Saturday, December 29, 2012

Fiscal cliff: Obama 'optimistic' on Senate-led deal

 US President Barack Obama: "An agreement is being discussed as we speak"
House Speaker John Boehner arrived at the White House ahead of a much-anticipated meeting

US President Barack Obama says he is "modestly optimistic" that a deal to avoid the "fiscal cliff" is possible, after a last-ditch White House meeting.

Mr Obama said Senate leaders were working to craft a bill that could win approval in both chambers of Congress.

But if a compromise was not reached, the president said he would ask for a quick vote on preventing tax rises.

Congress has only four days to reach an agreement before across-the-board tax rises and spending cuts take effect.

Analysts say sliding over the so-called "cliff" could tip the US into recession and set back the global economic recovery.

If Senate majority leader Harry Reid and minority leader Mitch McConnell do not work out a deal, Mr Obama is seeking a vote to prevent tax rises on incomes up to $250,000 (£150,000) and ensure unemployment insurance is continued.

He described that as the "bare minimum" Congress should get done before 1 January.

"The hour for immediate action is here, it is now," Mr Obama said.
'Imperfect' deal

Earlier on Friday, Mr Obama met Mr Reid, Mr McConnell, House Speaker John Boehner and House minority leader Nancy Pelosi at the White House for just over an hour.
Mr McConnell and Mr Reid said they were entering talks shortly after the meeting, and gave relatively upbeat assessments on their task.

Mr McConnell said he was "hopeful and optimistic" that he could present a comprise to his caucus by Sunday, just over 24 hours before the deadline.

His Democratic counterpart said he would "do everything I can" to make the deal happened.

But Mr Reid cautioned that "whatever we come up with is going to be imperfect".

The renewed effort towards a Senate deal that could pass both chambers comes after much of the focus in negotiations rested on House Speaker John Boehner.

An alternative plan proposed by Mr Boehner - which would have seen taxes rise only on those earning over $1m - failed in the House of Representatives late last week.
Mr Boehner has called the lower chamber into session on Sunday. A staff member in the house speaker's office told Reuters that the House would consider Senate legislation.

"The Speaker told the president that if the Senate amends the House-passed legislation and sends back a plan, the House will consider it - either by accepting or amending," the unnamed aide said.

Mr Obama's plans to increase taxes on the wealthiest Americans have remained a point of division between the two parties since he won re-election in November.

Many Republicans oppose new taxes as a matter of principle, and are demanding cuts to what they see as deficit-inflating public spending, putting at risk healthcare and welfare benefit schemes popular with Democrats.

During the news conference on Friday, Mr Obama said any last minute action on tax rises would form the groundwork for further negotiations in the new year.

"The American people are watching what we do here," he said. "Obviously their patience is already thin."
Cuts and benefits

The term fiscal cliff refers to the combination of almost $600bn (£370bn) of tax rises and spending cuts due to come into force on 1 January if Congress does not pass new legislation.
Sweeping tax cuts passed during the presidency of George W Bush will expire, eventually affecting people of all income levels, and many businesses.

Other tax cuts and benefits set to expire include:

• A 2010 payroll tax cut, the expiration of which would prompt immediate wage-packet cuts

• Benefits for the long-term unemployed

• Compensation for doctors treating patients on federal healthcare programmes

• Inheritance taxes are also likely to be affected if no deal is reached.

In addition, spending cuts mandated by a law passed to break a previous fiscal impasse in Congress will come into force, affecting both military and domestic budgets.

The cuts are expected to affect federal government departments and the defence sector, as well as hitting unemployment insurance and veterans' support.

Obama Orders Pay Raise for Biden, Members of Congress, Federal Workers

President Barack Obama issued an executive order to end the pay freeze on federal employees, in effect giving some federal workers a raise. One federal worker now to receive a pay increase is Vice President Joe Biden.
According to disclosure forms, Biden made a cool $225,521 last year. After the pay increase, he'll now make $231,900 per year.
Members of Congress, from the House and Senate, also will receive a little bump, as their annual salary will go from $174,000 to 174,900. Leadership in Congress, including the speaker of the House, will likewise get an increase.
Here's the list of new wages, as attached to President Obama's executive order:

"A new executive order has been issued providing for a new pay schedule beginning 'on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning after March 27, 2013,'" reports FedSmith.com. "The pay raise will generally be about 1/2 of 1%."
Jeryl Bier points to an example of the pay increase for average government executives:



"Not much of an increase, but an increase all the same," Bier notes.
And the timing isn't great either: Just as President Obama and Congress try to avert going over the "fiscal cliff," he doles out pay increases to federal workers.
UPDATE: According to a senior Republican congressional aide who has reviewed the executive order and consulted with the Congressional Budget Office, Obama's pay raise will cost $11 billion. "The CBO told us that the President’s pay raise for federal workers will cost $11 billion over ten years," says the aide.
The aide explains, "On the cost-estimate, CBO says the (discretionary) cost of the .5% pay-hike the President is calling for in the Exec Order – relative to a freeze – is about $500m in FY 2013 and $11 billion over the ten years from FY 13 - FY 22.  The reason why the FY ’13 savings is only $500 million is because the pay hike as proposed by the President’s Exec Order would not go into effect until April 1st, 2013 - when the current CR expires. So it only covers half the fiscal year. The annualized cost of the pay hike is about $1 billion/year."

Iceland just sentenced its first bankster to prison

Received a nine-month sentence

Welding was present at the rendition of the judgment today.LargerWelding was present at the rendition of the judgment today. Mbl.is / Styrmir Kari
Welding, fv. CEO of Glitnir, the Reykjavík District Court today sentenced to nine months, six months suspended. Requested five and a half years' imprisonment on him, and five years in prison over Gudmund Hjaltasyni, former. Director of Corporate Finance. Gudmund received the same sentence and Welding.
Lara and Gudmundur were accused of having taken the decision to lend Milestone 102 million, which was about ten billion in the form of money market lending 8th February 2008. The loan was granted without collateral and guarantees, and the decision taken outside meetings risk committee. They both refused to blame.
Prosecutor in the case said the main hearing to prove was that Lara and Gudmund had violated the rules of the loan with the bank the loan. Broken holds that they abused their position within the bank and would be a serious trúnaðarbrot case, unauthorized appropriation of vast resources would lead to financial loss risk for the bank and the biggest part of the loan is lost.
Welding is, and next to his lawyers and Gudmundur Hjaltason eventually.Welding is, and next to his lawyers and Gudmundur Hjaltason eventually. Styrmir Kari
Defender Lárus said, however, that no witnesses who came before the court was able to confirm that Lara and Gudmundur has something to do with lending. "Rests on the prosecution to prove, and they will only be convicted if there is doubt that they have decided to lend Milestone. Prosecution gets no discount verification requirements in the case. "
Welding in the District Court of ReykjavíkWelding in the District Court of Reykjavik mbl.is / Styrmir Kari
Gudmundur Hjaltason and Thordur Bogason, defend him.Gudmundur Hjaltason and Thordur Bogason, defend him.

