Month: May 2010

Speculators Beware!

Inkwell Institute

International Studies Group

European Desk

The economic crisis has hit the EU rather hard, especially Greece and then there is Portugal, Ireland and Spain, all of which could be the next big problem for the EU.  Some of the countries are trying desperately to find ways to prevent a total meltdown of their economy…….one such move is by Germany’s government….

Germany pledged to impose a partial ban on so-called naked short-selling early Wednesday to ward off steep market drops.
Before a parliamentary discussion regarding the 750-billion euro rescue package German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for tougher regulations against speculators to restrict some financial trades saying that the future of the euro was at stake.

Naked short-selling involves traders selling shares or investments which they do not hold in hopes of buying them cheaper later.
Germany announced its intentions to prohibit naked short-selling of eurozone government debt and shares of major financial companies hoping other nations would follow suit.

This is a rather tame attempt to cut the legs off of predatory practices…speculators have given the world almost every depression and recession and to try and control devious and possibly illegal financial practices is one way to stop the train in its tracks.

However, there must be something to the attempt for the DOW slid 376 points on the news of the attempt by Germany…..looks like the speculators were trying to get out before they were caught with their pants down.

Keep in mind that speculation caused the economic bubble in Japan to burst……speculation caused the American economic bubble to explode and now China is looking at the problem of speculation….will their economy be the next busted bubble?

Thank You For Making My Point!

Daily Agitator

We are bombarded daily but this poll or that poll….the Prez popularity is falling or rising or ………More people are conserv…the country is going in the wrong direction….are a few of the polls that the media is SO addicted to these days…a minute by minute look at how Americans view Washington and its players……these figures are used to drive the political debate or drive the story of the day….but how accurate are these figures?

From the Newser website:

Yeah, it’s expensive, but pollsters need to start calling cellphones. According to the latest CDC data, 23% of US adults, or 25% of US households are cellphone-only, writes Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight.com. Add in “cellphone-mostly” households and that jumps to 40%—and it could be even higher by November, never mind 2012. These people are just being ignored, even though they are very different from their landline counterparts. Cellphone-only users are more likely to be young, urban, poor, and technologically savvy than their peers. “All of these characteristics are correlated with political viewpoints and voting behavior,” Silver argues. Pollsters try to compensate by “upweighting” the few young people they do reach, but that’s a lousy solution, and a recent Pew study proves it. Pew pitted a weighted landline-only poll against one that called cells and discovered that the latter swung six points in Democrats’ favor—a statistically significant result.

I have been preaching this all the way back to the 2008 election when daily polls were all the news…..during the election I asked why the people with cels were not part of the poll…..and that any poll that did not include these people was NOT accurate in any way and should be ignored completely….I said that then and it is MORE important now.

Wait For It! It Is Coming!

The most horrible word that can be politically uttered is……TAXATION!  Nobody wants to pay more or higher taxes…no matter where we live, the taxation is too much….but the reality is that taxes must be paid if the services that the people demand are to be provided….sorry, it is just that simple.

If you want to get elected in the US, you run on a lower taxes platform and you will usually get elected….promise the voter lower taxes and taste victory……people have been running on that promise for decades and so far it has NOT worked the way it was promised….but yet the next election we get the same lame promises and those making them get elected….the people do NOT learn from their mistakes……it is called democracy….

This election cycle we have a bit of a different lean going on….whether you call it a Fair Tax or a Value Added Tax (VAT), regardless what they want to call it…there will be higher taxes or at least a more fair taxation than we have now….even some of America’s biggest capitalists see the need…like Warren Buffet, the Oracle of Omaha…..

“In the end we are not taxing enough, unfortunately, or we’re spending too much, probably some of each,” Buffett told FOX Business’ Liz Claman. “We’ve got a gap of 10 percentage points between what we’re raising in taxes and what we’re spending. One way or another we are going to have to close that gap in a major way, so if some of those taxes fall on me, or some fall on Berkshire, that’s probably the way it should be.”

Irregardless what you think…if we are to protect our children and grandchildren from the disaster waiting on the horizon, then we will be paying higher taxes….but it will be…WHO will be paying the higher taxes and will it be a joint venture of all Americans?  The thing to remember is that all taxes are bad, but public services that are promised to the people must be paid for in some way….and that way is through taxation….

The US is giving away its tax base all in the name of things like the “free markets”………companies get a free pass on taxes if they locate in a certain area or make a certain product or….well you get the idea….that is revenue lost……then we have a volume of tax deductions that help wealthy people avoid the fair share of the taxes…..another lost revenue…then there is the social security tax and Medicare tax….if you make above a certain amount then you do NOT have to pay any more SS taxes….more revenue lost……and there is more that gives away the revenue that the government could use to either lower the deficit or eliminate it.

