lewrockwell--2020-06-05--America Is Literally Coming Apart At The Seams

For a very long time , many of us have been loudly warning the American people that this was coming .
The mainstream media and many of our national leaders have been fanning the flames of hatred , anger , frustration and division on a daily basis for many years , and it was just a matter of time before we witnessed an eruption of violence of this magnitude .
Over the last week , we have seen protests in at least 145 different U.S. cities , and reports of rioting , looting and violence are coming in so fast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up with them all .
So far , at least 40 U.S. cities have imposed curfews , the National Guard has been activated in at least 15 states , and at least 4,100 people have been arrested .
On Sunday night , the violence in Washington D.C. became so alarming that President Trump was actually rushed to a secret bunker under the White House… Agents reportedly rushed Trump to the Presidential Emergency Operations Center ( PEOC ) – which was used after the 9/11 terror attacks and is equipped with secret tunnels – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the bunker before more than 50 Secret Service agents were injured during the sixth night of violence prompted by George Floyd ’ s Monday death , the New York Times reported .
It is located in the ground below the East Wing of the White House , but its exact placement is kept secret .
To me , it is absolutely crazy that the rioters are being allowed to injure one Secret Service officer after another .
The Beginning Of The End Michael Snyder Best Price : $ 9.97 Buy New $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have changed .
When I worked in the D.C. area many years ago , there was a tremendous amount of respect for the White House , and everyone understood that anybody that tried to mess with the White House would be dealt with severely .
In those days , anyone that attacked a Secret Service agent would have deeply , deeply regretted doing so .
But now we are apparently allowing our Secret Service agents to be “ kicked , punched , and exposed to bodily fluids ” … What in the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addition to these heinous acts , the “ peaceful protesters ” in D.C. decided that it would be a really good idea to deface the Lincoln Memorial and the National World War II Memorial… Patriots : A Novel of S ... Rawles , James Wesley Best Price : $ 1.10 Buy New $ 1.99 At this point , the protests have been taken over by radical leftists that are seeking to use this crisis as an opportunity to promote violence .
And others are simply taking advantage of the cover provided by these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t normally be able to commit .
For example , the looting that we have been witnessing in New York City has been unprecedented… And in Chicago , the looters have been hitting store after store “ in broad daylight ” … Prepperu2019s Long-Ter ... Jim Cobb Best Price : $ 7.99 Buy New $ 8.95 Does this not sound exactly like what I have been warning my readers about for years ?
If you do a search for “ civil unrest ” on The Economic Collapse Blog , you will get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do a search for “ rioting ” , you will get 11 pages of results .
And if you do a search for “ looting ” , you will get 10 pages of results .
Why do you think I included these sorts of violent protests in The Beginning Of The End ?
Needless to say , it wasn ’ t just to entertain the readers .
I have been endlessly warning that these things were coming , and now they have arrived .
Others have been loudly sounding the alarm as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marty Breeden shared the following back in April… Unfortunately , this is just the beginning .
And even though rioters viciously attacked and vandalized CNN headquarters , CNN and other mainstream media outlets continue to apologize for their behavior .
On Saturday , CNN ’ s Don Lemon actually suggested that these riots could be “ some sort of mechanism for a restructure in our country ” … “ We don ’ t know what ’ s happening in this country right now , ” Lemon said .
“ Perhaps this is some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our country or some sort of change in our country for us to deal with whatever we need to deal with in this country as we look at pictures on the right of burning and pictures on the left of looting.
” He went on to lament the situation but said it could be indicative of those with “ no other option ” and “ nothing left to lose.
” “ This is quite actually sad to watch , ” he said .
“ And it is an indication indicative of the pain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people who feel they have no other alternative but to exhibit this behavior in our country , no other option .
When you have nothing to lose , you have nothing to lose.
” No , our country is not being “ restructured ” .
What is actually happening is that our country is literally coming apart at the seams , and a lot of us have been warning that this would happen for many , many years .
Of course these riots come at a time when our nation is already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a historic economic collapse .
The following comes from the Seattle Times… As I have warned my readers more times than I could possibly count , we have entered the time of “ the perfect storm ” and global events are going to continue to accelerate .
Just when you think that one crisis has passed , something else is going to happen .
We are going to witness one major event after another , and everything that can be shaken will be shaken .
Anyone that has been surprised by these riots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We have been warned over and over again that these things were coming , but most of the country did not want to listen .
Now that the economy has collapsed , a deadly pandemic is sweeping the land and riots are breaking out in most of our major cities , hopefully more people will start to listen .
Because the truth is that time is running out for America , and there is no future for our once great nation if we stay on our present course .
Reprinted with permission from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Michael Snyder

For a very long time, many of us have been loudly warning the American people that this was coming. The mainstream media and many of our national leaders have been fanning the flames of hatred, anger, frustration and division on a daily basis for many years, and it was just a matter of time before we witnessed an eruption of violence of this magnitude. Over the last week, we have seen protests in at least 145 different U.S. cities, and reports of rioting, looting and violence are coming in so fast that it is literally impossible to keep up with them all. So far, at least 40 U.S. cities have imposed curfews, the National Guard has been activated in at least 15 states, and at least 4,100 people have been arrested. On Sunday night, the violence in Washington D.C. became so alarming that President Trump was actually rushed to a secret bunker under the White House…
Agents reportedly rushed Trump to the Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) – which was used after the 9/11 terror attacks and is equipped with secret tunnels – on Sunday night. Trump was moved to the bunker before more than 50 Secret Service agents were injured during the sixth night of violence prompted by George Floyd’s Monday death, the New York Times reported. It is located in the ground below the East Wing of the White House, but its exact placement is kept secret.
To me, it is absolutely crazy that the rioters are being allowed to injure one Secret Service officer after another. The Beginning Of The End Michael Snyder Best Price: $9.97 Buy New $18.08 (as of 07:00 UTC - Details)
It just shows how much things have changed. When I worked in the D.C. area many years ago, there was a tremendous amount of respect for the White House, and everyone understood that anybody that tried to mess with the White House would be dealt with severely.
In those days, anyone that attacked a Secret Service agent would have deeply, deeply regretted doing so.
But now we are apparently allowing our Secret Service agents to be “kicked, punched, and exposed to bodily fluids”…
Through Saturday and early Sunday, more than 60 Secret Service Uniformed Division Officers and special agents suffered multiple injuries from bricks, rocks, bottles, fireworks and other items hurled at them. “Secret Service personnel were also directly physically assaulted as they were kicked, punched, and exposed to bodily fluids,” the agency said. A total of 11 injured personnel were transported to a local hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries.
What in the world is happening to this country?
In addition to these heinous acts, the “peaceful protesters” in D.C. decided that it would be a really good idea to deface the Lincoln Memorial and the National World War II Memorial… Patriots: A Novel of S... Rawles, James Wesley Best Price: $1.10 Buy New $1.99 (as of 03:05 UTC - Details)
The iconic Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. and the National World War II Memorial are among the landmarks in the nation’s capital that were vandalized amid weekend protests and defaced with graffiti. ‘In the wake of last night’s demonstrations, there are numerous instances of vandalism to sites around the National Mall,’ the National Park Service for the National Mall said in a tweet on Sunday along with photos of monuments covered in graffiti.
This isn’t about George Floyd anymore.
At this point, the protests have been taken over by radical leftists that are seeking to use this crisis as an opportunity to promote violence.
And others are simply taking advantage of the cover provided by these protests to commit crimes that they wouldn’t normally be able to commit. For example, the looting that we have been witnessing in New York City has been unprecedented…
In New York City, despite clashes in lower Manhattan, police seemed to abandon much of the island to looters, who ransacked some of the most valuable retail real estate on the planet. Best Buy. North Face. Coach. Kate Spade. Apple. After 10 p.m., rioters in Union Square ignited boxes outside the Strand bookstore. They were captured on video smashing the windows of a Walgreens pharmacy and looting a GameStop store.
And in Chicago, the looters have been hitting store after store “in broad daylight”… Prepperu2019s Long-Ter... Jim Cobb Best Price: $7.99 Buy New $8.95 (as of 05:50 UTC - Details)
In Chicago, there was plenty of looting in broad daylight. A drive from The Loop to the city’s Deep South Side saw nearly every block feature at least one battered business. One beat cop bemoaned to The Daily Beast, “These aren’t protesters, they are opportunists. They are just destroying and looting because it’s the cool thing to do.”
Does this not sound exactly like what I have been warning my readers about for years?
If you do a search for “civil unrest” on The Economic Collapse Blog, you will get 13 pages of results.
If you do a search for “rioting”, you will get 11 pages of results.
And if you do a search for “looting”, you will get 10 pages of results.
Why do you think I included these sorts of violent protests in The Beginning Of The End? Needless to say, it wasn’t just to entertain the readers.
I have been endlessly warning that these things were coming, and now they have arrived.
Others have been loudly sounding the alarm as well. For example, former police officer Marty Breeden shared the following back in April…
I saw many of our large metropolitan areas in complete and total chaos. It was absolute insanity! Rogue gangs banding together and creating ABSOLUTE havoc!! When The Grid Goes Dow... Tony Nester Best Price: $8.73 Buy New $13.80 (as of 08:15 UTC - Details) Looting, rioting, murdering…. People running for their lives. I saw great fires on both large and small buildings. The violence was staggering to my mind.
Unfortunately, this is just the beginning.
And even though rioters viciously attacked and vandalized CNN headquarters, CNN and other mainstream media outlets continue to apologize for their behavior. On Saturday, CNN’s Don Lemon actually suggested that these riots could be “some sort of mechanism for a restructure in our country”…
“We don’t know what’s happening in this country right now,” Lemon said. “Perhaps this is some sort of mechanism for a restructure in our country or some sort of change in our country for us to deal with whatever we need to deal with in this country as we look at pictures on the right of burning and pictures on the left of looting.” He went on to lament the situation but said it could be indicative of those with “no other option” and “nothing left to lose.” “This is quite actually sad to watch,” he said. “And it is an indication indicative of the pain and the sadness in this country — of people who feel they have no other alternative but to exhibit this behavior in our country, no other option. When you have nothing to lose, you have nothing to lose.”
No, our country is not being “restructured”.
What is actually happening is that our country is literally coming apart at the seams, and a lot of us have been warning that this would happen for many, many years.
Of course these riots come at a time when our nation is already dealing with a huge global pandemic and a historic economic collapse. The following comes from the Seattle Times…
America experienced a wave of burning cities in the aftermath of a racial killing in 1968. America was hit by a pandemic in 1918 that killed even more people than the 102,000 who have died of the coronavirus. America was battered by a Great Depression in the 1930s and laid low by a Great Recession just a decade ago. America has never experienced all of this kind of tumult in the same moment. It is more than the system can bear, and people grieve for the country.
As I have warned my readers more times than I could possibly count, we have entered the time of “the perfect storm” and global events are going to continue to accelerate.
Just when you think that one crisis has passed, something else is going to happen. We are going to witness one major event after another, and everything that can be shaken will be shaken.
Anyone that has been surprised by these riots hasn’t been paying attention. We have been warned over and over again that these things were coming, but most of the country did not want to listen.
Now that the economy has collapsed, a deadly pandemic is sweeping the land and riots are breaking out in most of our major cities, hopefully more people will start to listen.
Because the truth is that time is running out for America, and there is no future for our once great nation if we stay on our present course.
Reprinted with permission from The Most Important News.
The Best of Michael Snyder


