Ace of Spades HQ

May 22, 2013

Economic activity doubles under Obama [Purp]
— Open Blogger

Economic activity has doubled from 2009 to 2012...

...underground economic activity that is.

...the size of the underground economy in the U.S. in 2012 reached $2 trillion...this figure was only $1 trillion in 2009...

...possible that the transition from state-sanctioned economic activity to counter-economic activity will not be a temporary development related to current economic turmoil, but will be the first step toward the emergence of a truly free market through the theory of agorism...

More on the underground economy from Cato.

The underground or Â“blackÂ” economy is rapidly rising, and the fault is mainly due to government policies. Here is the evidence...

Starve the beast.

Keep your fat stacks.

Posted by: Open Blogger at 12:10 AM | Comments (44)
Post contains 116 words, total size 1 kb.

1 Was just talking about this with my son!

Posted by: Amy Shulkusky at May 22, 2013 12:26 AM (bdged)

2 Welcome to the USSA!

Posted by: Optimizer at May 22, 2013 12:26 AM (Mxt9o)

3 So how do you go about it?

Posted by: elaine at May 22, 2013 12:26 AM (4Mzrt)

4 .

Posted by: @PurpAv[/i][/b][/u][/s] at May 22, 2013 12:30 AM (QFWBu)

I'm not sure how you can really know how big the "underground economy" is, but the assertion seems reasonable.

I can't get over how the US is developing a flourishing Black Market, just like they used to have in the USSR, while people openly endorsing the US Constitution - or even simply trying to assure legitimate elections - are dismissed as "extremists", and are being harassed by government thugs, possibly being driven underground.

As to the current spate of scandals, it recently occurred to me that if you WANTED to maximize such totalitarian activity that what you would so is put a career socialist activist, from the most corrupt political city in the country in the WH. Kind of like how if you actually WANTED to get Amb Stevens killed, you would do exactly what Hillary did (with an assist from her boss).

Posted by: Optimizer at May 22, 2013 12:38 AM (Mxt9o)

6 "Black market" is racist.

Posted by: Toure at May 22, 2013 12:48 AM (5fSr7)

7 BeBopDeluxe!!!!

who cares if the economy is going to hell, at least we have good music!

Posted by: redc1c4 at May 22, 2013 12:51 AM (8MasJ)

8 Toure that kind of black humor is not tolerated here...

Posted by: dtshangers at May 22, 2013 12:52 AM (QRh7g)

9 If you happen to partake of the evil weed...with no med card..the underground is huge.

Posted by: Rats Alley at May 22, 2013 01:04 AM (7yx0r)

10 But resist we muchÂ… we mustÂ… and we will muchÂ… aboutÂ… thatÂ… be committed.

Posted by: Rev. Al at May 22, 2013 01:09 AM (5fSr7)

11 Bebop Deluxe! Awesome, awesome sound. Their guitars are to die for.

Posted by: otho at May 22, 2013 01:12 AM (9gNQd)

12 Funny- when I ran into my old partner from "days of thunder"- yes, we used to hunt men- he mentioned keeping as much as he could off the books.
I told him "report anything that might appear on somebody else's books."
It's good advice. Your mileage may vary. Void where prohibited by Duh! law. Or Duh!1.... or Ã˜bowMaoÂ™

As the Ghost Ã˜ HillÃ˜rrheah says, "At this point, what does it matter?"

Posted by: Ghost Ø HillØrrheah at May 22, 2013 01:23 AM (ULH4o)

13 This is the world we have made. When I think of how contemptuous I used to be of third world countries with their bribes and their beggars and their open, systemic corruption.... :: snort of derision:: Transformation almost complete, SCoaMT.

