Saturday, January 9, 2010

More Headlines

H1N1 a 'dud' pandemic, Ont. health official says 

Australian researcher: Swine flu created in lab 

Harvard Takes it Back and Says Swine Flu was Oversold

France sells off surplus swine flu vaccine

Swine flu vaccine plentiful in the U.S. Sebelius, who got her shot Wednesday, urged everyone to get vaccinated.  "We have a wonderful window of opportunity to prevent or lessen a third wave,"

Waning H1N1 pandemic may let in new viruses

 

Flight 77 Cockpit Door Never Opened During 9/11 “Hijack" 

9/11: PENTAGON AIRCRAFT HIJACK IMPOSSIBLE FLIGHT DECK DOOR CLOSED FOR ENTIRE FLIGHT 

NZ's cyber spies win new powers  "New cyber-monitoring measures have been quietly introduced giving police and Security Intelligence Service  officers the power to monitor all aspects of someone's online life."

Markets are too dependent on unsustainable government stimulus. Something’s got to give

Stephen Harper is counting on Canadians’ complacency as he rewrites the rules of his country’s politics to weaken legislative scrutiny

17,000 potentially harmful chemicals kept secret under obscure law

Homeowners forced to buy flood insurance after FEMA redraws maps

Forget The Unemployment Rate, The Real Nightmare Is The EMPLOYMENT Rate

Why the government's job figures won't add up

Alternative measures of labor underutilization

U.S. growth prospects deemed bleak in new decade

Americans must prepare themselves for a massive collapse in the dollar as investors around the world dump their US assets, a former Bank of England policymaker has warned.

Eric Schmidt chief executive of Google...why America needs to take its share of the blame for the financial crisis and what 2010 holds for the world economy. 

 

Shiller, Case: Prime Mortgages Are Next Time Bomb

 

Vancouver home prices expected to jump 7.2 per cent in 2010 

"Realty firm Royal LePage has come out of the gate in 2010 with the prediction Metro Vancouver's home prices will inflate another 7.2 per cent this year"

Canada's real estate market too hot, say analysts 

"don't buy it because you think the price is going to go up."

Friday, January 8, 2010

Why we can’t go back to business as usual - Soros

"this crisis involved the entire world, rather than being confined to a single country. And, unlike the Great Depression, this time the financial system was put on artificial life-support, rather than being allowed to collapse."

Some other headlines:

The Economy Continues to Lose Jobs
Jobs Contract 24th Straight Month; Unemployment Rate Stays At 10.0%

Canada Jobs Unexpectedly Fall 2,600, Led by Transport

Consumer Credit Drops Record $17.5 Billion; Steepest Declines Since WWII
Consumer Credit in U.S. Drops Record $17.5 Billion in November 
Biggest monthly drop in consumer credit outstanding ever

Jim Chanos, Kyikos Chairman:
"China's real estate sector...looks like Dubai 1,000 - or worse"


Contrarian Investor Sees Economic Crash in China

IRA's, 401K's, 403b, 457 etc will be used to buy Treasuries ???!!!

"A possible scenario ...

1. BHO gets on the TeeVee and tells everyone to put their retirement funds in Treasuries because it's in the interest of the nation (ala Savings Bonds or War Bonds). Suzie Orman is prominent in ads that promote this move.

2. After a respectible period of time, the market crashes.

3. J6P kicks him/herself and says, "Gee, I should have listened to BHO."

4. From that point on, everyone listens to BHO and does exactly what he tells them to do.

(A replay of March of 2009).

See how easy it is to take over a country?"

"The U.S. Treasury and Labor Departments will ask for public comment as soon as next week on ways to promote the conversion of 401(k) savings and Individual Retirement Accounts into annuities or other steady payment streams, according to Assistant Labor Secretary Phyllis C. Borzi and Deputy Assistant Treasury Secretary Mark Iwry, who are spearheading the effort."

Obama Administration Wants to Annuitize 401k's and IRA's - Mandatory "R Bonds"


"...this looks to me like a raw admission that Treasury knows it will not be able to sell its debt in the open market - so they will effectively tax you by forcing your "retirement" money to buy them!...This 'proposal' can only mean one thing - Treasury smells smoke.  Maybe you should pay attention to what they're huffing!" 

