Article

2010-12-05 Home Front: Politix

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Fred 2010-12-05 00:00|| || Front Page|| [2 views ] Top

#1 Consider: In 1969 we had half a million troops in a foreign country, were smack in the middle of the interstate highway construction proram, one of the largest public works in history, and we put a man on the moon. The government did all those things with our tax dollars then; now they can't do even one of them.

Why is that? Where are all of our tax dollars going now? (Rhetorical question)

Isn't that about the same time LBJ started up the War on Poverty? Isn't THAT the "War Without End"?

It's not an either-or proposition, folks. Extend the unemployment, extend the tax breaks, and pay for both by rolling back the War on Poverty!

Why yes, I am heartless!

Posted by Bobby 2010-12-05 12:27|| 2010-12-05 12:27|| Front Page Top

#2 Hello Bobby; Your review of history is as the Aussie says is "Spot on". We also had riots and media attack dogs. LBJ was forced into the great society thing. Things were falling apart. Air conditioning and food stamps defused the situation in my opinion. The money is now spent. The problems have only grown. I don't believe our representatives will have the will to deal with these pressing issues.

Posted by Dale 2010-12-05 14:27|| 2010-12-05 14:27|| Front Page Top

#3 1969 was over 40 years and trillions of dollars ago. We now have a different economy and a different country. 'Pay for both' by canceling Social Security & Medicare. RRRiight. We WILL pay for everything, one way or another. Crisis will start as soon as the US gov't can't sell enough bonds every few days to cover its expenditures.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2010-12-05 17:14|| 2010-12-05 17:14|| Front Page Top

#4 AH you are so correct. SS when it was set up was 40-1 paying in for one retiree. Now it is 3-1 and soon 2-1. I lived that time and was commiserating with Bobby. Things will get out of control soon if as you say when the bonds don't sell. The main center cities are almost warlord areas now. Not all but many as you would find out if you venture in an area you don't belong. Default possibly. In Europe I believe I heard that the governments have taken the retirement savings(France as I recall was one). Limits on how much you can withdraw at one time would control a paper run.
With proper leadership and capitalism we would turn this around fast.

Posted by Dale 2010-12-05 18:16|| 2010-12-05 18:16|| Front Page Top

#5 In Europe I believe I heard that the governments have taken the retirement savings(France as I recall was one). Limits on how much you can withdraw at one time would control a paper run. Both events have already happened, but in Argentina in 2002. Many Argentinian retirement savings at that time were in Argentinian banks denominated in US dollars. Argentine government mandated conversion of those deposits into Argentine currency, drastically devaluated that currency, and limited withdrawals of that devalued money by the account holders. By the time the account holders could get to their money, it wasn't worth much. That whole process amounted to partial confiscation of their accounts by the government. This is now being done in the USA, under the guise of QE2, and I expect, will be done in the future by QE2+X. This process is much harder to follow, especially since the US government manipulates the reporting of consumer prices. E.g., Quaker Old Fashioned Oats in the large box now costs $4.26 at my local Walmart, which is ridiculously expensive for what you get. Gas down the street last night was $2.99 for unleaded regular. US CPI stats do not cover this, by design.
Always remember that in 1933, the US government seized all gold and gold-backed currency in the US, and invalidated previously valid contracts which set their value by a gold standard. All this was approved by the US Supreme Court, although IMHO absolutely unconstitutional. The emergency executive order signed by FDR justifying all this is, IIRC, still in effect.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2010-12-05 18:29|| 2010-12-05 18:29|| Front Page Top

#6 AH:

What you have just said has been cussed and discussed in this forum for months now. Unless he can be stopped, Obama IS the new roosevelt.

Posted by Besoeker 2010-12-05 18:36|| 2010-12-05 18:36|| Front Page Top

#7 Oh my, I didn't like the sound of those words
"The emergency executive order". Thank you for taking the time to pass that information on. I have noticed that hours are being cut in most retail. Managers are being told to covert full timers to part time or we'll get someone who will. This is the time of year for Christmas sales and temporary hires. Young people will not be working. In your area you have seen the increases and the story is being repeated everywhere. Wall Mart knows that as fuel prices go up store traffic drops as they track it.

Posted by Dale 2010-12-05 18:44|| 2010-12-05 18:44|| Front Page Top

#8 Yesterday the unemployment figures rose to I believe it was 9.8%. After the holidays and the "seasonal helpers" are laid off, I suspect they'll break 10% with no problem at all. Unless I've missed my guess, we're in for a tough bit of sledding.

Posted by Besoeker 2010-12-05 18:55|| 2010-12-05 18:55|| Front Page Top

#9 AH I hope you are still on. Please visit;

http://chicagoboyz.net/archives/15235.html

Thing from snowy mountain posted this today;

" We entirely forgot God and placed our faith in men, and the more we turn this over in our minds, the madder we become". Olivares

The last depression we were a different people.

Posted by Dale 2010-12-05 19:18|| 2010-12-05 19:18|| Front Page Top

#10 I am a story teller. Here are two;
Stalin asked his economists what was the best system to overcome difficult times. One said capitalism. Why? because when winter is here spring comes much sooner. He was dead not long after.

Two men are walking along and one has a dog. The other is jealous. So he kills the dog so both are equal. Rush aired this some time ago.

AH to manage this Triage may be the only way. We can only save who we can.

Posted by Dale 2010-12-05 19:31|| 2010-12-05 19:31|| Front Page Top

#11 Hasn't there already been some talk and rumors about the government seizing ROA's and 401K accounts to be replaced by a Social Security type government-run program? To safeguard and guarantee your retirement in a dangerous marketplace.....

Oh they will wrap it up on a pretty package "to save social security" or "to save seniors". But it'll be the same redistribution of wealth...

Posted by CrazyFool 2010-12-05 23:01|| 2010-12-05 23:01|| Front Page Top

23:13 49 Pan aka bag-fob-rat
23:03 CrazyFool
23:01 CrazyFool
22:51 Pappy
22:15 Scooter McGruder
20:12 Matt
20:10 Procopius2k
20:02 M. Murcek
20:02 Barbara Skolaut
19:59 Besoeker
19:59 Barbara Skolaut
19:55 Barbara Skolaut
19:49 Alan Cramer
19:31 Dale
19:18 Dale
19:00 GK
18:55 Besoeker
18:54 Anguper Hupomosing9418
18:44 Dale
18:36 Besoeker
18:29 Anguper Hupomosing9418
18:19 Anguper Hupomosing9418
18:18 Anguper Hupomosing9418
18:16 Dale