Let’s see if you idiots can handle it.
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcpH6q-Mnzs 616 500] [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTUY16CkS-k&feature=player_embedded 616 500] If you enjoy the content at iBankCoin, please follow us on Twitter
18 years in Wall Street, left after finding out it was all horseshit. Founder/ Master and Commander: iBankCoin, finance news and commentary from the future.
Joined Nov 10, 2007
23,474 Blog Posts
That QE2 vid is spot on.
That QE2 video is one of the best things ever posted here.
To Fly or whomever made it, Huzzah, Sir!
Saw that QE2 vid earlier – it’s funny because it’s true. But we can take heart – check out this kid YouTubing from his bedroom, explaining things better than all the stuffed shirts on the teevee. (Found it on the related videos column next to the above.) There are some smart, tuned-in, incredulous kids out there. Not everyone will be caught unawares by the Great Contraction.
http://www.youtube.com/user/TorynHill#p/a/u/1/Ezl_iaYzo2I
Savage is about as helpful as Glenn Beck – generally correct on his macro view, but ignorant of key details, and ultimately fanning the flames of division and non-cooperation. They might be performing a valuable service in teaching some part of the public what nobody else is going to teach them, but their prescriptions will be worse than unhelpful.
Listen to Savage, then tell me where he is wrong.
Savage is right about the wars and Iraq’s oil. He’s right about the deliberate consumerization of America and the bread and circuses. He’s right that regular folks all over the world would have little to fight about if it weren’t for the propaganda of their insane leaders. He’s right that we’re in an oligarchy (actually an “oiligarchy’) with a mostly clueless populace. He’s right that we’re in the last great days of the Republic.
He’s wrong about who’s behind the moves. Bill Kristol is the general? Give me a break. (Richard Perle is closer to it, but even he’s a few levels up from the roots.) Germany in WWII is a weak model–the Roman Empire is better–though I suspect that we’ll do replay of the Third Reich in Ermerica circa 2016. The “Regime of Obama?” Puh-leeze. He’s got no control over anything. BHO is merely a weak, appeasing captain of a ship that had taken on plenty of water before he even got there. No one, absolutely no one, who took the Oval Office in 2010 would have been able to do anything about it. Savage is wrong to think the Tea Partiers can do anything to “organize” and right this sinking ship. They’re desperately ill-informed and inchoate, and do not understand the complexity of the situation, which is truly global, enough to fix anything. It would be like asking a plumber to fix a microprocessor. All they really have going for them is rage. The best the Tea Partiers can do is to execute a revolution and destroy the Republic…although in the long run, that might be a good thing.
We’re returning to an ancient regime now, where only hard assets hold value, and a 1% growth rate from a totally solid base, after all the leverage has been washed out, is the best one can hope for. Because that’s what solar income captured by plants gives you.
The Great Contraction has begun. We’re going from 150 years of increasing growth, leverage, and Plenty into an era of Less. A few examples from last night’s local newscasts:
– Local school asking (they can’t demand) parents to pony up $350 per student to avert cutting services and/or closing. The point was made that the promise of a quality education in CA was made in the 1970s (when oil pumped from Kern County was flowing strongly, and delivered a nice fat dividend to the state).
– A local food bank has gone from 12,000 lbs (or was it boxes?) of food distributed last year to 20,000 this year.
– A local Thanksgiving aid organization normally has 150 donated turkeys laid up in the coolers by this time; this year they have 6.
– Ahnold warning about the severe service cuts that will be needed to deal with the budget of CA, which is too big to not fail.
– Special needs education is on the block, particularly programs for autistic children, whose numbers are up sharply over recent years
In short, we’re seeing the early failure of both public and private social support services. That’s what Contraction looks like.
There was also a story a few days ago about a handful of possible small-town mergers in CA, because they can no longer support their own city offices and managers.
The institutions, theories, charts, and principles of the modern age are about to be consigned to the dustbin of history. The pleading denials of guys like Martin Wolf cannot stop it. We can, and we will, return to a 19th Century (if we’re lucky – I could argue 17th C as well) economy in time. There are lots of ways to return to a gold standard, other than the complex architectures Wolf imagines. Popular revolutions, the collapse of empires, and the destruction of leverage will get you there too. Michael Savage still seems to think that politics can save us, if it’s strident enough…that’s just another form of denial.
To quote a hedgie friend: “The age of cheap hydrocarbons and all their subsidies is ending. The rationalist/reductionist/institutionalist belief system that grew up around it will likely end with it. Gold was an integral part of the older order. It was a ‘barbarous relic’ for a reason. That reason may be returning.”
