May 14, 2008
Elaine Meinel Supkis
I had to suffer through watching tons of propaganda on ABC to see the Obama/Edwards lovefest. Not only has Edwards now embraced Obama, not only has Obama embraced Volcker, but three retired SEC chiefs who worked for both Democratic and Republican Presidents endorsed Obama today! This is VERY important: they feel he is possibly the only one around who can bring some sanity to our finances. Also, Hillary and her husband both saw their incomes climb the most in the Senate this year! The number of multimillionaires in the Senate is striking. And many of them gained this via political smoozing. Stocks shot up today on the news that there is 'no inflation' even as gasoline shoots upwards at the pumps by some more pennies today! The hope is, Bernanke will drop rates to near 0% and everyone will live in that happy, happy land where there is no interest charged, no money down and you don't pay off the principal. The Pentagon and the White House reduce the capture reward for top Al Qaeda people supposedly because the Arabs don't understand zeros and think $100,000 is better than $5,000,000. Even Hillary's voters aren't that stupid. Much less, Arab chiefs. And last, we look at China and India to learn some harsh lessons.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards will endorse Sen. Barack Obama on Wednesday at a campaign event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, according to Obama's campaign.
*snip*
He told NBC last week that Obama, the Democratic front-runner, is the party's likely nominee. Both Obama and the his rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton, had sought Edwards' blessing.Edwards said last week that it was "fine" for Clinton to continue making her case but expressed concern that a continued campaign could damage the party's prospects in November.
Obama is on a roll. Yes, he didn't win the white worker, the hard workers of West Virginia. But then, these people are often ill-informed thanks to our insane media which specializes in propaganda cranking rather then honest news reporting. Example from today, ABC News said, 'The soldiers in China unceremoniously dump bodies on the sidewalk...' while seeking some way of exploiting the massive tragedy there. Of course, the soldiers, overwhelmed by thousands of dead, were carefully lining them up where others could pick up the bodies, all of which they strove to cover in some way. Which is hard to do when everything is in chaos. But I remember New Orleans when it took months and months for the bodies to be taken in. In many cases, people had to complain bitterly and strangers covered the dead as best they could. And a hurricane gives lots of warning, unlike an earthquake! The soldiers, of course, were keen on saving any living souls, the care of the bodies came second. But ABC had to score points and point fingers even though our own rulers in the past have been are far more cruel than the Chinese communists.
ABC didn't linger on the Obama/Edwards love-fest because they had to go to China to mock the heroism there. And then they ran off to New Orleans....oops...Burma to talk about the Superdome and...oops again. It is hard to not be bitter and cynical. I can't wait to have someone who at least can pretend to care! But the Edward's endorsement didn't make me happy, it is the people Volcker pulled into the Obama camp:
Three Former SEC Chairmen Endorse Obama's Presidential Bid
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama picked up the endorsement today of three former chairmen of the Securities and Exchange Commission, two of whom were appointed by Republican presidents.Arthur Levitt, who was appointed by Bill Clinton; William Donaldson, who was appointed by George W. Bush; and David Ruder, who was appointed by Ronald Reagan, issued a joint statement saying Obama can provide the best leadership during times of ``monumental economic challenges.''
``We believe Senator Obama can provide the positive leadership and judgment needed to take us to a stronger and more secure economic future,'' they said. The statement also was signed by former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, who previously endorsed Obama.
The four men said they appreciated Obama's support for ``balanced regulatory reform. We believe that such a constructive approach can be extended broadly in the economic area as well as elsewhere.''
Levitt, in an interview today on Bloomberg Radio, said their backing was prompted in part by Obama's opposition to a summer gas-tax holiday advanced by Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican John McCain. Obama called the idea a ``gimmick'' because it would save the average driver less than $30.
Now this makes the deal! Anyone voting for Ron Paul can rest easy: Ron himself, said, Obama is the best choice. This news is the cherry in the cocktail. The goofy pandering to semi-literate people concerning the gas tax was the final straw. Of course, our media never, ever, ever mentions wars as a cause of high oil prices. Nor do they point out the obvious, the more the US hammers Iran and prevents them from selling oil, the higher the price of gas. In Congress this week, hysterical multi-millionaires begged Bush to stop filling the national reserves for oil. They desperately want lower gasoline prices for this election. Speaking of a chamber of screaming demons, look at who is a multi millionaire:
Clinton's wealth rose fastest among lawmakers, report finds
Propelled by her husband's post-White House earnings, Sen. Hillary Clinton's average net worth soared from red ink to $30.7 million between 2000 and 2006, the fastest financial climb among members of Congress who arrived without assets, a watchdog group reported Tuesday.Arizona Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, reported a $27.6 million surge in his and his wife's average worth from 1995 to 2006. Their worth rose over that 11-year period from an inflation-adjusted average of $8.9 million to $36.4 million, the ninth-biggest rise in Congress, the nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation reported.
