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America’s Perpetual Foreign-Policy Crises

Posted by M. C. on August 30, 2022

Make no mistake about it: If China invades Taiwan, U.S. officials will play the innocent, just as they have done with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. And they will then have three big crises — Russia,  China, and the “war on terrorism” — to justify their permanent existence and their ever-growing taxpayer-funded largess.

by Jacob G. Hornberger

Ever since the federal government was converted from a limited-government republic to a national-security state after World War II, America has lived under a system of ongoing, never-ending, perpetual foreign-policy crises. That’s not a coincidence. The national-security establishment — i.e. the Pentagon, the CIA, and the NSA — need such crises to justify their continued existence and their ever-growing taxpayer-funded largess. 

An interesting aspect of this phenomenon is that oftentimes the crises are ginned up by the national-security establishment itself. Once the crisis materializes, the Pentagon and the CIA play the innocent. “We had nothing to do with ginning up this crisis,” they cry. “We are totally innocent.” 

After the end of the Cold War, the Pentagon and the CIA were desperately in need of a crisis that could replace the Cold War crisis, which they were convinced would last forever. That’s when they began going into the Middle East and killing people. When that massive killing spree, which included killing hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children, ended up producing terrorist blowback, the national-security establishment had its new crisis — terrorism, which replaced communism as America’s big official enemy. 

The “war on terrorism” replaced the Cold War’s “war on communism.” Americans began fearing the terrorists (and the Muslims) almost as much as they feared the Reds. With the new crisis, the national-security establishment, including its army of “defense” contractors, was assured of continued existence and ever-expanding taxpayer-funded largess.

Notwithstanding the ostensible end of the Cold War, however, the Pentagon and the CIA never lost hope of reestablishing Russia as an official enemy. But the challenge was: How to make Russia an official enemy again and how to get another ongoing crisis environment with Russia to keep the U.S. national-security establishment in high cotton?

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Watch “Iraq and Libya Imploding – Another ‘Successful’ US Intervention!” on YouTube

Posted by M. C. on August 30, 2022

First Afghanistan imploded and now it appears Iraq and Libya are about to follow suit. Syria simmers. The fruits of US interventionism are everywhere the same: chaos and death, not the promised “triumph of peace and democracy.” Also today: Facebook exec admits FBI pushed the company to censor “the laptop from hell.”

Twice as long as Vietnam and still going…same result.

Can you say “Non-intervention”?

https://youtu.be/UfT1u5_QuH8

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The End is Nearing: A World Slowly/Openly Turning Away from the USD

Posted by M. C. on August 29, 2022

By Matthew Piepenburg
Gold Switzerland

As more nations turn away from the West (and the USD) and closer to the East (i.e., Russia) to meet their energy needs, how will they find the Rubles or Yuan to buy their oil, gas and other commodities? After all, in the new, post-sanction, multi-FX importing model described above, Turkey can’t just buy Russian oil in Lira; it needs to first settle the trade in Rubles.

So, again, what currency will Turkey use?

With the USD losing influence, it would be the understatement of the year to say that we live in interesting times, for we certainly do.

But despite the inevitable attacks of appearing sensational, un-American or just plain cynical, I feel a more appropriate phrase boils down to this:

“We live in dishonest times.”

Below, I bluntly address the “Fed pivot debate,” the “inflation debate” and the USD’s slow global decline in the setting of a now multi-FX new normal in which gold’s historical bull market has yet to even begin.

These views are not based on biased politics, but honest economics, which for some odd reason, ought to still matter.

Let’s dig in.

The New Normal: Open Dishonesty

I recently authored a report showcasing a string cite of empirically open lies which now pass for reality on everything from the CPI inflation scale to the Cleveland Fed’s +1 real interest rate myth, or from official unemployment data to the now comical (revised) definition of a recession.

But a more recent lie from on high comes directly from the highest of all, U.S. President Joe Biden.

Earlier this month, Biden waddled to his podium and prompt-read to the world that the US just saw 0% inflation for the month of July.

