Don't worry, I'll get back to the bitchin' and stuff soon enough.
A good friend sent this my way.
Take 4 minutes out of your life and watch this.
God Bless and Merry Christmas!
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Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Thursday, December 3, 2015
They've Got It Good, Here In America
Yesterday, I was working on another post when I got a text asking me if I was watching the news. I clicked over to Google news and saw what was going on in San Bernardino.
Predictably, your president made a statement about how we need more, "common sense gun control".
How is it possible that the president of the United States doesn't have access to facts? Facts about who is committing these mass shootings.
Take a 6 minutes out of your life and watch this excellent video by Bill Whittle about murder rates here in America and around the world.
I'm pretty sure they have an Internet connection at the White House, so Barry should be able to watch this as well.
Yet he still spews his lies and promotes his agenda to disarm you. Ironically, as another friend noted, Barry made his remarks about how America is the only country that has these mass shootings.... in Paris - which just had its guts blown out only weeks beforehand.
And the last time I checked, Mexico has got more mass shootings and bullet-riddled corpses than they have non-corrupt government officials. You know Mexico - that highly gun-controlled country to which he has granted statehood - at least when you consider their freedom to cross any of our borders, attend government schools, get driver's licences and collect welfare checks.
So, what kind of profile can we draw about these mass murderers?
Are there exceptions? Of course. Tim McVeigh in Oklahoma City 20 years ago, and the recent wacko in Colorado Springs who shot from the abortion clinic come to mind.
Oh, and Barry also conveniently forgets to mention the single largest source of mass shootings in America. This source does tend to use illegally-gotten guns. It's young, black inner-city males.
It might also help his policy wonks to consider who IS NOT committing these heinous acts of terrorism. This should help them focus their efforts elsewhere:
You see, Barry, it's not the guns that are the problem. Hell, every one of these terrorist acts is stopped by good guys with guns. The problem is the culture in which these terrorist animals believe, and where they are free to practice their evil-doings.
Oh, and I hate to break this to you, but it ain't global warming, either. The airfare to Paris was a waste. Sorry to burst that CO2-filled bubble of yours.
But you know that. Yet you focus your efforts of control on the very sources able and willing to fix the problem.
What the hell is wrong with you?
Your actions, policies and rhetoric directly contribute to this problem. America is becoming one big "soft target" under your reign. You refuse to enforce our border laws, you enact stringent gun laws on the law-abiding, and you refuse to address the FACT that the vast majority of mass shootings are committed by anti-American liberals, black inner-city males and radical Muslims.
I'm still waiting to hear how just one of your "common sense" gun laws would have stopped a single mass shooting. C'mon, Barry, gimme just ONE.
I'll ask again - what the hell is wrong with you?
---
I know, I know. I'm brushing up against Einstein's definition of insanity (Doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different result). Barry won't change. Liberals won't change.
And the mass murderers won't change, either. They don't need to. They've got it good, here in America.
---
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Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
Predictably, your president made a statement about how we need more, "common sense gun control".
How is it possible that the president of the United States doesn't have access to facts? Facts about who is committing these mass shootings.
Take a 6 minutes out of your life and watch this excellent video by Bill Whittle about murder rates here in America and around the world.
I'm pretty sure they have an Internet connection at the White House, so Barry should be able to watch this as well.
Yet he still spews his lies and promotes his agenda to disarm you. Ironically, as another friend noted, Barry made his remarks about how America is the only country that has these mass shootings.... in Paris - which just had its guts blown out only weeks beforehand.
And the last time I checked, Mexico has got more mass shootings and bullet-riddled corpses than they have non-corrupt government officials. You know Mexico - that highly gun-controlled country to which he has granted statehood - at least when you consider their freedom to cross any of our borders, attend government schools, get driver's licences and collect welfare checks.
So, what kind of profile can we draw about these mass murderers?
- They used legally purchased guns. All of the existing "reasonable gun control" boxes were checked.
- They are Muslims or mentally-ill liberals.
Are there exceptions? Of course. Tim McVeigh in Oklahoma City 20 years ago, and the recent wacko in Colorado Springs who shot from the abortion clinic come to mind.
Oh, and Barry also conveniently forgets to mention the single largest source of mass shootings in America. This source does tend to use illegally-gotten guns. It's young, black inner-city males.
It might also help his policy wonks to consider who IS NOT committing these heinous acts of terrorism. This should help them focus their efforts elsewhere:
- They're NOT Second Amendment-loving gun owners who are members of the NRA, GOA or other similar civil rights organizations
- They're NOT conservatives
- They're NOT Christians
- They're NOT young, white inner-city males
You see, Barry, it's not the guns that are the problem. Hell, every one of these terrorist acts is stopped by good guys with guns. The problem is the culture in which these terrorist animals believe, and where they are free to practice their evil-doings.
Oh, and I hate to break this to you, but it ain't global warming, either. The airfare to Paris was a waste. Sorry to burst that CO2-filled bubble of yours.
But you know that. Yet you focus your efforts of control on the very sources able and willing to fix the problem.
What the hell is wrong with you?
Your actions, policies and rhetoric directly contribute to this problem. America is becoming one big "soft target" under your reign. You refuse to enforce our border laws, you enact stringent gun laws on the law-abiding, and you refuse to address the FACT that the vast majority of mass shootings are committed by anti-American liberals, black inner-city males and radical Muslims.
I'm still waiting to hear how just one of your "common sense" gun laws would have stopped a single mass shooting. C'mon, Barry, gimme just ONE.
I'll ask again - what the hell is wrong with you?
---
I know, I know. I'm brushing up against Einstein's definition of insanity (Doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different result). Barry won't change. Liberals won't change.
And the mass murderers won't change, either. They don't need to. They've got it good, here in America.
---
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Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
Friday, November 20, 2015
Gun Control Song
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Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Innovation Is A Bitch
I was working in my store late last night, listening to the Republican debates with one ear. Somewhere in the chatter, I heard a moderator make mention of the protesters that were outside the hall that was holding the debates. Something about the $15 per hour minimum wage.
Coincidentally, a good friend had sent me this link earlier in the day - just to piss me off, I'm sure ;-)
The article discusses how this insistence on getting paid for more than you're worth results in you being replaced. By a machine.
It is a concept that is lost on these, "I DESERVE more money!" soft-heads - the concept that virtually any job can be replaced by a less expensive alternative when push comes to shove.
And this is a big, aggressive shove.
Innovation rears its ugly head whenever government, "good intentions" force businesses to adopt practices the Nanny State feels are worthy.
First, a very simplified explanation on how a business works. While every business and industry are a bit different, the following concepts apply:
Cost of Goods Sold: The cost of the raw materials needed for whatever you sell. For instance, for a burger joint, that might be beef, tomatoes, buns, lettuce, mayo, pickles, potatoes, cheese, onions, etc. Let's say for this industry, this runs 30% of total income.
Operating Expenses: This is the cost to keep the joint running. In our example above, it would include rent, utilities, grills, fryers, maintenance expense, insurance expense, legal expense, advertising, taxes, fees, permits, inspections, etc. Let's say this also runs 30% of total income.
Employee Expenses: The cost of your employees to work for you. It includes wages/salaries, benefits, paid vacation, family leave, state, local and federal employment taxes, payroll expense, etc. Again, let's put this at 30% of income.
Profit: This is what the owner gets to keep. If it's a publicly traded company, any dividends paid come out of this pile (dividends are not allowed to be deducted as an expense of the company). Let's put this at 10% of total income.
Profit, on average, is actually lower than that. It averages 7.5%. Now, think about this: For every $100 in sales, the company keeps $7.50. Here in California, on average, the local and state sales tax authorities would get paid $9.00. This is on top of the fees, permits, licenses, et al, that are included in Operating Expenses. Any wonder business are fleeing California?
It's a delicate balance for a business owner. If expenses in one category goes up, that money has to be made up somewhere. The owner can either raise prices to cover the new expense, make less profit, or cut other expenses.
Raising prices is very risky, especially in a competitive industry, or in a crappy economy such as we're in. If your competitors don't also raise prices, you go out of business because you can't pay your bills.
Making less profit is the vehicle of choice for most non-business owners. Unlikely to happen. We invested our hard-earned money, and we expect a decent return on that investment. Seven and a half percent doesn't seem out of line to me. If you are willing to take the risk by investing your own money, and taking a lower profit, go right ahead and start your own business. Also, if it's a publicly traded company that pays dividends, that means a drop in those dividends that are paid into your 401(k) or other retirement accounts. Ouch... feel the burn?
That leaves us with cutting other expenses. Believe it or not, most business owners cut their employee salary/wage costs as a very last resort. We'll try and source lower costing raw materials. Maybe cut out some training or educational budgets. Perhaps a cut in the advertising account.
These are usually short-term fixes. Eventually, you've cut to the bone, and the hard choice of reducing employee expense gets made.
The consequences of requiring a burger joint to pay $15 an hour to an employee with $6.50 an hour skills comes home to roost.
So they innovate. In this case, as was noted in the linked article above, it means buying a machine that can make a perfect, and perfectly consistent burger at the rate of 360 burgers an hour.
No bitching.
No moaning.
No salary.
No employment taxes.
No payroll service.
No sick pay.
No vacation.
No disability insurance.
No HR department.
No nothing, other than the depreciation expense of a fixed asset that simply needs raw materials dumped into a hopper. They'll pay that one hopper-filler guy his $15 per hour.
I'll give you a real example from my business. The minimum wage in California is $9 an hour. We had an opening for a sign waver (you know, someone who stands on the corner waving a sign to attract business). For us to get a decent person, we had to pay a 22% premium over minimum wage ($11 an hour) to the high school student who got the job.
The amount of new business he brings in by waving that sign justifies the premium we paid.
I guarantee you, if California makes me pay this kid $15 an hour, he will be replaced by a machine.
So, for a one-time cost of $840 - about what this kid makes in one month as a part time employee - he is out of work.
My employee loses the experience that comes with going to a job every day, even when you don't feel like it. He never gets to learn the work ethic. And if he's like me, my first job taught me that I did not want to be stuck in a dead-end job working for minimum wage (like many of my older co-workers were stuck). It helped incentivize me to go to college so I could earn more money.
The state and city both lose, in at least two ways. First, no employee taxes are collected. Secondly, this kid is now more likely to join the growing line of recipients for government welfare programs.
Great plan, you idiots.
Throw Obamacare at us, and we reduce hiring levels or working hours. Make us pay for more than the value of our employee's skills, we replace them with machines. Pile on taxes and fees to pay for your socialist Nirvana, and we shut our doors and open them in another state - or another country - that understands and appreciates businesses.
Call it greed, selfishness or gluttony. Oh stop, I'm getting all teary-eyed. I call it survival. I will risk my time, experience and capital to make my life better. Will you do the same? Or do you just want to force me into paying for your desired lifestyle?
Get in my way, and I'll innovate around your blood-sucking, self-entitled, me-me-me ass. Now step aside.... I've got work to do.
---
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Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
Coincidentally, a good friend had sent me this link earlier in the day - just to piss me off, I'm sure ;-)
The article discusses how this insistence on getting paid for more than you're worth results in you being replaced. By a machine.
It is a concept that is lost on these, "I DESERVE more money!" soft-heads - the concept that virtually any job can be replaced by a less expensive alternative when push comes to shove.
And this is a big, aggressive shove.
Innovation rears its ugly head whenever government, "good intentions" force businesses to adopt practices the Nanny State feels are worthy.
First, a very simplified explanation on how a business works. While every business and industry are a bit different, the following concepts apply:
Cost of Goods Sold: The cost of the raw materials needed for whatever you sell. For instance, for a burger joint, that might be beef, tomatoes, buns, lettuce, mayo, pickles, potatoes, cheese, onions, etc. Let's say for this industry, this runs 30% of total income.
Operating Expenses: This is the cost to keep the joint running. In our example above, it would include rent, utilities, grills, fryers, maintenance expense, insurance expense, legal expense, advertising, taxes, fees, permits, inspections, etc. Let's say this also runs 30% of total income.
Employee Expenses: The cost of your employees to work for you. It includes wages/salaries, benefits, paid vacation, family leave, state, local and federal employment taxes, payroll expense, etc. Again, let's put this at 30% of income.
Profit: This is what the owner gets to keep. If it's a publicly traded company, any dividends paid come out of this pile (dividends are not allowed to be deducted as an expense of the company). Let's put this at 10% of total income.
