Much to our chagrin, Donald J. Trump won the 2016 election, and will
become President on January 20, 2017. I and so many others thought that
Hillary Clinton would have won for sure. And she did, in fact, win the
popular vote. But unfortunately, Trump won the Electoral College,
crossing the finish line of 270 with likely over 300 electoral votes.
As he himself said, the game is "rigged" alright, just not in the way he
said.
So how did he manage to pull off such an unlikely victory? Well the key "swing" states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin were
all part of the Rust Belt, and he managed to tap into the frustrations
of disaffected white working-class men--nationwide, but especially in
those states. That was literally all it took. Combining the legitimate
grievances of the working class (who have been practically eaten alive
by our oligarchy, plutocracy, kleptocracy, and kyriarchy for decades
now) with thinly-veiled racism, misogyny, and xenophobia turned out to
be a winning formula. And as we are seeing now, he is already
backpedaling on many of the lies he has told to his base. All of this
will eventually backfire on those who voted for him.
A Trump presidency is clear and present danger to America, no doubt about that. But ultimately
We the People will prevail, and this should be the ultimate wake-up call. Now is NOT the time to abandon our efforts!
The Electoral College is an antiquated 18th century relic that really has no place in the 21st century. Even the Donald himself went on the record in 2012 and said it was "a disaster for democracy". Until it benefited him this time around, of course. For once, we agree with him. And while abolishing it completely would require a Constitutional amendment, and would thus be quite a long shot, there is a way to make it irrelevant by 2020. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) is the way to do it. Sign and share!
As for the anti-Trump protests in the days following the election, they seem to be working in that they are sending the Donald into Twitter rages and are likely raising his blood pressure dramatically. The TSAP supports any such non-violent protests, and most (with few exceptions) have been peaceful to date. But please don't burn the American Flag. As we have repeatedly noted before in our perennial "Take Back the Flag" campaign, burning the American Flag is stupid, counterproductive, and disrespectful to all who have fought and died for our country. If you must burn something, burn the Confederate Flag (or as we like to call it, the COUNTERFEIT Flag) and/or Trump signs and paraphernalia. But not the Stars and Stripes. LIVE FREE OR DIE!
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
An Open Letter to Women in Politics (Re-post)
(This is a re-post, in honor of the fact that Hillary Clinton won the Democratic nomination for President in the 2016 election. The TSAP originally was "feeling the Bern" but now (grudgingly) supports Hillary instead of Donald Chump. And we believe that she will most likely win, Goddess willing.)
To any Women who are running for office, in office, or considering running for office in the near future:
You have probably noticed that the world is on fire, and has been for quite some time now. We stand on the verge of World War III as we speak, and our overburdened planet is in grave danger. We continue to flirt with the prospect of mass extinction (including humans, by the way) in the not-too-distant future, as we continue to cook the planet with reckless abandon. We know what is causing all of these problems, and we already have the technology and wherewithal to solve them if we really wanted to, yet our current Big Wetiko "leaders" refuse to solve such problems because they are sycophantic lackeys to the parasitic elites, if not the very same elites themselves. And these plutocrats are hopelesly addicted to "business as usual".
So how did we get here in the first place, exactly? The answer lies in ancient history, about 7000 years ago or so, when men apparently got the bright idea to take over the (known) world piece by piece, by deposing you from power. That's right, it was originally Women who were in charge for most of humanity's existence, and us fellas apparently thought we could do a better job as leaders than you ladies did. Well, history shows us that we were wrong--dead wrong in fact. Indeed, the best advice that us men can give to Women is "don't be like us", because we f**ked the world up royally. We paved paradise and put up a parking lot, we created a desert and called it "peace". We have devoured and suffocated our own empire, and now we are all paying a heavy price for it. That's right--WE did it. And we're sorry about that--though we can clearly stuff our "sorrys" in a sack!
