patrick.net

i meant month over month

Two rich old crooks are not a special interest: they're the will of the people.

An example of an actual unfair influence is the middle class. Now that's what I call a special interest!

The Tea Party legislators in various states have only mostly passed abortion restrictions so far, with little in the way of freedom or lower spending.

But I'm sure there's no reason for alarm: they're working through their agenda alphabetically, and just need more time.

An oldie but goodie topic. The simple solution but one probably impossible to implement would be to make spending from outside groups or interest groups on politics illegal.

The irony of all of this is that its clear that the Tea Party is actually hurting the GOP and their message. They also have this effect of somehow promoting the most inappropriate candidates.

If I were to stick my toe out there I'd say that what will happen for 2016 is that while the GOP could have a very good chance in the running if they had Jeb Bush or Chris Christie- two more reasonable, at least somewhat moderate and intelligent politicians- the Tea Party will influence the party to pick some ridiculously conservative and outright unelectable politician and once more the GOP will have to concede defeat for the same reasons they lost in 08 and 12'

That Paragon link's author retracted his view that the market was slowing down in the March report (and now says the opposite is true).

The original report is from WSJ

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303802104579455000745605352

This could interesting...

http://www.paragon-re.com/03_14_SF_Home_Market_Heats_Up_Again

"We recently speculated on tentative signs that suggested a further market normalization, but now the indicators are pointing in a different direction. The inventory of homes available to purchase on any given day is even lower than before last year's furious market; buyer demand has emerged from its midwinter hibernation like a hungry bear; and prices are under increasing pressure once again."

spydah_hh says

Incomes don't have anything to do with growth. I mean by that logic since incomes have stagnated for the last 40 years then you're saying we had no growth for the last 40 years. Good observation lol.

The point is, it doesn't matter that the dollar was 95% weaker, because people got ~6500% more of them while prices "only" rose ~2000%. That's a big fat gain - and most of those gains happened between 1938-1978, the high point of evil Big Gubermint New Deal Socialism.

The weakening dollar is a red herring, and even with PM-based currency, there is not enough gold in the world to back it up, so you'll have paper anyway.

The only difference is that the Gold and Silver will accrue to the top .5% and everybody else will have wholly or almost wholly, paper.

Regardless of whether or not these are staged or inside job incidents of terrorism.

It is clear and final that the government and big money private interests are using these incidents to create fear in the minds of the masses to submit to their agendas.

Multiple agendas such as banning the rights of bearing arms, excessive security check points within cities all across the US and slowly removing more constitutional rights to privacy under the guise of "safety" to introduce more tyranny and para-military police policies into the US.

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety and will lose both." --BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, One of the Founding Fathers of the US.

CL says

Um...5 million votes and 126 EV is not "barely".

We're a big country, anything less than 60% is not a whopping crushing defeat in idealogy. 51%-59% represents a portion of voters who were dragged along with promises and are most the most likely to give a negative feedback in the first approval poll.

Obama one with like 54% or something like that.

A government which tells you what to eat, how to eat, when to eat, where to go, where not to go, what to do with your health, who to have intimate affairs with, forces you to formal schooling, tells your parents how to raise you, tells you how to raise your kids, determines when you are an adult and dictates what your beliefs and actions should be in all areas of life is not looking out for your best interests in mind. It is only looking out for it's own interests in mind at the expense of it's citizens. Power corrupts and absolute power absolutely corrupts.

Sounds like some Realtors are going to be feeling the sharp end of a Chinese meat cleaver.

Call it Crazy says

CaptainShuddup says

51%-59% represents a portion of voters who were dragged along with promises,and are most the most likely to give a negative feedback in the first approval poll

Which is why he is at like a 39% approval rating now....

Yeah the whole NSA thing is just horrible. My gripe is that on issues like NSA, free trade/globalization etc both parties are the same.

Now on social issues the repubs are too extreme-war on drugs , gays etc-to me you can't be a small gubmnt party and say you are going to use govt to arrest people who you think are doing disagreeable things.

