Incompetent morons

[Bill Bonner’s Diary]( Incompetent Morons By Bill Bonner Friday, January 22, 2021 Is freedom anything else than the right to live as we wish? Nothing else. – Epictetus, the Greek philosopher [Bill Bonner] WEST RIVER, MARYLAND – Does a wolf know he’s a carnivore? Does a brown bear know when it is time to thicken his fur for winter? And did George W. Bush know he was making the biggest foreign policy blunder in U.S. history when he launched the “War on Terror”? Did he know he was preparing the nation for “domestic terrorism”? As we [put it earlier this week]( fish gotta swim and birds gotta fly. And late, degenerate emperors gotta be incompetent morons. Recommended Link [Must-See: Jeff Brown’s Top 3 “Pre-IPO Codes”]( [image]( Our technology guru, Jeff Brown, has made a startling discovery. American IPOs are now accessible to everyday investors BEFORE they actually go public. But hurry, this is your last chance to get these codes which are expiring at midnight tonight. [Click here to learn how to discover their names before time runs out!]( -- No-Win Situation And here, we put today’s events in a simple, tight frame. Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden are like the last leaders of the Roman Empire… Anthemius, Glycerius, Olybrius, and Nepos… no-accounts and imbeciles… playing their roles without really understanding what was going on. All faced a no-win situation. In 5th century Rome, tax revenues were falling while costs rose; the empire was failing. And now, so is America’s empire of fake money and unpayable debt. At this stage in the degenerates’ progress, the U.S. elite have no choice. They must further foul the economy with more fake money… and suppress dissent. The only other choice would be to renounce the empire. Bring the troops home. Cut spending. Balance the budget. And stop printing money. Easy peasy. But that would require real courage, intelligence, and honesty… Not gonna happen. [Featured: Stock Options are DEAD! “Penny Trades” have WON…]( Simpler Times We went to Ronald Reagan’s first inauguration. What a grand time! The Gipper was later captured by Deep State hacks… but in 1980, his famous campaign theme, “Morning in America,” still had the dew on it. We were still young and naïve, too… and hoped for a better future with less government involvement. And even among those who disagreed with Reagan, there was no bitterness towards him. It was a cold night, but hearts were warm and spirits were high. Washington was packed… with eight separate invitation-only Inaugural Balls. There was music, champagne, and dancing. No troops patrolled the streets. There were no crowd-control fences. No razor wire or armed personnel carriers. There were simply thousands of people celebrating an election victory and looking forward to better things to come. The new president and his wife, Nancy, had to go from one party to the next… giving short words of encouragement and thanks… often including a joke or two. We only remember one of them… An American and a Russian are sitting in a bar, arguing over whose country is better. The American argues… “See, in America, I am free to do whatever I want. If I wanted to, I could walk right into the White House, slam my fist on the President’s desk, and say, ‘Mr. President, I don’t like the way you are running our country.’” The Russian then said, “I can do the same thing.” “Really? You can?” asks the American. “Yes,” continues the Russian. “If I wanted to, I could walk right into the Kremlin, slam my fist on the General Secretary’s desk, and say, ‘Mr. General Secretary, I don’t like the way President Reagan is running his country.’” But those were happier days… America was still on the way up. You could still criticize the president without being de-platformed. Recommended Link [“Sorry, U.S. taxpayer”]( [ad_img]( Those are the exact words of the former U.S. government official at the epicenter of a terrible mistake. This mistake is already destroying the lives of millions. Wealthy elites – including former President Trump himself… Barack Obama… Bill Gates – all look to be moving into position to avoid the fallout. [Click here to learn what they’re doing – and how you can stay safe yourself]( Power Grab This year, however, marks two decades of America on the way down. For it was in 2001 that the feds began the misbegotten War on Terror and passed George W. Bush’s “Patriot Act.” When the feds call something a Patriot Act, you can be sure they’re up to no good. Had advertising standards been enforced in the Capitol, they might have named it the “Ignore the Bill of Rights and Create a Police State” Act. But honesty was going out of fashion at the start of the 21st century. The Patriot Act was a rascally, Deep State power grab. In it, the feds not only neglected their solemn duty to protect the delicate freedom of their citizens, they took a hammer to it themselves. It gave them tools to pry and eavesdrop on a scale never before seen in America. It expanded the meaning of “terrorism” and allowed them to beat down their “enemies” however