Profit, on average, is actually lower than that. It averages 7.5%. Now, think about this: For every $100 in sales, the company keeps $7.50. Here in California, on average, the local and state sales tax authorities would get paid $9.00. This is on top of the fees, permits, licenses, et al, that are included in Operating Expenses. Any wonder business are fleeing California?
 |
| Source: American Enterprise Institute |
It's a delicate balance for a business owner. If expenses in one category goes up, that money has to be made up somewhere. The owner can either raise prices to cover the new expense, make less profit, or cut other expenses.
Raising prices is very risky, especially in a competitive industry, or in a crappy economy such as we're in. If your competitors don't also raise prices, you go out of business because you can't pay your bills.
Making less profit is the vehicle of choice for most non-business owners. Unlikely to happen. We invested our hard-earned money, and we expect a decent return on that investment. Seven and a half percent doesn't seem out of line to me. If you are willing to take the risk by investing your own money, and taking a lower profit, go right ahead and start your own business. Also, if it's a publicly traded company that pays dividends, that means a drop in those dividends that are paid into your 401(k) or other retirement accounts. Ouch... feel the burn?
That leaves us with cutting other expenses. Believe it or not, most business owners cut their employee salary/wage costs as a very last resort. We'll try and source lower costing raw materials. Maybe cut out some training or educational budgets. Perhaps a cut in the advertising account.
These are usually short-term fixes. Eventually, you've cut to the bone, and the hard choice of reducing employee expense gets made.
The consequences of requiring a burger joint to pay $15 an hour to an employee with $6.50 an hour skills comes home to roost.
So they innovate. In this case, as was noted in the linked article above, it means buying a machine that can make a perfect, and perfectly consistent burger at the rate of 360 burgers an hour.
No bitching.
No moaning.
No salary.
No employment taxes.
No payroll service.
No sick pay.
No vacation.
No disability insurance.
No HR department.
No nothing, other than the depreciation expense of a fixed asset that simply needs raw materials dumped into a hopper. They'll pay that one hopper-filler guy his $15 per hour.
I'll give you a real example from my business. The minimum wage in California is $9 an hour. We had an opening for a sign waver (you know, someone who stands on the corner waving a sign to attract business). For us to get a decent person, we had to pay a 22% premium over minimum wage ($11 an hour) to the high school student who got the job.
The amount of new business he brings in by waving that sign justifies the premium we paid.
I guarantee you, if California makes me pay this kid $15 an hour, he will be replaced by a machine.
So, for a one-time cost of $840 - about what this kid makes in one month as a part time employee - he is out of work.
My employee loses the experience that comes with going to a job every day, even when you don't feel like it. He never gets to learn the work ethic. And if he's like me, my first job taught me that I did not want to be stuck in a dead-end job working for minimum wage (like many of my older co-workers were stuck). It helped incentivize me to go to college so I could earn more money.
The state and city both lose, in at least two ways. First, no employee taxes are collected. Secondly, this kid is now more likely to join the growing line of recipients for government welfare programs.
Great plan, you idiots.
Throw Obamacare at us, and we reduce hiring levels or working hours. Make us pay for more than the value of our employee's skills, we replace them with machines. Pile on taxes and fees to pay for your socialist Nirvana, and we shut our doors and open them in another state - or another country - that understands and appreciates businesses.
Call it greed, selfishness or gluttony. Oh stop, I'm getting all teary-eyed. I call it survival. I will risk my time, experience and capital to make my life better. Will you do the same? Or do you just want to force me into paying for your desired lifestyle?
Get in my way, and I'll innovate around your blood-sucking, self-entitled, me-me-me ass. Now step aside.... I've got work to do.
---
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Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
Monday, November 2, 2015
Reaping What You Have Sown
When behavior such as was demonstrated by the student in the previous article is allowed to go unpunished, this is the result.
Wake the fuck up, America.
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Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
Wake the fuck up, America.
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Share this post! Click the Twitter, Facebook or Google+ icon below, and let your friends know!
Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
COWARD! Race Nazis Win Another One In South Carolina
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| The Cowardly Leon - Sheriff Leon Lott |
Him: So, what do you think of that cop down South that tossed that girl from her seat?
Me: I think the cop acted 100% appropriately. Why? What do you think?
Him: Are you kidding me! He grabbed that girl, flung her across the classroom like a rag doll! How can you be OK with that?
Me: Seriously? What do you know about what happened?
Him: Well, not much. I just saw the video and a headline on Yahoo, and if that was my kid, I ..... well, I don't want to say what I'd do. That was SO FAR out of line.
Me: I know exactly what I'd do. I'd be having my kid write a letter to the teacher, the vice principal, the cop and the sheriff's department apologizing for his behavior. Oh, and he'd be giving an apology to the class for the disruption.
Him: WTF?
I then proceeded to give him the facts, not just the manufactured race-baiting narrative.
The girl was not participating in the math class discussion.
Warning #1A, B, C ...: The BLACK math teacher saw her texting on her cell phone, and REPEATEDLY asked her to stop and give him the phone. She refused.
Warning #2: The teacher then told her to leave the classroom. She refused.
Warning #3: The teacher called the vice principal (the school has 2 that might fit - a white man and a black woman - both of whom have to do with security and discipline). The VP told her to leave the classroom. She refused.
Warning #4: The VP called the school resource officer. He told her to leave the classroom. She refused.
Four warnings. Four opportunities to act like a civilized human being. Four opportunities to cease the disruption in the classroom
Four opportunities to let this incident be resolved peacefully.
At this point, I asked my friend what HE would do, now that he had this information.
Him: I don't know. I just know that I wouldn't have done THAT!
Me: That's not what I asked. I asked you what you would actually do. Would you suggest a group hug session so that the girl could feel better about herself? Would you suggest that the rest of the class be asked to leave so that THEY didn't disturb HER? What would you DO?
Crickets chirping.
We discussed what the police should do when a business owner, or home owner have a disruptive customer or guest that refuses to leave. Do we just let them stay because they want to?
Me: And what about the other kids in the class. I'm sure at least some of them were actually there to learn something (it's a high school math class, so that may be a bit of a stretch!). What about THEIR rights? Their right to an education. Should the obstinate, entitled, self-centered wishes of a disruptive fellow student trump the rights of the entire classroom?
Him: Of course not. No reasonable person would do that. But he still didn't have to be so rough on her.
Me: Really? So what would you have done? After her 4 warnings, the cop grabbed her under the left arm to lift her from the chair. She resisted. She grabbed the chair with her right hand, holding on. THAT'S when the flip-and-pitch occurred. But not before she took a swing at him while she's still in the chair. The cop pulled her VERY FORCEFULLY to break her grip from the chair, and she went flying. What would you have done? Use your Taser? Pepper Spray her?
Him: No, no, no. None of that. I just don't know.
Me: Oh, and let me put a couple of cherries on top of the sundae: Both the BLACK teacher and the vice principal INITIALLY* said that the actions of the cop were appropriate to the situation. And the "racist" cop - he's dating a black woman. Has been for a long time.
(* I'll bet dollars to donuts that they NOW "think" it was excessive force. Wouldn't want to be called an Uncle Tom, right?)
---
We finished up breakfast, I got home, and I saw that the cop had been fired by his cowardly sheriff - let's call him The Cowardly Leon. The Cowardly Leon has also called the FBI and DOJ to look into civil rights abuses, blah, blah, blah.
What a worthless piece of crap. The Cowardly Leon admitted that she had been given - and ignored - all of the warnings, that the teacher and VP said the force used by the cop was appropriate, and that she had taken a swing at his deputy.
And he still fired the deputy.
The Cowardly Leon threw his deputy under the Politically Correct Bus. The Race Nazis win another round.
Oh, and his response to the question of, "What should the deputy have done?" He answered to the effect of, "Deputies shouldn't be called to classes to remove disruptive students. That's the job of the school."
Really, Cowardly Leon? Then what are your deputies doing there? Just figureheads?
---
Here's what I know. I know my grandchildren - whenever they arrive in this world - will NOT be going to government schools. Not in a million years.
The government schools in our area have turned into war zones, with verbal assaults and threats being hurled at teachers - and nothing being done. The only time there is any type of consequences is when there is a physical assault. For now. The inmates truly run the asylum.
Any attempt to enforce discipline is met with charges of racism. So they don't enforce discipline.
When these uneducated animals "graduate" (I'll be discussing this in an upcoming post), they have no skills - academically or socially - and then wonder why they can't find a job.
Hey, government school: You reap what you sow. Teach kids to underachieve, and play the victim whenever their lack of achievement is in the spotlight, and you end up with the pile of dung in which we find ourselves.
Well done! This is your, "Mission Accomplished" moment!
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Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
Monday, October 19, 2015
Your Last Warning
Ahh, there's panic in the air....
The frequency with which various US and foreign officials are discussing - and enacting - "anti-cash" legislation is increasing.
I've discussed before the techniques that will be employed to restrict the use of, then eventually outlaw cash. Some updates by governments instituting capital controls on its citizens:
Greece: The headline says it all - Greek Cash Ban Escalates: 'Permanent' Stricter "Capital Controls" On 3 Million Pensioners, Civil Servants Imposed - Instead of the "Soup Nazi", they've got the "Cash Nazi" - "No Cash For You!"
If you work for the government or you're getting a pension in Greece, you are now limited in how much cash you can withdraw each month -
USA: Here in 'Merica, the Money Chiefs are now openly discussing Negative Interest Rates - and more. What are negative interest rates? Well, you give the bank $100 and must pay for the privilege of them holding your money. Such a deal, right?
..."the costs aren't as great as you anticipate," - well thanks, sport, for letting me know that the money being taken from me isn't costing me very much.
But wait, there's more! These wasculy wabbits know that everyone would just pull their bucks from the banks - causing bank runs - and that's just not a very good thing. You must be punished for getting cash. From the same article -
I think that's too clumsy. I believe what they'll do is to charge a surcharge - like an ATM fee - whenever you ask for cash from a bank - even for over-the-counter transactions. It's much cleaner getting their cut up front!
And if you're not aware, many banks currently charge businesses for cash deposits. With my one of business banks, any cash deposits we make in excess of $5000 per month incur a 3% fee! Another of my business banks (actually a credit union) doesn't do this.... yet.
And it's all for the same reason: Tax collection. Make it painful to use anything other than (traceable) plastic to make purchases.
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I've been talking about this, literally for years. Dig through the archives to see this progression. When the Fed and the Propaganda Media start talking about what a great idea this is, it's time to start doing something about it.
Y'all know I'm an advocate for precious metals. This kind of activity only strengthens my position.
I want to give a couple of updated warnings, though.
First off, when I wrote, "The Beginner's Guide To Precious Metals", I discussed buying collectible (numismatic) coins. It is actually the very first topic!
We recently came across an excellent forgery. It was not detectable until the protective "slab" was cracked open and the coin was removed.
This little trick only works with coins that have the date on one side of the coin, and the mint mark on the other side.
In this case, it is a 1901 Morgan Silver dollar, minted from the Philadelphia mint. In this grade (mint state 62) it is worth in the neighborhood of $8,000 to $12,000.
Oooops........
What the counterfeiters did was, they married the obverse of a 1901 Morgan that was very inexpensive - likely the 1901 from the New Orleans mint (worth around $50) - with the reverse side of a Morgan from the Philly mint (these do not have a mint mark) that was also inexpensive.
Slice them down the middle, add some super glue, then put them into one of the big-name coin grader "slabs", and bang-zoom! you've got an expensive coin.
The key is the slab. The older versions masked the edge of the coin. The buyer did not have the ability to see the edge - thus they couldn't see the slice! Genius!
Here's the kicker: It was a real slab from this grading company. Apparently, they had had a number of these older-style slabs stolen.
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The second warning has to do with the sudden marketing push for "Gold IRAs". My personal opinion is that I don't like them at all.
First off, one of the beauties of owning physical gold and silver, is that if you pay cash for it (as you should be doing), you have effectively masked a source of wealth for governments to grab. They can't take it if they don't know you have it!
With a Gold IRA, you do have the ability to buy your physical coins with pre-tax dollars (if you're eligible for a self-directed IRA). But, now your gold is being reported to all flavors of government every single year.
While these self-directed IRAs are perhaps better than traditional IRAs - in that you have physical control of the assets - you've given up a huge benefit: anonymity.
YMMV - just know what you're doing, and consider the consequences down the road. Ask questions, be sure you understand the answers, and get them in writing. You've become the custodian for the IRA, and aren't being compensated for the risk of not following the letter of the (ever-changing) law.
---
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Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
The frequency with which various US and foreign officials are discussing - and enacting - "anti-cash" legislation is increasing.
