All:
William Black is a Professor of Law at UMKC. He is a former regulator in the banking industry and was key witness in defending individual taxpayers (FDIC Insurers) and individual rights against accounting fraud that characterized the Savings and Loan Banking Scandal of the 1980s.
1) Perverse Incentives
2) Dishonest deals Displace Honest Economic Activity
3) Characteristics of Criminal banking Activity
4) Lack of Prosecutions
5) Hope for Prosecutions
Click on any link. The first link is shorter.
Brief 17 minutes run down on current environment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9Qe0HlKKfw
Teaching session 56 minutes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=6YT84CokUsA
Controversy about firing US AG:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I12oDVr2RZQ&feature=related
Last week I was sugesting the following as Truth:
1) We need the FED (US Federal Reserve which prints US Dollars) to back up the SEC Court Costs and Law Suits with unlimited US Dollars (Securities Exchange Commission) - since the SEC doesn't have the budget to fight Big (TBTF) Banks in Court.
2) The SEC often settles or makes deals to accept a penalty from the bank with the biggest banks on charges of money laundering or other banking violations.
3) Too Big To Fail (TBTF) banks often repeat violations within 1-2 years for behavior they agreed in court to stop engaging in.
4) How can any little guy with a limited budget compete with big lobbyist and big corporations with Billions of Dollars?
5) End lobbying by Foreign Interests Today.
6) End Lobbying in Washington DC Tomorrow as the first step in Campaign Finance Reform.
D.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
US Attorney General Stops Practicing Law
US Attorney General Stops Practicing Law
There is a small swirl going around about Attorney General Eric Holder's conflict of interest.
It is clear that the USA has lost $14-20 Trillion Dollars in our Financial Crisis of 2008. It started long before with various deregulation laws sponsored by lobbyist for the financial/banking industry. Apparently Attorney general for President Barak Obama used to work for these various financial corporations in his capacity working for Covington & Burling.
Hm...wow. What can that mean?
Well the financial crisis that we are still reeling from was in 2007-2008. Many in the banking industry felt it coming or avoided the "bad loans". And poor people notice the wave of systemic foreclosures hitting their neighborhoods by 2007. William Black is a Law Professor at UMKC. Bill Black has various videos available to explain the crisis online. Listen to Bill Black and you will learn the characteristics to look for fraudulent banking activity. bill can teach you how criminal behavior explains the Sub-Prime mortgage loan scandal where normal economics and banking doesn't. In fact there is plenty of behavior in mortgage loans to warrant more than 2000 prosecutions and incarcerations.
We have had over 409 banks fail in the USA since 2007. I say there could be at least a 4 to 1 ration of prosecutions. But remember in the 1980s Savings and Loan Scandal there were over 1100 prosecutions for only a fraction of the money lost for Americans. So we know there have not been any substantive prosecutions of Fraud for the Financial Crisis in the USA. Go and search on the internet for William Black Videos and listen. You will find that the comparison of US Government actions for this financial crisis pales in comparison to the "Savings and Loan Scandal".
So to conclude:
Where is the US Attorney General, Eric Holder?
Well no one really knows. We know he is not looking into the crimes which are considered the most horrendous. And we know he has a conflict of interest with his old buddies at Covington & Burling, and all his customers which were the biggest banks in the US History!
Eric Holder must go. Eric Holder is in Bed with all the Biggest Banks. The US Attorney General Eric Holder has stopped practicing law (disclaimer: I am not an attorney of law).
And so we must not elect Barak Obama or Newt or Mitt. We must look to reverse the US Progression into globalization.
1) Globalisation is a big question mark to all Americans today.
2) Federalization is also a big question in American now.
3) Why should we trust people that don't enforce the law or prevent Fraud?
4) Clearly money buys elections and politicians.
5) Clearly politicians are for sale.
6) Clearly the big money is buying politicians.
7) Clearly the big money is Banks and High Finance.
8) You have a big deal - you need to lobby government with big money.
Stop the Wars,
D.
Wars, US Banks, US Finance, US Politics, US Lobbying, Money and Politics, Globalisation
There is a small swirl going around about Attorney General Eric Holder's conflict of interest.
