PEERING INTO THE FUTURE

from Murph

Mankind has always tried to figure out what was going to happen next. We have an abundance of folk tales that talk about the success or failure of individuals making the claim they could accurately predict the future. We also have the non folk tales concerning this; Nostradamus, and a whole variety of channelers and those with some variation of the crystal ball. We have the very modern technological future prediction people also, in the form of statistical analysis and data collection like the time monks. My observations are that while some of the predictions appear to be true, most are not, and a very high percentage of the ones that turn out accurate are put into terminology that could fit a lot of events. Then we have the very few predictions that are specific and become a reality. There is always the question in my mind whether these predictions are the result of lucky guesses, or, from some form of knowledge most of us don’t seem to have, or, maybe they are just a whole lot smarter than the average bear, connecting the dots and coming to a conclusion that has only one outcome.

I have often commented that mankind throughout history has a very poor record of predicting the future; we seem to be thwarted in this endeavor by the caprice of the universe. There are far more surprises in store than accurately predicted outcomes.

John Michael Greer recently made an interesting comment on his site that has bearing on this. “Planning for the future becomes risky when, rather than starting from present realities and trying to figure out what can be done, it starts from a vision of a desirable future and tries to figure out how to get there”. Neither of these approaches has much to do with the actual predicting of a future event and then planning a response to it. However, upon examination of much of the written work around the future, I think that his statement has a lot of bearing on how we conduct ourselves in the present. Most of the doom and gloom stuff available to scare the pants off of us is an attempt to peer into the future. I talk to very few people that are enthusiastic about the current events shaping up around us, and view the future with some trepidation. Greer’s statement has more application than just attempting to side step the appearance of future events that are considered to be highly negative in nature.

My observations concerning most human activities seem to want to “start from a vision –and then figure out how to get there”. I think that all business models are of this kind. The problem with this model is unforeseen consequences. Despite all the planning and anticipation of variations of consequences of actions, there are always surprises. Then you are reduced to fighting fires of an immediate nature and are unable to proceed to the planned future goal. This I see is what has happened in our present situation, from the auto industries to the financial woes consuming the world. I suspect this is the result of not peering far enough into the future, but rather a very short sighted viewing, focused on the quarterly report rather than years into the future.

If we attempt to plan for the future by “starting from present realities and –figuring out what can be done”, we run into the problem of perceptions of just what the present realities really are. If your perceptions are not an accurate reflection of reality, you are going to make bad decision of what can be done. And boy, do the perceptions of the current ‘realities’ vary all over the place. The problem here is that only in hindsight can we with any reasonable accuracy say that we had the dots connected. An example is the resource depletion, particularly oil. If your perception is that we have another 100 yrs of plentiful oil, you are not likely to support any austerity and life style changes in its use advocated by those that perceive that we have reached Hubbert’s peak. Even those that advocate Hubbert’s peak admit that we can only see it in hind site because we do not have truly accurate information about the subject, that is, there is great question concerning the accuracy of the data on reserves and quantities of the stuff in the ground, and we also have the Russians declaring that there is a never ending supply because oil is not dependent on geological time.

I am currently going through Greer’s book, “The Long Descent” in which he has a substantial section he calls, ”The Stories We Tell Ourselves”. While the main thrust of this section is concerning modern civilizations penchant for looking at growth as good, it has much broader implications. We are constantly telling ourselves stories about who we are which of course influences what we decide to do. When we start examining these stories, we find that there is a large variance between different group’s stories. The stories about who we are from the Christian fundamentalists differs from the humanists stories, which differ from the scientific communities which differ from the political stories, right down to the individual perceptions and the stories that come out of that. If we ever had consensus about the stories, we sure seem to not have a consensus anymore, except perhaps on a very broad and generalized perception. As a culture, we simply cannot agree on a story. It then appears to me that we are not going to be able to agree on what to do as a culture. Thus we are experiencing a wide variety of solutions to problems and disagreeing on those solutions, often violently. We can’t even agree or obtain a consensus on the nature or significance of the problems. We do seem to have a fairly high amount of the population that agrees that we have an economic problem, but, we disagree on the nature of the problem, what caused it, and the solutions. Thus, “starting from present realities and trying to figure out what can be done” is nearly impossible.

