glumbert

German tourists, famous around the world. Same league as British and Russian tourists...

No wonder they lost the war....

Hey, count yourself lucky he only brought his pants and no tank.

You know, we can probably blame Gore for this.

Just CYA so Obama doesn't fuck with them too much.

But even oil companies realize oil will be obsolete some day, so they need to make sure that they control whatever energy eventually replaces it. I think they have ironclad legal claims on the sun and wind already.

What's up Canuck. Nice to see you on here still posting. Until Glumbert fixes its flash problems, I'm afraid I won't be visiting often, since my other compu has flash 10 installed.

Question: are the forum idiots still here? Dumb fuck impersonators, etc.? Dear Glumbert,

WHAT THE FUCK!? Are you *seriously* working on this Flash 10 problem or what? I miss the normal site. But I want Flash 10 on my computer because it requires it to watch live videos and tv. I'm sorry but I can't give it up. And there are many people who want Flash 10 to work with these videos, not just me! Everyone will come back and there will be fruitful discussion like there was before. I never thought that it would come to this. I am empty. So are a bunch of others. GET TO WORK! And if there's anything I can do, perhaps if you'd like to explain the issue more clearly with me, then, please e-mail me. The addy is on my profile. I miss you, glumbert.

I don't think most of those millionaire congressmen have Americas best interest in mind do you? Would you be surprised more by partisan division or or bi-partisan cooperation. Which select group of Americans are they working for?

I expect that these people believe only in their quest for power, wealth, and influence, and if it means bringing the country into depression to achieve that goal then that's what they will do.

IMO, they are rich, and we are not, and they don't give a sh*t what happens to the American people or the country as a whole.

Any resemblence to real bugs, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Shit no, I would never make such a mess, I know head first...

That's what I tell my wife....

he he..

One would think that there would be multiple investigations going on with plans for criminal prosecutions and the recovery of assets. -- Not going to happen.

One would think that there would be a massive move to regulate the financial sector to correct the de-regulatory environment that created the mess. -- Not going to happen.

One would think that some very simple actions would be taken to acquire the necessary funds for debt correction from the financial sector, and not the taxpayers, right? -- Not going to happen.

There is a easy regulatory (Rule of Law) way of creating 12 million jobs for Americans, and giving the economy a boost in the process.

Do what Arizona has done, but for the entire country: http://www.morganlewis.com/pubs/ImmigrationAlert_ArizonaImmigLaw_17dec07.pdf

Hmmm... Why isn't Washington discussing this idea? But is pressing for funds from the taxpayers to re-establish more 'lending' from the sector that created the mess, and not more regulations to reduce personal debt and reward 'saving'.

Think about it folks.

I watch CNN every morning as I get ready for work (for now) and I see and hear many financial "experts" talking of ways to boost the economy. The most common being the increase in consumer spending. The government's idea seems to be to give cash to the banks (who still post huge profits even in hard times like now) and the banks are given this cash to increase their ability to lend but people are scared to borrow because they don't want to lose whatever they put up against the loan. Maybe I am missing something but I do know that I mortgaged $186000 for five years over that time period I will be paying $52000 in interest; this is on a fairly modest mortgage. There are many people all over N. America paying much, much more. If the Gov't introduced laws that regulated how a mortgage is structured this would free up a great amount of cash, cash that belongs to the people that actually earned it. I am not saying that banks should be forced to lend money for free but if that $52000 turned into $26000 I'd be more than happy to freely spend that extra $5200 a year, every year. I am only one person. Do the multiplication! Seems quite simple to me but what do I know I am just a drone worker watching the ever increasing void between the masses and the greed driven gannets of society. I dread to think of what this world will be like in 200 years. I am sure in the years to follow now we will be hearing multiple reports of how stimulus funds were redirected into personal bank accounts. What can be done? Nothing this is the way a monetary system works, a plan that is well executed by the profiteers as we stand by and buy (and pay) into it.
Ok..time for working.

web - You are correct, and the way you state it used to be the way it worked. But when the credit card industry was born by corporate greed superseding state usury laws, then the flood of corrupt capital had begun.

Think about the Credit Card industry, they operate a loan sharking industry and charge interest rates that regularly exceed 30%, and sometimes 80% of the loan, all in legal conflict with most state law that forbids such loans.

Want to stimulate the economy. Make the CC industry comply with each states usury laws that are already on the books, and watch a large chunk of the financial crisis melt away.

But according to Washington, the only way to reduce debt is to borrow more, the corner stone of Reaganomics is alive and well.

Get ready for that trickle down, its never happened, but maybe its due any time now, but, but, but, ...

I wouldn't mind some better banking regulation, but I don't want the government running our banks. And I wouldn't mind restricting the greed of credit card companies, but the consumer is the real dummy to rack up credit card debt. Capitalism has always been buyer beware.

