The Long Cold Winter

[geekster]

Geekster, that is stunning! The actions of our gov't are getting worse and worse every day. This to me is criminal if not highly, highly unethical.

What is sad is what it might be doing to these kids. We have a generation of kids where a large number of them have been on various medications nearly their entire adolescent lives. How has that affected their development? Do we have a generation of zombies on our hands?

The main problem is one that Milton Friedman pointed out in a 1978 lecture that you can find on YouTube. The politicians are in search of votes so they promise something like health care in order to get the votes. Now, once they get it, they have the votes they wanted and now they can concentrate on the next thing to promise to people and the previous thing they promise becomes neglected.

In the UK when they passed a comprehensive national health care system, the number of administrators in the system went up as did the overall number of employees. But at the same time, the number of active hospital beds serving people went down and waiting times for procedures deemed to be "postponable" , things like heart bypass surgery that doesn't need to be done *today* went to up to three years. In many cases people die before they get the services they need.

Individual private treatment is viewed by man social medicine states as an "enemy of the state" and treated like it. As a result, the quality of care generally goes down. Sure, you get some care to those who had none before, but the cost of that is that the vast majority, who were quite content with their care, now have worse care. So to get care to 2 percent of the people, you ruin the care of the other 98 percent.

Oh, here it is:

[youtube][/youtube]

[can't sit still]

Though I hate to do it, I must quote the bible. 'the seed that falls on stony ground shall wither and perish". Not to a socialist. They're all worth saving. We are all equal in the eyes of the law . Not to a socialist. We're equal at all levels.
Marx envisioned 2 stages of socialism;
"To each according to his contribution is considered by some Marxists and other socialists as a characteristic of society directly following the transition to socialism"
After that;
"During the higher phase of communism, the standard shall be "from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs."
Marx and Stalin believed that socialism was a plateau to be attained before reaching the plateau of communism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_each_ac ... ntribution
Our current day socialists seem to skip the first plateau and go directly to communism.
After all,,,"To each according to his contribution" leaves all the non-producers out in the cold.
Marxist socialism doesn't look much different from capitalism. Current democracy doesn't look much different from communism.
The great failing of communism is that it ignores human nature. Way too many people in America have a communist mindset. They want to take out way more than they put in.
We have a fascist GOV and a communist populace. They are having a tug-of-war over resources.

[geekster]

Communism always turns totalitarian as that is the only way they can maintain their grip on power once they start stealing people's hard-earned.

Way too many people in America have a communist mindset. They want to take out way more than they put in.

That is increasing being called the "looter class" these days.

[BAS]

CSS, I think you meant to say Lenin instead of Stalin. Stalin seemed to just believe in power, and switched the USSR over to a two class system, with the equals and more than equals. (Which is an inherent problem with totalitarian systems.) Soviet style communism doesn't work any better than Ayn Rand style capitalism would, IMO.

Anyway, back to the usual posters posts. (I'm getting too busy putting my plans for weathering the upcoming financial crisis into effect to keep up with this thread.)

[ygmir]

Though I hate to do it, I must quote the bible. 'the seed that falls on stony ground shall wither and perish". Not to a socialist. They're all worth saving. We are all equal in the eyes of the law . Not to a socialist. We're equal at all levels.
Marx envisioned 2 stages of socialism;
"To each according to his contribution is considered by some Marxists and other socialists as a characteristic of society directly following the transition to socialism"
After that;
"During the higher phase of communism, the standard shall be "from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs."
Marx and Stalin believed that socialism was a plateau to be attained before reaching the plateau of communism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_each_ac ... ntribution
Our current day socialists seem to skip the first plateau and go directly to communism.
After all,,,"To each according to his contribution" leaves all the non-producers out in the cold.
Marxist socialism doesn't look much different from capitalism. Current democracy doesn't look much different from communism.
The great failing of communism is that it ignores human nature. Way too many people in America have a communist mindset. They want to take out way more than they put in.
We have a fascist GOV and a communist populace. They are having a tug-of-war over resources.

that's interesting, and, sounds accurate, thanks CSS.

[can't sit still]

BAS, I agree with you that neither system, applied in the extreme, is a panacea. Here's a quote from the Wiki page that I posted; "Stalin's most famous use of the concept is in his Constitution. He writes that "The principle applied in the U.S.S.R. is that of socialism: From each according to his ability, to each according to his work."

