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Showing posts with label Entitlements. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Entitlements. Show all posts

Saturday, October 20, 2012

The Death of Democracy

Leslie J. Sacks writes about the voting blocs that will benefit from an Obama election victory. He points out those voting blocs will bankrupt America in unsustainable debt. The warning that caught my eye the most was that four more years of Obama will likely turn the Supreme Court into a Leftist Bench.

JRH 10/20/12
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The Death of Democracy

By Leslie J. Sacks
Sent: Oct 18, 2012 at 8:10 PM

The next four years may prove to be a trying time for those who truly love democracy, those who abhor ideologues, extremists and agenda driven radicals. For democracy at its very essence is a continuous uneasy balance between varying yet reasonable opinions, valid alternatives - a respectful conversation. It is not the bulldozing of one side by the other, as though one side's ideas always have a superior lock on the truth, a permanent fix on reality.

The forthcoming election is more than being about the middle, the centrists,Self-help books - Govt. Handouts toon the moderates, holding sway between a little left versus a little right. It's fast becoming the seminal election of the century, with two game changing policies that may determine, eventually, the very nature of our democracy, the heart of America.

Firstly, up to four of our Supreme Court Justices are likely coming up for retirement over the next four years - Justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer are all over 74 years old. Currently there is a successful working balance between the more liberal and more conservative judges, preserving the wonderful checks and balances our unique constitution is founded on. If a dominant Obama gets to appoint all or a few of these new judges, then for 2 or 3 decades thereafter he could conceivably ensure an overwhelmingly left leaning Supreme Court. Any semblance of moderation and balance will likely be lost if his past appointees to the Federal bench, to cabinet positions and his 42 elite special "Czars" to the White House are anything to go by.

Secondly, a built-to-order constituency, dependent in some material way on the largesse of government, may be enlarged by the next Obama administration to become a semi-permanent majority. Just think of the voters who already fall easily into the Obama camp; a camp largely identified with ever increasing entitlements

§  46.7 million receive food-stamps (only 17 million did so during the Clinton era)

§  There has been a 59% increase in food stamp recipients over the last 3 years

§  In fact, 67 million Americans depend on the federal government for either housing, food, income, student or other assistance

§  Around 20 million work for the local and federal governments

§  Half of America does not pay federal taxes (151.7 million paid no federal taxes in 2009 versus only 34.8 million in 1984

§  Immigrants, the young and African Americans will all be constituents increasing in numbers and amenable to the Democratic ideology, ably inspired by the media and Obama's incredible communication and savvy public relations teams

All of these voting groups will continue to grow under Obama - the Democrats are after all the party of big government, of multitudinous favors and of entitlements, to which the Republicans themselves are certainly no strangers either.
 Push Button Govt Handout toon
With all this desperate spending, our inconceivable debt of $16 trillion will likely grow to $20 trillion over the next 4 years of an Obama administration; almost half of all the debt of all the worlds' government put together. This Olympian record will eventually bury us as interest rates rise, and they will - this will bankrupt us, so much so that all our children's taxes will only be servicing the debt; not saving, not building, not creating.

The result: with more handouts, with bigger government, with superb media finesse - Obama and a more extreme left may, with another 4 years under their belt, engineer a cataclysmic change in the traditionally healthy political balance of America, where for the first time there will be more dependents, more receiving handouts, more in need than not - so the majority will finally be beholden to government and effectively, loyally, on Obama's payroll.

Ultimately balance will be lost, the conversation ended; democracy will take a backseat to Eurostyle idealism, to leftist naivety in a country of dependents rather than pioneers. The moderates on both sides of the aisle will be increasingly disenfranchised by the extremes of both left and right.

The individuals, the autonomous, the free and the bold may find more in common with South Korea, Singapore and Australia than with Obama's future America. And what of the self-balancing democracy of our founders? Maybe not yet gone but certainly diluted.

