Heartbreaking Footage: Dateline Follows Police Evicting Families From Their Homes

There was a judge in Ohio that prevented the foreclosure of some properties by a Bank because the Bank couldn't furnish the paperwork for the properties in question because of the way they were sliced up for investment purposes. The Bank was shocked that the judge wanted to see the paperwork before allowing the foreclosure ... seems the Bank never had a judge ask for the paperwork before.



Maybe more people should demand to see the paperwork the Bank has for the property they are foreclosing on before they submit to leaving. And maybe Judges that are allowing Banks to foreclose on properties without the proper documentation should be removed from the bench.



Just a thought.
About Housing Crisis
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Kathleen Parker: Limbaugh "Dittoheads" Killing Newspapers

I think Parker misses the point. Newpapers have lost their aura because of media consolidation. It's not like you are going to find an inherently different message in one Newspaper over another, and the Newspaper message overlaps with the message on cable or network news. It is all homogenized and staid. and frankly, limited in relevant scope. With the Internet, only the grasp of language limits the capacity to obtain other views of what is happening in the World. American News covers an American view of the World, which is tightly regulated by the interests of the corporate owners. My supporting example of this is how Al Jazeera became the mortal enemy of the Bush Administration because it was broadcasting an alternative view of the Iraq war from the ground which didn't support the American narrative, When Newspapers all fall under the same corporate umbrella, parallel the same narrative, and begin to appear as little more than social engineering tools their necessity is diminished.



If Newspapers want to avoid extinction they simply need to rediscover their core principles and reason for being ... then circulation won't be a problem.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Rush Limbaugh Answers Me As Other Republicans Email Calling for Civil War

Frank. we live in a Nation of idiots ... that is our Achilles' heel. You. sir, fall in the category of individuals described by Plato in "The Allegory of the Cave". You have escaped the cave and seen the light of day, but when you return to the cave and try to describe what you have seen to the cave-dwellers, who are mesmerized by the dancing shadows on the cave wall which form their comprehension of reality, you are met with hate, scorn and ridicule. I don't envy your position, but I appreciate you for making a difficult stand. Thank you.
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Obama's New Strategy: Blaming Bush For Financial Mess

Of course the Republicans (and that Blue Dog/DLC Clinton) own this economy. It's not President Obama ... it's not the Liberals, or Progressives, or others on the Left who are responsible for what occurred in the United States since 1980.



The Republicans and Vichy Democrats own our economic predicament and are the reason for the low standing the United States has in the world today.



And the Vichy Democrats are still acting as obstructionists, putting their closet Republican ideology ahead of what is the best for the country.



A person would have to have a pretty low IQ (or be a Republican which is about equivalent) to blame President Obama for the dire economic crisis we are in.
About Barack Obama
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Majority of Voters View Limbaugh Negatively, 45 Percent "Very, Very Negatively": Study

I don't see how this can be accurate, I mean the Republicans made Rush the ideological leader of their party. Rush stands for what the GOP stands for.



This idea that Rush is unpopular strikes me as just some kind of tree-hugging Liberal plot to undermine him. I know that Rush is the man the GOP crawl to everyday and beg for direction. Rush is the GOP present and Rush is the GOP future.



I'm sure I am not alone when I say that I am very happy with Rush in his current role and I hope he is the leader of the GOP for decades to come.



I wouldn't take this poll too seriously. Rush is loved by the GOP ... he completes them.
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Christina Romer: Obama Not Overwhelmed By Bad Economy

The Right is used to a Democratic President picking one high-profile issue they could focus on and attack. The Obama Administration's inundation of ideas and initiatives makes it nearly impossible for the GOP and their fellow travelers in the MSM and Chamber of Commerce to mount an effective counter attack on the Obama Administration's agenda.



In short Obama Administration .... POUR IT ON!!!! MORE!!! MORE!!! MORE!!! FASTER!!! FASTER!!!FASTER!!! ... do not let up!



The Obama Administration has succeeded in reducing the opposition to Lucy and Ethel racing the conveyor belt in the chocolate factory.



SPEED IT UP ... we need more Nuts and Chews!!!!
About Barack Obama
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Alan Greenspan: The Fed Didn't Cause The Housing Bubble

The toothpaste is out of the tube, Mr. Greenspan, and you smell like Fresh Mint.
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McCaskill: I'm Not Sure We Have Votes On Employee Free Choice Act

American workers have been more than patient in terms of expanding and solidifying worker's rights. If the Democrats can't get the EFCA passed then it is time to work for the creation an activist Labor Party whose membership uses financial boycott as well as walkouts and strikes to get business to sing the proper tune.



Of course that would kill the Democratic Party, but if they aren't willing to get the job done, so be it.



And Mr Donohue knows that there has never been an easier time in the history of the Republic to organize people quickly ... and times they are a-changing.



I say the Chamber should wise up, expansion of the Unions is the least of their worries.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Igor Panarin: U.S. Will Collapse By Next Year

If the United States were to collapse why would Panarin assume that whomever was controlling the US at the time (likely a Military/Industrial Politburo, that would have vanquished American Civil Authority and imposed martial law by Military Contractor) would allow any world economic competitor to survive unscathed if their own dreams of being rulers of the New World Order were destroyed? If I were China, Russia, India, the EU or any other competitor nation to the US I would be doing all I can to preserve US stability and cohesion, for there will be no winners should the US collapse. I am positive of that.



Remember the way messianic megalomaniacs and their brainwashed minions operate ... Hitler supposedly was constructing a "Doomsday Device" to shoot a warhead into the center of the earth in an attempt to destroy the earth should his plans fail, obviously it didn't work. Panarin should pray for the stability of the United States rather than muse over the fanciful beneficial outcomes for his country should American collapse come to pass.
About Barack Obama
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Obama Touts Main Street Success As Wall Street Plunges

"I'm not saying, 'Mr. President, go stare at the Bloomberg quote machine and come to your senses,'" said CNBC's Jim Kramer. "I just want some sign that Obama realizes the market is totally falling apart. And that his agenda has a big hand in that happening."



I call BULLSH*T!!!!



Cramer, President Obama is not responsible for the Securities Kiting/Ponzi Scheme that is now collapsing ... Wall Street is. There is nothing that this President ... or any President ... could do at this point to prevent this scam from collapsing and rescue investors from losing their shirts. The die is cast, Cramer, and it was you and your Wall Street buddies who were running the forge.



