Discount Gold and Silver Trading

American Survival Newsletter:
Combining the World of Finance, Health & Politics
1/30/15

American Gold

A weekly newsletter brought to you by
Discount Gold & Silver 800-375-4188
Edited by Alfred Adask
Friday, January 30th, A.D. 2015
 
MARKETS
 
Between Friday, January 23rd A.D. 2015 and 
Friday, January 30th A.D. 2015, the bid prices for:


Gold fell 0.8 % from $1294.10 to $1,283.10

 

Silver fell 5.8 % from $18.30 to $17.23

Platinum fell 2.1 % from $1264 to $1,238

Palladium fell 0.5 % from $773 to $769

DJIA fell 2.9 % from 17,672.60 to 17,164.95

NASDAQ fell 2.6 % from 4,757.80 to 4,635.24

NYSE fell 2.3 % from 10,788.30 to 10,537.20

US Dollar Index fell0.2 % from 94.99 to 94.84

Crude Oil rose 5.3 % from $45.29 to $47.71

 
 

"Only buy something that you'd be perfectly happy to hold
if the market shut down for 10 years." --Warren Buffett 

"If the markets shut down for 10 years, what investment would you dare to hold-- 
other than gold"? --Alfred Adask

Rethinking Retirement

 

by Alfred Adask

 

The Guardian (UK) recently published an article entitled "Why the Multimillion Dollar Retirement is Not for the Middle Class."  The title is pretty obvious.  Of course, the vast majority of members of the middle class are unlikely to accumulate enough savings and pension benefits to reach the "multimillion dollar" level of retirement. 

 

Still, if the article's title is a little silly, its content is serious and implies that retirement may be disappearing for most Americans :

 

"According to the Financial Analysts Journal, "retirement is not hopeless." Indeed, all you need to do is save 22 times the annual income you hope to have when you retire. That means if you make $150,000, and hope to retire on $100,000 a year, you only need to sock away $2.2 million in a bank account to be able to retire comfortably.

 

The Financial Analysts Journal sounds like a prestigious and credible publication but its conclusion ("retirement is not hopeless") implies that if a comfortable retirement is not hopeless for all, it is hopeless for the vast majority of Americans.  Oh, you may be able to retire one day, but only at a comparatively low standard of living of $10,000 to $20,000 a year.

 

*  The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis says the current average savings rate for Americans is 4.4%.

 

Sociologist Leonard Beeghley identifies a male making $57,000 and a female making $40,000 with a combined household's income of $97,000 as a typical middle-class family. 

 

If we make the unlikely assumption that any family can make that $97,000 average annual income for each of 40 years before retirement and pays 20% in taxes, and that it's not ravaged by divorce, medical problems or death, it will net about $3.8 million pre-retirement dollars .  If they save 4.4%, they'll retire with about $170,000 in savings. Even after compound interest on those savings, they'll be lucky to retire with $1 million.  That's less than half of what the Financial Analysts Journal predicts is necessary to support a $100,000/year retirement lifestyle.

 

If inflation for the next 40 years runs about as it has for the past 40, the actual purchasing power of their possible $1 million in retirement savings could be less than $100,000 in terms of today's dollars.

 

If we factor in the probability that this average family will suffer divorce, disease, death, unemployment, a shrinking economy and falling wages and salaries, you can see that the probability of retiring into a comfortable standard of living is just about zero for the average middle-class husband and wife.

 

Even the Financial Analysts Journal asked if the article's proposal is "realistic or a fantasy". 

 

In order to make their proposed retirement program work, all you have to do is live a nearly idyllic life untroubled by the usual trials and financial tribulations we all usually face, clear $3.8 million after taxes and save 20% of your income each year. 

 

Then, "retirement is not hopeless."

 

But who saves 20% (or more) of their income?  Very, very few.

 

Point:  A very few Americans may be able to retire comfortably, but most will have little to rely on other than Social Security-and it's unclear how much longer anyone will even be able to rely on that.

 

*  Financial Analysts Journal agrees:

 

"Twenty percent [savings] for retirement is an aggressive goal. Most people save much less. . . . But, once you reach this pinnacle of saving virtue, how long would it take you to reach your goal of $2.2mn for retirement? 

 

"Only another 110 years."

 

How encouraging!  If you and your spouse start working in the middle class at age 22 (right out of college) and stay at it until you're about 132 years of age, you'll have saved enough retire comfortably.

 

If retiring comfortably is not yet "hopeless" for the entire middle class, it's nevertheless highly improbable.

 

Yes, you might get lucky in the stock market, or hit the Lottery and be able to retire comfortably, but for the vast majority of Americans, their "golden years" of retirement will be closer to poverty than comfort.

 

*  If you're one of the disciplined few in the middle class who are able to save 20% per year while you're working, and if inflation is predominant during your retirement, the purchasing power of your savings will be diminished.

 

If deflation is predominant, the purchasing power of your savings will grow, but the nation will go into a depression, you may lose your job or at least your salary will be diminished and you'll be less able to save for the future. 

 

The first implication for these grim scenarios is this:  Most Americans will not save enough during their working lives to retire comfortably. 

 

A second implication is that, most Americans can't safely rely on Social Security or pension plans to support them through twenty or thirty years of retirement.

 

If personal savings and governmental or private pension plans can't be relied on to ease most people's retirement, then it follows that retireesmay have to find alternative sources of regular income during their retirement.  These sources of "regular income" could include dividends, rental properties, insurance contracts, owning your own business-or a decent investment plan. 