And now it is time for you to reclaim your rightful position as the new leaders of the free world once again, starting with the USA and eventually spreading from there. In fact, it is LONG overdue for you to do so. We cannot apologize enough for handing you such a monumental clusterf**k of a world for you to fix, of course, but we fellas have plenty of faith that you will be able to do so. We know that Women, not men, are the real natural-born leaders, and you can clearly handle power a lot better without it going to your heads than us. We know that your preferred paradigm of society, what Riane Eisler calls the "partnership" model, is far better than the "dominator" model that we have been practicing for the past 7000 years. As the saying goes, never send a boy to do a man's job--send a Woman instead. Truer words were never spoken, and we need you now more than ever before.
It's now 2016, and there are plenty of elections in which you can win this year. The highest and tallest "glass ceiling" in the world--President of the United States--is just waiting to be smashed, as are plenty of other important political offices as well. We wish all of you the very best of luck. Now, go forth and make old Buckminster Fuller proud! Vive la femme!
Sincerely,
Ajax the Great, Party Leader of the TSAP
To any Women who are running for office, in office, or considering running for office in the near future:
You have probably noticed that the world is on fire, and has been for quite some time now. We stand on the verge of World War III as we speak, and our overburdened planet is in grave danger. We continue to flirt with the prospect of mass extinction (including humans, by the way) in the not-too-distant future, as we continue to cook the planet with reckless abandon. We know what is causing all of these problems, and we already have the technology and wherewithal to solve them if we really wanted to, yet our current Big Wetiko "leaders" refuse to solve such problems because they are sycophantic lackeys to the parasitic elites, if not the very same elites themselves. And these plutocrats are hopelesly addicted to "business as usual".
So how did we get here in the first place, exactly? The answer lies in ancient history, about 7000 years ago or so, when men apparently got the bright idea to take over the (known) world piece by piece, by deposing you from power. That's right, it was originally Women who were in charge for most of humanity's existence, and us fellas apparently thought we could do a better job as leaders than you ladies did. Well, history shows us that we were wrong--dead wrong in fact. Indeed, the best advice that us men can give to Women is "don't be like us", because we f**ked the world up royally. We paved paradise and put up a parking lot, we created a desert and called it "peace". We have devoured and suffocated our own empire, and now we are all paying a heavy price for it. That's right--WE did it. And we're sorry about that--though we can clearly stuff our "sorrys" in a sack!
And now it is time for you to reclaim your rightful position as the new leaders of the free world once again, starting with the USA and eventually spreading from there. In fact, it is LONG overdue for you to do so. We cannot apologize enough for handing you such a monumental clusterf**k of a world for you to fix, of course, but we fellas have plenty of faith that you will be able to do so. We know that Women, not men, are the real natural-born leaders, and you can clearly handle power a lot better without it going to your heads than us. We know that your preferred paradigm of society, what Riane Eisler calls the "partnership" model, is far better than the "dominator" model that we have been practicing for the past 7000 years. As the saying goes, never send a boy to do a man's job--send a Woman instead. Truer words were never spoken, and we need you now more than ever before.
It's now 2016, and there are plenty of elections in which you can win this year. The highest and tallest "glass ceiling" in the world--President of the United States--is just waiting to be smashed, as are plenty of other important political offices as well. We wish all of you the very best of luck. Now, go forth and make old Buckminster Fuller proud! Vive la femme!
Sincerely,
Ajax the Great, Party Leader of the TSAP
Technical Difficulties Resolved
It has come to our attention that this website recently had a problem where it kept crashing and redirecting every few seconds after loading. Fortunately, the technical difficulties that caused this problem have now been resolved. You may notice that the "widgets" at the bottom of the page that had been there since 2009 are now gone. That is because they were apparently causing the problem, unfortunately, so they were removed.
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Enough is Enough Already!
The worst mass shooting in American history has occurred just a few days ago on June 12, 2016 in Orlando, Florida. It seems that mass shootings have become a daily occurrence in
recent years--in the USA at least. But the rest of the industrialized
world doesn't really seem to have this kind of problem. Why is that?
Well, there's always....
