Adam Sharp: Is gold cooked? No way!
16 hours ago
Showing posts with label Ron Paul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ron Paul. Show all posts
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Ron Paul discusses the U.S. economy with Mike Maloney of GoldSilver.com
An Interview with Congressman Ron Paul
38:35 - 2 years ago
Congressman and 2008 presidential candidate Ron Paul discusses the U.S. economy with Mike Maloney of GoldSilver.com
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Gold Seek Radio - Dr. Ron Paul, Harry S. Dent Jr., Chris Waltzek & The International Forecaster Bob Chapman
http://radio.goldseek.com/shows/2010/08.21.2010/GSR-08.21.10-c.mp3
1st Hour:
Headline news & the Market Weatherman Report.
Spotlight Stock Picks.
Host Chris Waltzek & The International Forecaster discussion and answer listener's questions.
2nd Hour:
Dr. Ron Paul
ronpaul.org
Congressman Ron Paul of Texas enjoys a national reputation as the premier advocate for liberty in politics today. Dr. Paul is the leading spokesman in Washington for limited constitutional government, low taxes, free markets, and a return to sound monetary policies based on commodity-backed currency. He is known among both his colleagues in Congress and his constituents for his consistent voting record in the House of Representatives: Dr. Paul never votes for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution. In the words of former Treasury Secretary William Simon, Dr. Paul is the "one exception to the Gang of 535" on Capitol Hill.
Ron Paul was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Gettysburg College and the Duke University School of Medicine, before proudly serving as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force during the 1960s. He and his wife Carol moved to Texas in 1968, where he began his medical practice in Brazoria County. As a specialist in obstetrics/gynecology, Dr. Paul has delivered more than 4,000 babies! He and Carol, who reside in Surfside Beach, Texas, are the proud parents of five children and have seventeen grandchildren.
While serving in Congress during the late 1970s and early 1980s, Dr. Paul's limited-government ideals were not popular in Washington. He served on the House Banking committee, where he was a strong advocate for sound monetary policy and an outspoken critic of the Federal Reserve's inflationary measures. He also was a key member of the Gold Commission, advocating a return to a gold standard for our currency. He was an unwavering advocate of pro-life and pro-family values. Dr. Paul consistently voted to lower or abolish federal taxes, spending, and regulation, and used his House seat to actively promote the return of government to its proper constitutional levels. In 1984, he voluntarily relinquished his House seat and returned to his medical practice.
Dr. Paul returned to Congress in 1997 to represent the 14th Congressional district of Texas. He serves on the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee, and the International Relations committee. On the Financial Services Committee, Rep. Paul serves as the vice-chairman of the Oversight and Investigations subcommittee. He continues to advocate a dramatic reduction in the size of the federal government and a return to constitutional principles.
Dr. Paul is the author of several books, including Challenge to Liberty; The Case for Gold; and A Republic, If You Can Keep It. He has been a distinguished counselor to the Ludwig von Mises Institute, and is widely quoted by scholars and writers in the fields of monetary policy, banking, and political economy. He has received many awards and honors during his career in Congress, from organizations such as the National Taxpayers Union, Citizens Against Government Waste, the Council for a Competitive Economy, Young Americans for Freedom, and countless others.
Dr. Paul's consistent voting record prompted one Congressman to comment that "Ron Paul personifies the Founding Fathers' ideal of the citizen-statesman. He makes it clear that his principles will never be compromised, and they never are." Another Congresswoman added that "There are few people in public life who, through thick and thin, rain or shine, stick to their principles. Ron Paul is one of those few."
Harry S. Dent Jr.
The Great Depression Ahead
Harry S. Dent, Jr. is the Founder and President of the H. S. Dent Foundation, whose mission is “Helping People Understand Change”. Using exciting new research developed from years of hands-on business experience, Mr. Dent offers a refreshingly positive and understandable view of the future. Mr. Dent is a well-known author and is known as the developer of The Dent Method, a forecasting approach based on changes in demographic trends.
In his book The Great Boom Ahead, published in 1992, Mr. Dent stood virtually alone in accurately forecasting the unanticipated “Boom” of the 1990s. Today he continues to educate audiences about his predictions for the next and possibly last great bull market, from late 2005 into early to mid 2010. Since 1992 he has authored two consecutive best sellers The Roaring 2000s and The Roaring 2000s Investor (Simon and Schuster). In his latest book, The Next Great Bubble Boom, he offers a comprehensive forecast for the next two decades and explains how fundamental trends suggest strong growth ahead, followed by a longer-term economic contraction. Mr. Dent also publishes the HS Dent Forecast newsletter, which offers current analysis of economic, and financial market trends.