Obama to meddle with your retirement account? Administration considers forcing investors into Treasury debt

Here comes the screw job



Americans Oppose Proposals to Limit 401(k)s, ICI Says


Market Insiders - CNBC Video

Federal Reserve Bought Approximately 80 Percent Of U.S. Treasury Securities Issued In 2009

"According to CNBC, the Federal Reserve bought approximately 80 percent of the U.S. Treasury securities issued in 2009.  In other words, the Federal Reserve has been gobbling up the massive tsunami of U.S. government debt that has been created over the past year.  This is absolutely unprecedented, and it is yet another clear indication that the U.S. financial system is on the verge of a major economic collapse."

theeconomiccollapseblog.com

Federal Reserve Funds 91% Of 2009 U.S. Deficit

Are Federal Reserve and U.S. Government Rigging Stock Market?  We Have No Evidence They Are, but They Could Be.  We Do Not Know Source of Money That Pushed Market Cap Up $6+ Trillion since Mid-March.  (TrimTabs' Charles Biderman)

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Entertainment Media hammering its audience

Had to write something about this because it really is getting ridiculous.   The theme for the fall season has been "end of the world as you know it" for sometime now and refuses to let up.  Biggest blockbuster of the year "Avatar," theme: end of the world as you know it.  Saw Pandorum yesterday - "end of the world as you know it."  Just started watching "Up in the Air" with George Clooney - "end of the world as you know it."  Had to stop watching after about 5 minutes when George started in with "all you really need can fit in a backpack."  In a couple of weeks "Book of Eli" opens starring Denzel Washington, take a wild guess what the theme is?  You guessed it: "end of the world as you know it."  As I've said before I don't believe in coincidences and I totally get what Hollywood and the entertainment media are doing, predictive programming, but this level and saturation is astounding.    

I find it stupefying that some people still haven't gotten the message, such as my parents...

This whole week, Jan4th - 8th Glenn Beck is running a special titled "America's Transformation: Beyond a Reasonable Doubt."  He has been spelling and laying it out for his audience, its all there except for where this is all going.  Transformation into what?  So far he hasn't said but it's obvious.  He has spelled out that America has no future on its current path.  That there is no solution, no magic bullet so rescue America in its current form.  The world has an overcapacity of production and labor. Everything in the entire world could all be made in China. 

There is only one solution I have ever seen that makes any sense.  Some form of Transfinancial Economics.  The only question is how to get there.  What is the path TPTB (the powers that be)  are taking and how will it all unfold.  That is the big mystery.  Someone at silverbearcafe has posted one possible blueprint which makes for interesting reading. 

No one knows of course other than TPTB.  But after this onslaught of media hammering home the same theme over and over again ad nauseam  I seriously doubt they are going to miss getting the message across to everyone everywhere at least once one way or the other.  And if the entertainment media doesn't get it across governments will by their actions on the "Swine Flu Pandemic."

Will people pay attention?  I doubt it.  But thats not the point.  The point is no one can ever say they weren't warned "end of the world as you know it" is coming.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Omnious or ?

Michael Ruppert posted an ominous prediction/warning on his blog today.  Having watched "Collapse" as well as every single youtube vid of Micheal I could find, in particular his breakdown of 9-11 timeline, I don't dismiss anything this man has to say or thinks. 

One has to look at what the US government is doing to try and figure out what is going on.  There is no such thing as coincidences when it comes to government.  Everything is done for a reason and timing carefully planned and deliberate.

Some very odd things have happened in the last couple of weeks. Dec 17th Obama signs executive order putting Interpol above the US constitution.  Dec24th Fannie and Freddie both have cap on losses removed.  Dec 25th bomb attempt leads to more stringent security measures.  Dec 30th Obama signs executive order "ESTABLISHING FEDERAL CAPABILITY FOR THE TIMELY PROVISION OF MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES FOLLOWING A BIOLOGICAL ATTACK"   This all comes after Obama declared a national emergency in late October.

Yesterday zerohedge posted "This Is The Government: Your Legal Right To Redeem Your Money Market Account Has Been Denied"

Micheal has titled his post "Something Evil This Way Comes."

Is he right?

Saturday, December 26, 2009

The Big Picture

One of the toughest things to do is to analyze and work out what is the Big Picture.  I can't do it, I don't know.  I like to guess and try to work it out, but not being privy to the blueprint its all a big guess.  All one can do is look at the clues which come in the form of actions by the government and its leaders.

Several months ago I wrote a big piece about the Swine Flu and how it was a metaphor.  There are so many suspicious actions by governments on their handling of the Swine Flu pandemic I still stand by what I wrote.  Nothing has changed, in fact it has only gotten worse.  Obama declared a state of national emergency because of the Swine Flu.  Nothing discernible has happened since that emergency declaration, the Olympic Winter games have yet to be canceled for example and as of now, I doubt they will be as will provide a two week distraction for the public.

But as is always the case with Obama, always watch what the other hand is doing.  On Dec 17th Obama signed Executive Order -- Amending Executive Order 12425  The significance of this signing should not be lost on anyone.  Make no mistake, this is next step in laying the groundwork to control the US population.  Obama's Executive Order amending EO 12425 places INTERPOL above the United States Constitution and beyond the legal reach of US law enforcement including the FBI, US Marshalls, the CIA, you name it.  It is a precursor to more damaging moves.  

Why Does Interpol Need Immunity from American Law?

More Friendly Fascism?

OBAMA'S EXECUTIVE ORDERS AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL MILITIA

Now we know what is going on with HealthCare

Karl Denninger has a great post up yesterday which lays out how Healthcare is going to evolve over the next few years and morph into a single payer system.  It makes sense, is logical and fits perfectly.  Worth reading to find out what is really going on and what the true intent is.