16 Things About 2013 That Are Really Going To Stink

By Michael Snyder
Economic Collapse Blog
December 28, 2012
16 Things About 2013 That Are Really Going To Stink - Photo by Linh_rOmThe beginning of the year has traditionally been a time of optimism when we all look forward to the exciting things that are going to happen over the next 12 months.
Unfortunately, there are a whole bunch of things about 2013 that we already know are going to stink.
Taxes are going to go up, good paying jobs will continue to leave the country, small businesses will continue to be destroyed, the number of Americans living in poverty will continue to soar, our infrastructure will continue to decay, global food supplies will likely continue to dwindle and the U.S. national debt will continue to explode.
Our politicians continue to pursue the same policies that got us into this mess, and yet they continue to expect things to magically turn around.  But that is not the way that things work in the real world.  Bad decisions lead to bad outcomes.
Instead of realizing that what we are doing is not working, our “leaders” continue to give us more of the same.  As a result, there are going to be a lot of things about 2013 that will not be great.
Sticking our heads in the sand and pretending that everything will be “okay” somehow is not going to help anyone.
We’ve got to make people understand exactly what is happening and why it is happening if we ever hope to see real changes.
The following are 16 things about 2013 that are really going to stink…
#1 Taxes Are Going To Go Up
Even if a fiscal cliff deal is reached, some taxes will still go up next year.  And if no deal is reached, there will be a whole bunch of different tax increases in 2013.
According to CBS News, these tax increases would be very painful for the middle class…
If lawmakers fail to work out any sort of deal, there will be severe long-term consequences for the economy: According to the Tax Policy Center, going off the “cliff” would affect 88 percent of U.S. taxpayers, with their taxes rising by an average of $3,500 a year; taxes would jump $2,400 on average for families with incomes of $50,000 to $75,000. Because consumers would get less of their paychecks to spend, businesses and jobs would suffer.
#2 The Middle Class Is About To Be Scorched By The Alternative Minimum Tax
Of more immediate concern for the middle class is the Alternative Minimum Tax.  Many Americans have never heard of the AMT, but it is truly one of the worst things about our tax code.
If Congress does not act, and right now it does not look promising, millions of middle class households will see a massive increase in their tax bills for 2012.
According to one analysis, households that are forced to pay the AMT will end up paying an extra $3,700 in taxes…
Unless Congress acts by the end of the year, more than 26 million households will for the first time face the AMT, which threatens to tack $3,700, on average, onto taxpayers’ bills for the current tax year. Because those people have never paid the AMT, they have no idea they are in its crosshairs — put there by a broader stalemate over tax policy that has kept Congress from limiting the AMT’s reach.
Do you have an extra $3,700 sitting around to send to Uncle Sam?
If not, you had better contact your representatives in Congress and scream like crazy about passing a fix for the AMT.  They have always gotten it done before, but this year there is so much animosity between the Republicans and the Democrats that nothing may end up getting done.
#3 The Economy Will Continue To Get Worse
Despite all of the talk in the mainstream media and from our politicians that our economy is getting better, the truth is that the U.S. economy continued to decline in 2012.  If you doubt this, just read the 75 statisticsin this article.
And there are a whole host of signs that the economy is starting to slow down even more as we enter 2013.  For example, consumer confidence in the United States has experienced its largest two-month drop in over a year, and retail sales during the holiday season turned out to bequite disappointing.
#4 Good Paying Jobs Will Continue To Be Shipped Out Of The United States
Thanks to decades of “free trade agreements”, workers in the United States must directly compete for jobs with hundreds of millions of workers on the other side of the globe that live in countries where it is legal to pay slave labor wages.
We continue to see millions of jobs being shipped out of the country and our politicians stand by and do nothing.
Most Americans have no idea how this emerging one world economic system works.  The beautiful product that you buy at the big retail store may have been made by someone working in some of the most horrific conditions imaginable.
A 42-year-old woman named Julie Keith recently found this letterinside a box of Halloween decorations that had been made in China…
“If you occasionally buy this product, please kindly resend this letter to the World Human Right Organization. Thousands people here who are under the persecution of the Chinese Communist Party Government will thank and remember you forever.
People who work here have to work 15 hours a day without Saturday, Sunday break and any holidays. Otherwise, they will suffer torturement, beat and rude remark. Nearly no payment (10 yuan/1 month).
People who work here, suffer punishment 1-3 years averagely, but without Court Sentence (unlaw punishment). Many of them are Falun Gong practitioners, who are totally innocent people only because they have different believe to CCPG. They often suffer more punishment than others.”
But both political parties continue to tell us how wonderful it is that we are trading with communist China.  They see no problem with the fact that good paying jobs that used to be performed in America are now being performed by slave laborers on the other side of the planet.  And most Americans continue to support this system by filling their shopping carts with lots of stuff that has “made in China” stamped on it.
#5 Small Businesses Will Continue To Be Destroyed
At the same time, small businesses all over America are being strangled to death by taxes and regulations.  Just consider the following numbers from a previous article
We are told that the economy is supposed to be “recovering”, but the number of “startup jobs” at new businesses has fallen for five years in a row.  According to an analysis of U.S. Department of Labor data performed by economist Tim Kane, there were almost 12 startup jobs per 1000 Americans back in the year 2006.  By 2011, that figure had fallen to less than 8 startup jobs per 1000 Americans.
How is our economy ever going to thrive if we keep killing off our small businesses?
#6 Hunger And Poverty Will Continue To Explode To Unprecedented Levels
As the U.S. economy bleeds jobs and loses small businesses, the number of Americans living in poverty continues to explode.
Here are some numbers to show to people who still don’t understand how desperate the situation is…
-Families that have a head of household under the age of 30 have a poverty rate of 37 percent.
-According to U.S. Census data, 57 percent of all American children live in a home that is either considered to be “poor” or “low income”.
-For the first time ever, more than a million public school students in the United States are homeless.  That number has risen by 57 percentsince the 2006-2007 school year.
#7 The Number Of Americans On Food Stamps Will Continue To Increase
If the economy is recovering, then why does the number of Americans on food stamps continue to soar?
As I wrote about yesterday, about 17 million Americans were on food stamps back in the year 2000.
Today, more than 47 million Americans are on food stamps.
Does anyone want to explain to me how that is a sign that things are getting better?
Back in the 1970s, about one out of every 50 Americans was on food stamps.  Today, about one out of every 6.5 Americans is on food stamps.
How much worse do things have to get before people realize that what we are doing is not working?
#8 Millions Of Americans Are About To Lose Their Unemployment Benefits
During this economic crisis, an unprecedented number of American families have been relying on unemployment benefits in order to stay afloat.
Well, if no agreement is reached in Washington D.C., millions of Americans will shortly lose those benefits


