Paul Craig Roberts Explains The Trump Appointment Process

Tags

, , , , ,

Last week I sounded off about Trump’s choices for Treasury and another economic position. I hedged my caution on Trump’s unique relationship with the big banks. I said:

Both Trump and Hillary were and are in DEEP with the banksters. Their relationships are, however, a little different.

… Trump is (or was) a borrower, a customer to the banks. …

Many who analyze these choices seriously may come to those same conclusions. They may say that Hillary, had she been elected, would have worked for her masters, whereas Trump will master them. He may view them as enemies and want them closer than his friends, where he can keep an eye on them. Knowing his unusual associations, this may be true. If so, it could be one of the greatest political power plays in American history. If not, then it could be one of the biggest blunders.

I’m honestly hoping for the former while fearing the latter. …

The esteemed Paul Craig Roberts optimistically echoed the sentiment in a broader article on the overall scheme of the appointments. His is expert commentary about insiders as only a former insider can understand it.

Does Trump’s choice of Steve Mnuchin as Treasury Secretary mean that Goldman Sachs will again be in charge of US economic policy? Possibly, but we do not know. We will have to wait and see. Mnuchin left Goldman Sachs 14 years ago. He has been making movies in Hollywood and started his own investment firm. Many people have worked for Goldman Sachs and the New York Banks who have become devastating critics of the banks. Read Nomi Prins’ books and visit Pam Martens website, Wall Street on Parade (http://wallstreetonparade.com ). My sometimes coauthor Dave Kranzler is a former Wall Streeter.

Commentators are jumping to conclusions based on appointees past associations. Mnuchin was an early Trump supporter and chairman of Trump’s finance campaign. He has Wall Street and investment experience. He should be an easy confirmation. For a president-elect under attack, this is important.

Will Mnuchin support Trump’s goal of bringing middle-class jobs back to America? Is Trump himself sincere? We do not know.

What we do know is that Trump attacked the fake “free trade” agreements that have stripped America of middle-class jobs just as did Pat Buchanan and Ross Perot. We know that the Clintons made their fortune as agents of the One Percent, the only ones who have profited from the offshoring of American jobs. Trump’s fortune is not based on jobs offshoring.

Not every billionaire is an oligarch. Trump’s relation to the financial sector is one as a debtor. No doubt Trump and the banks have had unsatisfactory relationships. And Trump says he is a person who enjoys revenge.

goldman-screw

There is sound reason Roberts is regarded as the best commentator in America. Revenge against the financial sector. Now that would be making America great again.

PS: It has come to my attention that some few (likely very small and timid) folks find me “a little scary”. Me. The man of cigars and Christmas ties. A “little”?? I’ve got to step it up a notch, huh?

 

Cigars Are Healthy: More Government Lies Debunked

This story has proven popular for several months. It’s a vindication of the cigar hobby and an expose on more government lies. Smoke ’em up!

perrinlovett's avatarPERRIN LOVETT

Two of my major themes here are that I: 1) hate government in all its evil lowliness, and; 2) I love cigars. Today I have greater reason to champion both of these worthy ideas.

The FDA is waging all out war on the premium cigar industry. Stupid law after draconian regulation threaten to disrupt if not kill the family of the leaf. It’s all part of the government’s larger war on freedom. They hate us, seeing us as little more than cattle to be milked of taxes until we die. Die will shall some day but not due to our cigars.

Cigars are bad, lies the state, because of children and health and safety and other BS – all of it dead wrong. It seems that the FDA has in its possession an in-house study which shows there are no significant health risks associated with smoking 1 – 2 cigars

View original post 401 more words

The Central Bankers Begin To Fall

Tags

, , ,

Well, Trump has ridden us of one banker now. Nice, big one too. Good riddance.

carstens_0

Zero Hedge (one them Russian sites…).

