Probably one of the best reasons for term limits.  

 

I never agreed with that notion, WE Vote to Limit OUR Representation, but after witnessing the return of 90% of the most 'hated' Congress, I'm realizing how naive I've been.



Vote all Incumbents out...Not One of these Political Pimps deserve the office they hold; How can anyone say 'they are fighting for US' anymore?



WE need New, Fresh & Pure 'Idiots'
 

Once again, folks-


"Don't you stumble, sometimes, into something that seems to make a lot of sense but you can't say exactly why?








For a long time, I had in mind the idea that when things start going bad,

We need people that are going to look at Washington like a short term gig.  They go up, do their duty, and move on.  Before they start thinking of long-term careers in the Washington Oligarchy.    

The only bad thing about term limits is the staff and/or the .gov bureacracy then are the ones that get entrenched.  Power becomes in the hands of unelected people.  That could be even worse.
Fact is, what we really need is for the electorate to do their job.  And they aren't.  And we are fucked.   Not tommorow, not next week and not next year.  But eventually something is going to break.  Probably the country will split.  We are not headed in the right direction and it sure doesn't look like the electorate is going to change the path.

You used to be my dose of sanity.

Sorry. I call them as I see them.





I think the electorate has pushed over that tipping point. I really never thought the people of this nation would reelect what has been done the last 4 years, but they did.
It doesn't mean hell in a handbasket next year. But it does mean the start of the decline of this great nation and at some point something breaking. We aren't going to get to 1000% of GDP in debt without some breakdown of some sort.
I just hope it is mostly peaceful.  More like the Soviet Union and less like Yugoslavia.

A reminder at how fast History passes, how quickly things can move when things go wrong & how an 'honest' moment explains how they can justify their Un-Constitutional actions...Where would WE be today if OUR Bankruptcy Laws were allowed to reorganize the 'Fraud'?



The 2nd video is the full version.

You are correct.  Good things happen slowly, over time.  Bad things happen unimaginably fast. That's a repeated pattern throughout reality. We all know a consistently healthy lifestyle, of good diet and exercise, produces good results but, not doing that you can go along fine for a long time, right up to the point that you have a massive heart attack or develop disease.  

































 

They won't, not one chance in hell of the MAJORITY waking up.


In other news, they are eating their own.

HAHAHA!

U.S. to sue S&P over ratings ahead of financial crisis

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/04/us-mcgrawhill-sandp-civilcharges-idUSBRE9130U120130204

That would give the Mafia a bad name.

It's simple, really.  America was born in the fires of revolution over liberty, and we fell in love with the Constitution and what it represented.

That's not necessarily bad.

What is bad is that we have come to believe that our government IS America.  Our government isn't shit except a bunch of managers and Board of Directors to run the federal government.  But too many folks confuse "America" with "the US Government."  Remember Bill Clinton saying "you cannot love your country and fear your government"?  That is the ultimate manifestation of this insanity.

Holy crap, am I reading this correctly?  The Greek ferry boat operators went on "strike" because they haven't been paid for 6 months?  They are being ordered back to work for free or face criminal charges?  WTF?  Isn't that slavery?  I mean IF you aren't paid, don't you have a right not to work there anymore?  I don't call that a strike.  I would say that is an offer to work for pay.  They were standing around offering to go back to work for pay.  Right?  What am I missing?  I find it funny that they are asking for collective contracts, it sounds like they are asking to be paid.  




 

Orly?

Look at Ted Cruz.

All I got from the first video was simply this:

Everyone pulls their money out = hard reset on the system.


Maybe we're going about this all wrong when it comes to the elections, the 2nd amendment, et al. Maybe we (and by we, I mean EVERYONE) should just pull their money out, just for a day.

Another 500 billion disappearing from the banks sends quite a big "fuck you", quite quickly.

Not possible.

How so?

From what the gentleman stated, how much money was drawn how quickly?

Please explain.

The banks simply do not have that much cash laying around.

The scenario reminds me of the joke about the cowboy who goes into the hotel looking for the room and leaves the $10 bill lay on the counter while he goes up to inspect the room.

Like most people, the bulk of the 'money' banks have is just numbers on a ledger sheet.  

WE 'broke the buck' that day...how it was explained to me.




Example: People have money in a 'Safe' Money Market Account.




Expectations are small interest gains, but their principal would always be returned; $1=$1




The 'electronic run on the banks' led to that 'safe' $1 returning less than a $1; Banks basically were/are Bankrupt.


Everything would have Frozen, No ATMs, No CC, No Checks, No Account withdrawals, No Pension Payments, etc. because they would have to Re-Organize their Debts and WE would have to get in line for a portion of OUR money.




Banks leveraged those 'safe' dollars, along other 'Investments', to the point of no return...Betting with other peoples money; Kind of a Systemic Madoff Scam




They conveniently define his crimes as Fraud, but the Publicly Traded Banks are defined as 'Too Big to Fail'
Not one Bankster goes to Jail for fraud, and WE the People are used as new leverage to fund the Bailouts
Why do you think they are pushing US to a Cashless Society...Right, I forgot WE get Points each time that Credit Card gets used; How convenient.




