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War Is A Racket: After 17 Years and Billions Wasted, US Seeks Peace With Taliban

7/31/2018

 
US and Taliban officials met in Qatar last week to gently move toward ceasefire and possibly peace talks. Meanwhile a US government report on US spending on Afghan reconstruction has found more than $15 billion wasted in just the past 11 years! Someone got rich, many more are poorer. And many are dead. For what?

Trump’s Tweets End the Myth of Fed Independence

7/30/2018

 
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By Ron Paul

​President Trump’s recent Tweets expressing displeasure with the Federal Reserve’s (minor) interest rate increases led to accusations that President Trump is undermining the Federal Reserve’s independence. But, the critics ignore the fact that Federal Reserve “independence” is one of the great myths of American politics.

When it comes to intimidating the Federal Reserve, President Trump pales in comparison to President Lyndon Johnson. After the Federal Reserve increased interest rates in 1965, President Johnson summoned then-Fed Chairman William McChesney Martin to Johnson’s Texas ranch where Johnson shoved him against the wall. Physically assaulting the Fed chairman is probably a greater threat to Federal Reserve independence than questioning the Fed’s policies on Twitter.

While Johnson is an extreme example, history is full of cases where presidents pressured the Federal Reserve to adopt policies compatible with the presidents’ agendas — and helpful to their reelection campaigns. Presidents have been pressuring the Fed since its creation. President Warren Harding called on the Fed to lower rates. Richard Nixon was caught on tape joking with then-Fed chair Arthur Burns about Fed independence. And Lloyd Bentsen, President Bill Clinton’s first Treasury secretary, bragged about a “gentleman’s agreement” with then-Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan.

President Trump’s call for low interest rates contradicts Trump’s earlier correct criticism of the Fed’s low interest rate policy as harming middle-class Americans. Low rates can harm the middle class, but they also benefit spend-and-borrow politicians and their favorite special interests by lowering the federal government’s borrowing costs. Significant rate increases could make it impossible for the government to service its existing debt, thus making it difficult for President Trump and Congress to continue increasing welfare and warfare spending.

President Trump will have a long-lasting impact on monetary policy. Two of the three sitting members of the Fed’s board were appointed by President Trump. Two more of Trump’s nominees are pending in the Senate. The nomination of economist Marvin Goodfriend may be in jeopardy because Goodfriend advocates “negative interest rates,” which is a Federal Reserve-imposed tax on savings. If Goodfriend is defeated, President Trump can just nominate another candidate. President Trump will also be able to nominate two other board members. Therefore, by the end of his first term, President Trump could appoint six of the Federal Reserve’s seven board members.

The specter of a Federal Reserve Board dominated by Trump appointees should cause some to rethink the wisdom of allowing a secretive central bank to exercise near-monopoly control over monetary policy. Fear of the havoc a Trumpian Fed could cause may even lead some to support the Audit the Fed legislation and the growing movement to allow Americans to “exit” the Federal Reserve System by using alternatives to fiat money, such as cryptocurrencies and gold.

Given the Federal Reserve’s power to help or hinder a president’s economic agenda and reelection prospects, it is no surprise that presidents try to influence Fed policy. But, instead of worrying about protecting the Fed from President Trump, we should all worry about protecting the American people from the Fed. The first step is passing the Audit the Fed bill, which Congress should do before adjourning to hit the campaign trail. This will let the people know the full truth about America’s monetary policy. Auditing, then ending, the Fed is key to permanently draining the welfare-warfare swamp.

Perpetual War For Perpetual Greed - US Threatens Iran (Again)

7/30/2018

 
Numerous press reports over the weekend suggest that the Trump Administration may launch an attack on Iran within the next month. They are allegedly going to target Iranian nuclear facilities - but our own CIA - as well as the IAEA - has confirmed that Iran is not building nuclear weapons. What's behind the drive for war?

Ron Paul to Congress: Keep the Internet Tax-Free

7/27/2018

 
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By Norm Singleton

Below is Campaign for Liberty Chairman Ron Paul’s testimony submitted to the House Committee on the Judiciary’s hearing on “Examining the Wayfair decision’s impact on small businesses and consumers.”
​

Dr. Paul explains why the Supreme Court was mistaken to rule in Wayfair that states could force out-of-state businesses to collect state sales taxes, and he explains why Congress can and should act to stop state legislatures and governors from taxing online commerce.
Statement of Ron Paul, Chairman of Campaign for Liberty

Congressional Hearing on “Examining the Wayfair Decision and Its Implications for Consumers and Small Businesses”

Committee on the Judiciary

July 24, 2018


Chairman Goodlatte, Ranking Member Nadler, and other members of the Judiciary Committee, I appreciate the opportunity to submit testimony on behalf of Campaign for Liberty’s hundreds of thousands of supporters on the impact of the Supreme Court decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair on consumers and small businesses. Campaign for Liberty is a grassroots issue advocacy and educational organization founded in 2008 to advance the principles of limited government, free-markets, individual liberty, and peace.