No matter how honest, benign and dedicated to dealing with “the present realities” the political leadership is committed to, can a consensus ever be formed on the plan of action? Is there any action that does not contain the elements of oppression of dissent? What would it take to have a unanimous decision for action or even a 90% or even a 70% agreement? This is why fear is such a useful tool for politicians. Enough fear and you can get a super majority to go along with whatever you want. Will this new administration find it necessary to do what Bush and crew have done; use fear to get a direction for an agenda? Will the new administration have anywhere near an accurate appraisal of “the present realities” on which to base proposals for actions? And, if they have an accurate appraisal of present realities, will they be able to convince a vast majority of its accuracy and the subsequent action? No matter what is decided, someone is going to get hurt by it, and if enough get hurt, there will be violent opposition. I suspect it is an impossible situation with no real and satisfactory solution.

As a personal experiment, sit down and catalogue the stories you are exposed to and the ones you hold dear and believe in. Then do a critique of them, a devils advocate sort of thing. Anything change? Have a few doubts about those you hold close? How do the stories you don’t believe contradict the ones you believe in? What holds a grain of truth as you see it and what appears as total fabrication? Are your perceptions skewed by the stories? I find most people latch onto a story and defend it come hell or high water, regardless of the other stories circulating in their heads. I think it is a good idea to periodically sit down and examine our most cherished beliefs and try to objectively examine if they appear to be consistent with reality. Changing a stance on anything is not a sin. What is questionable is a lack of integrity, honesty and a good hard reality check.

How many people have you come across that will voluntarily give up much of what they have to better the situation of a larger group? On a population level, it is a very small minority, very idealistic and committed. I do see this happening in very small groups, like religious orders, but the general attitude of the general population have harsh restrictions on what they are willing to give up for the perceived common good. I have yet to hear about a billionaire impoverishing themselves for the general good. Even in the upper middle class, charitable donations have fallen off drastically in order to preserve a life style. And this is done at the recognition that the U.S. has one of the higher impoverishment populations of the industrial world. This is a readily observable problem, and yet there is no solid agreement on the causation or solution.

I think that the problems that we are experiencing presently have no viable solutions. We have allowed the present situation to develop over a long period of time and it sure appears to me that a whole different way of organizing how groups of people are going to live together has to be changed, that is, the crash of western civilization. But, then again, that is my perception of “the present realities”. I often agonize over whether my perceptions are of reality or just another story I am operating under.

I do think it is important for individuals to be aware of the stories they are buying into and realize that they may have absolutely no bearing or relationship to reality. This is a real problem for people living in complex societies. We simply cannot in a lifetime absorb and integrate all or even enough information to accurately assess reality. We may very well understand small pieces, but the big picture is always going to be cloudy. I think it is helpful and instructive to listen to those that claim an understanding of some piece, but still realizing it is a story that may or may not be true. I rather suspect that the future of the human race may very well rest on how well we determine the relationship of the stories to reality.

Heck of a Week, Wallstreet!

freeacre

Looking back over the last week, one can not help but notice that despite frantic efforts to shore up the economy by political leaders, bankers and pundits, the economy continues to take on water like a super-tanker stuck on a reef spilling its toxic load and poisoning all that it touches. As the world continues to deteriorate, the words of the Deteriorata come to mind from National Lampoon’s musical “metaphysical” counsel from years ago:

“You are a fluke
Of the universe.
You have no right to be here.....
Deteriorata! Deteriorata!

Go placidly
Amid the noise and waste.
And remember what comfort there may be
In owning a piece thereof.

Avoid quiet and passive persons
Unless you are in need of sleep.

Ro-tate your tires.

Speak glowingly of those greater than yourself
And heed well their advice,
Even though they be turkeys.

Know what to kiss.....and when!

Consider that two wrongs never make a right
But that THREE.........do.

Wherever possible, put people on hold.

Be comforted that in the face of all aridity and disillusionment
And despite the changing fortunes of time,
There is always a big future in computer main-te-nance.

Chorus

You are a fluke
Of the universe.
You have no right to be here.
And whether you can hear it or not
The universe is laughing behind your back.

Remember the Pueblo.

Strive at all times to bend, fold, spindle and mu-ti-late.

Know yourself.
If you need help, call the FBI.

Exercise caution in your daily affairs,
Especially with those persons closest to you.
That lemon on your left, for instance.

Be assured that a walk through the ocean of most souls
Would scarcely get your feet wet.

Fall not in love therefore;
It will stick to your face.

Gracefully surrender the things of youth:
The birds, clean air, tuna, Taiwan
And let not the sands of time
Get in your lunch.

Hire people with hooks.

For a good time call 606-4311;
Ask for "Ken."

Take heart amid the deepening gloom
That your dog is finally getting enough cheese.

And reflect that whatever misfortune may be your lot
It could only be worse in Milwaukee.

Chorus

You are a fluke
Of the universe.
You have no right to be here.
And whether you can hear it or not
The universe is laughing behind your back.

