Creeping Fascism, Part One: Return of the Company Town

The US government’s obliteration of the Bill of Rights via the Patriot Act, the recent defense bill that allows the military to detain citizens indefinitely without trial, the health care law that forces citizens to buy insurance, and the attempted takeover of the Internet through SOPA and PIPA has gotten a lot of attention lately, and in a few rare cases has generated some effective push-back.

But according to an article in this month’s Harper’s Magazine (Killing the competition: How the new monopolies are destroying open markets, by Barry C. Lynn), US corporations are evolving into forms that are more threatening to their victims than anything emanating from Washington. As the author characterizes it, a new generation of monopolists are imposing their own private governments on their industries — and not always the industries one would expect. This long, detailed article should be read by anyone with a desire to understand how the US is evolving. Here I’ll highlight a few excerpts to summarize the major plot points:

Silicon Valley

Just a few years ago a software engineer’s talents were almost completely portable, allowing a programmer to move effortlessly between tech companies. In other words, there was a functioning market for talent in which the individual had power and choice vis-à-vis local employers. Then a handful of companies began to accumulate near-monopoly control over their product lines — and their workers. From the article:

These days the Valley is once again abuzz. Headlines report bulging wallets and a smorgasbord of new perks. Venture capitalists hum down Route 101, and angel investors lurk and listen in the bars. But instead of a disruptive melee like that of the late 1990s, with its diversity of players and voices, the overwhelming tendency today is a further consolidation of power by the already powerful. During the past decade, a few giants have managed to fence in market after market for hardware, software, and content. Some did so simply by buying up their competitors….

Yet this de facto license to govern a trillion-dollar industry—and with it, entire swaths of the American economy—appears to have left these high-tech headmen unfulfilled. Or so we learned when the Justice Department complained in 2010 that senior executives at Apple, Google, Intel, Pixar, and two other corporations had “formed and actively managed” an agreement that “deprived” the engineers and scientists who work for them of “access to better job opportunities.” Even in those reaches of society long accustomed to the rule of the few, the fact that some of the biggest and the richest had agreed not to poach one another’s workers managed to shock. In an editorial, the New York Times wondered “What Century Are We In?” Yet in the Valley itself, from those most directly affected, we’ve heard only the rarest of whimpers. The anger is there. But it’s tamped down by fear.

Click below to continue reading:

via Creeping Fascism, Part One: Return of the Company Town — DollarCollapse.com.

CBO: Longest Period of High Unemployment Since Great Depression

By Alex M. Parker

February 16, 2012 RSS Feed Print

After three years with unemployment topping 8 percent, the U.S. has seen the longest period of high unemployment since the Great Depression, the Congressional Budget Office noted in a report issued today.

And, despite some recent good news on the economic front, the CBO is still predicting that unemployment will remain above 8 percent until 2014. The report also notes that, including those who haven’t sought work in the past four weeks and those who are working part-time but seeking full-time employment, the unemployment rate would be 15 percent.

The CBO made its comments in a report examining the long-term effects of joblessness, and possible policy options to boost employment, including unemployment insurance reforms and job training programs. The report came at the request of Democratic Michigan Rep. Sander Levin, but Republicans quickly jumped on the chance to bash President Obama’s stimulus program, which is also reaching its three-year anniversary today.

Click below to continue reading:

via CBO: Longest Period of High Unemployment Since Great Depression – US News and World Report.

Many Of You Will Not Believe Some Of The Things Americans Are Doing Just To Survive

You might not want to read this article if you have a weak stomach. Most Americans have absolutely no idea what is going on in the dark corners of America, and when people find out the truth it can come as quite a shock. Many of you will not believe some of the things Americans are doing just to survive. Some families are living in sewers and drain tunnels, some families are living in tents, some families are living in their cars, some families will make ketchup soup for dinner tonight and some families are even eating rats. Some homeless shelters in America are so overloaded that they are actually sending people out to live in the woods. As you read this, there are close to 50 million Americans that are living below the poverty line, and that number rises a little bit more every single day. America was once known as the greatest nation on earth, but now there is decay and economic despair almost everywhere you look. Yes, money certainly cannot buy happiness, but the lack of it sure can bring a lot of pain. As the economy continues to decline, the suffering that we see all around us is going to get a lot worse, and that is a very frightening thing to think about.