Further Reading




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Leslie J. Sacks | 10550 Wilshire Blvd | Los Angeles | CA | 90024

Friday, November 25, 2011

Market Collapse, America and Europe

EU-America

This is the title I have chosen for a collection of emails from Tony Newbill relating to the economy, financial services and the interaction of financial globalism affecting America and Europe. This post can be as interrelated to some similar posts at SlantRight.com:





JRH 11/25/11
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'60 Minutes' Uncovers Pelosi's Insider Stock Trades

Tony Newbill
Sent: 11/14/2011 11:14 AM

Congress: Trading stock on inside information?



'60 Minutes' Uncovers Pelosi's Insider Stock Trades


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This is why Lobbyism is out of control in Washington!!!

By Tony Newbill
Sent: 11/17/2011 7:47 AM

I watched Morning Joe and they were talking about the Book "THROW THEM ALL OUT" and The Loop Hole Congress has to Trade stocks on Insider information is why we have Lobbyism Growing in Washington causing Great economic inequality in the USA!!!

Talk about a Loop Hole in the Tax Code that Needs Closed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


This is a GREAT Distortion on the Stock market. There is NO WAY a Fair Tax Code Or anything Fair can come to Reform in Legislation When this Kind of a LOOP HOLE is out there to provoke the very law makers to draft Rules that would make the Free Market Operate at a level that forces the very best Innovative processes to be realized.

Think about this: if there is a insider Bias in the innovative system that favors a Pre-determined outcome rather than a reaction to a FREE willing effort of an individual that is driven by seeking to Improve a human need, and that product or service is not allowed to find its way to the top of the demand system of supply-side economics, because of an Insider favoring a certain innovation for personal gain before that product or service is determined to be the very best product line. Then we get a lower quality product supply because of this flawed system and economic failure due to an Uncompetitive supply of goods and services. This is why we are insolvent.  HELLO......

When Our Law Makers are drafting Legislation that effects the Economy and the process in which quality of products are realized and the price discovery of a product is driven by its demand due to quality over any other reason. Then the benefit to humanity and equality will be almost a guaranteed result. The way this Loop Hole at the top of the food chain is designed today by what the Author of this Book is writing about creates a drag on the economy’s ability to find the very best Innovation from a demand on supply because of the predetermined favoritism for personal gain before the demand from the free market is put to work Proving the quality of the innovation and product line of a supply-side economic system, the FREE market is not able to function right!!!!!
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This will affect the way the best possible potential in Quality healthcare is realized

By Tony Newbill
Sent: 11/17/2011 10:46 AM

Listen to this video on the Congress Insider trading rule! The Supreme Court needs to consider this and How this will effect the way a market driven healthcare system can hope to realize the best possible quality of product innovation and service for the patient is accomplished. 
 
How can the free market rise above Lobbyism and Manipulation to deliver true Quality and Equality in the innovation of production of our supply-side economic structure for say a healthcare system that publicly traded companies supply products too?????



Talk about a Loop Hole in the Tax Code that Needs Closed!!!!  This is why we the people are having trouble with the economic divide between the ways the Free Market works to deliver equality across the market sectors of our economy.
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Europe Set to Declare Bankruptcy in Early 2012?

Sent by Tony Newbill
Sent: 11/23/2011 8:39 AM

Look at how fast the consolidation of the wealth is taking place in the USA:


And this is going on all over the world, independent wealth is disappearing in the final collapse, as these elites are selling the society of sheeple down the river to our final internment camps that we will build for ourselves soon, as the anarchy spreads and the reaction from Government will be totalitarian.

The silent killer is Food inflation. It is killing overall supply expansion like a Bolshevik’s plot, only this time organized worldwide. See the reduction in food supply. We are at global levels that are way - way behind the demand curve for the size of the world population and this will give way to massive anarchy soon and the Governments of the world will react just like they did PRE WW1 and 2 with Genocide. 
Here are some food supply stats:



The world markets are telling us this by their unsustainable growth patterns over the last 12-14 years, compare these charts, remember the world has increased Population by 1.5 billion since this yield curve has flat lined.



CORN RESERVES: The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the nation's corn reserve is at its lowest level in more than 15 years
U.S. Cattle Herd Drops 1.4% to Lowest Since 1958 After Beef Prices Surge

Here is the Trigger that will start this world wide economic collapse that will set into motion the anarchy that then will lead to a nationalization and Military Martial law presence throughout the societies around the globe.

