency volatility and eventual failure of exchange rate system
* Era of ‘us’ vs. ‘them’ ahead
* Stoneleigh’s law: Mood drives news and markets but News lags markets.
* It appears that George Soros may be following TAE
* Russian collapse will be easier for Russians than American collapse for Americans (per Dmitri Orlov)
* We are 30 years into a catabolic collapse; The return of wind powered water transport
* TAE is aware of reindeer and overshoot and is here to help people prepare; Humans are dumber than reindeer
* Thorium may be a cleaner nuclear fuel and may be more sustainable; All nuclear power is a Faustian bargain and unsustainable and unsafe in a collapse
* Agriculture without oil: See you in C U B A (or is it overrated?)Snuffy, Greenpa and Gravity, where are you now?
@ JB-hb
I have long believed that a better tax system would be one where citizens pay taxes for specific programs. So, for example, if the tax bill was $10,000, the tax payer might be obligated to that amount, however, the tax payer could allocate 10% to roads and transportation infrastructure, 10% to military, 5% to programs for the poor, 0.5% to cultural programs, 5% to government officials’ salaries, etc. It would be a very interesting system! Of course, it could still be gamed — transparency would be very important.
I think that it is important for people to understand how anti-poverty programs actually work, rather than people simply resenting those who benefit from such systems. Reagan’s “black welfare queen” was not very accurate. There are people who game the system — my ex does, with the help of his boss. (My ex told me years ago that he chose his current employment because his boss would help him avoid paying child support. Of course, the commissioner at the child support hearing was not interested in this.). But there are others who are simply in unfortunate situations, and these programs do a lot of good.
I have always enjoyed being responsible and paying my own way. My parents contributed some towards my college education — they helped get me to campus and home again at the start and end of semesters and for holidays (it was in a different state), and contributed about $100/month towards rent the first 3 years. The bulk of my expenses were covered via merit scholarships and employment. When I moved back in with my parents after college for a couple of years, I immediately proposed that I pay them a monthly rent — I needed to know that I was responsible for myself, and not being given a “free ride.” But back in 2012 my ex lost his job due to alcoholism and illness while we had 3 kids who were at the beginning of elementary school. Both of our sons turned out to be (high-functioning) autistic — but I didn’t know that then, I just intuitively knew that the children needed their mother to parent them, and one of the kids could not be put into daycare because his behavior was not “normal.” So I had to swallow my pride and accept help from whatever quarter it came from. I told myself, “This is okay. It is expected that a single parent needs help. Usually, the other parent does the help. My “other parent” partner is abdicating his role, therefore, it is morally acceptable to receive help from others.”
While I resent people who game the antipoverty system (such as my ex,) I also get very frustrated with people who see all, or most, antipoverty programs as an affront, or as people “taking advantage.” I like merit based systems — I tend to do very well in them. I also understand that the economy is far from being a “pure” merit based system. I accept that, despite my effort and work, I will probably never have a home comparable to the homes that my parents or siblings live in. I will likely never have a “secure retirement” and, unlike my parents and grandparents and two of my siblings, I am unlikely to ever visit Europe or Asia or anyplace that I cannot easily get to by driving. I will never have these things not because of any personal failing or “laziness,” but because I unexpectedly shouldered the parenting and financial burdens alone, without a functional “coparent.” My ex gamed so many systems deliberately to advantage himself at my expense — and I am left with the repercussions of his bad actions. I continue to try to get from under these burdens, but I understand that, short of a miracle, I am unlikely to fully succeed. It is okay — I am well and the children are well. These are what matter most, not a fine home nor globe-trotting. However, the idea that “all” or “most” recipients of antipoverty programs are lazy and don’t deserve the help — it doesn’t sit well with me, as it does not comport with my life experience.
Advise to seniors.
It’s a scam.Zelenskyy, according to Trump, is the best salesman in the world.
Zelenskyy, is going to sell the mineral rights, rare earth, for $500B, that belong to Russia, Those provinces voted to join Russia.