Therefore, make peace with your god
Whatever you conceive him to be---
Hairy thunderer, or cosmic muffin.

With all its hopes, dreams, promises and urban renewal
The world continues to deteriorate.

GIVE UP!

Reprise

You are a fluke
Of the universe.
You have no right to be here.
And whether you can hear it or not
The universe is laughing behind your back.”

There you go, Mr. Paulson, Mr. Bernanke, Mr. Bush, et al, feel better? The stock markets are crashing all over the world, central banks are printing money like mad, retailers are freaking because consumers are not planning to buy much for Christmas. It seems the story being told is not “The Night Before Christmas,” but the one about killing the goose that laid the golden egg. “Heck of a job, Wallstreet!” You have left no dollars on the table. You sucked every dime out of every person and source possible, then leveraged it a bunch of times, re-sold it over and over, and now this monstrous financial creature awakens … to attack the whole world. The mortgage and credit card holders do not have any more money to spend. The Asian markets and the Western Markets look like Mothra vs Godzilla. Men in suits are looking up in horror at the electric ticker tape and running down the street in droves. I can hardly wait for the “End the Fed” demonstrations tomorrow. I don’t know whether to break out the popcorn or the ammo.

Congress just authorized the national debt to go from one trillion to two trillion in a matter of weeks. Militia men speaking before congress in C-SPAN and U-Tube told our dear leaders that debt servitude, rendition, torture, and the erosion of our inalienable rights are not acceptable. It looked like all the blood drained out of the face of Sen. Thompson in the background as he sat there looking incredibly grim.

Nine huge ships filled with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of oil and grain were hijacked and ransomed by pirates. What? PIRATES? Raggedy, half-starved looking Somalian pirates off the coast of Africa, for gods sake, taking over tankers three times bigger than an aircraft carrier?? In the face of the combined navies of the world, is that nuts or what? What the f**k is going on here?

How about that clip on Huffington Post and several other sites showing the G20 leaders all shaking hands with everyone except George Bush? Whoa! There’s a national humiliation.

Clueless Detroit automakers were not granted more billions of tax payers’ money despite their lame pleas. They should be getting it from the oil companies that have profited all this time from their gas guzzlers, not us. And, now the rumor is that the Chinese are thinking about buying General Motors and Chrysler!! Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!!!! Excuse me while my head explodes…

Meanwhile, poor President-elect Barack Obama is steadfastly going ahead and putting together his new cabinet that supposedly will be up to dealing with this complete clusterfuck. All I can say is “good luck.”

Oh, and “Happy Thanksgiving!”

---

How Will You Spend YourTime?

freeacre

“Some things are worth believing in whether they are true or not.” So said Robert Duvall in “Second Hand Lions” regarding a speech he gives to young men about How to be a Man. He was talking about courage, loyalty, true love. It’s all about defining yourself, choosing your values, and deciding what makes a life worth living.

I’m waxing philosophical right now because a lot of things are coming together at once for me. For openers, I am reading both James Howard Kunstler’s “The Long Emergency” and John Michael Greer’s “The Druidry Handbook.” Both of these books with the backdrop of LATOC’s daily Breaking News financial and resource depletion horror stories and Survival Acres lamenting the demise of the planet and the ability of much of the populace to respond. (Their thought processes apparently restricted by the tightness of the anal sphincters around their necks.) He concludes that it doesn’t matter anyway because the climate change tipping points have already been reached, there is nothing we can do, and we, the fish in the ocean, and all but maybe sea slime are going to die off.

I quote him from one of his recent missives:

“A divided and bankrupt nation. A world running out of energy and food resources. A depleted environment. Oceans heating up and aquifers collapsing. Icecaps and glaciers melting rapidly. Energy demands skyrocketing. Massive ignorance and denial. Fascist and socialist policies and practices to herd the population. Resource wars and jockeying for energy around the world. Political and ignorant leadership still calling for failed policies and practices, including bio-fuels and dangerous technologies. Scientific reticence from experts who know better. Promises of a technofix solution with technologies that don’t even exist or are entirely unproven. Business as usual models in finance, industry, agriculture, mining, deforestation, shipping and on and on.

I could go on, but I don’t feel like it. In fact, I don’t really know why I’m bothering at all anymore, because I realize the futility of trying to change anything (and I’m not the Messiah). Nobody is going to change anything, and I mean nobody. We’re on this headlong train that already plunged off this very, very high cliff and we are going to crash with a sickening thud. Period.”

Admin has his dark days, as we all do. But, I am not so sure that things are set in stone. I distinctly remember when I lived in Tahoe and the area suffered a five year drought. The experts all reported glumly that it would take a minimum of five years of sustained higher than average rainfall if Lake Tahoe was ever to fill back up. The next year it rained like a son-of-a-bitch and the lake reached its brim in a few months.

