Do you have a message or statement that you've been squirming in your seat to get out? I know I feel like that almost every second of the day. The follow are a few tips on how you can get out your message effectively through a rally or non-violent protest:

1. Organize a group:

a. Social Networking: The best way to do this is to start a meetup group in your area on meetup.com. In the fall of 2007, meetup.com was where I found the Greater NYC Ron Paul meetup group that had over 1000 members. I participated in a large New Year's Eve rally with the through midtown in New York City, and it was a very successful event. You may also want to create a Facebook group as well, because the more social networks you use to create groups, the more people are likely to find out about your group.

b. Get to Know The Community: If you already have 1 or 2 friends, print out some information pamphlets and get out on the street with a sign or two and hand out information to locals in your community including the time and place of your meetings.

c. Meeting Events: Make sure to schedule events to take place during the meetings, such as guest speakers, or dinner and a documentary to boost attendance.


2. Give Titles to Different Group Members:

It is a good idea to assign titles to different group members to make them feel important. They will feel like a respected member of the group and will likely perform their jobs/tasks much more efficiently. Assign each titled member a specific task to get toward the final goal of the rally. It is often a good idea to group friends together to complete certain tasks, such as poster makers, pamphlet makers, incentive makers, transportation organizers, etc.


3. Hand Made Signs:

Hand made signs catch peoples' attention. Instead of looking generic, handmade signs symbolize a strong and healthy grassroots movement. Handmade signs beat pre-made signs any day.


4. Create A Large Banner:

Creating a large, print banner or spray painted banner will often create a core to your rally presence. If the hand-made signs don't catch the pedestrians' attention, surely a large banner with giant words or even pictures will. This kind of diversity in your statement is sure to draw attention.


5. Send Out A Press Release:

It is important to try to attract media coverage to your event. You may want to get a friend outside the group to call various media outlets ahead of time to "hint" them about a possible protest. You could also write up a press release and fax them to various news sources and TV news stations. Likewise, bring a video camera and digital camera so you can also document the event yourself and spread the news as well.

The Event:

6. Create Slogan Chants:

You may want to bring a megaphone for this to choose and have group members take turns being the leader for various chants. Try to create chants that rhyme and are catchy and fun to say. For example, at the Revolution March in Washington D.C. this past July, one of the chants we did was "Obama McCain, they're all the same!" It was very affective in attracting outside attention and it was fun to yell.


7. Inspirational Speakers:

If possible, try to schedule an inspirational speaker to come to the event. If the speaker is well known and respected in the field in which the protest lies, it will motivate more members to come out to support the cause.


8. Provide Incentive:

Not only is it important to reward the group members, but it is equally important to reward the pedestrian taking your pamphlet. It is usually a good idea to provide incentive for them to take the information. Try to think of something relevant to your group. For instance, I am a member of the Indiana University Students For Liberty, and our incentive motivator for them to take our pamphlets at our End The Fed Rally (protesting the Federal Reserve System) on 11/22/08 was chocolate gold coins. It was relevant to our protest because we were protesting to get rid of the USA's fiat money printing system and to return to a commodity-backed currency. The gold coins resembled a gold standard, and the fact that they were chocolate allowed the pedestrian to get rewarded for taking a pamphlet. Often times people took pamphlets after we told them that they would get chocolate coins. It works more times than not.


9. Reward Group Members:

It is a good idea to reward the group for performing exceptionally well. Another option could be to all go for a meal together, or some sort of post-rally leisure activity to bond the group more and to enjoy something after putting in all of that hard work. This kind of reward will excite and entice the group to hold more rallies and community events of activism.

I hope this was helpful information to get you started and motivated!

Until Next Time,
Sam

Yesterday seemed to be a great success across the country. I know that my own rally in Bloomington, Indiana at Indiana University was a great success. We handed out over one hundred pamphlets and tons of chocolate gold coins to help spread awareness. You can see some of our efforts here:



Over 500 people showed up in Houston, Texas to come to see Ron Paul speak his words of wisdom of the destruction of American prosperity and about what may be coming next and how to stop it. His Houston speech at the Federal Reserve Bank, Houston branch can be seen here:










I was very pleased to see that NBC acknowledged the Chicago End The Fed rally, so congratulations to the Chicago protesters on a job well done! The NBC coverage can be seen here:




