Liberal/Conservative Divide Only Grows Uglier

[Because this commentary has elicited such a spirited response, I’m leaving it up for at least one more day.  One point on which we probably all agree is that it’ll be great to have an 18-month campaign season over with at last. RA]

It would be easy for me to dismiss Obama supporters as mentally defective but for one inconvenient fact: my mother, sharp as a tack at 92, is voting for him. And so is my sister, a San Francisco attorney who is no slouch in the brains department.  I’m not sure where my brother, a municipal employee, stands, but neither am I eager to find out. There is no bridging the political gap between us, and so we simply avoid discussing politics.  The same goes for old friends, although newer ones are another matter.  One of them walked out on our dinner together in a huff when an innocuous remark I’d made about Abe Lincoln evidently bruised his self-righteously liberal, morally perfect heart . Good riddance. It is far better friends than he that I am worried about. Will they draw the line when I let slip my support for the right to bear arms, even concealed?  A few of my wife’s closest friends are unmitigated liberals, and it’s unclear how much longer we’ll be able to tiptoe around the political rough edges when we get together socially.

The truce with my siblings and mother has held, but not without strain. When the latter referred to the eminently decent Mitt Romney as “a jerk,” I returned fire with an over-the-top fusillade of anti-Obama invective. That was a month ago, and we haven’t talked about the election since.  Nor do I plan to rub it in after Romney wins on Tuesday — an outcome I believe is inevitable because the nation has been wallowing for nearly five years in an officially undeclared, if not to say brazenly-lied-about, state of recession. Romney voters will have to stifle the hubris, though, since there is no way he will be able to reverse the country’s inexorable slide into economic darkness. To be fair, I should state that Obama is no more culpable for the abysmal state of the economy than Bill Clinton was praiseworthy for its resurgence during his presidency. He got lucky, is all, while Obama inherited a disaster two generations in the making. Economic cycles are far bigger than the presidency, and this one is going to take its ruinous course no matter who is in the White House.

Dating Game’s Top ‘No-No’

In the meantime, the political gap between liberals and conservatives can only continue to widen. And to grow uglier. This unfortunate trend was underscored by a recent Wall Street Journal story that focused on dating services. It seems the matchmaking business has declined in recent years because clients seeking mates are increasingly putting political compatibility at the top of their lists. “In this neck-and-neck, ideologically fraught election season, politically active singles won’t cross party lines,” the Journal noted. “The result is a dating desert populated by reds and blues who refuse to make purple.” So much for romance these days. Time was when smoking, drinking, religion, education level and physical attractiveness were the main concerns of men and women looking for love; now, apparently, a date-seeker’s political views trumps them all.

Until a crisis equal to the Great Depression arrives, liberals and conservatives are unlikely to bury the hatchet.  For voters on either side of the divide, the stakes in this election will not seem to have been exaggerated; for they involve nothing less than a fight for the nation’s economic well-being – nay, for its very soul. Over the next four years, and probably long thereafter, moral and financial jeopardy will confront each of us in ways that seem likely to widen political divisions. Putting aside the wild card of Iran, one of the most difficult issues we face will entail putting public employees’ pension and health care benefits on a sound financial basis. The unions will claim, correctly, that there is no legal precedent for denying workers benefits that were promised them when they were hired. Their employers will claim, also correctly, that the money simply isn’t there. But anyone who thinks the Federal Government will be able to “solve” this problem simply by printing money is in for a rude awakening.

The financial liability is in fact so large that attempting to monetize it would be tantamount to hyperinflating.  If, say, the Government were to offer lump-sum settlements averaging $150,000, the money could conceivably be worthless on delivery, since the actual disbursement of digital cash would be taken as a sign by the rest of us that Uncle Sam was on the hook for everyone’s financial needs. If the Government were instead to assume responsibility for years of scheduled payments in “real” dollars, taxpayers would eventually riot in the streets.  No matter how you work the numbers, there is no easy way out, at least not using monetary shenanigans.  The very clear implication is that the “solution” will come in the form of a dramatically lowered standard of living for most Americans.

Pensions Too Big to Bail Out

What is the dollar amount of the unfunded liability?  Many hundreds of trillions of dollars, according to some published estimates. Consider that a bankrupt Flint, Michigan, under the direction of a conservator, has cut its budget to the bone to effect annual savings of around $10 million. But the long-term structural shortfall imposed by Flint’s retirement promises is on the order of $600 million dollars over the next 25 years. Of course, Detroit’s long-term problems are orders of magnitude larger, and New York City’s vastly larger still — too big, in the aggregate, for even the U.S. Government to fix. Or rather, pretend to fix, since that’s all that the would-be fixers have been doing all along. Yes, the bailout has been a fraud – a con-game made easier by the fact that most of the bailout “money” has gone to sustain the illusion that the assets of our biggest banks net out to a positive number. But there can be no such shell game when it comes time to send out pension and healthcare checks after the coffers of states and cities have gone empty. Paying for the lives of retired workers will require coughing up real dollars each and every month, not virtual ones such as are posted as “reserves” by the banks.  And that’s why it will be impossible for the Federal Government to pretend, as it has with the banks, that the bailout is other than a charade.

Under the circumstances, hostility can only grow between liberals and conservatives, haves and have-nots, public and private workers, taxpayers and recipients.  We wish Mr. Romney luck, but he’ll have his hands full merely trying to keep blood from running in the streets, never mind returning America to prosperity.

***

[Click here for a free trial subscription to Rick’s Picks that includes access to a 24/7 chat room and the recently launched ‘Harry’s Place’.]

  • GlennH November 6, 2012, 12:23 am

    New boss ………same as the the old boss
    What do you think about the A-basin 2 year season pass deal?

  • D. Barber November 5, 2012, 11:00 pm

    I supported Ron Paul. After much study a person can see that the guy was harmless, which is what our government should be reduced to.

  • Northshore November 5, 2012, 9:30 pm

    Quite a free for all today. We go on forums like this to exchange opinions, but it doesn’t always go over very well with family and friends. Like when Uncle Fester stands up at Thanksgiving and delivers his 26 point plan (up from 5 a couple of years ago) on fixing everything that is wrong with this country.
    I’ve developed a tool that will help people get through Thanksgiving gatherings and the holiday season with more harmony. It helps you deal with misguided, ignorant people. The new definition of ignorant and misguided: anyone who doesn’t agree with you.
    Go to http://www.rapzapper.com and check out the RaPZapper, the only non-denominational, non-partisan RaP (Religious and Political) discussion tool that you’ll need. Buy a RaPZapper and email me at support@rapzapper.com and let me know you follow Rick Ackerman and I’ll through in a couple of extra deflector shields as a bonus. (And Rick, send the link to your mother and sister 🙂

    &&&&&&&

    Reminds me of a National Lampoon “martial arts” ad: “Fear NO man once you have learned the awesome, deadly secret of….Hare kari!!! RA

  • U.S.A. GDP -- Falling Further, Fast and Furious. November 5, 2012, 8:06 pm

    this is probably the most signicant article published by yahoo this year, from 2 days ago.

    this article (which is based on the video interview on yahoo ‘breakout’) is good, but the video interview of the president of NAM (national assoc. of manufactures), is much better, because the grave seriousness of the current fiscal situation, right from the horse’s mouth, and how it is ALREADY (even before the fiscal cliff hits) directly negatively impacting, american manufacturing.

    for starters, he calls MOOT all (IMO, pre-election day suspicious) ‘supposed improvements’ in last month’s released better gdp and employment numbers.

    he says his study shows that u.s. manufacturing is already getting worse, not better, and that only by this year’s end, their study shows a further gdp slowdown, of another .6% (and that means that private gdp, already at a nearly-flat 1.3% growth this year, will end the year at only 0.7% growth—which will then nearly match exactly govt. spending, which is also around .07%, and so—-socialist govt. spending will become near 50% of gdp, for 2012!!

    (so way to go, socialist-radical obama!! so, do give him four more years, so he can fully destroy the u.s.a. 100%—and turn it into a maoist’s serfs banana republic!!)

    NAM pres. timmons basically says (paraphrasing), that american manufacturers cannot compete with other nations, because they have to carry a burden of 20% more taxes on average, than other nations.

    bottomline: taxes are literally killing america, already, NOW, at both business and personal levels, and this even before the ‘fiscal abyss’ (as timmons calls it) hits in early 2013… since his study shows a 13% drop in gdp growth, by 2015…

    (watch the timmons video, it’s much better than the article below, for it spells the deathknell of america).

    http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/breakout/economic-shock-fiscal-cliff-last-over-decade-warns-181646611.html

    “Economic Shock From Fiscal Cliff Will Last Over a Decade: U.S. Manufacturers”
    By Jennifer Carinci
    Yahoo Breakout – Fri, Nov 2, 2012 2:16 PM EDT

    “By now you’ve heard the warnings about the fiscal cliff —the series of tax increases and automatic spending cuts set to take place in 2013. Most estimates calculate the combined policy changes would lead to a fiscal contraction of $500 billion in 2013.”

    “Believe it or not, but various industry groups want you to know about it. The impact is very real and already taking a toll on the economy according to the National Association of Manufacturers. In a new report, Fiscal Shock: America’s Economic Crisis, NAM lays out the economic burden and just how much it will impact the current state of the economy if we go over the cliff.”

    “Our analysis says that it’s already having an impact,” says Jay Timmons, president & CEO of the NAM. “We’ve seen so many of our manufacturers basically stop in their tracks because they’re not sure what’s going to happen at the end of the year because the uncertainty is so great.”

    “In late October, the first read on third-quarter GDP came in at 2%, up from 1.3% in Q2. Yesterday the ISM index —a key gauge of U.S. manufacturing activity– ticked up to 51.7, marking improvement from 51.5 in September and 49.6 in August. Today, the October jobs report showed the unemployment rate ticked up to 7.9% and 171,000 payrolls were added to the workforce.”

