The Iraq War: How We Spent $800 Billion

Check this graphic out at Frontline on the actual costs of that illegal and conjured up war.  Shocking!  And still no one has been held accountable.  Bush and Cheney should be in the Hague indicted for war crimes.

Senate Report on JPMorgan

The Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation's report on JPMorgan's "whale trade" is not only damning but really points out utter lack on any meaningful regulations over these To Big Too Fail banks.  You can read the whole report here and exhibits here or visit the Subcommittee's website here, but let me give you a few highlights to pique your interest:

Remember when Jamie Dimon claimed that their trading was meant as a hedge?  Why is this guy not in a jump suit for lying to Congress.  From the report on the Synthetic Credit Portfolio (SCP):

JPMorgan Chase told the Subcommittee that the SCP was not intended to function as a
proprietary trading desk, but as insurance or a “hedge” against credit risks confronting the bank.  While its original approval document indicated that the SCP was created with a hedging function in mind, the bank was unable to provide documentation over the next five years detailing the SCP’s hedging objectives and strategies; the assets, portfolio, risks, or tail events it was supposed to hedge; or how the size, nature, and effectiveness of its hedges were determined. The bank was also unable to explain why the SCP’s hedges were treated differently from other types of hedges within the CIO.

I suppose no one would really be surprised that big banks like JPMorgan are gaming the system and playing with taxpayer insured funds—privatizing any gains and if things blow up stick the bill to taxpayers since they're Too Big Too Fail.  What a broken, perverted and distorted system that special interests have created for their own benefit.  And the scary part: it seems there's no way to reverse it since the electoral system is financed by the beneficiaries of such scams and politicians pay lip service but don't actually address the problem which is them and the special interest financing of elections!

JPMorgan Fucks it's Customers

JP Morgan scammed its credit card customers out of more than $200 million dollars and just recently reached a settlement to pay around $100 million dollars.  It's a sickening example of legalized organized crime.  If Joe Schmo tried that shit he'd be gone forever, but if you're a too big too fail bank you literally have a license to steal.  How long can this go on?  See story here: http://www.cnbc.com/id/48614808

Mitty Romney - Out of Touch

Mitty says "I like to be able to fire people."  This guy comes across as crass and a just plain old asshole.  Really hope they fire him from this nomination process.

Does the U.S. Want Other's Democracy?

The answer is clearly "NO!"  Take a look at Bahrain, Egypt, Lebanon and the Palestinians and you could come to no other conclusion.  Despite all the propaganda to the contrary the U.S. is interested in its own interests—read business and oil—and not democracy.  The U.S. has spent years and years supporting despots and dictators throughout the world while cheer leading "democracy."  Wave a patriotic flag and the masses will not notice the falsehoods and propaganda, so the story goes.  I think Glenn Greenwald has an excellent piece summarizing at Salon here.

Texas Fucks Its Residents and Then Makes Them Pay

The coming "Water War"s may be starting in Texas:  great article here on how business interests trump citizens' rights in Texas.  I wonder how long people can see 70% increase in water charges before they take up all their guns.  And I hear, Texas has a lot of guns!  Watch out you raping and pillaging private water companies!!

Was Bradley Manning Keeping His Oath to the Constitution?

Let's face it:  the prosecution of Bradley Manning is a crime in itself.  Those perpetrating this crime should be prosecuted for an affront to the U.S. constitution, an oath they would have taken themselves, as Mr. Manning did.  Bradley Manning exposed crimes committed by the U.S. military—exposing crimes, whistle-blowing, should be celebrated and recognized for what it is: an act of patriotism. Instead, what we get is a distorted perception and a criminalization of an act that would be celebrated by the founding fathers of the U.S.  What is left when this occurs in a society?  Well, we can look at the middle-east for the answer.  The U.S.'s days of credibility are numbered.  It's just a matter of time before the general population stops buying the spoon-fed propaganda that has been force fed down its throat.  The "occupy" movement has not even started yet.  Watch...

U.S. Fucked Up, Is There Really Any Doubt?

The U.S. committed a war crime when it "preemptively" attacked Iraq.  There is no doubt that American sheep were fed propaganda and lied to in a planned and systematic way.  Remember the talk of "mushroom clouds?"  How it was just a matter of time before Saddam Hussein would attack the U.S. with "weapons of mass destruction?"  How the whole world was at risk?  It was all lie!  There was no accountability and we know it at  some level even though the perpetrators seem to have gotten away with it.  History will catch up to the criminals Bush and Cheney, but in the mean time they, or their mouthpieces, should not be allowed to revise this history and the incontrovertible evidence that the Iraq war was based on falsehoods.  History will prove it.  I just hope not too late!

