The Great Barack Obama On Raising The Debt Ceiling, Then and Now

The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that ‘the buck stops here. Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.

Senator Barack Obama
Senate Floor Speech on Public Debt
March 16, 2006

NOW...

Obama seeks $1.2 trillion debt ceiling increase

 http://money.cnn.com/2011/12/27/news/economy/obama_debt_ceiling/index.htm

Using a Bar and Alcoholics To Explain Our Economic State of Affairs

Very brilliant. Wish I had thought of it. From ZeroHedge. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/explaining-modern-finance-and-economics-using-booze-and-broke-alcoholics

Death By Chicken McNugget

A 17 year old factory worker?? All she has ever eaten is Chicken McNuggets? Do they teach health in school in Great Britain? Did this girl ever go to school or was she half blinded by malnutrition? Good gawd, this story is so bizarre on so many fronts- I don't know where to start. I think I'll just post it.
http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/chicken-nuggets-how-bad-are-they

The Next Great American Exodus

In 2007, just as I was wrapping up my career in law enforcement, the health care crisis was in full bloom and I believed that it would be far worse than anyone imagined. People could no longer afford health insurance. Costs had become ridiculous. Healthy people who had lost jobs would not come back to health insurance pools unless they landed jobs with health care. Employers would no longer furnish health care nor subsidize it. Insurance premiums would skyrocket, sometimes in excess of 50% price hikes per year. Ultimately and quite possibly, there may come a day when only the affluent can afford health care. So bankruptcy was the middle and poorer class solution to insurance. That exodus is in full swing.

People have to cut out the things that they cannot afford. Taxes are next. 

The next great exodus is happening now. The dictionary defines exodus as a departure of a large number of people. People are going to quit paying taxes in droves. I believe that. Corporate America, behemoths like GE, quit paying taxes years ago. Here is a link to Obama's tax cheating cabinet and other non tax paying government employees. You'll like this. http://news.investors.com/Article/599002/201201260818/obama-white-house-staff-back-taxes.htm

The rich and elite have been sending their money offshore for decades. Eons it seems. But since the elite essentially run and control government- like Congress- off shore bank accounts were largely ignored. The issue gets brought up every now and then- only because it brings in a few votes and it is politically expedient. Our government is not really serious about imprisoning the elite class for tax evasion. That is the same elite class who write campaign checks and give the politician kids' really nice jobs.

So the rich have been screwing the I.R.S. for years and getting away with it. They can buy good lawyers- if in fact they aren't lawyers themselves. The middle class and the poor are different. They are not greedy money hoarders. They simply don't have any money to hoard. They evade taxes because they have to- not because they want to.

This distinguishes our two classes. Nobody likes a thief- but society tends to tolerate a thief who steals to feed his family. Thieves who steal even though they already have plenty- do not merit the same brand of sympathy or tolerance. That's why the rich become such easy targets especially during campaign season. But I'll let you in on a little secret here- it's all bullshit. If Congress were really serious about reining in wealthy tax cheats- like themselves- they could pass a couple of laws and attach a mandatory 15 year prison sentence.

Mitt Romney's offshore accounts have 32 million in them. http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-01-20/romney-offshore-accounts/52700400/1 How long do you think ol Mitt's been evading taxes?

Let's just see if a prosecutor anywhere, one with a career suicide wish perhaps, brings a charge of tax evasion to Romney's door step. Can you imagine Romney doing a stretch in Leavenworth? That will be a cold day in hell.

So tell me, if corporate America and companies like GE aren't paying taxes, if the rich and elite aren't paying taxes, and the middle and lower classes can't afford to- just who in the hell is going to pay that 16.2 trillion debt we have rung up? Answer- it's not going to happen. They can't even shore up the tax laws enough or in time- in the event of some economic rebound that would generate tax revenue and miraculously land us in the black. Some Deus Ex Machina ending. So it is, the next great exodus has begun. This at precisely the same moment when local, state, and federal governments try to steal more money from citizens. I sure hope the government has plenty of room and resources to prosecute and house the millions of people tax cheats who simply can't pay anymore. Perhaps they will start with those who won't pay. I hear they have health care in prison, so we've got that going for us.

Psychology Major Baffled By the FED, Can't Understand Why Bernanke and Company Are Worried

Yesterday, I watched Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke very closely as he spoke about the economy on CNBC. I noted two incredibly odd things.

Bernanke essentially promised zero interest rates and further money printing, possibly a QE3 event, if the economy goes any softer than it already is. Basically, he soothed viewers. Whether that was entirely politically motivated or not- is anyone's guess. But that's not the really odd thing.