It is clear that the USA has lost $14-20 Trillion Dollars in our Financial Crisis of 2008. It started long before with various deregulation laws sponsored by lobbyist for the financial/banking industry. Apparently Attorney general for President Barak Obama used to work for these various financial corporations in his capacity working for Covington & Burling.
Hm...wow. What can that mean?
Well the financial crisis that we are still reeling from was in 2007-2008. Many in the banking industry felt it coming or avoided the "bad loans". And poor people notice the wave of systemic foreclosures hitting their neighborhoods by 2007. William Black is a Law Professor at UMKC. Bill Black has various videos available to explain the crisis online. Listen to Bill Black and you will learn the characteristics to look for fraudulent banking activity. bill can teach you how criminal behavior explains the Sub-Prime mortgage loan scandal where normal economics and banking doesn't. In fact there is plenty of behavior in mortgage loans to warrant more than 2000 prosecutions and incarcerations.
We have had over 409 banks fail in the USA since 2007. I say there could be at least a 4 to 1 ration of prosecutions. But remember in the 1980s Savings and Loan Scandal there were over 1100 prosecutions for only a fraction of the money lost for Americans. So we know there have not been any substantive prosecutions of Fraud for the Financial Crisis in the USA. Go and search on the internet for William Black Videos and listen. You will find that the comparison of US Government actions for this financial crisis pales in comparison to the "Savings and Loan Scandal".
So to conclude:
Where is the US Attorney General, Eric Holder?
Well no one really knows. We know he is not looking into the crimes which are considered the most horrendous. And we know he has a conflict of interest with his old buddies at Covington & Burling, and all his customers which were the biggest banks in the US History!
Eric Holder must go. Eric Holder is in Bed with all the Biggest Banks. The US Attorney General Eric Holder has stopped practicing law (disclaimer: I am not an attorney of law).
And so we must not elect Barak Obama or Newt or Mitt. We must look to reverse the US Progression into globalization.
1) Globalisation is a big question mark to all Americans today.
2) Federalization is also a big question in American now.
3) Why should we trust people that don't enforce the law or prevent Fraud?
4) Clearly money buys elections and politicians.
5) Clearly politicians are for sale.
6) Clearly the big money is buying politicians.
7) Clearly the big money is Banks and High Finance.
8) You have a big deal - you need to lobby government with big money.
Stop the Wars,
D.
Wars, US Banks, US Finance, US Politics, US Lobbying, Money and Politics, Globalisation
Romney Make a Case Against Trickle Down Economics
Romney Make a Case Against Trickle Down Economics - and for increasing taxes on Rich Americans whether they are executive wage earners, investors, or business owners.
There was much talk today in the media about Mitt Romney's Tax Filings.
I don't believe Americans are good at analysis in our bipartisan political system. Determined Democrats and Republican can be moved from their views. Many entrenched Americans jump into offensive and defensive positions when they meet a new or different idea.
How long have we been told by Republicans that the rich in the USA create jobs when the tax rates are low. There is little evidence that the rich create job or that we are dependent on rich people for our economy. We know much of our tax history show tremendous growth in the economy during times when taxes were as much as 90% for the top tier.
The Rich in America consider many things in protecting their wealth:
1) Risk: we want low risk if we are rich.
2) Invest as a bond holder or share holder to reduce risk.
3) Invest in the Best kinds of industries, businesses, and look for "Blue Chip" type corporations
4) Opening a Business or starting a corporation is very risky, involves loans, involves putting up capital, and dealing with overhead expenses.
5) Business's goal is to maximize profits and revenues, and reduce overhead such as employees (reduce employees not provide jobs to the public).
6) Automate as much as possible to reduce employee overhead.
7) Use outside resources for accounting, legal, and other so that we don't' have to pay overhead for their taxes, health care, retirement, and other benefits.
The Truth:
If I get rich I will not put my money into a business since I don't have the personality, am risk averse, and I don't have a network of business connections. I haven't made much in dividend income, am in a lower tax bracket, and don't really like paying even the 15% on my dividends over the last 3 years. Many Americans seem to think 24% is a good tax rate for dividend income and for rich people in general as per Gallup polls (NPR Radio 23 Jan 2012).
There is at least another perspective here.