lewrockwell--2020-06-05--Liberal Mush From the Mad Dog

Liberal Mush From the Mad Dog

In his statement to The Atlantic magazine , former Defense Secretary General James Mattis says of the events of the last 10 days that have shaken the nation as it has not been shaken since 1968 : “ We must not be distracted by a small number of lawbreakers.
” Is “ a small number of lawbreakers ” an apt description of wilding mobs who have showered cops with bottles , bricks and rocks in 40 cities , looted stores in the hundreds , torched police cars , and injured dozens of Secret Service personnel defending the White House ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the way a patriot would describe anti-American anarchists who desecrated the Lincoln Memorial , the World War II Memorial on the Mall and the Korean War Memorial and tried to burn down the Church of the Presidents in Lafayette Square ?
Nixon ’ s White Ho ... Buchanan , Patrick J .
Best Price : $ 2.03 Buy New $ 8.50 Was the sacking of Georgetown , Rodeo Drive in LA , 5th Avenue in New York and 40 city centers , the work of a few “ lawbreakers ” ?
Is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who gravely wounded that cop in Las Vegas and shot four cops and murdered that retired black police chief in St. Louis ?
The protesters , says Mattis , are “ rightly demanding … Equal Justice Under Law.
” This is a “ wholesome and unifying demand — one that all of us should be able to get behind.
” But what does the general think of the methods and means the “ protesters ” have used — the massive civil disobedience , the blocking of streets , the vilification of police , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the general think of protesters who provide moral cover for insurrection ?
“ Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people , ” says Mattis .
Trump “ doesn ’ t even pretend to try .
Instead he tries to divide us.
” But it was not Trump who divided America in this racial crisis .
The nation was united in revulsion at the criminal cruelty that led to George Floyd ’ s death .
The nation was united in backing an enraged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ atrocity .
What divided America were the methods and means protesters began using in the first hours of the Minneapolis riot — the attacks on cops with bottles , bricks and Molotov cocktails .
In Mattis ’ statement , one finds not a word of sympathy or support for the police bearing the brunt of mob brutality for defending the communities they serve , while defending the constitutional right of the protesters to curse them as racist and rogue cops .
“ Keeping public order rests with civilian state and local leaders who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to them , ” not to the military , says the general .
Correct .
But what happens when mobs run wild to where a governor of New York is denouncing the NYPD for failing to protect the city from anarchy and is threatening to replace the mayor for failing to put down the insurrection .
The Liberal Invasion o ... Tate , Kristin B .
Best Price : $ 19.99 Buy New $ 18.89 In July 1967 , the 82nd Airborne was sent into Detroit to put down the riot .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D.C. to stop the rioting in the wake of Dr. King ’ s assassination .
In the violent protests of the Nixon era , U.S. airborne troops were brought into the basement of the Executive Office Building .
The general quotes James Madison : “ America united with a handful of troops , or without a single soldier exhibits a more forbidding posture to foreign invaders than an America disunited.
” And how , General , did that work out for Madison when the “ foreign invaders ” arrived in Maryland in August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and burned the Capitol and White House and Alexandria , while “ Little Jimmy ” fled out the Brookville Road ?
If memory serves , it was Gen. Andrew Jackson and the troops he pulled together for the Battle of New Orleans who defeated the British and saved the Union .
“ Society can not exist , ” wrote Edmund Burke , “ unless a controlling power upon will and appetite be placed somewhere ; and the less of it there is within , the more there must be without .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things , that men of intemperate minds can not be free .
Their passions forge their fetters.
” That is where we are now .
Society and civilization are on the line .
If mob tactics are now how we change laws and alter public policy , the democratic republic is dead and we have gone full Third World .
Some of us do not believe America is a racist society or that the nation ’ s police , numbering a million men and women , are shot through with anti-black racism .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last line of defense we have against that “ small number of lawbreakers ” Mattis tells us are no problem .
Did the general actually produce this pile of mush that reads like something out of Ramsey Clark in the 1960s ?
My guess : Mattis , an obedient servant of President Trump for two years , has been persuaded that the wind is blowing the other way and his “ place in history ” demands that he get himself on the correct side .
The general has just defected to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buchanan

Shop all books by Pat Buchanan
In his statement to The Atlantic magazine, former Defense Secretary General James Mattis says of the events of the last 10 days that have shaken the nation as it has not been shaken since 1968:
“We must not be distracted by a small number of lawbreakers.”
Is “a small number of lawbreakers” an apt description of wilding mobs who have showered cops with bottles, bricks and rocks in 40 cities, looted stores in the hundreds, torched police cars, and injured dozens of Secret Service personnel defending the White House?
Is “a small number of lawbreakers” the way a patriot would describe anti-American anarchists who desecrated the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial on the Mall and the Korean War Memorial and tried to burn down the Church of the Presidents in Lafayette Square? Nixon’s White Ho... Buchanan, Patrick J. Best Price: $2.03 Buy New $8.50 (as of 12:15 UTC - Details)
Was the sacking of Georgetown, Rodeo Drive in LA, 5th Avenue in New York and 40 city centers, the work of a few “lawbreakers”?
Is that a good description of the people who gravely wounded that cop in Las Vegas and shot four cops and murdered that retired black police chief in St. Louis?
The protesters, says Mattis, are “rightly demanding … Equal Justice Under Law.” This is a “wholesome and unifying demand — one that all of us should be able to get behind.”
But what does the general think of the methods and means the “protesters” have used — the massive civil disobedience, the blocking of streets, the vilification of police, the contempt for curfews. What does the general think of protesters who provide moral cover for insurrection?
“Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people,” says Mattis. Trump “doesn’t even pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us.”
But it was not Trump who divided America in this racial crisis.
The nation was united in revulsion at the criminal cruelty that led to George Floyd’s death. The nation was united in backing an enraged people’s right to protest that atrocity.
What divided America were the methods and means protesters began using in the first hours of the Minneapolis riot — the attacks on cops with bottles, bricks and Molotov cocktails.
In Mattis’ statement, one finds not a word of sympathy or support for the police bearing the brunt of mob brutality for defending the communities they serve, while defending the constitutional right of the protesters to curse them as racist and rogue cops.
“Keeping public order rests with civilian state and local leaders who best understand their communities and are answerable to them,” not to the military, says the general.
Correct. But what happens when mobs run wild to where a governor of New York is denouncing the NYPD for failing to protect the city from anarchy and is threatening to replace the mayor for failing to put down the insurrection. The Liberal Invasion o... Tate, Kristin B. Best Price: $19.99 Buy New $18.89 (as of 04:44 UTC - Details)
In July 1967, the 82nd Airborne was sent into Detroit to put down the riot. In 1968, there were federal troops in D.C. to stop the rioting in the wake of Dr. King’s assassination. In the violent protests of the Nixon era, U.S. airborne troops were brought into the basement of the Executive Office Building.
The general quotes James Madison: “America united with a handful of troops, or without a single soldier exhibits a more forbidding posture to foreign invaders than an America disunited.”
And how, General, did that work out for Madison when the “foreign invaders” arrived in Maryland in August 1814, marched up Bladensburg Road, and burned the Capitol and White House and Alexandria, while “Little Jimmy” fled out the Brookville Road?
If memory serves, it was Gen. Andrew Jackson and the troops he pulled together for the Battle of New Orleans who defeated the British and saved the Union.
“Society cannot exist,” wrote Edmund Burke, “unless a controlling power upon will and appetite be placed somewhere; and the less of it there is within, the more there must be without.
“It is ordained in the eternal constitution of things, that men of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters.”
That is where we are now. Society and civilization are on the line.
If mob tactics are now how we change laws and alter public policy, the democratic republic is dead and we have gone full Third World.
Some of us do not believe America is a racist society or that the nation’s police, numbering a million men and women, are shot through with anti-black racism.
Some of us believe the police are the last line of defense we have against that “small number of lawbreakers” Mattis tells us are no problem.
Did the general actually produce this pile of mush that reads like something out of Ramsey Clark in the 1960s?
My guess: Mattis, an obedient servant of President Trump for two years, has been persuaded that the wind is blowing the other way and his “place in history” demands that he get himself on the correct side.
The general has just defected to the resistance.
The Best of Patrick J. Buchanan


Free Convertible Teslas

Elon Musk is probably taking a knee right now .
Not because Black Lives Matter – but because riots on that pretext have shunted attention away from another Auto-piloted crash .
Last year , a Tesla decapitated itself by running into – and underneath – a tractor trailer it didn ’ t “ see.
” Neither did its driver , who saw nothing ever again – after his decapitation .
Now another Tesla has done the four-wheeled Louis XVI – losing its head to a semi it didn ’ t “ see.
” Tesla , of course , blames the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When The Grid Goes Dow ... Tony Nester Best Price : $ 8.73 Buy New $ 13.80 A cognitively dissonant statement was released after the wreck , as follows : “ Our data shows that when used properly by an attentive driver , who is prepared to take control at all times .
.
.
” the system is the apogee of safety .
Isn ’ t the whole point of Autopilot in particular and automated driving tech in general to enable the driver to not be attentive ?
What would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requires the driver to be “ prepared to take control at all times ” ?
Isn ’ t that what a driver is supposed to do ?
FosPower Emergency Sol ... Buy New $ 39.99 On the one hand , Tesla pitches the self-driving capability of its cars .
That – and virtue signaling about driving an electric car – are the main reasons people buy Teslas .
Otherwise , why not just buy a Camry ?
On the other hand , Tesla holds the driver responsible for not driving the car when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is like selling a leaky boat and blaming the guy who bought it when it sinks .
Which , when you think about it , isn ’ t entirely off base .
The Best of Eric Peters

Elon Musk is probably taking a knee right now. Not because Black Lives Matter – but because riots on that pretext have shunted attention away from another Auto-piloted crash.
And death.
Last year, a Tesla decapitated itself by running into – and underneath – a tractor trailer it didn’t “see.” Neither did its driver, who saw nothing ever again – after his decapitation. Now another Tesla has done the four-wheeled Louis XVI – losing its head to a semi it didn’t “see.”
Tesla, of course, blames the driver – whom it encouraged not to.