But, for the sake of argument, let’s say that it is so.

We recently watched the movie “Iron Man.” It stars Robert Downey, Jr., an actor who, much like the planet, seems to have great resiliency. Anyway, in the movie, there is a scene where it looks as if all is lost. He says to his trusty assistant, “What does it matter? I’ll be dead in a week.” The assistant counters, “Well, then, this is an important week, isn’t it? How will you spend it?”

Hence, my search for a new religion, or philosophy if you will, to help me to deal with all this apparent chaos and collapse. For some reason I seem to have always been one to explore differing religions and philosophies. I was born to parents one of whom was a former Catholic and the other a Lutheran. I was raised Lutheran, but the entire time I attended Lutheran confirmation classes, I wanted to be a Jew. To this day, I feel sorrow for the young assistant pastor who had to deal with my unending challenges to everything he was trying to teach me. About a month after I was confirmed, I wrote a letter to the Church announcing that I would never darken the door of another Lutheran church due to them refusing to allow a black family to enter for Sunday services. It was at the height of the Civil Rights movement, and it was a great failure of my church at that time to adhere to what I considered to be Christian principles.

After that, I came across a Theosophy book at the library called “Some Glimpses of Occultism” by C.W. Ledbetter that got me rolling on metaphysics. I was fifteen. My parents, as well, began their own search and settled on a challenging form of Hindu thought called Radha Saomi, and became devotees of the Maharisha Saran Sing Ji. We became vegetarians and meditators in the land of Swedes, Pollacks... err, Poles, and the local Michigan militias.

After several years, I pretty much gave up on the Hindu practice, and went on to study existentialism and the Buddhism of Alan Watts and the Beat Generation. Then, on to the Dali Lama and Tibetan Buddhism. But, in California, I discovered the metaphysical Church of Religious Science, and found a spiritual “home.” After five years of study I became a Science of Mind practitioner. I served in that capacity at the Carson City Church of Religious Science for twelve years. But, that new age philosophy encourages one to read and grow and I began to incorporate The Feminine Face of God teachings into my own spiritual perspective. Eventually, I joined a women’s spiritual drumming/meditation circle and incorporated a lot of Native American traditions. I was with the circle for eight years before moving to Oregon. Since then, I have not hooked up with any official group.

So, with this ridiculously diverse spiritual background, why in the world would I be looking for yet another religion? Because I think we need one. We need to synthesize the best teachings of the others and root them in a planetary base. We need to cultivate a reverence for Gaia, Our Great Mother, The Earth. It’s going to take more than Al Gore and T. Boone Pickens or British Petroleum or wind mills to give people the strength and the motivation that will sustain us through the coming end times of financial and planetary systems collapse.

I want to be inspired. I want to see the sacred in all natural beauty. I want to be devoted. I want art and music and rituals that give me goose bumps. I want to crawl into the lap of the Great Mother and be comforted. When I die or when my loved ones die, I want to believe that they are welcomed into the loving embrace of our Mother, the Earth. Well, actually, I already do believe that. Is it true? I don’t know. But, for me, it is worth believing in. If something else works for you, believe in that. But, if we are to change the paradigm, our belief system must exhort us to live in harmony with nature. Of course, the Wiccan and American Indian traditions are centered in the sacred fabric of nature as well. If this line of thought catches on, it might pull some of the American (or Islamic) fundamentalist recruits from the line-up for Armageddon. That would be a plus.

So, when some pundit predicts in dire tones that our income might be reduced by twenty five percent, I’d like people to not panic. After all, I am living on about half of what I used to, and I am feeling pretty good. And, the more I get right with the natural world, the better I feel. So the next generation might be “reduced” to living in tents and dancing around campfires. It sounds good to me.

Trying to maintain this moribund culture is like fishing in the same spot just because somebody caught a fish there a hundred or a thousand years ago. Somebody needs to tell you, “Look, Dumbass, you have to move to where the fish are now, or you are going starve.”

I’m only a few pages into the book on Druidry. But what appeals to me is that it seems to be in the process of creation. While it honors many traditions from the past, it looks toward the future with eyes wide open exploring our contemporary relationship with the life forces of this wondrous planetary system in which we live. We are not cast out of the garden. We are a part of the garden. And, it’s our sacred duty to figure out how to be in harmony and nurture it. In Druidry, one is encouraged to plant trees, learn traditional skills, study ecological systems, make medicine, write poems, and play music as part of one’s spiritual practice. I am not trying to jam it down your throat, but I think it is a healthy response to the situation we are in. Worth looking into at any rate.