    “According to NAM, these improvements are moot. Their study shows the fiscal cliff will cause a 0.6% loss in GDP growth by the end of this year. Looking forward, if we actually go over the cliff, the burden could plunge the economy into worse conditions than the depths of the Great Recession of 2007 — 2009.”

    “If we fall off the fiscal cliff, or as I call it ‘an abyss’ because you have no idea what’s below, what our report shows is about a 13% cumulative falloff of Gross Domestic Product between now and 2015; that’s huge,” says Timmons. “We’re also talking about hundreds of thousands of jobs lost or not created, and we’re talking obviously about a tremendous amount of investment that won’t occur.”

    “NAM foresees the impact of going over the cliff immediate and long lasting, with a recession starting in early 2013, dramatically slowed growth into 2014, 10% loss in household income, and up to 6 million jobs lost.”

  • Oregon November 5, 2012, 4:49 pm

    At some point in this discussion the ‘Matrix’ movie concept is going to become the most rational explanation for all of this. Jill wears a black suit, I’m sure of it.

    • redwilldanaher November 5, 2012, 6:33 pm

      The “matrix”, “1984”, “Brave New World”, Rand’s works etc. have been referred to herein many times. If you make a few allegorical changes to the Matrix backstory, it comes pretty damn close imo…

  • Phil November 5, 2012, 3:24 pm

    Just a thought. When BenGhazi went viral. A tropical depression turned into a frankenstorm. HAARP is located in Alaska. On Oct 30 there was 4.2 earthquake off the coast of Alaska. Did the gvt create the diversion?
    http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2012/11/02/a-timeline-of-hurricane-sandys-path-of-destruction/

  • Jeff Weinstein November 5, 2012, 2:31 pm

    I can see this is obviously a heated discussion. All I’ll say is that regardless of your opinion, at least be willing to listen to the other side. That doesn’t mean *agree* with them, but it does mean, hear them. The more you hear about the side you dislike, the more you learn, not only their points but why they believe what they do. If all you do is close yourself off to the opinions of those who agree with you, you intellectually stunt yourself.

    My biggest problem with this election is not the puppet that gets put into power, but rather the religious zealotry with which people adhere to their choice of candidate. I’m sure anyone could convince me that Obama sucks, or perhaps that Romney sucks. That’s fine, we can have an adult and rational discourse about that. But I’m getting tired of the extreme intolerance with the public in regards to any side they don’t agree with.

    The more polarized the U.S. gets, the harder it becomes to effectively govern.

    And for the record, no, I’m not a liberal.

  • Marc Authier November 5, 2012, 9:58 am

    Same neocon bankster controlled puppets. Liberals or Conservative havent arrested one bankster for their crimes. USA is today a crime syndicate and controlled by mass murderers from the CIA the Pentagon and corporate fascists. What big divide ? Its all the same US corporate fascists GMO loving NWO mobsters. Unpunished war crimes against ordinary Americans and the rest of the world has nothing do with the illusory debate between the pseu-do-right and the pseudo-left. In reality there is a word for this. Its called fascism. Corporate fascists dont care about these things. They control both!

    &&&&&&&

    For those who doubt your thesis, Marc, there’s no getting around the fact that Corzine, among other crime-syndicate bosses who have held high positions, remains a free man. RA

    • John Jay November 5, 2012, 4:01 pm

      Marc Authier,
      That is the way I see it too.
      The reason why things will never change is that the 20 million or so with government jobs, the almost 50 million or so on food stamps, and everyone else on the dole are not going to vote to change things.
      Those people will be happy as long as the largesse keeps coming their way.
      The largesse might be an Obamaphone or an F-35 contract, it depends upon how ambitious and connected you are.
      I have finally decided to just accept the victory over my Country by the Fascists and the dole takers.
      Obama vs Romney arguments have about the same basis in reality as a WWE wrestling match.
      In fact,the crowds at political rallies and a WWE event look a lot alike to this observer.
      I recommend you just feather your nest and stay out of trouble with the authorities.
      No one except a few old timers want to restore the Republic, so why stick your neck out for the Walmart shoppers crowd?
      You can’t lead if no one wants to follow.
      And no one wants to follow, believe me.

  • 1987dejavu November 4, 2012, 10:04 pm

    “EVE OF DESTRUCTION”

    “The eastern world, it is exploding–
    Violence flarin’, bullets loadin’.

    You’re old enough to kill, but not for votin’,
    You don’t believe in war, but–

    what’s that gun you’re totin’.

    And even the Jordan River,
    has bodies floatin’…

    But you tell me…
    Over and over and over again, my friend…
    Ah, you don’t believe…
    We’re on the eve…

    of destruction.

    Don’t you understand, what I’m tryin’ to say,
    Can’t you feel the fears, I’m feelin’ today?

    If the button is pushed, there’s no runnin’ away–
    There’ll be no one to save, with the world in a grave…

    [Take a look around ya boy, it’s bound to scare ya boy…]

    And you tell me…
    Over and over and over again, my friend…

    Ah, you don’t believe…
    We’re on the eve…

    of destruction.

    Yeah, my blood’s so mad, feels like coagulatin’,
    I’m sitting here, just contemplatin’…

    I can’t twist the truth, it knows no regulation–
    Handful of senators, don’t pass legislation.

    And marches alone, can’t bring integration.
    When human respect, is disintegratin’…

    This whole crazy world, is just too frustratin’…

    And you tell me…
    Over and over and over again, my friend…

    Ah, you don’t believe…
    We’re on the eve…

    of destruction.

    Think of all the hate, there is in Red China–
    Then take a look around, to Selma, Alabama.

    You may leave here, for 4 days in space–
    But when you return, it’s the same old place.

    The poundin’ of the drums, the pride and disgrace–
    You can bury your dead, but don’t leave a trace.

    Hate your next-door neighbor, but don’t forget–to say grace…
    And, tell me… over and over and over and over again, my friend…

    You don’t believe…

    We’re on the eve…

    of destruction.”

    Mm… no no…

    you don’t believe

    We’re on the eve…

    of destruction.”

    (by 19-yr old american, philip gary schlein, a.k.a–p. f. sloan, in 1964)

    from wikipedia—“Due to its line “You’re old enough to kill, but not for votin'”, “Eve of Destruction” was used as a rallying cry by supporters of the Twenty-sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which changed the voting age from 21 to 18 as of 1971.”

    schlein also wrote lyrics for one of my personal preferred old songs:
    ‘secret agent man’.
    which reminds me of, IMO, the greatest tv series ever:
    ‘the prisioner’.
    back when there was truth on tv, about real reality—led by 1960’s britain.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iaR3WO71j4

    (johnny rivers, that plays/sings the song in 1966, his biggest hit ever,
    knew what it is like being a ‘secret’ agent–for his real name, was ramistella).

  • Jill November 4, 2012, 6:01 pm

    The Struggle to Cast a Vote
    Upholding Democracy, Ballot by Ballot

    http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/04/opinion/sunday/voting-rights-upholding-democracy.html?hp&_r=0

    • Architekt November 5, 2012, 3:10 pm

      I feel like I’m missing something here. In Washington state you get your ballot by mail like several weeks before the election. You circle the options and mail it in after you sign it. I suppose you could physically walk to a polling place but why bother? It takes me a few hours anyway to read everything over, I’d rather do that at home. Is voting by mail some sort of crazy ass idea? I’m not sure why it’s not done in more states. I’m really having a hard time understanding the whole early voting issue. I’ve never had to do anything with my ID voting by mail, given that it seems like it counts as early voting. Doing it a few weeks in advance. Why not just make this more standard practice.

      &&&&&&

      Speaking as a designated-and-sworn poll watcher here in Boulder, Colorado, I can attest that mail-in ballots exponentially multiply the opportunities for voter fraud. This can be especially problematical in places where one party — in this case, the Democrats — has so completely rigged the process as to have made a mockery of the idea of having politically neutral poll watchers and judges. Of course, the local liberal rag, The Boulder Camera, is eagerly complicitous, not that any of its readers would care. RA

  • Jill November 4, 2012, 8:01 am

    Actually the person who votes for Romney because they think Obama is a Muslim maybe has a lot in common with the person who believes Mormonism is a strange non-Christian cult so they are voting for the Christian Obama instead.

  • Jill November 4, 2012, 7:33 am

    One interesting thing about the political divide is that people can feel they are a part of a warm fuzzy tribe that is “like me” that wants a certain candidate– when they actually have nothing common. Does the Romney voter who believes the teaching of evolution is the work of the Devil have anything in common with the one who just wants lower capital gains taxes? Does the Obama voter who likes him because this time the TBTF banks are financing the OTHER candidate’s campaign this time around, have something in common with the one who votes for Obama because she wants to keep having access to family planning & birth control or the one who is gay & wants to be able to legally marry their partner? Not necessarily.

