The American Ruling Class

[wayne.ct]

Debt

It seems everybody has some debt. I don't think that is a good thing. It means that everybody is paying "interest" to the banks. What good does that do? The banks don't really "work" to earn that interest. It is all just numbers to them because they don't really have any money to lend. Somebody else puts up the "capital" and they draw a salary paid from all the interest collected, but what do they really do? It doesn't seem like much. So, you decide to not play their game? If you owe them money they will want to come after you to collect. Never mind, they could come after you even if you DON'T owe them money, but at least they have one less reason to come for you. Get out of debt as fast as you can. Let someone else play their game and get hounded by the banks. Do you really want to be their victim? That's my opinion.

[FuzzyTomCat]

Still no Rick? Wonder where he is? Hope all is well with him!

Im starting to worry about rickoff.
Him being gone this long...cant be good.

P.S. I hope your ok rickoff.

some really NASTY weather, suppose Rick COULD be dealing with that, or some other disaster which is occupying all his time/attention. HOPING he is 'well', but begining to wonder if we will hear from him, again.

Jim

Howdy All,

I've heard for Rick a little while ago .... he still was recovering from a fall he had plus the bad weather in Maine, band practice and some personal business that's kept him away. He mentioned that he was put back at least several weeks and still trying to catch up. So folks ... not to worry the MIB or Fed's didn't get him yet and expect him back when he's feels caught up enough.



Best Wishes
Glen

[5150]

^^^^ That's Great!

Glad top hear he's still alive and not in jail. Wasn't ware he suffered a fall so I hope he will recover enough and then get caught up to get back here and post occasionally.

It's that time of year where there is a lot of work to do so I can understand him being absent a little

[gene gene]

Thanks Glen,

Good to hear why Rick has not posted for awhile.
@Rick, I hope & pray for a speedy and full recovery for you.

Best wishes, Gene

@5150 I sent you a PM.

[dutchdivco]

I, too

am glad to har Rick is o.k., sorry to hear about the fall.

Wayne, yes "Debt" is bad. Best thing to happen to me and wife was filing bankruptcy, about 10 years ago. We have NO debt, are much happier and less stressed, and instead of paying interest, we're 'banking' that $, as an 'emergency' fund, and/or putting it into self-sfficient lifestyle investments.

Before, if we 'needed' to buy something, (and didn't have the $), we 'charged' it. Now, in that situation, we 'loan' ourselves the $, (from our 'savings'.

Insurance is similar; they charge you a premium, to (basically) handle your $ for you, by investing it and then 'paying' when you have a claim.

So, you can not only be your own 'banker', you can be your own Insurance Co.!!

The price 'we' pay, for 'convenience', and lack of self-discipline!

Of coarse, once you accept the need for 'currency', there will ALWAYS be those who will say "I'll GLADLY pay you Tuesday, for a hamburger today", (with interest), and there will always be those who will accomodate such a request.

Human 'nature', and civilisation, with all it entails.Jim

[aljhoa]

Human 'nature', and civilisation, with all it entails.Jim

AMAZING 4 Year Old Explains Islam - Best Speech MashAllah - YouTube

Muslim Child Brides - YouTube

Al

[aljhoa]

Extracurricular Activity


RI STATE SENATOR MILLER TO 2nd AMENDMENT QUESTION! - YouTube

Al

[dutchdivco]

ACA, penalty and news coverage

Well, mainstream media has had numerous stories about how we are coming up on 'deadline' for 'signing up' for ACA, or face 'penalty'. I've seen a # of them on TV, and in paper.
Not ONE has said anything about how anyone can avoid paying the penalty, by simply changing their withholding, to insure they don't have a refund.

Thes stories purport to be 'covering' the issue; they point out its $95 OR 1% of income, whichever is greater, so very few will be 'paying' a penalty of $95, most will be 'paying' more, but totally mum on how to LEGALLY avoid.

Not surprising, just disappointing. And NO ONE appears at all surprised that Obummer has delayed the date, pushing it back to (How appropriate!) April 15th, the tax filing deadline. Perhaps April first, (April FOOLS day) would have been more appropriate. I swear, ACA is the 'gift that keeps on giving'!

Wait till first 1/4 in 2015, THATS when the CACA is REALLY going to hit the fan!

I do laugh, when I see supporters bemoaning how the young, who were Obummers biggest supporters, are not supporting him, by signing up in big #'s for health care! Idealism is one thing, practicality quite another!