The Sunlight Foundation posted on its Web site the first-ever comparison of the 535 House and Senate members' latest available net worth with their earlier disclosure statements. The forms don't require any explanation for shifts of fortune.
Many members of Congress have added significantly to their wealth while in office, such as Sen. Edward Kennedy's jump from an average net worth of $7.1 million in 1995 to $102.8 million in 2006. But because lawmakers are allowed to list their assets in wide ranges and exclude homes that can be worth millions of dollars, the foundation acknowledged that the data may create misimpressions.
Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama's average net worth rose from $328,442 in 2004, when he was elected to the Senate, to $799,006 in 2006. But counting Obama's and his wife Michelle's pricey Chicago home, he almost assuredly has joined the Senate's ``Millionaire's Club.''
So, of all the mulitimillionaire wealthy, Obama is strictly from the 'hood. He might as well be picking up bottles for the 5¢ returns! Ouch. And note the propaganda about him, of all the Senate, being 'elitist'. HAHAHA. Not to mention, all the military/industrialist sticky fingers in the Senate. Arrest them all. No wonder they all vote for more and more money wasted on more and more wars! It is making them filthy rich. A warning to pro-Democrats: this is YOUR party doing this! And this is why reaching out to people like Ron Paul is so important. The anti-war, anti-corruption people are NOT any particular party. They are all individuals and we must take care to go after all the corrupt people and obviously, Hillary is #1 on that list not to mention dear old McCain, the other guy who is ready to answer the 3am phone call to bomb, bomb, bomb someone so the Senators can get richer.
If we make a list of all these clowns, you can bet, the huge rise in their joint incomes from 1995 to today run directly from the pirates and hell hounds who have utterly destroyed our banking system and our economic futures. These tax cheats are now in charge of our key political offices for the Senate has veto power over the House so if the House goes after these pirates and hellish hounders, the Senate can kill any bills that reform this corrupt and dangerous system. And there are only 51 who have to be bribed which is tons cheaper than the House, per vote. Then there is the ultimate bribe: the White House has great powers of veto which is why these financiers who are often thieves, are very generous with their donations and help. Let's look at the state our nation is in thanks to all this:
U.S. Stocks Advance on Consumer Price Report; Freddie Mac Gains
U.S. stocks advanced for a third day after consumer prices climbed less than forecast and Freddie Mac's results bolstered speculation the worst credit-market losses are over.Freddie Mac, the second-largest U.S. mortgage-finance company, rallied the most in six weeks after reporting a smaller loss than analysts estimated. Macy's Inc. spurred gains in retailers on sales that topped projections. Nine of ten industry groups in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose as the Labor Department's April inflation report gave the Federal Reserve more leeway to stimulate the economy.
Whoopee. The investors and financial bankers are hoping the Fed will drop interest rates below 1% yet again. Then it is party time, dudes. Anticipating this shower of easy wealth via easy money, stocks are struggling to get back to where they were over a year ago. The joint agreement between the Fed and these pirates is simple: they will all discount inflation. For example, the magic inflation figures saw gas go up 'only' 2.5% this last month. Since they guessed it will rise even HIGHER, they are saying inflation is dropping since it was 'only' 2.5%. Whoopee. This sort of higher math has only one purpose: to hide the truth. Also, the prices of all other things are definitely dropping due to everyone spending every penny on food and fuel. Who would have guessed? Instead of saying, 'Oh my god, this is the Seventies Show all over again!' and hammering a nail in the forehead, they say, 'There is no inflation! We can have cheap loans again!' But there is someone who is saying the right thing, as usual. Volcker.
Volcker says current economic situation resembles early 1970s
The US economy is not now in the kind of stagflation crisis it had been in, in the late 1970s, former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Paul Volcker told Congress today, but it's not impossible.'I think there is some resemblance now to inflation in the early 1970s,' he warned the Joint Economic Committee. The economy obviously does not have the full-blown, double-digit inflation crisis that finally appeared, but he said, 'there is an underlying tendency to inflation.'
Volcker also told the committee that the Consumer Price Index may understate the actual rate of inflation. For example, during the real estate boom, the housing component of the CPI rose only slightly.
Someone give Volcker a cigar except that is a Cuban commie cigar. No, give him a loud cheer! Wow! Someone sees the obvious! Thank the gods, he is Obamas' economic advisor. It is wonderful that this candidate has a sane courtier. I want Volcker to be in charge of all our financial data. I want him to bring back the M3 numbers. I want real inflation statistics, not lies. I want him...back! Yaahhh! He knows, like myself, that we need savers if we want a sane banking system. He knows that savers have been ravaged this last 15 years and he knows the elderly are being cheated. And I know that he is the best choice for Treasury Secretary.