When The Grid Goes Dow... Tony Nester Best Price: $8.73 Buy New $13.80 (as of 08:15 UTC - Details) A cognitively dissonant statement was released after the wreck, as follows:
“Our data shows that when used properly by an attentive driver, who is prepared to take control at all times . . .” the system is the apogee of safety.
Italic added.
An “attentive driver”?
Isn’t the whole point of Autopilot in particular and automated driving tech in general to enable the driver to not be attentive? What would be the point of a self-driving car that requires the driver to be “prepared to take control at all times”? Isn’t that what a driver is supposed to do? FosPower Emergency Sol... Buy New $39.99 (as of 02:53 UTC - Details)
The gaslighting is stupendous.
On the one hand, Tesla pitches the self-driving capability of its cars. That – and virtue signaling about driving an electric car – are the main reasons people buy Teslas. Otherwise, why not just buy a Camry?
On the other hand, Tesla holds the driver responsible for not driving the car when it drives itself into something.
It is like selling a leaky boat and blaming the guy who bought it when it sinks.
Which, when you think about it, isn’t entirely off base.
Read the Whole Article
The Best of Eric Peters


lewrockwell--2020-06-05--The Coming Bond and Real Estate Collapse and Where the Next Bubble Will Be

International Man : The bond super bubble continues to get bigger .
Interest rates seem to be headed even lower from here .
Is this the blow-off top in the bond market ?
What do you think will cause central banks to lose control and for interest rates to head higher ?
Doug Casey : Even with the Fed bailing out major institutions—which it will continue to do , just like back in 2008–2009—the fundamentals underlying many businesses are so bad that a lot of them are going to collapse .
I ’ m not just talking about the obvious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board .
As that starts happening , people will realize that the cat ’ s really out of the bag , that this isn ’ t just another cyclical downturn—it ’ s genuine depression .
And almost everything the government is doing is not only the wrong thing but the exact opposite of the right thing .
The Anti-Demographic C ... Blessings , Joe Buy New $ 5.99 The worst possible place for money today may not even be the stock market , as dangerous as it is .
It ’ s the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just in a bubble .
They ’ re in a hyper-bubble .
The bond hyper-bubble is serious because there ’ s so much debt in the world at such low interest rates .
When reality reasserts itself , interest rates start heading up—not just to levels that show a real yield after inflation but levels from the early ’ 80s , which ranged from 10 % to 20 % .
The bond market is heading toward its long-overdue collapse .
It will take down pension funds and insurance companies with it as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ built on a mountain of debt .
It ’ s going to be really ugly .
Most of their assets are in bonds .
And many pension funds—particularly those for public employees—are already severely underfunded .
That ’ s really serious because we ’ re not at the bottom of a stock or bond bear market , where insolvency would be understandable .
We ’ re at the top of bubbles in both , and things are as good as they could possibly get .
As a consequence , a lot of cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to increase contributions a lot or cut retirement benefits a lot .
Regarding bonds themselves , as an investment class , they ’ re nothing like what they used to be .
Bonds are now a triple threat to your wealth—currency risk , interest rate risk , and solvency risk .
In the long run , currency risk is the most certain and perhaps the deadliest .
Despite the current demand for dollars—debtors are desperate for dollars to service and roll over their debts—the dollar will reach its intrinsic value .
The US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biggest debtor , is most in need of dollars ; but can get all it wants by selling its debt to its central bank , the Federal Reserve .
Why make a bet on the value of the dollar ?
Second is interest rate risk .
Interest rates are at all-time lows , substantially below the rate of inflation everywhere , and actually negative on about $ 17 trillion of European and Japanese government debt .
I used to think interest rates below zero were metaphysically impossible but forgot that we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Economics of Disco ... Paul , Jean-Michel Best Price : $ 30.38 Buy New $ 14.95 Artificially low rates are highly destructive .
Low rates encourage people to do things that they ordinarily wouldn ’ t dream of because they think they can afford it .
That ’ s because of massive misallocations of capital and malinvestment .
The government needs low rates since interest on $ 20-some trillion is a major cost .
Low rates also discourage people from saving .
They make normally sensible folk act like foolish grasshoppers .
Instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , like wise ants , it encourages them to consume today and even live out of capital by borrowing .
When winter comes , grasshoppers starve .
You know the old fable .
The third threat is solvency risk .
With all the debt in the world , a lot of people just aren ’ t going to be able to pay their debts .
This includes governments .
For example , the Argentine government can ’ t pay its debts .
The US government is just a cycle or two behind the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US dollar is a reserve currency , the US Government has a lot more runway before it crashes .
But it ’ s going to lose reserve status .
The dollar will be replaced not by another fiat currency , but by gold .
International Man : The global pandemic seems to have changed the value proposition for many to live in big cities .
What do you think the effect of this hysteria will be on the real estate market ?
Doug Casey : This is one of the second-order effects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously discussed .
The recent rent protests are going to roll over into a third-order effect .
The government will say , “ It ’ s okay .
You don ’ t have to pay your rent or mortgage because we can ’ t have 20 million more families living under bridges .
We ’ ll pay it for you.
” The same goes for utilities .
This is something a lot of politicians are talking about right now .
That said , there ’ s an increasing tendency to get out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ towns , or maybe the countryside .
Not the suburbs , though .
The burbs of cities are the worst of both worlds in some ways .
Taxes are a huge consideration when it comes to real estate .
With unemployment as high as it is right now—and it ’ s going to stay high—every kind of tax revenue is collapsing .
Meanwhile , their expenses are exploding with unemployment and related benefits .
Unfortunately , government employees aren ’ t being fired or laid off at anywhere near the rate of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care of its own , of course .
A Generation of Sociop ... Gibney , Bruce Cannon Best Price : $ 4.19 Buy New $ 13.47 Pelosi is trying to get a near trillion-dollar bill through Congress to bail out state and local governments .
We can only hope it doesn ’ t pass , so they ’ ll be forced to trim their bloated employee rolls .
If that happens , however , they ’ ll cut back on desirable and essential services first , so the people will feel it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a bad idea to stay in the city or the suburbs .
I ’ ve said that for years , but the current epidemic of riots underlines that .
As does the trend of working at home and doing business electronically .
It ’ s smarter to be in a small town , which has some cohesiveness , or in the countryside .
Amazon and Walmart , FedEx and UPS have made it quite possible and convenient to live anywhere now .
You no longer have to live in the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things that cities provide .
Cities , at least in the US , are all in decline anyway .
They ’ re crowded , noisy , dirty , expensive , and dangerous .
It ’ s unfortunate in many ways , though .
The disappearance of cities was one major indicator of the decline of the Western Roman Empire in the 3rd through 6th centuries .
But that gets us into a gloomy conversation about the collapse of Western Civilization itself .
Right now , we ’ re just talking about nearby financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bubble has primarily been in major cities like New York , LA , and San Francisco , and their equivalents around the world .
In Vancouver—which was an ultra-hot market—transactions now are happening at 40–50 % discounts from the peak .
Property prices in fashionable big cities are a bubble that ’ s bursting as we speak .
International Man : Many retirees and savers hold large positions in risky stocks and junk bonds in a search for yield .
What do you say to these people ?
Doug Casey : First of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed in the markets .
Even in a bull market , he only gets the table scraps , the poorest and worst of everything .
Right now , the public thinks everything will be just fine .
It ’ s not .
In a depression , yields that are both high and safe are like unicorns or hen ’ s teeth .
Oh , and speaking of unicorns , the public is looking , en masse , for the next Facebook , Amazon , or Apple .
They ’ re spending ridiculous amounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all kinds of scams .
I don ’ t doubt infomercials pushing magic trading programs are going to show up on late-night TV next .
Tech stocks for people who know nothing about technology and trading services for people who know nothing about the markets .
It ’ s perverse .
But the public often thinks the party is still on—they ’ ve heard about 8,357 % and 10,523 % returns—and pile in like lemmings .
The Prepperu2019s Blue ... Tess Pennington Best Price : $ 11.98 Buy New $ 18.98 John Q @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s going to get eaten up by bid-ask spreads .
He doesn ’ t realize that he ’ s going to get killed by the commissions on both sides .
Even if the person he ’ s taking advice from is right , the average guy gets and acts on the information too late .
Lastly , he doesn ’ t have the psychology that it takes to be a trader , a speculator , or even an investor .
These are all different things , incidentally .
What the latecomers are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
That is what people are doing in a desperate attempt to outrun the collapse—and they ’ re making their situation worse .
Trying to trade is one thing .
The other is buying all kinds of tech stocks , which always happens late in the game .
People often pile into tech stocks after the bubble has broken , but they don ’ t know that it has burst .
The old expression “ high-tech , big wreck ” is going to become very obvious in the future .
Most tech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lots of money .
They ’ re science projects .
Most of them are burning matches—very much like mining exploration stocks .
How many are going to be the next Amazon or Facebook ?
Most of them are going to wind up trading for about zero .
What do I say to these people ?
Please don ’ t do it .
You ’ re just going to lose the rest of your money .
International Man : What speculative opportunities do you see in this environment ?
Doug Casey : Unfortunately , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the phony money being created will create other bubbles .
The question is , where will those bubbles be ?
They ’ re not easy to identify .
My guess is that the next bubble is going to be driven by both fear and greed as well as prudence into gold and , to a lesser degree , into silver .
And , for different reasons , into commodities as a group .
That ’ s where I would look .
Gold is no longer at giveaway prices like it was in 2001 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s been an excellent place to be for a long time .
But it ’ s going a lot higher .
There are about 2,000 gold mining stocks .
Or , at least , companies that claim to be gold mining , gold development , or gold exploration stocks .
These are three different things .
That distinction should be made .
Some of them are still very depressed right now .
Gold mining—which is generally a risky , crappy business—is one of the few profitable businesses out there .
Of mining companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all-in sustaining costs ” of about $ 1,000 an ounce , but gold is trading at $ 1,700 .
Fund managers—most of whom , like Buffet and Munger , neither like nor understand gold—are going to start piling into these things .
So will the public , but much later .
I think this is a rare opportunity .
This is going to be the next bubble .
Forget about common stocks , bonds , and real estate .
There ’ s plenty of time for conventional investments after the economy bottoms .
@ @ @ @ @

