Ron Paulstradamus

[jbg]

The problem with Ron Paul is he isn't "Republican' enough for the con voters. he needs to want to blow stuff up, hate homos, that sort of deal.

The problem is more that he's mentally unstable.

[GostHacked]

The problem is more that he's mentally unstable.

Care to explain why you think that? To me he is more stable than anyone else we see running. He is not telling you what you want to hear, he is telling you what you NEED to hear.

[Bonam]

The problem with Ron Paul is he isn't "Republican' enough for the con voters. he needs to want to blow stuff up, hate homos, that sort of deal.

That seems to be the problem afflicting everyone that is even half reasonable in the Republican party. It's unfortunate how you have to be deeply socially conservative now to have a chance at their nomination. It's really a horrible choice for voters in the US now: the democratic party that has been drawn way far to the left recently, and the republicans which have embraced religious dogma and social conservatism. For someone that cares neither for socialism nor for Christian law, there's just no decent option in the US. Both parties want to gigantically empower and expand government: one to redistribute wealth and reduce economic freedom, the other to impose morality and reduce personal freedom.

Edited June 18, 2011 by Bonam

[Michael Hardner]

For someone that cares neither for socialism nor for Christian law, there's just no decent option in the US.

I guess Obama would have to be the choice for such a person.

[Bonam]

I guess Obama would have to be the choice for such a person.

Maybe, I'm really not sure at this point. I don't like the provisions of Obamacare at all: I don't want to be forced to buy health insurance. I also don't like the enormous spending Obama has been implementing (bailouts/QE/etc), while the few programs I do care about (NASA) get only cuts and uncertainties. I don't like the multitrillion dollar deficits. And I don't like the idea of amnesty for illegal immigrants, while people that are trying to legally immigrate face immense barriers, and even where successful, often face close to a decade or more of waiting and paperwork before they become citizens. And I disagree with the general tone of the Obama administration, which seems to be government being there to help people. My view of government is closer to what Reagan said: "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'"

Of course, when I hear about Republicans talking about banning abortion, banning key areas of medical research, defining marriage based on Christian law, or, worst of all, rewriting educational curriculums to indoctrinate students in religious dogma instead of informing them of objective reality, it is also unacceptable.

Edited June 18, 2011 by Bonam

[Michael Hardner]

With regards to the theme of America falling, here's a pertinent quote from Henry Kissinger at the Munk debates yesterday:

“I believe the concept that some country will dominate the world is a misunderstanding of the world in which we live.”

[GostHacked]

With regards to the theme of America falling, here's a pertinent quote from Henry Kissinger at the Munk debates yesterday:

“I believe the concept that some country will dominate the world is a misunderstanding of the world in which we live.”

Economic collapse is happening across the board. No country will be safe unless something is drastically done to change the course.

[Michael Hardner]

Economic collapse is happening across the board. No country will be safe unless something is drastically done to change the course.

But more wealth is being generated than at any time in history. Collapse or readjustment ?

[Pliny]

Even Karl Marx correctly diagnosed problems. Both of their proposed solutions are wanting.

But he couldn't make correct predictions from his diagnoses thus his proposed solutions are found wanting. When someone can make correct predictions they can offer real solutions. But as Ghosthacked says whatever Congressman Paul says seems to fall on deaf ears. If you really understood how Ron Paul could correctly make predictions, there is a whole economic theory behind it, then wouldn't you want to implement that economic theory so that the economy could be predicted?

It means change, too much change to the established powers. It makes their future fortunes unpredictable

and they don't like that. They like it the way it is. Like a financial planner I recently talked to said - the system works as it is - translated that means he gets his paycheck. Unfortunately, ponzi schemes do work but only for a short while if you want continued stability you have to have a stable foundation.

[Pliny]

Name one "model" that is sustainable. Please cite examples with commensurate economic output.

The free market. It has existed since the start of social intercourse. A lot of times it has to go underground, and a lot of times certain individuals have tried to control and constrain it but it always returns in some form, underground where the economy is totally controlled, offshore when the economy is overtaxed, metamorphosing when it is over-regulated. Only to return in full bloom after the collapse of the regulators, the taxmen and the rulers that try to own it.

Edited June 18, 2011 by Pliny

[GostHacked]

But more wealth is being generated than at any time in history. Collapse or readjustment ?

Fiat currency does not equal wealth. The fiat currency is the cause of the current collapse, because money was printed out of thin air. Or the money is printed now, but seen as borrowing from future generations which will never be able to pay off these debts.

Where does the fiat currency come from? How does the Federal Reserve dump trillions into the market? Where do they get the money from? And where does the debt payments go?

When the fiat currency fails, the so called wealth generated out of that vanishes in an instant as well.

[Pliny]

The problem is more that he's mentally unstable.

Must appear to you to be some sort of threat to your paycheck.

[Michael Hardner]

When the fiat currency fails, the so called wealth generated out of that vanishes in an instant as well.

What do you mean by 'failure' ? It sounds catastrophic but there are vast holdings in the world, not just of bonds and cash but of resources and hard assets too.

[Pliny]

I really wish Ron Paul ran as an independent with Ventura as his running mate, I think he would have a greater chance of winning if he did.

Jesse Ventura is closer to Dennis Kucinich than Ron Paul.

[GostHacked]

What do you mean by 'failure' ? It sounds catastrophic but there are vast holdings in the world, not just of bonds and cash but of resources and hard assets too.

The resources and hard assets are what your real wealth is, I guess. If you can print money out of thin air without anything to back it up, that is not wealth. If the currency fails, what do you think you bought all that stuff with that currency is worth? But when that fails, what is all of those asses and resources worth then?