Mr. Dent received his MBA from Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar and was elected to the Century Club for leadership excellence. Since 1988 he has been speaking to executives, financial advisors and investors around the world. He has appeared on “Good Morning America”, PBS, CNBC, CNN/FN, and has been featured in Barron’s, Investor’s Business Daily, Entrepreneur, Fortune, Success, US News and World Report, Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, American Demographics and Omni.
While at Bain & Company he worked as a consultant with several Fortune 100 companies. He has also been CEO of several entrepreneurial growth companies and an investor in new ventures. A frequent speaker on economic trends, Mr. Dent educates clients and partners on The Dent Method and provides strategic vision for asset allocation and investment selection.
1st Hour:
Headline news & the Market Weatherman Report.
Spotlight Stock Picks.
Host Chris Waltzek & The International Forecaster discussion and answer listener's questions.
2nd Hour:
Dr. Ron Paul
ronpaul.org
Congressman Ron Paul of Texas enjoys a national reputation as the premier advocate for liberty in politics today. Dr. Paul is the leading spokesman in Washington for limited constitutional government, low taxes, free markets, and a return to sound monetary policies based on commodity-backed currency. He is known among both his colleagues in Congress and his constituents for his consistent voting record in the House of Representatives: Dr. Paul never votes for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution. In the words of former Treasury Secretary William Simon, Dr. Paul is the "one exception to the Gang of 535" on Capitol Hill.
Ron Paul was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Gettysburg College and the Duke University School of Medicine, before proudly serving as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force during the 1960s. He and his wife Carol moved to Texas in 1968, where he began his medical practice in Brazoria County. As a specialist in obstetrics/gynecology, Dr. Paul has delivered more than 4,000 babies! He and Carol, who reside in Surfside Beach, Texas, are the proud parents of five children and have seventeen grandchildren.
While serving in Congress during the late 1970s and early 1980s, Dr. Paul's limited-government ideals were not popular in Washington. He served on the House Banking committee, where he was a strong advocate for sound monetary policy and an outspoken critic of the Federal Reserve's inflationary measures. He also was a key member of the Gold Commission, advocating a return to a gold standard for our currency. He was an unwavering advocate of pro-life and pro-family values. Dr. Paul consistently voted to lower or abolish federal taxes, spending, and regulation, and used his House seat to actively promote the return of government to its proper constitutional levels. In 1984, he voluntarily relinquished his House seat and returned to his medical practice.
Dr. Paul returned to Congress in 1997 to represent the 14th Congressional district of Texas. He serves on the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee, and the International Relations committee. On the Financial Services Committee, Rep. Paul serves as the vice-chairman of the Oversight and Investigations subcommittee. He continues to advocate a dramatic reduction in the size of the federal government and a return to constitutional principles.
Dr. Paul is the author of several books, including Challenge to Liberty; The Case for Gold; and A Republic, If You Can Keep It. He has been a distinguished counselor to the Ludwig von Mises Institute, and is widely quoted by scholars and writers in the fields of monetary policy, banking, and political economy. He has received many awards and honors during his career in Congress, from organizations such as the National Taxpayers Union, Citizens Against Government Waste, the Council for a Competitive Economy, Young Americans for Freedom, and countless others.
Dr. Paul's consistent voting record prompted one Congressman to comment that "Ron Paul personifies the Founding Fathers' ideal of the citizen-statesman. He makes it clear that his principles will never be compromised, and they never are." Another Congresswoman added that "There are few people in public life who, through thick and thin, rain or shine, stick to their principles. Ron Paul is one of those few."
Harry S. Dent Jr.
The Great Depression Ahead
Harry S. Dent, Jr. is the Founder and President of the H. S. Dent Foundation, whose mission is “Helping People Understand Change”. Using exciting new research developed from years of hands-on business experience, Mr. Dent offers a refreshingly positive and understandable view of the future. Mr. Dent is a well-known author and is known as the developer of The Dent Method, a forecasting approach based on changes in demographic trends.
In his book The Great Boom Ahead, published in 1992, Mr. Dent stood virtually alone in accurately forecasting the unanticipated “Boom” of the 1990s. Today he continues to educate audiences about his predictions for the next and possibly last great bull market, from late 2005 into early to mid 2010. Since 1992 he has authored two consecutive best sellers The Roaring 2000s and The Roaring 2000s Investor (Simon and Schuster). In his latest book, The Next Great Bubble Boom, he offers a comprehensive forecast for the next two decades and explains how fundamental trends suggest strong growth ahead, followed by a longer-term economic contraction. Mr. Dent also publishes the HS Dent Forecast newsletter, which offers current analysis of economic, and financial market trends.
