Several times in the last three years a large percentage of the "money" in the stock market has disappeared pretty much overnight. When I say "money" I mean that definition of money that comes from the 2000 year old adage: "Everything is worth what it's purchaser will pay for it." Publilius Syrus, first century BC. Every cent (every one of which is a number written on a piece of paper or some 001110001011's stored in a computer file) invested in the stock market is that kind of money. It has no intrinsic value of it's own; it's only as valuable as you can convince someone it is... IF and when they buy it. The money that the brokers "earn" comes from moving these numbers around and keeping a little (or sometimes a lot) of the numbers for themselves (then they sell it, quick). The numbers go up and down, up and down.
A bubble pops, some mega crook gets exposed, the 100 year old Emperor of Japan dies of natural causes, a mega speculator gets out of the market suddenly; there can be many causes. Recently, we had the idiots in the Tea Party trying to get the U.S. Government to default on it's debt... But I've always said that if someone on the floor of the NYSE just yelled, "The president's been shot!" loudly enough, you could watch the big board spiral down. Is this a great system or what?
A few years ago I got lucky. I bought something with real money a week before the 2008 crash. I might have bought some stock with that money but instead I bought solar panels for my roof. Guess what? They're still up there, 100% as good as they were the day I bought them. The market lost 40% of it's "value" over the next few weeks.
Take your money out of the market now and buy something durable that the bastards can't turn into a valueless piece of paper tomorrow. If everyone with $25K in the market bought an American car tomorrow, the economy would boom and half of the overpaid, under regulated, and under taxed money moving stock brokers would have to get a real job. Maybe even making cars.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
A Call to Action
If you live in a district that is "served" by a Republican representative, call your bank and tell them that you intend to withdraw all your money today or on Monday. Maybe your banker, or the FDIC (where do you think that they get their "insurance" money?) can get somebody's attention.
The Republicans are starting a run on the banks! Did you see the billionaires "voicing" their concerns? There's nothing like a few Billionaires to apply a little real pressure... Ah, but pressure to whom to do what? When the Republican party was the minority, they did a great job of "wagging the dog". Now they've got a new Tea Party tail that's wagging them pretty good. Be careful of what you wish for, invent, or use as a weapon. These things don't stay in only your own pocket for very long. So the Republicans are pretending that they CAN'T move the Tea Party, so Obama has to move? How many Tea Party members are Democrats?
So, I suggest that you call your banker and say that you'll be pulling ALL of your money out of all of your accounts; ask if getting it all in CASH today or Monday will be a problem. If enough of us do this, the bankers will be talking to the FDIC and the FDIC will be talking to the President, and I would hope, HE will be talking to American People, some of whom are not rich Republicans. AND we hope that the not rich Republicans and all the rest of us will be talking to the Republican Congress and the REAL Republican Congress will be talking to the Tea Party faction, sternly.
During one of the 17 times that the Debt Ceiling was raised under Ronald Reagan, he said:
"The full consequences of a default — or even the serious prospect of default — by the United States are impossible to predict and awesome to contemplate. Denigration of the full faith and credit of the United States would have substantial effects on the domestic financial markets and the value of the dollar in exchange markets. The Nation can ill afford to allow such a result. The risks, the costs, the disruptions, and the incalculable damage lead me to but one conclusion: the Senate must pass this legislation before the Congress adjourns."
Can we shame or scare the Republicans into doing what the "Gipper" would do? Or do we just cause a run on the banks? Who knows; I've got all MY money out.
The Republicans are starting a run on the banks! Did you see the billionaires "voicing" their concerns? There's nothing like a few Billionaires to apply a little real pressure... Ah, but pressure to whom to do what? When the Republican party was the minority, they did a great job of "wagging the dog". Now they've got a new Tea Party tail that's wagging them pretty good. Be careful of what you wish for, invent, or use as a weapon. These things don't stay in only your own pocket for very long. So the Republicans are pretending that they CAN'T move the Tea Party, so Obama has to move? How many Tea Party members are Democrats?
So, I suggest that you call your banker and say that you'll be pulling ALL of your money out of all of your accounts; ask if getting it all in CASH today or Monday will be a problem. If enough of us do this, the bankers will be talking to the FDIC and the FDIC will be talking to the President, and I would hope, HE will be talking to American People, some of whom are not rich Republicans. AND we hope that the not rich Republicans and all the rest of us will be talking to the Republican Congress and the REAL Republican Congress will be talking to the Tea Party faction, sternly.
During one of the 17 times that the Debt Ceiling was raised under Ronald Reagan, he said:
"The full consequences of a default — or even the serious prospect of default — by the United States are impossible to predict and awesome to contemplate. Denigration of the full faith and credit of the United States would have substantial effects on the domestic financial markets and the value of the dollar in exchange markets. The Nation can ill afford to allow such a result. The risks, the costs, the disruptions, and the incalculable damage lead me to but one conclusion: the Senate must pass this legislation before the Congress adjourns."
