Loading...
Symbols:
Authors:

Wake Up America, You’re Sinking

by: David Roskoph August 08, 2008 | about stocks: DIA / QQQQ / SPY    
David Roskoph

David Roskoph

About this author:
Become a Contributor Submit an Article
  • Font Size:
  • Print

America is in decline.  Our standard of living is descending to reconnect with our means and more resemble Western Europe’s.  We’ve been living on a borrowed standard of living ever since we started replacing organic growth with financial engineering, some 40 years ago. 

Although they’re becoming ubiquitous, step back and notice the warning signs of a nation losing its way;

  1. unchecked illegal immigration;
  2. fiat sponsored growth,
  3. an impossibly unfunded social net driven mostly by a failed health care system, and
  4. a financial market being reduced to little more than a battleground for hedge fund titans. 

  1. Curiously our FBI can track down one criminal but somehow we, as a nation, couldn’t stop the migration of 12 million illegal immigrants now living within our borders.  Perhaps the government’s tough talking blind eye is due to the fact that we have no other option left to shore up our unfunded mandates.  We need lots of (FICA paying) working-age adults to make that happen.  The hope is that the (eventually-granted-amnesty) immigrants can resuscitate the unfathomable ($65 trillion) deficit of our social net.  The strong-border rhetoric is merely subterfuge; the immigrants are here out of desperation – ours.  Our straits are so dire that we cannot survive economically without them at this point.  Either (means-justifying-ends) preservation of Medicare and Medicaid above our sovereignty sanctioned the exodus or we are too weak to control our borders.  Neither reality is pretty.
  2. We have been going from one Federal Reserve-sponsored bubble to an ever larger one because they are providing the only medium to (simulate) growth, fiat.  The housing bubble, mother of all cheap-credit fixes, was a giant flashing billboard. It read – we are out of reserves and worse, out of organic growth so we’ve created a Ponzi scheme to maintain the façade for one more round.  That was a signpost at the end of the financial engineering road.  There is no bubble to eclipse or patch the deflating housing debacle without risking hyperinflation, thus the process of deflation begins.  Surprised?  Don’t be.  We’ve been faking it while convincing the world we’re making it to keep our credit cheap and available.  Every time growth ratcheted down, more debt was added to systematically mask the transaction.  The 40-year-old Great Society birth projections, based on the Baby Boom, were as specious as the recent earnings histories of no-doc loans; both were doomed before the ink was dry.  The music has stopped and credit destruction has begun.  US dollars will continue to gain value as they become scarcer.
  3. The decades old delusion that debt equals growth has convinced us that we could afford our lofty standard of living.  Central to that standard is our health care system which, through Medicare and Medicaid, has driven our unfunded mandates into impossible deficits. We are pretending that although our health care is expensive, 1) it’s the best, 2) we deserve it and, 3) we can afford it.  The bitter irony is that, although we spend far more on health care, (double that of Europe) we are far from investing wisely.  Europe is far more right than we in distributing health care, and their currency reflects their fiscal discipline.   There are only so many resources to supply a potentially unlimited demand.  Continuing to “hope” we can grow our way into our present level of health care is an insult to anyone with an IQ over 50.  The next check we receive may be the reality check of socialized medicine, one of several waiting to be issued.  The World Health Organization [WHO] ranks the U.S. health care system 37th of 190 countries, well below most of Europe, and trailing Chile and Costa Rica. The United States does even worse in the WHO rankings of performance on level of health -- a stunning 72nd. Life expectancy in the U.S. is shorter than in 27 other countries; the U.S. ties with Hungary, Malta, Poland, and Slovakia for infant mortality — ahead of only Latvia among industrialized nations. 
  4. Does anyone believe a confused public is responsible for the frenetic, daily triple-digit moves driving the Dow?  Our markets are reverting to their pre-SEC status of “rich man’s playground”.  The cartels of then are being replaced by massive hedge funds who, with impunity, create enough chaos to suck in the public and winnow weaker hands at the same time.  There are no adults in the playground.  We have an SEC, desperate to look relevant, enforcing an existing naked short sale rule applicable only to institutions.  A clear sign of capitalism’s limits are when one institution must be stopped from destroying another merely because it’s profitable.  Without sufficient regulation, we will have a market ruled by feudal hedge fund lords who will become the casino and thus everyone else its customers. A history of human nature shows that no great nation thinks itself capable of decay, especially during the heady days of its zenith.  Are we blithely rationalizing the warning signs of our descent, too confused by violent markets, too bamboozled by official propaganda to think for ourselves? 