1) Instead of austerity (cutting benefits for those that lost jobs, don't have jobs, and now depend on social programs) we can raise taxes on the rich.
2) Let's encourage people to learn and get involved in financial management like buying stocks and bonds.
3) Let's increase the financial and Banking education of all people.
4) It is an illusion that all people can not learn about banking, finance, and investing in stocks and bonds.
5) It is an illusion that we are dependant on the rich in America. The truth is that certain men think they are better/smarter than the rest of us.
6) Men keep us down by controlling information - so we need to keep the Internet open to all and free for all to preserve liberty, freedom, transparency, democracy, and a fair banking-government system (BGS - Banking Government System).
Conclusion:
I don't believe rich Americans will leave the USA if taxes go up for the following reasons:
A) The best markets or at least very lucrative market for business and consumer goods lie in the USA.
B) Most Americans like to be around other Americans, and like the infrastructure or convenience of living, investing, and doing business in the USA.
C) The culture in other countries is different and most in the USA can not or will not adapt to living overseas outside of the USA.
Mitt Romney, Trickle Down Economics, Republicans, US Tax Policy, US Lobbying, Tax the Rich, Banking Government System, OWS
There was much talk today in the media about Mitt Romney's Tax Filings.
I don't believe Americans are good at analysis in our bipartisan political system. Determined Democrats and Republican can be moved from their views. Many entrenched Americans jump into offensive and defensive positions when they meet a new or different idea.
How long have we been told by Republicans that the rich in the USA create jobs when the tax rates are low. There is little evidence that the rich create job or that we are dependent on rich people for our economy. We know much of our tax history show tremendous growth in the economy during times when taxes were as much as 90% for the top tier.
The Rich in America consider many things in protecting their wealth:
1) Risk: we want low risk if we are rich.
2) Invest as a bond holder or share holder to reduce risk.
3) Invest in the Best kinds of industries, businesses, and look for "Blue Chip" type corporations
4) Opening a Business or starting a corporation is very risky, involves loans, involves putting up capital, and dealing with overhead expenses.
5) Business's goal is to maximize profits and revenues, and reduce overhead such as employees (reduce employees not provide jobs to the public).
6) Automate as much as possible to reduce employee overhead.
7) Use outside resources for accounting, legal, and other so that we don't' have to pay overhead for their taxes, health care, retirement, and other benefits.
The Truth:
If I get rich I will not put my money into a business since I don't have the personality, am risk averse, and I don't have a network of business connections. I haven't made much in dividend income, am in a lower tax bracket, and don't really like paying even the 15% on my dividends over the last 3 years. Many Americans seem to think 24% is a good tax rate for dividend income and for rich people in general as per Gallup polls (NPR Radio 23 Jan 2012).
There is at least another perspective here.
1) Instead of austerity (cutting benefits for those that lost jobs, don't have jobs, and now depend on social programs) we can raise taxes on the rich.
2) Let's encourage people to learn and get involved in financial management like buying stocks and bonds.
3) Let's increase the financial and Banking education of all people.
4) It is an illusion that all people can not learn about banking, finance, and investing in stocks and bonds.
5) It is an illusion that we are dependant on the rich in America. The truth is that certain men think they are better/smarter than the rest of us.
6) Men keep us down by controlling information - so we need to keep the Internet open to all and free for all to preserve liberty, freedom, transparency, democracy, and a fair banking-government system (BGS - Banking Government System).
Conclusion:
I don't believe rich Americans will leave the USA if taxes go up for the following reasons:
A) The best markets or at least very lucrative market for business and consumer goods lie in the USA.
B) Most Americans like to be around other Americans, and like the infrastructure or convenience of living, investing, and doing business in the USA.
C) The culture in other countries is different and most in the USA can not or will not adapt to living overseas outside of the USA.
Mitt Romney, Trickle Down Economics, Republicans, US Tax Policy, US Lobbying, Tax the Rich, Banking Government System, OWS
Why do Americans Watch Debates or SOU?
Why do Americans Watch Debates or SOU??? Really!
All we get is a guy kissing a baby for all our time!
The words of Politicians are misleading, disingenuous, Spin, and Propaganda!