This is all kind of a mix and Match Different leaders try a combination of governing systems matched up to different economic systems. Like mixing a drink. They try to come up with a system that doesn't kill motivation BUT, doesn't allow too much freedom.

[ygmir]

One might imagine, there will never be a "perfect system", and, no matter what is introduced, at a point, (human nature being what it is), greed and or corruption will ruin it.

I think it's important, to be flexible, as to conditions.

Someone will always feel disenfranchised, and, some will be happy.

[Simon of the Playa]

that's interesting, and, sounds accurate, thanks CSS.

ygmir, a broken clock is correct twice a day too.

[ygmir]

that's interesting, and, sounds accurate, thanks CSS.

ygmir, a broken clock is correct twice a day too.

true, in fact, I'd propose, a broken clock, is the most accurate one there is, since, twice a day, it is exactly, perfectly, correct (well, once per day if it's a 24hours clock).

Economics, to me, is an art, not a science.......it's too fluid to pin and make work for any large group/nation/society.
There will always be those who "fall through the cracks".
Some will always be mad, at what's done, and feel it unfair.

I bemoan, the loss of "humanity" in our society.
The way we look to Gov. to solve our problems.
and how those who could help, as individuals, tend to see or want to see, a gov. program that will help in their stead.

I wish we could get back to neighbor, helping neighbor more.
That, when someone is "down on their luck", and the gov. program is not helpful, or not enough, a neighbor or friend will step in and help.
It would create and manifest much more sense of community, and all the good that comes of that.

[Simon of the Playa]

i think that obviously the best way to solve our economic problems is by copy-pasting hateful racist reactionary shit from Rense.com and spewing in every forum board from here to paducah....


yeah, that'll work...

[geekster]

Well, one thing is proved by history. This level of spending is unsustainable. The cuts need to be broad and deep. The government at all levels needs to stop pretending to be people's meal ticket.

Europe is now learning that their model of "social democracy" has failed.

It is not the responsibility of government to see that we have an income or a retirement or a doctor or a mortgage. This is our own responsibility.

[ygmir]

i think that obviously the best way to solve our economic problems is by copy-pasting hateful racist reactionary shit from Rense.com and spewing in every forum board from here to paducah....


yeah, that'll work...

I don't think I've done that..............

[geekster]

Andy Xie: Either America Or China Will Crash In 2011

http://www.businessinsider.com/andy-xie ... 11-2010-12

America will continue to pump the financial system with liquidity via tax cuts and quantitative easing. China will keep the yuan cheap and avoid clamping down on inflation.

The tense equilibrium can't last for long, as either sovereign debt or inflation gets too heavy to bear. Whoever lasts longer, wins.

[Simon of the Playa]

i think that obviously the best way to solve our economic problems is by copy-pasting hateful racist reactionary shit from Rense.com and spewing in every forum board from here to paducah....


yeah, that'll work...

I don't think I've done that..............

ygmir, i was referring to can't shit still and his modus operandi

[Sail Man]

I bemoan, the loss of "humanity" in our society.
The way we look to Gov. to solve our problems.
and how those who could help, as individuals, tend to see or want to see, a gov. program that will help in their stead.

I wish we could get back to neighbor, helping neighbor more.
That, when someone is "down on their luck", and the gov. program is not helpful, or not enough, a neighbor or friend will step in and help.
It would create and manifest much more sense of community, and all the good that comes of that.

Ygmir, I grew up in a smaller town then I live now, much smaller. And the concept of neighbor helping neighbor was much more profound, and the norm. When I moved to the big city, I realized here it is every man for himself. Things have gotten too big, and too out of hand.

CSS, it's funny, your mention about big pharma and all, it seems the patients I respond to, the bigger their med lists, the sicker they are. Then I have the elderly patient that takes no med, and is healthy as an ox. Now, I realize some meds are godsends, like Insulin for exp, but there are so many meds being pushed these days that seem to take the place of fixing the problem at the root.

[BAS]

Well, from about the time I started school until about second grade or so, we lived in a small town where the folks who attended one church hated (in the good, Christian manner) the folks who went to the other church, and hated us folks who "weren't from around here" and attended neither church. (I really don't miss Energy, Ill.)

OTOH, I am looking into starting an Earthship community-- and am trying to figure out how to do a small community RIGHT.

