Sunday, January 26, 2014
The Plain Truth: Rogue Agency Seizes Control of the Peoples Interne...
The Plain Truth: Rogue Agency Seizes Control of the Peoples Interne...: You’ve probably heard the words “net neutrality” being tossed around a lot lately. That’s because on January 14, the U.S. Court of Appeals...
Rogue Agency Seizes Control of the Peoples Internet!
You’ve probably heard the words “net neutrality” being tossed around a lot lately.
That’s because on January 14, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Court struck down the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Open Internet Order, which protected net neutrality by regulating the nation’s broadband infrastructure.
The court’s ruling appeared to be the coup de grâce for the FCC, which has been fighting to regulate the internet for over 10 years.
But as it turns out, the opposite may be true. By calling out the FCC for overstepping its bounds, the court may have actually opened the door for the FCC to completely control the internet.
Worst of all, no one’s talking about it! The mainstream media is focused on the slight (but real) possibility that consumers may have to pay a little more to use services like Netflix (NFLX). And don’t get me wrong – that’s a distressing thought.
But there’s far more at stake than the price of streaming video.
Conveniently Rewriting the Rules
The FCC’s fight to regulate the internet can be traced to 2002, when the Commission classified internet service providers (ISPs) as “information service providers” and not “telecommunications carriers.”
Since then, however, the FCC has continued forcing ISPs to follow the same rules that apply to telecoms (with varying degrees of success). And now, for the first time, the court has said definitively that the FCC can’t do that.
But that’s not the whole story…
You see, in 2008, the FCC quietly reinterpreted Section 706 of the Communications Act. Sounds pretty harmless, right? But the updated version acts as a broad grant of authority for pretty much whatever the FCC wants to do.
And on January 14, when the court struck down the Open Internet Order, it also accepted the reinterpreted Section 706.
Basically, the court told the FCC: You can’t broadly regulate ISPs like telecoms, but don’t sweat it! On a case-by-case basis, you can do virtually anything you want.
As Berin Szoka and Geoffrey Manne said in Wired, “The FCC now has vast discretion, and seems unwilling to give that up.”
On top of that, Judge Silberman, who ruled in the Open Internet Order case, called any remaining limitations on the FCC “illusory.” In his dissent, he said that Section 706 “grant[s] the FCC virtually unlimited power to regulate the internet.”
Could the FCC Control Your Entire Life?
Giving sweeping power to a federal agency is never a good idea, and the FCC is no exception. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, which has long supported net neutrality, says the ruling could be a “Trojan Horse for unrestrained FCC authority to regulate the internet.”
In fact, it’s unclear why the FCC couldn’t regulate any information services, so long as it has a plausible argument that it’s boosting broadband demand. Could the FCC then rule over VoIP as well as broadband? What about smart cars? Or even entire smart cities?
It’s a scary thought, and everyone – from net neutrality advocates to venture capitalists, broadband innovators and even ISPs like Verizon (VZ) and Comcast (CCV) – should be worried.
An open internet is essential to our very way of life, from education to freedom of speech to economic growth. Handing the government the keys to common law regulation allows the FCC to wage a piecemeal campaign that slowly but surely tightens the grip of federal regulation, and that’s no good for anyone. As Always The Plain Truth!
That’s because on January 14, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Court struck down the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Open Internet Order, which protected net neutrality by regulating the nation’s broadband infrastructure.
The court’s ruling appeared to be the coup de grâce for the FCC, which has been fighting to regulate the internet for over 10 years.
But as it turns out, the opposite may be true. By calling out the FCC for overstepping its bounds, the court may have actually opened the door for the FCC to completely control the internet.
Worst of all, no one’s talking about it! The mainstream media is focused on the slight (but real) possibility that consumers may have to pay a little more to use services like Netflix (NFLX). And don’t get me wrong – that’s a distressing thought.
But there’s far more at stake than the price of streaming video.
Conveniently Rewriting the Rules
The FCC’s fight to regulate the internet can be traced to 2002, when the Commission classified internet service providers (ISPs) as “information service providers” and not “telecommunications carriers.”
