Infinite Money Doesn't Work Even In Short Run

October 18, 2008

Elaine Meinel Supkis

Chinese workers riot. Food disappears off of shelves in Iceland, Zimbabwe, Russia, Ukraine...global trade grinds to a stop due to the collapse of the US empire and its floating currency regime. All the central banks from Korea to the US to Europe and beyond, all the central banks are now pouring more and more government-based rescue operations into the world money system in the hopes that it will fund global trade. Not a soul is trying to figure out why all this is fruitless! And why the grossly-unbalanced world trade is not reviving! All they want is for the US to resume overspending on imports! That is the goal! There is no Plan B.

Social Security benefits to rise

Checks will increase by 5.8% next year, resulting in an extra $63 for the average retiree.

The increase is the largest since a 7.4% jump in 1982 and is more than double the 2.3% rise that retirees got in their monthly checks starting in January of this year.

Due to my husband's injuries, we live on a fixed income. Only it is a broken income, not a fixed income. Inflation ravaged us badly. At no point in time did SS inflation hikes come anywhere near keeping up with the sort of inflation people on fixed incomes live with: we need food, fuel and medicine. This trio of things were the things that inflated the most, the fastest and the most persistently. The loss of income has been tremendous.

I go to the store and see very old people at Price Chopper working as baggers, doing food displays in the aisles, they are all over the place. The owner of Price Chopper does this because he feels sorry for these unfortunate people who can't afford to heat their homes or eat thanks to fake inflation statistics that are designed to cheat the elderly out of their retirement funds.

The sudden hike in rates comes right on the heels of Palin saying, in between attacks on the patriotism of the Northern and Western states while she was in the deep South, trying to boost the enthusiasm of a rather racist crowd in North Carolina, she also took time to attack Social Security. Treating this fund that is 100% supported by the workers earning less than $86,000 a year. Instead of boosting the tax level to higher incomes, she wants to see this destroyed.

Social Security is one of the many good things started in the Great Depression which a core of Republicans hate to their very cores. They dream of an old fashioned world where the average lifespan of a worker was 45 years! This is why they wish to cut pollution laws, cut regulators who prevent the sorts of scandals we saw recently in China, for example. These faux primitives imagine we can live in a civilization that is totally red in tooth and claw. Buyers beware and the power of the state is wielded by the owners of land and production who can use it to crush any attempts at unity in the work force.

Ron Paul is deeply infected with this sort of childish romanticism. He even found himself at the head of this small revolution and shied away from his own followers to cling to the GOP and its nutty right wing racist core. For he is a racist, too. The dreams of slavery haunt the right. They dearly wish to go back to that economic model. This dream debilitates them and prevents them from looking realistically at how economies flourish: when workers have a good grip on power and can compel the flow of profits to go to them, not to exclusively to the top 1% super-rich.

During the rule of southerner Presidents [the Yankee Bushes happily embraced the slave-economy ethics and moved to the Deep South to show their support] the US has completely surrendered to a flood of cheap and not so cheap imports and has steadfastly refused to even TALK about stopping this flood. Periodically, these Southerners in the White House would talk big about stopping the flood only to do everything in their power to NOT do this but ENABLE it and make it worse.

Proof is that the US trade deficit which even Reagan tried to thwart with the Plaza Accords, went from $20 billion to over $700 billion each year. The US economy didn't grow. US debt and deficits grew. Obama was endorsed by most of the major northern newspapers including the Washington Post this week. If he wins, this will be the first time a Northerner has won since Kennedy.

As I look over old speeches by Fed Chiefs and Presidents going back to 1914 onwards, one can see a drastic drop-off in intellect and the ability to keep multiple things in the mind starting with Reagan's rule. Both Nixon and Burns, for example, could talk long and intelligently about things even as they struggled to keep the US empire afloat. They even tried to get freeloading allies to pay their share of defense costs! Not to mention, trying to keep the US from letting in too many imports.

Their failure was the hope that the US could increase exports while imports increased. Seeing that Fortress Japan was very determined to not let this happen, the US tried the now-tiresome tool of negotiating a weaker dollar and strengthening the yen. This was done in the Bretton Woods II Accords and through the Plaza and Louver Accords. And was a total failure for Japan simply used every cultural tool to shut down imports. Even killing the incomes of workers to prevent them from buying even cheap Chinese goods! Whatever it took, the Japanese used one tool after another, restlessly evading the requirement of importing the same amount they exported.

McCain and Palin both talk about the economy as if they are spoiled brats. Their incoherence and incompetence is painfully obvious. Obama has to make the usual soothing noises that any sane candidate is forced to use when running. He also has to depend on the very rich for funding to run. The system is corrupt and won't be fixed easily. But first, Americans have to sit down and begin a long conversation about what it means to be responsible adults and what sort of ethos this entails. A hard conversation that won't happen unless the upper classes and their minions first surrender and decide they can't go on and on, acting like a bunch of juvenile delinquent gnomes seeking sex and free money under every rock.

IMF Probes Strauss-Kahn in Alleged Affair, WSJ Says

(Bloomberg) -- International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn is under investigation as to whether he abused his position by engaging in a sexual relationship with a subordinate, the Wall Street Journal reported.

There was an allegation concerning improper behavior of a personal nature on the part of the managing director, the newspaper said, citing Masood Ahmed, the IMF's director of external relations. Ahmed said all allegations, particularly relating to senior management, need to be investigated, according to the WSJ.

In earlier empires, the ruling elites accepted the idea that sexual appetites would corrupt the people in charge of money. So only eunuchs were allowed to control finances. This didn't stop corruption, of course. But it did slow it down to some degree. If we look at this as a fairy tale, my favorite way of visualizing this, the hopes of the fertile ruling families was, if they send an eunuch into the Cave of Wealth and Death to grab some loot, he wouldn't have sex with the delightful and dangerous Goddess of Inflation. Then, as a good servant, he could grab the glittering gold and exit intact and not release powerful negative forces.

Strauss-Kahn has been hailed by the infantile press as some sort of sober hero who will save us from all the churning, dark forces that have been and continue to be unleashed by wild, sex-fiend, corrupt international bankers. Instead, right when the IMF is being called upon to rescue an increasingly long line of countries in deep trouble starting with Iceland and ending with Zimbabwe, he is busy having wild, illicit sex.

Hong Kong Finance Chief Warns of More Challenges

(Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong Financial Secretary John Tsang warned of further economic challenges ahead for the city amid global financial turmoil, company closures and investment losses.

``The financial crisis will have a considerable economic impact on the economy, and people in Hong Kong should be ready for the challenges,'' he told reporters today after officiating at a ceremony. ``Still, Hong Kong's fundamentals and its system are healthy and our economy remains very strong.''

Tsang's comments came after three Hong Kong retailers and a toymaker collapsed within two weeks and as tightened credit conditions make it more difficult for smaller companies to refinance debt. Hundreds of Hong Kong investors protested in the streets last week over losses on so-called minibonds guaranteed by bankrupt Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.

On tv are the riots and demonstrations by outraged Chinese workers. I keep contrasting China's working classes with the US working classes. Half of our working class is angry about the possibility that a black man might tell them how to run their lives. They can't seem to get the energy up to resist industrial shut downs, the reductions of their pay checks, rising local taxes, rising prices of everything they need to survive, the inability to even have simple strikes...across Asia, workers are organizing and pushing back.

In America, they are grossly distracted by rank racism. They want slaves, damn it! Black slaves who will work for free while they all get those jobs as overseers of slave labor! Trust me, that, in a nutshell, is the dark dreams that activate the innermost emotional parts of many a southerner's brains.

I grew up there. During the Jim Crow years. I know it all too well. The new slaves for us were the Chinese. We expected them to flood our stores with goodies at low, low prices. So even workers in the anti-union south or the elderly could happily buy up appliances, toys and things while not getting any pay raises or seeing incomes actually fall. The flood of credit granted to the US by trade partners allowed anyone who owned even shanties to get cheap loans as the supposed value of even crummy shanties shot upwards like a rocket. Anyone who could, loaded these things with debt so they could buy Chinese, Japanese and European imports.