Cheerful chap, aren’t you?
I doubt significantly that the American nation is ending, if only for two reasons.
1. Mass communication, the internet, and other tech advances make it easy for like minded people to coalesce and self identify. As such, you’ll probably see several large and hyper partisan movements, each identifying with and claiming the American tradition, despite being vastly different.
2. Civil disobedience will become wide spread and common, similar to the 70’s, except this time around it will be economic disobedience as opposed to disobedience of civic duty. The American economy, despite such pessimism about it, is still a robust engine. However, many resources are being squandered on attempting to provide guarantees for groups of people.
As such, fixed income style benefits (think unions) will experience grave realities as taxpayers shun them and begin to refuse to pay taxes/commit tax fraud to avoid responsibility. You may see a refusal to commit to services in exchange for dollars. Basically, a very large majority of the country will be the squeeze on the 20% or so who are making life so difficult for everyone, forcing them into severe poverty in order to save budgets and well beings.
I see these two points reshaping the country far before civil warfare takes off. Unfortunately, for third world countries and any not the U.S., this probably means the dollar is toast, which will cause some severe suffering in all large exporters. And inside the U.S., municipalities and civil servants are going to be put on the chopping block. It’s tough to argue they’re creating value when anyone who looks over their own budget realizes that terminating these people would essentially balance out the huge shortfalls.
In short, “for the greater good” is on its way out, and “for my own good” is on its way back in. People who make a living fighting for social causes and doing social worker are about to experience a most severe pain.
…a very large majority of the country will *put the squeeze on…
Mr Thaler.
Re your points ……..just for the sake of debate and intelligent discourse……
What do you think will happen when the the people in power (oligarchs/government) recognize that the www is a major mode of communication between and for factions who pose a threat to their perception of “the way it should be”?
Why do you suppose the quasi healthcare bill contains provision for a “national security force”? Were they possibly anticipating some civil disobedience?
How far would the American economy go and how long would it last if our currency was no longer accepted as payment for imported oil? Weeks? A month or two maybe?
24.5 days is how long it would last. That’s the average days supply of oil inventories we keep in stock. After that, Mad Max.
Government is already interested in censorship, obviously. That’s a key purpose of the internet legislation they’re pushing.
I’m not aware of the security force element of the bill, and so decline to comment. However, you do not force hundreds of millions of people. At best, you make example of a few and pray to God your bluff isn’t called.
Our economy would burn up into a thousand pieces, as is. I’m assuming some advancements would have to occur between now and then. However, if foreign governments begin to trade in oil under a basket of currencies…well then, much of the weight would be shifted…
Oh, long before that, though, our government officials would cave. Politicians are not renowned for their strong spines or willingness to face hardship.
I pretty much agree with him except he said China is bigger than the US (market)
Population, but not market
cloris, that toryn hill guy is a repeater, I don’t get why you think he is smart.
America “is just a zip code” (to them). Being exposed to the market the last two years has truly opened my eyes. One of the hardest things for me is listening to friends and family who don’t know yet that the country we knew no longer exists. I want to tell them what has happened, but it’s hard enough for me to deal with it.
one can’t get a straight answer from anyone on the news or in politics!
it took a fucking cartoon to make things crystal clear for me.
thanks!
lol
The people at The Goldman Sachs and ME, baby. Keep easing, Ben!
I’m sorry but Savage is bit over dramatic. I love how he compares Obama to Hitler… seriously stupid analogy.
He makes a lot of good points but the whole Obama is out to turn America into a dictatorship is total bullshit.
You don’t like Obama? Don’t vote for him. If he gets reelected… Then so sorry, you were the minority vote… Deal with it!
As if Sarah Palin in charge will restore America back to the golden years.
America has not changed. Sounds like a bunch of chicken littles to me.
Bush and Obama both have strategically expanded governmental powers, and minimized personal freedoms in law. That is why they have both been compared to Hitler (who represents an end-point along that dictatorial spectrum).
btw. Long before Palin was ever in Federal Politics, I was working for a company with oil and gas leases in Alaska. Every move that she made or statement that she uttered, or letter that she wrote, whether related to pipeline plans, or (the breaking of) lease contracts, was completely COMMUNIST!!
I am shocked and amazed that she represents liberty and small government in many people’s minds today. And yes, her current rhetoric is postured as such. Her background is otherwise.
Godwin’s Law…
Please stop insinuating that conservatives approve of Sarah Palin.
I second that motion.
Ditto Lindsay………..
