Misconceptions About Health Insurance [View article]
It's not the America I want. We give billions to Wall Street, billions to bail out the rich....America will never be great until it grows a soul and seeks what is decent for all its citizens. Why are we so stingy with the poor, and so generous to the rich and famous? Why do we idealize the winners in America and demonize the losers? No wonder our house is crashing. God is angry with us.
On Aug 07 09:10 AM YoYoMama wrote:
> Umm...clearly you are not on personal insurance. My special needs > son has no right to insurance. I guess that's the America you want. >
Misconceptions About Health Insurance [View article]
What's to keep the insruance companies from fixing prices are they have been doing for decades now. You'll pay $15,000 a year for your own and spouse's coverage in the private market -- and then they won't pay you when your get sick. They'll fight you every inch.
Health care is bankrupting American business. The insurance companies have been getting ALL of the employee salary increases the last 10 years and most of the increases sincee 1970's.
This chart shows the extent that healthcare costs have swallowed up all the business resources:
We need to pop the health-care bubble (and the higher education bubble) -- these bubbles are also crippling the American consumer and devastating the middle class. University tuitions are up about 2500% over the last two decades.
Healthcare earnings are still climbing, having passed construction and soon to pass both real estate and the fiinancial industries. Healthcare should not be creating billionaires while illness creates thousands of bankruptcies.
> Wrong. The solution is to sever health insurance from employment, > make individual policies tax-deductible to the buyers, expand tax-free > personal medical savings accounts for small expenses, and remove > all coverage mandates and interstate policy sales restrictions on > health insurance to establish a truly competitive private insurance > market.
Who's Blowing This Bubble - And When Will It Pop? [View article]
I couldn't agree more. The Maestro (Greenspan) should have started raising rates in 2000 slowly, anticipating what 18 years of cheap credit would do. It's political suicide to raise rates unless we are swamped by inflation. The Fed is supposed to be independent so he can afford to make such decisions without being worried about the politics.
Greenspan is part of the ilk that believed the Great Depression -- and economic contraction as a genus -- was created by flawed understanding, that Fed policy could have saved the world from the Great Depression simply by lowering rates to 0. Flood the world with paper money, ruin the local currency, and all will be well. Business and consumers will be able to borrow their way back into Bubble Heaven. This was a flawed understanding of course. Eighteen years of Bubble Heaven had driven borrowers to the limits of expansion -- they could not longer service their debts.
The Great Depression was a debt Bubble popping, after 18 years of overspending. This disaster will not be cured by treating it as a recession (an inventory imbalance). We need to raise the rates, protect the dollar, and brace for global changes that will test our mettle.
Yes. "Obsession with celebrity": is it the real world, or the unreal world? Welcome to Hollywood.
On Aug 07 09:37 AM Maxe Paul wrote:
> Welcome to the too big to fail world. > > Buffet for me just epitomises Americas ridiculous obsession with > celebrity and hanging on every word these people say, and everything > they do, until more often than not we find out they are just complete > puppet masters. > > Michael Jackson, case in point. > > Welcome to the real world.
The panic is palpable. The Ruling Class is heading toward self-destruction. The shell-game, which has been going on for ever, is being exposed by the low tide.
Confidence Games and Ponzi Schemes: No Way to Run the World's Largest Economy [View article]
Very good article, Tim. Notice the chart on the savings rate: interest rates started down in 1983 and never came back up. How can we expect people to save when they are getting nothing from the banks in terms of interest and our 'leaders' in Washington and New York are doing all they can to debase the dollar?
This crisis has exposed a lot of lies and corruption. And, as you suggest, the cat is out of the bag: the management of the economy and finance through Wall Street and the Fed is just another PONZI scheme, with more pomp and better rhetoric.
Wall Street is just another form of Caesar's Palace, without the naked women.
Mister Buffet climbed into bed with Goldman Sachs. He knew that Godlman Sachs ws the new government. He knew that Goldman Sachs was not going to be allowed to fail. He knew that Golden Sachs was stealing money from taxpayers. He knew that all the banks he owned were boing to be saved by taxpayers' money.
And all his insurance companies: how much money did they get from TARP?
Buffet has Obama's ear, we know that.
Yes, he has blood on his hands. The Oracle from Omaha is apparently also a member of the larger Soprano Family.
I was with you up to the end. There WON'T be a reward in Heaven. So we should all be thieves and killers and do whatever we can to become the kings on Earth?
The story of the SOUL is very complex. The story of the SOUL is read only by the Soul. The mind cannot penetrate this realm. Young cultures really know very little about the Soul. It takes time, sorrow and modesty to read the Book of the Soul.
On Aug 06 09:19 AM max12345 wrote:
> Is it really possible for Buffet -or anyone else for that matter- > to amass a huge fortune operating 100% honestly within THE SYSTEM > (economic, political and social) that we all need to operate in? > > > Maybe 100% honesty is simply incompatible with either becoming ultra-rich > or becoming ultra-powerful politically? It's not a clean world out > there and if one really wants to be completely clean unfortunately > it's pretty hard. (and there will NOT be any reward up in heaven > either for those who succeed - or even try to)
Stephen Roach Sees W-Shaped Recovery for China [View article]
Corruption floats -- until the tide goes down. China might be a local miracle (even though the quality is usually much less than miraculous) but I don't see it being a global miracle.
I agree. This was the first demonstration of moral decency to come out of the establishment in some time. I'm sure there are forces at work trying to overturn this act of decency however. The dark spirit of Greed is a very powerful behemoth.
Or you can simply wait for the market to catch up with reality, and pull back 50%. That might be the smartest thing to do.
The not money wants small investors to get tempted to come in now...who else will they be able to see their stocks too. Can you imagine the panic when GSachs decides to vacate the market but there are no buyers and the prices begin to fall?
