Month: April 2010

Save Our Freedoms!

Daily Agitator

Yes…I am still ranting about the “Loss of Freedoms” thing!

With the protests today we see signs all over the place stating that our freedoms need to be save from the government……does not matter which issue is at hand….it will somehow destroy our freedoms…..

It has yelled for decades that somehow one party of the other and their agenda will kill our freedoms in the US…..my first question when someone says this to me is, “which freedoms are in jeopardy?”

Now a days their first reply is that of “Obamacare”……and again I ask which freedom will the passing of a health reform bill eliminate? And almost predictably, they say that it will destroy their existing health plan….my next questions is, “How will the bill accomplish such a feat?”  Somewhere about her is when the person usually mentions “socialism” and my question then is “Can you explain this?”  Next will come the trash talk about liberals…..here is where I ask them again, “which freedoms are you in the process of losing”?   Just as predictable as the sun coming up…they tell me that I just do not understand…..and here is where I just have to say, “you know you right…I do not understand….I do not understand how they can be so vocal and hateful and have NO idea why……Here I usually get called a wealth of names and other insults……I smile and thank them for their time and go to the next angry person….and then the whole process begins again…..

The word “freedom” is subjective and in so is open to a wealth of definitions….freedom is just another word to us to rev up hysteria, anger, fear and emotions….which as we know are extremely useful political tools when dealing with the public……..where were these loud mouths when freedoms were actually lost when the Patriot Act was passed?

Is Goldman-Sachs Screwed?

Subject:  Financial News/Economic Crisis

The big financial news last week was that the investment firm of Goldman-Sachs was been accused, that is the key word, accused, of financial fraud….the anger by Main Street makes this an interesting turn of events and does not hurt the battle for financial reform either…….unless you are an ardent investor or an economic junkie you probably have NO idea what all the crap is about….true?

Let me help……

The SEC’s submission to New York’s Southern District Court provides a devastating glimpse into the criminal activities of a financial oligarchy that was not only indifferent to the destructive social consequences of its operations, but eager to profit from a crisis precipitated by its own speculative activities.

In April of 2007, just prior to the sub-prime mortgage collapse, Goldman Sachs received $15 million from hedge fund operator John Paulson to help put together a package of securitised home loans—a collateralised debt obligation (CDO)—and market it to Goldman’s clients. According to the SEC, Paulson and Goldman knew that the CDO, called ABACUS 2007-AC1, was comprised of junk assets, but they led the public to believe that a sound investment was being offered.

Paulson had staked the fortunes of his hedge fund betting on a market collapse. He therefore selected the worst sub-prime mortgage securities on the market for the Goldman CDO, mostly derived from mortgages in Arizona, Florida, Nevada and California—states which were subsequently among the hardest hit by the wave of foreclosures.

The banks lured people into taking out mortgages they knew the purchasers could not afford. They then packaged these toxic loans into securities—collateralize debt obligations—and made billions in profits by selling them to investors around the world, including pension funds, 401(k) plans, insurance companies and private investors. Those involved knew very well they were running the equivalent of a giant Ponzi scheme—a fraud far more massive and destructive than the criminal operation headed by Bernard Madoff.  (Thanx to Barry Grey and Patrick O’Connor for the synopsis above)

That is by NO means the end of the tale…..there will be more coming….that is if they really want to find the culprits that caused the economic crisis….it will be interesting see how this plays…after all Wall Street and mostly namely Goldman-Sachs gave a million maybe more to politicians in 2008….will that preclude them being found guilty?

The Monroe Doctrine? (Again?)

Inkwell Institute

International Studies

Latin American Desk

Do you remember the Monroe Doctrine?  In case your history is a bit shaky….

policy that was introduced on December 2, 1823, which stated that further efforts by European countries to colonize land or interfere with states in the Americas would be viewed by the United States of America as acts of aggression requiring US intervention.

Okay you got your history lesson in for the week….but what the Hell am I going on about?

The Doctrine has been used on Cuba, Grenada and a couple of other countries in Central and South America….but why is it being dredged up again?