Posted by: Gem at May 22, 2013 01:28 AM (zw+pb)

14 Big fan of Be Bop Deluxe. Also Television. They were as good if not better than the The Cars, but they just never could make the jump from college radio to the big leagues. Oh well. And yes... STARVE THE LEVIATHAN.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at May 22, 2013 01:30 AM (+98Gb)

15 Shit. Can't sleep. Quick, somebody sing me a lullaby.

Posted by: Six at May 22, 2013 01:32 AM (gW5fI)

16 14 Shit. Can't sleep. Quick, somebody sing me a lullaby. Posted by: Six at May 22, 2013 05:32 AM (gW5fI) "Go to sleep, my bay-a-bee..." (***shoves chloroform sock in face, hurls brick at head a la Ignatz the mouse**)

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at May 22, 2013 01:36 AM (+98Gb)

17 Big fan of Be Bop Deluxe. Also Television. They were as good if not better than the The Cars, but they just never could make the jump from college radio to the big leagues.

Oh well. And yes... STARVE THE LEVIATHAN.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at May 22, 2013 05:30 AM

BBD were better than the Cars. Television likewise. Remember this? One of the best tunes from the early 80's, ever... Tom Verlaine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noJ2H19Qh8A

Posted by: otho at May 22, 2013 01:37 AM (9gNQd)

18 Thanks JJ but no joy. I may have to resort to a B&B. Benadryl and a Beer.

Posted by: Six at May 22, 2013 01:38 AM (gW5fI)

19 Are we in Brooklyn yet?

Posted by: The Mega Independent[/i] at May 22, 2013 01:46 AM (Lq5WC)

20 16 Posted by: otho at May 22, 2013 05:37 AM (9gNQd) Wow! Television were even better individually. And in return for Tom Verlaine, I give you Richard Lloyd: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--p5XWU9HdA

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at May 22, 2013 01:50 AM (+98Gb)

21 18 Are we in Brooklyn yet? Posted by: The Mega Independent at May 22, 2013 05:46 AM (Lq5WC) Born and raised in Flatbush/Midwood. And I don't even know Flatbush Joe.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at May 22, 2013 01:52 AM (+98Gb)

22 Agorism is a farce, even Rothbard thought so. I'd rather take back the country than try to stay low and wait out a massive storm.

Posted by: NJ Libertarian (@BadMesmer) at May 22, 2013 01:56 AM (GE0Kl)

23 underground.. yeah baby.

Posted by: r crumb at May 22, 2013 01:56 AM (7yx0r)

24 That was an intentionally obtuse Beastie Boys reference.

Posted by: The Mega Independent[/i] at May 22, 2013 01:58 AM (Lq5WC)

Wow! Television were even better individually. And in return for Tom Verlaine, I give you Richard Lloyd:

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at May 22, 2013 05:50 AM

There's a 12" version of "Always" that goes almost as long as "Marquee Moon". It. Rocks. On the regular version he's just warming up on guitar. On the extended version, it wails... and wails. Very, very rare and hard to get the 12" these days.

Thanks for the Lloyd! Haven't heard that in 20 fucking years. Awesome.

Posted by: otho at May 22, 2013 02:05 AM (9gNQd)

26 Going underground has the added intellectual appeal of reverse Cloward-Piven.

Posted by: Harrison Bergeron at May 22, 2013 02:06 AM (JQuNB)

27 "Civil disobedience becomes a sacred duty when the state has become lawless or corrupt. And a citizen who barters with such a state shares in its corruption and lawlessness...There is only one sovereign remedy, namely, non-violent non-cooperation." - Mohandas Gandhi Is it time? That's the question.

Posted by: Harrison Bergeron at May 22, 2013 02:12 AM (JQuNB)

28 Are we in Brooklyn yet? ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Born and raised in Flatbush/Midwood. And I don't even know Flatbush Joe. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Left Carroll Gardens for the 'burbs. The parts of Brooklyn where English is still spoken are becoming infested with smug yuppies and annoying hipsters. Used to live over in the Hook, and I hear da joint is lousy wit' 'em. The Gardens really started going downhill when Cammereri's closed their doors. Went back a few weeks ago for a Dr. visit and am happy to report that decent pizza can still be had over there. But for how long?

Posted by: Rufus T. Firefly at May 22, 2013 02:28 AM (aOnaK)

29 21 Agorism is a farce, even Rothbard thought so. I'd rather take back the country than try to stay low and wait out a massive storm. Posted by: NJ Libertarian (@BadMesmer) at May 22, 2013 05:56 AM (GE0Kl) Why not both?

