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The Elites Have Lost The Right to Rule
From Michael Krieger of KAM LP
War is the growth hormone of the cancer that is big government.
- Alex Jones
A government always finds itself obliged to resort to inflationary measures when it cannot negotiate loans and dare not levy taxes, because it has reason to fear that it will forfeit approval of the policy it is following if it reveals too soon the financial and general economic consequences of that policy. Thus inflation becomes the most important psychological resource of any economic policy whose consequences have to be concealed; and so in this sense it can be called an instrument of unpopular, that is, of antidemocratic policy, since by misleading public opinion it makes possible the continued existence of a system of government that would have no hope of the consent of the people if the circumstances were clearly laid before them. That is the political function of inflation. When governments do not think it necessary to accommodate their expenditure and arrogate to themselves the right of making up the deficit by issuing notes, their ideology is merely a disguised absolutism.
- Ludwig von Mises
How Wall Street Died
Let me take you back to the fall of 1999. I was a senior in college without a clue what I wanted to do with my life. Wall Street was in a boom and seemed exciting. I had always loved the financial markets since I had first discovered them years earlier; however, I wasn’t convinced this was the profession I wanted. I had majored in Economics at school for practical purposes but I found almost all of the courses to be extraordinarily uninspiring with the exception of a few like Corporate Finance and the Economic History of China. It was the general micro and macro economics courses that I found the most painful to sit through. I wasn’t alone in this assessment. Many of my close friends were Economics majors as well and we all felt the same way (I later found out this was because we were being indoctrinated in voodoo Keynesian economics) . So even with the Economics degree I wasn’t sure that I wanted to pursue a career in finance given the fact that I found myself more interested in subjects such as English , History and Philosophy. Nevertheless, the firms were hiring, I had the degree and it would allow me to move back to New York City without living at home.
What I discovered as I interviewed for jobs disturbed me right away. Every single firm with the exception of one was completely obsessed with math. Entire interviews revolved around “how quantitative are you” and the like. Although I hadn’t had much experience with investing I had enough to know this line of thinking seemed preposterous. It seemed to me only basic math skills are necessary to be a successful equity investor. Besides that, it seemed that the key is understanding that the world is always changing rapidly under the surface and therefore what is a good business today might be bankrupt tomorrow and what is a start up today could be the next Microsoft. This seems obvious but the skill set to figuring all this out is more geared to an appreciation of human psychology, historical cycles and cultural shifts (both fads and structural changes) than math. What I realized later is the reason they were so focused on mathematicians and Phd’s is that Wall Street was moving away from what it was always meant to be - a conduit between the holders of capital and those that wish to deploy that capital in productive economic activity. Rather than trying to hire a well rounded workforce of intelligent college graduates the firms were hiring a cadre of quantitative robots that would play an instrumental roll in blowing up the world’s financial system.
When you get too many people of a particular mindset (in this case highly quantitative and academic) to aggregate in a field that is very much a people business and one where “street smart” common sense is of extreme importance you are asking for serious trouble. When you couple that with a Federal Reserve that keeps interest rates too low what you get is a bunch of quants inventing products that provide a yield sufficient for pensions and others struggling to earn a return. Products that are completely mispriced for the risk inherent in them. I am not placing all of the blame on the Wall Street firms (although they deserve a lot and the fact people haven’t been punished severely is a huge reason why there is no confidence on main street), rather I believe the Federal Reserve deserves 95% of it. If it wasn’t for them manipulating the price of money to absurdly low levels you wouldn’t have had the rush into toxic products in a search for yield. While the newly enthroned Wall Street quant army would surely have done their damage nonetheless it wouldn’t have resulted in the complete destruction of the financial and monetary system that we face today. In a nutshell, this is how I think Wall Street died and until it gets its act together will remain a corpse.
The Elites Have Lost Their Right to Rule
One of my favorite quotes is from Joseph Schumpeter who said “everyone has elites the important thing is to change them from time to time.” Of course, this is what happens in a well functioning democracy. The problem today and the reason why the United States is on the verge of some sort of revolution (I believe it will manifest as a revolution of ideas and not an armed one) is that the election of Obama has proven to everyone watching with an unbiased eye that no matter who the President is they continue to prop up an elite at the top that has been running things into the ground for years. The appointment of Larry Summers and Tiny Turbo-Tax Timmy Geithner provided the most obvious sign that something was seriously not kosher. Then there was the reappointment of Ben Bernanke. While the Republicans like to simplify him as merely a socialist he represents something far worse.