CNBC has no credibility. Nobody on CNBC warned their investor Viewers they were about to lose 40-60% of their wealth last year. The talking heads on CNBC with their faux bluster acted like carnival barkers getting the Savvy PC Investor Set into the big tent to see the bearded lady and the cat with two heads.



I know Cramer has a job to do ... and it isn't an easy one ... but you would think at some point conscience would come into play for some of these CNBC Corporate Breast-beaters and they would recognized they have far more to do with the people who have been financially wiped out than the President has.



Cramer, CNBC deal in reality once in a while, huh?
About Barack Obama
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Liberal Groups Pressure Congress On Foreclosure Bill (VIDEO)

To paraphrase John McCain ... take the names of the lawmakers, Democrat or Republican, that stand in the way of this and make them famous in their home districts through ads. Then start canvassing for challengers to these lawmakers in their next elections. Time to get as punitive with the Lawmakers as the Banks are with the mortgage holder's in default.
About Video On HuffPost
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"Slumdog" Kids Back To School, One Taken Ill, Father Demands More Cash (PHOTOS)

Is this a case of the "Butterfly Effect" or "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished"?



I once saw a great Tagalog film by Kidlat Tahimik called "Turumba" of how the life in a Philippine Village is turned upside down when their local paper mache crafts are noticed by a German Tourist who hires the villagers to create souvenirs of the mascot of 1972 Munich games. It is really worth seeing the damage outsiders can cause when they interrupt the traditional dynamic of a people's culture. This is really the case with these slum kids, for life will never be the same for them again now that they have lived in another world.
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Rush Limbaugh At CPAC: Doubles Down On Wanting Obama To Fail (VIDEO)

"... They hoped George Bush failed. So what is so strange about being honest and saying I want Barack Obama to fail if his mission is to restructure and reform this country so that capitalism and individual liberty are not its foundation?"



Capitalism and Liberty isn't what Rush is afraid of losing ... it's the Collapse of the Corporate Oligarchy that funds him and the loss of his place at the table of the New World Order's Global Banquet of Born Again Feudalism.
About President Obama
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Obama To Lobbyists: I'm Ready To Fight (VIDEO)

Anyone who thought the fight for what's right ended on November 4th, 2008 was mistaken ... that was just one battle won.



We must not let the fire we brought to the campaign die. President Obama gets it so must we.



Lobbyists, Corporations, MSM, those embracing the Status Quo, they are our adversaries and will be for the foreseeable future. We must scan the horizon for the next ploy. We must bare our incisors, ready for confrontation ... we must maintain the desire to win. We must continue the fight for nothing of lasting value for the American people has come without a fight.



To Fight is to Win!



Let's Win.
About Obama Budget
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Obama Budget Projects $1.75 Trillion Deficit

I feel that one thing Obama really needs to do, in addition to rolling out the Stimulus and his Budget Proposals, is keep hammering on the legacy nature of the problems the Nation faces. Already the GOP is trying to spin the crisis as something Obama caused. I have even heard the argument that Obama's responsibility predates his taking office because he was the "Real President" after November 4th and Bush was just a lame duck.



I like what the Obama Administration is doing so far but I would frame this huge crisis as a multiple car auto accident with severe injuries. The Obama Administration is like the Fire, Police and EMT personnel that arrives on the scene and tries to do the best they can for the injured ... but they didn't cause the accident, whose aftermath they are addressing, to start with.



The Republicans own this mess ... the Wars, the Economy, everything. The Obama Administration must not give them any opportunity to wriggle out of that responsibility.
About Obama Budget
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Obama Tax Raise: Looks To Raise Taxes On The Affluent To Pay For Health Care

Raising Taxes on the Rich is a good idea in general. The American People, through their government, have provided a system where individuals and corporations can convert their talents and efforts into wealth like no other place on Earth. That opportunity should be considered "pay to play" with taxes being the buy in to the game. If the wealthy don't like it they can move abroad and try to compete in other systems where hiding their wealth from the taxman would be the least of their worries.



Insofar as paying for Universal Single Payer Health Care by taxing the rich, I don't agree. A Universal Single Payer Health Care program would be best served by a slight, across the board, consumption tax. In a design like that everyone pays a little into the service every time they buy something, and you can do away with further problems of wealthier Americans claiming they carry the weight of Health Care for everyone. Tax the Rich for sure, but tax everyone for Universal Health Care so no one group can use their economic leverage to tamper with the system in the future.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Why Healthcare Can't Wait

Gentlemen thank you for sharing your opinions. There is no good argument against Universal Single Payer Health Care for all Americans. Every argument uttered is the same old stale talking points that don't stand up to intelligent analysis.



Our major economic competitors have health care for their citizens, which takes the burden off of their businesses and makes them more successful. A Universal Health Care program would eliminate the tragic stories of Americans having to declare bankruptcy while dealing with a catastrophic illness. We would be able to eliminate future Medicare and Medicaid shortfalls. We would be able to grant access to our Veterans in a new Universal System so they could go to whatever doctor they choose instead of dealing with the limitations of the VA system. It's a win all the way around.



If it were my plan I would pay for it all with a slight consumption tax ... it would be painless, spread the cost to everyone and likely provide a surplus to help finance new procedures and even aid in financing R&D for companies like Mr Kindler's.



The wailing and gnashing of teeth about the dreaded "Canadian System" is such a red herring. We already have successful HMO models that can be utilized for a government plan, so it wouldn't be reinventing the wheel. The Kaiser Permanente model strikes me a good place to start ... I have been more then pleased with there services for decades.



Let's get Health Care for all Americans done!
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Bank Of America CEO Lewis: We Can "Make It Through This Downturn On Our Own"

Let's make one thing perfectly clear ... The Bank Lewis runs is NATIONS BANK, not Bank of America.



AP Gianini's Bank of America was an actual bank ... Hugh McColl's Nations Bank was a fake bank that owed its success to Merger and Acquisition not banking. Hostile Takeovers and leveraged buyouts are Nations Banks success story, its only innovations those it acquired.



The story goes that McColl commissioned multiple focus groups to determine the name of the post BofA takeover ... the story was he wanted them to declare Nations Bank the winner but they kept on choosing Bank of America, so McColl begrudgingly accepted Bank of America and relocated the headquarters from San Francisco to Charlotte, North Carolina (World Class City There).



