QE, Inflation, And The Case For Precious Metals, Revisited [View article]
For consideration: If Keynsians and the Bernank are all powerful, why did our financial system almost completely shut down in 2008? Either they aren't as wise as they think they are, or, they collapsed it on purpose. Is there any other possibility?
2008 All Over or Just the Dog Days of Summer? [View article]
To many people have been mislead to think that the government will take care of them. Under this premise of the government taking care of us, we have enlisted ourselves into slavery. We, as a country, have willingly weakened ourselves by not developing the strength and strategies to take care of ourselves. Freedom is not free.
Time to Prove Sobriety Over Changes Needed to Federal Budget [View article]
Karl, this is a great breakdown of the areas that have to be addressed. There's no chance that these things could be executed with our current political system. The entitlement mentality infection has spread through to many of our citizens. It is now a race against the clock to solve this problem and based on the ridiculous theater to cut a paltry 30 billion dollars from our federal budget that is 6 months overdue we will not be able to act quickly enough. A side note on Social Security, we need to push to privatize this and encourage all citizens to learn to take care of their own retirement. If we take the 12% that is paid to SS and put into our own private accounts throughout our working careers it becomes a very large amount by retirement. Much more than any of us will receive from SS payouts.
TeresaE The unemployment insurance is enough to put the small business out of business. I'm on the edge of calling it quits. For us in Illinois the 2% payroll tax reduction was more than cancelled out by our 2% increase in income tax. I'm guessing the state income tax increase will outlast the payroll tax reduction.
Fiscally Irresponsible Friday: Trading for Magic Beans [View article]
Here's a new little wrinkle for the employer, up to 8% for state unempoyment insurance on all wages up to a limit, regardless of whether you layed anybody off.
U.S. Economy: Be Careful What You Wish For [View article]
Addressing our challenges honestly as a country has become a real problem. None of our leaders have the strength or the will to lay out the real causes for our problems and what it will take to get it straightened out. I believe the source of our biggest problem is that we have become an entitlement country. We have gotten away from self reliance and moved towards a mindset of if I can't take care of myself the government should take care me. So now there is less motivation to do what is necesary to provide for oneself. Once we as a people get used to the government providing for us we have unknowingly relinquished our freedom and we have lost the strength to do what it takes to get it back. The politicians need us to stay dependent on them or they are out of jobs. Hence the problem. How do we get the people in power to vote themselves out of jobs. Why do we need Social Security? Government takes a lot of money from us and then gives a little bit back and on its terms. They make a promise of paying a certain amount but they can renig on that promise when ever it wants as we will be witnessing. Who are we kidding? It's not a safety net, it is a ponzi scheme. Why are people so afraid of ending these programs. Are we already that weak as a people.
Comparing Job Losses in Post WWII Recessions [View article]
Mark, thanks for initiating the conversation on this topic. Clearly we haven't come up with a solution to this dilemma yet but I believe you have clearly identified the challenge and that is an honest start to a solution. I hope somebody can come up with an answer soon.
Another Manic Monday: Greenspan Finally Agrees With Me [View article]
You do realize that billions and billions of dollars are thrown around like paper clips these days. Look at the cash for clunkers program. It used to mean something to complain about spending billions of dollars on wars. Now it's just a rounding error.
Realities of the Post-Spill Gulf of Mexico [View article]
I don't think any one will argue that oil gushing into the open sea is a very bad thing. What is alarming is how there has been a rapid fire set of "crises" that are portrayed to be the end of the world unless the government steps in to save us from ourselves. Naturally, each crisis is resolved by the shakedown of corporations and new 2000 page bills which will create ever more powerful unelected government agencies to control our lives. A government maintains control of its unwilling citizenry by massive misinformation. Let's just review our crises over the last year and a half. Credit Crisis(Tarp,Financial Reg), H1N1(talk about hype jobs), Global Warming(Cap & tax), BP oil spill(Another shot at Cap & Tax), Debt bubble( This one will be fun because they get to solve the problem they created and the only way to solve it will, I'm sure, be more government control via VAT tax). The formula seems pretty obvious to me. The only chance this country has is to find reliable sources of information outside of the MSM. At this point I trust your information Karl. It seems well reseached and viewed through the lens of logic and common sense.
Monday Market Movement: Will We Survive? [View article]
Continuously printing money is like an alcoholic who won't stop drinking because they are afraid of the headache they'll get when they get their hangover. So they can avoid the headache for a while but in the mean while they are killing their liver. As their tolerance keeps increasing it takes more and more alcohol to hold off the headaches until ultimately they die. The sooner we stop drinking the alcohol of debt the easier it will be to get over the headache and avoid liver shutdown and death.
Stating the Obvious About European Debt [View article]
What happens if the American Taxpayer decides not to pay back our loans to the Fed? What could they do? We could just come up with a different currency, couldn't we?
If your government spent less and reduced entitlement programs and stopped subsidizing their favorite donors businesses, we'd all pay less taxes and have plenty of money to pay for our own health insurance.
QE, Inflation, And The Case For Precious Metals, Revisited [View article]
If Keynsians and the Bernank are all powerful, why did our financial system almost completely shut down in 2008?
Either they aren't as wise as they think they are, or, they collapsed it on purpose. Is there any other possibility?
2008 All Over or Just the Dog Days of Summer? [View article]
Time to Prove Sobriety Over Changes Needed to Federal Budget [View article]
Retail Sales: A Whiff [View article]
The unemployment insurance is enough to put the small business out of business. I'm on the edge of calling it quits. For us in Illinois the 2% payroll tax reduction was more than cancelled out by our 2% increase in income tax. I'm guessing the state income tax increase will outlast the payroll tax reduction.
Fiscally Irresponsible Friday: Trading for Magic Beans [View article]
U.S. Economy: Be Careful What You Wish For [View article]
TGI Friday: Hoping the Weekend Brings Perspective [View article]
Comparing Job Losses in Post WWII Recessions [View article]
Another Manic Monday: Greenspan Finally Agrees With Me [View article]
Why the Recession Ended [View article]
Realities of the Post-Spill Gulf of Mexico [View article]
Fed Z1: Blah [View article]
Monday Market Movement: Will We Survive? [View article]
Stating the Obvious About European Debt [View article]
The Next Bubble? [View article]