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at May 22, 2013 02:29 AM (+98Gb)

30 27 Posted by: Rufus T. Firefly at May 22, 2013 06:28 AM (aOnaK) My New York, like my childhood and my country are fading away. Now that Anthony Weiner has tossed his pee-pee into the ring, we have a field consisting of him, Christine Quinn and probably Charles Barron. Got to get the hell out of here.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at May 22, 2013 02:31 AM (+98Gb)

31 24 Posted by: otho at May 22, 2013 06:05 AM (9gNQd) Bad sentence structure on my part. Meant to say that Television were better than the Cars but somehow the Cars got heavily promoted and Television, for whatever reason did not. Loved that era for Be Bop Deluxe. "Modern Music..."

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at May 22, 2013 02:33 AM (+98Gb)

32 JJ, You should have been in ca when i was trying to sell my comix. fuckin corrupt gov

Posted by: r crumb at May 22, 2013 02:38 AM (7yx0r)

33 Bad sentence structure on my part. Meant to say that Television were better than the Cars but somehow the Cars got heavily promoted and Television, for whatever reason did not. Loved that era for Be Bop Deluxe.

"Modern Music..."

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at May 22, 2013 06:33 AM

Nah, I got what you were saying. No disrespect to the Cars, either. The Cars were able to produce a more consistent brand of well crafted songs, which allowed them a higher profile. Television and BBD were more inconsistent. Some so-so stuff mixed with great stuff. The difference being, that although their records may not have been as "smooth", the GOOD tunes were sheer brilliance. Above what the Cars produced.

Posted by: otho at May 22, 2013 02:52 AM (9gNQd)

34 Got here, but not through the "Comments" link to this article on the main page, which appears not to be working. Anyway, the underground economy doubling has the ancillary benefit of speeding the collapse of Spcial Security and Medicaid, does it not?

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars[/b][/i][/s] at May 22, 2013 02:54 AM (PT7/5)

35 If we all go underground, we would qualify for all the goodies the Gang of Eights "comprehensive" Immigration reform bill is fixing to ladle out to any and all illegals, would we not? Lookin' forward to getting that sweet, sweet gubmint cheese!

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars[/b][/i][/s] at May 22, 2013 02:57 AM (xm1Dn)

36 The difference between led zeppelin and the cars is what?

Posted by: r crumb at May 22, 2013 02:58 AM (7yx0r)

37 The difference between led zeppelin and the cars is what?

Posted by: r crumb at May 22, 2013 06:58 AM

Quantity of drugs consumed.

Posted by: otho at May 22, 2013 02:59 AM (9gNQd)

38 And a couple million hundred fucking thousand dollar concerts..cars..not so much....

Posted by: r crumb at May 22, 2013 03:05 AM (7yx0r)

39 John Galt smiles.

Posted by: toby928© at May 22, 2013 03:34 AM (QupBk)

40 the hockey sticks i buy normally sell for about 90-100 bucks apiece. i get'm for 30. fell of the back of a cargo ship, dontchaknow.

Posted by: jd at May 22, 2013 04:50 AM (Tjv8J)

41 Only $2-trillion? That sounds small. Over the years the estimates that I've seen put it more or less at 30% of the above-ground economy. That would put today's version closer to $4-trillion - where it belongs.

Posted by: Help isn't coming at May 22, 2013 05:35 AM (ze9yk)

42 Christine Quinn, Anthony Weiner, and Charles Barron. Three good reasons to lay in a supply of Jameson's Black Barrel. I'm down to my last 2 cases.

Posted by: Rufus T. Firefly at May 22, 2013 05:45 AM (aOnaK)

43 So IOW we are now a third world country with a third world government.

Transformation!

Posted by: pj at May 22, 2013 07:45 AM (ZWaLo)

44 I have this BBD on vinyl.

Posted by: sTevo at May 22, 2013 09:05 PM (VMcEw)

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