A friend of mine who was at a post merger meeting with a Nations Bank Executive heard him drawl out to the Bank Americans in attendance "We might be called Bank or America, but don't kid yourselves, We're Nations Bank."



So the bank on the brink of collapse is Hugh McColl's monstrosity not AP Gianini's jewel.



McColl, Lewis, and the Coulter, the last CEO of BofA who was bamboozled by McColl had better hope there isn't an afterlife, because if there is, AP is waiting there to escort them to the Gates of Hell.
About Bank Of America
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No Longer A Forgotten War

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Limbaugh: Trying To Understand A Dem Like Trying To Understand A Murderer Or Rapist

Rush is starting to meltdown like the character in Poe's "Tell Tale Heart" ... he hears the beating of the heart beneath the floorboards of his studio ... oh, he'll try to ignore it ... he'll try ...



but the ,,, th-thump ... th-thump ,,, th-thump ... will continue. He'll rail on the President, on Pelosi, Reid, MoveOn .... the liberals .... but the th-thump ,,, th-thump ... th-thump will continue ...



"Why won't it stop?" Rush's eyes will dart about the room. "Why won't it STOP!?!"



it's only a matter of time ... th-thump ... th-thump ... th-thump ... before you know it he'll be on his knees, sweating, tearing at the floorboards ... foaming ... ranting ... "The Fairness Doctrine!!!!!" .... "LIBERALS!!!!"



"DAMN YOU!" .... DAMN YOU!!!"



His fingernails gone ... his linoleum floor shredded ... "STOP!!!" ... "STOP!!!!"



But the disembodied heart of Edward R Murrow will continue to beat beneath his Studio Floor ... mocking him.



th-thump ... th-thump ... th-thump ...
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Obama Opposes 'Fairness Doctrine' Revival

The argument against the Fairness Doctrine is asinine. "Well, we have the internet now so why do we need balanced content on the public airwaves?" Answer, there are still millions of more Americans getting their information via the radio on an hourly basis than from the internet. If we were so amazingly wired coast to coast then the transition from analog to digital television signals wouldn't have been postponed.



Another point, Rush didn't get a 400 million dollar contract because he is a quaint novelty ... he received it because he is a potent propaganda weapon for the Right. There are vast areas of the United States that are only covered by Right Wing radio. A constant drone of Rightest, Corporate propaganda hour after hour after hour.



You know what it is called when a subject is bombarded with a message until they accept it? Social engineering ... brain washing, if you will. There is no difference between the monotone Rightest message pumped into the back waters of America and what the Allies did against the Nazis with Radio Free Europe and the US did against bastions of communism during the Cold War through Voice of America ... Propaganda ... Domestic Psy-Warfare.



You want to flush the Fairness Doctrine? You want to leave the uneven distribution of ideas in America as it stands? Fine ... but don't kid yourself, in a very meaningful way, Rush Wins.
About Barack Obama
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New York Post Chimp Cartoon Compares Stimulus Author To Dead Primate

Well, the New York Post needs to maintain their subscriber base of right wing mental deficients so they throw a fistful of racist peanuts into their reader's cage in the form of this cartoon.
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Mining The Gold Of Their Own Disaster.

James, President Obama is really caught between a rock and a hard place on this one. First, the last time the American people were in this type of situation was the 1930's, so there is an awful lot of denial still within the population as to the extent of the crisis, which gives traction to GOP criticism of the President's strategy to those who still think there is an easy fix I also understand that President Obama probably feels that he has to keep the optimism up and not let on all he knows about the severity of our predicament in order to prevent panic ... this I think is a mistake.



President Obama needs to build a direct bridge with the American people in a non-partisan fashion ... no one asks the political alignment of the EMT. Police Officer, or Fireman that responds to their 911 call. President Obama needs to be the nation's first responder in order to get the government moving in a direction to resolve this problem ... that requires honest disclosure of where we find ourselves and who is at fault, be it Republican or Democrat.



The only way to prevent the GOP from commandeering the national dialogue is complete, brutal explanation and disclosure from the Bully Pulpit. Full, non-partisan disclosure from President Obama would disarm any Republican gamesmanship they had planned in my opinion, and put them on notice to get to work.
About President Obama
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Winning the Economic Argument: Show Opponents This Graph, and Ask Them to Explain

Paul, the Republicans require Americans to be ignorant and frightful in order to maintain a base and further their aims. The graph is marvelously, and dramatically demonstrative of FDR's success at pulling the United States out of the Great Depression, however, those traditional supporters of the GOP you would share this graph with would need the capacity to accurately interpret its findings. There was a time when American School Children could name the capitals of Europe, now identifying the United States on the map of the world is iffy for even some American adults.



For anyone of reasonable education your graph explains the facts of FDR's success ... but we don't live in a nation of reasonably educated people.
About Taxes
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Japanese Finance Minister Appears Drunk At G7 Meeting (VIDEO)

If I were the Japanese Finance Minister ... I'd be drunk too.
About Japan
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GOP 'Salt Marsh Mouse' Stimulus Strategy Assailed By Conservatives

The Republicans are currently bereft of talent at the money positions of their party. It seems appropriate they would utilize the Salt Marsh Mouse to gird their political loins for battle with President Obama and the Dems.



And nothing rallies the GOP troops like the muffled, seemingly semi-inebriated sobs which constitute John Boehner's battle cry.
About Stimulus Package
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"The House GOP Is Back": Republicans Promote Stimulus Opposition With Aerosmith

Probably the 200th time it has been mentioned, but wouldn't the Fixx's "Saved by Zero" be more appropriate than Aerosmith?
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Nouriel Roubini: Only Way To Save US Banking System Is To Nationalize It

How can the US Government hope to cover the Banking System's trillions upon trillions upon trillions of dollars in toxic assets at a few measly hundred billion at a time? Let's get serious here.



If President Obama's economic team wants to pull a Slim Pickens and "yippy-ay-aay" its way to a complete world financial meltdown riding Milton Friedman's warhead of failed economic policy then they need to be replaced.



Nationalize the Banks and lets stop pretending we can resurrect the dead.
About Federal Reserve
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Congress Sets New Limits On Wall Street Bonuses

It's satisfying to obtain a pound of flesh from the CEO's, but let us not forget that this is one of the reasons for their huge paychecks to start with ... the willingness to take the fall.



