‘Interesting Times’ Spinning Out of Control

These all-too-interesting times are threatening to mutate into global mayhem. Because the usual 500-word commentary cannot begin to cover it all, let me list just a few of the things that we should all find troubling domestically and abroad:

• The subjugation of Iraq by jihadi madmen so deranged, cruel and violent that even al Qaeda considers them outcasts is about to radically reshape the geopolitical world. They now control territory from Aleppo in northwestern Syria to Fallujah in central Iraq and are fixing to extend their dominion – and a re-nascent Caliphate — to Baghdad. We should wish Iranian troops well in killing as many of them as possible.

• Whatever develops in Iraq, energy prices are poised to take a leap that could easily tip the developed world back into deepest, darkest recession. My technical forecast has been calling for $119-a-barrel crude, but that may prove to be just the booster stage of a much bigger rally.

• Under the breathtakingly inept leadership of Barack Obama, whose competence never rose above the demands of neighborhood rabble-rouser, America’s withdrawal from the world’s trouble spots threatens to end the Pax Americana that deepened its roots, if only briefly, following the demolition of the Berlin Wall.

• Question to the State Department, Western Europe, the neo-Nazi right and the American left: Do you still believe that Israel is the main cause of the world’s problems? For a dose of reality, read this prescient 1992 article by Angelo M. Codevilla in Middle East Quarterly.

• Waiting in the wings to make things worse is Hillary Clinton, as sinister as Obama is inept. The faked smile that hides her take-no-prisoners ruthlessness reminds me of the murderously ambitious Angela Lansbury character in The Manchurian Candidate.

• However the White House tries to spin the Bergdahl swap, the photo images of the five  jihadi psychopaths released from Gitmo have already seared a terrifying image into the minds of Americans that will continue to haunt us.

• A lazy, ignorant, ideologically compromised news media that has kissed Obama’s feet since he announced his candidacy in 2007 is about to get its comeuppance when the true, rebellious feelings of Americans surface at the polls in November.

• No matter how much Hillary, Obama, Kerry and their lackeys in the press want Benghazi to go away, it will not.

• And neither will a dozen other scandals. If they appear to recede from concern for a while, it’s only because new and even bigger scandals are erupting every week.

• Lois Lerner’s emails have somehow gotten lost? This is the sort of thing that made beheadings so popular during the French Revolution.

• Obamacare is a dead duck. And don’t expect Americans to trust the same Federal Government that excreted it to “fix it” with a single-payer system. By now, most Americans understand that the single-payer model is just a load of leftist claptrap that would make the VA hospitals look like models of efficiency.

• The only way back for our Obama-wrecked healthcare system is for doctors to take matters into their own hands, marching on Washington if they have to.

• Still not convinced Obamacare will be derailed? Wait till you see what happens to insurance premiums – not just this year and next, when the increases will be merely stunning, but after The Guvmint’s ‘corridor’ subsidy is withdrawn at the end of 2017, subjecting rate payers to the full brunt of insurers’ mounting losses. By then, almost no one but the very well employed will be able to afford health insurance.  To make matters worse, there will be more uninsured Americans than before Obamacare.

• The public-spirited PTA of the 1950s is about to revive, catalyzed by an increasingly hated Common Core program that would turn children into docile, ignorant Obama-ites.

• Student loans now tally $1.4 trillion and will never be repaid. This economic disaster-in-the-making will reach critical mass before Obama leaves office. Wage garnishments have already begun, dooming whatever hopes twenty-somethings had to climb out of the deepening abyss of post-collegiate poverty and The Great Recession.

  • JF June 25, 2014, 2:15 pm

    Rick, you mentioned Flint and Detroit in a comment above and having lived both of those experiences from the 50’s through the 90’s I couldn’t agree more with your observations. The hyperinflation crowd’s notion that bales of money are going to be created is dubious and if currency could actually repair the entropy we’d have to come up with a new physics.

    I visited the Whole Foods in Detroit’s Midtown area a couple times since it opened last year. It’s in a narrow corridor of development from Wayne State University and the Medical Center down to the riverfront. Two miles east, three miles north and three miles northwest and you’re in the three top most dangerous neighborhoods in the United States for violent crime.

    Midtown is an island. Another iteration of re-development schemes going back the Renaissance Center and later casino and sport complexes. Talk about bread and circuses. Most of the people I meet here in Texas, outside of a few long-haul truck drivers, haven’t got a clue about it. The most common image I encounter is how Detroit’s a budding artist’s haven and flourishing urban-garden area. Pastel propaganda imho. Governor Snyder is reaching out to China in many ways and they’re responding.

    It will be interesting to see how amenable Chinese investors are to the implications of the enormous infrastructural deficit including water, sewer and power. Not so much the investors purchasing blocks of houses sight unseen, but the ones buying warehouses and old manufacturing buildings. I wonder how thoroughly they’ve looked under the hood. The Potemkin Village aspect of Midtown could be sufficient to fool even savvy Chinese planners. It’s all there in the DSWD financial statements, or is it?

    Delinquencies on water bills are now $175,000,000 across 165,000 accounts. These include businesses. The social impact of cutting off water to users 60 days or $150 in arrears is unknowable but likely significant. The $5.8 billion debt (2012) of DWSD is money already spent primarily on maintenance and patching, so one can only imagine the actual number for necessary upgrades is multiples of that. Perhaps the shrinkage of the city and related triage mitigates it somewhat but complex systems have a way of confounding central planners, particularly inept ones.

    If it takes as long for the rest of the cities in our country to slide as far down as Detroit has, we’ll have plenty to discuss over the next 30 years. As I’ve been quipping lately, ya don’t have to be blind to describe this elephant.

    &&&&

    An interesting view ‘from the inside’, JF. New York City could be seen as a variation on Detroit: Instead of an island of prosperity amidst general squalor, Manhattan’s ‘island’ is more like an archipelago, with rivulets of bohemian gentrification now spreading well into Harlem.

    I’ll be curious to see whether Detroit, starting more-or-less fresh (albeit with still-huge financial obligations to retired municipal employees), can regenerate itself now that it has the deep-pocketed ‘sponsorship’ of Chinese speculators. I hope they find their way to Atlantic City, my home town, and plow the casinos into the ground so that the city can begin anew with beaches that were always beautiful. Unfortunately, even Chinese money will not suffice to regenerate upstate New York and Western PA, let alone the entire, run-down, overtaxed, underproductive, Democrat-electing Northeast. RA

  • Redwilldanaher June 24, 2014, 1:52 am

    El Garo, has one conspiracy ever been carried out in human history? Or did everything go down just as we’ve been told?

    See how silly you really are?

    • mario June 24, 2014, 3:26 am

      I think that’s the point RWD, there are no actual conspiracies, really. Come on, that’s just the folly of paranoid minds. We could reasonably say there are private arrangements and deals made by 2 or more parties colluding together for their agenda but that’s just the way of the world, the comings and goings of history, why do we have to label it, calling it something such as “conspiracy”? And all conspiracies aren’t evil conspiracies, only the ones where people’s lives get devastated or mass murder is involved, then it qualifies as evil. But nice conspiracies, like perhaps, conspiracies involving money, bilking people, companies and countries out of millions or billions, well those are just the normal meanderings of negotiation and private arrangement, the ups and downs of political history. It doesn’t mean there are evil, deeply sociopathic, one-sided intentions and there aren’t any conspiracies!!! Who thought of that word anyway? Webster? Delete it!!

      Note to reader: insert sarcasm.

      Cheers, Mario

      • John Jay June 24, 2014, 4:12 am

        Mario,
        I think you’ll appreciate this.
        I was in the Brea Mall this past Sunday.
        I saw an Asian kid with a Nike t shirt that read:

        My Dream
        Ends
        Your Dream

        I almost laughed out loud when I saw it.
        What a perfect summation of the rise of the East, and the decline of the West!
        All captured in five little words!
        Perfect!

  • mava June 23, 2014, 3:43 am

    On invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, I think I agree with you (if I get your point right that it was all Bushes fault).
    Yes, I think it was all Bushes fault. We should have never been in those countries in the first place, and they never attacked us. I don’t believe the story of 911 as officially told. It was obviously a lie. Skyscrapers just don’t fall like that, which makes it clear that they were laden with explosives prior to 911. I tested that in physics simulation software. Could not make the building collapse, no matter what, until I set the structural columns to self-destruct on a timed schedule.

    “were laden” -> “been laden” -> “bin laden”

    So, yes, it was all Bush. If he “didn’t know” about something on that scale happening right under his nose, then again, he was guilty of criminal negligence.

    Why do we need to make them a democracy? I have heard an old dictum few times from a friend: “Democratic states do not war with each other”. Ha-ha. Just look at the recent history.

    Let them be alone, let them live as they want to, – let them have what we would ourselves prefer to have – an independence from our influence.

  • mava June 23, 2014, 3:28 am

    ” Corruption is not the same as intent. ”

    Corruption, Gary, is always preceded by an intent. What intent? To steal (they think of it in terms of “to obtain”) thru corruption.

    “Obamacare does benefit some people no matter how you approach it.”

    So is highway robbery, Gary.

  • Redwilldanaher June 22, 2014, 7:05 pm

    Reach for your inhaler Garo, expeditiously…

  • gary leibowitz June 22, 2014, 5:32 pm

    Just delete me permanently without using your idiotic excuses.

    Lets recap the idiotic arguments here about the Middle East. Had the Bush administration not falsified reasons to invade a country that had no means or influence to attack us we would not be in this mess to begin with. If Saddam was in power there would be no radical group and no destabilizing of the region PERIOD! Yet you keep harping on a known outcome from the moment we invaded these countries. There was absolutely no other outcome once Bush set this in motion. NONE. I dare anyone to tell me different. We now have to have another South America play out till the dust settles. The 70’s is back!

    No solution can be given from outside. We contain their influence and attacks outside our borders. They are not stupid enough to actually attack the United States. It will take many decades for stability to form, regardless of who is in power. Civil wars are messy things. We take sides then we lose big. There was never a democratically elected nation, and that concept is foreign to them.

    You are all a bunch of egotistical hypocrites. Not one person stood up and said this is after all a free blog where ideas are supposed to be exchanged. Are you all comfy in the fact that your extreme fanatical views will not be disrupted? But as every single reason for the destruction of this country gets taken down you just move on to the next juicy news event. It’s as if all the failed expectations never happened, or were thwarted by the evil subversive government. Silly people with no sense of proportion. Do you really think today we live in the worse oppressive government of all time? I am going to plan my restaurant tonight and enjoy the day out, while you can dream of a time when everything around you is in ashes. “You don’t know what you got till its gone”.

    BTW, I had publically predicted this the day Bush invaded. Not very hard to do, and no need to be a PHD in Middle East history.

    &&&&&&

    I don’t recall your having predicted that al Qaeda would be completely neutralized in Iraq after the invasion. This arguably would have remained so if we had kept a presence there. What are you predicting for Afghanistan, Obama’s ‘good’ war?