“It was shocking,” Ernesto Revilla, an economist at Banamex, said of Carstens’ departure cited by Reuters. “There were rumors of this, but no one was expecting it to happen so soon, especially with the new Trump scenario.” Revilla added that “Agustin has been a pillar of economic policy in Mexico.” He added that the peso suffered on Thursday because “there is no clear successor at the central bank … There is no one on the top of peoples’ minds of who could take his place,” he added.

According to Reuters, among possible candidates economists named were Alejandro Werner, a former deputy finance minister who holds the top post for the Western Hemisphere at the International Monetary Fund, as well as current deputy central bank governor Manuel Ramos Francia, who is less well known in global financial circles. Former Finance Minister Luis Videgaray, a close ally of President Enrique Pena Nieto, is also seen as a potential replacement, though he is a divisive figure in Mexican politics.

So why the sudden announcement? Among the theories emerging is that Carstens has had enough dealing with the unpredictabilities in the political climate, especially since the Trump election, and wanted out. During the presidential campaign, Carstens had warned that Trump’s election could hit Mexico like a hurricane; he also conducted a stress test for local banks to prepare for the “contingency” of a Trump presidency.

Following Trump’s victory, Carstens followed the crowd in changing his tune, and suggested the next U.S. government’s impact could be less severe. However, today’s announcement confirms he was less than sanguine about a Trump presidency, and the impact it would have on the Mexican currency and economy, and opted out.

Hasta la vista!

Are You Alert? Or Distracted?

Tags

,

Today Eric Peters ponders the fall of civilization via the hell on earth known otherwise as the self-driving car.

'That woke me up, too!'

Cartoon Stock.

GM’s SuperCruise is fitted with a bevy of bells and whistles that are supposed to rouse the asleep-at-the-wheel “driver” when it becomes necessary for him to … drive. If the “driver” doesn’t wake up – perhaps he is sleeping too soundly and fails to notice the bells and whistles – the car will automatically turn on its emergency blinkers and slow itself down.

This will probably not be much help if a split-second intervention becomes necessary. As, for example, when a self-driving Tesla drove itself broadside into a big rig that had unexpectedly turned in its path. Which the Tesla’s “driver” didn’t notice in time.

And there, as the saying goes, is the rub.

A driver either is – or he isn’t.

There is no in-between.

It is not a part-time job.

To whatever extent a car drives itself, the driver is necessarily less involved. Less is expected of him. He is encouraged to be passive, inattentive.

Some self-wrecking cars are already here. More are on the way. Will you be passive and inattentive? I guess most will.

On that subject, take this Quick Test to determine your level of alertness. Mine was so fast as to suggest theoretical impossibility.

James Altucher And A Christmas Tie

Tags

, ,

James’s excellent article of the day is about combined what you love for a happier life. So, that is just what I did with this post.

James came up with The Ultimate Cheat Sheet For Doing What You Love. It’s worth a read.

DO THIS: (I still do it)

– LIST EVERYTHING you were passionate about from ages 7–20. These aren’t your “true passions”.

That’s a made up phrase. These were simply the things you loved doing as a kid.

– COMBINE THEM. If you loved computers and movies, maybe you will write stories for virtual reality experiences.

If you loved art and being a reporter, call up all of your favorite artists and do a podcast.

There is no one true passion. There are just these basic guidelines:

Look to your past to discover your future.
You will do MANY things in your life. There is no “one” thing.
Combine combine combine.

I love easy filler links and Christmas ties. Thank you, James. Now, here’s my Garfield Special:

img_20161130_122024185

It’s one of my oldest if not the oldest (following the loss of my “old” ties some years back).

Hope you enjoyed it. Night!

 

Ohio State Terrorist Attack Highlights Need For Guns On Campus

Tags

, , , , ,

ISIS, CNN, BLM, and liberal Amerika are singing the praises of Abdul “Allah Akbar” Artan, the worthless POS who drove into OSU students and hacked survivors with a butcher knife Monday. Normal Americans, real Americans, people with IQs over room temperature are praising Officer Alan Horujko, of the OSU Police.

officer-alan-horujko-1-768x465

Horijko. OSU PD.