  • BigTom November 4, 2012, 4:14 am

    Rick – I know what you say. I have in laws living in Boulder and have been there. You must feel terribly surrounded, lol. Unfortunately those living in metro-america have been pitted against themselves and spend their time pointing the fingers at each other in a right wing left wing stand off, and view the other side always to stupid to understand, of course. And in their intransigence of righteousness they all fail to see the real culprits in the dismantling of this country. No one listens. Each side shouting and blaming the other. Rural america is much less so but the cancer has been spreading here very noticeably in places. It is rolling over by an influx of migration and also by caveat of rule. It’s sad……I enjoy your site, Rick. Thanks

    &&&&&&

    America’s downhill slide steepened precipitously as households increasingly required two incomes just to scrape by, never mind save for the future. The result is that we had less time to attend PTA, town council and shareholder meetings. I can attest that the civic processes were very much alive in the early 1970s, when I worked as a newspaper reporter and editor. They are dead now, though, and that’s how the scoundrels, the greedy, the incompetent and the lazy came to run the institutions of our once-great nation. RA

  • Bob November 3, 2012, 9:38 pm

    I just want to take a quick moment to compliment and thank everyone for keeping a decent civil discourse in this forum. Political affiliation is an extremely volatile subject and too quickly leads to sharp invectives and worse. Too many examples of that have occurred on another forum in which Rick’s article was posted, but not here. You can all without exception take your bow (applause). 🙂

  • martin schnell November 3, 2012, 7:58 pm

    Just wanted to point out that Obama is NOT a liberal by the definition of liberal anywhere outside of the USA. Obama anywhere else would be called a conservative for his spying policies, health care policies, tax policies, gun control policies, and limited restrictions on banks. For example even the Conservative party in Canada supports single payer health care.

  • John Jay November 3, 2012, 5:54 pm

    Mario,
    Here is a nice synopsis that argues in favor of my view that it is indeed “Over” unless a reincarnation of Teddy Roosevelt makes an appearance shortly.

    From: dailybail.com:
    Link: http://tinyurl.com/d6mk8hj

    “In the report, GAI details how the George W. Bush and Bill Clinton administrations both actually took down financial criminals — unlike the Obama administration. Between 2002 and 2008, for instance, GAI points out how a Bush administration task force “obtained over 1,300 corporate fraud convictions, including those of over 130 corporate vice presidents and over 200 CEOs and corporate presidents.”

    “Clinton’s DOJ prosecuted over 1,800 S&L (savings and loans) executives, senior officials, and directors, and over 1,000 of them were sent to jail,” GAI adds.

    But, despite having “promised more of the same,” especially in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, the Obama administration’s DOJ has not brought criminal charges against a single major Wall Street executive.”

    There it is, it’s over for us.
    The cartels operate above the law no matter how many trillions they steal.
    But if you are selling raw milk or $30 orchids, you can expect a visit from a heavy weapons platoon.
    The Republic, due process, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights are all dead or dying.
    The “Electorate” is largely dumbed down, doped up or drunk, on the dole, and distracted by the MSM.
    There is no need for vicious, friendship ending political arguments amongst us.
    To do that is both silly and pointless.
    Just look at the photos of Bush, Clinton, and Obama together in the article linked above.
    Does it look like they engage in such vicious arguments together?
    No.
    They are laughing in unison, very likely at you and I.
    Bush and Clinton allowed the prosecutions on their watch only because they knew it was not yet time to totally unleash the Oligarchs, not because they were anymore on our side than Obama is.
    Just follow the progression since the JFK coup on 11-22-63.
    It was done incrementally, but relentlessly, and fifty years later, it’s all over as far as I am concerned.
    Good friendships are hard to find, I recommend you never end one over which political hologram is superior.
    All this election will decide is who gets to be the muscle for the Oligarchs for the next four years.

  • Jill November 3, 2012, 5:18 pm

    Certainly there is no reason for Obama to get kicked out. He is clearly the lesser of the 2 major party evils, the best electable hope for the middle class. Romney is clearly in favor of putting even more of the tax burden on the middle class in order to further enrich mega-banks, other huge corporations & the top .1%. And the middle class is already staggering from the burden of enriching the .1%, as the graphics on the web site that Roger Erickson noted above clearly shows.

    BTW, Taibbi has a good blog up on the big government vs. small government debate myth– the ridiculous idea that one party wants small government & the other does not.

    “Slate columnist Anne Applebaum described the national self-deception this way:
    ‘Americans on both the left and the right have, for the last decade, consistently voted for high-spending members of Congress and consistently supported ever-higher levels of government intervention and regulation at all levels of public life. As a result, the federal government expanded under George W. Bush’s administration at a rate that was, at least until President Barack Obama came along, totally unprecedented in U.S. history.’ ”

    “The truth is, nobody, be he rich or poor, wants his government services cut. Drive up and down route 128 outside Boston, you’ll see a lot of affluent white people waving Romney signs, complaining about entitlement spending. But about four thousand percent of those same people working along the high-tech ring there are totally dependent on the Pentagon contracts that keep doors open at companies like Raytheon and General Dynamics.”

    http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/hurricane-sandy-and-the-myth-of-the-big-government-vs-small-government-debate-20121101#ixzz2BAgxzx8T

    It’s interesting how aware people are, that we are all trying to vote for the lesser of 2 evils. Many people on the Internet think they can change my mind about voting for Obama. But they don’t tell me wonderful things about Romney. They tell me bad things about Obama– apparently hoping that I will jump to the conclusion that Romney has no faults, or fewer faults than Obama– which is far from true.

    People think that they can get their side to win by convincing the other side to not vote– by discouraging them from voting by telling them the flaws of their candidate, or by telling them it makes no difference who wins. But people don’t usually praise their own candidate, as if he has something good to offer.

    Bob seems to be that rarest of people, who has actually convinced some people to cross party lines– or thinks he has– although I personally find his line of argument totally unconvincing. But for anyone wanting to join his tribe, I am sure they would find a way to make his arguments sound sensible.

    I find the opposite to be true. I find that Dems have gone further to the Right over time, & that Repubs have also. Obama is giving us Nixon’s health care plan– And Romney’s Romneycare on a national level. No single payer health care. If Obama were so socialist, he would certainly have pushed for that.

    Politics is so tribal, that most people will go to & remain in the party of the peer group they prefer to be in– even if it’s all based on lies. E.g. Repubs surround themselves with others who believe they are independent & others are leeches, in spite of the fact that the super wealthy suck from the government teat far far more than the 47% do. Tribes & beliefs are important to people. Truth– not so important.

  • mava November 3, 2012, 5:15 pm

    “Obama inherited a disaster two generations in the making.”

    Funny, I thought that Obama actually fought and begged to “inherit” it.

    “The financial liability is in fact so large that attempting to monetize it would be tantamount to hyperinflating…If the Government were instead to assume responsibility for years of scheduled payments in “real” dollars, taxpayers would eventually riot in the streets….”

    So, RA, where is your deflation? How is it you are missing now your “wonder-weapon”? Just think, everything you said above would be fixed, if we could only have the deflation. The government would inflate the money supply as it has for the last 99 years, and on the other side the “Deflation” would deflate it right back! Which now would mean that it is possible to pay these government-hired-terrorists everything they have been promised and while not having to have a hyperinflation as a consequence! Kind of like pulling self out of a bog by own hair…

    Not all, but most Americans will be hit. But that’s OK in my book. Because, think: Did *all* Americans were proud of universal suffrage, Abraham Lincoln, FDR, FED, Paul Krugman and the Supreme Court, official lie of USS Liberty, Pearl Harbor and 9-11? No, not all. So, then why should *all* Americans have the standard of their lives lower, if for some of them, it turns out that they were right all along, that it is wrong to steal and lie, and default?

    Those who did approve of all those things (and more), should have their standard of living taken away, because they have “made a bet on the wrong horse”, “signed a deal with the devil”.

    These are the times of ultimate justice. Does it mean ,btw, that this is “the judgment day”? How long has it been that all these bad people were last punished? Isn’t it time? Is it ever the time for the justice to be made whole?

    ———–
    Funny you should note that the people on the left or on the right won’t cross the lines. I agree. Funny, it is because neither side is on the side of the truth. Both sides are horribly criminals. The communists side criminality doesn’t require explanation, but the criminality of the fascist side, these days, I think is plainly evident to anyone.

    So, we have these two sides, the communists and the nazional-fascists not willing to cross the lines. Well, let us think about it. Can a Lion and a Crocodile cross the lines once the last chicken had been chewed up? They both are aggressors, their life loses meaning if they were not to aggress any more! Each is both, a predator and a victim to another.

    No, the puppet masters were careful in picking where to lay the dividing line. Neither side can cross it other than to join.

    &&&&&&&

    The deflationary collapse I’ve been warning about since the early 1990s is not the sort that anyone should wish for. But to answer you question of where it is, it’s doing fine in Europe, asphyxiating all attempts to counter it. RA

  • John Jay November 3, 2012, 5:35 am

    Jill,
    Thank you for the kind words.
    I truly believe that unless someone comes along with a plan to organize a new political party that can field 70 million voters, all arguments about politics are strictly for entertainment, and not to be taken seriously.
    TPTB are in the process of mopping up the last pockets of resistance to their takeover.
    Turn out the lights, the party’s over!

    • mario cavolo November 3, 2012, 8:25 am

      Right JJ, people are being falsely led to believe that their involvement/vote makes more of a difference than it really does while they in fact naive regarding what the true influences really are behind the scenes. I am not suggesting that a vote is worth “nothing”, that would be a terrible falsehood. That they are being psychosociologically brainwashed, not to mention, lied to, which influences their vote, THAT’S the problem. I can’t agree with Rick’s strong view that Obama will get kicked out, simply because I remember that Bush II got re-elected after the brazen lies related to the Iraq war WMD fiasco. The problem with being conditioned by the behavior and mores of the society around you is that you don’t even realize its going on, even when you think you do! And then you still don’t have the capability to uncover those layers without a determined contemplative effort, a level of self-awareness that most people don’t possess.

  • roger erickson November 3, 2012, 5:32 am

    Methinks ye olde liberal/right divide is a fabrication of the rich, to keep the poor divided & conquered.

    This should help you rest easy though. 🙁

    http://econintersect.com/b2evolution/blog1.php/2012/11/02/infographic-of-the-day-the-1-are-doing-fine

    • mava November 3, 2012, 5:27 pm

      Roger,

      I am kind of all on your side, but then you put that link up…

      The whole argument linked there aims to prove by many various means that the CEO makes more than a Worker.