Oh dear…

It’s sad when our national leadership lacks basic economic, math or even ethical skills, but then again, and in all fairness to a President in open (and in fact sad) cognitive decline, Biden is by no means the first President, red or blue, to just plain fib for a living.

A History of Fibbing

We all remember Clinton’s promise that allowing China into the WTO would be good for working class Americans, despite millions of them seeing their jobs off-shored to Asia seconds thereafter.

And let us not forget that little war in Iraq and those invisible weapons of mass destruction.

Nor should we ignore both Bush and Obama’s (as well as Geithner’s, Bernanke’s and Paulson’s) assurance that a multi-billion-dollar bailout (quasi-nationalization) of the TBTF banks and years of printing inflationary money (Wall St. socialism) out of thin air was, “a sacrifice of free market principles” needed to “save the free market economy.”

In reality, however, we haven’t seen a single minute of free market price discovery since QE1.

See the rest here

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The Totally Not-Political FBI Pressures Facebook

Posted by M. C. on August 29, 2022

By Tom Woods

What they did do, Zuckerberg said, was downgrade posts about the Hunter Biden laptop so that fewer people would see them. When Rogan asked for specific numbers, Zuckerberg said he didn’t know them off the top of his head but conceded that the downgrading was significant.

From the Tom Woods Letter:

Two items for you today.

(1) Although the Big Tech platforms don’t exactly seem like they have to be dragged kicking and screaming into suppressing unpopular opinions, we keep learning about ways the federal government has been pressuring them to do so.

We found out quite recently that the federal government pressured Twitter to drop Alex Berenson, for example.

The latest case came just the other day, when Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg made an appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast. Rogan asked him about the Hunter Biden laptop story, and we found out that the FBI had approached Facebook cautioning it against allowing the free dissemination of what it of course called Russian propaganda.

Zuckerberg said:

“The FBI basically came to us, some folks on our team, and was like, hey, just so you know, you should be on high alert. We thought there was a lot of propaganda in the 2016 election. We have it on notice that there is about to be some kind of dump that’s similar to that, so just be vigilant.

“So our protocol is different from Twitter’s. What Twitter did is they said you can’t share this at all. We didn’t do that.”

What they did do, Zuckerberg said, was downgrade posts about the Hunter Biden laptop so that fewer people would see them. When Rogan asked for specific numbers, Zuckerberg said he didn’t know them off the top of his head but conceded that the downgrading was significant.

Zuckerberg went on: “We just kind of thought, hey, look, if the FBI, which I still view as a legitimate institution in this country — it’s a very, very impressive law enforcement — they come to us and tell us that we need to be on guard about something, then I want to take that seriously.”

You think there’s the tiniest chance that the FBI is a political organization?

One favorable development has come from all this, at least: the right side of the ideological divide has rapidly shed its superstitious reverence for agencies like the FBI.

(2) On another note: in case you missed episode 2183 of the Tom Woods Show, I had a chance to speak to Mikkel Thorup, an expert on international relocation and expat issues, having visited 100 countries himself and lived in nine, and an expat himself for over 20 years.

I myself am too much of a homebody to leave the U.S., but I know for a fact that more of my readers than ever are considering their international options, whether that’s outright relocation or measures short of that, like second citizenships and the like.

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Whose war is the US fighting in Syria, and why?

Posted by M. C. on August 29, 2022

American troops have been exchanging fire with alleged Iran-backed militas all week. The timing is curious, and dangerous.

Written by
Daniel Larison

U.S. forces in Syria have been carrying out strikes against “Iran-backed” militias this week in response to a recent drone attack on the American base at Tanf and rocket attacks at two other bases in northeastern Syria.

The first U.S. strike this week came in response to an August 15 attack, and that was quickly followed up by another hit. These airstrikes reportedly targeted bunkers used by the militias and killed between six and 10 people.

A later militia strike at bases in Deir al-Zour resulted in three U.S. troops suffering minor injuries, and the U.S. responded to that with Apache attack helicopters on Wednesday, reportedly resulting in casualties. It remains to be seen if the clashes will continue, but there has already been considerable escalation in just a few days. 