Horujko’s proximity to the attack and his skillful and determined reactions prevented more stabbings and likely halted multiple deaths.

The assailant’s death came after Officer Alan Horujko, 28 approached the suspect demanding that he drop his weapon, described as a butcher knife.

Yelled Horujko: ‘Drop it and get down or I’ll shoot.’

Soon after, the officer followed through on his threat and shot Artan, killing him at the scene.

At the time, OSU police officer Alan Horujko, had been nearby to the core of the mayhem because of a gas leak, with the police officer arriving within a minute of the attack beginning where he shot and killed Abdul Artan.

Things ended as well as the could given the circumstances. The only good news out of all of this is that: Artan is dead and more people are waking up. Horujko kept the situation from becoming much worse.

But what if he hadn’t been around?

Ohio State and all college campuses in Ohio are gun free zones. Concealed carry licensees may have a firearm on campus. However, the gun must be uselessly locked up at all times in a motor vehicle.

A valid license does not authorize the licensee to carry a concealed handgun into any of the following places:

(5) Any premises owned or leased by any public or private college, university, or other institution of higher education, unless the handgun is in a locked motor vehicle or the licensee is in the immediate process of placing the handgun in a locked motor vehicle; …

– Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2923.126(B)(5).

OSU’s Code of Student Conduct also prohibits firearms:

(E) Dangerous weapons or devices.

Storage or possession of dangerous weapons, devices, or substances including, but not limited to, firearms, ammunition or fireworks, unless authorized by an appropriate university official or permitted by a university policy, even if otherwise permitted by law. Use or misuse of weapons, devices, or substances in a manner that causes or threatens serious harm to the safety or security of others.

– OSU Code of Conduct, 3335-23-04 Prohibited conduct.

Neither of these idiotic policies comport with “shall not be infringed”. They and other laws and rules against murder, mayhem, battery, and terrorism did nothing to stop the crazed jihadi Artan. In fact, they helped his Satanic cause.

If Horujko had not been immediately present, Artan could have continued hacking away until people died. He could expanded the scope of his attack without fear of retaliation. His victims were nearly defenseless.

The above-cited news story contained praise for Horujko from Ohio Governor John Kasich. Kasich shares some of the blame for the attack. He betrayed his citizens by supporting President Obama’s drive to settle international savages and terrorists in Ohio. He’s also the chief enforcer of the unconstitutional anti-gun laws.

College students have the same right to be armed as does everyone else in America. Given the level of “diversity” these days, the need is critical. Those illegal laws must be repealed. Until then they should be ignored or circumvented.

If I were a Ohio student, I would constantly carry a concealed gun. The odds of being “caught” are slim to none. If one is detained or questioned, one has a perfect defense (without explaining the Second Amendment). One just says he’s “in the immediate process of placing the handgun in a locked motor vehicle.” Once the cops are gone retrieve it and carry on.

Thugs like Artan only deserve to be shot down. And on that note I’d like to mention this:

I saw somewhere, Twitter maybe, that BLM and the Marxists administrators at OSU are crying over Artan’s horrible and tragic death. “He was part of the family. Blah, Blah, Blah.” They asked that no pictures of the poor boy’s dead body post to social media.

Therefore, to disrespect and dishonor that demented stupidity, I offer you this in parting:

suspect-dead-osu-575x352

Abdul Artan, at left and on the ground, shortly after he became a “good” terrorist.

Fire On The Mountain: Gatlinburg Burns

Tags

, ,

They knew it was bad over the weekend and through most of Monday. Residents of Gatlinburg, Sevier County, and surrounding areas had watched wildfires burn all around them. Across several Southern states fires have burned hundreds of thousands of acres this fall.

