Is The Fed's QE3 Liquidity Finally Starting To Flow? [View article]
Very interesting. I really am worried about the impact of higher interest rates if we ever get a real recovery (one that "trickles down" to the middle class and, therefore, supports increased consumer spending). Do you think it makes sense to bet on utilities as safer cash cows but hedge my bet on the economy with IAU and SDS (which may hedge each other) or do you think that would be a losing strategy if the economy recovers? What do you think is the likelihood of QE infinity turning into substantial inflation in the near term and what would be its immediate impact?
Thank you. My view is that the media focuses on whether the GDP is growing or contracting. The issue for most citizens is whether the average worker is being paid more or less in real after-tax (not just income tax, but including sales taxes, self-employment taxes, FICA, Medicare taxes, unemployment taxe, telephone taxes, property taxes, tolls, license fees, etc.) dollars. The answer to the real issue is obvious. People are struggling like never before in my lifetime and the politicians are trying to exacerbate the problem of burdensome govt. which only looks after itself.
I remember getting a temporary job for the City of Greenville. My supervisor told me he was promoted to his position as a reward for finding another untaxed item from which the city could extract revenue. He had suggested taxing business signs. The city, using a federal grant, hired three people just to go to different businesses and charge them a fee per sign they displayed. That is the mentality I found in my one temporary local govt position. I was not proud to work there, but I was young and had to take the job to take care of an ill sibling and had no other means of supporting the two of us. I have been a self-employed busniessman since 1987. My experience is that all govt is dishonest, power-crazed, self-important and self-serving. We all know this, but people are afraid to say it. Does anyone over 30 yrs old, not employed by govt, really disagree with any of this?
The disconnect is that the definition of recession in economic theory is flawed. When the average income declines, and when fewer people are working than previously, despite an increasing population, and when self-employed people are struggling like at no time previously during my 59 plus years of life, such as it has been for the last several years, I would unquestionalby call that a "recession" as the word is used in the vernacular. In this instance, the meaning of the word in the vernacular is far more significant than the meaning of the word in economic theory.
More than 350 coal-fired generators, or ~6% of U.S. power generating capacity, are too old and dirty and should be retired in favor of cleaner alternatives, according to a report from the Union of Concerned Citizens. Southern Co. (SO) has the highest number of "ripe for retirement" plants at 48, followed by the Tennessee Valley Authority's 28, and Duke Energy (DUK) with 17. [View news story]
Why would we be overly concerned about pollution from coal in the USA and not sanction China for their pollution? China burns far more coal, if I am corect, far less cleanly and the pollution travels world-wide, to the harm of not only americans, but the entire world, including those peoples we supposedly care about. Why not lean on China to clean up their act for our health?
Well, if Obama ran in 2008 to "unite" the country, does anyone think he succeeded? Apparently, this country is more divided now than it has been since Vietnam. It certainly has more group-thinking people with resentment towards other groups.
No, the playing field has never been level and it never will be level. However, hard work, clean living and perseverance can do a lot of leveling. Too many people would rather blame others for their own failures than work for success themselves.
How can you respect politicians who encourage the public to whine and blame; vote their personal largesse, and slander good people who work hard, support themselves and their families and play by the rules? .
Unfortunately, the most lasting effect of this election may be the way campaigns shall be waged in the foreseeable future. Obama won by identifying voting blocks who held resentment against those who they believed had victimized them; encouraging the passions associated with victimization, blaming the alleged wrong-doers for all the ills of our society, and appealing to the self-perceived victims as the candidate who would give them "a level playing field".. If campaigns based on segregating the population into "us vs. them" voting blocks continue to proper, then this nation will not be free or prosperous for long. It will not be a pleasant place to live.
Speculating Bernanke has taken the lead in exit polls, ZH notes gold has gone vertical in the past few minutes (chart). GLD +2%. SLV +3.1%. Oil is on the move as well, USO +2.6%. [View news story]
I can't speak to all exit polls, but after my wife and I waited two hours to vote today, I did not see the lady taking the exit poll, but my wife commented to me that everyone that the exit poller interviewed looked very similar in age and ethnicity. Exit polls are skewed to match the unsupervised poller's preferences.
Is An Obama Victory Already Priced In? [View article]
Why do you claim the Republicans caused it? That is inaccurate. Bush inherited a recession and turned it around with his tax cuts. Even Obama admitted that when he extended them. What caused this debacle was Freddie, Fannie, and their co-conspirators in Washington (principally Barney, and Chris, but also including B. O.) and their co-conspriators on Wall St (including Tim Geithner and his pals). Cause a fiscal problem, get elected, exacerbate the problem and blame the other side to get re-elected. They think Americans are fools. Maybe they are right.