Do you recall about three years ago when the “Tripartite of Demons”  were North Korea, Iran and Venezuela, well at least the Chavez was the demon?    But in the last couple of years the rhetoric toward Chavez has seem to cool down…..but there is something that I cannot understand…that is that the silence of the Neocons on a developing situation in Venezuela……

Russia has agreed to help Venezuela draw up plans to build a nuclear power plant.

Atomic energy was one of many areas of cooperation discussed as Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin made his first trip to the South American country.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Friday the goal of the power plant is to develop nuclear energy for “peaceful purposes,” and not to develop a bomb.

In the past Chavez has been a concern to the US…mainly because of his desire for a build up of arms and such…..will he be a thorn in the side of the US?

We have our problems with Iran, North Korea and minor ones for Pakistan, India and Israel…not to mention all the countries that are moving to build nuke power plants (for peaceful purposes) (sarcasm was intended)…..

I will be waiting to hear from the Hispanic-phobes on this situation…and just what exactly will the response be from the US of A….

Years ago…I predicted that there would be a new ever expanding “Cold War” and arms race….and it looks like the weapon of choice is the ever popular nuke….go figure…..and yes…that was also sarcasm….

And there is more….the US has an agreement with Russia on arms and the news coming out of Moscow is not good……

The new U.S.-Russian arms control treaty is a much better deal for Russia than its predecessor, but Moscow reserves the right to withdraw from it if a planned U.S. missile defense system grows into a threat, Russia’s foreign minister said Tuesday.

The deal can be used somehow to justify the nukes for Venezuela?  I wait for those darn pesky Neocons to jump all over this as a talking point against the Obama agenda….and I wait!

Fascist To The Right

Inkwell Institute

International Group

European Desk

Since the death of the Soviet union and the birth of democracy in the counties that were controlled politically by the USSR, the  far right has been making in roads into the system……the most notable is Hungary…..but there is a saving grace there….the democratic process, elections if you will……..

Hungary’s Jews are worried following the stunning electoral success over the weekend of the far-right Jobbik party, which ran on an openly anti-Semitic and anti-Roma platform and accuses Jews of driving Hungary into a steep economic downturn.

“Today is a very dark time for modern Hungary,” Peter Feldmajer, president of the Hungarian Jewish community, told The Jerusalem Post on Monday. “It is a very dangerous direction not just for Hungarian Jews, but for Hungarian democracy.”

Jobbik, which has ties to a nationalist, uniformed militia called the Hungarian Guard, took third place in the Sunday elections, winning 16.6 percent of the national vote, just short of the incumbent Socialists, who collapsed to 20% of the vote after eight years in power.
It said Jobbik’s electoral success proved “that acceptable anti-Semitism, xenophobia and racism are still alive and well in parts of Europe,”

This is a growing problem in European politics……the far right has made in-roads in Switzerland and Holland and even some of the more progressive democracies….and now with the economic crisis still looming, I look for it to continue to grow as people’s frustrations grow……Nationalism is on the rise and not just in Europe….the longer the economy sucks the more popular it will become……

I realize that most Americans could care less what happens in Hungary because it has NOTHING to do with the States…..think about that……..sounds kinda like the thinking in the 1930’s and that lead to a large international problem……

Gun Rights And The “S” Word

Daily Agitator

From time to time protesters take to the streets to remind everyone of there God given right to “keep and bare arms” and  yesterday was NO exception to the rule…..as reported by CNN:

They’re angry at the government and are demonstrating in the Washington area against what they see as the trampling of the Constitution. Their specific fear: Americans’ right to bear arms under the Second Amendment will be taken away.”We’re in a war. The other side knows they are at war, because they started it,” said Larry Pratt, president of the Gun Owners of America. “They are coming for our freedom, for our money, for our kids, for our property. They are coming for everything because they are a bunch of socialists.”

There is that “S” word again!  All the hyperbole is nothing but emotional hysteria.  I try to shrug off all the lame socialist rhetoric as coming from the mouths of morons….but sometimes stuff has to be addressed……..