Of course it is not just Obama. He is at the end of a long line of Presidents that think they have some sort of divine right of kings to rule. Think about the Presidency of the United States since 1988. Bush, Clinton, Bush…If Obama had not won the Democratic primary we would have ended up with President Hilary Clinton. Catch my drift? Something is not right here. This is the United States not some sort of petty monarchy. There is no divine right of any family or group of families to rule. When this starts to happen you get the disaster we are now faced with. That said, the bigger point is this. What Obama has attempted to do is to wipe a complete economic collapse under the rug and maintain the status quo so that the current elite class in the United States remains in control. The “people” see this ploy and are furious. Those that screwed up the United States economy should never make another important decision about it yet they remain firmly in control of policy. The important thing in any functioning democracy is the turnover of the elite class every now and again. Yet, EVERY single government policy has been geared to keeping that class in power and to pass legislation that gives the Federal government more power to then buttresses this power structure down the road. This is why Obama is so unpopular. Everything else is just noise to keep people divided and distracted.
Getting Into the Mind of Ben Bernanke
I do not have a clear window into the highest levels of power in many areas such as the military or the intelligence community but I do have a very good understanding of it when it comes to the financial system and the economy. At the end of the day everyone knows that those who can create the money and credit have the ultimate power over any political system. Therefore, at the top of the economic power of the world is the Federal Reserve and at the top of that is Ben Bernanke. This is why I took a great deal of interest in reading the full text of his speech today. Much will be written about it but I want to tackle it from two points. First, who is Ben Bernanke?
You can really see into his head from reading this speech. He is an academic who thinks he is smarter than everyone else which is why he is in the position he is in. He thinks the key to monetary policy is to trick people into doing things that will hurt them in the end. He believes the mal-investments he intends to push people and institutions into equals economic growth. What surprises me so much about the investment community and the American public in general is that so many fail to understand that we live in a top down centralized economic system much more similar to China in more ways than people want to admit. We look at how the government steers the economy in China and sneer. How are we so different right now?
As far as the speech itself, it confirms something I mentioned several weeks ago. Banana Ben absolutely wants to do a massive QE2 program. The only thing holding him back is gold is near an all time high. What he wants is gold much lower and stocks much lower to give him cover. Gold has not cooperated so he is in a bind. He cannot print a massive amount of money with gold here and stocks at 1055 because what happens if gold soars and stocks sell-off in the days that follow such an announcement? What if the response in the treasury market is not as desired? He is scared to do it here and he is right to be scared because such a reaction would be the end of the Fed right then and there. The Fed will be gone anyway within a few years in my opinion but it’s going to fight hard to survive and if you want to make money in this market you need to understand that. The most powerful institution in the world is fighting for its survival. Never forget that.
So what is he going to do? I believe that the Fed and government are doing a lot more than people think to manipulate all markets behind the scenes. After all, they have publicly announced their manipulation in many other ways so does it make any sense whatsoever to assume they aren’t doing a plethora of other things behind the scenes? Of course not. I think that with the Fed in a bind they will accelerate and become ever more aggressive in behind the scenes games. This will make markets even more volatile and extraordinarily challenging. This is financial war make no mistake about it. The only way in my opinion to survive this is to buy all dips in precious metals, agriculture and oil. It is in these three areas that I expect to see the most price inflation as money eventually figures out the end game. The end game is more and more people will eventually wake up to the fact that the markets are a hologram put in front of you by the magicians at the Fed. That what constitutes real wealth in the years ahead will be owning food, energy and a means of exchange that will be accepted should a black market economy arise as it has in virtually all nations at one time or another throughout history.
In the end, the elites will be overthrown and a power vacuum will form. The transition period will be extremely difficult as the elites will fight their demise to the end. For you see, they care nothing for you they care about their power and control. Nevertheless, rulers have always only ruled by the will (or apathy) of the people and when the people become overly taxed and abused they always rebel. The main thing to think about is what kind of society do we want to rebuild from the ashes. I am of the view that it must be a return to the Constitution and an elimination of central banking power and secrecy. Let’s not fall for a demagogue or be pushed into a war when things are at their worst.
Have a great weekend,
Mike
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"Banana Ben absolutely wants to do a massive QE2 program. The only thing holding him back is gold is near an all time high. What he wants is gold much lower and stocks much lower to give him cover."
That being the case, there is no logic or reason for him to be dropping hints that he WILL 'QE2' as he KNOWS that these hints will drive stocks and gold higher.