Keeping American troops in Syria has been a serious mistake that multiple administrations have failed to correct. The longer that U.S. forces illegally remain in that country, the more likely it is that one of these clashes will result in casualties that could have been avoided. The Biden administration may be reluctant to withdraw troops from another country after what happened during the Afghanistan withdrawal, but their continued presence in Syria makes them targets and does nothing to make the United States more secure. 

Bottom line: The risk to U.S. forces in Syria is increasing, and there are no discernible benefits from keeping them where they are that justify taking that risk. Contrary to what Biden has said, the U.S. is still at war in Syria, but it shouldn’t be and it doesn’t have to be.

What caused this latest eruption of fighting?

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Orange Apologia?

Posted by M. C. on August 29, 2022

By Eric Peters

Eric Peters Autos

The real damage that has been done is psychological. The population has been put on notice that the government is now the servant of the drug pushers – i.e., the pharmaceutical cartels – and will use its power to all-but-bayonet-point the populace into taking the drugs pushed by these cartels. Not just these drugs. 

But – so far – all indications are that he is just the Orange Man. Not only hasn’t he apologized for fronting for the drug pushers – for taking personal credit for pushing their drugs – he continues to push them, without apology.

This is unforgivable.

Whatever your opinion of Alex Jones, the opinion he expressed the other day about the Orange Man is difficult to argue with – because it’s always hard to argue with someone when they’re right.

What Alex said was that Orange Man must repudiate the “vaccines” he was either duped into “warp speeding” into existence or was complicit in “warp speeding” into existence. If he repudiates them, it will be more believable that he was merely duped, which is understandable and forgivable.

We all err, after all.

But that is not what makes us human.

A human being, when he realizes he erred – especially when his error has resulted in harm – is mortified that he erred. He owns up to his error and does all he can to repair the harm caused, beginning with an admission and an apology to those who have been harmed.

This goes for all men, by the way – not just the Orange Man. All the men – and women – who blithely lined up to get the shots are just as guilty of having erred. Some, of worse – as in the case of those who wished harm upon those of us who didn’t blithely line up for the shots. Who didn’t just trust the Orange Man – or any men. Not the men (and women) pushing these drugs, at any rate.

It is incontestable that much harm has been done by these drugs styled “vaccines,” which are no such thing as they do not prevent the person injected with them from either getting or spreading the Dread Sickness they were told they would not get and could not spread.

The harm done is not merely physical, either – though that must not be minimized as thousands of people – at the least – have literally been put six feet under by them, according to the most conservative data accrued by the Vaccine Adverse Effect Reporting System (VAERS) and that is likely a very small portion of the total, as hinted at by the data accruing about a large uptick in “all cause” deaths of people in the prime of life, that correlates with the “rollout” of the “vaccines.”

There is also the life-long damage done to those who developed myocarditis or pericarditis – a now admitted-to “adverse effect” of these drugs that the people who were injected with them were never advised of as a possibility by their doctors – who (per the TeeVee line) asked no questions about these drugs, themselves, thus becoming the willing dupes of those pushing them.

But this is merely the physical toll.

The real damage that has been done is psychological. The population has been put on notice that the government is now the servant of the drug pushers – i.e., the pharmaceutical cartels – and will use its power to all-but-bayonet-point the populace into taking the drugs pushed by these cartels. Not just these drugs. For if it is established (as it has been) that the government has both the right and the power to compel anyone to take a drug they do not wish to take then the precedent has been set for the pushing of other drugs. If you disbelieve that such a thing could and ever would happen, consider the income tax, which – when it became law – the populace was told would never affect them. Just the “rich.”

Read the Whole Article

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Ford Hikes Mustang Mach-E Price By As Much As $8,000

Posted by M. C. on August 29, 2022

While some argued that the price hikes came days before the Act was signed by President Biden, and therefore weren’t definitive proof that Ford was just price gouging the government’s latest handouts, we think that argument has now officially been put to rest, with Ford now also increasing Mustang Mach-E EV prices between $3,000 and $8,100, depending on Model.

If you think this is new news, you haven’t been paying attention for the last 20 years.

