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899 Comments

    • Wed Oct 29th 11:04 AM
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      Bank Bailouts vs. Loans: The Myth
      Both are socialism Lari! But that was the path chosen long ago about housing, that all people should be qualified to own one regardless of the financial ability to afford a mortgage. Of course, 'fairness' politics is very rarely about helping the citizenship, but it is about government officials accepting lobby cash and making large returns on personal investments by legislating or deregulating sectors.

      Neither major political party has been truly interested in helping the people. The meaning of the word public servant these days is officials asking what a group has done for them lately.
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    • Tue Oct 28th 17:11 PM
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      Pathetic Display at Yesterday's Financial Hearings
      Indeed, NotSoSmart and Vivi. And to Solomon, "There is nothing new under the sun" - King Solomon, Proverbs Old Testament
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    • Tue Oct 28th 15:48 PM
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      In an Unpredictable Market, Consumer Confidence Hits Record Low
      "Disclosure: I am long U.S. equities, perhaps prematurely so."

      If long means 5 years then I do not think you are premature. The true risks are now these:

      1) Does Socialism/Fascism for the rich just become Fascism under consolidated party power? 60 million gun owners in America says it won't. I have faith in other words, but risk is risk.
      2) Geopolitics - Now there is your big risk. If history rythmes with 1907 or 1929 then it could get very ugly, but I assume we would all be worried about much more then our portfolio if global hostilities break out.
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    • Tue Oct 28th 15:43 PM
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      John Paulson: Cruising Through the Financial Crisis
      Yeah, but after a bunch of pain the folks in Washington will get it as they are voted out of office en masse and favorable policy which encourages entrepenuarship is put into play.

      The citizenship at large is re-learning fundamentals the hard way even while we speak. I do not like suffering but unless you were already seven figures prior to this time, we all will take our lumps to restore America. We have been here before and we will help each other through it. Have heart, not all of us are mindless sheeple :)
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    • Tue Oct 28th 15:38 PM
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      Changing the Nation's Mindset About Housing
      I often wondered why they did not teach Economics 101 in High School. Should have a year of personal finance prep as a Junior and more advanced class as a Senior.
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    • Tue Oct 28th 14:59 PM
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      China Wants the U.S. Dollar to Drop Dead
      Excellent comments!
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    • Tue Oct 28th 11:26 AM
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      Relief Is on the Way
      The damage has been done. Skilled job creation is now is what is necessary for the consumer to recover.
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    • Tue Oct 28th 11:16 AM
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      Eight Thoughts on the Current Crisis
      This last coment by X86 is the most relevent about abolishing the Fed and repegging our currency. To abolish the Fed, the citizens must vote in solid leadership. It is not our currency that is really the worlds problem it is our management in Washington that keeps the irresponsible economic system in place alongside bailing out theft and fraud. That will take time and it will not be this election cycle but it will happen. Mr. Merkle, we are not in Depression - yet.

      A large portion of our country has a "What has my government or employer given me today that is OWED to me". The harsh times now and harsher times soon to come will change this attitude as people learn to compete and offer value rather then expect an easy life. JFK hit the nail on the head "Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country". And government is FAR to intruded into business then it should be, despite the regulatory supervision failures and removing regulatory safeguards.
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    • Mon Oct 27th 17:23 PM
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      Why is McCain Playing Defense on This Market?
      McCain had golden opportunities and blew it big time:

      1) Keeping Phil Graham around whom stated that "Americans are whiners". If you don't realize that the press is going to snip soundbites, you should not be running a presidential election.
      2) McCain sounded just like President Bush when he stated the 'fundamentals of the economy are sound" in September.
      3) The Republicans refused to invest heavily into media and should have learned from the Clinton years.

      Here is how I sum up each candidate:

      Obama = ex coke user, fanatical, attempts to care for people but has never taken care of his own personal issues. Kind of like the a person that becomes a policeman or social worker to try and do right and make a better world, but becomes abusive in power. Corrupt Chicago politics tied into fringe beliefs of how things 'should be' versus how they really are. Economic understanding is very poor.

      McCain = American war hero unwilling to leave his company behind in the face of torture. Unfortunately, that applies to other people in his life he views as his private platoon such as Phil Graham. Get a grip McCain, some should be disonorably discharged and some a court martial. Economic understanding is very poor.

      No, I will not choose between the virtuous vs. the corrupt. I will vote Ron Paul. And we'll see what Obama's mettle is made of. Every time a Democrat is elected in a fiscal crisis the enemies of America further the communist agenda, although Obama is not too far off from that form of politics in the first place.

