Everyone keeps talking about how bad things are in the economy. They talk about slumping sales, they talk about how consumer confidence is at an all time low, they say no one is buying cars, no one wants to buy a house, I even heard that porn sales are down. But I am here to tell you that things are not nearly as bad as people are making out to seem. Apparently these economists have not heard about the abundance of high quality, free porn on the internet. Anyway if these so called experts are wrong about porn, what else are they wrong about. Well I am here to fill you in on what is really going on out there. So hold on, strap in and lets get this party rolling.
The other day I was listening to the news and I heard an expert say with a sigh "well I guess Americans will just have to live at their means.". I heard this and I screamed Eureka (if only I was in a bathtub)!! I got it. I figured out what had happened. Those SOBs. You know what they did, they tricked us. They gave us access to easy credit and sold us a ton of shiny goods. We never stood a chance, all the promises of buy now pay later. Dont worry about the future, just keep consuming. Its all good, you have been preapproved, no payments for 12 months. Just keep buying dont worry you can always open up another line of credit. Before we knew it we were out spending money we didnt have and getting ourselves deeper into debt. Hey, they even told us to refinance our homes and pull out the equity and buy jet skis. How could we say no. We couldnt, not with the mounds of cash being layed at our feet. And what did this do? What was the result of this? Gourment specialty stores, electronic megaliths and so many freaking Starbucks, I thought Juan Valdez had become president. Now we are saying, enough is enough. We are tired of having 20 grand in credit card debt and not being able to pay it off. What do you say to the guy who owes 450,000 on a house worth half that? Well at least you have a nice TV, it will look great in your apartment?
What do I think? I think this disappearing credit is good for America. If it means that 300 Starbucks have to close, so that we can get out of debt then so be it. I think the coffee at the corner gas station is still better then that frufru coffee they sell and its 1\4 the cost. I heard Circuit City was going out of business, you know what I said? I said Good!! Now I can get a cheap TV. These vampires who have been bankrupting America one flat screen at a time are now in trouble and they want us to feel bad. Oh boo hoo poor big corporation. I think its a great time to be a consumer, I mean everything is on sale. They couldn't sell water in the desert right now. Everywhere I go I see sales signs. What a great time to be a consumer. You want a car, shit the dealer will come to your house every week and wash your car for you. Now thats what I call consumerism. When Linens and Things went belly up last fall, I swooped in an outfitted my next 5 kitchens for pennies on the dollar. Oh yeah!! They say its bad, I say its a great time to be a buyer. Finally its a buyers market... Hooray!!
Look, it was unrealistic to assume that our economy would continue to grow and to never shrink, but that is exactly how our economy was engineered. As long as we kept consuming at a feverish pace everything would be ok, but you know what thats impossible. Even an alcoholic will take a day off every few years. And thats what happened, and whether it was the booze that disappeared (loose credit) or us who no longer had an appetitte, the result was the same. Economic collapse. To be honest it is not that bad, this is natural. Our economy had grown too large due to greed. Greed on our part to get the things we couldn't afford, and greed on the lenders who saw a potential for a buck, to greed on the huge super stores who hawked their goods. But now, we are all paying the price. Americans are deep in debt, banks are failing and stores are going out of business, but its OK because soon things will settle back down again. Consider this our 25 year hangover. We need the economy to shrink, it was too big. It had become unsustainable. The Fed can try everything raise interest rates, print more money, bankrupt America, destroy you, eat your children (sorry got away from me for a second) eventually this house of cards was going to come tumbling down.