    Peggy Noonan speaks for me and, probably, most Americans, in the essay linked below. Try to find something to disagree with if you can, el Garo.:

    http://online.wsj.com/articles/what-america-thinks-about-iraq-1403219280

    RA

    • Gary leibowitz June 23, 2014, 4:13 pm

      A few thousand thugs neutralized after more than a decade of fighting. Sure sounds like a good plan. Without government stability and inclusion there will never be a solution. Perhaps we didn’t learn from every single historic precedence? Was this any different? Perhaps you can now inderstand why we don’t overthrow every despot. Without a history of freedoms and stable government it is impossible to force such a change. Has to be internal. I believe Isis is the new kid on the block. How about Syria? John Wayne to the rescue. BTW. So you know whee they get their billions from? Let’s attack those rich shrieks that support the war. Vietnam? Korea? Guess you still think America can actually influence this part of the world.

      How many terrorists are we talking about? Must be a huge following. Imagine how a few thousand can influence a whe region. You never did address the biggest blunder of all rime when we invaded and killed Saddam. But wait we did have Misaion accomplished.

      I thought Russia was going to topple our economy. Perhaps the combination of Syria Iran Iraq and Afghanistan will do it. Place your bets.

      As for predictions that’s easy. All intervention without a history of democratic rule will fail. Absolutely positively. If it is not built from within it is doomed. How did Russia do in that region?

      Are the nukes flying overhead? Until that happens couch quarterbacking is just a wasted exercize.

      Have you looked at all the off the wall comments and extreme unrelated and mean spirited discussions? Yet you keep deleting Jill and I. Pathetic. Jill posted one in perhaps 2 months. I am constantly misrepresented but not one single person suffered for it. A shill. Using a pseudonym. Ignores my very repetitive stance on the eventual outcome. I am the only one that contradicts this whole bunch. Delete me for the real reason. It hurts. My words that is. Can’t handle criticism backed with logic. Sorry it makes people think. Now I know my representation of fanaticism is correct.

      Not one person daring to ask you to pretty please let me talk. Pathetic and shameful. Have the guts to declare why I am being censured. Fits right in with the type of government you prefer.

      • Gary leibowitz June 23, 2014, 6:41 pm

        As for criticizing Marios rosy view of China with no counter is just plain pathetic. He is a big boy that can take criticism. Misrepresent? Not. To chose an extremely controlling and Dictorial regime over ours should be debated. Sorry if you don’t think so. He has unequivocally declared China’s lifestyle superior in every way. Too bad he can’t post any complaints in any fashion there. To do so could be detrimental to ones health Try carrying g these hateful views against their regime. Not ever going to be allowed but I give this post 3 minutes before the Rick bans it

        A protective mother would do no different.

        Am I really so naive and duped? Seems this debating. Bunch has nothing to say or add from talking points going on 5 years. Just cut and paste from any article or period. In the end though this person can guarantee the following. No matter how bad this economy gets it will not satisfy your anger and frustration. There will be no political or economic disruption big enough to feel content. We will survive intact. New policies will mimic the post Great Depression era. Sorry but the bunker mentality will be disappointed.

        Manuf and resale of homes just another illusion. To think that trillions spent to prop this economy could actually be dismissed as inconsequential is mind boggling.

        ]&&&&&&

        The recovery is a transparent fraud, Gary. It has inflated only the value of favored asset classes while aggrandizing the fortunes of big financial players who own those assets and who can borrow nearly unlimited sums for practically nothing.

        Which part of ‘stagnant wages’ don’t you understand? RA

      • mario June 23, 2014, 10:12 pm

        Hi Gary,

        Oh come on, you know me better than that. My rosy view of China is about the rosy things which are happening in China. Don’t shoot the messenger. And I do understand its an annoying comparison for people with strong patriotic type feelings to have to witness the rise of the perceived enemy while you’re own ship is sinking. But it being annoying doesn’t change the landscape.

        Meanwhile, plenty of bad in China is reported and talked about in China. I don’t deny there are plenty of problems and crazy, unfair things here TOO. Note the word TOO. Even here inside China, in print in plenty of China media all across the country, plenty of people write plenty of stuff about the things in China which are big problems, its not anywhere near as censored as you need to believe it is.

        There is however definitely is a list of “don’t touch” topics and “don’t do” things which land you in jail. Er um, there is also a list of similar unreasonable, unfair, controlled things in the United States and every other country which land you in jail or a ruined life some other way, so I fail to see what the big deal is in comparing.

        For China the list is pretty short yet serious. Do NOT criticize a govt leader. You may make unlimited constructive suggestions but not in any derogatory comments such as, for example “Jim Jones is a bumbling idiot of a president.” You simply don’t say such things publicly if you wanted to. See? I didn’t even use his real name because I won’t take a chance that some blogger would copy and paste that quote which could get me in trouble. Do NOT criticize or stick your nose in matters involving Tianamen, Tibet and Taiwan. They are govt affairs, you don’t know the actual details, so saying anything critical is very foolish. You do not oppose the government, its NOT a 2 party conversation of Republicans and Democrats. You’re a private citizen, you do NOT get involved in government affairs, period. And so, yes the risk is that you are at the mercy of whether or not they are doing a good job of it or not. While in America, they like to make you think you can make a difference when in fact you’re just p*ssing into the wind. Ask Naomi Wolf author of Give Me Liberty if you don’t believe it, the political laws of engagement have completely blocked the common citizen out of the system.

        I know Chinese citizens don’t have to fill out FBAR reports each year of their overseas bank accounts. And I know I live in a country without guns, intimidating gangs on the street preventing grandma and grandkids for going for a walk in the neighborhood at 8pm, no metal detectors at the high school PROM, and no weekly school shootings. I know the govt here doesn’t take your kids from you devastating families because the neighbor called CPS and told them you spanked little johnnie too hard at the grocery store and you seem a bit unstable and “oh, you’re unemployed too?’ ” Sorry mom, little johnnie’s coming with us.” Don’t ask me to continue, many BOOKS have been written on the hundreds of lunatic rules and laws and twisted problems in America. China has plenty of its own too. So WHAT?

        Cheers, Mario

    • mario June 23, 2014, 6:24 pm

      Gary?

      Here’s what I think. There is NO WAY on planet earth the same person is writing these recent posts of yours.

      Nobody’s brain changes like that.

      And as to why I might believe you get censored:

      “But as every single reason for the destruction of this country gets taken…”

      You are still thinking it hasn’t already been destroyed. THAT”S why you get censored and ignored.

      You seem insanely oblivious that the United States IS already a ruined place in myriad, massive ways, societally, economically, and politically.

      And this is NOT my ranting personal opinion as I stated before, the most intelligent, respected minds on the planet, American and non-America see it, know it and have said it. It is KNOWN AND OBVIOUS FACT.

      And you come along here and write as if its an illusion, all of us being fanatical, bitching and moaning, letting off steam, or whatever.

      We can’t help you see what you refuse to see. Its like the drug addict or alcoholic, no matter how many times you tell them their problem is “the drug” or “the bottle” that will be the last thing they ever let themselves accept and they will keep on blaming everything else around them for their failures and misery.

      You simply need to wake up to reality. I say the same thing about China, about America, about anything in life. The degradation of American society is sadly already a done deal, driven by a political system run amok, with our leadership having less interest in “of the people, by the people, for the people” than ever since those words were penned by Lincoln.

      Doubt me, take the symptom of school shootings; they used to be never, then once a year, then once a month, I believe they’re up to 2x a week in 2014. That’s just one examples of hundreds clearly indicating the ruin of the society, plain for all to see.

      That said, its not right to blame the politicians and corporate bigwigs for everything. A lot of the societal changes, for example, leading to no jobs, no opportunity, a wider gap between where you are and where you would like to be are rooted in the evolution of progress, of technological developments, innovations, other shifts in the fabric of society that they don’t control, etc.

      Cheers, Mario

  • VILE VLAD June 21, 2014, 7:56 am

    ackerman, I looked up your missing lois lane (er, lerner) irs emails, and I think you’ll get
    this video, of the irs chief (a cross, between hoover and toohey, IMO), grilled by paul ryan.
    damn. can’t believe this paul ryan. he actually sounded like an amerikan speaking the truth.
    weird indeed. I thought amerikans always lied. especially those in congressional power.
    http://finance.yahoo.com/news/congress-probes-irs-emails-could-missing-141442126–finance.html

    &&&&&&&

    Here’s a little labor of love for you, Vlad: Go the the New York Times site and see how little ink they’ve devoted to their perfunctory coverage of the Lerner saga. Of course, the Grey/Pink Lady has a tradition of ignoring the really big stories that goes back to Walter Duranty’s fawning dispatches from Mother Russia during the purges, and the routine burying of holocaust stories when Jews were being murdered by the millions in the camps.
    RA

    • V-I-L-E VLAD June 23, 2014, 4:29 am

      human existence on planet earth is even more complex, that what you write above.

      however, that was a good start. re myself, ny times requires a signup, which,
      as you well know, I won’t do. and your ‘little labor of love’ comment, was pathetic.

      hey. I had not seen ‘schindler’s list’, since it came out, 20 years ago. saw it yesterday.
      nothing to say. except, I want to be a jew. smartest talented human tribe that ever lived.

      &&&&&&

      Schver tsu zayn a Yid. RA

      • EVIL VLAD June 24, 2014, 3:29 am

        I concur.

        &&&&&

        The German phrase I quoted was intended to end the discussion right then and there, but here you are with a follow-up that was 40 times as long as my terse response.
        RA

  • John Jay June 20, 2014, 8:40 pm

    So Putin phones to tell al Maliki that he will lend “full support for the Iraqi government’s action to quickly free the territory of the republic from terrorists”.
    Putin does this as the US tells Maliki he needs to go to get US military support.
    Well played Vlad!

    Somewhere, Ike and the Dulles brothers are either slapping their foreheads, or laughing out loud.
    Or maybe both at the same time.

    I guess the American Yakuza are discovering that there is a price to pay when you put puppet after puppet in the White House.
    Every POTUS after JFK has been increasingly incompetent, reckless, and destructive to our Republic.
    It looks like Obama is “a puppet too far”!

  • mava June 20, 2014, 4:44 pm

    That is it an “imperfect system” is your opinion, Gary. I, for instance, think that the system is horrible, bad beyond any consideration. What would be the point to repair it, or even to keep it afloat?

    As it is, we can’t count on money, because money do not exist, against the law. What can we say about a law that prohibits honest money? This deficiency is the core of everything that goes wrong, from HFT on the Wall Street going awry to the last bad cop on the street retiring a millionaire. There is no fixing, and there is no point of fixing. It is an unfair system, where only the smart and lucky are allowed to succeed. What about everyone else? What about honest folks, but may-be not stellar-smart? Someone’s mother working all her life at the front desk somewhere? This system doesn’t record her efforts fairly. Everything she does is negated by the inflation, and someone borrowing big gets her life scores in his own wallet.