Americans will be paying higher taxes…but the question is… will it be all Americans are just those working and surviving by the seat of their pants?  The real answer would be to eliminate tax avoidance.   It will be telling to watch the debate….that will tell one where the taxes will come from….will it be just YOU or from everyone?

2010 Anal-Ocity #20

We have all heard Rand Paul and his waffling on the Civil Rights gaff that he made the day after his electoral victory, right?  And NO…that is not what he is being taken to task over here on Info Ink.

We look for the most anal statements that people can make, and Mr. Paul has made a couple so far and he is NOT even elected to office yet….but the best anal thing was when on the ABC Sunday News Show when he took Obama to task over the oil spill in the Gulf…….

“What I don’t like from the president’s administration is this sort of, ‘I’ll put my boot heel on the throat of BP,'” he told George Stephanopoulos. “I think that sounds really un-American in his criticism of business.”

Un-American?  Would he be so pro BP if he made his living on the Gulf and not in some swank office?  With comments like that, he is a perfect fit for the radical right and the teabaggers.  This guy needs to shut the Hell ,up and stick to Kentucky politics….every time he opens his mouth he shoves a foot into it……

What Is A Liberal?

Inkwell Institute

Professor’s Classroom

Subject:  Political Philosophy

Paper #16

This is a re-print from Info Ink in 2008′

If one spends much time on line, especially if you are interested in politics, one would see that Conservs and liberals seldom agree on much.  As a matter of fact, being a liberal is akin to being mentally ill.  But the problem is that not many really understand the term liberal.

For years I have been analyzing, reporting and debunking the American political system.  Most Americans think that they are either conservative or liberal, a bit simplistic, at best but that is the way they think.  For instance, if youare not a Republican then you are on the Left(?).  I have yet to find one person that thinks that way that can explain it satisfactorily.  To think that a Democrat is somehow a Leftist, is beyond humor and flies straight into ignorance.

First, if a person is to be labelled a Liberal–what type of liberal are they?  Classical or Modern?  Ask that question and then observe the face of the person being questioned–”a deer caught in the headlights” comes to mind.  Confusion is a good description, but really not that accurate.

Let us take a look at the types of Liberals there are:

Classic Liberal–the so called father of liberalism–John Locke pretty much defines it as thus:

Individual is more important than the state and becomes a citizen of the state only through consent.

The individual is rational and capable of making his/her own decisions.

Progress is possible in political affairs, so change should not be feared.

State power should be limited.

Economic inequality is not necessarily a bad thing.

Economic freedom is more important than economic equality.

Next is what we shall call a Modern Liberal–

Government intervention into individual and social life is sometimes necessary to prevent individuals from denying freedom to others.

Liberty should be understood in broad, expansive, positive terms:  as the liberty to seek out ways to develop the human potential and contribute in a meaningful way to society.

Economic inequalities is to be regarded with suspicion, as a condition likely to undermine the welfare of those who have lower incomes and thus erode their chances of being free.

These are a bit simplistic as I have said and could be expanded on which in turn would make the whole thing so confusing that no amount of trying could bring about an understanding.

I sincerely hope that this has assisted the reader in some way, to help identify the differences in liberals and has help in the identification of what a liberal really believes.  They are not all Leftists, as some would have you believe.

Thoughts Without Posts 2010–#5

As usual my notes got in the way…since I make about a hundred a day…logically they all cannot become a post on their own…these are some of the notes that did not make it into the “Big Show”

1–Sarah Palin thinks ALL laws should be based on the Bible….if they were she might not be able to go on the tube and collect a salary…

2– Tiger has a bulging dick and he had to withdraw from his latest tourny….you kn0w I have to take my shot……I was thinking that was what got him in all his trouble.  Huh?…oh a bulging disk….my bad!

3–BP will try to use “garbage” to plug the leak in the Gulf….yes I said GARBAGE….they are thinking that they would force stuff like golf balls, shredded tires, etc…why noit?  They have been feeding us garbage for decades….

4–More Palin….she is writing a new book with sermons, speeches, books and movies that have inspired her over the year….what writing?  That sounds like a compilation…and she is NOT writing it just compiling it….and her ghost writer will do all the work….she still has not given the people that buy her crap and anything other than fertilizer….

5–I had a thought….no really…I had one……If I ever open a used car lot, I will hire Palin as a salesperson….why?  Anyone that can talk shit and sells crap like her could have future in the used auto industry…….