 

But how reliable are most of those investments?  Given our current economic conditions, how many of you are sure that the stock market indices won't collapse in the next twelve months?  How many of you believe you can rely on the Dow as a place to deposit your savings for the next ten years or even twenty?

 

If you had to deposit all of your savings into just one investment, right now, that you expected to last for 20 years-what would that investment be?  Apple?  GM?  IBM?  Berkshire Hathaway?  US bonds?  Or gold?

 

*  Further implications: 

 

If you can't save enough for your retirement, it's certain that no one else can, either. 

 

In other words, private pension funds, 401(k)s, and government will be at least as unable to save as you are.  Therefore you probably won't be able to rely on most private pension funds, 401(k)s, or government to provide you with much more than a subsistence-level or retirement--and even support for a subsistence-level retirement is less than certain.

 

Note that I'm not talking about right now.  For the moment, pensions seem somewhat reliable. Social Security checks or deposits still generally arrive on time.  For the moment.

 

But I am talking about the foreseeable future.  Soon, if economic conditions continue to change so quickly that you can't provide for your own retirement, you won't be able to rely on anyone else-including government-to do much better.

 

Implication:  It's increasingly unlikely that you will ever retire.  

 

Implication:  You're going to need a job to put food on the table long after you turn 65.

 

*  Therefore, for most Americans, retirement will be: 

 

1) postponed beyond 65 years of age; and,

 

2) at a much lower standard of living than we might've once enjoyed or hoped to enjoy in our "golden years". 

 

Our "retirement" (if there is one) could devolve into abject poverty if: 

 

1) we don't save aggressively to accumulate savings; and,

 

2) if we trust our savings to an unreliable class of investments that dissipate those savings rather than protects them. 

 

*  Implication:  Most of us may have to begin to rethink our hopes for retirement.  The whole idea of retirement may be fast-fading into some dim recollection of a magical "Camelot" when people could stop working and just enjoy their lives.

 

Again, odds are growing that you may never retire-at least not until you're completely disabled physically or mentally.  At that point, you can't expect to live much longer.  The "golden years" of retirement that you may've once hoped for may be translated into several "golden months" (or even weeks) spent in the hospital or hospice between the time when you were finally unable to work and the time when you pass on.

 

*  All of these unpleasant retirement implications go beyond the fate of senior citizens.

 

If we're entering an era when a "retirement" is only for the rich, and most senior citizens must work or live in poverty-what will that same era mean for those who young but unemployed and dependent on some form of government welfare or subsidy?

 

If senior citizens can't save enough in a lifetime of work to support a decent retirement, what's the probability that government will have enough money to fund welfare for the poor and subsidies for the upper classes who are young or middle-aged?

 

Not very high.

 

The decreasing likelihood that most senior citizens will enjoy a comfortable retirement signals that the whole nation is heading towards an era of lower wages, fewer jobs, more poverty.

 

*  What can you do to protect yourself?

 

1)    Recognize that you may never retire.

 

2)    Recognize that as a senior citizen, retired or not, the biggest threat to your finances may be medical costs.  Do all you can to protect your health and minimize your exposure to medical care costs.

 

3)    Recognize that, if you never retire, by definition, you will need a job to survive as a senior citizen.

 

4)    If possible, protect your job by owning a viable business.  Owning a business isn't easy.  Most people aren't likely to be capable of starting to run a successful business for the first time in their 60s.  You'll have to risk some of your savings to build or buy a business that you can operate successfully.  But you can't be fired so long as you own the business.  So long as you own even a modestly successful business, you will have a job.

 

5)    Save as much wealth as you can.

 

6)    Store you wealth in a form that's not easily destroyed by market fluctuations or collapse.  Generally speaking, that form will not include stocks, bonds, pension funds, bank accounts, or even stack of $100 bills stuffed into your mattress.  Most of those paper-promises-to-pay will be repudiated.  For some of you, that form could be a viable business.  For most of you, that form will almost certainly be gold or silver.

(Digital) Capital Controls

 

by Alfred Adask


According to Wealth Reporter ("Fed Employees Roll Out Bold Idea To Trap The Entire Country's Wealth"):

 

"Capital controls are simply laws that regulate and restrict what you are allowed to do with your money by regulating the flow of cash in and out of a national economy. The laws define such things as where you can invest your cash and how you can allocate your assets.

 

"A major financial news source just published shocking details about a research report by two employees at the Federal Reserve Bank. The 36-page report applauds the use of 'capital controls' in global markets."

 

Capital controls are intended to regulate or even prevent the flow of currency in or out of a nation's economy. 

 

So long as the international flow of paper currency is controllable, central banks (like the Federal Reserve) have two mechanisms for controlling their nation's economy:

 

1)    "Printing" more or less currency to increase or diminish the national money supply.  When a central bank prints more currency, the national money supply is increased, causing inflation and economic "stimulation".  When a central bank stops printing currency, it reduces the money supply.  That reduction tends to cause deflation and the economy is slowed.

 

2)    Raising or lowering the interest rate.  If a central bank dropped the national interest rate, the cost of borrowing diminished, more people were inclined to take out loans, the loans tended to spur economic activity.  On the other hand, if a central bank raised interest rates, less people borrowed and the economy tends to slow. 

 

By applying both mechanisms at the same time, it was theoretically possible to "fine-tune" the economy to run faster or slower. 