Ford Hikes Mustang Mach-E Price By As Much As $8,000

Tyler Durden's Photo

BY TYLER DURDEN

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/ford-hikes-mustang-mach-e-price-much-8000

It was just days ago we wrote about how Ford was hiking the price of its F-150 EV by almost exactly the same amount offered as an EV subsidy in the Biden administration’s new “Inflation Reduction Act”.

While some argued that the price hikes came days before the Act was signed by President Biden, and therefore weren’t definitive proof that Ford was just price gouging the government’s latest handouts, we think that argument has now officially been put to rest, with Ford now also increasing Mustang Mach-E EV prices between $3,000 and $8,100, depending on Model.

The company is “also increasing shipping costs by $200 on all models,” according to Automotive News’ Michael Martinez. 

The company says the new price reflects “significant material cost increases, continued strain on key supply chains, and rapidly evolving market conditions,” according to The Verge. They provided a breakdown of the increases by model type:

  • Select RWD Standard Range: $46,895 ($43,895)
  • Select eAWD Standard Range: $49,595
  • California Route 1 eAWD Extended Range: $63,575 ($52,450)
  • Premium RWD Standard Range: $54,975 ($48,775)
  • Premium eAWD Standard Range: $57,675
  • GT Extended Range: $69,895 ($61,995)

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Talking About Stoicism 189 A Dark Tunnel

Posted by M. C. on August 28, 2022

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Taking Stock of the Assets We Have (and We Have a Lot of Them)

Posted by M. C. on August 28, 2022

It’s challenging to be a pessimistic libertarian. Luther was nearly assassinated, and his daughter almost killed in “Absolute Power,” but in the end everything worked out.

Don’t let the fact that the movie is fictional discourage you. Use fiction as a guideline and make your own movie real. If you feel your optimism fading turn up the grit and move ahead.

  • stock

George Ford Smith

https://mises.org/wire/taking-stock-assets-we-have-and-we-have-lot-them

No one knows what the future will bring because the future doesn’t bring anything. People do. You and I and the rest of the world make the future, some more so than others—some a lot more so. The leading future makers of the past century—at least those who entered national politics—have left a long trail of blood and misery, and today’s political leaders are staying the course.

There’s an old saying: “Man proposes, but God disposes.” In other words: “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.”

If the US government is today’s god, what chance do a relative handful of freedom-loving people have against such an institutional behemoth? We’re only a false flag away from martial law. The internment camps are built and ready for occupancy. The police are militarized and ready to carry out orders. The voters remain insouciant. This is no time for optimism. It’s time to run for our lives.

But before we take off, we would do well to take stock of our assets.

There’s a scene in the Clint Eastwood movie “Absolute Power” that illustrates the point I wish to make. Eastwood, as legendary jewel thief Luther Whitney, witnesses the murder of a young woman during one of his heists. The president (Gene Hackman) and his SS agents are the murderers. The victim is the wife of the president’s biggest supporter, an octogenarian billionaire (E.G. Marshall) whose mansion Luther was robbing.

Whitney was hiding behind a one-way mirror at the time but later learns he’s a suspect, because of the missing jewels. Luther knows the president’s henchmen will try to kill him before he can expose them and rather than fight such a powerful foe, he arranges to leave the country.

While at the airport ready to depart he sees a staged press conference on TV. It’s an appalling political spectacle. A mournful president is offering sympathy to the bereaved husband, who’s standing beside him. “This man has been like a father to me,” he announces, then turns to his friend. “I would give the world to lessen your pain.” He blots his eyes, apparently too choked up to continue.

Luther simmers with fury. “You heartless whore,” he says aloud to the TV. “I’m not about to run from you.”

Luther rediscovered his true grit.

He also had conclusive evidence in his possession, as well as a daughter he cared about. What about you? If optimism still seems like a stretch, ask yourself what it would take for you, an informed libertarian, to be pessimistic.

A Libertarian’s Assets

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5 Reforms That Would Save the US Empire from Decline

Posted by M. C. on August 28, 2022

There are many signs that the US Empire is in terminal decline. Here is how the USA could rebrand and restructure to reclaim its power and prosperity.

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