GUNS.
America is the land of 300 million guns, and combined with a culture that is crazier and more violent than most other "developed" countries, and much more extreme inequality, it is a very lethal combination indeed. Of course, the biggest elephant in the room is the fact that at least 96% of mass shooters are MEN. Thanks to the patriarchy and the sort of "toxic masculinity" that it creates, combined with the above factors, too many men end up resorting to violence. Like the Iron Maiden song says, "a briefcase, a lunch, and a man on the edge". With a gun. I mean, what could possibly go wrong, right?
There should be no doubt at this point that something needs to be done However, we do not believe that banning all guns for everyone, or adopting British or European-style gun laws, is the solution, as the genie is already out of the bottle, and there is also that whole Constitution thingy as well. Thus, the TSAP recommends that the following measures be taken:
And for those who blame the Orlando shooting on Muslims in general, while it is true that the shooter was motivated in part by radical Islam, we should remember most Muslims are not radicals and don't commit mass shootings or other acts of terrorism, and most mass shooters in the USA have been decidedly non-Muslim, typically either Christian or no known religious affiliation. And while radical Islamic terrorism is indeed a major global problem, one should note the difference between Islam and other patriarchal religions is really more one of degree rather than kind. It's really the patriarchal element that's the problem.
In this particular shooting, a deadly combination of toxic masculinity, homophobia, extreme religious zealotry, and readily-available assault weapons led to the deaths of over 50 innocent people. If that's not the all-time KING of wake-up calls, I honestly don't know what is.
GUNS.
America is the land of 300 million guns, and combined with a culture that is crazier and more violent than most other "developed" countries, and much more extreme inequality, it is a very lethal combination indeed. Of course, the biggest elephant in the room is the fact that at least 96% of mass shooters are MEN. Thanks to the patriarchy and the sort of "toxic masculinity" that it creates, combined with the above factors, too many men end up resorting to violence. Like the Iron Maiden song says, "a briefcase, a lunch, and a man on the edge". With a gun. I mean, what could possibly go wrong, right?
There should be no doubt at this point that something needs to be done However, we do not believe that banning all guns for everyone, or adopting British or European-style gun laws, is the solution, as the genie is already out of the bottle, and there is also that whole Constitution thingy as well. Thus, the TSAP recommends that the following measures be taken:
- Bring back an improved 1994 assault-weapons ban yesterday, this time with more teeth. Include all magazines with more than ten rounds in the ban as well.
- Remove the 20-year ban on gun violence research, yesterday.
- End the gun-show loophole and implement universal background checks, yesterday.
- Put a significant excise tax on all bullets/ammo, like Chris Rock recommended. (Seriously)
- Treat ammo sales the same as gun sales.
- Pass a "one gun a month" law at the federal level.
- Require reporting of lost or stolen guns.
- Regulate firearms like other consumer products in terms of health and safety standards--currently such standards are nonexistent.
- Improve enforcement of existing gun laws, which tend not to be enforced very well these days, and improve state reporting of prohibited persons to NICS. Also, prohibit anyone on the terrorism watch list from buying any guns, period. (Believe it or not, the Orlando shooter was on the terror watch list and was still able to get a gun)
- And last but not least, improve our woefully-inadequate mental healthcare system.
And for those who blame the Orlando shooting on Muslims in general, while it is true that the shooter was motivated in part by radical Islam, we should remember most Muslims are not radicals and don't commit mass shootings or other acts of terrorism, and most mass shooters in the USA have been decidedly non-Muslim, typically either Christian or no known religious affiliation. And while radical Islamic terrorism is indeed a major global problem, one should note the difference between Islam and other patriarchal religions is really more one of degree rather than kind. It's really the patriarchal element that's the problem.
In this particular shooting, a deadly combination of toxic masculinity, homophobia, extreme religious zealotry, and readily-available assault weapons led to the deaths of over 50 innocent people. If that's not the all-time KING of wake-up calls, I honestly don't know what is.