"Hope",and "Change", and expending your vote on idealism is one thing. Willingly expending your hard earned $, to pay for healthcare for someone else, is quite different! Specially when your being TOLD that you are paying for healthcare for someone else.
Thats where mainstream media is messing up, and I wonder if they will figure out that pointing out to 'Young, Invincibles' in every news story, that they are going to be payingmore in premiums than they are likely to get back in services, is NOT the way to get such people to sign up? Shhhhh,... ( Don't tell them, maybe they will be too stupid to figure it out!) LOL Jim

[john_g]

BBC Inventing terror events

Hi All

This IMO is well worth watching - the BBC falsifying news in Syria to create the climate for a political outcome:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diyZtuF7NUs

Regards

John

[EricHannig]

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[gene gene]

Must See New Video: New Criminal Evidence About To Be Released Re Obama Crimes – Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Phoenix AZ | CDR Kerchner (Ret)'s Blog

If Sheriff Joe Arpaio gets his man (Obama), his will be only the first of many heads to roll. All of his cronies and main stream media must be shaking in their boots.

We the people might get our country back yet.

GO JOE GO!!!!, Gene

[jdodson]

@Wayne,

Debt can be bad...like a gun...it just depends on the person holding it.

Debt itself is probably the greatest creator of wealth.
Loans can help give everyone the opportunity to be successful.
People get loans to build businesses, kids get loans to go to college, ect.
I have no problem with private individuals getting into Debt.

Its that the Federal Government has gone into a debt death spiral using our money for their purposes, that I oppose. We are borrowing a trillion dollars a year...while doing NOTHING to reduce the budget. Its Insanity. And beyond the Tea Party / Fox News...nobody cares.

anyone can avoid paying the penalty, by simply changing their withholding, to insure they don't have a refund.

I don't know the law myself, but I would be surprised if they would actually allow the penalty to be avoided.
Wasn't the penalty defined as a "tax"? Doesn't that mean regardless of weather that tax gets garnished from a tax refund or not...its still a debt expected to be paid, if that tax debt goes unpaid, that's tax evasion.

I have expected obamacare to collapse under its own weight, then I heard something on the news the other day...
A person said, government programs don't collapse, they just continue to waste tax payer money until the tax payers are ticked off enough to change the program...Wonder how long that will take?

And, I'm not sure, in the end, whether Gold and Silver will be of any more 'value' than worthless 'greenbacks'? Yes, I know in such times in the past, people have 'always' turned to Gold, but people were saying, prior to 2008, that 'real estate in U.S. ALWAYS increased in value, ad so 'always will'. Boy, were they wrong!

There is one main difference between gold /silver and everything else...It cannot be created.
Once the Dollar becomes worthless it will be too late for anyone to buy gold.
At that point the amount of gold you will get for your buck, will be tiny.
Its estimated the world only contains a 68ft cube of gold. That's a seven story building. All gold ever mined in still in use today.
For the first time ever with electronics, gold is actually being thrown away.
Gold will protect the value of whatever greenbacks you have now. When they become worthless, the gold will not.

Polls show a greater % than ever before, and well over 50%, say "we are on the WRONG track.

I agree with that, But its one thing to "know" we are on the wrong track, and its another to "do" something about it.
Everyone should "know" not having a budget is bad...but no one wants to sacrifice to make that budget happen.

Nobody on welfare is going to return their checks.
Nobody in the military will return the war funding.
Nodoby in corporate America will avoid tax loops...and pay full taxes.

America is financially collapsing and we are allowing it to happen...
You know that saying...I've seen the enemy and he is me.
but still we sit back and say "I don't think we're on the right track".

We are being bribed with our own money and are "willfully ignorant" of the soon to be disastrous outcome.

[dutchdivco]

jdodson

The PENALTY is NOT a 'TAX'; its a PENALTY, for NOT paying the tax. The TAX is the Obummercare premium, i.e the Health Insurance premium I'm not paying. And, it was SPECIFICALLY written into the law, that the IRS can ONLY collect the PENALTY by withholding it from your RETURN.
No return, and there is no LEGAL 'avenue' for the IRS to collect.

I researched this, before changing our 'withholding' status. It was first (loudly) promulgated by Rush Limbaugh, on his radio show, (one of the probably few who actually read thru the whole 26,000 pages!).

After he made this 'outrageous' claim, many looked to see if they could refute him. And, it seems NOT.

This is similar to the system they set up years ago, to collect from 'deadbeat' Dads and Moms. IF you owe unpaid child support, and IF the custodial parent applies for Welfare, the state can then use a refund intercept mechanism to 'grab' your tax refund, and funnel it to the state.

