Month: June 2017

Inevitable stock market crash, says Mark Faber. Is this possible or even probable?

Inevitable stock market crash, says Mark Faber. Is this possible or even probable? His forecast:

 

mark faber prediction of market crash
click on image above for link to CNBC news story

 

Mr. Faber isn’t a prophet. He’s a student of history. His basic message is simply this: The U.S. is overdue for an economic correction.

I point to biblical economics and to a secular Russian economist’s research to highlight the 7-year and 50-year natural cycles of economic booms and busts.

First, the biblical model for economics.

Deuteronomy chapter 15 addresses cancellation of debts every seven years. Federal law provides Chapter 13 bankruptcy protection to cancel personal debts through a 7-year cycle.

Leviticus 25 provides for the 50th year of Jubilee at the end of seven sevens.

The seventh year of each cycle is called the Shemitah and you can read books and listen to podcasts that tell you all about this phenomenon.

Russian economist Nikolai Kondratieff studied history and the behavior of markets. The Russian leadership wanted him to prove the U.S. could not survive the Great Depression. Kondratieff’s research proved otherwise, so Stalin executed the messenger in 1938., but he couldn’t silence the message.

Economic downturns are painful. And necessary. And predictable.

In Texas, public school systems will be the hardest hit institutions due to dependencies on property tax revenue and extreme public indebtedness. Here in Rockwall, 65% of our property taxes go to the public school system.

The Appraisal Board can appraise all they wish, but fact of the matter is this: if a property owner can’t pay his or her taxes, that government entity will run short of cash quickly.

In this coming economic cycle, many governments will break down due to insolvency, including state governments.

How do you prepare for the inevitable?

  1. First and foremost, have faith in God. Read and study the Bible.
  2. Second, Learn from history as does Mr. Faber.
  3. Third, get out of debt as fast as you can and have ready cash on hand.
  4. Recognize how economic cycles are pretty much like day and night. A sunrise follows every sunset. Instead of losing hope, look forward expectantly to the next economic ‘sunrise’.

The Bible points to specific strategies that can help you.

What’s my plan? I will follow my own advice.

John White
Rockwall, Texas

Durable Government: Foundations vs Framework (Do you know the difference?)

“God isn’t mentioned in the Constitution” say the atheists and the ignorant. I agree. The Name(s) of God are not to be found anywhere in the U.S. Constitution.

The heads of my liberal naysayers will explode when I say this about the foundation ofdurable government our nation: The Constitution is not the foundation. It is the framework.

Let’s define terms. Shall we? The following definitions are from the WordReference.com online dictionary.

Nation – a large body of people, associated with a particular territory, that is sufficiently conscious of its unity to seek or to possess a government peculiarly its own.

Foundation – the base on which some structure rests.

Framework – a skeletal structure designed to support something.

We the People began to become a nation while still under the constitutional monarchy of Great Britain. Before the American Revolution, our colonial forefathers were citizens of that global empire.

Thirteen individual and autonomous states comprised our particular territory when these colonies signed a peace treaty with that empire in 1783.

Each of the thirteen states drew up their own constitutional frameworks of government. It was a compact between those thirteen states that united us as a confederacy. The framework of  that confederate government could be likened to a shack that was unable to weather storms.

On May 25, 1787 delegates of all the states except Rhode Island convened a constitutional convention in Philadelphia. The original intent was to modify or fix the confederate constitution so the states could go forward as a strong nation. This did not happen.

After weeks of debates and hand-wringing, the convention was wholly unfruitful. It was at this point Founding Father Benjamin Franklin took the floor with his famous speech that turned the convention upside down. You can read his famous speech via this link: Franklin’s Appeal for Prayer at the Constitutional Convention

Instead of fixing an unworkable confederacy, the convention of 1787 produced the U.S. Constitution, the framework of our present-day federal government.

Construction professionals know to first lay a sturdy foundation before hammering together the frame of a structure.

Our present-day Constitution is a rhetorical framework for government that rests upon a philosophical foundation.

The Declaration of Independence declares the philosophical foundation for these United States of America. I quote from the second paragraph:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed...”

Creator – a person or thing that creates.

The philosophical foundation upon which the framework of our government rests is acknowledgement of  God as our supreme authority.

To my knowledge, there are only two nations in all history that share this same philosophical foundation: Israel and the U.S.A.