Mr. Dent received his MBA from Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar and was elected to the Century Club for leadership excellence. Since 1988 he has been speaking to executives, financial advisors and investors around the world. He has appeared on “Good Morning America”, PBS, CNBC, CNN/FN, and has been featured in Barron’s, Investor’s Business Daily, Entrepreneur, Fortune, Success, US News and World Report, Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, American Demographics and Omni.
While at Bain & Company he worked as a consultant with several Fortune 100 companies. He has also been CEO of several entrepreneurial growth companies and an investor in new ventures. A frequent speaker on economic trends, Mr. Dent educates clients and partners on The Dent Method and provides strategic vision for asset allocation and investment selection.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Statement Introducing the Free Competition in Currency Act - Ron Paul's Bill HR 4248
http://www.ronpaul.com/2009-12-10/break-the-monopoly-ron-paul-introduces-hr-4248-the-free-competition-in-currency-act/
Currency Act
Break the Monopoly! Ron Paul Introduces HR 4248, the Free Competition in Currency Act
39 Responses
By RonPaul.com on December 10, 2009
Statement of Congressman Ron Paul
United States House of Representatives
Statement Introducing the Free Competition in Currency Act
December 9, 2009
Madame Speaker, I rise to introduce the Free Competition in Currency Act of 2009 (HR 4248). Currency, or money, is what allows civilization to flourish. In the absence of money, barter is the name of the game; if the farmer needs shoes, he must trade his eggs and milk to the cobbler and hope that the cobbler needs eggs and milk. Money makes the transaction process far easier. Rather than having to search for someone with reciprocal wants, the farmer can exchange his milk and eggs for an agreed-upon medium of exchange with which he can then purchase shoes.
This medium of exchange should satisfy certain properties: it should be durable, that is to say, it does not wear out easily; it should be portable, that is, easily carried; it should be divisible into units usable for every-day transactions; it should be recognizable and uniform, so that one unit of money has the same properties as every other unit; it should be scarce, in the economic sense, so that the extant supply does not satisfy the wants of everyone demanding it; it should be stable, so that the value of its purchasing power does not fluctuate wildly; and it should be reproducible, so that enough units of money can be created to satisfy the needs of exchange.
Over millennia of human history, gold and silver have been the two metals that have most often satisfied these conditions, survived the market process, and gained the trust of billions of people. Gold and silver are difficult to counterfeit, a property which ensures they will always be accepted in commerce. It is precisely for this reason that gold and silver are anathema to governments. A supply of gold and silver that is limited in supply by nature cannot be inflated, and thus serves as a check on the growth of government. Without the ability to inflate the currency, governments find themselves constrained in their actions, unable to carry on wars of aggression or to appease their overtaxed citizens with bread and circuses.
At this country’s founding, there was no government controlled national currency. While the Constitution established the Congressional power of minting coins, it was not until 1792 that the US Mint was formally established. In the meantime, Americans made do with foreign silver and gold coins. Even after the Mint’s operations got underway, foreign coins continued to circulate within the United States, and did so for several decades.
On the desk in my office I have a sign that says: “Don’t steal – the government hates competition.” Indeed, any power a government arrogates to itself, it is loathe to give back to the people. Just as we have gone from a constitutionally-instituted national defense consisting of a limited army and navy bolstered by militias and letters of marque and reprisal, we have moved from a system of competing currencies to a government-instituted banking cartel that monopolizes the issuance of currency. In order to reintroduce a system of competing currencies, there are three steps that must be taken to produce a legal climate favorable to competition.
The first step consists of eliminating legal tender laws. Article I Section 10 of the Constitution forbids the States from making anything but gold and silver a legal tender in payment of debts. States are not required to enact legal tender laws, but should they choose to, the only acceptable legal tender is gold and silver, the two precious metals that individuals throughout history and across cultures have used as currency. However, there is nothing in the Constitution that grants the Congress the power to enact legal tender laws. We, the Congress, have the power to coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, but not to declare a legal tender. Yet, there is a section of US Code, 31 USC 5103, that purports to establish US coins and currency, including Federal Reserve notes, as legal tender.
Historically, legal tender laws have been used by governments to force their citizens to accept debased and devalued currency. Gresham’s Law describes this phenomenon, which can be summed up in one phrase: bad money drives out good money. An emperor, a king, or a dictator might mint coins with half an ounce of gold and force merchants, under pain of death, to accept them as though they contained one ounce of gold. Each ounce of the king’s gold could now be minted into two coins instead of one, so the king now had twice as much “money” to spend on building castles and raising armies. As these legally overvalued coins circulated, the coins containing the full ounce of gold would be pulled out of circulation and hoarded. We saw this same phenomenon happen in the mid-1960s when the US government began to mint subsidiary coinage out of copper and nickel rather than silver. The copper and nickel coins were legally overvalued, the silver coins undervalued in relation, and silver coins vanished from circulation.