My parents doctor thinks that the big pharma companies are deliberately trying to keep people sick and dependent upon their medications, and I think he may be right. They need to be better regulated. (And I have a friend who keeps getting prescribed more and more medications and just seems to keep getting less and less healthy...)

CSS, what I was getting at was that quoting Stalin really isn't a good idea for promoting socialism-- what he said and what he did were very different, and his reputation as a monster taints everything associated with him.

[ygmir]

I bemoan, the loss of "humanity" in our society.
The way we look to Gov. to solve our problems.
and how those who could help, as individuals, tend to see or want to see, a gov. program that will help in their stead.

I wish we could get back to neighbor, helping neighbor more.
That, when someone is "down on their luck", and the gov. program is not helpful, or not enough, a neighbor or friend will step in and help.
It would create and manifest much more sense of community, and all the good that comes of that.

Ygmir, I grew up in a smaller town then I live now, much smaller. And the concept of neighbor helping neighbor was much more profound, and the norm. When I moved to the big city, I realized here it is every man for himself. Things have gotten too big, and too out of hand.

CSS, it's funny, your mention about big pharma and all, it seems the patients I respond to, the bigger their med lists, the sicker they are. Then I have the elderly patient that takes no med, and is healthy as an ox. Now, I realize some meds are godsends, like Insulin for exp, but there are so many meds being pushed these days that seem to take the place of fixing the problem at the root.

yeah, for me, that's a shame.
That, folks become so insulated from eachother, that, they care not about their fellow.
They all look to "big brother" to feed, shelter, doctor, etc them......and, expect it.
And, with programs in place, feel no imperative, to help their neighbor, since, the gov. will step in.
It's the personal connections, that make a strong society/group/village, and, lessen the power of a central gov.
And, of course "they" don't want that.

I do not want to live in a socialist/communist state.
for me, it's just not ok.
I'm sure, for some, it would be utopia.
and, therein lies so much of the battle.

[can't sit still]

The notional value of derivatives at the height of the climb was reported at $ 1.02 quadrillion dollars. The number mentioned in the bank reform bill was $ 523 trillion. Obviously, nobody paid out $ 500 trillion dollars. The banks all inter-mingled their exposure in the same fashion that re-insurance mixes it all up. It is / was in the best interest of banks to mutually cancel the derivatives owed to each other. This still leaves a lot of derivatives backing failed loans that are NOT held by banks. If a fund wants an obligation paid off upon failure, the banks are obligated to pay up.
Also, the banks are having to take back bad loans. A foreclosure costs something like $ 52,000 to execute. Since banks are not making many loans, they are not earning fees and interest. The long and the short of this is that banks do not have much money coming in.
This is a fascinating interview with Stansbury. He seems to be a sharp guy. He has some good figures and charts to show that the banks are spending 75 cents of every dollar that they take in. He posits that the crash in housing is 1/4 through. He doesn't expect the banks to be profitable for a long time.
http://clicks.hsibaltimorew.com//t/AQ/A ... p3I6A/jugR

There are also a lot of derivatives and insurance on munis. They are crashing badly and will require a lot of bailing.
http://sovereign-investor.com/2010/12/2 ... y-of-2011/
Wikileaks says that B of A is a gonnnnnner.

[geekster]

I grew up in a smaller town then I live now, much smaller. And the concept of neighbor helping neighbor was much more profound, and the norm. When I moved to the big city, I realized here it is every man for himself.

Me too. There is no "woodwork" in which to hide in a small town. You are what you are and everyone knows it. Yet at the same time, they are very forgiving of mistakes and people who were absolute rascals when they were young turn out to be pretty good folks as they mellow with age. But cheat someone, and everyone knows you are a cheat. It isn't like the city where you might not say three words to the people who live in the same building as you. Live 10 years in a town of 300 people. It is an amazing experience.

the patients I respond to, the bigger their med lists, the sicker they are.

This is a HUGE problem. Especially so with psych meds. This medicine for this problem, but has this other side effect. So they give another med for that side effect which introduces another ... which gets another med. Before you know it, the patient is on anti-anxiety meds AND Adderall AND all sorts of shit. The person becomes completely disconnected from how they feel because the shit they feel is the meds!

The doctors that prescribe these sorts of cocktails need to be stripped of their privs to write scripts.

I know of one person who I am convinced this sort of thing killed.

[geekster]

The federal government has accumulated more new debt--$3.22 trillion ($3,220,103,625,307.29)—during the tenure of the 111th Congress than it did during the first 100 Congresses combined, according to official debt figures published by the U.S. Treasury.

