Thursday, June 30, 2016

Financial Warfare

War on Citizens
Electronic funds transfer capabilities have enabled our governments to wage war on bank accounts.  Private property rights are ignored when governments seize or freeze assets.  Government seizure of land and water and growing or harvesting or use rights lowers private property values and may cause bankruptcies.

War on Terrorists
Freezing assets of terror states like Iran was one way to punish Iran for sponsoring terrorism short of bombing them and starting a real war.

Trade Sanctions
Misbehaving countries can have trade sanctions placed on them, so that the sanctioning group refuses to trade with them because of their hostile or criminal actions.

Cartel Actions
Groups of countries like OPEC can lower or raise production to create gluts and shortages to effect prices.

War on Stocks and Currencies
Hedge funds betting against events and short selling stocks are dubious ways active investors manipulate markets to disadvantage passive investors and pension funds.

Government Controlled Interest Rates
Keeping rates low robs fixed income investors from receiving interest income compared to what it would be if the market set interest rates.

Government Controlling the Money Supply
Printing money, so governments can overspend and over-borrow dilutes the value of the currency eventually.

Government Controlling Real Estate
The US federal government unconstitutionally claims ownership of one third of the US land mass.  Land is a commodity and is the basis of real wealth.  HUD now has regulations to remove zoning from local control. 

Taxes
Government can decide to take over entire industries and impose taxes to maintain their bureaucratic control.  Taxpayers do not get a good deal.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader

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