patrick.net

control point says

Think about it. Smart guys are betting their own money on solvency (ability to pay back the debt) for 30 years with no risk premium attached.

The long-term bond yields are significantly higher than a year ago and are influenced by the debt monetization of the Fed to a certain extent. They are still low but they will keep going higher and that will be brutal for the US debt. The US will not be able to pay back its debt without either selectively defaulting or inflating their way out of it. The latter is the more convenient option, but it's a dangerous game and crushing for the middle class. There are no smart guys, you should only rely on yourself.

The GOP has deteriorated so badly it makes me miss Newt Gingrich.

Socially liberal and fiscally conservative is not a party-affiliation, so stop calling me names, i.e. "Democrat" or "Republican". Neither one fits and is an insult ;) There are a couple of members in both parties though that approximate those views.

I'm not getting the subsidy, but I might sign up next year when our current insurance needs to renew. I do wish it was cheaper.

mell says

Barry's mission.

That's a far-right shibboleth.

mell says

If you consider Ron Paul a full-blown Republican, then you can call me a Republican ;)

I consider Ron Paul to be a dangerous crank. At least on economic issues.

I do give him credit for being against unnecessary wars.

Negotiation = socialism!

As a fake independent/libertoonian pretending to be equally disgusted with both parties, I find it obvious that those with extremely conservative views are the only legitimate lawmakers. Negotiation is like Christians compromising with atheists and Catholics: one side is, by definition, right.

mell says

Why is it so hard to believe that there are people so thoroughly turned off by how this presidency turned out that they turned their backs?

Oh I do in fact believe there are people who think like this but since they were in the minority and the majority of Americans voted Obama into office, then by the nature of how democracy works, he is the President. That's how it all works. So I'm not sure why this seems to be some sort of mystery.

mell says

against the NSA overreach, illegal wiretapping, drone strikes and useless wars, standing up against the big banks, no illegal bailouts instead adhere to the rule of law.. You know, change. It was a compelling story. He pretty much made a 180 on pretty much everything.

Good point. +1.

freak80 says

I do give him credit for being against unnecessary wars.

Ron Paul is isolationist. He still wants to fund an MIC, he just wants them to remain at home more. How useful is a massive MIC that stays in the hangar? A couple of generations without any military action at all, would turn the military machine into a worthless boondoggle that would fail the day we DO actually need it. Sad to say.

If Ron Paul were honest he'd propose defunding all foreign military bases, operations and personnel and slimming down to a Coast Guard & National Guard only.

mell says

The long-term bond yields are significantly higher than a year ago and are
influenced by the debt monetization of the Fed to a certain extent.

30 year is .75% higher than a year ago, and still under 4%. That is not significant - certainly not in the hyperinflation context you guys love to throw around. You don't understand how bonds are valued. When we were running surplus in 1999, the 30 year was over 5%. There is no correlation between budget deficit and bond yields. There is no correlation because the risk premium is zero when there is a surplus, and it is still zero when we have run a deficit.

The Fed printed money in late 2008/2009 and interest rates went DOWN. This is the opposite of what would happen if your hypothesis of "debt monetization of the Fed to a certain extent" was accurate in the slightest.

HydroCabron says

one side is, by definition, right.

And it's OUR side. Always.

edvard2 says

mell says

Why is it so hard to believe that there are people so thoroughly turned off by how this presidency turned out that they turned their backs?

Oh I do in fact believe there are people who think like this but since they were in the minority and the majority of Americans voted Obama into office, then by the nature of how democracy works, he is the President. That's how it all works. So I'm not sure why this seems to be some sort of mystery.

There's nothing in your post I'd disagree with. But since those people exist like you said, why should they be paid shills for the Republican party posting on patnet? I'd say this is the mother of all conspiracy theories ;)

mell says

why should they be paid shills for the Republican party posting on patnet? I'd say this is the mother of all conspiracy theories ;)

I don't believe there are. Was that part of the conversation? I didn't see that.