If he is REALLY intent on QE2 he should be indicating that the Fed is DONE with QE, UNTIL stocks and gold are much lower and then he should come straight in and do it.
Otherwise a good and thought provoking posting.
DavidC
Bernanke's speech indicated to me that they are starting to panic. Which should of tanked the market. Shows how much I know.
Minneapolis elected a Green Party candidate to the city council...within two years he was serving time. Independents and third party people are still POLITICIANS! Jesse Ventura was an Independent, Bernie Sanders is a Socialist. Ya want a bunch of Bernie Sanders running the country. Independents are usually independent because they couldn't get nominated by one of the major parties not because they don't agree with the policies of one of the major parties. Naively assuming a third party candidate is less corrupt is, well, naive
Based on the posts connected with this thread, it would appear that all the posters are anarchists. Not the modern torn jeans, green hair kind but the true individual determination type, almost old European...weird
This has been very interesting.
Thank you all and good luck!
Indeed. It's the only way that makes any sense. Primacy of the individual, not mob rule. True anarchy ("without rulers") is the way of the future but, sadly, still a number of generations away.
In the meantime, the propagandized masses will continue to believe that "the next president" or "the other party" will fix the growing mess that the last 44 presidents and 44 parties ALL created and/or contributed to.
Why would anyone be irrational enough to believe that going back to a Constitution that dismally failed within just 3 years of its enactment (George Washington sending the army against the Pennsylvanian farmers to collect new taxes) will be any more successful "the next time"?!?
Statism Is Dead!
The Whiskey Rebellion took place in my neck of the woods. The participants backed down not only because of the threat presented by Federal troops but also because Washington was leading those troops and they didn't want to go against the man who they had fought under in the Revolution.
Too bad they didn't just take another slug of corn liquor and double down.
+1
There are 600,000+ people on the mall in DC right now, and broadcasting live on CSpan, who embrace the best of what this country is. They understand the debt, the threat of hyperinflation, the bogus Fed and the DC/Corporate corruption. Still they think there is something substantial worth saving here. The point is that we are all just as important and valuable as the next person, we all put our pants on one leg at a time... it is the so-called elite who are deluded. A sophisticated group (now fighting amongst themselves) of high end scammers... Hell, even their computers are fighting with each other.
I post this in reply to the continuing threads proclaiming America is dead and gone already. There are many patriots, good people, who would beg to differ. The fact that our representatives have trampled all over the constitution does not mean they've burned or banned it yet. Our country has been on the brink before and survived.
Rallying behind "I Got a Scheme" Beck? It doesn't matter who's out there talking, the parties are all part of the act. Get real, the party leaders are behind the scenes using the gullible.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer
The people aren't there to rally behind Beck or any party. They are rallying behind ideas that are part of common decency. Might a party try to capitalize on this? Of course. To call Americans who want to do something to make things better gullible is wrong. Maybe you are the sheep for NOT trying. I'm sorry, did I miss the thread where you offered the solution?
I'm very much pro Tea Party but I would never attend an event headlined by Glenn "Ron Paul Supporters are Terrorists" Beck. Lots of folks at this event might be motivated by the ideals you mentioned but I hope that they can see through the statist nonsense promoted by Beck and Palin.
To each his own but don't tread on me.
Abigail Adams wrote:
"I post this in reply to the continuing threads proclaiming America is dead and gone already."
Some concepts must die before there is a chance for renewal.
From The Daily Bell a few days ago: http://www.thedailybell.com/1320/Is-it-an-Elite-Depression.html
McCain calls U.S. economy 'fundamentally sound' on same day Lehman Brothers declared bankrupt
----
And you think McCain was the better choice? LOL
Puh leeeeees
You just presented a false dilemma without even knowing it.
If you cannot speak or think without committing logical fallacies, then please cease speaking and thinking.
http://mises.org/books/histofthought1.pdf
There is nothing new under the Sun citizens.
Arm yourself with the truth first.
Every Dollar I spend is the truth of my conviction.
As it is said it will works until they run out your money which they have.
Hayek referred to as "the fatal conceit," thinking they have the knowledge to fix and plan the economy. They can and will only make matters worse.
The money is never spent as efficiently as when spent by the one who earned it.
Since the two bales are equally attractive in every way, the ass can choose neither one and starves therefore. This example is supposed to indicate how indifference can be revealed in action. It is, of course, difficult to conceive of an ass, or a person, who could be less rational. Actually, he is not confronted with two choices but with three, the third being to starve where he is.