If we want to get at the heart of the problems of Corporate America and draw a keener focus on the area screaming for reform we need to roll up our sleeves and get into the muck of interlocking corporate boards and the outside organizations the ubiquitous board members belong to,



An online database of corporate board members and their affiliations would go a long way towards resolving the picture of who controls the corporations and what the driving force of their direction might be.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Putting Kids In Jail For Profit

Dave, the problem is the laws are too lenient in the United States for heinous acts such as this. These judges and the authorities of these for profit detainment centers and, for that matter anyone having direct knowledge of this practice, should face capital punishment. These Judges and their cohorts in crime are institutional kidnappers who have taught 5000 children the opposite of Justice.



Let the punishment fit the crime, these Judges have betrayed their oaths and used the authority of the bench to engage in criminal conspiracy which perverted Justice for benefit of personal profit.



And lets not kid ourselves, just like Corporate America wants to take over the public schools and create centers of controlled knowledge that will produce a pliant labor force with a monochrome worldview... the ultimate goal of these privately run Prisons, with inmates of dubious guilt, is the creation of an incarcerated corporate slave labor force whose work product falls under the auspices of "paying one's debt to society."
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

WATCH LIVE: Senators Discuss Tentative Stimulus Deal

I have to say, when I see the polls of Americans that are against this Stimulus Bill, and I look at the reasons forwarded I am amazed. It is obvious that people are not recognizing the gravity of the situation. Trillions upon Trillions of dollars in value have evaporated from the Markets and the evaporation of capital can only get worse if efforts to stabilize the economy aren't applied. When a conservative like Ben Stein appears on multiple business shows and is screaming that money has to be pumped into the economy immediately he isn't playing around. This type of approach towards managing the economy is not Ben Stein's way. He is frightened, Economists from all sides of the political spectrum are terrified. We are looking at a Worldwide Economic Meltdown that the American approach over the last 29 years has caused. The ramifications are huge in both the short and long term.



As Obama said "This is not a game." The current mindset displayed by many Americans reminds me of those who went to picnic at the first skirmish of the Civil War.



"War! How grand, we must see!"



They saw, and after the first skirmish there weren't many picnics held going forward. Folks, this is bad with the potential of being far worse than most of us can imagine ... we should not pretend that this is a normal part of the Business cycle anymore than Katrina was your run of the mill Hurricane.
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<i>NYT</i>: Daschle Should Step Aside

If Daschle were to step aside there is this other guy ... I think he used to be the Governor of Vermont ... A DOCTOR even ... who might be a good fit for the job.



His name is Dean ... Howard Dean ... has anyone besides me heard of him?
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Bailed Out Banks Sought Foreign Workers For High-Paying Jobs: AP

I recall during the High Tech Boom Times of the 90's that American tech employees had Corporate America wrapped around their finger. There wasn't enough tech talent available. The tech talent that was available was flighty and would jump from job to job in order to ladder up their incomes creating instability for Corporate IT departments. Frankly US Business got sick and tired of acquiescing to the demands, cost and arrogance of American Tech employees. Add to that that in the drought of tech talent there were so many impostors floating around with padded résumés that many employers couldn't tell what they hired until they screwed something up or never produced.



Enter India, China, and Russia ... Nations hungry for opportunity and turning out high quality engineers like puppies from a puppy mill.



Corporate America had it's answer.



I would argue that today's foreign tech workers exhibit the same qualities as the chinese workers that were brought over by American Business to work on the railroads.



1. The had the requisite skills.

2. They were plentiful.

3. They were cheap.

4. They were disposable.



Add to that the benefit of diluting the power of American Labor (always the goal of Corporate America) and we arrive at the place we are now.
About Recession
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Industrial Policy

Senator Hollings, right on target, sir!



Here's an oldie but a goodie:



"The Capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them." Vladimir Ilyich Lenin



What the titans of Wall Street, Corporate America, the Banks, the MSM have managed to do with their shortsightedness is murder their own way of life. In the victory over American Labor that American Capitalists have achieved, during the last twenty nine years, their unfettered power has delivered them from being manacled in paradise to wandering, parched in the desert. Here is a short itemization of their self defeating, willful blindness:



1) Outsourcing to foreign countries with standards of living so low they could never afford the products they manufactured for export to the United States.



2) Not recognizing that the well paid American Worker was the ultimate consumer of their products that sustained their wealth.



3) That extending consumer credit was a finite process.



4)That a housing bubble, which enhanced domestic purchasing power, wouldn't collapse.



5) That fraudulent wealth can never replace actual wealth.



6) That tomorrow never comes.



The Titans of the Economy have failed, the only way forward is to leave them wandering in the desert and identifying a new way forward. I hope the President has a good compass.
About Economy
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Generation Jones: Our Time is Now

If the Baby Boomers constituted a Parade then Generation Jones constitutes those who watched the parade pass by, leaning on a broom, and then sprang into work cleaning up the decorations, dismantling the crowd barriers and sweeping up the horse manure.



We Jonesers know our place in the world,
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Cost Of Shoring Up Banks May Reach $4 Trillion

It would be cheaper to Nationalize the entire banking system ... President Obama had better be very careful with this "Bad Bank" nonsense, because there are 68 Trillion Dollars of Credit Default Swaps and an estimated 1.144 Quadrillion in Derivatives and no one can say what the actual value of any of it is. So the American Taxpayer starts swallowing bad assets thinking they are only mortgage related CMOs ... then it is the CDOs ... then it is the CLOs ... then it is the CBOs and all of the sudden generations of Americans are on the hook for the debt, because I have no confidence at all that the Banks have fully disclosed the extent of their exposure.



Stupid ... Stupid ... Stupid ...



Call this mess what it is ... Massive Institutional Fraud ... Nationalize the Banks ... Identify the individuals responsible and prosecute them either in the US or the World Court. But do not pretend that the US can create a "Bad Bank" to eat the losses generated during over a decade of Institutional fraud. The approach will fail. 100%
About The Bailouts
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Obama Had To Try Bipartisanship This Time -- Next Time Will Be Different

Mr. Brodsky, the Republicans and Bluedogs just let it be known to their constituents that the hard times they are facing are not as important to remedy as is standing firm on repudiated principles. If I were represented by these Obstructionists I'd be on the phone to my representative saying "You better fight for me, for bettering my situation or you're FIRED!"