I'm not familiar with International Press TV, but they did an excellent job covering the End The Fed rally in Washington D.C. Well known activists like Gary Franchi and Adam Kokesh attended the D.C. rally. The news coverage can be seen here:



Alex Jones had a great interview at the scene of the Dallas, Texas End The Fed rally with OTN, the Obscured Truth Network. Jones exposes the Federal Reserve System for what it is, part of a networked, global, banking cartel. Alan Greenspan even stated that they are above the law, and Jones states that we have two options: either worldwide tyranny or a new Renaissance age of freedom and liberty. "The choice can be found by looking in the mirror," he stated. It's about We The People getting out and exposing the truth on the streets of the USA. You can see the whole interview here:



If anyone has found any other news coverage of the rally, please comment and/or post it on my blog. Also I would love to hear about everyone's protests so please feel free to share your own personal experiences at your rallies.


Until Next Time,
Sam

Health:

Dr. Douglas N. Graham has just released a new version of his website FoodnSport. He has an updated blog with loads of terrific articles to send you down the path to improved health and vitality. He will also be coming out with a new edition of "On Nutrition and Physical Performance" in the coming weeks, and I will post a link to that as well when the time arrives.

Food 'N Sport



Investing:

Here's a "Reality Check" with Jim Puplava of the Financial Sense News Hour talking with Richard Loomis, CEO of World Energy. Now that crude oil is below $60 a barrel, what does this mean for the consumer? Are things "back to normal" or is this merely a strip tease? While some so called "experts" are claiming that cheap energy is back for good, the folks at World Energy Source beg to differ. So, what does this mean for the investor? It's time to get bullish on energy. Learn more here:

World Energy TV



Politics:

It's time for libertarians and conservatives alike to take back the Republican Party. No more neo-con non-sense, true believers in limited government and freedom, liberty is ripe for picking. Speak your mind at "Rebuild The Party," and let the Republican National Committee know where you stand in the political area.

Rebuild The Party

I would choose organic foods over their conventional counterparts for a few reasons.

The first reason is it is much healthier for you. This is because there are no pesticides or herbicides sprayed on the food. This is important because the suffix "cide" means "to kill." You don't want to put something in your body that was meant to kill. You want to put something in your body that was meant to heal and nourish.

Secondly, you want to eat organic in order to avoid Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). The reason for this is because these are foods that have been gene spliced to created new creatures that have not been tasted on anyone before, and could have very harmful effects on humans. An example of this is taking genes from salmon to create square tomatoes. This is completely going against mother nature but farmers like it because they can then package more tomatoes in a crate. There are also gene splicing techniques used to make soft foods like tomatoes stronger and thicker skins so they don't brake when shipped. The GMOs could cause diseases or other serious problems.

Third, it IS a great thing to support your local organic store over the name brand. When I am at home, I always go to my local organic store and I personally know the manager and he know's what kinds of fruits I like and he goes out of his way to help me get what I need. Build that type of relationship with the workers at your organic store.

Which is better for the economy? That is hard to say. I wish that the answer was organic, but the fact is that it really depends who is growing the organic food. If the company growing the organic food is a large, industrial organic company like Earthbound, I don't think it would be much different than buying from a large Agribusiness company, or a large conventional company in general, than, let's say, Kraft, for a lack of a better example and comparison.

So, next time when you walk into your organic store, look for the produce marked "locally grown," and then you know that you are positively benefiting your community. What even better is to go to your local farmer's market and to meet the growers first hand. There's nothing better than to shake the hand of the person who grew your food and helped to bring it to your dinner table.

Welcome fellow truth seeker. What stands before you is the ability to test the limits. On this page is the potential to seek the truth about health and wellness. To see what it feels like to experience true vitality. To delve into political incorrectness through libertarian ideals about limited central government, free markets, and civil liberties. To explore the boundaries of investing and contrarian beliefs. The depths of this page will reveal information untouched by the masses. Take one leap into the myriad of truth never to return to the facade of main stream correctness.