International Man: The bond super bubble continues to get bigger. Interest rates seem to be headed even lower from here. Is this the blow-off top in the bond market?
What do you think will cause central banks to lose control and for interest rates to head higher?
Doug Casey: Even with the Fed bailing out major institutions—which it will continue to do, just like back in 2008–2009—the fundamentals underlying many businesses are so bad that a lot of them are going to collapse. I’m not just talking about the obvious candidates—retail, restaurants, airlines—but across the board.
As that starts happening, people will realize that the cat’s really out of the bag, that this isn’t just another cyclical downturn—it’s genuine depression. And almost everything the government is doing is not only the wrong thing but the exact opposite of the right thing. The Anti-Demographic C... Blessings, Joe Buy New $5.99 (as of 04:54 UTC - Details)
The worst possible place for money today may not even be the stock market, as dangerous as it is. It’s the bond market. Bonds aren’t just in a bubble. They’re in a hyper-bubble.
The bond hyper-bubble is serious because there’s so much debt in the world at such low interest rates. When reality reasserts itself, interest rates start heading up—not just to levels that show a real yield after inflation but levels from the early ’80s, which ranged from 10% to 20%. The bond market is heading toward its long-overdue collapse.
It will take down pension funds and insurance companies with it as well as the property market, which is built on a mountain of debt. It’s going to be really ugly. Most of their assets are in bonds. And many pension funds—particularly those for public employees—are already severely underfunded.
That’s really serious because we’re not at the bottom of a stock or bond bear market, where insolvency would be understandable. We’re at the top of bubbles in both, and things are as good as they could possibly get. As a consequence, a lot of cities and states are either going to have to increase contributions a lot or cut retirement benefits a lot.
Regarding bonds themselves, as an investment class, they’re nothing like what they used to be. Bonds are now a triple threat to your wealth—currency risk, interest rate risk, and solvency risk.
In the long run, currency risk is the most certain and perhaps the deadliest. Despite the current demand for dollars—debtors are desperate for dollars to service and roll over their debts—the dollar will reach its intrinsic value. The US Government, as the world’s biggest debtor, is most in need of dollars; but can get all it wants by selling its debt to its central bank, the Federal Reserve.
Why make a bet on the value of the dollar?
Second is interest rate risk. Interest rates are at all-time lows, substantially below the rate of inflation everywhere, and actually negative on about $17 trillion of European and Japanese government debt. I used to think interest rates below zero were metaphysically impossible but forgot that we’re now living in Bizarro World. The Economics of Disco... Paul, Jean-Michel Best Price: $30.38 Buy New $14.95 (as of 04:54 UTC - Details)
Artificially low rates are highly destructive. Low rates encourage people to do things that they ordinarily wouldn’t dream of because they think they can afford it. That’s because of massive misallocations of capital and malinvestment. The government needs low rates since interest on $20-some trillion is a major cost.
Low rates also discourage people from saving. They make normally sensible folk act like foolish grasshoppers. Instead of setting aside wealth for the winter, like wise ants, it encourages them to consume today and even live out of capital by borrowing. When winter comes, grasshoppers starve. You know the old fable.
The third threat is solvency risk. With all the debt in the world, a lot of people just aren’t going to be able to pay their debts. This includes governments.
For example, the Argentine government can’t pay its debts. The US government is just a cycle or two behind the Argentine government. Of course, since the US dollar is a reserve currency, the US Government has a lot more runway before it crashes. But it’s going to lose reserve status. The dollar will be replaced not by another fiat currency, but by gold.
International Man: The global pandemic seems to have changed the value proposition for many to live in big cities. What do you think the effect of this hysteria will be on the real estate market?
Doug Casey: This is one of the second-order effects of the hysteria that I’ve previously discussed. The recent rent protests are going to roll over into a third-order effect. The government will say, “It’s okay. You don’t have to pay your rent or mortgage because we can’t have 20 million more families living under bridges. We’ll pay it for you.” The same goes for utilities. This is something a lot of politicians are talking about right now.
That said, there’s an increasing tendency to get out of the big city and move to small towns, or maybe the countryside. Not the suburbs, though. The burbs of cities are the worst of both worlds in some ways.
Taxes are a huge consideration when it comes to real estate. With unemployment as high as it is right now—and it’s going to stay high—every kind of tax revenue is collapsing. Meanwhile, their expenses are exploding with unemployment and related benefits.
Unfortunately, government employees aren’t being fired or laid off at anywhere near the rate of the private sector. The government always takes care of its own, of course. A Generation of Sociop... Gibney, Bruce Cannon Best Price: $4.19 Buy New $13.47 (as of 04:54 UTC - Details)
Pelosi is trying to get a near trillion-dollar bill through Congress to bail out state and local governments. We can only hope it doesn’t pass, so they’ll be forced to trim their bloated employee rolls. If that happens, however, they’ll cut back on desirable and essential services first, so the people will feel it, and scream for Federal funds.
It’s a bad idea to stay in the city or the suburbs. I’ve said that for years, but the current epidemic of riots underlines that. As does the trend of working at home and doing business electronically. It’s smarter to be in a small town, which has some cohesiveness, or in the countryside. Amazon and Walmart, FedEx and UPS have made it quite possible and convenient to live anywhere now. You no longer have to live in the city to take advantage of most of the things that cities provide. Cities, at least in the US, are all in decline anyway. They’re crowded, noisy, dirty, expensive, and dangerous.
It’s unfortunate in many ways, though. The disappearance of cities was one major indicator of the decline of the Western Roman Empire in the 3rd through 6th centuries. But that gets us into a gloomy conversation about the collapse of Western Civilization itself. Right now, we’re just talking about nearby financial and economic problems.
The real estate bubble has primarily been in major cities like New York, LA, and San Francisco, and their equivalents around the world. In Vancouver—which was an ultra-hot market—transactions now are happening at 40–50% discounts from the peak. Property prices in fashionable big cities are a bubble that’s bursting as we speak.
International Man: Many retirees and savers hold large positions in risky stocks and junk bonds in a search for yield. What do you say to these people?
Doug Casey: First of all, the average guy generally gets killed in the markets. Even in a bull market, he only gets the table scraps, the poorest and worst of everything.
Right now, the public thinks everything will be just fine. It’s not. In a depression, yields that are both high and safe are like unicorns or hen’s teeth. Oh, and speaking of unicorns, the public is looking, en masse, for the next Facebook, Amazon, or Apple.
They’re spending ridiculous amounts of money on highly promoted newsletters and all kinds of scams. I don’t doubt infomercials pushing magic trading programs are going to show up on late-night TV next. Tech stocks for people who know nothing about technology and trading services for people who know nothing about the markets. It’s perverse. But the public often thinks the party is still on—they’ve heard about 8,357% and 10,523% returns—and pile in like lemmings. The Prepperu2019s Blue... Tess Pennington Best Price: $11.98 Buy New $18.98 (as of 02:20 UTC - Details)
John Q Public doesn’t realize that he’s going to get eaten up by bid-ask spreads. He doesn’t realize that he’s going to get killed by the commissions on both sides. Even if the person he’s taking advice from is right, the average guy gets and acts on the information too late. Lastly, he doesn’t have the psychology that it takes to be a trader, a speculator, or even an investor. These are all different things, incidentally. What the latecomers are is gamblers—but they don’t know it.
That is what people are doing in a desperate attempt to outrun the collapse—and they’re making their situation worse.
Trying to trade is one thing. The other is buying all kinds of tech stocks, which always happens late in the game. People often pile into tech stocks after the bubble has broken, but they don’t know that it has burst.
The old expression “high-tech, big wreck” is going to become very obvious in the future. Most tech companies have to constantly raise lots and lots of money. They’re science projects. Most of them are burning matches—very much like mining exploration stocks. How many are going to be the next Amazon or Facebook? Most of them are going to wind up trading for about zero.
What do I say to these people?
Please don’t do it. You’re just going to lose the rest of your money.
International Man: What speculative opportunities do you see in this environment?
Doug Casey: Unfortunately, the main opportunities are speculative. All the phony money being created will create other bubbles.
The question is, where will those bubbles be? They’re not easy to identify.
My guess is that the next bubble is going to be driven by both fear and greed as well as prudence into gold and, to a lesser degree, into silver. And, for different reasons, into commodities as a group.
That’s where I would look.
Gold is no longer at giveaway prices like it was in 2001, at $250. It’s been an excellent place to be for a long time. But it’s going a lot higher.
There are about 2,000 gold mining stocks. Or, at least, companies that claim to be gold mining, gold development, or gold exploration stocks. These are three different things. That distinction should be made.
Some of them are still very depressed right now.
Gold mining—which is generally a risky, crappy business—is one of the few profitable businesses out there.
Of mining companies in production today, most have “all-in sustaining costs” of about $1,000 an ounce, but gold is trading at $1,700.
Fund managers—most of whom, like Buffet and Munger, neither like nor understand gold—are going to start piling into these things. So will the public, but much later.
I think this is a rare opportunity. This is going to be the next bubble.
Forget about common stocks, bonds, and real estate. There’s plenty of time for conventional investments after the economy bottoms.
Reprinted with permission from International Man.
The Best of Doug Casey