    This system is dishonest. Money must be gold, which the government cannot inflate (create). Only work should be able to inflate gold (bring into the circulation), and that is proper, because if more new work is done, then there is more work accounted for, then there should be more money.

    It is only a short period of nastiness that awaits anyone trying to go straight and off the needle, and so is with going back to honest money. At best, we will get anarchy (not chaos, but an absence of a ruler, oppressor). Likely, we will get the oppressive government but unfunded, and at worst, everything will return to the way it is today.

    You crying out abut chaos reminds me of all those fat cats who were crying about the necessity to save the banks and the government funding.

    Are you a fat cat? Do you live off the sweat of honest people?

    • mario June 20, 2014, 5:02 pm

      Mava, I conclude its like talking to someone in the loonie house and saying “See Johnnie, such a lovely BLUE sky.” AND Johnnie says “No! No!..Purple polkadot green tomatoes, !”…Huh?…good grief.

      Cheers, Mario

      • Gary leibowitz June 20, 2014, 5:56 pm

        I don’t carry a sign declaring the end happened already and people are sleeping.

        &&&&&

        I will continue to delete every post of yours that misrepresents or twists what people in this forum are actually saying. RA

      • redwilldanaher June 20, 2014, 10:36 pm

        Garo, why not at least express frustration that the bull$h!+ markets of the 90’s and the 00’s weren’t as centrally well-planned as this one? Just think of what heights could have been achieved had there been an even heavier hand on the tiller!

        We should have gone full tilt smoke and mirrors 50 years ago!

        Oh right, we did…

      • mario Cavolo June 21, 2014, 3:09 am

        We know you don’t carry that sign, that’s the problem. Any sane, rational person who objectively made an A-B column list of the good and bad realities would carry it. And the ones who wouldn’t only have a biased self-serving agenda, is afraid, or thinks its waste of time to even bother. I fall into the latter category. Become politically active? What a waste of time and energy. The first thing you have to do is tow the line, get in step with biased, corrupt agendas and chase money. For what? To make the country a better place against the grain of deep pockets and influences who control the system? Good luck with that.

        Cheers, Mario

  • gary leibowitz June 20, 2014, 4:01 pm

    To conclude that the debt burden is most likely going to end badly, is not the same as ignoring the last 5 years of world concerted efforts to keep the economies afloat. There is a huge disparity, one where you refuse to acknowledge. instead every post written tried to catch the catalyst that will clear the smoke screen where everyone will concede all is lost. Life never works that way. There is rarely a movie style script that fits reality. What planet are you on? An imperfect system is not tolerated by this group, so we should fall into total chaos.

    You should spend a fraction of your time trying to figure out what will cause the world economies to fall into a black hole, what will push the debt burden to intolerable levels. To deny the reality of the last 5 years is irrational, and repetitious. Emotional outbursts with no bite. You can’t keep picking the daily news events as reason for the final demise. The silly notion that Iraq , Afghanistan, or Syria will be that catalyst is absurd. They never knew democracy and were feudal sectarian groups of people for thousands of years. Move on.

    • mario June 20, 2014, 4:58 pm

      Gary, again “an imperfect system is not tolerated by this group.” The imperfect system you refer to is more egregiously, horribly, extremely imperfect than it has ever been for around a century! That is not something to ignore, try to argue isn’t true, or not be extremely upset about.

      I assure you in no uncertain terms I wish it weren’t true that the state of the U.S. today compared to the America my immigrant ancestors came to for a new, free life in America is a disgrace. You think the people on this board are the only ones who have said it as plain as day? Some of the greatest minds on the planet have stated it, shaking their heads and hearts in dismay at having to say it. Try reading Thomas Friedman’s latest book…he pulls no punches, he says it like it is and it is a HORRIBLE picture of what America was, is, could be and will not be. So I think you’re the one who needs to get over it, accept it and move on.

      Cheers, Mario

      Cheers, Mario

  • EVIL VLAD June 20, 2014, 2:55 am

    last but not least, ussa latest news,
    on how amerikain middle class continues to drown, from ‘white man’s burden’s’ desease.

    i.e. — obamascare.
    and his even scarier other re-distributional results.

    $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

    “CBO Quietly Drops Forecast That Obamacare Will Cut the Deficit”
    http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2014/06/05/CBO-Quietly-Drops-Forecast-Obamacare-Will-Cut-Deficit

    “U.S. pays for bulk of subsidized Obamacare policies, HHS reports”
    http://blogs.marketwatch.com/health-exchange/2014/06/18/three-fourths-of-premiums-under-obamacare-paid-via-subsidies-hhs/

    “Poll: Many still struggle to pay health premiums”
    (PERSONALLY LOVE THIS ONE–GUETTO CRIMINAL BUMS GETTING SUBSIDIZED
    BY TAX-PAYERS TO THE TUNE OF 3/4
    OF THEIR ‘PRE-EXISTING IS OK’ HEALTHCARE,
    YET, THAT’S NOT ENOUGH FOR THE BUMS, THEY WANT IT ALL 100% FOR FREE)
    http://finance.yahoo.com/news/poll-many-still-struggle-pay-health-premiums-150122469–finance.html

    $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

    “Americans are getting into debt to afford food, gas”
    “(With rates near 0%, credit card companies are happy to lower standards and lend)”
    http://www.marketwatch.com/story/americans-are-getting-into-debt-just-to-get-by-2014-06-18?siteid=yhoof2

    “Fed slashes 2014 US growth forecast”
    http://finance.yahoo.com/news/fed-slashes-2014-us-growth-forecast-183901499.html

    “A Sobering Forecast for the Jobless”
    http://www.elliottwave.com/freeupdates/archives/2014/06/16/A-Sobering-Forecast-for-the-Jobless.aspx#axzz34vMrN4A4

    “Income gap widens as American factories shut down”
    http://finance.yahoo.com/news/income-gap-widens-american-factories-160206632.html

    • mario June 20, 2014, 5:20 am

      Dismal indeed V, wasn’t subsidies for the marginalized middle class the point? …of course without first addressing the corruption in the healthcare/govt/insurance system…

      But last link is “old news” referencing manufacturing decline through 2011. That’s old news V, manufacturing and U.S. exports have been on a strong upswing including strong reshoring trend, since that time…
      AND behemoth Alibaba just launched Tmall USA…these are worthy developments…there is now a strong upswinging surge in interest and demand for American brands, particularly into China and if the likes of Alibaba are driving it, you can be sure it is going to have an impact.

      Just sayin’ any such good news is welcome…Cheers, Mario

      • EVIL VLAD June 24, 2014, 3:58 am

        I answered you, mickey, but host erased it.
        you are wrong about your 1 disagreement.
        go look back at date of the link I provided.

        &&&&&

        Regarding your extended personal note to Mario, I deleted it as well, following my new policy of deleting in toto any post by you that requires the censoring of even a single word. RA

      • mario June 24, 2014, 7:33 am

        Dude, I was just clarifying the up to date facts. Not the date of the link, the date of the information being used in the content of the article which was 2011. Like I said, since then U.S. mfg and reshoring are very much on the upswing, there’s no right or wrong about it, I’m simply informing the facts. And frankly, if I wrote it, I’m not wrong, or I wouldn’t have written it in the first place. So stop wasting time with blanket generalizations like saying I’m “wrong” about something. Wrong specifically who, how, what, why, which part, in what way, as opposed to?

        And for heaven’s sake will you please start writing without the rudeness and wasting Rick’s time, he’s not your goddamn private editor/babysitter. Just share your insights which are sometimes superlative, skip the sleazeball language…how many times do you have to be asked?

        Cheers, Mario

    • Jason S June 20, 2014, 6:59 pm

      Just heard an add for stated income loans on the radio. I couldn’t believe it so I Googled it and sure enough there are all sorts of adds for them. So if your credit score sucks, you can buy a house again. Add this to my bullet points of concern.

      http://www.under640ficoscoreloans.com/Pages/StatedIncome.aspx

  • dk June 19, 2014, 11:07 pm

    Rick, apologies for the entirely unrelated post…

    Spent a bit of today swimming through a myriad of awesome music, perhaps in anticipation for a festival I will be attending soon.
    Just a bit ago, I made the transitions from Jazz, to Jazz-infused-Hip Hop, to Hip Hop and it got me thinking I haven’t listened to certain artists in a while.
    I felt like YouTubing some of their performances and I’m glad I did because I came across one of them, Immortal Technique, being interviewed by Alex Jones.

    Whoa, what an interview! I can’t believe this is the first time I’ve seen this!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hUPdkxsOV8

    Everyone here, ESPECIALLY GARY, should watch this, though I’m sure not even this will do much good for him and those of his ilk.

  • Rick Ackerman June 19, 2014, 11:06 pm

    Latest comments from Gary and Jill deleted, lest anyone waste precious time posting a response. To summarize: Gary, in 257 all-too-familiar words, still thinks the ‘recovery’ looks great; and Jill, after a lengthy absence from the forum, evidently still thinks Republicans, conservatives and libertarians are icky. She hinted of never returning, so let’s cross our fingers.

    • mava June 20, 2014, 4:51 pm

      LoL!
      Even Jim Rickards, who spent his life tucking the government in comfort, and reading them lectures, just came out with “Catastrophic Outcomes May Come Faster Than Expected”.

      What recovery?

    • Jason S June 20, 2014, 6:54 pm

      Well darn it, freedom is icky! You have to take personal responsibility and remain accountable for your actions. That just reeks of ick! I would much rather have someone who appeals to the LCD (that is least common denominator for those people who went through “new math”) decide and do for me.

  • EVIL VLAD June 19, 2014, 9:02 pm

    here is something I saw earlier today, posted on a yahoo webpage commentary section.
    it gave me a good laugh, and I think near all here will enjoy reading it (except commie gary).

    it’s a long satiric post, and the theme of the piece is matching to this week’s blog.
    and all I have to say on it, is by the time you finish reading this writer’s last words,
    you will not find the post funny more. but tragically accurate.

    and this is why I always add an extra s., to u.s.a.

    because of people like liberal gary leibowitz, that have wholly destroyed america.

    $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

    “Vote for Democrats always because……….”

    “I vote Democrat because I believe it’s okay if our federal government gives $40 billion of our tax payer dollars to the Ukraine because we think they need our money more than we do.

    I vote Democrat because I believe it’s okay if our federal government borrows $85 Billion every single month.

    I vote Democrat because I care about the children … by saddling them with trillions of dollars of debt to pay for my bloated leftist government is okay.

    I vote Democrat because I believe it’s better to pay billions of dollars to people who hate us rather than drill for our own oil, because it might upset some endangered beetle or gopher.

    I vote Democrat because I believe it is okay if liberal activist judges rewrite the Constitution to suit some fringe kooks, who would otherwise never get their agenda past the voters.

    I vote Democrat because I believe that corporate America should not be allowed to make profits for themselves or their shareholders. They need to break even and give the rest to the federal government for redistribution.

    I vote Democrat because I’m not concerned about millions of babies being aborted, so long as we keep all of the murderers on death row alive.