The California secretary of state should refuse to allow the state's 55 Electoral College votes to be cast in the 2008 presidential election until President-elect Barack Obama verifies his eligibility to hold the office, alleges a California court petition filed on behalf of former presidential candidate Alan Keyes and others.

read more | digg story


Click Here To Visit Sam's Raw Truth Store

Different looks same intentions...the picture says it all....

read more | digg story

Some problems that I have encountered on a frugivorous diet (a diet made up of sweet, ripe fruit as the staple and supplemented by leaves/leafy greens or other high water content vegetables):

Food Combining Problems:

When eating salad I have found that cauliflower does not combine well with grapes. My conclusion here is that vegetables that are relatively high in complex carbs/very rough and fibrous do not mix well with anything but acidic fruits. This means that subacid fruits, such as grapes, would not combine well. I usually get short lasting stomach pains after a meal combined like so, for about fifteen minutes. I would recommend that if you eat a salad of greens, tomatoes, and grapes, leave it at that for optimum digestion. If you decide to use cauliflower in a salad, I've noticed that apples combine well for me, but for optimal digestion I stick to acid fruits like pineapple or oranges.

The Inconvenience of Unripe Fruit or Not Having Fruit When Hungry:

How many times have you found yourself hungry, only to search through your entire 40lb crate of bananas to find that nothing is ripe. I recommend always having an entire ripe crate on hand as well as an entire green crate. This way, by the time you eat through the ripe crate, your green crate will have ripened and will be ready to eat. Any extras, or bunches that turn extra fast can just be tossed in the fridge. Worst comes to worst, peal some, toss them in a ziplock bag, and save for blended banana ice cream, or give some bananas to some friends or co-workers at the office.

Whenever you are going to be away from home for an entire day, ALWAYS bring tons of fruit. When I interned in New York City (gone anywhere from 8:30AM - 7:30PM) this past summer, I would usually bring at least 3 bunches of bananas with me, so around 18. However, sometimes I would only bring two bunches for breakfast and then I would bring 3 large tomatoes, 2 mangoes, and a head of lettuce and chop all of that into a bowl for lunch. Never go away from home empty handed. It's setting yourself up for disaster.

Instead of Under Eating Problems, How About Over Eating Problems:

Be careful not to get carried away after learning to expand your stomach by eating more in one sitting and end up eating too much. This can lead to horrible stomach pains, which are not caused by the fruit itself, but it's caused by your digestive system yelling at you for over loading it. Make sure that if you decide to eat 20 bananas in one sitting that you are sufficiently hungry before hand. You can't numb emotions with fruit (maybe with the exception of amazing tasting persimmons that are in season right now). I tend to have a bad habit of eating out of impulse rather than hunger sometimes. So, it's important to learn to recognize true hunger signals. If you just ate an hour ago, busy yourself with something else. Pick up a book, balance the check book, or do some push ups. Also, make sure to breath sufficiently while eating a meal. If you end up "inhaling" the fruit than you can over eat fast; especially on calorically dense fruits like bananas.

Limit Yourself to One of Two Fruits Per Meal:

I used to have a bad habit of eating one fruit, and then search for another, and then another within the same meal. This can also lead to some stomach pains by creating disharmony in your digestive system. Try eating a mono fruit meal, and you may find that you will eat sufficiently less food. The searching through the refrigerator for something else could be more of an addictive impulse than one of true hunger.

Replace A Past-Time Comfort Food With A New One:

Find new joy and comfort to your new lifestyle. Try to replace the cheesecake with an extremely satisfying fruit. Like I stated earlier, I have found a new comfort food in persimmons. Try some new fruits, and find one that works for you.

Savor Every Bite:

Enjoy your new life, and be thankful for your new and vibrant health.

Until Next Time,
Sam

For those of you out there who want to buy precious metals but are either not sure how, not sure what the best way is, or not sure what your options are, this post is for you. Anyone else who is just interested in the subject matter, this is for you also.

There are a number of ways you can go about it. First and foremost, you need to decide how much funny money you are going to spend to get the real money. The reason for this is that certain coin/bullion dealers have minimum buys. For example, a place that I have bought from a few times called California Numismatic Investments (CNI), has a $2,000 minimum buy. Because gold and silver are so rare right now, a lot of the coins and small bars are selling for 30 to 40% premiums. If you are buying 1,000 ounce bars of silver you'll get a much better deal, and the same with 100 ounce bars of gold. However, most people (like me) can't afford this so what I do is I call around to every place I can find, and last month I found a place in Reno, Nevada that was able to ship me one 10oz bar and 10 one ounce rounds of silver (in three days!!!!) That site/store is called Silver State Coin.