Banks/Credit Card Companies, Treasury, the FED have become 'One'; Consolidation to give US Zero Options, only 'Legal' Monopolies.




Cash or PMs are Limited, Physical Items accepted as a means to Barter, that's the problem Central Banks face; They've allowed those Limited, Physical Items leverage into Imaginary Wealth.
The Central Planners, All Branches of Government, haven't changed a thing, but have joined in this continued Fraud; High-Treason?
 
 
 
 

Greek Tax Hikes Backfire As Tax Revenues Plunge 16%










Mr.President a Case Study for your review...


 

You forgot the definition of insanity....



Surely it WILL work here, right?





 

Well, somebody is making a huge bet against the banks.

traders buzzing




Whomever made the bet, could fulfill their own prophecy. News like this could scare a lot of folks into betting with him.

No doubt.  A=A


 

I work in the mortgage industry, and i can tell you that there is no way we return to NINJA loans...  not in our lifetime.

The problem we have is that things have gotten so strict, that people who should qualify don't...  and where as you used to be able to get people into a "high cost mortgage" (higher interest rate to compensate for higher risk) now that is prohibited, as it is considered taking advantage of the "credit impaired".

So banks just say no...

Also, the industry has regulated fees that can be charged to such a point that for many smaller loans it doesn't make sense to do them.  You litterally can't make money on them, so banks won't take the risk for no hope of profit.  In NY state it's about $70,000 right now...  Any loan less than that (which is possible although not likely in rural areas) is not worth doing unless it's a favor or in hopes of future business.  After new laws go into effect, (Jan 2014) that number will almost double, and then we'll see a LOT of people wondering why they can't get a loan.

Also, new rules will make FHA loans have Upfront PMI (Mortgage Insurance) be 1.35%(from 1.25% from .55% from .25%) and monthly MI will be FOREVER (where as now it drops off automatically when you hit 78% LTV).  On a $130,000 loan that's FOURTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS extra you pay thanks to the industry crapping the bed... and our government making future homebuyers pay for past mistakes.


When the SHTF it will be because the schools and cities and states can't pay their bills after paying for all the pension liabilities, and medicare/medicaid.  Our county already spends EVERY CENT it takes in on unfunded mandates by the state, and has to use sales tax revenue to make up the difference.  When that liability grows to the point where people stob buying anything they can't eat or burn to heat their home, we'll see some real bad things.

 

Agreed.   But in the Soviet Union, how many people were saying "won't happen in the next decade" because they believed the Ministry of Truth propaganda?  

*  there were few incentives for Soviets to work - "They pretend to pay us, we pretend to work" or somesuch.   Now, look at how large our Entitlement Culture is, and how it's beginning to permeate into virtually every national level discussion on debt, deficits and spending.  
*  10 years prior to dissolution, the Soviet Union was internationally regarded as one of the most stable entities on the world stage - the other Super Power.
*  Soviet GDP was heavily slanted towards military production (figures range from 25-75% of GDP); whereas 60% of our present federal spending is purely entitlement spending, another 20% is to the military industrial complex.  Depending on the assumptions you use, this might be anywhere from 15-35% of current US GDP.   Interestingly, Wikipedia suggests the USSR service economy was up to 60% of GDP so there's some variation here.
*  The Soviet economy experienced multiple shortages of goods - we're arguably not there yet, but the trend is increasing (inflation, purchasing costs).   We're not communist, either.
*  The Soviet collapse was arguably deferred by "circling the wagons" around a foreign threat (the US).   With changes in foreign policy and arms treaties, this perception was reduced (the Soviet economy experienced a political dethawing of sorts) and this is - ironically - speculated to actually have contributed to the collapse as common citizens started saying "why the fuck are we doing this?" and the fact that internal agricultural production was less controlled, providing less food to the cities (and more turmoil).
*  Towards the end (late 1980's) the Soviet Empire experienced an agricultural crisis.  Combined with lower petroleum prices, they lost money on energy production but food prices skyrocketed creating a significant export/import trade deficit.   Kind of like the US, but in reverse (we have plenty of agriculture but are dependent on external energy sources).
*  The Soviet collapse was preceded by regional uprisings (mostly peaceful) in 1989, with widespread protests throughout the late 80's into 1991.   Regional resistance to Central Planning resulted in civil disobedience at the state-level, which IMHO we're starting to see here in the US regarding healthcare and gun control laws (various states are starting to say "no!").
*  Soviet debt to GDP was approximately 48% in 1991 (ours is well past that).
*  Soviet GDP growth has been estimated at approximately 3.3% up and through 1985 (higher in the 1950s and 60's, lower towards the 80's) - at which time their economic engine began to slow down (precipitating the collapse).  Rising import costs have been implicated along with political influences as noted above.   Our economy is having a good year if it's 2% or so; and that's ignoring inflationary effects and the optimistic rounding effects of Official Numbers.   Depending on how you want to slice it, our Economy has easily been slowing for the past 4-6 years and "1-2%" is becoming the expectation rather than the exception.