      And?… Are they trying to say that the CEO should make the same as the Worker?

      They aren’t doing the same job and their intelligence is not the same. One is barely learned how to move physical objects around him, while another moves thoughts, ideas and inspirations.

      The problem is not that the CEO makes 380 times more than the Worker. Workers suck.

      The problem, is that when the CEO fails, he should pay 380 times harsher punishment than the worker would! The more the responsibility, the larger the pay, and vice versa.

      This also means that if the Worker was forgiven 1 dollar of debt, then the CEO should be forgiven $380.

      None of this “equations” are in place. So, the system isn’t balanced at all. And it must fall apart.

  • Oregon November 3, 2012, 5:17 am

    I don’t want to sound condescending because I am sure most here know this, but since I have to remind myself often I will bring it up. The one pure vote we all have is how we spend our money. It’s easy to forget with all the political theatre, but the only true vote we all have is where we decide to put our money. If I want to vote in favor of American jobs I can buy ‘Made in the USA’. If I want quality lasting tools, clothes, cars, etc. then I can purchase appropriately. And if I am lucky I can support American jobs and quality with the same product. Granted I am going to pay more, but that is the reality. We as a country are where we are because of who we support financially with our spending, and obviously we support the Chinese visa vis Wal Mart, a.k.a. The F*cking Sh*t Show of American Consumerism.

  • ter November 3, 2012, 3:07 am

    A moderate. restrained, balanced and thoughtful essay you’ve provided. If I don’t have to wait for hours to vote–Florida’s ballot is the most prolix I’ve seen, doubling or trebling cubicle time–I’ll write in Ron Paul, and, holding my nose, vote for Connie Mack, the IVth or Vth for US Senate, for two reasons: I’m not fond of Bill Nelson, and I’d like to see Republicans gain one or two seats in that august body. Mack, probably, isn’t as smart as Rubio, so Florida may have two R senators incapable of thinking for themselves. Hope no one is profoundly offended.

  • Jacques Redou November 3, 2012, 3:06 am

    Liberal / Conservative is the Way the American middle class is Divided and thus Controlled.

    That is why Limbaugh and Ed are put on TV.

    Just like the Arabs, and equally stupid.

    Divided and Controlled.

  • BKL November 3, 2012, 12:31 am

    As much as I respect your articulate prognostication on all matters, I was truly taken aback by your stance on concealed weapons.

    Rick, let’s just say that you are not a “born politician”.
    Perhaps there is no higher praise.

    • Rick Ackerman November 4, 2012, 6:52 pm

      It takes a born politician to be called one and take it as a compliment, BKL.

  • Travis November 2, 2012, 11:54 pm

    The large part of “the divide” stems from the fact that it becomes ever clearer that the political class have the same basic agenda. Spoiler alert: they don’t include letting you control your own life and wealth. The State system is systemically designed like a Ponzi Scheme. Much like other MLM scams it is built on the work of the majority, with a small minority bringing in the profits. I would argue that with this election the paradigm becomes even clearer, and so supporters of either candidate have had to zero in on one or two moral issues (abortion and marriage, for example) as their reasoning for picking one or the other. It even comes down to things as juvenile as simply “winning.”

    But an even bigger problem is that even if one were to write in their favorite, or vote for a third party candidate, that does not change the fact that:

    1. The voter has NO WAY of knowing what they will get with the elected person and
    2. The winning politician is not legally obligated to do what the voters want anyway.

    This is a recipe for disaster. And this is the core of the State system. I suggest a change in the way we think, and a change in direction for meeting our social ends. I am with Darren. Vote for Nobody.

    The Vote for Nobody Campaign | http://anti-politics.ws

  • 1987dejavu November 2, 2012, 10:50 pm

    I wrote a long post today, but it was lost by your internet provider,
    when your site crashed unavailable for most of this day, internationally.

    unfortunately, I didn’t save it prior to posting, and your site is a net neanderthal,

    [There was a DOS attack on my server farm, deja.Some things can’t be helped. RA]

    and you cannot even go back when it crashes, and still find your post there.

    bottomline: all that is being argued here, from article itself, to commentary,
    is only further perfect proof, that ‘socionomics’, created by robert prechter,
    is right on the money; albeit it working in slow manner, to portend ‘trend change’.

    [I have always been a big fan of Prechter’s. His two-volume ‘Socionomics’ is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand how economics and mass psychology interact. Prechter is also THE authority on deflation, as far as I’m concerned. RA]

    bottomline:
    negative ‘social mood’ is just starting. ALL will polarize, into just individual survival–
    dog eat dog, neighbor eat neighbor, nation eat nation, race eat race, belief eat belief.

    ‘good will’ times, are OVER. humans are now at the top of the ‘good will’ crest,
    the hysteric ‘brotherly’ crescendo that has lasted, since 30’s fiat dilution, began.

    greatest economic crash in human history is nigh. and along with it, ‘good will’.
    it’s been building for decades, this huge peak of ‘good social mood’, besides–
    there’s all the humongous fundamentals and techs, that happy ‘panglosses’ ignore.

    yet, the panglosses are needed. so they can ‘happy bull buy’, into every death drop.

    btw, prechter also had a scholarly tech study made, of presidental re-elections.
    and it shows, over the entire u.s. history, that presidents are always re-elected,
    if the stockmarket is doing great. and it does not matter their political position,
    or crimes they’ve visibly committed: for example, like clintons obviously did.

    IMO, clintons were the most murderous liars, of all the u.s. presidential couples.
    yet, they were re-elected happily, due to rising market ‘social mood’, that–
    had nothing to do with them at all; and even while they, continued killing all enemies.

    so check out the ‘socionomics institute’–you’ll be surprised by what you read.

    btw, I have nothing to do with them at all, I am not even a paying subscriber.
    I just happen to be able to tell difference, between lib weak shhtt, and real truth.

    however, I have been reading prechter’s work, on and off, for 30 years.
    and though he’s often months ahead of ‘mood changes’, eventually–mood arrives.

    and this time, the ‘negative mood’ is a whopper, to last minimum dozen years,
    and exceed 1930’s deflationary depression, in human ‘life-style’ destruction.

    today was good start; as gold, as I expected, got hard spanked. it will continue.
    spx will soon follow, IMO, as all insiders bale out, and leave newbies holding bag.

    I have written here twice, that fractal patterns of both charts, gold and dji,
    gold fib-13 years 1969-1982, and gold fib-13 1999-2012, are nearly identical;
    plus, dji fib-13 months, sept.1986-oct.1987, and sept.2011-oct.2012,
    are also near identical–that can almost be overlaid over the other, and blend.

    and that’s why ‘social mood’ is changing, and turning darker, even in families.
    because all economies are collapsing, due to borrowing, that they’ll never pay.

    it’s a prelude, to major divisive world shhtt. and leading to, even worse shhtt.

    and ackerman, don’t worry about those pensions, benefits, blahblah, etc.
    because when shhtt goes down, even if ‘the entitled’ get 50-cent on the dollar,
    they’ll be supremely happy. yet, I’m fairly sure, they’ll only get, 25-cent on dollar.

    &&&&&&&

    You’ve surprised me, Deja, with a long post that did not contain even a single racial slur on the President. RA

    • 1987dejavu November 4, 2012, 3:22 am

      you surprise me in your extreme innocence,
      if you insist in being p.c. racially clueless,
      about what is happening in your u.s.a.

      don’t know why I have to state, the obvious.

      &&&&&&&&

      Me, politically correct? Yeah, sure.

      Anyway, you can state the obvious however you like, but I’ll continue censoring your posts as long as you keep referring to the President as a monkey and to women in terms that are arguably even more offensive.

      I gave you the opportunity to have these conversations in private, but for reasons of paranoia, you were unwilling to furnish even a ginned-up-for-the-occasion g-mail address. RA

  • bc November 2, 2012, 10:29 pm

    I don’t think many appreciate how much effort has been going into keeping the wheels on our little social wagon until the election. Obama learned one lesson in the last election which is don’t let the collapse begin till after the election. Many will be surprised as the rosy economic data gets revised, reviewed, recast, reneged, rebutted, retracted, and walked back a hundred ways from Sunday.

  • Oregon November 2, 2012, 5:22 pm

    Long time reader, first time commenting. Thanks Rick for the provocative, respectful and always eloquent musings.
    Bob, you make a great point about the 180 turn in politics. The most conservative person I have ever known, Grandma, is a life long Dem. She is truly a product of the Great Depression. Big garden, lots of canning, nothing goes to waste. Nothing extravagant. Has recycled everything, religiously, for 60 years. Goes to church every Sunday. Very respectful of everyone, and non-judgmental. A far cry from most ‘conservatives’ of today… and Democrats as well.
    And John Jay, great points as usual. You are so right about the number of government workers being a huge hurdle for change. The various levels of government are breeding grounds for ‘comfortable and quiet citizens’. I think too many people forget that government jobs create NOTHING, except massive debt of course. But these armies of comfortable citizens have no reason to change the status quo. And why would they? They have no idea how difficult it is to own and operate a business in the real world and they are happy to ride on the backs of the producers and service people, all the while hobbling us with more taxes, more regulation and more paperwork. And contractors know that the way to make the big bucks is through government contracts, just another form of government employment at vastly inflated prices.