Maxine Injects Racism

This morning , I happened to post an e-mail from one of my sisters-in-law in Chicago , whose first name is Dolishia .
She ’ s black .
Dolishia wrote “ They ’ ve been rioting and looting at my store they thinking about closing it it ’ s so heavily damaged all the black areas in Chicago close are devastating they tore up the black community.
” Then just now I read Maxine Waters , a well-known black woman , a Democrat , who ’ s in the House of Representatives from California .
I tried to e-mail her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m not in her district .
That being the case , I ’ m blogging here , as it does have some broader meaning .
In light of what Dolishia told me , what Maxine said troubles me .
She said The Liberal Media Indu ...
Dice , Mark Best Price : $ 15.35 Buy New $ 16.16 “ A lot of negative language gets used against black people , describing what whites often believe is true about us : that language includes ‘ lazy , ’ ‘ criminal , ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all negative language used far too often in a description of black people by folks who fundamentally don ’ t see black people the same way they see whites and others.
” But ordinary black people use the same language that white people do .
When black people riot and loot , they say there ’ s rioting and looting .
Maxine shouldn ’ t be saying that this is peculiar to whites .
Maxine has been at this for decades , trying to replace the word rioting by insurrection .
But my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got Maxine ’ s message , and it ’ s a good thing she hasn ’ t .
Dolishia knows that a bunch of people were rioting and looting near her .
She didn ’ t have to say they were black , because the South Side is 93 percent black .
Maxine shouldn ’ t deny the facts .
That won ’ t help black people .
She really should be decrying the looters and rioters , black or not .
Her solidarity should be extended to black people made worse off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Side rioting and looting was not insurrection , which is a revolt against authority .
Why would people loot a Food Basket store near Dolishia , one that she patronizes , if it were insurrection ?
Why would they loot anything ?
They ’ d be marching against people and places of authority and making demands , and they ’ d be armed .
Maxine injects a charge of racism into a situation where it ’ s a false charge .
And the problem is that she ’ s not alone .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of claiming racism for over 50 years .
The Best of Michael S. Rozeff

This morning, I happened to post an e-mail from one of my sisters-in-law in Chicago, whose first name is Dolishia. She’s black. Dolishia wrote “They’ve been rioting and looting at my store they thinking about closing it it’s so heavily damaged all the black areas in Chicago close are devastating they tore up the black community.”
Then just now I read Maxine Waters, a well-known black woman, a Democrat, who’s in the House of Representatives from California. I tried to e-mail her, but her system refuses it because I’m not in her district. That being the case, I’m blogging here, as it does have some broader meaning.
In light of what Dolishia told me, what Maxine said troubles me. She said
The Liberal Media Indu... Dice, Mark Best Price: $15.35 Buy New $16.16 (as of 04:46 UTC - Details) “A lot of negative language gets used against black people, describing what whites often believe is true about us: that language includes ‘lazy,’ ‘criminal,’ and ‘rioting.’ It’s all negative language used far too often in a description of black people by folks who fundamentally don’t see black people the same way they see whites and others.”
But ordinary black people use the same language that white people do. When black people riot and loot, they say there’s rioting and looting. Maxine shouldn’t be saying that this is peculiar to whites.
Maxine has been at this for decades, trying to replace the word rioting by insurrection. But my sister-in law Dolishia apparently hasn’t got Maxine’s message, and it’s a good thing she hasn’t. Dolishia knows that a bunch of people were rioting and looting near her. She didn’t have to say they were black, because the South Side is 93 percent black.
Maxine shouldn’t deny the facts. That won’t help black people. She really should be decrying the looters and rioters, black or not. Her solidarity should be extended to black people made worse off by the destruction.
Certainly the South Side rioting and looting was not insurrection, which is a revolt against authority. Why would people loot a Food Basket store near Dolishia, one that she patronizes, if it were insurrection? Why would they loot anything? They’d be marching against people and places of authority and making demands, and they’d be armed.
Maxine injects a charge of racism into a situation where it’s a false charge.
And the problem is that she’s not alone. She and others have made a career out of claiming racism for over 50 years.
The Best of Michael S. Rozeff


lewrockwell--2020-06-05--The Media Have Conveniently Forgotten George W. Bush’s Many Atrocities

Former president George W. Bush has returned to the spotlight to give moral guidance to America in these troubled times .
In a statement released on Tuesday , Bush announced that he was “ anguished ” by the “ brutal suffocation ” of George Floyd and declared that “ lasting peace in our communities requires truly equal justice .
The rule of law ultimately depends on the fairness and legitimacy of the legal system .
And achieving justice for all is the duty of all.
” Bush ’ s declaration was greeted with thunderous applause by the usual suspects who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contrast to Trump .
While the media portrays Bush ’ s pious piffle as a visionary triumph of principle , Americans need to vividly recall the lies and atrocities that permeated his eight years as president .
In an October 2017 speech in a “ national forum on liberty ” at the George W. Bush Institute in New York City , Bush bemoaned that “ Our politics seems more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright fabrication.
” Coming from Bush , this had as much credibility as former president Bill Clinton bewailing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ An ... Brundage , W. Fitzhugh Best Price : $ 24.00 Buy New $ 14.64 Most media coverage of Bush nowadays either ignores the falsehoods he used to take America to war in Iraq or portrays him as a good man who received incorrect information .
But Bush was lying from the get-go on Iraq and was determined to drag the nation into another Middle East war .
From January 2003 onwards , Bush constantly portrayed the US as an innocent victim of Saddam Hussein ’ s imminent aggression and repeatedly claimed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” That was never the case .
As the Center for Public Integrity reported , Bush made “ 232 false statements about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and another 28 false statements about Iraq ’ s links to Al Qaeda.
” As the lies by which he sold the Iraq War unraveled , Bush resorted to vilifying critics as traitors in a 2006 speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars .
Bush ’ s lies led to the killing of more than four thousand American troops and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dead and gone anyhow , the media instead lauds Bush ’ s selection to be in a Kennedy Center art show displaying his borderline primitive oil paintings .
In February 2018 , Bush was paid lavishly to give a prodemocracy speech in the United Arab Emirates , ruled by a notorious Arab dictatorship .
He proclaimed : “ Our democracy is only as good as people trust the results.
” He openly fretted about Russian “ meddling ” in the 2016 US election .
But when he was president , Bush acted as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intervene in any foreign election he pleased .
He boasted in 2005 that his administration had budgeted almost $ 5 billion “ for programs to support democratic change around the world , ” much of which was spent on tampering with foreign vote totals .
When Iraq held elections in 2005 , Bush approved a massive covert aid program for pro-American Iraqi parties .
The Bush administration spent over $ 65 million to boost their favored candidate in the 2004 Ukraine election .
Yet , with boundless hypocrisy , Bush proclaimed that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free from any foreign influence.
” US government-financed organizations helped spur coups in Venezuela in 2002 and Haiti in 2004 .
Both of those nations , along with Ukraine , remain political train wrecks .
The Bush Betrayal Bovard , James Best Price : $ 6.98 Buy New $ 3.00 In that October 2017 New York speech , Bush proclaimed : “ No democracy pretends to be a tyranny.
” But ravaging the Constitution was apparently part of his job description when he was president .
Shortly after 9-11 , Bush turned back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Magna Carta was signed ) , formally suspending habeas corpus and claiming a prerogative to imprison indefinitely anyone he labeled a terrorist suspect .
In 2002 , Justice Department lawyers informed Bush that the president was entitled to violate the law during wartime—and the war on terror was expected to continue indefinitely .
In 2004 , Bush White House counsel Alberto Gonzales formally asserted a “ commander-in-chief override power ” entitling presidents to ignore the Bill of Rights .
Under Bush , the US government embraced barbaric practices which did more to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of Trump ’ s tweets combined .
Bush ’ s “ enhanced interrogation ” regime included endless high-volume repetition of a Meow Mix cat food commercial at Guantanamo , head slapping , waterboarding , exposure to frigid temperatures , and manacling for many hours in stress positions .
After the Supreme Court rebuffed some of Bush ’ s power grabs in 2006 , he pushed through Congress a bill that retroactively legalized torture—one of the worst legislative disgraces since the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 .
During his years in the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had approved torture .
But in 2010 , during an author tour to promote his new memoir , he bragged about approving waterboarding for terrorist suspects .
Is Bush nominating himself to be the nation ’ s racial healer ?
When he was president , Bush inflicted more financial ruin on blacks than any president since Woodrow Wilson ( who brought Jim Crow barbarities to the federal government ) .
Bush trumpeted his plans to close the gap between black and white homeownership rates and promised in 2002 to “ use the mighty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solve the problem .
Bush was determined to end the bias against people who wanted to buy a home but had no money .
Congress passed Bush ’ s American Dream Downpayment Act in 2003 , authorizing federal handouts to first-time homebuyers of up to $ 10,000 or 6 percent of the home ’ s purchase price .
Bush also swayed Congress to permit the Federal Housing Administration to make no–down payment loans to low-income Americans .
Bush proclaimed : “ Core American values of individuality , thrift , responsibility , and self-reliance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s eyes , self-reliance was so wonderful that the government should subsidize it .
And it didn ’ t matter whether recipients were creditworthy , because politicians meant well .
Bush ’ s 2004 reelection campaign trumpeted his down payment giveaways , a shining example of “ compassionate conservatism.
” Lost Rights : The Destr ... Bovard , James Best Price : $ 2.25 Buy New $ 14.26 Thanks in large part to his policies , minority households saw the fastest growth in homeownership leading up to the 2007 recession .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black and Hispanic households .
“ The implosion of the subprime lending market has left a scar on the finances of black Americans—one that not only has wiped out a generation of economic progress but could leave them at a financial disadvantage for decades , ” the Washington Post reported in 2012 .
The median net worth for Hispanic households declined by 66 percent between 2005 and 2009 .
That devastation was aptly described in a 2017 federal appeals court dissenting opinion as “ wrecking ball benevolence ” ( quoting a 2004 Barron @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But almost none of the media coverage of the ex-president reminds people of the economic carnage of this Bush vote-buying binge .
It is possible to condemn police brutality and , even more importantly , the evil laws and judicial doctrines that enable police to tyrannize other Americans without any help from a demagogic ex-president who ravaged our rights , liberties , and peace .
As I commented in an August 2003 USA Today op-ed , “ Whether Bush and his appointees will be held personally liable for their [ Iraq War ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democracy.
” The revival of Bush ’ s reputation vivifies how our political media system failed that test .
As long as George Bush doesn ’ t turn himself in for committing war crimes , all of his talk about “ achieving justice for all ” is rubbish .
Note : The views expressed on Mises.org are not necessarily those of the Mises Institute .
The Best of James Bovard

