- It’s just talk so far. And European talk, at that. So take it FWIW. But if banks impose negative interest on customers, controls on withdrawals won’t be far behind.
- NSA-proof wallpaper? Faraday cages for all! (H/T Laird in comments)
- We must have common-sense sword control NOW!
- Fedjudge says DEA raids on legal dispensaries in California are against the law.
- The more news and studies that emerge about Obamacare, the more horrible that horrible program looks. (When companies can manage to get around federal regulations, this is the way humane and profitable health care gets done.)
- Peter Schiff writes an eloquent obituary. Not just for his father, but for freedom.
- If you’ve ever wondered how
silencerssuppressors work, here you go. - And finally, Paul Rosenberg offers some tremendous good cheer (and reason for hope) after a Saturday night at Starbucks.
Negative interest? All it would do would be to encourage people to find other ways to manage their money and assets. Anyone who continued to leave their money in a “bank” and pay it would have my sympathy… but not much.
ML — That’s precisely why negative interest would be imposed hand-in-hand with limitations on people’s ability to withdraw money from their own accounts.
As the article says, probably just “high value” customers at first (translation: screw the rich or even the comfortably middle class). But eventually any account holder.
Keep only the minimum you need for the month, keep the rest out. Better yet, deal in cash and put it in the First Bantk of Mattress. I prefer gold and silver. I predict that those Pre-Paid Cash Visa or Mastercard cards found at Walgreens are about to become more popular. They do have fees for them, but if you’re going to pay anyway…..
I think more people are going to realize why Cash is King.
In Colorado:
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_29014332/colorado-residents-face-10-percent-increase-buy-health
http://www.coloradoindependent.com/155753/heres-what-happened-to-colorados-health-co-op
So, some folks seem to think that making things even worse will somehow magically fix things:
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_29013454/coloradocare-backers-collected-156-000-petitions-single-payer
In re. avoiding negative interest accounts, as a practical matter, I use my checking account as the pipe through which all my money flows. Paying bills? Yeah, it’s possible to do so without a checking account, but possibly more expensive than the negative interest. Depending on the rate, at least. (Yes, the article says savings, but if people can just move their savings to a checking account to avoid it, it won’t be effective — well, given their motivations, it won’t be effective anyway.)
“So, some folks seem to think that making things even worse will somehow magically fix things:”
That’s how government grows and grows from time immemorial — “saving” us from the messes it creates.
Curious thinking (from the petition article you linked):
Just found out that KT Ordnance is closing its doors.
http://www.ktordnance.com/kto/index.php
I’m not sure I understand the horror over negative interest rates. Haven’t we already been in that territory for decades, when you factor in inflation? The return on a savings account has rarely made up for inflation, unless I’m mistaken (could very well be).
Banks used to pay people to store their money there, but people might still do it even if they are losing money as long as the bank provides convenience and security. If you live in a rough neighborhood, is mattress stuffing really an option?
Anyway as a general point I consider banks to be part of the government, what with all the reporting and controls. I won’t be sad when the big players crash, even if it will make life difficult. I have had experience with old timey small town banks and they are SOOO much better than the big ones…
I’ve got a problem with Obamacare. I’m 65 and the state of Oregon now prohibits insurance companies from insuring people that age unless they are enrolled in Medicare as the primary insurer. I am forced onto the government dole. I don’t know what I am going to do – maybe go without insurance entirely (also apparently illegal)? Time to move to Mexico?
> attempt to dispel the impression it’s government-run health care …
Which means they’ll craft a message of bafflement and cognitive dissonance, sure to appeal to the progressive mindset, and disguise the true nature of it, so as to encourage a fantasy-thought mindset in a sufficient number of voters.
However, despite the encroaching political purple hue, a lot of voters are still much against any more taxation.
KT Ordnance was still around? Last I looked, they’d gone out of the firearms business entirely anyway, and were doing some sort of food thing. But I haven’t checked in quite a while. I guess they re-tooled, or did they get their stuff back?
No, they’re still going out of business. They’re just selling off what they have left.
She said supporters will attempt to dispel the impression it’s government-run health care …
Set it up like the Post Office, because that works so well.
“I’m not sure I understand the horror over negative interest rates. Haven’t we already been in that territory for decades, when you factor in inflation?”
Mathematically, yes. But “the herd” doesn’t pay much attention to math. People will react differently to negative interest than they do to inflation.
Snooty people get their tighty-whiteys in such a bunch when anyone uses the name “silencer.” They completely ignore that Hiram Maxim invented it and named it a silencer.