(ok plug your ears all you wonderful macho guys) @shetries– true story–I even had a long cry a couple of weeks ago when I let myself realize how corrupt “it” all had become. Our grandfathers didn’t die for what it has become. I look around and wonder “where are the leaders with honor and who can’t be bought?”
Idealistic I guess.
Savage is right on!
Palin is an idiot.
I love the savage rant not because he disses obama. I like it because it’s the truth.
Dissing Obama is only one reason that I like this rant, however the main reason I like it is because he calls both parties out for being frauds, and that both parties are puppets of corporations and that their stings are pulled by money.
just ranting is wothless if you cant speak or propose solutions. he is bitching about immigration but he absolutely has no solution. its always easy to find fault and complain.
Bill
he has solutions, just not mentioned here. I am not endorsing the guy. I just like this message
Been listening to Savage for 10 years now. He speaks the truth for sure
This is not the time to think and worry about your usual overbought indicators and divergences wanting lower prices. The Fed wants higher prices and will succeed no matter what your oscillators will do.
The truth is that Kim Kardashian is shocked that she isnt married. Get back to your televisions all is well
I get my news from cartoons, too.
Usually Family Guy or The Simpsons.
Only because Rocky and Bullwinkle is off the air.
I miss the Mr. Devil Dog cartoons. Savage is 100% correct on oligarchies and how even oligarchies can be enlightened, but our current ruling oligarchy has no love for America and has sold the US out.
Agree. We’ve been sold out.
A benevolent dictatorship is the most efficient, effective and best form of government.
Some problems:
1) It’s very difficult to find a benevolent dictator
2) If you find one, it’s next to impossible to find a replacement one when he steps down; hence the need for less efficient, less effective but more stable/longer lived govs.
I think Julius Caesar used to think that also until shortly before he said “Et tu, Brute?”
I am long on the US system of government, but I agree 100% with John Adams:
“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a religious and moral people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.”
Mr Kilroy has correctly divined the simple yet fearful truth of John Adams’ wisdom. It is for that reason alone that I fear this best days of the USA are behind her. A free republic cannot function if the inhabitants of it are devoid of morality and a healthy fear of the Almighty. It can be no other way. A people regulating themselves by the whim of the moment rather than a bedrock of absolute truths, will descend into chaos until such a point as they succumb to an earthly “Almighty”, IE; dictator.
Witness the complete moral failure of the whole CDS and banking fiasco which was brought about through unbridled greed and lust for power by all the players involved, from CEO’s to robo signers, and from politicians that “allowed” it to the investors that bought it.
Whatever happened to “Love your neighbor as yourself”?
The comments above are unfortunately what a lot of Americans feel inside. Too much responsibility to be a democratic republic. Alas, that’s why we got Bush. He wanted to play papa–and everyone loved him on the right. Now, Obama wants everyone to act like grownups and he’s hated.
Americans are children who don’t want to grow up.
You haven’t been sold you. YOU sold out. Own it, man, and stop friggin’ complainin’!
You poor, deluded fool. I feel for you. You still believe in the Left/Right puppet show.
This is my view on President Obama (and on any other President that has served in my lifetime):
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H2DePAZe2gA/TNv-OhC7CTI/AAAAAAAAPEU/b16zGvHc9Qo/s1600/obama-puppet.jpg
You poor, deluded fool, I was talking about footnote’s comments.
But, if you must, then you poor deluded fool, if you think there’s no difference between obama and sarah palin, then you might as well put yourself out of your misery.
Obama wants us to act like grown-ups? Maybe he should set an example by not spending like a teenager at Bloomingdales with her daddy’s credit card.
Obama wants us to act like grown-ups. That’s rich, man.
Not complaining. Just stating facts.
If Obama, Palin & McCain had a dumb-off; I think Palin would win. But it would be a very tight race. Each has their unique deficiencies, but none of them have a clue about finance.
I voted for: None of the above
It’s difficult to argue that Obama wants us to behave like grownups when every move of his administration has been done with utter condescension.
Help me;
I am very mindful of that.
Savage…fucking brilliant. Thank you. 2 card Monte, there’s no bean under either nut.
Great post Fly, and thoughtful comments from everyone. Thanks
Savage is a moron and you guys are morons.
Au contraire, du Gard!!
Your mother was a hampster, and your father smells of elderberries!!!
(laughter) classic movie.
Great vids fly. Now, I’m not from your beloved country (although I am from a bum buddy friend, Aus).. and, reading through your Declaration of Independence just this morning, it seems this paragraph strikes me as needing to be imminent (again):
..That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Mrs. TC thinks I am daffy.