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/111 ... -first-100

The Economic Policy Institute, a Washington think tank, says American companies have created 1.4 million jobs overseas this year, compared with less than 1 million in the US. The additional 1.4 million jobs would have lowered the US unemployment rate to 8.9 percent, says Robert Scott, the institute's senior international economist.

http://arabnews.com/economy/article225446.ece

Make it too expensive to hire American workers with jacked up unemployment premiums and health care costs and the companies will just hire workers overseas. Pretty simple, eh?

[can't sit still]

Geekster, are you familiar with "Iron Mountain"? ,,, or anyone, for that matter?
In essence, it's a report on what GOV MUST do to insure it's survival. The panel is in general agreement that we must have constant war so that we continue to tolerate GOV.
We must feel constantly threatened so that the world becomes increasingly united.

In the absence of war, alternative threats would have to be found or invented. Pollution, alien attack and climate change were mentioned.
There isn't an immediate danger of peace breaking out;
http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/us-p ... asia-4250/

The authenticity of the report has been disputed. It doesn't really matter. Cheney said that we would have war for the next 100 years. If you search, there is great fear in many areas of what would happen if peace broke out.

One item mentioned is that developed countries would have to be "broken" to force them to surrender their wealth and autonomy.
"Isn’t the only hope for the planet that the industrialized civilizations collapse?"
"To accomplish that, it will be necessary to engineer a global monetary crisis which will destroy their economic systems. Then they will have no choice but to accept assistance and control from the UN."
http://farmwars.info/?p=4881

The first part of the report looks credible. The second part,,, not so much.
Any opinions?

[can't sit still]

This is an excellent and comprehensive article on money supply inflation. It has great graphs too.
"The Federal Reserve has effectively been monetising far more U.S. government debt than has openly been revealed, by cleverly enabling foreign central banks to swap their agency debt for Treasury debt".

David Buckner, a widely respected academic, expounded that, although foreign central banks were buying U.S. Treasury debt, the Fed was buying approximately 50% of it back in the secondary market ten days later. (Buckner, 2009) "
http://news.goldseek.com/GoldSeek/1289503232.php

The reason that the FED is trying to hide all this "money printing" is so that it maintains world confidence and can continue to borrow. The FED is a consortium of bankers and they prefer to NOT dilute the value of the dollars that they hold. Who knows how much longer they will be able to borrow?

OPEC is tired of receiving diminished dollars. They have a plan to fix that;
http://neithercorp.us/npress/2010/12/oi ... unleashed/
There is the possibility that a price rise will kill the economy and kill the income of OPEC. It would also tend to cause more implementation of alternate energy.

Saudi Arabia is crashing anyway. "Over the past 30 years, the per capita income of Saudis has plummeted from $28,000 in 1980 to under $10,000 today"
http://home.entouch.net/dmd/saud.htm
Saudi is also running out of oil;
http://home.entouch.net/dmd/ghawar.htm
All these shocks are going to cause problems. Suppose that Sauidi cashed in a hundred $ billion in treasuries to keep things going? It's going to be interesting.

[can't sit still]

There is a guy, Bill Ross, who comments at the Daily Bell. The guy is more than just articulate.

Posted by Bill Ross on 12/27/2010 9:33:05 AM

DB:

"Bimetallism is self-regulating. People can tell if the supply of one metal or the other is being tampered with. If the price of one metal or the other goes down, mines close and hoarding begins. Eventually there is a lesser supply and the price goes back up and mines open up and dishoarding begins. This is the way the MARKET regulates supply and demand."

I share your astoundment regarding why the obvious hard money argument has so much difficulty gaining traction, despite the cyclical boom / busts and general hardship ALL other alternatives inevitably lead to. This, despite the historical fact that civilizations based on hard money were economically stable and low inflation, until rulers discovered coin shaving and bankers various means of leveraging reserves such as lending to multiple parties against the same collateral (ie; fraud) which inevitably evolved to fiat currency once power forsook honesty (for "necessity", of course.

It comes down to an argument of what, exactly is money, from the perspective of human beings whom, ultimately, judge and therefore choose the perceptual value of anything and everything, by choosing what they will trade for it. The cumulative actions of the value choices of "we, the people" is called the market.

In turn, this value judgment, in human perspective is based on available supply (value is inversely proportional) and demand (value is directly proportional).