  • Dave November 2, 2012, 4:46 pm

    I have no problem paying my fair share in taxes. Being on Social Security Disability, I haven’t filed taxes in 2 years since I don’t owe any. Only reason I need to is to update my Capital Loss Carryover. Oh, and I took $10K from my IRA to paydown credit card debt last month and there will be an IRS issue on if I need to pay the 10% penalty, waived for disability, since their definition of disability is stricter than the SS definition. Having the latter doesnt guarantee qualification for the former. I also did it as a test to see if any credit offers would pop up. So happens, Bill Me Later from Pay Pal doubled my credit limit while BoA reduced the credit limit after payoff. All within 2 weeks after paying down some debt, which shows how we are constantly monitored by the big bad banker! So doubt my FICO score goes up since reduced credit limit on one offset increased credit limit on other. I’ve also been barraged by debt consolidation offers for a few years which I’ve ignored but now think it’s time to just do it and take the credit score loss since it would halve the cc debt owed. Can’t get an answer yet if the money owed then forgiven is a taxable event like a short sale was. Darn this bear market, now you only get a 0% bal xfer offer when you don’t need it! Rick, since you’re tracking 2 year HP patterns for the Dow, when will silver and gold finally make that explosive move up?

    • KS November 2, 2012, 5:30 pm

      BoA consistently does what you described, after making large payments. Never pay them off in full, unless you score is in the green. Bill Me Later has no effect on your score, because they do not report. Essentially the balance you carry there will be hidden from credit reports, unless you default. For all other concerns you listed, go here: http://www.creditboards.com
      The best resource there is, to my knowledge.

  • Anthony F November 2, 2012, 4:08 pm

    Just keeping track of who is who in forecasting the future…
    Silver, who began his career calculating political statistics blogging for the Daily Kos and now is blogging for The New York Times, accurately predicted the winner of 49 of the 50 states in 2008. So it’s no wonder pundits are eager to see Silver’s election forecast this year.
    His predictions for this election come with some surprises, including that the 2008 voter make-up – strongly non-white and young – will again come out to the polls in similar numbers, and that President Obama has a 77.4 percent chance of winning the election.

    Read more at
    http://www.christianpost.com/news/who-is-nate-silver-and-why-should-you-care-about-him-84215/

  • John Jay November 2, 2012, 3:27 pm

    This forum is the only place I argue politics.
    I enjoy an internet type debate because it gives both sides time to think through their arguments and not descend to shouting at each other.
    Plus, here the level of discourse is civil and generally well thought out.
    That being said, I think that other than arguing here for fun and mental exercise, political debate is now much ado about nothing.

    It is over, my friends, and the “Big Club” that the late George Carlin spoke of has most definitely won the battle.
    The big banking cartels rule the roost which sits on a firm foundation supported by the following:
    ZIRP
    Legal impunity.
    Politicians on the payroll.
    Their lobbyists writing the laws and tax code.
    Dynasty Trusts to insure concentration of wealth.
    The Police, MIC, and Federal Agencies for “Muscle”.
    MSM to churn out propaganda and distractions.
    A “Farmville” type fantasy election process where nothing has any basis in reality, that keeps the proles quiet with the illusion of choice and control.

    Add your own things to the list, you all know the score.
    There are not enough of “Us” left to turn things around.
    My rough calculation is that we would need a voting block of about 70 million motivated voters who would vact as one for reform candidates.
    We can probably muster about 20 million, tops.
    That is not enough to reform anything past a big State like CA or NY.
    Too many government employees, too many on some sort of dole, compromised Courts and Judges, due process and trial by jury routinely denied on the grounds of “National Security”, which is the ultimate trump card in this card game.
    Bankruptcy will eventually slash State and municipal pensions and health plans.
    Inflation will take care of Federal pension obligations.

    As I look back, I can see now how much I was influenced by all the Warner Brothers type War Dramas and Young Mr. Lincoln genre movies I watched for hours on TV as a kid.
    As well as the MSM propaganda of newspapers, radio, and magazines.
    All of it very effective on a young mind.
    I can see clearly now.
    At the present time, I just wish to remain off of the “Enemies List” and make some money as I run out the clock so to speak.
    A very modest ambition to suit the times.

    • Jill November 2, 2012, 5:46 pm

      John, your own level of discourse is civil & well thought out. I can’t say that for some of the other folks here– although today is more civil than many days on this board have been, as far as insults go.

      I enjoy reading your posts and hearing your ideas. Thanks for your contributions here.

    • Wouter Drucker November 3, 2012, 1:47 am

      Move to another country. If you stay you will keep supporting them by paying taxes.

      Go to the most neutral country and help it grow stronger. Iceland didn’t bail out the banks, in South America some countries are still independent. Watch some interviews of their leaders on youtube and see for yourself.

    • DK November 3, 2012, 5:21 am

      John Jay, dead on again! I only wish I could have composed it that well. Your contributions to this board/site are greatly appreciated. I look forward to any future guest commentaries you provide.

  • Bob November 2, 2012, 2:55 pm

    Democrat/Republican — They are belief systems, Rick, Every bit as strong as Protestant/Catholic. I was raised in a Roosevelt Democrat household and firmly believed the Democrat party was the bastion of freedom and right thinking people as I cast my very first vote for Jack Kennedy in 1960 having just turned 21. By 1974 I was voting for my first Republican with a Gerry Ford vote — not because he was so great, but because the Democrat party had gone off the rails. Both the economic and foreign policies had done 180’s.

    In any case I had made the change and my ego allowed me to do it because I could point out to myself that it was the party that had changed and not me. Even by 1980 neither Truman nor Kennedy would have been nominated by the Democrats — not even close. In fact Kennedy’s economic ideas had been picked up by Jack Kemp and then translated into Reagonomics and foreign policy was once again supported by a strong military. The effing Republicans had become Democrats and the Democrats had gone off to chase socialism and “compassion”.

    I used this line of approach a few times over the years with my die hard Democrat folks and it took them time, but by the Clinton years they were voting Republican. By coming to realize that the Democrat party no longer existed they could make the change. The threat to their ego had been removed. This is an avenue you might try with your friends and family, but go easy with it. Don’t pound it or their ego defenses will come rushing back. And don’t expect immediate results. These people have a lot to unwind within themselves. The process has every bit of the strife and angst of a Protestant turning Catholic or vice versa. It needs time — and, my God, do not ever, not even once mention the name of Limbaugh. The Libs hate that man with an inhuman passion. The mere whisper of his name jerks them back into a catatonic state of leftism.

    Anyway, good article. I expect it will get a good number of responses if you leave it for a day or two. :))

  • Darren November 2, 2012, 2:54 pm

    Divide? You mean the few things they can dig up to seem different?

    “The argument that the two parties should represent opposed ideals and policies, one, perhaps, of the Right and the other of the Left, is a foolish idea acceptable only to doctrinaire and academic thinkers. Instead, the two parties should be almost identical, so that the American people can throw the rascals out at any election without leading to any profound or extensive shifts in policy. Then it should be possible to replace it, every four years if necessary, by the other party, which will be none of these things but will still pursue, with new vigor, approximately the same basic policies.”
    –Carroll Quigley

    Stop taking part in the fraud. Don’t vote, don’t legitimize the govt anymore.

    The Vote for Nobody Campaign
    http://www.anti-politics.ws/

  • Kevin November 2, 2012, 2:54 pm

    Follow The Money

    The universe of politics in the U.S. has become a cesspool of lies, misdirection, fraud and theft. Does it really matter what red or blue means? Do you really think that Obama or Romney will have a different flight plan once they enter office? Can there truly be a meaningful dialogue when we all realize that both of these men have tainted personal and professional resumes. It’s like comparing John Dillinger vs. Joseph Bonanno to run your country. Rick has brought up an important point. We have never seen a more divisive and polarized public. The anger and emotions run high while solutions are nowhere to be found. The divide and conquer process is a proven method to send us running in circles while Rome burns. Stay focused and stay away from the meaningless fighting. Stay sharp and follow the money. Watch the decisions being made. Watch the liberty usurping laws being passed and the obfuscation of the underlying meaning. Watch our tax dollars being used to kill people around the globe. Watch our government remain in bed with a banking system designed to usurp and destroy. Watch the financial three card monty game being played, keeping you distracted while your pocket is being picked. THIS is where the true political, social, and financial discussions should be focused. It’s too bad that most Americans can’t see that our political process and the men involved simply do not matter. Follow the money and you find the truth.

  • Dave November 2, 2012, 12:22 pm

    Rick, didn’t you pooh pooh mainstream media like WSJ in previous posts? I wouldn’t rely on their views for dating advice. I use match.com and I can assure you very few check someone’s political status when WINK-ing at someone.

    [Even the WSJ gets it right occasionally, Dave. In this case, their observations were congruent with with my own, not to mention perfectly logical. The dating services they interviewed, unlike match.com, were high-end (i.e., a $25,000 fee to find your soul mate). Even so, I’d bet that very few who check match.com’s “Ultra conservative” box get paired with liberals. Common sense tells you that match.com would be looking for trouble if they did otherwise. Also, there is no reason to infer that your Upper East Side friend is somehow typical. As for Matlin/Carville, they are in show-biz together, having made millions by promoting (and exaggerating) their political differences. For all we know, they can’t stand each other but stay together because it pays so extremely well. RA]

    Choices by the way are:

    No Answer
    Ultra Conservative
    Conservative
    Middle of the Road
    Liberal
    Very Liberal
    Non-conformist
    Some other viewpoint

    A photo is worth 1000 words and most don’t even read the profile text but respond to a photo. One NYC upper eastside woman I know goes by income level first when choosing to engage with a prospective mate. $100K and over or no interest. As the Carville-democrat/Matalin-republican marriage shows, opposites attract.

    You haven’t provided much info on how you see the Batman/Robin Romney/Ryan team improving life for anyone but the wealthy elite. I lived in Massachusetts a bit, no bargains there, a very expensive state to live in.
    Where are these 12M jobs Romney promises coming from? And what type of jobs will they be? I recently discovered WellPoint’s Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield NY health insurer will not offer a Medicare Advantage PPO plan for 2013, only HMO plans. Only current enrollees will be able to continue the PPO MediBlue I plan next year. Also the cost is going from $0/month to $38/month with higher co-pays, etc. How is Romney/Ryan going to reverse this? Add in the constant increase in prescription drug costs.