All of these Republican and Bluedog Obstructionists were elected to their positions and until they get the message from their voters they will continue to be the problem, in terms of getting the United States back on track, as opposed to being part of the solution.



People responsible for these Obstructionists, if you don't think your needs are being met, Let your Representatives know how you feel ... it's cathartic!
About President Obama
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Bailout Recipients Hosted Call To Defeat Key Labor Bill

The pompous Eloi ...



What can you say about these parasites? The "civilization" they want to preserve is Multinational Corporate Feudalism ... with them as the venerated "Lords". I'm sorry, no one was put on this planet to serve these esteemed individuals.



Ultimately, there needs to be a Multinational Labor Movement to counter Multinational Business ... so if a factory of workers in Vietnam or Bangladesh is being ill treated by their employer the blow back is the boycott of the products this company produces by workers in the US, EU, etc.



Until a very simple reality is understood ... that Workers=Consumers (therein lies the power) ... we are going to have to endure these pompous self promoters, their inflated sense of importance and their transgressions against us.
About Bank Of America
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Karl Rove Subpoenaed By John Conyers: 'Time To Talk'

I am extremely pleased that Conyers didn't jump the gun on this and indict Rove while Bush was still in office ... that would have been a regrettable mistake.



I think, however, the plot may thicken. I am of the the opinion that President Bush indeed pardoned some of his henchmen (and women) but didn't announce it publicly. We will certainly find out if that is the case soon enough.
About Karl Rove
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Ex-Gitmo Detainee, Al-Shihri, Joins Al Qaeda In Yemen

This ex-detainee is now unambiguously a known terrorist, and can be dealt with as such, swiftly. If there wasn't enough evidence to hold him at Gitmo then it was correct to release him. Anyone is a potential criminal, ask any law enforcement agent and they will agree, but there needs to be solid proof. We may never know if this individual's treatment at Guantanamo drove him to Al Qaeda or if he had an allegiance with the group before hand. We send petty offenders to prison in the US everyday and when they eventually get out many wind up being worse criminals than they were at first.



The choices are simple, we could line up all of the Gitmo detainees, guilty or innocent, and execute them for the sake of expedience. We could dutifully use measures of our legal system to determine guilt or innocence individually and risk some detainees becoming an issue upon release ... Parole Boards deal with that situation daily. One path is risky, one is sure. One path represents American Values, the other doesn't.



Before people say we are in undiscovered territory in dealing with freelance terrorists I would cite the example of Ramzi Yousef. Yousef, nephew of Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, was one of the planners of the 1993 attack on the WTC. Yousef was apprehended, tried and is serving a life sentence at Supermax Prison ADX Florence. So, to our credit, we have processed terrorists successfully through our judicial system before.
About Guantánamo Bay
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Kirsten Gillibrand: New York's Next Senator

So who's running against Patterson for Governor? I want to place my Intrade bet early.
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Gone-tanamo Bay: the Right Decision

Congressman Murtha, I have read a large number of books on the Imperial Japanese Invasion of the Philippines and the brutality of the Bataan Death March. The Imperial Japanese had absolutely no compassion for our garrison captured in the Philippines and viewed our soldiers that surrendered as the lowest creatures on earth. Our captured soldiers were beaten, starved, deprived medical treatment, humiliated, and beheaded for sport. When the war was over, Japanese Military Officers who were guilty of this brutality were tried and hanged.



In 1945 the United States Government made a statement to the world that the murder, mistreatment, torment, and torture of prisoners was a crime punishable by death.



Closing Guantanamo is a good first start, but what was allowed to transpire there was inline with what the Japanese where convinced they could rightfully do to our prisoners at places like Camp O'Donnell and Cabanatuan.



In "Cheney's Law" a post by David Bromwich I found this quote:



"When the tortures at Abu Ghraib were brought to light, John McCain said unforgettably: "We should never simply fight evil with evil." And again: "This isn't about who they are, this is about who we are.""



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-bromwich/cheneys-law_b_69239.html



Who are we Congressman Murtha? Are we the Americans that viewed ill treatment of helpless POWs during WWII in the Philippines to be so vile it was worthy of execution? Or have we become the guards of Camp O'Donnell ourselves?
About Obama's First 100 Days
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Can Progressives Grow Up? (President Obama Needs the Left to Change Its Ways)

Mr Schaeffer, perhaps the Left can refine its methods of expression, but it must never compromise on principle. I will (and do) applaud Obama for actions I find inline with my outlook and let my opinion be known if I disagree. I did, indeed, say "my outlook" because we are all individuals here. There is no Archetype Liberal, or Progressive, or Leftist ... as a group we aren't into forming up in lines and engaging in synchronized thought, that is the Right's approach to politics. So there will be times we agree with Obama and times we won't. President Obama's election wasn't the end of the story, but the beginning.



I don't believe the Left needs to change its ways. I believe each Liberal, Progressive, Leftist person should take a stand for what they believe in and express their love for their country through active engagement and speaking from their heart.
About Barack Obama
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Credit Card Breach: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover Customers Vulnerable

I believe the Credit Card companies must have a contract with Heartland Systems which allows Heartland to access Card Association systems in order to perform transactions. If that were the case, one would think that the Credit Card companies would perform some degree of due diligence to insure their customer data though the processor was secure.



If it was a fraud that took place at a store or business that was breached that would be one thing, and the business would be culpable, but a known Payment Processor, which would be an intermediary for debit and credit card transactions between the Credit Card companies and the Merchants would put the Card Associations and Heartland Systems on the hook for the losses, I would think.
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Bush Booed At Inauguration (VIDEO)

So George got booed ... he spent so much of his Presidency in micromanaged events with preselected crowds this was probably one of the rare occasions he interacted with the American rabble. I would imagine he was actually hurt by the experience having been so insulated from reality.



All in all, however, getting booed by a million people is better then what the million Iraqis who didn't survive the rescue from Saddam that was orchestrated by Bush got.



So let's keep things in context.
About Obama's Inauguration
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Limbaugh: "I Hope Obama Fails"

Just a note to Rush's "ditto heads" ...