Edited June 18, 2011 by GostHacked

[bush_cheney2004]

With regards to the theme of America falling, here's a pertinent quote from Henry Kissinger at the Munk debates yesterday:

“I believe the concept that some country will dominate the world is a misunderstanding of the world in which we live.”

I think Kissinger is spot on....too many people completely misunderstand what American "empire" really is or worse yet, think only in terms of the (feared) unknown that will replace it. American exceptionalism will pass not because of outright failure, but because it has succeeded beyond its wildest expectations. In the context of "empire", which is problematic at best, a "fallen" America would be no worst than a "fallen" Britain, France, or Spain. Canada would not likely exist in its present form without a "fallen" Great Britain.

Reprise: 'Tis better to have been a superpower and lost, than never to have been one at all.

Accordingly, Ron Paul is politically irrelevant in America's present, past, and future role, both domestically and internationally. His views are incompatible with mainstream America, and he cannot get the votes to win party nomination or a national election. Even Michelle Bachmann has a better chance than Ron Paul.

[Michael Hardner]

If the currency fails..

Again, you haven't defined what that means. It sounds like you're expecting cash to go to zero value. It would have to be something similar to that if we have to go back to hand tools and subsistence farming as you seem to be suggesting.

[Michael Hardner]

American exceptionalism will pass not because of outright failure, but because it has succeeded beyond its wildest expectations. In the context of "empire", which is problematic at best, a "fallen" America would be no worst than a "fallen" Britain, France, or Spain. Canada would not likely exist in its present form without a "fallen" Great Britain.

Reprise: 'Tis better to have been a superpower and lost, than never to have been one at all.

So true. Most countries in the world lag far behind "fallen Britain".

The Vancouver Canucks lost the cup but they'd still beat most anybody else out there.

[Pliny]

What I find ridiculous is after the dotcom bubble burst around 2000, interest rates were lowered and borrowing increased, which was a major cause of the housing crisis/bubble and other debt problems that led to the current recession, and in response to this we have lowered interest rates again to encourage more borrowing/debt and likely causing another bubble in the near future.

What?????? C'mon dre get all over this. We know it was only greedy speculators and investors driving up prices, low interest rates and easy credit had little to do with the housing bubble.

[Pliny]

I think Kissinger is spot on....too many people completely misunderstand what American "empire" really is or worse yet, think only in terms of the (feared) unknown that will replace it. American exceptionalism will pass not because of outright failure, but because it has succeeded beyond its wildest expectations. In the context of "empire", which is problematic at best, a "fallen" America would be no worst than a "fallen" Britain, France, or Spain. Canada would not likely exist in its present form without a "fallen" Great Britain.

Reprise: 'Tis better to have been a superpower and lost, than never to have been one at all.

Accordingly, Ron Paul is politically irrelevant in America's present, past, and future role, both domestically and internationally. His views are incompatible with mainstream America, and he cannot get the votes to win party nomination or a national election. Even Michelle Bachmann has a better chance than Ron Paul.

Kissinger, in keeping with his general view of the world, is speaking entirely politically. He fails to view the world through the lens of culture and economics, it is mostly about power and political domination over others.

[GostHacked]

Again, you haven't defined what that means. It sounds like you're expecting cash to go to zero value. It would have to be something similar to that if we have to go back to hand tools and subsistence farming as you seem to be suggesting.

The more 'money' you dump into a system, the money then starts to devalue against everything else. When you inject a few trillion into a system that is broken, you are never ever going to recover. Cash as you know it is already starting to get down to that zero value. Electronic credits will come about and even paper money will be a thing of the past. But, what are the credits and what is the money backed by?

You've already seen QE1, and QE2, and soon a QE3 , but they won't esactly call it a QE3. It's all about dumping money into failing makrets to try and prop it up in order to sustain itself.

You and I would not dump money into a system that is failing correct? You would not invest money into failing corportations, correct? You would not invest in failing banks , correct? If you would not do any of those personally, then why would we allow the Federal Reserve do just that? Why would we allow the federal reverse to prop up failing entities due to unsound economic practices? Why are you and I on the hook to pay all this shit back?

[bush_cheney2004]

So true. Most countries in the world lag far behind "fallen Britain".

The Vancouver Canucks lost the cup but they'd still beat most anybody else out there.

I saw an unexpected photo of Canadian hockey fans in Vancouver carrying a large Mapleleaf flag altered with a large Boston Bruins logo in the center. Turns out that not only did they hate the Canucks (like many other Canadians), but they related more to one of the so called "Original Six" of the NHL, even if it was American.

[bush_cheney2004]

Kissinger, in keeping with his general view of the world, is speaking entirely politically. He fails to view the world through the lens of culture and economics, it is mostly about power and political domination over others.

In this case, Kissinger doesn't have to, as America projects all three elements in spades.

[Michael Hardner]

Cash as you know it is already starting to get down to that zero value.

I do not know that. I will gladly take your valueless cash if you like.

You and I would not dump money into a system that is failing correct?

Sure, but ... do we have 'money' then ?

Why are you and I on the hook to pay all this shit back?

That's the system. Tax revenues don't equal expenditures and that's a problem. But it doesn't mean we're getting to zero value.

[dre]

What?????? C'mon dre get all over this. We know it was only greedy speculators and investors driving up prices, low interest rates and easy credit had little to do with the housing bubble.

Youll need to go back and read some of my posts. Iv slammed the fed for both for suggesting Americans take out ARMS and also for being a full two years late in raising rates and ignoring their own formula. Just because Im quick to expose your conspiracy theories, and your free market religion doesnt mean I think the government was blameless.