Facts Flashcards
Percentage of new business that fail(2 years, 5 years, 10 years)
The SBA states that only 30% of new businesses fail during the first two years of being open, 50% during the first five years and 66% during the first 10.
What is a standard for something being a right that is often forgotten?
In order for something to be a right, the honoring of that right can not require that something be taken away from someone else. For instance, free speech is a right and if I were to increase the amount of free speech I exercised, nobody else’s capacity for free speech would be reduced. On the other hand, a person’s “right” to healthcare cannot truly be a right, because in order to enable it, money must be stolen from someone else (under the guise of taxation), and the total capacity of the health care system must be reduced by whatever you take as your “right.”
Was the gold standard real money?
It wasn’t real when we were on the gold standard. We pretended a rock had value that we had to mine (it was volatile cause if a large amount was mined somewhere, it could greatly impact the economy). Now we pretend paper has value and we can control the “mining” of it via printing more, or take some out of the market.
What is Civil Asset Forfeiture?
Civil Forfeiture allows police to seize - and then keep or sell - any property they allege is involved in a crime. Owners need not even be arrested or convicted of a crime for their cash, cars, or even real estate to be taken away permanently by the government.
What was the original goal of Civil Asset Forfeiture? What is it being used for today?
Forfeiture was originally presented as a way to cripple large-scale criminal enterprises by diverting their resources. But today, aided by deeply flawed federal and state laws, many police departments use forfeiture to benefit their bottom lines, making seizures motivated by profit rather than crime-fighting.
How is Civil Asset Forfeiture typically justified?
It is justified primarily on the grounds that it allows law enforcement to seize the assets and ill-gotten gains of these criminals, using the property and proceeds to fight against other alleged criminals.
How easy is it to get property that has been claimed by Forfeiture?
For people whose property has been seized by civil asset forfeiture, legally regaining such property is notoriously difficult and expensive, with costs sometimes exceeding the value of the property.
What is the profit incentive of civil asset forfeiture?
In 43 states, police can keep anywhere from half to all of the proceeds they take in civil forfeiture–a clear incentive to police for profit.
Is it guilty until proven innocent for civil asset forfeiture?
While many forfeiture laws do have a process for innocent owners to reclaim their property, all too often the burden of proof is on the owner–not the government. Therefore, under civil forfeiture, property owners have to prove their innocence and show that they were not aware of any criminal activity.
What was the net total of the funds put into the Treasury and Justice department as a result of civil asset forfeiture in 2014?
They deposited more than $4.5 billion (note this does not include include state and local claims).
In 2014, what was the total value of all things stolen in America?
12.3 billion
While the totals for all states are unavailable, what is the value of goods that were seized by 14 states under civil asset forfeiture in 2014?
250 million, when you add in the 29 states this number is surely much higher.
In 2018, how much did the state of Texas bring in due to criminal and civil forfeiture in 2018?
more than $50 million.
How much money did the Chinese invest in the US in 2016? In 2018?
Chinese direct investment in the U.S. fell to $5.4 billion in 2018 from $46.5 billion in 2016, according to an economic research firm.
Which 11 countries are considered the most economically free? What was the US ranked in 2017, what is it ranked now?
- Hong Kong, 2. Singapore, 3. New Zealand, 4. Switzerland, 5. Australia, 6. Ireland, 7. United Kingdom, 8. Canada, 9. United Arab Emirates, 10. Taiwan, 11. Iceland
The US was ranked 10th in 2017. Now it is 12th.