The True Intent of Health "Reform"

What is so stunning about this is the continued deception that is taking place in the US congress on its own citizens.  Just as with the US presidential election, you have to listen to both sides, the democrats and the republicans to get a picture of what is really going on because neither side will tell the public the whole complete truth.  The truth being that both parties and all involved are fundamentally reshaping America and counting on its citizens not to pay attention.   It is only because of people like Karl anyone able to figure out what is really happening.  




Other interesting tidbits

Karl also has a couple of other posts worth reading not related to Heatlhcare, namely how congress has enacted unlimited loans to Fannie and Freddie to cover upcoming losses over the next three years (confirmed by the NYTimes and MSNBC U.S. lifts $400 billion cap for Fannie, Freddie) and another on how the federal reserve has monetized treasury bond sales.  Here is another post about pension plans: U.S. state and local governments face more than $530 billion in unfunded public pension liabilities and most do not have funds set aside to pay for them.

Real US debt to GDP is around 840%

Friday, December 18, 2009

Health Care debate in the US

I don't know what is going on in the US.  None of it makes any sense to me anymore.  Up until a few days ago I held out hope that Obama was who he said he was, now I am having a hard time believing that.  Actions speak louder than words and so far all of Obama actions are for Wall Street.  I like to pretend that this is a "ruse" or part of a greater plan but the more I investigate the more disillusioned I become.

I told myself not judge the health care bill until the actual final bill came out of committee and likely I am being too quick too judge, its the white house response to the senate bill that has me so concerned.  If Howard Dean is saying trash it and start over, you know there is a problem.

On the one hand I want to believe Obama, on the other, his support and bailout of Wall Street/insurance companies makes it very difficult to reconcile his words with his actions.  Unless his intention is to bankrupt and take over insurance companies, I don't see what his motivation is other than being a wall street tool just like every other president since JFK.  And that is disturbing.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Joe Lieberman

I don't know what is going on with Joe Lieberman and the Health Care debate in the Senate right now but whatever it is it is very odd.  Lieberman has come out against Medicare buy in which he supported three months ago.  This is very odd.  In this appearance on "Face the Nation" Sunday December 13th he is opposed to it even before getting the CBO analysis.  There is something weird going on, something doesn't add up.

Collapse - Michael Ruppert

Just watched this today and had to write something down about it.  Still haven't seen Michael Moore's new film - Capitalism, a good copy hasn't been released yet and I refuse to pay to see anything in a movie theatre so will wait.

In "Collapse" Michael puts everything together and ties it around peak oil.  Peak Oil is irrefutable,  it's math, it's physics, you can't argue with it.

He has many interesting things to say so hard to pick certain parts out, one of the more interesting is that thinks a transition period of 20 years would be incredible and is very unlikely.  More likely will take 50-100 years.  He says the same thing I have been saying, the issue is how to survive the transition.

There are so many things going wrong and so fast I quite frankly have given up trying to stay on top of it.  Michael's blog and whoever is updating it is doing a good job of collating articles on what is going on.

"Above all else, see "Collapse." Above all else." - Roger Ebert

"See "Collapse" and die. Or die anyway, apparently. I was speechless after this film. Well, I am anyway, but this was worse." - Roger Ebert

Collapse - It's happened to every great civilization - Reviews

Independent journalist Michael Ruppert predicted the global recession. Now he's foreseeing an imminent energy crisis 

Mike Ruppert Blogspot 

FromtheWilderness

Political Map to Connect the Dots

Saturday, November 7, 2009

House votes to pass HR 3962 220-215 with 1 REPUBLICAN yea, 39 democrats vote no

A republican who can THINK independently, WOW

http://josephcao.house.gov/

Why Kucinich voted No.  Absolutely Valid, key is the last sentence:

"“Notwithstanding the fate of H.R. 3962, America will someday come to recognize the broad social and economic benefits of a not-for-profit, single-payer health care system, which is good for the American people and good for America’s businesses, with of course the notable exceptions being insurance and pharmaceuticals.”

Speeches

"A giant first step towards national health insurance"

Lieberman - "I Will Not Allow a Bill With Public Option to Come to a Final Vote"

Health Care debate in the House on CSPAN

Fascinating to watch.  This game has been going on ever since Sarah Palin became the VP nominee for the Republican Party in 2008.  Anyone who thinks Sarah Palin is a moron is a fool.  Just like Sarah Palin couldnt name a single thing she reads and got the expected reaction, so too are the Republicans in the House today playing the same game.

The Republican Plan allows insurance to be purchased over state lines.
http://rules-republicans.house.gov/Media/PDF/RepublicanAlternative3962_9.pdf

Page 122:
‘‘(8) STATE — The term ‘State’ means the 50 States and includes the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands."

The Republican plan will cost $36 billion more than the democratic plan, increase the number of uninsured by 10million, protect insurance companies not people, has no provision for preexisting conditions.  The list of failures goes on. In Summary, the Republican Plan is a DISASTER and it defies logic to believe that republicans don't know it.