Actual wages support Consumers. When they figure this out that the Consumer sets the wage rate things will turn. Until then nothing can change since the private sector Consumer cannot afford services inflated set by policy beyond their means. Deflation is a poor tax on the rich not the other was around.
Here's the elites' true standing:
http://crazy-jokes.com/pictures/economics.jpg
hell no we won't go! we need some more hippies to save us again.
Your premise sucks!
The elites have no RIGHT to rule. There is no plan to SAVE America. The Obama means to "transfom" it. How much has already been done to destroy the fabric? They just need to buy some time before they drive the final nails into our collective coffins. The Progressives will remain in power until at least the middle of next January. How much more damage can they do between now and then? We shall see.
Don't become a whining, brain washed, defeatist or accept this fate or the delusion that BB or any of them are bungling fools. They are not. And once you have accepted the simple fact that what's going on is by design, the mosaic will come into focus.
History is written by the victors.
Mao Zedong - Wikipedia
" As the Chinese government instituted free market economic reforms starting in the late 1970s and as later Chinese leaders took power, less recognition was given to the status of Mao. This accompanied a decline in state recognition of Mao in later years in contrast to previous years when the state organized numerous events and seminars commemorating Mao's 100th birthday. Nevertheless, the Chinese government has never officially repudiated the tactics of Mao. Deng Xiaoping, who was opposed to the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, has to a certain extent rejected Mao's legacy, famously saying that Mao was "70% right and 30% wrong".
In the mid-1990s, Mao Zedong's picture began to appear on all new renminbi currency from the People’s Republic of China. This was officially instituted as an anti-counterfeiting measure as Mao's face is widely recognized in contrast to the generic figures that appear in older currency. On March 13, 2006, a story in the People's Daily reported that a proposal had been made to print the portraits of Sun Yat-sen and Deng Xiaoping.[80]
In 2006, the government in Shanghai issued a new set of high school history textbooks which omit Mao, with the exception of a single mention in a section on etiquette. Students in Shanghai now only learn about Mao in junior high school.[81]"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_Zedong
My avatar came from a picture taken in Beijing, the Chinese government hangs Mao's picture outside the Forbiden City (China's Imperial Palace). The irony must be lost on them.
There is an inherent conflict on many features and posts on ZH.
On the one hand we love to talk about a macro themes ranging from a “revolution” by the people to a general financial system collapse.
Like this feature by Michael Krieger:
And so on the one hand we are told,
“In the end, the elites will be overthrown and a power vacuum will form. The transition period will be extremely difficult as the elites will fight their demise to the end.”
This right after the sage advice that,
“The only way in my opinion to survive this is to buy all dips in precious metals, agriculture and oil. It is in these three areas that I expect to see the most price inflation as money eventually figures out the end game.”
How does an individual own precious metals, agriculture and oil in a custodial safe manner? “The elites will be overthrown,” but your ETF’s and E&P stocks will be safely protected? I don’t think so…
I spend a lot of time looking for legal ways to hold assets outside the U.S. Now you can still fly to Switzerland and Austria and put gold into a safe deposit box in a private bank. That may or may not end up being safe.
But brokerage accounts? I can’t even figure out how to open one up in Canada.
I have never seen any practical advice on the critical topic of international custody on ZH. Even direction to a helpful resource would be of great interest. Google is useless. The noose is tightening in the U.S. for a reason. How to get money and assets out of the U.S., preferably in a legal way could be of great value to the ZH community.
I guarantee “the Elite” have it all figured out…
"practical advice"?
When you find that site, would you kindly let us know. I believe most are here for the scoop. Information that others don't, won't, can't, afraid or late to print. Just when we think we have it all figured out, ZH and co. present a new bomb at the lit fuse stage. There are too many places you'll find post detonation news.
Try this
http://sovereign-investor.com/2010/08/18/the-globetrotters-quick-guide-t...
Thanks
I don,t think the Elite,s have it figured out at all.Everyday "Confidence" drains away from the "Control" system of illusionary value with more people opting for physical real value.The price of Gold and Silver can,t be held down indefinately,as people are starting to twigg now the price of Gold and Silver physical is attracting a premium.People are voting with their feet and wealth,hence stronger and stronger CHF,the trickle will become a flood,the panic is now tangible this will ultimately become terror in the circles of the elites.
Does JPM know the end game?...Just askin'...:>)
http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=D22TlYA8F2E
+1000
Very interesting video. LONG, but well worth the time. The historical context of Jefferson, Jackson, Bryan... The ABA attributed positions; just foul if accurate. The argument against the Gold Standard is something I have not heard before. I agree with the summation that things couldn't be worse than they are now if Congress simply controlled the quantity of fiat currency. At least we would have visibility and accountability.