Global Warming Will Push Gold Higher [View article]
"US oil demand is down. but that is due more to low employment and a stagnant economy than it is on any gov policy." REALLY? I am afraid the stagnant economy is due to govt policy as implemented by the GSE's Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and their co-conspirators in Washington and their co-conspirators, the TBTF banks.
Gold futures dropped more than $40/oz., in their fourth straight weekly loss, to settle at $1,675 after the nonfarm payrolls report. “With the uncertainty of the presidential election looming, gold needed a very bad employment number... to cause the Fed to ramp up its QE operations," Gold Newsletter's Brien Lundin says. Miners are lower too: ABX -2.7%, GG -4.5%, NEM -6.8%, AU -2%, AUY -4.6%. [View news story]
My mistake. "We" have not redefined acceptable. The investors are reading the jobs reports as acceptable to the FED, who don't give a rat's behind about the citizen, not to the public, These numbers cannot be acceptable to a sentient public.
Gold futures dropped more than $40/oz., in their fourth straight weekly loss, to settle at $1,675 after the nonfarm payrolls report. “With the uncertainty of the presidential election looming, gold needed a very bad employment number... to cause the Fed to ramp up its QE operations," Gold Newsletter's Brien Lundin says. Miners are lower too: ABX -2.7%, GG -4.5%, NEM -6.8%, AU -2%, AUY -4.6%. [View news story]
If this is a "good" or even acceptable jobs report, in light of the urgency for real job growth, we have really redefined "good" and "acceptable". Far too many people are unemployed and underemployed and far too many have given up for this to be an acceptable report.
Would America Be Bigger If Banks Were Smaller? [View article]
Bobdurino, I do not presume to know whether the Lord blessed you with a modicum of intelligence or not. It is apprent, however, that you do not choose to use that with which you were blessed. Did you not consider my chosen psuedonym? Rousseau was the classic libertarian. However, in his time, he had only the threat of big govt to constest; as big business had yet to develop as a threat to individual liberty. I do not wish to be ruled by big govt or big business. Both are enemies of personal choice. Each take the position that they can choose winners and losers, promote or discourage individual lifestyle choices, regulate working hours and working conditions, restrict competition, require people to work and then take the fruit of their labor by force or otherwise; discount democracy by purchasing votes of the electorate or of the politicians, influence bureaucrats improperly, deceive and brainwash the citizenry by controlling or manipulating or limiting access to the flow of information. Big business properly properly has only business interests, and has no political ideas which require 1st amendment protection of free speech. The TBTF banks are, with Ucle Sam's assistance, icreasingly able to limit competition, choose what small or even other large businesses have access to credit, choose to open or close credit standards and the flow of money to both business and the citzenry, thereby choosing to support or to diminish real estate values, choose to support or attack various population groups or lifestyles. In essence, the TBTF banks are governing many aspects of our lives with no real accopuntability to the citizens of this world or even this nation. It is an attack on personal freedom of the citizen. It is not an attack on the sovereignty of the US govt. It is an attack on the sovereignty of the citizenry, which, if you are devoted to the principles of our forefathers, you will realize is far more improtant than the survival of the current govt. John Locke made ths perfectly clear. read what he wrote now tarnascribed in modern English in Article 1, section 1 of the SC Constitution, the original of which was written by Locke himself.
Is The Fed's QE3 Liquidity Finally Starting To Flow? [View article]
U.S. Recession Odds: 100%? [View article]
The answer to the real issue is obvious. People are struggling like never before in my lifetime and the politicians are trying to exacerbate the problem of burdensome govt. which only looks after itself.
I remember getting a temporary job for the City of Greenville. My supervisor told me he was promoted to his position as a reward for finding another untaxed item from which the city could extract revenue. He had suggested taxing business signs. The city, using a federal grant, hired three people just to go to different businesses and charge them a fee per sign they displayed. That is the mentality I found in my one temporary local govt position. I was not proud to work there, but I was young and had to take the job to take care of an ill sibling and had no other means of supporting the two of us.
I have been a self-employed busniessman since 1987. My experience is that all govt is dishonest, power-crazed, self-important and self-serving. We all know this, but people are afraid to say it.
Does anyone over 30 yrs old, not employed by govt, really disagree with any of this?
U.S. Recession Odds: 100%? [View article]
The disconnect is that the definition of recession in economic theory is flawed. When the average income declines, and when fewer people are working than previously, despite an increasing population, and when self-employed people are struggling like at no time previously during my 59 plus years of life, such as it has been for the last several years, I would unquestionalby call that a "recession" as the word is used in the vernacular. In this instance, the meaning of the word in the vernacular is far more significant than the meaning of the word in economic theory.