Wake up America, this is a modern depression born of hitting the limits of laissez faire capitalism (again).  The systemic deflation (5.5 – 6 trillion) is too vast to offset by fiat without felling this republic.  Like Japan of 1990, all the government can do is keep you calm.   The first stimulus checks hardly covered the loss of purchasing power from the newly minted debt known as inflation.  They’re a dividend to placate an evaporating middle class on their mandatory investment (of new dollars) made to shore up a system that is widening the chasm twixt the top 1% and everyone else. 

Disclosure – I am a seller of most things dollars buy.

Related Articles

This article has 50 comments:

  •  
    Aug 08 05:56 AM
    Mr.Roskoph has proven by his past articles that he knows what he's talking about..
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 07:03 AM
    Great article. Why doesn't the mainstream media talk about deflation? All I ever hear them talk about is inflation. Maybe it's too difficult for the average person to understand.
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 07:33 AM
    "it's too difficult for the average person to understand" because public schools won't teach personal finance and money management (except 1 week on computing simple interest in math class)
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 07:37 AM
    Do something to bring down the price of oil. Go To:

    www.stopoilspeculation.../

    AND SIGN THE PETITION. This will help.

    Then let your Congressman know you are fed up with the CROOKS ON WALL STREET.

    Make hedge funds, short selling, naked short selling and Commodity Futures Trading illegal.

    And do not allow exotic loan products. In the old days ( before 1970 ) you saved up your money to buy a house, your bank held the mortgage and everyone involved was honest, reliable and responsible.

    Those people who screwed up should make reparations and go to jail.
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 07:52 AM
    Garbage --garbage --garbage of the nit wit left
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 08:00 AM
    a country that cannot protect its own borders is not much of a country.
    > jack
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 08:21 AM
    The sky is falling! The sky is falling!
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 09:02 AM
    I am from one of those countries that you cited that ties in infant mortality. I experienced social medicine first hand. Please don't kid yourself. Experience it and then you will love American system. It is not perfect, but when you are sick, you have the best equipment, best doctors in the world at your fingertips. Of course it is at cost. There should be some basic medicine for everybody. To promote socialisation of medicine is iresponsible.
    Sir, you don't like America. Coming from different country I can appreciate America far better than you. Since you are such a Europhile, why don't you go live there for 20 years and then compare? I am so sick and tired that Americans believe what Europe is saying about America. Europe wants to feel superior-it is not. Europe consists of cynical bunch of countries and for a good reason. You belong there. Bon voyage!
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 09:05 AM
    Most illegal immigrants are cash laborers and off book employees. They are not working for FICA paying employers.

    The borders are not open to create taxpayers; the borders are gaping because the illegals borrow money from payday lenders and finance companies to buy used cars and derelict houses.

    Finance capitalism needs a constantly expanding population of borrowers and the illegals are the best available fresh supply.

    The constant need for new debtors is the principal that explains why banks were early supporters of feminism, and like the open borders.

    Before the illegals came on the scene, the banks wanted women employed so the women could borrow money. This expansion of the roll of debtors with women explains much of the prosperity of the last thirty years.

    What is amazing about the bubble(s) is that the financial damage is being suffered by sophisticated investors, financiers and financial institutions.