These actions also give rise to the most pernicious effects of inflation. Most of the merchants and peasants who received this devalued currency felt the full effects of inflation, the rise in prices and the lowered standard of living, before they received any of the new currency. By the time they received the new currency, prices had long since doubled, and the new currency they received would give them no benefit.
In the absence of legal tender laws, Gresham’s Law no longer holds. If people are free to reject debased currency, and instead demand sound money, sound money will gradually return to use in society. Merchants would have been free to reject the king’s coin and accept only coins containing full metal weight.
The second step to reestablishing competing currencies is to eliminate laws that prohibit the operation of private mints. One private enterprise which attempted to popularize the use of precious metal coins was Liberty Services, the creators of the Liberty Dollar. Evidently the government felt threatened, as Liberty Dollars had all their precious metal coins seized by the FBI and Secret Service in November of 2007. Of course, not all of these coins were owned by Liberty Services, as many were held in trust as backing for silver and gold certificates which Liberty Services issued. None of this matters, of course, to the government, which hates competition. The responsibility to protect contracts is of no interest to the government.
The sections of US Code which Liberty Services is accused of violating are erroneously considered to be anti-counterfeiting statutes, when in fact their purpose was to shut down private mints that had been operating in California. California was awash in gold in the aftermath of the 1849 gold rush, yet had no US Mint to mint coinage. There was not enough foreign coinage circulating in California either, so private mints stepped into the breech to provide their own coins. As was to become the case in other industries during the Progressive era, the private mints were eventually accused of circulating debased (substandard) coinage, and with the supposed aim of providing government-sanctioned regulation and a government guarantee of purity, the 1864 Coinage Act was passed, which banned private mints from producing their own coins for circulation as currency.
The final step to ensuring competing currencies is to eliminate capital gains and sales taxes on gold and silver coins. Under current federal law, coins are considered collectibles, and are liable for capital gains taxes. Short-term capital gains rates are at income tax levels, up to 35 percent, while long-term capital gains taxes are assessed at the collectibles rate of 28 percent. Furthermore, these taxes actually tax monetary debasement. As the dollar weakens, the nominal dollar value of gold increases. The purchasing power of gold may remain relatively constant, but as the nominal dollar value increases, the federal government considers this an increase in wealth, and taxes accordingly. Thus, the more the dollar is debased, the more capital gains taxes must be paid on holdings of gold and other precious metals.
Just as pernicious are the sales and use taxes which are assessed on gold and silver at the state level in many states. Imagine having to pay sales tax at the bank every time you change a $10 bill for a roll of quarters to do laundry. Inflation is a pernicious tax on the value of money, but even the official numbers, which are massaged downwards, are only on the order of 4% per year. Sales taxes in many states can take away 8% or more on every single transaction in which consumers wish to convert their Federal Reserve Notes into gold or silver.
In conclusion, Madame Speaker, allowing for competing currencies will allow market participants to choose a currency that suits their needs, rather than the needs of the government. The prospect of American citizens turning away from the dollar towards alternate currencies will provide the necessary impetus to the US government to regain control of the dollar and halt its downward spiral. Restoring soundness to the dollar will remove the government’s ability and incentive to inflate the currency, and keep us from launching unconstitutional wars that burden our economy to excess. With a sound currency, everyone is better off, not just those who control the monetary system. I urge my colleagues to consider the redevelopment of a system of competing currencies and cosponsor the Free Competition in Currency Act.
111TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H.R. 4248
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 9, 2009
Mr. PAUL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 12/9/2009
A BILL
To repeal the legal tender laws, to prohibit taxation on certain coins and bullion, and to repeal superfluous sections related to coinage.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Free Competition in Currency Act of 2009″.
SEC. 2. REPEAL OF LEGAL TENDER LAWS.
(a) IN GENERAL. — Section 5103 of title 31, United States Code, (relating to legal tender) is hereby repealed.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT. — The table of sections for subchapter I of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking the item relating to section 5103 and inserting the following new item: “5103. [Repealed]“.
SEC. 3. NO TAX ON CERTAIN COINS AND BULLION.