Friday, March 4, 2016
Bernie's Tax Plan Is Good, But The TSAP Can Do Much Better
Bernie Sanders' tax proposals have recently been published and analyzed by the Tax Policy Center. You can read about it here. It happens to be a rather biased analysis that has some glaring omissions downplaying the value of public investment, and a more accurate one can be found here. While the TSAP continues to wholeheartedly endorse Bernie, we feel we can come up with a tax plan that is even better still. So here is the latest version of our own:
Universal Exchange Tax (UET)
Implement a tiny Universal Exchange Tax of between 0.05% (50 cents per $1000) and 0.1% (1 dollar per $1000) on all automated financial transactions of any kind. With a tax base estimated to be in excess of $4 quadrillion, this tax should raise between $2 trillion (half the federal budget) and $4 trillion (the entire federal budget).
Not only would it eliminate the deficit, it would create a surplus large enough to eliminate or dramatically cut all other forms of taxation at both the federal and state levels.
NOTE: We do NOT take credit for coming up with this idea; it was found posted on an anonymous website. Also, economist Dr. Edgar Feige apparently thought of a similar idea back in 2005.
Individual Income Tax
Overhaul and simplify the federal tax code by repealing the regular income tax while retaining and tweaking the AMT to reflect the following:
Absolutely no income tax on those making less than $20,000 per year, period.
Ideally, no income tax on those making less than $50,000 per year.
With preferably the following marginal income tax brackets for individuals:
Below $20,000 -- no income tax
$20,000 to $50,000 -- 5%
$50,000 to $90,000 -- 10%
$90,000 to $150,000 -- 20%
$150,000 to $250,000 -- 30%
$250,000 to $1,000,000 -- 40%
$1,000,000 to $10,000,000 -- 50%
Over $10,000,000 -- 70%
With no loopholes and no deductions other than state/local taxes and a limited amount of charitable donations.
All forms of income would be taxed equally at the normal rates, including dividends and capital gains. For capital gains, the basis will be indexed to inflation (which is currently not the case). The exclusion for capital gains below $250,000 from home sales will remain as is.
NOTE: If the Universal Exchange Tax (UET) is implemented and set at a high enough rate, we could theoretically reduce the income tax to only 10% on each dollar above $100,000 and 50% on each dollar above $1 million. We propose a UET rate between 0.05% (50 cents per $1000) and 0.1% (1 dollar per $1000) on all transactions, which would most likely be high enough to do so.
Corporate Income Tax
Overhaul the tax code to eliminate all loopholes and favoritism of any kind. Then implement the following tax brackets for corporations:
Below $100,000 -- no income tax
$100,000 to $1,000,000 -- 10%
$1,000,000 to $10,000,000 -- 20%
$10,000,000 to $100,000,000 -- 35%
Over $100,000,000 -- 50%
Unlike the current law, only undistributed profits would be taxed. Amounts distributed as dividends would not be taxed at the corporate level, but would be taxed at the normal rate for the individual shareholders.
Tax US corporate foreign income as it is earned, rather than when the income is repatriated.
Payroll/FICA Taxes
Remove entirely the wage cap for Social Security portion of FICA tax, or raise it to a very high value (i.e. $10 million) for as long as we still have a FICA tax.
Reduce FICA tax rates to the lowest possible level needed for long-term solvency, or better yet eliminate FICA entirely (if an alternative funding source such as the UET is implemented). If no alternative source is present, then raise the FICA tax by an additional 0.2%.
Create a tiny, fixed "Occupational Privilege Tax (OPT)" of about $50 per year at the federal level, similar to what many states and localities do. Use it for general revenue.
Luxury Tax
Similar to a sales tax, 2% on all new items priced at $1000 or more, and only on the amount over $1000. For vehicles of any kind, the exemption amount would be $30,000. For new homes, the exemption amount would be $1 million. Items purchased overseas would be considered "new" and taxable upon entering the country if purchased within the past year or two.