There are FACTS, OPINIONS and BELIEFS.

FACT: REPUBLICAN PLAN A DISASTER

MY OPINION :  REPUBLICANS NOT MORONS

MY LOGICAL BELIEF:  REPUBLICANS DELIBERATELY CREATE DISASTROUS PLAN FOR ALL TO READ


Every single republican who stands up and defends their plan knows they are defending and promoting a DISASTER for America.  They are making arguments based on EMOTION not FACTS.

The NYTimes calls the GOP Health Plan a "Token Stab

Markos Moulitsas summed it up on Nov 6th
"The issue here, what the Republicans are afraid of, this is a threat to Republicans...They built an entire ideology predicated on telling people that government does not work.  They are terrified of government programs that work because then people will realize that the government is not the enemy, and that they're going to work, they're gonna vote Democratic because Democrats are the party who realize that people need help, and government can sometimes offer solutions."

Even Ann Coulter Says It Is "the End of the Republican Party" if ObamaCare Passes

The GOP, ever since Sarah Palin, has stood for "Grandstand, Oppose and Pretend"

The Republicans and Democrats are leading America exactly where they want to go. 

Just as the Republicans and Democrats brought in social security and welfare during the Great Depression in 1935 with the Social Security Act, Medicare and Medicaid in 1965, and Medicare Advantage in 2003? so too are they going to bring in massive changes to America, and this time the entire world.


Its FASCINATING.




President Johnson signing the Medicare amendment.
Harry Truman and his wife, Bess, are on the far right

"Be Prepared for the Worst"

"The large-scale government intervention in the economy is going to end badly."


Ron Paul on FoxNews



Art Cashin - Fed doesn't believe in this Recovery



Government to become landlord and rent to homeowners




Excellent Ratigan yet again and Ellen Brown

House gambling with the economy?




Ellen Brown on Max keiser





Thursday, November 5, 2009

Pandemic Smoking Gun from IBM ?


2006 Internal IBM document:

"100% chance of occurring within the next 5 years."

Search www.ibm.com/us/en/ for additional documents. Query [pandemic 2006] or [pandemic 2005] for relevant results on pandemic preparedness and planning.


 
 
 




 

Great Link for everything Swine Flu 



Saturday, October 24, 2009

Obama declares swine flu national emergency

Obama declares swine flu national emergency 

"Officials described the move as similar to a declaration ahead of a hurricane making landfall."

CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden told reporters Friday. "To be basically in the peak of flu season in October is extremely unusual," he said.

"We expect that influenza will occur in waves and we can't predict how high, how far or how long the wave will go or when the next will come," he added.
"Many millions" of Americans have had swine flu so far, according to an estimate he gave at a Friday press conference. The government doesn't test everyone to confirm swine flu so it doesn't have an exact count.

Global figures
Also Friday, the World Health Organization reported more than 414,000 laboratory confirmed cases of H1N1 worldwide, with nearly 5,000 deaths.
But the Geneva-based health agency noted that the figures were only the tip of the iceberg.
"As many countries have stopped counting individual cases, particularly of milder illness, the case count is significantly lower than the actual number of cases that have occurred," WHO said.


Friday, October 23, 2009

Too much news today...

Bit overwhelming...

Dylan again

Banksters Are Just Like the Drug Cartel 

 


Friday, October 16, 2009

October 25th?

Is October 25th date significant?  I don't know.  It's looking like it could be.

Just finished watching "Surrogates" released on September 25th.  Yet another end of the world as we know it movie.

Next week , October 19th-25th all the major networks, ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC are going to be running prime time shows with same recurring themes, voluntarism, helping your community and such.   All this public awareness effort that something big is coming, doesn't make any sense we are talking years away.  Would be very ironic if something happens on Sunday October 25th right after week of propaganda TV.  If something happens, will anyone make the connection?

Sunday, October 11, 2009

The greatest risk

"The greatest risk is that green pieces of paper that we call money cease to be considered as any form of value."

Friday, October 9, 2009

If Tarp doesn't work, we all go over a cliff

This clip is from April 20th 09



Now we have this news yesterday
"Thirty-three TARP recipients missed a scheduled dividend payment to taxpayers last month, according to the Treasury Department, including 18 banks that missed a payment for the first time. It’s a powerful indication that the U.S. banking system remains troubled."

And this
"According to weekly figures provided by the Federal Reserve, total loans at commercial banks have fallen at a 19% annual rate over the past three months, while loans to businesses have dropped at a 28% annualized pace."

And this
"Small Banks Fail at Growing Rate, Straining F.D.I.C."

And this
"Precipitous Drop In State Tax Collections"

And this
"Steep Losses Pose Crisis for Pensions"

Congress and The Fed continue to play "extend and pretend" the economy will magically recover as if nothing ever happened and ignore reality.