(a) IN GENERAL. — Notwithstanding any other provision of law —
(1) no tax may be imposed on (or with respect to the sale, exchange, or other disposition of) any coin, medal, token, or gold, silver, platinum, palladium, or rhodium bullion, whether issued by a State, the United States, a foreign government, or any other person; and
(2) no State may assess any tax or fee on any currency, or any other monetary instrument, which is used in the transaction of interstate commerce or commerce with a foreign country, and which is subject to the enjoyment of legal tender status under article I, section 10 of the United States Constitution.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect on December 31, 2009, but shall not apply to taxes or fees imposed before such date.
SEC. 4. REPEAL OF SUPERFLUOUS SECTIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL. — Title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking sections 486 (relating to uttering coins of gold, silver, or other metal) and 489 (making or possessing likeness of coins).
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT TO TABLE OF SECTIONS. — The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 25 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking the items relating to the sections stricken by subsection (a).
(c) SPECIAL RULE CONCERNING RETROACTIVE EFFECT. — Any prosecution under the sections stricken by subsection (a) shall abate upon the taking effect of this section. Any previous conviction under those sections shall be null and void.
Currency Act
Break the Monopoly! Ron Paul Introduces HR 4248, the Free Competition in Currency Act
39 Responses
By RonPaul.com on December 10, 2009
Statement of Congressman Ron Paul
United States House of Representatives
Statement Introducing the Free Competition in Currency Act
December 9, 2009
Madame Speaker, I rise to introduce the Free Competition in Currency Act of 2009 (HR 4248). Currency, or money, is what allows civilization to flourish. In the absence of money, barter is the name of the game; if the farmer needs shoes, he must trade his eggs and milk to the cobbler and hope that the cobbler needs eggs and milk. Money makes the transaction process far easier. Rather than having to search for someone with reciprocal wants, the farmer can exchange his milk and eggs for an agreed-upon medium of exchange with which he can then purchase shoes.
This medium of exchange should satisfy certain properties: it should be durable, that is to say, it does not wear out easily; it should be portable, that is, easily carried; it should be divisible into units usable for every-day transactions; it should be recognizable and uniform, so that one unit of money has the same properties as every other unit; it should be scarce, in the economic sense, so that the extant supply does not satisfy the wants of everyone demanding it; it should be stable, so that the value of its purchasing power does not fluctuate wildly; and it should be reproducible, so that enough units of money can be created to satisfy the needs of exchange.
Over millennia of human history, gold and silver have been the two metals that have most often satisfied these conditions, survived the market process, and gained the trust of billions of people. Gold and silver are difficult to counterfeit, a property which ensures they will always be accepted in commerce. It is precisely for this reason that gold and silver are anathema to governments. A supply of gold and silver that is limited in supply by nature cannot be inflated, and thus serves as a check on the growth of government. Without the ability to inflate the currency, governments find themselves constrained in their actions, unable to carry on wars of aggression or to appease their overtaxed citizens with bread and circuses.
At this country’s founding, there was no government controlled national currency. While the Constitution established the Congressional power of minting coins, it was not until 1792 that the US Mint was formally established. In the meantime, Americans made do with foreign silver and gold coins. Even after the Mint’s operations got underway, foreign coins continued to circulate within the United States, and did so for several decades.
On the desk in my office I have a sign that says: “Don’t steal – the government hates competition.” Indeed, any power a government arrogates to itself, it is loathe to give back to the people. Just as we have gone from a constitutionally-instituted national defense consisting of a limited army and navy bolstered by militias and letters of marque and reprisal, we have moved from a system of competing currencies to a government-instituted banking cartel that monopolizes the issuance of currency. In order to reintroduce a system of competing currencies, there are three steps that must be taken to produce a legal climate favorable to competition.
The first step consists of eliminating legal tender laws. Article I Section 10 of the Constitution forbids the States from making anything but gold and silver a legal tender in payment of debts. States are not required to enact legal tender laws, but should they choose to, the only acceptable legal tender is gold and silver, the two precious metals that individuals throughout history and across cultures have used as currency. However, there is nothing in the Constitution that grants the Congress the power to enact legal tender laws. We, the Congress, have the power to coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, but not to declare a legal tender. Yet, there is a section of US Code, 31 USC 5103, that purports to establish US coins and currency, including Federal Reserve notes, as legal tender.
Historically, legal tender laws have been used by governments to force their citizens to accept debased and devalued currency. Gresham’s Law describes this phenomenon, which can be summed up in one phrase: bad money drives out good money. An emperor, a king, or a dictator might mint coins with half an ounce of gold and force merchants, under pain of death, to accept them as though they contained one ounce of gold. Each ounce of the king’s gold could now be minted into two coins instead of one, so the king now had twice as much “money” to spend on building castles and raising armies. As these legally overvalued coins circulated, the coins containing the full ounce of gold would be pulled out of circulation and hoarded. We saw this same phenomenon happen in the mid-1960s when the US government began to mint subsidiary coinage out of copper and nickel rather than silver. The copper and nickel coins were legally overvalued, the silver coins undervalued in relation, and silver coins vanished from circulation.