To support the above, I refer you to page 66 of the book titled One Nation Under God: A Factual History of America’s Religious Heritage By Leon G Stevens.

34% of the Founding Fathers’ quotes came directly out of the Bible

Atheists, agnostics and liberal educators diligently and relentlessly strive to blot out all mention of God in text books, public institutions, universities, and even the hallowed halls of Congress. But, there it is.

John White
Rockwall, Texas

 For in him [God] we live and move and exist…

facebook symboltwitter-bird-blue-on-white

Barack Obama’s Illegitimate ‘Child’

A Little Bit of ObamaCare History

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – aka ObamaCare – was passed by both houses of Congress by Democrat votes. Not even one Republican lawmaker voted for it. On March 23, 2010, Barack Obama signed the act into law.

Subsequent to its enactment, insurance rates have skyrocketed, leaving consumers to choose paying penalties they can afford over paying insurance premiums they cannotobamacare just needs a tuneup - nonsense afford.

Major insurers have dropped out of the program due to losses. These include Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Humana, Aetna, and United Health.

Illegitimate (Unconstitutional) At Birth

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed by both houses of Congress by Democrat majorities. Not even one Republican voted for it. Not one.

When Obama’s legal team argued the ACA before the Supreme Court, the penalties were justified as taxes and Chief Justice John Roberts, voting with the liberals on the court, infamously and erroneously declared the penalties are not taxes and also the penalties are taxes. His appointment as Chief Justice is probably one of the worst decisions of the 43rd president.

“How is ObamaCare unconstitutional?” you ask. Let’s think critically for a moment.

What is the sole purpose of taxation? To raise revenue for governments. Nothing more. Nothing less.

From what part of the U.S. Constitution to we look for authority to levy taxes? Article I, Section 7: “All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills.”

The mandated penalty originated in the Senate, not in the House. A majority of the court ruled the penalty is taxation. Therefore, the taxation is unconstitutional.

Leading up to the 2016 elections, Republican lawmakers called for repeal of all or parts of the Affordable Care Act. But, now the game is compromise, effectively exchanging ObamaCare for ObamaCare Lite.

The Bottom Line

Why should Congress fully repeal the ACA? For one simple reason: it was an unconstitutional law from the outset. And, not John Roberts and the other liberal SCOTUS justices don’t get to craft law out of thin air.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – ObamaCare – was the illegitimate child of the radically leftist Obama administration and his Democrat congressional majority.

John White
Rockwall, Texas

Philando Castile Case: Law Enforcement Failure to Uphold the Most Fundamental Duty of Government

While victim Philando Castile lies at rest, his girlfriend and her daughter live on in agony.

murder by cop - Philando Castile.png
Philando Castile was stopped by Ramsey County Ramsey County Officer Jeronimo Yanez on July 6, 2016. On the dashcam video, you will hear Yanez say he stopped Castile for a brake light that was out. In his later testimony, Yanez said the reason he stopped this young man because Castile was a possible match for an armed robbery suspect, something that was NEVER recorded by the policeman’s dashcam equipment.

Officer Yanez’ squad car video, side-by-side with Diamond Reynolds’ Facebook video. Warning: Policeman’s extreme use of profanity will offend you.

Chronology of criminal proceedings against Jeronimo Yanez

November 16, 2016 | Charges in Philando Castile shooting death stun experts, activists

June 12, 2017 | What exactly is the jury weighing in the Yanez case?

June 16, 2017 | Yanez outcome predictable due to wrong charges

Prosecutors charged Yanez with manslaughter to assuage local civil unrest. “He could have been charged with misconduct by a public officer or employee, a misdemeanor offense for acting in excess of lawful authority.” | Star-Tribune

This isn’t over yet. Yanez will probably face federal charges and a likely civil lawsuit.

Yanez Failed the Most Fundamental Duty of All Governments

What is the most fundamental duty of all law enforcement officers and prosecutors? Look to the Declaration of Independence, second paragraph, which states:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”

Officer Jeronimo Yanez’s first duty was to secure Philando Castile’s Right to Life.

Democrats continue a push to destroy our hard-won American freedoms and prosperity

Robert Mueller continues to staff his office of the special prosecutor with Hillary Clinton supporters.

