There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of economists that will tell you that if you want to see where we are headed if we don’t fix our 
fiscal house, all you have to do is look at Greece, Europe, and the EU. Just as many will also tell you that the “fix” for our exploding national debt and debt to GDP ratio will be harder to swallow the longer we wait for this “not immediate” crisis to become immediate.
How hard? Let’s look at what Cyprus is considering for their $7.5 billion EU bailout. They want to dip in to the checking accounts of depositors, charging them a tax on their insured deposits. Can you say “run on banks?”
Cypriot banks are holding $88 billion in deposits, including $49 billion in accounts of more than 100,000 euros. A “huge amount” for a country of 1.1 million people. Many of the biggest depositors are foreigners, including rich Russians, (Russian Mob money). President Putin is not happy about it.
Do you believe something like that could not happen here? Right now, there are ‘tax and spenders’ trying to figure out how they can get away with a “wealth tax.” Others have their eyes on your 401K and other retirement plans. Cyprus has their version. Don’t think for a minute that something like this isn’t on Mr. Fair-Share-Redistribution-of-Wealth-Social-Justice Obama’s mind. Why else would he say we don’t have a spending problem and instead have a revenue (not-enough-taxes) problem?
As part of the EU’s bailout, here’s what Cyprus is considering . . .
Those with under 100,000 Euros in their accounts are slated to receive a 6.6% haircut while those with more than 100,000 Euros in their accounts will be docked 9.9%.
Europeans know that the welfare state they made for themselves has become unsustainable. The fix for them now is causing rioting in the streets. There aren’t too many Americans still alive that remember the run on banks and the depression that followed. But if we’re not careful, if we don’t turn this ship around, we have a good chance of seeing history repeat itself.
Link: The EU Crosses the Rubicon | Cyprus president in desperate bid to prevent run on banks | Watch Out: Your 401(k) Is Being Targeted | Gartman Warns Cyprus: One Does Not Steal Russian Mafia Money And Get Away With It | Cyprus closes in on E.U. bailout, U-turn on levy