 

However, these two mechanisms both depend on the fact that the national money supply is essentially "trapped" within the national economy.  Without the central bank's approval, not much foreign money can flow into a national economy; not much domestic money can flow out of the national economy.     

 

Historically, capital controls weren't particularly necessary so long as "capital" (dollars) was made of physical gold and silver.  The physical nature of our constitutional money trapped our dollars within the United States.  Physical masses of gold or silver could not be easily, quickly or safely moved from the US to Europe or Asia-if only because of the dangers of a ship bearing gold sinking in the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. 

 

Therefore, when a central bank lowered interest rates in order to motivate people to borrow and spend more, gold and silver "capital" could not easily flee to foreign markets.  As a result, domestic lenders had little choice but to accept the low rates within the domestic market.

 

*  Today, however, our currency is largely digital and has no physical mass.  Thanks to the internet, oceans are no longer sufficient to impede the flow of currency.  Digital dollars can move anywhere on the globe at speed of light.  Because creditors' capital is no longer physical, it's no longer "trapped" in any country or region. 

 

Therefore, when a central bank lowers interest rates to spur inflation and stimulate the economy, domestic borrowing and spending, creditors instantly move their digital capital to other countries that pay higher rates interest.  By removing their capital to foreign countries that pay higher interest rates, creditors reduce the money supply in their own country and thereby foster deflation, recession and even depression.

 

Thus, the highly mobile nature of digital currency deprives central banks of their former power  to stimulate an economy by lowing interest rates and causing inflation. 

 

Lowering interest rates may now be counter-productive and tend to slow, rather than accelerate, an economy.  By motivating domestic capital to flee from the domestic economy, lower interest rates diminish the domestic money supply-a definition of deflation-and thereby contribute to recession and/or depression. 

 

Having lost their capacity change interest rates without also causing capital to flow in or out of a national economy, central banks have only one remaining mechanism to control the economy:  "printing" (or not printing) more digital or paper currency.  Digital currency has diminished the central banks' power to control the economy.

 

Where formerly, central banks could control the economy by two means-adjusting the money supply by printing or not printing currency, and by changing interest rates-today's central banks have only one means: by printing or not printing more fiat currency.

 

 Today, if a central bank lowers interest rates to stimulate borrowing, capital simply flees over the internet to foreign countries that pay higher interest rates.  Net result?  Low interest rates (that might've had a positive effect if the currency was physical gold and silver that couldn't flee the economy) may tend to reduce the nation's digital currency supply and thereby foster deflation, recession and depression.

 

*  For central banks to regain their former power to control the economy by adjusting interest rates, they must find a way to both "trap" digital currency within local economies and prevent foreign currency from entering without central bank approval.  But in an age of "Bitcoins," who really believes that the movement of digital currencies can be controlled?

 

One way that modern central banks might regain their former power to control an economy by adjusting interest rate is to implement "capital controls" that prevent the free flow of digital capital from one national economy to another.  Therefore, it makes perfect sense that the Federal Reserve's 36-page report (supra) would "applaud" the creation of more powerful "capital controls"

 

If effective capital controls can't be implemented, central banks may have to admit that their only real remaining power over their national economies is to control the national money supply by printing or not printing more fiat cash. 

 

*  Arguably, the past five or ten years of money printing by the Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan or European Central Bank may be evidence that the central banks' only remaining economic control is the "printing" of currency.

 

Yes, in conjunction with printing more fiat currency under QE, central banks also lowered interest rates.  But what good did that do for their respective economies?  Japan has remained stalled in a depression for most of 20 years, even though their interest rate was virtually zero.  Even though trillions of dollars have been given by the Federal Reserve to major US banks, the US interest rates were so low that US banks were reluctant to lend to US borrowers (at low interest rates).  Instead, US banks tended to loan to "emerging markets" that paid high interest rates.  Result?  The US economy was only slightly stimulated by the trillions printed by the Federal Reserve but "emerging markets" enjoyed a three-year long, economic boom caused by the influx of freshly-printed US dollars.

 

Artificially low interest rates may be great for borrowers, but they're terrible for creditors.  Therefore, whenever a modern central bank lowers domestic interest rates, creditors tend to move their digital currency over the internet to foreign countries paying higher interest rates.  Even though low interest rates should be great for borrowers, they're not all that great since they also tend to shrink the supply of currency available to be loaned. 

 

Sure, if you're a borrower, a zero-percent interest rate is a fantastic deal.  But if the banks won't lend money at that rate, what good does it do you?

 

Whether it's even possible to install capital controls sufficient to restrict the flow of digital capital over the internet remains to be seen.  But, you can bet that the world's central banks want digital capital controls in order to restore their former power control economies by adjusting interest rates.
 

On Thursday, Royal Dutch Shell announced $15 billion in worldwide cutbacks, the latest big oil company to scale back. That's having a ripple effect across the energy and industrial sector.

 

 

The economy grew more slowly than expected in the fourth quarter as government spending fell sharply and business investment pulled back.

 

Gross domestic product expanded at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.6% in the three months ended Dec. 31, slowing sharply from a robust 5% pace in the third quarter, the Commerce Department said Friday. Economists expected 3.1% growth.

 

For all of 2014, the economy grew 2.4%, up from 2.2% in 2013, after harsh winter weather early in the year caused the economy to shrink in the first quarter.