Estate Tax
Resurrect the estate tax ("death tax"), this time as a progressive one. The exemption amount would be $3.5 million, then 45% up to $50 million, 55% up to $500 million, 65% up to $1 billion, and 75% for $1 billion and above.
Excise, Vice, and Other Taxes
Bring back the Superfund taxes that expired in 1995, and expand it to cover ALL harmful and toxic chemicals.
Increase and equalize the federal alcohol excise taxes to $22 per proof-gallon for all alcoholic beverages, equal to the liquor tax in 1991 adjusted for inflation. Microbrewers (those who produce less than 6 million barrels) would continue to pay the current rate of $0.58 per gallon ($18 per barrel) on the first 2 million barrels.
Equalize the federal tax for all tobacco products by weight to $1.55 per ounce, and tax the tobacco itself at the producer level. Set a national price floor for cigarettes of at least $5.00/pack to encourage low-tax states like Virginia to hike their own tobacco taxes.
If and when cannabis and/or any other currently illegal drugs are legalized, tax them as well. For example, cannabis could be taxed at a flat rate of $10-$50 per ounce, or perhaps set proportionally to potency (e.g. $5 per ounce, multiplied by percentage of THC).
Raise the gas tax by 1 cent/gal each week until it is $0.50/gal higher than it is today. "A Penny for Progress."
Enact the following "menu" of new taxes:
Enact a financial crisis responsibility fee (leverage tax) of 0.15% of covered liabilities of so-called "too big to fail" banks with more than $50 billion in assets.
Enact a Wall Street Gaming Tax of 0.5% specifically on derivatives and any other exotic financial products designed primarily for the purpose of speculation or gambling.
Carbon Tax and Dividend
Additionally, implement a "carbon tax and dividend" on all fossil fuels similar to what Steve Stoft proposes in Carbonomics. Start it at $10/ton in the first year, and double it every year until it reaches $160/ton, then increase it further by 5% each year or the rate of inflation, whichever is greater. Refund 100% of the proceeds directly to We the People.
Do these things and we can easily pay for all of what Bernie proposes and then some. Especially if we also nationalize the Feral Reserve and make our currency interest-free and inflation-free, as well as zero-out the national debt via money creation as discussed in a previous post. And our proposal would be even simpler and more progressive than his proposals currently are.
And yes, progressive taxation is indeed the fairest method and best for the economy as a whole. History has shown that "trickle-down" voodoo economics does NOT work, period. Cutting taxes at the top tends to create short-term "sugar highs" in the economy, followed by painful crashes. All while worsening inequality, and too much inequality ultimately kills growth in the long run. As Robert Reich famously said, the economy exists to make our lives better. We don't exist to make the economy better.
Universal Exchange Tax (UET)
Implement a tiny Universal Exchange Tax of between 0.05% (50 cents per $1000) and 0.1% (1 dollar per $1000) on all automated financial transactions of any kind. With a tax base estimated to be in excess of $4 quadrillion, this tax should raise between $2 trillion (half the federal budget) and $4 trillion (the entire federal budget).
Not only would it eliminate the deficit, it would create a surplus large enough to eliminate or dramatically cut all other forms of taxation at both the federal and state levels.
NOTE: We do NOT take credit for coming up with this idea; it was found posted on an anonymous website. Also, economist Dr. Edgar Feige apparently thought of a similar idea back in 2005.
Individual Income Tax
Overhaul and simplify the federal tax code by repealing the regular income tax while retaining and tweaking the AMT to reflect the following:
Absolutely no income tax on those making less than $20,000 per year, period.
Ideally, no income tax on those making less than $50,000 per year.
With preferably the following marginal income tax brackets for individuals:
Below $20,000 -- no income tax
$20,000 to $50,000 -- 5%
$50,000 to $90,000 -- 10%
$90,000 to $150,000 -- 20%
$150,000 to $250,000 -- 30%
$250,000 to $1,000,000 -- 40%
$1,000,000 to $10,000,000 -- 50%
Over $10,000,000 -- 70%
With no loopholes and no deductions other than state/local taxes and a limited amount of charitable donations.