We have been out of touch with the earth for so long that we don’t have any idea what is possible. A friend of mine recently told me about black earth that has been discovered in traditional Mayan lands that was created thousands of years ago by pre-history people that is capable of growing incredible food crops. Who knows what secrets may be revealed if we start looking to the natural world instead of the man-made one for our salvation. Maybe there are ways to heal the mess we have made.

I look at Paulson and Bernanke and Wall Street and the G7, and the whole sink hole of our culture of debt and decline and all I see are dead men walking. This truly may be The End of the World As We Know It. Maybe it is time it was kicked to the curb.

Perhaps it is time to honor the North. Time of winter. Time to contract, evaluate, for some to die, for others to ponder what to keep and what to throw away. Time to make wise decisions for the Spring that will follow. For a lot of us, this may, indeed, be the last of our seasons. For others, it may be a beginning. Either way, these days are important.

How do you want to spend them?

WATCH FOR THE SHIT COMING AT YOU

WATCH FOR THE SHIT COMING AT YOU

This morning I got in my email such a stupid piece of shit I couldn’t believe it. I’m in a bit of a rage over it. This complete fabrication of reality comes from rather obviously a rabid, crazy, stupid, extremist, right wing influence peddling group ;

AmeriPAC info@conservativeactionalertsupdates.com and is reprinted below.

Democrats Wreck Bull Market

Biden Refuses To Answer Wealth Redistribution-Marxist Questions

"When I think about things when the lights are out and I'm tossing and turning in bed, it's how do we make sure we fulfill the commitments to the American people that we've made throughout this campaign." – President Elec. Barrack Obama

At the end of 2002, shareholder wealth stood at $10.075 trillion. After cutting the capital gains tax from 20% to 15% and the dividends tax from 38.1% to 15%, shareholder wealth grew all the way to a peak of $17.294 trillion in 2007. Estimates now put shareholder wealth at about $12 trillion.

OK, assuming the figures are correct, all of the attributes for the fall of this market was in place before the Dems took control of the congress. And, they voted with the white house demands almost completely. Plus, Obama is not yet president. He can’t control anything yet.

So, when the Republican Congress cut investor tax rates, $7 trillion of shareholder wealth was created—a gain of 70 percent. When Pelosi, Reid, and Obama took over, $5 trillion of shareholder wealth was lost—a decline of 30%.

It is questionable that the tax cut created the $7 trillion in wealth for shareholders. What did happen is that due to the 25-40 asset multiplier factor in banking, debt was increased by $7 trillion which through creative accounting was shown as assets.

If you want your 401(k) or other retirement plans to grow, your best bet is a Republican Congress that will cut nest egg tax rates and keep them low. When Democrats are in charge, markets price in expected tax increases.

What are they talking about? The cuts in retirement vehicles has taken place by robbing these vehicles to gain liquidity. Has nothing to do with the Dems other than they voted for all the Bush policies. Maybe indeed the dems will raise taxes. Now let’s see, just who will that effect? Sure not the lower 50% in incomes. Ahhh, those poor people with the $200+ K income per year. I’m sure they will become destitute.

Obama needs to redistribute YOUR wealth to honor his Campaign Promises

Just whose wealth is going to get redistributed? It sure as hell isn’t mine and the large majority of the lower 50% of the economic part of the population.

The public outcry of real Americans like you and Joe the Plumber is finally getting some light shed on Mr. Obama's wealth redistribution agenda supported by Socialist Democrats in Congress. The corrupt media can't hide it any longer. The plan is to bring an end to the America we know and love; to bring an end to freedom and liberty.

Socialist Democrats? Bull shit. You might want to call it egalitarianism but socialism, again bull shit. Hell, the biggest surge in socialism has taken place under Bush and policies and every since Reagan. Capitalize profit earnings, socialize loses, that is, the state puts the loses onto the general population. Government ownership in private corporations? That is called Socialism and what the current administration is doing with a vengeance.

They want total control of what you see, hear, think, and do. They will stop at nothing. NOW, they are aiming at your 401k and other retirement plans and they are going for the kill.

And just what in hell has the Repugs been doing? Control of the media is their expertise a-la Karl Rove.

Democrats Target Your 401k Retirement Plan with Taxes

Yes that's right, Liberals in government want to seize these assets for their own. Can you hear them laughing. Just look at what James Pethokoukis, the money and politics blogger for U.S. News & World Report has said:

In place of 401(k) plans, she would have workers transfer their dough into government-created "guaranteed retirement accounts" for every worker. The government would deposit $600 (inflation indexed) every year into the GRAs. Each worker would also have to save 5 percent of pay into the accounts, to which the government would pay a measly 3 percent return. Rep. Jim McDermott, a Democrat from Washington and chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee's Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support, said that since "the savings rate isn't going up for the investment of $80 billion [in 401(k) tax breaks], we have to start to think about whether or not we want to continue to invest that $80 billion for a policy that's not generating what we now say it should."