Former president George W. Bush has returned to the spotlight to give moral guidance to America in these troubled times. In a statement released on Tuesday, Bush announced that he was “anguished” by the “brutal suffocation” of George Floyd and declared that “lasting peace in our communities requires truly equal justice. The rule of law ultimately depends on the fairness and legitimacy of the legal system. And achieving justice for all is the duty of all.”
Bush’s declaration was greeted with thunderous applause by the usual suspects who portray him as the virtuous Republican in contrast to Trump. While the media portrays Bush’s pious piffle as a visionary triumph of principle, Americans need to vividly recall the lies and atrocities that permeated his eight years as president.
In an October 2017 speech in a “national forum on liberty” at the George W. Bush Institute in New York City, Bush bemoaned that “Our politics seems more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright fabrication.” Coming from Bush, this had as much credibility as former president Bill Clinton bewailing the decline of chastity. Civilizing Torture: An... Brundage, W. Fitzhugh Best Price: $24.00 Buy New $14.64 (as of 02:58 UTC - Details)
Most media coverage of Bush nowadays either ignores the falsehoods he used to take America to war in Iraq or portrays him as a good man who received incorrect information. But Bush was lying from the get-go on Iraq and was determined to drag the nation into another Middle East war. From January 2003 onwards, Bush constantly portrayed the US as an innocent victim of Saddam Hussein’s imminent aggression and repeatedly claimed that war was being “forced upon us.” That was never the case. As the Center for Public Integrity reported, Bush made “232 false statements about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and another 28 false statements about Iraq’s links to Al Qaeda.” As the lies by which he sold the Iraq War unraveled, Bush resorted to vilifying critics as traitors in a 2006 speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Bush’s lies led to the killing of more than four thousand American troops and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians. But since those folks are dead and gone anyhow, the media instead lauds Bush’s selection to be in a Kennedy Center art show displaying his borderline primitive oil paintings.
In February 2018, Bush was paid lavishly to give a prodemocracy speech in the United Arab Emirates, ruled by a notorious Arab dictatorship. He proclaimed: “Our democracy is only as good as people trust the results.” He openly fretted about Russian “meddling” in the 2016 US election.
But when he was president, Bush acted as if the United States were entitled to intervene in any foreign election he pleased. He boasted in 2005 that his administration had budgeted almost $5 billion “for programs to support democratic change around the world,” much of which was spent on tampering with foreign vote totals. When Iraq held elections in 2005, Bush approved a massive covert aid program for pro-American Iraqi parties. The Bush administration spent over $65 million to boost their favored candidate in the 2004 Ukraine election. Yet, with boundless hypocrisy, Bush proclaimed that “any (Ukrainian) election…ought to be free from any foreign influence.” US government-financed organizations helped spur coups in Venezuela in 2002 and Haiti in 2004. Both of those nations, along with Ukraine, remain political train wrecks. The Bush Betrayal Bovard, James Best Price: $6.98 Buy New $3.00 (as of 01:45 UTC - Details)
In that October 2017 New York speech, Bush proclaimed: “No democracy pretends to be a tyranny.” But ravaging the Constitution was apparently part of his job description when he was president. Shortly after 9-11, Bush turned back the clock to before 1215 (when the Magna Carta was signed), formally suspending habeas corpus and claiming a prerogative to imprison indefinitely anyone he labeled a terrorist suspect. In 2002, Justice Department lawyers informed Bush that the president was entitled to violate the law during wartime—and the war on terror was expected to continue indefinitely. In 2004, Bush White House counsel Alberto Gonzales formally asserted a “commander-in-chief override power” entitling presidents to ignore the Bill of Rights.
Under Bush, the US government embraced barbaric practices which did more to destroy America’s moral credibility than all of Trump’s tweets combined. Bush’s “enhanced interrogation” regime included endless high-volume repetition of a Meow Mix cat food commercial at Guantanamo, head slapping, waterboarding, exposure to frigid temperatures, and manacling for many hours in stress positions. After the Supreme Court rebuffed some of Bush’s power grabs in 2006, he pushed through Congress a bill that retroactively legalized torture—one of the worst legislative disgraces since the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. During his years in the White House, Bush perennially denied that he had approved torture. But in 2010, during an author tour to promote his new memoir, he bragged about approving waterboarding for terrorist suspects.
Is Bush nominating himself to be the nation’s racial healer? When he was president, Bush inflicted more financial ruin on blacks than any president since Woodrow Wilson (who brought Jim Crow barbarities to the federal government). Bush trumpeted his plans to close the gap between black and white homeownership rates and promised in 2002 to “use the mighty muscle of the federal government” to solve the problem. Bush was determined to end the bias against people who wanted to buy a home but had no money. Congress passed Bush’s American Dream Downpayment Act in 2003, authorizing federal handouts to first-time homebuyers of up to $10,000 or 6 percent of the home’s purchase price. Bush also swayed Congress to permit the Federal Housing Administration to make no–down payment loans to low-income Americans. Bush proclaimed: “Core American values of individuality, thrift, responsibility, and self-reliance are embodied in homeownership.” In Bush’s eyes, self-reliance was so wonderful that the government should subsidize it. And it didn’t matter whether recipients were creditworthy, because politicians meant well. Bush’s 2004 reelection campaign trumpeted his down payment giveaways, a shining example of “compassionate conservatism.” Lost Rights: The Destr... Bovard, James Best Price: $2.25 Buy New $14.26 (as of 02:58 UTC - Details)
Thanks in large part to his policies, minority households saw the fastest growth in homeownership leading up to the 2007 recession. The housing collapse ravaged the net worth of black and Hispanic households. “The implosion of the subprime lending market has left a scar on the finances of black Americans—one that not only has wiped out a generation of economic progress but could leave them at a financial disadvantage for decades,” the Washington Post reported in 2012. The median net worth for Hispanic households declined by 66 percent between 2005 and 2009. That devastation was aptly described in a 2017 federal appeals court dissenting opinion as “wrecking ball benevolence” (quoting a 2004 Barron’s op-ed I wrote). But almost none of the media coverage of the ex-president reminds people of the economic carnage of this Bush vote-buying binge.
It is possible to condemn police brutality and, even more importantly, the evil laws and judicial doctrines that enable police to tyrannize other Americans without any help from a demagogic ex-president who ravaged our rights, liberties, and peace. As I commented in an August 2003 USA Today op-ed, “Whether Bush and his appointees will be held personally liable for their [Iraq War] falsehoods is a grave test for American democracy.” The revival of Bush’s reputation vivifies how our political media system failed that test. As long as George Bush doesn’t turn himself in for committing war crimes, all of his talk about “achieving justice for all” is rubbish.
Note: The views expressed on Mises.org are not necessarily those of the Mises Institute.
The Best of James Bovard


lewrockwell--2020-06-05--30 Steps To Help You Prepare for Civil Disturbance

1 .
Ensure that your basic preps and backup supplies are in order .
This includes an adequate supply of food , water , and sanitation supplies .
Two weeks is a bare minimum .
Three months or more is better .
2 .
Take stock of your first aid kit and medical supplies including necessary prescription drugs .
Medical supplies , remedies , and prescription drugs will likely be in short supply if there is civil unrest .
For ideas , see the first aid section of this article .
3 .
Learn homesteading skills and self-sufficiency skills regardless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apartment , condo , house , or rural homestead .
Read 12 Ways to Homestead in Place for ideas .
4 .
Inventory the security features in your home to determine weaknesses that need to be strengthened .
Read A Dozen Home Security and Crime Prevention Tips for the Prepper for tips .
5 .
Set up a personal self-defense system .
If you own a firearm , apply for a concealed weapons permit , stock up on ammo , and practice shooting at the range .
Invest in pepper sprays , bully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that will arm you against the bad guys .
Survival Medicine & Fi ... Griffin , Beau Best Price : $ 10.07 Buy New $ 9.95 6 .
Form a community of like-minded people that will band together for protection and safety during times of chaos .
This is going to be tough because trust will be an issue when your back is to the wall .
A good book to read for ideas is actually a piece of fiction by James Wesley Rawles , Patriots : Surviving the Coming Collapse .
7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a massive and chaotic riot situation , ATMs and banks are likely to be inaccessible , closed , or inoperable .
8 .
Accumulate goods for barter .
When the shelves are empty or the stores are closed , you may need to call on others for the supplies you need but did not anticipate .
Have something to barter .
Spirits ( including beer , wine , and good old Jack Daniels ) are always good choices as are candles , batteries , food , sanitation supplies , and first aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for barter as are fresh eggs and homegrown garden vegetables .
See 40 Items to Barter in a Post-Collapse World .
9 .
Don ’ t forget about children , the elderly , and pets .
In a riot or lockdown , they may become fearful and panicked .
Stowaway some amusements and comfort items for them as well .
10 .
Invest in a reference library of books , manuals , and survival guides .
Don ’ t forget to include fiction as well as non-fiction plus reading materials suitable for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Acquire communication equipment so that you can keep in touch with family members and the outside world during times of civil disobedience .
This may include an emergency radio , a shortwave scanner , a HAM radio or something else .
Your gear will do you no good if you do not know how to use it .
If it is too complicated , create a cheat sheet or find something simpler to use .
Practice often !
SAS Survival Handbook , ... Wiseman , John 'Lofty ' Best Price : $ 12.99 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a family emergency plan so that everyone knows what to do and where to meet in the event the worst happens .
See Survival Basics : 10 Steps for Preparing a Family Emergency Plan .
13 .
Keep a level head and your mouth shut .
If during times of unrest , you are pulled into a police net , the first thing you should do is call a lawyer .
Be courteous and polite and do not resist .
Law enforcement agencies will treat you much better if you don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not do you any good to resist but it could cause you a lot more trouble than you could imagine .
Print out the following and keep it in your wallet and in your car along with your registration : The ACLU also has a printable card you can download and keep with you : What To Do If You ’ re Stopped By Police .
For more information , you can also download the booklet Your Rights When Encountering Law Enforcement .
SAS Urban Survival Han ... Wiseman , John `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New $ 9.95 We love our dogs and cats and it is impossible to not consider them during civil unrest .
Try to have a few months worth of dog or cat food put back .
While it may seem expensive , dried dog food is available in 10 lb boxes that rehydrates to 40 lbs .
It actually doesn ’ t cost as much to feed as a lot of dry foods and if you have a small or medium-sized dog you can stash a lot of food in a small space @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then you can put it in a barrel and seal it up with diatomaceous earth .
There are countless videos , books , classes , etc that you can utilize .
If you need to then grab a friend and practice some motions .
A lot of local community centers and YMCAs have affordable self-defense classes that can help you learn and set aside the time to learn essentials .
Even if you have been in a tussle or two , it never hurts to brush up and also improve your skillset .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ level of defense and will allow you to avoid a lot of situations that might lead to physical confrontation and harm .