Folks, Rush made his money. Whether Obama succeeds or fails Rush is insulated from the economic crisis. Rush can happily cheer every foreclosure and layoff while pointing his accusatory finger at Obama with a chuckle, but it won't be his job lost, it won't be his house foreclosed on, it won't be his pension or 401k evaporating. Rush is emancipated from hardship. So as Rush plays cheerleader to Obama miscues or setbacks, and rejoices in an increase in the American misery quotient, the pom poms he uses will be derived from the shredded lives of his beloved "ditto heads".



If that isn't love I don't know what is.
About President Obama
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Is It Time for Protectionism?

"Yet I noticed that the Philippines last week was continuing in its confidential deal with Thailand to secure a portion of Thai rice production as a reaction to last year's crisis, which hit Filipinos very hard. It is significant that such a market-fixing deal is going ahead; it is also significant that it is a "secret" deal."



I don't know if using the Philippines as an example of status quo economic reality really supports your argument. Next to Myammar the Philippines is one of the most poorly run nations in Southeast Asia. The reason that the Philippines was engaging in a secret deal on rice with Thailand likely was to head off competition from other regional rice dependent countries. The Philippines does not have the capacity to meet its domestic rice needs due to conversion of vast tracks of agricultural land for residential purposes and an agriculture policy so ill conceived and corrupt it leaves thousands of rice farms fallow during the dry season due to lack of adequate irrigation and inflated farming costs. This secret deal with Thailand for rice was likely a political move to avoid famine in certain regions of the Philippines and take negative focus off the Administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo that is trying to wrangle a change in the Philippine Constitution that would allow her to extend her term.
About Auto Bailout
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The First 100 Hours Of Obama's Presidency

As we all know the Federal Reserve has extended over a trillion dollars to the Financial Sector outside of the Tarp Money that was allocated by Congress. The reason for this is the Executive Branch has the capacity to perform some unilateral acts in relation to the monetary system through the Treasury due to the Banking sector's relationship with the Treasury and the Federal Reserve which is crucial to Banking's ability to operate.



That relationship allows the President some latitude in affecting Banking practices.



The point being, President Obama would have the ability, through Executive Order, to impose a moratorium on foreclosures for an indefinite period of time while forcing Banks to renegotiate Mortgage terms with homeowners at risk of default. President Obama would also have the capacity to insist on Interest Rates on Mortgages being uniformly dropped to whatever percentage rate was required to stabilize the housing market. These were Executive Powers that President Bush chose not to utilize in addressing the housing crisis.



Within the First 100 Hours I would hope to see President Obama issue such an Executive Order to form a bottom for the housing crisis that is one of the major causes of our economic free fall.
About President Obama
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Note to a Poop Stirrer

Mr Modine, Ann Coulter isn't into legitimate discourse, or accurate evaluation of the American experience. The purpose of Coulter's work is to keep the low information American trapped in their intellectual cave reacting to shadows. You have to give Coulter credit though, she has done a great job as a foot soldier in the divide and conquer political approach of America's Right Wing ... her potency is waning however due to over-exposure, Coulter's own outlandishness, and a resetting of American priorities.



A number of years ago a coworker of mine who was from Italy and spent his youth involved political movements in the Calabria region shared a bit of wisdom he picked up from a leftist Italian politician. The politician said simply:



"The people will accept anything you tell them as long as it amuses them and their stomachs are full."



The problem for individuals like Coulter is her amusement value has dissipated and Americans now find themselves hungry.
About Celebs Talk Politics
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Paul Krugman Letter To Obama In <i>Rolling Stone</i>

Actually, what Krugman describes is very good news for President Obama (gee I like the sound of that) in terms of the economy despite the current mayhem. Since the Fed is now flaccid, and thirty years worth of economic "Experts" of the Friedman sect are on the last train to palukaville, the President essentially has a tabula rasa, in terms of the economy, to work with.



President Obama needs to be bold and not get bogged down in preexisting economic terminologies which would be red meat to the opposition. The need is ACTION not description. The President has a tremendous opportunity to do right by the American people economically, and as has been shown by individuals like Paul Krugman (who was less than supportive of Obama throughout the primaries) there are many passionate, learned individuals willing to roll up their sleeves and aid the incoming Administration in getting America back on track.



Despite the challenges facing the United States presently, if we all pitch in and take ownership of our responsibility as citizens, and with President Obama and the minds around him on the bridge of our Ship of State, we may all have a the voyage of a lifetime before us ... icebergs or not.
About Paul Krugman
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Bin Laden's Message in the Era of Obama

Congressman Roemer, I think many Americans, like myself, are anxious for a thorough investigation of the events that led to and occurred on September 11th, 2001. I believe it still awaits to be determined whether Bin Laden and Al Qeada were the masterminds of the terrorist attacks or merely hired hands that carried out the hit on the United States.



There are, after all, about 3000 murder victims, and their families, awaiting justice ... and though it may be enjoyable to torture Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to the point of madness for his participation in the crime, it is difficult to believe he is the Alpha and Omega of the treachery that occurred 9/11/2001.
About Palestinian Territories
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Questions for Those Who Think I'm Going to Hell

Mr Smith, Hell is a product of Mythology, as is Valhalla. I recently heard that the common view of Hell has nothing to do with Bible interpretation at all and was actually described in Dante's Divine Comedy - Inferno. You have to give the author credit, there is something for everyone in Hell from his perspective:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_Comedy



Frankly, I'd have more concern about going to Heaven if I were into Judeo-Christian Mythology ... it seems like such a tedious place. Seems like an eternity of elevator music while all the interesting people would be in Hell.



Anyway, let me leave you with a lyrics from some of my favorite Bards on the subject of Hell



"Highway to Hell" AC/DC



Living easy, living free

Season ticket on a one-way ride

Asking nothing, leave me be

Taking everything in my stride

Don't need reason, don't need rhyme

Ain't nothing I would rather do

Going down, party time

My friends are gonna be there too



I'm on the highway to hell



No stop signs, speed limit

Nobody's gonna slow me down

Like a wheel, gonna spin it

Nobody's gonna mess me round

Hey Satan, payed my dues

Playing in a rocking band

Hey Momma, look at me

I'm on my way to the promised land



I'm on the highway to hell

(Don't stop me)



And I'm going down, all the way down

I'm on the highway to hell



(1979 Young, Young, Scott)
About Gay Marriage
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Gitmo Prosecutions May Be Impossible Because Evidence Is In Chaos, Says Ex-Prosecutor

I'm wondering the real reason an ad hoc group of Afghans were rounded up and held incommunicado in Guantanamo for so long? It is known many of those apprehended were ratted out by neighbors with grudges or because of rewards given by the United States. It almost seems to me that these prisoners are little more than props used to maintain the notion of a dangerous world in the minds of Americans, allowing the Bush Administration to push forward with its goals.