Depending on where you buy from some charge shipping, I know that CNI never does, simply because of their minimum buy policy. Silver State does charge shipping but there is no standard shipping fee's like most places so shipping only cost me $6 dollars, though the premium on the silver was probably around 50 to 60%, so I was paying around $15 an ounce when silver was around $9 an ounce. I think it's still worth it.

Ok, if you really have a lot of money that you want to put into gold and/or silver, here is the best bang for your buck. You can buy a COMEX futures contract on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) (I thought it was on the NYMEX because that is where all of the contacts seem to be listed but after listening to the FSN audio report I guess not). You do this buy first getting a broker ex. Pearce Financial, , and they will make the transaction for you. There are a few different options for buying a gold or silver futures contract. You can either buy a normal size gold contract, 100oz, a normal size silver contract, 5000oz, a miniGold contract, 33.2oz, or a miniSilver contract, 1000oz. With silver around $10 an ounce and gold around $730 an ounce, you do that math (it's a steal if one can afford it). After securing the contract, you will be required to pay a margin cost, usually around $1000 or so, which compared to all of these contracts is nothing, and then you need to start getting money in the bank ready to wire for your first notice day. The reason for this is because I recommend taking delivery of the physical metal because some time next year the COMEX will default on the futures contracts because demand is much greater than supply and the outstanding long contracts are over 3x the amount of short contracts. So, I would recommend do this soon so you can get a December contract and take delivery next month. When you take delivery the metal will be shipped where ever you want it in a Brinks armored truck, though this has a fee as well, depending on where you live. For me, it would probably not be that bad because there's a COMEX warehouse in the county that I live in. You may want to find out what the delivery will cost before buying a contract.

For more information about buying a precious metals futures contract, listen to the Financial Sense News Hour: November 8th 2008 3rd Hour Part 1 audio report with guest voice Jason Pearce.

So, if you can't afford a COMEX futures contract, want the metal immediately, or don't want the hassle of the futures market, then buy it directly from a dealer. If you care about premiums, buy it from the futures market. If you don't give a hoot about any of this, buy it from ebay (100% premiums).

But, when **** hits the fan, all that will matter is that you have it.

Until Next Time,
Sam

There is a lot of talk about the merits of education, and, while educating yourself is a great thing, it is important to recognize what you are being educated in, and what the educator is advocating.

People seem to advocate studying hard to do well in school to then go out and find a good, stable job. Well, as we can see in the current economic turmoil, if you want a stable job, you better try applying for one on a different planet, because I see no more stability than a man chained to a cement block floating in an ocean.

How does one succeed in such terrible times?

How does one succeed in general?

You succeed in life by DOING, not by studying how to do, or getting a degree that says you are qualified to do, or finding out how someone else did, and then following that same path. Everyone has a different path, and everyone will take a different path. There are many paths to success, none of which include/involve/terminate in never doing. Sure, it is important to educate yourself in what you are about to do, but no one seems to place as great an importance, and what should be a greater importance on getting out in the world and trying to obtain your goals.

Now, that doesn't mean that just because you started doing something that you decided to go out and do the right thing. More often then not, at first, people go out and do the wrong thing. But, that doesn't mean you have to keep doing something that isn't getting you anywhere. If something doesn't work, just simply stop doing what's not working and try something else.

Failure is part of the path to success. Failure, in most cases, is inevitable, but it is important to fail in order to learn from your mistakes in assurance that next time you will leap beyond the last road block. If all you've ever done is studied how to do but you have never done, then how will you know what to do or have the confidence to do and succeed when the time or opportunity arises?

So once again, you succeed by DOING, not by practicing to do.

So, what is an example of this?

I am a firm believer in precious metals investing. I try as hard as I can to make money any way that I can to buy any amount of silver that I can afford on a monthly basis. While in college, I have made some money with a catering food service that I found out about through some friends, and now I have also applied for a job at the college book store. Where there's a will, there's a way. However, not acting towards your will can discourage you to give up the will in a loss of hope. Don't let yourself be a victim of discouragement. Find that will, and let it lead you to your way, as I strive to find mine. There may not be one direct path to your way, and in fact, there almost never is. But, that does not mean that you'll never get there. Persevere, stick to your goals and principals, and prove yourself wrong. You can obtain the unobtainable. Take what starts in the mind and finish with the muscle.