I've discussed before the techniques that will be employed to restrict the use of, then eventually outlaw cash. Some updates by governments instituting capital controls on its citizens:
Greece: The headline says it all - Greek Cash Ban Escalates: 'Permanent' Stricter "Capital Controls" On 3 Million Pensioners, Civil Servants Imposed - Instead of the "Soup Nazi", they've got the "Cash Nazi" - "No Cash For You!"
If you work for the government or you're getting a pension in Greece, you are now limited in how much cash you can withdraw each month -
A shock-measure: civil servants and pensioners will be subject to stricter capital controls than the rest of the Greeks. They will be able to withdraw only €150 per week – with the cash withdrawal cap being €420 per week – that is a total of €600 per month. The rest of their wage or pension they will have to spend by using debit or credit card.Why? Tax collection, of course. Or lack thereof.
USA: Here in 'Merica, the Money Chiefs are now openly discussing Negative Interest Rates - and more. What are negative interest rates? Well, you give the bank $100 and must pay for the privilege of them holding your money. Such a deal, right?
“Some of the experiences [in Europe] suggest maybe can we use negative interest rates and the costs aren’t as great as you anticipate,” said William Dudley, the president of the New York Fed, in an interview on CNBC on Friday[10/09/15].
...
In fact, Narayana Kocherlakota, the dovish president of the Minneapolis Fed, projected negative rates in his latest forecast of the path of interest rates released last month.Well isn't that special? Two of the Federal Reserve presidents think negative rates are a good thing.
..."the costs aren't as great as you anticipate," - well thanks, sport, for letting me know that the money being taken from me isn't costing me very much.
But wait, there's more! These wasculy wabbits know that everyone would just pull their bucks from the banks - causing bank runs - and that's just not a very good thing. You must be punished for getting cash. From the same article -
But to get a big impact of negative rates, a country would have to cut rates on paper currency, he pointed out, and this would take some getting used to.
For instance, $100 in the bank would be worth only $98 after a certain period.There has been talk of adding "timer chips" to new currency so that you can tell how long it's been since a customer took it out of a bank.
I think that's too clumsy. I believe what they'll do is to charge a surcharge - like an ATM fee - whenever you ask for cash from a bank - even for over-the-counter transactions. It's much cleaner getting their cut up front!
And if you're not aware, many banks currently charge businesses for cash deposits. With my one of business banks, any cash deposits we make in excess of $5000 per month incur a 3% fee! Another of my business banks (actually a credit union) doesn't do this.... yet.
And it's all for the same reason: Tax collection. Make it painful to use anything other than (traceable) plastic to make purchases.
---
I've been talking about this, literally for years. Dig through the archives to see this progression. When the Fed and the Propaganda Media start talking about what a great idea this is, it's time to start doing something about it.
Although negative rates have a “Dr. Strangelove” feel, pushing rates into negative territory works in many ways just like a regular decline in interest rates that we’re all used to, said Miles Kimball, an economics professor at the University of Michigan and an advocate of negative rates.[In a calm, soothing, trustworthy, albeit snooty "Frasier Crane" voice] Nothing to see here. Come on, sheeple, this is for your own good. It's for the greater good!
Y'all know I'm an advocate for precious metals. This kind of activity only strengthens my position.
I want to give a couple of updated warnings, though.
First off, when I wrote, "The Beginner's Guide To Precious Metals", I discussed buying collectible (numismatic) coins. It is actually the very first topic!
Because of this increased market value, counterfeits are becoming more and more common. Not only are fake coins being produced, some are being placed in fake PCGS or NGC slabs!
...
The downside to numismatics keeps me away from personally buying them. For the coin to have numismatic value, someone else must share your opinion of value. I fear that if we head where I think we're headed - to an Argentina-like economic crash - the numismatic market will be seriously hurt. There will be fewer people available to spend their money on "frivolous" purchases such as rare coins. If they buy coins, it will be because of the market value of the base metal.God Bless collectors buying high-priced coins from my store, but they're not for preparedness-minded folks.
We recently came across an excellent forgery. It was not detectable until the protective "slab" was cracked open and the coin was removed.
This little trick only works with coins that have the date on one side of the coin, and the mint mark on the other side.
In this case, it is a 1901 Morgan Silver dollar, minted from the Philadelphia mint. In this grade (mint state 62) it is worth in the neighborhood of $8,000 to $12,000.
 |
| 1901 Philadelphia Mint - Obverse |
 |
| 1901 Philadelphia Mint - Reverse |
Oooops........
 |
| 1901 Philadelphia Mint - Not so much! |
What the counterfeiters did was, they married the obverse of a 1901 Morgan that was very inexpensive - likely the 1901 from the New Orleans mint (worth around $50) - with the reverse side of a Morgan from the Philly mint (these do not have a mint mark) that was also inexpensive.
Slice them down the middle, add some super glue, then put them into one of the big-name coin grader "slabs", and bang-zoom! you've got an expensive coin.
The key is the slab. The older versions masked the edge of the coin. The buyer did not have the ability to see the edge - thus they couldn't see the slice! Genius!
Here's the kicker: It was a real slab from this grading company. Apparently, they had had a number of these older-style slabs stolen.
---
The second warning has to do with the sudden marketing push for "Gold IRAs". My personal opinion is that I don't like them at all.
First off, one of the beauties of owning physical gold and silver, is that if you pay cash for it (as you should be doing), you have effectively masked a source of wealth for governments to grab. They can't take it if they don't know you have it!
With a Gold IRA, you do have the ability to buy your physical coins with pre-tax dollars (if you're eligible for a self-directed IRA). But, now your gold is being reported to all flavors of government every single year.
While these self-directed IRAs are perhaps better than traditional IRAs - in that you have physical control of the assets - you've given up a huge benefit: anonymity.
YMMV - just know what you're doing, and consider the consequences down the road. Ask questions, be sure you understand the answers, and get them in writing. You've become the custodian for the IRA, and aren't being compensated for the risk of not following the letter of the (ever-changing) law.
---
Share this post! Click the Twitter, Facebook or Google+ icon below, and let your friends know!
Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
Monday, October 5, 2015
Pistol Packin' Psychos
**Potty-mouth alert**
So, we've had another mass shooting at a school. No surprise there.
The common denominator of every one of these mass shootings is that they occur in Gun Free Zones. Why is that so difficult for parents, teachers, administrators and politicians to see that these laws turn schools, et al, into shooting galleries for the criminal class?
The crazy bastard James Holmes who shot 12 dead in the Colorado movie theater did extensive planning for his killing spree. He wanted a place where lots of people gathered. He considered an airport, but didn't want to be considered a terrorist. Just a mass murderer. And I'll bet the whole, "There will be guns pointed my way after a my first shot," got his attention, too.
So he chose a Gun Free Zone theater, even though the police were close by. He'd have plenty of time to do his deeds -
Why would I even consider that the best way to protect ourselves and our children in school from gun-toting maniacs would be to remove the means of defense from the good guys? It's the exact opposite of what makes sense.
Your president jumped on TV and said that he supported "common sense" gun laws. What might those be, Barry? Give me a couple of laws that restrict access to guns by good citizens that could have stopped some insane shit-head from shooting up a school. OK, I'll take just ONE, asshole!
As usual: Gun laws don't restrict criminals in their activities (they're criminals, you soft-headed piece of shit!). They restrict good citizens from stopping criminals in their illegal activities.
The usual list of "gun safety" solutions from these idiots:
"Gun Show Loophole" - What might that be? Do you mean you want all guns registered or that the buyer must first go through a background check? Tell me how that would stop these murders. If memory serves, all of the guns used in Oregon, Sandy Hook, etc., were LEGALLY obtained guns. How'd that law work out for ya? And the psycho that shot up Virginia Tech - the one who had been judged mentally incompetent - he PASSED YOUR FUCKING BACKGROUND CHECK!
"Magazine Size Limits" - Gawd, this hurts my head. When Mainstream America hears this one, they say, "Hey, that sounds good." In their heads, they envision Rambo with a fully automatic AK47 spraying down Commies. Did any of you mush-melons actually read about the Oregon shooting? Well, it seems that skippy lined up the victims, asked them their religion, then shot them - one by one - in the head or legs depending upon the answer (answering, "Christian" got you the head shot). How would having smaller magazines have reduced the number of dead/shot people? Spoiler Alert: IT WOULDN'T HAVE DONE SHIT. The same thing could have been done with a bolt action rifle or a single-action revolver. What would have stopped the carnage was a concealed pistol aimed and fired at the back of the sick bastard's head. I'll volunteer to provide the Formula 409 to clean the walls of his brains.
"Sue Gun Manufacturers" - I will agree to this just as soon as every victim of a felony car crash can sue the automobile manufacturer for the death. Or a felony knife stabbing. Or a felony baseball bat beating. Or a felon drowning in a pool, bathtub or bucket. Why not? All of those things did exactly what they were manufactured to do - cut/stab, batter something, hold water - but were misused by some psycho. "Guns are made for only one thing - to kill something." True dat - although just seeing a would-be victim with a gun stops MILLIONS of assaults each year. But it wasn't manufactured for murder. Some sick bastard chose to use it in that fashion. In their typical myopic vision, they don't see the unintended consequence: In their zeal to shut down gun manufacturers - and it would succeed - it would also remove guns from the police and military. Suck on that one for a minute, cupcake. Who's gonna protect your sorry ass now? Officer Nerf Pistol? Oh yeah, and it wouldn't stop Mr. Psycho from using a currently-existing gun, so it would do exactly NOTHING to stop the mass killings.
***
When my boys started school 20+ years ago, I gave them the same marching orders I was given when I was their age: "When challenged to a fight, reply, 'You throw the first punch, and I'll throw the last punch.'"
I meant it in both actual practice and philosophy. Don't go around picking fights, but don't be a victim for anyone. Ever.
Each year, we'd get the "school rules" - the ones that said any fighting - even in self-defense - would result in suspension. Each year, I'd have the talk with them again. I told them that if a fight ever came about, and they were defending themselves, swing for the fences, Lose your fucking mind in defending yourself! I'd take the heat. Throw my ass under the bus! "My dad told me to hit back!"
They had their fights - few and far-between - but I backed them every time, and they were never suspended. Why didn't they get into many fights? After all, they were both typical, rambunctious boys with more testosterone than sense. Because everyone knew they'd fight back. They were not going to get punked.
America is getting punked. This all feeds into the government-spoon-fed notion of the Value Of Victimhood. We fairly yearn to be victims. We'll pass some fucking law that makes all of the soft-headed plebes feel safe. And it does nothing. Other than letting the bad guys know they'll be able to do their deed unimpeded. Sure, the cops will eventually get there and stop the guy - with one of their guns - but not before the multiple, unnecessary deaths.
You're a defenseless victim. Let someone of authority fix your problem. Sorry your head got caved in, or your brains got blown out, but at least you have the moral superiority of following the law!
It's cliche, but true: Gun control isn't about guns, it's about control. Until you accept responsibility and control for your own life, you are nothing but a bucket of chum in a pool filled with sharks.
Fuck that shit.
---
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Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
So, we've had another mass shooting at a school. No surprise there.
The common denominator of every one of these mass shootings is that they occur in Gun Free Zones. Why is that so difficult for parents, teachers, administrators and politicians to see that these laws turn schools, et al, into shooting galleries for the criminal class?
The crazy bastard James Holmes who shot 12 dead in the Colorado movie theater did extensive planning for his killing spree. He wanted a place where lots of people gathered. He considered an airport, but didn't want to be considered a terrorist. Just a mass murderer. And I'll bet the whole, "There will be guns pointed my way after a my first shot," got his attention, too.
So he chose a Gun Free Zone theater, even though the police were close by. He'd have plenty of time to do his deeds -
In the notebook, Holmes diagrammed the individual theaters and even noted that a police station was just three minutes away. Holmes apparently visited the theater two weeks before the night of the shootings, a detective testified in 2013.
Holmes listed three options on how to conduct the shooting, when to begin the attack and weighed the possibilities. Holmes considered theaters 12, 10 and the theater he ended up in, 9.Do I WANT to have guns on campus, in churches and movie theaters? Hell no. I'd love everything to be all rainbows and unicorns, but I'm an adult. I recognize that there are bad guys in the world. Always have been, and there always will be.
Why would I even consider that the best way to protect ourselves and our children in school from gun-toting maniacs would be to remove the means of defense from the good guys? It's the exact opposite of what makes sense.