Garth has a great post today showing the Canadian economy going down the toilet.  So does americacanada.blogspot.com

Corporate Communism

Love these clips



Garth Turner

I don't know anyone in the main stream of Canadian media other than Garth Turner who is telling it like it is.  Upfront, in your face facts.  Along with a lot of humor, anecdotes and great writing.

Garth Turner, a Canadian hero.



End of the Republican Party if HealthCare passes

Ann Coulter Says It Is "the End of the Republican Party" if ObamaCare Passes Sept23rd 09

Micheal Moore

I almost can't believe what's in Moore's interview with Hannity.  I've watched Hannity a few times, and out of the entire Fox lineup, he plays the part up more than anyone else I've seen.  Never watched the morning shows.  But out of Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly and Hannity, Hannity plays the froth at the mouth, red-meat Reagan conservative role with relish.  Not in this interview.

First of all he gave Micheal a huge amount of airtime, an hour.  Then he let Micheal make every single one of his points, and he let Micheal demolish every single one of his points.  It was stunning.  I wish I knew what Hannity's audience thought of it.  I was shocked. 1st part aired Oct 6th





Michael Moore and Hannity - Aired Oct 9th 2009



What happened to Hannity? See this for what Hannity is usually like

Some other MMoore Interviews:







Xmas starts early at Walmart

On Sept 25th, Walmart annouced it would drop prices of ten brand-name toys to $10 every week between now and Christmas. 

This year's Christmas shopper is going to be selective and value-conscious like never before,” Jim Thompson, Wal-Mart Canada's senior vice-president of merchandise and operations, said. That's why we are starting our Christmas toy price cuts earlier than ever, across more toys than ever before.”

Many shoppers plan to buy items on sale (74 per cent) to help stay on budget, and many expect to spread their shopping over a longer period of time to avoid large post-Christmas bills,” Wal-Mart said.

Looking at real estate sales anyone would think that Vancouver is in the midst of a economic boom. Bidding wars, people paying over a million dollars to purchase decrepit shacks and sheds on tiny plots of land.  Real estate in Vancouver has become a gold mine again for sellers with crack addict buyers.  Property where I live that hasn't sold for over six months or more has sold.  New listings are gone within days.  Panic buying fueled by cheap easy credit from the CMHC.

I suspect even Walmart knows this is a catastrophe in the making.

The intriguing thing about Walmart dropping toy prices so low and so far in advance of Christmas is what does it mean?  What is Walmart telling us beyond what they are they are saying?

It almost sounds like Walmart wants to clear its inventory of toys before Christmas even gets here.

What does Walmart know that the average Canadian consumer doesn't? 

I think what it means is Walmart expects Christmas '09 to be a disaster for retail sales.   Perhaps they expect by the time Christmas rolls around, people are not going to be thinking about Christmas anymore or that their shopping habits will be so sharply curtailed that it is going to have a devastating effect.  They want to do whatever they can to get people to shop for Christmas and buy gifts for their kids well in advance so that families and their children still have a Christmas.

The local evening news yesterday, Oct 8th, ran a piece about Walmart dropping toy prices to $10, almost encouraging people to get out and shop early for bargains while they can...Feels like they are hyping the sale as much as real estate, as much as the Swine Flu and in advance of the Second Wave.

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one trying to connect the dots.

Fortunately have access to the Internet, so I know I'm not alone.



wilful denial

I sent my dad an email listing six fundamentals of the economy that are worse now than during the Great Depression along with a couple of graphs demonstrating this.  I also sent him recent article, Oct 07, where Paul Krugman said that world trade, which I didn't include as one of the six, is also worse. So that makes at least seven economic fundamentals that are worse now than during the Great Depression.

"When it comes to international trade, actually it’s not the Great Depression, it’s worse,”

Both my parents are raving Paul Krugman fans.  They think his word is gospel, or at least they used to...Krugman has been pretty upbeat up until now, and like all the other talking heads out there he chooses his words very carefully.  So I asked my dad, did you read the article? Yes he replied.  Well what do you think.  Well I have to see what he is referring to. Ah..trade, a fundamental of the world economy?  Well I have to check the context.  The context?  How much more context to you need?

"Paul Krugman won the Nobel Prize in economics last year for his work on international trade — so the guy knows what he’s talking about when it comes to this subject. And he’s worried."

dad...have to check the context and what he means by that
me....he means trade, a fundamental of the world economy
dad...ah...
me....Paul Krugman says it's worse than the Great Depression
dad...well Krugman has always been a fan of Obama
me....do you believe him?
dad...ah...
me.....I mean you either take him at his word or you don't.
dad...don't start with me...

At this point my dad goes into defense mode and I stop pressing.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

my dad

Well, just had a call from my dad.  He still thinks this isn't going to affect him or his neighbor and in fact thinks he isn't going to be affected much.  "It isn't going to affect my standard of living."

He doesn't think this time will be anything like the last great depression.

So now I have to write something to explain why he is absolutely right.

It's going to be much worse.