    Will a Romney/Ryan occupation delay the inevitable armageddon you predict? Will it lessen obfuscation?

    [My commentary has left no doubt on this point. The fact that you could have missed it entirely might explain why you’re voting for Obama – i.e., you don’t even notice facts you disagree with. Also, your comments concerning match.com show how eager you are to get up on the soap box even if your argument is so weak and ill-considered that, on reflection, you should have been embarrassed by it. RA]

    Zipcar is offering a 20% Hurricane Sandy discount this week so I got a car last night for $35 and drove into Manhattan to see friends, some living in high rises with no power/water/heat. The sad and scary reality of the current situation and what is going to happen in the future was amplified by driving from one block with lights into total silent darkness reminiscent of 9/11. It’s different watching as a voyeur on TV than being in it. Lucky this Zipcar had 1/2 tank of gas because I used 1/4 and there was no gas available at most stations and one station had an hour or more wait line. What will Romney/Ryan do better than Obama to help any of this? Why switch from the devil you know to the one you don’t if they won’t have much effect on the ultimate outcome?

    Plus, a vote for Obama is a vote for love, peace and sooooooooooul, as the late Don Cornelius used to say.

    • Chuck November 2, 2012, 2:41 pm

      why is it that virtually NO democrat is willing to accept the idea of equal tax rates across the full income spectrum. that is, the more you make the more you pay….and all we need is a rate that is fair to everyone. the flip side – the less you make the less you pay. In theory this sounds very fair, but not to a democrat/lib….they would like you who have more to pay more…..and those that have less (or not a pot to piss in) to pay NOTHING. does that sound fair to you people?

    • mario cavolo November 2, 2012, 3:27 pm

      Hi Chuck, I’m missing your meaing here. Yes it does Chuck, it sounds quite reasonable. What rate is fair to everyone? That doesn’t exist. People barely making enough to get by because they live in a society which has been shaped by self-serving bureaucrats and wealthy people should have to pay taxes too? WHY? The top ONE percent own and earn FORTY percent of the wealth, what?…DON”T they have enough to cover the lower/midde income class people they’ve screwed along the way while getting themselves rich? What am I missing here? Is is the case that they DIDN”T screw the lower/middle class along the way getting themselves rich? Can a reasonable case be made they DIDN”T do that? How? I don’t see it. Its a simple and well known fact for well over a decade that lower/middle income life in America is on the decline and increasing struggle. I am aware of no data set to the contrary. Is there one? Susie babysitter should make sure she “reports” her $50 of babysitting income to pay her taxes while fat cat bankers earning multi-millions PER YEAR who mismanage their banks into multi-billions of debt are GIVEN billions by the federal govt to cover their asses, and they are not even asked to take a pay cut?

      Ok, I’m done for now, but barely warmed up.

      Cheers, Mario

    • Chuck November 2, 2012, 3:40 pm

      Mario,
      as I recall, there was a huge ‘repub’ faction that did NOT want to bail out the banks,…….and this faction held up until the end……it was PELOSI that did the bail out deed……or have you forgotten already.

    • mario cavolo November 2, 2012, 3:50 pm

      Hi Chuck, yes good point. I enjoyed ranting, you gave an excuse 🙂 Still, actually I don’t buy the idea it is truly a political argument because no matter what, the “withs” have made the greatest money grab in history for themselves, a more concentrated “wealth at the top” wealth gap than ever, while truly screwing over and making worse the life of the masses along the way, yet they are supposed to pay their “fair” share? SOMETHIN’ AIN’T RIGHT!

    • Chuck November 2, 2012, 3:56 pm

      yes. they truly are TPTB it would seem. but, hey, I’m not for huge CEO salaries, huge baseball player salaries……it’s hard to grasp exactly what IS going on around here anymore…..’something isn’t right’ is mildly putting it. alot of ‘correction’ needs to occur…..and as they say,….the bigger you are – the harder you fall….right?

    • fallingman November 2, 2012, 4:58 pm

      Come on Mario.

      You know full well that there are plenty of people who earned their fortunes legitimately. While no one protests any louder than I against the fascist rent seekers who suck wealth from the system, there’s also no one who will come to the defense of those who are attacked simply because they’ve been successful more quickly than I will.

      Making money is a good thing, as long as you do it honestly. You should be able to keep your money and not be charged any more for the privilege of living in the USSA than anyone else.

      How do you justify forcing someone to pay a whole lot more simply because they have the money with which to pay? That’s no different than leeching off your brother in law and feeling okay about it because he’s rich and can afford it. Where’s the honor in that?

      You don’t solve the fascism problem by taxing the fascists more. You solve the problem by not bestowing special privileges on some because they have money and access.

      Unfortunately, that battle has been lost, but that still doesn’t justify what amounts to stealing from the innocent.

    • Jill November 2, 2012, 5:39 pm

      Hi, Dave & Mario & Gary too. I enjoyed reading your posts today.

      It’s interesting. Most stock message boards used to be a solid wall of constantly repeated Far Right Wing political statements only. By looking at them, you would think everyone thought the way Faux News & Drudge tells them to. Now that is changing. Good to see some diversity.

      &&&&&&&

      “Far Right”? Considering the actual thoughts and ideas that were expressed, you are showing only your abysmal ignorance, Jill. By your lights, Washington, Jefferson and Madison were a bunch of right-wing lunatics. RA

    • fallingman November 2, 2012, 9:41 pm

      Yeah, you statists can huddle together and enjoy your government cheese. Be sure to wash the blood off your hands first though.

      By the way, I also HATE Fox News. All Ron Paul supporters do. Unlike you, we also hate imperial wars, are oppsed to the drug war and the Federal Reserve, are at war with the FDA, loathe the two party system, and can’t stand the mainstream Republicans and the Democrats. I have more respect for Kucinich than I do Joe Biden.

      [I’m a Ron Paul supporter, but I don’t hate Fox. What are the alternatives? CNBC, CBS and ABC? That said, I stopped liking Bill O’Reilly not because he, like everyone else at Fox, disdained Paul, but because in showing his disdain he revealed how surprisingly little he knows about economics. O’Reilly worsened the effect when he tried to rebut some common-sense points that Paul had made off-camera. It were as though the village idiot had attempted to diss Einsteinian physics. RA]

      Does that sound like a Fox point of view…or the opposite? So, what what does that do to the circuits in your little brain?

      That’s not a personal insult, by the way. All “progressives” have little brains. They just naturally shrink when you drink that much koolaid.

    • Wouter Drucker November 3, 2012, 1:31 am

      @fallingman

      Now if you said something like: ‘I love everybody, all men are my brother, I will always care for those in need’
      you would be ready to remove the state.

      You rant and rant, leach this leach that. If enough people have love in their heart, than the state is made redundant.

      You know the allegory of the long spoons?

    • mario cavolo November 3, 2012, 8:13 am

      nice points fallingman, “that” and “this” and “that too” and “this too”…there are so many sides and data sets to parse, so unwise to cling too extremely to a particular set of views. Two very intelligent people approached me about voting, both with well stated set of reasons to vote for Obama or Romney, I can’t deny that. And that’s why I loathe the whole system. Yet, as in any country, it is what it is….

      Cheers, M

    • Dave November 5, 2012, 2:57 pm

      Rick, I’m not voting FOR Obama, I’m voting AGAINST Romney and Republicans, like most Jews will including your mother and the majority of elderly Jews. Has nothing to do with being “sharp as a tack”, though at 92, “k’ayn ayin hara”! We are Democrats and vote that way regardless that Obama is a schvartze. When Obama changes voice and speaks in ebonics hip hop style to a minority crowd, makes me nauseous.

      Not sure how you’re so knowledgeable on internet dating sites, unless you’re using ashleymadison.com, the site for married folks looking to hookup on the DL. Anyone paying $25K to find love is not trolling on a website, they’re using someone like Patti Stanger, the $Maire Matchmaker for personal introductions. I know someone who uses her, he says worth every $0.01. I can again assure you match.com matching system is weak and political leanings chioce don’t make much a difference who they suggest as a match.

      Maybe someone else can chime in but I reread the commentary and don’t see you come out and state how Romney is going to save the day other than imply he’ll have his hands fill when the SHTF. Maybe you mean we need a “businessman” this next stretch for Prez, like Bloomberg as NYC mayor. His recent support of running the NYC Marathon from Staten Island while many of those in Staten Island have no water, power, toilets and are currently freezing keeping power generators in Central Park for the runners is a clue to how another “businessman” like Romney will run the gov’t. Since you suggest Obama inherited this mess, and now current “official” stats show things improving, why change now?

      If you’re so sure Romney will win, 100%?, why not offer free HP training to those who disagree with you publically on here if he loses?

      &&&&&&

      Ashley Madison? Wasn’t that the most popular girl’s name in 2008? RA

    • Jeff Weinstein November 5, 2012, 3:33 pm

      In regards to Mario’s comment:

      ” Is is the case that they DIDN”T screw the lower/middle class along the way getting themselves rich? Can a reasonable case be made they DIDN”T do that? How? I don’t see it.”

      Um. Dude, I make video games for a living. I got into the 1% because people liked the stuff I made and paid me a lot to do it. I happened to work 10.5 years at a single company that got bought. All along the process there wasn’t any screwing involved (well, not in the non sexual sense). If people liked my game, they paid me. If they didn’t, they wrote a nasty review and moved on. It’s all self made. I wasn’t selling them a mortgage or something.