Until Next Time,
Sam

It was a happy night for a lot of people yesterday. While I was in bed reading The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve, there were people singing and dancing in the streets, car horns honking, crowds screaming, and people running through the halls of my dorm. What was the occasion? Barack Obama winning the election.

So, what does this mean for the future of the United States of America? What are these people partying for? Maybe they should read about the Creature, then they might know.

It was really sad to see so many happy faces, so many smiles, as people waved their hands for more big government, more wars, and less civil liberties.

Here are some of Obama's civil liberties and foreign policy issues:

This one is terrifying to me:

"Strengthen Federal Leadership on Cyber Security":

Obama and Biden want to establish the position of national cyber advisor who will report directly to the president and will be responsible for coordinating federal agency efforts and development of national cyber policy.

They want to create some sort of "Cyber Security Strategy," that will somehow stop terrorists in their tracks of creating new attacks. This inittiative sounds so vague to me, and in fact terribly scary. I don't think that anyone wants internet censorship, or be denied access to various websites, or even more domestic spying. What they are proposing is very scaring, a closing internet society.



Amend the North American Free Trade Agreement: Obama and Biden believe that NAFTA and its potential were oversold to the American people. They will work with the leaders of Canada and Mexico to fix NAFTA so that it works for American workers.

In other words, say hello to the North American Union (which Obama has never talked about, let alone the NAFTA super highway)! Let's all get excited for decreased national sovereignty!

Strengthen NATO: Obama and Biden will rally NATO members to contribute troops to collective security operations, urging them to invest more in reconstruction and stabilization operations, streamlining the decision-making processes, and giving NATO commanders in the field more flexibility.

It is important to note that American citizens did NOT elect any of the world officials in NATO. For those who are not familiar with NATO, it is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Straight from their website, they define themselves as:

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an alliance of 26 countries from North American and Europe committed to fulfilling the goals of the North Atlantic Treaty signed on 4 April 1949.

Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, NATO has attempted to refocus itself to new challenges and has deployed troops to Afghanistan and Iraq. Doesn't it seem a bit hypocritical that the purpose of post Cold War NATO is to send troops around the world to fight "terrorism," yet Obama claims to want to bring troops home?

Here's what Obama has to say about ending the war and bringing troops home:

Find, Disrupt, and Destroy al Qaeda:

Obama and Biden will responsibly end the war in Iraq and focus on Afghanistan, the refuge for the terrorists who attacked us on September 11. He will send at least two additional combat brigades, more special operations forces, and $1 billion in additional non-military aid to Afghanistan.


Obama's plan also wants a military expansion of 65,000 soldiers. Then, he wants to spend $50 billion a year through 2012 to essentially nation build in 60 countries from "Africa, to Central Asia, to the Pacific Rim."

To sum up his "Homeland Security Fact Sheet," he basically says that him and Biden will continue America's fairly recent tradition of policing the world. They want to police Iran, North Korea, Russia, and who knows what else. It's no different from what we have now.

When will our politicians heed to George Washington's advice that said to "steer cleer of all foreign entanglements." Washington advicated a non-intervention foreign policy, including no nation building, no entangling alliances, and no policing the world. It appears that an Obama administration will do more of the same.

As of late, I have often found myself sitting and thinking, what could people possibly be thinking? What do they see in John McCain or Barack Obama? It’s like choosing a meal of fast food or candy. They are both readily available, widely popular, and neither is good for you. In fact, if I turned on the TV today I’d probably see a Barack Obama ad before a Wendy’s ad. The problem is, if you can only choose between eating fast food or candy, neither is healthy for your body, especially when it is in desperate need for nourishment.

So what do you do?

Well, the most obvious choice would be to pick the lesser of two evils. Both will probably eventually make me ill but at the current moment it won’t do much harm. Two, you could just not eat. It’s simple, but eventually everyone has to eat, so it would do you much good for long. Lastly, you could decide break out of the mold and eat healthy for once. We all know that in America this is not a very popular choice, but in the sickly state we are in, someone’s got to do it.

Ok, so let’s say that you are leaning towards eating the healthy bananas and lettuce. But then, you start thinking, “Well, I’m going to die some day anyway, so it’s really just a waste of appetite to eat this healthy food when I could eat a much tastier burger or chocolate bar. Or you might start thinking, “Well, everyone else is eating burgers and candy bars and I’ve eaten them all of my life, so changing now won’t really make much of a difference.” Or you might be saying to yourself, “Eating only fruits and vegetables? But my friends will think I’m crazy!”