    Abandoning old-fashion prudent lending standards and prudent investment judgment, then putting capital on the line to buy into the imaginings of the best and the brightest, has predictable expensive results.

    It’s a rich man’s financial depression. For blue collar workers, its just the usual job insecurity from a new and different set of ugly government policies and irresponsible business strategies.

    The health care finance system is actually deflating. The salaries that female physicians are accepting from institutions are significantly less than was common when medicine was a male-dominated profession.

    Look at the physician salary data when controlled for gender and you’ll see how HCFA planned to finance health care shortfalls first out of the purses of female physicians. And using those lower salaries to drive hard bargains with the more expensive males.

    Male physicians haven’t really comprehended the downward pricing pressure that their female colleagues bring to the healthcare finance equation.

    Hedge funds. Roskoph is right. Hoist by their petard.
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 09:06 AM
    Daniela,

    I am an American by birth and by choice. I have proudly represented her as an athlete and served her as a military officer. She is off course and listing. I do not want her to sink.
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 09:31 AM
    jjason you are clueless!

    You do not understand what you are saying! Nor its consequences! Go and study finacial history and you will see how these are needed to facilitate markets working correctly. The price of oil is a consequence of supply and demand simple! Dont go on a witch hunt!

    It wont bring down the price of oil!

    Some of the shit that ignorant people come up with to solve problems is rediculous! bandaids at best. if you do advacate goverment intervention then expect to pay higher taxes to make it feesable to have these markets work!

    As i said before go and do some homework before you go making stupid assumptions.

    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 09:36 AM
    another feel good story, within a bear market, from what appears to be an elitist touting the grass is greener over 'there'. awesome.

    I am an American that has his eyes open, and knows how to play the trends. I also travel to europe quite a bit, and see the realities over there too. Things are not good for the average person there.

    Within America... how about we look a few short years out, and the consequence of having an far more independent energy structure? what would that mean? How much money would that equate to staying in the US? What would that do to the dollar?

    every country has its problems.
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 09:38 AM
    medical care - how do we get rid of the inefficiencies that are driving up costs ?
    > jack
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 09:47 AM
    It is true America as a nation can do better and over time it will. This article has listed some of the issues that America must attend to. I suppose America may need a few years instead of a few quarters to sort out all the problems now affecting the country. Eventually a great country like America rises to new heights, but first must make the efforts to get through this very difficult patch.
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 10:17 AM
    My summer in Norway 5 years ago was an eye opener in many respects. I was astonished to see $7 a gallon gas even that long ago. Naturally, I saw few cars, very tiny ones at that, and fully adequate mass transportation...along with grey haired folks riding bicycles, and lots of walking...and healthy strong people I might add- not 2/3rds of them obese as Americans have become, I recently heard reported. Obese in part, owing to the fried food, and mystery meat -lots of fish in Norway-the purest spawning grounds for fish in the world, with glacier fed fjords mingling with the sea-and a mighty Navy, I might add, arresting and impounding any and all rusty-hulk fish poachers -one with a 50 mile long purse net, that took the Norsk navy 5 days to reel back in! ) That is to say, an unimaginably strict immigration policy and enforcement. Although they have their offshore rigs in deep water ( and the sharpest looking boats and seamen in the world ) extracting oil by injecting hot water into the sands below and pumping up that slurry and cleaning it up is not cheap. Something we need to think about before we dive into deep waters off our shores to do the same. The Norwegians are close to being socialist with their medical care system, and a hefty 25% tax on everything, even Christmas gifts required an original invoice for the purpose of taxing those items imported. So medical care is not free, is it?. And the one medical doctor I met lived in a modest duplex of less than 800 sq. ft just like all the rest of the working stiffs. Things to think about. Our American banks all adored raking in all that dough, as large scale developers built hundreds and hundreds of homes all exactly alike and the same color, by exploited illegal alien ( translate dirt cheap ) labor; in farmer's fields where not even a bulldozer was needed...huge homes far larger and with more bathrooms and garage space than was needed at all; but the point, you see, was maximum price, and maximum profit, and maximum interest, at a maximum rate of sales. It all looked so good on paper.
    well, so did the 'dot-com' IPO's, and their non existent profits, yielding millions in gains overnight.
    All this points to slobbering human greed and utter lack of restraint or mitigation of national identifying trait of one upmanship, conspicuous consumption. Did we really think that our $750K home would impress our friends and poorer relations? Or did it just foment resentment and envy and familial strife; in tandem with our ludicrous spending habits, only serving to drag everyone, including those who could never afford a home, into deep financial crisis?
    On Good Morning America just this morning, Aug. 8th, on their so called "Recession Rescue", the gals demonstrated how to go find 'bargains' in the brand racist clothing stores, where $2,000 worth of high fashion garments, like $120 jeans, could all be had at a savings of $500! Wow..whoopee. Only Robin had any voice of reason at all during this stupid reportage...asking how is it, and why is it considered 'smart shopping' if we buy a pair of jeans for over $100?
    Thank you , Robin...for the love of God, may we all return to something remotely resembling sanity and reason in this country before we are all body slammed into the poor house.
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 10:27 AM
    I agree with some of the assertions but disagree with others,