Republican Congress is Just Stupid

Let's face it:  these Republicans—Cantor and Boehner—are just idiots.  When the U.S. is experiencing the most serious economic situation in generations, what are they doing?  Concealed carry legislation!  Can you believe it?  With 9.1% unemployment these idiot Republicans are talking about making it easier for gun nuts to carry their guns from state to state.  Obama just needs to run against this congress and he'll be in for another 4 years. 

Another Criminal Republican

Rep. Phil Gingrey Mugshot

Reuters brings us another example of a corrupt hypocritical Republican.  His name is Rep. Phil Gingrey from Georgia and he has a good scam going—borrow money, never repay it and then try to legislate without disclosing that the legislation would benefit yourself!  Read it yourself here.

If This Happened in China, The U.S. Would be Screaming!

I'm amazed at the U.S. government:  Of course, this is another failed, or successful if you are a right-wing nut, policy brought to us by tough-on-immigration Republican Nazis.  If it was any other country the U.S. would be screaming "human right's abuse" and be looking to score political points depending on what country committed the same atrocities that the U.S. government is doing everyday.  The number of deportations and the shocking treatment of these families and kids is deplorable and would be condemned if they weren't done by the U.S. itself!  Here's a chart of the number of deportations:

   

In these rising numbers is an increasing number of families that are being ripped apart needlessly.  You'd think that when someone was being deported it would be required to send their kids with them, but instead the government chooses to place the kids in foster care.  Read it for yourself here and here.  Also check this Frontline documentary here for more info

Another Retort to Republican Lies

The rewriting of history by Republicans continues unchecked.  They want us to believe that government caused the 2008 financial crisis and not bankers or other financial players.  It's a ruse to continue with their harmful deregulation that ended in with the worst financial crisis we have seen since the Great Depression!  We can't really blame these lying Republicans like Boehner or Cantor as they are just mouth pieces for their financial backers—the financial industry that profits from deregulation but makes the public pay when their bets move against them. 


http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/what-caused-the-financial-crisis-the-big-lie-goes-viral/2011/10/31/gIQAXlSOqM_story_1.html?sub=AR

When Republicans Blame Government

I'm so tired of Republicans blaming government for everything without any facts while the press just accepts it without question.  We keep hearing, more and more, that government is the root of all problems. Of course it's nonsense but it's often difficult to stand up for government, but there's some great ideas here.

Hugh Hendry

Hugh Hendry, Eclectica Asset Management and Steven Drobny, Drobny Global Advisors from LSE SU AIC on Vimeo.

Howard Zinn from 2001

Ran across this insightful interview with Howard Zinn at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMt7cFFKPeM

Boycott Paypal

Paypal has got to be one of the most fucked up organizations on the web.  If you haven't already, I would suggest just closing your account and sending a big "fuck you" to them.  Fuck Paypal and  help speed up their eventual bankruptcy—it's just a matter of time before they just shoot themselves again!

Reuters on Goldman Sachs

Great write-up on Goldman Sachs by Reuters here.

Tuning Out of the Political Absurdity

The total disconnect between reality and Republican politics has reach the pinnacle of absurdity.  Their call for less regulation as a way to tackle the jobs problem is laughable.  We tried every one of their ideas under bush, less taxes for the wealthy, less regulation for financial firms and others, lower environmental standards,
ad nauseam!  The only thing it got us was a financial crisis that the Republicans blame on the President that just inherited the result of these inane policies.  I'll vote and send money and hope that the U.S. will see through this bullshit.  I'm not that hopeful as these would be the same Americans that gave war-criminal Bush a second term.

Republicans Attempt to Sabotage U.S. Economy!

Our good old Republicans are at it again.  See their letter to Mr. Bernanke here.  You have to give them great credit to so openly attempt to stop any progress with this difficult economic situation, but that is what they are doing with this latest warning.  If it wasn't for the Fed's recent actions we would be a catastrophic depression right now.  What would Republicans like?  I guess they would like congress to do nothing except lower taxes on the wealthy and for the Federal Reserve to do nothing. Well, if the politics of it all weren't so obvious I guess it would be amusing.  I think the Republicans are starting to over-reach and it will hurt them come the election.  Their plan: do nothing to improve the economy, block all attempts to improve it, sit back and win the White House in 2012.  I think enough will see through their cynical politics to vote their asses right out of office.

More Republican Lies Exposed

It's truly remarkable that the main-stream press doesn't refute the lie and lie spewed from Republican talking points.  Over and over we have heard how Obama's stimulus package made things worse and caused more job losses.  It's another Republican lie and the fact that they can just repeat it over and over without any accountability is appalling.  Anyway, this chart from the Congressional Budget Office says it all.  It clearly portrays the CRISIS that Obama inherited from that war-criminal Bush.  Without the stimulus package we would probably be looking at a much higher unemployment rate.  The stimulus package that was enacted in early 2009 clearly stemmed the tide and turned the situation around.   How Republicans can get away with their lies while the press stays silent is beyond belief!