Well, that is now over. Even mansions can't rise much higher in price. All have hit that invisible ceiling where incomes can't pay even 1% interest on more loans. The principal value of all this real estate can't rise except via pure, simple inflation. And this inflation HAS to be in incomes! It can no longer be loaded onto properties anymore. This harsh fact is still being ignored by the sex-mad banking gnomes.

Also, the debt load on all businesses has reached its limit, too. The bank gnomes groan and shove and pound away hoping to have an orgasm but it won't come! This is because they are humping Depression, not Inflation. I hope this information helps them understand their impotence. As we shall see in the stories below, economists all are mixed up about this vital matter. The debate over where the gnomes are screwing with the goddess of Inflation or the goddess of Deflation rages. While the Derivatives Beast continues to eat away at all levels of all banking/monetary/lending systems.

`Armageddon' Prices Fail to Lure Buyers Amid Selling

(Bloomberg) -- Credit markets have fallen so far that they are providing a ``once in a lifetime opportunity,'' and investors are still selling.

Prices of loans rated below investment grade declined to a record low 66.1 cents on the dollar, virtually guaranteeing investors get their money back, based on historical recovery rates, according to data compiled by Standard & Poor's. Yields on corporate bonds show investors expect 5.6 percent of the market to go bust, the highest default rate since the Great Depression, according to Christopher Garman, chief executive officer of debt research firm Garman Research LLC in Orinda, California.

While central banks injected $3 trillion into the global economy, credit markets are tumbling because banks are clamping down on lending, forcing investors to unload assets they bought with borrowed money. The Federal Reserve said Aug. 11 that its quarterly survey shows most ``domestic institutions reported having tightened their lending standards and terms.''

The value of loans are still dropping. The value of equities are still dropping. Wages are dropping. Even dropping Strauss-Kahn's pants won't make the banking sector have an erection! The creation of funny money has reached epic proportions, trillions of this fluff has been generated out of thin air and IT VANISHES! Into the maw of the Derivatives Beast.

Why can't these clowns who created the Beast in the first place figure out that it will take all the credit on earth to fix this? And while this is going on, there will be NO TRADE AT ALL IN THE END?????

We have a great example of this! The Great Depression! Even today, economists manage to mangle that mess further by refusing to understand simple economics: when you create infinite money by granting infinite credit you get an infinite meltdown as Libra rises in her great wrath in the Autumn Equinox and finally resets the entire business, brutally and suddenly! The ONLY way to prevent this event is to not let things get all out of balance in the first place. This means CURBING EMPIRES WHEN THEY GO INTO DEBT.

For all global depressions are caused by empires abusing their financial powers and over-lending to themselves. Bloomberg news interviews some economists. Their collective analysis is trivial, childish and just plain pathetic. They can't see what is going on because they don't want to think about WWIII and how all empires collapse in flames.

Bailout Is Big, Bad, Ugly, the Only Answer: Jane Bryant Quinn

The ultimate cost to the taxpayer depends on when the bleeding in home values stops and these assets rise in price. Peter Orszag, director of the Congressional Budget Office, expects the cost to be ``substantially less than $700 billion but more likely than not to be greater than zero.''

Will taxpayers make money by taking debt or equity stakes in the banks that sell the distressed assets to the government?

Orszag pours cold water on this idea. That's because the Treasury would have to pay more for assets that include a stake in the company than it would for the assets alone.

Where is the Treasury getting $700 billion?

It will borrow worldwide, by selling Treasury securities. Right now, there's a strong demand for them, so it's selling into a welcoming market. ``It is remarkable how much capital the U.S. has been able to attract to finance its borrowing needs,'' says Brian Sack, Washington-based senior economist at Macroeconomic Advisers. That might change, he says, ``but there are no clear signs yet.''

We taxpayers will definitely take a loss on the purchases of our privately-owned central bank which is buying up all the junk attached to the massive Derivatives Beast which is bigger than the world's wealth. The private owners of the central bank are the EXACT SAME PEOPLE who are being bailed out by the central bank. Fancy that. Shocking, eh? Note how very few economists mention this and the news media is silent about this salient fact.

Note the second thing I highlighted: our Treasury, which is now run by one of the owners of the Federal Reserve, Goldman Sachs, is buying not assets but are shoring up the stocks of the companies that created and fed the Derivatives Beast. They hoped to totally destroy any concept of 'risk' by selling the risk to insurers who then sold it to other entities who then sold it back to the very entities that were selling the risk in the first place. This round-robin Robin Hood scheme had one flaw: if the investment banks that first sold the risk and then took it back in via the derivatives markets, if any of them went bankrupt, the whole thing comes crashing down since the people creating this risk-avoidance scheme ended up being the INSURERS in case of default! OOPS. Typical snake-eating its tail moment leading to a classic horns of dilemma moment. And a nasty goring.

Now on to Brian Sack's total stupidity here: it is NOT remarkable that our trade partners who have vast trade benefits thanks to nearly total one-way business with the US are still willing to lend to us! They have been more than happy to lend to us for years. They will lend to us forever so long as we continue to allow one-way trade! This is enriching them and deindustrializing us. This infantile and very stupid man workes for a Macroeconomic advisor company? And gets PAID???? Ye goddesses! What boat am I missing here?

I get really wonderful donations from readers here but I bet this guy gets paid at least $100,000 more than I get here. Maybe I should change my tune and perhaps, after hammering my head with a sledge hammer, reach his level of delusional thinking. Then someone might hire me.

Back to the Bloomberg article above, Quinn is very stupid here:

Is the bailout inflationary?

No. When the Treasury sells securities to the public, it's neither inflationary nor deflationary. You are simply using money that otherwise might be invested elsewhere and investing it in government securities, instead.

The Federal Reserve, which manages inflation, is making short-term loans to financial institutions that can't borrow elsewhere. It can lend without limit. The institutions put up various types of collateral and the loans are expected to be paid in full.

The Fed earns interest on these loans, typically 2.25 percent but sometimes higher -- so it's making money. It will also buy short-term commercial paper from corporations. That earns interest, too, which will help cover losses if any of the paper goes bad.

First of all: no, the Fed cannot lend without limit. If it is able to do infinity, it does this only by channeling Treasuries and the US cannot sell to infinity. Except if the dollar drops to zero. This zero interest on infinity enters the realms of the goddesses who are very, very fond of infinity and zero. Infinity is the goddess of Inflation, zero is the goddess of Depression! DUH. See how easy this is to understand when we use mythological creatures to express natural financial forces?

We know already that both of these creatures are extremely deadly. Being residents in the Cave of Wealth and DEATH, both are killers! Humans must struggle to avoid being embraced by either goddess! This is where Libra is most useful: if we obey her rules and balance things, we can eke out some wealth from right between both of these very powerful, dire goddesses! But if we stray into the idea, we can use the POTENTIAL to create infinite money or get infinite money at zero percent interest, we DIE. Period. There is no other ending to this story. And disengaging from this deadly embrace is hellishly difficult.

First, we must realize that the lure of infinite money creation is a TRAP. It is NOT a 'power' nor is it a good thing! It is a HIDEOUS thing! One that should cause us to tremble with fear. Note how the economists Bloomberg is talking to think this is a wonderful tool and are smug that with this handy tool in hand, we can easily overcome vast economic forces that were unleashed by the US attempting to do infinite imports based on infinite debts which in turn, needed the zero interest rate Japanese carry trade to flood the world with worthless dollars!