    (1) Illegal immigration is as much a bogey-man as commodity trading being blamed for oil prices. While it is a drain on some resources, it has not much affected the job market. In fact, illegal immigrants add to quality of life of most people by letting them afford services that they otherwise would not have. Just like how cheap oil dampened alternate energy resources, illegal immigration dampened outsourcing. Most illegal immigrants earn subsistence wages and so much of their money stays within the US. In a sense, going forward, with increasing energy prices coupled with reasonably priced labor could bring back the manufacturing jobs that left US.

    (2) Fed is expected to tighten credit only to the extent of maintaining some credibility in international markets, but don't expect the dollar to become scarcer as the fed has no gold-standard and can print more paper with impunity.

    (3) I agree that only thing that grows with increasing debt is the debt itself. We need to halt the growth of debt but is not required to rollback to the sixties (nor would it be possible). Early ninety post-Bush economy is a good target to shoot for.

    (4) Hedge fund oversight is wayyyy overdue. They should be brought in line with Mutual funds and have a level playing field. That, coupled with improved disclosure, will put a stop to much of the fuzzy math models that mask risk up until the point of the model going belly up.

    All in all, the rest of the world is catching up to the American way of life and are no longer content to play worker bees and want to share the spoils. We should expect an erosion in our material comforts. We can only soften the landing by (1) improving efficiency and productivity - generating more resources for everyone (2) voluntarily scaling down our life style before we are forced to do so
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 10:44 AM
    glad to see there are people like Jason out there to take the other side of profitable trades... clueless.
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 10:52 AM
    Bulleye! Right on the mark once again! I always wondered why the FBI and police can manage to catch the felons with their "sophisticated&qu... database but we can't find/track the "illegal aliens?" This argument makes a lot of sense, something most people probably didn't even think of! Unless our economy gets off the "fiat" money standard our economy and standard of living WILL go downhill BECAUSE our politicians, bankers and especially the Federal Reserve both act and believe that putting more money out into the economy will not only keep our economy from sinking deeper into the recession or a major depression but more important, our government has and takes no responsibility towards its citizens. Our government is so accustomed to the "quick fix" that it can no longer believe that the days of "quick fixes" are permanently gone! EVERY country that has gone off the "gold standard" has encountered massive disruptions in the economy and the steadily demise in the accustomed standard of living! Those history lessons are even NOW being ignored! England was the number one power during the 18th and 19th century! It only took seventy to one hundred years and England/Great Britain has also become a third world country with regards to political and military power!

    Our country, like Great Britain has been accustomed to "military intervention to problems. Our government can no longer continue its pursuit of military operations throughout the world or like Rome, the constant monetary strain in the maintenance of our military operations will result in the demise of our country....to that of a third world nation. History does not lie and if this country continues to maintain/pursue such policies, we will also experience what the past countries/cultures learned firsthand!
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 11:30 AM
    Read this: brighton.ncsa.uiuc.edu...