It's not a question of if there will be a depression, only when, how bad it will be and how long it will last.

I'm not going to make this a big long thing, at least I hope not.  Just the basics.  Found this stuff by googling "why this time is going to be worse than the great depression sept 2009"

From May09 Washington's Blog

"The following experts have said that the economic crisis could be worse than the Great Depression:
And see this, this and this.

And many experts believe that we have already been in at least a mild depression.
"


When these people say it could be worse, what they really mean is it will be worse.

There are so many things to choose from and to list them all would be horrendous. But here is a stab at it. 

6 fundamentals of why will be worse:

  1. Overvalued Real Estate.
  2. Total U.S. Credit
  3. Explosion of Derivatives
  4. Dow-Gold Ratio
  5. Global Bubbles
  6. Collapsing Bretton Woods II
My additions:

7. World Trade (Oct 7th - Paul Krugman)
8. US Bankrupt.  Fed Gov, States, FDIC, FHA, CC Companies, Major Banks, etc.

















"Household credit is shrinking...Profits are shrinking...
Employment is shrinking...
Housing values are shrinking...
The wage base is shrinking...  

Treasuries are the last bubble

A depression ends when it has done its work. It must correct mistakes. It must punish errors. It must destroy the bubble economy...and the mindset of the Bubble Era. Only then can new real, sustainable growth begin again."  Bill Bonner.


(His facts are accurate)

Common Sense and Brainwashing

After watching "How to Brainwash a Nation" it explains an awful lot about why both my parents are incapable of using common sense. They are both brainwashed. They would deny it of course, but the truth is they don't have any idea it has been done to them therefore in their minds it can't be true.

They would think they are too intelligent to be "brainwashed" and couldn't have been done to them unless they were in a lab.  Well, I can tell you from first hand experience in dealing with both of them, as smart as they are, they have both been successfully brainwashed. This clip explains how it was done, accurately describes their reactions perfectly and their inability to use common sense is proof they have been successfully brainwashed.

In any discussion with me on any contentious issue that could be settled with facts or common sense, neither of my parents have ever been capable of counter arguments supported by facts. Their counter argument always deteriorates to "stupid," "mistake," "i don't care," "i don't believe it," or simply starts with one, or all of these, and never budges. They are incapable of producing facts to support their argument because such facts don't exist, and they are incapable of using common sense to support their argument because they have been brainwashed.

So here are two classic examples of discussions/arguments I have had with my parents over issues/questions that I think would have been easily settled using plain old common sense, or settled using facts and evidence. In both of these cases I got nowhere and neither of my parents could believe anything other than what they had been brainwashed into thinking was true.

1) Bobby Jindal

In Feb09 Barack Obama gave a speech to joint session of congress that was broadcast live on national TV. Following Obama, Bobby Jindal gave the republican response, also on live national TV, as is customary for the minority party.

After listening to, and then reading the transcript to make sure I wasn't dreaming, this was my common sense reaction to his speech:

Every single word was carefully chosen, every sentence and paragraph carefully constructed and articulated for maximum effect to its intended audience, the viewer.

This is my parents (both of them) summary reactions to Bobby Jindal's speech: "stupid" "mistake" "i don't care"

Here are some more detailed reactions (paraphrasing): "I don't know that the Bobby Jindal speech was live, I have no way of knowing that." "I have no idea if he wrote it alone or had help, for all I know he wrote it himself and no one else ever read it or had any input." "He didn't care what anybody thought about his speech nor did he think anyone would check it for accuracy." "He didn't think anyone would pay any attention to it or bother to dissect his speech." "He thought no one would be watching, he could get away with it and wasn't thinking who his audience was." "He didn't think critics, commentators, analysts, acedemics, historians, observers, voters, political junkies or in fact anyone in the entire world or the universe itself would listen or be interested in it." "He thought he was talking to himself." Or the classic, Jindal is "an arrogant indian."


In his office at the Louisiana Governors Mansion, Gov. Bobby Jindal chats with staff members while working on the Republican Party response to Pres. Barack Obama's speech Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009, in Baton Rouge, La. Jindal will give the Republican Party's response to President Barack Obama's first address to Congress Tuesday night. The Louisiana governor's speech will be nationally televised. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)


In other words, my parents common sense tells them that Bobby Jindal is the first politician in history who did not choose his words thoughtfully, carefully, throughly and with extreme care as who the audience was and how they would interpret and take meaning from his words.

Jindal's speech was described by David Brooks (paraphrasing) as 'Worst speech in history of democracy.'

It also had outright lies, storytelling, bad cliches and innuendo in a career ending self destruction speech. (see this this this this this this ...endless...)



My common sense tells me every single word in Bobby Jindal's speech was carefully chosen, every sentence and paragraph carefully constructed and articulated for maximum effect to its intended audience, the viewer. And what was the effect? 'Worst speech in history of democracy.' So what conclusion, using simple common sense, can we draw from this?

Bobby Jindal gave the worst speech in history of democracy deliberately to discredit himself and the Republican Party.