US Navy resurrects Fourth Fleet to police Latin America
Washington announced at the end of last month that it is resurrecting the long-ago moth-balled Fourth Fleet to reassert US power in the Caribbean and Latin America. Created at the time of World War II to combat German submarines attacking merchant shipping convoys in the South Atlantic, the Fourth Fleet was seen as no longer necessary after the Second World War and was disbanded in 1950.The Pentagon’s a statement on the revival of the fleet gave a far vaguer indication of its new duties, saying it would “conduct varying missions including a range of contingency operations, counter narco-terrorism, and theater security cooperation activities.”
“Rear Admiral James Stevenson, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command, said the re-establishment of the Fourth Fleet will send a message to the entire region, not just Venezuela,” AHN news reported.
And we now are ruling the Seven Seas with four fleets we cannot afford! Isn't that loverly? And it is fatal. The US has been carrying a big stick and using a very big mouth and the stick is owned by the Chinese and the Venezuelans know this, they are good buddies with Hu and Wen as well as where and what. They aren't fooled by this latest attempt at projecting power we can't own. Our oil prices are shooting upwards due to the US not being able to buy Venezuelan oil, China gets it, not us. Thank you. End of story. It should be on TV but none of this makes the news in a comprehensive way. This is why my news service survives. Hooray.
The U.S. Quietly Slashes the Reward Posted for the Leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq
he U.S. government has quietly withdrawn a $5 million reward it was offering for the killing or capture of Abu Ayyub al-Masri, named by Pentagon officials as the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq.
*snip*
Officially, defense sources say that rewards have historically been reduced for a number of reasons. "When they have reduced rewards in the past, some of the discussion has been to devalue them [the terrorists], to not hold them in such high regard," says a senior defense official. It's psychological warfare of sorts: "It may cause them to do things that say, 'Look, I'm important,'" says the official—and in so doing, perhaps do something that makes it easier for them to be captured. The reasons in the past have also been more pedestrian, adds the official. "Sometimes the rewards are set so high that for some people maybe $100,000 is more tangible than $1 million."
And if the fools running our empire think even the dumbest desert Arab can't add and subtract, they are nuts. Modern numbers came out of the Islamic world! And the Indians invented zero. And the ancient Chinese invented computer systems to calculate large numbers quickly! While we were in the Dark Ages, counting fingers and toes and coming up with 19 due to the finger cut off by a sword in last summer's raiding expeditions. The truth is, the reward has been reduced because no Senators can claim the $5 million if they turn in al Qaeda CIA agents. And Bush can't collect it, either. He won't turn on his useful buddies.
From a long-term perspective, the prospect of China becoming the world’s largest economy, and India the third largest, within the next 10-15 years, represents a return to the order which has prevailed throughout most of human history. According to calculations by Angus Maddison5, from at least the beginning of the common era until the early 19th century, China and India accounted for around half of global GDP (see Chart 1). For much of this period China and India were intact polities, had the world’s largest populations and were technological leaders.
As Jared Diamond notes, “until around AD 1450, China was technologically much more innovative and advanced than Europe”6. Chinese inventions before or during this period included the wheelbarrow, gunpowder, matches, cast iron, porcelain, magnetic compasses, sternpost rudders, paper, printing, paper money and a meritocratic civil service.7 Indian inventions from this period include the decimal system (and the concept of zero), the water-wheel, cotton-ginning, cloth dyes, brass and the extraction of crystalline sugar from cane8. The decline in the relative importance of China and India between the early 18th and late 20th centuries resulted from, inter alia, the industrial revolution in Western Europe; the formation and rapid expansion of the United States; China’s retreat from engagement with the global economy beginning during the Ming Dynasty and subsequent decay under the Qing dynasty; the impact of colonial rule on India, and ‘gunboat diplomacy’ and ‘unequal treaties’ on China; nearly fifty years of warfare and social disorder in China in the first half of the 20th century followed by another quarter-century of chaos and misrule under Mao Zedong; and forty years of growth-stultifying Nehruvian socialism in India from independence until the financial crisis of 1991.
A good pdf read. The charts show clearly, the world order is shifting back to Asia. Asian farmers and inventors in China in particular, were incredible in the past. Many inventions like printing of books, books with pages, numbers, algebra, paper money, fire power, integrated farming methods, unitary organization of villages, cities and the government, intensive farming techniques, fertilization, silk weaving, high-fired pottery, astronomy, etc: this is from the great civilizations of the East. The Olympic torch is moving to Asia. No matter what we say or how much we complain. This is what we must talk about, not making gas cheap. But how to swim with this tidal change and not drown in bankruptcy, drown in red ink.
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