    This is a story about the future, how people interact in the future, and how we become dependent upon technology to survive. At some point, things aren't so great & mediocrity and decay set in.

    It was written in 1909, and it may take you a day or two - so print it out.
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 12:11 PM
    Some very sound points Mr Roskoph, but a slight contradiction. You can't coplain about all the financial and social engineering going on in our economy, then blame our current mess on "laissez faire" capitailsm.
    As a true "Smithian" I just can't let that go.
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 12:47 PM
    Bravo, and well-said. America is decadent.
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 12:52 PM
    Crikey what a bunch of pantied wussies you guys are. Wah Wah Wah.

    I lived through the Great Depression and WWII. Let me tell you, America in a recession is still a dynamic and powerful nation with immense capability to solve ANY problem that might occur. The only things wrong with this nation today are the cruft that builds up in a society that has had it very easy for 60 years.

    SO WHAT if some people cant afford a McMansion and three giant SUVs? That sort of a life is phoney plastic. What really matters in your life is how you affect the people around you, and what good you do in life.

    58 Trillion Dollars needed for social programs, debt and so on? Let me tell you, that is NOTHING compared to what the true capacity of this nation is. We have a 15 Trillion dollar economy today, and it is full of inefficiencies. If the nation is really challenged that economy will generate TWICE that amount, and a 58 Trillion will melt away like a snowball in a blast furnace.
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 01:30 PM
    Mr. R.,
    I understand that your essay is a polemic, but really....

    The simplisms here are numerous (attempting to explain market movements via quant funds; basing a healthcare rant on a WHO study; invoking laissez-faire capitalism as the bugbear for all manner of ills). You make some good points -- too bad you opted for style over substance. Any one of the warning signs mentioned above would have sufficed for a short essay and would have given us the full benefit of your thinking on the issue at hand. Maybe next time.
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 02:40 PM
    As usual, the comments are (almost) as interesting as the articles.

    The only pattern with these comments seems to be that the commentators who agree with you are more educated (sounding) than the ones who think you are chicken little. (Proof that all intellectuals are communists?)

    The problems with the American civilization are very complex and the reasons for our possible future (or present) downfall mysterious.

    The proof is that the history of every other downfall, from the fall of Roman Empire to the collapse of the Soviet Union, are full of acrimonious disagreements and scholarly contention.

    What caused the downfall of the Roman Empire? Jesus Christ? Slavery? Lead in the pipes?

    What caused the collapse of the Soviet Union? Ronald Reagan? Slavery? Vodka?

    It might be that the cause of the downfall of everything American will ultimately be traced to what we ingest: from Big Macs, pizza and trans fats to cocaine, cigarettes and alcohol which collectively produced the economic insanity known as trading bubbles.

    Tulips for dessert, anyone?
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 03:33 PM
    clh is not happy with this site but cant seem to give it up.actually,its simple.your standard of living will go up,down or remain about the same.if you are smart you might be the first to notice.if not it might take a little longer.
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 06:31 PM
    Another pointy-headed intellectual. I thought Spiro Agnew killed all those verbose, overly-educated fellows; you know, the ones who received a lot of education, but didn't let it go to their heads. P.S.: The sky is NOT falling. This guy, Roskoph, simply wants all of us who made our money by actually doing things to know that he is a living god of an intellectual. O.K., so now we know. Say good night, David.
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 08 06:38 PM
    Anti immigrant (racist) whack jobs never make any sense to me, especially from an economic perspective. But that's because their arguments are only foils for racism.

    Immigrants, documented or not, bring a sorely needed work ethic (how many teenagers do you see out there willing to work hard? Some of course but most of them seem to want it handed to them), an infusion of fresh ideas and energy that over the next 100 years will help us reinvent ourselves (an American tradition), and finally...most of them are paying taxes to the US but won't ever collect Social Security--free money to the US tax payer.