Anyway, while the news agencies are pointing out its $95 per INDIVIDUAL, not family, and that its $95 OR 1% of income, whichever is GREATER, (to try to 'scare' people into signing up before the 'deadline', they AREN'T telling people you can simple arrange your withholding, so you have NO tax 'return' coming, and therey avoid any penalty. The other half is, you will have to continue to make sure you have no return coming, in the future, cause this penalty will 'sit' there, with interest, forever. Unless O'bummercare collapses, law repealed, etc.

On DEBT, intelligent USE of debt can be a good thing, on occasion. fortunately, among the many things we fail to teach our youth, is any understanding of finances, what detirmines interest, etc.

Even after 2008, most people are woefully ignorant on how finances work.
I agree Fed Debt is out of control, and many causes, but one is this ignorance of finances. If I don't have ay idea how MY finances work, how am I going to be able to know if what the Gov't is doing makes sense, or not?

Rick made this pretty clea, when he and I got into a discussion of this, earlier.
Gold is to give you a LONG term 'protection' of wealth, THRU times of calamity and out the other side. So, one month after SHTF, you encounter someone with 'extra' canned goods to sell. You MIGHT be able to buy some food, with the gold, if your willing to pay 1 oz. of gold, per can! The idea of gold is that at some point, in the distant future, some form of civilisation will re-establish itself, and at THAT point, you will have the gold, and can exchange it for other forms of wealth, or good/services, at some kind of reasonable return.

Thats ASSUMING their IS a return to some form of civilisation, which i think is quite an assumption. I have my doubts, frankly.

For the short term, I'm much more comfortable with Bullets, Chocolate, Tobacco and Coffee. Things that store well, and long term, that are very difficult for someone to produce on their own, and that remind the user of 'the time before'. Whiskey would be another one, although its fairly EASY to make your own.. Still, a couple of bottles of "Johney Walker' might be WORTH a # of ounces of gold, say,...6 months after. And of coarse, the bullets are toinsure someone doesn't just TAKE your wealth,whatever the form.

Bear in mind, gold proponents A) have a 'vested' interest in the price of gold 'going up' (yes, I KNOW. Gold doesn't goup, its the benchmark, everying else goes do. Whatever!) Anyway, those who own gold, benefit by having others hold gold. And, B) They SAY gold has always had value,or 'gone up'. But,thats exactly what peoiple were saying about U.S. property, until 2008; it had ALWAYS gone up, and so, always would! Boy, were THEY wrong about that!
"America is financially collapsing and we are allowing it to happen...
You know that saying...I've seen the enemy and he is me.
but still we sit back and say "I don't think we're on the right track".

We are being bribed with our own money and are "willfully ignorant" of the soon to be disastrous outcome."
Yes, I agree, but 'we' collectively DO 'buy into' this. Not just in the ways you list. People, by mis-using credit, to buy things they can't afford, focusing on the 'minimum payment', and not really even DOING a budget, so having no idea what they can afford, are 'feeding' the beast, and the system.
And, its human nature, or what human nature has evolved into.

"I have expected obamacare to collapse under its own weight, then I heard something on the news the other day...
A person said, government programs don't collapse, they just continue to waste tax payer money until the tax payers are ticked off enough to change the program...Wonder how long that will take?"

Yes, I've heard that. And it MAY be true with ACA. We will certainly be told we 'can't go back'; but if we 'go forward', and there aren't enough young invincibles paying more in premiums than they are getting back in services, to offset the cost of older or sicker 'policieholders', than the Insurance companies will A) apply for 'rebates' from Uncle Sam, (part of the law; the Insurance companies only agreed to participate with this provision. $75 per policy is 'set aside' to build a fund, for this purpose). AND, they will raise the rates they charge, for EVERYONE! So, even if you have a HI policy thru your employer, the rates, both to the employer, AND the amount you pay, will go way up. Hence, employers will relunctantly get out of the Insurance market. AS will everyone else, since the 'rebate' won't be nearly enough to offset the increase. At that point, this MAY be the first Gov't program to 'collapse'. I suspect the 'fix' proposed will be to eliminate the words "Over 65" from the medicare act. So, EVERYONE will be 'covered' by a 'single payor' Gov't program.

Anyway, while we continue to see the 'death of 1000 cuts', the real SHTF for ACA will come in the first part of 2015, when the actuaries finish looking at the figures for 2014 enrollment, and Insurance companies 'adjust' their rates.

And, while this may well help the Repubs to 'gain the upper hand' in D.C., dose anyone really think THATS any better? Its 'tweedle dumb or tweedle dumber', still no real choice. And, hold onto our hats! Seems to me, the dialing back of Quantitative easing has GOT to cause major inflation. So, buy now cause its going to cost MORE, with lower value dollars, later on!