they pleased. Even then, 20 years ago, we saw it as a dress rehearsal for a “War on Terror” in the U.S. itself. People were being trained to stand in line (without protest!) while the TSA patted down grandmothers and Girl Scouts. Neither the grandmothers nor the Girl Scouts posed any real risk to commercial aviation… and everybody knew it. But hey… you can’t be too safe! Americans were also encouraged to rat each other out – “See something; Say something.” Most important, they got used to the government bossing them around in the name of public safety. [Featured: This one stock could be a game changer for you]( Unstoppable Patriotism We don’t for a minute think George W. Bush intended to turn America into a police state. But perhaps there is some inchoate instinct in humans. When it is time for an empire to decline… they vote for Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden. Then, each plays his part – unconscious of his historical role in bringing the empire to its knees. The Patriot Act created a whole industry – centered in Northern Virginia – with 17 different spook agencies, billion-dollar budgets, and no way to know what they are spending it on – it’s a secret! The Act prefigured the rise of “insurgents” in the U.S. And now, razor wire, body armor, soldiers, armored vehicles, artillery, snooping, and data collection – all the dark arts once used for protecting the U.S. embassy in Baghdad from terrorists – can be recycled to protect the U.S. Capitol from the American people. The courts have found parts of the Patriot Act unconstitutional, but the bulk of it remains. And even if it were judged unconstitutional by the courts, it is almost impossible to stop. In 2005, for example, a Stanford Law graduate student was arrested. She was boarding an airplane when she was told she was on the “No Fly” list. How did she get on the list? What was going on? The feds wouldn’t say. “State secret,” they claimed. In fact, it was a mistake… But it took the young woman several years and $3 million in legal fees to get off the list. Recommended Link [Millionaire’s Big Prediction From Living Room Couch]( [image]( Teeka Tiwari – America’s No. 1 Investor – just made an outrageous prediction. Recorded live from his living room couch… He blasts Congress, reveals nasty truths about America… And reveals one technology set to radically change our nation. Already, 400,000+ viewers have checked it out. WARNING: This video may make you furious. [Watch His Urgent Video Now]( -- Punishment Without Crime And earlier this month, Senator Chuck Schumer said he wanted to expand the “No Fly” list by adding the names of all the people involved in the unlawful entry into the Capitol, whether they are ever convicted of a crime or not. That’s the beauty – from the Deep State’s point of view – of “terrorism.” It doesn’t require a crime. Anyone you don’t like can be designated a “terrorist.” What about all those people who contributed to conservative causes? They doubted the accuracy of the election results and demanded a recount. Drawing on the marvelous precedent provided by the Bush team, can’t they now be charged with providing material support to terrorists? Can’t they be put on “No Fly” lists… locked away forever in Guantanamo… or sent to Saudi Arabia for waterboarding? Stay tuned… Regards, [signature] Bill --------------------------------------------------------------- Like what you’re reading? Send your thoughts to [feedback@rogueeconomics.com](mailto:feedback@rogueeconomics.com?subject=Incompetent Morons). --------------------------------------------------------------- FEATURED READS [On His First Day as U.S. President, Joe Biden Races to Sign Executive Orders]( the COVID-19 pandemic to the economy, immigration, and climate change, President Joe Biden signed 17 executive orders, memorandums, or proclamations on his first full day in the Oval Office. [Click here]( for the scoop on each one... [How to Protect Your Wealth Like Bill Gates]( the last few years, legendary investor Bill Gates has been buying up one specific commodity. While not precious metals, rare Earths, tech, or oil… it’s a commodity that’s quickly growing in value. What is it and how can you also profit? Find out [here](... MAILBAG Gratitude for Thursday’s missive, “[River of No Return](... I completely enjoyed reading every word... It is the first time in a while that I felt you were talking directly to me. Talking in a relaxed and knowledgeable manner, in which your words gave me hope for a better future by reminding us where we, politically, came from, and our original intentions to govern. Thank you. – Barbara C. Meanwhile, other dear readers enjoy reading about [Bill’s renovation project](... I’m taken back to the 1940s by your plan to make over. Thank you for the smile that came on my face while thinking about you trying to catch up on time long spent. As a child, it was Long Island and sharing it with five sisters (one brother was in the Navy). They are all gone now, but again, thank you for the memories. – Mildred A. What a terrific story