And just what has the Repugs suggested for Social Security. Privatization, because the government has spent all of social security on wars and pork and substituted IOU’s. So let’s give control of your taxes in SS to the stock market. And take a look at what those investment vehicles for retirement consist of primarily. Notice how the majority is invested in a workers company stock, and the bubble economy that took a nose dive. Those accounts have been only numbers on a spread sheet for a long time and do not represent real wealth at all. Remember the Enron and World Com bubbles and the people burned by having company stock in their 401K’s? So indeed lets just all jump into the stock market in one form or another and see how much money is left over for retirement. All of the figures I have seen concerning the long term stock market gains for individual investors has been below inflation rate. Yes, some do gain handsomely. Most lose their asses. But talk to a few people that were depending on those investments for retirement. If you retired in a down market, you are screwed.

The Democratic plan is to SIEZE your 401k and take $80 billion that is currently the property of American citizens. Effectively, this plan will end all of the incentives that the majority of Americans not only enjoy but rely on. I am sure you or someone you know takes advantage of their employer matching their 401k contribution. Under the iron fist of the Democratic empire your employer would no longer receive a tax benefit for matching your contribution, so they won't do it. And you will lose half of your retirement contributions. And don't forget, that you will lose your tax breaks from the 401k plan also, so you'd be paying the government to let you retire. Sounds like fun?

Hell, we already pay the government to retire. I sure had to pay taxes on my 401K and that was during Bushes administration. And, notice that they don’t mention vestment. At the rate jobs are moved around, it’s amazing that anyone get 100% vestment. In today’s economy, the $80 billion they mention is a drop in the bucket compared to the $50 trillion in debt we have. Corporations have been cutting employee benefits as fast as they can, increases the bottom line you know. And notice that as unemployment figures have gone up in the last 30 years or so, stocks go up. Hey, anything here that looks funny to you? One thing for sure, the right wing does not advocate for full employment. In fact, back in the day of Greenspan, he publicly said that a rate of 4 ½% unemployment was necessary for a healthy economy. Now why would that be?

Don't let the tyrannical rule of socialists take hold, put a stop to the unholy trinity of the Democrat controlled Senate and House and potential president Obama. Do not let Barrack Obama bring an end to this great country!

And just how in hell would this be stopped? By donating money to this bunch of sleazy ass holes as is below. Now there is a real solution.

We need your help and your donations to win the fight for truth. Send this email to everyone you know and have this video viewed.

Mr. Obama has always been against an individuals' right to control and spend their own savings. He has a narrow, selfish and myopic view of the world we live in and the idea that he can tax whatever he wants to whenever he wants to.

And of course narrow, selfish and myopic views of the world is a characteristic only of the Dems. Sheeesh!

SELECT HERE Stop the Socialist Wealth Redistribution Agenda!
https://secure.responseenterprises.com/ameripac/?a=1874

In 1981, President Reagan, a GOP Senate, and a working majority in the House pushed through cuts in the capital gains, dividends, and corporate tax rates. Shareholder wealth grew from $1.3 trillion at the beginning of 1981 to $3.4 trillion at the end of 1989.

And again, who controlled most of the shareholder wealth, just once more let me know.

In 1994, Republicans took over both Houses of Congress. Government spending restraint and a capital gains tax cut followed. Shareholder wealth grew from $5.7 trillion at the end of 1994 to $15.4 trillion at the end of 2000.

Spending restraint? What the hell are they talking about? They evidently took out the Clinton administration in that paragraph. Sigh.

In 2001, Democrats took the Senate when Jim Jeffords switched parties. Shareholder wealth fell from $15.4 trillion at the end of 2000 to $10 trillion at the end of 2002—a nosedive of 50%.

Now just how in hell did a majority of one in the Senate accomplish that? Please tell me how. Especially when both the house and senate were rubber stamping everything the white house asked for with almost no opposition. And of course 9-11 had absolutely nothing to do with this. No explanation of why this is a world wide problem either, not just U.S. My fingers are starting to cramp into fists.

In the 2002 elections, Republicans won back control of the Senate. In 2003, the capital gains tax was cut from 20% to 15%, and the dividends tax was cut from 38.1% to 15%. In 2004, they expanded their majorities in the House and Senate. Shareholder wealth grew from $10 trillion at the end of 2002 to $17 trillion at the end of 2006.