Can we shame or scare the Republicans into doing what the "Gipper" would do? Or do we just cause a run on the banks? Who knows; I've got all MY money out.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
The perfect storm and the perfect GOP ticket
Thing's are really getting strange. I've seen Mike Huckabee on Jon Stewart's Daily Show a few times and he (Mike) always comes across as a pretty reasonable guy; I'm not going to agree with him on very many issues, but hey! That's the world we live in. Then...
Then I listened to him on several of his Rupert Murdoch's sanctioned fOX nEWS broadcasts, and Man! He (Mike, again) was swinging for the fences! Such a cHRISTIAN demeanor! Mike's not even trying to be reasonable, or fair (the fOX logo); he's just opening his mouth, saying anything that comes into his mind, and THEN, later assessing what he thinks his base will believe in. (The old canard: the general is sitting in a cafe as a mob runs by; he leaps up. "Where are you going?" Asks his friend, "There go my troops; I must lead them!" he answers).
Joe Kline, in News Week did a wonderful job of documenting Huckabee's recent mouthings. I rarely do this but, to paraphrase only slightly:
"Mike Huckabee has said that President [I ADDED THE HONORIFIC, President, Mike didn't] Obama... was raised in Kenya, sympathized with Mau Maus' anti colonialism all because he wasn't a boy scout and there were no Rotary Clubs there, only madrasahs...". Wow, Mike that's amazing! The facts are: President Obama was raised in Hawaii, not Kenya. He was raised by his (WHITE) Kansas Republican grandparents. He was a boy scout. There are plenty of Rotary Clubs in Hawaii, and as for anti colonialism sentiments; The Tea Party folks, one assumes, also sympathize with anti colonialism; last I heard, that's what The Original Tea Party was all about. But never mind the facts; make up stuff if it serves your purpose.
What we, the rationally thinking people, must remember is that; 51% of rEPUBLICANS don't believe that Obama is an American citizen. And, some 50 % of the GOP voting public don't believe in evolution, or planet earth more than 6,000 years old, or likely that the earth is a sphere that circles the sun in a galaxy in an immense universe.
I can't imagine where the GOP's votes are coming from. Apparently, their dream ticket is an amalgam of Huchabee's truthfulness, Gingrich's family values, Ann Coulter's compassion, and Mitt Romney's consistency (health care and abortion) and religion [sorry, Jesus just did not walk around Utah, ever]. At some point these kinds of beliefs have to matter, at least unless you're willing to disregard all religious belief.
That's something that I fervently wish we could do. After all, any and all religions are equally ridiculous (See: http://somelightsomeserious.blogspot.com/2009/10/if-you-think-that-belief-in-god-should.html). But oh boy, can they cause troubles for us all.
I give up.
Then I listened to him on several of his Rupert Murdoch's sanctioned fOX nEWS broadcasts, and Man! He (Mike, again) was swinging for the fences! Such a cHRISTIAN demeanor! Mike's not even trying to be reasonable, or fair (the fOX logo); he's just opening his mouth, saying anything that comes into his mind, and THEN, later assessing what he thinks his base will believe in. (The old canard: the general is sitting in a cafe as a mob runs by; he leaps up. "Where are you going?" Asks his friend, "There go my troops; I must lead them!" he answers).
Joe Kline, in News Week did a wonderful job of documenting Huckabee's recent mouthings. I rarely do this but, to paraphrase only slightly:
"Mike Huckabee has said that President [I ADDED THE HONORIFIC, President, Mike didn't] Obama... was raised in Kenya, sympathized with Mau Maus' anti colonialism all because he wasn't a boy scout and there were no Rotary Clubs there, only madrasahs...". Wow, Mike that's amazing! The facts are: President Obama was raised in Hawaii, not Kenya. He was raised by his (WHITE) Kansas Republican grandparents. He was a boy scout. There are plenty of Rotary Clubs in Hawaii, and as for anti colonialism sentiments; The Tea Party folks, one assumes, also sympathize with anti colonialism; last I heard, that's what The Original Tea Party was all about. But never mind the facts; make up stuff if it serves your purpose.
What we, the rationally thinking people, must remember is that; 51% of rEPUBLICANS don't believe that Obama is an American citizen. And, some 50 % of the GOP voting public don't believe in evolution, or planet earth more than 6,000 years old, or likely that the earth is a sphere that circles the sun in a galaxy in an immense universe.
I can't imagine where the GOP's votes are coming from. Apparently, their dream ticket is an amalgam of Huchabee's truthfulness, Gingrich's family values, Ann Coulter's compassion, and Mitt Romney's consistency (health care and abortion) and religion [sorry, Jesus just did not walk around Utah, ever]. At some point these kinds of beliefs have to matter, at least unless you're willing to disregard all religious belief.
That's something that I fervently wish we could do. After all, any and all religions are equally ridiculous (See: http://somelightsomeserious.blogspot.com/2009/10/if-you-think-that-belief-in-god-should.html). But oh boy, can they cause troubles for us all.