Quinn also stupidly says that the Fed earns interest above zero on these loans. Eh? It is trying desperately to drive this lending down to 0% like in Japan! Worse, the Treasuries have been sold recently at 0.5% which is Japanese rates!!!!! The GOVERNMENT is losing money! And inflation still is here, by the way. The government will not make money if Social Security is rising by 5.8%. This is a sign that real inflation is here and the Federal Reserve is NOT making a profit. Mortgage rates have risen by over 100 basis points in the last year as the Fed Reserve drops rates to banks. The vast majority of this differential is being eaten up by the Derivatives Beast.

Other economists are equally stupid:

The Fed isn't raising inflation by ``printing money,'' as some critics charge. It's adding to bank reserves (that's the ``printing'') so banks will have more money to lend. But it's also removing money from the system, to hold the overnight lending rate at a level believed to be non-inflationary.

At the moment, ``credit creation in the economy has decelerated to recessionary levels,'' says Brian Bethune, chief U.S. financial economist for Global Insight, an economics forecasting firm based in Lexington, Massachusetts. He calls the printing-money claim ``a complete red herring.''

Inflation might rise in the future, but that will depend on Fed policy at the time.

Back to Quinn:

They won't stop the recession that's upon us, but the floods of money will put a floor under the financial system, eventually. At this point, government isn't the problem, it's the solution -- the only one.

The flood of money flowing into the corrupt sex-fiendish banks will continue until it stops. This will be when the US goes bankrupt. The hopes of all the foreign powers destroying our economy is, we will stupidly restart the unbalanced trade and continue this goofy system. It is now requiring a tsunami of nearly infinite money creation via the Treasury guaranteeing the future finances of the entire banking system to get the banks to lend money to us so we can spend more and more on imports! This is the definition of 'limits'. We reached our limit. But everyone is so anxious for us to go even deeper in the red, they are willing to go to 0% interest for infinite lending!

And the government isn't acting like a governor. That is, controlling the flow of money and goods and keeping the books balanced. Instead, it is anarchy. It is allowing all systems to run out of control, to infinity. When a nuclear power plant's gages all start to run up to infinity, it means Chernobyl will explode, not give infinite electricity for free! Now, on to the Organization for economic development:

OECD Secretary-General Gurría calls for restoring economic growth path

“What is needed now is for markets to recover their normality, while avoiding excessive volatility,” Mr. Gurría added. “Effective execution of the measures announced will allow the resumption of lending to corporations and households, which is the way to get the economy going again.” The ultimate goal is to avoid a widespread and protracted global economic downturn and restore the conditions for growth. The stabilization and strengthening of the financial system is, in itself, a powerful counter-cyclical tool.

On the other hand, efforts to restore growth will all have to be done in a tight fiscal context, where some of the financial rescue packages may put further pressure on public-sector balance sheets. Therefore, additional efforts to maintain fiscal soundness are required.

Mr. Gurría said the OECD will now focus on the structural implications of the financial crisis, including a more holistic culture of risk management, compensation issues and responsible and accountable management, as well as more effective regulation. “We will also make proposals for improved financial education and risk awareness to restore the confidence of consumers of financial services.”

NO INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION CAN IMPOSE LIMITS AND CONTROLS IF ALL THE MAJOR ECONOMIES WANT INFINITE MONEY AND ZERO INTEREST LOANS. It is impossible. Everyone is very pious about how we need to control the grotesque incomes of the gnomes and how we have to have moral hazards to stop wild orgies. We need to stop the public-sector balance sheets from blowing seven sails to the wind! But this won't happen unless the rulers of the US stop dead in their tracks and do several things.

One: arrest all the people who fed and protected the Derivatives Beast. This was a total con job, it has also endangered the finances of the entire planet earth and they should be put on international trial and then punished severely. With the death penalty. They fiddled with the Cave of Wealth and Death and should be put back there, after a proper trial that explains carefully, what their crimes were and why they killed millions of people who are now going to or are literally starving to death! Not to mention, the wars.

We cannot resume lending to people who are too deep in debt to repay loans based on future earnings. The future earnings of much of US have been totally compromised by the deindustrialization of the US economy. The conditions for global growth depend on the entire world understanding planetary limitations. Then looking outwards to the solar system to seek more wealth. The New World is the Moon.

Crisis spreads to Eastern Europe as Ukraine, Hungary and Serbia call IMF

By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard

"Iceland was the canary. It was the first to need a helping hand from the IMF, but all countries that have had asset bubbles and rely on foreign funding are vulnerable," said Lars Christensen, the bank’s East Europe expert.

The credit default swaps (CDS) for Argentina, Pakistan, and Ecuador are flashing warnings of insolvency, while the Baltic States, Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey are at risk as it becomes harder to finance current account deficits.
"This is turning serious," said Hans Redeker, currency chief at BNP Paribas.

"Countries in Eastern Europe have been living beyond means for years and now they face a full-blown credit crunch. They are going to have to cut back on imports and that will push the eurozone deeper into recession," he said.

"We think the next phase will be an attack on the currency pegs in the Baltics and Bulgaria," he said.
Hungary may soon become the first EU state to need an IMF bail-out since Britain’s loan in 1976. Premier Ferenc Gyurcsany said he was in close talks with the fund but viewed financial aid as a "last resort."

Empty store shelves as well as a collapse in the global food trade business. After diesel hit over $5 a gallon, the cost of shipping shot through the roof, this caused massive food inflation. Now, as people either cut back or can't buy food, the international trade in food is collapsing. Many businesses can't fund this extravagant lifestyle anymore.

Financial crisis: Moscow supermarket shelves increasingly empty in Soviet era reminder

For a generation of Russians who queued daily in the snow for the most basic of staples, the symbolism of a bare supermarket shelf is so powerful that it could potentially destroy the reputation of Vladimir Putin, the prime minister, as saviour of the world's largest country.

The shortages are not yet widespread. Even so, goods have begun to vanish from dozens of Moscow supermarkets over the past fortnight.

At a branch of the supermarket chain Samokhval in southwestern Moscow, a handful of shoppers pushed their trolleys through empty rows of shelves that once groaned under the weight of imported wares.

These stories are from England. England is, like Japan, at the bottom of some of the worst aspects of the funny money business. For Japan has that goofy 0% lending while England runs pirate coves all over the planet. These are tax havens used by English and American pirates who are basically looting their home empires. And are being bailed out by their buddies who run these nations that are the joint global empire.

England might see its own shelves bare. This is because England is closer to Iceland as far as the Asian exporters are concerned. Their profits from England are far more slender than the juicy, huge profits from US trade. So they will float the US but let England go hang. This makes the English a bit nervous because on top of all this, England ravaged and ruined Asia during the previous 300 years. Especially China! The US didn't do this so the animus isn't there for us. But England, like Japan, has real worries about knives sharpening in Chinese imperial kitchens.

By WARREN E. BUFFETT Buy American. I Am.

THE financial world is a mess, both in the United States and abroad. Its problems, moreover, have been leaking into the general economy, and the leaks are now turning into a gusher. In the near term, unemployment will rise, business activity will falter and headlines will continue to be scary.

So ... I’ve been buying American stocks. This is my personal account I’m talking about, in which I previously owned nothing but United States government bonds. (This description leaves aside my Berkshire Hathaway holdings, which are all committed to philanthropy.) If prices keep looking attractive, my non-Berkshire net worth will soon be 100 percent in United States equities.
*snip*
To be sure, investors are right to be wary of highly leveraged entities or businesses in weak competitive positions. But fears regarding the long-term prosperity of the nation’s many sound companies make no sense. These businesses will indeed suffer earnings hiccups, as they always have. But most major companies will be setting new profit records 5, 10 and 20 years from now.

Buffett can buy using cash. So he can sit on a dead equity for a long, long time. Knowing that the government won't let these eggs go 100% rotten, he thinks that he can outlive a depression. Maybe he can. But he won't get rich, doing this.

And he is NOT 'buying American' even if he buys cheap GM and Ford stocks! Both are closing factories in the US and employing more Mexicans or Chinese! Since nearly all US corporations are now basically import organizations, he is really buying stocks representing jobs in Asia and elsewhere. Even Canada. For Canada has national insurance and thus, GM and Ford can afford to hire in Canada. Meanwhile, the GOP is steadfastly against nationalizing US health insurance like all of Europe, Asia and Canada.

