DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING "Cost of Freedom Recap" CONTAINS STRONG OPINIONS WHICH ARE NOT A REFLECTION OF THE OPINIONS OF FOX NEWS AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON AS INVESTMENT ADVICE WHEN MAKING PERSONAL INVESTMENT DECISIONS. IT IS FOX NEWS' POLICY THAT CONTRIBUTORS DISCLOSE POSITIONS THEY HOLD IN STOCKS THEY DISCUSS, THOUGH POSITIONS MAY CHANGE. READERS OF "Cost of Freedom Recap" MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN INVESTMENT DECISIONS.
ISIS THREATENS TO "DIVIDE AMERICA IN TWO" AS UN CALLS TO CUT ALL FUNDING TO GROUP
JOHN LAYFIELD: Can you imagine if we got rid of the Taliban and Bin Laden before 9/11. Not to mention the horrific loss of life -- the thousands of families who lost loved ones -- soldiers who came back with PTSD and the estimated trillion dollars that we spend because of that on wars, security and all the things that came post 9/11. What affects us is the Islamic State. Everyone says how bad these guys are, we have a chance to go in and take them out. They are well funded and already said they are coming to Western Europe and the United States.
GARY B SMITH: If we try to wage a war with everyone that hates America, we would be bombing the French! We have a lot of enemies out there, but we have to think about how much this is costing us. The first Iraq war alone cost almost $2 trillion, interest payments over the next 20-40 years are another 4 trillion. Let's put this in perspective that could have paid for the health care of every uninsured person for 10-15 years. I think we need to look at the economics.
TRACY BYRNES: I agree with Gary, our track record is very bad. But these guys are creative and adaptive and have said they are coming to get us. We didn't do it right the first time, maybe we can fix it this time and do it right. They have loads of cash; they could potentially swell to become something very big and dangerous.
JONAS FERRIS: There is no good solution. We would need to install some puppet dictator that can keep people down and that is more on our side than Saddam was.
Chuck Rocha: We are the ones who cooked this pie, now we have to eat it. When you look at the money we have spent- now were in a case we have to do this- this is our making, our governments making. I'm not talking about boots on the ground, but you can't let the worst of the worst or you will have a reoccurrence of 9/11.
REPORT: TAX CREDITS MEANT TO HELP POOR AMERICANS SPENT ON YACHTS, SPAS, SCULPTURES
GARY B. SMITH: Simplify the tax code so people have more money to spend. The government decides what businesses are going to work in a certain area. We feed billions into the government inefficiency filter and millions come out- isn't that a wonderful model? When you have free money out there- which is essentially what these tax credits are- it's a license to steal or use fraud. Let the people keep their own money and get the government out of the business of creating jobs.
CHUCK ROCHA: This is good in concept, but the implementation and oversight is not.
JOHN LAYFIELD: We can simplify this tax code, but to do it we need a politician with a backbone in D.C.
JONAS FERRIS: I don't think this was a good policy to help poor people.
TRACY BYRNES: You can't simplify the tax code at this point, it needs to be abolished.
REPORT: MORE COS PASSING OBAMACARE COSTS ON TO WORKERS
TRACY BYRNES: There is no employer that is going to suck up a 40 percent excise tax on these Cadillac planes. They are either going to cut your benefits or pass it onto you. Hourly wages haven't increased in forever people can't afford an extra cost.
CHUCK ROCHA: The Cadillac tax isn't right- and I'm a fan of ObamaCare. They pushed it back up until 2018 this will be one of the few places in Congress where you will see Republicans and Dems who are in marginal seats worried about reelection- when the union guys come in and say what are you doing- then you will see coalition.
GARY B SMITH: I think there are benefits to it. I hate putting the costs on employees but for an employee out there to be more transparent to the costs of health care, it's a good thing. I bet health care spending goes down because of this.
JONAS FERRIS: I agree with Gary B. You can actually have too much health care. I see some employers going on board with it- if it leads you to be more observant and consume less health care that's not always a bad thing.
JOHN LAYFIELD: Wasn't this supposed to be free? We are putting off the pain until the next election cycle. 20 years from now we will find out of ObamaCare is a good or bad thing, but until then we are going to go through a lot of pain figuring out how to pay for this and it's going to be through taxes.
PREDICTIONS
JOHN LAYFIELD: No bargain hunting needed! (JCP) Charges up 20 percent in 1 year.
GARY B: Get a "jolt" with (PEP); up 30 percent this time next year!
JONAS FERRIS: Shop wholesome! (WFM) returns with 20 percent profit in one year.
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