Your president jumped on TV and said that he supported "common sense" gun laws. What might those be, Barry? Give me a couple of laws that restrict access to guns by good citizens that could have stopped some insane shit-head from shooting up a school. OK, I'll take just ONE, asshole!
As usual: Gun laws don't restrict criminals in their activities (they're criminals, you soft-headed piece of shit!). They restrict good citizens from stopping criminals in their illegal activities.
The usual list of "gun safety" solutions from these idiots:
"Gun Show Loophole" - What might that be? Do you mean you want all guns registered or that the buyer must first go through a background check? Tell me how that would stop these murders. If memory serves, all of the guns used in Oregon, Sandy Hook, etc., were LEGALLY obtained guns. How'd that law work out for ya? And the psycho that shot up Virginia Tech - the one who had been judged mentally incompetent - he PASSED YOUR FUCKING BACKGROUND CHECK!
"Magazine Size Limits" - Gawd, this hurts my head. When Mainstream America hears this one, they say, "Hey, that sounds good." In their heads, they envision Rambo with a fully automatic AK47 spraying down Commies. Did any of you mush-melons actually read about the Oregon shooting? Well, it seems that skippy lined up the victims, asked them their religion, then shot them - one by one - in the head or legs depending upon the answer (answering, "Christian" got you the head shot). How would having smaller magazines have reduced the number of dead/shot people? Spoiler Alert: IT WOULDN'T HAVE DONE SHIT. The same thing could have been done with a bolt action rifle or a single-action revolver. What would have stopped the carnage was a concealed pistol aimed and fired at the back of the sick bastard's head. I'll volunteer to provide the Formula 409 to clean the walls of his brains.
"Sue Gun Manufacturers" - I will agree to this just as soon as every victim of a felony car crash can sue the automobile manufacturer for the death. Or a felony knife stabbing. Or a felony baseball bat beating. Or a felon drowning in a pool, bathtub or bucket. Why not? All of those things did exactly what they were manufactured to do - cut/stab, batter something, hold water - but were misused by some psycho. "Guns are made for only one thing - to kill something." True dat - although just seeing a would-be victim with a gun stops MILLIONS of assaults each year. But it wasn't manufactured for murder. Some sick bastard chose to use it in that fashion. In their typical myopic vision, they don't see the unintended consequence: In their zeal to shut down gun manufacturers - and it would succeed - it would also remove guns from the police and military. Suck on that one for a minute, cupcake. Who's gonna protect your sorry ass now? Officer Nerf Pistol? Oh yeah, and it wouldn't stop Mr. Psycho from using a currently-existing gun, so it would do exactly NOTHING to stop the mass killings.
***
When my boys started school 20+ years ago, I gave them the same marching orders I was given when I was their age: "When challenged to a fight, reply, 'You throw the first punch, and I'll throw the last punch.'"
I meant it in both actual practice and philosophy. Don't go around picking fights, but don't be a victim for anyone. Ever.
Each year, we'd get the "school rules" - the ones that said any fighting - even in self-defense - would result in suspension. Each year, I'd have the talk with them again. I told them that if a fight ever came about, and they were defending themselves, swing for the fences, Lose your fucking mind in defending yourself! I'd take the heat. Throw my ass under the bus! "My dad told me to hit back!"
They had their fights - few and far-between - but I backed them every time, and they were never suspended. Why didn't they get into many fights? After all, they were both typical, rambunctious boys with more testosterone than sense. Because everyone knew they'd fight back. They were not going to get punked.
America is getting punked. This all feeds into the government-spoon-fed notion of the Value Of Victimhood. We fairly yearn to be victims. We'll pass some fucking law that makes all of the soft-headed plebes feel safe. And it does nothing. Other than letting the bad guys know they'll be able to do their deed unimpeded. Sure, the cops will eventually get there and stop the guy - with one of their guns - but not before the multiple, unnecessary deaths.
You're a defenseless victim. Let someone of authority fix your problem. Sorry your head got caved in, or your brains got blown out, but at least you have the moral superiority of following the law!
It's cliche, but true: Gun control isn't about guns, it's about control. Until you accept responsibility and control for your own life, you are nothing but a bucket of chum in a pool filled with sharks.
Fuck that shit.
---
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Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Evil Capitalists Saving Lives
Money is incentive. Greed is good.
You may have heard about the hedge fund manager who spent $55 million to buy the rights to some drug that helps people with messed up immune systems. Things like HIV, malaria, and others.
The cost of one dose went from $13.50 to $750.
All of the socialists, and many conservatives are screaming that this sucks the big one, and something needs to be done.
Lives are at risk! Babies will die! Capitalism is evil!
True enough, some lives may be at risk, and some babies might die. But capitalism is not evil. In fact, it's what produces all of the "wonder drugs" we have access to today.
Without capitalism - without greed - there are very few people with enough private money that are willing to forego a profit to do the research, testing, approval regime, marketing, manufacturing and distribution of so much as a baby aspirin.
The greedy drug companies must be forced to provide these life-saving drugs for the greater good!
I can just about guarantee you, that is exactly what is going to happen in this case. Some self-important congressman or senator is going to flap his gums and thump his chest on all of the cable news channels, and get some law passed.
They're gonna bitch-slap this evil capitalist.
Now, some of you so-called conservatives will agree with this confiscation of property. You're going to justify this by saying that this drug has been around for over 60 years, and he has no right to jack up the price just because he wants to get rich.
How do you think this is going to play in the board rooms of the drug companies and medical equipment innovators that are in the middle of inventing the next miracle drug or device? Do you think that they're going to invest the billions of dollars it takes to develop their product, THEN to get through all of the bullshit regulations?
Why the hell would they risk their capital if someone - who HASN'T invested billions of dollars - can set the "fair market" price of their product?
They're not going to do it. And we're all going to suffer for it.
To put a finer point on this, in 1950 (just before this drug was invented) the average US life expectancy was 68.2 years. In 2010, it was 78.7 years. Ten and a half more years of life, and a major portion of that can be attributed to the drugs and equipment that are now available to cure everything from AIDS to high cholesterol.
You disagree that their greed has extended your life? Then throw out every damned drug in your household. Not just some, but every damned one, to show how principled an individual you really are.
And while you're at it, the next time you're seriously ill, be sure to refuse treatment from the MRI's and CT scans, the heart stents, the dialysis machines, et al. Someone built those to make a dirty, disgusting profit, and you don't want to be a hypocrite, right?
Capitalism and Freedom spawn innovation and advancement. Socialism and Statism destroy them.
The "Greater Good" benefits from individual greed.
Risk begets reward. Mess with that equation, and you're literally messing with your life.
***
Let me nip this in the bud right now: OK, Chief, you'd be singing a different tune if you or your family had to pay these exorbitant prices!
Actually, no I wouldn't. I would find a way to pay for it. You see, I have not allowed myself to become dependent on The State for my well-being. I assume that some shit like this WILL happen to me, and I've planned for that.
Would I be pissed off? Oh, hell yes! But I sure as hell wouldn't sit wallowing in my tears waiting for The State to fix my problem. I'd find a solution.
I hope I'd remember an incident that I just witness with my own eyes: A friend and partner recently died.
And he was brought back from the dead. His heart had to be restarted 3 times. For 20 minutes, they poked, shocked and provided air to his unresponsive body as it lay on his bedroom floor. In the hospital, after viewing an MRI of his heart, they found his main cardiac artery was 100% clogged. They inserted a stent in his heart, and restored blood flow.
Due to the combination of technology, drugs and medical expertise, he was home 6 days after this heart attack - a heart attack from which he would not have survived only 10 years ago. He was back at work 14 days after he had died.
I'm pretty sure he's OK with the capitalist system that invented the drugs and equipment that restored his life. You should be, too.
---
Share this post! Click the Twitter, Facebook or Google+ icon below, and let your friends know!
Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
You may have heard about the hedge fund manager who spent $55 million to buy the rights to some drug that helps people with messed up immune systems. Things like HIV, malaria, and others.
The cost of one dose went from $13.50 to $750.
All of the socialists, and many conservatives are screaming that this sucks the big one, and something needs to be done.
Lives are at risk! Babies will die! Capitalism is evil!
True enough, some lives may be at risk, and some babies might die. But capitalism is not evil. In fact, it's what produces all of the "wonder drugs" we have access to today.
Without capitalism - without greed - there are very few people with enough private money that are willing to forego a profit to do the research, testing, approval regime, marketing, manufacturing and distribution of so much as a baby aspirin.
The greedy drug companies must be forced to provide these life-saving drugs for the greater good!
I can just about guarantee you, that is exactly what is going to happen in this case. Some self-important congressman or senator is going to flap his gums and thump his chest on all of the cable news channels, and get some law passed.
They're gonna bitch-slap this evil capitalist.
Now, some of you so-called conservatives will agree with this confiscation of property. You're going to justify this by saying that this drug has been around for over 60 years, and he has no right to jack up the price just because he wants to get rich.
How do you think this is going to play in the board rooms of the drug companies and medical equipment innovators that are in the middle of inventing the next miracle drug or device? Do you think that they're going to invest the billions of dollars it takes to develop their product, THEN to get through all of the bullshit regulations?
Why the hell would they risk their capital if someone - who HASN'T invested billions of dollars - can set the "fair market" price of their product?
They're not going to do it. And we're all going to suffer for it.
To put a finer point on this, in 1950 (just before this drug was invented) the average US life expectancy was 68.2 years. In 2010, it was 78.7 years. Ten and a half more years of life, and a major portion of that can be attributed to the drugs and equipment that are now available to cure everything from AIDS to high cholesterol.
You disagree that their greed has extended your life? Then throw out every damned drug in your household. Not just some, but every damned one, to show how principled an individual you really are.
And while you're at it, the next time you're seriously ill, be sure to refuse treatment from the MRI's and CT scans, the heart stents, the dialysis machines, et al. Someone built those to make a dirty, disgusting profit, and you don't want to be a hypocrite, right?
Capitalism and Freedom spawn innovation and advancement. Socialism and Statism destroy them.
The "Greater Good" benefits from individual greed.
Risk begets reward. Mess with that equation, and you're literally messing with your life.
***
Let me nip this in the bud right now: OK, Chief, you'd be singing a different tune if you or your family had to pay these exorbitant prices!
Actually, no I wouldn't. I would find a way to pay for it. You see, I have not allowed myself to become dependent on The State for my well-being. I assume that some shit like this WILL happen to me, and I've planned for that.
Would I be pissed off? Oh, hell yes! But I sure as hell wouldn't sit wallowing in my tears waiting for The State to fix my problem. I'd find a solution.
I hope I'd remember an incident that I just witness with my own eyes: A friend and partner recently died.
And he was brought back from the dead. His heart had to be restarted 3 times. For 20 minutes, they poked, shocked and provided air to his unresponsive body as it lay on his bedroom floor. In the hospital, after viewing an MRI of his heart, they found his main cardiac artery was 100% clogged. They inserted a stent in his heart, and restored blood flow.
Due to the combination of technology, drugs and medical expertise, he was home 6 days after this heart attack - a heart attack from which he would not have survived only 10 years ago. He was back at work 14 days after he had died.
I'm pretty sure he's OK with the capitalist system that invented the drugs and equipment that restored his life. You should be, too.
---
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Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
Friday, September 11, 2015
Stop The Pity Party!
I saw this image yesterday, and knew it was going to be a rough day today.
The national pity party was gearing up.
"Oh, a rainbow coming from the new Trade Center..... Unity and remembrance.... A sense of renewal and hope...."
I wanted to projectile vomit.
I awoke this morning to Fox news (TV was left on over night) and some kid reading a list of names. My initial foggy reaction was, "WTF?" Then, a bell rang on TV - signifying when the first plane struck the World Trade Center - and that snapped me out of my slumber.
Let The Pity Party Begin!!
We do this shit every year. This celebration of victimhood. If you lost someone that day, OK, mourn their passing. I get that.
But that's not what this is all about. It's the "6 Degrees of Separation" victimhood it seems everyone has to the events from 14 years ago.
"My dog was bred at a kennel in San Diego, and the kennel owner had just returned from a visit to his grandmother in NYC. JUST TWO DAYS BEFORE THE ATTACK! I'm still reeling from the experience."
I want to punch them in the head. If you're not a victim, you're just not cool.
How about this? If we MUST do something on this day, how about we celebrate the actual, bonafide heroes from that day.
Yes, many of the cops and firefighters for sure, did incredibly heroic acts. But also shine the light on the regular, every-day people who performed acts of bravery to help others without the expectation of reward.