Lahde Quits Hedge Funds, Thanks `Idiots' for Success

``I was in this game for money,'' Lahde, 37, wrote in a two-page letter today in which he said he had come to hate the hedge-fund business. ``The low-hanging fruit, i.e. idiots whose parents paid for prep school, Yale and then the Harvard MBA, was there for the taking. These people who were (often) truly not worthy of the education they received (or supposedly received) rose to the top of companies such as AIG, Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers and all levels of our government.

``All of this behavior supporting the Aristocracy, only ended up making it easier for me to find people stupid enough to take the other sides of my trades. God Bless America.''

HAHAHA. And he wants to legalize pot! And I suspect, make surfing the national sport. This is straight out of Doonesbury-territory.

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Comments

[CK]

Closer we come to the votecasting exercise, the lower in price gasoline becomes. Why it's almost a rerun of the last two exercises.
You could have read more of Lahde's letter. He has an affection for hemp ( useful stuff hemp ) and also appears to find marijuana a less noxious relaxant than alcohol.
Which reminds me that there really are only two islamofascist terralimpwrist organizations:
Al Cohol
Al Gebra
Expect Poland to go bankrupt, at which time the USSR will "assist" them financially and take those anti-missle bases as Al Collateral.
Had to drive Interstate 80 and PA rt 6 the last several days. Truck traffic down, gas prices below $2.80 in the more republican leaning parts of the trip. Saw several Hummers for sale; one hummer being driven.
Have not seen a new factory being built in many years, some new forest cutting operations, one sawmill being updated on this trip. On one section of the run, saw many flagstone operations, tons of flagstone setting in crates. Must be for all the new single home construction that is not being done.
You point out that economics reporters are stupid, I would point out that they all have nice legs, good hair, serious cleavage and pretty makeup --- really what more does one need to convey sincerity and deep shallowness to any audience that watches TV. Cramer the Shakespearian is much more fun.
Pointing out that economics reporters are clueless is not an optimal use of ones time.

[ralph]

Ron Paul is not a racist, and Austrian economists dont want to live in slavery times. Your analysis is totally wrong. Ron Paul does not look at people in groups. He looks at them as individuals protected under the Rule of Law, that we no longer follow. Austrian economists beleive in Sound money,rule of law,tiny government. You harp about Libra all the time. On the US treasurie's seal, is the scales. Represtenting honest weights and measures. However, the US treasury prints fake paper notes, and the scales are laughed at. Sound money is THE ANSWER TO OUR PROBLEM GLOBALLY. Fiat money and credit creation is the problem. Not FREE-TRADE. Our trade is unbalanced because we expolit the entire Earth for fake paper notes of 0 value. Since Reagan and Thatcher, we have had a massive increase in the division of labor on a global scale, by exporting our jobs for imports from abroad. This has artificially held down inflation in the US. Now, as we dont have that safety net anymore. Inflation is going to hit us much much faster. Ron Paul is the ONLY man in Congress with Integrity,honesty,and a clear idea of how things work, and should work. Dont be a hater, embrace Ron Paul and austrian economics.

[Elaine Meinel Supkis]

Sorry, Ralph, but Ron Paul comes from one corner of the south I actually lived in during Jim Crow: southern Texas.

I know my territory very well. I know how Paul thinks, too. He is very much like my parents are and my parents were racists, deep inside. They would try hard to hide it.

Tell me, how many blacks work in Ron's offices in DC? Remember, DC is filled with many blacks. I didn't see any there when I visited last. In the offices of black politicians, I saw white workers, incidentally.

[Elaine Meinel Supkis]

And faking reality is useless. We can live in the state of denial but I won't move in there because it is nasty and doomed to failure!

The GOP could denounce racism and tell white voters that black leaders are patriotic and good but they will not. The GOP allowed Bush to use his mistress, Condi and his servant, Powell, as token State Department heads but note that both wielded virtually no power and the world recognizes this.

They were tokens. Powell supports Obama now and so he is seldom in the news and no GOP person talks about him anymore.

The GOP's 'southern strategy' was pure racism and this is STILL their strategy. They want to tap into white anger about blacks, Hispanics, Asians, you name it. This, in turn, is used to attack workers in these ethnic groups, not stop the wild destruction of our industrial base by moving all our factories to countries populated by Hispanics, blacks and Asians!

Ron Paul will NOT and NEVER HAS talked about this. He won't confront his own followers who are white, to examine this terrible mess. This is because he is a racist and has superiority feelings he can barely suppress himself.

So again, why are we moving all our industries to the very same places where people the white racists hate? Eh? HAHAHA. Anyone white who can figure this riddle out will suddenly become much more powerful. And this is why denial is important.

Secretly, and no one can fool me on this, secretly, many many whites voting for right wingers hope to have SUPERVISORY positions just like the British rulers of Asia and Africa had. To sit in a hammock all day, sipping drinks while the slaves toil away in the hot sun.

I grew up and actually saw white men on horses in Texas idling away their days, watching guys in CHAINS working alongside highways! And 90% of the guys in chains were dark skinned. This is why I worked hard for Civil Rights!

I hate that world. With a passion.

[PLovering]

I look for a new government parallel banking system very soon that bypasses the FED and loans money directly to businesses who need and will use the money for the commonweal.

Giving money to the FED is to prolong the agony.

BTW we can buy back the FED any time for $400 millions. At the stroke of a pen.

[Elaine Meinel Supkis]

The private bankers won't sell it to us. In this regard, Ron Paul is 100% correct.

And dear readers, no one on earth is 100% correct all the time. This is for the gods and goddesses to imagine and myths tell us that they all make lots and lots of mistakes.

For example, the all-wise Jehovah just couldn't help but plant that darn tree and then tell everyone to not touch the apples [these were reserved for Pegasus, incidentally].

So the Snake person [Female, of course, sort of like Medusa who is the mother of Pegasus] told Eve to eat.

See? No one is perfect, not even remotely. Except perhaps the death gods. We don't need to explain why.

[tom]

Valid... quite valid argument Elaine. The disdain on a racial (superficial) level exists across the chessboard too. That thought has no bearing, in progress though... Whatever that is supposed to constitute. Most particularly, the outright antagonistic opposition in this 'age of anything goes society'(see McCain robocalls) will continue to cripple all attempts from the left or the right (for that matter) to progress rationally. Neither philosophical viewpoints nor accompaning legistlative actions will EVER make one step forward in progress. Instinctively, yes race is superficially in play, but man's basic MISERY is the root of all evil that is displaced at kitchen tables, work environments, and the sociopolitical arena, etc. EACH minute is pandoras box.

[chorddog]

Hold on Elaine:
You talk about love and civil debate, then you paint while sections of our country with a brush dipped in ugly paint.
Based on your interactions as a child?
Respectfully, Elaine, this kind of posting is divisive and can lower the debate to the same kind of typecasting and classifying of people that I'm sure you abhore.

Ron Paul isn't "from" Texas. He grew up in rural Pennsylvania. His family were farmers.

Your frustration (which we all share), can overwhelm your contemplative side, causing you to shortcut your thoughts and use 'mental mapping'; clicking on desktop icons to make point so that you can move on.

I don't think that Ron Paul any more racist than the average white American. Probably less.

You would do better I think, forming an opinion of Ron Paul, not by his race or what part of the country he serves in the House, but by thinking about the fact that he sees our Government through the eyes of a physician, not a lawyer.

[prad]

pls visit the site........anilselarkadotwordpressdotcom.......it offers great insights and a possible soln to the financial mess.

[prad]

pls visit the site........anilselarkadotwordpressdotcom.......it offers great insights and a possible soln to the financial mess.

