Dr. Martin Hash Podcast

Even people who have no contact with the shadowy figures who subsist outside government interference estimate the Underground Economy at 12% of GNP, but that's not including illegal activities like drugs & prostitution which add another 5%, and most Illegal Aliens work underground, estimated to be 11 million workers, an additional 5%; so roughly, that conservatively puts the Underground Economy at around 20% of all business done in the United States. That means the Underground Economy is huge, employing 10s of millions of people, and operating entirely outside the jurisprudence system. There are whole districts in many States where the economy is almost entirely underground. What of the children inside the Underground bubble? Even if they are taught respect for government & The Law in school, that message is totally undermined by their reality at home, ensuring an Underground Economy in perpetuity.

What causes an Underground Economy? Minimum Wage laws, unions, onerous licensing, and all the other gate-keeping mechanisms vested interests use to limit competition, and make themselves more comfortable. Is there a solution? No, not until the burden of taxation & fees is lifted from the backs of The Poor; things like Medicare, Social Security, Unemployment & Workman's Compensation, which should all be paid out of general tax receipts, not payroll. Also, reduce the regulations that restrict aspiring entrepreneurs; like safety, environmental & handicap access; all of which cater to people who already have jobs & money. We also have to ensure tighter border control so that scofflaws do not stream into the U.S. Unfortunately, these things seem like impossible backward steps to socialist thinkers, so the Underground Economy is only going to get bigger.