Tell their story to help us shake off this, "I'm scared of the boogie-man" mentality. Shine the light on the people who put their lives in danger to save the life of another.
THAT'S how you build a strong national culture of service and community.
Like the 24 year old equities trader who saved 18 lives before he was killed.
Or the chef who saved hundreds, and who died because he went back to help a woman in a wheelchair.
Or the internet entrepreneur who was the first death of the day as he fought the hijackers, but was ultimately stabbed to death. A plane full of people, but he's the one that took action.
Heroism is defined by your actions, not by your job.
Encourage and celebrate bravery and success. Stop with the victim mentality and end this national pity party.
Stop cowering, and grow a pair, America.
---
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Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
The national pity party was gearing up.
"Oh, a rainbow coming from the new Trade Center..... Unity and remembrance.... A sense of renewal and hope...."
I wanted to projectile vomit.
I awoke this morning to Fox news (TV was left on over night) and some kid reading a list of names. My initial foggy reaction was, "WTF?" Then, a bell rang on TV - signifying when the first plane struck the World Trade Center - and that snapped me out of my slumber.
Let The Pity Party Begin!!
We do this shit every year. This celebration of victimhood. If you lost someone that day, OK, mourn their passing. I get that.
But that's not what this is all about. It's the "6 Degrees of Separation" victimhood it seems everyone has to the events from 14 years ago.
"My dog was bred at a kennel in San Diego, and the kennel owner had just returned from a visit to his grandmother in NYC. JUST TWO DAYS BEFORE THE ATTACK! I'm still reeling from the experience."
I want to punch them in the head. If you're not a victim, you're just not cool.
How about this? If we MUST do something on this day, how about we celebrate the actual, bonafide heroes from that day.
Yes, many of the cops and firefighters for sure, did incredibly heroic acts. But also shine the light on the regular, every-day people who performed acts of bravery to help others without the expectation of reward.
Tell their story to help us shake off this, "I'm scared of the boogie-man" mentality. Shine the light on the people who put their lives in danger to save the life of another.
THAT'S how you build a strong national culture of service and community.
Like the 24 year old equities trader who saved 18 lives before he was killed.
Or the chef who saved hundreds, and who died because he went back to help a woman in a wheelchair.
Or the internet entrepreneur who was the first death of the day as he fought the hijackers, but was ultimately stabbed to death. A plane full of people, but he's the one that took action.
Heroism is defined by your actions, not by your job.
Encourage and celebrate bravery and success. Stop with the victim mentality and end this national pity party.
Stop cowering, and grow a pair, America.
---
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Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
Thursday, September 3, 2015
I'll Put My Money On History
Ahhh, the pause that refreshes.
While on my break, I had some time to think. Here are some semi-random thoughts:
1. Diversity - We all know that this is a code word for affirmative action. There aren't enough women or minorities in various businesses or industries, and it MUST be changed.
Why?
In essence, it's saying that regardless of skills, effort, ambition or qualifications, you must have a minimum number of blacks/Hispanics/Asians/women in your company. The Party Line is that it will bring a new persepective to the company, and things will be all rainbows and unicorns.
That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.
Hey, if it's such a great idea, why don't you start your own company with under/non-skilled employees and see how that works for you? [queue chirping crickets]
Don't you idiots think that if skin color or personal plumbing were more important than skills for a successful business, it would have already been done?
Read that out loud so you can hear how stupid it sounds.
And that's one of the big problems with our country right now. The socialists - with their diversity and inclusiveness programs - never put their own money where their mouth is. They take OUR money instead. They are unwilling to risk their own capital on their Great Experiment, but they're damned quick to risk yours.
There are LOTS of rich socialists - Soros and the majority of rich Hollywood actors leap to mind. Pony up a pile of your own money, and then walk away. And when that money is gone, pony up another pile. And another, and another.
They're "entitled" to it, aren't they?
As a side note, it's also a slap in the face of the minorities/women that are in these programs. It is acknowledgement that you, as an individual, can't make it on your own.
Wipe your own ass, get some education, and grow a pair. You're not a victim, you're just not willing to take the time to develop the skills needed to succeed.
2. Going Cashless - It's raising its ugly head again. I wrote about this last May (Buh-Bye Cash) - it is in all government's best interest to outlaw cash transactions. Why? Control and taxes.
France has now, once again, lowered the bar for cash transactions. It's gone from 3000 euros to 1000 euros. Soon enough, it will be zero.
They always justify it with the "common good" explanations - druggies and terrorists with their money laundering schemes.
That's unadulterated crap.
If a transaction happens in cash, it can't be taxed, because it isn't in a database somewhere and The State doesn't know it happened. Also, the various world entities such as our Federal Reserve Bank can't discourage savings (and encourage spending) by placing negative interest rates on deposit accounts.
Right now, if you're getting charged by the bank to hold your money (negative rates), you take it out in cash and hide it under the mattress. If everything is electronic-only, you've got to spend the money or see it "die a death of a thousand cuts" - slowly frittering away to nothing as it sits in an account.
See, The State knows better than you on how you should manage your money. Spend it, and sales happen. When sales happen, they get their taxes. All good!
What rational people do is to buy durable, trade-able goods. Toilet paper, tools, guns, ammo, soap, dried foods, etc.
And precious metals. It's all about preservation of assets.
Look to Venezuela, Greece and Argentina right now. When you impose either capital controls (such as described above) or have hyper-inflation, tangible assets are your only safe haven.
Serious as a heart attack, get thee some precious metals, and practice, practice, practice your negotiating skills. Go to garage sales, buy and sell on Craigslist, go to a farmer's market and haggle. Get over your reluctance to negotiate.
Your future well being will depend upon it.
3. Police murders - This recent spate of out-and-out executions of police officers is, I fear, just the start. Years ago, when the obscene abuses perpetrated by some police officers - which were then swept under the rug - started coming to light, I noted that people were eventually going to push back, and it would be done violently.
I'm talking about things like brutal beatings for standing up for your rights, no-knock warrants, shootings, asset forfeitures, killing of yard dogs, arrests on trumped up charges, etc. Now, with the widespread use of smartphone cameras, the formerly unquestioned word of the Boys In Blue that were abusing the citizens can be shown to be lies.
The abuse of Color of Authority was more widespread than we had thought.
Let's be clear: I am in no way condoning or approving of these murders, I'm just saying that I saw this result coming from a mile away.
I've stated that the only way to head this off was for police chiefs and Sheriffs to quickly and very publicly discipline/fire/prosecute offending officers, instead of the usual "reassignment" or other non-punishment that was typically meted out.
I'm pleased to see that this punishment is happening with greater frequency, but I think it's too little, too late.
We've now got this bullshit, "Black Lives Matter" circle jerk, and it's stirring things up. Not the non-PC "All Lives Matter," only black lives.
I was listening to the radio this past week, and the host noted that in the US each year, about 100 blacks are killed by white police officers each year. That includes everything - justifiable and non-justifiable. Also each year, 5600 blacks kill other blacks. A 56-to-1 ratio. I'm going out on a limb here and guessing an incredibly low percentage of those were justifiable.
So I guess their slogan should be changed to, "Black Lives Matter Unless You're Also Black."
To emphasize the insanity of this movement, a black guy who calls himself, "King Nobel, Black Supremacy", posted this (watch the whole 3 minute video) [link] -
As the Israelis do with the Muslims, I believe him. When some group says they want to slaughter a group to which I'm a member - I take that seriously.
Their approach is taking our collective eye off the ball: We've got a handful of bad cops that need to be dealt with quickly and publicly.
This psycho thinks that by making it "open season" on anyone or any group, the problem will go away. Instead of going after the specific offenders - legally - I believe this "wipe 'em all out" approach will result in a similarly aggressive and violent response.
Got range time? Got SecondCall Defense?
3B. Social Justice - Is this the kind of social justice you're looking for, King Nobel?
Holy shit. Drug 'em up and get 'em in line. Hey, and it's free, too. Well, it's free to those getting the blow dart in the neck. It's not free to the dwindling ranks of tax payers.
I'll bet this works out as well as welfare and affirmative action have worked out.
New motto for Medicaid: Building victims and dependents, one dose at a time...
***
So, what do all of these things have in common? They are all about your personal freedom. More precisely, they are rooted in some form of government using its power to restrict your freedoms.
No freedom to choose with whom you work or hire, no freedom to terminate bad government or private employees, no freedom to educate your children as you see fit, no freedom to spend your earned money as you see fit, and no freedom to keep the money you've earned.
It takes work, effort and planning, but if your assets are "above board" - in bank accounts, savings accounts, retirement accounts, trading accounts - they are all subject to seizure or control by a State entity.
As noted earlier, the Black Lives Matter bullshit is, well, bullshit. But, it is but a symptom of a greater, socialist/control cancer that's in our country - and it's spreading quite rapidly.
It's ALWAYS about the money.
Once The State's, "Wizard Of Oz: lever-pulling eventually fails to keep the markets and financial systems in line, what do you think will be the result?
Once again, I direct you to Venezuela, Greece and Argentina for a preview of things to come. State control of markets and financial systems has NEVER worked in the history of the world. Every time it's been tried, it has failed. Without exception.
Capital controls result in shortages of goods because The State won't allow money to flow out so goods can be purchased. The shortages result in civil unrest, and the collapse of public safety.
In short: Those that have become dependent upon The State with their worthless Barry Bucks still want to eat. Empty shelves and a full EBT card are not a good combination for people with no skills. And then the shit hits the fan.
I could be wrong, but if I were a betting man, I'd be putting my money on history...
---
Share this post! Click the Twitter, Facebook or Google+ icon below, and let your friends know!
Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
While on my break, I had some time to think. Here are some semi-random thoughts:
1. Diversity - We all know that this is a code word for affirmative action. There aren't enough women or minorities in various businesses or industries, and it MUST be changed.
Why?
In essence, it's saying that regardless of skills, effort, ambition or qualifications, you must have a minimum number of blacks/Hispanics/Asians/women in your company. The Party Line is that it will bring a new persepective to the company, and things will be all rainbows and unicorns.
That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.
Hey, if it's such a great idea, why don't you start your own company with under/non-skilled employees and see how that works for you? [queue chirping crickets]
Don't you idiots think that if skin color or personal plumbing were more important than skills for a successful business, it would have already been done?
Diversity in the workplace is more important than skills in the workplace.
Read that out loud so you can hear how stupid it sounds.
And that's one of the big problems with our country right now. The socialists - with their diversity and inclusiveness programs - never put their own money where their mouth is. They take OUR money instead. They are unwilling to risk their own capital on their Great Experiment, but they're damned quick to risk yours.
There are LOTS of rich socialists - Soros and the majority of rich Hollywood actors leap to mind. Pony up a pile of your own money, and then walk away. And when that money is gone, pony up another pile. And another, and another.
They're "entitled" to it, aren't they?
As a side note, it's also a slap in the face of the minorities/women that are in these programs. It is acknowledgement that you, as an individual, can't make it on your own.
Wipe your own ass, get some education, and grow a pair. You're not a victim, you're just not willing to take the time to develop the skills needed to succeed.
2. Going Cashless - It's raising its ugly head again. I wrote about this last May (Buh-Bye Cash) - it is in all government's best interest to outlaw cash transactions. Why? Control and taxes.
France has now, once again, lowered the bar for cash transactions. It's gone from 3000 euros to 1000 euros. Soon enough, it will be zero.
They always justify it with the "common good" explanations - druggies and terrorists with their money laundering schemes.
That's unadulterated crap.
If a transaction happens in cash, it can't be taxed, because it isn't in a database somewhere and The State doesn't know it happened. Also, the various world entities such as our Federal Reserve Bank can't discourage savings (and encourage spending) by placing negative interest rates on deposit accounts.
Right now, if you're getting charged by the bank to hold your money (negative rates), you take it out in cash and hide it under the mattress. If everything is electronic-only, you've got to spend the money or see it "die a death of a thousand cuts" - slowly frittering away to nothing as it sits in an account.
See, The State knows better than you on how you should manage your money. Spend it, and sales happen. When sales happen, they get their taxes. All good!
What rational people do is to buy durable, trade-able goods. Toilet paper, tools, guns, ammo, soap, dried foods, etc.
And precious metals. It's all about preservation of assets.
Look to Venezuela, Greece and Argentina right now. When you impose either capital controls (such as described above) or have hyper-inflation, tangible assets are your only safe haven.
Serious as a heart attack, get thee some precious metals, and practice, practice, practice your negotiating skills. Go to garage sales, buy and sell on Craigslist, go to a farmer's market and haggle. Get over your reluctance to negotiate.