For one thing…Obama signed a bill that allows guns to be carried in National Parks and one of the protests was in a Virginia National Park…up until the signing of the bill guns were prohibited…plus these people are secured by the government to be able to tote their guns , you know the thing the Constitution says you can do…….so thanks to the guy that is a socialist these people were allowed to parade around with their nuts in a holster…….When has Obama even hinted at the possibility he would reach for more gun control?  See!  Stupid!

The Brady Group for gun control gives Obama and his admin an “F” on gun control…..do not hurt yourself, that means he gets a failing grade on gun control……See!….Stupid!

We keep hearing about “they” will take our freedoms….which ones would that be?  Apparently the government is NOT taking their freedom to be an idiot away from them…..Just once I want one of these babbling morons to say what liberty or freedom I will lose…….(pause here for thought)….never mind they would give themselves a migraine try to come up with an answer……..emotional, hysterical horsesh*t is all they have…….but then again these are the people who watch Dog the bounty hunter, the UFC and wrestling….need I say more?

FinReg (Financial Regulation)

Listen closely!  Can you hear that?  It is the sound of the spin machine in top gear……what is the spin this time….Financial Reform….we heard all the spin (which includes lies, misinformation, etc) during the “debate” (I use the term loosely) over health reform…..the Repubs have jumped all over this issue as the “new” battleground over the Obama agenda…..

Attacking the legislation as a job-loser in a shaky economy would be a new approach for Republicans, who have been far more focused on portraying the financial overhaul as one that could provide further bailouts to big banks. Brown did not mention that leading attack, which was launched last week by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and has been pilloried by Democrats as “cynical” and “misleading.”

There is even a talking point that this reforms is yet another bailout of the banking system……and it is a good talking point…it must….every conserv on record has used the same line to characterize the bill…..

People, average people are taking these guys at their word and believe that it is another bailout…..but is it?  Everything said so far in opposition to the finreg bill is pure fantasy (I am being polite)…….

If you can read then please read this….this is a summary of the bill as it is proposed:

Consumers: A consumer-protection division would be created within the Federal Reserve, with the ability to write new rules governing the way companies offer financial products such as mortgages and credit cards. It would have authority over any bank with more than $10 billion of assets, and certain nonbank lenders.

  • Banks: The Fed would oversee bank holding companies with more than $50 billion of assets. Regulators would have the discretion to force banks to reduce their risk or halt certain speculative trading practices.
  • Failing companies: The government would be able to seize and break up large failing financial companies. Big companies would have to pay into a $50 billion fund to finance the dissolution of a failing firm.
  • Systemic risk: A new council of regulators would be created to monitor broader risks to the economy. The council could strongly urge individual agencies to take specific actions to curb risk.
  • Corporate governance: The Securities and Exchange Commission would have authority to write rules giving proxy access to shareholders who own a certain amount of stock. Shareholders would have a nonbinding vote on compensation packages for top executives.
  • Hedge funds: Large funds would have to register with the government.

As I have said many disagree with the reform bill…I do….but I will give you my reasons without making up crap to sell my point of view…..

1–I do not think it goes far enough on controlling the institutions…they will find a way around the regs

2–Banks and derivatives are not separated which will allow the same crisis we have now to return in the future.

3–I do not think the the protection of the consumer goes far enough and they will still be vulnerable to predatory practices.

4–Transparency is lacking

5–As far as I can tell this will not end  “Too Big Too Fail”.

These are my five biggest reason I do not like the bill, as is…..whoever I see it as a pretty good start as long as the regs stay in place they can be fine tuned as the country moves forward….

It’s “Tyranny Of The Majority”!

Professor’s Classroom

Subject:  American History/Political Science

Paper #10

Tyranny of the majority was coined by de Tocqueville in his study and book, “Democracy In America”.  A difficult political term to define….but I will try to explain it a bit……this is one of those terms in politics that takes thought and interpretation……depends where you stand, politically and who you are talking about…….