    I vote Democrat because I believe it’s okay if my Nobel Peace Prize winning President uses drones to assassinate people, as long as we don’t use torture.

    I vote Democrat because I believe people, who can’t accurately tell us if it will rain on Friday, can predict the polar ice caps will melt away in ten years if I don’t start driving a Chevy Volt.

    I vote Democrat because Freedom of Speech is not as important as preventing people from being offended.

    I vote Democrat because I believe the oil companies’ profit of 3% on a gallon of gas is obscene, but the federal government taxing that same gallon of gas at 15% isn’t obscene.

    I vote Democrat because I believe a moment of silent prayer at the beginning of the school day constitutes government indoctrination and an intrusion on parental authority ….. but sex education, condom distribution and multiculturalism are all values-neutral.

    I vote Democrat because I believe lazy, uneducated stoners should have just as big a say in running our country as entrepreneurs who risk everything and work 70 hours per week.

    I vote Democrat because I don’t like guns ….. so no one else should be allowed to own one.

    I vote Democrat because I see absolutely no correlation between welfare and the rise of illegitimacy.

    I vote Democrat because I see absolutely no correlation between judicial leniency and surging crime rates.

    I vote Democrat because I believe you don’t need an ID to vote but you do to buy beer.

    I vote Democrat because I like to keep black people enslaved to welfare and food stamps just to keep their votes.

    I vote Democrat because I believe marriage is obsolete, except for homosexuals.

    I vote Democrat because I think AIDS is spread by insufficient funding.

    I vote Democrat because I think “fairness” is far more important than freedom.

    I vote Democrat because I think an “equal outcome” is far more important than equal opportunity.

    I vote democrat because I would rather hide in a class room while others fight for my freedom.

    I vote Democrat because I’m not smart enough to own a gun and I need someone else to protect me.

    I vote Democrat because I would rather have free stuff than freedom

    I vote Democrat because I suffer from white guilt.

    I vote Democrat because i like spineless no class imbeciles representing American on the world stage.

    I vote Democrat because i like paying double for my healthcare with six and seven thousand dollar deductibles just so i can hear my liberal elitist puppet masters tell me how great it is while they keep their golden healthcare plans.

    And lastly, I vote for Democrapz because I’m convinced that I need others to think and provide for me because I lack the IQ and ballz to do it on my own.”

  • Rich June 19, 2014, 6:14 pm

    Well writ Rick.
    Could not agree more.
    Standing o.
    In unrelated news,
    QQQ JUN 21 2014 93.00 C – 11:59:11
    Bought to Open @ $0.10
    Put premiums way over call premiums.
    Aug Gold >$1300
    0 about to announce we are at war with Iraq?
    XOM target +31% to 133

  • Andy Gutterman June 19, 2014, 3:05 pm

    My theory is that China will somehow trigger the next Great Depression, not us. Its the transfer of high growth from one empire to another, such as we experienced in the 20’s and later. The Great Depression started in the USA, this time around something China does or doesn’t do will get the collapse going sometime soon. Soon being weeks, months or even years.

    In the meantime we will muddle along over here in what could be best described as a steady state slow growth, slow decline economy.

    We are no longer the generator of the world economy, that has passed to China. But I’m convinced that China will do something stupid that brings down the world economy. I just don’t know what.

    One speculation is pollution. If air and water quality get bad enough then the economic engine grinds to a halt.

    Question to Mario: What is the real state of pollution in China? They talk the talk, do they walk the walk?

    Andy

    • mario June 19, 2014, 3:34 pm

      Reasonable thinking Andy. Though I believe it will happen many years later as China still has 20 years of more growth ahead of it, there are very serious pollution and water/water shortage issues. These are long term macro issues which at some point could really come home to roost with who knows what kind of highly negative impact.

      Yes, they are tackling the pollution issue big time. They are by far the largest investor in solar, wind, water and nuclear power, with massive expansion occurring there, but all takes many years to come online, not an improvement “a year later”. So yes, they are surely aware and on it as far as that goes.

      I worry that as their economic power quietly continues to grow they will get too cocky and demanding, throw their weight around more foolishly than they should. BUT that said, Chinese are not the type to shoot themselves in the foot rather than preserving what they have. They always have a long term not a short term view of their developments, plans and interests. So we’ll see how it all plays out on the globally connected landscape.

      Cheers, Mario

      • Andy Gutterman June 19, 2014, 9:20 pm

        Yes but what are they doing to restrain the output of pollution from all the coal plants, let alone heavy industry? (And water pollution) They cannot solve the pollution problem by only investing in clean energy, they have to clean up the mess they have created and put a stop to the ongoing pollution.

        This is where I don’t see them walking the walk.

        We found out in the 60’s and 70’s that if we wanted to continue living we had to drastically cut back on pollution. I can remember going into the City as a teenager and not being sure where I was once I got out of Grand Central Station. Visibility on some days was nil.

        What is China doing now to cut back on existing output?

        Andy

      • mario June 20, 2014, 2:49 am

        As you ask, “…but what are they doing to restrain the output of pollution from all the coal plants, let alone heavy industry?”

        Its the right question and the simple answer is “Not enough and they CAN’T”. They can’t possibly dial back the current pollution output from coal plants and other sources without shutting off the lights across the country and grinding the economy to a devastating halt.” It is in fact, a conscious, known, understood choice, the lesser of two evils.

        That said, in the past six months with pollution levels in Shanghai moving to new highs, they have instituted a number of shorter term scale back the pollution measures. Stricter enforcement and fines, moving factories outside the urban areas, stricter on auto emissions, pulling older vehicles off the streets, etc. Its very much a nasty catch 22.

        Andy, they simply cannot even come close to “putting a stop to the ongoing pollution.”

        Its easy enough to google “china anti-pollution measures” , recent articles on the latest developments and measures will pop up.

        It will take many years for their alt initiatives to replace a substantial part of the coal output. For example, there will be 80 + nuclear reactors on line compared to today’s 20 or so.

        Cheers, Mario

    • VILE VLAD June 21, 2014, 7:05 am

      andy,
      you won’t believe it,

      &&&&&&

      I don’t fancy running the kind of web site where words like “chink” and phrases such as “bojangles president” turn up routinely in an open forum, Vlad. In the ebb and flow of how I treat ‘Vile Vlad’ posts, things are currently ebbing: I am trashing any post of yours in toto that requires the the deletion of even a single word.

      This forum, incidentally, is far more bother to me than it’s worth. I’ve nearly run out of reasons to keep it alive. RA

      • mario June 22, 2014, 2:25 am

        I, representing the academic board of Webster’s Dictionary hereby declare the need for a new word addition describing “necessary, laborious effort in the interest of writing”

        Vediting

        Apparently its Rick’s new full time job, like he has nothing better to do? .

        If V were to actually increase the output of his writing with all the insulting little bits still in there, it could create jobs for many veditors, stimulating the U.S. economy, unless of course such jobs were outsourced to India. Sigh.

        Cheers, Mario

      • V-I-L-E VLAD June 23, 2014, 4:08 am

        skip your melodrama. you keep this site alive, in order to garner ideas.
        I have seen you do it, repeatedly. you grind what others say, and rehash it.

        I told you long ago to 86 this site, and move out of ussa, as many of your ilk have done.
        but no. you know better than anybody, about anything. ok. so, meet your fate.

        ackerman, I foretold, over half year ago, what putin and xi were executing, worldwide.
        and all of you ignored it, or guffawed at it. however, all worldwide are now starting to see it.

        so here I am again, predicting a further future. and not that far away, possibly 2014.

        china will hint, this year, of planning a new panda currency, linked to precious metals.

        because, what would you rather have, a physical, 100% base metal, minted ‘bitcoin’,
        or a gold or silver plated panda (mostly base metal) coin; but, backed by the chinese govt.

        both available online, electronically, to trade privately; or, in stamped physical coins.

        ackerman, you are highly knowledgeable and smart, but you are no visionary.
        but I have enough info. and vision, to suggest the toppling, of all ussa future.

        I already foresaw the russia/china/and friends consortium, over 1/2 yr ago.

        I am now going further in my vision, of the future. of what china has in mind. longterm.
        and ussa ain’t in the plans. and maybe that upsets you. but that is what is real. today.

        and by the way, it was YOU, that called me VILE, the first time, before I used the name.
        and I couldn’t care less about it. because ALL of you are to me, JUST entertainment.

        kid, if you want, I will write a chink ‘pelikan brief’, so you can publish it, next week.

        rick, we are all at end of road. so nothing matters at all. yet all this’ll be a flash, to all.

        hey, I’ll tell you again. move out of the ussa. for you can still toil anywhere, via internet.
        australia is probably best for you.
        get out of dodge.

      • mario June 23, 2014, 6:27 am

        So you see V? What we know about you is that yes we gladly take in your unique insights as contribution here.

        AND that you selflessly proclaim that you don’t give a flying F8ck about being rude and insulting. You relish and revel in being a distasteful, arrogant pig.

        Why is that?

        Oh, don’t answer! You don’t care what any one else thinks you rude F8ck.

        Cheers, Mario

      • Jason S June 23, 2014, 6:15 pm

        Vlad, I don’t see how China can create a non-fiat currency right now. It would be far too detrimental to them at a time that their economy is slowing. If they did create a gold backed panda, it would immediately cause their currency to revalue; it couldn’t stay at 1/16 of a dollar. If they tried to keep the exchange rate there then they would have to buy dollars (and other currencies) selling yuan, subjecting them to expatriation of their gold. If they don’t fight the currency revaluation they immediately loose their control on labor, capital and political stability. The one thing the communist leadership fears is widespread unemployment and the chance of political upheaval it would cause.

      • mario June 24, 2014, 3:17 am

        Hi Jason et al, As most of you have probably read, offshore rmb banking is growing exponentially and opening up step by step across the globe. Now open in London for an England deal, and I just read opening in Frankfurt opening it up to the EU ….

  • REVILED VLAD June 19, 2014, 6:57 am

    blah blah dee blah blah blah.
    but, where are your foretold big breaking news, ackerman?

    (btw, I see ‘jill’ is back, since garo will pull his mannequin out of closet, when needed).

    jj, had not thought of port royal in decades. ’35 captain blood was one of my favorite ussa films.

    &&&&&&

    The ‘breaking news’ was the move by ISIS beyond Mosul. It was 2 a.m., I bought some oil contracts because they had not begun to move, and the rest has been…an anticlimax.

    Incidentally, you’ve got seven posts waiting on the queue this morning, Vlad. Let me suggest that you post fewer but more thoughtful items — I like your note concerning ‘America has no friends’, for instance. RA

    • Jason S June 19, 2014, 5:04 pm

      I agree, the “America has no friends” post was good. It echoes my concern that at some point the US will be righteously attacked because we have gone too far in our imperialism. We have preemptively struck and attacked a country, we now politicize war, political ideology and lust for power trumps common sense. Only a matter of time before we get the bitch-slapping we are beginning to deserve.