Your future well being will depend upon it.
3. Police murders - This recent spate of out-and-out executions of police officers is, I fear, just the start. Years ago, when the obscene abuses perpetrated by some police officers - which were then swept under the rug - started coming to light, I noted that people were eventually going to push back, and it would be done violently.
I'm talking about things like brutal beatings for standing up for your rights, no-knock warrants, shootings, asset forfeitures, killing of yard dogs, arrests on trumped up charges, etc. Now, with the widespread use of smartphone cameras, the formerly unquestioned word of the Boys In Blue that were abusing the citizens can be shown to be lies.
The abuse of Color of Authority was more widespread than we had thought.
Let's be clear: I am in no way condoning or approving of these murders, I'm just saying that I saw this result coming from a mile away.
I've stated that the only way to head this off was for police chiefs and Sheriffs to quickly and very publicly discipline/fire/prosecute offending officers, instead of the usual "reassignment" or other non-punishment that was typically meted out.
I'm pleased to see that this punishment is happening with greater frequency, but I think it's too little, too late.
We've now got this bullshit, "Black Lives Matter" circle jerk, and it's stirring things up. Not the non-PC "All Lives Matter," only black lives.
I was listening to the radio this past week, and the host noted that in the US each year, about 100 blacks are killed by white police officers each year. That includes everything - justifiable and non-justifiable. Also each year, 5600 blacks kill other blacks. A 56-to-1 ratio. I'm going out on a limb here and guessing an incredibly low percentage of those were justifiable.
So I guess their slogan should be changed to, "Black Lives Matter Unless You're Also Black."
To emphasize the insanity of this movement, a black guy who calls himself, "King Nobel, Black Supremacy", posted this (watch the whole 3 minute video) [link] -
"It's open season on killing whites and police... and they better make some serious, serious changes... social changes... at this point, 'cuz it ain't lookin' good."
As the Israelis do with the Muslims, I believe him. When some group says they want to slaughter a group to which I'm a member - I take that seriously.
Their approach is taking our collective eye off the ball: We've got a handful of bad cops that need to be dealt with quickly and publicly.
This psycho thinks that by making it "open season" on anyone or any group, the problem will go away. Instead of going after the specific offenders - legally - I believe this "wipe 'em all out" approach will result in a similarly aggressive and violent response.
Got range time? Got SecondCall Defense?
3B. Social Justice - Is this the kind of social justice you're looking for, King Nobel?
Dr. Anderson’s instinct, he said, is that of a “social justice thinker” who is “evening the scales a little bit.” He said that the children he sees with academic problems are essentially “mismatched with their environment” — square pegs chafing the round holes of public education. Because their families can rarely afford behavior-based therapies like tutoring and family counseling, he said, medication becomes the most reliable and pragmatic way to redirect the student toward success.
“People who are getting A’s and B’s, I won’t give it to them,” he said. For some parents the pills provide great relief. Jacqueline Williams said she can’t thank Dr. Anderson enough for diagnosing A.D.H.D. in her children — Eric, 15; Chekiara, 14; and Shamya, 11 — and prescribing Concerta, a long-acting stimulant, for them all. She said each was having trouble listening to instructions and concentrating on schoolwork.
“My kids don’t want to take it, but I told them, ‘These are your grades when you’re taking it, this is when you don’t,’ and they understood,” Ms. Williams said, noting that Medicaid covers almost every penny of her doctor and prescription costs.
Holy shit. Drug 'em up and get 'em in line. Hey, and it's free, too. Well, it's free to those getting the blow dart in the neck. It's not free to the dwindling ranks of tax payers.
I'll bet this works out as well as welfare and affirmative action have worked out.
New motto for Medicaid: Building victims and dependents, one dose at a time...
***
So, what do all of these things have in common? They are all about your personal freedom. More precisely, they are rooted in some form of government using its power to restrict your freedoms.
No freedom to choose with whom you work or hire, no freedom to terminate bad government or private employees, no freedom to educate your children as you see fit, no freedom to spend your earned money as you see fit, and no freedom to keep the money you've earned.
It takes work, effort and planning, but if your assets are "above board" - in bank accounts, savings accounts, retirement accounts, trading accounts - they are all subject to seizure or control by a State entity.
As noted earlier, the Black Lives Matter bullshit is, well, bullshit. But, it is but a symptom of a greater, socialist/control cancer that's in our country - and it's spreading quite rapidly.
It's ALWAYS about the money.
Once The State's, "Wizard Of Oz: lever-pulling eventually fails to keep the markets and financial systems in line, what do you think will be the result?
Once again, I direct you to Venezuela, Greece and Argentina for a preview of things to come. State control of markets and financial systems has NEVER worked in the history of the world. Every time it's been tried, it has failed. Without exception.
Capital controls result in shortages of goods because The State won't allow money to flow out so goods can be purchased. The shortages result in civil unrest, and the collapse of public safety.
In short: Those that have become dependent upon The State with their worthless Barry Bucks still want to eat. Empty shelves and a full EBT card are not a good combination for people with no skills. And then the shit hits the fan.
I could be wrong, but if I were a betting man, I'd be putting my money on history...
---
Share this post! Click the Twitter, Facebook or Google+ icon below, and let your friends know!
Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Welcome To The Book Burning!
I've gotta tell ya, those Marxist/statists have this game down to a tee. The whole, "Don't let a good emergency go to waste" philosophy.
It really helps the cause when you have the press corps slobbering all over themselves to cover these Marxist stories.
Watching their "Machine" kick into overdrive is a truly amazing thing. Went from zero to warp speed in the blink of an eye.
So, what is the emergency du jour this time around? You have one white, died-in-the-wool racist piece of crap shoot and kill a bunch of blacks in a church, and the statists fall all over themselves to shove through their agenda.
Obama originally - and predictably - took a swing at gun control before the bodies were even in the morgue. If he had a lick of common sense, he'd have considered that if just one or two people from that church had guns on them when the racist started shooting, fewer congregation members would be dead.
But facts and logic get in the way of making an emotional appeal to the Bread and Circus crowd.
When that attack was snuffed out fairly quickly, there was this -
The little racist is photoed waving a Confederate flag. With dizzying swiftness, all kinds of companies start banning anything with this flag on it. Ebay and Amazon were the first I heard about. Then Walmart and others followed the lemmings. I saw that NASCAR was looking to ban it as well.
That will be interesting.
OK, so what's the rule? If just one person is offended by something, it's got to be banned? No, that can't be it, because there are LOTS of people offended by the whole gay marriage deal. Their multicolored rainbow flag is still allowed at all of those stores, and also resulted in the White House being lit up like a Christmas tree.
That's the actual White House, all dolled up with colored lights. I'm offended. Burn all of the photos.
Maybe the rule is, these companies won't sell anything that has to do with racism. No, wrong again. I found hats, flags, books, buttons - all kinds of crap - from racist organizations such as the NAACP, The New Black Panther Party and The Nation of Islam.
If I thought listing all of these racist organizations would change a damned thing, I could take perhaps a half hour and find dozens more examples.
But it won't, so I won't.
But Chief, you ignorant slut, those organizations exist to combat racism! How could you call them racist?
Seriously? Those organizations don't combat racism, they are in existence to promote their own race. Here's the definition of racist -
Let's take the NAACP, for instance. Their name kind of says it all - National Association For The Advancement of Colored People. Not ALL people, COLORED people.
MLK must be rolling in his grave right now.
Their website says this -
Their crowning racist achievement is The Image Awards -
Honestly, I don't give a damn if you're racist or not. Bigoted or hateful. No matter to me. Build your club or association, and have at it. I certainly won't have anything to do with you, but I'll truly fight for your right to do so.
Just don't try and come off as something you're not. You're a racist organization.
***
And that's where I get rubbed the wrong way with this crap Walmart, Ebay, NASCAR, Amazon and the rest of the PC gang are pulling.
What I hear them saying is that some racism is OK, as long as it's the right kind of racism.
Kiss my ass, you racist bastards.
You're connecting the dots from an individual psycho, racist murderer who happened to have a Confederate flag in a picture, to implying that anyone with one of these flags is a racist. And because most of them are Southerners - ALL Southerners must be racist.
That's a pretty broad - and financially risky - brush. I'd suggest you stop digging in the hole you've found yourself. That shit's gettin' deep.
Maybe try this: Don't do a damned thing.
If I see a Nation Of Islam flag for sale on Amazon, I'll make the personal decision NOT to buy it. You remember them, don't you? The nice folks who advocate members to, "kill them all (whites)".
I don't need you ignorant, book-burning bastards to limit what I can or can't buy, read or consume.
Now, if you're so inclined, Amazon graciously offers them for sale. Here's the link to buy one. It's a fun, 3 foot by 5 foot "novelty" flag.
No matter that even the leftist Southern Poverty Law Center classifies them as a Hate Group. It's just a novelty, right?
Of course, if you want to do another connect-the-dots game, why don't you try playing this one -
But Chief, but, but, but, that's different.....
Save it.
Save your ignorant, racist, electronic book-burning bullshit for some who can't steam up a mirror. Apparently, Ebay, Amazon, Walmart and NASCAR have already hired them all up.
---
Share this post! Click the Twitter, Facebook or Google+ icon below, and let your friends know!
Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
It really helps the cause when you have the press corps slobbering all over themselves to cover these Marxist stories.
Watching their "Machine" kick into overdrive is a truly amazing thing. Went from zero to warp speed in the blink of an eye.
So, what is the emergency du jour this time around? You have one white, died-in-the-wool racist piece of crap shoot and kill a bunch of blacks in a church, and the statists fall all over themselves to shove through their agenda.
Obama originally - and predictably - took a swing at gun control before the bodies were even in the morgue. If he had a lick of common sense, he'd have considered that if just one or two people from that church had guns on them when the racist started shooting, fewer congregation members would be dead.
But facts and logic get in the way of making an emotional appeal to the Bread and Circus crowd.
When that attack was snuffed out fairly quickly, there was this -
The little racist is photoed waving a Confederate flag. With dizzying swiftness, all kinds of companies start banning anything with this flag on it. Ebay and Amazon were the first I heard about. Then Walmart and others followed the lemmings. I saw that NASCAR was looking to ban it as well.
That will be interesting.
OK, so what's the rule? If just one person is offended by something, it's got to be banned? No, that can't be it, because there are LOTS of people offended by the whole gay marriage deal. Their multicolored rainbow flag is still allowed at all of those stores, and also resulted in the White House being lit up like a Christmas tree.
That's the actual White House, all dolled up with colored lights. I'm offended. Burn all of the photos.
Maybe the rule is, these companies won't sell anything that has to do with racism. No, wrong again. I found hats, flags, books, buttons - all kinds of crap - from racist organizations such as the NAACP, The New Black Panther Party and The Nation of Islam.
If I thought listing all of these racist organizations would change a damned thing, I could take perhaps a half hour and find dozens more examples.
But it won't, so I won't.
But Chief, you ignorant slut, those organizations exist to combat racism! How could you call them racist?
Seriously? Those organizations don't combat racism, they are in existence to promote their own race. Here's the definition of racist -
Showing or feeling discrimination or prejudice against people of other races, or believing that a particular race is superior to another:
Let's take the NAACP, for instance. Their name kind of says it all - National Association For The Advancement of Colored People. Not ALL people, COLORED people.
MLK must be rolling in his grave right now.
Their website says this -
In recent years, the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization, has made great strides forward to advance its mission to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.So, their lip-service says they work for all persons, but their "victories" speek otherwise. The vast majority of them on the page linked above have to do with doing things for black people, not white, Hispanic or Asian people.
Their crowning racist achievement is The Image Awards -
The live two-hour Image Awards Show is broadcast on a national basis on the NBC Television Network in prime time. The show recognizes and honors outstanding achievements and performances by people of color in the arts (motion pictures, television, recording and literature), as well as individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors.No pigment, no honors. Sounds racist to me. You are intentionally segregating the pool of possible honorees based upon the color of their skin.
Honestly, I don't give a damn if you're racist or not. Bigoted or hateful. No matter to me. Build your club or association, and have at it. I certainly won't have anything to do with you, but I'll truly fight for your right to do so.
Just don't try and come off as something you're not. You're a racist organization.
***
And that's where I get rubbed the wrong way with this crap Walmart, Ebay, NASCAR, Amazon and the rest of the PC gang are pulling.
What I hear them saying is that some racism is OK, as long as it's the right kind of racism.
Kiss my ass, you racist bastards.