 

 

The Central Bank of Russia bought a record amount of gold in the first 11 months of 2014 spending an estimated $6.1 billion. Increasing gold reserves attempts to reduce dependence on the dollar amid geopolitical tension, Mark O'Byrne of GoldCore, told RT.

 

Russia's gold purchases accounted for a third of the world's total of 461 tons, according to research by Thomson Reuters GFMS (Gold Fields Mineral Services). The amount of gold bought went up 123 percent from the previous year to 152 tons, worth $6.1 billion at current prices. It's the most Russia has spent since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

 

Given the tension between the US and Russia, it's more likely Russia will sell dollar assets and buy gold, said O'Byrne.

 

Russia has a monetary and financial alternative and it can retaliate if economic sanctions were to deepen.

 

On Thursday EU foreign ministers decided to prolong sanctions against Russian officials and the militias in eastern Ukraine until September 2015, but decided against broadening the list of economic restrictions. A final decision is expected in February.

 

Russia was the second biggest gold producer in 2014.Last year it extracted 272 tons of gold, outstripped by China with 465.7 tons, and just ahead of Australia producing 269.7 tons.

 

 

(Bloomberg) -- The business of bundling riskier U.S. mortgages into bonds without government backing is gearing up for a comeback.

 

Hedge fund Seer Capital Management, money manager Angel Oak Capital and Sydney-based bank Macquarie Group Ltd. are among firms buying up loans to borrowers who can't qualify for conventional mortgages because of issues such as low credit scores, foreclosures or hard-to-document income. They each plan to pool the mortgages into securities of varying risk and sell some to investors this year. JPMorgan Chase & Co. analysts predict as much as $5 billion of deals could get done, while Nomura Holdings Inc. forecasts $1 billion to $2 billion.

 

 

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Greece and its European bailout creditors were in open dispute Friday, with Germany bluntly rejecting suggestions the heavily-indebted country should be forgiven part of its rescue loans and warning against "blackmail" from Athens.

 

Greece's five-day-old radical left government insists it will honor pre-election promises to seek a cut on most of the country's rescue debt and scrap painful budget measures that were demanded in exchange for the loans. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, however, warned Athens against strong-arm negotiating tactics in its effort to win debt relief. Rules need to be kept, and trust and reliability were the basis for further solidarity, the dpa news agency reported him saying. "There's no arguing with us about this, and what's more we are difficult to blackmail," Schaeuble was quoted saying in Berlin.

 

 

First-time weekly jobless claims in the U.S. fell by 43,000 to a seasonally adjusted 265,000 during the week to Saturday, the Labor Department said Thursday.

 

The department said that initial claims are now at their lowest level since April 15, 2000.

 

The data was well below economists' expectations, which according to consensus forecasts were for claims to fall slightly to 301,000. Last week's claims were revised up by 1,000 to 308,000.

 

Meanwhile, the four-week moving average for new claims - often viewed as a more reliable measure of the labor market since it smoothens out week-to-week volatility - was down by 8,250 claims to 298,500.

 

Soon Greece will be the same as Venezuela.

 

All the communists are the same.

 

Bit by bit, they will change constitution to allow them to become totalitarian regime. They wreck the countries to ashes using populist policies.

 

China is only interested in Russia as far as it can be disruptive strategically to the West.  Its real need is Siberian oil and natural gas, for which China has sealed some long-term contracts at bargain prices to take advantage of Putin's actual weakness.

 

 

One in three, or 35.2 percent, of people getting federal disability insurance benefits have been diagnosed with a mental disorder, according to the latest data from the Social Security Administration (SSA).

Washington, D.C., the seat of the federal government, ranked in the top-ten list of states where disabled beneficiaries were diagnosed with mental problems.

In 2013, the latest data from SSA show there were 10,228,364 disabled beneficiaries, up 139,625 from 2012 when there were 10,088,739 disabled beneficiaries.

Disabled beneficiaries have increased 49.7 percent from a decade ago in 2003 when there were 6,830,714 beneficiaries; and the number is up 14.3 percent from the 8,945,376 beneficiaries in 2009, the year President Obama took office.

 

 

ROUGH QUARTER: Caterpillar's stock fell 7.5 percent after the heavy equipment maker was hurt in the fourth quarter by restructuring costs and issued a weak outlook. The stock shed $6.43 to $79.60.

 

ECONOMIC WORRIES: The Commerce Department reported that orders for long-lasting manufactured goods dropped 3.4 percent in December, dragged lower by a big decline in demand for commercial aircraft. There was also weakness in a number of areas, with demand for machinery, computer and primary metals all down. Economists had been forecasting a small increase for December.

 

HOUSING REPORTS: Separate reports shed light on the housing market Tuesday. The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index showed that U.S. home prices rose at a modest pace in November, held back by weaker sales and a limited number of available houses.

 

CURRENCY PAIN: Procter & Gamble fell 3.8 percent as the strong U.S. dollar cut into the consumer products maker's second-quarter earnings. The company said that exchange rates will remain a challenge well into fiscal 2015, especially in the second half of its year. The stock slid $3.38 to $86.20.