The following is a half hour documentary produced by the BBC entitled “Poor America”. Trust me, this is a must watch. Your heart will break as you hear some American children talk about what they have to do for food….

Click below to continue reading:

via » Many Of You Will Not Believe Some Of The Things Americans Are Doing Just To Survive Alex Jones’ Infowars: There’s a war on for your mind!.

24% of Small Businesses Not Hiring Because They May Not Be In Business a Year From Now; 76% Simply Don’t Need More Employees

The question of the day is “Why Aren’t Small Businesses Hiring?” Most of the answers should be obvious, but let’s take a look at a recent Gallup Poll on Hiring to confirm.

85% of those surveyed — are most likely to say the reasons they are not doing so include not needing additional employees; worries about weak business conditions, including revenues; cash flow; and the overall U.S. economy. Additionally, nearly half of small-business owners point to potential healthcare costs (48%) and government regulations (46%) as reasons. One in four are not hiring because they worry they may not be in business in 12 months.

Click below to continue reading:

via Mish’s Global Economic Trend Analysis: 24% of Small Businesses Not Hiring Because They May Not Be In Business a Year From Now; 76% Simply Don’t Need More Employees.

The Federal Reserve’s Explicit Goal: Devalue The Dollar 33%

This is very troublesome for those planning to live on a fixed income long term.  This type of planned devaluation is a structured default on government obligations like social security payments.  It is also a blatant  transfer of wealth(ie tax) from the savings and wages of the people  to the Federal Reserve and the government.  What is worse, is the the planned 2% rate of inflation is based on Core Inflation, which omits the impact of food and energy, where most inflation frequently occurs.  This type of systemic criminal behavior on the part of the Federal Reserve is another reason to own gold, silver and other commodities as a way to opt out of this insidious transfer of wealth and it’s destructive impact on the middle class. 

JT

The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) has made it official: After its latest two day meeting, it announced its goal to devalue the dollar by 33% over the next 20 years. The debauch of the dollar will be even greater if the Fed exceeds its goal of a 2 percent per year increase in the price level.

An increase in the price level of 2% in any one year is barely noticeable. Under a gold standard, such an increase was uncommon, but not unknown. The difference is that when the dollar was as good as gold, the years of modest inflation would be followed, in time, by declining prices. As a consequence, over longer periods of time, the price level was unchanged. A dollar 20 years hence was still worth a dollar.

But, an increase of 2% a year over a period of 20 years will lead to a 50% increase in the price level. It will take 150 (2032) dollars to purchase the same basket of goods 100 (2012) dollars can buy today. What will be called the “dollar” in 2032 will be worth one-third less (100/150) than what we call a dollar today.

Click below to continue reading:

via The Federal Reserve’s Explicit Goal: Devalue The Dollar 33% – Forbes.

Why Our Currency Will Fail

The idea that the very same economic forces that are currently plaguing Greece, et al., are somehow not relevant to the United States’ circumstances does not hold water. As goes the rest of the world, so goes the US. When we back up far enough, it is clear that money and debt are there to reflect and be in service to the production of real things by real people, not the other way around. With too much debt relative to production, it is the debt that will suffer. The same is true of money. Neither are magical substances; they are merely markers for real things. When they get out of balance with reality, they lose value, and sometimes even their entire meaning.This report lays out the case that the US is irretrievably down the rabbit hole of deficits and debt, and that, even if there were endless natural resources of increasing quality available at this point, servicing the debt loads and liabilities of the nation will require both austerity and a pretty serious fall in living standards for most people. Of course, the age of cheap oil is over. And as Jim Puplava says, the oil price is the new Fed funds rate, meaning that it is now the price of oil that sets the pace of economic movement, not interest rates established by the Fed.

Click below to continue reading:

via Why Our Currency Will Fail – Blogs at Chris Martenson.