Those minerals are still buried underground.
Those minerals require/need expensive mining infrastructures to extract and process.
If those minerals were economically viable to mine, they would have been mined before.In exchange, Zelenskyy will sign a peace treaty with Russia and hold an election.
Our system of doing every sort of business that there is to do, is being coerced and forced into an all-digital form just as quickly as our current “mostly digital” paradigm of human interactions can craft and export that new paradigm, and they’ve got the hardware, software and financial resources to do it.
The Musktrump creature in Washington is building out that super-duper mega-AI (and using it for maximum effect). The reason that they’re moving so light-speed-fast is that in the AI Game the first one across the finish line (the AI that controls the other AI’s) is the new and permanent Boss around here.
Permanent, that is, until physical constraints (such as computational capacity, electrical power, and loyal qualified human technicians to physically service the system) cause the system to stall, malfunction and break down.
Well, in any case (and in particular the case we’re living in) our fearful leaders have decided to go All In on the computers-based route to salvation, and I’m saying that it’s doomed from the start because it was those damned computers and AI’s that helped us get into this mess. For example, did ya just catch that the Chinese just hooked up everything they have to their DeepSeek AI? Looks like they’re going for the computerized virtual brass ring too.
What a show. Screw the popcorn, hang on to your seat with both hands instead.
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“What is he, anyway? A judge or something? I could just ask, of course, but then I’d have to talk to him.”
…said by ‘Trump on Veep Vance’
Trump Unsure What Department He Has To Cut To Make JD Vance Go Away
Yale- the incubator of the deep state, affirms bad things about the spike from the “vax”.
What a wonderful place to inject the economy with post “vax” care!
China, in response to tariffs[?], says new floo come your way soon.
Market drops.Lather rinse, repeat. Lather rinse repeat. Lather rinse repeat……
On a wonderfully fun note, my husband just watched a couple of robins catch and eat tiny minnows at a nearby waterway. Wow!
https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2025-02-21-senate-passes-budget-resolution-house-plans-vote-its-own-resolution-next-week
Senate passes budget resolution; House plans to vote on its own resolution next week
Feb 21, 2025The U.S. Senate voted 52-48, after a 10-hour “vote-a-rama” session, to adopt a budget resolution for fiscal year 2025 focusing on the border, military and energy. The bill would authorize roughly $340 billion in spending and be fully offset by corresponding spending cuts. The budget resolution is a blueprint for one of two budget reconciliation bills the Senate hopes to enact this year, with the second focusing on extending tax cuts and cutting spending.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives next week plans to vote on its own budget resolution focusing on the Trump administration’s agenda on border security, defense, energy and taxes. The budget resolution calls for $2 trillion in spending cuts that could potentially impact Medicaid and other key health care programs. The proposal also allows for up to $4.5 trillion in spending for tax cuts. President Trump this week expressed his preference for the House’s one-bill approach.
Both chambers must pass a common budget resolution to move forward with the reconciliation process.
In a statement last week, AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack urged Congress to take seriously the impact of reductions in health care programs, particularly Medicaid. “While some have suggested dramatic reductions in the Medicaid program as part of a reconciliation vehicle, we would urge Congress to reject that approach,” Pollack said. “Medicaid provides health care to many of our most vulnerable populations, including pregnant women, children, the elderly, disabled and many of our working class.”
For more information on budget reconciliation, view the AHA’s webpage and fact sheet.
Kurt Metzger and Aaron Mate on, so a comedian in Canada was charged with calling someone a “Genocide supporter” on Social Media. So. Big trouble mister! Only thing worse would be to drive to Ottawa, that’s a hanging offense.
Well, being totally ridiculous, he then went on Social media to say the Montreal Police are changing him.
…So he’s spending the weekend in jail. Because reporting the legal fact he is being charged by the Montreal Police Department is “Inciting to riot” against the Montreal Police Department. So. Proud.
Happy endings.
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