But on men's issues, I wish the repubs would move forward. in terms of alimony and unreasonable child support, repubs don't even bring it up. Instead it is birth control and contraceptives and somehow harkening back to the 40s and 50s for gender roles. If they moderated a bit and took the mantle on alimony reform, cutting extreme child support and worked on getting the gubmnt out of every American home-they will have a lot more votes.

I just told this to my Chinese Co-worker day.

Here was the response.

Oh? Well Chinese banks aren't like US banks. They would never let a real estate crash happen.

Yep, there it is.

bgamall4 says

This same Bloomberg tried to tell us how much soda we could drink!

Personally, I don't drink soda because many harmful ingredients are placed inside it.

But I believe the government has no place to prevent anyone from drinking slow-killing poison if they understand it and do it with consent. They can drink as much as their heart's content.

Coca-Cola beverages are not safe to consume and by law they should be required to disclose all possible health effects of their drinks BUT the government has no right of authority to stop anyone from consuming and/or making it's sales illegal.

Same thing with brothels. They should all disclose to you the possible risk of what STDS you may catch for using their services and disclose what testing they have done on their sex workers but if they disclose it...

And you agree to use a hooker and the hooker agrees for a set price for whatever performance you agree too along with the risks mutually and for however long of a duration...

Than no crime has been committed and the government has no right to interfere.

The US is no longer a free country built upon a republic of liberty and freedom. It merely boasts and makes completely invalid claims of being so but does the opposite everyday for "your protection".

I know brothels are legal in NV but not federally and not in all states. Prostitution will land you in prison for a long time if done in a wrong area of the US which is the majority of areas.

They are many countries with brothels and sex work legal completely. Those countries are more built on liberty than the US.

In fact, in the early founding days of the US brothels were common place and so was prostitution. Sure it was frowned upon as not being respected but it was respected for being allowed since liberty was important and to prohibit it was a setting stage for tyranny to germinate out of that seed expand into completely respected activities in life by the majority of society as a whole within the nation.

PS. I have never utilized sexual services and do not plan to do so anytime soon. I am merely stating how by prohibiting it you are engaging in tyranny which is not American and not built upon the foundation of this country that was agreed upon. It therefore has no place for prohibition regardless of whether you respect it morally or not.

Your coworker is correct.

They figured out that if you need more money, you just print more or add a few zeroes to a bank balance.

It's really this simple. Why they never figured this out years ago is mystifying.

So the Chinese want their money back because prices dropped. LOL Would they have paid extra if prices had gone up?
Chinese are no different than Americans - they all want something for nothing.

Not to get off topic but on a similar note...

American women expect exchanges of value such as dinner, gifts and paying for entertainment on dates in return of their company, possible intercourse and affection.

Yet this is not banned as prostitution and the majority of these spoiled women would not date or have intercourse if you didn't pay for the expenses in full. Not even 50/50.

But if you directly gave a woman private federal reserve notes in the wrong area of the US for intercourse, affection and company... You would be thrown in jail for a long time.

And no "escorting" or "non-sexual company" defenses do not work in the corrupt legal court systems most of the times unless you have VERY deep pockets and very-well connected excellent 5-star lawyers who are also very good friends with the corrupt judge which only very wealthy individuals can afford.

People have been arrested and charged who hired escorts but had no intent for anything sexual or even discussed or remotely hinted even subtly for any sexual conduct of any kind. Yes they are cases like that.

bgamall4 says

But I agree there are too many fetters to liberty except that the banksters can have all the liberty they want.

Indeed. It's the truth. You not only have to be very wealthy but also very well-connected and tight with the system to avoid being declared wrongfully as a "criminal".

But being very wealthy sometimes does help a lot to either get completely off the hook or a reduced charge. However it is not a certainty if you are only very wealthy and not in bed with government and literally shadow royalty like bankers.