6–More on the Palin Brood…..daughter Bristol inks a deal for a $30,000 speech on abstinence…I cannot make this stuff up…it really can’t!

7–Is there some rule that says that the members of Congress must wearing black, grey or navy suits?  How boring!

8–The Congress gets full time pay for part time work….they work about 3 days a week, they get many benefits…I say screw ’em!  Make their pay reflect the number of hours they work a week…..flying back home to fund raise is NOT in their job description.  If you do not like that…how about pay them by piece work…..their pay reflects the actually legislation that they work on and pass.  If all this is too difficult, then find a way to give them an incentive to work harder and longer on behalf of the country.

9–Nver in my wildest dreams would I think I would agree with Anne Coulter on anything…this is just damn scary……http://newser.me/domZCx….my bad…this one HAD to be posted on….sorry….

It Is Just NOT Fair!

Daily Agitator

From time to time, I tire of making myself sick following politics and the current affairs…..and from time to time I enjoy writing a little humor….and this is one of those times.

You have heard of “cougar hunting”…..NO?  That is when young males, 20 somethings, go out on the town trolling for older women to bag.  It has become a popular past time, to the point of TV series, Reality shows and TV ads….as a matter of fact it was a TV ad that got me a bit cheesed.  It is for a tequila, where two twenty somethings are standing around talking and one is telling his friend about the “cougar” he bagged last nite.  As he talks he is dialing her phone to invite her to lunch.  Next a cel on the counter is ringing and one guy yells, “Mom your phone is ringing” ……

This got me to thinking…..why do older women get all the fun?  I mean it is a sexual game played by adults, or those close to adulthood……when are the old fart guys gonna become the new “Cougar hunting craze”?  As it is now, the twenty-something females see us as “dinosaurs” or “fossils”….when are the little hard bodies gonna get on the bandwagon and make us the focus of their sexual desire?

Is it too much to ask for a little equality here?  I mean we DO have a magic pill, if necessary…..

It is just NOT fair!

2010 Anal-Ocity #19

There is crazy talk…there is silly talk….and then there is Anal talk.  And this one is one of the most anal of statements……there are many trying to be the voice and the leader of the GOP or at least the conservatives….we have Beck, Coulter, Steele and the big biggest voice (notice I said voice not mouth) of them all…the one…the only…..the Rush-ster…..and there are those that think that Rush is a God send to the Right…and one of those misguided people is Zev Chafets…….and his biggest anal statement to date is about the Rush-ster:

The radio host is not just the “mouthpiece” of the resurgence but the “brains and spirit” behind it”

The scary part of this anal statement is there is about a million+ people that see him as the “brains” of conservatism.  That is why lies, misinformation and deception are the rules of the day for the radical right.

Is Hell Freezing Over?

There are times that events actually scary me….not often but it does happen….and it is happening again….

For years I have NOT been a fan of Ann Coulter, while I have a problem with a lot of her rantings, she does have a way with words….and believe it or not she has voiced her opinion once again, but this time I agree with her on most of what she says……

This from a Newser posting on Twitter:

Ann Coulter lays off the left for once and instead turns her fire on the right: Republicans are raising such “sky-high expectations” for the midterms that even if they do well, “it will look like a defeat,” she writes at Human Events. “John Boehner is ludicrously predicting Republicans will pick up 100 seats in the House in November. Newt Gingrich puts the figure at an equally insane (and weirdly precise) 78.” She also, incidentally, takes a choice shot at Boehner for meeting with bank execs: He’s “like the guy who just got raped in prison and doesn’t know what happened to him. Hey—what was that? Should I have thanked the guy?” Back on the main topic, she has some advice: “Your job, Republicans, is not to go on Fox News and whisper sweet nothings in conservatives’ ears. Your job is to repeal the Obama agenda. Raising expectations so high that a 30-seat Republican pickup will seem like a loss is not helping.”

Oh crap!  I will never live this down with my friends…..Hell has GOT to be frozen….by now.

2010 Anal-Ocity #18

Yes there is more anal statements coming out of the mouths of our leaders…they make this process so much easier than it use to be…thanx to YouTube, Twitter and the like…

This installment comes from the mouth of Rep. Mark Souder of Indiana who recently resigned over a sexual scandal that involved a part time staffer of his……in his resignation he laid the blame squarely on the shoulders of the culprit…

“the poisonous environment of Washington, D.C.”

Washington made him do it…..does not have anything to do with he does NOT practice what he preaches…..especially the abstinence thing……