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    • Mon Oct 27th 14:26 PM
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      OPEC's Pity Party: Portents for the Global Economy
      Like most producers of anything, they are looking for the maximum price consumers will pay for a product. $147 was far too high and caused a market crash in June. At $80 and $3.00 gas, consumers and companies seemed to absorb the cost and adust. But of course, that was before the market crashes based on excess liquidity. I believe we'll see $80 a barrel and then higher by the second quarter of 2009 and it will inch higher from there. While I normally blame the exhorbitent price on OPEC, you can squarely put the blame on Washington whom has not made many friends globally. I do speak with others overseas, they all say the same thing that they love America but hate our government. You can add me to that list.
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    • Mon Oct 27th 14:15 PM
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      Greenspan, Cox: Not Too Big to Flail
      Only the American citizenship can accomplish what you mention Johnboy. First, 1/2 of the population will see that further socialism is STILL going to be for the rich, just a different crowd. Can't wait to hear about slavery reparations. I am sure my family members who fought and died in the Civil War will roll over in there graves.
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    • Mon Oct 27th 13:54 PM
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      Another Bloodbath?
      Gabe, hear is how I see it: As an investor and business operator of two companies, I look for talent in management team first prior to investing. Whom is guiding or whom will guide the ship? You are too confident that this batch of idiots in Washington whom will largely stay in power will create policy to capture this short term dollar rally and reinvest wisely as opposed to continue sinking it into the black hole as some of the money comes home. And as some of it does, lots of the benefit will vaporize from sovereign nations pulling out there investments. Others have wisely stated comments about the sickly nature of the US consumer and job destruction.

      I see it from a human nature perspective, that the entire country's leadership is corrupt and inept from the House of Representatives whom are supposed to answer to it's citizenship to the celebrity CEO whom is supposed to answer to shareholders. To purge bad management in Washington which are the creators of fiscal crisis historically is a four year process. Cross-polination of boards that were supposed to bring the axe down on CEO's who were partaking or didn't understand risky ventures to protect the company will also take time to replace.

      The reason I always rebuffed your "Bull is Coming Soon!" consistently for the last several months is for this reason and the other fact that none of us investors, economists etc except a handful of people at the Fed or Treasury had any clue as to toxic waste on the balance sheets. There was no real attempt at transparency and truth telling to the investor globally while there was time. Now it's a complete break-down of confidence and that also takes time to restore.

      Now, the government may well attempt to continue to reinflate assets, but as they do it will have adverse affects on consumers which drives 70% of the economy as we saw in the last several months.

      The focus of this government should be on those consumers on skilled job creation, reinstating regulations that protected investor and consumer alike and debt restructuring, also a regulatory problem for consumers. Then you will see a healthy financial system the world can trust again.

      Again for the fifth time - my prediction for the next Bull market is 2013. At other times of fiscal crisis 1873, 1907 and 1929 you had temporary big upward swings in the stock market. I agree we'll see one in 2009 but it will not last and hence, NOT a sustained Bull market. Not coincidental is that voter revolutions where the retention rate of the House of Representatives was 70% or lower occured in 1877, 1911 and 1933. We'll see one in 2012 no doubt.

      All of this does not mean that prudent investors won't find ways to make money. I assume the importance of the term 'due dilligence' will have renewed meaning in the next five years. But your generalized cheerleading that we are about to embark on one of the biggest Bull markets in the short or mid-term is dangerous advice. Stop it!
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    • Mon Oct 27th 13:21 PM
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      Another Bloodbath?
      Your welcome. It's back to fundamentals and getting reaquainted with the term "value proposition". I make the comment about innovators as some consider me one. All I know is that for every deflation there is an equal buying opportunity. Those that rush headlong into the problem solving will come out of this fine. There were many millionaires made during the Great Depression.

      Let's hope we handle the geopolitics with care this time around, I prefer avoiding Emporer Hirohito style resolution of cranking our GDP up to 75% for a third world war...
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    • Mon Oct 27th 12:46 PM
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      Commented on:
      Cheap Crude: A Flash in the (Oil) Pan
      Well put.
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    • Mon Oct 27th 12:04 PM
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      Those Who Don't Learn from History...
      I share your grief. I am in Consumer Healthcare marketing as a primary business. Our company has a very simply, fundamental business model that shares risk and is a total performance model. We only make money when our clients make money. Imagine that?!?!

      Our biggest challenge? Getting prospects to open there books to see what there patient acqusition goal is and how we can scale to the acquisition numbers a client wants.

      Instead, clients still want to buy cheap ad units as "leads" without any guarantees of quality, no transparency in the process!

      Even when I show them the numbers as to why lead aggregators manipulate the prospect data and how the model fails consistently every time, it is still hard for a prospect to digest honest, transparent business!

      That is called market pyschology. The good news is that some of the upper management responsible to shareholders for growth DOES get it even if the middle management on the marketing team doesn't (how friggin hard is it to read spreadsheet?!?). So we are acquiring some very large brands that are killing marketing budget everywhere else. The time of the middle man with no value proposition and just glossy marketing materials is over. As other commentors netted out so well with "when are they going to die and get out of our way".
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