This requires more thought for me but this lengthy video is great food for thought. I highly recommend it.
Thanks.
Hanging on to hope when there is no HOPE to speak of....
and the wounded skies above , says its much too much too late ...and may be not only the AMERICANS , but the whole world should be praying for time::
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b2ZXKX9NSY
A revolution is needed and we do need to adhere to Constitutional principles, but we must also be prepared for a major re-working of the Constitution - even, perhaps, a new Convention to write an entirely new document.
We have learned, much to our sorrow, that even the most clear instructions in a Constitution can be tossed aside if the Ruling Class is willing to brazen it out while the people are apathetic. Curiously enough, it was Theodore Roosevelt who opened to door to this with his assertion that he could do anything not specifically forbidden to the Executive by the Constitution. Once that bright line was crossed, it was nothing to create the Federal Reserve and then keep going until we've got government agencies interfering in all aspects of our lives.
The lesson learned here is to very carefully spell out all the rules - even more so than the Founders did in the current Constitution. "Congress shall make no law" having proved insufficient, we need "the federal government shall not be allowed to X". If we don't want the government to do this, that or the other thing, we're going to have to spell it out - even if it goes down a list of a thousand things we don't want the federal government doing.
And in the making of that list, we'll need a governing philosophy - just what sort of social and economic system do we want? Things which were unimaginable in 1787 are stark reality in 2010. I prefer a resolutely Distributist approach - others will naturally want soemthing else. But we, the people, do have to decide not just the structure and rules of government, but the structure and rules of our social and economic affairs.
I am continually astounded that anyone could think that re-wording the constitution would make any difference to the outcome! "Congress shall make no law...." is pretty damned clear, yet has been breached in nearly every act since the very first Acts of Congress!
What is needed is a simple recognition of the property rights of every individual and a system of voluntary association and contracting between consenting individuals that sees NO congress, NO senate, NO lower house, NO upper house, NO house of commons, NO house of lords, NO president, NO monarch, NO pharaoh, NO chairman, NO general secretary, NO dear leader, NO pontiff, NO..........
If people want to join a club or party or sect or church of like-minded individuals to have decisions made for them by elected representatives, then let them do so. But under no circumstances allow them to make ANY decisions or rules or "laws" that affect anyone outside of that consenting group.
We also don't need any new laws ... or any of the existing ones, for that matter. Those who make the laws don't even read them, and no citizen could ever keep up with reading them, let alone following them. They are just a means of raising new penalties (ie. tax revenues). The US Federal Register alone adds 70,000 pages A YEAR of new/amended laws. It's a [not very funny] joke!
How many MORE times do we need to prove that Central Planning does NOT work?!?
+1
Primal scream, dog.
i-dog,
Anarchism doesn't appeal to me. In the end, there will be a government - of men or laws, and I prefer laws. Even bad laws carried out by stupid men are better than no laws, at all. The problem is never the law, per se - even the most ferocious and merciless law code is acceptable as long as it is strictly applied to all citizens equally. It is when people start making exceptions - for profit or personal advancement - where we get problems.
Our problem today is not in our laws, but in how they are being ignored. How the rule of men has substituted itself for the rule of law. Compounding the problem is that the laws have been so long ignored that it is difficult for the people to understand what happened. Out here in Nevada, Sharron Angle is being hammered for pointing out that she doesn't know what provision of the Constitution provides for Social Security...really bad politics on her part to mention it as it's allowign Reid to claim she wants to toss Granny off SS (which is not true)....but the fact remains, she's right...and is one of the few major politicians over the past 40 years to actually state the truth.
If we went for a completely voluntary society, as you suggest, then you'd find groups of people voluntarily banding together to loot everyone else. I know, we have that now, too - but the only way to stop the current looters is the same way we'd have to stop them in an Anarchist society - by making laws and rigidly enforcing them.
It is an odd thing. Our Constitution, like any code of behavior, isn't so much to be faithfully obeyed, for that would be blind adherence, but rather it is to be understood as hard lessons to be learned, written by those who remember why every word is important. Sure, it can always be improved upon by those with new lessons, however, this is where we should be extremely careful.