Bernanke appeared to stutter throughout the speech as though- even he didn't believe the BS he was spouting.

The number one fear of most Americans is public speaking. For many people, public speaking is just something that gets easier over time. Professional speakers sharpen deliveries. Perhaps Bernanke didn't like the live stage or live TV yesterday. Maybe he is getting weary of the criticism. Whatever it was- it did not appear that Bernanke was getting more comfortable the longer he spoke- I thought that was very odd. Bernanke just kind of stuttered and stopped throughout the speech. His sentences lacked smooth transitions although I thought his statements were remarkably clear for a front man who has a giant ego and a perfect SAT score. Bernanke promised more FED accommodation for the foreseeable future. Zero interest rates.

I thought gold should have rallied 100 dollars.

Today I was reading this article. The writer has a bachelor's degree in psychology although he has been writing for various money/investing/economic publications for at least 10 or 11 years. Hardly an expert. In fact, anybody could have written this piece. http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/26/news/economy/thebuzz/index.htm

Here is the author, Paul La Monica. http://www.cnnmoneymediakit.com/pressLaMonica.html

I am beginning to think that Bernanke is actually showing signs of having a conscience. I mean at what point, after how many years, do most people finally throw up their hands and tell the truth? When do they finally say, "We're out of tricks. The world has a debt load that we cannot service. Any serious hiccup will bring about financial Armageddon. Sorry, folks. We wrote a check that our asses can't cash."

When does that speech happen? 

Probably never. But you can bet I wasn't the only guy thinking that yesterday, Paul La Monica excluded.

Obama's Speaks To An Eighth Grade Level During State of the Union

No wonder the great narcissist thinks he is far superior. He is talking to the middle school. Swiped via the Chicago Boyz. Interesting.

http://ricochet.com/main-feed/To-Obama-We-re-Children.-To-Daniels-We-re-Adults

Left Coast Rebel claims it's the same speech year after year. http://www.leftcoastrebel.com/2012/01/why-pay-speech-writers-when-you-can.html

When a Crisis Occurs, There Is Always One Dipshit Who Jumps Up and Announces "Follow Me, I Know the Solution!"

That person is almost always insane. That is this blog's subtitle.

Today's dipshit is once again, Ben Bernanke. We will print our way out of this mess! Ben on TV singing his usual print money lullaby to the softball press corps. Gold cracking 1708 as he yaks.

I need Ben to talk on TV every day. Maybe get his own show like Cramer. Man, I am gonna be rich.

Selling Out to the Status Quo

Here's Gingrich's bag man. Billionaire Sheldon Adelson. http://news.yahoo.com/behind-gingrichs-rise-billionaire-pal-sheldon-adelson-150006162--abc-news.html

Adelson steals from people which is legal in Nevada. How noble. Where does the worship line form?
The rich and elite, offering up their rich and elite choices for President. Business as usual.

Ever So Quietly, Gold Has Been Rising and Now Takes Out 1700

There is nothing I enjoy more than listening to people bad mouth precious metals. Folks that practice contempt prior to investigation are simply clueless when it come to the meteoric rise of precious metals. They don't get it.

That is mainstream media. CNBC. Idiot TV for the masses.

Precious metals cannot and will not go down until the world comes up with a rescue plan that does not include debasing currencies. Unfortunately, the world has no other plan. They screwed the pooch and that is all you really need to know. They will continue debasing currencies until they are completely worthless. Holders of precious metals will have a store of wealth and possess a time honored commodity that bankers and politicians cannot counterfeit. The world is catching on.


The anti-fiat trade. Of course it makes sense.


Here is a fantastic piece about India and possibly China, using gold to pay for Iranian oil. The United States, ever the international bully, is attempting to strangle Iran. This is the response. http://rt.com/news/iran-india-gold-oil-543/

The Elite Look After the Elite, To The Exclusion Of Everyone Else

The elite care about power and money. In America, the pinnacle of success for rich, elite Americans is becoming President. Once in office they go about the business of protecting their way of life. Protecting tax codes and shelters for the elite. Looking the other way when enforcing laws on cheap Mexican labor streaming over the border. Offshore bank accounts. Cultivating future prospects. Protecting corporate monopolies. Taking care of the bankers on Wall St. and entrenching crony capitalism. Mitt's the new poster child for the oligarchy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligarchy

When we elect somebody like George Bush, a wannabe elitist like Barack Obama, or a Mitt Romney- what we are really doing is electing people who do not represent us. The elite are minutia. There are hardly a thousand people in the entire United States that make 21 million a year. They don't amount to a speck on a gnat's ass.