Three million Americans may become unwitting casualties of the political war in Washington over the fiscal cliff.
Since 2008, the federal government has funded extensions of the unemployment insurance offered by states, more than tripling the amount of aid available to the unemployed in some areas. But the program is expensive, with the Congressional Budget Office estimating it would cost $30 billion to extend it through 2013. President Barack Obama wants to extend the benefits for another year, but Congress has already pared back the program, and Republicans insist it represents the kind of largesse Washington can no longer afford.
#9 Our Infrastructure Will Continue To Rot And Decay
The United States once had the most beautiful infrastructure in the entire world.  Our highways, bridges, airports, railroads, sewer systems and electrical grids were the envy of the entire planet.
Well, now we don’t even have enough money to repair what we already have, so our infrastructure will continue to rot and decay in 2013…
Highways and bridges will need $2.5 trillion in upgrades if they are to survive for another 50 years — a must-do to keep commerce thriving. And that figure doesn’t even take into account the airports, railroads, subways, sewage-treatment plants, waterworks, levees, electric grids, pipelines, and all of those other expensive systems that people ignore until they break down.
#10 Many Of Our Major Cities Will Continue To Be Transformed Into Festering Hellholes
A lot of our major cities are also rapidly degenerating.  Detroit is one of my favorite examples, but the same kinds of things could be said about dozens of other major cities all over the country.  The following is a brief excerpt from one of my recent articles
If you can believe it, more than 50 percent of all children in Detroit are living in poverty, and close to 50 percent of all adults living in the city are functionally illiterate.  The high school graduation rate in Detroit is down to about 25 percent, and the city has become a breeding ground for gangs and violence.  The number of murders in Detroit is already higher than last year, and recently groups of young men toting AK-47s have been running around robbing gas stations.  How much worse can things possibly get for Detroit?
#11 State And Local Governments Will Find Ways To Squeeze Even More Money Out Of Us
In case you haven’t noticed, state and local governments all over the country are bleeding cash and are desperate for money.  In 2013 you can expect them to continue to find more ways to squeeze even more money out of all of us.  Here is one example…
Over the course of 2013, the District government will add 134 traffic cameras to its network, more than doubling the size of a system that generated $85 million in revenues for the city in its last fiscal year.
Police spokeswoman Gwendolyn Crump told The Washington Examiner that the city will intensify its camera-based efforts to cite motorists for speeding and stoplight violations while also adding cameras to detect other moving violations.
#12 Drug Cartels Will Continue To Easily Cross Our Borders And Terrorize Our Citizens
The federal government continues to refuse to protect our borders, and that means that drug runners and gang members will continue to pour into the United States.
Down in the Southwest, many ranchers are being absolutely terrorized by these criminals.  The following is from a recent NBC News article
Just before nightfall, 73-year-old rancher Jim Chilton hikes quickly up and down the hills on his rugged cattle-grazing land south of Tucson, escorting two U.S. Border Patrol agents.
He wants to show them the disturbing discovery he made earlier in the day: a drug-smugglers’ camp on his private property.  Stacked together under a stand of trees are blankets, jackets, food, water, binoculars and bales of marijuana from Mexico wrapped in burlap. The smugglers, themselves, are nowhere in sight and are believed to have fled the area, which is about 10 miles north of the Mexican border.
Chilton has had his house burglarized a couple of times and his family regularly encounters groups of armed drug smugglers coming across from Mexico…
Their cattle fences are frequently cut and paths heading north from Mexico cross their property.  Beckham says a smuggler even fired shots at him while he walked his land with a U.S. Border Patrol agent.  Several illegal border crossers have also approached his house at night–one even reaching his hand into their bathroom window.
“Several years ago, one of my children was taking a shower and had a gentleman reach into the shower while he was in there, and he came out screaming, absolutely refusing to take a shower for the next couple months.”
But even if you don’t live along the border, all of this still affects you.  According to government figures, Mexican drug cartels are actively operating in more than 1,200 U.S. cities right now.  They are probably hard at work in the community where you live.
So what is the Obama administration doing to fix the problem?
Not much.
In fact, the Obama administration is actually encouraging people to come to the U.S. and become dependent on the system.  If you can believe it, there is actually a website run by the Department of Homeland Security that teaches immigrants how to apply for welfare benefits once they get into the United States.
#13 Social Decay Will Continue To Accelerate
All over America we are seeing signs of social breakdown.  Here is yetanother example
A woman sleeping on a street bench outside a drug store was doused with an accelerant and set on fire early Thursday morning in Van Nuys.
Witnesses told police that a man poured liquid — possibly a beverage containing alcohol — on the sleeping woman at about 1 a.m. outside a Walgreens store near Van Nuys Boulevard and Sherman Way. He lit a match and ran from the location, witnesses told police.
Who would just run up and set a woman on fire?
Sadly, this is not an isolated incident.  For many more examples like this, please see this article: “20 Shocking Examples Of How Sadistic And Cruel People Have Become“.
  • A d v e r t i s e m e n t
We need to admit that we have a major problem on our hands.  Violent crime in the United States increased by 18 percent in 2011, and another huge increase is expected when the numbers for 2012 come out.
America is changing, and not for the better.
#14 Global Food Supplies Will Continue To Dwindle
Did you know that for six of the last eleven years the world has consumed more food than it has produced?
As a result, global food reserves have reached their lowest level in almost 40 years.
So what is going to happen if the world continues to eat more food than it makes?
Let us hope that there is not another major drought in 2013.  If there is, we could be looking at a very serious food crunch.
#15 Wall Street Will Continue To Resemble A Giant Casino
Our financial system seems to have not learned any lessons from the financial crash of 2008.
Instead of admitting their mistakes, they just continue to engage in even more reckless behavior.
Today, there are four major U.S. banks that each have more than 40 trillion dollars of exposure to derivatives.
At some point that house of cards is going to collapse and we will be facing a derivatives crisis of unprecedented magnitude.
Will it be in 2013?
#16 The U.S. National Debt Will Cross The 17 Trillion Dollar Mark
In 2013, our national debt will blow past the 17 trillion dollar mark and start heading toward 18 trillion dollars.
How stupid can we possibly be?
During the first four years of the Obama administration, the U.S. national debt has grown by about as much as it did from the time that George Washington took office to the time that George W. Bush took office.
It really takes something to match more than 200 years of debt accumulation in less than four years.
But our politicians don’t seem to care about all of this debt.  They will continue to steal more than 100 million dollars from our children and our grandchildren every single hour of every single day.  That is beyond criminal, and yet the American people don’t seem to care.
What in the world has happened to this country?
Of course not everything about 2013 will be bad.  Personally, I am looking forward to an exciting year.  I have a new book that will be coming out, and my family is blessed and healthy.
I would like to wish all of you a very blessed 2013.  Things may be falling apart all around us, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t have a great year even in the midst of all the chaos.

Jacques Delors: Britain could leave the European Union

Britain could leave the European Union and enter into a looser economic relationship with it as the eurozone moves towards becoming a federal state, Jacques Delors said today.

Jacques Delors: Britain could leave the European Union
The proposal from Mr Delors suggest that France might be willing to cut Britain loose Photo: Paul Grover

The former European Commission president, who is credited as the architect of the modern EU and the euro, has broken ranks with other European leaders to offer Britain an exit from the Union.
"The British are solely concerned about their economic interests, nothing else. They could be offered a different form of partnership," he told Handelsblatt, a German financial newspaper.
"If the British cannot support the trend towards more integration in Europe, we can nevertheless remain friends, but on a different basis. I could imagine a form such as a European economic area or a free-trade agreement."
The comments will add weight to growing demands from Conservative backbench MPs and Euro-sceptics for David Cameron to renegotiate Britain's relationship with Europe and to bring back powers from the EU to Westminster.
The Prime Minister has said that he supports continued EU membership but wants a "new settlement" which will involve Britain opting-out of justice measures and seeking exemptions to any further centralisation of power in Brussels.


The proposal from Mr Delors suggest that France might be willing to cut Britain loose, boosting the influence of Paris, as the EU moves to fiscal and political union in 2014 in the wake of the eurozone debt crisis.
In a concerted campaign to keep Britain in Europe, Germany and senior European officials have warned that British demands to be able to "cherry pick" which bits of the EU it signs up to could unravel the whole bloc.
Herman Van Rompuy, the EU president, yesterday warned that if countries like Britain were allowed to pick and choose then the whole European edifice would crumble.
"If every member state were able to cherry-pick those parts of existing policies that they most like, and opt out of those that they least like, the union in general, and the single market in particular, would soon unravel," he told the Guardian.
"All member states can, and do, have particular requests and needs that are always taken into consideration as part of our deliberations. I do not expect any member state to seek to undermine the fundamentals of our co-operative system in Europe." Mr Cameron is under pressure to give the British public a say on whether to leave the EU, demands that will be fuelled by the comments from Mr Delors.
He is widely expected to make a speech in the New Year outlining plans for a referendum in 2015, which would voters a choice between a new relationship with Europe and leaving altogether.
"Only an in/out referendum on the date of the next general election will truly reset Britain's relationship with Europe and help deliver an outright Conservative victory," said Mark Pritchard, the Tory MP for The Wrekin.

10 Fascinating Economic Collapses Through History

Since 2008 the United States has been in economic trouble. The current debate over the “fiscal cliff” has placed this economic distress and its origins back on the public radar. In retrospect, the origins of the housing bubble and Wall Street meltdown seem inevitable. There have been numerous financial meltdowns in the past that have their origins in even more bizarre and obviously flawed schemes. From ancient times to the present we seem to fall for economic schemes and the disasters that often result. This list takes a look, in chronological order, at some of the most intriguing economic collapses of history. We can feel a little better about our current situation as we consider the mistakes of our ancestors.
10
Diocletian Destroys Rome’s Economy
Fourth Century AD

The Roman Empire was in decay when Diocletian became emperor in the fourth century. The economy was in disarray from a series of costly wars and previous emperor’s building projects that left Rome near collapse. With Rome’s currency worthless, Diocletian introduced a new system of coinage. At many times in history countries have risked economic turmoil to artificially increase the value of their currency. The issue with Diocletian’s new money, however, was that it did the opposite. There was more gold in the coins than the face value stamped on them; the denomination on the coin lowered its value. In response to this insane idea most citizens melted the coins to make use of their higher scrap value. The result was rapid inflation within the Empire. Diocletian increased problems by placing a price ceiling on most goods to counter the inflation.
Diocletian’s policies caused so much confusion that many Roman territories simply refused to follow the emperor’s edicts. As matters worsened, Diocletian became the first Roman emperor to voluntarily leave the throne. His highly flawed economic policies weakened the cohesion of the empire and the status of emperor in addition to further damaging Rome’s ailing economy.
9
Pazzi Conspiracy and Medici Banking Collapse
1470s

