patrick.net

Straw Man says

And what would be the message conveyed by such renaming?

What's plenty good enough for us, proles is not good enough for Inner Party and Grassley is to blame for forcing the inferior product on them? Are you sure that would play out as you think it would? ;)

That's just it - Obama doesn't do a good job of controlling the message, and allows the right to put false messages out that become accepted as truth. Even you bought into it. This is not a difference between superior/inferior products, it is a difference between employer and individual insurance. Employer insurance has ALWAYS been a better deal than individual insurance - obviously. If it weren't, there would be no point in having it. Everybody would just buy their own insurance. What Grassley did is amend the law to say Congress, and Congress only, must buy INDIVIDUAL insurance from the exchange instead of getting the employer insurance they've always had. Well, one of the things insurance companies do to equalize the higher risk of providing individual insurance is that they charge older people more. So if republicans are going to bitch that older Congressional staff members have to pay more, I think it should be made clear that it was Grassley's idea - a republican. This has nothing to do with ACA making insurance more expensive; it has everything to do with Grassley forcing Congress to buy INDIVIDUAL insurance, which costs more, rather than GROUP insurance, which costs less. That's fine if he wanted to do that, but don't do it and then bitch about it.

Where Obama has lost control of the message is where the republicans have planted the meme that Congress is getting "the same" insurance as "the rest of us". Totally false. Most of "us" get insurance from our employers. The exchanges are only for the 10% of us who buy individual insurance. And guess what - individual insurance ALWAYS cost more for older people. In fact, it was worse BEFORE ACA, because the differential was not limited to 3X as it is now. The republicans have managed to get a completely false idea to be accepted as truth by most everyone, perhaps because it takes a little explanation and a little thought to understand the truth, and it can't really be put in a 2 second sound bite.

Zimmermann is already the GOP frontrunner for 2016.

If he shoots another black kid, he'll stomp any Democrat in the general.

bgamall4 says

Perhaps you would not be lost and confused so much if you didn't believe in Martians.

That's really funny coming from someone who believes in bubblews.

There is some truth to both your positions. Volatility means up and then down and then up. That is to be expected when the market is being manipulated. It is to be expected when the cash buyers can be all in and then unload, etc.

That is the point - Re is being manipulated higher by the artificially low rates- but there is a limit

smaulgld says

That is to be expected when the market is being manipulated. It is to be
expected when the cash buyers can be all in and then unload, etc.

Just how is it being manipulated? A buyer is a buyer whether it's with one's own cash, inherited money or borrowed from famil, friends, or co-workers, or even a bank.

It's called the market, and what it does is change constantly along with the players in it. Is the standard 'manipulation' label for something that you dislike or don't understand?

TL;DR

Austrians are calling for unbelievable Weimar-level inflation again. Nevermind that Weimar's hyperinflationary problem was deliberate government policy to get out of debts imposed by victors in a war and has no bearing on today's situation. Nor is the USA an impoverished third world country where almost all GDP comes from Agriculture and Mining like Zimbabwe.

It must suck to be a Trayvon Martin case ex-juror right now.

thunderlips11 says

TL;DR

Austrians are calling for unbelievable Weimar-level inflation again.

Some Austrians do. Others argue against that as possible in our immediate future. Hyperinflation is the end game in almost every fiat money; we may not however be at that end game yet in the next few years or decades.

BTW, rare alternative end to fiat currency does exist: the Czarist paper money became more valuable after the communists toppled the regime and killed the Czar . . . because the communist regime rapidly hyperinflated their own currency, and the old dead Czarist regime's paper money became more valuable and more acceptable in the market place as nobody was printing any more of it.

Nevermind that Weimar's hyperinflationary problem was deliberate government policy to get out of debts imposed by victors in a war and has no bearing on today's situation.

German WWI debt was not denominated in local paper money, but linked to assets, foreign currency and gold. Weimar hyperinflation came about because the government had to pay workers on strike in Saar and Ruhr due to French and Belgian occupation after German government stopped paying war debt. The workers were paid full wages while nothing was produced, so the result was hyperinflation.