I'm no financial expert, but personally I think stocks pretty much can only go up from here, and now is a damn good time to invest. Taxes can only go up from here as well. Look at historic recession trends, after 9/11, the SNL banking crisis, etc. Stocks take dramatic plunges, then slowly climb back up. I think most everyone else will figure this out as well, and investors would slowly bring our economy around naturally, if the government stopped meddling. Unfortunately, with the government meddling, no one knows when or where the market will stabilize, so no one invests. Government meddling will only prolong this recession, just as it did during the depression. Stop the damn bailouts, they don't work anyway, just waste our tax dollars. Let the market reach rock bottom and settle, so rebuilding can begin. You can't artificially inflate an over-inflated market.

(shoulda posted this here)

I think that both HD and Steream-O need to start playing catch-up, here:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/183663

Have a look at their latest cover on their issue, connected with this story.

Welcome to the Real World, boys.

You'll find it ain't so bad.

Trust me.

You don't have to quake in fear of that "S" wodr anymore.

It's already here.

*word

Well conservatives always need some red herring to rant about. So now it is socialism. I wonder how many of those who are vehemently opposed to socialism sent back Mr. Bush's stimulus check. I bet it was zero.

Government is necessary for some things and unneeded for others. Ive driven the Eisenhower socialist interstate highway system and found it very good indeed.

How many anti-socialist folks are lining up to stop people who do not have children in the school system, to have their taxes reduced?

How many are NOT claiming the child dependency tax credit on their income tax?

It goes on and on...

Don't look too closely at what elimination of socialism means unless you are willing to pay the entire cost for your personal behaviour.

Right.
Socialism is a red herring.
With the biggest spending bill in the history of the US on the table, you call socialism a red herring.

This is how we get socialism and how people vote themselves money. Not calling a spade a spade.

Pods- if it is not socialism, what is it?

I am willing to pay the entire cost.

I want to fed gubment to ONLY do what it was set up to do.

Pods
Deregulation did not create this mess.
Lack of oversight on already existing laws contributed heavily.

Stream - Socialism as a word is a red herring, it is used to distract from the actual cause, and continuation of a financial oligarchy. People are distracted and repelled by the smell and look no further, and behind the stink the real disaster is hidden.

Deregulation backed by greed and many other things, have indeed caused this mess. Lack of oversight? You mean regulators like the SEC and FTC should have been doing something. But regulations are the enemy of capitalism, right?

Well I wouldn't say the people directly voted more money for themselves, I mean with either Obama or McCain, we'd probably be getting this stimulus waste. It was always more how fast do we become socialist, not if.

First Americans were living beyond their means, and this caused a massive recession. Now our government will try living beyond its means, and yet somehow we now expect a different result?

Two years from now, we will have over 10% yearly inflation. You can quote me on it.

pods
I totally disagree about the use of socialism being a red herring. History does not support that.
FDR's reaction to the financial crises he faced...gubment entitlement programs as part of the solution. If that is not the first steps toward socialism...
Now, fiscal irresponsibility on the part of many Americans AND oversight by the gubment entities charged with that very duty...our solution: More fed spending and debt.

Why isn't that socialism again?

HD - I agree about the rise of inflation, because for over eight years the presses have been vomiting out currency at a record rate. The massive devaluation of the dollar will bloom the debt to 1000 times what it is now, and then bring on the introduction of the Atlantic Union, which neither Canada no Mexico will agree to. After that ???

You are correct the 'people' of these united states did not vote for this mess, in fact the majority of Americans are against it. But the Washington crowd has their own agenda, which seems to involve taking mor money from a debt ridden society, and asking them to take out more loans, and pay more taxes. Because as Washington sees it, Borrowing erases Debt, kinda like using a equity loan and credit cards to pay a mortgage. But the top 4 percent of earners will get even more money from taxpayers, and they will continue to take, take, and take. As they see it that is the only solution to this problem.

Stream - It could be called socialism if it were actually benefiting the society, but is it? Or has all of our money gone to the elite so far. I guess if I were in that top 4 percent, then I could call it socialism, but I think working Americans will just call it Reaganomics gone wild. Way, way beyond deficit spending, and in reality a program that is doing the most damage possible, and will likely cause depression, because as HD stated we are about to experience inflation like never before (think Zimbabwe).

The real solution would cost almost nothing, but would require strength of will to re-regulate the entities that continue to drain the economy. The problem is not lack of lending, but lack of spending, due to personal debt. All of the current personal debt obligations could be eased by reducing interest rates charged by banks, but our government (the corporate plutocracy) will never make a move against itself.

Thanks, Pods
Socialism does not require a benefit to society to be called socialism. The idea of socialism is sold to the populace as something good, right? It has never worked. The human desire to micromanage other humans is unbelievably strong.
You certainly do not think this program is Reaganomics gone wild?! That would be a misunderstanding of both. This type of spending, in anything non-defense, would have made Reagan sick.
I do agree that the powerful tend to butress one another either officially or unofficially and that is the nature of politics and their unholy marriages.

That is why our gubment was set up the way it was.

Sigh. Your last paragraph was dead on. We need people to be allowed to make their very own civic decisions and then simply have to live with the results.
Soft landings are not among the gubment's responsibilities.

At least it is very likely not a German beach, the people in the background are not speaking German.