Friday, August 05, 2011

Standard and Poor's Trick

At first it might seem justifiable that S&P had nailed the Republican Party for letting its Tea Party wing drag it into offering the United State's credit rating on a stone for sacrifice to their principles.  And in that case, Good!  That's what they deserve.  Maybe the Republican Party will cast those demons out!  And it is clear now that the Republicans will be back next time holding the national credit rating hostage again until President Obama kneels before them again.  Also we must remember that some of the GOP presidential hopefuls said the debt rating was a joke.  Bachman said she would not vote to raise it.  And then the Republicans ran it too close to the wire.

But a moment's reflection reveals that this has happened before to other countries.  It was not a real big deal to them at first.  Not at first.  Their interest rates did go up.  Then about three months later their interest rates went up again.  And then about three months after that, they went up again.  So somebody is paying a lot more money than they were just three months ago and even more than they were paying six months before.  A lot of money is rolling around.  Somebody is taking some of that home.

I suspect – but can't prove (wish I could!) – that millions and millions of dollars are now  poised to move to those individuals who made that decision in S&P to downgrade the US credit rating.

Thursday, August 04, 2011

Contempt of Congress

Please don’t call me to testify.  Oh, I can go anywhere and talk – and say whatever I might want to say.  But if I am called to testify, I will be sworn in and instructed to tell the truth.  Then I will have to tell the Congress of the United States of America that I hold them in contempt.  And I do hold the Congress of the United States in contempt because of the following – which is not a complete list:
The lack of jobs for Americans who were laid off by great corporations who fired them and who also out-sourced their jobs to other countries where labor costs were minimal and those corporations could thrust their profits higher than ever before, and achieve great personal enrichment of those few who run these corporations and share that great profit with nobody - except of course, certain members of the Congress of the United States of America.  No wonder the Congress didn't intervene even though it has the power to regulate commerce and has regulated the action of corporations in the past.  Maybe that's why a lot of them got a cut of the action.

The protection of the gun manufacturers so that America has become the “Gun Merchant” of the entire world. We sell guns to foreigners who use them to fight our own troops.   And guns are freely used in America to settle our differences and shoot down people in shopping malls, universities, main streets of our country and in our homes.  We entered  into a ten year long war when foreign terrorists killed less than 3,000 people in the World Trade Tower attack in September, and have spent Trillions of dollars avenging that horrible act.  Of course American terrorists then killed 3,000 more Americans between 9-11-2001 and the following Christmas day - with handguns.  And American terrorists CONTINUE, ten years later, killing 3,000 Americans in EVERY three month period –  or should I say  “season”?  The American Congress continues to say “Well, we got a right to defend ourselves don't we?.”
The persecution of gays and lesbians.  These people are what they are because that is the way they were created.  About 10% of all Russians are gay, about 10% of all Asians are gay, about 10% of all blacks are gay, and so on.  The Good Book says that mankind was made in the image of God, and it also says that God makes no mistakes, so I must assume that God is gay.  Or at least He makes these mistakes on purpose, like he did you and me – but members of the US Congress don’t like what God has done, and want that part of His work to be not REAL American citizens – unless they hide who God has made them.
The acts of treason committed daily by congressmen who refuse to vote in higher taxes because they have taken a pledge to Grover Norquist never to raise taxes ever again.  According to the Constitution it is the job of Congress to “levy taxes”.   More than 200 members of Congress now are being sworn in to office to do their job and support the Constitution but they have this prior pledge they made to Grover that takes precedent over their oath to the American people, their constituents and the Constitution of the United States.   
This week’s refusal to bail out the American economy which may condemn our nation to ten more years of recession or possible entrance into another depression.  The private sector of the American economy is sick.  People have been fired and their jobs out-sourced to other countries and ten years of wars along with great all encompassing tax reductions .  ONLY the public sector can fund the immediate employment of great numbers of workers by, yes borrowing money – which is available – and cheap – and put those people to work repairing roads and bridges, building light rail systems which will bring us up to the level of the rest of the world.  But the congress says  we have to pay off all our debts as soon as we can even if this results in reductions to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.  That is where the corner grocery store, the drug store and gasoline station begin laying off more people.  That's where those stores call their suppliers and tell them to reduce their next orders.
Providing money for troops to engage in war without raising taxes to pay for those endeavors which depress the general economy.  For facilitating the operation of great wealthy corporations that NEED wars to make their profits.  Then for fighting wars endlessly – America has been at war constantly during my lifetime, except when we were still in the Great Depression.  The GD#1, we may begin calling it now.
Eliminating 40 to 50 million Americans from any form of health care, and providing care for the rest of America that costs twice as much as people in other developed countries pay.  Meanwhile the health of the American workforce, probably our greatest natural resource, falls into the level of a pretty good third world nation.
Incarcerating more members of its citizenry than any other nation in the world in both total number and percentage.  And then for facilitating the operation of great wealthy corporations that NEED more prisoners behind bars to increase their profits.
For insisting that a business that makes a NET profit of more than $250,000 in a year is a “small business”.  
For providing subsidies to the largest corporations in the entire world who are now making the greatest profits ever made by anyone or anything, anywhere anytime.  Yet those same corporations pay NO taxes, and the American taxpayers who do pay taxes, also pay these corporations subsidies to please continue their work.  
Well, this is enough for one evening.  There is more.  A lot more.  Sounds like another book.  At any rate I will have to make a list.  Please let me know if you know of other reasons why the American Congress should be held in contempt.  
Then if I do get called, and sworn in, I can fillibuster.

Tuesday, August 02, 2011

The Debt is Saved but the Dream is Dying

The “full faith and credit” of the United States is saved!  And at the last minute, too!  What wonderful . . .
But there is something missing.  In fact there are a lot of somethings missing.  A sickness seems present.  A pollution seems slowly spreading across the nation.  We are like people who have just received very, very bad news.  Stuff like that takes a while to seep in. 
Much of this centers around the president.  He was the one we were expecting to step forward and bang on the pots and pans, to blow the trumpet and to stampede the wild creatures who attacked.  But no.  Obama played it Very Cool.  I suspect much of this was about the upcoming election.  
Obama has no democratic opposition.  He will be nominated and will run. And he will probably be reelected.  Largely because the republicans are in such disarray. They have NO one to run, and those who are likely to be nominated are biding their time and hedging their bets.  
But there is a blast coming from the south.  It will blow all the other republican “candidates” out of the picture.  I am talking about Rick Perry, governor of Texas.  He will be able to control the republican party and he can capture the Tea Party people.  He is not yet fully visible, but as he has already indicated, he senses that God has called him.  Plus – he has a LOT of very rich people ready to back him.
However.  If I were a republican,  and if I were looking for the best possible person to be my president of the United States, I would have to think HARD about voting for anyone else than Obama.  Sure, I know he “runs” as a democrat, but hey – look closely.  As the Good Book says, “ . . . by its fruits, you shall know what kind of tree it is.”  
If I were a republican, I think I would have to vote for Obama.