The supply value judgment may be altered by:

a) monopoly control reducing availability increasing value (land zoning control, drug restrictions, legislatively reducing competitors, justice witheld...)

b) natural factors such as amount of a resource in existence, transportation, perishability, production and extraction costs.

The demand value judgment may be altered by:

a) Non-negotiables such as basic requirements for existence: food, housing, energy, peace.

b) Discretionary's that improve perceived quality of life, including "neccessities" that marketers convince us are perceived needs.

In essence, money is the medium of exchange in which accounts are settled, for all of our trades in the area of needs / wants. The key word above is "trades". Money must have perceived value in order to be traded, otherwise, it would be worthless. In order to have value, money must have the attribute that it can be used in present and future trades, meaning a lasting store of value that will not diminish and retains full value.

Fiat currency is a "promise to pay". It has stable value so long as the supply in existence is honestly controlled such that the value of existing currency is not diluted by supply manipulation and, this promise to pay will be kept, by force if necessary.

This is China's problem: They have honestly traded goods and services for the promise to pay of vast $US holdings whose value is being diluted by printing presses running amok and negligible (apart from MIC industries) productive capacity to trade honestly. The US has legislative trade restrictions prohibiting China from exchanging this worthless script for real property in the US. So, they use it to buy influence in the doomed EU, while $US still has some perceived "value". In essence, the EU is moving from being a client state of US to China, a mere economic control predator exchange.

There is a root cause of all of this dangerous folly. History has proven that mankind's rulers are incapable of self-control in crucial matters having to do with the survival of civilization and, now, with the awesome destructive power provided by engineers and scientists such as myself, we risk the survival of our species by rulers running amok. In the area of survival, it is historically proven that mankind is incapable of ruling (forcefully playing god) in the following areas:

a) Determining who lives and who dies
b) Determining special treatment (favor / discriminate) for some. Equivalent to (a)

Once rulers break these rules, independent of pretext, collapse of civilization (the rules by which we cooperate for MUTUAL self-interest) and war is inevitable. "Rule of corrupt / parochial man" is incompatible with peace and honest trade for mutual self-interest. It is for this reason that our far wiser ancestors, with full support of "we, the people", criminals included instituted the "rule of law":

http://www.nazisociopaths.org/modules/a ... .php/c1/34

In the area of what is to be used for currency, since it is possible for those who create and manipulate currency to destroy the survival of those who use currency by fraud and debasement, such manipulations (collective survival threats) are contrary to the "rule of law" and reality which demands that the nature / value of currency NOT be manipulable by man. Something REAL, non-counterfeitable, of stable supply that actually requires productive activity to create more (not out of thin air / computer bits). Currency must be solely a measure of productivity / real voluntary choices, lasting value and not based on force / fraud which are transient, collapsing the currency value when the force is overcome (German Marks) or fraud discovered (Zimbabwe).

Since fiat currency is a massive fraud perpetrated against mankind and civilization, the grim reaper of "Mathematics of Rule" is and will continue to determine outcome:

http://www.nazisociopaths.org/modules/a ... .php/c1/32

The Brownian and Henry Georgian (monopoly land control) positions are basically arguing for different "rule of man" rulers, hopefully more honest in the area of which men control the quantity and value of currency. This will solve no problems, since, in matters determining social / economic survival of civilization, mankind is unfit to wield even a potato gun in the area of our individual and collective survival. The problem is not "which men" to allow to determine these matters, it is that no men are competent to control these matters.

"The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. Every class is unfit to govern. The law of liberty tends to abolish the reign of race over race, of faith over faith, of class over class." ~ Lord Acton

In the past, "we the people" have collectively chosen real gold and silver as the medium of exchange. History unambiguously proves that once we collectively get our act together, what we the people insist on (forcefully if necessary) is the way it will be. Choose wisely, OR ELSE:

http://www.nazisociopaths.org/modules/a ... cle.php/36

[can't sit still]

The Anglo-American hegemon is really talking down Ireland, Greece, Spain, Portugal, etc. Apparently, the U.S.,,, U/K. debt is worse. The U.S. debt is of very short maturity.
The problem du jour seems to be a rising expectation of inflation;
"The USA and the UK are the favourites to reach hyperinflation first amongst major economies. Both these countries will experience major problems in 2011."
http://goldswitzerland.com/index.php/hy ... e-heights/