      By-the-way, Yogi Berra said “deja vu all over again”

      &&&&&

      Considering 9/11, thet bitch-slapping could prove far worse than we might deserve. It’s not hard to imagine how the jihadis could top themselves. RA

      • VILE VLAD June 20, 2014, 6:07 am

        yogi berra. I forgot. most quotable amerikan ever. ‘it ain’t over ’til it’s over.’ ha.

    • VILE VLAD June 20, 2014, 6:17 am

      I read a bit now, re your isis mosul stuff. and don’t see much significance in it;
      except another quasi-created ‘wag the dog’ incident. cutting off heads? big deal. yawn.

      because I think this, is much more important, than a small bunch camel-jockey zealots.
      “Putin Is Just Getting Started in Ukraine”
      http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/19/russia-is-still-meddling-in-ukraine-and-it-s-getting-worse.html

      now this, is the future. for putin is backed, by china’s xi. and that, is a BIG deal.

      • Rich June 23, 2014, 5:56 pm

        FWIW, Ukranian demonstrating Costco solar power units selling like hotcakes mentioned his family back in Ukraine was without power a week when P invaded Crimea.
        He said P inked a deal with Afghan oil fields that includes bringing in P military support to drive US military out. His guess it would hit the news last week was premature. In any event, while NYT announced the 30-year PX gas deal, the bigger news may be state of the art military technology trade between China and Russia:
        http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/22/world/asia/china-russia-gas-deal.html?_r=0

        In market matters, today’s possible double bottom with QQQ and SPY calls selling at implied premia volatility below puts, VXN and VIX.

        Continuing to like IWM +38% to 163, XOM +28% to 133 and the RPMGF lottery ticket, now that 90 years young Richard Russell thinks precious taking off.

        Many people looking to buy the dip, any dip, during 18 IPO week may be shut out, at least until Independence Day.

        Cheers All

        PS: Las Vegas Libertarian Congressional One Campaign going well, Tweets reaching several hundred thousand now, according to retweet metrics. TWTR exponential marketing, with 12% stock upside, despite bad censure habit of closing users down for “tweeting too much.” Race was one with only 25% of eligible voters voting. A real choice might inspire the alienated 75% to vote, if Brat retiring Cantor and McDaniel runoff with Cochrane any example. Scuttlebutt is multiple medical problems may sideline HRC, who has been prepping her daughter with lush NBC contracts illustrating how tough it is to be dead broke:

        http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2657305/Chelsea-Clinton-earned-annual-salary-600-000-NBC-News-switching-month-month-contract-earlier-year.html

    • VILE VLAD June 21, 2014, 7:19 am

      ackerman,
      and I still don’t see any connection, between your now rebutted, 17,622 dji old predict,
      and your new, few yet feared, isis head-choppers, upsetting world petroleum prices.

      &&&&&&&

      Why bother to connect up any of the dots in such a brutally dysfunctional world? As for 17622, consider it quasi-unrebutted. But I’ll stand by my bullish forecast for crude, even if Wall Street and the bozos who trade the stuff don’t seem terribly concerned at the moment. Presumably, they are waiting for the jihadis to move on Saudi Arabia’s fields before they get excited. RA

      • EVIL VLAD June 24, 2014, 4:39 am

        “Why bother to connect up any of the dots in such a brutally dysfunctional world?”

        &&&&&

        Resubmit this so that it complies with my new policy and I will publish it (even though, like so many of your posts, the entire rant was a non sequitur — just Vlad again, vamping flammables on a word or phrase posted by someone else). RA

  • mario June 19, 2014, 2:42 am

    But there is very good news in the all time high food inflation report. Over 34 years, the cost of chicken has risen from $.8 to only $1.56. Gents, that’s a bargain and a reminder of what I’ve told you many times before, consumer level goods/foods in America are relatively dirt cheap in today’s world. It is the single thing (besides the level of obesity) most every expat notices when they do their annual trip back to the states. The exclamation is always “Wow, stuff and restaurants are so cheap in the states!” I just paid $58 for a pair of nice, slick yet relatively basic pair of black leather shoes, the lowest I could find, and believe me you could buy them in the states for $30. China’s version of America’s Big Lots and Dollar stores are its street vendors…

    I know this seems against the grain of what you are experiencing due to all the other factors against the tide of the citizen, here’s a bit of sunshine.

    And FYI to my dear Ricks friend, proud of a well done Kirkus review of my book that just came out.

    Cheers, Mario

  • John Erickson June 19, 2014, 1:48 am

    Rick Ackerman’s abilities at writing are stunning. If he were an author I might enjoy reading books.

    &&&&&

    Thanks, John. For what it’s worth, I didn’t make the cut when Atlantic City High School selected students for Advanced Placement English.
    RA

  • mava June 18, 2014, 5:00 pm

    Gary,

    Don’t you see it? You say things like this: “You all agree that the stage was set way before he took office. He inherited a failed system.”, – and you wonder why is it folks on this board not getting you?

    When you are an office maintenance worker, you can use that line of defense. But when you have power that allows you to order innocent people to be dead, you can forget about that line.

    Obama is directly responsible for everything, and he knowingly inserted himself in this mess. He didn’t just happen to be drafted as president. He is also very evidently actively trying to destroy this great country with his ObamaCare.

    Come on. Take a gladius and stick it into the ground next to Obama. Then have a ten thousand legioners march by. Observe if they think it is his direct fault or not.

    • gary leibowitz June 20, 2014, 3:41 pm

      Knowing this will never see the light of day I post anyway just to relieve my impulse to show how glaringly irrational this bunch is.

      Mava, your premise that Obama is out to destroy America begs the question of what his motive would be? Why would anyone hold office to destroy their legacy and power? Such simple minded statements from very intelligent people. No one in their right mind goes into a job determined to destroy it. Everyone, once given the right circumstance will abuse their position and power. Corruption is not the same as intent. Obamacare does benefit some people no matter how you approach it.

      Shut my words out, and my track record. Shut out the world until you see a glimmer of hope that everything will be destroyed. To wish for a bad ending just because your sense of justice wasn’t met is childish. How about trying to figure out what will work. now that requires effort that none are wishing to tackle. You already missed the last 5 years to figure out how to get us back from the brink, yet all I hear is anxiety that it isn’t already here.

      What do you call a group of people fixated on total destruction of our lifestyle and depressed until it comes to pass?

      • mario June 20, 2014, 4:52 pm

        Geez Gary… “until” it comes to pass?

        It came to pass. Post WWII life in America has NEVER been worse for the middle class and little indicates it is going to improve. Who DOESN’T know that to be the factual, evident reality?

        Cheers, Mario

  • wayne siggard June 17, 2014, 10:04 pm

    Nero fiddled. Obama golfed

  • Jason S June 17, 2014, 5:21 pm

    Let’s see here are a few more bullet points:

    1. China is pissing off five of its neighbors as it does a greater resource grab.

    2. The ECB has just initiated a negative interest rate policy to try and spur on lending.

    3. The Fed is considering cap controls in the form of bond mutual fund liquidation fees to try and avoid a stampede when rates rise (as if they will/can ever raise them of their own volition.)

    4. Greek 10-year bond rate is now below 6%, as if everything is A-OK there again.

    5. Japan’s government debt is 240% of GDP and their population is projected to decline by 40 million people by 2060. Oh, and they are Xenophobic to epic proportions.

    • Rick Ackerman June 17, 2014, 9:39 pm

      Nice bullets, Jason. #4 is airtight proof that global investors — the Big Boys — are complete morons, and not just a little desperate. They will get what they deserve.

      • REVILED VLAD June 19, 2014, 7:16 am

        I said what you just said, on this site, re greek bonds, a half year ago.
        so, dejavu all over again. as someone else said. can’t remember whom.
        not who. whom.
        but your conclusion is all wrong, ackerman. for the big boys are not morons.
        they just control the game. til the last minute. so they get out, just in time.
        and leave the real morons, holding the bag. the empty, bankrupt fiat bag.
        yawn. perennial history of mankind. so dejavu, all over again. as someone said.

        &&&&&&

        No, ‘who’ was correct, Vlad. Regarding the Big Boys, those whose money they egregiously mismanage will most surely NOT get out of Spain’s sovereign paper in good time.
        RA

    • Redwilldanaher June 18, 2014, 4:54 am
      • Jason S June 19, 2014, 5:18 am

        Wow, that article was bleak.

    • dk June 18, 2014, 8:17 pm
      • Jason S June 19, 2014, 5:25 am

        I think we are getting close to the point where the only way the central banks of the world will keep the increasing pressure of deflation at bay is to deposit money in people’s accounts with the mandate that they spend it. Granted that will just increase the deflationary pressure but desperate people do stupid things.

  • gary leibowitz June 17, 2014, 4:38 am

    Obama once again manages to do everything wrong, just like the stock market. To suggest that either Iraq or Afghanistan could ever be “controlled” is ludicrous. Maybe in 100 years. I do believe Bush got us into this with those fake weapons. Everyone said it is better to have a ruthless dictator in those regions than to try democracy where it is unknown. To voice these complaints without the nameless prior president is like baking a cake without yeast or flour.

    But like all the other immediate crash events these past 5 years, the world has managed to hold together.

    To think if we actually did have a decent president that knew what he was doing. Why we would have rightfully crashed 5 years ago and stayed down for decades. Now that’s the type of person I am looking for in the next elections.

    You all agree that the stage was set way before he took office. He inherited a failed system. Everyone also agrees that there was absolutely nothing that could ever stop the train wreck from happening. I keep hearing how the debt implosion will wipe us out no matter what anyone tries to do. You know the GDP to debt argument. I suppose 5 years ago that figure was smaller by a decent amount. I also suppose that that small amount was more than enough to cripple our economy without government intervention. So how can you blame anyone for trying to revive us, especially in the face of a real recovery. It’s like blaming the chemo treatment on a 5 year recovery, not knowing if there will be a relapse in the future. Kind of playing “the all knowing”.

    I find it amusing how some stats get amplified here but when the 100 other stats are showing real economic advances you ignore them or claim it was altered. 5 years of absolute dismal results and yet the people that invest trillions in Wall Street are being duped. Give me the same 5 year return and I can gladly be duped anytime.

    But wait…. the cracking sound I hear is that of a flash crash! SPX 1907, 13, 34, 56, is definitely the absolute positively guaranteed top. Anyone look at all the data these past 4 weeks? It is as consistent as the painter Vermeer’s use of tonality, light and color. In a sense he has created a world more real than reality itself. Wall Street is exactly like that little known master painter. The price action is just not believable, nor is the outrageous productivity levels.

    What article will stand out as the ultimate reason for the atomization of our planet? Oil rig causing giant hole in the ocean? Radioactive fish mutating into modern day Godzilla. Shopping Malls occupied by ghosts of the 60’s bursting out into the likes of Amazon causing all purchases to be transformed to that era. Abandoned hospitals where vet clinics now treat people.