Other than sharing air, we don't have a damn thing in common with those who covet wealth and power. Nothing. 

So why do we keep electing rich, elite, bankers who have raided the treasury- stolen from all American workers via Congress and the FED and will continue to do so?? Are we in awe?? Are we jealous?? No...

We elect them because we are dumb shits, that's why. Here's the latest on Mitt Romney. http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-01-24/mitt-romney-tax-return/52780230/1

After Two Years of Screwing Off, It's Time To Go To Work

I "retired" in 2007 which is to say, I spend a great deal of time screwing off and performing service work. Service work, whether it's in homeless shelters or halfway houses or in various other places, doesn't pay a hell of a lot. Mostly you do it for free.

It's a labor of love. Retired cop work. Go figure. It's been about two years since I worked in a pre-release center for kids coming out of the state correctional system.

The worst part about applying for a job can occur when somebody actually gives you a job. This means that they are actually going to expect me to show up on time and achieve some measurable results. This is a lot of responsibility to heap on a guy all at once. Tonight...

I have a hockey game ticket thanks to my friend Keith. Keith sings the anthem. The Steelheads are playing Stockton tonight. We always have lots of fights with Stockton. I am looking forward to fighting hockey tonight. Then it's on to the new job and graveyard shift at 11 PM.

When the gal who hired me asked if I wanted to know the salary, I told her, "I'm not sure I care."

She thought that was funny. Probably had something to do with me getting the job. So we'll see how the new job goes. I think I am really going to like it but it will slow my writing down a lot. So we have that going for us.

Carnival Cruise Lines, Ever the Compassionate and Sensitive Corporation, Offers Discounts to Survivors

I got a chuckle out of this. http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/01/23/carnival-offers-cruise-discount-to-costa-concordia-survivors/

They haven't even retrieved all of the dead bodies from the ship nor removed the leaking fuel, yet Carnival is already handing out refunds and discounts on future trips.

So a few people died. We're over it.

The New Frankenstein Government Sunday Special Edition

Yesterday, I was at Home Despot buying a giant board for a garage repair. After getting it cut, I was headed for the checkout line. Arriving at approximately the same time but a step or two slower, was a woman in her mid forties. She pretended not to see me and of course, she steered her shopping cart with ten items directly in front of me. The board I was holding was a huge chunk of particle board which weighed about the same as a Volkswagon Jetta with air conditioning. Most people notice giant men with giant things in their hands. That ability has allowed me to claim age 51.

Ya know, I did have a female pedestrian get hit by a bus once. I asked her why she hadn't seen the bus. This pissed her off badly. Come to think of it, she may have a daughter that shops at Home Despot.

I had a strange thought strike me as I sought out a new check out line. Every time I seem to be cut off in a check out line, why does it always seem to be by women, some of which- pretend to be blind? How come I am never cut off by a man? Really, think about that.

I concluded that women think they are entitled to cut off men because society, usually men, allow women to do everything first. We hold doors for women, allow them to order first, we fix things and let them board the life rafts first. I am ok with all of that.

However, some women like the Home Despot gal, think they are entitled to then act like  prima donnas. That was my conclusion, erroneous as it may be.

Normally, I keep such observations and thoughts to myself. But fortunately, here at Frankenstein Government, I am not afraid to tackle the tough issues.

Especially since this story has a happy ending.

I carried the Jetta over to a neighboring line. The guy ahead of me was kind of disorganized and realized he had forgotten something as he was checking out. Unlike our female friend, he had complete use of his vision and saw that I was holding something larger than he. He invited me to go ahead of him. This was a man who was aware of his surroundings.

I have learned to say, "thank you" and I muster up a smile when such oddities happen. This little piece of divine providence catapulted me out of the store in record time because I pay with cash. Because of this good fortune, I decided to do something a little nasty on the spur of the moment. As I walked past the blind woman's line, I looked directly at her and winked. She mustered up her finest glare. I mustered up a smile.

I concluded that she was not blind after all. And just to let you know that I am not entirely sexist...

A couple of weeks ago, at the grocery store, I let a woman go ahead of me in the checkout line. Unlike the Home Despot gal, I had arrived in this line first. She was buying wine and nuts. I had the same kind of nuts. As it turns out, it was a buy one get the second can- 1/2 off kinda deal. My can of nuts did not have a coupon on it but hers did. She insisted on paying for my nuts to return my good deed. She called it good karma.

It was. I hope I see her at Home Despot some day.