You mention creating a more specific and detailed list of codes, but this idea has the element of amnesia regarding the reason why a code that micro-manages its people can lead to very bad outcomes. For example, your idea for replacing the Constitution's generalized code that says powers not granted by the Constitution are, well, unconstitutional with your list of specific powers not granted runs the danger of either being not an exhaustive lists, leaving too much out, or being overly exhaustive and never ending.
Please, seriously consider the notion that our Constitution was not meant as a form of social engineering or as a blueprint for a Utopian society where everyone agrees on the best direction for all of us to be headed. Instead, try thinking of it as a contract and agreement to not grant enough central power to any one person or group so that they can't engineer the rest of the population. The drawback is that if a person did actually have some brilliant solutions, they still can't regulate others to fall in line. On the plus side, if that person is fallible, we aren't all forced into making the same mistake.
There's a danger in trying to make the Constitution, itself, into a more powerful document. It, too, should remain small. We ought to be able to carry on with daily life without having to reference it. Creative life springs from the rules, but it can not be found in those rules.
(I only talk like this on Sunday)
I don't think our Founders envisioned the level of dishonesty we could attain. Of course, they lacked the "benefit" of Marxist thought, especially after that was ground through the Leninist mill. The Founders were dealing with a world in which political and financial chicanery were well known, and they provided adequate protections against same - they never envisioned a world where black would be called white.
A strictly limited government is necessary for the rational conduct of human affairs - as the current Constitution has been hammered all out of relation to original intent, we now have an unlimited goverment which employs a series of bald faced lies to justify its actions (such as "commerce" meaning pretty much anything the government wants, or "taking" for public use means giving one person's private property to another). Think, for a moment, of the mentions of religion in the Constitution - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof; the other mention is that there shall be no religious test for office. Out of these very clear provisions which everyone with any sense at all can undertand, we've now got lawsuits over whether or not a coach can offer a prayer before a game, or whether a school disctict can allow parochial school kids to ride the school bus. Just absurd - and all brought about by people brazenly lying about what is in the Constitution.
So, spell it out - and mostly spell out what the government is forbidden to do. It still won't be perfect, but it'll take a couple centuries before the liars work their way around it.
It is up to each of us to secure our futures (and children's) futures.
Careful examination and action to preserve each of us's own wealth v. the predators is necessary.
Diveristy, savings and GOLD should help most of is through.
Keep thinking and posting great minds here at ZH! Maybe we can make a difference that will help the USA survive OK. Otherwise, find me alive in Peru or dead in a post-apocalyptic America.
I Live for My Dreams, and a Pocket Full of Gold.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-tT62bpYlU
I've listened to that line a thousand times but I never really heard it before. Thanks!
HERE IS THE NEXT PRESIDENT SPEAKING. DURING A TIME OF SEVERE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, THE CALL OF WAR RALLIES CITIZENS OF ONCE GREAT NATIONS. THIS MORONIC PRODUCT OF JOHN MCCAIN WILL GET IN ON 1/20/13. WITHIN 2 YEARS THE PLANET WILL BE ON THE PATH TO WAR. BY HER THIRD YEAR, 2016 THE HUMAN RACE COULD VERY WELL BE ABOLISHED. LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY TO HER CHOSEN TOPIC. ITS NOT ABOUT THE CUTTING GOVERNMENT WASTE, TIGHTENING OUR BELTS, DEMANDING SMART GOVERNMENT, CONTROLLING THE BORDERS, WORLD PEACE, GETTING OFF FORIEGN OIL - BASIC TOPICS 99% OF POSTERS HERE I THINK COULD AGREE WITH. NO, ITS ABOUT THE TROOPS, YOU SEE. YOU GET TO SPEAK ON THE NATIONAL MALL TO HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS AND YOU SIMPLY START TO PLANT THE SEEDS OF WAR. WAR IS GOOD. WAR IS SMART. WAR PAYS FOR EVERYTHING. WAR WILL SAVE YOU. WAR. WAR. WAR. SLEEP CHILDREN, SLEEP...
Restoring Honor” Rally
August 28, 2010
Washington, D.C.
Thank you so much. Are you not so proud to be an American?
What an honor. What an honor.
We stand today at the symbolic crossroads of our nation’s history. All around us are monuments to those who have sustained us in word or deed. There in the distance stands the monument to the father of our country. And behind me, the towering presence of the Great Emancipator who secured our union at the moment of its most perilous time and freed those whose captivity was our greatest shame. And over these grounds where we are so honored to stand today, we feel the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who on this very day, two score and seven years ago, gave voice to a dream that would challenge us to honor the sacred charters of our liberty – that all men are created equal.