These actions also give rise to the most pernicious effects of inflation. Most of the merchants and peasants who received this devalued currency felt the full effects of inflation, the rise in prices and the lowered standard of living, before they received any of the new currency. By the time they received the new currency, prices had long since doubled, and the new currency they received would give them no benefit.
In the absence of legal tender laws, Gresham’s Law no longer holds. If people are free to reject debased currency, and instead demand sound money, sound money will gradually return to use in society. Merchants would have been free to reject the king’s coin and accept only coins containing full metal weight.
The second step to reestablishing competing currencies is to eliminate laws that prohibit the operation of private mints. One private enterprise which attempted to popularize the use of precious metal coins was Liberty Services, the creators of the Liberty Dollar. Evidently the government felt threatened, as Liberty Dollars had all their precious metal coins seized by the FBI and Secret Service in November of 2007. Of course, not all of these coins were owned by Liberty Services, as many were held in trust as backing for silver and gold certificates which Liberty Services issued. None of this matters, of course, to the government, which hates competition. The responsibility to protect contracts is of no interest to the government.
The sections of US Code which Liberty Services is accused of violating are erroneously considered to be anti-counterfeiting statutes, when in fact their purpose was to shut down private mints that had been operating in California. California was awash in gold in the aftermath of the 1849 gold rush, yet had no US Mint to mint coinage. There was not enough foreign coinage circulating in California either, so private mints stepped into the breech to provide their own coins. As was to become the case in other industries during the Progressive era, the private mints were eventually accused of circulating debased (substandard) coinage, and with the supposed aim of providing government-sanctioned regulation and a government guarantee of purity, the 1864 Coinage Act was passed, which banned private mints from producing their own coins for circulation as currency.
The final step to ensuring competing currencies is to eliminate capital gains and sales taxes on gold and silver coins. Under current federal law, coins are considered collectibles, and are liable for capital gains taxes. Short-term capital gains rates are at income tax levels, up to 35 percent, while long-term capital gains taxes are assessed at the collectibles rate of 28 percent. Furthermore, these taxes actually tax monetary debasement. As the dollar weakens, the nominal dollar value of gold increases. The purchasing power of gold may remain relatively constant, but as the nominal dollar value increases, the federal government considers this an increase in wealth, and taxes accordingly. Thus, the more the dollar is debased, the more capital gains taxes must be paid on holdings of gold and other precious metals.
Just as pernicious are the sales and use taxes which are assessed on gold and silver at the state level in many states. Imagine having to pay sales tax at the bank every time you change a $10 bill for a roll of quarters to do laundry. Inflation is a pernicious tax on the value of money, but even the official numbers, which are massaged downwards, are only on the order of 4% per year. Sales taxes in many states can take away 8% or more on every single transaction in which consumers wish to convert their Federal Reserve Notes into gold or silver.
In conclusion, Madame Speaker, allowing for competing currencies will allow market participants to choose a currency that suits their needs, rather than the needs of the government. The prospect of American citizens turning away from the dollar towards alternate currencies will provide the necessary impetus to the US government to regain control of the dollar and halt its downward spiral. Restoring soundness to the dollar will remove the government’s ability and incentive to inflate the currency, and keep us from launching unconstitutional wars that burden our economy to excess. With a sound currency, everyone is better off, not just those who control the monetary system. I urge my colleagues to consider the redevelopment of a system of competing currencies and cosponsor the Free Competition in Currency Act.
111TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H.R. 4248
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 9, 2009
Mr. PAUL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 12/9/2009
A BILL
To repeal the legal tender laws, to prohibit taxation on certain coins and bullion, and to repeal superfluous sections related to coinage.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Free Competition in Currency Act of 2009″.
SEC. 2. REPEAL OF LEGAL TENDER LAWS.
(a) IN GENERAL. — Section 5103 of title 31, United States Code, (relating to legal tender) is hereby repealed.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT. — The table of sections for subchapter I of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking the item relating to section 5103 and inserting the following new item: “5103. [Repealed]“.
SEC. 3. NO TAX ON CERTAIN COINS AND BULLION.