So after all this pondering you decide to grab the snickers bar because it was easy, satisfying, and sweet. But what happens not to long after you eat it? Stomach aches, nausea, and sometimes, if you have to many snickers, vomiting. So maybe the candy wasn’t such a good choice after all. But would the burger have been any better? Sure it’s not sweet, so maybe you wouldn’t have gotten nauseous, but don’t forget that you could just as easily get food poisoning from bacteria strains inherent in the meat that your system is not designed to handle. And if that doesn’t happen, your cholesterol is bound to raise so high and your arteries are bound to get so clogged that you’ll either end up with heart disease or a heart attack. But who cares, right now, it’s good, it’s easy, and it’s everywhere.

So what happened to the one guy that did choose the banana? Everyone pointed fingers and called him a kook. Well, what if this guy was right? What if the bananas will clear out his system and give him a fresh start? What if a painful and horrible death isn’t inevitable? Maybe we should start listening to the guy that chose to eat the banana?

Or……..

We can keep on being suckers for candy.



The Analogy Revealed:


Fast Food Represents John McCain

We’ve been told over and over again that it’s horrible for us (for the past 8 years), and we want change in our diets. However, there are still a handful of people that say that the burger is a good, hefty meal, and will make us strong. So, they continue to eat burgers, even if it has actually been ruining their health for some time. Many people believe that John McCain would be a better choice than Barack Obama for a few reasons. One, he will never accept defeat in a war (though Obama has also many times openly stated that he too wants more troops oversees). Two he will not openly state that he will raise taxes (but will ultimately have no choice if he wants to enact his $1 trillion worth of spending programs and hide the inflation tax by “raising government revenue.” He is not a socialist (Neo-Cons are just as much pro big government as are Democrats). So both are pro intervention oversees, pro big government, pro big spending, and pro loose monetary policy.

So, you tell me where the difference is and I’ll give you back your burger.


Candy Represents Barack Obama

It’s easy, comes readily packaged, and tastes oh so sweet. Everybody loves candy, and so do I. Therefore, if everybody loves the taste, then it must be good for me. Having a little candy now and then couldn’t do any harm, and in fact many have bolstered about the positive qualities of chocolate, releasing endorphins and making me happy. In reality, the great taste and short-term effects of candy are simply but a tease, for what is to come down the road is far from tasty.

Likewise, Barack Obama makes many deceiving promises about great programs to help middle class America, and tax cuts for middle class Americans. But, this is only the initial tasty part. You must ask yourself, where is this money coming from, isn’t our country broke? Actually, the national debt is steadily growing over $10.5 trillion, and I’m not even sure that this figure includes the $1.8 trillion that the Federal Reserve has added to their balance sheet: the stimulus package, take over of Fanny and Freddy, the bailout of AIG, the housing bailout, etc. Where is all of this money going to come from for all of the great programs that Obama is talking about? It’s simple, the Federal Reserve will print however much is needed and will willingly fork it over to the government to spend as it wishes. What does that mean for middle class America? Wiped out by the hurricane of hyperinflation and a devalued currency. Well, so much for going surfing.


Healthy Food Represents Third Party Candidates

Eating healthy is widely unpopular, and many have even completely shut out the thought of eating it as it is often branded tasteless. But, have they actually ever tasted a fully ripe banana and come to realize how satisfying it can actually be? Or, the benefits that can be reaped from healthy living? In today’s society, it’s simply out of the question. The same way that voting third party is strictly taboo by pop culture. If people only knew that we could clear the system of all its corruption and start fresh and create a healthy and thriving government, they would all vote third party instantly. But in the same way that there is no big money in marketing bananas, to take down the current system would mean a major loss of wealth and power for the elite few that have held steadfast it for some time.

So, in conclusion. why not try something new? Give it a chance, and have a meal of bananas.

It’s proven fact that the human race never learns from past mistakes, and blindly steps into the same hole over and over again. I thought it might be interesting to compare some of Hoover’s policies when he was president, and what Obama would plan to do as president. Before you start yelling at me, I’m not any more for McCain than I am for Obama, but I chose to compare Obama in this situation. Here it goes.