That's a wonderful image I must say, in terms of poetic justice.
Judge Rejects Bank of America / SEC Settlement [View article]
Lewis should be sharing a bunk with Madoff. I can think of at least 100 crooks who should be sharing a bunk with Madoff. It is low tide. The criminals are being exposed.
A Look at Food Stamp Participation for May 2009 [View article]
That's a good quote. But, looking realistically, the government, through its inability or unwillingness to police its corporate army on Wall Street, helped to bring on the impoverishment of millions of Americans and torpedo an economy that millions of hard-working Americans helped to build.
Let the Poor starve. Let the Rich steal. Is that what you are saying?
On Aug 05 09:08 AM Tony Petroski wrote:
> When you depend on the government to provide "free" housing and "free" > food and "free" education and "free" health care and "free" transportation, > then don't be surprised if you're no longer free.
Misconceptions About Health Insurance [View article]
On Aug 07 09:10 AM YoYoMama wrote:
> Umm...clearly you are not on personal insurance. My special needs
> son has no right to insurance. I guess that's the America you want.
>
Misconceptions About Health Insurance [View article]
The second chart, showing growth of health-care earnings, is actually found here:
www.businessinsider.co...
Misconceptions About Health Insurance [View article]
Health care is bankrupting American business. The insurance companies have been getting ALL of the employee salary increases the last 10 years and most of the increases sincee 1970's.
This chart shows the extent that healthcare costs have swallowed up all the business resources:
www.businessinsider.co...
We need to pop the health-care bubble (and the higher education bubble) -- these bubbles are also crippling the American consumer and devastating the middle class. University tuitions are up about 2500% over the last two decades.
Healthcare earnings are still climbing, having passed construction and soon to pass both real estate and the fiinancial industries. Healthcare should not be creating billionaires while illness creates thousands of bankruptcies.
webmail.earthlink.net/...
On Aug 06 02:54 PM JPSmith wrote:
> Wrong. The solution is to sever health insurance from employment,
> make individual policies tax-deductible to the buyers, expand tax-free
> personal medical savings accounts for small expenses, and remove
> all coverage mandates and interstate policy sales restrictions on
> health insurance to establish a truly competitive private insurance
> market.
Who's Blowing This Bubble - And When Will It Pop? [View article]
Greenspan is part of the ilk that believed the Great Depression -- and economic contraction as a genus -- was created by flawed understanding, that Fed policy could have saved the world from the Great Depression simply by lowering rates to 0. Flood the world with paper money, ruin the local currency, and all will be well. Business and consumers will be able to borrow their way back into Bubble Heaven. This was a flawed understanding of course. Eighteen years of Bubble Heaven had driven borrowers to the limits of expansion -- they could not longer service their debts.
The Great Depression was a debt Bubble popping, after 18 years of overspending. This disaster will not be cured by treating it as a recession (an inventory imbalance). We need to raise the rates, protect the dollar, and brace for global changes that will test our mettle.
Buffett's Betrayal [View article]
On Aug 07 09:37 AM Maxe Paul wrote:
> Welcome to the too big to fail world.
>
> Buffet for me just epitomises Americas ridiculous obsession with
> celebrity and hanging on every word these people say, and everything
> they do, until more often than not we find out they are just complete
> puppet masters.
>
> Michael Jackson, case in point.
>
> Welcome to the real world.
Things Aren't All Golden at Goldman Sachs [View article]
The Fed's Treasury Shell Game [View article]
Revolution is coming to America.
Confidence Games and Ponzi Schemes: No Way to Run the World's Largest Economy [View article]
This crisis has exposed a lot of lies and corruption. And, as you suggest, the cat is out of the bag: the management of the economy and finance through Wall Street and the Fed is just another PONZI scheme, with more pomp and better rhetoric.
Wall Street is just another form of Caesar's Palace, without the naked women.
Buffett's Betrayal [View article]
And all his insurance companies: how much money did they get from TARP?
Buffet has Obama's ear, we know that.
Yes, he has blood on his hands. The Oracle from Omaha is apparently also a member of the larger Soprano Family.
Buffett's Betrayal [View article]
The story of the SOUL is very complex. The story of the SOUL is read only by the Soul. The mind cannot penetrate this realm. Young cultures really know very little about the Soul. It takes time, sorrow and modesty to read the Book of the Soul.
On Aug 06 09:19 AM max12345 wrote:
> Is it really possible for Buffet -or anyone else for that matter-
> to amass a huge fortune operating 100% honestly within THE SYSTEM
> (economic, political and social) that we all need to operate in?
>
>
> Maybe 100% honesty is simply incompatible with either becoming ultra-rich
> or becoming ultra-powerful politically? It's not a clean world out
> there and if one really wants to be completely clean unfortunately
> it's pretty hard. (and there will NOT be any reward up in heaven
> either for those who succeed - or even try to)
Stephen Roach Sees W-Shaped Recovery for China [View article]
Thank Goodness: Judge Stops BAC / SEC Deal [View article]
Missed the Rally? Here's what to do... [View instapost]
The not money wants small investors to get tempted to come in now...who else will they be able to see their stocks too. Can you imagine the panic when GSachs decides to vacate the market but there are no buyers and the prices begin to fall?
That's a wonderful image I must say, in terms of poetic justice.
Judge Rejects Bank of America / SEC Settlement [View article]
A Look at Food Stamp Participation for May 2009 [View article]
Let the Poor starve. Let the Rich steal. Is that what you are saying?
On Aug 05 09:08 AM Tony Petroski wrote:
> When you depend on the government to provide "free" housing and "free"
> food and "free" education and "free" health care and "free" transportation,
> then don't be surprised if you're no longer free.