Mortgage Settlement Is Just Another Stealth Bank Bailout

Yet Another Bailout for the Giant Banks … Homeowners Get Hosed Again

The 50-state settlement with the banks (Oklahoma didn’t sign, but supports letting the banks go scot-free) over mortgage fraud is a stealth bank bailout, according to many top observers. See this, this, this, this, this, this, this and this.

This is par for the course … All of Obama’s previous “mortgage relief” programs have really been stealth bank bailouts which screwed the homeowner. And see this.

For example:

Most independent experts say that the government’s housing programs have been a failure. That’s too bad, given that the housing slump is now … worse than during the Great Depression.

Indeed, PhD economists John Hussman and Dean Baker, fund manager and financial writer Barry Ritholtz and New York Times’ writer Gretchen Morgenson say that the only reason the government keeps giving billions to Fannie and Freddie is that it is really a huge, ongoing, back-door bailout of the big banks.

Click below to continue reading:

via Mortgage Settlement Is Just Another Stealth Bank Bailout.

Embry – Gold’s Rise Will Shock Market Participants This Year

With gold trading roughly $30 higher and silver breaking solidly above the $34 level, today King World News interviewed John Embry, Chief Investment Strategist of the $10 billion strong Sprott Asset Management, to get his take on where he sees gold and silver headed from here. Embry told KWN this will be, by far, the strongest year for gold during this entire bull market. Here is what Embry had to say about the situation: “The fact that sentiment is so poor with gold at these levels just indicates that people don’t realize what’s really unfolding. I think the price action to begin the year has been exemplary. It was interesting as gold was getting a head of steam going last week, out comes that bogus jobs report that led to the one day reversal in gold and silver.”

Click below to continue reading:

via My Blog.

Why Silver Is As Good As Gold In A Monetary Collapse

We are at the edge of a major economic crisis. Our monetary system is the underlying cause of this major crisis. The massive debt bubble created by our monetary system is about to burst. The demonetization of gold and silver has over the years diverted value from these metals to all paper assets (such as bonds) linked to the debt-based monetary system.

The process of the devaluation of gold and silver, started by the demonetization of gold and silver, is about to reverse at a greater speed than ever before. This is similar to what happened during the late 70s (see my previous article), when the gold and silver price increased significantly. However, what happened in the 70’s was just a prelude to this coming rally. The 70’s was the end of a cycle, this is likely the end of a major cycle; an end of an era of the debt-based monetary system (dishonest money).

This era of dishonest money has filled the economic world with many promises that will never be fulfilled. There will be a massive flight out of paper promises into the ideal safe haven assets that would offer protection.

The type of assets that people will flee to depends on the extent to which the assets offer protection against the specific crisis. For example, if people are extremely thirsty, then most would likely go for water instead of milk or soft drinks. They would therefore rank water higher than soft drinks or milk. The reason that they would go for water is due to its superior properties for countering the thirst crisis.

Click below to continue reading:

via Why Silver Is As Good As Gold In A Monetary Collapse – Seeking Alpha.

Why Are the Chinese Buying Record Quantities of Gold? – Forbes

This month, the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department reported that China imported 102,779 kilograms of gold from Hong Kong in November, an increase from October’s 86,299 kilograms. Beijing does not release gold trade figures, so for this and other reasons the Hong Kong numbers are considered the best indication of China’s gold imports.

Analysts believe China bought as much as 490 tons of gold in 2011, double the estimated 245 tons in 2010. “The thing that’s caught people’s minds is the massive increase in Chinese buying,” remarked Ross Norman of Sharps Pixley, a London gold brokerage, this month.

So who in China is buying all this gold?

The People’s Bank of China, the central bank, has been hinting that it is purchasing. “No asset is safe now,” said the PBOC’s Zhang Jianhua at the end of last month. “The only choice to hedge risks is to hold hard currency—gold.” He also said it was smart strategy to buy on market dips. Analysts naturally jumped on his comment as proof that China, the world’s fifth-largest holder of the metal, is in the market for more.

There are a few problems with this conclusion. First, the Chinese government rarely benefits others—and hurts itself—by telegraphing its short-term investment strategies.

Click below to continue reading:

via Why Are the Chinese Buying Record Quantities of Gold? – Forbes.