Campaign for Liberty’s grassroots activists have helped beat back numerous attempts to pass legislation allowing taxaholic governors and state legislatures to force out-of-state businesses to comply with the state sales tax laws. The misguided Wayfair decision has not lessened our opposition to legislation giving states new powers to make out-of-state-businesses comply with state sales tax (or other) laws. However, Campaign for Liberty recognizes that Congress must act to correct the Court’s mistake.

Before adjourning for the year, Congress should pass legislation reaffirming the Supreme Court’s 1992 Quill Corp. v. North Dakota decision which ruled states could only force businesses with a physical presence in their state to comply with state sales taxes, and simply selling goods via catalogs (or online) does not meet the physical presence test. The fact that since Quill was decided, the Internet revolution changed the way millions of Americans shop does not alter the constitutional principles Quill upheld any more than the fact that most Americans get their news online justifies new government regulations of the press.

Unless Congress passes legislation correcting the Court’s mistake in Wayfair, most Internet retailers will be forced to collect sales taxes on every purchase. An error in calculating sales taxes could cause a small retailer to undergo a costly and time-consuming audit, or even audits by multiple state governments. The compliance costs, along with the sales taxes themselves, will raise the cost of online commerce, burdening consumers and limiting the growth of Internet business.

Stifling the growth of smaller and new Internet retailers may be bad for consumers, but it serves the interest of large brick-and-mortar retailers, as well as large online retailers that already have to comply with state sales taxes because they have a physical presence in most states. These large businesses support giving states new taxing powers because they wish to use government power to make sure their smaller competitors stay small. Ironically, many of the big box retailers who have been most vocal about unfair competition from online retailers are themselves beneficiaries of corporate welfare.

Despite the claims of lobbyists for big corporations and crony capitalists, there is no evidence that the ability to shop tax-free is the reason so many Americans have embraced online shopping. The major attraction of online commerce is the convenience and wider selection. Many major retailers have stopped fearing competition from online commerce. Instead, they have integrated their online and brick-and-mortar businesses. More significantly, many small “mom-and-pop” stores have used the Internet to save their businesses. These small businesses would be most impacted if Congress fails to protect online commerce.

Some say small businesses were actually protected by SCOTUS’ Wayfair decision, in that they “limited” each state’s taxing power to businesses making “substantial” online sales within their state. But the question of what constitutes “substantial sales” is subjective. State legislatures are certain to set the “substantial sales” bar as low as possible. Small businesses whose sales in a given state are unreasonably defined as “substantial” can either pursue costly and potentially unsuccessful litigation, comply with the state tax laws, or cease doing business in those states.

Many other small businesses will purposely limit the amount of online sales they make to avoid doing “substantial” business in any one state. It is difficult to see how a policy that stops an Internet start-up from becoming the next Amazon helps make America great, prosperous, or free again.

Tax-and-spend, power-hungry politicians are unlikely to limit their new authority to force those they do not represent to comply with their tax laws solely to enhance sales tax revenue. Instead, they will try to use Wayfair as a justification for imposing other tax and regulatory burdens on out-of-state businesses. Having the power to tax and regulate employers and workers who cannot retaliate at the polls is a dream come true for many politicians. By making almost all online purchases subject to sales taxes, the decision will also reduce pressure on states to keep sales tax rates low. The result will be increases in sales taxes nationwide as states engage in a “race to the top” to increase sales taxes and other burdens on out-of-state businesses.

While I strongly defend states’ constitutional prerogatives under the Tenth Amendment, states do not have the authority to extend their reach beyond their own borders. The Commerce Clause was signed to allow Congress to ensure power-hungry state politicians did not impede interstate commerce by, for example, imposing taxes and regulations on out-of-state businesses. This is a rare case where Congress can and must use its Commerce Clause powers for the reason intended by the Constitution’s drafters: to stop states from impeding the free flow of goods and services across state lines.

In conclusion, I once again thank the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee for the opportunity to submit this testimony, and on behalf of Campaign for Liberty’s supporters, I urge Congress to quickly pass legislation limiting the ability of state governments to tax Internet businesses outside of their borders.
Be sure to visit Campaign For Liberty.

Inflationary Depression Coming: Who Will Trump Blame?

7/27/2018

 
While campaigning for president, Donald Trump accurately said that American markets were a big, fat bubble. He was correct, and that same bubble has not burst, but has gotten even bigger! When the inevitable bust arrives, who will President Trump blame?

Who Killed The Tea Party - How, Why, When? With Guest, Matt Kibbe

7/26/2018

 
The Tea Party movement is well and truly dead, writes former Freedom Works president Matt Kibbe. What killed it and why? We discuss that and other efforts to rein in Washington in today's Liberty Report...

The U.S. Is Sprinting Towards A Financial Crisis

7/25/2018

 
By Liberty Report Staff

A great exchange with CNBC's Rick Santelli:

Santelli Exchange: Ron Paul on federal spending from CNBC.