The Medici family was one of the leading families of Renaissance Italy. They controlled the politics of Florence; served as popes and assisted the rise of Leonardo DaVinci. The source of the family’s wealth was rooted in the banking worldwide banking system they had founded in the late fourteenth century. Under the leadership of Cosimo de’ Medici, the bank rapidly expanded and found itself overstretched by the time of his death. At the same time as the Medici were stretched to the limit the Pazzi and Salviaiti banking families attempted to replace them as rulers of Florence. On April 26, 1478, two members of the Medici family were assaulted at Mass in Florence. Despite the failure of the plot, the Medici were unable to reassert complete control. The Medici bank was characterized by its dangerously low cash reserves, usually around 10% of assets.
As the Pazzi Conspiracy and various wars reduced the competitiveness of the bank, it approached insolvency. As a result Lorenzo de’ Medici taxed the citizens of Florence in the name of military defense to a near tyrannical level. Finally, in 1494 the bank collapsed due to this corruption, faulty investments, and incompetent management. After the bank collapsed, millions were lost from the Florentine economy and it took years for a complete recovery. Since the company had also defrauded the account of Charles VIII of France that paid for dowries the crisis had worldwide implications. ??
8
Spanish Inflation
1600s
Spanish Colonial Gold
Following Columbus’s discovery of the New World, Spain began the search for gold in the New World. For decades the rich resources of the Americas made Spain one of the wealthiest nations on earth and allowed it to create a great empire. By the second half of the sixteenth century, however, the Spanish had increased mining to unprecedented levels. Rather counter intuitively this influx of wealth nearly destroyed Spain. The high levels of freshly minted gold and silver in Europe drove down the value of money and lead to hyper-inflation across Europe.
Combined with the wars that Spain fought to protect its empire, the inflation damaged the economy beyond repair. Instead of reaping great wealth, Spain ended up defaulting on its debt several times. This economic turmoil pushed the Spanish Empire into decline and allowed the British to begin creating an empire of their own.
7
Bermuda’s Hog Money
1616-1624
Bermuda Hog Money
Several powerful trading companies drove the spread of the British Empire in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Bermuda was colonized with the help of several of these companies. Once the colony was established the colonists were put to work making these companies money. The workers were paid in company credit instead of wages, similar to coal companies in the nineteenth century. When Daniel Tucker was appointed governor of Bermuda he abandoned the credit practiced and introduced his own coins minted from brass.
With the monetary system only worth what Tucker declared it to be, the colonists overthrew the governor. Complete economic ruin was only prevented by the fact that Bermuda was an island and isolated. With no monetary system, the colonists resorted to using tobacco as a form of currency.
6
Tipper and See-Saw
1621

When countries rapidly increase their debt to finance wars the result is never good. In the seventeenth century there was no way to insure effective taxation so the states of the Holy Roman Empire began to mint money to raise revenue for the Thirty Years Wars. To do this the empire removed coinage from circulation, melted them down and mixed them with lower value metals. The name of the crisis refers to the scales used to weigh the money before it was melted down. These debased coins were then spent in foreign territories, to limit the economic damage that might occur to the empire.
Eventually, the debased coins returned to territories of the Holy Roman Empire in the form of duties and taxes. As the public became aware of the practice there were riots, soldiers refused to accept the debased coinage as pay, and seditious pamphlets were distributed. The money eventually became so worthless children played with the coins in the streets. The resulting rise in prices also crippled the economies of many states within the empire.


5
Tulipmania Hits the Netherlands
1636-1637

Perhaps the most bizarre economic crisis on this list, Tulipmania holds the distinction of being the first recorded economic bubble. When the tulip flower was introduced to the Netherlands in the early 1600s it became instantly popular. In the first true “consumer craze” Dutch citizens simply had to have the latest tulip. Since tulips only grow at certain times of the year, the Dutch set up a future’s market. When tulips were not available consumers could purchase the rights to tulip bulbs when they became available.
Soon speculators began playing the future’s market and drove the bulb prices to shocking levels. At the height of the bubble some bulbs sold for the equivalent of an average worker’s ten years salary. The bubble burst in 1637 and the value of tulip bulbs fell back to previous levels. Just like the stock market crash in 2008, investors saw their money erased. The bizarre flower driven financial collapse erased many fortunes and left many investors penniless.
4
South Seas Bubble
1719-1720

The South Seas Bubble shows what can happen when speculators ignore several important limitations on their schemes. In the early eighteenth century, the British economy was suffering from government overspending. As a result, British investors were intrigued by the stories of plentiful gold in the Americas. To tap these riches, the South Seas Company was formed and the British monarchy granted it exclusive trading rights to South America. Despite the fact that Spain owned South America, making the British edict completely useless, investors flocked to the company.
The company, despite its obvious limitations, attracted so many investors that nearly a year’s worth of Britain’s GDP was invested. The stock skyrocketed on the British exchange. The company even investigated investing in the British national debt. Confidence was so high the Chancellor of the Exchequer had an investment account worth several hundred thousand pounds with the company. At the end of 1720, the South Seas Company stock was worth roughly 37 million pounds. Of course Spain refused to allow British adventures to remove their gold and the stock crashed. The resulting shockwave crippled the English economy and left many investors completely penniless. An entire generation of wealth was erased from the British economy.
3
Mississippi Bubble
1716-1720

Britain was not the only country to catch the speculation bug in the first quarter of the eighteenth century. When Louis XIV died, the French economy was completely exhausted from financing the wars that the Sun King had waged across Europe. The treasurer didn’t even have enough gold to mint new coins. John Law, a French government economist, proposed creating a bank that would print paper money. The government circulated so much paper money that it was valued at five times the wealth of France.
To deal with the issue before it destroyed the French economy, Law informed the French citizenry that the new colony of Louisiana was filled with gold and an excellent investment opportunity. He hoped that the investment would allow government to obtain more actual wealth to solve the problem of the worthless notes. When the promised mountains of gold failed to appear from Louisiana, the bubble burst in 1720 and shares were devalued. What followed was a bank run when the value of Law’s currency was halved and devastating inflation that crippled the French economy.
2
Confederacy Destroys its Economy
1860

During the US Civil War, a major goal of the Confederate army was to secure diplomatic recognition from European nations. Since cotton was essential to the economies of England, France, and other nations, they cut off cotton exports to force recognition. The Union blockaded Confederate ports but was never able to efficiently limit Confederate blockade running until late in the war.
Combined with this Union blockade the decision to cut off cotton exports virtually extinguished Confederate trade revenues. The two factors lead to rampant inflation that made Confederate currency virtually worthless. When the Civil War ended, the economy of the South was in complete ruins.
1
Railroads and Silver Cripple America
1893

The Panic of 1893 was the worst economic crisis in America until the Great Depression. As railroads became the dominant mode of transportation in the United States, speculators invested heavily in the technology. Many railroads simply overextended themselves and could not cover their expenses with revenues. In 1893, the giant Philadelphia and Reading Railroad collapsed under its own weight and declared bankruptcy.
At the same time as the railroads began to feel the damage of their mistakes, the silver market was rocked. The 1880s witnessed the discovery of several silver mines and the resulting production drove the value of silver down. The US Government sought to deal with the crisis by buying silver in attempt to artificially increase its value. Once the government stopped purchasing silver the crisis reached its full height. The resulting depression lasted until 1900 and witnessed the collapse of 16,000 businesses and 17%-19% unemployment at its peak.