and interesting, too. Much better than building a new house, I agree. And the enjoyment after the job is done will be even better. Then we will hear, I’m sure, about rebuilding the gardens, maybe pruning old fruit trees, and putting in a garden. Fish in the pond, maybe? I love it, Bill. And I’m sure your family will enjoy the “new” digs, too. – Robert C. And finally, a debate surrounding the benefits of universal health coverage after one dear reader said government-run health care would be cheaper than private insurance: As a western Canadian reader, I would argue that a U.S. universal healthcare scheme would NOT result in bankruptcy for the nation. Personal U.S. bankruptcies, occurring due to the inability to pay for medical catastrophes, is the reality. – Patrick W. While visiting friends in Saskatchewan two years ago, I went to the liquor store to buy alcohol that the group had requested. A one liter box of mid-grade wine, a 24-pack of Molson, and a 12-pack of Corona was $140. Obviously, sale of alcohol helps pay for their universal healthcare. I’m too small a thinker – and too busy with life obstacles – to know if taxation is the best way to pay for medical coverage. I guess you could think of it as a health insurance policy and everybody is paying into the same plan. – Jack F. As a Canadian physician, who practiced before Medicare was introduced into Canada, I can tell you that government monopoly healthcare, as it has become in Canada, is not cheaper. The average family of four, regardless of their health status, pays over $14,000 Canadian dollars in taxes for healthcare. For that price, they get long waiting lists and delayed treatments and investigations, frequently leading to unnecessary complications, and a lack of family doctors. In my province, the average wait to be accepted as a patient by a family doctor is two years. To top that off, there is a bloated, overpaid government bureaucracy, which interferes with healthcare rather than promoting it. Bureaucrats are telling new doctors where in the province they must practice, which favors places that voted for the government party. Many of these doctors will emigrate to the U.S. to avoid these restrictions. Government-sponsored healthcare worked well in Canada in the 1970s, when it was financed with borrowed money. Unfortunately, it nearly bankrupted the country and Canada reached the point where it was not realistic to borrow more. By that time, facilities created with borrowed money in the 1970s were starting to show their age. The government passed the so-called Canada Health Act in (appropriately) 1984, which made private payment for covered medical procedures illegal. This allowed them to avoid giving doctors pay increases, in order to keep up with the inflation their borrowing had caused. As a result, many doctors left the country for greener pastures. It is possible to have a government-sponsored system which will provide high-quality care. Countries such as Germany and Australia have done it. Such countries pay for those people who do not have private insurance or are not willing to pay for it. Their public systems are not so over-burdened as Canada’s. – Harry P. I also live in Canada but I have a son and granddaughter living in the U.S. Our healthcare in Canada is paid through high taxes. We pay almost double what Americans pay in taxes in order to cover our social programs. All the hospitals are government-owned, while private doctor clinics are not. As we all know, the government is not good at running any business. What we end up with is a substandard healthcare system. We wait months (and sometimes years) for operations such as knee or hip replacements. To see a specialist, we need to be referred by a physician, and we wait months for an appointment. Many people die waiting for heart surgery or cancer care. Preventive medicine is non-existent. We hold fundraising to purchase needed equipment for our hospitals. In comparison, Americans receive healthcare as soon as required. The healthcare provided is excellent. The cost is overall lower because you have competition for services, which we do not. Universal healthcare is definitely not any panacea. – Catherine M. What experiences have you had with a government-sponsored healthcare system? Would it be worth implementing in America? Write us at feedback@rogueeconomics.com. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT… [Your PRIORITY #1 in 2021]( If you want a legitimate shot at financial freedom in 2021… This is priority #1… On Wednesday, January 27, Wall Street legend Teeka Tiwari will detail his first-ever IPO tech recommendation. Teeka calls it “the #1 wealth-building opportunity of 2021.” And he believes this opportunity could help you build an entire nest egg… this year. [Click here to RSVP for Teeka Tiwari’s Freedom 2021: A Lifetime of Wealth on IPO Day.]( [image]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Get Instant Access Click to read these free reports and automatically sign up for daily research. 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