Now listen to the clapping in state of the union address. This is just a ruse to confuse or placate the masses. That is why most politicians spout rhetoric instead of honest word. Politics is a game. The game is to fool people to vote for them - if you by chance are interested in voting.
Politicians are magicians. They do one thing that you can see while doing a completely different thing behind their back. We all know that money buys elections. Lobby money buys elections, laws, deregulation, banking fraud, accounting fraud, and too big to fail banks. Never mind that executives have figured out how to loot corporations with lavish benefits packages, start an environment where dishonest deals drive out honest deals, and reduce real employment and real manufacturing that increases the US GDP and increases spin off jobs to support manufacturing.
The fact is if politicians wanted to solve problems, stop wars, create Justice, regulate accounting fraud, they would. There is a mountain of laws and regulations that are not enforced properly or have had subsequent laws reduce their effectiveness. Oh and you tell the IRS to go after small wage earners since they don't influence/lobby congress or engage in expensive legal battles. Oh and you can fail to budget money for proper staffing of agencies like the SEC. And you can over fund and over budget money for agencies involved in the war on drugs.
The solution: Vote for the underdog that wants to go back to individual rights. Vote for Ron Paul for US President.
It is clear that Ron Paul can not implement sever changes to our social systems, social security, social medicare/medicaid,...
we need to send a message to Washington DC and the K Street Lobbyist:
1) We won't be run over by lying politicians.
2) We are watching all politicians.
3) We don't tolerate looting our corporations.
4) We don't tolerate banks funding only Finance and Bank Deals.
5) We won't tolerate Accounting Fraud in the USA
6) we won't tolerate banks that focus on dishonest deals that put quick money in the pocket of the few deal makers.
7) we won't fall for Financial Ratings Agencies and independent accounting firms that don't do what they say the represent, but are "In Bed" with dishonest financial managers.
Republican Debates, State of the Union, US Politicians, Politics, Lobbying, Financial Crisis, Mortgage Scandal, Banking Reform
All we get is a guy kissing a baby for all our time!
The words of Politicians are misleading, disingenuous, Spin, and Propaganda!
Now listen to the clapping in state of the union address. This is just a ruse to confuse or placate the masses. That is why most politicians spout rhetoric instead of honest word. Politics is a game. The game is to fool people to vote for them - if you by chance are interested in voting.
Politicians are magicians. They do one thing that you can see while doing a completely different thing behind their back. We all know that money buys elections. Lobby money buys elections, laws, deregulation, banking fraud, accounting fraud, and too big to fail banks. Never mind that executives have figured out how to loot corporations with lavish benefits packages, start an environment where dishonest deals drive out honest deals, and reduce real employment and real manufacturing that increases the US GDP and increases spin off jobs to support manufacturing.
The fact is if politicians wanted to solve problems, stop wars, create Justice, regulate accounting fraud, they would. There is a mountain of laws and regulations that are not enforced properly or have had subsequent laws reduce their effectiveness. Oh and you tell the IRS to go after small wage earners since they don't influence/lobby congress or engage in expensive legal battles. Oh and you can fail to budget money for proper staffing of agencies like the SEC. And you can over fund and over budget money for agencies involved in the war on drugs.
The solution: Vote for the underdog that wants to go back to individual rights. Vote for Ron Paul for US President.
It is clear that Ron Paul can not implement sever changes to our social systems, social security, social medicare/medicaid,...
we need to send a message to Washington DC and the K Street Lobbyist:
1) We won't be run over by lying politicians.
2) We are watching all politicians.
3) We don't tolerate looting our corporations.
4) We don't tolerate banks funding only Finance and Bank Deals.
5) We won't tolerate Accounting Fraud in the USA
6) we won't tolerate banks that focus on dishonest deals that put quick money in the pocket of the few deal makers.
7) we won't fall for Financial Ratings Agencies and independent accounting firms that don't do what they say the represent, but are "In Bed" with dishonest financial managers.
Republican Debates, State of the Union, US Politicians, Politics, Lobbying, Financial Crisis, Mortgage Scandal, Banking Reform
Friday, January 20, 2012
Mitt Romney Positioned as Aristocratic Candidate
Mitt Romney Positioned as Aristocratic Candidate
I don't know how to call this one, do you Bingo?