1. Ensure that your basic preps and backup supplies are in order. This includes an adequate supply of food, water, and sanitation supplies. Two weeks is a bare minimum. Three months or more is better.
2. Take stock of your first aid kit and medical supplies including necessary prescription drugs. Medical supplies, remedies, and prescription drugs will likely be in short supply if there is civil unrest. For ideas, see the first aid section of this article.
3. Learn homesteading skills and self-sufficiency skills regardless of whether you are living in an apartment, condo, house, or rural homestead. Read 12 Ways to Homestead in Place for ideas.
4. Inventory the security features in your home to determine weaknesses that need to be strengthened. Read A Dozen Home Security and Crime Prevention Tips for the Prepper for tips.
5. Set up a personal self-defense system. If you own a firearm, apply for a concealed weapons permit, stock up on ammo, and practice shooting at the range. Invest in pepper sprays, bully clubs, slingshots, and other tools that will arm you against the bad guys. Survival Medicine & Fi... Griffin, Beau Best Price: $10.07 Buy New $9.95 (as of 09:10 UTC - Details)
6. Form a community of like-minded people that will band together for protection and safety during times of chaos. This is going to be tough because trust will be an issue when your back is to the wall. A good book to read for ideas is actually a piece of fiction by James Wesley Rawles, Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse .
7. Stockpile cash in small bills. In a massive and chaotic riot situation, ATMs and banks are likely to be inaccessible, closed, or inoperable.
8. Accumulate goods for barter. When the shelves are empty or the stores are closed, you may need to call on others for the supplies you need but did not anticipate. Have something to barter. Spirits (including beer, wine, and good old Jack Daniels) are always good choices as are candles, batteries, food, sanitation supplies, and first aid items are good to have a hand for barter as are fresh eggs and homegrown garden vegetables. See 40 Items to Barter in a Post-Collapse World.
9. Don’t forget about children, the elderly, and pets. In a riot or lockdown, they may become fearful and panicked. Stowaway some amusements and comfort items for them as well.
10. Invest in a reference library of books, manuals, and survival guides. Don’t forget to include fiction as well as non-fiction plus reading materials suitable for a variety of different ages.
11. Acquire communication equipment so that you can keep in touch with family members and the outside world during times of civil disobedience. This may include an emergency radio, a shortwave scanner, a HAM radio or something else. Your gear will do you no good if you do not know how to use it. If it is too complicated, create a cheat sheet or find something simpler to use. Practice often! SAS Survival Handbook,... Wiseman, John 'Lofty' Best Price: $12.99 Buy New $12.49 (as of 01:15 UTC - Details)
12. Develop a family emergency plan so that everyone knows what to do and where to meet in the event the worst happens. See Survival Basics: 10 Steps for Preparing a Family Emergency Plan.
13. Keep a level head and your mouth shut. If during times of unrest, you are pulled into a police net, the first thing you should do is call a lawyer. Be courteous and polite and do not resist. Law enforcement agencies will treat you much better if you don’t give them a hard time. It will not do you any good to resist but it could cause you a lot more trouble than you could imagine.
Print out the following and keep it in your wallet and in your car along with your registration:
IF YOU ARE ARRESTED OR CONFRONTED BY THE POLICE: 1. First, ask to call your lawyer.
2. Be courteous; do not resist.
3. Do not consent to search or entry.
4. Do not talk about anything; do not admit OR DENY anything.
5. Ask if you are free to go. If you are, GO.
The ACLU also has a printable card you can download and keep with you: What To Do If You’re Stopped By Police. For more information, you can also download the booklet Your Rights When Encountering Law Enforcement.
14. Prep for pets
We love our dogs and cats and it is impossible to not consider them during civil unrest. Try to have a few months worth of dog or cat food put back. While it may seem expensive, dried dog food is available in 10 lb boxes that rehydrates to 40 lbs. It actually doesn’t cost as much to feed as a lot of dry foods and if you have a small or medium-sized dog you can stash a lot of food in a small space. If you stockpile dry dog food then you can put it in a barrel and seal it up with diatomaceous earth.
15. Learn some basic self-defense
There are countless videos, books, classes, etc that you can utilize. If you need to then grab a friend and practice some motions. A lot of local community centers and YMCAs have affordable self-defense classes that can help you learn and set aside the time to learn essentials. Even if you have been in a tussle or two, it never hurts to brush up and also improve your skillset. Remember that situational awareness is your first level of defense and will allow you to avoid a lot of situations that might lead to physical confrontation and harm.
Read the Whole Article


lewrockwell--2020-06-06--A Monument to Authoritarianism

A Monument to Authoritarianism

News coverage of the recent riots in Washington , D.C. revealed the utter inability of the police to protect shop owners , residents , and even the church across the street from the White House from vandalism , looting , and arson .
National Guard and even active-duty military troops were brought in to protect the White House itself .
The Secret Service is said to have brought the Trump family into the underground bunker beneath the executive mansion at one point .
Some of the government ’ s monuments to itself , which seem to be on every street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , D.C. , were vandalized and spray painted with graffiti .
Yet it was still surprising to see one morning on the news that even the Lincoln Memorial –the most popular tourist destination in the city , the national shrine — had a few graffiti scribblings etched on it during the previous night ’ s rampant hooliganism .
Well .
That does it .
The line had been crossed .
The response of the government was , to paraphrase President George H.W .
Bush after the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next morning the news contained images of what appeared to be at least a hundred heavily-armed national guardsmen posted at the front of the Lincoln Memorial .
There were probably dozens or even hundreds more protecting the other sides as though they were preparing for another Battle of the Bulge .
You can loot and burn down every shop in Georgetown , set fires to garbage dumpsters and private cars in the streets , terrorize the public , assault and even shoot police officers and burn their squad cars , but hands off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s quintessential monument to .
.
.
statism .
Would the Soviet government have permitted the defacing of a statue of Stalin ?
The Chinese government a trashing of Mao ?
How about red devil horns spray painted on Castro ’ s statue in Havana ?
As Murray Rothbard once said , the state considers the most grievous of crimes to be crimes against itself – or in this case its image of itself .
Not gon na happen , as George W. Bush was fond of saying ( at least according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Problem with Linco ... DiLorenzo , Thomas J .
Buy New $ 29.99 In my new soon-to-be-released ( July 7 ) book , The Problem with Lincoln , I devote a chapter to how Lincoln , who was arguably the most hated and despised of all American presidents during his lifetime ( See Larry Tagg , The Unpopular Mr. Lincoln ) , became deified in the decades after his death by the Republican party , the New England clergy , the government schools , and the entire apparatus of state propaganda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Lincoln Memorial , completed in 1922 .
The state itself has described the importance of the Lincoln Memorial as an attempt to inculcate the ideology of authoritarianism and dictatorial rule in the American mind with a National Park Service publication entitled “ Secret Symbol of the Lincoln Memorial , ” by Nathan King .
The “ true meaning ” of the Lincoln Memorial , says the U.S. government publication , is represented by a “ ubiquitous symbol that is all over the shrine , inside and out .
That symbol is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a leather thong.
” This symbol reveals “ the higher meaning of the memorial and the man [ Lincoln ] , ” according to the U.S. government .
The article explains that the fasces was originally used by the Roman emperors as a “ symbol of power and authority , ” especially “ executive authority ” ( i.e.
, dictatorial power ) .
Someone exercising such authority “ could expect his orders to be obeyed , could dole out punishment , and could execute those who disobeyed , ” the government document @ @ @ @ @ @ @ true meaning ” of the shrine to Abraham Lincoln , says the government .
It has nothing to do with governmental protection of life , liberty , and the pursuit of happiness or any of the other ideas of the founding generation ; by the government ’ s own admission it is a shrine to fascist authoritarianism , the kind of American state that was ushered in by the Lincoln administration .
The rods of the fasces , the article continues , “ suggest punishment by beating.
” The axe “ suggests beheading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s orders .
“ Power , strength , authority , and justice ” are what the fasces ( where the word fascism comes from , by the way ) mean , says the U.S. government .
They symbolize “ the power and authority of the state over the citizens .
.
.
” The Problem with Socia ... Thomas DiLorenzo Best Price : $ 9.49 Buy New $ 11.93 In other words , what the Lincoln Memorial represents , according to the government that built it , is that the people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the state .
They had better obey their rulers ’ dictates – or else .
The purpose of government is not to secure our natural rights to life , liberty , and property , but to centrally plan our lives and to punish us if we object or disobey the state ’ s orders .
Lest Americans balk at associating their government with the brutal and barbaric Roman dictators this symbol of the Roman empire is said to have been “ Americanized , ” the article explains , by placing an cute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on and around the Lincoln Memorial .
More than 150 years of relentless state propaganda deified not just Lincoln the man , but all of his unconstitutional , dictatorial behavior , from the illegal suspension of habeas corpus , the shutting down of hundreds of opposition newspapers in the North , the mass arrest of tens of thousands of political dissenters without due process , to committing treason by invading the sovereign Southern States ( Article 3 , Section 3 of the Constitution defines treason as “ only ” levying war upon the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are called in the Declaration of Independence ) , deporting an opposing congressman from Ohio , and much more .
Is there any wonder that the Coronavirus Planned-demic led so immediately to an orgy of authoritarianism from hundreds of mini-Mussolinis ( i.e.
, governors , mayors , city councils ) ?
If you want to know where the notion came from that the constitution can ( and should ) be suspended whenever there is an “ emergency , ” look no farther than the Lincoln Memorial and who and what it represents .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , mayors , and other pipsqueak local politicians think that they will actually be praised by acting like dictatorial tyrants , shutting down businesses on a whim , destroying the livelihoods of their citizens , and enforcing their petty “ orders ” with heavily-armed and militarized local police , look no farther than the symbolic meaning of the Lincoln Memorial and the man who it has helped to deify .
Even foreign despots invoke “ Saint Lincoln ” to “ justify ” their tyranny .
When the former Pakistani dictator Pervez Musharraf imposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justified ” it by saying that Abraham Lincoln had done the same thing in his day .
Lincoln Unmasked : What ... Thomas J. Dilorenzo Best Price : $ 5.95 Buy New $ 9.85 None of the “ lockdown orders ” and dictates was constitutional , despite the fact that every last one of them took an oath of office in which they pledged to protect and defend the Constitution .
None of the “ orders ” were actual laws passed by legislatures but were the mere words of clueless , power-mad politicians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” has now totally overthrown the quaint notion of the founding generation that the people should be the masters rather than the servants of the state , that government ’ s just powers depend on the consent of the governed , and that the state should be “ bound by the chains of the Constitution , ” as Jefferson once said .
Today we have top advisors to presidents saying such things as “ Stroke of a pen , law of the land .
Kinda cool , ” as Bill Clinton advisor Paul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has long been essentially meaningless in that regard , and a key reason for this is the glorification of unconstitutional executive power that really began during what generations of historians have labeled – and generally praised as — “ the Lincoln dictatorship.
” If this is acceptable to Americans , then fascist authoritarianism is what they will get and deserve – “ good and hard ” — as H.L .
Mencken once put it .
How Capitalism Saved A ... Dilorenzo , Thomas J .
Best Price : $ 2.18 Buy New $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... Dilorenzo , Thomas J .
Best Price : $ 4.25 Buy New $ 7.48 Organized Crime : The U ... Thomas J. DiLorenzo Best Price : $ 11.82 Buy New $ 10.79 The Best of Thomas DiLorenzo