    Oh the humanity! Purge this out of your records and just like your crash that keeps happening over and over for 5 years in a row, your world will remain perfect. Delete and ban such profanity. I should have praised Hitler and Putin somewhere in my diatribe to secure my written prose on this esteemed site.

    Hey Mario will show you the way to freedom and utopia when the “big one” takes out USA.

    My silly rant that will be viewed in my private diary. * BANNED*

    • redwilldanaher June 17, 2014, 3:35 pm

      “Silly”? Quite possibly your greatest understatement.

      • EVIL VLAD June 19, 2014, 9:54 pm

        pretty good, red. you made me laugh.

        but hey, what do you expect from someone that calls the great, famous vermeer,
        “…that little known master painter.”
        haha.
        super-lib leibowitz gets funnier all the time.
        I’d bet you he’d vote for the kenyan king obama for a 3rd term, if he could.

      • Gary leibowitz June 20, 2014, 5:10 pm

        Evil clad. Try looking up his bio before talking. They don’t even know how he got his training. Posthumous recognition.

    • Jill June 17, 2014, 6:11 pm

      Gary, it’s like you’re in a church here, and you’re trying to convert people to a different political/economic “religion” than the one they themselves have chosen. I can’t blame you for doing that, of course, because I’ve done the same thing in the past.

    • mario June 18, 2014, 1:44 am

      That was cute Gary, thanks for the mention, feel better?

      When are you going to get it through your thick skull that things need to be looked at realistically and objectively and that in doing so, one finds clear evidence explaining very good things AND very bad things?

      I regard you as sincere and intelligent and in answering the above question I think perhaps you would simply say “yes right, I agree”

      Which makes me wonder what your point is when you write such a diatribe?

      The folks on this board who are pointing out the ills of the U.S. are 100% correct and accurate. I can’t count the number of ways I have witnessed that country descending deeper and deeper into the pits of societal hell in terms of both economics and social behavior.

      This is NOT my imagination, its all right there. Speaking of the economics, you continue to fail to understand that “America” the country of citizens is by far and large NOT participating in this wondrous ongoing bull market. You seem to revel in how productivity and corporate earnings are doing fine by the numbers, which is reasonably true, but it seems you fail completely to recognize the devastation of flat wages in your country for the past ten plus years and you seemingly have no interest to dig deeper or give any weight to the underlying factors, which when looked at are very, very ugly indeed.

      We’ve had myriad former bankers, politicians and journalists spell it all out crystal clear in their “tell all” expose books and articles, yet all you seem to care about is that the bull hasn’t crashed “yet.”

      I don’t happen to think the global bull IS going to crash, I have my reasons and I think they are well-founded. I think worldwide GDP is going to continue rising and expanding despite the craziness that is going on in the world’s brand new sovereign debt driven financial system. Oh yes, there could be a disaster and it won’t surprise, but also, there could not be such a meltdown for another 30 years. Indeed, the Roman Empire declined ever so slowly over the course of not 40 but 400 years.

      Now along the way, we find ourselves witnessing the massive rise and improvement of what happens to be a very, very large, previously quiet hidden giant called China. You seem to resent, and I can easily understand why, their current leadership would somehow become better and smarter, learn from some of what has gone on in the world, adjust, reform and improve to make their society a better place to live. They have done this to a degree unprecedented in history. And as much as it bothers you or anyone else, facts are facts, the degree of freedom and opportunity to pursue with such freedom in today’s China for the average middle class citizen is far higher and evident by reality than for their counterparts in America. So you are welcome to be as sarcastic as you wish about the freedom and utopia of China, everyone’s favorite scapegoat and enemy, but it doesn’t change a damn thing about the what I am witnessing….the sad, unfortunate decline and corruption of America side by side with an obviously improving China. That is objectively speaking, what I am witnessing in my lifetime on planet earth. And it is NOT an opinion, it’s just observation of reality.

      I accept both sides of it, without patriotism or bias in either direction. I am JUST trying to have in my own little empire of my own the best possible life I can for me and my family wherever that happens to be on planet earth.

      The current state of the U.S. political system and banking cronies and other big boy influences pulling their strings is nothing less than a disgrace in the annals of history. In fact, that fact has already been well recognized, revealed and discussed publicly. And the worst part is that despite it having been so known and revealed, it continues on in its revelry. There are not enough words to describe how incredibly unfree and unfair and under control that society has become. And that state of affairs is independent of whether or not any other country, including nemesis China, may be changing and improving.

      For example, we know now that sovereign money is being invested in the stock market! I won’t even say it’s a bad idea, I will just say its another point that marks our generation, that we are now off into an entirely new world order financial game and there will be no turning back from the direction. And within that new game, the common citizens of the United States are being herded into a survival-behave -yourself state of socialism, plain, simple and evident. I don’t know anyone on planet earth who can call this a pretty picture. The decline of opportunity, the degradation of freedom, the rise of the police state there is horrifying. The laws being placed on the books are tying down the hogs in myriad ways.

      Here’s one for you. A person living in Thailand is living a backpacker’s life. They do Peace Corp and teach English. They are certainly just enjoying their basic life. Now, they are informed that if they had more than $10,000 in a bank account overseas where they have lived for the past 15 years, and don’t inform the IRS in a country where they haven’t lived for fifteen years, they have to pay the IRS a $10,000 “late fee”. Do you think the guy is going to fess up and report it and send the IRS $10k of the entire $15k that he has? Well, of course not. So then the bank itself will report it. And then the IRS will find out and cancel the guy’s passport. For over 100,000 Koreans who have lived in the U.S. for decades, they now have to tell the IRS about the money that has been in their bank account back in their home country from 20 years ago or cough up $10,000 for not telling. Does that make any sense at all? That’s one of the latest lovely new laws to contend with, why?….well, we see more and more Americans in fact packing their bags and leaving for greener pastures. So, here’s the govt laying out a new law to get their hooks in their money no matter where they might be on planet earth for the next 40 years. It’s not a “tax” , it’s simply “oh you didn’t tell us you had it, now give us $10,000 of it”. Its just one more example of tyrannical out of control lunacy on top of dozens if not hundreds of other violations into their daily life that American people now must tolerate for the privilege of American freedom. Its the most perverse, twisted saga I have ever witnessed and it just saddens me.

      Cheers, Mario

      • John Jay June 18, 2014, 5:44 pm

        Mario,
        Well, it seems the Russians are proposing an “Anti Dollar Alliance” to stop our insane foreign policy.
        That would be exactly the shock therapy we need to restore some common sense to the US Government.
        Congress will never do anything involving common sense, so we have to rely on foreign powers to save us.

        We have a cast of characters in DC that are beginning to resemble the Third Reich crew, only without the snappy Hugo Boss uniforms and competent military.
        They need to be brought back to earth before they really turn on us with a vengeance.
        World repudiation of the Dollar might help that to happen.
        Call it “Financial Friendly Fire”.
        That is how far we have fallen, we need to call in Financial Friendly Fire on top of ourselves!

      • mario June 19, 2014, 1:43 am

        JJ, indeed. Frankly, the scale and rate of China’s economic growth is frightening and as they choose to start making their own alliances, ie, Russia, Africa, Europe, etc., they are in this manner going to be in more and more of a position to dictate and influence policy rather than be nice to any degree. America’s rather fortunate with the recent shale oil find, without that, they’ve lost so much leverage at the diplomatic and bargaining table. Soon enough, the situation is going to become more and more “We’re Beijing, here’s what we’ve decided we’re going to do and here’s what YOU”RE going to do….”

        We’ll see how nasty it may get…Cheers, Mario

      • EVIL VLAD June 20, 2014, 1:15 am

        john jay says–
        –“Well, it seems the Russians are proposing an “Anti Dollar Alliance”

        I presented my argument herein, at length, over a 1/2 year ago,
        on the forthcoming FINANCIAL war, of practically the entire world, VS. just the ussa.
        and spearheaded of course, by a china & russia consortium.
        and I specifically cited that ww3 will be fought with money, and not with nukes.
        because, the truth is, that no matter how much larger the ussa war machinery is,
        than china’s and russia’s combined, but when you add other asian/eastern nations,
        together, they are not so far apart, as to then create a nuclear power STALEMATE,
        upon which neither enemy will act upon, because it would mean destruction for all.
        (putting aside the lunatic from n. korea and zealots from iran, today’s ‘dr. strangelove’)–
        so, the only war left to be fought, is a fiat war; and in that soon coming war, ‘money-ww3,’
        all is looking bleaker, daily, for the ussa.

        as I presented case after case
        of china’s fingers all over the world, preparing to end ussa hegemony.

        recent examples–
        russia just bonded further with china, a 30yr, 3/4 tril. deal for gas pipeline (funded by china)
        russia and china already build, own, and sell, 3/4 of the nuclear reactors of the entire world.
        (ergo, the chinks have already built hundreds of circular kms., of state-of-art bunkers).

        china is arming up. so is russia. so is turkey. iran will be nuclear soon. others arming big–
        both south and north korea, japan also (japan is one of the top makers of fighter jets), etc.
        all asian or eastern.
        (and if you think japan will align with ussa, despite all other asians not doing so, think again.

        and financially,
        china is already the top banker in most of south america,
        and is also close to becoming their top trading partner. practically every country
        in both south AND central america, already has MAJOR big deals with china,
        in which hispanics get mostly cars and electronics, and china gets the top food deals.
        but, most importantly, of course, they already are the new world’s ‘money lenders.’

        all the best meats, get sent to china, at top prices. need to expand? then– chinese loans.
        plus deals in top produce, entire crops, etc–off to feed those hungry rich chinese.

        example–
        why do you think queen cristina of argentina just ‘shot a bird’ at a ussa fed judge,
        saying she would NOT make even the 1st payment, of a 1.5 bil. loan, from a ussa hedge fund?
        why? because her top trading partner is no longer the ussa. it’s china. so screw you, ussa.

        for by now, every small country that ‘shoots a bird’ at the ussa, wins points with daddy china.

        example–
        just a week ago, there was a huge meeting in bolivia, of SEVENTY-SEVEN nations.
        china was not a member (not yet, anyway), but they were ROYALLY INVITED to participate.
        and ussa was not invited.

        you are a smart guy, jj. guess what that means.

        but that’s not all. just today, another big coalition news from china– a big new partner.
        guess who?

        england!!
        haha.
        (hey, wasn’t england supposed to be ussa’s big backup buddy country? no more! haha)

        hey, money talks, and bullshit walks.

        china and england are about pull off a MAJOR deal, that will create world PRECEDENT.
        because if the chinese can conquer ussa’s top ally SO EASILY, it’s veeery bad news, for ussa.
        and this is what your barry soetoro has created, by not keeping his word to anybody on anything.

        but hey, here is what china and england are about to do today—
        trade DIRECTLY, pounds to yuans. and viceversa.
        hence, totally cutting out of the picture, in all transactions or loans,
        that scurvy ussa fiat con man (er, middleman, not conman;
        or, in ussa’s case, is there any difference, at all?)

        but there’s more.
        for as usual, alike the olden greeks, the chinese never visit, without bearing gifts.
        30 BILLION ussa, just for a little london shopping spree. but, wait, there’s even more..

        the president of china himself, is going, a great honor now-a-days, a personal visit, from xi.
        (unlike the ussa’s simian kenyan king, that is ubiquitous everywhere worldwide,
        spending more time abroad, than in his (supposed, but–NOT) amerikan land, of the un-free.

        and the brit p.m. will personally escort pres. xi, on his 30billion shopping binge,
        which will include a royal visit to the queen. haha.
        (the queen turned her back on obumba,
        last time she was forced to accept him at her palace, but no moh, now it’s pres. xi of china).