You're connecting the dots from an individual psycho, racist murderer who happened to have a Confederate flag in a picture, to implying that anyone with one of these flags is a racist. And because most of them are Southerners - ALL Southerners must be racist.
That's a pretty broad - and financially risky - brush. I'd suggest you stop digging in the hole you've found yourself. That shit's gettin' deep.
Maybe try this: Don't do a damned thing.
If I see a Nation Of Islam flag for sale on Amazon, I'll make the personal decision NOT to buy it. You remember them, don't you? The nice folks who advocate members to, "kill them all (whites)".
I don't need you ignorant, book-burning bastards to limit what I can or can't buy, read or consume.
Now, if you're so inclined, Amazon graciously offers them for sale. Here's the link to buy one. It's a fun, 3 foot by 5 foot "novelty" flag.
No matter that even the leftist Southern Poverty Law Center classifies them as a Hate Group. It's just a novelty, right?
Of course, if you want to do another connect-the-dots game, why don't you try playing this one -
But Chief, but, but, but, that's different.....
Save it.
Save your ignorant, racist, electronic book-burning bullshit for some who can't steam up a mirror. Apparently, Ebay, Amazon, Walmart and NASCAR have already hired them all up.
---
Share this post! Click the Twitter, Facebook or Google+ icon below, and let your friends know!
Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Get Off My Ass
Seriously, I've just got to shake my head in disbelief. I see shit that our government does - local, state and federal - and I'm left numb. Simply numb.
Here's an example:
These workers and unions just don't get it.
If the expenses of the business go up, the profit of the owner goes down. You remember the owner - that's the man or woman who put their own personal money on the line to start the business. If it goes tits-up, he or she will lose the time and money they invested in the company.
It's a risk they're willing to take.
They, and only they, should have the right to determine what they charge for their goods or services, and how much or how little they pay their employees. If their employees don't think they're being paid enough, they are free to go find a job elsewhere.
Or start their own business with their own money.
But that's not how it works here in Marxist America. After getting the permission of the government to open their business (via fees, licenses, permits, etc.), they are told what they can and cannot sell, and how much they must pay their employees via the minimum wage.
If the minimum wage isn't enough for the worker to have a "living wage", the government simply passes a law that says they must pay them more.
There is never any discussion that the employee doesn't have the skills commensurate with a $15 per hour salary. No discussion that the burger-flippers chose to piss away their high school education. No discussion that they couldn't resist getting pregnant. No discussion that being educated and skilled ain't cool.
So it gets piled on the business owner. Well, I'll tell you what, cupcake, this ain't gonna end well.
You see, that business owner went into business to make money, not support your poor decisions in life. And he or she is going to either make that money, or close the business.
Either way, you're toast. Higher costs spawn innovation.
Around the developing world, they dig up potatoes by hand. Here in the US, that's too expensive, so now machines do it.
By NOT hiring employees, you get the added benefits of not having to deal with so many HR problems. A very good friend of mine has a successful business. She has enough customers to hire more employees, but the laws are so damned twisted that she's "done the math" and sees it's not worth the grief. You do one thing that's not 100% by the books, and you're open to lawsuits.
I'm not talking about unsafe work environments, or things like that. I'm talking about the employee asking the employer to do a certain job, or to do it in a certain fashion, and it breaking some asinine worker law.
Down the road, the employee becomes disgruntled, and sues. And wins most of the time, because the law was broken, after all - regardless of how stupid it may be.
So, you remove the employee from the picture, and the problem is solved.
We business owners then innovate. We'll have our potatoes dug up by machines. We'll have our burgers flipped by machines. We'll have our cash dispensed by machines. We'll have our gas pumps take the buyer's money, and let the buyer pump his own gas. We'll have our phones answered by a "calling tree".
We'll have our cars more and more made by machines. We'll have our homes pre-fabbed in automated factories. We'll have our packages delivered to our homes by flying drones.
So instead of the government helping us to employ more people, they've created an environment that makes it too expensive for us to do so.
***
I pay THOUSANDS of dollars each year, and get nothing in return. Why is the government involved in any way, shape or form when I want to open a business? If I and the owner of the property come to terms about the store I want to open, why must I pay a licensing fee to the city and the state?
I get nothing for that money, and neither does the public. If I do something wrong or harm someone with my product, does the public have the right to sue the city because they're the ones that "blessed" the opening of my store?
Of course not.
What the public gets is higher prices, to pay for those licensing fees from which neither of us benefit.
And that goes for any kind of business, even the food service business. A restaurant must submit to various food and cleanliness inspections. Yet somehow, every single year, we read of stories of bad food being ingested by people that bought from previously inspected processing plants, stores and restaurants!
Who gets sued? The business that was certified as A-OK by the government. So what good is the certification to anyone?
If I were King, I'd have one business law: If you make or sell something, and it doesn't do or act as you've advertised, you can be held liable for damages. If the business is sued, and the business wins, the accuser is liable for all costs for the business to defend itself. Have a nice day!
The marketplace will be "The Decider" of what constitutes a "worthy" business, not some government bureaucrat. These supposed, "consumer and employee protection laws" have gone too far.
The marketplace will be "The Decider" as to what is a fair wage, fair benefits and fair working conditions.
Here in California, starting July 1, the State has decided that I must now give my employees 1 hour of free time off for every 30 hours they work. In essence, I'm being forced to give them a 3.33% raise.
Does the State consider the benefits my employees currently get? A relaxed work environment, wholesale prices on precious metals, bonuses, flexible scheduling, food and refreshments?
Of course not. Instead of a company offering time off as a benefit, it's now mandated. So the business who used to offer it has now lost one of its enticements to work in their business.
"Hold on there Chief! Don't you remember the horrible working conditions that existed at the turn of the previous century? Unions, regulations and safety laws made America great!"
Bullshit. Innovation, education and personal drive is what made America great. The people that were having limbs chopped off in meat packing companies were largely uneducated immigrants. Those business absolutely, positively were evil and took advantage of those people because they had no other choices.
But now, every person - legal or not - gets a free education. If they choose to piss on that gift, I'm not going to shed a lot of tears over their lot in life. And they don't need any personal drive, 'cause everything they need to live is provided for them. That may sound harsh, but I don't care. I will not be held responsible for their bad decisions.
Since the various layers of government disagree with my perspective, I've been left with only one choice: I simply won't hire them. Ever.
I know this story doesn't end well for anyone. If more businesses act as my friend and I do, eventually there won't be anyone left that can afford to buy what I sell.
I'm good with that, as I'll shortly be picking up my marbles and taking them elsewhere. Somewhere where the state and local governments aren't up my ass every two seconds, looking for ways to extort more money from my efforts.
Not surprisingly, my friend is doing the same. Shocking, huh?
Coming along???
---
Share this post! Click the Twitter, Facebook or Google+ icon below, and let your friends know!
Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
Here's an example:
These workers and unions just don't get it.
If the expenses of the business go up, the profit of the owner goes down. You remember the owner - that's the man or woman who put their own personal money on the line to start the business. If it goes tits-up, he or she will lose the time and money they invested in the company.
It's a risk they're willing to take.
They, and only they, should have the right to determine what they charge for their goods or services, and how much or how little they pay their employees. If their employees don't think they're being paid enough, they are free to go find a job elsewhere.
Or start their own business with their own money.
But that's not how it works here in Marxist America. After getting the permission of the government to open their business (via fees, licenses, permits, etc.), they are told what they can and cannot sell, and how much they must pay their employees via the minimum wage.
If the minimum wage isn't enough for the worker to have a "living wage", the government simply passes a law that says they must pay them more.
There is never any discussion that the employee doesn't have the skills commensurate with a $15 per hour salary. No discussion that the burger-flippers chose to piss away their high school education. No discussion that they couldn't resist getting pregnant. No discussion that being educated and skilled ain't cool.
So it gets piled on the business owner. Well, I'll tell you what, cupcake, this ain't gonna end well.
You see, that business owner went into business to make money, not support your poor decisions in life. And he or she is going to either make that money, or close the business.
Either way, you're toast. Higher costs spawn innovation.
Around the developing world, they dig up potatoes by hand. Here in the US, that's too expensive, so now machines do it.
By NOT hiring employees, you get the added benefits of not having to deal with so many HR problems. A very good friend of mine has a successful business. She has enough customers to hire more employees, but the laws are so damned twisted that she's "done the math" and sees it's not worth the grief. You do one thing that's not 100% by the books, and you're open to lawsuits.
I'm not talking about unsafe work environments, or things like that. I'm talking about the employee asking the employer to do a certain job, or to do it in a certain fashion, and it breaking some asinine worker law.
Down the road, the employee becomes disgruntled, and sues. And wins most of the time, because the law was broken, after all - regardless of how stupid it may be.
So, you remove the employee from the picture, and the problem is solved.
We business owners then innovate. We'll have our potatoes dug up by machines. We'll have our burgers flipped by machines. We'll have our cash dispensed by machines. We'll have our gas pumps take the buyer's money, and let the buyer pump his own gas. We'll have our phones answered by a "calling tree".
We'll have our cars more and more made by machines. We'll have our homes pre-fabbed in automated factories. We'll have our packages delivered to our homes by flying drones.
So instead of the government helping us to employ more people, they've created an environment that makes it too expensive for us to do so.
***
I pay THOUSANDS of dollars each year, and get nothing in return. Why is the government involved in any way, shape or form when I want to open a business? If I and the owner of the property come to terms about the store I want to open, why must I pay a licensing fee to the city and the state?
I get nothing for that money, and neither does the public. If I do something wrong or harm someone with my product, does the public have the right to sue the city because they're the ones that "blessed" the opening of my store?
Of course not.
What the public gets is higher prices, to pay for those licensing fees from which neither of us benefit.
And that goes for any kind of business, even the food service business. A restaurant must submit to various food and cleanliness inspections. Yet somehow, every single year, we read of stories of bad food being ingested by people that bought from previously inspected processing plants, stores and restaurants!
Who gets sued? The business that was certified as A-OK by the government. So what good is the certification to anyone?
If I were King, I'd have one business law: If you make or sell something, and it doesn't do or act as you've advertised, you can be held liable for damages. If the business is sued, and the business wins, the accuser is liable for all costs for the business to defend itself. Have a nice day!
The marketplace will be "The Decider" of what constitutes a "worthy" business, not some government bureaucrat. These supposed, "consumer and employee protection laws" have gone too far.
The marketplace will be "The Decider" as to what is a fair wage, fair benefits and fair working conditions.
Here in California, starting July 1, the State has decided that I must now give my employees 1 hour of free time off for every 30 hours they work. In essence, I'm being forced to give them a 3.33% raise.
Does the State consider the benefits my employees currently get? A relaxed work environment, wholesale prices on precious metals, bonuses, flexible scheduling, food and refreshments?
Of course not. Instead of a company offering time off as a benefit, it's now mandated. So the business who used to offer it has now lost one of its enticements to work in their business.
"Hold on there Chief! Don't you remember the horrible working conditions that existed at the turn of the previous century? Unions, regulations and safety laws made America great!"
Bullshit. Innovation, education and personal drive is what made America great. The people that were having limbs chopped off in meat packing companies were largely uneducated immigrants. Those business absolutely, positively were evil and took advantage of those people because they had no other choices.
But now, every person - legal or not - gets a free education. If they choose to piss on that gift, I'm not going to shed a lot of tears over their lot in life. And they don't need any personal drive, 'cause everything they need to live is provided for them. That may sound harsh, but I don't care. I will not be held responsible for their bad decisions.
Since the various layers of government disagree with my perspective, I've been left with only one choice: I simply won't hire them. Ever.
I know this story doesn't end well for anyone. If more businesses act as my friend and I do, eventually there won't be anyone left that can afford to buy what I sell.
I'm good with that, as I'll shortly be picking up my marbles and taking them elsewhere. Somewhere where the state and local governments aren't up my ass every two seconds, looking for ways to extort more money from my efforts.
Not surprisingly, my friend is doing the same. Shocking, huh?
Coming along???
---
Share this post! Click the Twitter, Facebook or Google+ icon below, and let your friends know!
Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Well.... Not Really...
From a friend - so true, so true...
---
Share this post! Click the Twitter, Facebook or Google+ icon below, and let your friends know!
Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
---
Share this post! Click the Twitter, Facebook or Google+ icon below, and let your friends know!
Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
Monday, June 1, 2015
When You Eliminate Risk, This Is What You Get
To many, I might be considered a "Right-Wing Tax Zealot". You'd be wrong, as I am neither right-wing (I'm a small-L libertarian) nor a zealot (I don't think being principled makes you a zealot).