Money for nothing and the sticks for free.

The true liberty and freedom government's job is not being your nanny. That's the job of tyrannical governments which always ends ugly and very violent.

Freedom and personal liberty requires being not protected by someone else except yourself.

People rely completely on government police to protect them and where did that get many people?

Police many times only show up after the incident and to arrest not for justice as the disguise and veneer they like to show to the public.

But rather to profit the private prison corporations from jail sentences and cause an excuse for taxing the citizens more.

You need to be your own police which is why bearing arms was a right for this reason and MANY other reasons as well.

Why not if there are fools around to willingly complete the transaction.
Strategist says

So the Chinese want their money back because prices dropped. LOL Would they have paid extra if prices had gone up?

Chinese are no different than Americans - they all want something for nothing.

bgamall4 says

I can't see that happening when the banksters gave so many easy money loans that they destroyed the housing market and the middle class. Also, it was against the law to loan to people who could not pay the loan back, but W Bush ignored the law. It was the FIRREA Act of 1989.

I agree to that as well.

They should do not promote, enhance nor discredit or downgrade any group, party, religion, sector, private individual or organization.

General welfare will naturally come if the government merely keeps things neutral and ONLY steps-in when any private individual or organization begins to over-step it's boundaries regarding another individual or organization's rightful place or right claims.

A true Republic and Liberty government is just to keep things neutral and fair and prevent unjustly deception.

bgamall4 says

government's role is to promote the general welfare

It can do that job if it's stops ignoring it's own laws like you said like a hypocrite and starts taking sides with certain groups and people.

I'm marking you as "like" because it was funny. Still full of shit but funny.

Call it Crazy says

Strategist says

I'm marking you as "like" because it was funny. Still full of shit but funny.

Oh sorry, I should have said Obama voters...

Is that better??

This independent voted for McCain

Yet another consequence of Obamacare.

Call it Crazy says

Strategist says

Call it Crazy says

Strategist says

I'm marking you as "like" because it was funny. Still full of shit but funny.

Oh sorry, I should have said Obama voters...

Is that better??

This independent voted for McCain

You voted for McCain?? Really??

Yup.

Call it Crazy says

Strategist says

Call it Crazy says

Strategist says

Call it Crazy says

Strategist says

I'm marking you as "like" because it was funny. Still full of shit but funny.

Oh sorry, I should have said Obama voters...

Is that better??

This independent voted for McCain

You voted for McCain?? Really??

Yup.

What about the second go around in 2012?

Supported Obama but did not vote.
I supported him because he did the right things to prevent a depression.
I think McCain could have done even better.

Call it Crazy says

who could have seen this coming?

I know Right!?
-Alan Greenspan

Yeah, it's so impossible that someone was hurt, like with a little shrapnel in the leg, and were helping others and then later taken away in a wheelchair ?

What do they call it again, when they help the most seriously hurt first ? Oh yeah, triage.

Are you saying that if you were there, and a nail has flown into your leg, but you could still move around (with substantial pain), you wouldn't help others?

I hope that the real reason you share this stuff is that you can't believe there are people in the world that would believe this kind of thing is staged. Sure we as a country might be moving in that direction, but we aren't nearly that far gone.

How the fuck do they keep all the first responders from telling everyone ? Besides, you assume this kind of terrorism or insane act couldn't happen ?

If there is lying by the govt on this stuff, it would be the other way around. That is if a terrorist was behind say Newtown, or that big theater attack a couple years ago( in Colorodo I think), I could see the government saying it was an insane kid, instead of a jihadist terrorist. Because we learned long ago that giving them credit is what they want. In fact it's all they get, and if you take that away, all they have done is murder people, supposedly in the name of god.

So that kind of falsification of what really happened I could see happening. Maybe it has. But your idea that Newtown or Boston was staged ?

THat's just insane.

Call it Crazy says

So, apparently, many houses AREN'T bought for CASH.....