Assuming Russia, Iran, N.Korea Venazuala (sp?) and other countries don't decide to simultaneously DUMP their U.S. treasuries, andput the whole world into an economic crash! Jim

[rickoff]

Still alive...

Hi folks. Yes, I'm still alive and kicking. Sorry to have been absent for several weeks, but as Glen (Fuzzy Tomcat) mentioned a few posts ago, I suffered a nasty fall and it turned my life upside down for weeks on end. Here's what happened:

On January 1st I was three days into a lung infection which was turning serious, and began taking the drug Augmentin. Before getting better, the lung infection worsened, and on January 4th I awoke during the night to a severe coughing spasm. I couldn't catch a breath between coughing and choking, and I thought I was going to die if I didn't do something about it. The only thing that I could think of in that state was to get to the kitchen for a cup of water, so I stood up and headed in that direction. I only made it about 5 steps down the hallway before passing out, and I fell onto the hard surface floor really hard and face first. I made what you might call a 3-point landing - nose, right cheek bone, and right eyebrow, with my right eye being at the center point. My eyebrow got the worst of it, and a cut opened up on it spurting blood all over the floor and hallway wall. The impact instantly awakened me from the fainting, and putting my hand up to where I felt the most pain I could feel the blood and knew I was in trouble. I called to my wife for help, and she was already on the way as the sound of me bouncing off the floor, and then uttering a few exclamatory words, had awakened her. She was so stunned when she saw what had happened to me that she started shaking all over and had to sit down for a moment to gain some composure and think what to do. After cleaning the blood off my face with a wet washcloth, it was apparent that I should probably get to a hospital and be checked out to determine if I had suffered a skull fracture and/or severe concussion. I was afraid, though, that I might faint again outdoors before my wife could help me get to the car, and the temperature that night was around 20 below zero. I knew Lezel would never be able to pull me back into the house if I passed out on the ground, and hypothermia would do me in within just a few minutes if left in the cold and wind. To make matters worse, the dooryard was nothing but a patch of slick ice at that time, and even if I didn't faint there was a strong possibility that I would slip and fall, quite likely further complicating my already serious condition. So I decided to stay home for the night, staying awake and keeping my injury area iced to reduce swelling.

Later in the day I managed to get to a hospital emergency room and they ran all sorts of tests - CT scan of my head, chest x-rays, blood tests, vision tests, etc., and released me to return home around midnight. The tests did not find anything alarming, so I was thankful of that, but the fall had left me with a splitting headache and had messed up my vision to the point where I could no longer see much of anything, let alone read Internet pages or attempt to write anything. My right eye had swelled shut, and stayed that way for a few more days before gradually opening again, and even then I saw massive dark "floaters" in both eyes, as well as thousands of tiny dark specks that pretty much obliterated my vision. A visit to an ophthalmologist determined that I had a vitreous membrane detachment, and was in danger of a retinal detachment. I was told to rest my eyes and avoid eye movements as much as possible.

The visual impairment and excruciating headaches went on for several weeks, and really set me back in all the things I normally do. When I finally was able to start reading e-mail again, I found that I had accumulated several hundred messages (I normally get around 50 a day, and most aren't just junk). Everything I tried to do became quite difficult and took much longer than it had before the accident. As a result, I had to reorder my priorities and found that I simply didn't have enough hours in a day to read and write posts at the Ruling Class forum. I'm really sorry that you have been left in the dark about what happened to me, but I can see that you folks have kept busy and kept the thread alive during my absence, and that makes me feel good. I thank you all, and also for the best wishes that you offered me.

I'm still far from being caught up, but am beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. There is a lot going on right now that I'm deeply involved in, and also a lot of significant world events taking place. Currently I don't see how I will ever be able to spend as much time on this thread as I used to, but I will try to jump in whenever possible to post important new developments and try to answer questions or concerns that may arise. I do have a couple of very important announcements to make today, but will do that in a separate post.

Thanks again, and best regards to all of you,

Rick

[dutchdivco]

I speak for all,

I suspect, when I say "Welcome back, "we missed you", and "we sympathise with your plight", as its sounds like it got real 'hairy' there!
In reading your account of your adventure, I recll the actor William Holden DIED from a very similar situation. In retrospect, your decision was obviously prudent, but I can see how it would have been a dificult decision to make; to go or stay?
We of coarse always enjoy and are enlightned by your posts, but world events are going to continue to happen, whether you comment on them or not; what I mean is, for sure focus on getting yourself well!

We're just glad to hear from you, and that you ain't daid! Jim