Since then, however, the FCC has continued forcing ISPs to follow the same rules that apply to telecoms (with varying degrees of success). And now, for the first time, the court has said definitively that the FCC can’t do that.
But that’s not the whole story…
You see, in 2008, the FCC quietly reinterpreted Section 706 of the Communications Act. Sounds pretty harmless, right? But the updated version acts as a broad grant of authority for pretty much whatever the FCC wants to do.
And on January 14, when the court struck down the Open Internet Order, it also accepted the reinterpreted Section 706.
Basically, the court told the FCC: You can’t broadly regulate ISPs like telecoms, but don’t sweat it! On a case-by-case basis, you can do virtually anything you want.
As Berin Szoka and Geoffrey Manne said in Wired, “The FCC now has vast discretion, and seems unwilling to give that up.”
On top of that, Judge Silberman, who ruled in the Open Internet Order case, called any remaining limitations on the FCC “illusory.” In his dissent, he said that Section 706 “grant[s] the FCC virtually unlimited power to regulate the internet.”
Could the FCC Control Your Entire Life?
Giving sweeping power to a federal agency is never a good idea, and the FCC is no exception. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, which has long supported net neutrality, says the ruling could be a “Trojan Horse for unrestrained FCC authority to regulate the internet.”
In fact, it’s unclear why the FCC couldn’t regulate any information services, so long as it has a plausible argument that it’s boosting broadband demand. Could the FCC then rule over VoIP as well as broadband? What about smart cars? Or even entire smart cities?
It’s a scary thought, and everyone – from net neutrality advocates to venture capitalists, broadband innovators and even ISPs like Verizon (VZ) and Comcast (CCV) – should be worried.
An open internet is essential to our very way of life, from education to freedom of speech to economic growth. Handing the government the keys to common law regulation allows the FCC to wage a piecemeal campaign that slowly but surely tightens the grip of federal regulation, and that’s no good for anyone. As Always The Plain Truth!
Sunday, January 12, 2014
The Plain Truth: The FDA Wants To Control How You Bathe!
The Plain Truth: The FDA Wants To Control How You Bathe!: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is at it again. As you’ve seen before, this government agency has the ability to make or break m...
The FDA Wants To Control How You Bathe!
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is at it again. As you’ve seen before, this government agency has the ability to make or break many a fortune.
And this time, it has antibacterial soap in its crosshairs.
You see, the FDA now requires antibacterial soap producers to undergo clinical trials that “demonstrate that their products are safe for long-term daily use and more effective than plain soap.”
Though most Americans will likely ignore the great soap controversy, it provides us with a clear example of how political intelligence can help us invest.
FDA approval is a long, difficult process for any firm to endure. In fact, by requiring soap manufacturers to go through the process, the FDA is essentially entrenching the powerful firms that already control market share.
Future innovation in the industry will be almost completely eliminated, which is why established firms rarely fight this type of regulation. It tends to lock them into their huge portions of market share. Best of all, it can also lock us into potential profits.
A Fine-Smelling Nation
Sixty-five years ago, Dr. William Gump created a germicidal compound to keep American military uniforms free of fungus. It worked like a charm.
Then, a scientist at Armour Foods named Robert Casely created the first soap that could eliminate odor-causing bacteria.
Voila! – Dial Soap and the modern antibacterial soap business was born.
It didn’t take long for Dial to take America by storm. In fact, it became one of the most successful product launches in history. By 1953, Dial was the No. 1 soap in the entire country.
The appeal was simple, but powerful – it consistently cut body odor. Every time I travel to another part of the globe where Dial soap isn’t a top seller, my nose knows the difference.
But following the FDA’s latest bathing behest, a product launch like Dial’s is suddenly impossible. The capital required for clinical trials is held mostly by the large, established firms with deep pockets.
This is why you see anomalies such as Altria Group (MO), the owner of the Marlboro brand, supporting the “Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act,” which gave the FDA the right to regulate the use of tobacco products.
Seems counterintuitive, right? But in reality, the act cemented Altria’s control of market share and provided a government regulator to keep Altria on top.
This is one of the reasons we recommended buying Altria when Barack Obama signed the law in June of 2009. Since then, Altria stock is up 103%, all because the FDA moved from being the tormenter to being the protector of established tobacco products.
