01-13-16 -- Brandon Smith - Jim Tobin -- (VIDEO & MP3s LOADED)
Hour 1 - 3
Hour 1 -- Freedom's Phoenix Headline News
Hour 2 -- Brandon Smith (Alt-Market.Com) comes on the show to talk about America's coming internal war; thoughts on Oregon
Hour 3 -- Jim Tobin (Founder and President of Taxpayers United of America) on elections, taxes, the Federal Reserve, and other liberty issues
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January 13th, 2016
Declare Your Independence with Ernest Hancock
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Studio Line: 602-264-2800
Hour 1
2016-01-13 Hour 1 FP Headline News from Ernest Hancock on Vimeo.
Ernest Hancock
Freedom's Phoenix Headline News
====================
TOPICS:
2014-02-06 Hour 1 Slavko Martinov (Video Archive):
2014-02-06 Hour 1 Slavko Martinov from Ernest Hancock on Vimeo.
Slavko Martinov
Filmmaker, Writer, Activist from New Zealand
Webpages:
In 2003, New Zealand born Slavko Martinov found himself more and more critical of everything he was seeing, reading, and hearing, and wanted to get to the bottom of the 'united recipe behind all the lies'. He set out to make a film about propaganda, despite never having made a feature film before. Slavko worked in secret for almost a decade, with zero funding, through two major earthquakes, three different jobs, being hospitalized with a heart infection, and an interview with the Counter-Terrorism Unit before the film Propaganda was finally launched on YouTube.
Although Slavko anticipated a strong reaction to the propumentary, the resulting real-life scenes that unfolded will have you wondering if they were also part of a movie: Slavko and his small team were investigated by the South Korean government, accused of being spies, and some were even ostracized by their community leaders for having taken part in making the film.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.
Propaganda - Official Trailer [HD]:
PROPAGANDA | FULL ENGLISH VERSION (2012):
Lessons in propaganda: Slavko Martinov at TEDxChristchurch:
Hour 2
Hour 2 -- Brandon Smith (Alt-Market.Com) comes on the show to talk about America's coming internal war; thoughts on Oregon
-30-
Hour 2
2016-01-13 Hour 2 Brandon Smith from Ernest Hancock on Vimeo.
Brandon Smith
Brandon Smith has been a writer and activist in the Liberty Movement for over a decade, founding Neithercorp.us in 2006, and Alt-Market.com in 2010. He also writes for such institutions as Personal Liberty Digest and Oath Keepers. Brandon's efforts at Alt-Market include helping to organize preparedness groups across the country as well as barter networks and "alternative" economies. He is the developer and designer of the first thermal evasion suit made available to American civilians, and aids in the training of Community Preparedness Teams in his region of the country.
Webpage: http://www.alt-market.com/
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America Faces Civil War: "Fight Against Corrupt Elements Of Government" Inevitable
This article was written by Brandon Smith at his Alt-Market.com website (and also LewRockwell.com, SHTFPlan.com, NEWZSentinal.com)
Internal War Is Now On the Horizon for America
By Brandon Smith
If internationalists were to get their way fully with the world and future historians write their analysis from a globalist perspective of the defunct American nation, they will probably say simply that our collapse was brought about by our own incompetence – that we were our own worst enemy. Yes, they would treat America as a cliché. They will of course leave out the destructive influences and engineered disasters of elitists, that would just complicate the narrative.
My hope is that we do not prove these future historians correct, and that they won't have an opportunity to exist. My work has always been designed to help ensure that resistance thrives, but also that it is pursued in the most intelligent manner possible.
As I write this, China's stock market has crashed 7% and was shut down by Chinese authorities who are once again initiating outright intervention to stem the tide. U.S. markets are quickly tracking lower. Oil is plummeting.
Relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran have turned ugly, with Iranian protesters overtaking the Saudi embassy and both sides vowing vengeance. Many Americans won't care much about this because they think it has nothing to do with them. They don't realize that Saudi Arabia has already publicly suggested a depeg from the U.S. dollar, effectively ending the decades-long relationship between the greenback and oil. The Iranian event and U.S. ties to both nations only make the fall of the dollar's petro-status more likely in the near term. With the U.S. in the middle, "taking a side" will be a demand. I believe the U.S. government will NOT take a side, and this will elicit a furious response from Saudi Arabia (a currency depeg).
The Obama Administration has just made introductory announcements on new gun control measures through executive order. These announcements were rather light on details and heavy on crocodile tears. Their vagueness is clearly deliberate. Psychological evaluations, redefining who is a lawful firearms dealer, "expanding" background checks; all of these measures could be interpreted broadly to mean almost anything. We will probably know more in the coming weeks.
And in Oregon over the weekend, Ammon Bundy and friends lured hundreds of protesters under false pretenses using the Hammond family tragedy as a vehicle to then initiate a takeover of federal buildings that have no strategic or symbolic value, boxing themselves into a static position and proclaiming themselves to be the "tip of the spear" in the fight against corrupt government. In the meantime, anyone who questions the validity of this idea or the logic behind the "plan" is immediately labeled a coward and "keyboard warrior" by their supporters. Emotionally manipulative arguments abound because there are no tactically rational arguments to be made, which tells me that the plan was doomed before it was implemented.
As I wrote in my article "Oregon standoff a terrible plan that we might be stuck with," some people (not many but some) in the liberty movement are desperately clamoring for a fight; and they don't care if the circumstances are intelligently executed or idiotically executed. They only care if it kicks off.
I openly supported and aided the efforts at Bundy Ranch because the ranchers were defending their home from clear federal aggression. The Feds were direct invaders in that scenario. In Oregon, protesters are being perceived as the invaders, not the defenders — and all launched in the name of the Hammond family, who asked them NOT to artificially create a standoff. The two scenarios are polar opposites, and Oregon will end in a very different fashion.
I would just like to note that the Founding Fathers were smart enough to avoid deliberately trapping themselves in static positions on land that had no strategic or symbolic importance while inviting the British to "come and get them". Again, there are right ways and wrong ways to fight tyranny. Simply being willing to fight is not enough.
Now, if Americans are going to create standoff situations that could result in civil war they should do it over draconian gun control measures such as the use of classified government watch lists as grounds for denial of 2nd Amendment rights, rather than using a family who did not want armed support to begin with as a means to an end.
Keep in mind that watch lists are entirely arbitrary. There is no due process involved whatsoever, meaning you or I could walk into a gun store one day only to have our 4473 form denied because some bureaucrat in an office in D.C. decided we said something he doesn't like and belong on a naughty list. The changing of gun dealer laws could be used to erase gun shows and private sales of firearms as well.
A standoff scenario based on these issues would be a much more practical concept than what is taking place in Oregon.
As our situation in this country becomes more precarious, there are going to be far more flashpoints than anyone will be able to keep track of. It is inevitable that a fight between corrupt elements of the U.S. government and regular people will erupt. I and other analysts have been warning people about this for years. I have been educating people on their preparedness options and tactical resources. I have been promoting community preparedness teams in my work with Oath Keepers and helping to organize such teams in my own part of the country. I even designed the first working thermal evasion suit available to civilians to give people half a chance against advanced weaponry. I have no illusions that a peaceful solution exists. I know that there is no such solution at this point in the game. But when the fighting starts, I also know that those who navigate the storm intelligently rather than allowing their emotions to get the best of them are more likely to survive and succeed.
I cannot say how quickly a crisis will develop. But, I can outline some of the many pitfalls you are going to come across as this storm rises.
False Leadership And Irrational Leadership
You are going to stumble across numerous gung ho activists and even politicians who will claim they have the one and only solution, that they are the real "tip of the spear." First, if you feel compelled to seek out leaders on the mere basis that they have offered to lead you, then you need to do some soul searching. Become your own leader first. And then, if you meet someone with an excellent plan and a principled motive, give him the time of day, but don't jump blindly into any situation.