    So, next time you feel your racist leanings, at lest be honest about them and stop putting up the smoke screens of the goons down at the border doing vigilante violence.
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 09 02:23 AM
    Why isn't it mainstream? Reminds me of a quote:

    "It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning." --Henry Ford
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 09 06:00 AM
    When you have a politically empowered financial system that creates money ex nihilo for the benefit of the banking and political class, and indebts the rest of the productive citizenry in an unending and constantly rising sea of promissory notes and credit card debt in order to provide the medium of exchange, the lifeblood, of a division of labor economy, WHAT THE F* DO YOU EXPECT, SHEEPLE? Wake up and think!
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 09 08:58 AM
    To think that illegals that send most of their money home will somehow save us while they steal our identities is pure foolishness on the part of the pandering far left loons.
    Sure they buy houses and then proceed to put heavy leans against them many times these houses are found striped and the buyers have moved on to a new identity or simply have gone home with our American dollar in tow.
    Many do work under the table not contributing one thin dime to our wealth yet we pay impact taxes for their existence in our country. Meanwhile La Rasa makes sure they are well taken care of better then most tax paying citizens. The question becomes who is looking out for the best interest of the legal citizen? No one!
    People who blindly support this activity of pandering while our citizens lay dieing in the streets or our daughters become victims of rape have blood on their hands.
    Los angels wants home depot to build shelters for illegals who loiter in front of their stores. When will Los Angles start thinking about the legal citizens and not the illegal alien you are better off to be an illegal in Los angels then a legal citizen you have more rights and have much better representation then a legal citizen!
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 09 10:06 AM
    Six years ago I began taking steps to defend myself from our fiat miracle. I put all investments and savings into gold and silver, paid down debt while others were swimming in new debt and then instituted an anti-inflation plan by buying forward long term food stores and years supplies of household needs resulting in I'd say the best portfolio I've ever had. I can live off my stores if need be for a few years with no shopping at all.

    Two months ago I converted my boat and my cars to hybrids that use hydrogen assist generators giving me an average 42% more bank for my fuel buck.

    You print print print money and the nation fails is what I saw coming so I took my own steps to survive intact. My wealth is growing, my food supply and household supplies can provide a great assist should inflation go hyper and my paid for vehicles operate on yesterday's fuel prices given the new efficient generators.

    I'm one who doesn't believe the government should bailout the stupid. I believe in less government and more self-sufficient citizens. Instead of talking ideas to death a little study can implement solid plans to outwit systemic lunacy.
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 09 11:13 AM
    I totally agree with SandyShores. ThisBusiness, "you" are the whack-job! TAXPAYERS are SUBSIDIZING big corporations' "cheap labor" via food stamps, medicaid, SSI, free hospitalization, free public schools at $15K per child per year, free collega under Quest, HUD housing, and FREE LEGAL DEFENSE while they rape (1 million), rob, and murder U.S. citizens and form violent gangs with impunity. Just the cost of removing their gang graffitti is HUGE. L.A. is about 50% illegal and its citizens cannot even drive down some of the streets.
    Swartzenegger cannot balance the State Budget because they don't pay TAXES. 95% of the traffic stops in some areas are illegal, 30% of prisoners are illegal (you and I are paying for their incarceration).
    "Homeland Security" is surveilling another 40 million people at OUR EXPENSE.

    This "cheap labor" (1200 at Tyson) and McDonalds (both of which I'm boycotting, and everywhere else I see them working) is NOT "cheap" to the American TAXPAYER. It costs us $383.3 billion per year (the Iraq war cost $600 billion for 5 years). Most get paid under the table and do not pay TAXES for all those TAXPAYER funded benefits. All of this, while our own citizens cannot "qualify" for food stamps and SSI because they own a house that's in the process of being foreclosed. Bill Gates got rich on the backs of TAXPAYERS "SUBSIDIZING"... his H1-B visa foreign workers for 30 years. Gates funnels his income through a "charity" and PAYS NO TAXES. He had the "nerve" to go before Congress recently asking for MORE H1-B visas.