Nor is the USA an impoverished third world country where almost all GDP comes from Agriculture and Mining like Zimbabwe.

Banking and financing centered economy would probably exacerbate the swing if there is significant monetary instability when the tipping point is reached.

You have to believe that people will never lose faith in fiat currencies for gold to "crash" like a bubble bursting. History is on the side of the bugs.

Why do you hate family values?

If he didn't raise her taxes, or encourage her to get an abortion, then there is no crime here.

upisdown says

smaulgld says

That is to be expected when the market is being manipulated. It is to be

expected when the cash buyers can be all in and then unload, etc.

Just how is it being manipulated? A buyer is a buyer whether it's with one's own cash, inherited money or borrowed from famil, friends, or co-workers, or even a bank.

It's called the market, and what it does is change constantly along with the players in it. Is the standard 'manipulation' label for something that you dislike or don't understand?

inventory and interest rates are being manipulated whether any one likes it or not

No one disputes it- the Fed states it as intention for QE to help home prices

There was plenty of mafia anger towards Robert Kennedy as he as attorney General went after certain mafia dons which the mob found offensive as they had worked with Joe Sr during prohibition to bootleg liquor

HydroCabron says

Zimmermann is already the GOP frontrunner for 2016.

If he shoots another black kid, he'll stomp any Democrat in the general.

crying shame Zimmermann is a registered democrat...

is this how one minority group treats the other minority group in their party !

Cannibal Anarchy in Democratic Party indeed ! brings a tear to my eye !

who else are you Democrats ready to sacrifice next ?

I'm not sure whether bgamall4's sense of humor/irony is more advanced than all the others in this thread, or whether it's,...you know, that other thing.

thomaswong.1986 says

is this how one minority group treats the other minority group in their party !

It's called "putting one's country and one's principles before one's party."

As a conservative, you, of course, have no idea what that even means.

Zimmerman is a product of Liberalism gone wild.

thomaswong.1986 says

HydroCabron says

Zimmermann is already the GOP frontrunner for 2016.

If he shoots another black kid, he'll stomp any Democrat in the general.

crying shame Zimmermann is a registered democrat...

is this how one minority group treats the other minority group in their party !

Cannibal Anarchy in Democratic Party indeed ! brings a tear to my eye !

who else are you Democrats ready to sacrifice next ?

I honestly believe that you are too soft on him.

HydroCabron says

It's called "putting one's country and one's principles before one's party."

As a conservative, you, of course, have no idea what that even means.

so conservatives dont put the US constitution first... such as the 2nd amendment to be specific.

anyone want to throw the Koreans next under the bus !

There will be two stumps. Is it necessary to fuck both?

That's what I call stumping for the Church, goodun, Bill Donahue!

bgamall4 says

Hey Bob, pay the 5 bucks to Patrick and you can abuse me all you want as a premium member. You cheapskate.

How about I send you the 5 bucks and you can buy a clue.

APOCALYPSEFUCK is Comptroller says

GOP PA Icon Looking at 19 Counts of Really Twisted Neofascist Sexual
Assaults

Ahhhhhh, those 'family values' rear their head again. Somebody should send that to Rick Santorum so he could find a place for him in the moral majority camp.

What's better than campaigning on family values and hiking the Appalachian mountains?

bgamall4 says

bob2356 says

How about I send you the 5 bucks and you can buy a clue

I don't want the 5 bucks. I don't need your clue. You are such a tightwad that you can huff and fume and yet refuse to pay 5 bucks. Is it because you are as poor as a church mouse, Bob? I hardly think that. You just want to insult people for free.