There seems to be agreement that hyperinflation occurs after a sustained period of inflation. This writer cites inflation in America as;
"Commodity prices have increased 26% in the last 12 months and 77% in the last 24 months based on the Continuous Commodity Index (CCI)"
Bernanke is hard at work trying to produce price inflation. This will, effectively, reduce wages for Americans and make America more competitive in world markets. A "race to the bottom" with competitive currency devaluations has no winners. It lessens the aggregate purchasing power and diminishes the economy.
The currency devaluations are expressed as price hikes in commodities. This steadily starves out people of limited means.
Reportedly, the 2008 commodities price spike added another 250 billion people to the ranks of the underfed.
Just fucking great.

[can't sit still]

This is a lecture by Niall Ferguson. I only listened to a bit of it. You can select which parts you want to listen to. One thing that he mentions is that "forget decline, it's going to be a bang"


Marc Faber has warned everybody that long-term treasuries are suicide. The near-term danger is from investors who refuse to roll over $ trillions of 90 day paper. It's started.
"U.S. bond funds had withdrawals of $8.62 billion in the week ended Dec. 15, the most in more than two years"
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-3 ... tment.html
From a historical point of view, hyperinflation is not that far off. All the hundreds of $ billions will try to flow into something. This forces up commodities. RE is a bad bet. PM is going crazy. "silver eagle sales for year totaled 34,662,500... about 90% of all the silver mined in the U.S.A. during 2010."
Silver is rising almost a dollar a day. TOO crazy.

Evidently, default worries are coming to the fore;
http://www.businessinsider.com/are-high ... ars-2011-1

[geekster]

European nations begin seizing private pensions

Hungary, Poland, and three other nations take over citizens' pension money to make up government budget shortfalls.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/The-A ... e-pensions

Think it can't happen here? Think again. It is already being discussed in Congress (or was).

http://www.carolinajournal.com/exclusiv ... ounts.html

RALEIGH — Democrats in the U.S. House have been conducting hearings on proposals to confiscate workers’ personal retirement accounts — including 401(k)s and IRAs — and convert them to accounts managed by the Social Security Administration.

Triggered by the financial crisis the past two months, the hearings reportedly were meant to stem losses incurred by many workers and retirees whose 401(k) and IRA balances have been shrinking rapidly.

You see, we are just too stupid to manage our own affairs and so government must "protect" us by sucking up all of our private pension cash that we have managed to put aside during our working years.

I am really starting to believe that our government is the primary enemy of the people at this point.

[can't sit still]

GEAB thinks that the meltdown will take place in October of 2011.
http://www.leap2020.eu/GEAB-N-50-is-ava ... a5625.html
Y'all have 9 months to party.

[geekster]

Looks like people in the UK are waking up to the same problems we have here.

When will our Lords and masters realise that it is only when Government interferes that the problems begin?

Every housing boom and bust has been caused by the State, desperate to win more votes or desperate to redistribute your earnings to those who have not earned them.

...

Bank bailouts - Banks were able to inflate house prices (and their profits) by Government introduced regulation that simply stopped them from going bust, using our money to do it. Any idiot could demand a mortgage, no reference was made to the ability to repay and our books are now full of worthless properties in the US, sold to the unemployable and passed off to us, the taxpayer as toxic debt for our grandchildren to pay off.

http://www.oldholborn.net/2011/01/inden ... state.html

[geekster]

I believe it will be much sooner than October 2011, in fact, I believe it has already begun.

Government is attempting to dig its way out of debt by inflating the economy. If you owe someone $100, it is much easier to pay them if you hyperinflate the currency and $100 buys a cup of coffee. Then $100 is nothing.

It will get mortgages out from under water, too. On paper they will be worth more than the mortgage in dollars but those dollars won't buy much.

By this summer inflation will be roaring. People will be exchanging one world of hurt for another. It will be back to the Jimmy Carter economy.

By October of 2011 I imagine the pitchforks and torches will be out and millions more will have their unemployment benefits run out. And with inflation, even the basics needed for survival will be getting more expensive. We are in for a HARD two years.

All of this was manufactured by government meddling in markets. The answer is not more government intervention. Government intervention IS THE PROBLEM.

Yahoo laying off another 500. Myspace laying off 1/2 their employees, it is going to get nasty in California.

[can't sit still]

Geekster, grab a shot of Scotch and read this;
http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/20 ... y-act.html