And the move worked well for government, too. Now the FDA has its own “Center for Tobacco Products” (CTP). The Center has a director, a staff, a budget and offices… all paid for by the evil tobacco firms they allegedly regulate.
A similar outcome could be in the works for the soap industry. Going forward, we’ll be watching for investment opportunities as the FDA turns to regulating antibacterial lather. I’m sure you feel safer already with the government on the case.
I just hope that Dial still cuts body odor when the regulators in D.C. are finished.As Always The Plain Truth!
And this time, it has antibacterial soap in its crosshairs.
You see, the FDA now requires antibacterial soap producers to undergo clinical trials that “demonstrate that their products are safe for long-term daily use and more effective than plain soap.”
Though most Americans will likely ignore the great soap controversy, it provides us with a clear example of how political intelligence can help us invest.
FDA approval is a long, difficult process for any firm to endure. In fact, by requiring soap manufacturers to go through the process, the FDA is essentially entrenching the powerful firms that already control market share.
Future innovation in the industry will be almost completely eliminated, which is why established firms rarely fight this type of regulation. It tends to lock them into their huge portions of market share. Best of all, it can also lock us into potential profits.
A Fine-Smelling Nation
Sixty-five years ago, Dr. William Gump created a germicidal compound to keep American military uniforms free of fungus. It worked like a charm.
Then, a scientist at Armour Foods named Robert Casely created the first soap that could eliminate odor-causing bacteria.
Voila! – Dial Soap and the modern antibacterial soap business was born.
It didn’t take long for Dial to take America by storm. In fact, it became one of the most successful product launches in history. By 1953, Dial was the No. 1 soap in the entire country.
The appeal was simple, but powerful – it consistently cut body odor. Every time I travel to another part of the globe where Dial soap isn’t a top seller, my nose knows the difference.
But following the FDA’s latest bathing behest, a product launch like Dial’s is suddenly impossible. The capital required for clinical trials is held mostly by the large, established firms with deep pockets.
This is why you see anomalies such as Altria Group (MO), the owner of the Marlboro brand, supporting the “Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act,” which gave the FDA the right to regulate the use of tobacco products.
Seems counterintuitive, right? But in reality, the act cemented Altria’s control of market share and provided a government regulator to keep Altria on top.
This is one of the reasons we recommended buying Altria when Barack Obama signed the law in June of 2009. Since then, Altria stock is up 103%, all because the FDA moved from being the tormenter to being the protector of established tobacco products.
And the move worked well for government, too. Now the FDA has its own “Center for Tobacco Products” (CTP). The Center has a director, a staff, a budget and offices… all paid for by the evil tobacco firms they allegedly regulate.
A similar outcome could be in the works for the soap industry. Going forward, we’ll be watching for investment opportunities as the FDA turns to regulating antibacterial lather. I’m sure you feel safer already with the government on the case.
I just hope that Dial still cuts body odor when the regulators in D.C. are finished.As Always The Plain Truth!
Monday, January 6, 2014
The Plain Truth: It’s not just your phone calls, it’s YOU they are ...
The Plain Truth: It’s not just your phone calls, it’s YOU they are ...: You, like most Americans, are friendly and like to mind your own business. You have 2.3 kids, a mortgage, and a loving spouse. But, this i...
It’s not just your phone calls, it’s YOU they are listening to!
You, like most Americans, are friendly and like to mind your own business. You have 2.3 kids, a mortgage, and a loving spouse.
But, this is the 21st Century. A grand era of technology. Buck Rogers and H.G. Wells would be so proud of our technological advancements.
But so would Stalin, Mao and Hitler. The NSA’s recently leaked shopping catalog is chilling and would “harsh the mellow” of any regular Joe.
Let’s start with you.
You have a phone that you call home with. The NSA can listen in to your phone using PICASSO. It knows your phone book, your recent calls, where you’ve been, your PIN numbers that you’ve used, and can block your calls. Like if you’re being chased by black SUVs and you want to call 911 – tough luck, they’ve shut down your phone.
But the REAL interesting part of the PICASSO - it can collect LIVE AUDIO from the phone. Are you carrying on a great conversation about how much you think Obamacare is a scam? Your political dissent can now be recorded in real time and documented.
