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Hands Off Goldman Bonuses

My second comment:
The bonus packages should remain, but with a "slight" modification as follows:
1- Any bonus payment above $10,000 would be payed in U.S. coins preferably in nickles, recipients would have to personally pick up the funds at a local post office passport ID required(They need the business)
2- If the bonus recipient prefers the bonus money could be placed in a gov. run fund for 5 years minimum for 3% p.a. interest to build low income housing or to rebuild bankrupt auto firms maintaining jobs for the working class.
3- All wages would be set off the Presidents pay, which would be the highest in the country $500K max. However, the first year the Pres. is in office is usually "on the job training" so, the President his salary would be adjusted for that say $150K and rising to $500K if the he/she manages to prevent(s) war.
4- Inflation would be indexed as follows: Inflation up 2% p.a.
Congress and appointees pay would be indexed "down" 2% p.a.
5- Elections and electioneering would be have to be completed in 3 months max.

Hands Off Goldman Bonuses

Quote:"Rahm Emanuel is famously rumored to have said ‘never waste a crisis."
Rahm is/was right:.OK,.. It's time we gave him/them what he/they want!. A crisis!...Hmmm!..Let's start a revolution by:

Re-instituting the U.S. Constitution into law(What "a revolutionary" idea!)

1-Stiff penalty of jail time (life) for "any" violation(s) such as declaring war, without the proper legal process.
2-
2- Allowing "all" citizens to bear arms, as now specified. (Just to remind these thugs, that we/they live in a dangerous world and self defence might be required)
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Does Economic Data on Debt Support Medium-Term Bullishness?

Thank you Mr Harrison,
The detailed analysis has (in my opinion) one major flaw, that is you like all economist are using data supplied by the FED..you said:

"The Federal reserve releases a data series called Z1 every quarter. This is the basis of my analysis"

Since this is corrupted data (through their teeth) in mind boggling detail, to legitimize it, your hard work is of little value and should be viewed with as such...never the less it's thought provoking article.
Thanks!
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Recession Is Over; Depression Has Just Begun

The comments to your article caught my attention even more than your (good) analysis.
What keeps popping up (for me) was, the blogger were using..."we" and "us"...(we should, or could) as if , they had some control over their own destiny. The status of being a "Serf" under the control of a system that will use what ever force necessary to dominate, both at home and abroad is not a comforting one, even for the delusional "moochers" we've become.
By allowing this to happen to us, we have forfeited the right to forge a solution, now we sit back and allow the Goldman Sacks Cartel etc (GSC) to issue counterfeit "confetti" (sometimes called money/credit) to reflate the equity markets. "Sucker punching" those with some savings, by pushing interest rated..."below".. zero and allowing banks to have interest free loans. Main st. is then forced out of conservative CD's etc into equities, where they will eventually be wiped-out by the MBA's who skipped the ethics lectures at Harvard.

Solution 1: Face the music "now" and let the depression happen wiping the dead wood from the bloated system in a fast difficult time frame, instead of this slow-motion train wreck we are in.
Solution 2: Face the fact that we are a war loving nation, do what come natural..declare war "yet again"...'cause, we may not make many good products any more, but, our (cost plus!) weapons industry is the best that "serf" taxes can buy.
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GM's fling with eBay (EBAY) looks to be over, at least for now, as evidence suggests it drew a lot of lookers but not a lot of buyers. And some typical online-auction behavior: One bidder submitted a $2,500 bid on a $40,000 vehicle.

The sales price of an object is not the same as the "value" of that object. GM (should know that by now) Why did GM set a $40,000 price tag on the car does not mean that the car's "value" is $40K. GM has to factor in wages to some "workers" who do not work and sit around in a hiring hall while getting 90% of their salary...so! they think us drones will just shuffle up 'an pay the price (that they need to avoid bancrupcy,,'cause they are a US co,) Those days are gone forever!
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U.S. Household Net Worth Gains $2 Trillion

Sniff!...Hmmm!..Have you been smoking some bad weed.
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With stocks up more than 55% since March, is it still a "bear market" rally? "Any bears out there ready to capitulate?"

In a three-card-monte game like this,one can't be "a bull" or "a bear" ..since it's clear before hand, the game is fixed...(Duh!..grt it? )So, when we decide to play, just keep one hand on our wallet, 'an eye on dealer, 'an the other eye on the door marked exit...Now, place your bets!
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Three Real Defensive Stocks

Your take on the dollar, oil and Saudi Arabia etc, is insightful and clearly stated. Most of all, it makes sense, a rear thing on blogs at this site.
The selection of stocks in the "defense" sector (a politically correct term) but a misnomer (with me) where a more descriptive name would be war stocks. This would at the very least give "the politically dumb and insensitive Americans" an idea of what they were buying..and those that have ounce of morality in their hearts could act accordingly.
But, as "investment recommendations" , you are right on. ("to know what a horse will do, you have to know what a horse has done") So, a peek into the history of the IOUS of A, will shows, Americans will allow their government to "hood-wink" them into attacking other countries when the right "spin" is applied. And, now, that we have "a peace seeking president"...I find, there is very little to differentiate him from the previous war-criminal ..we get a sort'a.. "Bush light"... a more understanding family man. This helps us feel better about ourselves, as he (with "a little" help from the fed..'an..(Ahem!..excuse my language)..Goldman Sachs! ) they systematically turns the dollar into confetti, where at least it can be used for a useful purpose.
So, now, as we mortgage (yet again!) our future generations of (gullible) youths, to give their lives to protect oil fields or whatever new political philosophy in vogue. We face both moral and economic bankruptcy, with the prospect of having to defend hills of sand, for what?
Deus, tem misericordia de nos!
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Regulation of Banks and Financial Markets - One Year Later