[DrKrbyLuv]

Elaine, I must take exception to your unfair remarks about Dr. Ron Paul. You have taught me a great deal about global economics and you have earned credibility as an expert.

I would like to return that favor by sharing some truths about Ron Paul. I am not just a casual Ron Paul supporter. I have attended a number of his rallies, workshops and fund raisers. I've read his books and speeches and have closely followed his ideas, policies and strategies. I have had several personal conversations with him and feel that I know at least some of the man.

First, he is not a racist. This is a red herring that has been used by his detractors. And, you are wrong in saying that he "comes from one corner of the south I actually lived in during Jim Crow: southern Texas." He grew up here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and went to the University of Pittsburgh where he received his medical degree. I request that you divulge a source or reference that paints him as a racist.

Ron Paul is a strict constitutionalists. He has stated over and over again that freedom and liberty apply to all, regardless of race, religion of gender. He believes that freedom, on both a personal and civic level, is the moral glue that holds us together as Americans.

Second, he is not as you say, "deeply infected with this sort of childish romanticism." If Ron Paul has a fault, it may be his pragmatic approach that is rooted in reality rather than idealism. Ron Paul simply has no romantic illusions of who he is and where he is going with a "Dr Spock" style coolness.

Third, you claim that "He even found himself at the head of this small revolution and shied away from his own followers to cling to the GOP and its nutty right wing racist core."

I can tell you for certain that Ron Paul was very surprised that his message was beginning to take traction. Everything he was saying, he had been saying for many years with little notice.

He has not shied away from his followers and in fact, I think his move is growing. His decision to stay with the Republican party was based on the pragmatic reality that he can accomplish more as a GOP congressman, serving on the house finance committee, than as a third party candidate for the presidency.

Perhaps the best way to judge the man is through his deeds and here, he has a stellar track record. He has had the courage to stab at the very heart of the tyrannical beast that we face - the Federal Reserve Bank.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HR2755: Federal Reserve Board Abolition Act
http://tinyurl.com/2h5ggq

June, 2007 Ron Paul introduced HR2755 in congress to effectively abolish the Federal Reserve System. It has never been brought to the floor for a vote and sits in committee. Hopefully, interest in this bill will grow as people discover the truth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

H.R. 2756: Honest Money Act
http://tinyurl.com/5ng66t

The Honest Money Act sits in committee.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

H.R. 4683: Free Competition in Currency Act of 2007
http://tinyurl.com/2dz7qb

This bill would allow "competitive currencies" to be issued that are back by gold and silver. The result would be that no one in their right mind would want fiat currency when a an alternative is provided. The bill sits in committee.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Note that all three of these bills sit in committee. We should all be writing our congressional representatives urging them to support these bills. And we should be telling our friends and relatives to do the same.

Elaine, I hope you reconsider your opinion of Ron Paul. He is a true statesman and one of the few in government with the courage and competence to bring the changes that are truly needed.

[DrKrbyLuv]

Yesterday Ron Paul was on the Alex Jones show. Everyone interested in the global economic crisis should listen to this interview.

Part 1, 7 minutes:
http://tinyurl.com/69478j

Part 2, 7 minutes:
http://tinyurl.com/63czht

Last night on 20/20, John Stoessel did an excellent piece on government:

http://tinyurl.com/6ad5d6

[DrKrbyLuv]

Ron Paul on Race and freedom:

http://tinyurl.com/6brfag

It's very moving...

[Jojo]

I would like to file a digital complaint as an injured emotionally abused member of the Pot Smoking Surfers Anti-Defamation League.
Due to being on the receiving end of way-too-many jokes about spaced-out surfing dudes, our lives are in great jeopardy.
It takes immense mental concentration to remain erect on a surfboard while riding the wild surf, and even more attention to detail in not attempting to breath under water (while stoned out of gourds) after falling off (wipeout).
The distraction of mentally defending ourselves against scurrilous and sarcastic criticism is a major disruption to our amphibian lifestyle, to say the least.

[Impatient Patriot]

Elane with the note of comments by Buffet I would like to see you examine his origin and philosophy of finance.
As reading about the 50 year plan of the Chinese I wonder where you think WB fits in to this.
I need to go back to a book I have on him and review a bit. But the basis for the enormous wealth he developed by the basis of BRKA is the failure point at which the world stands today. I had always come away from that read as not particularly enamored with his patriotic motivations. Perhaps protection of family(USA) is Omnipotent
As always more reading to do. And that brings my thoughts to the fleece manufacture for the other side of moral High ground.(more digging on that one)

[Impatient Patriot]

Malden Mills
Ahh a good story with a bad ending. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polartec

[ziff house]

Unified global currency? I wonder what the Chinese would think about that.

[GK]

During the Civil War, the Northern interests wanted trade barriers to protect against predatory cheap British imports.

The Southern interests wanted FREE TRADE so they could get cheap British imports in and SELL COMMODITIES like Cotton grown with SLAVE labor.

The north won and British cheap imports were restricted and our industries grew to be the strongest in the world.

That and the fact that Europe blew itself up a couple of times. Or rather the British financial interest kept on destroying Germany's industrial capacity.

[CK]

So I did a bit more websurfing today, it would appear that Met Life is in danger from the "derivatives Beast", I expect to hear about several more TOOOOOO big to fail insurance companies falling, real soon now.
Ah the wonders of government, folks appear to be losing faith in paper backed by politician's promises. That is ok because the the guns and badges will be used to replenish the wealth. That is all government is afterall a bunch of morons with guns taking what they can from sheeple.
But hey did you catch all the new TV shows fellating the state and its agents yet again.

[Matt]

Elaine,

Read your blog often.

However, the captioned picture and the rest of this post is garbage.

You are better than this divisive nonsense tripe that you spewed in this post.

Please get back to serious thought and dont inject your subjective politics into your posts,...it diminishes your intellect and insults readers.

[Felicitous Frankie]

Elaine, you really hurt yourself with this piece. I recommend that you contemplate what you have said and make necessary amends.

[Clymer]

Ron Paul is no more a racist than any other of on this old rock, which flies through the heavens at umpteen thousand miles per hour, from where and to, none of knows, given the vantage point we are provided with. We all have filters. These are a result of being of the human condition. We are thrust into this world, and we make sense of this life while we get through it. Ron Paul is a leader precisely because he has touched a chord of honesty, integrity. Ron Paul believes in human potential and self-determination, regardless of color, race or creed. More importantly, Ron Paul has had the tremendous courage to affront tyranny against overwhelming odds, as well as resistance.

All of us, and none of us are racists

[chimp]

Elaine, looks like you're about to lose a whole 'nother round of readers. I've lurked here long enough to see at least two major waves come and go.

Don't ever change. They'll either tolerate it or go somewhere else to preach their religion.

[Elaine Meinel Supkis]

I hate to say things that annoy people except these things have to be said.

First: NO 'revolution' will EVER work unless it appeals to blacks. This is because they are the ultimate outsiders. The Ron Paul revolution is too reactionary for black people who are clawing their way upwards, not fighting a downdraft.

Recognizing this is important. Hillary Clinton did a lot of 'dog whistling' appealing to racist when she was running against Obama. That was utterly despicable.

McCain and his running mate are doing outright racism.

Ron Paul COULD reach across to the black community. But telling them they don't need social security isn't going to work, is it? Nor should it.

Telling them to make do for medical care ain't going to float, either, for obvious reasons. If he doesn't understand why, he can reach out to the Black Caucus and learn some things. Indeed, I would happily introduce him to them, I know the Black Caucus well.

Dear readers: it is not hard to reach out to others. Just as we must reach out to Muslims or honor the Chinese, or treat our European allies as adults, so it is with each other: we have to cease this stupid 'white superiority' stuff.

Just like the recent parade of 'Ohhh...Joe the Plumber!' was all about a racist right wing male who belonged to a very right wing fringe organization similar to the right wing racist Alaskan party Palin belongs to.

Ron Paul has a very poor record when it comes to matters that are important to blacks and he seems to not care much about this. He can fix this easily.