 

 

Economy OK Now, but the Social Security Bill Will Come

 

The economy will have three years of growth before the government's deficit weighs the country down, according to a report on the nation's economic outlook issued by the Congressional Budget Office. By 2025, the federal budget may be returning to a $1 trillion deficit, mostly thanks to an increase in entitlement spending due to ObamaCare and the Baby Boomer generation collecting Social Security

 

 In the short term, the economy will grow because of low oil prices, higher hourly compensation, and more people returning to the workforce and starting households. But the CBO revised its August prediction to say the GDP will only grow 2.5% per year instead of 2.7% because it overestimated how many people are leaving the workforce permanently -- possibly for retirement. As James Pethokoukis writes for the American Enterprise Institute, "Let me boil it down for you: These are the good times. Enjoy them because things are unlikely to get much better. In fact, they are likely to get worse.

 

 

$2 trillion. That's what the Congressional Budget Office now says ObamaCare will cost over the next decade. If that figure sounds a bit higher than you remember in the 2009 sweep of Hope 'n' Change, that's because it's more than double what Democrats told us it would cost. The Washington Examiner's Philip Klein writes, "When Obama pitched the healthcare law to Congress, he said it would cost 'around $900 billion' over 10 years. But his statement was misleading because the way the law was designed, the major spending provisions didn't kick in until 2014. This meant that 10-year estimates at the time the law was passed in 2010 were artificially low, because they included four years (2010 through 2013) in which spending was negligible." Democrats told the BIG Lie because they needed the American people to swallow ObamaCare, and keeping it in the "few hundred billion dollar" range was critical to helping the medicine go down. And for all that, 31 million people will remain uninsured 10 years from now. It was never about insurance, though -- it was and is about control.

 

Just Lower Your Standard of Living

 

Billionaire Jeff Greene, who Bloomberg News describes as having "amassed a multibillion dollar fortune investing in real estate and betting against subprime mortgage securities," has a pessimistic view of the U.S. economy. "Our economy is in deep trouble," Greene said. "We need to be honest with ourselves. We've had a realistic level of job destruction, and those jobs aren't coming back." Because of that, he argues, "America's lifestyle expectations are far too high and need to be adjusted so we have less things and a smaller, better existence. We need to reinvent our whole system of life." To highlight his hypocrisy, he made the comments after having flown his wife, children and two nannies on a private jet (just one of about 1,700) to the climate confab in Davos, Switzerland.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) - A senior Democratic senator's complaints Tuesday, and noisy protesters, underscored the Obama administration's challenge in seeking congressional approval for enhanced powers to cut trade deals with Japan, Australia and many other countries.

 

Sen. Charles Schumer of New York said he worries that new trade deals will not help middle class incomes.

 

He also insisted the United States do more to prevent China from keeping its currency's value artificially low, which enhances Chinese exports and dampens imports. Schumer addressed his remarks to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, who made the administration's pitch to Senate and House committees Tuesday.

 

Froman said Congress must return "trade promotion authority" to the White House in order to cut important trade deals with Pacific-rim nations and others. That power, sometimes called "fast-track" authority, allows presidents to send proposed trade agreements to Congress for yes or no votes, with no amendments.

 

 

New information from the federal government suggests workers' interest in unions continues to fall, with union membership reaching its lowest rate in 100 years.

 

According to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics today, the union membership rate fell to 11.1 percent, with just 14.6 million wage and salaried workers maintaining membership.

 

In 2013, the union membership rate was 0.2 percentage points higher, at 11.3 percent.

 

The rate of union membership has been on a steady decline over the past three decades. It grew slightly from 12.1 percent in 2007 to 12.4 percent in 2008. During President Obama's first year in office, however, it fell once more.

 

 

(AP:WASHINGTON) WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration is unveiling what it calls a historic shift in the way Medicare pays hospitals and doctors.

 

The goal is to reward quality care and not just the sheer volume of services like imaging scans.   Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell made the announcement Monday, before a broad cross-section of health care industry representatives including insurers, hospitals and doctors, as well as employers, who finance coverage for most workers and their families.

Obamacare fine and tax punishment begins April 2015 - Don't pay it

 

JANUARY 21ST, 2015 by LAURIE ROTH

 

While the House and Senate are busy compromising - funding amnesty and Obamacare with the Cromnibus Bill and putting Speaker Boehner back in for a 3rd term, America is facing intense Obama punishment by April 2015.

We all know by now, thanks to Gruber's revelations and the actual details of Obamacare itself as it unfolded that it is saturated with lies, taxes, regulations and fines. We were all told in the beginning if this tyrannical nightmare that if we didn't sign up for Obamacare approved insurance by a certain time (that kept changing) we would get fined. Though Obama wanted a large fine left in with threat of jail time even, there was a legal and Constitutional fight that pushed back the Obamacare punishment fine to $95 and that was to be taken out in our tax return.

Many of us, not able to afford compromised health care made the decision to pay the $95 fine instead. Millions of us given the horrible economy and struggles couldn't afford a monthly health insurance bill with a $5,000 deductible we couldn't pay anyway.

Those who have thrown themselves on the Obamacare system, (once the computer system began to work at all) to get the supposed Government paid health care have found that they are also stuck in a cesspool of lies. Even H& R Block has said Obamacare taxes and forms are so complicated no one can figure them out. At the very least, this is putting those who signed up not only in massive waiting lines for care, having a $5,000 deductible, meaning no one is paying any health care except them anyway and getting lost in 'tax complication land.' To add the cherry on the cake, a needy person with Obamacare now will have to pay hundreds of dollars to have a professional tax service to complete their forms...or else they will be fined and charged.

