(The Economic Collapse Blog)—She just can’t help herself. If Kamala Harris was smart, she would not have any specific policy positions. She is not a serious candidate and she should not try to be one. Her best chance of winning to to just wave and smile a lot. When she was running on “joy” for the first couple of weeks, millions of Americans loved that. Of course it was a total charade because just like Hillary Clinton, behind the scenes Kamala Harris is extremely mean and vicious. That is why she has always had such a high turnover rate among her staff. But if she had just kept running on “joy”, there is a very good chance that she could have won.
Unfortunately for Harris, she feels compelled to tell the American people what she actually plans to do once she becomes president.
And that is a really bad thing for her campaign, because just about everyone hates her ideas.
For example, why would she tell the American people that she wants to raise taxes? I don’t know anyone that actually wants to pay more taxes.
She should have just said nothing about taxes and then raised them after the election. By telling people in advance what she plans to do, she is just losing votes.
Americans for Tax Reform examined the plan that she has endorsed, and they concluded that it would raise taxes by 5 trillion dollars over the next 10 years.
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The biggest chunk of that new money would come from raising the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent…
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is proposing to increase the corporate tax rate to 28% from 21% if she wins a November election against Republican rival Donald Trump, her campaign said on Monday.
Harris campaign spokesperson James Singer said the move would be part of “a fiscally responsible way to put money back in the pockets of working people and ensure billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share.”
We are being told that raising the corporate tax rate to 28 percent would bring in about a trillion dollars in revenue over the course of the next ten years…
When Trump was president, he slashed the corporate tax rate to 21% from 35% and implemented other tax breaks that are set to expire next year. Trump has vowed to make the cuts permanent.
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan advocacy group, said on Monday that Harris’ proposal to raise the corporate income tax rate to 28% would reduce the U.S. deficit by $1 trillion over a decade.
But we certainly won’t raise that kind of revenue if corporations start moving out of the country in very large numbers. If what Kamala Harris is proposing becomes law, we will actually have a higher corporate tax rate than communist China…
Kamala Harris wants to hike the current 21% federal corporate income tax rate to 28%, higher than communist China’s 25% and the EU average of 21%, her campaign said Monday.
The Kamala Harris federal 28% rate is higher than the Asia average corporate tax rate of 19.8%, the EU average of 21%, the world average of 23.5%, and the OECD average of 23.7%.
If you don’t want to be called a communist, don’t try to tax businesses even harder than the communists.
Another element of the plan that Kamala Harris wants to implement that is causing a lot of controversy is a proposal to tax the unrealized capital gains of the ultra-wealthy. According to the Los Angeles Times, taxing those unrealized capital gains is part of a scheme for “a 25% minimum tax on the annual income of taxpayers with wealth of more than $100 million”…
All right, guys, take a deep breath. Harris hasn’t proposed taxing your unrealized capital gains, or mine. What she has said, as the Harris campaign told me, is that she “supports the revenue raisers in the FY25 Biden-Harris [administration] budget. Nothing beyond that.”
So what’s in that Biden-Harris administration budget for fiscal year 2025?
The budget plan does indeed call for taxation of unrealized capital gains held by the country’s uber-rich. That’s part of its proposal for a 25% minimum tax on the annual income of taxpayers with wealth of more than $100 million — a wealth tax. If you’re a member of that cohort, lucky you. But at that level of affluence you don’t have grounds to complain about paying a minimum 25% of your annual income.
Maybe you agree with Harris that it is time to stick it to the ultra-wealthy. Okay, but what is going to happen when lots of them decide to move out of the United States because they don’t want their unrealized gains taxed?
As Chicago venture investor Robert Nelson has pointed out, this proposal would have very serious consequences for our economy…
Taxing unrealized gains is truly the most insane, economy destroying, innovation killing, market crashing, retirement fund decimating, unconstitutional idea, which was probably planted by Russia or China to destroy the economy. Dems need to run away from this wildly stupid idea.
Many of the ultra-wealthy were originally inclined to support Harris.
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Why is she seemingly intent on driving them away?
So far, I have just discussed two of the elements of the plan that Harris has endorsed. There are quite a few others that are also very troubling…
- Having small business owners pay taxes on their individual tax returns, up to 39.6 percent from the current 37 percent
- Imposing a second “death tax” — a mandatory capital gains tax at death — in addition to the current death tax
- Imposing a 21 percent global minimum corporate tax rate, which goes beyond the Organization for Economic Development’s (OECD) current 15 percent global minimum tax rate
- Quadrupling the tax on stock buybacks, which would impact Americans’ 401(k)s and other retirement accounts
- A 30 percent federal excise tax on electricity used in cryptocurrency mining
- A $37 billion tax on American energy
- A 32 percent increase in Medicare taxes
This is insane.
The federal government does not have a revenue problem.
Right now, the federal government is bringing in about 5 trillion dollars a year. What the federal government has is a spending problem.
We are trying to live way beyond our means, but the American people just keep sending the same big spenders back to Washington.
We are literally in the process of committing national suicide, and I really wish that I could get more people to understand that.
The national debt has surged past the 35 trillion dollar mark, and it continues to rise at a pace of more than 200 million dollars an hour.
Our federal government is the largest government in the entire history of our planet, and if #ComradeKamala gets into the White House it will inevitably get even larger.
Michael’s new book entitled “Chaos” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