        I can go on an on, about china and russia, taking it all over, and leaving ussa out in the cold.
        example, ukraine.
        for putin won’t stop, until he landlocks ukraine, taking both east and south ukraine.

        and pres. xi has learned from putin, that ussa now-a-days is all blather and no balls,
        and won’t do anything, while pres. xi and putin take over more and more lands and seas.
        example–
        you all heard of vietnam’s outcry a couple of months ago, that china had
        placed a large oil rig, in their country’s waters, and had oil tankers crossing their waters.
        and vietnam begged the ussa to help them
        (now, there is IRONY for you) to clear the chinese.
        but,
        what does china do, just this week? start installing a 2nd rig,
        even CLOSER than the prior one, to vietnam’s mainland!! hahaha.

        anyway, moral of my overall story is, that china, IMO, is using orwell’s ‘animal farm’
        as their model of world conquest.
        so they are slowly, patiently, like the pigs did, behind the farmer’s back,
        preparing all matters, negotiating, with all the animals, especially the large dogs,
        so that by the time the farmer tries to see if any animal, will still work for him,
        he finds that none will; so it is too late, and all that is left, is to be put out of his misery.

        same as will happen with the ussa.

        because the ussa is still working with the ‘big brother’ model, or surveillance and oppression,
        example, just read today,
        on how ussa is forcing all banks around the world to report to them on ussa ex-patriates;
        however, this world repression is backfiring on them, because what is occurring is that
        banks worldwide are dropping like flies all ussa citizens,
        so they don’t have to comply with ussa’s draconian banking laws.
        And this ‘apartheid’, has turned ussa ex-patriates into banking pariahs, ‘not wanted, gringo.’
        So with else nothing left to do, but renunciate ussa (and so stop being hassled to death),
        ex-patriates throughout the world are dropping their ussa citizenships in record numbers–
        thousands already, in just this half year.

        fyi, the ussa is the only country in the entire world, that does this to their ex-patriates.
        enough said.
        $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

        I provide weblinks on (almost all) above, for those of you who want to read it firsthand–

        china/england new consortium–
        http://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-start-direct-yuan-trade-british-pound-163948500.html

        china pres. xi’s 30 bil uk shopping spree, haha, plus a royal visit to the queen–
        “He and his wife will also meet the Queen—an encounter which is reported to have been a condition of Li coming.”
        and take a wild guess whom will soon be equally regaled. for europe, is already xi’s.
        (this guy xi is starting to remind me of ‘scarface,’ ha. ussa, you are in a lottttt of trouble).
        “Last year, the U.K. was China’s third largest source of imports, behind Germany and France.”
        (but why article calls him li instead of xi, I don’t know)
        http://www.cnbc.com/id/101762634?__source=yahoo%7cfinance%7cheadline%7cheadline%7cstory&par=yahoo&doc=101762634%7cChina Premier flies to UK

        and here is one that will make super-chink lover mickey, clap with delight, ha–
        step aside, vegas, you are ‘small potatoes’, compared to chink humongous illegal betting!!
        (more of that huge shadow yuan-cash market, that mickey loves to ever ramble about)
        http://finance.yahoo.com/news/world-cup-highlights-asias-illegal-betting-boom-085757001–finance.html

        meeting of g77 nations, PLUS china, a VERY invited, HONORED guest–
        (wonder if ussa cia spy drones and satellites bugged this meeting,
        because I betcha at the core of the meeting, was PLENTY of ussa hourly bashing)
        btw, do you know what they named their conference?
        “NEW WORLD ECONOMIC ORDER”
        (ouch. and ussa was left out. reminds me of an old saying: ‘what goes around, comes around’)
        http://finance.yahoo.com/news/world-economic-order-goal-g77-china-summit-034537745–finance.html

        meanwhile, back in their own backyard )that they’ll both soon own, outright),
        both putin and xi grow bolder, with their agressive moves, to take whater they want–
        disregarding ussa’s bullshit ‘sanctions’ by ‘i is dah presidant, kenyan king o’ dah world!’
        http://www.businessinsider.com/russia-ukraine-tanks-war-putin-obama-2014-6
        http://finance.yahoo.com/news/russia-cuts-gas-supply-ukraine-065942281–finance.html
        http://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-says-moving-2nd-oil-095449898.html;_ylt=AwrBEiRtWqNTOBUAZxeTmYlQ

        so even peewee-leaque reina cristina de argentina ‘shot a bird’ at a ussa fed judge
        calls him publicly, an ‘extortionist’
        (and by proxy, also so labeled the ussa itself, and it’s commie laughing-stock presidant)
        and while she sings:
        ‘don’t cry for me, ussaaaaaa…. for china’ll soon make you… mincemeattttt….’
        (sung to the a well-known tune from musical ‘evita.’)
        http://finance.yahoo.com/news/argentina-says-wont-next-bond-payment-us-042325671.html
        (aside– the hag doesn’t look bad for 60, right, with her 5 kilos of makeup?)

        $$$$$$$$$$

        so yeah, jj. ‘shock therapy’, as you say. you will all soon be getting ‘shock therapy.’
        and not just your gov.
        but ‘foreign power is going to save you.’ and you can bet your life on that.
        for there is a piece of paper already stuck in yu’als back. a target.
        and I told you all to get of dodge, while you still could.
        because, from my hispanic armchair, what I clearly see in yu’als future,
        is not just ‘capital controls.’ I see physical control as well.
        none of you will be allowed to leave.
        so welcome to gary’s world.
        his ideal state.
        where the producers are chained, and moochers run free.

      • mario June 20, 2014, 8:30 am

        Ramble ramble V….your best darned ramble ever!

        BTW, besides anything illegal betting wise, tiny Macau gambling revenue is like fifteen times Vegas revenues. Its also the easy gateway for Chinese, or any person in China, to get their money out of the country as the storefront retailers are not “supposed to” allow cash advances from their ATM cashier machines but they do, in virtually unlimited quantities. Ring up a $50,000 gold/diamond ring, receive the cash less a 1% vig, the shop keeps the ring. Its been a rampant practice for years with local authorities typically turning a blind eye…

        Cheers, Mario

  • John Jay June 17, 2014, 3:21 am

    BDTR,

    Amen brother!
    The US Military learned a valuable lesson in Vietnam.
    Namely, that you can’t fight endless, pointless wars with drafted cannon fodder.
    That just got them 1500 “Fragging” incidents, and officers afraid to give orders.
    Even with the one tour of duty policy, mutiny was always lurking about in that war.
    Hence, the all Volunteer Military.

    Those “Volunteer” guys put up with multiple deployments with only a very few “Fragging” incidents.
    Instead, they took it out on their families, or just committed suicide.
    I have read about severely wounded vets being denied care by the VA, because “We have no record of your having served.” Then you need to get two or three guys that served with you to testify that you did indeed serve.
    “Delay, deny, wait till I die.”
    http://tinyurl.com/mhl39jn
    Insane and insulting.

    Oh well, the insanity has permeated down to the lowest level of Government, all you can do is stay out of trouble and take care of your family and friends.
    That’s all that matters for us now.

  • REVILED VLAD June 16, 2014, 11:26 pm

    ter said–
    “Vincent Foster was one of many. I opine we’ll learn little new about Benghazi”
    I concur. on both counts. for mr. hitllary killton, will execute at will, to have control.
    metaphor given– lady macbeth was a sweet loving puussy, compared to mr. hitllary.

    however,
    if I had to take my chances vs. lansbury or streep, I’d rather go vs. lansbury, than streep.
    because streep is a certified beatch from hell, possibly worse that hitllary, if she chose to.
    (reference above is to ‘manchurian candidate,’ both original and recent krapp remake).

  • ter June 16, 2014, 8:25 pm

    Angela Lansbury simile is ingeniously apt. She had her son kill only two interferers with her plans: his sweetheart and her senator father. Vincent Foster was one of many. I opine we’ll learn little new about Benghazi before the November elections because Boehner chose to create a special committee, which will waste time getting organized and the members briefed, instead of leaving the matter with Issa’s committee. If the special committee is granted greater subpoena and other powers than that it supplants, I may be mistaken. Fact is Congress is in session half of June, three weeks in July, then resumes work in September, when members are concentrating on re-election. Boehner isn’t motivated to expose Obama and his minions arrangement of shipments of Gaddafi’s heavy weaponry to Turkey to be handed over to jihadists ravaging Syria because this deceitful policy of organizing, arming, and training “al-Qaida” clones was bipartisan,at the highest levels. Driven out of Syria, they are now overrunning western Iraq. See recent Drudge Reports.

  • Craig June 16, 2014, 6:57 pm

    Rick,

    Alex Jones broke down why and where the Iraq situation is going along with the history going back 1900 on his Friday podcast/show.

    &&&&&

    Can you supply a link? I don’t know what Jones said, but a three-state solution — Kurd/Shiite/Sunni — would seem to be inevitable. Meanwhile, we should be heartened by the prospect of ISIS getting beaten to a bloody pulp even without U.S. participation
    . RA

  • SA1 June 16, 2014, 6:01 pm

    Take a short break to acknowledge the really important things in life.

    Congratulations San Antonio Spurs!!

    The Oldest team in the NBA picks up it’s Fifth NBA Championship in 15 years. It proves that age is just a state of mind. I think Rick would agree the same applies in investing. At 65 – 66, we still kick ass!

    Here are two short post game interviews with second team players that played a huge supporting role to the Big Three plus MVP Kwhai Leonard.

    Danny Green http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid2579445201001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAACxF0Vw~,5odGwggoM_eL3UIencBZjHMxAStqC56B&bclid=0&bctid=3624426766001

    Patty Mills (an Aboriginal) http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid2579445201001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAACxF0Vw~,5odGwggoM_eL3UIencBZjHMxAStqC56B&bclid=0&bctid=3624477033001

    &&&&&&

    I was surprised to see Miami get wiped so badly, Dale. Meanwhile, Go Rockies! RA

  • Redwilldanaher June 16, 2014, 5:11 am
    • redwilldanaher June 17, 2014, 3:33 pm

      It’s all legit Garo…

      http://www.cnbc.com/id/101764568

    • Troll June 19, 2014, 6:01 am

      Sure, and Zerohedge has NEVER been wrong about anything. Have you been short since 2011, Red?

      • Redwilldanaher June 20, 2014, 4:39 am

        No Tool, I’ve been long actually, as have been Rick’s forecasts. Try thinking beyond one dimension, it’s more fun.