Again, just who was it that controlled all this paper wealth? I think this was called an economic bubble for which we are paying today.

In the 2006 elections, Democrats took control of both sides of Capitol Hill. Shareholder wealth fell from $17 trillion to about $12 trillion today. Markets have priced in an anticipated capital gains and dividends tax hike.

Oh really? Anticipation indeed. Notice that the tax hike did not take place and the market is still in free fall. I also notice that nothing was said about during the 50’s when corporate taxes were much higher and the stock market was going up. Of course, back then stocks were mostly valued in real wealth of the company, not shyster accounting schemes as is today. And, still no explanation of why this economic slide down is world wide, not just in U.S.

The lesson is clear—Republican majorities in Congress create new tax cuts on shareholder wealth, and prevent tax hikes on shareholder wealth. This creates an environment where shareholder wealth goes up over time. Democrat majorities threaten shareholder wealth, and markets price in anticipated tax hikes.

The Obama-Biden campaign refused to answer real questions about the economy, tax increases and where the money would come to spend. They are unqualified and worried they cannot deliver on economic promises with their views and policies, and avoiding the real truth.

The media will continue to follow Obama the prince of spin down the economic road of ruin. We need you to see and hear the truth about an Obama economy. We need your help to keep the Democrats out of your 401K's and other assets and mindlessly print, collect and spend your tax dollars.

Since 1980, AmeriPAC has helped fund and elect a large number of candidates to public office

Tell us you agree that our nation would be jeopardized by the radical changes being advocated by Barack Obama and his far left friends. Send your contribution to help defeat Barack Obama and his leftist friends and restore the Republican majority in Congress in the upcoming November election.

It is time to say we the American people will stop this money grab agenda.

Your voice can be heard - we need your urgent help at AmeriPAC

Your maximum possible gift of $5,000 would help us enormously.

Even smaller donations are going to help.

Do anything you can to give us the ammunition we need to fight for our economic rights.

Any amount - $1000, $500, $250, or even $100 will help restore freedom thinking individuals to the U.S House and Senate in the next Congressional election. It's time we stood up and said enough is enough! Please join us with your AmeriPAC donation TODAY. Thank you.

SELECT HERE Stop the Socialist Wealth Redistribution Agenda!
https://secure.responseenterprises.com/ameripac/?a=1874

For more information, visit www.AmeriPAC.org


Defend America,

Alan Gottlieb
AmeriPAC
President and Founder
www.AmeriPAC.org

Please make checks payable to AmeriPAC:

American Political Action Committee (AmeriPAC)
PO Box 1682
Dept Code 1874
Bellevue, WA 98009-1682

Those of you who have been coming to this site for any length of time know that I am radically opposed to both the corporatist parties; I couldn’t be paid to support either one. Both are headed up by a plethora of liars, thieves and power hungry assholes. I do hope when you all read this article you are able to pick out the utter bull shit it contains. To blame the Dems for the Bear market is one of the most absurd things I have seen so far. Freeacre and I had commented to each other just after the election that now the blame game begins and the Repugs are going to heap on the Dems great finger pointing and name calling and blame everything negative on them. They flat out are NOT going to take ANY responsibility for their part of the mess. The fact that I know with absolute certainty that this kind of propaganda is going to sit very well with a large amount of the population, can only reinforce the view that the general population is made up of idiots. I’d sure like to see a plan to keep that kind of idiocy completely away from the voting booths. I sure would be surprised to see that the general population rejected this bull shit.

Evidently the authors of this bit of trash also feel it is just dandy for the economy to completely focus the country’s wealth into the least hands that it can. The article doesn’t bother to point out just who had all of this wealth that they are so proud of, nor how it was generated, nor in what form it was (all paper assets), nor that the Dems gave Bush everything that he wanted during the downslide. They also haven’t explained the Obama appointments to various posts that are the old guard that the Repugs have used for years.

I expect to see the right wing ideologs putting more and more of this kind of crap out into the population. I would even suppose that there are those putting it out that actually believe it. Talk about creating division in the population. Yeh right, lets all pull together now, cross ideological lines and sing Kum-By-Ah, in 5 part harmony of course.

By the way, inserting that article seemed to completely tear up the formatting of this post. Please excuse as all my efforts to straighten it out fell short.

POKING THE HORNETS NEST

from Murph

Oh dear, we have had the hornets nest poked with a stick? Lol.

The last post has gotten up to the 55 comments which begins to become a bit clumsy. So, to continue the current discussion and still leave open comments on the election today, I am offering some comments on the last post. I find the last post comments to be stimulating and hope that continues.