(a) IN GENERAL. — Notwithstanding any other provision of law —
(1) no tax may be imposed on (or with respect to the sale, exchange, or other disposition of) any coin, medal, token, or gold, silver, platinum, palladium, or rhodium bullion, whether issued by a State, the United States, a foreign government, or any other person; and
(2) no State may assess any tax or fee on any currency, or any other monetary instrument, which is used in the transaction of interstate commerce or commerce with a foreign country, and which is subject to the enjoyment of legal tender status under article I, section 10 of the United States Constitution.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect on December 31, 2009, but shall not apply to taxes or fees imposed before such date.
SEC. 4. REPEAL OF SUPERFLUOUS SECTIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL. — Title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking sections 486 (relating to uttering coins of gold, silver, or other metal) and 489 (making or possessing likeness of coins).
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT TO TABLE OF SECTIONS. — The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 25 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking the items relating to the sections stricken by subsection (a).
(c) SPECIAL RULE CONCERNING RETROACTIVE EFFECT. — Any prosecution under the sections stricken by subsection (a) shall abate upon the taking effect of this section. Any previous conviction under those sections shall be null and void.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Ron Paul Statement at JEC hearing on July 14, 2010
Congressman Paul discusses the business cycle and government contributions to our economic turmoil.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Ron Paul discusses the coming collapse of the dollar and other world currencies.
Ron Paul discusses the coming collapse of the dollar and other world currencies. Gold, silver and other metals. Along with food, water, and all else one needs to survive in the total chaos of hyperinflation. Are the only truly safe investments.
The warning signs are everywhere.
Get prepared.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Ron Paul Audit The Fed Update - June 30, 2010
Ron Paul says the monetary system is the cause of the crisis, and giving more power to the Fed doesn't make sense since they are the cause of the crisis. The original language of H.R. 1207, calling for a full audit of the Fed, was neutered but there is still a chance to revive the original intent. Without a full audit, we will never understand why bubbles form and why more regulations fail. The Fed audit that Paul is calling for does not challenge the supposed independence of the Federal Reserve.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
3 New Interviews from Eric King at King World News
Robin Griffiths: Cazenove Capital Management’s Private Wealth Strategist - Robin has 44 years investment experience and is considered to be one of the top strategists in the world. Robin developed his own system, analyzing stock and market trends. He is followed globally because of his ground breaking work on world stock markets, bonds, currencies and commodities. Cazevone as a group now manages nearly £15 billion on behalf of their client base and is one of the oldest and most respected names in the financial community, tracing its origins back to the 17th century.
James Turk: James is Chairman and Founder of Goldmoney.com - Since 1987 James Turk has written “The Freemarket Gold & Money Report,” an investment newsletter. James has specialized in international banking, finance and investments since 1969. His business career began at The Chase Manhattan Bank (now JP Morgan Chase Bank). He subsequently joined the investment and trading company of a prominent precious metals trader based in Greenwich, Connecticut then moved to the United Arab Emirates to be appointed Manager of the Commodity Department of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, a position he held until resigning in 1987.
Congressman Ron Paul & Dr. Rand Paul: Dr. Rand Paul is running for Senate in Kentucky this year. Following in the great tradition of his father, Rand is continuing the fight for honest and limited constitutional government, low taxes, free markets, a return to sound monetary policies based on a commodity-backed currency, abolishing the Fed, preserving our Republic and freedoms. Congressman Ron Paul of Texas is the originator of the audit the Fed bill and a champion of liberty in the United States. If there is a modern day version of our founding fathers it is Congressman Ron Paul as he has never voted for a bill unless it was consistent with the US Constitution.
Friday, June 25, 2010
The Fed, Debt and Systemic Collapse of the US - Eric King's Blog + Another Great Interview from Eric King with both Ron & Rand Paul
Having a discussion about the Fed, massive debt and the systemic collapse of the United States with two of the most qualified individuals in US politics today cemented in my mind that we are in a depressionary cycle, and their is virtually no way out for a variety of reasons. This is why it is so important for readers to protect themselves and their families from the next wave down.
June 24, 2010
When asked about the media attacks against him Dr. Rand Paul responded, “They (the media) always try to do things like paint the Tea Party or me as extreme, and the way we respond is having a $2 trillion deficit like we do now, that’s really extreme. Having $400 billion in interest in one year, that’s extreme.”
Congressman Ron Paul stated when asked about the Audit the Fed Bill, “I think the Federal Reserve is going to be an issue for a long time to come until they clean up their act or we have a new monetary system.”
Rand also commented regarding the US debt, “You have a Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke, and they usually don’t try to use very inflammatory language, but a week or two ago he said that the debt was unsustainable and that to me is a particularly strong word, unsustainable.”
Ron added to Rand’s thoughts on the debt, “He (Bernanke) points the finger at the Congress, but really it’s the combination of the politicians who love to spend and the Federal Reserve that accommodates.”