On the other hand, many of today's Taliban, Al Qaeda, Abu Sayyaf terrorists began as Ronald Reagan's Mujahideen "Freedom Fighters" ... funded, trained, and armed by US Intelligence in the late 70's early 80's. Now, "Charlie Wilson's War" gave the impression that the US just abandoned Afghanistan ... but the CIA never leaves a base of operations, it may go dormant, but it maintains a presence and continues to cultivate resources. For instance, the US Military Bases in the Philippines closed in 1992, but the CIA never left.



Remember that CIA agent who was guarding captured Taliban forces and was killed? What if some of those prisoners were some of his assets? What if CIA was unsure of what they knew or were involved with? What if they could place Al Qaeda elements in proximity to US Intel personnel prior to 9/11? That would be one reason you would want to round up anyone remotely involved with the situation and make sure they don't talk freely. Just a
About Terrorism
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The Myth of Bush As The Hero of 9/11

"Unfortunately, Bush is left in a catch-22. The attacks were unexpected, to say the least."



I'm not sure I agree with you.



"A report from the Philippines to the United States on January 20, 1995 stated, "What the subject has in his mind is that he will board any American commercial aircraft pretending to be an ordinary passenger. Then he will hijack said aircraft, control its cockpit and dive it at the CIA headquarters."



Another plot the men were cooking up would have involved hijacking of more airplanes. The Sears Tower (Chicago, Illinois), The Pentagon (Arlington County, Virginia), the United States Capitol (Washington, D.C.), the White House (Washington, DC), the Transamerica Tower (San Francisco, California), and the World Trade Center (New York, New York) would be the likely targets."



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bojinka_plot



"The Men" mentioned in the quote included Ramzi Yousef, planner of the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing and his uncle Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks.



United States Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines



26 October 1993 - 05 August 1996 John Negroponte



Wasn't Negroponte made Bush's Intelligence Czar?
About George Bush
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Gonzales Blames "Rough Economy" For His Unemployment

You know, Mike Rowe on "Dirty Jobs" might be looking for a sidekick ...



There are only a handful of people I can think of that would have the perfect Curriculum Vitae for the position ... Gonzo being one of them. Can't you just seem him splashing in the sewer with rats leaping about him or in a big rubber suit, parsing the entrails of a rotting, beached right whale from the inside?



I'm even providing Gonzo with a link to the "How Dirty are You?" self test so he can confirm for himself what the rest of us already know:



http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/dirtyjobs/games/dirtymeter/dirtymeter.html



(NOTE: If "Dirty Jobs" actually lands Gonzo I feel it's only fair that I get the Headhunter's fee)
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The Exclamation Point at the End of the Story

Even in college history the entirety of the United States relationship with the Philippines can be summed up in "You may fire when ready, Gridley" and "I shall return." Nowhere is it discussed the deceit with which the Philippines were acquired by McKinley. Nowhere is it discussed how a million Filipino civilians died during the course of Philippine pacification by the United States. Nowhere is it discussed the mismanagement of resources and collapse of Philippine industries and Banks due to such notables as Governor General Henry Stimson. Nowhere is it discussed that, despite citation by military experts like General Patreaus, the counterinsurgency in the Philippines failed with the US ceding the Provinces to Warlords and merely maintaining control of Manila and a few port towns ... exactly as the Spanish had prior to their collapse in the Islands ... leaving the US Commonwealth authorities as dubious of Filipino loyalty on the eve of WWII in 1941 as they were when they first arrived in 1899. Nowhere is it discussed how FDR was convinced to abandon the US Commonwealth of the Philippines, its garrison, its American community, and its American Nationals of Philippine descent ... in essence the US's own territory in favor of defending England.



Nowhere is the US Philippine Colonial experience commonly celebrated for its success or analyzed for its failure ... likely because it would have put doubts in the minds of the American people when it came to other Imperial endeavors ... Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
About George Bush
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Israeli ground troops invade Gaza to halt rockets

"My father said to me at the end: "Slaughter isnt easy and it isnt short.""



I was a sponsor of my brother-in-laws wedding in the Philippines. Six pigs were slaughtered in less than an hour ... one thrust to the throat each. Let's hope the Israelis are better butchers than your father.
About Israel
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Dixie Chicks National Anthem

Something to think about Obama crew ... this is pure beauty.

GOP Will Filibuster Early Seating Of Al Franken

I think the GOP has become comfortable with filibustering of late because that aren't required to actually FILIBUSTER anymore ... it's like this ...



DEMS: We want to vote on this ...



REPS: FILIBUSTER!!!



DEMS: Wha ..? Again!?!



REPS: FILIBUSTER!!!



DEMS:You can't be serious!!!!



REPS:FILIBUSTER!!!



DEMS: NO!!! PLEASE!!!



REPS:FILIBUSTER!!!



DEMS: Oh HECK!!!!! nevermind ...



REPS: heh heh heh FILIBUSTER heh heh heh ...



For my money Filibuster should mean you stand there for twenty hours without a break ... no yielding the floor to a compatriot to allow a trip to the restroom ... The Republican wants to Filibuster? Let him do so until he drops. A couple of those instances and the Republicans will rethink the strategy.
About Al Franken
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Chris Matthews Eviscerates Neocon Frank Gaffney: "4,000 People Are Dead Because Of The Way You Feel" (VIDEO)

"January 26, 1998



The Honorable William J. Clinton

President of the United States

Washington, DC



Dear Mr. President:



We are writing you because we are convinced that current American policy toward Iraq is not succeeding, and that we may soon face a threat in the Middle East more serious than any we have known since the end of the Cold War. In your upcoming State of the Union Address, you have an opportunity to chart a clear and determined course for meeting this threat. We urge you to seize that opportunity, and to enunciate a new strategy that would secure the interests of the U.S. and our friends and allies around the world. That strategy should aim, above all, at the removal of Saddam Hussein"s regime from power. We stand ready to offer our full support in this difficult but necessary endeavor."