And my parents common sense? Non-existent. Why?

Brainwashed.

To be fair, I had some detailed written discussions with my mother over this speech and she did come up with an elaborate storytelling parable answer to try and explain Bobby Jindal speech. The problem with her storytelling parable as she well knows, is that Bobby Jindal told a bold faced lie in this speech. Jindal knew it was a lie when he told it, and my mother knows it. So her storytelling parable explanation boiled down to "stupid," 'mistake," "i don't care," or "i don't believe it."  To this day that has not changed.



2) Money=Debt

This issue/question is one that has yet to see either of my parents provide facts and evidence to support their belief that money<>debt.

When I tried to explain to my father why money=debt I was told I was "stupid," "mistaken," or needed to take some economics classes and learn something as I clearly had no idea what I was talking about. This is a common retreat for my father "take some economics classes."

To the purists out there, when I say "money" I mean FRN's or any fiat currency equivalent. I'm not talking about value, wealth, assets or anything else. Strictly money as fiat currency. No other definition or meaning of money. Money as the fiat currency you pay taxes with, that money.

Last time I checked we still pay taxes in fiat currency, not sticks of bamboo, rocks, matchsticks or anything else. Our government here in Canada does not accept trades, barter, promises to pay, IOU's, diamonds, cigarettes, pencils or coconuts as mediums of exchange for payment of taxes. It only accepts its fiat currency, money, as payment for taxes.

Totally clear on what I mean by money?

Had to clear that up because my dad loves to start any discussion about money=debt with "well we could use matchsticks as money, we just choose to use money" or "if I had a 1,000 pencils worth a dollar each thats the equivalent of having a $1,000.00 dollars" or any other number of irrelevant distractions from the issue.

When the government allows you to start paying taxes in matchsticks, pencils or bits of wood, you let me know and then maybe how many matchsticks, pencils or bits of wood you have, can make or can gather, might be relevant.

So, this is how I try to explain to my father why money=debt.

Money is primarily created in only 2 ways

a) It is created by a central bank/treasury issuing IOU's
b) It is created by private banks issuing loans.

Both of these methods of money creation creates debt equal to the amount of money being created, plus interest.

money=debt

The third way money is created is through "Quantitative Easing"

c) The central bank creates money to buy treasury IOU's and instead of creating offsetting debt, instead just creates an entry on its balance sheet.

Now, trying to get my parents to see how money is created by using simple common sense is a gargantuan and basically impossible task. They have seen "money as debt" 1 and 2, discussed it with the author, Paul Grignon, discussed it with me, along with having read numerous articles I have sent including the federal reserves own "Modern Money Mechanics" explaining how and why money=debt. I have also sent them a long list of quotes including this one from the federal reserve “[Banks] do not really pay out loans from the money they receive as deposits. If they did this, no additional money would be created. What they do when they make loans is to accept promissory notes in exchange for credits to the borrowers' transaction accounts." As well as many quotes on the nature of money from people throughout history like Napoleon, John Adams, Henry Ford, Esra Pound etc. (The only sources I have ever found that disputes the fact money=debt is a publication from a private bank or something written by ill-informed, uneducated ignorant sheeple. I have never found anything that disputes on the basis of facts that money=debt as detailed in "Modern Money Mechanics" written by the federal reserve.)

Still not a dent.

In spite of overwhelming evidence, logic, reasoning, explanation, history, they mentally refuse to apply their common sense. Why? Brainwashing.

They have been successfully brainwashed all their lives to believe that money is something other than what it really is.

And the irony? They are both going to read this and it won't change a thing.

They will likely say something like "don't expect us just to agree with you." I don't, but until today, I did expect that common sense would prevail. Now at least I know why it never will. They have both been been brainwashed.

Monday, October 5, 2009

October - November 2009

My thoughts on why I think Oct-Nov, maybe Dec, is possible time frame for the next leg down or "second wave."

First of all I don't believe in coincidences, and especially not when you have this many.


I think there will be a series of crisis that will unfold and allow congress to take big steps in moving their agenda forward.

For example, with ~50% unemployment no one is going to object to single payer government run health care.

So why Oct-Nov-Dec for next phase?  

1) The "Swine Flu Pandemic."  I still think this is governments way of giving ample warning to citizens of the world something is coming that will destroy economies, the chain is only as strong as its weakest link and so on.  There is no other common sense answer that explains what the WHO has been saying about the upcoming "second wave" of "Swine Flu."  My mother, who has believed in and trusted the WHO all her life thinks they are "stupid", "mistaken," or just doesn't care.   I guess that is a lot simpler to believe that just using plain old common sense to explain what they are doing and why.

2) Fed releases Sept 09 numbers on approximately Oct 17th along with numerous other reports, earnings etc that have to come out in October.