Obviously Romney is not one of us. I see video where Romney states he pays 15% Income Tax versus the 35% Income Tax that his tax bracket should be paying.
But there is also
1) False Claim of creating 100K jobs. If you went to business school you know the purpose of business is not to create jobs, support jobs, or help anyone else create jobs. The goal of business is to maximize profit.
2) Maximizing profit often means cutting jobs and managing new efficiencies.
3) Yes, there is a business cycle where businesses hire more people, then layoff workers when the economy or industry enters a recession. But let's be clear about what year we are talking about and whether the industry/business was in a recession.
4) Certain businesses take over other corporations to reap the profits whether through closing the business, or through buying a number of inefficient businesses and reaping the profits of turning around high costs or low revenues.
5) It doesn't seem likely that there is a single business model out there to take over businesses and increase employees - since employees are overhead.
6) It seems like Bain capital is more like a consultant business or a venture capital business. the focus could be on marketing, and developing markets, but more likely is going to see high overhead on paper which would lead to cutting jobs and cutting expenses.
The reason I laid that all out is this: There are perverse incentives now at work in US corporations and Businesses. The perverse payoffs are present if you layoff workers (bonus time), cut expenses, commit fraud, turn over fraudulent mortgages by selling them off, or create derivative financial instruments with triple A Ratings with subprime mortgages or subprime bonds packaged inside. Oh and the executive officers of US Businesses get bonuses and salary increases which tend to lessen profit for shareholders. Shareholder profits being drained to pay for overhead like salary and bonuses clearly are perverse.
Mitt Romney, Off Shoring, Off Shore banking, Cayman Islands, Arbitrage, Hedge Fund Manager, Presidential Campaign, US Politicians, US Politics, Political Spin, Propaganda, Perverse Incentives, Bonuses, Executive Compensation
I don't know how to call this one, do you Bingo?
Obviously Romney is not one of us. I see video where Romney states he pays 15% Income Tax versus the 35% Income Tax that his tax bracket should be paying.
But there is also
1) False Claim of creating 100K jobs. If you went to business school you know the purpose of business is not to create jobs, support jobs, or help anyone else create jobs. The goal of business is to maximize profit.
2) Maximizing profit often means cutting jobs and managing new efficiencies.
3) Yes, there is a business cycle where businesses hire more people, then layoff workers when the economy or industry enters a recession. But let's be clear about what year we are talking about and whether the industry/business was in a recession.
4) Certain businesses take over other corporations to reap the profits whether through closing the business, or through buying a number of inefficient businesses and reaping the profits of turning around high costs or low revenues.
5) It doesn't seem likely that there is a single business model out there to take over businesses and increase employees - since employees are overhead.
6) It seems like Bain capital is more like a consultant business or a venture capital business. the focus could be on marketing, and developing markets, but more likely is going to see high overhead on paper which would lead to cutting jobs and cutting expenses.
The reason I laid that all out is this: There are perverse incentives now at work in US corporations and Businesses. The perverse payoffs are present if you layoff workers (bonus time), cut expenses, commit fraud, turn over fraudulent mortgages by selling them off, or create derivative financial instruments with triple A Ratings with subprime mortgages or subprime bonds packaged inside. Oh and the executive officers of US Businesses get bonuses and salary increases which tend to lessen profit for shareholders. Shareholder profits being drained to pay for overhead like salary and bonuses clearly are perverse.
Mitt Romney, Off Shoring, Off Shore banking, Cayman Islands, Arbitrage, Hedge Fund Manager, Presidential Campaign, US Politicians, US Politics, Political Spin, Propaganda, Perverse Incentives, Bonuses, Executive Compensation
Gingrich Disingenuous at best
Gingrich Disingenuous at best
Marianne Gingrich un-burdened herself to ABC about how Newt Gingrich cheated for 6 years as she struggled with illness.
1) Newt tried to control the narrative of course. He said it was very "Low" to attack him a day before a state primary (single State primary of potential 50 primaries).
2) Spin, Spin, Spin. We all know Celebrities, public figures and politicians are fair game for analysis and reporting. They are free targets for paparazzi.
3) No amount of spin or propaganda change the fact that reporters have free rein to report on national elections.
