Investment analyst and broker Ann Barnhardt made headlines last year when, after the MF Global collapse, she told her clients to get out of the markets - to take their money and run, in so many words. I wrote about it at the time. Amongst much else, she said: "The system is no longer functioning with integrity and is suicidally risk-laden. The rule of law is non-existent, instead replaced with godless, criminal political cronyism."
She's gone on to declare that she will refuse to pay taxes any longer. Her motivation for this is mostly religious, with some political elements as well. As she declared in November last year:
I fear God, and God alone, and thus I will render unto Him EVERYTHING, up to and including my wealth, assets, freedom and life, if that is what is required to remain in compliance with His commandments. The early Christians went to their death rather than offer a pinch of incense on the altar of Caesar. Incense is merely symbolic and burns away. Money subsidizes, finances and enables activities that break God’s law. Therefore I will not file, and I will not pay income taxes unless and until the Federal Government of the United States is reformed under the Constitution of 1787 as amended and the Rule of Law is reasserted, necessarily including the arrest and trial of Barack Obama, and the re-criminalizing of abortion in all cases, or until a new, legitimate government replaces it.
There's more at the link. The IRS has already taken steps to sequestrate her bank accounts, and more will undoubtedly follow.
She's now released an eight-part video series titled "The 'New Economy' Is Going To Implode'. You'll find the eight parts here, and the workbook (an Adobe Acrobat document in .PDF format) here. I haven't yet finished going through the series (it'll probably take me a week or more, given other demands on my time), and I'm not sure whether or not I'll agree with all her points, but I do agree with her on the following:
- The MF Global bankruptcy did, indeed, reveal a deep-seated corruption in the US financial system, one that nullifies the protections assumed to exist by most individual investors, and which favors and protects politicians and selected, favored banksters over all others.
- The US central (federal) government long ago exceeded its constitutional bounds, and no longer cares about those limitations on its authority. It routinely disregards the constitution in arrogating to itself powers the Founding Fathers never intended for it to possess. Those powers may have been arrogated in terms of laws passed by Congress and the Senate, signed by the President, and tolerated by the Supreme Court, but I think there's no doubt that they vastly exceed the original intent of those who framed the Constitution.
- The majority of the American people no longer care about such matters.
I'd suggest that if you're concerned about our nation and our economy, her eight-part series will be worth your time. As I said earlier, I haven't yet watched the whole thing, and I don't know whether or not I'll agree with everything she says. In some respects, I regard her as being 'way out there', somewhat unbalanced in her aggressive devotion to her particular point of view. On the other hand, I doff my hat to her as one willing to sacrifice anything and everything that holds her back from being faithful to what she believes. It may be a form of fanaticism, but it's honest, out-there, in-your-face, no-deceit fanaticism. Such honesty deserves respectful acknowledgment, even if one doesn't entirely agree with the positions involved.
Peter
I remember last year's article, which prompted me to do serious research and reading on the subject. I plan to watch all the segments. And, I am truly grateful for her and her faith and "fanaticism."
ReplyDeleteHowever, I am sad that what we as individuals take for granted as our rights to disagree, just cost us an election. At first the cry was "Anybody But Obama" and when presented with a solution, some turned up their noses and refused to vote. Mormons were in a snit, Paul and Johnson supporters likewise, and the overconfident felt they didn't have to vote. Where was this tight, cohesive group that moaned and groaned in 2008? Gov. Romney was not the perfect answer, but the only one we had. And we blew it. So much for individualism.
I have not watched the videos. IIRC, they're about 2 hours total, so it's tough to get the time.
ReplyDeleteOTOH, Ann is in that business, smart and completely ethical, so she's worth listening too. She's probably right on virtually all of it.
Keep in mind, when you watch them and see the tie and ask yourself; Really? What is this nut wearing that tie for.
ReplyDeleteI've been noodling that very question for a few days myself.
Nothing Ann does is without meaning and the tie is an excellent example of this. I just haven't figured out what the message of the tie is. It is exceptionally out of place and long as well. Perhaps she will reveal it herself.
I've watched one vid so far and this is good stuff.
Some thoughts:
ReplyDeletePresumably, the money that is curently in her bank account shas already been taxed. Thus any action by the IRS would amount to an unlawful taking, both a criminal offense, a civil offense, and a violation of Constitutional rights.
For the IRS to take action on any "new" monies, that would need some sort of warratn authorizing surveillance. In as much as theis activity has absolutely nothing to dfo with "national security", the Patriot Act is not a lawful justification to surveil.
Thus, any activity on the new monney would have to ba an "after the fact" action.
That is especially relevant given that there is no constitutional authority for "prevention" of crimes that have not yet occurred.
In short, anything the IRS would do or ir already doing in this case is criminal in nature.
Too bad we no longer have judges with the intestinal - and lower - fortitude tos tand up and say "Enough!". Perhaps if citizens cry havoc and let loose the red-ink stamps of "
unpaid taxes" . . .
Starting episode 5. I have read books on the 2007 melt down, and watched some videos. Her videos are very informative and spell out things about which I had questions in the past.
ReplyDelete@ shovelDriver:
ReplyDelete"Warrants?" "Constitutional authority?" It's so cute how you think there's still anything resembling a rule of law in America...!
Thanks for posting the link. I did watch the whole thing. It is shudderingly scary. At some points I think she is a little over the top, but she knows exactly what she wants to say and does a phenomenal job. My saddest moment came when she tap danced on Allen West. He was one of my hopes. Oh, well.
ReplyDelete