    If these corporations want to import "cheap labor" they should be forced to pay "ALL" the costs. In the meantime, the U.S. government, due its failure to control the border, owes EVERY U.S. CITIZEN refunds for the billions paid to illegals for more police, more schools, incarceration, FREE LEGAL DEFENSE, SSI, welfare, free hospitalization, HUD housing, public school costs, free college tuition. 52 million American adults and 15 million U.S. children have no health insurance, and 11 million U.S. children go to bed hungry at night. Yet TAXPAYERS are being "soaked" to pay for illegals. Their 'anchor" babies automatically become U.S. citizens, swelling the population beyond control. I, for one, am FED UP! ALIPAC (dot) com and NUMBERS (dot) com notify citizens when more legislation to legalize them is pending, and we start calling our senators. We cannot continue to let this OUTRAGE go unchecked.
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 09 11:51 AM
    Please accept my appologies if my observations appear to be blunt. No harm meant. I like to help some of you to get their ducks into the row before its to late.
    The world loves Americans but despises the Inner Beltway 'Boyz' patronizing the world in the name of the American people.
    Americans are to a large extent somewhat naive and uninformed when it comes to connecting the dot.
    Realizing that the American dream has been allowed to be turned into a nightmare for the American people warrants action by its citizens. Where is that action to be seen? Where is the pioneering spirit, the old 'can do' attitude we all love the Americans for.
    Let's not get into a pissing match; let's encourage the real Americans to retake their country by supporting them to demonstrate civil disobedience.
    First of all, all Americans who have been subjected to financial fraud should stop paying any of their bills, then the entire nation needs to go on a one week general strike to send a message to Washington that the next action will be civil unrest on a national scale.
    Reading and embracing Thomas Jefferson would be a smart , first move. Get the Federal Reserve taken out of the hands of the private banking cartel that owns it. Yes, your Federal Reserve is a private bank that rapes has been raping you ever since December 1913.
    Watch 'The Money Masters' at video.google.com/video... and Money as Debt at video.google.com/video... . Get the facts and then judge and act.
    You have it all, don't piss away what your forefathers accomplished. Don't be divided and conquered. Embrace, unite and fight for what you are all about or you will ride into the sunset faster than you can drink a six pack.
    There are folks who had been around for 6000 years before they where nixed by your glorious government. If things would have gotten better great, but things have gotten worse with every US sponsored intervention.
    Now you are at it in Georgia/Caucasus.
    Let me leave it at this for today.
    When hope dies you will die. Don't allow that to happen.

    “Throughout History it has been the inaction of those who could have acted;
    The indifference of those who should have known better;
    The silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most;
    That has made it possible for evil to triumph."
    - His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I -
    Reply
  •  
    Aug 09 02:26 PM
    "Our standard of living is descending to reconnect with our means and more resemble Western Europe’s." ???

    Sorry David, when, how often, and where have you been exactly in Western Europe? I'll take the European standard of living anytime over the US:

    - great information (less MSM propaganda and more diversity of opinions represented)
    - better political representation (no 2-party/same-party system)
    - better food! (and no GMO! ... so far ...)
    - much, much more free time and vacations
    - decent pension plans and other benefits
    - less crime, less prisons and less prisoners
    - great healthcare, and cheap, or free (sorry, Daniela!)
    - better education, and cheaper, or free
    - good saving rate (little or no credit card debt, etc.)
    - little or no trade-balance deficit
    - technical innovations everywhere
    - infrastructure (roads, etc.) in great shape

    There. :) And don't misunderstand me, I've lived in the US for 20 years, and I love it because of Americans, esp. my husband! :) ... But facts are facts.
    Reply