Why are you concerned about my finances. There are far too many conspiracies out there waiting for you to waste time thinking about my 5 bucks. 911, moon landings, jfk, area 51, holocust, jesas and mary, paul. You can't afford to waste a second. get cracking. Everyone on patnet anxiously awaits.

bgamall4 says

smaulgld says

There was plenty of mafia anger towards Robert Kennedy as he as attorney General went after certain mafia dons which the mob found offensive as they had worked with Joe Sr during prohibition to bootleg liquor

I think it was the CIA. Much too sophisticated for the mafia.

How about the mafia contracted the CIA for the hit in exchange for something the Mafia would do for them or forebear from doing? The problem with trying to identify guilty parties is there are too many people amd groups with motives and means

Comely narcissists, spit curls flapping in the warm breeze, gazing with polished visages across the landscape that they know is theirs by right, wresting their nascent birthright with manic commitment and then copulating ecstatically with their grasping equals for advantage.

Sounds like movie stars marrying other stars to pimp up their press releases. Was Ayn Rand a gold bug?

APOCALYPSEFUCK is Comptroller says

The chinese are out of treasuries, so much for the easy money route. Gay chindian billionaires and Saudi princes buying up everything in Concord and Phoenix is the only likely route to propping up the zombified housing market.

Someone has to recycle those dollars.

bgamall4 says

I am wondering if the Chinese learned from that Japanese incursion into the US real estate market.

Definitely not. They think this time is different, but instead pretty much same like was in Japan. Money is so hot at home; to the point they fill uncomfortable and looking for diversification abroad. Collapse usually happen by surprise and nobody can predict exact moment.
From another hand, Chinese are not used to paying other cost associated with property; tax, insurance or maintenance. They can easily drop $500K on old house, but replacement of boiler for 1,500 is so hard to digest and $6K in property tax is like robbery for them.

Analyzer says

What is the reason for this? Why is the middle class left out of the 'recovery'?

They are not needed when there is cheaper labor and emerging markets to make money in.

Don't you understand that corporate America is enjoying record profits? ALL TIME RECORD PROFITS??

http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/CP/

Reality says

The lack of write-off's and fresh new starts is what's ailing the economy. It's
like a lawn covered by dead leaves . . . the debt weights are robbing new green
shoots of any chance at sunlight and life.

I agree with that..............they can't seem to get out of the huge mess they made and start anew.

bgamall4 says

There was no significant financial crisis in 1921, which is why the libertarians are wrong about it and their economics of austerity is wrong in the credit events like what we have now.

http://www.cyniconomics.com/2013/11/16/bad-news-for-keynesians-data-shows-the-austerians-are-right/

bgamall4 says

Reality says

The Harding administration did leave the market alone, and the 1921-1922 depression was over a year and half, and most history books don't even cover it . . . quite unlike the 1929-1945 fiasco called the Great Depression.

Again, there was credit available after the retooling into a consumer society.

The credit market did lock up in 1921, which was what caused the so-called panic of 1921, but as liquidation took place quickly, market cleared on its own, and credit and liquidity returned within a few months . . . quite unlike the extended period of lacking liquidity in 1929-1930's and 2008-2011 (potentially even now as getting loans is still difficult) due to government preventing the prices from dropping to clear the market.

bgamall4 says

There was no significant financial crisis in 1921, which is why the libertarians are wrong about it and their economics of austerity is wrong in the credit events like what we have now.

Of course there was a significant financial crisis in 1921 as DJIA lost nearly 40% of its value in less than a year and half.

Also, libertarians have nothing to do with austerity. It's the Keynesians who want to raise taxes and call that austerity. Many libertarians want to renounce government debt!

bgamall4 says

The only reason that the Japanese companies made it was because they were international.

no.. they made it because they were all nationalist.. labor, govt and industry !

It was about THEM (Japan) against the world.... the shooting war ended in '45

but the economic war never stopped ! They are executing on their long term plan !

http://www.amazon.com/dp/098565466X/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

I'd join as an investor for that movie. I bet that'll be popular.

How about:

Atlas Facefucked??

Only if they haven't somehow deeded their right to do so in a trust.