Now, in honoring these giants, who were linked by a solid rock foundation of faith in the one true God of justice, we must not forget the ordinary men and women on whose shoulders they stood. The ordinary called for extraordinary bravery. I am speaking, of course, of America’s finest – our men and women in uniform, a force for good in this country, and that is nothing to apologize for.
Abraham Lincoln once spoke of the “The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battle-field, and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearthstone, all over this broad land.” For over 200 years, those mystic chords have bound us in gratitude to those who are willingly to sacrifice, to restrain evil, to protect God-given liberty, to sacrifice all in defense of our country.
They fought for its freedom at Bunker Hill, they fought for its survival at Gettysburg, and for the ideals on which it stands – liberty and justice for all – on a thousand battlefields far from home.
It is so humbling to get to be here with you today, patriots – you who are motivated and engaged and concerned, knowing to never retreat. I must assume that you too know that we must not fundamentally transform America as some would want. We must restore America and restore her honor!
Now, I’ve been asked to speak today, not as a politician. No, as something more – something much more. I’ve been asked to speak as the mother of a soldier, and I am proud of that distinction. You know, say what you want to say about me, but I raised a combat vet, and you can’t take that away from me. I’m proud of that distinction, but it is not one that I had imagined because no woman gives birth thinking that she will hand over her child to her country, but that’s what mothers have done from ancient days.
In cities and towns across our country, you’ll find monuments to brave Americans wearing the uniforms of wars from long ago, and look down at their inscriptions, you’ll see that they were so often dedicated by mothers. In distant lands across the globe, you’ll find silent fields of white markers with the names of Americans who never came home, but who showed their dedication to their country by where they died.
We honor those who served something greater than self and made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as those who served and did come home forever changed by the battlefield. Though this rally is about “restoring honor,” for these men and women honor was never lost! If you look for the virtues that have sustained our country, you will find them in those who wear the uniform, who take the oath, who pay the price for our freedom.
And I’d like to tell you three stories of such Americans – three patriots – who stand with us today.
The first is a man named Marcus Luttrell. His story is one of raw courage in the face of overwhelming odds. It’s also a story of America’s enduring quest for justice. Remember, we went to Afghanistan seeking justice for those who were killed without mercy by evil men on September 11th. And one fateful day in Afghanistan on a mountain ridge, Marcus and three of his fellow Navy SEALs confronted the issue of justice and mercy in a decision that would forever change their lives.
They were on a mission to hunt down a high-level Taliban leader, but they were faced with a terrible dilemma when some men herding goats stumbled upon their position, and they couldn’t tell if these men were friend or foe. So the question was what to do with them? Should they kill them or should they let them go and perhaps risk compromising their mission? They took a vote. They chose mercy over self-preservation. They set their prisoners free. The vote said it was the humane thing to do. It was the American thing to do. But it sealed their fate because within hours, over a hundred Taliban forces arrived on the scene. They battled the four Navy SEALs throughout the surrounding hills. A rescue helicopter came, but it was shot down. By the time the sun set on June 28, 2005, it was one of the bloodiest days for American forces in Afghanistan.
19 brave, honorable men were lost that day. Marcus was the sole survivor. Alone, stranded, badly wounded, he limped and crawled for miles along that mountain side. What happened next is a testament to the words: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.” Marcus and his team showed mercy in letting their prisoners free. And later he was shown mercy by Afghan villagers who honored an ancient custom of providing hospitality to any stranger who would ask for it. They took him in. They cared for him, efused to hand him over to the Taliban. They got him back safely to our forces.
Marcus’ story teaches us that even on the worst battlefield against the most brutal enemy, we adhere to our principles. This American love of justice and mercy is what makes us a force for good in this world. Marcus is a testament to that
"So we discussed what was going on in Africa. And never, ever did I talk about, Well, gee, is it a country or is it a continent, I just don't know about this issue."
-- Fox interview with Greta Van Susteren, November 11, 2008
"I am a conservative Republican, a firm believer in free market capitalism. A free market system allows all parties to compete, which ensures the best and most competitive project emerges, and ensures a fair, democratic process."
Sarah Palin
“I didn’t believe the theory that human beings – thinking, loving beings – originated from fish that sprouted legs and crawled out of the sea. Or that human beings began as single-celled organisms that developed into monkeys who eventually swung down from the trees.”
--Going Rogue
Hall,
I realize you have only been here a week so I will be kind.