I give up.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
WAR WITHOUT END
The other night when I came home and learned that "we" had invaded Libya, I ranted (my poor wife). I couldn't really believe it. I ranted because sometimes it's impossible for me to express my dismay thoughtfully; especially when my government has become too stupid to believe. Especially with respect to my gOVERNMENT's response to Libya.
It is hard for me to fathom the domestic widely heald belief that the "United States of American" is a peace loving nation. This nation is involved in THREE Middle Eastern Wars. All of them against Muslim countries (Jerry Falwell, the cHRISTIAN bigot, is so happy in Heaven [if it exists]). And at least two out of three of the wars are against countries with lots of OIL (Dick Cheney is so happy where ever hypocrital oil billionaires hang out). Maybe, if we hadn't STARTED two out of three (and some might argue that it's three out of three [at least after the initial "payback part" was over]) of these wars... AND maybe if any of these wars were against any of our geographically nearby neighbors (who might conceivably have actually transgressed against us in any substantive way)..... Just maybe, one or two of these three wars might be justified on some insane level. But really, think about it; probably not even then. There really aren't any good wars anymore.
I've always said; If it's fossil fuels YOU (spelled U SA) want; we should invade Canada and Mexico. Both countries have plenty of fossil fuel energy resources. And we can take those countries easy (I believe that we already have). These countries are NOT 9,000 to 12,000 miles away. I could WALK to the border of Mexico and/or Canada and shoot as many people as I want to with a hand gun (if I so chose). Compare that to flying a C 137 halfway around the world just to get there; before you get to shoot at somebody. We have spent more than a trillion dollars in the Bush/Cheney/Oil War in Iraq and what do we have to show for it? Libya, apparently. Not counting 5,000 dead American service people, 50, 000 more of our veterans who are now missing some numbers of arms, legs, eyes, faces and other (personally) important body parts. And not to mention (but I will) tens of thousands of sanely functioning human minds and psyches that can and will integrate into a non war society.
I'm at a loss. I thought that I wanted to live out my life in these western Virginian scruffy Appalachian mountains. But I'm beginning to wonder if that isn't really a viable plan for me. My gOVERNMENT seems to be insane. It is embarked on a path to WAR WITHOUT END. It is apparently the official USA Government policy. How many other countries have been at war against non neighboring countries in your life time? There seems to be a downside to being the "only global super power". It's the only power that can't be at peace. The USA is the most war like country in history.
If you think that you will ever see your country not at war, if you think that your children will ever see their country at peace; if you think that your grandchildren will ever see this country not at war; then you are deluded.
I am thinking about moving to.... GOD! I DON'T KNOW WHERE I MIGHT GO!
It is hard for me to fathom the domestic widely heald belief that the "United States of American" is a peace loving nation. This nation is involved in THREE Middle Eastern Wars. All of them against Muslim countries (Jerry Falwell, the cHRISTIAN bigot, is so happy in Heaven [if it exists]). And at least two out of three of the wars are against countries with lots of OIL (Dick Cheney is so happy where ever hypocrital oil billionaires hang out). Maybe, if we hadn't STARTED two out of three (and some might argue that it's three out of three [at least after the initial "payback part" was over]) of these wars... AND maybe if any of these wars were against any of our geographically nearby neighbors (who might conceivably have actually transgressed against us in any substantive way)..... Just maybe, one or two of these three wars might be justified on some insane level. But really, think about it; probably not even then. There really aren't any good wars anymore.
I've always said; If it's fossil fuels YOU (spelled U SA) want; we should invade Canada and Mexico. Both countries have plenty of fossil fuel energy resources. And we can take those countries easy (I believe that we already have). These countries are NOT 9,000 to 12,000 miles away. I could WALK to the border of Mexico and/or Canada and shoot as many people as I want to with a hand gun (if I so chose). Compare that to flying a C 137 halfway around the world just to get there; before you get to shoot at somebody. We have spent more than a trillion dollars in the Bush/Cheney/Oil War in Iraq and what do we have to show for it? Libya, apparently. Not counting 5,000 dead American service people, 50, 000 more of our veterans who are now missing some numbers of arms, legs, eyes, faces and other (personally) important body parts. And not to mention (but I will) tens of thousands of sanely functioning human minds and psyches that can and will integrate into a non war society.
I'm at a loss. I thought that I wanted to live out my life in these western Virginian scruffy Appalachian mountains. But I'm beginning to wonder if that isn't really a viable plan for me. My gOVERNMENT seems to be insane. It is embarked on a path to WAR WITHOUT END. It is apparently the official USA Government policy. How many other countries have been at war against non neighboring countries in your life time? There seems to be a downside to being the "only global super power". It's the only power that can't be at peace. The USA is the most war like country in history.
If you think that you will ever see your country not at war, if you think that your children will ever see their country at peace; if you think that your grandchildren will ever see this country not at war; then you are deluded.
I am thinking about moving to.... GOD! I DON'T KNOW WHERE I MIGHT GO!
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