Hoover:

According to Murray Rothbard, Hoover actually started the New Deal programs. “For if we define ‘New Deal’ as an anti-depression program marked by extensive governmental economic planning and intervention – including bolstering of wage rates and prices, expansion of credit, propping up of weak firms, and increased government spending (e.g., subsidies to unemployment and public works) – Herbert Clark Hoover must be considered the founder of the New Deal in America.”

One of the Hoover Administration’s last attempts to rescue the economy was the passage of the Emergency Relief and Construction Act, which included funds for public works programs and the creation of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) in 1932. The RFC's initial goal was to provide government-secured loans to financial institutions, railroads and farmers. The RFC was eventually adopted by Franklin Delano Roosevelt and greatly expanded as part of his New Deal.

Hoover violated all free-market principles, and by the end of his administration unemployment was up to 25%, up from 10% at the time of the stock market crash of 1929.

Here are some aspects of Hoover's plan:

-Increased inheritance taxes
-Public dams
-Government regulation of the stock market to eliminate "vicious speculation"

In order to pay for these and other government programs, Hoover agreed to one of the largest tax increases in American history. The Revenue Act of 1932 raised income tax on the highest incomes from 25% to 63%. The estate tax was doubled and corporate taxes were raised by almost 15%. Also, a "check tax" was included that placed a 2-cent tax (over 30 cents in today's dollars) on all bank checks. Hoover also encouraged Congress to investigate the New York Stock Exchange, and this pressure resulted in various reforms.
National debt expressed as a fraction of gross national product climbed from 20% to 40% under Hoover.

FDR also accused Hoover of being a socialist, with all of his taxing, spending, and government programs. But who is he to talk?

So in conclusion here are some basic facts:

-In 1931, federal income tax rates were at 25%
-In 1932, Hoover raised income tax rates to 63%
-In 1930 the unemployment rate was at 10%
-After the Hoover tax hikes, in tax rates and the unemployment rate rose to 25%


Now here’s where the fun kicks in. Care to see what Obama plans to do?


Obama:

Obama is proposing tax credits for those that engage in government activity. He says that the tax credits are for $1000, but the trick is that it’s $1000 minus whatever you pay in taxes currently. So the only people get $1000 are those that pay no taxes. Furthermore, if you normally would pay $200 in taxes, the government would subtract that from the check and give you $800. In other words, you are better rewarded if you are less productive.

Lets take a look at some tax numbers:

Here’s what will happen to the top tax bracket, or those that make an annual salary of $250,000 or more (basically combining the top two brackets into one)

Your income tax increased to 39.6%, an 11% to 13% increase in dollar amounts. This is straight of the Obama Tax Plan Factsheet (go to the site and scroll to bottom for the PDF): “Repealing a portion of the Bush tax cuts for families over $250,000.” It’s crucial to ask yourself the question, “Which American citizens stimulate the economy the most?”

The top 10% annual income earners pay 90% of the taxes, so the Obama tax cuts are for families that pay next to nothing in families, so it is really quite a large net increase in taxes.

For estates of over $7 million per couple, an Estate Tax rate of 45%. That would mean losing almost half of your family’s net worth.

The Social Security tax would be raised to 12.4%

Medicare Tax of between 2% and 4%

The top rates on capital gains and dividends would rise from 15% to 20%, up a third.

Top Income Tax Bracket:
- Income tax = 39.6%
-Combined Medicare and Social Security tax = 15.3%
- Phase out of itemized deductions (expenditures that are granted tax deductible by the IRS) = 1.2%
-Surtax on incomes over $250,000 = 4.6%

Total Taxes = 60.7%

In other words, “spreading the wealth.”

Not to mention state taxes that weren’t included in this calculation.

The corporate tax rates will be raised to 35%, so we can expect a lot of job lay-offs in the near future or businesses won’t be profitable, let alone just trying to stay afloat. I also neglected to mention that Obama has $1 trillion worth of spending programs including welfare and public works programs (I think I’ll save this for another post). Sounding a little bit like Hoover?

It didn’t work for Hoover, so I have a hunch that it won’t work for Obama either.

I voted early and voted for Chuck Baldwin, the Constitution Party candidate and endorsed by Ron Paul.

So would someone please stop the two party roller coaster ride, I’m getting nauseous.