How Long until Directive 10-289?
Just that simple. How long do the Gulchers think it will be? Have we got 10 years? 5 Years? I suspect our Deficit spending has surpassed our GDP. It’s only a matter of time now. We cannot tax our way out. Nor can we grow our way out. The only option if they won’t cut spending is for Money Printer goes Brrrrrrrrrrr. And the only way that works without hyperinflation is wage and price freezes. It’s not like they haven’t tried it before.
Curious, wouldn’t you say?
Oh, it's not the various details and requirements; it's the enforcement of the directive.
How it would be enforced was never spelled out when Wesley, Mr. Thompson and the gang were discussing it.
Suppose I only spent 90% this year of what I spent last year; what punitive action would the state take against me?
If they jail me, then I'd be spending nothing. If they tried to fine me to collect that missing 10%, I could just clear out all my accounts before being "charged" and bury the money somewhere.
What if I only spent 50% this year compared to last year? Now what? I probably wouldn't even have enough (that I haven't already buried) to make up that difference, so fining me wouldn't help. And again, if they jail me, I'm spending zero.
And what if I simply said "I quit" but instead of vanishing, simply sat in my living room and waited for them to come arrest me?
Maybe I'm overthinking this whole thing, but it's something that has bothered me since the first time I read AS.
In the book, many business owners and workers just closed up their shops, dropped their tools and walked off. There was no enforcement -- mainly because so many individuals just walked.
I see muzzle mandates and ignore them. I await someone in authority to Do something, but nothing happens.
Similar -- my spending went down as well. What if they toss me in jail for not following some edict? Now I am a cost center for the State.
The Directive gives the State lots of latitude to exercise arbitrary control. So whereas you might be left alone in the middle of your living room, another individual could be physically removed from their living room (that person might be someone that is vocal in their political opposition and can now be silenced).
The ratcheting actions in the financial sector concern me the most -- advances in the UBI and FedCoin.
https://www.mercatus.org/publications...
Did Rand advocate an actual strike? Did she think the Libertarians were on the right path? Did she suggest that we all emulate Galt's actions? Or did she instead advocate that we learn the message in her talk, "Philosophy, who needs it?"
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-...
They just made regulations that made it impossible to remain open without losing money. Then they made it illegal to close shop.
It's not as far out as FTL, where we can ask, as Fermi and his buddies did, "If it's possible, it should already be in use, with LGM here, right now. But where are they?"
o The latest Covid relief bill is for $1.9 Trillion. This is just the start…
o We will get an Infrastructure bill in the Summer – to kickstart the economy and Go Big, Go Green ™ I predict this – the price tag: $3.5 Trillion.
o Example – real life – The Pacific NW is going to get $35B to … hold on to your hat … tear down four perfectly good hydroelectric dams on the Snake River … “For The Fish (Salmon)” -- $2B to tear down the dams, $10-15B for windmills and solar (total financial fraud both of them) Green Power to replace the Dams, plus $Billions for the Tribes, Ports, Cities, Farmers, and a thousand gravy train agencies and bureaucracies that will be necessary to spend all that money. It will be a $2 Billion a year welfare gravy train for 15+ years here in the Pacific NW. The Hanford Nuclear “Clean Up” since the end of the Cold War is a similar White collar welfare scheme. The spent nuclear waste could have been cleaned up 20 years ago – but there is no incentive to do so – better to keep spending $2B a year on Clean Up. They just dump helicopter money. Where does it all go? Into Jobs. Good paying Green Bureaucrat Jobs -- $100k-$200k a year jobs with benefits. All these folks continue to build nicer, bigger houses, which means more real estate development, infrastructure, buy $90k new trucks, play golf, take trips and spend the helicopter money. The 5 acre parcel in the country with water rights might go for $200k today. In two years, that sweet parcel will go for $500k … lots of cash sloshing around. And that One real example that I gave is just One Percent of the $3.5 Trillion. The entire nation will be swimming in obscenely massive pork barrel projects. Essentially, everyone will become a grifter. Did you get your UBI, er Covid checks last year? It’s like a key of coke. You get used to it. Gotta get some more.
o Long story short – they are going to keep kicking the can down the road with vast swaths of Helicopter money.
o I think that it can, and will, have the Appearance of working, for another few (3-5 years) – I mean, they are talking about several thousand new Windmills on 80k acres of land (that must be acquired) and acres of solar panels – that’s a Whole Lot of Doing that will be going on (The Illusion of Action) here in the Pacific Northwest – and the Bonus – We Saved the Salmon!
Eating indoors is forbidden, but outdoors is OK, until a new regulation comes along that makes outdoors forbidden also (after all sorts of money is spent building outdoors seating). People are losing any trust in government at this point, which is a good think in my opinion. Just because its a law doesnt make it moral and worthy of "obeying". This is the new age of passive resistance when it comes to government, and politicians are going to have to put a lot more effort into enforcement, as the days of blind obedience are OVER.
I agree with them. Lets tax ALL INCOME 200%
Then they say "That's insane!", and I reply "Why? I thought higher taxes are better!"
Them "But nobody would work.. They would be PAYING to go to work!"
Me: "So you do agree... At some point, taxes are a deterrent to do MORE business?"
Them: "Yeah, but when you get to 100% that's crazy, above that is insane!"
Me: "Now, WHERE do YOU draw the line? 99% Would you work?"
Them: "We are talking about taxing the rich people!"
Me: "Oh, so you want DIFFERENT rules for you, because YOU WOULD NOT PLAY ALONG. Do you THINK rich people will?
Keeping in mind, that states that implemented REALLY high taxes on Millionaires, ended up with THEM LEAVING, and the state
collecting LESS money in tax revenue!"
Them: "Well, I'm not rich, I can't afford those taxes"
Me: "NOBODY Should have to THINK about paying anything CLOSE to HALF of their income, yet here we are!"
So, once the government gets involved... The corruption soon follows. And "Here We Are!"
(Roll eyes.)
Oh yeah, I forgot about the base of 'philanthropic' billionaires who are still so anti Trump, they still think he is in office....
Blue Alzheimers....