The rest of us who couldn't or wouldn't comply and didn't sign up for forced health insurance, are now facing in April 15th, a $95 fine or forced to pay 1% of our annual household income. So, if you only pull in $30,000 total income, you must pay $300 in a fine since it is more than the $95 fine or you will be no doubt threatened with more fines and penalties as only the IRS can do. Obamacare and Obama have the nation over a national, UN Constitutional and illegal rape barrel. Grab your ankles and take it he says.

This is what is facing us all in just a few months. House and Senate what are you going to do with this? This is UN Constitutional and criminal at best. We know you like to talk about committees and budgets in-between parties and compromised votes. We also know you will be distracted by the 2016 Presidential elections coming up and no doubt will start weighing things accordingly.

America needs real leadership, vision and courage now to undo the obamacare list of fines, penalties and threats that will hit law abiding Americans hard in April. We might as well have our cities bombed and start breathing radiation. That is effectively the level of pain that will kick in hard from April 2015 onward. People with and without the imposed Obamacare will taste the $5,000 deductibles, endless lines, complicated taxes and forms, thus tax prepare bills they didn't count on. The rest of us will have 1% of our income stolen and that is this year. What will Obama demand from the dissenters next year?.2%...5% of our income...jail time or seizing our assets? If our House and Senate do nothing and 'plays pretend' in the sand box, this will lead to massive uprisings and cause our nation to bleed out. Wake up now House and Senate.

State leadership and conservative Governors listen up. "Stand on your 10th amendment rights and forbid Obamacare fines and taxes to be imposed on the people in your state. It is criminal and UN Constitutional, so why would this be allowed in any state against the people?

American citizens, you listen up as well. It is high time to draw our lines in the sand now all across the country. I challenge all Americans to stand together and refuse to pay the $95 dollar fine or 1% fine of our annual income if we couldn't or wouldn't have Obama approved and compromised health insurance. If you and I walk down this Obama cattle shut it will be our end and the beginning of tax orgies and increases year after year with fines. Those compliant Americans who will just grimace and obey...are you going to be so submissive when the fine goes to 2% 5% or 10% of your income? Will you go to jail for 6 months?

I have drawn my line and call all real Americans to stand with me. Our national 'godfather- Obama' does not have the right to storm into our business and home demanding protection and health care money or else. If we all stand together and demand with calls, faxes and emails that our House and Senate push back hard with the Obamacare taxes and fines, Obama and his evil Obamacare will be forced back and break apart. 

Stand with me. Make a mess and get loud. Join with others and protest. Do not pay a dime in Obama extortion money this April because you didn't buy the compromised health products Obama demanded. 

I am a sincere Christian and American as many of you are. I want my response to be appropriate and moral...so here it is godfather - Obama and his IRS. "Kiss my American Grits." Bring it -because you will get nothing from me and I believe millions of real Americans will join me. Our neighborhood and businesses don't need your forced protection. We protect our own and always have." Stand Americans.
HEALTH

Breath of life

 

by Herbalist Wendy Wilson


I recently started a new stretching routine called Classical Stretch and it has helped me with my other exercise workouts. The instructor in the stretching exercises is constantly reminding participates to breathe. I didn't realize how much I was not breathing when I exercised. I noticed that when I exerted myself I tend to hold my breath somewhat and that can't be good. If I was unconsciously doing that, how many more people forget to breathe when they are working out? I wanted to compare the benefits of breathing well, especially when working out. So, let's check it out.

 

AUTO PILOT

We don't think about breathing as it is on auto pilot. Benjamin Franklin would open his windows, even in the middle of winter, and take deep breaths of fresh air to stay healthy. We're told that proper breathing will improve our sleep and wakeful hours. We don't think about breathing as helping our organs communicate with each other and deliver oxygen and nutrition better to every cell in the body. Exercise experts in yoga say that improved breathing will assist the body-mind balance and help our unconscious and conscious mind work better together. Breathing is called the "universal energy" that our nervous system can't live without. I would think there is not any area of our physical body that would live without the breath of life. However, we do have power over our breathing and we can use it to have a positive impact on our health.

 

BREATHING BUSTERS

There are some things that will sabotage our breathing in a skinny minute. For instance when we are under chronic stress or emotional distress our body responds with an elevated heart rate, we may perspire, our muscles get tense and our breathing becomes faster and shallower. When this happens the sympathic nervous system can become overloaded and create more imbalances, which can lead to inflammation, high blood pressure and muscle pain. Learning to breathe properly will help counter the imbalance, reduce blood pressure, stress and encourage us to relax. So, take a sigh of relief because we are going to learn how to properly breathe.

 

THE BREATHING TEST

When we breathe better we can improve our blood pressure, heart rate, circulation, digestion and concentration. There could be an art to breathing properly. Do most of us have inadequate breathing? What could hinder our breathing? We can have inadequate breathing when we are ill or under stress, which can impact and restrict the connective tissues and muscles used in the chest cavity for breathing. We will have a decrease range of motion if we don't exercise our muscles and our breathing muscles of the chest wall are no different. Many people will have a fast and shallow breathing pattern, which will not actively expand the chest and exercise the muscles. If you are a shallow breather you will have most of the oxygen fixate in the top portion of the lungs and head. This is called simply "chest breathing." You can check to see if you are a chest breather by placing one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen. When you breathe see which hand raises more. Health experts tell us that "chest breathing" is not efficient breathing for the body. The lower lobes of the lungs have more blood flow and if the chest does not expand as in chest breathing there will be limited oxygen distributed into the blood. This hinders circulation and nutrient delivery to all the cells. Our goal is to become an "abdomen breather" and improve our health.