If his plan seems poorly thought out, don't follow him. If his agenda revolves around his own ego and a desire for personal glory, don't follow him. If he focuses completely on the Obama administration and ignores the complicity of Republican leadership, don't follow him. If all he talks about are the evils of the federal government but he ignores the puppet strings that lead to international banks and globalist organizations, don't follow him. If he refuses to allow his initiatives to be questioned or discussed in a reasonable way, do not follow him. If he acts as if his ideas are sacrosanct and questions your "patriotism" when you do not immediately jump on the bandwagon, do not follow him. Remember, it is the job of this leadership to CONVINCE YOU of the legitimacy of their plan if they are seeking your support. The burden of evidence is on them. It is not your job to support them blindly just because you want to avoid being called a "sunshine patriot".
To summarize, if you are going to follow someone, know him well first, and make sure his planning is solid.
Hotheads And Imbeciles
I've found that there are two very frustrating extremes within the liberty movement: the people who embrace pacifism and who refuse to even consider the possibility of a violent conflict and self-defense, and the people who have delusions of being the next George Washington and are ready to dive headlong into any violent confrontation without thinking because they want to cement their own legacy. Neither of these groups seems to be able to treat each event as unique: some events requiring a diplomatic approach and some of them requiring the violence of action.
The pacifists are annoying, but they mostly hurt themselves in their lack of preparedness and a warrior's mindset. The hotheads are the real problem. If you are only looking for a fight, then one will certainly find you; but any moron can trigger a standoff with the Feds. The point is to be able to make a move that matters in the long run. Hotheads cannot think beyond themselves and their immediate needs. They are like mosquitoes mindlessly hunting for blood. Strategic planning is impossible for them and they will destroy allies in the process of their pursuits.
I hate to say it, but there is a distinct possibility that our current generation of freedom advocates and freedom fighters may not live to see the future we are working toward. That better world built on liberty, individualism and voluntary community is something our children will thrive in, not us. If you are not fighting with a long term strategy in mind, then you have missed the entire point.
Factions And Tribes
Humans in crisis events tend to become more tribal in their associations in order to survive, and this is not necessarily a bad thing. I would rather live in a tribal world than under centralized corrupt government or global government any day. That said, if a "tribe" or faction does not respect the rights of the individual or uses unprovoked violence to achieve its goals, then it is no better than any other tyranny. Never trade safety for tyranny, regardless of the difficulties ahead.
The upside is tyrants of small tribes are easier to deal with than tyrants of large nations. They are no more bulletproof than anyone else, and they don't have the resources to prevent reprisal if they hurt the wrong people.
Expect that families, neighborhoods, towns, churches, gangs and activist groups will rally around each other as a way to provide security. If you do not already have friends and family on board with your way of thinking, you will be isolated, making survival far more difficult if a breakdown does occur.
Governments Will Not Disappear
I can think of very few scenarios in history in which a crisis or collapse immediately facilitated the fall of the government in power. Rather, the government usually morphs into something else, something more dangerous. In fact, crisis is often the prime excuse used by corrupt officials to rationalize greater controls on the population. This in turn acts as a catalyst for more rebellion, which in turn acts as a vindication of the government's tyranny.
Does this mean people should not rebel against tyranny? No, it means that we have to fight smart and retain the moral high ground at all times. We must act in a way that exposes the true nature of corrupt government, rather than giving them more ammunition to shoot us down with in the public eye. Above all, if we fight we must fight TO WIN. This means not deliberately searching for an Alamo. Martyrs are ultimately useless in this kind of war because if we lose, no one will remember them anyway. Glory seekers and self-proclaimed profits will only lead people to disaster.