      • Jason S June 20, 2014, 6:37 pm

        Way to invite attack, Gary. You must be masochistic.

      • redwilldanaher June 20, 2014, 10:12 pm

        No Garo, not “wrong”, hallucinatory. I’ve already proven this to you and you had to back down several times. You confuse criticism of the illusion with bearishness technically. Rick, myself, many others here have consistently proven that you can lament corruption and artificiality while riding waves for profit.

        I may refer to you and Tool collectively as the “tool brothers”. Let me know if that works for you…

      • mario June 24, 2014, 3:13 am

        RWD….”Lamenting Corruption” a great title for a blog or book 🙂 Cheers, Mario

  • Stephen G June 16, 2014, 5:07 am

    “We should wish Iranian troops well in killing as many of them as possible.”

    Indeed – make no mistake, Iran as a civilization is an ally of the West. Although Iran is run by some loopy characters, Iranians themselves are easily the most educated, open-minded, and indeed pro-Western people in the Muslim world (and, as many polls and studies show, a very large proportion of Iranians are only marginally religious these days, more or less just going through the motions to satisfy the authorities). The country is just an uprising or two away from becoming another Israel – a democratic, tolerant, advanced nation surrounded by crazies. Unlike Egypt – a failed state on every level – an “Iranian Spring” would succeed, if only it were given a jump-start.

    &&&&&&

    Some unconventional ideas here that also happen to be true, Stephen. For a prescient take on the true identities of America’s friends and enemies, and on the phony war we have conducted against the latter, read Angelo Codevilla’s 1992 article in The Middle East Quarterly. RA

    • BDTR June 16, 2014, 7:10 pm

      America has no friends, Rick. Not even our Anglo ‘partners’ whose extensive bloodline legacy of cultural empire is its presumptive, however vainglorious, basis for delusional and self-justified usurpation of sovereignty globally.

      Angelo Codevilla apparently had swallowed the whole 1992 turd of ostensible objectives of American foreign policy. It’s never been about anything other than control, one way or another, and it still is. He utterly ignores our postwar path incorporating the third in becoming the fourth, kinder, gentler reich. Brzezinski’s Grand Chessboard, the Wolfowitz Doctrine, total global domination. Even if an uninhabitable, radiated and lifeless ruin.

      Now, the democratic veneer is wearing so transparently thin, as political and moral hypocrisy, ultimately so abrasive, exposes the base lie and deception. The erosion accelerating with each successive mass deception, each contradicting black-op revealing the base, murderous driving motives superseding all law, treaty or moral imperative.

      Small wonder that then, as you put it, Rick, it’s ‘spinning out of control’. It is. And we are the deaf and dumb accessories to an illusion of government by consent. We remain, despite all our beloved technology, slaves to our legacy of wants, our willful ignorance, and pitiful moral weakness corrupting our very souls. It’s not about politics or nationalities or races. It’s about the vortex of individual human corruption.

      The truth is, we can’t handle the truth. If we could, we’d righteously demand answers to particulars such as this: http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/911-conspiracy-solved/

      (don’t be put off by the title. 40 minutes worth your while.)

      • John Jay June 16, 2014, 8:34 pm

        BDTR,
        “it’s ’spinning out of control”

        It certainly is!
        A classic “Waterfall Decline”.

        I started talking to a guy my age in the checkout line at Walmart, and it was like I had known him my entire life!
        Same take on everything that has destroyed America in the past 50 years since we were little boys.
        And he said that the young guys he works with just don’t see any problem at all.
        I guess you had to have either lived through it, or have an enormous appetite for 20th Century American history.
        Normalcy Bias?
        Perhaps, but it is absolutely a key factor in why TPTB have been getting away with it for decades.

      • BDTR June 16, 2014, 11:52 pm

        Normalcy bias is a bitch, JJ. We’ve all been there, eh?

        It can account for a certain amount of apathy in youth, but it’s a much less compelling excuse for anyone over thirty today. Too much water over that edge of decline to ignore. But somehow we manage it,.. repeatedly.

        The introductory event to 21st century mentality of fear should have been, ..no, should still be the paradigm shift compelling revolutionary defiance to odious power elites. But when push came to shove the mass of Americans retreated into the prepared fantasy so readily provided by robotically controlled infotainment for the damned. America just has so much talent for that sort of thing!

        So, the nation just doesn’t get it, with the exception of the many traumatized families of the three thousand odd humans sacrificed in that statement of power blood ritual that is 9/11. We console ourselves with the menu of conflicts consuming others at a distance, in gratitude for the safety enabled by remote controlled joystick death dealing at the hands of our more fortunately employed youth. Hey, 20% of our grads walk into jobs!

        But now there are the many discarded damaged veterans, victims themselves of believing the lie. They’re the new running targets for self-justifying DHS policing controllers as domestic terror trained killers and explosives experts angry at being spat out by a callous materialist culture and liar leaders. Too bad that our VA missed treating the soul ravages of meaningless war. It may have saved us the humiliation of having now to kill the same young people who gave themselves in trust of their nation to the ostensible defense of the good and right and free.

        Who could know?

        Who cares?

        Spinning again, JJ. Be well.

      • REVILED VLAD June 19, 2014, 7:27 am

        bdtr says–
        “America has no friends, Rick.”

        100% correct. not even england. and only reason you are still even tolerated, is because
        you still have the most powerful military on earth, and you still have world’s reserve fiats.

        “It’s never been about anything other than control, one way or another, and it still is.”

        100% correct.

        “Now, the democratic veneer is wearing so transparently thin, as political and moral hypocrisy… exposes the base lie and deception.
        The erosion accelerating with each successive mass deception… revealing the base, murderous driving motives superseding all law, treaty or moral imperative. ”

        100% correct.

        “…illusion of government by consent… our willful ignorance, and pitiful moral weakness corrupting our very souls. It’s not about politics or nationalities or races. It’s about… individual human corruption. The truth is, we can’t handle the truth.”

        not only 100% correct, but, distilled, it’s 1st rate said.
        I especially like ‘ILLUSION… of consent’. and also ‘INDIVIDUAL human corruption.’ not group. INDIVIDUAL. yeah. right on.

        you remind me of a past, where a true-story film like ‘serpico,’ could be made.

  • buck novak June 16, 2014, 2:12 am

    Life in the world is going to get very interesting. Here is another interesting note. The guillotine was in invented by Joseph Guillotine a doctor. Will it be included in Obamacare?

    • Rick Ackerman June 16, 2014, 2:41 am

      A guillotine may be unnecessary, Buck, if we’re all going to have VA-length waiting times to see a doctor. Besides huge rate hikes, medical triage is probably the most predictable aspect of what’s coming under Obamacare. It’ll be one big Medicaid program, with tents to shelter the overflow from emergency rooms.

    • REVILED VLAD June 19, 2014, 7:33 am

      the guillotine is probably the most gentle form of sudden death. less than 1 second.
      no wonder it was designed by a doctor. however, it does add the theme of drama, eh?
      to see your enemy’s head roll. personally, I like it. hey, mayans used the heads to play.

  • Bc June 16, 2014, 1:54 am

    You forgot subprime auto loans which are starting to blow up. The transition of Chicago to becoming the next Detroit, and the acknowledgement by a judge in California that laws protecting teachers unions from consequences of their actions are unconstitutional. Oh wait, that last one is a glimmer of hope IMO. The 100% pure bullshit phase of the current crisis is ending apparently. Expect the current trickle of common sense to grow into an avalanche of “Hey, that Emperor guy is butt naked”, fresh air. Way overdue but finally here I hope.

    &&&&&&

    Thanks for the additions to my list, BC. Concerning Detroit, it was always going to be Flint, Michigan times ten. Of course, New York, with its $110,000 subway token vendors, will be the grand finale.

    Predictively speaking, the interesting thing about Flint is that it while the city has cut outlays to the bone in order to deal with a recurring, $10 million structural deficit, it continues to face a liability for pensions and retiree healthcare upwards of $600 million.

    Many cities are in the same boat, or will be shortly. When the problem precipitates out, the epiphany thereof will lie in one little-appreciated fact: quantitative easing — i.e., bullshit money — will not cover the very real monthly expenses of retired public employees. This is a good point for the hyperinflationists to make, but the counterargument is that the rest of us aren’t going to like it if Uncle Sam starts shipping boxcars full of money to cities so that their retirees can scrape by. RA

  • wayne June 16, 2014, 1:43 am

    “Waiting in the wings to make things worse is Hillary Clinton, as sinister as Obama is inept. ” -RA

    THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • wayne siggard June 16, 2014, 12:46 am

    Could you make it any bleaker, Rick? How about Israel waiting until Iran is totally committed and immersed in the fight against the ISIS. Not only will we lose Iraqi oil, but Iranian oil.
    When we are once again in lines for gas, will the proletariat finally ask who is John Galt? Will they demand that the Keystone pipeline finally be enacted on a fast track without obeisance to the politically correct ecological fanatic guidelines? If most people elect to pay the fine instead of joining Obamacare, what will happen to prices? Will everyone claim 10 dependents so that there is no withholding for the gubmint to grab?
    Unfortunately, the Republicans are no better, and the establishment is fighting tooth and nail to hold on to their crony capitalist fascist state. What a mess. And to top it off, if the Chinese quit fleeing to California with their money, I will have to quit development and building to practice law again. I can become a full-time parasite; a Marxist who redistributes from one side and gives to the other, while taking a cut.
    Never in my wildest dreams did I think that Obama could destroy this country so fast. He is either the smartest or the dumbest president we have ever had. Por fortuna hablo espanol. Viva la nueva California vieja!

    • mario June 16, 2014, 3:08 am

      The Chinese are probably the most pragmatic and shrewd folks on the planet. Those with money are scouring not the U.S., but multiple countries for where is the best place for them to lay down some roots and invest. They have plenty of choices and they want one thing plain and simple, the best deal. They couldn’t care less whether its in California or Cleveland. They know that all the places they are considering are fighting to attract their much needed money. When it comes to the U.S., it is only to a small degree that they are influenced by the convenience of direct flights into LA and SFO.

      Cheers, Mario

      • John Jay June 16, 2014, 9:01 am

        Mario,
        The USA has become the Port Royal of the 21st century.
        A place where Buccaneers from all over the world come to spend their stolen loot, and a place where laws do not exist if you have enough bribe money to spread around.
        Real Estate here is exempt from Money Laundering Statutes, hence the rise of $100 million dollar penthouse in NYC etc.
        http://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/31/1010.205

        Lets see if the LA chapter of USA Port Royal meets the same fate as the original one.
        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Royal

        “As a port city, it was notorious for its gaudy displays of wealth and loose morals. It was a popular home port for the English and Dutch sponsored privateers to spend their treasure during the 17th century. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1692 and a subsequent tsunami, and fires.”

      • mario June 20, 2014, 4:48 pm

        JJ, speaking of Port Royal, awesome new TV series on the old days of the pirates… “Black Sail” ….Cheers, Mario