So what does this mean? It means that things are good then they are bad then they are good again. Things happen in cycles. Or even more accurate, whats good for one, is bad for another. Today, is our day, the day of the consumer. All this negative talk does is to scare people into not buying. I say harrumph to that. Go out and spend. Buy stuff, its really cheap now and very affordable, but please dont get in over your head. Lets be smart about this and lets take advantage of the lowered prices and abundance of goods. Remember its a buyers market right now, and I dont know how long it will last so, I guess what I am saying is to go out and stock up and buy stuff on the cheap, and take advantage of the sales and get that green sweater you have been eyeballing. Cause remember just because its a buyers market today doesnt mean that it will be that way for long.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
If Jefferson were Here
When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth the separate & equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's god entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain inherent and inalienable rights; that among these rights are life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness: that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, & to institute new government, laying it's foundation on such principles, & organising it's powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety & happiness. Prudence indeed will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light & transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses & usurpations pursuing invariable the same object, envinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism it is their right, it is their duty to throw off such government, & to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these States; & such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present government is a history of repeated injuries & usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over the States. To prove this let facts be submitted to a candid world:
We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain inherent and inalienable rights; that among these rights are life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness: that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, & to institute new government, laying it's foundation on such principles, & organising it's powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety & happiness. Prudence indeed will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light & transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses & usurpations pursuing invariable the same object, envinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism it is their right, it is their duty to throw off such government, & to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these States; & such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present government is a history of repeated injuries & usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over the States. To prove this let facts be submitted to a candid world:
They have suspended our most fundamental laws, including, but not limited to, habeas corpus,right to trial by jury, & right to question your accuser or form a defense
They have colluded with bankers and money manipulators to deprive us of our wealth through the deception of inflation
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Government, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
We, therefore, the People of the united States of America, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of this Country, solemnly publish and declare, That these united States are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the Current Federal Government, and that all political connection between them and the Ferderal Government, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
A day that will live in infamy
Today our House of Representatives voted for the bailout of Wall Street. They had previously rejected it on Monday. The Senate took the bill added an additional 150 billion in earmarks, passed it, and sent it back to the House. The polls showed public opinion at an amazing 50-1 in opposition to this bill, yet it still passed! When the Founders of this country declared independence from England, they stated why they had to break away in a list of grievances. Some things written in this declaration are strikingly relevant today. Among the grievances listed were:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
We are all going to experience the loss of purchasing power through inflation. That is a hidden tax that we all pay and we pay it for the benefit of the banks. Most don't understand how it happens, and if they did, would not consent. In 2006 Congress passed the Military Commissions Act, which allows for permanent detention of "enemy combatants" without ever having to press charges. No contact with your family or a lawyer and certainly no trial by jury, all this on the say so of one man, no probable cause needed. The CIA has openly admitted to the use of extraordinary rendition. We currently live in a Country that, has "free speech zones", allows warrentless wire tapping of our phone calls and emails, tortures people, and has taken away habeas corpus. Our most important rights as free people are being gutted from our Constitution.
So here we are faced, we are told, with an economic meltdown. We are being told that we must give unprecedented power to unelected officials. The fear-mongering on this issue has been great. Every major "leader", including the President, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Federal Reserve Chairman, both presidential nominees, the leader of both parties in both the House and the Senate, all have claimed the sky will fall if Congress does not act immediately. In spite of the warnings the American people in record numbers contacted Congress to tell them NO, DO NOT PASS A BAILOUT. Some polls showed as high as 200-1 against this bill. So Congress goes ahead and passes the bill, and not only passes it, but adds on an additional 150 billion of taxpayer money in giveaways to special interests. The people's message to congress seems to have fallen on deaf ears.
After listing all of the grievances the colonies had, Jefferson wrote this:
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
When will we come to this conclusion again?
--Jeff Avitabile
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
We are all going to experience the loss of purchasing power through inflation. That is a hidden tax that we all pay and we pay it for the benefit of the banks. Most don't understand how it happens, and if they did, would not consent. In 2006 Congress passed the Military Commissions Act, which allows for permanent detention of "enemy combatants" without ever having to press charges. No contact with your family or a lawyer and certainly no trial by jury, all this on the say so of one man, no probable cause needed. The CIA has openly admitted to the use of extraordinary rendition. We currently live in a Country that, has "free speech zones", allows warrentless wire tapping of our phone calls and emails, tortures people, and has taken away habeas corpus. Our most important rights as free people are being gutted from our Constitution.
