viva

Is America on a Downward Slope?

I agree with an abundance of your essay, however....

You tell us not to trust politicians and corporate CEO's and then you say we need to create a bi-partisan commission with the authority to create solutions to our $53 trillion in unfunded liabilities>

Where are you going to get these honorable people who will make up this bi-partisan commission? Hmmm?

Creating humans from the DNA of Washington, Jefferson and Adams might be a start, but that isn't in the cards; and indeed, if they were to be educated in America's government-controlled system, they wouldn't be any better than the "experts" presently offering solutions to our current woes.

Back to the drawing board.

Bailout Bill: Second Verse, Same as the First

I doubt the banks are excited to pay the additional FDIC insurance premiums. Or did that one get tossed in for the bank lobby with the other bologna, sorry, pork?

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

Heads need to roll at the SEC. This crisis lands right at their door.

From John Mauldin (9/19/08):

Want to get really mad? Up until 2003, all investment banks were allowed only 12 to 1 leverage. Then in 2004, the SEC basically gave five banks (and only five banks) the ability to lever up 30 or even 40 to 1. Bet you can guess the five banks. Bear, Lehman, Merrill, Morgan and Goldman. Three down.

As Barry Ritholtz wrote: "So while the SEC runs around reinstating short selling rules, and clueless pension fund managers mindlessly point to the wrong issue, we learn that it was the SEC who was in large part responsible for the reckless leverage that led to the current crisis."

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

"Voters prefer Democratic energy policy over Republican by a ratio of 42:22."

The only strategy I have heard of is tax the evil oil company profits away. Government has already taxed ExxonMobil's record profits at the maximum corporate rate - taking $8B and leaving $10B. Go ahead and tax them at 100% and there will be no capital to invest in future exploration and alternative research. These "voters" have their collective heads in the clouds.

10 Winning Stock Themes in an Obama Administration

Risk takers will quit taking risk if it is not rewarded. Social Democrats, Socialists, and Communists simply don't get it. Redistribution of income is a sorry economic growth plan. If you want to, set the income tax rate at 100% for "the wealthy" next year - and you can bet your bba you won't collect it two years in a row.

Neither candidate is worth a schit. God help us!