4) We even got a bullet on how Newt Gingrich would control the news if he was president. He indicated on major news networks that he felt news media went too far and had too many rights to report. So much for "Individual Rights", transparency, and freedom.
5) Say good bye America. Newt, Mitt, and Barack will continue wars, spend taxpayer money or transfer taxpayer money to industry while taking away individual rights!
Marianne Gingrich un-burdened herself to ABC about how Newt Gingrich cheated for 6 years as she struggled with illness.
1) Newt tried to control the narrative of course. He said it was very "Low" to attack him a day before a state primary (single State primary of potential 50 primaries).
2) Spin, Spin, Spin. We all know Celebrities, public figures and politicians are fair game for analysis and reporting. They are free targets for paparazzi.
3) No amount of spin or propaganda change the fact that reporters have free rein to report on national elections.
4) We even got a bullet on how Newt Gingrich would control the news if he was president. He indicated on major news networks that he felt news media went too far and had too many rights to report. So much for "Individual Rights", transparency, and freedom.
5) Say good bye America. Newt, Mitt, and Barack will continue wars, spend taxpayer money or transfer taxpayer money to industry while taking away individual rights!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
US Politics Prevades our lives, Perverse Incentives
US Politics Pervades all of our lives.
The secret is to control the narrative, then you control the facts and the truth. I am told that investigative reports have been laid off in the USA. So much of what we see on the Internet and cable news is a repeat of news that was previously written and released.
You can call US Politics and US Business spin "Public Relations". But why don't we call things what they are. I first started learning about politics when President Nixon was being impeached on TV. Then I remember Jimmy Carter saying how we needed to work on Alternative Energy. Then Ronald Reagan charged President Carter with increasing the US Budget, and US Budget Deficit. Then of course Ronald Reagan had budgets that were multiples of Jimmy Carter's budgets - taking the budget to $3 Trillion Dollars building up the Defense Department and fighting what was a cold war (one with very few bullets fired).
Later on we learned that the Vietnam War was started by a "False Flag" operation in which a US Ship was shot by US military in order to declare a war that was never intended to be won. The Social Security Trust Fund was raided in 1967-8 to fund the Vietnam war (a war 5000 miles away, which we had been involved in since 1959, and which had nothing to do with American citizens, American Soil, or American common interests).
So we have a War Department not a Department of Defense. And we have propaganda, political spin, and shills like Bill O'Riley on Fox news mouthing words written by Public Relations, corporate, employees. And we have politicians who transfer US Taxpayer dollars to one of our giant industries.
But historically politicians have always had some weak ethics and morals. Take your pick. We called US Indians savages to take their land to build this country under an excuse called "Manifest destiny" (American progress to build a strong economy). But how is it we don't know so many things about our world history and US History. Politicians didn't want you to worry about how our government has been involved in regime change in many countries over the last 100 years.
Did we forget about Iran Contra? That was where the CIA was caught moving drugs around the world to fund operations around the world that weren't approved by congress. Did we forget that congress is supposed to authorize use of military and military support programs in foreign countries. yes. And congress is supposed to declare war before we go start wars in foreign countries too. Naw, congress doesn't want to sign off on US Budgets and US Wars. The US Congress doesn't want to sign off on any CIA programs either. Signatures can hurt elections.
Well Iran Contra involved the US Government and CIA funding, training, and supporting the abusive government(which killed and tortured people all over Nicaragua). The Sandinista rebels were minding their own business in their own country. The US Government didn't have any business in Nicaragua. It turns out the CIA was recruiting and training Nicaraguan National Guard soldiers. Hm,...why so covert??? If it was above board and moral, why wasn't it the US Army that trained the government soldiers?
Because we have a military industrial complex (MIC) that is big business. And if the MIC wants to lobby why not have a war in Iraq??
US Politicians control the narrative even beyond the borders of the USA. The major media outlets carry the news world wide. It is pretty hard to tell the truth with so much Spin, and self serving propaganda (both government and corporate).
Say, you don't think if US Congressmen will allow a war in Iraq without any evidence... they wouldn't cover up massive Fraud on wall Street, or the systemic risks to financial systems posed by Financial Derivatives (CDS,CDO)??
Surely the US Congress would not sanction too big to fail banks that have grown 33% since 2008 and who now control way too much of our banking and economy.