Read from The Hill: CORRECTED: Three members of Mueller’s team have donated to Democrats | BY OLIVIA BEAVERS – 06/12/17 02:23 PM EDT 

Read from The Daily Caller: Robert Mueller Hires Another Clinton Donor For Russia Probe | by CHUCK ROSS, Reporter, 9:51 AM 06/20/2017

After reading the following, ask yourself: Do you believe Robert Mueller is fair and impartial?
dems threaten Trump.PNGFrom his first day in office, Democrats have threatened to impeach President Trump. It’s just a bully tactic, a tyranny of the minority. Nothing more.

Could Democrats actually impeach President Trump? Let’s look to the Constitution, Article I, Section 2 that authorizes only the House to impeach which is tantamount to a Grand Jury indictment and it requires a majority vote.

Now you can understand why George Soros, the Clintons, and other leftist millionaires and billionaires are investing record sums of money into congressional elections like the race in Georgia where big money Democrats have spent over $22 million to unseat Republican Karen Handel.

Rush Limbaugh famously said, “If you want to know why someone does what they do, follow the money.” The money tracks back to the corruption of the Democrat Party on a scale never before seen in American history.

Keep in mind an impeachment is nothing but an accusation. The U.S. Senate tries the President if a majority chooses to do so. We have majorities in both houses.

The threats to impeach are hollow. They serve only to rally the uninformed voters to support Democrat candidates to regain control of Congress. Nothing more. Nothing less.

God raised up Donald Trump to be the 45th President of the United States of America in order to #DrainTheSwamp into which our nation’s capital has been sinking.

Acts 4:29-31 NLT: “And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. 30 Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.”

John White
Rockwall, Texas

Why a Balanced Budget Amendment? The Minimum Wage Debacle

The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) set $0.25/Hour in 1938.

Minimum Wage: What’s the history?

 

minimum wage debacle
by Steve Breen 6/13/2017

 

“Higher minimum wages both reduce overall employment and encourage relatively affluent workers to enter the labor force. Minimum wage increases often lead to employers replacing disadvantaged adults who need a job with suburban teenagers who do not.” – James Sherk, Research Fellow, Labor Economics at The Heritage Foundation

Fact: The FLSA was anything but ‘fair’ because it did not apply to all hourly workers, farm workers, for example.

Fact: Many types of employment today are not covered by the FLSA or any of its subsequent derivatives. Current and past minimum wage laws do not apply to many jobs in America, waiters, for example. Learn more from the Dept. of Labor.

We as a nation have come to a place in history, a point in time, where the federal budget can no longer sustain massive socialistic spending as national debt approaches $20 TRILLION.

Neither your household or business can long remain financially viable if spending outstrips income. It’s truly not rocket science.

If a prospective homebuyer were to apply for a mortgage with his or her credit score near or below zero, you know the obvious outcome. Don’t you? Right. That loan application would be immediately denied. Is this not the situation with the Federal government?

What to do?

  • Choose to be realistic
  • Tell Congress to balance the budget
  • When the Convention of States convenes, tell your COS representative you want a balanced budget amendment.

John White
Rockwall, Texas

Speaker Joe Straus: You claim to be Republican, but your actions suggest otherwise

republican majority

Mr. Speaker, I read the duties of the Speaker of the House from your own website. Nowhere on that list of duties do I see a duty to autocratically obstruct the will of the people, as expressed by the majority seating before you.

I know you as a gentleman. Will you remain a gentleman in the special session?

If you believe Governor Greg Abbott’s agenda unpopular, bring all the items to the floor for a vote to prove your point.

Powers & Duties

The speaker is the presiding officer of the house of representatives. The Texas Constitution requires the house of representatives, each time a new legislature convenes, to choose one of its own members to serve as speaker.

As presiding officer, the speaker maintains order during floor debate, recognizing legislators who wish to speak and ruling on procedural matters. The constitution also requires the speaker to sign all bills and joint resolutions passed by the legislature. As a member of the house of representatives, the speaker may vote on all questions before the house.

The other duties and responsibilities of the speaker are determined by the members of the house in the House Rules of Procedure, which are adopted by a majority vote of the members at the beginning of each regular session of the legislature. The members give the speaker the authority to appoint the membership of each standing committee, subject to rules on seniority, and to designate the chair and vice chair for each committee. Under the rules, the speaker is responsible for referring all proposed legislation to committee, subject to the committee jurisdictions set forth in the rules. The rules also allow the speaker to appoint conference committees, to create select committees, and to direct committees to conduct interim studies when the legislature is not in session.

John White
Rockwall, Texas