The Paul’s discussed a timetable for a systemic collapse of the US. They also noted that government officials have been listening to their own rhetoric regarding a recovery in asset prices, believing in a pipe dream.
Eric King
KingWorldNews.com
To hear the interview with Dr. Rand Paul and Congressman Ron Paul on King World News CLICK HERE.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Some Relevant Economic History - Quotes & A Speech from Rep. Louis T. McFadden about the Federal Reserve "End The Fed Flashback"
It seems like history is repeating itself. Rep. Ron Paul seems to be the voice of reason today and the one who is promoting the US Constitution leading the campaign for liberty. Ron Paul wants to END THE FED! and he promotes sound money (Silver & Gold coined money like the constitution says which would be coined by our US Treaury and would limit the government from spending more than our silver/gold reserves).
Back in the 1920's & 1930's it was Rep. Louis Thomas McFadden who was the voice of reason leading the campaign for liberty & was the voice of reason against The Federal Reserve banksters. On June 10, 1932 Representative Louis Thomas McFadden gave a compelling speech click here for link Louis McFadden: the Federal Reserve
Speech by Rep. Louis T. McFadden denouncing the Federal Reserve System
-- 1932-06-10 source: Congressional Record, June 1932, pg 12595-12603
Here is Rep. Louis Thomas McFadden's Wikipedia page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Thomas_McFadden
9 quotes from Representative Louis Thomas McFadden regarding the Federal Reserve:
Louis McFadden quote:
The Federal Reserve (Banks) are one of the most corrupt institutions the world has ever seen. There is not a man within the sound of my voice who does not know that this Nation is run by the International Bankers.
Louis McFadden quote:
What is needed here is a return to the Constitution of the United States. We need to have a complete divorce of Bank and State. The old struggle that was fought out here in Jackson's day must be fought over again... The Federal Reserve Act should be repealed and the Federal Reserve Banks, having violated their charters, should be liquidated immediately. Faithless Government officers who have violated their oaths of office should be impeached and brought to trial. Unless this is done by us, I predict that the American people, outraged, robbed, pillaged, insulted, and betrayed as they are in their own land, will rise in their wrath and send a President here who will sweep the money changers out of the temple.
Louis McFadden quote:
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York is eager to enter into close relationship with the Bank for International Settlements.... The conclusion is impossible to escape that the State and Treasury Departments are willing to pool the banking system of Europe and America, setting up a world financial power independent of and above the Government of the United States.... The United States under present conditions will be transformed from the most active of manufacturing nations into a consuming and importing nation with a balance of trade against it.
Louis McFadden quote:
Mr. Chairman, I see no reason why citizens of the United States should be terrorized into surrendering their property to the International Bankers who own and control the Federal Reserve.
Louis McFadden quote:
It was not accidental [the 1929 stock-market “crash”]. It was a carefully contrived occurrence. ... The international bankers sought to bring about a condition of despair here so that they might emerge as rulers of us all.
Louis McFadden quote:
Open the books … and you will be staggered to see how much American money has been taken from the United States Treasury for the benefit of Russia. Find out what business has been transacted for the State Bank of Soviet Russia, by its correspondent, the Chase Bank of New York.
Louis McFadden quote:
We have in this country one of the most corrupt institutions the world has ever known. I refer to the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Banks, hereinafter called the FED. They are not government institutions. They are private monopolies which prey upon the people of these United States for the benefit of themselves and their foreign customers.
Louis McFadden quote:
Some people think the Federal Reserve Banks are US government institutions. They are not... they are private credit monopolies which prey upon the people of the US for the benefit of themselves and their foreign and domestic swindlers, and rich and predatory money lenders. The sack of the United States by the Fed is the greatest crime in history. Every effort has been made by the Fed to conceal its powers, but the truth is the Fed has usurped the government. It controls everything here and it controls all our foreign relations. It makes and breaks governments at will.
Louis McFadden quote:
(The Great Depression resulting from the Stock Market crash) was not accidental. It was a carefully contrived occurrence....The international bankers sought to bring about a condition of despair here so they might emerge as rulers of us all.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
What is The Great Credit Contraction?
The Great Credit Contraction. The printing presses cannot cope with all of this.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Ron Paul - Prepare for the Worst
Presented by Congressman Ron Paul at "The Failure of the Keynesian State," the Mises Circle in Houston, sponsored by Jeremy S. Davis. Recorded Saturday, 23 January 2010. Includes introductory remarks by Mises Institute president Douglas E. French, and by Institute founder and chairman Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr..
Monday, February 15, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