3) Marc Faber, Jim Rogers and others are getting more shrill, while new voices are chiming in.  Faber said the other day, when the day of reckoning comes it will wipe out himself, Bloomberg and everyone else.  That day could be tomorrow, in three to six months, 5 or 10 years but that day is inevitable he said.   Jim Rogers said he is no longer buying anything and there will be a currency crisis.  Gore Vidal on Sep30 said the US will have a dictatorship soon. This list is exhaustive.

4) Jeff Immelt's letter to GE shareholders dated Feb 09.  Why warn shareholders of a "reset economy" years in advance?

5) Nassim Taleb testimony to congress on "Capitalism 2.0."  They are laying the groundwork for a new system as I write this.  If this was years away or they intended to maintain the status quo why do it now and why do it at all?

6) Igor Panarin's prediction his book The Crash of America” will be out of date by November.

7) Little things like Stephen Colbert on his Sept 23rd show:

Colbert interviews A.J. Jacobs, author.

A.J. - I actually think you should do an experiment, I think you should...

Colbert - I am

A.J. - You are? oh alright

Colbert - Yes, its called changing the world.


Michael Moore goes on Jay Leno to talk about "Capitalism, A love Story"  and sings "Times they are a changing" with such catchy phrases as "don't criticize what you can't understand."  It was also replayed on Larry King live, trying to get maximum exposure and fair warning.

Margaret Atwood releases a book called "The Year of The Flood"  on September 22nd about a disaster and how people deal with it.

Discovery Channel is running a series called "The Colony" about how to survive after a disaster

HGTV is running a series on how to turn an empty loft into a complete living space using only recycled materials.

Hollywood movies: "9," "2012," "The Road," "The Book of Eli" and others.  All about the end of the world as we know it.

Bill O'Reilly says "we'll know in November" whether Obama stimulus has worked and what all his czars are for.

Glenn Beck releases "Arguing with idiots" after "Common Sense." Basically saying you can't argue with people who won't use common sense.

On Glenn Beck show today, Oct 6th 2009, Glenn laid out what is happening, why it can't be fixed and where this is going.  "Our leaders now know it will implode if we continue down this road. Well in the Soviet Union they drafted a document and transformed the Soviet model."



There are so many little examples, and too many of them to be a coincidence.

8) Then you have the tin-foil and semi tin-foil stuff like webbot , reinhardt, LaRouche, Jim Sinclair and Martin Weiss all saying Oct/Nov, end of October timeframe.


I think there are so many possible triggers for a "second wave" it is pointless to speculate what the trigger will be .  After watching Schumer and Cornyn on ABC News yesterday though, I think what they are really saying is the next wave will not start in the US.  Maybe it will be this "Banks brace for Latvia's collapse"  There are just too many possibilities.


I will probably add to this post and list as stuff comes up and hits me in the face...

.

"I don't care"

Well, I have the flu.  Swine flu, common flu, whatever it is I have it.  Feeling pretty miserable, headaches, body aches, can't stop blowing my nose, the whole bit and caboodle. 

I try to lie down and sleep but can't.  I keep running over these conversations in my head; I can rest but not sleep.  So here are some of my thoughts while under the influence of the flu.


I keep coming back to my parents.

Every time I show them something or point out something I find odd, I keep expecting them to come back with a common sense explanation.  They don't, they never do.  It doesn't matter what or how glaring it is, their explanation is always "well he/she is stupid" or "they made a mistake" or "I don't care."  One of these three answers is how they explain everything I point out to them.  They get quite excited and animated with the "I don't care" answer. "I have more important things to think about"  things like tiling, toilet, tea and tulips (tulips being gardening.)

They adamantly refuse to look at anything and come up with a common sense answer.  I can't say they have lost their capability to apply common sense, they just refuse to apply it.  If a common sense answer questions their values or beliefs they put up a mental wall and will only say "stupid" "mistake" or "I don't care"

Personally I find it extraordinary.  My parents are both extremely intelligent and successful, have had a concern and interest in the world around them for as long as I can remember, but when it comes to something that questions their beliefs they shut down.  They can't believe that a simple common sense answer makes the most sense, nor will they ever admit it.

Part of me believes they don't care and part of me doesn't want to.  Michael Tsarion in "Architects of Control" said don't think you have to save people.  You can't.  They have to come to a realization themselves and on their own.

Michael gets pretty deep, but a much, much simpler communicator is Glenn Beck.  Glenn has two books out, "Common Sense" and "Arguing with Idiots."  Glenn is saying the same thing Michael is, in as plain and simple language as possible in a valiant and admirable effort to get through to people.  

You can't argue with people who refuse to use common sense.


Found this clip that I think explains why my parents and others refuse to use common sense


How To Brainwash A Nation.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Canada to lead global recovery: IMF

Is this a joke?

If Canada is expected to lead the developed world's "global recovery" we are in trouble.

Always amazes me how people can say things with a straight face, as if by saying the words can make it true.

Or is this something else?

It is farcical and ludicrous that Canada could or can lead a global recovery.  So what is the IMF really saying here?

Ladies and Gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts and put your head between your legs.

We regret to inform you we will not be pulling out of this nosedive.