Liberty: Don't Toss This Most Precious Gift Away

7/25/2018

 
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By Chris Rossini

Liberty, an inborn characteristic of every human being, has everything to do with independent thinking. We each think on our own.

There is a big caveat though. Part of being free means you are free to throw away your own judgements. You have the ability to suppress what your intuition and reason tells you is true, in favor of what someone else tells you is the truth. 
Those who seek to dominate others always exploit this potential vulnerability. 

The greatest enemy of the authoritarian is the independent thinker; the one who comes to his own conclusions, irrespective of what anyone else believes or says. The independent thinker welcomes all opinions, but his mind is his own kingdom, and what he decides to believe is his decision alone.

Today in America, throwing away your own common sense summarizes the political "discourse" in a nutshell. Americans have allowed themselves to be separated into political "teams," and then they wait around for instructions as to what the outrage of the day happens to be. 

What a dream come true for authoritarians of all stripes. Every authoritarian dreams of barking out orders and having everyone comply like a robot. Every authoritarian wants you not to think ... but to just obey.

No wonder there are so many authoritarians! Vote one out, and another steps in....Vote him out, and here comes another!


Look at what has become of the Left over the last few decades. From forming anti-war rallies during the George W. Bush era, to being completely silent during Obama's wars, to now advocating wars during the Trump era!

How can this be?

How can people go from anti-war --> silence --> pro-war?

This is a sign that people are not thinking for themselves, but are merely following orders.

The Right is just as bad. This is not merely a condition of the Left.

President Trump can say that 2+2=5 and many of his supporters will take the error and run with it as truth! The moment you say that 2+2=4, and that Trump is incorrect, far too many of his supporters take it personally, as if you're insulting them!

This is a dangerous state of affairs. People are living vicariously through politicians.

If you find yourself taking what a politician (or the media) says and automatically adopting it as your own belief, perhaps it's time to seriously consider changing your mindset. You're not a robot.


Embrace the liberty of thought that you were born with. Don't toss this most precious gift away.

Declare your independence!

'Shock' Poll: Most Americans Support Another Trump/Putin Summit...But Congress Says 'No!'

7/25/2018

 
According to a new poll released yesterday, some 54 percent of Americans support President Trump's plan to hold another summit meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin later this year. Congress reacted in a bi-partisan manner: No! Is Congress again out of step with the American people?

Spending Our Way to a Fiscal Crisis

7/24/2018

 
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By Ron Paul

​According to financial writer Simon Black, the federal government is spending approximately 52,000 dollars per second. This, not last year’s tax cuts, is the reason why the national debt has reached a record 21 trillion dollars, which is more than America’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Another ominous sign is that this year both Social Security and Medicare will have to draw down on their reserve funds to be able to pay benefits. The Social Security and Medicare trust funds will both soon be bankrupt, putting additional strains on the federal budget and American taxpayers.

The excessive debt caused by excessive spending will inevitably cause a major economic crisis. Yet, with a few notable exceptions, there is little to no desire in Washington to cut spending. Instead, both parties are committed to increasing spending on warfare and welfare while ignoring the looming entitlements crisis.

Examples of fiscal irresponsibility on Capitol Hill are easy to find. For instance, even though the Untied Stares is currently spending more on its military than the combined budgets of the next seven highest spending countries, Congress recently increased military spending by 82 billion dollars. This brings the total the US spends on a futile effort to police and democratize the world to 716 billion dollars. The US House has also recently passed a farm bill that increases spending by more than 3 billion dollars over the next five years. This bill does not take a step toward ending subsidies to wealthy farmers and even continues providing farm subsidies to non-famers! Pressure on Congress to increase spending on farm subsidies is likely to increase as famers becomes collateral damage in President Trump’s trade war.

Many progressives are attacking the House farm bill because it makes some reforms to the “SNAP” (food stamp) program, even though the House version of bill increases the budget for food stamps by at least 1.7 billion dollars over the next five years!

When the economic crisis hits, there will be no choice but to cut spending and raise taxes. Of course, Congress is unlikely to raise taxes or cut benefits. Instead, it will rely on the Federal Reserve to do the dirty work via the inflation tax. The inflation tax is the worst type of tax because it is both hidden and regressive.

One of the worst features, if not the worst, of the tax reform plan is increasing the inflation tax by authorizing the use of “chained CPI.” Chained CPI hides inflation’s effects by claiming that rising prices do not harm Americans as long as they can still afford low-cost substitute goods to replace products they can no longer afford due to the Federal Reserve’s devaluation of the currency — as if people forced to buy hamburger instead of steak are not negatively impacted by inflation.

Increasing federal debt will also put pressure on the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates low to prevent federal interest payments on the debt from skyrocketing.  Eventually, the Fed’s monetization of the debt will lead to hyperinflation and a rejection of the dollar’s world reserve currency status. The question is when, not whether, the welfare-warfare state and the fiat currency system will end. Hopefully, those who know the truth will succeed in growing the liberty movement so we can convince Congress to gradually unwind the welfare-warfare state, restore a true free market in money, and stop trying to run the world, run the economy, and run our lives.
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