Pentagon prepares to contain China by 2017

Source: Hurriyet
Shifting its military power to the Asia-Pacific region, the United States has started a five-year process of deploying its three types of stealth warplanes to bases near China.
Air Force F-22s and B-2s and Marine Corps F-35s will be stationed at bases around China as Beijing tests its own radar-evading jet fighters, Wired magazine reported Dec. 26. Earlier this year, U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration unveiled a new defense strategy that envisages a shift of focus from Iraq and Afghanistan toward the Pacific while addressing the increasing threats from China. Washington also announced in June the repositioning of its Navy fleet with the majority of its warships, 60 percent, to be assigned to the Asia-Pacific by 2020.
The announcements of new Pacific deployments of three warplanes have come in recent weeks starting with the 8th Air Force Cmdr. Maj. Gen. Stephen Wilson’s remarks on redeployment of B-2s, most probably to the Guam air base of the Pentagon.
‘Guam as strategic hub’
Wilson, who controls the Air Force’s 20 B-2 fleet normally based in Missouri, said “small numbers” of B-2s would begin rotating into the Pacific and other regions starting next year, speaking to Air Force magazine in early November. “Our B-2s will rotate to forward operating locations all over the world in small numbers for a few weeks at a time, a couple of times a year,” Wilson said in a Nov. 7 interview.
F-22s, normally based in Florida, Virginia, Alaska and Hawaii, are already regular visitors to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam and, more frequently, the Pentagon’s Kadena base in Japan’s Okinawa prefecture, the report said. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta also said recently there would be “new deployments of F-22s … to Japan.”
“Over the past year, we reached major agreements with Japan to realign our forces and jointly develop Guam as a strategic hub,” Panetta said. Panetta announced the first planned overseas basing of the still-in-development F-35 in the same speech. The Defense Department is “laying the groundwork” for F-35s to deploy to Iwakuni, Japan, in 2017, Panetta said.
Obama held his first foreign trip since his re-election to the region in November, saying the region was critically important.
“As the fastest-growing region in the world, the Asia-Pacific will shape so much of our security and prosperity in the century ahead, and it is critical to creating jobs and opportunity for the American people. That’s why I’ve made restoring American engagement in this region a top priority as president,” Obama told reporters during his visit to Bangkok.

Rand Paul ~ The People In The Government Not To Be Trusted With Money, If They Agree To A Balanced Budget Amendment I'll Agree To Raise The Debt Ceiling

Watch this video link

Najarian ‘Completely Out of Everything’


Najarian 'Completely Out of Everything'
With the likelihood that the U.S. will go over the so-called "fiscal cliff," OptionMonster's Jon Najarian takes the rare step of exiting all his positions.
With the likelihood that the U.S. will go over the so-called "fiscal cliff," OptionMonster's Jon Najarian said Thursday he has exited all his positions.
"For the first time in 31 years in the market, I'm completely out of everything," he said. "I see no reason to stick with this thing – no reason to get short, either."
On "Fast Money," Najarian did not believe there would be a last-minute grand victory in the Washington budget negotiations to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff," a series of tax hikes and federal spending cuts that will take effect Jan. 1 if an agreement isn't reached.
"I think we've assured ourselves that we are going to get very small deals done," he said, adding that the United States was probably headed for another debt downgrade in February.
Josh Brown of Fusion Analytics said that he had closed out his books for the year.
"We raised a little bit of cash, but we're nowhere near fully out of the market," he said.
Brown reiterated that most investors trading in the last few days of 2012 were doing so because they had no choice.
For most people, however, it was "garbage time," he added. "This is not my type of atmosphere."
Rosecliff Capital's Mike Murphy was hedging his bets.
"We're sticking with our long positions," he said, adding that he put on protection.
Joe Terranova of Virtus Investment Partners also wasn't adding to any positions, adding that his Apple holdings were half of what they were.
The one area that still holds upside beyond the "fiscal cliff" was financials, Terranova said.
"When you look at the market, whether you get the resolution or not, you're going to need something to be a catalyst to the upside beyond what we get in January," he said. "That to me is going to come down to earnings, and I think you have to begin to think about what those earnings look like."

Watch this link  

Are You Prepared for a Major Port Strike – Like the One That Might Happen In a Few Days?

Earl Griffin, Contributor
Activist Post

In a recent article I asked the question, “Are You Prepared for a Nationwide Strike?” I hope you were not one of those who scoffed – as it now appears likely that this Sunday could see 14,000 dock workers walk off the job at container ports from the east coast to the gulf coast.

Do you work in manufacturing or retail? What will you do if you are furloughed or laid off from your job because there is no work as a result of the resources and products you need sitting idle in port?

Have you been saving for just such an emergency? Can you pay your bills even if you are out of work for a while? Remember you won’t be eligible for unemployment benefits until you are out of work for as long as 30 days. Even then the benefit usually only covers 60% of the pay you are accustomed to – that’s just over half – and you may still have to pay taxes on it!

The fact is most of us are not saving and preparing for hard times. Will you just throw your hands up and accept whatever fate awaits you? I don’t recommend it. Waiting in line for FEMA handouts – if there are any FEMA handouts, is no fun. Set money aside for hard times. Do what your grandparents did: Save your money – even if it means doing without the cool toys that many of us have come to believe are necessities.

A cell phone, an Internet tablet, and cable television are not necessities.

I’ve said that before and have been accused of promoting austerity.

I do not support austerity. I support personal responsibility – which often includes difficult choices.

My council, to anyone who cares to heed it, is to develop a philosophy of self-reliance.


Sacrifice teaches self discipline. Self discipline enables one to follow a sustainable path of self-sufficiency – to the degree that one’s circumstances allow.

Of course a major port strike may well be averted – I hope it will be. But what if it isn’t? The best we can hope for in that case is a very short strike. If a major port strike proved to be protracted it could shut down much of our nation’s commerce and trade. You are likely to be affected to one degree or another. Depending on how long it goes on you and your family may be seriously impacted.

Do you have food stored? At the moment workers claim they will not stop the movement of food. What if that changes? What if, as a means to gain greater leverage, workers halt the movement of food as well as other items?

You would do well to have enough food in your pantry and on your shelves to see you and your family through a rough patch. If food becomes difficult to get, everyone will suffer and the union will see its support decline. If just a relative few people suffer, say those working in a sector of the economy that is seriously impacted by a major port strike – like retail or manufacturing, such a strike may prove ongoing. A day or two might not break you. Would a week or two? Would a month or two break you?

 The nights are cold when there is no heat. If you can’t pay the bill because your job is affected by a major port strike how will you stay warm? Do you rely almost exclusively on the furnace or do you have plenty of warm blankets, sleeping bags, quilts, afghans, and long underwear? Now is the time to think of these things before you find yourself in a bind.

Let me be clear – I neither approve or disapprove of a major port strike, that is a matter of conscience for those involved. My concern is for those who will be affected and their level of preparedness in the face of such an event.

You and your family need to have something to eat. You need clean water to drink. You need to be able to stay warm in case it is very cold. If it is possible for you to do so, you should acquire any medicines that you will need in case they become unavailable. You do not need to go out and spend lots and lots of money – just think about what you really need and start setting it aside – now.

Simple foods with thoughtful seasonings will keep you well fed and healthy.

Clean water is always your friend.

Your entertainment does not need to light up. A good book - better yet a nice selection of good books - help pass the time happily. Board games and card games are a wonderful way to entertain groups.

A recent article that caught my attention asked, “Is It Too Late To Start Prepping?” It is an article that is worth reading. I do not believe that it is too late. However I do believe that as the economy continues to stumble and the price of food continues to rise, the current window of opportunity may well be closing.

If you are inclined to prepare for difficult times – like the very real possibility of a major port strike – now is the time. Delay no longer.

Please share your comments about the potential port strike and preparedness below.

This article first appeared at Barking Window

"QE4 is Little More Than LEGALIZED COUNTERFEITING" - Michael Rivero - Pa...

