We’re told that the U.S. has trade deficits with many nations. Many people believe that this is a bad thing that cannot continue. But are they right? Ron Paul discusses on today’s Liberty Report.
By Chris Rossini
The above question is a very good one. Debating liberals (or even warmongering conservatives) can be unpleasant if not approached the right way. The reason being that the actual debate gets tossed aside almost immediately. Once a typical person is confronted with a fact or axiomatic principle, the immediate reaction is to shift away into attacking your character somehow. You simply state that 2+2=4 and out-of-the-blue you're accused of being a xenophobe, or misogynist. Or the liberal finds out that you once smoked a cigarette in the 8th grade, so who are you to claim that 2+2 has to equal 4! It's Marxism 101, and the tactic goes back to Marx and Engels themselves. So how does one avoid falling into their trap? First, as strange as it may sound, real power comes from peace and composure. Once you become reactionary or emotional, you might as well pack it up. You're through, and you can take your facts with you. But in order to remain composed, you need to have the right mindset going in. If you believe that you must change the other person's mind, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Chances are excellent that you'll do no such thing, no matter who you are. No one has that kind of responsibility. We all have free will, and the ability to think what we want to think, even if the thought happens to be in error. The person you're debating is interpreting the world through their eyes, not yours. It's not your job to set anyone else straight. Your job is to set yourself straight! If you believe that you must convince others, or that you're going to try to force them to think like you, than you're really not much different than the authoritarians you're debating with. Once you lift that weight off your shoulders, debating becomes much easier. Now you can present your case without the pressure of having to convert anyone. Your job is with you. Your measuring stick is you. Always upgrade your understanding of the world and of truth. Always fine tune how you present what you know, and present it often. And then...let go. Your job is done. You removed the stress out of the situation. You don't have to convince anyone. Let's say you take a handful of seeds. You head out to the field and toss them as far and as wide as you can. Some of the seeds will be washed away in the rain. Some will be pecked from the ground by the birds. But then there will be the ones that take root and make it. How are you supposed to know which seeds are which? You don't. You just do your job in tossing those seeds....and then let go. When it comes to spreading the ideas of Liberty, the same principle applies. Know your stuff ... Speak it clearly ... Speak it often ... Do it like a champ and stay composed. 2+2=4 ... You have nothing to worry about. Let the mockers mock ... Let the laughers laugh ... Let the boo birds boo. You did your job.
That didn't take long. No sooner did President Trump vow to remove US troops from Syria, when after a meeting with Defense Secretary Mattis and other advisors resulted in another flip-flop. Like with the recent omnibus budget, he complained but went along with it. Will he pull out in six months as he more recently promised? Don't hold your breath!
Successful businessman Gary Heavin has first-hand experience with the world of government versus private philanthropy. His experiences in Haiti are shocking. But his vision for a future peaceful, non-interventionist foreign policy is inspirational. What's wrong with our foreign policy? Are non-interventionists unpatriotic? Are the neocons taking over? Who's behind ISIS? Tune in for a very unique episode!
President Trump's call for US troops to leave Syria and his call to Putin suggesting a summit have left the neocons gasping. Will Trump dare to defy his "experts" and follow through with his promises? If he is opposed to neocons, why does he keep hiring them?
By Ron Paul
The Federal Reserve recently increased interest rates to 1.75 percent. This is the highest interest rates have been since 2008, but it still leaves rates at historic lows. While the Fed says economic growth justifies future rate increases, an honest examination of the economy suggests that future rate increases are unlikely. The Fed’s claim that the economy is strong is based on misleading government statistics. For example, the official unemployment rate understates true unemployment by not counting those who have given up looking for work. According to John Williams of Shadow Government Statistics, the real unemployment rate is above 20 percent. Government figures also understate the rate of inflation by pretending that you are not negatively impacted by inflation if you can still buy hamburger when you cannot afford steak. Shadow Stats estimates that the real rate of inflation is as much as four times higher than the official rate. President Trump’s tariffs will further weaken the economy. While export-driven industries, including manufacturers that rely on imported materials, will be particularly hard-hit, the tariffs combined with the inevitable retaliation from other counties will impact all sectors of the economy. A global trade war could also lead other countries to stop buying US debt instruments, increasing pressure on the Fed to keep rates low. Since Republicans have held control of the White House and Congress over the last year, federal spending has increased 12.9 percent. Clearly those in Congress serious about reducing government spending are few and far between. The sad fact is that both major parties are happy to increase welfare and warfare spending, although many Republicans pretend to oppose deficits when a Democrat sits in the White House. This puts tremendous pressure on the Fed to keep rates low so as not to increase the federal government’s already high interest payments. This cannot last forever. Eventually the combination of a spendthrift Congress and a print-happy central bank will cause a major economic crisis. This crisis will herald the end of the welfare-warfare state and the fiat money system that sustains it. The only question is whether the existing system will be replaced by a free market and limited constitutional government or we will complete our descent into totalitarianism. Fortunately, more Americans are becoming aware of the freedom philosophy and demanding that government roll back the welfare-warfare state and rein in the Fed. Many are also demanding protection of their right to opt out — not just from government programs like Obamacare but also from the Federal Reserve System. For example, Wyoming recently joined Arizona in passing a law recognizing gold and silver as legal tender. Citizens of these states are now able to protect themselves from the coming dollar crisis by using what has historically been considered real money. At the federal level, the movement to audit the Fed remains strong. As the failures of Keynesianism become more apparent, the movement to audit and end the Fed will grow in size and strength. Hopefully this movement will ensure the end of the welfare-warfare state and the fiat currency system as well as lead to a new era of liberty.
We're number one! (In arms sales). What does it mean that the US economy has become so dependent on sales of weapons overseas, primarily to the Middle East? How does this corporatist economic arrangement drive policy? What are the security implications for the US? Economic implications?
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