Tyranny of the majority, used in discussing systems of democracy and majority rule, is a criticism of the scenario in which decisions made by a majority under that system would place that majority’s interests so far above a dissenting individual’s interest that the individual would be actively oppressed, just like the oppression by tyrants and despots.

And then there was the Federalist #10 written by James Madison:

No. 10 addresses the question of how to guard against “factions,” or groups of citizens, with interests contrary to the rights of others or the interests of the whole community. In today’s discourse the term advocacy group or special interest group often carries the same connotation. Madison argued that a strong, large republic would be a better guard against those dangers than smaller republics—for instance, the individual states.

But first, in case there is any confusion, the Federalist Papers were a bunch of editorials written by founding fathers that were in support of a strong central government during the debate over the “new” Constitution.

What can we say about this subject?

If you are old enough to remember your Civics class….what was the major theme of the class?  America is Great and majority rule….right?

Okay that is out of the way…….now let us look at any given public traded corporation……it takes a majority of the shareholders to pass any issue that confronts the operation of the company….That is call ‘Majority rules”! Then why when a majority, a simple majority, of 51% a bad thing….I was taught that the majority rules….is it rue or not?

Where Is The New South?

We keep hearing about the New South….a South where race is only a memory and industry is changing the face and the thinking of Southerns……(pause here for thought)……..would you like my opinion of that crap?  Too bad….you gonna get it anyway……

I live in the cultural wasteland known as Mississippi……we have the mouth of the South…Haley Barbour who champions the New South at almost every turn…he is the governor of the State and the past head of the RNC…..but he fails to mention situations like this one….

The Justice Department accused the Walthall County School District in rural Mississippi of annually permitting more than 300 students, most of them white, to transfer to a school outside of their residential area, shifting its racial makeup.

Further, administrators at three other schools grouped most of the white students into their own classrooms “resulting in significant numbers of segregated all-black classrooms at each grade level,” the U.S. government said in a court filing.

The case comes in a state that was at the heart of the U.S. civil rights movement in the 1960s. In 1964, three civil rights workers were murdered in Mississippi, an incident that helped prompt Congress to pass a law banning racial segregation in schools, work and public places.

I am sick of hearing these politicos tell me how far the South has come from its racist past….it is totally BS….it is as racist now as it ever was…….stop lying!

Tea Partiers And Reality

Daily Agitator

Subject:  Tax Day Protests

Yesterday was tax day and the Tea Party was out in droves…there was suppose to be 661 separate protests across the country…..but there is a couple of things that are interesting…..Tea Partiers have been labeled as low info voters but a survey has shown that most are well off and well educated and 6% of the Partiers say that the economic problems were Bush’s doing…..while 37% blame Obama…….apparently they may well be more educated by they do not seem to pay attention to what is happening in their lives…….oh yeah, 89% of the Partiers are white….just thought you might like to know…….

And another complete mystery is their opposition to the tax increases of the Obama and yet about 95% of the population will get tax relief in the next year or so…..so what is the taxes that they are so concerned over?

Most of the Partiers are not bitching about Social Security, Medicare or Defense, which makes up about 75% of the budget……it is the other 25% that they are so concerned about….nice, huh?……then what is the problem and what do they want to eliminate?

There is more……many of them say that they want and know what the Founding Fathers intended and that we have to get back to that…..but somewhere they neglect to say just what it is that they intended and few that mention the Constitution but never mention why or what they are talking about…somehow revs up the crowd just to mention the Constitution…..the reality is that the mention of the document is just that…a mention…..it is political rhetoric….if they truly think that something is un-Constitutional then they need to provide proof….if they cannot do that then ignore the babble…..

I understand the frustration and the anger….we all have that, especially if you are in the Middle Class…..but for God’s sake be specific…..

We are told that the Tea Party is a movement by  the media….but is it?….I want someone to give me a workable definition of what the Tea Party stands for…I mean in real terms not some obfuscated thing like “freedom”…….I have a feeling that I have a lengthy wait…..how about you?

The Tea Party is not facing reality….they think that “Obama sucks” and that somehow is enough to carry the “movement” forward…….after the Taxes….what then?  Where will the “Party” go….will it go away?  Or move on to another fictional boogieman?