TIFs: the tax bill you have to pay but never see

The program intended to help the poorest of the poor largely benefits the well to do

Any day now taxpayers are sure to revolt over what they’re paying into the tax increment financing program.
Any day now taxpayers are sure to revolt over what they’re paying into the tax increment financing program.
In his previous crusade, north-side activist Tom Tresser went up against the political, cultural, media, and civic elite of Chicago as he fought against bringing the 2016 Olympic games to town.
Against all odds, Tresser won!
And decisively so. No only did the International Olympic Committee award the games to another city (thank you, Rio de Janeiro), but they also exposed just how deficient Chicago's application was by bouncing it before the other finalists'.
Thank you, IOC. And thank you, Tom Tresser and No Games Chicago, for exposing that budget-busting land-grab fiasco.
For an encore, Tresser is trying to get city officials to tell the truth about how they spend your property taxes.
Good luck with this one, Tom, though it's definitely worth fighting for.
"We believe the public should know how its public dollars are spent," says Tresser. "It's just fundamental to democracy."
He is, of course, talking about the city's tax increment financing scam. That's the program intended to eliminate blight in the poorest neighborhoods. Instead, the city jacks up your property taxes and funnels the money into a slush fund available for virtually anything the mayor wants, generally in neighborhoods that are neither poor nor blighted. Such as—to pick just one of my favorite TIF deals—the recent $30 million handout to the developers of River Point, an upscale office complex on the banks of the Chicago River downtown, in the hottest real estate market in the city.
Meanwhile, the mayor's closing schools because we're broke. Good thing for him that hardly anyone's paying attention.
That's where Tresser comes in. Along with assorted academics, computer geeks, and other troublemakers, Tresser has started the CivicLab, which is breaking down the city's TIF game to see who really wins and loses. They're setting up a website (civiclab.us/the-tif-report) that reveals what Mayor Rahm Emanuel most wants to conceal, just like Mayor Richard Daley before him: that the program intended to help the poorest of the poor largely benefits the well to do.
In addition, the CivicLab is organizing an online petition to force lawmakers to address the best part of the scam—the fact that your tax bill lies to you about it. "Getting the correct information on the tax bill is a big start," says Tresser. "If you have property in TIF districts, the property tax must reveal the impact of what you pay. It's so fundamental."
Before you fall asleep, let me explain. You too can be a TIF geek!
If you're a renter, your landlord passes you the property tax tab in your rent. But if you're an owner, each year the county sends you a property tax bill that you probably don't pay attention to, other than paying it.
That bill itemizes down to the penny how much of your taxes are being sent to schools, parks, the city, etc—things you're more or less OK with spending your money on. In truth, lots of it is going into the TIF slush fund to finance things you probably don't want your money spent on, like the aforementioned office building in River North.
Don't believe me? Well, look at your tax bill. If you live in a TIF district, it will tell you that you pay zero dollars to the TIF, as in no money at all. When, of course, that is not the case. Think, people—if no one paid money into the TIF district, there would be no money to subsidize River Point.
When I first reported this—approximately ten billion light years ago—the city blamed it on the county and the county blamed it on the city. And off the record everyone told me that it's better to let the tax bills lie, because if they told the truth about where tax dollars go, the peasants might revolt.
Let's face it: Chicago's peasants are just too sleepy to revolt.
Still, give Cook County clerk David Orr some credit. He set up a system on his website that enables you to see how tax dollars in TIF districts are actually allocated. As opposed to how the "official" tax bill says they're allocated.
For example, let's look at the property tax bill for the South Loop townhouse once owned by Mayor Daley, who pretty much invented Chicago's TIF program. According to the bill, that property—now owned by Mayor Daley's daughter—was responsible for $12,889 in taxes this year. Of that, $6,804 went to the Chicago Public Schools.
But if you plug the address into Orr's converter, you'll discover that in fact only $506 went to the schools. Instead, about $11,922, or 92 percent of the total, went to something called the Near South TIF. Which, interestingly enough, helped finance the development of the very townhouse community where the property's located.
To compensate for the $6,298 it's not getting out of the Daleys' bill, CPS increases the amount the rest of us pay, even if we don't live in that TIF. Because the money's got to come from somewhere.
It's that way for all of the roughly 150 TIFs in Chicago. And you wonder why you pay so much in taxes while the schools stay broke.
As always when I write about this, I have a feeling that many readers, lost in the swirl of numbers, have long since turned the page, so to speak. And that's the central reason city officials get away with this: it's confusing and hard to follow. Like all great scams.
You may recall that Mayor Emanuel came to office vowing to reform the TIF program.
But don't expect him to join Tresser's crusade anytime soon. As any politician will tell you, money is power. And the TIF program gives Mayor Emanuel control of another $500 million a year in property taxes on top of the billions in the regular city budget.
That's a lot of power. He'd be a fool to give it up. And the mayor's a lot of things—most of which are unprintable in a family newspaper—but a fool he's not.

The Most Vile Story I Have Ever Heard

Read the Wednesday Afternoon Wrap-Up for 12/26/2012 and the Thursday Morning Commentary for 12/27/2012
Rarely do I read something so disgusting, I retch from just reading the title.  Let alone, when it is published by the most traitorous – supposedly “PM-bullish” – organization in the Americas.
Clearly, the abominable title drew me in.  However – as you can probably imagine – I barely got through the first paragraph before clicking on the “x” at the top right of my screen.  As a precaution, please don’t read the below headline – or go swimming – after a big meal…
CFTC’S Gensler: Role Of Finance Is To Serve The Rest Of The Economy
…particularly if you are bold enough to reach the following filth
Finance serves the economy and allows the public unfettered access to markets and information; establishing prices transparently – free of fraud and manipulation.
-Gary Gensler, CFTC Chairman (and former Goldman Sachs partner)
Why do I show you the ultimate in LIES; from the ultimate LIAR; as published by the ultimate traitor?  Because you need to know what you are up against; a world of scheming CRIMINALS – out to take your money, rights, and liberty.
All societies eventually go into decline; and sadly, the causes are typically the same; complacency, arrogance, and – last but not least – fiat currency.  Once the latter permeates a society, its CANCEROUS effects spread throughout the population; plus trade partners, allies, and foes alike.  Never before have ALL the world’s societies been linked by such a DISEASE – in this case, ironically called the “dollar”; as dollar actually originates from the name of SILVER coins…
The Word “Dollar” and the Dollar Sign $
But I digress, as the ANGER of a society that not only allows, but promotes such indignity is often hard to take.  Gensler – in all his sniveling glory – represents PURE EVIL; and hopefully, the absurd TRANSPARENCY of his platitudes are evidence enough that the ONLY way to financially survive is avoiding the manipulated PAPER markets he and his ilk reside over.
Sorry to SHOCK you right after Christmas; but I’m trying to GIRD you for the horrors that likely await hard-working, law-abiding Americans in the coming years.
PROTECT YOURSELF, and do it NOW!

Year of the slog: Workers face 'longer hours, squeeze on pay and insecurity' as scramble for jobs intensifies in 2013

Workers and job seekers alike face a bleak struggle to improve their circumstances in 2013, according to employment experts.
People in work can expect longer hours, a continued squeeze on pay and fewer jobs being created in a 'hard year of slog', says Dr John Philpott of the Jobs Economist consultancy.
Meanwhile, the unemployed will find it harder to get a job in 2013 as the 'scramble' for work gets fiercer, predicts a separate report from recruitment website totaljobs.
Fierce competition: Unemployed people will find it harder to get a job in 2013 as the 'scramble' for work gets fiercer
Fierce competition: Unemployed people will find it harder to get a job in 2013 as the 'scramble' for work gets fiercer
Philpott predicted that job insecurity will remain high, with workers maintaining a 'grin and bear it' attitude.
Pay deals will continue to be affected by unemployment, with increases lagging behind inflation, leading to wage cuts for workers, he said.

Unemployment is forecast to increase by 120,000 to 2.63 million in 2013 because growth in the workforce will exceed the number of jobs being created, said Philpott.
Youth unemployment is forecast to fall below 900,000, while long-term unemployment will remain broadly the same.