I look forward to him asking the Brooklyn Congressmen to invite him to speak in downtown Brooklyn in Bed-Stuy and take questions. I can arrange this for him, if he can't do it on his own.

[Elaine Meinel Supkis]

One other thing, people who say, 'We all are the same' are not being totally truthful.

A real story: I lived in the South. When schools were finally, after 100+ years, integrated, we had black students in the classroom.

A history teacher of mine announced, 'I am not even slightly racist. I never notice skin color.'

So I decided to put him to a test. I told the only black kid in our class to exchange seats with me. The minute the teacher walked into the room, he yelled, 'What are you doing out of your seat?' to the black kid, not to me.

I laughed and said, 'You are not exactly color blind, are you?'

This began a power struggle where I had to repeatedly show him that he was very much aware of skin color.

This was back in 1963. Things are no different today. This is why we have to have rules concerning the civil rights of blacks. They can't simply 'go color blind' since no one around them is color blind. Recognizing this harsh fact is the first step towards understanding why blacks do NOT want a minimalist state that won't protect them.

Getting right wingers and Ron Paul is a right winger, to understand this is hellishly hard. We can try. To understand how black communities suffer when medical care for them is delivered differently from white patients, for example, is very important.

I have known very successful black businessmen who can't hail a cab or who are stopped by the cops all the time. Etc, etc. So we have to be honest about all this.

An unfortunate number of McCain's supporters are very much in his corner because he is NOT a 'black' or a 'n....ger lover', etc.

This is just like people who blame Jews for the messes being created today when the hyper-mess makers are born again Christians. Even AIPAC would make slow slog of things if it weren't for the enthusiastic support of these far-right wing nuts in the Christian community.

Incidentally, Ron Paul courts them a great deal. This is another matter that has to be hashed out. Does he also believe in this horrid 'end of times' garbage?

Try asking him about that! Again: everyone is a MIXED BAG. Pretending they are perfect and flawless is dumb. I am not flawless at all.

[Kartius]

Open discourse brings out both wisdom and folly. It is up to the reader to make the ultimate decision as to its validity. Ms. Supkis has done an exceptional job in arguing her points and articulating her thoughts and opinions. You may not agree with what is written, but simply attacking the author rather than the argument leads only to wars in Afganistan/Iraq, trillion dollar bailouts, etc. A couple of these comments remind me too much of radical right wing talk show radio.

Regardless, I enjoy reading Ms. Supkis' blog and deeply respect if not always agree with her commentary.

I don't know Ron Paul personally nor care to. I simply disagree with many of his political and economic policies. His religious devotion to free capitalism is silly and naive. Pure capitalism or socialism exist only in the perturbed dreams of the fanatics. Pragmatism requires understanding the faults of man and creating a society which harness the strengths and tames the excesses.

As Kevin Phillips has said on the Moyer journal, "bad capitalism drives out good capitalism . . . because you have to compete with sleaze. Get a little more sleaze in your own operations."

[chorddog]

"The saying goes, 'Love your friends, and hate your enemies', but I'm telling you, love your enemies, too. Take the high road with people who put you down, respond to people who hate you with acts of good intentions toward them, and pray for the people that take advantage of you and screw you out of your money. We all share the same air and water, and we all begin the countdown to death the moment we are born. If we talk only to our friends, and we only share love with people who love us back, then how can we hope to see the world change for the better?"

[Elaine Meinel Supkis]

Correct, Kartius. I don't mind arguing with people. But we all have to listen to each other and look beyond what we expect.

I am very sensitive to racist stuff simply because I grew up deep inside of this system...as a person who had all the privileges. This was quite a burden and even often very annoying since this meant people would assume things that were not possibly true.

For example, I could lie about a black man 'touching' me and get him killed. But I was raped by a WHITE man who was a very high ranked male in the community!

Perhaps this is what opened my eyes. He was higher rank than me, a girl.

About Ron Paul: his revolution ffffipted out due to his inability to give a hard-hitting speech which talked about the Civil War and why the South lost. Heh. I would listen to that. And he and McCain must denounce the flying of the Confederate flag.

OUCH. HAHAHA. That will be the day....

[stilldreaming]

A quickie look at history: shallow, soulless damn monkeys, learnt: how to read; the power of hoarding gold; how to ridicule any difference with a preference for beating each other rather than social grooming; and that their promiscuous sex was impure.

From questionnaire at http://tinyurl.com/6ff377
“The sex lives of our prehistoric ancestors were likely similar to the -

- Monogamous penguins
- Promiscuous, no-commitment bonobo chimpanzees
- Polygamist, harem-loving gorillas

Sorry!
The answer is: Promiscuous, no-commitment bonobo chimpanzees “

[Elaine Meinel Supkis]

Don't forget the apples that snakes asked us to eat so we could be like the gods....[um, not a good role model, by the way].

[Dutch Democrat]

Elaine, it appears you are the racist, and anti-CHRISTian! Beam me up! I yield back all the revisionist history!

[ralph]

Elaine, You have Ron Paul all wrong. He said on CNN, that he supports letting evryone go out of jail, that has committed non-violent drug offenses. Guess how many blacks that is? He despises the FED that creates funny money and dumps all the inflation on the poor. Guess who suffers the most from inflation. Low income people, many of whom are black. Ron Pauls policies support blacks. And they will join this revolution once they realize their messiah Obama is a total fraud. Democrats ravage the poor and middle class as much as Republicans. Your blog rules. I dont care what you say about Ron Paul. You are the best. I love you!!!

[igneous]

I think the term racist has become an almost orwellian hate crime word used to silence dissent. Racism is to discriminate by race. It can take the form of ideas speech or action. Discrimination exists about all form of things not just race. Gender sexual preference, economic status, religious preference. We have our little hate words for gender discrimination (sexism) and sexual preference (homophobism) not yet for economic status so we get to call poor people, white trash! nice!. In todays western society we are no longer able to discuss topics that touch on race such as imigration or the way in which certain minority groups control parts of a culture that they stay aloof to. Racism, a word that alienates people, from their group manages to stifle any real debate in western society about topics such as national identity or imigration. Of course the position taken by the cultural marxists who invented the word is itself racially discrimatory ie racist. To a cultural marxist it is wrong for a white person to make a racist remark against a black person because white people have oppressed black people for how many hundreds of years. This a discriminatory (critical) remark about white people. Similary the same logic exists about sexism. Why is it wrong for men to make remarks about women because men have oppressed women. Elaine loves to criticise the british and the americans but always pulls away from outrightly condemming jewish people for their obvious role in todays financial cricis or the japanese. She wants to protect them. Its ok for the japanese to literally fuck us because they're doing what people naturally do. The british on the other hand are the evil empire because they taxed the americans lots of money blub blub.

Lets just forget about the final solution against the American Indians. Or the vicious conquests of India and much of Europe by the muslims. And lets forget the Africans themselves have been responsible for enslaving their own people and selling them for thousands of years mainly to muslims!!!!!!!! and still do. Not only their own people but enslaving whole towns on the coasts of Ireland, Britain and France. And lets forget the oppressive cast system of hindu india.

[igneous]

I think your view of different races is based on romanticised version of the noble savage which is of it self racist. I think ethic groups are pretty much as bad as each other including the english. I don't think any group of people be they an ethnic group, political group, gender or socio economic group should ever be free from criticism or scrutiny. Ethic groups especially because they can act outside of the national interest.

I'm sorry if I was a bit strong in the last post but theres a tendency of countries like India and constitutional Americans to use the idea of the 'evil' oppressive British as a way to build a nationalistic identity and its pissing me off. effing hypocrites.

[carli]

I am entering into this post late, as am 12 hours behind you guys. But if I may be allowed to moderate the discussion on Ron Paul, I would like to try.