All forms of income would be taxed equally at the normal rates, including dividends and capital gains. For capital gains, the basis will be indexed to inflation (which is currently not the case). The exclusion for capital gains below $250,000 from home sales will remain as is.
NOTE: If the Universal Exchange Tax (UET) is implemented and set at a high enough rate, we could theoretically reduce the income tax to only 10% on each dollar above $100,000 and 50% on each dollar above $1 million. We propose a UET rate between 0.05% (50 cents per $1000) and 0.1% (1 dollar per $1000) on all transactions, which would most likely be high enough to do so.
Corporate Income Tax
Overhaul the tax code to eliminate all loopholes and favoritism of any kind. Then implement the following tax brackets for corporations:
Below $100,000 -- no income tax
$100,000 to $1,000,000 -- 10%
$1,000,000 to $10,000,000 -- 20%
$10,000,000 to $100,000,000 -- 35%
Over $100,000,000 -- 50%
Unlike the current law, only undistributed profits would be taxed. Amounts distributed as dividends would not be taxed at the corporate level, but would be taxed at the normal rate for the individual shareholders.
Tax US corporate foreign income as it is earned, rather than when the income is repatriated.
Payroll/FICA Taxes
Remove entirely the wage cap for Social Security portion of FICA tax, or raise it to a very high value (i.e. $10 million) for as long as we still have a FICA tax.
Reduce FICA tax rates to the lowest possible level needed for long-term solvency, or better yet eliminate FICA entirely (if an alternative funding source such as the UET is implemented). If no alternative source is present, then raise the FICA tax by an additional 0.2%.
Create a tiny, fixed "Occupational Privilege Tax (OPT)" of about $50 per year at the federal level, similar to what many states and localities do. Use it for general revenue.
Luxury Tax
Similar to a sales tax, 2% on all new items priced at $1000 or more, and only on the amount over $1000. For vehicles of any kind, the exemption amount would be $30,000. For new homes, the exemption amount would be $1 million. Items purchased overseas would be considered "new" and taxable upon entering the country if purchased within the past year or two.
Estate Tax
Resurrect the estate tax ("death tax"), this time as a progressive one. The exemption amount would be $3.5 million, then 45% up to $50 million, 55% up to $500 million, 65% up to $1 billion, and 75% for $1 billion and above.
Excise, Vice, and Other Taxes
Bring back the Superfund taxes that expired in 1995, and expand it to cover ALL harmful and toxic chemicals.
Increase and equalize the federal alcohol excise taxes to $22 per proof-gallon for all alcoholic beverages, equal to the liquor tax in 1991 adjusted for inflation. Microbrewers (those who produce less than 6 million barrels) would continue to pay the current rate of $0.58 per gallon ($18 per barrel) on the first 2 million barrels.
Equalize the federal tax for all tobacco products by weight to $1.55 per ounce, and tax the tobacco itself at the producer level. Set a national price floor for cigarettes of at least $5.00/pack to encourage low-tax states like Virginia to hike their own tobacco taxes.
If and when cannabis and/or any other currently illegal drugs are legalized, tax them as well. For example, cannabis could be taxed at a flat rate of $10-$50 per ounce, or perhaps set proportionally to potency (e.g. $5 per ounce, multiplied by percentage of THC).
Raise the gas tax by 1 cent/gal each week until it is $0.50/gal higher than it is today. "A Penny for Progress."
Enact the following "menu" of new taxes:
- coffee beans or grounds ($0.10/lb)
- pure caffeine ($1.00/lb)
- refined sugars ($0.10/lb)
- salt ($0.10/lb)
- hydrogenated fats ($1.00/lb)
Enact a financial crisis responsibility fee (leverage tax) of 0.15% of covered liabilities of so-called "too big to fail" banks with more than $50 billion in assets.
Enact a Wall Street Gaming Tax of 0.5% specifically on derivatives and any other exotic financial products designed primarily for the purpose of speculation or gambling.