MANAGERS CRAVE WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Most managers plan to stay in their jobs next year, although many want to improve their work-life balance, according to a study by the Institute of Leadership & Management.
Only one in seven want to look for a new position in the new year, while one in 20 plan to set up their own business, its survey of 1,300 managers found.
Almost a third of managers will try to improve their work-life balance next year, and a similar number want to develop leadership skills, the Institute of Leadership & Management study also found.
Charles Elvin, chief executive of the institute, said: 'It seems managers' primary focus for the new year will be to retain their current jobs rather than seeking new ones. This is a clear reflection of the current economic climate.
'Businesses mustn't be complacent though, and they need to ensure they keep their workers motivated and engaged through 2013.'
Almost three out of five said they will stay with their current employer next year.
Philpott expected only limited support from workers in private firms for union opposition to public sector cuts.
'Our jobs outlook for 2013 is relatively optimistic in that we expect only a modest rise in unemployment. However, the fact that this can be considered good news merely underlines the harsh reality of current economic austerity,' he said.
'GDP may grow somewhat faster but 2013 will be another year of hard slog, with longer hours for those lucky enough to have jobs and a further squeeze on living standards for workers and the jobless alike.
'Hard pressed private sector workers are likely to keep their heads down and get on with the job rather than actively stand shoulder to shoulder with striking public sector trade unionists.
'Workplace disgruntlement in the private sector will instead take the form of simmering distrust of bosses, especially those who adopt the trendy management speak mantra of "employee engagement" while piling the pressure on overstretched staff,' he said.
Totaljobs said jobs have been created this year in most regions of the UK, but there was also an increase in applications.
The labour market 'loosened' in 2012, encouraging those already in work to look for a new challenge, while the jobless were having to apply for more posts in their search for work, said its report.
'With changes coming to benefit payments, it is likely the scramble for work is getting fiercer,' it said.
The number of jobs increased by 5 per cent this year, boosted by the Olympics and the Diamond Jubilee, alongside a drop in inflation, according to totaljobs.
The biggest increases were in transport and logistics firms, while jobs were lost in the public sector and the hospitality sector, its study found.
The number of applicants per vacancy has jumped by 12 per cent this year to a national average of 18, rising to 25 in some areas such as London. Almost 50 people were chasing some administrative jobs and 36 in retail, it was found.
Stress: Almost a third of managers will try to improve their work-life balance next year
Stress: Almost a third of managers will try to improve their work-life balance next year
The capital was hit by a collapse in the number of catering and hospitality jobs despite the success of the Olympics, said Totaljobs, adding that Wales had been affected by public sector cuts.
John Salt, director of totaljobs.com, said: 'For much of 2012, the labour market was heading in the right direction with job growth and falls in unemployment. However, whilst on the surface things looked healthier, dig a little deeper and it became clear that we have been merely storing up problems for the future.
'The reality is that a great deal of the jobs created have been part-time and low paid, and many of those that have been taken off the unemployment roll have in fact just gone into government training schemes rather than paid work.
'With the eurozone seemingly resolute in its determination not to take the steps necessary to avoid economic meltdown and significant falls in manufacturing, the heralded labour market recovery petered out by the final quarter of the year.'
The labour market will remain 'pretty stagnant' in the coming months, totaljobs predicted.
  • The number of people in work could reach a historic milestone of 30million before the next general election, according to a study of the labour market by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Latest figures showed there were 29.6million people in employment in the quarter to October, an increase of almost half a million on a year earlier.

16 Dismal Trends Likely to Continue for 2013

Michael Snyder, Contributor
Activist Post

The beginning of the year has traditionally been a time of optimism when we all look forward to the exciting things that are going to happen over the next 12 months.  Unfortunately, there are a whole bunch of things about 2013 that we already know are going to stink.  Taxes are going to go up, good paying jobs will continue to leave the country, small businesses will continue to be destroyed, the number of Americans living in poverty will continue to soar, our infrastructure will continue to decay, global food supplies will likely continue to dwindle and the U.S. national debt will continue to explode.

Our politicians continue to pursue the same policies that got us into this mess, and yet they continue to expect things to magically turn around.  But that is not the way that things work in the real world.  Bad decisions lead to bad outcomes.

Instead of realizing that what we are doing is not working, our "leaders" continue to give us more of the same.  As a result, there are going to be a lot of things about 2013 that will not be great.  Sticking our heads in the sand and pretending that everything will be "okay" somehow is not going to help anyone.  We've got to make people understand exactly what is happening and why it is happening if we ever hope to see real changes.

The following are 16 things about 2013 that are really going to stink...

#1 Taxes Are Going To Go Up

Even if a fiscal cliff deal is reached, some taxes will still go up next year.  And if no deal is reached, there will be a whole bunch of different tax increases in 2013.

According to CBS News, these tax increases would be very painful for the middle class...

If lawmakers fail to work out any sort of deal, there will be severe long-term consequences for the economy: According to the Tax Policy Center, going off the 'cliff' would affect 88 percent of U.S. taxpayers, with their taxes rising by an average of $3,500 a year; taxes would jump $2,400 on average for families with incomes of $50,000 to $75,000. Because consumers would get less of their paychecks to spend, businesses and jobs would suffer.
 #2 The Middle Class Is About To Be Scorched By The Alternative Minimum Tax

Of more immediate concern for the middle class is the Alternative Minimum Tax.  Many Americans have never heard of the AMT, but it is truly one of the worst things about our tax code. If Congress does not act, and right now it does not look promising, millions of middle class households will see a massive increase in their tax bills for 2012.

According to one analysis, households that are forced to pay the AMT will end up paying an extra $3,700 in taxes...

Unless Congress acts by the end of the year, more than 26 million households will for the first time face the AMT, which threatens to tack $3,700, on average, onto taxpayers’ bills for the current tax year. Because those people have never paid the AMT, they have no idea they are in its crosshairs — put there by a broader stalemate over tax policy that has kept Congress from limiting the AMT’s reach.
Do you have an extra $3,700 sitting around to send to Uncle Sam?

If not, you had better contact your representatives in Congress and scream like crazy about passing a fix for the AMT.  They have always gotten it done before, but this year there is so much animosity between the Republicans and the Democrats that nothing may end up getting done.

#3 The Economy Will Continue To Get Worse

 Despite all of the talk in the mainstream media and from our politicians that our economy is getting better, the truth is that the U.S. economy continued to decline in 2012.  If you doubt this, just read the 75 statistics in this article.

And there are a whole host of signs that the economy is starting to slow down even more as we enter 2013.  For example, consumer confidence in the United States has experienced its largest two-month drop in over a year, and retail sales during the holiday season turned out to be quite disappointing.

#4 Good Paying Jobs Will Continue To Be Shipped Out Of The United States

Thanks to decades of "free trade agreements", workers in the United States must directly compete for jobs with hundreds of millions of workers on the other side of the globe that live in countries where it is legal to pay slave labor wages.

We continue to see millions of jobs being shipped out of the country and our politicians stand by and do nothing.

Most Americans have no idea how this emerging one world economic system works.  The beautiful product that you buy at the big retail store may have been made by someone working in some of the most horrific conditions imaginable.

A 42-year-old woman named Julie Keith recently found this letter inside a box of Halloween decorations that had been made in China...

If you occasionally buy this product, please kindly resend this letter to the World Human Right Organization. Thousands people here who are under the persecution of the Chinese Communist Party Government will thank and remember you forever.
People who work here have to work 15 hours a day without Saturday, Sunday break and any holidays. Otherwise, they will suffer torturement, beat and rude remark. Nearly no payment (10 yuan/1 month).
People who work here, suffer punishment 1-3 years averagely, but without Court Sentence (unlaw punishment). Many of them are Falun Gong practitioners, who are totally innocent people only because they have different believe to CCPG. They often suffer more punishment than others.
But both political parties continue to tell us how wonderful it is that we are trading with communist China.  They see no problem with the fact that good paying jobs that used to be performed in America are now being performed by slave laborers on the other side of the planet.  And most Americans continue to support this system by filling their shopping carts with lots of stuff that has "made in China" stamped on it.

#5 Small Businesses Will Continue To Be Destroyed

At the same time, small businesses all over America are being strangled to death by taxes and regulations.  Just consider the following numbers from a previous article...
We are told that the economy is supposed to be "recovering", but the number of 'startup jobs' at new businesses has fallen for five years in a row.  According to an analysis of U.S. Department of Labor data performed by economist Tim Kane, there were almost 12 startup jobs per 1000 Americans back in the year 2006.  By 2011, that figure had fallen to less than 8 startup jobs per 1000 Americans.
How is our economy ever going to thrive if we keep killing off our small businesses?