 

LIKE RIDING A BIKE

Learning to properly breathe is like brushing your teeth or riding a bike and you won't forget how even while sleeping. Converting from "chest breathing" to "abdominal breathing" offers physical and emotional benefits. When we learn to breathe with our abdomen we are engaging in what is called diaphragmatic breathing. We have a large muscle between the chest and abdomen called the rectus abdominus. This is the area where body builders display their six-pack of muscles. When we contract this muscle it forces downward, causing negative pressure within the chest forcing more air into the lungs. This increase blood flow into the chest and especially blood flow to the heart. This will stimulate more stamina and more blood flow to the lymphatic system enhancing the immune system. When we learn to breathe with our abdomen we also reduce the risk of lung infections and will encourage us to relax and release more tension. 

 

HERE'S HOW

There are breathing exercises in learning to become abdominal breather. You can use this technique if bad memories upset you or you feel stressed. Start by putting one hand on your chest and one on the abdomen and take a deep breath. The goal is to practice and make the hand on the abdomen rise higher than the hand on your chest. This will pull more air into the base of the lungs. Then exhale via your mouth and take a slow, deep breath through your nose and hold it while you count to seven (do not exceed counting to 7). Slowly exhale via your mouth counting to eight, contracting the abdomen rectus abdominus muscle to release all the air from the lungs and relax. You will extend your respirations more by completely exhaling. Repeat this pattern four times in which you should have a total of 5 deep breaths for a rate of one breath every 10 seconds (or 6 breaths per minute). The heart rate increases with this technique in which the rate of exhalation is twice as long as the inhalation.

 

"Out of all the automatic functions of the body - only the breath can be easily controlled voluntarily. By voluntarily changing the rate, depth and pattern of breathing, we can change the messages being sent from the body's respiratory system to the brain. Breathing techniques provide a powerful portal on the human system." Dr. Richard Brown & Dr. Patricia Gerbarg authors of The Healing Power of the Breath

 

RELAX

Deep breathing can relax you in about ten minutes. Students can practice this technique before an exam or big game. It is an excellent stress management tool. According to webmd.com, if you have difficulty grasping a new subject, the deep breathing can make it easier to learn new things. Stress can mess us up in a number of ways and learning to breathe can help us to de-stressify. It is non-addictive and has no side effects and many a person has been able to avoid antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs with breathing techniques.

 

OTHER OPTIONS

If deep breathing is not for you, there are herbs that can help improve our circulation, cardio function, pulmonary and nervous system. Many people find it is easier to breathe and reduce muscle tension using lobelia herb found in Relaxation formula at Apothecary Herbs. You'll also find Heart and Circulation formulas and Valerian root to take tension off the nerves. The delivery of these liquid herbal products is within 60 seconds. Empower yourself and check out Apothecary Herbs online at http://www.thepowerherbs.com or call toll free 866-229-3663, International 704-885-0277, where your healthcare options just became endless. Save $10 on orders of $75 or more with Coupon HMO1.

 

Sources:

http://www.amsa.org/healingthehealer/breathing.cfm

http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/therese-borchard-sanity-break/get-a-hold-of-yourself-3-kinds-of-deep-breathing/

 

COMING UP ON HERB TALK LIVE

Herbalist Wendy Wilson on Herb Talk Live

Saturday morning show:

7 am EST on GCN

1/10/15 Dr. Rebecca Carley

Weekday show:

7 pm EST on AVR

1/20/15 Dr. Rebecca Carley

1/29/15 Schedule Change- Miranda Esmonde-White creator of Classical Stretch - Aging in Reverse

Shortwave show 8 pm EST WWCR 4840

Go to http://www.thepowerherbs.com Herb Talk Live & Radio Archive area for network link access and past shows to download and share. For Android users you can download a FREE app for Herb Talk Live on GCN. See the download link under radio archives at top of page at http://www.thepowerherbs.com.

 

NEW HMO COUPONS at Apothecary Herbs 866-229-3663 www.thepowerherbs.com

Click on the green HMO button on top left on web site. Cut and paste coupons in your cart and save. These coupons expire the end of April 2015.

 

HMO1 Save $10 off with orders of $75 to $125

 

HMO2  10% off orders of $100 to $250

 
HMO3  15% off orders of $250 to %500

 

"NEW" from Apothecary Herbs POWER GREENS FOR PETS - Keeps you away from the vet.  Natural herbs for dogs and cats. Because we want organic pets

Power Greens is a blend of organic plants and natural herbs containing vitamins, minerals and 22 amino acids found naturally in these whole-food plants. Easy to digest with healthy digestion enzymes. You will notice the vibrant color of the greens and other ingredients in Power Greens for Pets because it is made with certified organic herbs grown to Tilth Standards (the highest organic standards in the industry). Compared to Dinovite�, Power Greens for Pets is made with superior grade ingredients and will produce much faster and better results in the health of your pet. No need for large scoops of our Power Greens for Pets to get results. Depending on the size of your pet 1/2 teaspoon to one tablespoon is all you'll need. Your pet will be healthier and you'll save money. For more info call 866-229-3663 http://www.thepowerherbs.com/herb/Natural-Pet-Food.html

 

MORE HERB SECRETS IN THE POWER HERBS e-BOOK. By popular demand The Power Herbs e-book is available with symptom/herb reference guide, information on organ cleansing and how to make your own herbal tinctures plus a whole lot more. Go to http://www.thepowerherbs.com/Books-And-Newsletters/The-Power-Herbs-e-Book-cleansing-immune-boosting.html and click on Books. You must have email to order and receive the e-book a PDF version of The Power Herb book for just $14.99. At this time, we do not offer this title in hard copy.