Some years ago in my revolutionary past, I had a very similar problem with friends, family and government, this for all out supporting rebel military officers in their quest to reform the Armed Forces and the political system in the country. The problem existed because of perception mostly. But inspite of all the "noise", I was able to develop consensus by bringing the "sincere" parties together and having a very elevated and on many points "spirited" dialogue.

DrKrbyLuv, Elaine: May I make a suggestion? DrKrbyLuv, you have access to Dr. Paul, if Elaine is willing, would you be willing to arrange for Elaine to interview the good Congressman, unscripted and no holds barred, on the very issues and more that have surfaced in today's post?

The subject interview could be posted on this blog and many others. It would be interesting to read and learn from two people, one who has been made invisible, and the other whom they are trying their utmost to make invisible.

Better to speak on these issues from a first person viewpoint. It would be thoroughly educational. In fact, this would be a good idea for people like Cynthia McKinney, Naomi Wolf, Ellen Brown, Catherine Austin Fitts, to name just a few, to do a blog interview circuit. Instead of wasting their time with mainstream media. Or at least give equal time to a blog circuit. Just my 2 cents worth. But please DO consider this...

[carli]

igneous, you forgot the Vikings who enslaved, raped and pillaged the Anglo-Saxons. It's understandable why all people have a degree of "racism", everyone remembers when they were on the receiving end, and conveniently forget when they were happily inflicting pain and misery. There's enough to go around, brother.

A lot of the enmity thrown at the British is in my view due to envy. The fact that such a small number of pirates could defeat and subjugate so many. The other Empires had the numbers, but lacked the creative imagination that allowed their small band to adapt and overcome the numerical superiority. (This proves that To Big To Fail is absolute BULLSHIT). And having to respect their success, even if grudgingly, only adds to the hate. Plus of course, it doesn't help that a bunch of pirates masquerading as royalty could bring down imperial thrones that went back thousands of years, cannot have helped. The Chinese word for the British was "Gwailoh" - foreign devil, an extremely racist and beneath contempt label.

But whats to admire really? In the scheme of things the British Empire lasted all of a hundred years before declining, and the offspring of this empire, have held court for a bit over 50 years before royally screwing themselves.

The Empires that were destroyed by these upstarts are returning with a vengeance in less than two Centuries. One thing history has taught us is it takes time to develop wisdom and a high EQ. Without both, it's easy come, easy go...

[Koshka]

Excellent summary of the bail out fraud:

http://www.counterpunch.org/hudson10132008.html

[CL]

carli wrote : "igneous, you forgot the Vikings who enslaved, raped and pillaged the Anglo-Saxons"...

Hahaha. 'Let he who is without sin throw the first stone'. Is there anyone left anywhere who is without sin ? Prior to the Vikings and the Norman Conquest, the Anglo-Saxons enslaved, raped and pillaged the so-called Romano-Celtic British. The Romans had previously enslaved, raped and pillaged the Celtic-British. History is a karmic nightmare from which we really ought to try and wake up.

[Don Parker]

I think it is time for "We the People" to enlist our military to take back our country from our so called "representatives". Maybe someone will take us seriously if they knew they had the backing of the public. Without the military we don't have a gnat's chance to save ourselves. The system is broken. It can not be repaired by the people who have broken it. As the Declaration of Independence very clearly states: "it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future Security."

I am not advocating for violence here. Just the power that rightly belongs to "The People".

Here is the link to make the request:

http://www.defenselink.mil/faq/erms.aspx?SectionID=2

And here is the request that I sent:

Dear military leaders,

Our elected representatives are no longer representing "We the People". They are and have been for a very long time in bed with the very people they are supposed to be protecting us from. It is time to get back to our original Constitution.

I am only one old man who has no power and no authority. Our voting does no good.

I want my America back.

What are you going to do about it??????

Don Parker

[carli]

CL that sounds like a plan! And yes what goes around comes around, in SPADES! Right on brother.

However, there is a world of difference between "ought to" and actually "doing it". There lies the difference between religiosity and spirituality. One maintains the status quo, the other transcends.

I have since long taken the red pill and have been acting on my escape. My best wishes on your finding yours.

[Elaine Meinel Supkis]

There is a large group of people who get all the advantages of society, skin color, religious bigotry, etc who think we should eliminate or shrink SOCIALISM in the US and this would 'free' everyone to strive upwards.

This fantasy is based on ignoring all the hidden or silent privileges which eases the road upwards for people of the right skin color, born into the right families, etc.

Bush and McCain are the embodiment of this! Both were utter failures as youths. Both were frankly, drunkards. Both were helped by daddy and granddaddy to get into the very best schools or to pass tests in the military despite being utter failures due to high drinking and wild sex.

Both got promoted upwards despite obvious incapacities. Both were forgiven driving things into bankruptcy or crashing cars, jets, sinking boats, whatever.

This is the very essence of a life of privilege! These sorts of people have no use for socialism since they have FEUDALISM.

Ron Paul lives in a world where he thinks this doesn't exist. He believes that if we have no real support system, everyone will take care of the weak via religious organizations.

This takes me back to an important theme:nothing drives a nation into poverty faster than to have its social systems run by religious nuts. First of all, they only take care of their own believers. Secondly, they always end up looting the poor, not helping them.

Whether in Japan or India, the US or Italy, from the top of the planet to the bottom of this earth, all religions, no matter how pro-help the poor they are in the beginning, end up as systems for exploiting and oppressing the poor and harrying and harassing other religious minorities.

Tithing, for example, in ancient Christianity, was used to care for the poor. It ended up as a 10% tax ON the poor! The tithing barns of Europe were often the biggest buildings aside from the cathedrals in Europe. Virtually NONE of this food ever went to the poor peasants who struggled to fill these vast barns.

It was all appropriated by the chivalry and the Church. The US right now has a semi-socialist system which is being systematically looted by the rich. The SS tax is being hijacked to fund US budget deficits which sprang up when the rich demanded and got tax cuts.

The rich don't want to pay for socialism for the working classes. And so they encourage anti-socialist thought and rhetoric just like they kill unionization by demonizing it.

Racism is used to pry us all apart so the lowest working classes of whites....and LET'S FACE REALITY, MUCH OF THIS ELECTION TALKED NEARLY EXCLUSIVELY ABOUT WHITE WORKERS, NOT WORKERS!....much of this talk was designed to set whites up as victims and blacks as elites.

This cruel, stupid and annoying national conversation is running along the same tracks as the 'why have any laws or systems protecting minorities' is running along. We have to debate the issue of socialism because countries that are at least 50% socialist always beat countries that are 100% free trade/free labor that can't organize.

In unity is strength and the unity that supports socialism is far stronger than the unity that drives the powerful and wealthy to dominate society. Ronald Reagan belonged to a union that enabled him and his friends to survive the Great Depression. He, in turn, killed the ability of unions to strike and did this because he was paid by the wealthy to do this crime.

Since then, workers wages have fallen further and further behind inflation. This, in turn, is killing white workers. Who are very unhappy and don't understand that their real opponents are the rich who are rapidly replacing white workers with Chinese workers overseas or Mexican workers, or whoever.

Frankly, the rich don't give a hoot what color their servants and slaves are. They want cheap, controllable humans to use as tools!

But the white workers in the US are encouraged to think that super elites like McCain and Bush are 'one of them' while people who grew up poor like Clinton and Obama, are 'elites' because they support some mild form of socialism that is shared with people who are dark skinned or other religions.

Let's face the truth here: there is a lot of fear and it is misdirected deliberately. And at the root is this battle over who gets the wealth of society: workers or the real elites.

[Timothy]

I have submitted my "question" to defenselink (including my email address). I hope I get rewarded with something more than junkmail porn :)

[carli]

Don Parker, I have been down that road. Spent 6 years of my life fighting for change, it's a rough ride and not one for the feint of heart. We got bombed by US F-4's at one point thanks to a nitwit named Quayle.

