The War on Cash is Ancient

The war on cash is now a global phenomenon: under the pretext of tracing criminal activity, governments everywhere are cracking down on commerce that isn’t monitored or controlled.

However, the results of this war reveal its true purpose: tracking citizens and their taxable income.

The war on cash is actually a war on commerce, or rather, on any commerce that can’t be monitored and controlled by government. Governments survive and grow based on the productivity of the rest of society, and as a result they try to restrict wealth creation to only those areas where it can be recorded and redistributed.

This war on cash is attracting widespread attention. What people may not know, however, is that the current war is only the most recent version of government policies that have been around for a long time. Similar programs have appeared throughout history, some even dating to antiquity.

One notable example occurred in China during the “Warring States” period, roughly 475–221 BCE. This era produced some of China’s greatest contributions to philosophy and technology, but unfortunately, was also a time of unrelenting warfare and political centralization, leading eventually to the Qin unification of China in 221 BCE.

Tags:  Taxes and Spending World History  Fiscal Theory

https://mises.org/blog/war-cash-ancient

There Are No ‘Safe Spaces’ In Politics

I have been involved in campaigns for 44 years. In 18 of those campaigns I was the candidate. Not much happens in politics any more that surprises me.

But I have been surprised at the attention being given to the incident in which the Ted Cruz campaign distributed a CNN news report that Ben Carson was taking a break in the campaign. I am stunned at the tender sensibilities of politicians seeking George Washington’s job.

Politicians have been accused of dirty tricks since the dawn of democracy. In the 1800 election between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, Jefferson’s camp accused Adams of having a “hideous hermaphroditical character, which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.”

http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/politics-aint-beanbag/

 

Nuclear agreement with Iran is a done deal, at least for now

Oct. 18 was “adoption day” for the nuclear deal with Iran — formally, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). We are still far from full implementation of the agreement. This will occur only when the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has certified that Iran has met its initial requirements under the JCPOA and when other parties grant sanctions relief as specified in the agreement. Both the United States and the European Union have begun laying the groundwork for lifting sanctions, though relief will not occur until IAEA certification has occurred. Tehran’s task will be harder. It needs to decommission over 10,000 centrifuges, ship 98 percent of its enriched uranium out of the country, and reengineer a nuclear reactor so that it cannot produce weapons-grade plutonium. Iran has suggested that it could accomplish these tasks by the end of this year. It might well take longer.

TAGS: Iran, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action,JCPOA, Iran deal, Iran nuclear deal, Iran agreement, Iran nuclear agreement

http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/international/260547-nuclear-agreement-with-iran-is-a-done-deal-at-least-for-now

The next military conflict won’t be won with silver bullets

However, simplification is not without its risks. For one, national security isn’t an easy subject. As with any case in which one attempts to reduce the complexity of a subject, some loss of resolution is bound to occur. When discussing the intricacies of tax policy, perhaps this loss of resolution is for the best. When determining whether to enter into a conflict that comes at the cost of American lives and a change in the global balance of power, the consequences are more severe.

Simplifying national security also lends itself to the creation of “silver bullets” — the bane of werewolves and national security subject-matter experts alike. National security silver bullets come in many forms: Technologies, programs and tactics alike can be made all-powerful in the

http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/defense/263550-the-next-conflict-wont-be-won-with-silver-bullets

TAGS: Military strategy, War, silver bullet

 

Paris Climate Agreement Explained: Next Steps for China on Paris Climate Agreement

Paris has become a symbol of hope and commitment for the future, as more than 195 countries reached a historic agreement to protect the climate from the most dangerous impacts of climate change. As my colleague Jake Schmidt explains here, this ambitious agreement will include new climate commitments from all major countries and set in motion efforts to require deeper emissions reduction commitments from all countries over time.

What China has pledged: China has committed to peak its CO2 emissions by 2030 and to make best efforts to peak earlier. It will increase non-fossil energy to 20% of its energy consumption by 2030, which will require it to install 800 to 1,000 gigawatts in non-fossil capacity, equivalent to the entire current US generating capacity. China has shown leadership in putting a price on carbon by committing to build a national cap and trade system, which will launch in 2017 and become the world’s largest. It has also pledged 20 million RMB ($3.1 billion USD) to the South-South Climate Cooperation Fund to help developing countries address climate change. Other China climate commitments relate to carbon intensity, adaptation and forestry.

http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/bfinamore/next_steps_for_china_on_paris_.html