So here we are faced, we are told, with an economic meltdown. We are being told that we must give unprecedented power to unelected officials. The fear-mongering on this issue has been great. Every major "leader", including the President, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Federal Reserve Chairman, both presidential nominees, the leader of both parties in both the House and the Senate, all have claimed the sky will fall if Congress does not act immediately. In spite of the warnings the American people in record numbers contacted Congress to tell them NO, DO NOT PASS A BAILOUT. Some polls showed as high as 200-1 against this bill. So Congress goes ahead and passes the bill, and not only passes it, but adds on an additional 150 billion of taxpayer money in giveaways to special interests. The people's message to congress seems to have fallen on deaf ears.
After listing all of the grievances the colonies had, Jefferson wrote this:
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
When will we come to this conclusion again?
--Jeff Avitabile
Monday, September 29, 2008
Step In The Right Direction
Today the House of Representatives rejected TARP, the $700 billion bailout proposed by treasury secretary Henry Paulson and favored by Bush and bipartisan congressional leaders alike, and all I hear from the mass media is that we are in dire circumstances now! Albeit, I agree we are in bad times, but let’s take a minute to look at what would have unfolded as a result of the bill being passed. First off, the economy would worsen as a result of the number of foreclosures and job losses that will continue to rise. This would be inevitable seeing that this poorly conceived plan mentioned nothing to regulate against it. Come to think of it, it doesn’t mention much, only that it needs $700 billion (kind of scary to think this is the only idea that they can come up with). With no plan in place to avoid this crisis in the future than what’s the point! Instead of calling it the “trillion dollar crisis” it will be called the “two trillion dollar crisis” down the road. Next on the list, what’s in it for the dollar? I’m not talking about inflation (this time, next article) which already has taken a heavy toll on our economy, but rather the affect that wall street investors will have when they again start to focus on negative interest rates, account deficits and ever increasing banking problems (Wachovia just made the list). The dollar will retreat even farther turning inflation into hyperinflation or worse. In fact the dollar has already begun to retreat, falling somewhere in the area of 5% since its mediocre rally that only lasted about two in a half months. So what can be done in place of this rushed proposal? I hate to just bitch about the problem and not offer any solutions. After reading an anonymous email that is also posted on this blog, it got me thinking. It talks about the $85 billion that had been used to bailout AIG being instead given to the taxpayers. Not such a bad idea in my book. Alright, maybe not so much to the extreme of the email (even though it’s still better than Paulson’s plan), but giving part of that money to hurting homeowners in order to pay part of their mortgage can go a long way. This would help preserve the value of these mortgage backed possessions and add a certain degree of liquidity to the market. It would also mean keeping these taxpayers in their homes where the economy needs them! A friend of mine only a short time ago told me his house recently devalued because the guy next to him had to foreclose. Scary stuff! To come to the point people, I’m fed up with hearing what the overly rich have for solutions. Let’s hear what the majority has to say! I always love to hear what you the “Mob” has for ideas, so feel free to post your ideas in the comments section below. Let’s follow the constitution for a change; it’s there for a reason!
--Charlie Mullen
--Charlie Mullen
Friday, September 26, 2008
You have to love this idea
I'm against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG. Instead, I'm in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to all Americans as a 'Dividend'. To make the math simple, let's assume there are 200,000,000 bonafide U.S. Citizens 18+. Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up. So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billion that equals a hefty '$425,000.00'.
My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a 'Dividend'. Of course, it would NOT be tax free. So let's assume a tax rate of 30%. Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes. That sends $25.5 Billion right back to Uncle Sam. But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket. A husband and wife have $595,000.00. What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family? Pay off your mortgage - 'housing crisis solved' Repay college loans - 'a great boost to new grads'. Put away money for college - 'it'll be there' Save it in a bank - 'create money to loan to entrepreneurs'. Buy a new car - 'create jobs'. Invest in the market - 'capital drives growth'. Pay for your parent's medical insurance - 'health care improves'. Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company. If we're going to re-distribute wealth let's really do it...instead of trickling down. If we're going to do an $85 billion bailout, let's bail out every adult U S Citizen 18+. As for AIG - liquidate it and Sell off its parts. Sell off the real estate. Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up. Here's my rationale. We deserve it and 'AIG doesn't', we were not invited to the last 10 years of 'party time' bonuses And remember, The this plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam.