ZH is not a place for politics, we recognize it as the distraction that it is. Read ZH a bit longer before copying and pasting these diversionary statements from the fake political scene.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Dave." -- HAL 9000
Granted it is a poor analogy for us because we know the war on terror is as ridiculous ar the war on drugs. I don't think Beck is trying to do anything but point out that especially in the worst of times; things can only get better is if people use honesty and integrity as their guiding principles.
This is not about the two parties, but about the need to tear down the centralized government that is totally corrupt. In fact I take exception to Beck's ideal about freedom:
"they fought for its survival at Gettysburg"
Ahh- no, they fought to take away states rights at Gettsyburg. Slavery was ended by compensating owners for their property in other countries and it could have been ended the same way here. The civil war is when the states ceased being willing participants in this nation. That war never ended- it has been muted by the distractions of other wars and the mock battles between the two political parties that really just represent the power of Federal Government. The turning point was when the Federal Government sucessfully forced Yankee soldiers by means of the draft, (first time in our nation's history), those soldiers' honesty and integrity as their guiding principles was replaced by the greed and power that pervades Washington today.
We had a republic and we could not keep it. To those who know history; Lincoln was tantamount to Ceasar insofar as the death of willing republics and the building of the progressive centrallized dictatorships.
Lets just hope the next time a state (or states) want to secede; the government won't try to stop them with force; if it comes to it let's hope the soldiers' honesty and integrity wins out.
I'd change your name to AssHat.
High Unemployment Could Last 10 YearsAugust 28, 2010 - NY Times
JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — "The American economy could experience painfully slow growth and stubbornly high unemployment for a decade or longer as a result of the 2007 collapse of the housing market and the economic turmoil that followed, according to an authority on the history of financial crises."
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/business/economy/29fed.html?_r=1
The NY Times and Going Rogue?? Please consider your sources then realize they have no place here. Jeez, we get the worst posts on the weekends.
AF-lil rookie smackdown in order, you're doing fine. - Ned
Ah, another paste- never heard that one before.
Just drop the politics and the headlines we already know.
AssFire wrote:
"Ah, another paste- never heard that one before. Just drop the politics and the headlines we already know."
I lost the need to disparage others to validate my own existence, after my testicles descended. I would suggest you return when you have the same experience - In light of the imagery suggested by your avatar, I feel that might take a while.
"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
Plato (427 BC - 347 BC)
I don't think yours ever dropped.
About a week ago some a-hole started posting famous quotes and cliches and damn links to wikipedia, and then he started getting political; enough of your bullshit dude.
fools because they have to say something."
Plato would think your real asshole worse than a fool because you have nothing to say-
so you post other peoples shit!
All hail AssHat. Our self-appointed leader!
Please bless our posts all-knowing AssHat...please!
Naive. It will be VERY bloody. It HAS to be.
I would argue that none of these "titans of finance" (LMAO) actually understand ANY math - other than their own bank account balances. If they knew basic math and not all this fake BS - we wouldn't be in the mess.
Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not a fan of the Fed and a central banking system, but until there are iron-clad laws in place to keep the Nancy Pelosi's of the world restrained, there is NO WAY IN HELL I want Congress to be in charge of monetary policy in this country. Can you imagine what Cruella would have done if she'd been in charge?
You want to kill the Fed? Fine, but get the fix in place FIRST. Balanced budget amendment and term limits are a must.
Insofar as the Constitution makes any provision for the establishment of monetary policy, it gives such power to Congress.
US Constitution, Article 1, Section 8
The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;
To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;
To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;
To establish Post Offices and post Roads;
To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;
To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;
To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;
To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
To provide and maintain a Navy;
To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;--And
To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.
man holding 'impeach obama' sign in alaska is arrested.
http://theintelhub.com/2010/08/28/14632/
783 comments (and counting). As far as I remember that makes this the most commented-on ZH article ever.
I think just in the past few weeks another topic hit 900 or more.
*Edit - 1018 on How Hyperinflation Will Happen
Good article, but ultimately, wishful thinking as far as revolution is concerned.... Got to change the elite, huh? How do you do that in America? Vote Republican the next time around... then find out that nothing changes and the vote swings back to the Democrats? A two-party system with executive power vested in the hands of relatively few people who can get voted out after just 4 years will always primarily yield to the needs of those who have the biggest financial muscle. Your democracy needs to be more direct and there needs to be more fragmentation along ideologies. The representation of a diverse population like that of the USA cannot be packed into two big parties that merely distinguish themselves by how far right or left the average of their members is. By having more fragmentation, you have more checks and balances on the elite and a better representation of the common man.
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