Ha ha - Dan doesn't even have the balls to respond. He started a NEW thread to insult me, because he knows he can just delete my posts. Not gonna give you the satisfaction, Dan.

This is funny, he wrote:

and the biggest loser ever to open a thread for the sole purpose of attacking another user.

So, Dan - you opened a thread for the sole purpose of attacking me, then wrote that?

What kind of shriveled-up lady balls do you have to have to delete my posts, then attack me when I start a new thread? I didn't want to have to start a new thread; he forced me to.

errc says

I'm surprised dan is censoring

Care to repost it here, now I'm interested to know what was said

I don't know how to re-post it. It was deleted. Dan posted a link to some right-wing article claiming that health insurance premiums would skyrocket for young people. I pointed out that his article fails to mention the fact that 85% of those people will get subsidies, and that they're comparing dissimilar plans, since so-called "catastrophic" plans that don't really cover anything won't be allowed anymore.

If you have to lie and leave out important information, then delete posts when people provide that missing information, then you didn't have much of a point in the first place, did you?

This is meaningless PR fluff. They won't stop funding the Teabaggers, they'll just tell them to adjust their public strategy to less DIRECT attempts to sabotage. I prefer the more honest and direct approach.

Minions: not just for Despicable Me.

sbh says

That means that the Koch bros., Rove, and their rich friends convinced less than 18% of the US population to vote their way, and yet they have the power to destroy our economy and plan to unless they get their way."

What's wrong with money buying political power? That's the Libertarian ideal. Only pussies want justice for all.

freak80 says

What's wrong with money buying political power? That's the Libertarian ideal. Only pussies want justice for all.

Everyone has their own view of what justice is. Democrats spend plenty of money buying political power too, so don't get me started.

I'm not sure how this is really "news" there have been countless reports, studies, and news releases showing exactly where the money has been coming from when it comes to these so-called "grass roots" movements. This has been going on for years. Well before Obama too. Even many of the Tea Party members are likely well-aware of this even if they don't want to admit it.

What does need to happen is more light needs to be shown on this back room type of influence. The more attention it gets, the less effective this sort of behavior will be.

sbh says

Ryan suggested significant entitlement reform

He supports significant entitlement reform until the days where he campaigns in Florida for elderly vote.

sbh says

the Wisconsin congressman angered tea partiers by not mentioning the word “Obamacare” once.

They're not into political correctness. Nope: not at all.

It's only political correctness when non-conservatives do this.

OBLIGATORY: I hate, hate, hate Obamacare. Hitler and Stalin are looking up from hell and turning pale with shock at Obamacare.

Ryan is probably simply speaking to the degree that most in his party- save for the Tea partiers- already know. They lost this one and if they don't concede, their party will suffer even more PR damage than its already received.

sbh says

Ryan is no dummy, but he is cowardly. He rarely moves outside of cover.

Maybe its actually an ingenious act. When it all comes crumbling down as it will shortly, Ryan can sit back and say: " See? I never said to repeal Obamacare... It wasn't my fault the rest in my party shut down the government".

sbh says

It may have begun already:

GOP dropping Obamacare in shutdown debate?

How rich! I'll have to go back and find the post, but I'll toot my own horn and re-mention my previous prediction:
1: Republicans would concede defeat.
2: Will say something that basically boils down to: " You guys won this time.... but we'll be back!" - in other words they'll use some other thing to try and get Obamacare defunded.

Or- maybe just maybe- they'll stop wasting time and move on to "usual" GOP type things, like trying to cut spending on any and all useful programs while increasing funding on others.

mell says

I have given my own list of issues important to me where he did 180s on

really? Can you repost it?

Most of the Republican caucus, in their hearts, supports Obamacare.

They probably also believe that taxes on the upper class are too low, and that government spending needs to be raised in some places, and slashed in others.

That said, their fundraising depends on demonizing the Democrats and limning any Democratic president as The Antichrist.