#6 Hunger And Poverty Will Continue To Explode To Unprecedented Levels

 As the U.S. economy bleeds jobs and loses small businesses, the number of Americans living in poverty continues to explode.

Here are some numbers to show to people who still don't understand how desperate the situation is...

-Families that have a head of household under the age of 30 have a poverty rate of 37 percent.
-According to U.S. Census data, 57 percent of all American children live in a home that is either considered to be "poor" or "low income".

-For the first time ever, more than a million public school students in the United States are homeless.  That number has risen by 57 percent since the 2006-2007 school year.

#7 The Number Of Americans On Food Stamps Will Continue To Increase

If the economy is recovering, then why does the number of Americans on food stamps continue to soar?

As I wrote about yesterday, about 17 million Americans were on food stamps back in the year 2000.
Today, more than 47 million Americans are on food stamps.

Does anyone want to explain to me how that is a sign that things are getting better?

Back in the 1970s, about one out of every 50 Americans was on food stamps.  Today, about one out of every 6.5 Americans is on food stamps.

How much worse do things have to get before people realize that what we are doing is not working?

#8 Millions Of Americans Are About To Lose Their Unemployment Benefits

During this economic crisis, an unprecedented number of American families have been relying on unemployment benefits in order to stay afloat.

Well, if no agreement is reached in Washington D.C., millions of Americans will shortly lose those benefits...

Three million Americans may become unwitting casualties of the political war in Washington over the fiscal cliff.
Since 2008, the federal government has funded extensions of the unemployment insurance offered by states, more than tripling the amount of aid available to the unemployed in some areas. But the program is expensive, with the Congressional Budget Office estimating it would cost $30 billion to extend it through 2013. President Barack Obama wants to extend the benefits for another year, but Congress has already pared back the program, and Republicans insist it represents the kind of largesse Washington can no longer afford.
#9 Our Infrastructure Will Continue To Rot And Decay

The United States once had the most beautiful infrastructure in the entire world.  Our highways, bridges, airports, railroads, sewer systems and electrical grids were the envy of the entire planet.
Well, now we don't even have enough money to repair what we already have, so our infrastructure will continue to rot and decay in 2013...
Highways and bridges will need $2.5 trillion in upgrades if they are to survive for another 50 years -- a must-do to keep commerce thriving. And that figure doesn't even take into account the airports, railroads, subways, sewage-treatment plants, waterworks, levees, electric grids, pipelines, and all of those other expensive systems that people ignore until they break down.
#10 Many Of Our Major Cities Will Continue To Be Transformed Into Festering Hellholes

A lot of our major cities are also rapidly degenerating.  Detroit is one of my favorite examples, but the same kinds of things could be said about dozens of other major cities all over the country.  The following is a brief excerpt from one of my recent articles...
If you can believe it, more than 50 percent of all children in Detroit are living in poverty, and close to 50 percent of all adults living in the city are functionally illiterate.  The high school graduation rate in Detroit is down to about 25 percent, and the city has become a breeding ground for gangs and violence.  The number of murders in Detroit is already higher than last year, and recently groups of young men toting AK-47s have been running around robbing gas stations.  How much worse can things possibly get for Detroit?
#11 State And Local Governments Will Find Ways To Squeeze Even More Money Out Of Us

In case you haven't noticed, state and local governments all over the country are bleeding cash and are desperate for money.  In 2013 you can expect them to continue to find more ways to squeeze even more money out of all of us.  Here is one example...
Over the course of 2013, the District government will add 134 traffic cameras to its network, more than doubling the size of a system that generated $85 million in revenues for the city in its last fiscal year.
Police spokeswoman Gwendolyn Crump told The Washington Examiner that the city will intensify its camera-based efforts to cite motorists for speeding and stoplight violations while also adding cameras to detect other moving violations.
#12 Drug Cartels Will Continue To Easily Cross Our Borders And Terrorize Our Citizens

The federal government continues to refuse to protect our borders, and that means that drug runners and gang members will continue to pour into the United States.

 Down in the Southwest, many ranchers are being absolutely terrorized by these criminals.  The following is from a recent NBC News article...

Just before nightfall, 73-year-old rancher Jim Chilton hikes quickly up and down the hills on his rugged cattle-grazing land south of Tucson, escorting two U.S. Border Patrol agents.
He wants to show them the disturbing discovery he made earlier in the day: a drug-smugglers' camp on his private property.  Stacked together under a stand of trees are blankets, jackets, food, water, binoculars and bales of marijuana from Mexico wrapped in burlap. The smugglers, themselves, are nowhere in sight and are believed to have fled the area, which is about 10 miles north of the Mexican border.
Chilton has had his house burglarized a couple of times and his family regularly encounters groups of armed drug smugglers coming across from Mexico...
Their cattle fences are frequently cut and paths heading north from Mexico cross their property.  Beckham says a smuggler even fired shots at him while he walked his land with a U.S. Border Patrol agent.  Several illegal border crossers have also approached his house at night--one even reaching his hand into their bathroom window.
'Several years ago, one of my children was taking a shower and had a gentleman reach into the shower while he was in there, and he came out screaming, absolutely refusing to take a shower for the next couple months.'
But even if you don't live along the border, all of this still affects you.  According to government figures, Mexican drug cartels are actively operating in more than 1,200 U.S. cities right now.  They are probably hard at work in the community where you live.

So what is the Obama administration doing to fix the problem?

Not much.

In fact, the Obama administration is actually encouraging people to come to the U.S. and become dependent on the system.  If you can believe it, there is actually a website run by the Department of Homeland Security that teaches immigrants how to apply for welfare benefits once they get into the United States.

#13 Social Decay Will Continue To Accelerate

All over America we are seeing signs of social breakdown.  Here is yet another example...
A woman sleeping on a street bench outside a drug store was doused with an accelerant and set on fire early Thursday morning in Van Nuys.
Witnesses told police that a man poured liquid -- possibly a beverage containing alcohol -- on the sleeping woman at about 1 a.m. outside a Walgreens store near Van Nuys Boulevard and Sherman Way. He lit a match and ran from the location, witnesses told police.
Who would just run up and set a woman on fire?

Sadly, this is not an isolated incident.  For many more examples like this, please see this article: "20 Shocking Examples Of How Sadistic And Cruel People Have Become".

We need to admit that we have a major problem on our hands.  Violent crime in the United States increased by 18 percent in 2011, and another huge increase is expected when the numbers for 2012 come out.

America is changing, and not for the better.


#14 Global Food Supplies Will Continue To Dwindle

Did you know that for six of the last eleven years the world has consumed more food than it has produced?

As a result, global food reserves have reached their lowest level in almost 40 years.

So what is going to happen if the world continues to eat more food than it makes?

Let us hope that there is not another major drought in 2013.  If there is, we could be looking at a very serious food crunch.

#15 Wall Street Will Continue To Resemble A Giant Casino

Our financial system seems to have not learned any lessons from the financial crash of 2008. Instead of admitting their mistakes, they just continue to engage in even more reckless behavior. Today, there are four major U.S. banks that each have more than 40 trillion dollars of exposure to derivatives.

At some point that house of cards is going to collapse and we will be facing a derivatives crisis of unprecedented magnitude.

Will it be in 2013?

#16 The U.S. National Debt Will Cross The 17 Trillion Dollar Mark

In 2013, our national debt will blow past the 17 trillion dollar mark and start heading toward 18 trillion dollars.

How stupid can we possibly be?

During the first four years of the Obama administration, the U.S. national debt has grown by about as much as it did from the time that George Washington took office to the time that George W. Bush took office.

It really takes something to match more than 200 years of debt accumulation in less than four years.

But our politicians don't seem to care about all of this debt.  They will continue to steal more than 100 million dollars from our children and our grandchildren every single hour of every single day.  That is beyond criminal, and yet the American people don't seem to care.

What in the world has happened to this country?

Of course not everything about 2013 will be bad.  Personally, I am looking forward to an exciting year.  I have a new book that will be coming out, and my family is blessed and healthy.  I would like to wish all of you a very blessed 2013.  Things may be falling apart all around us, but that doesn't mean that we can't have a great year even in the midst of all the chaos.