For those posters who aren't clear what a strawman argument is--the above is a textbook example.

what used to be whackaloon "Texas Oil Millionaires" are "Texas Oil Billionaires" now, and they're not so few in number, either.

Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H. L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas.Their number is negligible and they are stupid.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CD8QFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fkrugman.blogs.nytimes.com%2F2013%2F07%2F08%2Fnot-like-ike%2F&ei=KeIwU8r-Fsm6oQSQ64GgDw&usg=AFQjCNElkIbNbKFi89vlImBGSSgIwp-VTQ&sig2=Z_0SlFAPLLgo1U6GXGcKTg&bvm=bv.63587204,d.cGU

Call it Crazy says

#14 One survey found that 51 percent of all Americans agree with this statement: "it is necessary to give up some civil liberties in order to make the country safe from terrorism."

I would have thought this one would be a lot higher than 51%.
Safety First.

Even if there weren't such a thing as Austrian Economic theory, the argument against Keynesian economic theory would be more than valid. Let's see... "Borrow and spend" or "Save and produce"? I just posted an argument against 'borrow and spend'. I acknowledge that bubbles are a phenomenon of both theories. But which theory produces the least damaging affect on socio-economic extremes?

http://patrick.net/?p=1240184

Call it Crazy says

#15 Close to one-third of all Americans would be willing to submit to a "TSA body cavity search" in order to fly.

#16 65 percent of Americans are dissatisfied "with the U.S. system of government and its effectiveness". That is the highest level of dissatisfaction that Gallup has ever recorded.

Wait a minute, we're fed up with them but we don't mind it when they shove a cold finger up our Ass?

Call it Crazy says

#19 According to a survey conducted by the National Geographic Society, only 37 percent of all Americans in the 18 to 24-year-old age range can find the nation of Iraq on a map.

What does that even mean, or demonstrate.
I've never got the statistic that people put forth, that being able to find anyplace on the map is supposed to be some moniker of intelligence. First of all, I have to question how the conclusion was drawn. I mean there are so many variables. Was this a big Wall map, was it labeled with proper captions and borders, or was it just a ink spot silhouette of the world map and people were asked to find countries. I mean I've looked at a map of the middle east a million times, and the best I can do, is point to the geographic location that I suspect I remember the country being.

Many people get used to associating the countries on a map by scanning until their eye hits the caption they are looking for.

I would be hard press to point out correctly the exact location of every state in the US and land my finger with in the imaginary border of every state I pointed to. If that's the test. I have always found that sort of information fruitless and pointless so I don't commit it memory. It's not like I'm a navigator, or will be flying over the earth at such a distance, I have to choose where I think the correct state would be.

Sociopaths in business believe in only the carrot and not the stick when it comes to themselves. So there is never a penalty assigned for non compliance.

Sticks are reserved for the lowest-paid workers, who should be beaten with them and threatened with firing at every turn.

thunderlips11 says

The point is, it doesn't matter that the dollar was 95% weaker, because people got ~6500% more of them while prices "only" rose ~2000%. That's a big fat gain - and most of those gains happened between 1938-1978, the high point of evil Big Gubermint New Deal Socialism.

300% real growth over 100 years is about 1% real growth annually, a much lower rate than the 2% annual real growth under gold standard. How much cumulative real growth would there have been if the 2% annual real growth had kept in place? 720%. The annual median household income would be about $120k in today's dollars instead of the $50k that we have.

The weakening dollar is a red herring, and even with PM-based currency, there is not enough gold in the world to back it up, so you'll have paper anyway.

The only difference is that the Gold and Silver will accrue to the top .5% and everybody else will have wholly or almost wholly, paper.

Complete nonsense. the people who were forced to line up to hand in their gold were not the top 0.5%. In a gold standard system, storing large quantities of gold would actually incurr storage cost that is not offset by fiat monetary inflation, so there would be less incentive to store large quantities of gold in a central location as investment. The average households would have near-zero storage cost for small quantities of gold.