Watching Gators-Cocks on TV, Ala-MSU on one laptop via Justin TV, and Clemson-FSU on the other laptop via Justin TV.
It would be too confusing to watch Ore.-Cal. on phone app. via Justin TV.
GS to Fed. What a daisy chain. 7 foot 4 inch, bald Hank Paulson of the giant squid says “we need 60 times leverage to make a buck ovah heah. Where do I go to change this onerous regulation we at GS suffer from- we now can only levrage at 20 to 1?”
The fed says, you would need to change the regs. “Who makes those regs, we sure need to bri… err talk with him.” Pls go see the SEC chair; they ARE IN CHARGE. “Oh, Ok” says Hank. After his SEC meeting Hank’s GS is awarded 60 to 1 leverage. Just look the other way and cough- this is your proctology exam. What job does the former head of the SEC hold now…or is he retired in Aruba?
GS to Fed. What a daisy chain. 7 foot 4 inch, bald Hank Paulson of the giant squid says “we need 60 times leverage to make a buck ovah heah. Where do I go to change this onerous regulation we at GS suffer from- we now can only levrage at 20 to 1?”
The fed says, you would need to change the regs. “Who makes those regs, we sure need to bri… err talk with him.” Pls go see the SEC chair; they ARE IN CHARGE. “Oh, Ok” says Hank. After his SEC meeting Hank’s GS is awarded 60 to 1 leverage. Just look the other way and cough- this is your proctology exam. What job does the former head of the SEC hold now…or is he retired in Aruba?
Golden hand cuffs from GS: we require the bestand brightest in govt to serve the public. The best and brightest are at gs. Who ya gonna call?
I dont know why but i love this video so much i watched it for a fifth time already. Showed to all the family. From the youngest to the eldest.
That cartoon rocked!
Bravo fly excellent video, very informative!
The truth I tell ya, nutin but the truth, but is it gonna make me money? I don’t think so.
Right on … as I watch the talking heads pound the Obama representative over the head 5 against 1 over extending the Bush Tax Cuts with their brainwashing argument that those cuts will create jobs faster than the government so congress should cut 400,000 govt jobs and let them go to work in the private sector.
Right …. the only way that will happen is if we stop immigration and those govt cast offs take up jobs picking fruit, making beds, waiting on tables, mowing lawn and working at McDonalds!
The Bush Tax Cuts haven’t produced any domestic jobs for 4-8 years and we should extend or make them permanent? China is raising interest rates in response to QE2 and to slow down inflation caused by foreign investment as capital pours into China. But we ‘re to believe that the beneficiaries of extended tax cuts here aren’t going to invest their freshly printed greenbacks abroad but all of a sudden get benevolent, patriotic and shit and start hiring Americans to work in America? Wake me up when September ends …. Savage Indeud!
Thanks for posting that. Savage is a National Treasure.
heres one i got at stocktwts yestady, you should dig this one.creditwritedowns.com/2010/11/gold-and-guns.html
Awesome video.
Love that he thinks all our women are “Jezebels” and whores. Pretty classy stuff. That’s the kind of talk that makes people not listen to what the guy is saying. Our justice system is terrible? Yeah, pretty sure I’m OK with it over a warload’s sense of justice.
Sure he might be right on some things, but the delivery of the message is tired.
Bob, well said. Blustering generalities meant to incite anger. One sided views that generalize and sensationalize are not very enlightening.
Holy Chit that QE2 piece is pee ur pants funny.
Most women are jezebels. Ask chuck
Why do it say ……..
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
on my post above?
As well as a post from a couple days ago?
What good is the truth if vicious hatred percolates to the surface and covers everything beneath it? Does Savage want to preach to the choir or would he like to reach to a broader audience?
Thanks for sharing the cartoon link. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
nice video but who honestly didn’t realize this was yet another back door bailout of the banks. fraudclosure anyone? it”s not just gs getting the money… walls st and the fed are robbing us blind bitches.
fly u should check this out. jesse ventura’s conspiracy video about gs/wall st/ the fed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wRfuAUubT0&feature=player_embedded
You didnt tell the board office to take it off right?
Here is your change: http://www.publicintegrity.org/blog/entry/2675/
It might help if Savage learned to speak properly.
Seriously?? The Qe2 vid is funny and has some truth to it albeit it is too simplistic. And you know it Fly; I am sure of it.
And Savage…..are you kidding me? You are listening and believing in this extremist rant? I don’t buy it. I think you are only trying to incite people. I don’t believe that you really believe it.