Sunday, August 7, 2022
US Delays ICBM Test to Avoid Escalating Tensions With China; Appeasement, Says Republican
A senior Republican senator blasted the decision, saying it was time for the U.S. to “project strength, rather than offer empty, conciliatory gestures” to authoritarian “bullies” like Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The White House announced the decision Thursday, at a time when China is firing ballistic missiles and carrying out military exercises unprecedented both in scale and in proximity to Taiwan, in a show of strength and protest against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to the island.
“We do not believe it is in our interest, Taiwan’s interest, the region’s interest, to allow tensions to escalate further, which is why a long-planned Minuteman III ICBM test scheduled for this week has been rescheduled for the near future,” National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby told a White House briefing.
Kirby said the postponement, which he indicated would only be for “a couple of weeks,” was aimed at demonstrating “the behavior of a responsible nuclear power by reducing the risks of miscalculation and misperception.”
Rescheduling the test of the would in no way impact the readiness or reliability of America’s nuclear deterrent, he said.
“The decision came in light and in context of the tensions that we’re seeing right now – and they’re pretty escalated. I mean, it’s – temperature is pretty high. “
“And the president believed, and the national security team believed, that a strong, confident, capable nuclear power can afford to wait a couple of weeks for a test to make it clear – not just in word, but in deed – how serious we are when we say we have no interest in escalating the tensions.”
The U.S. Air Force tests unarmed Minuteman IIIs about four times a year, launching them from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Typically the dummy warhead splashes down in the Pacific Ocean near Kwajalein Atoll in the...
Increasing The IRS Annual Budget By Seven Times Doesn’t Add Up
Now, the Democrat-controlled Congress, at the behest of the Biden Administration, wants to take that up an additional almost $80 billion, with 1% going to Department of the Treasury offices other than the IRS. That adds up to nearly $93 billion, seven times this year’s budget. SEVEN TIMES.
In addition, Democrats want to add in another 86,852 FTEs, more than doubling the staffing to 166,660. These positions are described as “new, specialized enforcement staff.” See page 17 of the American Families Plan Tax Compliance Agenda for more. The increased funding and staffing are designed to restore IRS enforcement capability through a sustained rebuilding of the IRS.
According to IRS data, staffing was at a peak in 1995 at 114,064 FTEs. That was before automation, common use internet, and e-filing. Data processing took more than a quarter of all staff.
Within two years, the data processing staff was cut in half—no surprise there—and disappeared altogether as a category a couple of years later. As banking became more automated, collections staff numbers other than revenue officers were reduced by two-thirds. With the advent of e-filing, the filing and account management staff declined. Staffing has been more or less at today’s level for a decade, which is eminently reasonable as more sophisticated automation is available to both the IRS and the taxpayer. Under these circumstances, the IRS will not be rebuilding its old structure nor restoring anything that may have been lost. So, what’s going on?
Something doesn’t add up. We know through observing Biden Administration and Congressional activities over the past half year that it takes about $80 billion to cover our costs for a proxy war between the US/NATO and another nuclear power.
While practice doesn’t always make perfect, it certainly sets a pattern. Now, the same actors plan to spend $80 billion going after unpaid income taxes. However, it looks more like Biden and his pet Congresscritters are about to fund a war on We the People.
Too much, you say? Well, we’ve been bombarded from all sides with a reduction in domestic fuel supplies and a corresponding doubling in price at the pump; instability in stock, commodities, housing, and precious metals markets; record inflation rates across all sectors; and stuttering food shortages they tell us will only get worse. All courtesy of Biden and the Dems. Softening us up for a bigger blow, maybe?
On April 29, 2021, Biden announced as part of his Jobs and Family Plan that the IRS was going to crack down on millionaires and billionaires who cheat on their taxes. Billions of dollars, he promised, would be recovered. Within a few days, Treasury estimated that, as of 2019, $600 billion in back taxes were owed. It opined that, for every dollar spent on enforcement, $4 could be recovered. The Biden administration treats this as a straight-line proposition, but the pool of tax cheats is not large, and the recoverable funds are not infinite. Over time, as enforcement is increasingly effective, less and less funding will be recovered.
Biden’s Build Back Better Framework, issued in October 2021, noted that wage earners had a 99% tax compliance rate and that the miscreant 1% evades about $160 billion per year in taxes. Sounds like a lot, but it’s not too bad actually: that’s just 4% of the $3.863 trillion taken in. Given that perfection will always elude us, at what point does this become statistically insignificant and unjustifiably wasteful? There are about 12,000 “agents” in the IRS, and about 145 million taxpayers. Do we really need 87,000 more agents to address issues with maybe a million and a half taxpayers? Absolutely not!
So, again, what’s this money for? In the original BBB bill, this section took up a page. Now, it’s ten pages long. It starts on page 1926 of the current version of H.R. 5376 and on page 31 of the Senate’s draft Inflation Reduction Act; versions are slightly different but the total is the same. In the $45 billion enforcement section, we’ve got “…to provide digital asset monitoring….”
If that doesn’t make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up I don’t know what...
Taiwan responds to China's military drills as warships circle each other in 'cat and mouse' maneuvers
Taiwan has responded after China appeared to take part in military drills that simulated an attack following a major US official visiting the island.
China has now ended a number of live-fire military drills across seven zones around Taiwan in response to a visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the island - one that infuriated Chinese officials.
However, there was an escalation on Sunday, with Taiwanese warships retaliating to the drills, sailing in close quarters to Chinese ships in the Taiwan Strait.
Image:This map shows where Chinese military exercises took place (in the red boxes) with the north box nudging into Taiwan's territorial waters
A source told the Reuters news agency that some Chinese ships crossed the median line - an unofficial buffer which separates the two sides.
They added the Taiwanese side monitored Chinese ships as they "pressed" the line, in an effort to deny them the chance to cross.
"The two sides are showing restraint", they said, describing the maneuvers as high seas "cat and mouse".
"One side tries to cross, and the other stands in the way and forces them to a more disadvantaged position and eventually return to the other side."
In a press release, Taiwan's defence ministry said China was using ships, aircraft and drones to simulate attacks on the island, adding it had dispatched aircraft to respond "appropriately".
Taiwan added its land-based anti-ship missiles and its US-made Patriot surface-to-air-missiles were on stand-by.
On Saturday, China said the drills near the island had a focus on land and...
The 90 Miles Mystery Video: Nyctophilia Edition #1103
Before You Click On The "Read More" Link,
Please Only Do So If You Are Over 21 Years Old.
If You are Easily Upset, Triggered Or Offended, This Is Not The Place For You.
Please Leave Silently Into The Night......
The 90 Miles Mystery Box: Episode #1803
You have come across a mystery box. But what is inside?
It could be literally anything from the serene to the horrific,
from the beautiful to the repugnant,
from the mysterious to the familiar.
If you decide to open it, you could be disappointed,
you could be inspired, you could be appalled.
This is not for the faint of heart or the easily offended.
You have been warned.
Saturday, August 6, 2022
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