Carbon Tax and Dividend
Additionally, implement a "carbon tax and dividend" on all fossil fuels similar to what Steve Stoft proposes in Carbonomics. Start it at $10/ton in the first year, and double it every year until it reaches $160/ton, then increase it further by 5% each year or the rate of inflation, whichever is greater. Refund 100% of the proceeds directly to We the People.
Do these things and we can easily pay for all of what Bernie proposes and then some. Especially if we also nationalize the Feral Reserve and make our currency interest-free and inflation-free, as well as zero-out the national debt via money creation as discussed in a previous post. And our proposal would be even simpler and more progressive than his proposals currently are.
And yes, progressive taxation is indeed the fairest method and best for the economy as a whole. History has shown that "trickle-down" voodoo economics does NOT work, period. Cutting taxes at the top tends to create short-term "sugar highs" in the economy, followed by painful crashes. All while worsening inequality, and too much inequality ultimately kills growth in the long run. As Robert Reich famously said, the economy exists to make our lives better. We don't exist to make the economy better.
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
The Ultimate Stimulus Package
Wanna know a secret, everyone? An open secret, yet probably the best-kept one of all? The total amount of global debt, all $233 trillion (!) of it, is 100% man-made. That's right--the very concept of debt is man-made, because money itself is man-made. That includes both private debt as well as the public debt that the austerity hawks won't stop fretting about. Every single penny of it. Money is really nothing more than a simple accounting entry in a computer these days anyway. So make the entry and be done with it already.
Wait, hold on--did he just say what I think he said? You got that damn right, and I didn't stutter either. The single best stimulus package that could possibly be done given the current state of the global economy is--you guessed it--a DEBT JUBILEE of sorts. You know, kinda like the ancient Israelites did every 50 years, where all debts were cancelled and forgiven across the board, period. The only difference today is the scale and the technology involved, and the fact that we use pure fiat currency instead of specie makes it even easier still. So why aren't we doing it? I mean if the world owes $233 trillion, who on Earth do we owe it all to? You guessed it--the BANKSTERS. And the biggest contributor to the gargantuan size of the debt (and the number one cause of inflation as well) is compound interest, also known as USURY. So there are plenty of powerful vested interests who would oppose such a thing, and it's time to take the power back.
We could start by paying off the national debt in one fell swoop via money creation, as is recommended by Richard E. Noble. The Noble Solution, if you will. And contrary to popular opinion, doing so would NOT cause hyperinflation if done properly because while creating money is inflationary, paying off large debts (i.e. "debt-deflation") is inherently anti-inflationary, so the two effects would cancel each other out. And the newly created money would be done interest-free as well. And also give everyone $1000 or $2000 as well. Remember, back in 2011 Bernie Sanders audited the Feral Reserve and found that they gave a whopping $16 trillion secret bailout to the banks in 2009-2010 (and later rose to $29 trillion in total). And with that money, they could have paid off the entire national debt (below $12 trillion then) and still had trillions left over to give to We the People by depositing money in our bank accounts. And the government would have been able to do a much bolder fiscal stimulus package since there would be no worries about the debt. Yes, really. And the "recession" (i.e. depression) would have ended a LOT sooner as a result.
As for private debt, an Act of Congress could conceivably be passed that nullifies all such debt as well, including (but not limited to) student loan debt, mortgage debt, credit card debt, and medical debt. Creditors wouldn't like it, of course, but debtors greatly outnumber creditors, so the net effect would be beneficial overall for society. And repeat every 50 years or so.
Additionally, while we are at it, we should also nationalize the privately-owned FERAL Reserve and make it a truly public FEDERAL Reserve that creates its own money interest-free, as Ellen Brown recommends. We should also put a 10% cap on ALL interest rates period, including private loans and credit cards, and eventually phase-out the very concept of interest altogether.
Also, the TSAP would recommend a Universal Basic Income Guarantee for all, an idea whose time has come and that is in fact LONG overdue. That would solve so many problems indeed.