Some really are flat-earthers (Inhofe, Bachmann), but the rest know very well that Obama is not Black Stalin.

It's how all politics works, and the particular virulence of the current Republican scare-mongering derives from the intellectual and moral vacuity of their racist, dumbass supporters.

APOCALYPSEFUCK is Comptroller says

Ryan is a whimpering twit. A real conservative would demand the disbandment of Medicare and the surrender of the Social Security trust to Lehman Investors and then execute a bunch of seniors with a machete on cableTV someplace in international waters and claim exemption from murder laws "in the name of Jesus and the Founders."

His conservative values come straight from comrades Marx and Engels.

Exactly! At the very least he could organize a senior cruise and ensure that pnemounia bacteria would be pumped through the vents and name the project "Operation Fiscal Solvency."

Heraclitusstudent says

He supports significant entitlement reform until the days where he campaigns in Florida for elderly vote.

sbh says

Yes, he'll reshape the message down there.

"I promise to keep Government out of your Medicare!!"

freak80 says

"I promise to keep Government out of your Medicare!!"

Say hey! This was in the Wall Street Journal on March 30, 1999. Note "... how much it will buy."

Holy cow/interesting/compelling ...!

And where is it up to date??? Right here ... see the first chart shown in this thread.
Recent Dow day is Wednesday, October 9, 2013 __ Level is 94.5

WOW! It is hideous that this is hidden! Is there any such "Homes, Inflation Adjusted"? Yes indeed, go here:
http://patrick.net/?p=1219038&c=999083#comment-999083

Edvard said"Luckily I do feel that at this juncture, this latest act will be the last for the tea party. Perhaps then the GOP can actually get back to being at least somewhat reasonable."

Good luck I think this is gonna revitalize the Repubs and look out America cause tea party is about to begin.

Yep. The gerrymandering of republican districts is working like a charm. The most radical congressional assholes on the right are total heroes back home in their monochrome redneck enclaves.

I guess in some cases it's rich suburban monochrome enclaves.

The marijuana thing is just another bogeyman that helps rally the xenophobic republican base. Just like gay marriage.

The Dems need to focus on economic issues like extreme wealth disparity.

Reading the slurry that oozes from the fingers of you dumbshit democrats makes me want to eat a bullet

Must be nice to live in a white suburban bubble, you morons

errc says

Reading the slurry that oozes from the fingers of you dumbshit democrats makes me want to eat a bullet

Must be nice to live in a white suburban bubble, you morons

wtf are you talking about? You make even less sense than normal...

errc says

Reading the slurry that oozes from the fingers of you dumbshit democrats makes me want to eat a bullet

Must be nice to live in a white suburban bubble, you morons

Please proceed, governor.

errc says

This isn't the United States of San Fransisco.

Thank you, rootvg...

errc says

The rest of the country is still an open air prison where pot is highly criminalized.

If there was less wealth disparity and better economic opportunity for the 99%, there would be less desire to use marijuana (or other drugs) as an escape.

I'm actually ok with legalizing pot. But unfortunately, I'm also a political realist. The pot legalization issue just gets the far-right even more scared, irrational and motivated. "The dems want to legalize pot! Oh my God, think of the children!!...Those Godless heathens!!!"

Trust me, I grew up in that world, I know the psychology all too well.

control point says

Please proceed, governor.

Good one.

There's a reason I have that guy on ignore. I've never heard a serious well though out sentence from the guy. Not that that's all bad, if he were funny or if there was some redeeming value.

He's a kneejerk republican (with an emphasis on the jerk), probably because his dad was. He's the type that you will NEVER here a coherant argument from. Instead you get emotion and convoluted sarcasm much like captainshutup only worse.

He would probably tell you it's becaause he doesn't have the time or the patience to explain to the moderate conservatives (he calls libruls) how wrong they are. But that's a lie. The truth is he doesn't even know why he FEELS the way he does, without breaking out a bunch of half baked straw man BS.