Europe Set to Declare Bankruptcy in Early 2012?

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Pimco's El-Erian: US Economic Conditions Are 'Terrifying'

Sent by Tony Newbill
Sent: 11/23/2011 8:50 AM

There will not be a 2012 election because we are seeing a worldwide economic collapse that will usher in totalitarian martial law across the globe. Here is why; 

Meltdown on Main Street


Gerald Celente: we look at a Global Meltdown



Pimco’s El-Erian: US Economic Conditions Are 'Terrifying'

The following are 17 quotes about the coming global financial collapse

Sent by Tony Newbill
Sent: 11/23/2011 10:51 AM

The following are 17 quotes about the coming global financial collapse that will usher in a Global martial law of the Free markets and society in general as the Committee of 300 globalists prepare for Centralized New World ORDER.

#1 Credit Suisse’s Fixed Income Research unit: 


“We seem to have entered the last days of the euro as we currently know it. That doesn’t make a break-up very likely, but it does mean some extraordinary things will almost certainly need to happen – probably by mid-January – to prevent the progressive closure of all the euro zone sovereign bond markets, potentially accompanied by escalating runs on even the strongest banks.”

#2 Willem Buiter 


Chief economist at Citigroup: “Time is running out fast.  I think we have maybe a few months — it could be weeks, it could be days — before there is a material risk of a fundamentally unnecessary default by a country like Spain or Italy which would be a financial catastrophe dragging the European banking system and North America with it.”

#3 Jim Reid 


Of Deutsche Bank: “If you don’t think Merkel’s tone will change then our investment advice is to dig a hole in the ground and hide.”

#4 David Rosenberg 


A senior economist at Gluskin Sheff in Toronto: “Lenders are finding it difficult to finance their day-to-day operations with short-term funding. This is a lot like 2008 but with more twists.”

#5 Christian Stracke 


The head of credit research for Pimco: “This is just a repeat of what we saw in 2008, when everyone wanted to see toxic assets off the banks’ balance sheets”

#6 Paul Krugman 


Of the New York Times: “At this point I’d guess soaring rates on Italian debt leading to a gigantic bank run, both because of solvency fears about Italian banks given a default and because of fear that Italy will end up leaving the euro. This then leads to emergency bank closing, and once that happens, a decision to drop the euro and install the new lira. Next stop, France.”

#7 Paul Hickey  


Of Bespoke Investment Group: “More and more, we are hearing anecdotal comments from individual and professionals that this is the most difficult environment they have ever experienced as the market is like a fish flopping around after being taken out of the water.”

#8 Bob Janjuah  


Of Nomura International: “Germany appears to be adamant that full political and fiscal integration over the next decade (nothing substantive will happen over the short term, in my view) is the only option, and ECB monetization is no longer possible. I really think it is that clear and simple. And if I am wrong, and the ECB does a U-turn and agrees to unlimited monetization, I will simply wait for the inevitable knee-jerk rally to fade before reloading my short risk positions. Even if Germany and the ECB somehow agree to unlimited monetization I believe it will do nothing to fix the insolvency and lack of growth in the eurozone. It will just result in a major destruction of the ECB‟s balance sheet which will force an ECB recap. At that point, I think Germany and its northern partners would walk away. Markets always want short, sharp, simple solutions.”

#9 Dan Akerson 


CEO of General Motors: “The ’08 recession, which was a credit bubble that manifested itself through primarily the real estate market, that was a serious stress….This is much more serious.”

#10 Francesco Garzarelli 

Of Goldman Sachs: “Pressures on Euro area sovereign bond markets have progressively intensified and spread like a wildfire.”