-SNIP-



"Sincerely,



Elliott Abrams Richard L. Armitage William J. Bennett



Jeffrey Bergner John Bolton Paula Dobriansky



Francis Fukuyama Robert Kagan Zalmay Khalilzad



William Kristol Richard Perle Peter W. Rodman



Donald Rumsfeld William Schneider, Jr. Vin Weber



Paul Wolfowitz R. James Woolsey Robert B. Zoellick"



http://www.newamericancentury.org/iraqclintonletter.htm



Please ... Enough!
About Video On HuffPost
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Iraqi Throws Shoes At Bush During Press Conference (VIDEO)(SLIDESHOW)

A lot of Chicago in the air these days ... Blago ... Obama ... and now, ala the Blues Brothers, Bush gets a chance at being "Sole Man"!
About Slideshows
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Modern-Day Pyramids

But we are thinking small here ... what about Mortgages for everyone with an ID card and the ability to make an "X" on a document? There is a lot of money for the Pyramid there! And if we encourage flipping of real estate and irrational appraisals to insanely inflate the property values, the sky's them limit for CMOs we can generate from that! Brilliant! Factor in home owners tapping into the equity of their over valued homes with loans and there is another CDO opportunity!



It is an AMAZING plan, Mr Franken ,,, and as long as the credit markets don't freeze causing the inflated securities' values to collapse (silly thought) we will be living high on the hog!



Are we good or what? Let's give it a shot!
About Economy
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Modern-Day Pyramids

Agreed, Mr. Franken.



How about this idea? A Pyramid scheme based on taking debt and turning it into securities that are then sliced into derivatives, inflated in value, and pumped into the perpetual motion machines of the World Float Market?



But how to sustain such a money making mechanism? Well first of all ... duh ... you have to get rid of all the regulations you can and compromise the regulatory agencies that remain, not a problem.



Then there is the issue of fresh money coming into the Pyramid at the bottom ... how to do that? Ah hah! Easy credit! Credit Cards for EVERYONE! That'll do it! Who cares if the card holders amass access to credit they could never pay in six lifetimes were they to use it all? it's the CDOs from their debt we want as octane for the Pyramid ... besides, draconian bankruptcy laws will keep them in line, as long as they don't all default at once, but that would require a Crash. No way!



cont ...
About Economy
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Lessons from Bernie

Mr. Solin, I am very weary of the narrative that is developing about Madoff being the "Lone Nut" of Money Managers. Of course someone with such a huge cloud of suspicion becomes a titan of his industry. Everyday, shiesters are accepted into the bosom of their community and are celebrated.



When the ENRON collapse took place everyone was dumbfounded by the irresponsible accounting practices that Arthur Anderson was engaged in ... Shocking! At the time of the scandal I was talking with a colleague whose brother was employed with one of the other "Big Five" Accounting firms at the time. His brother told him that everything that Arthur Anderson was being attacked over was standard operating procedure in the Accounting Industry ... they just suffered from have one of their clients collapse because of it. So Arthur Anderson took a bullet for the Accounting Industry and whether or not the remaining "Big Five" learned the errors of their ways will become more apparent as the economy continues to disintegrate.



I have no doubt that Madoff is a criminal and a scoundrel, but I am not ready to buy there is anything unique about him in terms of his industry.
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Unexpurgated Blago: Barack Obama is a "Motherf**ker" and More

Fast forward to January 19, 2017 ...



Phone rings in the White House ...



ring ... ring ... ring ... ring ...



"Hello, this is President Obama ... Sorry I missed your call, but I am in New Orleans accepting the key to the reconstructed City from Mayor Shearer ... please leave a message of any length and I will get back to you as soon as I can."



BEEEEEEP!!!!!



"Yo President Obama ... this is Blago. I left youse quite a number of messages about the ... you know ... pardon deal. I tink I got about as much rehabilitation as I can from this Prison Establishment ting and I'm ready to do ... ah ... some a dem selfless good works ... I ah ... hears people talking about. I mean, eh, I am very sorry for trying to hock your Senate seat. I mean. dat Fitz is quite a sonofa ... I mean. He's good, very good ... how's da basta .. ah .. gentlemen enjoying being your AG? I new da guy woulda find a way into da slot ... da worm. And, about the past ... it's the past. You know? I mean, so I called you a mutha fuc ... I mean, come on it's Chicago for crissake ... people have been called worser! Listen, the guards giving me the eye ... just get back to me about the pardon ... the hair gel is crap here! ... You der? I tink YOU THERE!!
About Rod Blagojevich
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Saving the Big 3 for You and Me

Mr Moore, I bought my first car used for $1000 with over 100k miles on it, a 1970 Oldsmobile Delta 88. I drove it like Steve McQueen through the Streets of San Francisco. I'd get airborne cresting some of our hills and, with dead shocks and springs, bottom out righteously with a monstrous scrape and a plume of sparks ... it was heaven. I beat it up, rarely changed the oil and lasted far longer than I would have expected. It was a Great American Car.



Years later I got what I thought was a deal when my great aunt sold me her 1992 Mercury Sable LS, with only 16k of miles on it for $7000. The car was only driven from my relatives' home to a supermarket a couple of blocks away. The car was luxurious, with every bell and whistle you could wish for, and was an unadulterated piece of cr#p. I put almost as much money into fixing it as I did buying it. When crossing the Bay Bridge the car's engine would lose compression and cause the thing to shake like a beast was trapped within it. My terrified wife would actually pray the rosary. The Sable cured me of American cars. I haven't owned one since.



My guess is the high quality of UAW labor hasn't changed from 1970 to 1992, but the management philosophy sure did, A government buyout of the Big Three would be the answer, for Corporate Management has failed this industry.
About The Bailouts
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Homeland Security Department In Total Disarray

First thing that is necessary is a renaming of the department. "Homeland Security"? Since when did the United States of America become the "Homeland"?



"My country, 'tis of thee,

Sweet land of liberty,

Of thee I sing;

Land where my fathers died,

Land of the pilgrims' pride,

From every mountainside

Let freedom ring!"



Where does it say "Homeland" in that stanza? How about we dispense with the Richard Wagnerization fo the US Government and rename DHS the Department of Domestic Security? We have a precedent ... The War Department became the Department of Defense.



I hear Homeland Security and the Darth Vader theme comes to mind.
About President Obama
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