Then, around 6 P.M. Monday things went from bad to worse as high winds blew embers into town. They rapidly went from worse to nightmare.

A friend of mine in Gatlinburg was at home Monday night. She had watched and photographed the situation all day. Around 8 P.M. firefighters knocked on her door and told her she had to leave immediately. The fire was all around her. She is currently safe in North Carolina, one of more than 14,000 forced to flee at the last minute.

ap_16334151596141

Weather.com.

I don’t recall a fire hitting a town like this in my lifetime. Links to a couple of news sites with pictures:

Daily Mail

Weather.com

Aerial tour

Hundreds of home are gone. Hotels, resorts, schools, churches, cultural centers, tourist attractions, shops, and more are burned to the foundations. Several people are dead, dozens injured. The scenic landscape is changed for a generation.

Rain is falling now in the valleys and firemen and Guardsmen work to contain what remains of the conflagration. Yet the damage done is horrific.

ap_16334660604323

Weather.com.

If you’re looking for a charity to donate to this Christmas, consider the people of Gatlinburg. They need help right now and will be grateful for it. And pray for more rain in the South.

A Seemingly Random Cartoon

Tags

, , , , ,

A little cartoon explains so much. Sunday I posted the day’s Pearls Before Swine cartoon. I said it “accurately and easily sums up your relationship with the criminal banking industry.”

nimbus-image-1480256424377

Pastis, 11/27/16.

That was Sunday. Today, just two days later, Donald Trump started to bring the cartoon to life. Maybe. Perhaps. Just replace “your congressman” with “your president-elect” and “C.E.O.” with “Gary Cohn”.

Trump is possibly considering Cohn, chief gangster President of Goldman Sachs, for an appointment to the Federal Reserve. News also comes that Trump will appoint former Sachs huckster employee Steven Mnuchin as Treasury Secretary.

Yes, that ringing is an alarm bell.

These are two of the “banksters” that I routinely call for driving into the sea. Will we see them instead driven into Washington?

Let me play devil’s advocate here for a second. (And I’m not sure which devil I’m advocating for…) Both Trump and Hillary were and are in DEEP with the banksters. Their relationships are, however, a little different.

Hillary works(ed) for Wall Street and in particular for Goldman. She was their go-to gal in D.C. (and Libya, etc.). They paid her and she did as they said. Trump is (or was) a borrower, a customer to the banks. His business strategy was such that by using insanely large debts he controlled the lenders. They did what he said or he would threaten default and bankruptcy. It actually worked out well for both parties.

Many who analyze these choices seriously may come to those same conclusions. They may say that Hillary, had she been elected, would have worked for her masters, whereas Trump will master them. He may view them as enemies and want them closer than his friends, where he can keep an eye on them. Knowing his unusual associations, this may be true. If so, it could be one of the greatest political power plays in American history. If not, then it could be one of the biggest blunders.

I’m honestly hoping for the former while fearing the latter. I certainly support the concept of “make America great again”. However, my American allegiance is to freedom, not to any candidate or politician. I do not support the money changers.

This will develop into the new year. Time will tell.

Post Ohio State Terrorist Attack – CNN Suggests American Women Wear Hijabs in Solidarity… — The Last Refuge

Tags

, , ,

**I saw this when I logged in and had to re-post. So, this is what “real” news looks like? This is so pathetic it actually stands out from the new normal of dismal cultural decay. These people are already defeated. I don’t think I ever used the word “cucks” here until just now.

THIS IS CNN. During a conversation about yesterday’s OSU terrorist attack carried out by a Somali refugee using a machete to attack students, CNN suggests that American women wear hijabs to show their solidarity with Somali Muslim terrorists.

via Post Ohio State Terrorist Attack – CNN Suggests American Women Wear Hijabs in Solidarity… — The Last Refuge

**I have a better idea. Why not show solidarity with Americans? Forego the hijab for a high capacity pistol.

***Re-posted from The Last Refuge / Conservative Treehouse.