We Need Election Reform

For years many of us have been calling for some form of election reform….they have heard our calls…but their idea of reform is to control the funds that are given to campaigns…..everyone is yelling about the cash that is spent on and by campaigns….it is a legitimate concern but there is more to election reform than the amount of money that is thrown around….

There has been a movement since 1867 to try and control the amount of money in campaigns that in turn gives some  more influence in politics than others…..and the recent ruling by the US Supreme Court has crapped all over that movement, when they ruled that corporations could directly donate to campaigns…this will give corporations unbridled influence and in turn will give even more than now, more say in what will be considered by the Congress and the Prez as important issues of the day.

I am, among others, talking about such other things, beyond campaign funds, like term limits, accessibility to third parties to the electoral process, etc…….

On term limits the Cato Institute has some very good points in favor:

Lesson One. Term limits stimulate political competition. That is accomplished in a variety of ways, from increasing the number of open seats and special elections to lowering the reelection rates of incumbents. Many former incumbents return to private life, and a significant number run for other offices, thereby stimulating political competition at other levels. There is also evidence to suggest that campaigns may be less costly in a term-limited electoral environment. Under term limits, California’s state campaign spending since 1992 is 44 percent lower than from 1984 to 1988.

Lesson Two. Term limits increase legislative diversity. The prospect of shorter political careers is also changing the characteristics of people who choose to seek public office, encouraging political participation by nonprofessional politicians. Hence, the occupational makeup of state legislatures is gradually moving away from the traditional preponderance of ex-lawyers and ex-political aides. In California in 1995 there were only 3.4 percent self-described full-time state legislators, down from 36 percent in 1986, and three times more legislators are now business people than were previously.

Lesson Three. Term-limited legislatures undergo positive institutional changes. As institutions, they become more merit based and less governed by an outdated seniority system. Term limits eliminate the possibility of entrenched legislative leaders dominating a legislative chamber. Leadership positions (especially that of Speaker) become less powerful as a more decentralized power structure evolves in response to the growing independence of term-limited freshmen legislators. Generally speaking, freshman legislators tend to ask tougher questions of bureaucrats and demand a higher level of performance from government agencies than did their predecessors.

Lesson Four. Term limits act as a natural campaign finance reform. Term limits diminish the value of a legislative seat to lobbyists and the special interests they represent in state capitals. That reduces the incentive for lobbyists to raise and to distribute the large “soft money” contributions so disliked by the political establishment. In states as dissimilar as Maine, Michigan, and Ohio there is evidence that lobbyists are unsettled by the term limits-induced need to build new political relationships from scratch.

Lesson Five. Term limits improve the quality of legislation. The continual infusion of fresh blood into state legislatures is improving public policy. By mandating frequent legislative turnover, term limits are bringing new perspectives to state legislatures, reducing the concentration on reelection, and thereby diminishing the incentive for wasteful election-related pork barrel spending that flourishes in a careerist legislative culture.

A good case for term limits……

What about third party politics?  Here is a doozy of a subject—-third party politics is almost non-existent in the US…yes there is a wealth of single issue parties but few get on ballots and even fewer are anywhere close to successful.  The biggest argument against this is that they point to Europe and their need for coalitions to govern…personally I think that is a lame excuse……they do not like the idea that a candidate could get less than 50% of the vote and still be the winner……and in the US they discourage any third party by making it all but impossible to get on a ballot…making it hard because of the number of signatures needed or the large sum of money to register the party…basically they give third parties ever obstacle they can imagine to keep them off of a ballot…..they cannot outlaw third parties outright because it would be anti-Constitutional, so they use legal trickery to do the same thing…keep third parties off of ballots…..

Personally, I think any party should be allowed on every ballot…it would make our system more democratic and make election watching far more interesting than it is now…..most people do not agree with me on this….they see ALL third parties as spoilers……..but they are the ones that think the two party system is the ONLY answer to a well run political system……apparently, they are not paying attention!