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and then had to pay taxes on those illusory gains.

That is the catch most people miss. If you make a 5% return on a short-term investment and inflation was 3%, you really only gained 2% and, that is before you pay income taxes on the 5% "gain".

For a lot of people just treading water after taxes would have been a good return.

Flap

"Monetary Easing" Fixes Nothing

A very simple, obvious graph that proves it. "Recovery" my ass:

http://www.oftwominds.com/blogjune12/eas....

"Buy and hold" should be guaranteed, as much as is possible via a regime such as One Dollar of Capital, for savers not investors. Duh. But only if your goal is a prosperous and resilient economy that favors the middle class.

Somebody please give me one good reason why the authorities won't QE again. OF COURSE it doesn't work, but that's not the point. The point is, they get the benefit of the credit money FIRST. Those lower down in the pecking order - i.e., US - get shafted with the inflation. In other words, when you have the power to counterfeit money and can get away with it, why would you stop? In fact, once you've started, you're already down that slippery slope to monetary oblivion, and these guys have been at it hardcore for thirty years. Now they find themselves in the position where they have to do more and more and more, until there's literally blood and tanks in the streets.

I fail to see how this stops until there is UNANIMOUS rebellion...

Actually, Mike, you don't even need a majority to mount an insurgency. More like around ten percent. Just sayin'...

pdf
http://www.survivalebooks.com/free%20man....

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More like around ten percent.

I cannot argue with such a number for historical insurgencies.

However, my gut tells me that with ubiquitous electronic surveillance, the resources of TLA and JBT agencies, surveillance drones, and other tools available to TPTB, that number is likely to be much higher in our current police state.

Fragile infrastructure, highly infiltrated by moles...

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However, my gut tells me that with ubiquitous electronic surveillance, the resources of TLA and JBT agencies, surveillance drones, and other tools available to TPTB, that number is likely to be much higher in our current police state

I disagree, and for the very reasons you mention.

It works both ways. Secure communication is something that has never existed before for organization of an insurgency. Not just secure but also anonymous, if needed.

~10% of people who are willing to be ACTIVE participants is all that's ever really been necessary historically and I see no reason that number should be any different now.

The key though: WILLINGLY ACTIVE participants. IE: People willing to face the consequences for their activities. NOT just internet keyboard warriors who are only willing to talk.

Demand for dollars will go up allowing the fed to monetize more with no pact on prices
It's time to bottom fish and that means real estate