The problem that I see is all of that, but also we have perverse incentives in business that encourage fraud, encourage out sourcing of jobs, encourage layoffs, and don't encourage building businesses and invention.
It appears that the US wages and European Wages have been too high for the last 20-30 years. It appears that national strategies in the US and Europe are to bring down the wages and benefits. This probably means bringing US quality of life down as well.
US Politics, US Budget, US Congress, US Government, US Deficit, Vietnam, Iraq War, Afghanistan War, Social Security, Pension Funds, attack on wages, off shoring jobs, national security, quality of life,
The secret is to control the narrative, then you control the facts and the truth. I am told that investigative reports have been laid off in the USA. So much of what we see on the Internet and cable news is a repeat of news that was previously written and released.
You can call US Politics and US Business spin "Public Relations". But why don't we call things what they are. I first started learning about politics when President Nixon was being impeached on TV. Then I remember Jimmy Carter saying how we needed to work on Alternative Energy. Then Ronald Reagan charged President Carter with increasing the US Budget, and US Budget Deficit. Then of course Ronald Reagan had budgets that were multiples of Jimmy Carter's budgets - taking the budget to $3 Trillion Dollars building up the Defense Department and fighting what was a cold war (one with very few bullets fired).
Later on we learned that the Vietnam War was started by a "False Flag" operation in which a US Ship was shot by US military in order to declare a war that was never intended to be won. The Social Security Trust Fund was raided in 1967-8 to fund the Vietnam war (a war 5000 miles away, which we had been involved in since 1959, and which had nothing to do with American citizens, American Soil, or American common interests).
So we have a War Department not a Department of Defense. And we have propaganda, political spin, and shills like Bill O'Riley on Fox news mouthing words written by Public Relations, corporate, employees. And we have politicians who transfer US Taxpayer dollars to one of our giant industries.
But historically politicians have always had some weak ethics and morals. Take your pick. We called US Indians savages to take their land to build this country under an excuse called "Manifest destiny" (American progress to build a strong economy). But how is it we don't know so many things about our world history and US History. Politicians didn't want you to worry about how our government has been involved in regime change in many countries over the last 100 years.
Did we forget about Iran Contra? That was where the CIA was caught moving drugs around the world to fund operations around the world that weren't approved by congress. Did we forget that congress is supposed to authorize use of military and military support programs in foreign countries. yes. And congress is supposed to declare war before we go start wars in foreign countries too. Naw, congress doesn't want to sign off on US Budgets and US Wars. The US Congress doesn't want to sign off on any CIA programs either. Signatures can hurt elections.
Well Iran Contra involved the US Government and CIA funding, training, and supporting the abusive government(which killed and tortured people all over Nicaragua). The Sandinista rebels were minding their own business in their own country. The US Government didn't have any business in Nicaragua. It turns out the CIA was recruiting and training Nicaraguan National Guard soldiers. Hm,...why so covert??? If it was above board and moral, why wasn't it the US Army that trained the government soldiers?
Because we have a military industrial complex (MIC) that is big business. And if the MIC wants to lobby why not have a war in Iraq??
US Politicians control the narrative even beyond the borders of the USA. The major media outlets carry the news world wide. It is pretty hard to tell the truth with so much Spin, and self serving propaganda (both government and corporate).
Say, you don't think if US Congressmen will allow a war in Iraq without any evidence... they wouldn't cover up massive Fraud on wall Street, or the systemic risks to financial systems posed by Financial Derivatives (CDS,CDO)??
Surely the US Congress would not sanction too big to fail banks that have grown 33% since 2008 and who now control way too much of our banking and economy.
The problem that I see is all of that, but also we have perverse incentives in business that encourage fraud, encourage out sourcing of jobs, encourage layoffs, and don't encourage building businesses and invention.
It appears that the US wages and European Wages have been too high for the last 20-30 years. It appears that national strategies in the US and Europe are to bring down the wages and benefits. This probably means bringing US quality of life down as well.
US Politics, US Budget, US Congress, US Government, US Deficit, Vietnam, Iraq War, Afghanistan War, Social Security, Pension Funds, attack on wages, off shoring jobs, national security, quality of life,
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