Now THAT would be a real stimulus package! Not only would it act like a giant B-12 shot for the economy by causing increased economic growth in the short to medium term, but in the long run it would also help us end our addiction to growth for the sake of growth, the ideology of the cancer cell which eventually kills its host.
Remember, as Buckminster Fuller famously noted in the 1970s, there are enough resources on Earth for everyone in the world to live like a millionaire, but such resources are currently being hoarded and wasted by the oligarchs to prop up their massive Ponzi scheme. It's time to end the current obsolete paradigm of scarcity (most of it artificial) in favor of a new paradigm of abundance for all, that we may all enjoy mutual benefit and protection. Yesterday.
(In the meantime, though, there is always Rolling Jubilee.)
Wait, hold on--did he just say what I think he said? You got that damn right, and I didn't stutter either. The single best stimulus package that could possibly be done given the current state of the global economy is--you guessed it--a DEBT JUBILEE of sorts. You know, kinda like the ancient Israelites did every 50 years, where all debts were cancelled and forgiven across the board, period. The only difference today is the scale and the technology involved, and the fact that we use pure fiat currency instead of specie makes it even easier still. So why aren't we doing it? I mean if the world owes $233 trillion, who on Earth do we owe it all to? You guessed it--the BANKSTERS. And the biggest contributor to the gargantuan size of the debt (and the number one cause of inflation as well) is compound interest, also known as USURY. So there are plenty of powerful vested interests who would oppose such a thing, and it's time to take the power back.
We could start by paying off the national debt in one fell swoop via money creation, as is recommended by Richard E. Noble. The Noble Solution, if you will. And contrary to popular opinion, doing so would NOT cause hyperinflation if done properly because while creating money is inflationary, paying off large debts (i.e. "debt-deflation") is inherently anti-inflationary, so the two effects would cancel each other out. And the newly created money would be done interest-free as well. And also give everyone $1000 or $2000 as well. Remember, back in 2011 Bernie Sanders audited the Feral Reserve and found that they gave a whopping $16 trillion secret bailout to the banks in 2009-2010 (and later rose to $29 trillion in total). And with that money, they could have paid off the entire national debt (below $12 trillion then) and still had trillions left over to give to We the People by depositing money in our bank accounts. And the government would have been able to do a much bolder fiscal stimulus package since there would be no worries about the debt. Yes, really. And the "recession" (i.e. depression) would have ended a LOT sooner as a result.
As for private debt, an Act of Congress could conceivably be passed that nullifies all such debt as well, including (but not limited to) student loan debt, mortgage debt, credit card debt, and medical debt. Creditors wouldn't like it, of course, but debtors greatly outnumber creditors, so the net effect would be beneficial overall for society. And repeat every 50 years or so.
Additionally, while we are at it, we should also nationalize the privately-owned FERAL Reserve and make it a truly public FEDERAL Reserve that creates its own money interest-free, as Ellen Brown recommends. We should also put a 10% cap on ALL interest rates period, including private loans and credit cards, and eventually phase-out the very concept of interest altogether.
Also, the TSAP would recommend a Universal Basic Income Guarantee for all, an idea whose time has come and that is in fact LONG overdue. That would solve so many problems indeed.
Now THAT would be a real stimulus package! Not only would it act like a giant B-12 shot for the economy by causing increased economic growth in the short to medium term, but in the long run it would also help us end our addiction to growth for the sake of growth, the ideology of the cancer cell which eventually kills its host.
Remember, as Buckminster Fuller famously noted in the 1970s, there are enough resources on Earth for everyone in the world to live like a millionaire, but such resources are currently being hoarded and wasted by the oligarchs to prop up their massive Ponzi scheme. It's time to end the current obsolete paradigm of scarcity (most of it artificial) in favor of a new paradigm of abundance for all, that we may all enjoy mutual benefit and protection. Yesterday.
(In the meantime, though, there is always Rolling Jubilee.)
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