  • Bob07 November 2, 2012, 9:02 am

    Am in complete agreement with you about the 2-Party distraction spectacle, Jill. It’s a periodic Punch ‘n’ Judy Show for the sheeple, while the Puppeteer, out of sight, is laughing at the idiots under his breath. Divide and conquer indeed…
    If there’s one division I do take seriously it’s the Globalists on the one hand and everyone else trying to live their lives on the other. And the G’s abound in both parties. Honestly, how anyone can take the partly labels seriously in anything but a superficial way is beyond me. Both have worked hand in glove through successive administrations to keep us distracted, struggling and fearful, while making off with far more just our money — our freedoms and rights. It was “The Shrub” (Bush Junior) who remarked, “The Constitution is just a Goddamned piece of paper.” (I’m sure he had shredding in mind.) But Clinton or Obama or Romney could have said the same. It’s all about cental control (worldwide eventually); that’s what Globalism is all about: Removing impediments to the free reign of international corporations and banks — i.e., the folks who own the governments. Doesn’t matter if the corporate giants/bankers own the government (fascism) or the other way around (communism). Central control either way. (Eg., you had David Rockefeller praising Mao’s wonderful experiment. And earlier you had the same bankers financing both the Bolsheviks and Hitler.)
    To tell you the truth, I’m much more comfortable buying gold and silver (and related industries) than most big corporations or banks, because g & s are the people’s money of last resort. I bought this subscription as an aid to do that.
    By the way, Rick, although I used to be a very Liberal Dem., I refuse labels anymore. Also, I recognize the importance of the Second Amendment and support gun ownership, while at the same time I personally detest them.

  • martin schnell November 2, 2012, 8:44 am

    As Colbert notes – “facts have a well known liberal bias”.

    Obama will win the election, that is clear to anyone that reads polls and understands the electoral college. There is almost no path to a Romney victory available as things stand now.

    [You sound like quite the expert, Martin — a poli-sci major from a distinguished university, perhaps? RA]

    Romney is the worst candidate for either party in 40 years. No plan, no empathy, a Mormon (the religion created by a known con man), a serial liar, and with an amazing ability to hold more positions on an issue than the Kama Sutra.

    In addition a win for Romney would bring back into power the same mob that brought you the last recession. Look at his list of advisers … it is Bush III. The nation would never be able to survive that.

    • Jill November 2, 2012, 5:31 pm

      Martin. Yes. Exactly.

    • DK November 2, 2012, 5:55 pm

      Martin, also, telling it like it is: “a serial liar, and with an amazing ability to hold more positions on an issue than the Kama Sutra. ”

      The most amusing part of all of these theatrics is watching people getting caught up in defending EITHER ONE of these 2 charlatans.

      The saddest part is, this is the best Amerika can do, or should I say the best that the primary process will allow them to do.

      You do have “a choice,” it’s just not a choice you want to make, but it’s all they will let you have.

      Either way, the real winner is The Street, again.

  • buck novak November 2, 2012, 7:49 am

    I alway loved your articles in the SF paper. I enjoy them even more now helping me to prepare for the coming struggle ahead.

  • mac November 2, 2012, 7:36 am

    Hello,
    Jill nails it!
    Divide and Rule! It is everywhere…gender wars, shities vs sunnis, dems and republicians, it all divides people so they are powerless to unite to rid the evil.

    Choose the better of two establishment devils?
    In this election the free do not vote.
    That is because they are free!

  • Jill November 2, 2012, 6:41 am

    The Divide & Conquer strategy works perfectly. The crony capitalist banks who control both parties don’t care if we are no longer able to have a civil conversation with our relatives & former friends. They only know that if they successfully play “Let’s you & him fight while I make off with all your money– in the form of bailouts & FOMC policies” that they are very pleased indeed.

    That being said, I know which major party I think is the lesser of the 2 evils. I agree with Stephen Colbert who says that “reality has a well known liberal bias.” And I also know that I would be voting for Jill Stein if she had a chance of winning.

    As far as pensions are concerned, I think that whatever happens to city & state pensions should happen to federal ones also. I think the whole lot of them should all be converted to Social Security– or paid out only at the same rate as the amounts of the Social Security checks for workers who paid in an equivalent amount of money. The states & local governments could still pay them out if they want, but should be allowed to cap them there.

    I see a whole lot of federal employees ready to cut state & local government employee pensions & to get rid of unions, while smugly being confident that the full amount of their own outrageous pensions will be continued to be paid out. That’s the problem with austerity programs. Everyone believes in austerity– not for themselves but for everyone else– right on up to Romney who got a 10 million dollar bailout from us taxpayers for his company Bain.

    http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-federal-bailout-that-saved-mitt-romney-20120829

    • Chuck November 2, 2012, 2:34 pm

      and while we’re at it let’s just convert the whole state/federal thing to one big federal ‘state’. that should make all the ‘buy the vote’ libs happy.

    • fallingman November 2, 2012, 4:33 pm

      Can’t share Rick’s enthusiasm for Romney, but Jill Stein. Ha. That’s a good one.

      Actually, I shouldn’t say that. As much as I can’t stand her Trotskyite side, I agree with her on several issues.

      So, you believe in Jill Stein. That says a lot right there. But you won’t vote for her, because she has no chance of winning. That says more.

      So, you’ll vote for the lesser of two evils? Let’s look at what Jill Stein believes that Obama doesn’t. Stein wants to stop the drone attacks in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, the Sudan, and Libya, where the kill ratio is reckoned to be 49 innocents dead for every bad guy killed. Obama killed those people. He personally approves the “kill list” every morning. He takes pride in doing so.

      When you vote for Obama Jill, you’ll be endorsing and supporting the practice of the “double tap.” That’s where the drones strike and then they circle the area waiting for rescue parties to arrive to tend to the dead and wounded, at which time the controllers kill them. The result is that few risk coming to help. Women and children wait endlessly for someone to rescue them. Nice. Enjoy the blood on your delicate “progressive” hands Jill.

      Jill Stein believes we should legalize marijuana and end the drug war. Your evil choice, Barry Saetoro, used to direct the Choom gang and ride around in the Choomwagon, scolding anyone who let any ganga smoke escape the VW van. Now, of course, the hypocritical bastard persecutes marijuana smokers. As you must know, being so progressive and all, the court systems and prisons are jammed to the gills with non-violent drug offenders. By voting for Obama, you’re endorsing the consignment a millions of people who are not guilty of any real crime to a life behind bars…mostly minorities. We have a greater percentage of the population in prison than STALIN did. Enjoy your role as gulag jailer.

      Obama kept Bob Gates as Defense Secretary, promoted Little Timmy to Treasury Secretary, and re-appointed Ben Bernanke. How did keeping these weasels from the Bush Administration represent change? Would Jill Stein approve?

      How did appointing Tom Vilsack, Monstanto’s water boy to Secy. of Agriculture promote Ms. Stein’s vision of sustainable agriculture? How did the appointment of Michael Taylor to the FDA help in Ms. Stein’s battle against GM “foods?” How did the appointment of Margaret Hamburg to head the FDA help Ms. Stein in her efforts to rid us of the scourge of mercury in dental Amalgams?

      For the uninformed, Ms. Hamburg was a Board Member and shill for Henry Schein, the leading maker of mercury-laced dental amalgams. After being appointed, she has blocked the implementation of rules designed to protect pregnant women from exposure to mercury fillings. Enjoy being part of a gang that doesn’t mind poisoning pregnant women and condemning babies to birth defects.

      I could go on and on and on and on.

      One last one. Jon Corzine is walking around a free man. He’s thinking of starting a hedge fund actually. He hasn’t been arrested or indicted. Heck, he wasn’t even questioned till about two weeks ago when they asked him politely if he wouldn’t mind terribly much if they asked him a few questions. The man just flat out stole 1.6 Billion dollars from customer accounts and Eric Holder has done NOTHING. Maybe because Corzine is a Democrat and has been, and still is, a major bundler of campaign contributions for Obama. Not that Romney has ever uttered a peep about this.

      So, enjoy your role as protector of the politically corrupt two party (one party) system. I’m sure Jill Stein would not approve, but hey, when you’re selling out, why not go all the way?

      Where’s your integrity? The lesser of two evils is plenty EVIL. Vote for anyone evil and you’ve sold your soul to the devil.

      Enjoy your time in hell.

    • Chuck November 2, 2012, 4:39 pm

      wowee fallingman, and you never hear any of this stuff on the dem comedy shows like ‘Steven Colbert’ or the other crap shows that they all get their political kicks from.

    • Jill November 2, 2012, 5:30 pm

      One minute of Stephen Colbert’s show has more truth in it than a year of Fox News.

      [Can you furnish a citation for this? I find myself doubting your claim. RA]

      Right Wingers are so naive. You imagine that if you say insulting things like “Enjoy your time in hell” and if you point out all the flaws in the Dems that you will convince a person to vote for the Repubs– who have 10X as many flaws & worse ones at that. This is not persuasive in the least.

      Jill Stein won’t win. And if Romney wins, it won’t be on my conscience that I didn’t vote for Obama. Even the usually conservative Economist magazine is endorsing Obama. Everyone and their brother seems to be endorsing Obama. There is a reason for that.

    • DK November 2, 2012, 5:50 pm

      Fallingman, telling it like it is! Bravo!

    • Rick Ackerman November 2, 2012, 6:08 pm

      Today’s commentary appears at Max Keiser’s site as well and has elicited expansive discussion . If you’re interested, go to maxkesier.com

    • fallingman November 2, 2012, 9:30 pm

      I’m not a right winger. I AGREE with Jill Stein on these issues!!!!!!!!! Do you not? Sounded like you’d vote for her if you had a conscience.

      I’m a libertarian…an anarcho-capitalist. I can’t stand fascists or statists of any stripe for that matter. That means I can’t stand Obama. I can’t stand Obama, and I can’t stand YOU.

