A new assessment of state pension obligations suggests the problem is even worse than it already appears. How much worse? EMPTY COOKIE JAR: Pension liabilities are worse than many states’ official figures indicate. Using a more conservative method of accounting for financial gains in the marketplace, there is a $4.1 trillion gap between assets and […]
Laissez-Faire Today
3 Important Lessons from a Canadian Border Crossing
I was at the Canadian border, headed toward the freedom that exists a few feet beyond the last security check. I was gently waved down a side corridor. Ninety minutes later, I was let go, but not before something truly alarming happened. I’m pretty sure that the Canadian government captured a mirrored version of my […]
The Untrustables
I have come to the point that I cannot believe a thing President Obama says. That’s not quite the same as saying I don’t believe anything he says. When he speaks he may be telling the truth, he may not be, or he may be parsing his words to mislead. But it’s impossible to know […]
In Praise of Government Gridlock
Our “Crash Alert” flag warns of a crash in U.S. stocks. Readers are advised to proceed with caution. But since the start of September, the news for stocks has not been bad. If you want to buy stocks, the financial press and Wall Street can give you plenty of reasons to do so. There is […]
What TSA Really Stands For
Fort Meade, MD – The United States, the least unfree country on Earth, is fighting a major invasion of the Blueshirts. The most visible Blueshirts constitute a 50,000-plus army that occupies all the airports in America. Recognizable by their blue shirts and their inquisitive eyes and hands, they search and humiliate all Americans trying to […]
“Privacy” Held Hostage By “Security” – Public Unimpressed
Sometimes, the news of the day causes me to say, “Huh?” The New York Times revelations last month about NSA programs and activities to enhance the agency’s ability to spy on ordinary citizens prompts today’s “Huh?” Who knew that our every phone call, Internet post and tweet is being recorded by the government? I have […]
The U.S. Really Wants a War With Syria
Apparently, global markets rallied overnight on hopes that a conflict may be avoided if Syria gives up its chemical weapons. If that’s the case, it’s a rally that will fade later in the week. That’s because the ongoing Syrian conflict has nothing to do with chemical weapons. It’s all about regime change, which is all […]
The “Domestic Terrorist” You Can Call a Hero
I dreamed I saw Bernard von NotHaus, alive as you or me. Said I, “But Bernard, you’ve been jailed two years.” “I never was,” said he. Bernard has been the called the Rosa Parks of the alternative money movement. More than 10 years ago, he had this idea that he would make his own money […]
You Don’t Deserve Your Privacy
U.S. and British intelligence agencies have successfully cracked much of the online encryption relied upon by hundreds of millions of people to protect the privacy of their personal data, online transactions and emails, according to top-secret documents revealed by former contractor Edward Snowden. The files show that the National Security Agency and its UK counterpart […]
Inside Scoop on the Next Fed Chairman
Following an extensive investigation, The Martian can reveal that it is neither Lawrence Summers nor Janet Yellen who will be the next chairman of the Federal Reserve System. Instead, President Obama is scheduled to announce that Davita Vance-Cooks will replace Ben Bernanke on Jan. 1. Like John Galt, Davita Vance-Cooks is not a household name. […]