 

NEW DANDELION ROOT LIQUID

Try Dandelion Root Tincture for inflammation, blood purification, respiratory infections, digestion and cancer protection at http://www.thepowerherbs.com/herb/Dandelion-Inflammation-Blood-Purifier.html. 

 

HERB KITS EXTEND YOUR FIRST AID KITS

Do you have your Pandemic Kit yet? Here is what folks are saying about the 100% organic Pandemic Kit made by Apothecary Herbs. "I have this kit and recommend everyone have at least one on hand (or more depending on family size) for a pandemic." Rebecca Carley, MD, Hickory, NC and "I have one and glad I do; just in case. I like the long shelf life." Melody Cedarstrom, Port Matilda, PA (more customer feedback at http://www.thepowerherbs.com) or call 866-229-3663 to order your kit today.

 

PURE ZINC ENERGY

Pure energy is organic and instantly absorbed - transporting nutrition to every cell in your body. It is a super food for the body to repair, build and fortify itself. Where do you get it? It's called Body Foundation Food Mix and is at Apothecary Herbs 866-229-3663, International 704-885-0277 http://www.thepowerherbs.com. This pure energy food source is so efficient; you won't feel hungry between meals and can safely lose weight.

 

DETOX PRODUCTS

Apothecary Herbs has released a new product called Liver Detox Tea. You can layer this tea with Milk Thistle Tincture for a gentle yet effective liver cleanse. This is a nice option if you can't do the Liver/Gall Bladder Flush using olive oil. You will find this new product under Herbal Teas at http://www.thepowerherbs.com. Also new is the Liver & Gall Bladder Tincture with dandelion root for more anticancer protection. This formula is available in 1 oz, 2 oz and 4 oz sizes. You will find this item under Organ Body Cleanses at http://www.thepowerherbs.com. You can layer this tincture with the Liver Detox Tea and be well!

 

BE PREPARED

Being prepared is never a waste of time. Get your own organic garden growing and stock as much healthy foodstuffs as you can. You'll also need backup medicine but the over-the-counter and prescription medicines have a limited shelf life of two years or less. However, your organic medicines have a ten year shelf life without side effects. Call the folks at Apothecary Herbs for their Natural Medicine Starter Stock-up Package or make sure you get one of their many herb kits for boosting immune system and protecting you from viruses, bacteria and other pathogens. Call Apothecary Herbs 866-229-3663, International 704-885-0277 online http://www.thepowerherbs.com, where your healthcare options just became endless.

 

ALLERGY RELIEF

If you suffer from allergies (sneezing, itchy watery eyes, stuffy or runny nose, and sinus pressure or sinus infections) try the Echinacea Deluxe formula and Herbal Eyewash both around $20.00 from Apothecary Herbs. Call now toll free 866-229-3663 http://www.thepowerherbs.com.

 

APOTHECARY HERBS VITAMIN VAULT - STOCK UP AND SAVE!

You already know that you can save on the half and full case discounts in the Vitamin Vault area at http://www.thepowerherbs.com. Apothecary Herbs has added a new item called the Natural Medicine Starter Stock-up Package. This package is designed for those preparing for their medical future and contains immune boosting, pain & inflammation, organ cleanses, vitamin, mineral, amino acid and protein products plus a Pandemic Kit and it comes with a savings. Visit http://www.thepowerherbs.com or call toll free to order your Starter Stock-up Package 866-229-3663, International 704-885-0277.  

 

MALE & FEMALE ORGAN CLEANSES KITS - Don't give disease a foothold. You will have the power to cleanse the bowel, urinary, liver, gall bladder and blood system with this cleanse package. For added cleansing, ask about how you can upgrade your order to include the prostate cleanse for men or the Kidney/Bladder cleanse for females.  Go to http://www.thepowerherbs.com or call their 24-hour live customer service line 866-229-3663, International 704-885-0277.

 

STARTER KIT & ONE-YEAR SUPPLY OF HERBAL MEDICNE (shelf life 10 to 15 years)

See Apothecary Herbs One Year Supply of Herbal Medicine at http://www.thepowerherbs.com or call 866-229-3663, 704-885-0277. Call for a customized year supply or to set up installment payment for this package. 
The information contained herein is not designed to diagnosis, treat, prevent or cure disease. Seek medical advice from a lincensed medical physician (if you dare) before using any product or therapy. 
All content is copyright � Independent News Journalist Disclaimers of FARE USE

Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, "Fair Use" Allowance is made for purposes such as: Criticism, Comment, News Reporting, Teaching, Scholarship, and Research. "Fair Use" is a use permitted by Copyright Statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, Educational or Personal use tips the balance in Favor of "Fair Use". Conclusions drawn from these articles or audio files do not necessarily represent the Opinions/Beliefs of those subjects People/Musicians/Participants/Entities therein. "Fair Use" says it all....Produced by FREELANCE AUTHOR.

Copyright 2012-15 Discount Gold & Silver Trading All rights reserved

Discount Gold and Silver Trading, PO Box 507, Port Matilda, PA 16870 * 1-800-375-4188