MONKEYCALENDAR can remotely send your previous locations via text message to the NSA.
The Apple iPhone isn’t even safe. DROPOUTJEEP is a software implant that can pull files, photos, address book, listen in on your conversations, capture images with the camera, and tell them your exact location – all being sent covertly through the SMS system.
CANDYGRAM should be called FAKEOUT because it mimics a cell tower. At 40,000 bucks a unit, it has been designed to be remotely erased in case it cannot be recovered.
How about your computer? We all know of PRISM and the other anagrams. Even your old computer isn’t safe.
SWAP and DEITYBOUNCE can be uploaded to Windows, LINUX, FreeBSD, or Solaris systems by the ARKSTREAM system to re-flash your computer’s BIOS to upload software via TWISTEDKILT to drop a payload. In other words, they can put files on your computer that you didn’t put on there, like child porn.
IRATEMONK alters your hard drive firmware and gains control of the Master Boot Record.
And the big guys aren’t immune from the NSA keyhole-peeking approach. Products such HEADWATER and HALLUXWATER are actually designed to defeat Huawei Eudeomon firewall servers and give the NSA a backdoor to many European and Asian companies. Don’t worry Cisco firewall owners, the JETPLOW can probably be found on your units.
TOTEGHOSTLY is designed for Windows Mobile PDA’s to do the same function as PICASSO and DROPOUTJEEP, including listening to conversations and taking photos.
Even old computers aren’t safe. The Windows XP system has been compromised by SOMBERKNAVE, that helps VALIDATOR “calls home” and deliver the data to the NSA agent.
And this is nothing more than Tyranny, aided by the very manufacturers that expect you to trust them. Dell, Microsoft, and so many others have been in cahoots with the NSA since day one.
There is no room for individualism in this world. The government is everywhere, they see and hear everything and they control everything that isn’t human. They observe and report your actions, your thoughts, your feelings and emotions . You might think you and your family are succeeding in a small rebellion for a short while, but eventually it catches up with you. You realize they knew all along, they are already working against you and at the end of the day, they will kill every subversive thought you may or will have. There is not a chance to be an individual in this dictatorship. They will get you. They always get you. And eventually, they get to you. As Always The Plain Truth!
But, this is the 21st Century. A grand era of technology. Buck Rogers and H.G. Wells would be so proud of our technological advancements.
But so would Stalin, Mao and Hitler. The NSA’s recently leaked shopping catalog is chilling and would “harsh the mellow” of any regular Joe.
Let’s start with you.
You have a phone that you call home with. The NSA can listen in to your phone using PICASSO. It knows your phone book, your recent calls, where you’ve been, your PIN numbers that you’ve used, and can block your calls. Like if you’re being chased by black SUVs and you want to call 911 – tough luck, they’ve shut down your phone.
But the REAL interesting part of the PICASSO - it can collect LIVE AUDIO from the phone. Are you carrying on a great conversation about how much you think Obamacare is a scam? Your political dissent can now be recorded in real time and documented.
MONKEYCALENDAR can remotely send your previous locations via text message to the NSA.
The Apple iPhone isn’t even safe. DROPOUTJEEP is a software implant that can pull files, photos, address book, listen in on your conversations, capture images with the camera, and tell them your exact location – all being sent covertly through the SMS system.
CANDYGRAM should be called FAKEOUT because it mimics a cell tower. At 40,000 bucks a unit, it has been designed to be remotely erased in case it cannot be recovered.
How about your computer? We all know of PRISM and the other anagrams. Even your old computer isn’t safe.
SWAP and DEITYBOUNCE can be uploaded to Windows, LINUX, FreeBSD, or Solaris systems by the ARKSTREAM system to re-flash your computer’s BIOS to upload software via TWISTEDKILT to drop a payload. In other words, they can put files on your computer that you didn’t put on there, like child porn.
IRATEMONK alters your hard drive firmware and gains control of the Master Boot Record.
