Financial topics

[aedens]

democrat logic : The real reason we should temporarily extend these tax breaks is that the short-term deficit doesn’t matter. In fact, it should be larger. These breaks will very mildly help the economy. Instead of giving out $85 billion in tax breaks, the government could have borrowed that amount and put it towards infrastructure spending, which may provide a slightly larger boost to the economy, but Republicans oppose that and every other deficit-increasing policy. The tax extenders are better than nothing. In addition, rising health-care costs and a lack of revenue are driving the U.S.’s long-term debt problem. These tax breaks will not lead to a debt apocalypse.
Why are Democrats making terrible arguments and avoiding a good one? Politics. The public still believes that the deficit is major problem—and expects their representatives to show similar deference to it. That prevents Boxer, Cardin and the rest of the Democratic caucus from arguing for deficit-financed infrastructure spending or business tax cuts. Instead, they're taking a page from the Republican playbook and using discredited arguments to support their position. That may lead to the right policy outcome right now, but it sets a bad standard in the end.

democrat results: http://gdxforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php ... 920#p24013

Jonathan Bernstein Nov 04, 2013
Last week’s buzzword was “kludge,” as everyone from Paul Krugman to Michael Lind decided that the Affordable Care Act was a perfect example of “What’s Wrong With America.” It’s an argument that Steven Teles made recently in an important essay at National Affairs . For Teles, a political scientist from Johns Hopkins, the way the United States is governed has become increasingly incoherent and even unworkable in policy domain after policy domain. His diagnosis is that our current state of affairs is the result of the accumulation of “kludges”—a term from computer programming for temporary patches. U.S. policy is dominated, he argues, by these ad hoc workarounds, rather than systematic policies. In the short run, make-do kludges are often good enough. But over time, they pile up, one upon another, and the result eventually becomes impossible for anyone to make sense of. Moreover, even when total policy catastrophe is avoided, ad-hoc “solutions” are rarely efficient, and all those... http://prospect.org/article/long-live-kludge

Remember last year when everyone was talking about "devastating" cuts to the federal budget due to "sequestration"?

As then White House flack and now-CNN Crossfire host Stephanie Cutter defined sequestration last spring, it amounted to a "series of automatic and destructive budgets cuts that you and your neighbors are just beginning to feel."
The horror, the horror: White House tours canceled, military bands not playing, little kids starving, planes dropping from skies (not that they would have had passengers, what with the TSA lines getting infinite due to budget cuts...).
Yeah, no. Not only were those cuts removed through a bipartisan budget deal passed early in 2014, they were hardly draconian to begin with. The cuts slated for last year totaled $44 billion in a $3.5 trillion budget, plus a slightly lower amount for this year and going forward.
So how many federal employees got shitcanned because of reduced funds in 2013? A hundred thousand? A million? More? According to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, a grand total of one (1), in the Department of Justice's Parole Commission.

Gilens and Page analyze 1,779 policy outcomes over a period of more than 20 years. They conclude that “economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while mass-based interest groups and average citizens have little or no independent influence.”

In our country (the former U.S.S.R.) the lie has become not just a moral category,
but a pillar of the State. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

[aedens]

Next few weeks shaping up to be some crucial elections. Ukraine & European Union (May 25), and then a by-election in the UK which UKIP will be hoping to ride the momentum from the EU elections and win their first seat in the UK Parliament. Can they do it? I reckon they're definitely a shot.
Throw in a new PM in India, Mr. Modi, will he turn to Putin & China and try to to strengthen the BRICS alliance?
Then we have Putin in China next week presumably inking some deals and then a couple of interesting anniversaries in the first week of June. 25 years since Tiananmen Square (June 4) and even more interesting - 70 years since D-Day (June 6) - just how frosty will that whole "celebration/commemoration" be???
Can't wait to see Putin shaking hands with Obama/ Biden/ Cameron/ Hollande/ Harper and co. Surely no cold shoulders as we commemorate the souls of soldiers lost?
And then the world is off to Brazil for a month for the World Cup (June 12 - July 13). I doubt Putin would want to spoil his mate's coming out party in Brazil, so one wouldn't expect any real fireworks until late July at the earliest when things are very definitely warming up. t

Crucial elections? LOL, good one! after May how the Eurotard noe serfs going to explain the electoral results. They have meters for hookers and a FSA that makes ours look tame. Goat herders driving beemers before it blew up. Eurotards is the blue print to neo feudalism here for the FSA Dimmcrats.