When it comes to taxes, I am VERY principled. I believe that all taxes received must be used for services that are available to every single person inside of that taxing district (with regards to federal taxes, I support any tax that pays for any federally mandated - Constitutional - responsibility of the feds).
Police - check
Fire - check
Emergency medical via 911 - check
Water treatment - check
Schools - check
Parks - check
Public transportation - check
Public roadways - check
Public libraries - check
Every one of those things are equally accessible to any person in the tax district - even the schools. If you want to enroll in 6th grade, you're legally here from another country or state, enroll and become educated. Regardless of your age. More power to you.
Where I will not faulter in my principles is when public funds are used and available only to defined segments within the taxing district.
WIC - denied - must be a poor woman and have a baby
Welfare - denied - must be poor
Health care - denied - must be poor
Public Housing/Section 8 - denied - must be poor
Disabled payment - denied - must be disabled (thru birth, accident or bad choices)
Chief, Chief, Chief - you cranky old man! How can you literally take food out of the mouths of babies? And a disabled person? Are you just mean?! You don't want to help some kid that's born with no legs?
I get this screed even from my truly right-wing friends. My answer has never wavered:
Why? Because without the strings attached, doing so encourages more of the behavior that put them in their current situation where they're unable to care for themselves.
Give a man a fish, and he's looking to you for his fish tomorrow. Make him struggle to learn how to fish, and he can now provide for himself.
This is no longer even a topic for debate. We have 60 years of accumulated data in this country that the Marxist ideology of Government Humanitarianism simply does not work. Not surprisingly, it encourages more people to draw on those programs.
Look what's happened to the number of people on Social Security Disability payments. Did some freak occurrence happen that suddenly crippled millions of Americans? Or did it just get easier to be classified as disabled - and get paid for it?
In roughly 19 full years from 1996 to the end of 2014, the population grew by 21%. During that same period (Jan 1996 to Dec 2014) the number of people getting Disability Payments grew by 113%.
Since virtually all safety statistics have improved over that time frame, one is left to surmise that this nearly 6-fold increase in disability recipients is the result of poor personal choices, easier qualification, or both.
I'm betting on both.
---
We've removed risk from society. Without risk, there can be no negative result from your choices. We lose innovation, and most importantly, we lose motivation.
You can do as you please, and not be worried about the negative consequences of your behavior. Go ahead, eat yourself into a food coma each night. Nanny will pick up the tab because you're a victim and not responsible for the fact you couldn't put down the Ben and Jerry's until the quart was empty.
Instead of having to change your behavior, you're classified as disabled, and get a check each month.
And that's what makes "Strings Attached" so important. Private charities are more efficient and effective because they can set standards - they can discriminate between who gets their dollars and who doesn't.
They can say, "Young lady, we're going to help you feed your baby. Regardless of the choices or circumstances that put you in this situation, we're willing to help you out. Here are the rules: No more kids until you get your diploma, and a job that pays enough for you to support yourself and your child. It's that simple. If you don't like the rules, go somewhere else. We're not going to pay you to become a burden on society when there are people our limited dollars can really help".
Will some children die as a direct result of this policy? Doubtful, but maybe. I'd guess it would be no more than die in households that currently accept WIC and welfare.
What it WOULD do is establish consequences for your behavior. Straighten your shit up, and we'll help. Don't, and we won't.
Keep it up - spitting out kids you can't afford to raise - and we'll restrict your freedom because of the burden you're placing on society. Yeah, we'll throw your ass in jail and take your kids.
By having multiple children you can't afford to raise, you're treating those kids like income-producing property. Just like a person who tosses their unwanted couch on the lawn of a neighbor expecting them to clean it up, their behavior of dumping their unwanted children on society must have consequences as well.
You can make a similar case for any of the other "entitlements" in the "denied" category above.
Not only does government make the distinction between who does or does not benefit from taxes, they actually go out of their way to encourage people to remain dependent. They've been VERY successful in their tireless efforts.
They get votes that way. Lots of them.
Except it never works that way. Never. It can't. It's human nature to take the easiest path to a given goal.
No multi-millionaire ever decided to triple the cost or amount of time it takes to bring a product or idea to market. Economy Of Effort motivates you to innovate a quicker and better path.
If your government tells you that you're a victim, and you need nothing more in life than food, housing, clothing - and someone will give it to you at no cost or obligation - well HELL, who wouldn't take that deal?
Because of your choice to NOT avail yourself of a public education, you don't have the skills or knowledge to support yourself. Your options are to get a market-driven minimum wage job and live in poverty, or don't get a job and get the same thing.
Generation after generation sees how the game works, and follow suit. Instead of seeing the negative consequences of bad choices - dead of diabetes at 45, or 4 kids taken to Foster homes from a 22 year old brood sow - they see government checks. Victim-hood pays.
By government encouraging this dependency/entitled/victim mindset, we end up with burger flippers demanding $15 an hour when the skills necessary to perform the task are worth $5 an hour. Mandate that they must be paid that amount, and you remove the motivation of the flipper to better him or herself.
As an unintended consequence, you will motivate the business owner to innovate. Suddenly, you could end up with a burger that is made with no human intervention other than the delivery guy who fills the bins with meat, tomatoes, pickles, buns and cheese - that were all prepared in an automated factory.
Oh wait. Sorry. They've already done it...
A hot, juicy burger that wasn't handled by some pre-syphilitic, entitled teen? I'll take two.
You just keep pushing for that government-mandated $15 an hour "living wage", sport. The more money you get (as opposed to earn) by raising the taxes or costs of the producers will result in fewer actual human jobs.
It's an old but accurate truism: Subsidize behavior you want to encourage - Tax behavior you want to discourage.
Hey Mr. Marx! How's that workin' out? Ask Mr. Galt - he knows.
---
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Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com
When it comes to taxes, I am VERY principled. I believe that all taxes received must be used for services that are available to every single person inside of that taxing district (with regards to federal taxes, I support any tax that pays for any federally mandated - Constitutional - responsibility of the feds).
Police - check
Fire - check
Emergency medical via 911 - check
Water treatment - check
Schools - check
Parks - check
Public transportation - check
Public roadways - check
Public libraries - check
Every one of those things are equally accessible to any person in the tax district - even the schools. If you want to enroll in 6th grade, you're legally here from another country or state, enroll and become educated. Regardless of your age. More power to you.
Where I will not faulter in my principles is when public funds are used and available only to defined segments within the taxing district.
WIC - denied - must be a poor woman and have a baby
Welfare - denied - must be poor
Health care - denied - must be poor
Public Housing/Section 8 - denied - must be poor
Disabled payment - denied - must be disabled (thru birth, accident or bad choices)
Chief, Chief, Chief - you cranky old man! How can you literally take food out of the mouths of babies? And a disabled person? Are you just mean?! You don't want to help some kid that's born with no legs?
I get this screed even from my truly right-wing friends. My answer has never wavered:
These are things for private charity, not government programs. Charity is voluntary, taxes are not. Since I did not place any of these individuals in the circumstances in which they find themselves, I will not be responsible for their care.I truly, honest to God, believe that giving something to someone without strings attached does more harm than good. I'm not talking about giving someone a birthday present or wedding gift. I'm talking about something that makes their lives easier.
Why? Because without the strings attached, doing so encourages more of the behavior that put them in their current situation where they're unable to care for themselves.
Give a man a fish, and he's looking to you for his fish tomorrow. Make him struggle to learn how to fish, and he can now provide for himself.
This is no longer even a topic for debate. We have 60 years of accumulated data in this country that the Marxist ideology of Government Humanitarianism simply does not work. Not surprisingly, it encourages more people to draw on those programs.
Look what's happened to the number of people on Social Security Disability payments. Did some freak occurrence happen that suddenly crippled millions of Americans? Or did it just get easier to be classified as disabled - and get paid for it?
 |
| Numbers in Thousands - Source: http://www.ssa.gov/oact/STATS/dibGraphs.html |
Since virtually all safety statistics have improved over that time frame, one is left to surmise that this nearly 6-fold increase in disability recipients is the result of poor personal choices, easier qualification, or both.
I'm betting on both.
---
We've removed risk from society. Without risk, there can be no negative result from your choices. We lose innovation, and most importantly, we lose motivation.
You can do as you please, and not be worried about the negative consequences of your behavior. Go ahead, eat yourself into a food coma each night. Nanny will pick up the tab because you're a victim and not responsible for the fact you couldn't put down the Ben and Jerry's until the quart was empty.
Instead of having to change your behavior, you're classified as disabled, and get a check each month.
And that's what makes "Strings Attached" so important. Private charities are more efficient and effective because they can set standards - they can discriminate between who gets their dollars and who doesn't.
They can say, "Young lady, we're going to help you feed your baby. Regardless of the choices or circumstances that put you in this situation, we're willing to help you out. Here are the rules: No more kids until you get your diploma, and a job that pays enough for you to support yourself and your child. It's that simple. If you don't like the rules, go somewhere else. We're not going to pay you to become a burden on society when there are people our limited dollars can really help".
Will some children die as a direct result of this policy? Doubtful, but maybe. I'd guess it would be no more than die in households that currently accept WIC and welfare.
What it WOULD do is establish consequences for your behavior. Straighten your shit up, and we'll help. Don't, and we won't.
Keep it up - spitting out kids you can't afford to raise - and we'll restrict your freedom because of the burden you're placing on society. Yeah, we'll throw your ass in jail and take your kids.
By having multiple children you can't afford to raise, you're treating those kids like income-producing property. Just like a person who tosses their unwanted couch on the lawn of a neighbor expecting them to clean it up, their behavior of dumping their unwanted children on society must have consequences as well.
You can make a similar case for any of the other "entitlements" in the "denied" category above.
Not only does government make the distinction between who does or does not benefit from taxes, they actually go out of their way to encourage people to remain dependent. They've been VERY successful in their tireless efforts.
They get votes that way. Lots of them.
What did taxpayers give to the 109,631,000 — the 35.4 percent of the nation — getting welfare benefits at the end of 2012?
82,679,000 of the welfare-takers lived in households where people were on Medicaid, said the Census Bureau. 51,471,000 were in households on food stamps. 22,526,000 were in the Women, Infants and Children program. 20,355,000 were in household on Supplemental Security Income (ed. NOT Social Security - See Here). 13,267,000 lived in public housing or got housing subsidies. 5,442,000 got Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. 4,517,000 received other forms of federal cash assistance.That's the evil beauty of Marxist dogma. Government Humanitarianism seems like such a noble idea. You take just a few dollars from lots of people, and you can save the world!
Except it never works that way. Never. It can't. It's human nature to take the easiest path to a given goal.
No multi-millionaire ever decided to triple the cost or amount of time it takes to bring a product or idea to market. Economy Of Effort motivates you to innovate a quicker and better path.
If your government tells you that you're a victim, and you need nothing more in life than food, housing, clothing - and someone will give it to you at no cost or obligation - well HELL, who wouldn't take that deal?
Because of your choice to NOT avail yourself of a public education, you don't have the skills or knowledge to support yourself. Your options are to get a market-driven minimum wage job and live in poverty, or don't get a job and get the same thing.
Generation after generation sees how the game works, and follow suit. Instead of seeing the negative consequences of bad choices - dead of diabetes at 45, or 4 kids taken to Foster homes from a 22 year old brood sow - they see government checks. Victim-hood pays.
By government encouraging this dependency/entitled/victim mindset, we end up with burger flippers demanding $15 an hour when the skills necessary to perform the task are worth $5 an hour. Mandate that they must be paid that amount, and you remove the motivation of the flipper to better him or herself.
As an unintended consequence, you will motivate the business owner to innovate. Suddenly, you could end up with a burger that is made with no human intervention other than the delivery guy who fills the bins with meat, tomatoes, pickles, buns and cheese - that were all prepared in an automated factory.
Oh wait. Sorry. They've already done it...
 |
| Coming To A Burger Joint Near You! |
A hot, juicy burger that wasn't handled by some pre-syphilitic, entitled teen? I'll take two.
You just keep pushing for that government-mandated $15 an hour "living wage", sport. The more money you get (as opposed to earn) by raising the taxes or costs of the producers will result in fewer actual human jobs.
It's an old but accurate truism: Subsidize behavior you want to encourage - Tax behavior you want to discourage.
Hey Mr. Marx! How's that workin' out? Ask Mr. Galt - he knows.
---
Share this post! Click the Twitter, Facebook or Google+ icon below, and let your friends know!
Copyright 2015 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com