And the big guys aren’t immune from the NSA keyhole-peeking approach. Products such HEADWATER and HALLUXWATER are actually designed to defeat Huawei Eudeomon firewall servers and give the NSA a backdoor to many European and Asian companies. Don’t worry Cisco firewall owners, the JETPLOW can probably be found on your units.
TOTEGHOSTLY is designed for Windows Mobile PDA’s to do the same function as PICASSO and DROPOUTJEEP, including listening to conversations and taking photos.
Even old computers aren’t safe. The Windows XP system has been compromised by SOMBERKNAVE, that helps VALIDATOR “calls home” and deliver the data to the NSA agent.
And this is nothing more than Tyranny, aided by the very manufacturers that expect you to trust them. Dell, Microsoft, and so many others have been in cahoots with the NSA since day one.
There is no room for individualism in this world. The government is everywhere, they see and hear everything and they control everything that isn’t human. They observe and report your actions, your thoughts, your feelings and emotions . You might think you and your family are succeeding in a small rebellion for a short while, but eventually it catches up with you. You realize they knew all along, they are already working against you and at the end of the day, they will kill every subversive thought you may or will have. There is not a chance to be an individual in this dictatorship. They will get you. They always get you. And eventually, they get to you. As Always The Plain Truth!
The Plain Truth: Three warning signs that a financial crash is immi...
The Plain Truth: Three warning signs that a financial crash is immi...: For years, prophets of profit have warned us that the next stock market crash “will be soon”, and that such a crash will be utterly catast...
Three warning signs that a financial crash is imminent! Be Very Careful!
For years, prophets of profit have warned us that the next stock market
crash “will be soon”, and that such a crash will be utterly
catastrophic. Faber, Celente, et al.,
have told us that such a crash will be epic and that life as we know it
will be forever changed. There are some that challenge their assertions
because of fondness for the Gold Market. Many take their advice because
they are conservative, play-it-safe investors.
But hearing the same wailing for years does no one any good unless you can see the threat.
Seeing a threat makes it personal. It makes it “in your face” where you MUST deal with it.
Our ancestors could see the tracks of a beast, and knew that danger was near. How near?
They couldn’t know unless they saw the creature.
Welcome to our financial beast. It’s right in front of you.
These three warning signs are brand new to the news, but we’ve told you in the past to be ready and how to prepare for it.
1. Billionaires are dumping stocks.
Dumping is different from selling. When a car or blender is shot, we dump it. If it had any value, we would sell the item hoping to make a profit. The car or blending becomes a non-performing asset, and needs to be gotten rid of.
Dumping means that the losses are acceptable and the only purpose is that there is no hope of making a profit over the long term.
Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway has a philosophy of buying when everyone else is selling. His recent dumping of 19 million shares of Johnson & Johnson is only one part of his stock shed. He unloaded a whopping 21% of his “consumer product stocks”. B-H has parted ways with Intel, selling 100% of his stake in the company.
And he is not the only one doing the massive unload.
John Paulson has sold 14 million shares of JPMorgan Chase, and 100% of his stock in Family Dollar and Sara Lee.
George “Spooky dude” Soros has sold almost 100% of his bank stocks, such as JPMorgan Chase (what are they doing that people are selling their stock?), Goldman Sachs, and Citigroup. In total, over 1 million shares of financial organizations have been sold by Soros.
That alone should tell volumes of the tome of "The Great Crash of 2014".
But wait, there’s more!
2) Stock Market at its lowest new year opening since 2008
The Dow Jones Industrial Average had its worst day since November 7, falling 135 points, and the week ending 3 January, was lower than the week’s opening.
The S&P 500 had its worst day in almost a month, closing down close to a percent.
While not the best prognostic tool, the last time the new year opening was a stinker was in 2008. And we all know what happened that year.
3) The Bubble Burst that makes 2008 look safe
United-ICAP chief market technician Walter Zimmerman recently sent a note to his clients outlining a small gain in the market, about 4% or around 17,150 before the dam breaks. His words of advice:
Zimmerman’s words aren’t alone in the wilderness. As we reported earlier, Stan Harley, Ed Carlson, and Tom DeMark have forecast massive stock losses in the first half of January 2014.