Saw a campaign advert for Jean-Claude Juncker's European Parliamentary election the other day and I actually thought it was a piss take. It was something about iPhones and Tablets are the future of the Eurozone (ie: "let them eat iPhones").
I'm a local and I had to Google the jackass just to figure out who he actually is. I swear that this entire continent will be speaking Russian in 20 years. Bunch of bureaucrats that are completely dislocated from the average citizen making decisions to expand big government.

http://understandingsociety.blogspot.be/ cheese sliding off the cracker explanation to m1 m2 m3 polemics again.

m1 Problem- m2 Reaction- m3 Solution

1963 Communist Goals, Because you’re now left with unproductive, state sponsored welfare recipients that don’t produce anything that you can’t steal from them but they keep you in office. You need the hard working ox middle class to suck the blood from. When the ox makes a run for it, well, you have to find ways to stop that from happening. These ambitious men were not naive; they were overconfident about their ability to manipulate and were hopelessly outplayed.

The most serious dangers for American freedom and the American way of life do not come from without. What is needed to prevent any further credit expansion is to place the banking business under the general rules of commercial and civil laws compelling every individual and firm to fulfill all obligations in full compliance with the terms of the contract. If you have to convince a group of people who are not directly dependent on a solution of a problem, you will never succeed. Only to bureaucrats can the idea occur that establishing new offices, promulgating new decrees, and increasing the number of government employees alone can be described as positive and beneficial measures. The issue is always the same: the government or the market. There is no third solution.

Romans 11:17-25: But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.

[aedens]

Terminator franchise.

This site is NOT politically correct! Terrorists are actually called terrorists!
https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ous&q=burger+ ... +on+strike
http://www.fireandreamitchell.com/2013/ ... -thursday/

A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law

Want Responsible Robotics? Start With Responsible Humans.

[aedens]

Lois Lerner IRS defense.
https://www.fas.org/irp/eprint/rightwing.pdf
http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/co ... terrorists

[aedens]

Reminder that nothing is real with blue as red waits for the 2015 "the narrowing" and upcoming cost increases.
As we warned bluntly here think of the VA as the Obamacare. It is in the Forums, we where correct point blank.

It is a immense system and nobody wanted this problem since as they say it effects a 60 million voter block on benefits and MIC.
But http://theroadtoemmaus.org/RdLb/21PbAr/ ... lVets.html

On page 21 of the Shinseki-mandated Veteran's Euthanasia book, all military veterans are encouraged to complete a checklist of various scenarios, to decide whether their own life would be "not worth living." For example, the booklet asks veterans 7 questions pressuring veterans to sign a "living will" that authorizes doctors to terminate your life, if you are:

1) Living in a nursing home?
2) Being in a wheelchair?
3) Not able to "shake the blues?"
4) Ever heard anyone say, "If I'm a vegetable, pull the plug?"
5) No longer able to contribute to your family's well-being?
6) Are you a severe financial burden to your family?
7) Do you cause severe emotional burden for your family?

"This hurry-up-and-die message is clear and unconscionable," says Towey, "Worse, a July 2009 VA directive [presumably signed by Shinseki] instructs its primary care physicians to raise advance care planning with all VA patients and to refer them to 'Your Life, Your Choices.' [the Euthanasia booklet.] Not just those of advanced age and debilitated condition-all patients. America's 24 million veterans deserve better." Towey recommends a "five wishes" living-will document that does not pressure suicide.
But instead the Hemlock Society booklet is now MANDATED for doctor referral to all patients in all VA hospitals, heaping more evidence upon the growing list of proofs that the Obama Administration is LYING TO THE PUBLIC by denying their health care plan pushes Euthanasia on the elderly. They already do it today. Just imagine if ALL hospitals become government-run like the VA.
SELECT HERE TO SIGN PETITION, AND WE WILL FAX ALL 52 "BLUE-DOG" DEMOCRATS IN THE HOUSE, AND ALL 100 SENATORS, TO OPPOSE OBAMACARE.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/27-democr ... le/2539245

update: Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, mocked the announcement, calling it "the pinnacle of disingenuous political doublespeak" since Petzel had been scheduled to retire this year anyway. The American Legion, which has called for Shinseki to resign, said pretty much the same thing: "This move by VA is not a corrective action, but a continuation of business as usual."