#11 Jim Rogers:


“In 2002 it was bad, in 2008 it was worse and 2012 or 2013 is going to be worse still – be careful”

#12 Dr. Pippa Malmgren


The President and founder of Principalis Asset Management who once worked in the White House as an adviser to President Bush: “Market forces are increasingly determining what the options are and foreclosing on options policymakers thought they had. One option which is now under discussion involves permitting a country to temporarily leave the Euro, return to its native currency, devalue, commit to returning to the Euro at a better debt to GDP ratio, a better exchange rate and a better growth trajectory and yet not sacrifice its EU membership. I would like to say for the record that this is precisely the thought process that I expected to evolve, but when I proposed this possibility back in 2009, and again in September 2010, I had a 100% response from clients and others that this was “impossible” and many felt it was “ridiculous”. They may be right but this is the current state of the discussion. The Handelsblatt in Germany has reported this conversation, but wrongly assumes that the country that will exit is Germany. I think that Germany will have to exit if the Southern European states do not. Germany’s preference is to stay in the Euro and have the others drop out. The problem has been the Germans could not convince the others to walk away. But, now, market pressures are forcing someone to leave. Germany is pushing for that someone to be Italy. They hope that this would be a one off exception, not to be repeated by any other country. Obviously, though, if Italy leaves the Euro and reverts to Lira then the markets will immediately and forcefully attack Spain, Portugal and even whatever is left of the already savaged Greeks. These countries will not be able to compete against a devalued Greece or Italy when it comes to tourism or even infrastructure. But, the principal target will be France. The three largest French banks have roughly 450 billion Euros of exposure to Italian debt. So, further sovereign defaults are certainly inevitable, but that is true under any scenario. Growth and austerity will not do the trick, as ZeroHedge rightly points out. Ultimately, I will not be at all surprised to see Europe’s banking system shut for days while the losses and payments issues are worked out. People forget that the term “bank holiday” was invented in the 1930’s when the banks were shut for exactly the same reason.”

#13 Daniel Clifton  


A policy strategist with Strategies Research Partners on the potential for more downgrades of U.S. debt: “We would expect further downgrades, a first downgrade from Moody’s and Fitch and possibly a second downgrade from S&P.”

#14 Warren Buffett 


On the problems in the eurozone: “The system as presently designed has revealed a major flaw. And that flaw won’t be corrected just by words. Europe will either have to come closer together or there will have to be some other rearrangement because this system is not working”

#15 David Kostin 


Equity strategist for Goldman Sachs: “The wide range of possible outcomes on both the super committee process and the unstable political economy in Europe drives our view that investors should assume the worst while hoping for the best.”

#16 Mark Mobius 


The head of the emerging markets desk at Templeton Asset Management: “There is definitely going to be another financial crisis around the corner”

#17 Gerald Celente


Founder of The Trends Research Institute: “The whole system is going down. Pull your money out your Fidelity account, your Scwhab account, and your ETFs.”

Just like how we are not keeping pace with economic expansion in producing our most vital human needs like food and water and energy, as the political factions limit and oppress societies from reaching equitable rates of supply productions that can sustain the demand societies around the world face, of which we see the signals of Inflation telling us we are not keeping pace with the demand fundamentals, it is the same thing with the U.S. economy.  We once had the most incredible economic machine that the world has ever seen.  It is constantly being gutted,


And the financial crisis of 2008 hit us really hard, but we are still doing okay.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Could Greece Fracture the Efficacy of the EU?



John R. Houk
© May 23, 2010


Not too long ago the European Union appeared to be a bastion of economic strength with the Euro that soared even over the American Dollar in value. Now Greece goes through population unrest in which you could also a rioting. Over what is the Greek unrest? Is the Greek unrest over big government and too many social programs? Is the Greek unrest over an intrusive large government bureaucracy? Is the Greek unrest over placing security in a plain higher than civil liberties? If the answer was yes to all of the above it might sound like the American Tea Party Movement. The answer though is no.

Greek unrest is over the Greek government realizing it has gotten in over its head in entitlements and social programs. Just for clarity, the anger is not because entitlements and social programs are too large. Nay my friends, the Greek anger is because the Greek government has realized it does not have the financial resources to keep those entitlements and social programs solvent. The Greeks are rioting because the Greek government is scaling back on entitlements and social programs that would otherwise bankrupt the Greek government.

The fracture in the EU caused by the near insolvency of Greece brings into question the socio-political-economic unity of this confederation of independent nations who have sought a unified front in the global scheme of geopolitics.

JRH 5/23/10