A lot of interesting parallels.  Another parallel is that in 1990 Gorbachev refused alternative plans to save the Soviet Economy, and his decision to continue with obviously ineffective policies sealed the proverbial coffin for the Soviet communist model.   Kind of like the current administration:  the last 4 years didn't work (nor the 8 before that) - so let's do MORE of it!!!!

Just food for thought - not really arguing.  

First They destroy your country...

Then They rebuild it the way They want it.

And You get screwed, at the least, IF you're lucky.

I really wasn't saying the reasons were the same.





I was just saying I hope the transistion between entities of State would be more peaceful like what happened in the SU and I hope it doesn't turn out of the wars in Yugoslavia.





The fact is we aren't going to spend $1T more than we are taking in for 100 more years, along with all the things the Feds will force upon the States. Something will break. It doesn't mean the breakdown of the economic system even. It will mean change.





Hell, shit might even get better if we get the Fed .gov to bankrupt itself. If we can avoid civil war or a dictatorial state afterwards.

Violent authoritarian hierarchical regimes fail for the same reason. The wealthy and powerful become corrupted by their artificial systems.  Eventually the social or economic distortions created by their manipulations build until they collapse. They rarely go away without bloodshed.  It depends on the leadership. And the trajectory of change.  In the case of the USSR, Gorbachev was a big reason its collapses was relatively peaceful.  He started the liberalization process in 1985 and began moving towards more libertarian policies and away from authoritarianism.  When he resigned on December 25, 1991, he declared his office extinct.  The USSR died in a memo.  They took down the Soviet flag and raised the Russian flag.  






 














































 

Honestly, it's probably not a bad idea.  I think tools, machinery, as well as the skills to use them are going to be very valuable.  

 

Fed Has Bought More U.S. Debt This Year Than Treasury Issued...

snip...At the close of business on Jan. 2, the Federal Reserve had owned  $1.661 trillion in U.S. Treasury securities. By the close of business on  Feb. 6, it owned $1.7172 trillion—an increase of $51.1 billion for the  calendar year.

Thus, the Federal Reserve’s purchases of U.S. government debt in this
 calendar year have exceeded the Treasury’s net debt issues by about  
$3.9 billion.

...The CBO currently estimates that the federal deficit for fiscal 2013
will be $845 billion. If the Fed were to buy debt at a pace of $540
billion a year, and the Treasury were to issue it at $845 billion per
year, the Fed would be buying the equivalent of about 64 percent of all
debt the government issued.

What I learned from Ivy-Leaguers...You need to Lie, Cheat, Steal, Print & Borrow with a Smile promising Solutions, and creating 'New' Crisis to distract.





Taught the 'Secret' for a cool $200,000+



 

...and can also be used for growing Potatoes





 

Batteries, tires, parts, meds, food, fuel,...

That's when They have us where they want us. Most of us will give up the Constitution for a hit of what we're addicted to.

Oh, wait, many already have...

'From each according to his ability, to each according to his need'

I'd say we are pretty close as a society. My guess is the government is just trying to catch up.

There are a lot of common ideological similarities, sure - but I don't think anyone can say the FedGov is truly a central planner of the Economy.  They are trying to be, with countless regulatory influences and financial control through the FedReserve, but there are no quotas and no direct influence over who makes what or how much of it.   The biggest power of course is over the purchasing power of the dollar - but again that is relatively indirect and relies on the actions of multiple layers of public and private institutions before it trickles down to the average Joe.

My real point above was not that our similarities mean we'll share the same fate - just that in terms of the USSR, many people probably held the same perspective as many Americans today:  it won't happen, or it won't happen anytime soon.  I was just commenting on how people might have had a similar conversation as this - in Russian - in the late 1980's.  

Electricity.
"Under my plan prices will necessarily skyrocket"
(paraphrased)

Why is this not viewed as the intergalactic bond auction failure that it appears to be?

There are quotas on everything through the regulatory process. Just take a look around. Can't cut wood because of some endangered owl. Can't get petroleum because of some law creating a sanctuary or a national park. Have to hire xyz, don't plant crops here, ... It is in all facets of our life and economy.

I really wish they would just come out and say what they are so we can cut to the chase.

Currency Wars might be a 'comin
Even CNBC cheerleaders are publishing it



There is no way Bernanke will submit to superior Japanese inkjets.  

One of the reasons I think the solar power break-even calculations might be off.   Sure, if power cost rise at a modest level break-even might be 10-20 years off, but wonder if inflation actually does raise it's ugly head?  It wouldn't take too many years of 5-10% average inflation to push these break-even numbers down.  If we get hyper-inflation the guys who look "stupid" buying solar systems will come out looking like geniuses.  

Can't say this thought isn't crossing my mind.  At the current economic state and inflation it seems stupid to invest in something that only repays itself in 15 years.  But if the SHTF... maybe my wages can keep up with inflation (big maybe), but what a world of peace it would bring me without having to pay that 500% larger electric bill