And there is Peter Boockvar, the managing director and chief market analyst at the Lindsey Group, who on Thursday predicted the S&P 500 could drop 15% to 20% in 2014 and finish the year between 1550 and 1600.
There you have it. The three warning signs that a financial crash is imminent. Taken individually they are meaningless. But taken as a PART of the WHOLE picture and you can gain a sense of why the crash happened. It doesn’t matter that China nukes the US, even though we’ve been warned that Russia will do it; it’s the event that has to be prepared for.
Are you prepared? Why not?
Simply stocking up on food will get you weeks ahead of the unprepared. Stocking up on ammunition and a few guns will get you months ahead of the unprepared.
Prep like your life depends on it. Because it does. As Always The Plain Truth!
But hearing the same wailing for years does no one any good unless you can see the threat.
Seeing a threat makes it personal. It makes it “in your face” where you MUST deal with it.
Our ancestors could see the tracks of a beast, and knew that danger was near. How near?
They couldn’t know unless they saw the creature.
Welcome to our financial beast. It’s right in front of you.
These three warning signs are brand new to the news, but we’ve told you in the past to be ready and how to prepare for it.
1. Billionaires are dumping stocks.
Dumping is different from selling. When a car or blender is shot, we dump it. If it had any value, we would sell the item hoping to make a profit. The car or blending becomes a non-performing asset, and needs to be gotten rid of.
Dumping means that the losses are acceptable and the only purpose is that there is no hope of making a profit over the long term.
Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway has a philosophy of buying when everyone else is selling. His recent dumping of 19 million shares of Johnson & Johnson is only one part of his stock shed. He unloaded a whopping 21% of his “consumer product stocks”. B-H has parted ways with Intel, selling 100% of his stake in the company.
And he is not the only one doing the massive unload.
John Paulson has sold 14 million shares of JPMorgan Chase, and 100% of his stock in Family Dollar and Sara Lee.
George “Spooky dude” Soros has sold almost 100% of his bank stocks, such as JPMorgan Chase (what are they doing that people are selling their stock?), Goldman Sachs, and Citigroup. In total, over 1 million shares of financial organizations have been sold by Soros.
That alone should tell volumes of the tome of "The Great Crash of 2014".
But wait, there’s more!
2) Stock Market at its lowest new year opening since 2008
The Dow Jones Industrial Average had its worst day since November 7, falling 135 points, and the week ending 3 January, was lower than the week’s opening.
DJIA activity from 30 December 2013 to 3 January 2014.
Green represents week opening, Blue represents 2014 opening, Red represents week’s end.
Green represents week opening, Blue represents 2014 opening, Red represents week’s end.
The S&P 500 had its worst day in almost a month, closing down close to a percent.
While not the best prognostic tool, the last time the new year opening was a stinker was in 2008. And we all know what happened that year.
3) The Bubble Burst that makes 2008 look safe
United-ICAP chief market technician Walter Zimmerman recently sent a note to his clients outlining a small gain in the market, about 4% or around 17,150 before the dam breaks. His words of advice:
Based on our longer-term time cycles the present stock market rally must be considered the bubble to end all bubbles.His examination of the current forecasts shows some serious trouble in 2016, where the DJIA will fall about 65% to 72%, somewhere in the 4650 to 5770 range. This is territory that hasn’t been seen since late-1995 to mid-1996.
Zimmerman’s words aren’t alone in the wilderness. As we reported earlier, Stan Harley, Ed Carlson, and Tom DeMark have forecast massive stock losses in the first half of January 2014.
And there is Peter Boockvar, the managing director and chief market analyst at the Lindsey Group, who on Thursday predicted the S&P 500 could drop 15% to 20% in 2014 and finish the year between 1550 and 1600.
There you have it. The three warning signs that a financial crash is imminent. Taken individually they are meaningless. But taken as a PART of the WHOLE picture and you can gain a sense of why the crash happened. It doesn’t matter that China nukes the US, even though we’ve been warned that Russia will do it; it’s the event that has to be prepared for.
Are you prepared? Why not?
Simply stocking up on food will get you weeks ahead of the unprepared. Stocking up on ammunition and a few guns will get you months ahead of the unprepared.
Prep like your life depends on it. Because it does. As Always The Plain Truth!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)