More than 350 coal-fired generators, or ~6% of U.S. power generating capacity, are too old and dirty and should be retired in favor of cleaner alternatives, according to a report from the Union of Concerned Citizens. Southern Co. (SO) has the highest number of "ripe for retirement" plants at 48, followed by the Tennessee Valley Authority's 28, and Duke Energy (DUK) with 17. [View news story]
Seeking Alpha's Election Overview [View article]
No, the playing field has never been level and it never will be level. However, hard work, clean living and perseverance can do a lot of leveling. Too many people would rather blame others for their own failures than work for success themselves.
How can you respect politicians who encourage the public to whine and blame; vote their personal largesse, and slander good people who work hard, support themselves and their families and play by the rules? .
Seeking Alpha's Election Overview [View article]
Seeking Alpha's Election Overview [View article]
Obama won by identifying voting blocks who held resentment against those who they believed had victimized them; encouraging the passions associated with victimization, blaming the alleged wrong-doers for all the ills of our society, and appealing to the self-perceived victims as the candidate who would give them "a level playing field".. If campaigns based on segregating the population into "us vs. them" voting blocks continue to proper, then this nation will not be free or prosperous for long. It will not be a pleasant place to live.
Speculating Bernanke has taken the lead in exit polls, ZH notes gold has gone vertical in the past few minutes (chart). GLD +2%. SLV +3.1%. Oil is on the move as well, USO +2.6%. [View news story]
U.S. Recession Odds: 100%? [View article]
Is An Obama Victory Already Priced In? [View article]
What caused this debacle was Freddie, Fannie, and their co-conspirators in Washington (principally Barney, and Chris, but also including B. O.) and their co-conspriators on Wall St (including Tim Geithner and his pals). Cause a fiscal problem, get elected, exacerbate the problem and blame the other side to get re-elected. They think Americans are fools. Maybe they are right.
Is An Obama Victory Already Priced In? [View article]
Your analysis qualifies you for a seat on "The View", or, rather, it would if they allowed dissenting voices.
Global Warming Will Push Gold Higher [View article]
REALLY? I am afraid the stagnant economy is due to govt policy as implemented by the GSE's Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and their co-conspirators in Washington and their co-conspirators, the TBTF banks.
Gold futures dropped more than $40/oz., in their fourth straight weekly loss, to settle at $1,675 after the nonfarm payrolls report. “With the uncertainty of the presidential election looming, gold needed a very bad employment number... to cause the Fed to ramp up its QE operations," Gold Newsletter's Brien Lundin says. Miners are lower too: ABX -2.7%, GG -4.5%, NEM -6.8%, AU -2%, AUY -4.6%. [View news story]
Gold futures dropped more than $40/oz., in their fourth straight weekly loss, to settle at $1,675 after the nonfarm payrolls report. “With the uncertainty of the presidential election looming, gold needed a very bad employment number... to cause the Fed to ramp up its QE operations," Gold Newsletter's Brien Lundin says. Miners are lower too: ABX -2.7%, GG -4.5%, NEM -6.8%, AU -2%, AUY -4.6%. [View news story]
Would America Be Bigger If Banks Were Smaller? [View article]
I do not presume to know whether the Lord blessed you with a modicum of intelligence or not. It is apprent, however, that you do not choose to use that with which you were blessed.
Did you not consider my chosen psuedonym? Rousseau was the classic libertarian. However, in his time, he had only the threat of big govt to constest; as big business had yet to develop as a threat to individual liberty.
I do not wish to be ruled by big govt or big business. Both are enemies of personal choice. Each take the position that they can choose winners and losers, promote or discourage individual lifestyle choices, regulate working hours and working conditions, restrict competition, require people to work and then take the fruit of their labor by force or otherwise; discount democracy by purchasing votes of the electorate or of the politicians, influence bureaucrats improperly, deceive and brainwash the citizenry by controlling or manipulating or limiting access to the flow of information.
Big business properly properly has only business interests, and has no political ideas which require 1st amendment protection of free speech. The TBTF banks are, with Ucle Sam's assistance, icreasingly able to limit competition, choose what small or even other large businesses have access to credit, choose to open or close credit standards and the flow of money to both business and the citzenry, thereby choosing to support or to diminish real estate values, choose to support or attack various population groups or lifestyles. In essence, the TBTF banks are governing many aspects of our lives with no real accopuntability to the citizens of this world or even this nation. It is an attack on personal freedom of the citizen. It is not an attack on the sovereignty of the US govt. It is an attack on the sovereignty of the citizenry, which, if you are devoted to the principles of our forefathers, you will realize is far more improtant than the survival of the current govt. John Locke made ths perfectly clear. read what he wrote now tarnascribed in modern English in Article 1, section 1 of the SC Constitution, the original of which was written by Locke himself.