-anonymous email
received and posted by Jeff Avitabile
This is a funny email, makes me want to do the math on the 700 Billion!!!
My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a 'Dividend'. Of course, it would NOT be tax free. So let's assume a tax rate of 30%. Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes. That sends $25.5 Billion right back to Uncle Sam. But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket. A husband and wife have $595,000.00. What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family? Pay off your mortgage - 'housing crisis solved' Repay college loans - 'a great boost to new grads'. Put away money for college - 'it'll be there' Save it in a bank - 'create money to loan to entrepreneurs'. Buy a new car - 'create jobs'. Invest in the market - 'capital drives growth'. Pay for your parent's medical insurance - 'health care improves'. Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company. If we're going to re-distribute wealth let's really do it...instead of trickling down. If we're going to do an $85 billion bailout, let's bail out every adult U S Citizen 18+. As for AIG - liquidate it and Sell off its parts. Sell off the real estate. Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up. Here's my rationale. We deserve it and 'AIG doesn't', we were not invited to the last 10 years of 'party time' bonuses And remember, The this plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam.
-anonymous email
received and posted by Jeff Avitabile
This is a funny email, makes me want to do the math on the 700 Billion!!!
Have You Had Enough?
Bailouts, Bailouts, Bailouts, or should I say WMD’s, WMD’s, WMD’s. Or how about Patriot Act, Patriot Act, Patriot Act. We’re seeing it over and over again people. More fear mongering from our fearless leaders in order to frighten us into giving them what they want unchecked. They used fear of WMD’s in order to start an unconstitutional war in Iraq; they used fear of terrorism to take away our civil liberties and now they are using fear of a financial meltdown to procure new bailouts by using taxpayer funds. The new bailout in the neighborhood, if you haven’t already heard, also happens to be the largest bailout in U.S history. It’s called TARP, short for Troubled Asset Relief Program which treasury secretary, Henry Paulson proposed as a way for government to take debased mortgages off the loans of our nations “corrupt” institutions. Not to mention, if passed it's going to cost you and me about $2,500 each, and that's not including the multibillion bailouts of the last few weeks. More bailouts are sure to come. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of this shit! I can’t afford to pay for these assholes mistakes over and over again, can you? (So much for the administrations so called "stimulus package". You know, the one released a few months ago in which we each received a check for $600 on average. I guess that was just a loan with an interest rate of about 24% attached to it. A lot of good it did for the economy. I work for a fortune 500 billion dollar company and can damn well tell you that if I made a mistake that cost the business even the tiniest fraction of money that these MORONS are losing, I wouldn’t be rewarded for it. I’d be out on my ass before I realized what happened. I apologize for the language, but that’s what happens when people try and scare me. I get pissed off! Imagine yourself back in grade school and the class bully says “Give me your lunch money, it’s for your own good.” What would you do? Give him the money so he can get wealthy. Hell no, you beat the shit out of the bully (or hire a bigger bully to do it for you)! Same situation people, we are Americans and we don’t take that kind of shit from anybody. So why are we taking it now? If you haven’t already done so, read the passage by Charley Reese called The 545 people responsible for all U.S woes. It’s a brief must read for all of us. It’s time to take care of the bully!!
In short, if the establishment has taught me anything, it’s that it does a great job of scaring you and me into submission. If fear is the only thing that moves you to action, than that’s what I’ll use as my tool. More rants to come soon, prepare to be scared shitless!
--Charlie Mullen
In short, if the establishment has taught me anything, it’s that it does a great job of scaring you and me into submission. If fear is the only thing that moves you to action, than that’s what I’ll use as my tool. More rants to come soon, prepare to be scared shitless!
--Charlie Mullen
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