Dan / The Common Man

How Auto Bailout Is Punishing Ford

"Steve Rattner, who ran President Obama’s automotive task force, wrote recently that the Obama administration was split nearly 50-50 on whether to save Chrysler. A last-minute study showing that a Chrysler liquidation could lead to 300,000 lost jobs tipped the balance in favor of a bailout."

IF Obama had let Chrysler fail, Ford, GM & the other remaining auto producers would have gained market share, produced more cars to meet the demand and would probably hire some of the 300,000 unemployed, and improve their bottom line all at the same time. Instead the failures of socialism are repeated.
Will we never learn?

What's the Fair Value for the Dow Jones Industrial Average?

IMHO, it seems to me that your assumption is that everyone is listening to, and reacting to these talking heads. Here's an idea, just turn them off!


On Nov 01 05:58 PM apppro wrote:

> <<So why would any reasonable investor want the government to have
> further sway in their financial well being?>>
>
> Our government screws everything up, that is for sure. However, we
> must deter or even stop all this short term trading and the mentality
> behind it. It produces NOTHING and saps the financial strength out
> of our economy. Without regulating anything, except hopefully our
> behavior, decreasing tax rates to promote long term investing and
> vice versa - we can only think that it would help reduce the insanity.
> The IRS got Capone, let them go after the other traders/traitors.
>
>
> On Nov 01 09:44 AM Walt17 wrote:

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

If you steal $100 from a SevenEleven, you get 7 years of jail time. So shouldn't a $1,000,000 fraud be worth 70,000 years in jail? Now that's change I could believe in!

Cash for Clunkers May Cost Up to $45,354 Per Vehicle

Aside from the math, cash for clunkers is just another example of the corrupt political philosophies of our country that says the government knows best how to spend your money. At $1billion, the cost is about $3.30 per every U.S. citizen; man, woman, boy and girl. When you take into account the child dependancy rate (39.2%) and 10% unemployement, the cost increases to about $6.50 per individual. If the funding is increased to $3-4 trillion, we are now taking about $20 to $25 per individual. And if you would rather put you money towards food for your family, the downpayment on a house, or to pay for education, or health care, too bad. Of course, the government will be in your pocketbook for those expenses as well.

Employment: Minimum Wage, Maximum Stupidity

I'll not claim to be an expert on economics, but it does strike me that a discussion on the minimum wage must be taken in a broader context. Adults who work minimum wage jobs tend to turn around and put all of that money right back into the economy because that is what is required to subsist. If the minimum wage is increased in the United States, it may send jobs overseas where wages are less, but most of the world's population would love to make even half of our minimum wage, and in many cases they have a higher level of education than Americans working for the same wage. Again, those who have next to nothing will turn around and put it right back into the global economy by purchasing those things they need and want.
Likewise, a working person may be replaced by a machine as a result of an increase in the minimum wage, but someone is building, selling and maintaining that machine. Once again the economy benefits.

Monsanto: Controversial but Profitable

On Jun 02 10:52 AM raytayzmd wrote:

> ...I saw a documentary about Monsanto and "Roundup" the other night
> -- pretty scary stuff...if that story is accurate,

Unfortunately, we live in an apathetic, sound bite world, where anyone can produce anything and make it appear to be factual. My observation and experience has been that the critics of Monsanto tend to be fear mongers who thrive off of keeping the masses afraid of the unknown. Since most people will not bother to actually check the facts and just presume what they’ve seen is true, the fear mongers are allowed to thrive.

Monsanto has to operate in a peer reviewed, science based world. They must generate and present scientific facts to the regulators as required. Additionally, Monsanto has engaged in dialogue with people of opposing views to try to understand their concerns.

To be sure, Monsanto, like any large corporation, will spin the facts to present them in the best possible light, but that doesn’t change the facts. And sometimes you have to ask the right questions to get the right answers.

As for me, I would rather have access to the facts and make a choice as to what I choose to purchase or avoid, than to be kept in fear of the unknown and have my choices dictated to me.

Disclosure: long MON

Tax Revenue Slump: No Doubt in These Numbers

I'm reminded of a principle I learned in Sunday School. “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” IF Americans were the ones doing the lending to the government, we would be servents to ourselves, but if my memory serves me right, that isn't the case. Of course it appears that we are borrowing with the intent of not repaying, but rather printing our way out. Which reminds me of another principle I learned in Sunday School. "The wicked borrow and do not repay".

Deflation Risk Disappears from TIPS Charts; Inflation on the Horizon

Let me see if I understand this right. At the end of last year the bond market was expecting to see roughly five years of deflation. But if we deflate the value of our money instead of the value of our assets, it gives the illusion that the problem has been solved?

Book Review: Great Depression Ahead

I've read the book, and I believe you will find that Mr. Dent addresses this in context with his demographic views.


On May 08 08:20 AM Cetin Hakimoglu wrote:

> Sorry, but I disagree with your article regarding the demographic
> analysis. There is a huge influx of young consumers in the United
> States from foreign countries who are contributing to the economy
> and compensating for spent boomers. There will be no appreciable
> showdown in consumption in the United States that can be attributed
> to demographics.

Things We Don't Talk About (But Should): National Debt and $2 Trillion Deficits

the interest alone on national debt is approximately $460 billion and if the US could forgo paying that interest on national debt for one year, the United States government could write a check to every man, woman, and child in the United States for $1,500.

This leaves me wondering, what percentage of the $460 billion is going to men, women and children of the United States in the form of interest payments, and what percentage is going abroad?