Develop a tactical mindset because the future will require tactical minds. Maintain your principles no matter the threats ahead. Retain your humanity. But also, when the fight begins, fight with the intention of victory. Choose your ground wisely.
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Link to Unintended Consequences PDF on Freedom's Phoenix:
https://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Uploads/129/Media/Unintended_Consequences.pdf
==============================
Brandon's previous interviews on the Declare Your Independence with Ernest Hancock Radio Show:
https://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Guest-Page.htm?No=00816
Hour 3
Hour 3 -- Jim Tobin (Founder and President of Taxpayers United of America) on elections, taxes, the Federal Reserve, and other liberty issues
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Hour 3
2016-01-13 Hour 3 Jim Tobin from Ernest Hancock on Vimeo.
Jim Tobin
Founder and President – Taxpayers United of America
Webpage: http://www.taxpayersunitedofamerica.org/
In 1976, Jim Tobin founded Taxpayers United of America (TUA), which has become one of the largest taxpayer organizations in the country. He has appeared on hundreds of radio and TV programs including ABC, CBS, FOX, WGN and NBC news programs. His tax-cutting activities have been the subject of articles by major media including the Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, and the USA Today.
Tobin received an M.A. in International Economics from Northern Illinois University. He worked for nine years as a Federal Reserve Bank Examiner, specializing in international finance. Tobin was one of the first economic experts to predict the collapse of Continental Bank and to warn of the dangerous extension of credit by U.S. banks to bankrupt foreign governments. From 1979 to 1999, Tobin taught economics at Elmhurst College. Tobin gained notoriety in 1977, leading the first successful property tax strike in Illinois history. Subsequently, his organization has saved taxpayers more than $100 billion. In 2002, Tobin ran for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, representing the Libertarian Party of Illinois.
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About Taxpayers United of America
Taxpayers United of America (TUA) was founded in 1976 as National Taxpayers United of Illinois (NTUI). Later, when it became obvious that events outside Illinois increasingly affected Illinois taxpayers, the organization evolved into TUA, and NTUI continued as its Illinois affiliate. In 2011, we decided to continue our pro-taxpayer activities primarily as Taxpayers United of America.
Since 1976, we have saved Illinois taxpayers literally billions of dollars, and our influence and activities are now felt in other states and in Washington.
Here are highlights of our battles on behalf of taxpayers since our founding:
In 1977 we started the Cook County property tax strike, which resulted in a $60 million property tax cut for Cook County homeowners.
In 1989-90 we helped collect 513,000 signatures for the Tax Accountability Amendment, which would require a supermajority vote in Springfield to increase state taxes.
In 1992, NTUI defeated the Berman Tax Increase Amendment, a state-wide referendum which would have forced a 50-percent hike in the state income tax.
In 1996, NTUI spearheaded the fight against a proposed 25 percent increase in the state personal income tax, pushed by Chicago machine boss and House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-22). On May 30, 1997 the income tax increase, which had passed in Madigan's House of Representatives, died in the State Senate Revenue Committee. NTUI President Jim Tobin was the only person to testify before the committee in opposition to the income tax increase.
At the request of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (D-37, Orland Park), NTUI provided the crucial support needed to help sponsor and push through a $500 tuition tax credit in 1999. The tax credit enables more Illinois families to send their children to private primary and secondary schools by allowing them to keep more of their own money.
In 2001, NTUI spearheaded the taxpayer campaign against two bills in the General Assembly that would have increased property taxes statewide by $2 billion. We also stopped a 25-percent state income tax hike and a bill to create a new local income tax for government schools.
In April 2004, NTUI defeated Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn's (D) plan to raise some Illinoisans" state income taxes 100 percent (and give a paltry $200 "property tax rebate" bribe for each homeowner) through a Constitutional Amendment. NTUI President Jim Tobin took on Quinn in a televised debate on "Chicago Tonight," on WTTW Channel 11. We also defeated Quinn's 100 percent income tax increase amendment in 2006 and 2008. HJRCA 42 was defeated in the state house by a whopping 19 votes on April 10, 2008.