Hi there John,
Your article is presented in a very calm measured way, on possible bank regulations. With your background as a economist and in academics, your position is understandable, 'cause, you're eating from an "iron rice bowl". (as the Chinese say)..ie. you got..."job" ..security,.."up the.. jig yang"
However, if you were "cooling your heels" in the numerous unemployment lines after being downsized, I suspect, there would be more "fire" in your comments. Since most economic projection by economists (are invariably 90% way-off the mark) one wonders why, so few are unemployed. In the "real world" the product they produce is often of questionable value.
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Market Correction Brings Opportunity to Buy Energy Stocks

James,
You listed CVX (to day 09/02/09) a solid buy at $39 per share Duh?, the ..."REAL" ...quoted price is (CVX) $68.42..what gives?..Not too cool!..If you can't get something as simple as that right, you're info. is usless, 'an, that's too bad,.. 'cause you have nice charts and a good presentation...but, hey man you blew it!
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Is a Crash Impending?

Karl,
Congratulations,..you've kicked up some dust..that's the important point (to me) causing people to think. Not easy thing to do, with so many sleep-walkers unwilling to do the hard work of due dilligence before investing. Also, you've put your opinion "out there" no waffling (right or wrong ) unlike many economist who go: "on one hand this could happen, but on the other hand this could happen"..almost 90% are always wrong..yet they still keeping their (Ahemm!..so called) jobs.
The other point is, when investing, or getting "very logical information".. it helps to remember that :"there are no facts...only our interpretations of them.
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Causes of the Crisis: Why Debt Is Bad

James,
Nice.. "puff-piece"...However, a few points on Mr. Chinn. You said Chinn doesn't rant..Well!..o.k.! ..I googled him, and here what I got, which shows (like all of us) every one's got an agenda:
"I think Sarah Palin is so stupid that I can't even articulate why" · said University of Wisconsin professor ...Hmmm? Looks like a rant to me, even though I agree.
My main problem with his "Causes for the financial..etc" ('an I read.. "the whole".. the snooze piece..It's old wine in new bottles .nothing that the average joe doesn't know..just plain dull verbiage) And, it is vey apparent that it was not written to inform, only to polish the good professors Bio. (we know, in his line of (Ahemm!) work it's publish or die) which is extensive..check this out (his puffed up description of what "He" did in "one"..(Ykes!).. year!

"In 2000-2001, Professor Chinn served as Senior Staff Economist for International Finance on the Council of Economic Advisers. He is a Research Associate in the International Finance and Macroeconomics Program of the National Bureau of Economic Research, Senior Fellow of University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for the World Affairs and the Global Economy, and on the advisory council of the Institute for International Economics. He has been visiting scholar at the International Monetary Fund, the Congressional Budget Office and the Federal Reserve Board.
His work has been cited in The Economist, Financial Times, Reuters, Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and he has been interviewed on CNBC.(end quote)
("Look ma!..no hands!)
Is this guy full of hot air or what?... gimme a break!
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The U.S. Federal Budget in Pictures

What caught my eye in the first pie "right of the bat" was corp. income tax of 4.3 % ....(Duh??) and individual income tax of 27.3% a dead giveaway of who's calling the shots in the IOUS of A. However, it's safe to assume that these numbers were supplies by the Feds....'an we all know they gotta be ...Ahemm!...Right!
Bruce E. W.(comment above)
Makes some very valid points about how we are being "played" 'an it looks like we are following the script to the letter. The divide and conquer routine (Democrat vs Republican) is getting a bit thread bare though....since with a one party system that we have, they can all get a slice... just like the Soviets...(So,..why bother with a constitution). Still, many refuse to see what is staring them in the face.
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U.S. National Debt: Deficit Hypocrisy

Matthew,
You Democrat me Republican? ..Duh!..Is that how it is? Get a life!..the so called two party system is nothing but a scam, taught to high school kids.
There is only one party ('an they are "partying" on our tab) Observe how smooth the transition has been from Bush (the warmonger) to Obama, (the kind and sweet gentle guy) who says "Yes..we can!..Can what?... The sentence is never completed..'cause it's just PR for the politically inept pie in the sky crowd ) he has managed in his short tenure to extend war into two additional countries Pakistan & Columbia. Not bad, for a guy who wrote a book, made little contributions as a Jr. senator..but, was sent up from "central casting" to match the changing demographics in america but with the same script ...A Bush ..."light"....more acceptable one..to some.
But, the beat goes on, bomb our enemys further into the stone age than they already are, while trying to help suffering america. Will the real Obama, please stand up..the warmonger or sensitive and helpful savior,..who by the way will have to bankrupt america in order to accomplish his goals.
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Clarifying America's No-Win Economic Dilemma

Duh!! you recommendation on wind power was "FLP" was delisted on 'Jul 28, 2000'....?? did you hit a speed bump..or what?
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