You need to find a capable, sincere and charismatic military leader, one who has actual field experience, and whom the men trust and look up to. Find this man, if he exists and sound him out. An online campaign will be of no consequence, you may end up being led to a dead end, or worse, handled by an intel cut out. If you personally know military personnel of middle rank, whom you can trust, and who have served in Nam, Afghanistan or Iraq, talk to them and sound them off. Someone in the Judge Advocate Generals Office would be good to get a good read on the legalities. Do your homework.

One more thing, I am not one who believes in coincidence, specially not with regard to thoughts. Just by your having these thoughts, there is a very good chance there already is movement in your Armed Forces. You are picking up on the collective thoughts of like minded people. So maybe what you should do is move in that direction.

Should you decide to pursue your idea, make sure you do your homework, do your background checks thoroughly, and pay attention to the legal. You will need it.

[carli]

Election Humor from the two hams to liven your Sunday

Obama Roasts McCain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5SWQJWm6Tg

McCain Roasts Obama
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAjAtYqczkk

[PK Scott]

Hi Elaine,

Hmm, you may be right about Ron Paul, but Austrian Economics (at least as I understand them) aren't inherently racist.

I too grew up in Texas and saw the Civil Rights movement through the lense of a parent teaching in the public schools when they were desegregated.

I was taught TOLERANCE not BIGOTRY and to judge people on their character and actions, not their skin color. I raised my daughter to be color blind and told her from the crib to learn to get along with ALL types of people because the day was clearly coming when white would not be the dominate color of our society. In my view we are all headed to cafe au lait.

At present I live in Deep East Texas and there are rabid racist here for sure. They are pretty much the inbred and the illiterate. I'm sure that there are some who are secret racists, but there are more people who are apalled by racism than you would think, for the simple reason that, like myself, we are tarred with the same brush, as we too are Southerners.

I've encountered it before, Northerners who think EVERYONE born south of the Mason-Dixon line is a racist and I catagorically refute that.

I don't want to be anyones master or overseer, and I would LOVE to live in a world of social equality and tolerance for all.

I view a lot of what we are witnessing now as CLASS warfare and the perpatrators find it convenient to pit those struggling for scraps against each other.

The racist overtones of this election are SO BLATANT that you have to be blind to ignore it.

Obama may not be god on a stick but at least he has some intelligence and class. Maybe he can inspire us. We sure as hell are going to need it.

[DrKrbyLuv]

This race obsession is really boring. Elaine, I am disappointed that you see the world in terms of race.

Your bizarre attack on Ron Paul is offensive. If you have a point, make it, but don't run down his character with your racist rant.

[Elaine Meinel Supkis]

It is very strange. Last month, the people who embraced me when I came to Congress were NOT the Ron Paul people or anyone but the Black Caucus!

This is because long, long, long ago, before there was more than 3 black Representatives, I went out on the limb to help blacks get elected to Congress. This is because I firmly believed in 'representation'.

And diversity. The truth of all this is very simple: Black people recognize the need for some socialism. WHY IS THAT?

Welllll....during slavery and Jim Crow, even very smart, very hard working blacks got virtually nothing! I knew elderly black people whose parents were slaves, who were very smart and were not allowed to attend ANY colleges except for Howard University, back before WWII. I had black girlfriends who were 100 years old back in 1970 who were born right after the Civil War.

My godmother was born BEFORE the Civil War. And the pains of that war still rend America. We MUST talk about it! It is hyper-important.

The GOP has been hijacked by rebels who want to bust up America. Palin is very popular where ever she goes in the South due to this fact: she wants to bust up the United States!

If this isn't an issue, what is? Why did that faux southerner/Phoenix Arizona dude who my family knows personally, why did McCain select a woman who campaigned to destroy the United States and have Alaska succeed from the Union, why on earth did he choose that bitch?

She is utterly unpatriotic, she is an open TRAITOR! Yet he selected her so she would appeal to voters in the South and dissatisfied whites who hate the idea of the government sheltering or helping 'those people'.

So we must, perforce, talk about all this no matter how painful it might be! Why would he still have a 45% support rating while running with a right wing, End of Times, racist woman who wants to bust up the United States? Eh?

Gads. This is too painful.

[Zulu]

EMS, I think you made a very salient point about SS. I've noticed recently the "right-wing" of the MSM is talking about how we simply "cannot afford SS anymore."

Will they refund all the money I've paid into the system, if they finally do succeed in bankrupting it? I've so fed up with everything at this point that I wish I could turn Amish. I'd simply love to extricate myself from society and live blissfully unaware. Sweet serenity.
Unfortunately, the need to pay bills keeps me plugged into this whole mess.

I agree with your solution to the looting of our country. In the old days they hung horse thieves. A return to that kind of justice would save this country trillions. Where's Wyatt Earp?

End timers aren't all bad. Some people are just corny by nature. Their religious beliefs don't change that. Palin is not the Antichrist. But should the sincere Christians sincerely believe she can help this country, they are sincerely wrong. She's will tow the line or die, like the rest of them. It's that simple.

All this gloom and doom is beginning to get to me. I'm naturally interested in world events, but I'm thinking of cutting myself off and isolating. I'll still watch football and check the headlines, but not much more. I've sure enjoyed reading your blog. It's addictive and I might not be able to stay away.

I have the idea for a book. A book which details my answers. It might be a cathartic exercise and nothing more, but I feel a need to do SOMETHING. If only the world was the way I wanted it. I think you and I could be neighbors. I think we could be anyway. Just keep your cat out of my yard.

[GK]

To understand Palin, one must study German Mysticism. For Obama, Egyptian Mysticism.

You are only voting for which TYPE of occult leadership you want.

www.crossroad.to/articles2/05/teichrib/utopian-dreams-1.htm

www.crossroad.to/articles2/05/teichrib/utopian-dreams-2.htm

www.crossroad.to/articles2/05/teichrib/utopian-dreams-3.htm

Marx, the founder of communism, postulated a model for state control of all economic production [4]. His ideas, interpreted and carried forward by V.I. Lenin, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Tse-tung, were an attempt to achieve the utopian atheist political and economic regime. The results of this experiment in paradise-building; over 100 million dead, millions more imprisoned, vast regions depopulated, and suffering such as the world has never before seen [for a statistical analysis of government sponsored mass murder, see R.J. Rummel, Death By Government, Lethal Politics: Soviet Genocide and Mass Murder Since 1917, and China's Bloody Century: Genocide and Mass Murder Since 1900.)

====
Ever since humanity was ushered out of the Garden of Eden for rebellion against God (Genesis 3), we have been constantly scheming and working to wards unifying Man with some system of Paradise. From the mystical doctrines of the Egyptian mystery religions to the hammer and sickle of the Soviet Union, from Plato’s Republic and council of wise men to the dreams and aspirations of a globally enhanced United Nations – mankind has sought to create the “perfect utopian” society shaped in Man’s image.

The New Age Movement fits in nicely with this concept, envisioning a spiritually evolved humanity coupled with a complete global social, political, and economic system [3]. It’s a world where cosmic forces are at work shaping individuals, cultures, and entire nations. It’s a world where “old norms” are torn down, and where newness is embraced – and yet, in this remaking of the world, ancient powers, symbols, and mythologies are drawn upon in this quest to re-forge civilization.

[White Tiger]

If I might digress from the Ron Paul debate, I'd like to ask a question of the very astute participants on this board.
I'm just a regular person trying to learn and understand what is happening in all this economic crisis mess. I don't know much about economics. What I know is what I have been able to piece together myself so I am ignorant for the most part in this area. So please forgive my ignorance and help me understand something.
Is the FED, and all the private individuals who own it, as well as the US government actually broke? And the money they keep asking for the Treasury to print more of, is this their way of saying "Hey I know we just lost all our money and all this fiat is just bullshit stinking up the place, but why don't you print us some more money so we can all just keep playing this game?"
And if this is the case what would happen if the gov't said no and would not let anymore money be printed.
Thanks in advance for your time and tolerance of an ignorant newbie.