News coverage of the recent riots in Washington, D.C. revealed the utter inability of the police to protect shop owners, residents, and even the church across the street from the White House from vandalism, looting, and arson. National Guard and even active-duty military troops were brought in to protect the White House itself. The Secret Service is said to have brought the Trump family into the underground bunker beneath the executive mansion at one point.
Some of the government’s monuments to itself, which seem to be on every street corner and in every intersection in Washington, D.C., were vandalized and spray painted with graffiti. Yet it was still surprising to see one morning on the news that even the Lincoln Memorial –the most popular tourist destination in the city, the national shrine — had a few graffiti scribblings etched on it during the previous night’s rampant hooliganism.
Well. That does it. The line had been crossed. The response of the government was, to paraphrase President George H.W. Bush after the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait: “This Shall Not Stand!” The next morning the news contained images of what appeared to be at least a hundred heavily-armed national guardsmen posted at the front of the Lincoln Memorial. There were probably dozens or even hundreds more protecting the other sides as though they were preparing for another Battle of the Bulge. You can loot and burn down every shop in Georgetown, set fires to garbage dumpsters and private cars in the streets, terrorize the public, assault and even shoot police officers and burn their squad cars, but hands off the Lincoln Memorial – the state’s quintessential monument to . . . statism. Would the Soviet government have permitted the defacing of a statue of Stalin? The Chinese government a trashing of Mao? How about red devil horns spray painted on Castro’s statue in Havana? As Murray Rothbard once said, the state considers the most grievous of crimes to be crimes against itself – or in this case its image of itself. Not gonna happen, as George W. Bush was fond of saying (at least according to his imitator on Saturday Night Live). The Problem with Linco... DiLorenzo, Thomas J. Buy New $29.99 (as of 11:50 UTC - Details)
In my new soon-to-be-released (July 7) book, The Problem with Lincoln, I devote a chapter to how Lincoln, who was arguably the most hated and despised of all American presidents during his lifetime (See Larry Tagg, The Unpopular Mr. Lincoln), became deified in the decades after his death by the Republican party, the New England clergy, the government schools, and the entire apparatus of state propaganda, the physical cornerstone of which is the Lincoln Memorial, completed in 1922.
The state itself has described the importance of the Lincoln Memorial as an attempt to inculcate the ideology of authoritarianism and dictatorial rule in the American mind with a National Park Service publication entitled “Secret Symbol of the Lincoln Memorial,” by Nathan King. The “true meaning” of the Lincoln Memorial, says the U.S. government publication, is represented by a “ubiquitous symbol that is all over the shrine, inside and out. That symbol is the fasces, a bundle of rods bound by a leather thong.” This symbol reveals “the higher meaning of the memorial and the man [Lincoln],” according to the U.S. government.
The article explains that the fasces was originally used by the Roman emperors as a “symbol of power and authority,” especially “executive authority” (i.e., dictatorial power). Someone exercising such authority “could expect his orders to be obeyed, could dole out punishment, and could execute those who disobeyed,” the government document approvingly states. This is the “true meaning” of the shrine to Abraham Lincoln, says the government. It has nothing to do with governmental protection of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness or any of the other ideas of the founding generation; by the government’s own admission it is a shrine to fascist authoritarianism, the kind of American state that was ushered in by the Lincoln administration.
The rods of the fasces, the article continues, “suggest punishment by beating.” The axe “suggests beheading” of those who disobey the state’s orders. “Power, strength, authority, and justice” are what the fasces (where the word fascism comes from, by the way) mean, says the U.S. government. They symbolize “the power and authority of the state over the citizens . . .” The Problem with Socia... Thomas DiLorenzo Best Price: $9.49 Buy New $11.93 (as of 06:45 UTC - Details)
In other words, what the Lincoln Memorial represents, according to the government that built it, is that the people are the servants, not the masters, of the state. They had better obey their rulers’ dictates – or else. The purpose of government is not to secure our natural rights to life, liberty, and property, but to centrally plan our lives and to punish us if we object or disobey the state’s orders. Lest Americans balk at associating their government with the brutal and barbaric Roman dictators this symbol of the Roman empire is said to have been “Americanized,” the article explains, by placing an cute little eagle above some of the fasces on and around the Lincoln Memorial.
More than 150 years of relentless state propaganda deified not just Lincoln the man, but all of his unconstitutional, dictatorial behavior, from the illegal suspension of habeas corpus, the shutting down of hundreds of opposition newspapers in the North, the mass arrest of tens of thousands of political dissenters without due process, to committing treason by invading the sovereign Southern States (Article 3, Section 3 of the Constitution defines treason as “only” levying war upon the free and independent states, as they are called in the Declaration of Independence), deporting an opposing congressman from Ohio, and much more. Is there any wonder that the Coronavirus Planned-demic led so immediately to an orgy of authoritarianism from hundreds of mini-Mussolinis (i.e., governors, mayors, city councils)? If you want to know where the notion came from that the constitution can (and should) be suspended whenever there is an “emergency,” look no farther than the Lincoln Memorial and who and what it represents. If you want to know why governors, mayors, and other pipsqueak local politicians think that they will actually be praised by acting like dictatorial tyrants, shutting down businesses on a whim, destroying the livelihoods of their citizens, and enforcing their petty “orders” with heavily-armed and militarized local police, look no farther than the symbolic meaning of the Lincoln Memorial and the man who it has helped to deify. Even foreign despots invoke “Saint Lincoln” to “justify” their tyranny. When the former Pakistani dictator Pervez Musharraf imposed martial law on his country he “justified” it by saying that Abraham Lincoln had done the same thing in his day. Lincoln Unmasked: What... Thomas J. Dilorenzo Best Price: $5.95 Buy New $9.85 (as of 07:10 UTC - Details)
None of the “lockdown orders” and dictates was constitutional, despite the fact that every last one of them took an oath of office in which they pledged to protect and defend the Constitution. None of the “orders” were actual laws passed by legislatures but were the mere words of clueless, power-mad politicians. The glorification of “executive power” has now totally overthrown the quaint notion of the founding generation that the people should be the masters rather than the servants of the state, that government’s just powers depend on the consent of the governed, and that the state should be “bound by the chains of the Constitution,” as Jefferson once said. Today we have top advisors to presidents saying such things as “Stroke of a pen, law of the land. Kinda cool,” as Bill Clinton advisor Paul Begala once remarked.
The Constitution itself has long been essentially meaningless in that regard, and a key reason for this is the glorification of unconstitutional executive power that really began during what generations of historians have labeled – and generally praised as — “the Lincoln dictatorship.” If this is acceptable to Americans, then fascist authoritarianism is what they will get and deserve – “good and hard” — as H.L. Mencken once put it.
How Capitalism Saved A... Dilorenzo, Thomas J. Best Price: $2.18 Buy New $7.37 (as of 12:45 UTC - Details) The Real Lincoln: A Ne... Dilorenzo, Thomas J. Best Price: $4.25 Buy New $7.48 (as of 07:05 UTC - Details) Organized Crime: The U... Thomas J. DiLorenzo Best Price: $11.82 Buy New $10.79 (as of 06:00 UTC - Details)
The Best of Thomas DiLorenzo