      I loathe Romney. But in your warped mind, if I’m against Obama, I have to be FOR Mr. Mittens. Stretch you mind a little. There are other possibilities. When the salesman asks you if you’d like your Yugo in red or blue, do you feel as if you have to take one or the other? Lord have mercy. You could just walk away or buy a Steincar. But no. You’ve been duped into believing Willard somehow represents more of a threat that his conjoined puppet twin.

      Do I wish you’d vote for Willard? Hardly. I despise them both. I couldn’t possibly care less who you vote for. It’s a matter of vast indifference to me. Voting is a complete waste of time.

      Honestly, is this the best riposte you can offer? How incredibly lame. You deserve Obama. The man is a criminal and a viper. What does that make you?

      An accomplice.

      I could detail the Republican’s sins too, but who has that much time? As a friend of mine…maybe the smartest person I’ve ever known…says, “Democrats are the enemy. Republicans are the traitors.”

      Yippee, what a choice. Ain’t democracy grand? And in the end, it’s Goldman uber alles.

      Thanks DK and Chuck. Support noted.

  • gary leibowitz November 2, 2012, 6:16 am

    Now you are talking. Good fair reporting. I do question your conclusions concerning pensions. You acknowledge the fact that it was a written contract. What you don’t acknowledge is the fact that all companies and municipalities have a fiduciary responsibility to make sure they “sufficiently” funded the pensions. Clearly they have not, and the losers will be the pensioners. To simply state that they can’t pay doesn’t do justice to the situation.

    Someone recently asked why I keep coming back, and where my money is placed. It’s like an obese man trying to stop eating fatty foods. Hard to do. I will try however to limit my remarks and possibly fade into the sunset. My money (one more time): I bet the 2K on 1260 SPX Nov 17 Calls at 2.8, much lower than expected. I expect an easy 5 times return if my short term scenrio plays out. The economic news, by this site and wall street, has been ignored for way too long. That provided me with rare no-brainer bets. They come along only 5 or so times a year. My impatience always fills those gaps with many silly bets. I have disciplined my behavior these last 10 month. My big bet of 200K has been on ETF’s 3X SP500 Calls most of that time. I got out twice in the 10 month period and am back in. I await the market and economic news to give me a clue when this whole run is over. For now I see another leg up. I also see a possible nasty recession the next time around. I am expecting a 50 to 60 percent clip when it does occur. Anyone saying I am a Pollyannas is mistaken. Just a person trying to take advantage of the situations as I see it. No bull or bear camp site.

    Don’t lose sight of what you want to accomplish. Rigid ideology deciding on market bets is always a losing proposition. Just “play the game”.

    • Dave November 2, 2012, 11:09 am

      “It’s like an obese man trying to stop eating fatty foods. Hard to do.”

      The obese man should only be eating fatty foods sans the carbs. The fatty foods like pizza, ice cream, french fires, chips, etc. are all carbs plus fats, eliminate the carbs and you lose weight. That is why the Atkins Diet (fat/protein) works and leads to normal blood cholesterol, trigs, etc. When in ketosis, dietary ketoacidosis, which is what happens when you don’t eat carbs, your body uses fat not glucose for energy and loss of hunger is a result so you eventually eat less. If you try a fat free diet, the liver converts the carbs to cholesterol anyway, so the more carbs you eat to stop hunger due to higher insulin levels from all the carbs results in higher cholesterol. High triglycerides are mainly caused by eating too much fruit thus fructose not by eating fats.

    • fallingman November 2, 2012, 3:32 pm

      I was struck by the “fatty foods” comment too Dave. Gary is clueless…as usual.

      I was also struck by the fact that he’s a BUYER of call options…3X ETFs no less. Jesus. Talk about clueless. I thought only newbies did that. But this is good, because Gary now serves a purpose. He helps me understand the “thinking” of the people I’m SELLING calls to. I never really understood why anybody would bet on what is…over time…a consistently losing play. I understand the mindset a little better now. That’s worth something.

      He also limited his remarks. That’s progress and is worthy of praise.

      &&&&&&&

      I, too, was unpersuaded by Gary’s claim of having made a profit using 3X vehicles combined with directional strategies, fallingman. For all intents and purpose, each ‘x’ exponentially increases the retail customer’s odds of losing everything. These ETFs were literally created so that professionals could sell option premium to rubes. Not only do I not recommend them to my subscribers, I aggressively try to discourage them from using them.

      If Gary wants to persuade me, he’ll need to post the date he purchased the options and the date he sold them. Typically, even if his timing was perfect, a strong rally would merely have offset time decay, not caused his options to increase in value. RA

    • gary leibowitz November 2, 2012, 4:41 pm

      Got in last December at around 1220 – 1230 on SPX. Where is it today? Times that by 3. Minus 10 percent from getting in and out 2 times. I think I am a wee bit ahead of the game. Getting ridiculed for not understanding the market? What a strange comment.

      As for my small no hedge 2K calls expiring on the 17th, do you know something I don’t? The market should respond to two short term factors:
      1 – reelection of an incumbent, which it does on a high percentage of the time, telegraphing the outcome.
      2 – realization that the economic domestic numbers are strengthening across the board, and showing stability overseas.

      The one sided argument never works. For instance everyone here acknowledges that corporations and consumers have been hunkering down. The result is pent up demand with excess cash. If the consumer saves, draws down debt, and still has a job, than the result will have to be an eventual spring back effect. This is 4 years into this drawdown.

      Hows the consumer numbers doing on all fronts? Imagine they are all fake numbers yet somehow companies post sales and profits? You would think based on your assessment that companies would be in dire straits by now. How in the world can you explain these F-A-C-T-S away?

      Woops, there I go again, answering back. I should just let my record speak for itself. Those fatty foods again. BTW, I don’t believe Atkins works in the long run. Not a healthy way to live in my opinion. But hey, what do i know, I am the silly investor these last 10 months betting the way of the market. Can I still lose my money? Not likely with my rigid stop loss. A flash crash when the economic numbers keep showing improvement for months now? Not likely. You bet according to odds. The odds are not in favor of a deep recession from here, nor is the market over-valued.

      Now please, stop calling me out. If you want a rest from my very bullish short term calls than ignore my posts so there is no need to “defend” myself.

      Ta-ta …..

    • fallingman November 2, 2012, 5:27 pm

      Hmmm…did I say anything about Atkins? No, I didn’t. I was commenting on the fact that you seem to think eating fat causes people to be fat. It doesn’t. That’s simple ignorance. And I surprised? Uh, no.

      Gary, let me ask you this. Say you have a revolver with a bullet in one of the chambers, you put it to your head and pull the trigger, does it mean your smart if you don’t end up killing yourself?

      I made plenty on the first few long option trades I made back in the late 70’s. Did that make me a genius. Hecla and Homestake calls. I remember them well. Worst thing that could have happened.

      Took a while to learn that the odds are really and truly not in your favor, just like the pros told me. I finally got that selling options is the holy grail of investing, where the odds are wildly in your favor. You don’t seem to get that. Am I surprised? No.

      Gary, I’m agnostic on the question of which way the markets will go, so you could have saved the rerun of your endless blah blah blah about the economy and the markets. It’s stultifying. The point is that anyone who had a clue would have played your directional bet as a spread trade, not a straight long call. That’s for amateurs. Hasn’t Rick schooled you on this? But you’re a smarter trader than he is, right?

      I’m not calling you out big boy. I’m just ridiculing you for your ignorance, which you seem determined to display. If you feel compelled to come out, that’s your business.

      Again, I don’t care what you think of the market. I actually kinda sorta agree with some of your premises. But the fat statement and the crowing about the call buying coming from a statist, Fed loving fellow traveller makes me want to smack you around verbally a little bit like a cat does with a mouse.

      Don’t ask me why I do it. It’s pointless, but I enjoy it.

      If you don’t like my pointing out your follies, then stop saying stupid things!

    • Dave November 2, 2012, 9:22 pm

      “A flash crash when the economic numbers keep showing improvement for months now? Not likely. You bet according to odds. The odds are not in favor of a deep recession from here, nor is the market over-valued. ”

      Rick can handle recession issues, as for flash crash, Mercury Retrograde period has already begun, going full force direct at 6pm 11/6/12. Odds more likely for a flash crash during it through 11/26/12 as past 2 flash crashes happened during MRs, among other anomalies. Stay tuned!

  • KS November 2, 2012, 5:57 am

    Why vote for one or the other? Have write-ins ceased to exist? People have been trained to focus on just the two clowns in the circus spotlight.
    And as far as political compatibility BS, Japanese have been utilizing blood type compatibility for the last 30 years in everything from job hiring to dating.
    I don’t get it, but good luck to them.
    P.S. To Gary: I am still waiting on your response. Go back to yesterdays article and check in the end.

    • VegasBob November 2, 2012, 9:17 pm

      Well, I’ve succeeded in alienating virtually all of my friends, simply because I voted for Jill Stein of the Green Party.

      My friends on the left always talk about how “the government should do” this and that. They are usually horrified when I suggest that they substitute the phrase “other people should do” in place of the phrase “the government should do” this or that. But occasionally one of them sees the light.

      The simple reality is that those who spend their lives depending on “other people” AKA “the government” to “protect their interests” wind up getting fleeced every single day of their lives.

      I guess I’ve evolved from a liberal progressive to a libertarian. I voted for Jill Stein as a protest vote – Gary Johnson may be running as a Libertarian, but he’s just another big government Republican. I just can’t bring myself to vote for Republicans because I am an agnostic, and I will NEVER pray to the Republican Jesus. NEVER.

  • Beemer November 2, 2012, 5:35 am

    “Time was when smoking, drinking, religion, education level and physical attractiveness were the main concerns of men and women looking for love; now, apparently, a date-seeker’s political views trumps them all.”

    … and health insurance!