Since 1977, we've been involved in fighting 225 local property tax increase referenda. We defeated 190 of these proposed tax hikes – a success rate of 84%!
In 2008 we defeated three income tax increases. We beat down HB750 and SB2288 which would increase the income tax 67 percent and we defeated the 100 percent income tax increase amendment, HJRCA42.
In 2010 and 2011 we fought against Gov. Quinn's plan to raise the state personal income tax a back-breaking 67 percent, and the state corporate income tax from 7.3 to 9.5 percent. To get his bill passed by the minimum number of votes needed, Quinn had to bribe State Rep. Careen Gordon (D), who had lost her bid for re-election. She approached Quinn about an $86,000-a-year job on the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. Quinn, who was struggling to put together enough votes to pass his state income tax increase, reportedly solicited her support for the increase while she was still in office. Gordon, who previously indicated she was against the tax increase, supplied Quinn with the Yes vote needed to reach the 60 votes required to pass the tax hike. Three days later, Quinn appointed her to the Prisoner Review Board!
In 2006, TUA began publishing the top state and municipal government employee pensions throughout Illinois and since then has expanded government pension research to Wisconsin, Missouri and California. Taxpayers United of America is now fighting tax increases and reckless spending in states surrounding Illinois, and is planning to assist taxpayers and local taxpayer groups nationwide.
Illinois Taxpayer Education Foundation
The Illinois Taxpayer Education Foundation (ITEF) is a non-profit, charitable 501 (c) (3) organization conducting research on facts, methods, and principles of taxation, government spending and public attitudes on these subjects. ITEF comments can be found in the "Foundation" category in the left-hand navigation.
Tax Accountability
Tax Accountability is the Political Action arm of TUA. Tax Accountability sends out tax questionnaires to people running for office and endorses those who sign our Taxpayer Protection Pledge. There are federal, state and county versions.
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To find information about your state, go to http://www.taxpayersunitedofamerica.org/ and hover over Pension Reform tab and select your state. The article below is about Arizona's pensions:
Archive for 'Arizona'
Just another $10 Million Government PensionArizona,
California, Colorado, Commentary, Illinois, Latest, Nevada, News Releases, Pennsylvania, Pension Reform
by admin on April 23, 2013 with 2 comments
View as PDF CHICAGO —All across the country, millions of government pensioners are contract-bound to receive lifetime pension payouts, each in the millions of dollars, along with taxpayer- funded, premium healthcare insurance, according to Rae Ann McNeilly, executive director of Taxpayers United of America (TUA). "There has been a flurry of reaction to the 'discovery' …
Arizona Pension Estimates Produce Great Press Coverage for TUAArizona,
by admin on August 8, 2012 with 0 comment
View release as a PDF Last week, Taxpayers United of America (TUA) released the top pension amounts for Arizona government employees. TUA President Jim Tobin held press conferences in Phoenix and Tucson. TUA received the following great press coverage: Inside Tucson Business | Group says city employees due millions in pension payouts KGUN-TV 9 | …
Taxpayers Struggle to Support Stunning Tucson Government PensionsArizona,
by admin on July 31, 2012 with 0 comment
View release as a PDF TUCSON—Taxpayers United of America (TUA) today released the results of a new pension study of Tucson government retirees. "Arizona lawmakers have made modest attempts to undo the damage of administrations past, that have made budget-crushing deals with union bosses whose only concern is their own job security," stated Jim Tobin, …
Taxpayers Struggle To Support Stunning Phoenix Government PensionsArizona,
by admin on July 30, 2012 with 0 comment
View release as a PDF PHOENIX—Taxpayers United of America (TUA) today released the results of a new pension study of Phoenix and Arizona State government retirees. "Arizona lawmakers have made modest attempts to undo the damage of administrations past, that have made budget-crushing deals with union bosses whose only concern is their own job security," …
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