For Rockpicker and Truthseeker’s latest comments on energy production. I will offer these comments.

Unless I am not understanding the implications, all of the over unity systems I have read about, they are to produce electricity. I for one, cannot dispute the validity of the claims. I don’t have the facilities, time or money to explore and either dispute or validate the claims. To be honest about it, I would love to be able to. However, if it is true that we are running out of carbon resources, (oil, coal, gas), regardless of how we produce electricity, the impact on society will be enormous. If we remove cheap readily available oil, then we also remove all plastic technology, most of food production methodology, most metals production, and a host of other means of satisfying our complex modern civilization’s needs. Production of electricity will not replace that part of our living infrastructure. I doubt that there would be areas of transportation where electricity could be substituted either, ships and planes for starters.

My next question is how much other energy sources, oil and gas in particular; would it take to change over to a new method of electrical production and utilization? I would submit that to do so would use a huge amount of however much is left to exploit which means that other uses would have to be sacrificed. Then the question becomes what we will do without while we make the change over, even if we stipulate that there is enough left to accomplish it, and that there is sufficient time left.

Personally, I would like to see a better method of producing electricity than we have now. But I don’t think it would solve very many of our current problems in the future resulting from resource depletion, especially in the realm of energy. Kunstler’s book, The Long Emergency has some things to say on this subject. It may very well be true that there is no immediate lack of energy and the scare tactics concerning peak oil is a hype job. There may be actual validity to the Russian contention that oil is produced by the earth’s core. I read much on the arguments concerning oil, its formation and extraction. We either believe that this earth has limited resources or that it has inexhaustible resources as a basic premise, and a premise it is since we are unable to prove either side except in hindsight. If the future shows that resources (particularly oil) are inexhaustible, then I would contend that we have misused them incredibly. If they are limited, we have followed a fool’s path. In my quest for data on oil, it appears to me that the data I have seen is pretty solid with a margin for error. I do think that oil is a non renewable resource, (at least in terms of mankind’s lifespan) and I think that oil in particular, will become too expensive in terms of energy expenditure to extract. That is, using a barrel of oil to extract a barrel of oil is a zero result game. It also appears to me that new pools of energy discovery has also hit a zenith. I am very reluctant to bet that this is not so.

Personally, I am very reluctant to bow down to the concept that technology will save modern civilization, even if there was a will to actually do so. We have had the technology to avoid what appears to be happening currently, and it was not utilized. From the simple Pogue carburetor in the 40’s right up to the present. As the comments observed, there have been many technological innovations that were smothered by those that stood to lose by their utilization. I rather suspect we can expect more of the same until this whole system collapses. If/when that happens, it may be way too late to utilize these innovations. Our whole system is driven by profits and growth. Until that changes, anything that threatens the big boys power and wealth generation will be suppressed. . It sure appears to me that technology is what has gotten us into the current situation. I do not expect it to get us out of it.

John Michael Greer is an interesting personality. I have been following him for some time. I could not contradict that he sure enough appears to be an intellectual, arrogant snob. That does not make him either right or wrong in his arguments. He has taken a swipe or two at me when I have put up comments on his blog. A long time ago I also had that accusation thrown at me by a man I considered having a fence post mentality.

It seems obvious to me that Greer spends an enormous amount of time reading and studying a very wide range of materials. Again, that alone does not either validate or invalidate his conclusions. I have spent a fairly large chunk of my life around similar personalities. I found them stimulating, irritating, occasionally infuriating, and often enough proved right. Consequently, I read Greer for his nuggets of perception and not to either reject or become a disciple of his thoughts. We have on this blog people with great passion for one or another position on a great many subjects. We do not have crystal balls to peer into the future; we have only current and past data with which we make conjecture about the future.

I agree with Ras and her comments about finding a virtually free (or very cheap) source of electrical energy, or any energy source for that matter. Unless the system of endless growth and profits is changed, we will make this planet uninhabitable sometime in the future. That is, unless we want to contend that human kind can exist separate from the environment. But, at this time, living in a moon type of environment is not my idea of a way to live and I suspect that it wouldn’t work anyway despite the science fiction ideas around that. I further suspect that genetically there is a limit to human adaptability to a radically different environment, regardless of being able to create an artificial environment as a temporary expediency, like living on the moon or Mars. Besides, there is some sparse evidence around that says that the moon and Mars were once inhabited. If this is an actuality of the past, we can then conclude one of two things. Either those inhabiting other planets in our solar system were completely different than humans, or, the ecology/environment of those planets has changed dramatically. For me, I spend little time on that speculation. We got enough serious problems on our own rock ball to contend with.