"Midterm elections right around the corner, Congress' approval rating is in the teens – it's time once again to raise a cry of 'Throw the bums out!', and then reelect 90 percent of said bums," Stewart said.
http://www.thewire.com/entertainment/20 ... ed/371040/

[gerald]

An appropriate video ad in the Ukraine? "Darth Vader Steps Up His Political Campaign In Ukraine"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_72v783tlA&app=desktop

from http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-05-1 ... gn-ukraine

[aedens]

Culture

I've worked at the Shell refinery in Martinez, CA and can say that effective security in near impossible in these plants because of all the various activities at different plants on a 24/7 basis....not to mention activities of various intermittent sub-contractors buzzing around. Hopefully, it boils down to a faulty valve or internally rusted pipe or gas leak.....at least that's fixable.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board already was investigating last year's explosion at the Geismar, La., that killed two workers and injured 80; after two more recent incidents, the board plans to look at whether there’s "a higher-level corporate issue."

For some this reminds many of the 1986 era of opportunity cost being ignored.

[aedens]

Now seeking bids for body armor.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government ... Body-Armor

A May 7th solicitation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture seeks commercial acquisition of ballistic vests, compliant with NIJ 0101.06 for Level IIIA Ballistic Resistance of body armor.

Hank Kimmel of Hooterville fully automated.

Zygmunt Bauman's Modernity and the Holocaust, he argues that only 10 percent or so of the Nazi SS was especially sadistic or violent by their nature. The rest were normal people, encouraged by a social system called "government" to maintain a professional attitude. In fact, they actively suppressed and punished people who acted with glee in their duties to annihilate the Jews. Milgram's 1960s obediance experiments confirm that social machines can force people to do horrible things they would never do as individuals.

That psychopaths are in charge is not the problem. The problem is that they are obeyed.

http://books.google.be/books/about/The_ ... edir_esc=y Tainter is correct as we know here. Votes make no difference at all since sharp sticks.

[gerald]

Is this a dumb miss-allocation of resources, a way to buy industrial labor's complacency ( to keep the peace ), or to keep the illusion going ( for what ever reason ). How long can this be maintained?

If the cars are not sold ( they deteriorate by just sitting ), does every one just keep printing money to build cars? Then what? What can't go on forever, doesn't. This could get very interesting and not in a nice way.

"Where the World's Unsold Cars Go To Die" --- http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-05-1 ... ars-go-die

[Higgenbotham]

We can see the similarity in pattern in these 2 examples. In both cases, with the market near a record high, he says there may be one more little correction and then it really goes exponential.

It's hard not to get caught up in the roar of the bullish crowd near the top of the market.


Martin Armstrong: Geopolitical Problems, Flight to Safety Will Drive U.S. Stock Market Higher
May 16, 2014

With the stock market near a record high:

The U.S. stock market, although it sounds a bit crazy, it's liable to go up very dramatically. I would think we could go up 50% at least. But it's going to depend upon when the capital flows start coming in very dramatically, and they'll come when you start to see those types of geopolitical problems [along with]…economic problems from Europe. But, I mean, there will be more dips—one more little crash first—and then it's going to take off.

http://www.financialsense.com/contribut ... ock-market


Gold - The Final Frontier?
July 13, 2011

With gold near a record high:

The exponential price rally in gold still appears waiting in the wings for the years ahead.

The key area to watch for year-end will be last year’s close of $1421.40. A close below this area would imply a retest of support for 2012 before a surge back to the upside.

http://armstrongeconomics.com/wp-conten ... 071311.pdf