The Epstein Files: A Rare Glimpse Behind The Curtain
By now, anyone trying to dig deeper into the Epstein file release beyond the mainstream narrative are likely disgusted, angry, and frustrated in equal measures. If anything, how the release is being handled and spun should offer detailed clues as to how this world of ours really works at the highest levels and who are guilty of atrocities.
Here in the US, the entire Epstein saga has become a political football that both sides of the aisle and numerous high profile donors are trying to control but, clearly, none want to truly reveal the entire scope of. The contents of the files are significantly more nuanced, far reaching, and awful than what we’re hearing on the nightly news.
Recently I listened to JRE Podcast #2447 with guest Mike Benz. As usual, this long-format podcast has managed to dig infinitely deeper into the nuances and murky details of the operation than anyone I’ve heard thus far:
What’s clear after listening to this is: 1.) Epstein was only a mid-level operative; 2.) there’s quite a bit of misinformation in the files to divert people from the truth; 3.) this has been going on way before Epstein—at least since the 1950s—and is continuing today with different players; 4.) the operation knows no borders; and 5.) Has influenced global politics, by providing favors to powerful people more than blackmailing, for most of our lifetimes.
Reality and history, as most people assumed it was, doesn’t really exist but is more just some fictional surface layer, a construct and shared illusion that most of the public has been convinced is true. If you’d like to learn more, and get a glimpse of what’s behind the curtain, I’d suggest you invest a few hours listening to Mike Benz.
Big Changes Coming for The Netherlands
I have a few friends who live in and around Amsterdam so when I heard their government was considering imposing a 36% tax on unrealized stock and crypto gains I was stunned. I thought to myself, there’s no way this will pass. Well, it appears I was wrong. For those who don’t fully understand how preposterous this tax is, the Dutch government plans to tax investment gains even if you don’t cash your investments in. Imagine the repercussions of this to investors. This will effectively destroy the ability for individuals to use personal investments to build financial freedom.
Pending final approval of the Dutch senate, which looks like will happen, this will go into effect on January 1, 2028 the tax rate will be a flat 36% on the actual net return (direct income like interest/dividends/rent + changes in asset value, realized or unrealized) and will apply to assets like stocks, bonds, cryptocurrencies, most investments, and savings (including forex gains on foreign currency accounts). Unrealized losses are deductible (can offset gains, with some carry-forward rules, e.g., up to 3 years in discussions).
I imagine this will cause a mass exodus of wealth from The Netherlands. However, sadly, an exit tax is also part of this regulatory change so Dutch citizens will pay even if they decide to leave the country. I feel for the Dutch people and will watch how this plays out closely because, in the end it will affect us all. If implemented successfully I imagine the model will spread to other countries. Politicians won’t be able to resist the additional revenue. I sincerely hope the Dutch people find ways to voice their opinions and rebel against these unfair changes to tax policy.
Today Is The Tomorrow You Worried About Yesterday
Despite all of the doom and gloom in the news feeds I’ve noticed I’ve become strangely detached and more cognizant of how the news affects my mood and energy. I think it’s never been more important to find our emotional center, decide what is out of our personal control, and stay abreast of goings-on of the world but not let them suck you into the fear, anger, and drama.
I was having one of those tough, less-than-ideal days, last week and the universe provided me with a nice little reminder in two parts. First, as I was browsing an antique store, I couldn't help but notice the little plaque in the the photo above. Secondly, was a gift in the form of a passage in one of my daily readers.
I read from several books each day, one of them is The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday. The entry for February 12th, the very day I snapped the photo, said:
Protect Your Peace of Mind
"Keep constant guard over your perceptions, for it is no small thing you are protecting, but your respect, trustworthiness and steadi-nes, peace of mind, freedom from pain and fear, in a word your freedom. For what would you sell these things?"- EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 4.3.6b-8
The dysfunctional job that stresses you out, a contentious relationship, life in the spotlight. Stoicism, because it helps us manage and think through our emotional reactions, can make these kinds of situations easier to bear. It can help you manage and mitigate the triggers that seem to be so constantly tripped.
But here's a question: Why are you subjecting yourself to this? Is this really the environment you were made for? To be provoked by nasty emails and an endless parade of workplace problems? Our adrenal glands can handle only so much before they become exhausted. Shouldn't you preserve them for life-and-death situations?
So yes, use Stoicism to manage these difficulties. But don't forget to ask: Is this really the life I want? Every time you get upset, a little bit of life leaves the body. Are these really the things on which you want to spend on this priceless resource? Don't be afraid to make a change—a big one.
One sentence in this passage hit me so particularly hard that it sent shivers through my body—Every time you get upset, a little bit of life leaves the body. The minute I read it I realized how true it is, in so many ways. A little bit of life leaves us every single time we're triggered. There's no shortage of things to be triggered by in this world, that's for sure.
Happy Valentine’s Day Hivers. Give yourself the gift of protecting your own peace of mind today. I wish you all a wonderful weekend!
All for now. Thanks so much for reading.
⚠️⚠️⚠️ ALERT ⚠️⚠️⚠️
HIVE coin is currently at a critically low liquidity. It is strongly suggested to withdraw your funds while you still can.
The reality appears hidden beneath a pile of false information, and it is important for us to uncover the actual story behind these occurrences.
Taxing paper profits on crypto and stocks is essentially a war on compounding. If your Bitcoin goes up 100% in a year but you don't sell, having to find the cash to pay 36% of that gain is going to force people to sell their assets just to stay compliant.
Happy Valentine's Day, @ericvancewalton.
I'm trying to understand the rationale behind the Netherlands unrealized tax reform. I looked up some information (I know nothing about the economy of the Netherlands). Apparently taxes on income are higher, overall, than we are assessed in the U.S.:
Some have asserted that wealth inequality in that country has increased over the last several years (not income inequality). One of the ways to address that is to tax unrealized assets before a person dies. Otherwise, the assets continue to grow, without taxation during a person's lifetime and then gets passed on, tax-free, to heirs. This, it is contended contributes to the increased wealth inequality. The government will never recoup those lost gains.
On the other hand, taxing unrealized gains, particularly in crypto, could lead to a liquidity issue. Investors will be required to pay money they have not actually received. If they don't have cash on hand, they have to liquidate assets.
It's complicated, isn't it? I think of that adage about unintended consequences. No way to tell how this will actually work out for the taxpayer and for the society until it is enacted. They say that in the Netherlands there is customarily a five-year look back period to asses the effect of such a law. In this case, it's a three-year look back. There is obviously an awareness that this law may have more negative than positive effects.
You can see I found this very interesting. I sort of jumped down a rabbit hole looking into it.
That's horrible about the Netherlands. If people leave before 2028 will they still have to pay the exit tax? That's likely the smarter move. Get out sooner rather than later.
Yeah, I see more and more taxation on local and federal level, and sometimes it is cleverly packaged as was Trump's first "tax cut" package that costs me thousands of dollars ever since his first term and of course Democrats didn't roll that back and everyone keeps adding new taxes and nobody lowers them for us the low life people that make less than a few million dollars a year :)